Big Brother Tyler!

We are not sure Tyler really knows what to think about our newest edition to the family.  He was very affectionate during the 3rd (and 4th ;)) trimester always wanting to kiss my belly.  He often wanted to lift up my shirt to "see" his baby brother. 

Funny story: One day at nap time, I peaked in his room to check on him and he was chatting with himself (happens frequently), but this day he had his shirt pulled up and was rubbing his belly saying "baby brother."  Too cute and hilarious at the same time!

First meeting.  Tyler was checking him out...

Look! 

Baby Nathan!

"I so funny!" 

Why this was his reaction, we are not sure other than to make sure the attention is still on him. 

Look how cute I am!

Yea!

Time for a big brother present...

He actually found it wrapped that morning and had started opening it - I had to tape it back together.  I could wrap cardboard boxes in newspaper and he would be excited.

A Mickey Mouse Clubhouse book that plays music/phrases including "Oh, toodles"  Tyler loves to randomly yell this phrase when he encounters a problem.  It is pretty funny and much preferred over whining. 

Playing with his new book with Daddy's scrubs on. 

Look at me!

He was good about checking on Mommy.  In this photo he was intensely watching the Mizzou game.  (We won't talk about it...so sad.)

Mommy was enjoying ice chips - crappy snack after surgery. 



Welcome Nathan Robert Francis!

Nathan Robert was warmly welcomed into the world March 16, 2012! 

We are absolutely thrilled he is here.  It was an eventful day.  The day started with a doctor's appointment for Tyler (more about that later), then Tyler went with Grandma to her house and I went to my doctor appointment.   Still no progress and the ultrasound estimates showed our baby boy weighing in at 10lbs. 7oz.  My doctor didn't really want to induce labor, potentially put me through 20 hours+ of labor and then still end up having a C-section so he recommend a scheduled C-section.  I had the option of the same afternoon or Monday.  Why in the world would I wait to meet my baby boy, especially when he was predicted to be SO big?  Same day (Friday) it was.  I called Jeff to come home and prepare to have a baby!

We checked in at noon and waited for our "turn" to have a baby.  Seems so strange as this is not how we predicted it would work out this time.  We really should learn by now that our "plan" is not how it is going to work out. 

Mama before...thrilled to have her photo taken while feeling like a blimp!

Attractive, right?

Now for the photos you really care about...

Warning: Nathan is less than 48 hours old and we have taken over 235 photos so far...

Welcome, Nathan Robert! 

Daddy got to cut the umbilical cord.

9 lbs. 11ozs.  21 inches long.  39.5 centimeter head circumference (yikes!)  Big, healthy, perfect boy! 

 (Mommy was thankful it was not the 10lbs. 7oz. predicted earlier in the morning!) 

Huge feet - surprise, surprise!

So, so, so calm during all his assessments.

Daddy and Nathan!

First photo with Daddy, Nathan and Mommy.  (lovely angle)

Mommy is excited to check him out and touch him. 

Perfect!

So thrilled to have my baby boy in my arms...finally!

Plenty more posts to come...

Baby Update

I had my ultrasound and doctors appointment this morning and the report is:

• Cord is around baby's neck - scary but doctor said it happens 33% of the time and heartbeat and movement are great!  Baby is facing down and in the perfect position otherwise for delivery. 
• Doctor admitted me to the hospital to have a stress test done on baby since he is overdue and as a precaution since Tyler was stressed during labor.  After almost 2 hours, everything with the stress test came back great! 
• I am looking more "favorable" than I was last week but not enough to induce with a high success at this time.  If nothing happens, I am scheduled to go back Friday for another ultrasound and possibly stress test, depending on my fluid levels.  If I have not progressed at that point, we may be looking at a c-section (not ideal for me).  If (yes, there are a lot of ifs at this point) a c-section is required that could be scheduled as early as Friday afternoon or sometime by Monday.  If I am looking more favorable, we will schedule induction.  He said the latest he would let me go is March 21st (so, so, so far away!). 
• I am still hoping baby decides to come on his own.  I have been having more contractions and they are stronger but still 2 hours apart most of the time which doesn't warrant a trip to the hospital at this point.  Either way, God is again teaching me the lesson of patience.  I am forced to admit defeat in the control area all while having faith that everything, no matter how, will work out just fine.  I can only pray for a healthy baby in the coming days. 

