12 Month Checkup

We had Anthony's 1 year wellness appointment today with Dr. Eden! Anthony is as healthy as ever! He weighed in at 19 lbs and 14 oz and measured 28 3/4" long! Dr. Eden checked his ears and they are still infection free! He got two vaccinations today for measles and chickenpox which he handled like a champ. Barring any other sickness, we don't have to go back until 15 months old (August).

9 Month Checkup

Today was Anthony's 9 month checkup with Dr. Eden, which came at the perfect time since yesterday he was sick at daycare. Dr. Eden says that Anthony is in great health, despite not gaining a lot of weight in the last three months. (He was sick with RSV and lost a little weight during that because his appetite plummeted.) He is right on track with everything (except for being a late teether) but of course has another ear infection. We requested amoxycillin right away since nothing else seems to work. Anthony didn't need any vaccinations this time, but got his second flu shot. We scheduled a follow up for the ear infection in two weeks and his 1 year appointment for May!!

6 Month Checkup

Anthony went for his 6 month checkup today. As always, Dr. Eden marveled at how well he is doing. He now weighs in at 15lbs and 14oz and measures 26 inches long! Dr. Eden said that we can add any soft, mushable table foods to Anthony's diet in addition to his fruits and veggies. So he tried peach yogurt today! He also got 2 vaccines, the DTap and Polio.

After his appointment, we went to Target and had his 6 month photos taken as well as a family photo. They looked awesome and I'll post them once we have a CD of the images!

4 Month Checkup

Today was Anthony's 4 month checkup with Dr. Eden! Again, he is in perfect health and growing rapidly! He weighs in at 14 lbs and is 25 inches long! He got another round of vaccinations today, the same ones as last time. He was a champ and only cried for about 5 minutes afterwards and then he fell asleep. Dr. Eden also gave us the go ahead to start giving Anthony solid foods! We're starting with cereal this week and moving on to green vegetables (peas and green beans) next week! We're going to start tonight, so I'll probably post later with a picture of the results of his first feeding! For now, here's a picture from the doctor:

2 Months

Likes

• Looking at my own feet!
• Being in water: the bath, the pool, even the ocean!
• Looking at the mobile on my swing and the star on my play mat.
• Listening to music; both from my toys and on Mommy and Daddy's phones!

Dislikes

• Taking long naps.
• Humidity.
• Riding in the car sometimes.
• Napping in my crib.
• Having the hiccups.

Monthly Milestones

• I give big smiles when I'm happy; especially when I see Mommy and Daddy!
• I purposefully put my hands into my mouth.
• I'm eating more!
• I'm sleeping longer and better at night.
• I reach for things when I'm on my play mat and kick my legs a lot.
• I rub my eyes when I get tired.

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We went to Anthony's two month doctor appointment this morning and he is in great health! He now weighs 10lbs 15oz and measures 23 1/4 inches long! He also got his first round of vaccinations, including three shots, which he did very well with! We'll go back to the doctor in September for his 4 month appointment.

After his doctor appointment, we went to four daycares in East Greenwich for tours. We narrowed it down to three, but one of those doesn't have an available spots for an infant for August, so we're down to two. Matt and I like both, but we each have a favorite so now it's just deciding on one.

Our last errand today was a meeting with Brother Boniface at St. Pius about Anthony's baptism. We're all set for July 13 and just have to get Anthony's godfather, Nick's, paperwork to the church. And here is his adorable baptism invitation:

6 Weeks

Today was my 6 week post-delivery appointment. It was short and sweet; my doctor checked me internally (before realizing I had a C-section) and then checked my incision. Everything looked good and she put in my prescription for my birth control. I'm going to pick it up soon, but don't need to start it until I've started my first period. I got weighed and have lost about 20ish pounds since having Anthony. Now that I've waited a good amount of time, though, I can start doing more exercise. Now I just need to figure out what that exercise will be...

And because no post is complete without an Anthony picture, here is our mommy-baby selfie:

4 Weeks

Anthony is four weeks old today! We're going to take the monthly pictures on the first of each month, though, so nothing special for his daily picture:

We went to his one month doctor appointment yesterday and, again, Dr. Eden said he was in perfect health! He now weighs in at 9lbs 2oz and is still measuring 21 inches long.

