Fashionably Late

Well, the due date came and went and Sydney decided that she didn't want to come out and play.  After last week's doctor's appointment, we thought for sure that she would come over the weekend.  We went to the doctor appointment on Tuesday ready to hear the doctor say that we were moving along and even hopeful that he would send us to the delivery room.  To our disappointment Erin hadn't progressed any.  Wow, we weren't ready for that.  The doctor ran several tests including an ultrasound.  The tests came back perfect and the doctor isn't worried about going past the due date.  We're glad that everything is great, but are incredibly anxious about meeting Sydney.

The doctor scheduled a follow up appointment for tomorrow morning.  So, the bags are still packed and house is in order.  I put together an electronics bag tonight including laptop with movies, camera, video recorder and cords.  We're just hoping that tomorrow's appointment results in admission to the delivery room.

Erin's grandma is coming to town on Saturday to meet her first great grand baby.  My parents are on stand by and Erin's parents are staying close.  So...come on Sydney!  :)  You have a loving family that can't wait to meet you.

It's Show Time

We went to the doctor last week and everything is still looking good.  The doctor told us that Erin was 75% effaced and 1 cm dilated.  This was a welcome statement to Erin as she has grown more and more uncomfortable lately.  Honestly, I thought we would be in labor this weekend because the doctor seemed pleased with the progression so far.

Erin has been off work for the past week and a half.  This has allowed her to get the house in order like she wanted and take care of last minute things that we've been unable to finish.  Her mom brought the curtains over for the nursery tonight.  The only thing we are waiting on now is a custom surf board that will go over Sydney's crib as a centerpiece.  It should be finished any day now.

We put up the Christmas tree and decorations last week.  I finished the outside Christmas lights today in the  cold.  She had been bugging me for weeks to put up the decorations and I wasn't about to bring more stuff into the house until she had everything else the way she wanted first.

The house is ready, we've stocked enough food to feed us for a long time, we have more clothes than Sydney could possibly wear, and Christmas decorations are all up.  The only thing missing is Sydney.  So, the big question is...when will she come?  I think everyday we wake up and ask each other if she is coming today.  We've been walking Walmart and Target from end to end (since it's been too cold to walk outside) trying to induce labor naturally.  So far we have inconsistent contractions and some occasional shooting pain that is likely attributed to Sydney's head being lower and pushing on nerves.

At this point we are anxious and just plain ready for her to be here.  I'm nervous about the delivery room just for the fear of the unknown and because I don't like to see Erin in pain.  I'm also nervous because I want mom and baby to be healthy.  Please pray for us that we will have a smooth delivery.

Baby Shower with the Ya Ya's

The YaYa's got together and threw Erin a baby shower.  It looks like everyone had fun.  Somehow Sydney has more clothes than both Erin and I now.  It's incredible how much stuff she has accumulated.  What's crazy is that everyone keeps telling us that we will need it all.  Who would have thought that she would need 14 pacifiers?  

         

Bump Update Week 37

I can't believe we are at week 37.  Sydney could come at any time now.  We took this bump picture in Sydney's nursery.  Erin is proud of the burlap door hanger that she bought off of Etsy.

Nursery Almost Finished

Here is a glimpse of our nursery so far.  We still need to add curtains, bedding, and some pictures before we are completely finished.

The dogs have already made themselves at home though.  I think we are both a little anxious about how they will react to Sydney, so we have made it a point to make sure they are comfortable with the new baby stuff around the house.  We even bought them some toys so that Sydney would come bearing gifts.

Erin was taking the tags off of Sydney's clothes and putting them in a pile to wash.  The next thing we knew, Tucker had made himself comfortable.

I put Tux in the crib for a photo op.  He's such a good dog.

 

Nesting

Wow, I had no idea what the books were talking about when they said that pregnant women get a nesting instinct.  Erin has put a new meaning to the word.  Our house is not only clean but OCD organized.  I took the below picture without her knowing just so you get a glimpse of what I'm talking about.  I caught her on a chair putting stuff up in a cabinet and probably was a little mean to her how I was completely not okay with it.  Occasionally I think she is pushing it too much but then I tell myself that this is what she needs to do to feel prepared for Sydney.

