Nolan- 3 Months

Weight: 15.6 pounds (according to our home scale)
Length: ? He moves too much for me to try and get it at home :)


Likes:
- Talking! This kid will talk your ear off when he has something to say. Most mornings he'll wake up and talk to himself for 30-45 minutes then go back to sleep, it's hilarious!
- His playmats. He's really starting to reach for things and focus on his toys that dangle.
- Chewing on his hands. I'm not sure if teething is starting but he chomps on his fists alllll day long.
- The song "You are my Sunshine". If he's upset and I sing that to him it usually makes it better.

Dislikes:
- Getting dressed. He's decided he doesn't like clothes going over his head and cries most mornings when I dress him.
- Getting out of the bath. He loves his bath and splashing and cries every time I take him out.

Baby Product Review: Fisher-Price Discover 'n Grow Kick and Play Piano Gym

Now that Nolan is becoming more active and attentive to toys I'm always looking for fun things for him. I saw this play-mat on sale on Amazon.com and knew it would be a great purchase and boy was I right! He loves it! (Here it is)

He can easily reach the hanging toys to bat them around and he loves to kick his feet so the music and songs are great for him and he loves to stare at himself in the big mirror. I like that it'll grow with him for quite a while. The piano will flip up for when he's able to sit on his own so he can play it with his hands.

Here he is playing:

So if you need a play-mat for your baby or know of a baby who needs a fun gift this is definitely a great purchase!

Nolan- 2 Months

(Because I can't pick which picture I like best, here's 2 :) )

Nolan- 2 Months

Weight: 14 pounds 3 ounces (95%)

Length: 24 inches (85%)

Head circumference: 40.5 cm (50%)

Likes:

- Still likes to eat :) No sign of slowing down much or being more efficient, it can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes each feeding. Only 2 more months until we can start him on foods!

- His Daddy! I thought for sure I would get at least a few months of being the favorite parent since I feed him and am home with him all day but as soon as Daddy gets home Nolan is so excited. When he's being cranky all I have to do is give him to Adam and he's happy again.

- To talk. And smile! He's been a big talker the past few days and I think we're getting close to his first laugh, I can't wait!

- To sit/ stand up. He would much rather be sitting in our laps than laying down and playing.

- His changing pad. I don't know why but that's his favorite place to be! That's where he talks to the most, wiggles around the most, and smiles the most. Makes diaper changes throughout the day more adorable.

- To be outside. If he's cranky I just walk around in the yard with him and it usually makes him stop crying.

Dislikes:
- Still doesn't care too much to be buckled into his car seat. He's usually once we get going but buckling him in isn't his favorite.
-There's not a whole lot he doesn't like, he's a pretty easy going baby!

Nolan- 1 Month

Nolan- 1 Month

Weight: 10 pounds 13 ounces (75%)
Length: 22.5 inches (75%)
Head Circumference: 38.8 cm (55%)


Likes: 
-This kid loves to eat! He's gained exactly 3 pounds since birth! When I sit down to nurse him you can guarantee on a minimum of 30 minutes, a few times he's almost nursed for an hour!
-He loves his bouncy seat when he's tired, the only way he will nap in his crib during the afternoon is if I put his seat in there.
-To be up. He's super curious and wants to see the world and everything going on.
-To be swaddled. If he's tired and you swaddle him he's a lot happier.
-Bath time after I'm done washing him. He likes to be in the water as long as I'm not messing with him

Dislikes:
- Being in his carseat if he's not moving. He'll cry when you're strapping him in but as soon as you pick up the seat and start moving he's ok.
-Laying down when he's awake. Like stated above, he wants to be held sitting up or up looking over your shoulder so he can see everything.

Baby Product Review: Swaddleme Blanket

 Like almost every other baby Nolan loves to be swaddled. And, like almost every parent, I could never get those darn hospital blankets tight enough to keep him confined! Those first few nights home were pretty rough because he would break out of my attempt to swaddle him and cry because he was upset so we definitely didn't get very much sleep.

I remember seeing swaddle sacks on Target's website so I decided to look some up on amazon.com (thanks to swagbucks I get things for free :-p ) and I discovered the Swaddleme Blanket and ordered one immediately!

It has seriously been one of the best baby products I have purchased! It keeps Nolan snug and comfortable all night and is super easy to change his diaper in the middle of the night without have to unswaddle him all the way (the bottom half just unvelcros). Since using it he started giving me longer stretches of sleep during the night, too!