We sent out (most of) Anthony's birth announcements this week! The rest I need to include a photo of Anthony from the hospital with and I left them at my parents' house. Here's what the announcements look like:

front

back

And I have finally figured out what I'm going to get as a tattoo for Anthony. It's a quote from Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree followed by Anthony's date of birth:

2 Weeks

Anthony had his second doctor appointment today and he is as fit as a fiddle. He has passed his birth weight and grown a half inch in length. The doctor says that he is perfect! He's quite impressed with how advanced Anthony is at only 2 weeks old: his neck is strong and when he's on his stomach he's already pulling his knees into him like he's going to crawl. Dr. Eden said that he'll probably roll over early and he's already cooing and crying real tears. Not only is he amazing us, he's amazing his pediatrician!

After giving Anthony his bath today, his umbilical cord fell off! We can finally give him real baths, so maybe he'll actually enjoy them.

We got Anthony's hospital newborn photos in the other day and they look adorable! And we're picking up the ones from JCPenney on Sunday. That session took forever but the photos came out wonderful! I can't wait to get them so we can do our birth announcements.

Speaking earlier of weight, I've lost around 20 pounds already! I was 180-something at the end of my pregnancy and I'm down to 160 now. 8 of that was Anthony, but for not doing anything, I sure feel good!

And last, here is Anthony's two week photo:

1 Week

Today Anthony is one week old! He is absolutely the most perfect baby. He is mild-mannered and almost never fusses. He's strong and healthy and I am completely obsessed and head-over-heels in love with him.

Yesterday, Matt and I took him for his one week check up with Dr. Eden. We really like our pediatrician and he had only good things to say about Anthony. He's in perfect health and steadily gaining weight back. He's strong and all of his vitals and reflexes are right where they should be. I'm so happy that he's healthy, it makes me (a little) less worried. (I'm a worrier by nature, slightly paranoid at times.)

I scheduled Anthony's newborn photos with JCPenney yesterday for this Sunday. We're going to have him wear his personalized onesie and hat and we'll be giving these photos out to family and friends as soon as we get them. I'm very excited to see how they come out!

Yesterday I got an Alex and Ani in the mail from my mom as a congratulations gift! It's the hand in hand bangle with the saying "A mother holds a child's hand for a moment, but their heart for a lifetime". It was so sweet and, of course, made me cry!

Here's Anthony's 1 week picture:

And our first family photo:

41 Weeks

We're one week overdue and have had our (hopefully) last doctor appointment before Anthony is born. He's doing well although I'm still not really dilated. I got hooked up to the NST monitor to check on how Anthony will do during labor. They put in a request with the hospital for me to go in tomorrow to be induced. I'm so excited but nervous, too. I'll update later this week, hopefully with information about Anthony's birth.

40 Weeks

Today is Anthony's due date! However, it doesn't look like he'll be making his appearance yet. I did get some good news yesterday at our doctor appointment, though. Anthony is doing well, still about the size of a watermelon...quite literally. My doctor is estimating that Anthony is about 9 pounds! (He's actually about the size of a jackfruit, but having never seen or heard of this, I've decided to stick with watermelon.) She said that if I haven't gone naturally by my appointment next Wednesday, she'll have me admitted to be induced probably later that day! So it looks like Anthony will be here by next week!

We got his coming home outfit in finally! It is so adorable and we'll be using it for his newborn pictures as well!

Matt and I are going to take my 40 week pictures later today, so I'll post those once we get home!

39 Weeks

Anthony and I have reached 39 weeks which means that we are officially full term! Anthony is fully developed and grown, about the size of a watermelon, but he'll continue to add weight until he's born. Matt and I both hoping that he comes soon; we're so anxious to meet our son! Yesterday we had another doctor appointment, which was the same as the week before. I'm not dilated yet, but it could happen soon so we're spending Easter here and my parents and brother and sisters are coming to Rhode Island for dinner.

Last week, I was on a crafting spree and made a bunch of decorations for Anthony's room. I'll post a picture of the three frames we made for him. We also made some sports wall hangings, but I need to finish the football which my Dad needs to cut out for me.

I ordered stickers from Etsy last week that we'll use once Anthony is born to take monthly pictures during his first month. They shipped today, which is awesome, although I'm still waiting for his personalized onesie and hat to ship. That's supposed to be his coming home outfit and we'll definitely be using it for his newborn pictures that we'll have taken shortly after his arrival. However, as a backup, I ordered a onesie from Old Navy that we can use if the personalized one hasn't come in yet.