I sure hope my next update includes some baby photos! :)

40 Weeks!

Today is our official due date but this baby is not feeling very timely so we will continue waiting...  I have had some requests for belly photos, but I am sure this kiddo will be much cuter when he arrives versus the view via momma's belly.  We might take one right before heading to the hospital...we will see. 

I have had contractions, but nothing put together enough to warrant a hospital visit and/or any progress.  If no baby by Monday, I have an appointment with the doctor in the morning for an ultrasound an hopefully a plan for induction.  I get a bit nervous considering Tyler was 9lbs. 2ozs.  I really don't need this one to get any bigger and I am pretty sure my belly is at capacity!   I know, I know as long as he is healthy I can tough it out. 

Even though the day was not eventful in the way I was hoping for, it was still not a quiet one.  Tyler woke up with swollen, red eyes as well as red splotches on his legs.  I didn't think a whole lot of it.  I put him in the bath and we continued on with our day.   Several hours later and the eyes looked much worse and the red blotches were way worse.  This called for a call/visit with Aunt Sandy to check him out.  She suggested some allergy medicine as well as some Advil and a nap.  Check, check, check.  He is doing much better but we are not sure where the sudden allergies are coming from.  I sure hope they go away and don't come back!  I didn't get any photos to document because it was too sad looking.  Pray for no more sad looking Tyler.  It was pitiful. :(

  

Extreme Nesting...

Pregnant women naturally nest and I admit I have scrubbed the floors, shampooed the carpets, etc., but I think the bug has hit my handyman husband more so this pregancy.  In the past severals weekends, he has refinished the counters, put in a glass tile backsplash, started his summer garden seeds in a light garden (in the basement) and most recently, replaced tile in the living room - by the front door as well as the fireplace tile and surround.   I am not sure how else to explain all the recent projects other than extreme nesting.

 Half of the kitchen - Before

Backsplash and counters - After

Fireplace - Before

Ugly black faux marble

Much better - After

Next up is the living room to be painted (by the professionals due to the vaulted ceilings and stairs) as well as new floors.  I am not sure what has gotten into him.  As for these last two projects, I have made him promise to wait until post baby arrival. 

I have to admit, I am pretty impressed with all of Jeff's work and sure appreciate the extreme nesting.  I wish I had the same energy right now!

Family Reading Night

Every night is pretty much family reading night at our house, but the school district put on a formal one this past Friday.  Of course we had to attend.  We had to fill out a reading log from the week prior.  It only required us to read 15 minutes a night.  Seriously?  Piece of cake!

Tyler was pretty patient during the opening announcements of the reading night.  Luckily, there was music and Daddy! 

In this reading room the "actors" read two Dr. Seuss books that I am pretty sure Tyler has memorized - Green Eggs and Ham and Oh, the Thinks You Can Think.  Grandma, Daddy and Tyler sat on the floor while Mommy sat in the back and took pictures.  Seeing a 9 month pregnant lady get up off the floor isn't always a pretty sight. ;)

One of the storytellers dressed up.

In another room, Tyler sat in his desk and was very attentive.  Doesn't he look so small in that desk?  I don't often say Tyler looks "small."

He was such a good boy that he got to go to the book fair and pick out a new book.  I hope he forgets about it because it is going in his Easter basket. We will see...

On our way out there were firefighters and a fire truck he could climb in.  I didn't get the best photos since it was dark outside, but Tyler really could have cared less.  He thought it was pretty "amazing." 

Thanks to Grandma for coming along!  Grandma is his FAVORITE reading partner so it was appropriate.   When I tell him we are going to Grandma's - he often says "to read books!" 

