My First Christmas

Kaitlyn had a very good first Christmas. Santa brought her the learn and play farm. Mommy and Daddy got her the little jammin band. There were lots of toys and clothes from everyone else. She was very cute and had more fun eating the wrapping paper then anything else. She turned her mouth blue! Kaitlyn's present to us was she started to sit up on her own on Christmas day!

She has lots of toys to play with now in her "playroom"!

Kaitlyn's First Snow

We had about 18 inches of snow when it stopped today. Kaitlyn wasn't quite sure what to do with the snow but she didn't mind sitting in it for a bit.

Kaitlyn's First Visit with Santa! She didn't cry or scream or make any awful faces. It was really cute! We hope she remembered to whisper her wish list to Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Bed Time

I started Kaitlyn in routine for going to bed over the weekend. Around 8:30 or so I take her upstairs, change her into her pjs, read her some books, sing her some songs, depending on the last time she ate she gets a bottle. Then into the bed she goes. She has done really well, she has gone right to sleep most nights and only really cried if something was wrong (like she was hungry or needed a new diaper). She will even sleep through the night until sometime around 7.

It's crazy we actually have time to do things after she goes to bed! Now if I could only learn to go to bed as well....:-)

Teething

Poor Kaitlyn, she is teething! Runny nose and drooling like a crazy fool. You can tell that her gums are really hurting her, random screaming fits. She wants to chew on everything but has recently discovered a love for paper towels and wipes. I hope this doesn't last too long, I just feel bad for her!

Relaxation

Kailtyn has always liked taking baths. They do relax her if she is upset but we seem to have reached a whole new level of relaxation in the bathtub. The last two times that Shaun has given Kaitlyn a bath (Friday and Today) she has pooped in the tub! Not just once but twice (and by that I mean she pooped twice durring each bath)! Poor Shaun!

Pears

Today Kaitlyn tried pears today. After each bite she would say "MMMMMmmmm" it was very cute. We took a video!


So far Kaitlyn has had: Bananas, Applesauce, Green Beans, Squash, Turkey and PEARS and of course Rice Cereal and Oatmeal.

First Thanksgiving

We had our first thanksgiving dinner the sunday before Turkey Day and Grammy & Pops'. We had HAM, Kaitlyn tired some banana pudding from our plates and had her green beans for dinner.

Turkey Day itself was at Aunt Jeannines. Kaitlyn tried her first Turkey...I have never seen such an aweful face. Hopefully she will grow to love turkey!

Are you ready for some football?

Bad Call Ref!

Fly Eagles Fly

Ear Infection

Kaitlyn has her first ear infection. We took her to the doctor because she was coughing alot and sounded flem-y and rattled when she breathed deeply. Well it wasn't a bad cold or a virus like we thought. The doctor said that she has the very beginning of her first ear infection and we were lucky to bring her in when we did and catch it early because she would have been a bear over the weekend otherwise.

SO we have a 10 day dose of Amoxicillin which she actually takes fairly well. She certainly likes sweet stuff!

First Halloween

Kaitlyn's first Halloween was fairly uneventful. We didn't have many trick or treaters and the poor baby had a slight fever and just wanted to sleep for most of the weekend. We do have some good pictures of her in her Witch costume. She's so stinkin cute!

Sick

Baby's First Cold

started yesterday, sniffles and runny nose. today she is so cranky and Shaun has a sore throat so we think that is how Kaitlyn feels too. Poor baby!

2 Month Update

Today was Kaitlyn's 2 month check up. She is doing great so says the doctor. She is now

22 inches (25%) - Short like mommy!
10 pounds 8.5 ounces (40%) - Skinny like daddy!
16 inch head circumference (90%) - Because she is so smart!

She got 2 shots and an oral vaccine today. Poor baby screamed when the shots went in, the nurse said that they do burn when they go in. Our Katie-diddle has alternated between screaming/shrieking and sleeping since 2pm. She will be dead asleep and then come out with a full fledged SCREECH. I really wonder if she is having bad dreams!

Vacation

Kaitlyn just turned 2 months old. She is looking more and more like a little person each day and not just a little baby.