38 Weeks

Anthony and I are 38 weeks today, only two away from his due date and one week away from being full term! He's now the size of a pumpkin and, boy, can I feel it! Unfortunately, though, I'm not dilated quite yet so we have to wait a little longer. (We had our weekly appointment yesterday where my doctor checked my cervix for dilation.) Hopefully, next week's appointment will bring better news (like early delivery!).

I've been on a craft kick this week. I made wall decorations yesterday for my aunt's twin girls (due in August), Catherine and Zoey. They came out so cute that I decided to make more today. Of course I did one for Anthony that we'll hang in the room for now, but will eventually go on the door when he gets his own room. I also made one for each of my sisters and one of our last name for our apartment door. Here's Anthony's:

We received a couple of shower gifts today, as well. We got two cards with checks, one from my parents' good friends (and my brother's god parents) Mark and Pam, and another from Matt's grandpa and his wife. We also got a Five Little Monkeys themed gift basket from my friend, Sam. It came with an adorable stuffed animal and blanket as well as a door hanger that says "Shh, baby is sleeping". I'll be writing out thank yous tomorrow!

37 Weeks

Anthony and I have hit 37 weeks and we're both doing well. Anthony is the size of a winter melon (which I have never heard of) and gaining about 1/2 an ounce every day! We had our weekly doctor appointment today where I got a tetanus shot and heard his heart beat again. I got the results of my strep culture from last week, and I'm positive which just means that I'll be getting a shot of penicillin at the hospital so Anthony doesn't get sick.

After the appointment, I ran Target to pick up an outfit that I had seen the other day. It's a pair of blue pants, a onesie with a tie screen print, and a dark blue blazer for Anthony to wear for my sister's first communion and Matt's sister's graduation. I also stopped at Carter's and got him a pair of pajamas and a pair of jeans. The jeans, along with a personalized onesie and hat from Etsy, are what Anthony will be wearing for his coming home outfit. Here's a picture of the onesie and hat (from the listing, so it isn't Anthony's name):

I also found a really cute set of number stickers for Anthony's monthly pictures. Once he's born, every month we're going to put him in a plain white onesie with one of the stickers on it to show his growth throughout his first year. We're going to use his rocking chair each time, too!

And, last, my mom got the bedding set we wanted for us! We probably won't have it for a couple weeks, since we aren't going to see them until Anthony is born, but he has enough other sheets and warm pajamas and swaddlers that it doesn't really matter.

36 Weeks

We are only four weeks away! This week is number 36, and Anthony is now the size of a honeydew melon. We had our doctor appointment this morning and I had my strep culture done. Starting next week, we'll be going every week until delivery.

I'm still sick, unfortunately, with nasal congestion, a slightly sore throat, and just not getting enough sleep. That's why this is my last week at work before going on maternity. It's a ways out, but I need to rest and relax before Anthony arrives. I'm hoping I'll get better since I won't be around my sick coworkers as well.

Matt and I took all of Anthony's clothes (sizes newborn to 3 months) home this past weekend to wash before he wears them. We wanted to use my parents' washing machine instead of the laundromat as well as the wonderful smelling Dreft detergent for babies. On Monday I spent a while putting away the clothes, which turned out to be a pain since I had to match up the outfits.

This Friday Matt is working an event for Verizon (where he works) in Newport. It's two nights in a really nice hotel as well as an awards ceremony and dinner on Friday night. He was able to bring a guest, so I'm going with him. We're treating this as our mini "baby moon" before Anthony is born. Although he has to help out Friday during the day, I get to relax and lounge around all day until the awards banquet. They have an indoor pool that I plan to make good use of!

I'll be updating this Saturday with pictures of my belly at 36 weeks!

34 Weeks

Anthony and I have hit 34 weeks which means we only have six(ish) left! He's now the size of a butternut squash and has already turned upside down in preparation for his grand entrance into the world. We went to the doctor today and he's doing well; I heard his heartbeat and he's growing right on schedule!

Yesterday I ordered two of the items off of our Target registry that we didn't receive at the shower: a toy net that we'll need for the stuffed animals that are currently taking up space in Anthony's crib and a 3-in-1 rocker/ napper that doubles as a bouncy chair. (We originally had that on our Babies 'R' Us registry, but I found it on Target for $10 less and we also had a gift card from the shower there.)

