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One Month Already

Nolan at one month
Nolan-one month old

I can’t believe Nolan is already over 1 month old!  He is growing so quickly. At his one month appointment he weighed in at 10 lbs 4 oz, 22 inches long and his head circumference was 15 inches.  He is very healthy and most of the time very happy as well.

I know it is cliché, to say how amazing our baby is and to tell everyone how cute he is, but seriously he is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen! It is truly amazing the amount of love that I feel towards my son. I feel like my heart has expanded and it feels so perfect.

Our Family

Becoming a parent has been life changing for me. It feels so right, this is exactly where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing right now. I could not ask for a better partner in this adventure. I am falling more and more in love with Aaron everyday. Seeing him as a father is wonderful, it makes my heart swell.  I knew being a parent was not something I could understand until it happened, but I am so happy that I don’t have to wait anymore.

Aaron and Nolan

Nolan is effortlessly amazing, I love listening to the sounds he makes when he sleeps, he sounds so happy and calm. I can’t wait till he smiles at us.  I know his smile will be beautiful. I love his eyes they are the most interesting color of blue, they seem almost navy. I love that he snuggles and coos. Nolan is gaining control of his head, he exercises his neck muscles all the time. He likes to lay on Aaron’s chest and look up at Aaron’s face. He has started to track objects with is eyes. He also is starting to react to the environment around him, he yells out and kicks in enjoyment when looking at his books.He is a great baby, I feel so blessed to have him.

Nolan and Grandpa Brian

Nolan has experience many first in this first month of life. We had our first over night adventure to Sharon to attend the Peace Treaty in Medicine Lodge which included Nolan’s first parade. Aaron was playing in the Medicine Lodge High School Alumni band.  The parade was a little different than the parades back in western Kansas. There were plenty of cowboys and Indians and lots of GUN FIRE!  Which was not too kind to his little ears. We had to take him into the building for shelter when the guns came around.Nolan spent lots of time with Grandma Marilyn getting extra special snuggles. Nolan even got tough ol’ Grandpa Brian to play before we headed back to Wichita to celebrate Aaron’s birthday and our 1st anniversary.

Grandma Great and Nolan

In September Nolan also met his Great Grandma and Grandpa Poe.  Although it was a quick meeting we were able to snap a couple of photos.  Nolan attended his first wedding ceremony, he was very good, he didn’t cry at all. Grandma Debbie came to visit us during the state fair while Aaron was splitting his time between Wichita and Hutchinson. Nolan had lots of fun hanging out with Grandma. He has also attended a baby shower for his cousin to be born this month.  Megan is due October 22 and we can’t wait to meet her little girl. Nolan needs a playmate. Nolan was snuggled by lots of ladies at the shower but none were more special than Grandma Great Ruth! Nolan is Grandma Ruth’s first great grandchild. She has waited many years for this and loves holding our little boy.

big hugs for daddy
I know that life goes quickly and that we are someday going to look back at these days and wish we could come back to them.  I am going to try to soak up all of this time while I can. I am thoroughly enjoying my time away from work. It is hard to believe that I am already half way through my maternity leave. It is going to be hard leaving my little boy all day to go to work. I just had to be thankful that I have this time with him now. I could not think of a better way to spend this time than at home with my boys. We are truly living the dream!
Nolan and Aaron-watching TV
Our Family
Nolan and Grandma Marilyn
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Nolan’s First Week


Nolan on the bili-light

As Aaron and I transition to our new role as parents we are considering ourselves very lucky.  Nolan is such a good baby.  Nolan did have to go to the doctor several times this past week to have his bilirubin levels checked.  The bilirubin levels indicate jaundice. At one point Nolan’s levels were at 18, when this happened we had to put him on bili-light which is a light that helps to break down the bilirubin in his blood. After the bili-light treatment his bilirubin levels have continued to go down. Today we had another check at the doctor and his level was down to 10, so the nurse said that jaundice is no longer a concern for Nolan. What a relief!