The nursery is coming together.  If I haven't said before, the theme is hawaiian style with woody cars, colorful flowers, and surf boards.  The room is yellow, the changing table is pink and orange, and the fabric has a little of all three.  Erin and her mom bought some fabric on Sunday for the curtains.  My mom is finished with sewing Sydney's bedding.  Erin ordered a surf board with Sydney's name on it.  The only thing that we really have left is a glider chair for rocking her.

We had de-cluttered when we put the house up for sale by moving a good bit of stuff to storage.  Now that we are staying in this house, we want to move some of the pictures and decoration back in.  It's been rather exhausting trying to bring things back on top of working to clean up around the house.

Now Erin is talking about putting the Christmas stuff out.  I need Sydney to come just to slow her down because I don't think I can keep up.  :)

Falling Behind

I want to apologize to those of you that have been wondering what happened to the blog.  I've completely underestimated the amount of preparation that is required to have a child.  I have some catching up to do on things that have happened over the past 6 weeks, so bear with me as I add some pictures that are a few weeks old.

Sydney's due date is 4 weeks away and she could come at anytime now.  Thankfully, everything has been great with Erin and baby.  Sydney is growing on schedule and Erin has been healthy.  Erin told me the other day that she is really starting to get uncomfortable.  She can't sleep well and every move seems to bring her pain.  She's kept a good attitude though and hasn't complained about much of anything.  In fact, I would say that she has been happier than I've ever seen her.

I've had several career opportunities come up over the past few months that have required considerable focus from both Erin and I.  After careful consideration, I took a promotion within my current office as a category manager for Snapple, mixers, and premium drinks.  The position will provide me with considerable growth opportunity and put our family in a great position moving forward.

We decided to take the house off of the market.  We showed the house quite a few times, but the only interest was for leases.  Sydney will be joining us soon and we both agreed that it would be best to refinance and save the money and stress.

With the house off the market, we put our attention to the nursery.  The theme is Hawaiian style with woody cars, surf boards, big flowers, and fun colors.  We bought a crib, painted the room, and custom painted a changing table to match the bedding.  My mom is sewing the crib bedding and Erin's mom is  helping with the window treatments.  Erin also found a custom surf board with Sydney's name on it that is being built for us.  We still have a few things left to do to finish the room, but we are close enough that we are happy.

Erin is ready to POP

Some of Erin's closest friends threw her a beautiful baby shower about a month ago.  The theme was "Erin is ready to POP!"  The decorations were amazing and included pink popcorn, soda pop, popcorn chicken, cake pops, and pop-tarts.  The girls really went overboard on planning and preparing the party.

Everyone had fun with the games and entertainment.  Both moms were able to join as well as Erin's older sister Melissa.  We were glad that so many people came to share our excitement and anticipation of Sydney's arrival.  We are blessed to have great friends and family.

Clipping Coupons

Most people would describe me as "cheap".  Well, this is probably why they feel this way...  

We've started collecting coupons for formula, diapers, wipes, etc.  I've decided to take this to the next level.  I've organized these coupons now by product and expiration.  Then I decided that I didn't have enough coupons.  So, I signed up for "Amazon Mom" which provides an additional 15% discount and free 2 day shipping on baby products.  I also signed up for free stuff online at Pampers, Huggies, Similac, Enfamil, and Gerber.  

Tonight we purchased 4 containers of Similac powder formula.  Remember Sydney is not due for 10 more weeks...  However, I found a deal at Target that gave us a $5 gift card with the purchase of two containers.  I combined this deal with the coupons above for a total savings of $30.  It's not the most manly thing I've ever done, but I enjoy saving a buck when I can.

Now that I sound completely like a dork, I need to mention that I've also determined how much of this powder Sydney should need each month.  I can also do the same thing with diapers and wipes once I find the best price.  The result should be an attempt at a baby budget, which I'm sure is not normal behavior for a first time dad to be.  I'm probably a little naive, but it doesn't hurt to try to keep the finances in order with a baby on the way.