If you have a baby that likes to be swaddled I would highly recommend getting a swaddle sack and making your life so much easier and your baby so happy!

Here's some pictures of the exact ones I've purchased:

Nolan's Birth Story

Warning: There will be details that some may find gross so read at your own risk :)


Monday, May 6th, was my official due date and I went in to the doctor for my 40 week check up. The doctor I saw checked to see if I had made any progress since I hadn't felt any contractions or Braxton-Hicks at all and she said I was 2 cm dilated and 70-80% effaced already! She mentioned that they would talk about inducing if I made it to the next week but she said she would be surprised if I made it to the end of that week. At that point I felt like I would be pregnant forever since I hadn't felt any type of progress at all.

Well, Monday came and went, Tuesday came and went, and Wednesday came and went.... sigh, still pregnant. I went to bed Wednesday night feeling slightly frustrated that nothing was happening, not even a single cramp!

Thursday morning, around 1:30 am, I woke up to a crampy feeling and figured I had just rolled over funny or something. Then I felt another one and wasn't quite buying that it was a contraction so I went to use the bathroom incase that's what it was. Very soon after they started getting more frequent and closer together so I figured that I was definitely in labor and these were contractions. I downloaded a contraction timer app on my phone and started keeping track. The first few were 5-7 minutes apart and it didn't take long for them to become 3 1/2 minutes apart and lasting about 1 minute. I called my doctor at 2:30 to see if I should head to the hospital and she told me to give it another hour. I knew I couldn't last that long so I gave it 30 minutes and I started having really intense contractions that took me to my knees. I woke Adam up around 3 and we grabbed our stuff and headed out the door.

By the time I was admitted and checked into triage it was around 3:45 and I was in so much pain. The nurse checked my progress and said I was already 5 cm and she said I had a "bulging" water bag. I asked for an epidural at that point and was told it would probably be about an hour until they could get to me since they still had to get me in a room and get someone to me. Thankfully it was only about 45 minutes and the nurse I had was fantastic at getting me through the contractions until the epidural kicked in. The doctor on call came in to check my progress at that time, was told about my water bag, and as soon as she checked my cervix my water bag exploded all over her. It was so nasty and kind of funny at the same time. They were concerned because there was meconium present and they were worried about Nolan swallowing some of it when he came out so, they had special care set up in the room to check him out. I had progressed to 10cm right at shift change and my new nurse had me start trying to push just to see what I could do and where Nolan was at. I pushed for about 3 hours and the doctor said I was starting to tear a little and asked if I wanted an episiotomy and I really didn't so I asked him if we could go through a few more contractions and see how it goes then talk again and he agreed. Apparently that was the motivation I needed because 2 or 3 contractions later, after 10 1/2 hours of labor and 3 1/2 hours of pushing, Nolan Ruger Dietz was born at 11:47 am! He weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long with a bunch of dark hair.

Nolan!

First time I held him

First time Adam held him

Family picture :)

Congrats if you read that all :) Overall it was a quite the experience and I'm so excited to have my sweet boy!

40 Weeks

How far along? 40 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +30 

Maternity clothes?. Yes, they're the only thing that fit me anymore.

Stretch marks? Nope- fingers crossed they stay away, I feel like I probably won't be as lucky with our next baby :)

Sleep: It's been ok. I wake up super sore a lot now.

Best moment this week: Officially finished setting everything up in the nursery. Sheets are on the crib, swing is put together, and everything is organized. Just waiting on the baby!

Miss Anything? Feeling normal haha My belly is totally in the way now!

Movement: Yes! He's a mover and a shaker :)

Food cravings:  My favorite no-bake cookies I made the other day

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope. 

Have you started to show yet: Yup, definitely have a big baby belly now!

Gender: Baby Boy! Nolan Ruger Dietz

Labor Signs: Nothing, not even Braxton-hicks.  

Belly Button in or out? Out! Adam's hoping it goes back in after the baby comes haha

Wedding rings on or off? On- still fit like normal

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. Getting very excited and also nervous that it's getting so close!

Size of Baby: According to my pregnancy app baby is about 20 inches long and weighs about 7.5 pounds. Not sure how accurate it is but we will find out soon enough! I feel like he'll weigh quite a bit more than 7.5 pounds.

Looking forward to: Meeting my little boy!