Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Bloggers!

2012 will always be a special year in my heart as it is the year we had our beautiful baby girl.  Happy Birth year to my Baby Layne! I can't wait to continue to watch this sweet baby girl grow!

Looking forward to see what the new year brings.

Be safe out there.  We are staying in and being cozy.... there will be some champers and some horn blowing and some baby kissing.

Cheers to you!

Happy 2013.

xoxo

Firsts

I've sorta missed blogging and I often think if idea if what I could blog about. That includes my sweet baby girl of course. So here's a thought. A post about firsts. Could be a weekly post or biweekly we shall see.
But here are some for now. And I'm doing this from my phone so it's harder to get the picture that goes with the activity in order. But I'll try.
Here are some of her firsts. Pictures are next.


First smile: we saw last week.

First Christmas party at my friend Jess' business

First holiday party at Hayleys house

First vaccines (2 month shots). Lots of tears from both her and I.

First time taking a bottle. ( I wanted to do an entire post on this) my exclusively breast fed baby does not like the bottle (with breast milk in it) she has finally taken it twice after many failed attempts. I never thought this would be an issue. But we will keep trying. Andrew has to give her the bottle while I leave the house. She knows if I am here and won't take it! Smart cookie.

First time: quitting my job to be a stay at home mom! Yep! I sure did. You see I didn't get paid enough to be able to afford day care or a nanny so if I stayed home it helped us out more. Needless to say we are on a strict budget! But I've always been a good saver so my goal is to figure out how to pay bills, rent, eat, buy diapers and save off of one salary. I quit a couple of weeks ago and gave my one month notice after being there 3years. I'm hoping to go back somewhere full time after a year. Or perhaps part time somewhere after 6 months. Depending on how we are doing.
Back to Layne..

First: plane trip!! Ill post this one again cause it hasn't happened yet. But this weekend we are flying to Dallas for Christmas. Weather gods be good to us!

First: time holding her head up for a good while during tummy time.

First: photo shoot for her Xmas card! (Taken by Andrew an I)

First: successful swing! Thanks for letting us borrow it colie!

Ill have to think of more. Here are some pictures

First Official Smile or Gas?

Either way i'll take it.  This little beauty is changing every day and i am trying to keep up. her little cheeks are really filling in, and we finally got the first official smile caught on camera!
Thanks to Andrew- my official photographer.

One Month!

My sweet baby Layne is one month old (yesterday).  I can't believe we've been hanging out for a month! And i mean hanging out.  I haven't really left the house much in the last month.  But in the past week we have been out on our own!  Layne and i went to girl's night last week to watch Top Chef at Hayley's house!  This month has really flown by and i am so proud to call her my daughter.  She's pretty cute, I'll keep her!

In one month, she's gotten back to her birth weight and more!  Baby's an eating machine.
She's really good with her big sister Chai, and vice Versa.  Chai is very gentle with her and Layne is so curious to know what that fur is that she is touching.
She's starting to hold my gaze more.
She doesn't like tummy time.
She is starting to sleep more. (hallelujah!)  (up to 3 hours now!)
She goes through like one million diapers a day. Pooping machine!
She loves when mommy sings to her out of tune.  (i mean who wouldn't).
She's gotten lots of super cute outfits and I am trying to make her wear all of them before she's too big!
We love our little chicken nugget and we are soaking in every minute.  While taking 150 million photos each day.

I posted these pictures on Facebook, but if I am going to keep this blog going, I really should document it here too.

Layne's one month photoshoot:

Happy one month my little Laynie Bell.