I am continuing to recover from the surgery. I felt very good the first few days, but it is starting to catch up with me now. I just have to remember to take it slow and nap when he is sleeping.

Nolan has been a very popular little guy with many visitors stopping by the house to snuggle him.  It has been so nice seeing family and friends.

It has been quite a whirlwind of a week. Aaron is starting to get back to work.  The state fair starts at the end of this week, Aaron is helping with the Kansas Auctioneer Association booth, so  he will be spending some time in Hutchinson.  So Nolan and I will have to see how we get along on our own.

 

Here are some pictures taken by the hospital. He is such a beautiful baby.

 

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Nolan has Arrived!

Nolan Traffas

I am thrilled to announce that our wonderful Nolan arrived on 27 August at 3:56pm. He was born one week before his scheduled due date. Nolan weighed 8 lbs 2.6oz and was 21 inches long.

He took his time making his grand entrance.  I started having contractions 5-7 minutes apart on Friday (8/26) at 5:30am, the contractions continued very consistently for the next 34 hours, but unfortunately Nolan was not able to be born naturally because he was positioned in the birth canal “OP” or occiput posterior which basically means he was face up rather than face down. Babies can make it through this way but after four hours of pushing and no progress we and the doctor decided to go ahead and proceed with a cesarean birth.  I was very nervous and scared to have a cesarean, but as it turns out everything went well in the operating room and I am recovering well.

Nolan has been a dream come true for both Aaron and me. He is absolutely adorable and has for the most part been pretty easy to get along with.  While in the hospital Aaron and I were a little worried about him because he didn’t seem to cry about anything.  He has since rediscovered this ability so no worries about that anymore.

We were released from the hospital on Monday evening. Everything seemed to be going pretty well until we tried to go to sleep that night.  Basically none of us slept at all the entire night.  I am trying to breastfeed, but my milk has not come in yet and Nolan was hungry, he tried to nurse for 3 hours straight with only small breaks. It was exhausting and very frustrating for all of us.  After an appointment with our new doctor today she gave us instructions on supplementing with formula until I am able to produce milk. Everyone has been much happier and feeling better today. I believe tonight will be much easier as well. Hopefully we will all get some sleep.

Nolan has another appointment tomorrow with the to get his bilirubin levels checked. He has been measuring a little high. These levels indicate jaundice.  Hopefully getting a little food in his belly and sun bathing today will help him.  Nolan also has an appointment with an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor tomorrow, the tongue connective tissue is connect near the end of the tongue, apparently this can cause orthodontic issues and speech problems so we are going to have that taken care of in the afternoon to hopefully prevent any issues in the future.

I am so happy with our new little family. It feels so good to be  a parent and I could not ask for a better partner in this.  Aaron has done a wonderful job taking care of both of us.

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38 Week Appointment

Cake at the surprise baby shower

11 days till our due date! I can’t believe it.  It feels like it has gone so quickly, but yet these last few weeks time has started to slow down. I have started to slow down.  I think our little guy is going to be a healthy weight. I feel like he is packing on the pounds. Thankfully I am still able to sleep almost all the way through the night and I do not yet feel like I am “waddling”.  I have continued walking but my walks have gotten shorter as I find myself tired faster than before.

I was surprised on Monday at work with a baby shower by my coworkers. It was so sweet.  I think Aaron and I have decided on a glider rocker, I plan to go order it after work today at Babies R Us.  We are also still deciding on a crib.  Otherwise I think most of the purchases that need to be made have been made and we will we ready to go when Nolan makes his grand entrance.

Showing off the 38 week bump

Today’s appointment went well. Some people have been telling me they think I have “dropped” I am not sure, I am experiencing more lower pressure, so maybe. Nolan’s heat rate was 142 beats/minute. He is still moving around a fair amount but not quite a wildly as before.  The doctor said I have not made any progress towards labor, so it is just a waiting game now.

