1 Month Already!

I can't believe Owen is already one month! As most moms can sure attest to, it is amazing how quickly time goes with a newborn. At the same time, it feels like he has always been with us.

Here are Owen's latest accomplishments

• He now weighs 7 lbs 15 oz (two lbs more than he did at birth).
• He seems more alert and awake every day.
• He is becoming a little more independent as well. He likes to have time after he eats to simply lay on his activity mat so that he can kick his legs and wave his arms.
• He loves to be bounced by his daddy and hugged by mom when he gets sleepy.
• He has almost outgrown his newborn clothes, and we have started transitioning him into some of his 0-3 months. It will be a little sad to pack up the boxes and start putting some of his tiniest outfits away.

A lot has changed for Luke and I as well. Now that we are no longer carpooling, Luke has started taking public transporation to and from work. He especailly loves the time he has to read and relax instead of fighting the traffic. On my end, I have decided stay home with Owen next year rather than return to my teaching position at Seattle Christain. I will absolutely miss the students, my coworkers, and being in the classroom full time, but I am excited about this new adventure and the time I will have with Owen. Hopefully, I will have a little more time for blogging as well :)

And finally, here are the pictures of our growing boy. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to the family Owen Reid Walker

Owen is finally here! Luke and I can't seem to get enough of him. It has been hard keeping track of time ever since we left for the hospital last Thursday night. His delivery was quite an adventure. After my water broke, I spent thirteen hours in labor. During the last six hours, Owen's heart rate on the fetal monitor was a bit inconsistent which eventually led the Doctor's to the decision that a C-section was needed. It was a fast transition into the OR and by 12:47 our little boy was here. Owen had a little trouble getting enough oxygen after birth. He had some fluid in his lungs that he needed to cough up. But with some TLC from the nurses he began to cry rather loudly and was released from the NICU in under 30 mins. It turns out that his cord had been wrapped once around the neck and then bunched up near his shoulder creating a few kinks. As a result, every time I had a contraction it put pressure on his cord which slowed down his heart rate and tuckered him out a little more. Both of us are home now and doing well. Here are a few pictures from the last few days for you to enjoy.

Our First Family Photo

This is one of our favorites

Seeing you for the first time

Going home

3 days old

4 days old

37 Weeks!

I am full term! In some ways I am still in denial that he could make his appearance any day. I keep making lists of the things we need to clean, buy, and organize - none of which I can seem to find the motivation to actually accomplish. Oh well! The reality is that we pretty much have what we need, and both Luke and I would much rather hold this baby in our arms than have my to-do list completed. So although I am certainly a little scared, as each day brings my due date closer, I grow more excited for him to just hurry up and get here!

Here is the belly at 37 weeks

I had meant for this to be a separate post - but as you can tell it never made it off the aforementioned to-do list. Now that I am finally sitting down to blog, I thought I would share some of the pictures Jennie took of Luke and I down at Golden Gardens. She put several up on her facebook if you would like to see more, but here are a few of my favorites. I am 35 weeks in the pictures below.

In case you were wondering, we are still undecided on a name. We have a few we are thinking about, but you will all have to wait until he gets here to find out which one we go with. It will be a fun surprise.

32 Weeks

I can't believe that I only have 8 weeks left until my due date! A little bit of panic set in last weekend as Luke and I thought about all things we have left to do, but it has been quickly replaced by excitement. Earlier this week Luke told me how excited he was to meet our little guy and actually hold him in his arms. I must admit it was pretty wonderful to hear him talk about becoming a father with so much joy. I can't wait to see how both of us grow in our marriage during this next phase of life. We will find out pretty soon! Until then, here are the latest pics of the rapidly expanding waistline.

28 Weeks!

This last Sunday was the start of my third trimester. I can't believe it is here already! Our little boy is more active than ever with consistent reminders of his punching and kicking skills. At our last appointment, everything was going well and he seems right on target to arrive mid-May. We can't wait to actually meet him face to face and hold him for the first time. Until then, here are a few shots of the growing belly.

24 weeks

Per the request of several family members, here is a picture of my growing belly.

I can't believe he will be here in a few short months. Luke and I have finally started planning for the nursery and baby gear. I will certainly post some pics as things start to come together. However, the name process is going a little slower. I think we have both decided to make a short list of names and then decide closer to the due date or maybe even when he comes. More updates to come soon.

20 weeks

Just last weekend I hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy. Since I have been feeling better, time has certainly flown by. It has also moved quickly due to the busy holiday season. This year we spent Christmas at home. My family came into town a few days before Christmas, and Luke and I hosted Christmas dinner at our house for both his family and mine. After Christmas we went over to Bremerton to spend a few days with Luke's family, and now we are back home gearing up for New Year's Eve. Here are some pictures from the last few days.

Family Picture with the Walkers

Family Picture with the Maissens Baby Bumb 20 weeks