Day at the Park

Tyler, Jeff and I enjoyed a wonderful, warm afternoon at the park today.  We fed the ducks, played on the slide and enjoyed the swings. 

I love this video of Tyler laughing.  He absolutely loved feeding the ducks! 

Don't you love his laugh?  How can you not laugh too?  Or at least smile.

I love this sweet face!

"Look, Dad, no hands!"

Life is good!

We got to meet Kassidy Louise!

No, no - no need for confusion.  No baby has arrived at the Francis household yet...still waiting.

Our good friends, the Noltings, had their first child a few weeks ago.  Last Thursday, we got to head to their new home (they got moved in exactly 4 days before she arrived - can you imagine?)  and meet their sweet baby girl, Kassidy Louise!  I absolutely loved holding her!  She is precious.

So tiny and sweet!

  Congrats Matt and Abby!  

Real Snow Day!

We actually had a real snowfall on Monday.  Tyler was a bit under the weather with a horrible cough but that didn't stop him from standing at the back door pleading to go outside.  Jeff and I looked at each other and suited up for a bit of fun in the snow.  

The cough magically stopped and Tyler was so excited to have Dad pull him on the sled. 

Tyler not only rode down the hill, but when he reached the bottom just sat there and yelled "AGAIN!"  So Daddy obliged and pulled him back up the hill.  They ended up just doing circles. 

This photo cracks me up as Tyler just layed down on the sled and enjoyed the ride! 

The snow was great snowball snow so Jeff and I had a bit of fun.  Tyler didn't quite get how to make snowballs so he just kept falling in the snow.  After a bit, Tyler got some snow in his mittens and was ready to go in.  We are going to have to work on that or get some new gloves/mittens so he can last longer to do some skiing next year.  Won't Tyler be so cute on skis?

We were glad we decided to go out in the snow, even with an under the weather two year old. He had fun...okay, we all had fun. Not to mention we have the snow pants, coat and boots to use before he out grows them...and it could be our only chance this winter.  

Toddler Games

Our local Parents as Teachers program offered a night of toddler games this past week.  Several of Tyler's friends from play group were going to be there and since Daddy could go with us, we headed up for an hour of fun before going to cousin Abbey's band concert. 

There was a sensory area for the kids including bubble wrap on the floor that Tyler was in love with.   The leaders just kept switching it out and within 5-10 minutes the kids would have all the bubbles popped.  It was pretty funny. 

I can cover more surface area on all fours...

They had an obstacle course set up in one of the long hallways with slides, tunnels, things to climb over, etc.  Tyler was in heaven! 

Tyler loved the trampoline too and kept yelling "I'm jumpin' on the bed!"  ....Great, not exactly what I want him shouting out, but he does LOVE to jump on his bed.  While I am not a fan of him jumping on his bed (or ours), he knows it causes Daddy to "get him,"  which he also LOVES! 

One month to go...

It is hard to believe that in one month....or less :) that our new little man will be here!  We are so excited.  Even Tyler is starting to catch on.  He has been kissing my belly morning and night saying "Hi baby brother."  It is so sweet...I just hope it continues once the baby arrives. 

The clothes are washed, hung up and the dresser is full.  I have everything from 0-6 months unpacked and ready.  Let's be honest, that will more than likely only last us 3-4 months.  We are also stocked up on diapers and wipes. 

 Book shelf is stocked and ready to go.  We have accrued so many books that Tyler still has his very own stash.  I really hope this baby enjoys reading as much as Tyler and I do together.

Shoes!  Can you imagine if I was having a girl?  

I just love all the little shoes.  The pair in the lower left hand corner I am pretty sure never fit Tyler as his feet were so big right out of the womb. 

Bed is made and ready to go. 

The bassinet is set up in our room for easy access for the late night feedings. 

Tyler was practicing pushing the stroller today at play group too.  He is a bit of a crazy driver though.

 



Go Tigers!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know the Superbowl is tomorrow, but the BIG game is tonight! 

Go TIGERS!  Beat kU! 



It is a great rivalry!  Should be an awesome game...