First Baby Shower

Sydney's first baby shower was today.  We had a lot of people come and celebrate with us.  The presents were very generous as well.  It's obvious that Erin's coworkers think a lot of her.  Thank you to everyone that joined us.  A special thanks to our good friends Erin and Mandy for hosting the party.  

 

 

Sydney's Growing

It's been a little while since I've updated the blog, so I wanted to start with a new bump photo.  Sydney sure is growing fast.  Erin is in her third trimester now so we are on the home stretch.  

Lately, we've been taking it easy.  We can't buy much for Sydney until we have the showers.  We wanted to hold off on the nursery while we try to sell the house, but we are starting to think about paint and things now that we are getting closer.

Shopping

I've successfully spent more time in the Motherhood Maternity store than I care to admit.  As we move closer to the third trimester we've been on an endless search for comfortable and professional clothing for her to wear to work.  We've found that the Motherhood store has a good selection of style as well as comfort.  

Erin is also starting to notice that simple tasks like bending over are a little more complicated than usual.  She also has trouble breathing occasionally and finds relief only by laying down or standing up.  I've been told that these are all common problems for pregnant women and should be nothing to worry about. 

I'm happy that so far the pregnancy has been relatively normal.  I've been trying to actually get her to slow down so that she can rest more often.  The pregnancy is going so well that Erin for the most part continues to do everything that she did prior to being pregnant.  She has always been eager to please everyone (including me) even if it means that she is stressed to the max and it is a huge inconvenience to her.  That's one of the many reasons that I love her so much.  However, I've been trying to push her to be a little more selfish now that she is pregnant.  The first priority right now is keeping her and the baby healthy and happy. 

Week 26 - Bump Update

I apologize because there have been several requests for a bump update.  Here she is.  Isn't she beautiful!  By the way, she passed the Glucose test after much anxiety. We are happy to say that she is having a picture perfect pregnancy so far.  We couldn't be more excited.

Long Day

Erin had her second round of glucose test yesterday.  I went with her for the first hour to make sure that she could stomach the sugar drink as the last round upset her stomach a little.  The test takes a total of three hours as they take her blood four times total.  The whole idea is kind of crazy.  They take a pregnant woman and have them fast for 12 hours followed by a large dosage of sugar and four blood samples.

I made sure that she was going to be alright and then I went to work.  As soon as I made it to the office and fixed a cup of coffee I got a call from the nurse at the doctor's office.  Erin fainted and then got sick.  I went right back to the doctor and picked her up.  The nurse apparently had a difficult time finding her vein.  Erin was anxious anyway and the sugar rush didn't help.

I dropped her off at the house and then went to the gas station to grab her some orange juice and peanut butter crackers to help make her feel better.  I stayed with her the rest of the day while she rested and recovered.

Unfortunately, she will have to retake the test because she wasn't able to complete it.  She called the doctor's office and they want her to come back on Friday morning.  This time they are giving her some anti-nausea medicine and she will lay down the entire time.

Hopefully she will make it through this time.  I don't want her to have to take it again.  The hard part will be keeping her from being anxious about it between now and then.  Wish us luck.

Test Results

So, the first Glucose test came back positive.  This means that Erin will need to have more tests done tomorrow morning.  Her appointment is at 7:30 and she will have her blood taken up to four times over three hours while they try to determine if she is at risk of gestational diabetes.  Hopefully she passes the first test and does not have to stay for the whole time.

I'll try to post a bump picture soon.  I've been able to feel Sydney kick multiple times now.  We were even able to actually see her move as well.

Week 24 - Glucose Test

We went to the doctor on Friday for the standard week 24 check up and Glucose test.  This is the one were she drinks the notoriously bad tasting Glucose drink.  Erin's first response after first tasting this drinks was: "It's not that bad. It tastes like a really sugary sprite". :)  We don't hear the official results from the test until sometime this week.  We're hoping that everything goes well.  All other tests are normal and the doctor said that Sydney is looking "picture perfect".  

Erin has been feeling really well.  There are some nights that she can't seem to get comfortable and she has had a little back pain.  Overall, she's been doing great.  Hopefully we continue to have a relatively easy pregnancy.

I felt Sydney move!