Visitors and other things

I have tried to keep up with this blog, but my iPhone app has crashed and I am not sure how to fix it.  So it takes some time to get to this ole computer.
Here are some photos of some of the wonderful visitors that have come to meet miss Layne.
I didn't get pictures of everyone, because I forgot to.  This post pregnancy brain is a whole lot worse that actual pregnancy brain.  But thank you to those not pictured:
Erika & her kiddos who came by and brought Layne some gifts and dinner for us!  Also to Hector and Laura who brought Layne the coolest Baby CD ever.  Rock-a-bye Baby  Lullaby's of the Pixes, The Beatles, and Radio Head.   Why didn't we think of this???!  Little Layne has been jamming out over here.

Here are some photos of visitors and things that went on these past few weeks.

Hayley & Jess on Layne's Birthday at the Hospital

Auntie Anne

Alivia & Layne- sweet cousins

Aunti Aimee demonstrating the Moby Wrap with Layne tucked in there

Hayley & Steve brought over wine and dinner for us!  Nice little adult Friday night.

Dawn & Shae- Co workers holding down the fort came to see miss Layne

Auntie Alison, stopping by with much needed coffee and sweets

Auntie Mary came today to see Layne- with Beautiful flowers!

Grandma giving Layne her First Bath!

Chai loves her

those lips

first walk around the hood with the stroller. I felt legit

Andrew took lots of pictures

me trying out the moby wrap.

Tomorrow Layne and I are going for a walk to vote.  Wish us luck!  Our first venture out with out daddy.
xoxo  must nap.

It's a Girl!!

Layne Thomas Chobot
Born at 41 weeks
10/19/12
12:41am
22 hours of labor (maybe one day i'll tell this story on my blog).
20.5 inches long
7.15oz.

It's been a crazy, emotional, wonderful past 5 days.. I can't believe i've had a baby for 5 days!!  I tried to update this blog from my phone app but it hasn't been working- so this is really the first time i have opened my computer. And i really should be sleeping, because sweet Layne is sleeping and i'll be up all night.  But that's apart of the fun right?
Things have been going great so far.  She's lost a few ounces since birth, which is normal, but the doctors have been monitoring her weight gain.  We have gone to check up twice and today she gained 3 oz.  We go again on Friday and hopefully- momma's breast milk fatten's her up!

We are so in love with this little baby and i honestly can't believe she's finally here, and she's mine!  I love her little face and i can't stop starring at it.

Here are a few pictures.  Some have been posted on Facebook, but here they are regardless.  We have already taken SO MANY photos!

More to come, just wanted to get to this little blog before 5 days turns into 5 weeks.

Proud papa

Welcome to the world Layne!

BIG YAWN!

Proud Momma

in my best stripes.

Big sister Chai loves Layne

Grandmas!  Stuck it out through 22 hours of labor. Love you grandmas! 

Welcome to the world Layne! We love you!  And hey- all that worrying about a boys name, during labor- we finally decided on a boys name.  BUT look it that!  We didn't need it.  If/when/IF we have another- boy's name - SET!

Thanks for all the love and well wishes on the Facebook. We are so excited and ready for this incredible ride.
xo

Thomas' in Chicago

Welp, my sister and her kiddos have come and gone in hopes to meet this baby! We had a great time while they were here and as much as I can't freaking wait for my baby to be here, it was nice to be able to hang out and spend time with them.

She brought her kids Simone (4yrs) and Julian (10 months).  

They are so cute and it was awesome having them here.

 

My sister made me super spicy food, had me drink raspberry tea, and rubbed my feet!! Hitting pressure points that are supposed to help induce labor naturally. (Didn't work so far). And she cleaned my house!! so awesome.  And we went for walks, and to the Children's museum.

Her last night here she was determined to get this baby out, and so we googled ways to induce labor and ended up on the You Tubes dancing and jumping around.  We searched "yoga pregnant dance to induce labor" it was a hilarious site. 

I'm sorry baby Chobot didn't come when they were here, but we had a great time and she was tons of help.  

My sister left today and my mom got here today, and so we wait some more.  Hopefully this baby will grace us with his/her presence so someone in the Thomas family can meet him/her before the holidays.

Here's a little photo dump of their visit. 