We just got back from our beach vacation so Kaitlyn got the full treatment this week. We went out on the boat and she wore her life jacket for the first time. We even dipped her in the water which she didn't seem to mind. We took her to the beach and put her toes in the sand and water, this she did not like. There was also a trip to the boardwalk and the outlets both of which she slept through. There are TONS of pictures and video that you can check out on the Picasa site listed over to the right.

I am determined to make Kaitlyn a beach baby, next summer should be pretty fun. She will want to play in the sand and run down the beach. She will be big enough to take tubing and swimming. She will want to go on the rides at the boardwalk! Crazy!

Some Firsts

First Trip to the Park - 7/20
First Picnic - 7/22
First Walk on the Board Walk - 7/24
First Babysitter - 7/25 (Neeno)
First Ride on the Boat - 7/26
First Trip to the Pool - 8/11

For the Record

What will Kaitlyn call all those grandparents??

Neeno - Carol, Erin's Mom
Poppy - Rob, Erin's Step Dad
Poppop - Scotty, Erin's Dad
Grammy - Alice, Shaun's Mom
Pops - Ken, Shaun's Dad
Mommom Pat - Pat, Erin's Grandmother
Poppop Jay - Jay, Erin's Grandfather
Mommom Betty - Betty, Erin's Grandmother
Poppop Fred - Fred, Erin's Grandfather
Grandma G - Virginia, Erin's Great Grandmother
Mommom - Mary Kelly, Shaun's Grandmother
Grandma - Mary Rose, Shaun's Grandmother
Grandpa - Ray, Shaun's Grandfather

and we wonder if she will be spoiled...she has 13 "grandparents"....what do you think

One Month & Check Up

It's Kaitlyn's one month birth day! I can't believe it!

Today was our first trip to the doctors for more then just a weight check. It was Kaitlyn's one month Check Up. Kaitlyn is now 9lbs and 2 oz. 20 3/4 inches. She is in the 50th percentile for both and right on track. The doctor said that she is doing very well and to keep doing what we are doing. She laughed because Kaitlyn is so squirmy and active, she was amused that she already rolls onto one side and thinks she will start rolling over early and told me to watch her!! The worst part was the last part...the shot. She started screaming, poor baby! She calmed down pretty quick and I packed her up in the car seat and she was asleep by the time we got to the car. She slept from about 10:30 - 12, when I woke her up to get her out of the car seat. She fell asleep with her Poppop at about 1pm and it's now 4pm and she is STILL sleeping. Hopefully she will sleep tonight, though they told me it's normal for babies to sleep all day after getting shots.

First Smile?

Today I think that we saw Kaitlyn's first real smiles. Shaun was tickling her and she was giving him these huge goofy grins. It was VERY cute!

About Baby Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn is almost 3 weeks old. She is a very good baby, loves her bottles and sleeping. She is a very good sleeper! We are still working on a schedule because sometimes she will sleep 5 hours or so and other nights she will only sleep for 2 or 3 hours at a time. She goes though diapers like wildfire!

She is starting to grab on to things like blankets, shirts and necklaces. She LOVES the ceiling fan who we named Frankie. She can recognize our voices and turns toward us when we talk to her. Her favorite thing to do is cuddle on the couch.

The dogs are adjusting very well, they are very curious and will run to her when she cries. They love to lick her little feet.

I feel great, still have a little pain and my scar ITCHES but other then that things are great.

Belly Button

Kaitlyn's Cord Stump fell off today! Thank goodness! It's amazing how much that little thing grossed me out, thankfully it didn't bother Shaun!

Kaitlyn Raegan Gines - Pictures

Kaitlyn Raegan Gines ... 7lbs 10oz ... 20.5 inches ... 8:12pm.
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

Birth Day

The story of Kaitlyn Raegan's Birth Day.

June 28th, 2009

6:30am - Phone rings. It's Christiana Hospital. It's time to go in to be induced. Shaun and I got up took showers, I ate my one piece of toast and headed in to the hospital. I was being induced because I was dilated 4.5 centimeters for 3 weeks.

We had to wait a bit once we got there due to a shift change, but we were in a room and I was hooked up to my IV by 8am. Pitocin was pumping and the ball was rolling. Not too much happened other then laying in the bed and watching Kaitlyn's heart beat monitor and the contraction monitor. Dr. McCoullough came in and broke my water at 11:30am. Then I could really feel the contractions which quickly got me to 6.5 - 7 centimeters. Becca arrived to keep us entertained around 1pm. My epidural was the scary part. Shaun was awesome, he held my hands and didn't look at any needles! Other then the shaking (to be described later) this was the worst part.