I was complaining to Erin that I really wanted to feel the baby move.  She started feeling around and then said here try to feel this.  I was concentrating trying to feel any little motion other than her breathing.  Then all of the sudden I felt a noticeable movement.  It was an exciting moment.  Our baby keeps growing and Erin has continued to be healthy.  I'm a happy dad.

Lake Day

This past Saturday we enjoyed a full day on the lake.  We've done this the past two weekends and have found that it is a great way to have fun when it's too hot to do anything else.  We usually load up the boat around noon and drive it to JJ's grill on the lake.  After a great lunch, we head north towards party cove, a friend's lake house, or a rope swing at Big Cliffty.  We bring a grill and cook out at sunset before we head home.  

This weekend we hooked up the tube and pulled the girls.  Erin technically is not suppose to do any bouncing, but we decided that it wouldn't be that big of a deal if she had a short slow ride with her mom.  They had a blast laughing as they tried to figure out how to sit upright.  Since the boat isn't going that fast, the tube doesn't level out.  The result is that they are fully reclined with feet in the air.

Bump Update

I realized that it's been awhile since we last updated Erin's baby bump.  I haven't done a good job of taking the daily pictures as originally planned.  I'll try to really keep up now that the baby is really growing fast.

Lately, I've had a little more time to start reading some pregnancy books.  I've was trying to find a way to help with Erin's leg cramps last night.  That and back pain is usually what bothers her.  She's also struggling to sleep at night because she can't seem to get comfortable.

I was reading "Dad's Pregnant Too" last night after Erin went to sleep.  There was a chapter on the "Fat Dad Syndrome".  It was cracking me up because I'm totally gaining weight.  Erin isn't as hungry anymore, so I eat my food and then eat what's left of hers too.  She has a sweet tooth and I join in on the fun.

Although Erin hasn't been able to eat as much lately, she does have some odd cravings.  At first she couldn't get enough waffles.  We would eat waffles for breakfast and she would want it again for dinner.  We were booking a hotel on our way down to Destin and Erin's only request was that we make sure that the Marriot had waffles for breakfast.  Now she's craving Bomb Pop's.  She's eating them like they're about to be discontinued.

Beach Baby

We took a last minute vacation with the family over the fourth of July holiday.  We dropped the dogs off for a nice vacation as well with my parents in Conway.  We had a blast relaxing on the beach and visiting some friends in the area.  I was even able to deep sea fish for the first time.  

Welcome Sydney Anne Johnson

First, sorry for the long delay in posts over the past month.  I've officially completed my MBA from the University of Arkansas.  This summer was especially intense from a workload perspective.  Now that I'm finished, I'll spend this week catching up the blog.  So come back and check often for updates.  Most of all thanks for your support.  We love you all.

I've uploaded the video from the last ultrasound where we found out that we are having a girl.  We promise that we didn't watch this until after the reveal party.  The technician turned off the monitor that we look at when she was trying to determine the sex.  This ultrasound was particularly useful for the doctors as well because they spend tons of time ensuring that everything is progressing as it should.  Sydney is approximately 6 inches long and 10oz now.  Erin is still feeling the kicks regularly and the baby is growing right on schedule.

The ultrasound was awesome to watch.  It's amazing what technology allows us to see prior to childbirth.  If you notice, Sydney is sucking her thumb through the entire video.  She's also practicing her breathing even though she is not actually using her lungs yet.  

It's a Girl!

We had an ultrasound on Wednesday.  Erin and baby are doing great!  Erin's blood clot is gone and the baby is  growing right on schedule. The technician wrote down the sex of the baby on a piece of paper and sealed it in an envelope.  Erin took the envelope to the bakery and they made a white cake with either pink or blue filling.

Last night, friends and family joined us in celebrating the gender surprise.  We had tons of fun mingling and sharing in the excitement.  We've also already decided on a name.  Welcome baby Sydney Anne Johnson!

Weekend

Erin is still doing great.  We had fun with friends on the boat Saturday. We cooked some food and listened to music while taking in some rays.  Sunday we had our first house showing so we ended up cleaning most of the day and then having Fathers day over at her parents house.  I worked on homework until midnight.  Thankfully, I have less than a month left before I'm finished.