Being so close to the due date it is hard to wait, I am trying to stay focused and finish up all of the work I need to do before I go on maternity leave, but all I want to do is head to the hospital and meet my little guy. Someday soon, can’t wait to share pictures!

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37 Week Appointment

We attended our 37 week 4 day appointment on Tuesday. Everything is looking good. Nolan’s heart rate was 144 beats/minute. And I am measuring right on track. The doctor did an exam and said that there is no progress yet, but not to worry because many women do not have any progress until labor begins. We are 15 days away from our due date. Really looking forward to meeting Nolan. We also got our wonderful car seat properly installed into our vehicle so we are ready for the first ride.

I have continued to feel pretty good. Considering myself lucky to still be carrying our little guy with no complications.  I have continued to experience braxton hicks contractions, but still nothing that is too uncomfortable. I am very tired usually requiring a nap to make it through the day. Nolan continues to move around a lot!  I can definitely tell he is putting on weight as my belly grows and feels so much heavier.

I think Aaron is ready for our trip to the hospital, we both have our bags packed and ready to go by the front door.  It is getting so hard to wait for this little guy to come, but hopefully he decides to make his appearance soon. I just can’t wait to see his sweet face.

 

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36 week appointment

Baby Nolan's Car Seat

Well we are in the home stretch here. Today we had our 36 week appointment. Everything went well, nothing really to report. Our normal doctor is on vacation this week so we met with a nurse/midwife just to make sure there were no problems.

We did find out however that I am a carrier of Group B Strep (GBS), therefore once I go into labor I will need to have antibiotic through an IV to try to ensure that the baby does not become ill. For low risk carriers such as myself, if I am given antibiotics during labor there is only a 1 in 4000 chance of delivering a baby with GBS. So hopefully everything goes well and the medication prevents the transmission of GBS to our little guy.

Today Baby Nolan’s heart beat was 157 beats/minute.  The nurse said she believes he is still head down.  I have been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions for about 3 days now, that are pretty frequent. I have been having abdominal tightening for about two months, but these definitely feel a little different. More discomfort than before  that is for sure.  I finally have my bag packed for the hospital. I have also been spending some time this week washing tiny little baby clothes. Why is laundry so much cuter when it is tiny?

Tomorrow is my last scheduled travel day for work. I have a meeting in Emporia, then I am in my office until D-day. It will be nice knowing I don’t have to travel anymore. It is just not very comfortable to drive and I get so tired.

Our 37 week appointment is set for next Tuesday, August 16th. That same day we have our final class, Car Seat Safety, so we will have the car seat installed and ready for Nolan’s first ride. Nolan’s car seat arrived last week on our door step thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Traffas. Aaron and I love the car seat and look forward to having it filled with a little boy.

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ONE MONTH!

Today is one month from our due date! I can’t believe it, we are getting so close to meeting our little boy.  Aaron and I had an appointment today with our doctor, she checked to make sure the baby is head down. She did a quick sonogram to confirm at which time she also definitively confirm that we are indeed having a little boy. What a relief we don’t need to worry about returning any of the wonderful gifts we received at the shower last weekend. He was a little feisty when the nurse tried to check his heart rate he kicked the wand two times. However she was able to record his heart rate at 145 beats/minute.

I am absolutely thrilled that we are getting so close.  I have been feeling pretty good, the heat is irritating, but it is for everyone else too. My feet have been a little swollen, but it has stayed manageable.  It is just so exciting to think that we are going to be able to hold him so soon. I can’t wait and I know Aaron is excited too. I love having sonograms, being able to see the little guy moving around just makes real for me. This is such an amazing time, I am so glad I get to share it with Aaron.