After the epidural I did dilate to 8 centimeters by about 5pm but then everything stalled. I started to feel more pain and my epidural was upped, I stopped dilating and the baby wasn't moving any further down. Dr. McCoullough literally grabbed my by my pelvis bone and shook me to demonstrate that the baby wasn't moving down. Becca and I later discussed that you could see me literally moving up towards the head of the bed and then down towards the foot when she was shaking me. Such a weird feeling! The doctor also told me that my pelvis is not round so that the baby might have a hard time moving further down but she wanted to give me more time to see what would happen. About this time my mom came up to visit, and see what was going on.

By 6:30pm when Dr. McCoullough came back to see nothing had changed and it was decided that we would go for the C-section. Which is oddly what I had asked for in the beginning because I would be able to prepare for it and it wouldn't be a guessing game. So we handed off all of our stuff to my Mom and Becca and they went down to the waiting room to wait. They were told it would take about an hour. Shaun got into his scrubs and we waited while they changed the epidural medicine and got everything ready. We didn't leave the room for another 30 to 45 mins. The weirdest feeling ever is laying on your back and watching ceiling tiles roll past knowing you are going to surgery.

Everything was pretty fast once we went to the operating room. I was prepped while Shaun waited in the hallway, the big blue curtain went up and I have no idea what else they were doing. They brought Shaun in and gave him his little stool next to me. I heard them say incision which meant they were starting, everything was okay some pressure etc. I heard them say they were having a hard time getting ahold of her head at which time I heard someone say fundal pressure and two people started pushing the belly to move her. Dr. McCoullough told Shaun to look over the curtain and he tried to protest but he did look, he said all the he saw was baby butt and feet. They pulled her out feet first!!!! I had no idea they did this until we talked about it later! It makes sense though because I remember them saying she was crying before she was even all the way out.

Kaitlyn Raegan Gines was born at 8:12pm on June 28th, 2009. 7 lbs, 10 oz. 20 1/2 inches long.

Even covered in gook and still blue and screaming she was beautiful. She was taken to the nurses to be checked out and warmed up. Shaun did get to cut the cord, which was cool. Of course I was crying and this that Shaun shed a tear or two. The nurses were great and were giving him plenty of opportunity to take pictures and taking pictures for us. Shaun brought her over so I could see her and we got to sit together and just stare at her and take it all in. He looked at me and asked "Do you believe that we made this? She is ours." To which I replied "Do you believe they are going to let up take her home!"

As they were putting me back together the shaking started, which is normal because your body thinks it's cold even though it's not. I was shaking so hard and my teeth were chattering. It was hard to talk and my jaw hurt from trying not to chatter, I really thought that I was going to chip a tooth or bite my tongue. Honestly this was the worst part of everything! We moved quickly to the recovery room, we were there by 9pm.

Shaun asked if anyone had told our family yet and they said no so we called Becca and gave her the details. Shuan went down and started to bring them up in 3's to see Kaitlyn and me after the first hour. Kaitlyn's first visitors were Grams (Alice), Pops (Ken) and Uncle Ross, then Mommom Pat, Poppop Jay and Becca, and last but not least Neeno (Carol), Poppy (Rob) and Poppop (Scotty). The visitors were all gone by midnight and we settled in until 2am to wait to go to a real room.

We moved to a real room at 2am, got into bed and quickly realized that I was going to be attached to the bed for the night so poor Shaun had to change all the diapers and deal with all the crying. He is the best hubby and Daddy ever!

Happy Birthday Baby Kaitlyn and welcome to the world!

A Message from the Womb....

Dear World,

I shall be making my first appearance on Sunday! See you then!

Love,
Kaitlyn Raegan

Your pregnancy: 39 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Your pregnancy: 38 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

See what your baby looks like this week.

Your pregnancy: 37 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 37 Profile

Waiting....waiting....waiting

Well today is week 1 of the weekly appts.....so you know what that means....only a few more times of waiting in this waiting room....the next waiting will be for the baby Kaitlyn to pop out :-)

Your pregnancy: 36 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 36 Profile

OMG...it's gonna be a BABY

Dude....did you know that there is going to be a Baby Kaitlyn here soon?! I would just like to throw that out there. I gott pack up my bag and get Erins bag ready so we are as prepared as we can be!!