Mom and Dad are planning on ordering our crib bedding set this weekend as well as the changing table pad and cover. I'm very excited because, even though we have plenty of sheets, I'd like a matching set for when he's old enough to use the comforter. Mom also wants to get us the Baby Brezza, which would be a huge help when doing late night feedings! (If you're formula feeding and haven't looked into this gadget, you should! It's basically a Keurig for formula!)

Matt and I have pretty much cleared out the mess that was our house after the shower! We've put together the swing (Cristina helped me with that), the stroller, car seat, and bases, as well as the pack 'n' play. We have the clothes organized and put away as well as most of the other gear that we received. Now we just need to find something to do with all the baby gift bags we have...

And, last, but not least, I have finished the shower thank yous! I started them on Monday and finished them last night so all we need to do is buy stamps and send them out!

32 Weeks

Anthony and I are now in our 32nd week in our third trimester! He's the size of a squash and constantly growing as well as shifting into position for birth. He moves around constantly, which I love, and has gotten to the point that people can see my stomach shifting around. I have also gotten to the point that people are starting to ask if I'm due soon.

I had another doctor appointment yesterday and Matt came with me. We heard Anthony's heartbeat which was strong and loud. The next two appointments are two weeks apart and then we start going every week. We were able to take our pictures as well which I'll post here even though my mouth looks like it's full of blood:

30 Weeks

Anthony and I are now 30 weeks along! We're only 10 weeks away from full term! Anthony is now the size of cucumber and is getting bigger every day!

We had our doctor appointment yesterday which went well. It was quick again, which is nice, and I passed my glucose and diabetes tests from my last appointment. I told my doctor, Lynette, about choosing our pediatrician. And she gave us some information about touring the hospital.

Afterwards, I went and had my nails done as a treat to myself. I did different blues on both my fingers and toes in honor of Anthony. I'm hoping that at least my toe nail polish lasts until my shower.

I'm hoping that I can bribe Matt into going to Ikea this weekend to get the drawers and area rug for Anthony's room. He doesn't like shopping there, but we really need to get Anthony's half of the room set up and ready for his arrival.

29 Weeks

Anthony and I are in the second week of our third trimester and he is doing great! He's now the size of an acorn squash, although apparently he only weighs between 2.5 and 4 pounds. It amazes me that he'll almost triple in size in the next two and a half months! He's still kicking all the time; I can especially feel it at night when I switch positions and during the day at work while I'm sitting at my desk.

We have our next appointment next Tuesday, should be the usual quick in and out, although I want to ask about preregistering at the hospital and letting them know we decided on our pediatrician.

Matt and my dad finished putting the crib together this past weekend while Mom, Olivia, and I addressed and stuffed the shower invitation envelopes. Mom sent them out yesterday, so we should start getting RSVPs soon!

I got two new pairs of maternity pants on Saturday and they actually fit! They're very comfortable now that I upgraded to the full belly panel. I still prefer sweats, but I can't really wear them to work.

26 Weeks

Anthony and I are 26 weeks along, with only one more week left in our second trimester! I can't believe how fast the time goes by! We're doing well, we went to the doctor yesterday and I had my glucose test. If it's irregular, they'll let me know in a couple days otherwise I'm all set. The liquid that they have you drink to test glucose is definitely something I'd like to not drink again. It was like Sprite syrup: very sugary and sweet as well as thick. It was...gross. But, other than that we're doing well. We heard his heart beat and my belly was measured. I've gained some weight, but the doctor said it's normal around this time. Anthony is now the size of a head of lettuce and his eyes are starting to form and will soon be open. Laying in bed yesterday morning, I felt him move higher in my stomach for the first time! It was exciting and very unexpected!

This weekend my parents are coming to visit and will be bringing the crib and changing table. I'll be sure to post pictures once we have everything set up in the and moved around! This past weekend we bought two fabric bins for the changing table to keep diapers in from Target. They're to help keep our cats away from Anthony's things as well as keep us organized. We'll also be going to Ikea with my parents to get a set of drawers and area rug for Anthony's "nursery" aka the other half of our room.

Matt and I met with the Children's Medical Group after the appointment to talk to potential pediatricians. We were very happy with what we saw and heard and we're pretty sure that we're going to go with one of their doctors as Anthony's pediatrician. The doctors were very friendly as was the rest of the staff that we met. And, best of all, the process of selecting the doctor seems fairly simple. We may meet with one more, a recommendation from my boss, but I really liked the doctors we met today.