The list of things that we “need” to do before our little one arrives seems to just keep growing and growing.  After a wonderful baby shower on Saturday I do feel a little more prepared.  But we still need to buy a crib, install the car seat, pack the bag for the hospital, pick up a few more essentials, get the baby’s room ready, etc, etc, etc. I don’t think there is any way for us to really be ready for all of the changes that are about to happen in our lives. Hopefully we make good choices and are able to be good parents to what I am sure will be a wonderful son.

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Ready or Not

Aaron is back from harvest!  They finished cutting last Friday thanks to no rain delays this summer.  Now we are trying to get everything together in preparation for our new edition to our family. I luckily have continued to feel pretty good.  I have noticed I am increasingly more tired and little hungrier than normal.  My first introduction to leg cramps woke me up in the middle of the night with terrible cramping in my calf that seemed to last for 3 days. I am hope I do not have any more of those.

Aaron and I are attempting to get a baby registry started.  I just can’t decide where it should be…target, wal-mart, babies r us.  I have started a registry on Amazon.  It is so hard deciding which items we want. I am really looking forward to our baby shower at the end of July; it is always so much fun to see friends and family!

Aaron and I had a doctor’s appointment on June 26th. Everything went well our doctor said that the growth looks good.  Our little guy’s heart beat was 143 beats/minute. Which is a little slower than previously recorded but still within normal range.  We start going to the doctor every two weeks now so our next appointment will be July 11th.  Aaron will be in Orlando for the NAA (National Auctioneer Association) Conference and Show, so I guess I will have to handle this appointment on my own.  With the increase in appointments and the rapid growth of my tummy it is really starting to get real.  We are 66 days from our due date.   My doctor told us we should be ready for anything by the beginning of August.  Wow, it is coming quickly. I have been able to stay pretty calm and not get to worked up about things, however knowing that we will be holding our little baby in about two months if not sooner, well that just gets me nervous and excited!

Since Aaron was away so much in June he had not really had a chance to feel the baby kicking yet. Well on Monday night he felt the little guy kick for the first time. It was really neat to share that experience with Aaron. Our little guy continued to kick for about 20-30 minutes in the same place, I think he knew it was his Daddy and wanted to make his presence known. 🙂

We are looking forward to a busy weekend.  Aaron is playing shows in Sharon and Medicine Lodge this weekend and as it turns out Sharon is celebrating its 125th Birthday so they are having some fun activities over the weekend as well.  Hopefully the temperatures stay moderate, but I think it will probably be dreadfully hot. Enjoy the holiday weekend!

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Less than 90 days

We have entered the 3rd trimester!  Aaron and I are both getting very excited about meeting our son.  I know that we are not completely ready yet, but that is alright. I think most parenting is done by trial and error anyway, right? There are a thousand things left for use to do in preparation, but sticking the our true nature we will get it together, right toward the due date.  Hopefully he doesn’t come too early…

We have attended several Childbirth Preparation classes that  have done less to prepare me and more to scare me about the labor and delivery process. Just like every other first time mom I am praying for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby.

According to the doctor everything is going well with my pregnancy. I had my blood glucose tested at my last appointment, I have not received the results yet, but my doctor said that if it was high they would have contacted me to schedule the 3 hour test.  So because I haven’t been contacted I am assuming I must be within normal range.  I have been trying to keep walking, but the weather is starting to get out of control. We are expecting record highs tomorrow of 105+. Time to start looking into a gym membership! I think this is going to be  a long summer, I will probably remember the heat and discomfort for the rest of my life!

It is the beginning of June and you know what that means…Harvest. Aaron is on harvest leave until further notice. Luckily being only an hour from Sharon  does make it a little easier for him to come back to Wichita and see me.  The last few months have just been flying by and I am sure that June will be no exception. I may not even notice his absence, although I think that is pretty unlikely.

Aaron and I were so excited to find out that Aaron’s sister Megan and her husband Andrew are expect a little girl on October 22, 2011!  What a blessing to be able to experience being first time parents together.  Congratulations Megan and Andrew!

Just can’t wait to meet these babies!