Erin is 17 weeks pregnant this week.  She is showing a little now and is kind of excited to show it off.  Everyone tells me that pregnant women are hard to deal with, but Erin has been more than pleasant.  She's relaxed and happy most of the time.  I think it's because she is just proud to be a mom.  I love her and I'm looking forward to watching her be a great mother.

Check up

Erin has not had any other issues since last week so we were hopeful when we went in for a follow up ultrasound this morning.  Thankfully the ultrasound confirmed that the blood clot is smaller now and no longer a concern.

It's amazing to see how fast a baby grows from one week to the next.  They estimate that the baby is 4 oz and the due date is predicted to be December 3rd.  The next visit on July 12th will be the gender reveal.  We're extremely anxious to find out the sex.  Erin is on team pink and I'm on team blue.  I'm mainly on team blue because I know that I will be whipped if I have a girl. :)  I'll really be happy with a healthy baby and mom.

1 week - 3 doctor's visits

We ended up going to the doctor 3 times this week due to the bleeding.  We found that she seems to have problems when she's active so we've tried to limit her activity to prevent anymore issues.  This seems to be working so far as we haven't had any problems since Thursday.  We go back for a follow up ultra sound next Thursday to see if the blood clot has changed in size.  We're hopeful that this was just a small complication that will pass and we can continue with a normal pregnancy.

We read the "what to expect" website weekly and can't believe that our baby is already 4 inches long.  I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going...

Some complications

We had to call the doctor on Sunday night because Erin was spot bleeding.  This is concerning because she is now 14 1/2 weeks pregnant and this isn't normal.  We called the on call doctor and he told us that he thought it would be best if we come in first thing in the morning.  They did an ultrasound and determined that there's a blood clot at the edge of the placenta and the water sack.  There's nothing that they can really do about it other than just see what happens.  The doctor put her on "couch potato" rest until we go back to the doctor again tomorrow.  The dogs are loving that she is spending so much time with them.  Pray for us that God will watch over Erin and our baby.

For Sale

Erin and I have decided to put our house on the market.  Our house is great for the two of us and the occasional guest, but we're looking for a little more room to grow if you know what I mean.  We've already picked out the school district that we want to build in and a nice subdivision with lots large enough to put in a swimming pool. We actually already have a house plan and a builder.  We're probably crazy to do this during the pregnancy, but who cares.  We've never really been one for taking it easy.

Baby Bump

We are starting to be able to see a small baby bump now!  The reality is hitting us that December 1st is not that far away.  Erin and I looked at three day cares last Friday because the waiting list is long at the more popular places in town.  After sticker shock wore off we started to appreciate how important it is to find a place that can not only provide the basics but add an early education.  Some of the things they teach kids these days just amazes me.  Erin was partial to one that she thought would be OCD clean.  I liked one that was a little out of the way but had a solid educational curriculum.  Fortunately, we have a few months to decide.

Tornado Warning

Well, the baby just experienced its first natural disaster scare.  These events are not all that uncommon for Erin who has experienced a house fire, a tornado, and a hurricane.  We were at the movies when a tornado warning sent us racing home to be with our dogs.  We quickly cleared out a small interior closet and took shelter for the next hour.  Fortunately, we made it through the storm without any issues although there are reports of some severe damage in surrounding areas.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our three year wedding anniversary!  A long time ago we decided that we wanted to enjoy each other for a few years before we had kids.  In addition to changing jobs, working on a catering business, and completing an MBA, we've definitely had tons of fun. 

Over the last three years we've:

• Skied in Colorado
• Golfed in St. Augustine Florida
• Attended two weddings in Destin
• Watched Fourth of July in Boston
• Mardi Gras in Mobile Alabama
• Auburn National Champtionship in Phoenix Arizona
• Football at Ole Miss, Auburn, and Mississippi State
• Wedding in Chattanooga
• Family visits in Washington DC
• Birthday in Kansas City
• Golf and wedding in Memphis
• Thanksgiving in New Orleans
• Honeymoon and Anniversary in Jamaica

We can't wait for the next chapter of our lives.  Next year when we celebrate our anniversary it will be with the newest member of our family.  