I can only hope that my baby is a cute and sweet as these two are.

Practice

Simone LOVES her uncle Andrew

Julian all dressed up to meet the Chobot's

Took to long to take this one

Ipad- Check, Water bottle- Check

Meeting the Chobots.  Alivia & Simone= Best Friends for life

Andrew's nephew EJ- 12 years old. Simone (4) said: "he was so handsome, i wanted to kiss him on the lips..."  She fell in LOVE

me, 40 week and 3 days late

Kissing her baby cousin

Julian feeding Chai Cherrios- Score!

Dori, rubbing my feet!!

Super mom, walking to the park

I love this face.

Currently 40 weeks and 5 days late now.  I have a Dr.'s appt tomorrow.  We will see what they say!  Hopefully it's something good!!  or i'll have a 41 week update on Thursday, sigh. 

If the baby doesn't come tomorrow- I am going to girls night at Hayley's house. She's making me spicy chili.  Come on baby!!!!  

40 Weeks....

Pregnancy: 40 Weeks... Welp folks, we made it.  My due date! 10/11/12, and nothing to report over here. Now the official waiting game begins.  How late will baby Chobot be??

Weight Gain:  up 3 more pounds from last week. SHIT!  total weight gain 33 pounds.  I can't stop baking... Made these tonight. This is apart of my problem...

Next appointment:   Next week at 41 weeks. Wed. 10/117 at 2:30pm.  My mom will be here by then, and i hope to be sitting on my couch with my new born baby by that time...

Sleep:  Since being on maternity leave- I have been sleeping as much as possible.  Sleeping in, then most days taking a nap. It's been awesome.  Me and Chai, just sleep all day long...

 

Gender: ?????????????????? 

Names:  Girl name. officially complete- middle name too. Boy name... there are finally options and names in the running.

Feeling/ Symptoms: Doctor checked me again this past Wednesday at my appt. and no difference. I am 1 cm. dilated and 70% effaced still.  She offered to "sweep my membranes" but then said she couldn't because i was still only 1 cm. Besides that i am feeling pretty good.  When i walk Chai is when things really get moving.  I can feel contractions and lots of moving, but then i come home and it all stops.  I guess i need more walking and spicy food!

Movement:  Moves mostly at night when i am trying to go to sleep, and like I mentioned when i am walking around. i still love the movement, keep it coming little one!

Belly: I measured 39 weeks again.  

Maternity Clothes:  Thank goodness i am done with work, not much is fitting these days, and it's been cold so i have one sweater that fits over this bump.

Stretch Marks: sigh.....

Best Moment Last Week:  It's been great being home, on Monday i really got serious, i made pumpkin bread, cleaned out the fridge and the freezer, and cabinets and got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the floor.  Since then, I have been relaxing.  I have seen a few friends for hot chocolate and donuts, and tomorrow going to lunch with Hayley! (if baby doesn't come tonight).  I am glad I was able to take this time off before the baby comes.

Nursery:  We ended up putting the tree decal we got in our bedroom above our bed, and put the little ikea mirrors that were there in the nursery.  Here is a picture of our new tree decal with my little arteest- making sure it looks good

What I Miss:  I'm starting to miss my old body.  But, i'll bounce back... I HOPE.

Looking forward to:  My sister and her kiddos are coming tomorrow! I can't wait to see them.  I guess a little part of me is glad the baby isn't here yet so i can actually hang out with them.   She is here tomorrow thru Tuesday, and my mom gets here Tuesday through the following Tuesday.  So this baby needs to get here before Oct. 23. GOT IT BABY!?!? and i really want him/her to be a Libra for some reason... so because of that- he/she needs to be here by Oct. 22nd.  ;)

What the professionals are saying:

How your baby's growing:

How your baby's growing:

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

Baby is the size of what fruit/ Vegetable?  Small Pumpkin!  (great now i want more pumpkin bread...)