Your pregnancy: 35 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 35 Profile

At the baby Kaitlyn appt

Here we are waiting on the doctor...again I say....I hope they manage to be on time for the birth! What a bunch of pokey people!

Your pregnancy: 34 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 34 Profile

Your pregnancy: 33 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 33 Profile

Your pregnancy: 32 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 32 Profile

8 weeks 3 days

I was thinking today....(dangerous I know).....

As of tomorrow Kaitlyn's due date is 8 weeks and 3 days away. The fun part is that we found out we were really going to have a baby when I was 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I almost feel like it has come full circle, that is pretty cool.

8 more weeks as of this Monday. CRAZY...sometimes I feel like it has gone so fast and other times it feels like I still have so far to go!

Can't wait to meet you baby Kaitlyn!

Your pregnancy: 31 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 31 Profile

Your pregnancy: 30 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 30 Profile

Reading the Baby Kaitlyn Manual

Sooo....reading up on the Baby Kaitlyn...apparently we need to change the oil every 3000 mile and rotate the sneakers every 6 months.....LOL.....this baby business is hard work and there is no baby yet...oh did Erin mention that she now has her wedding ring and engagement ring on a necklace? I tried to get her a nice steel chain from Lowes but she didn't like the size and weight....too small I guess....so we ran across the street to Kmart instead....gotta love high quality jewlery! Well I read my Kaitlyn her bedtime book...so now it's off to sleepy land for me.....night night all!

Your pregnancy: 29 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source ofcalcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

See what your baby looks like this week

Week 29 Profile

Getting in all the last minute snuggles

So I think Bailey is trying to get in last minute snuggles....he climbed into bed and proceeded to roll around and attempt to nestle in. He sort suceeded and laid at the end of the bed. Gotta get all the attention ha can now since he will soon have competition!

Your pregnancy: 28 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 28 Profile

Have I mentioned I am excited?

So ok I really can't wait! But I know that June 29 is going to be here super soon! We have been reading baby Kaitlyn books everynight so she is well read before she comes out. Speaking of "Kaitlyn" I'm also excited because I have seen stuff with that spelling so we are good on that aspect! YAY now all we need is Kaitlyn to arrive

Your pregnancy: 27 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Week 27 Profile

Your pregnancy: 26 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Week 26 Profile

Final Nursery Pictures

So here are the final pictures of the nursery, Erin said she left the desk chair in the picture to show where the glider will go, and no the radio will not stay there :-) that was for my enjoyment while assembling.

Late night readings on babies

erin reading before bed....maybe I should do that too :-)

Sent using AT&T Xpress Mail

Thank you for your patience

Had this been an actual mobile blog, a baby would have more than likely been on the way. Please continue your usual activities and regular blogging will resume shortly.

I know I am messed up, but you love it!

This is a test blog

maybe it will work maybe it wont

Sent using AT&T Xpress Mail

Testing the mobile options

so I wanted to see if I could post from my phone....wish me luck

and....DONE

So tonight I finished putting all the wonderful boxes together into what I believe is called furniture. It actuallty wasn't very bad at all and went together quite nicely! I have to say it is VERY NICE furniture, thanks to my mommy and daddy for buying it! Now onto other household projects such as turning the railings into walls :-).....and with a wave of the magic wand....POOF.....lets try this again....POOF...... I think the wand it broken :-(

Your pregnancy: 25 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Week 25 Profile

Nursery...so far....

So Jo came over and helped paint this weekend, we knocked out the"shaun green" aka "yellow" on Saturday, and then she came back on Sunday to finish the bottom green. She then rolled on out of town and Becca came over (ok so technically they overlapped) and we put up the border. I have to admit I thought the border was going to be a royal pain in the @$$, but it wasn't and in 20 min or so we were done. Next followed a little nosh and then crib assembly. Not to bad, I did read online that the only downfall of this crib was the instructions but it turned out quite alright as you will see in the pictures. So paint...check.....border....check......crib....check....other furniture and Kaitlyn.....on the way!