Breaking News!

Saturday was an eventful day for us.  I graduated with an MBA from the University of Arkansas.  Both families came to the long ceremony.  After, we went to Pinnacle Country Club for dinner.  I opened presents and we enjoyed each others company.  After dinner, they brought the "surprise" cake that announced to all of them that we are having a baby.  Everyone was overjoyed and excited.  After the screams and hugs, everyone grabbed the nearest phone and started calling friends and family. It was an exciting moment!

Surprise!

I graduate tomorrow with my MBA. It's been a long two years.  Both our families are going to watch me graduate.  After the ceremony, we will go to dinner at the club.  After dinner, the server is going to bring me a surprise "graduation" cake.  What our family doesn't know is that the cake is not for me, it's going to announce to them that we are having a baby!  They're going to be so excited and we just can't wait to share this with them.

Smile, You're on Camera!

Yesterday we went to our first doctor's appointment since the original pregnancy confirmation.  Erin did her blood work and went over medical history with the nurse.  Then we went to the ultrasound room and saw our baby for the first time!  The moment the baby came up on the screen we saw it kick one of its legs.  Then later the baby stuck its arm up.  It was a magical moment.  It felt like the baby was waving at us.

The doctor confirmed based on the length of the baby that our expected due date is November 30th. It's so tiny, but we already love it so much.  Grow little one, we're going to have so much fun together.

We can hear the heartbeat!

I purchased a fetal doppler monitor from ebay.  With this handheld device, we can listen to and monitor the rate of our baby's heartbeat in the privacy of our home even before we have an official doctors visit.  As soon as it arrived in the mail, we tried it out.  This is a video of the very first time we heard our baby's heartbeat.  

Happy Mother's Day

Happy first Mother's Day to Erin.  I bought the baby it's first toy and book.  Erin got some bubble bath that she will enjoy and a picture frame for the ultrasound that we will receive this Thursday.  Happy Mother's Day to our mom's as well.  We love you both.  You've got a grand-baby on the way!

Pitter Patter

It's official...we heard our baby's heartbeat! This is my first post (Matt has put everything together up to this point) and I couldn't be happier to share this news. We video recorded the event and I am sure that we will have it posted soon! I have to say that it is the coolest thing that I have ever heard in my entire life. It is still hard to comprehend the fact that I have a tiny living person inside of me; however I catch myself just sitting around thinking about what he/she will look like, will he/she be funny, athletic, spiritual, loving? With all the thoughts that I have I still come to one conclusion....it doesn't matter; it doesn't matter what he/she looks like or acts, we will love this baby with all that we are!

I can't wait to share all of this with our family! My Dad lets us know on a daily basis that he would love a grandbaby and to think we only have 12 more days before we tell him is almost more than I can handle :) He even sent us an email today asking that we work on a grandbaby in all our free time! I just wanted to send him an email back and tell him, just hold on a couple of weeks :) Can you tell we are excited!

Long Wait

Erin's next doctor appointment is May 12th.  We have agreed to keep the secret until Saturday May 14th when my family comes into town for my MBA graduation.  We're excited, but anxious at the same time.  We want to the doctor to tell us that everything is okay.  I'm still waiting on the fetal heart monitor that I bought on ebay to come in the mail.  Hopefully it will be here soon.  We can't wait to hear the baby's heart beat.

9 Weeks Pregnant

Erin is 9 weeks pregnant today.  I've been researching as much as possible so that I can enjoy every moment of the pregnancy.  By the end of the week, we should receive a doppler heart rate monitor that will allow us to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time.  Needless to say, we are both excited about this.

I'm happy to start this blog in order to share this experience with family and friends.  I've also started taking pictures of Erin's bump.  I'm planning to take a picture every day from the same location. The idea is to see the baby grow by flipping through daily pictures over the next 30 + weeks.

Erin has ordered the cake for my graduation that will announce to both of our parents that we are having a baby.  We both cannot wait to see the doctor in a few weeks and then tell our parents that they will be grandparents.  They are going to be so excited.