While not an official milestone, Thursday marked Kaden's three week "birthday".
Just like the weeks before he continues to change and become more aware/observant of his surroundings. Mommy and Daddy continue to improve their skills and slowly but surely we are all starting to fall in to a rythym and signs of once again being a somewhat organized household are starting to appear. He is still keeping us on our toes with his schedule, sometimes going 3 hours between feedings sometimes a little longer and sometimes a little less. Though he still wakes up about every 3 hours at night to eat, he's getting much better about eating and going right back to sleep during the night and eating and "hanging out" for a bit during the day. Hopefully over time we'll start to see the night time feedings get spaced out further and further.
We've learned a lot about Kaden in the past three weeks:
He very much likes: music (Jimmy Buffet seems to be a preferred choice), warm baths in his bathtub, cuddling with Mommy, Daddy and anyone who is warm and loving, being outside and riding in his stroller.
He does not like: cool air, being cold or waiting for his meals for any period of time (when the tank is empty, it's empty)
He was not intially a fan of, but is reconsidering: spending time in his swing, his bouncy chair, before bed time massages and diaper changes.
We can't wait to see what next week brings!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Major Milestone - Umbilical Cord
We are pleased to report that Kaden's umbilical cord officially fell off today!!
Sniffle, sniffle....one of many signs of growing up!
Sniffle, sniffle....one of many signs of growing up!
Our First Week Home
Our first week home as a new family has been an overall success! Every day we all learn something new about the world and each other, but even the tough moments are completely worth it when we get to gaze at our new baby boy!
Pappa John, Grandma Nee and Grandma Karen were all on hand for our first day home from the hospital. We were released on Sunday, March 14, 2010 and greeted by a spectacular carolina blue sky and sunshine. Of course we had our obligatory bad driver cut in front of the car about 4 miles from home, but Daddy was able to stop in time and with the exception of some irate parents the ride home went without incident. Kaden slept through the entire event. At home, Pappa John carried Kaden from the car in to home and made sure everyone was settled before he and Grandma Nee returned to West Virginia.
Kaden's first night home went very well. Much of the day and most of the evening were spent curled up in the recliner with Grandma Karen. After two weeks of waiting patiently for his arrival, she was able to enjoy some alone time with her new Grandson before returning to Alabama the following day.
On Tuesday, Kiesel came home from his vacation at Don and Kelley's and the house was complete again. After many days spent romping and playing with his dog friend Smokey, Kiesel was ready to relax and lay in his spot by the couch. Kiesel was happy to see Kaden and maintained a constant visual getting up to supervise each time Kaden woke or fussed. In fact, Kiesel is so in love with our new addition that we've had a hard time explaining to him why puppy kisses are not appropriate for little babies.
At first we thought Kaden was trying to set a record for number of wardrobe changes in a single day, but quickly learned that efficiency with the diaper changes saves on the laundry. As Mommy and Daddy have gotten better with the diapers and dressing we've been going through slightly less outfits and linens each day. We have also learned pretty quickly that Kaden does not like to wait for his meals. Working on our system and our technique has produced fewer tears, though we are finding out that sometimes the crying is inevitable and will pass with time. And speaking of eating, Kaden went from eating around .5 ounces of milk about 7 times a day when we came home and is currently demanding 4 ounces of milk around 7 times a day. For those keeping track, there are 16 ounces in a pound...so Kaden is consuming almost 2 pounds of milk in a 24 hour period. This explains why at our last check up on 3/19 he was weighing in at 8lbs and 9 ounces, just 3 ounces shy of his original birth weight.
We have even managed to venture outside of the house on multiple occasions. Kaden seems to really enjoy walks around the neighborhood with his puppy. Thanks to Granny, who came to spend a long weekend, we've also made our first of many shopping trips. A little more tricky than normal to make sure you have all the necessary gear and baby travel items, but Kaden is showing signs of being a very agreeable traveler and quite adaptable to being out and about.
Even in just a weeks time it's been remarkable for us to see how much Kaden has changed. Every day he opens his eyes wider and stays up longer visually exploring and processing his surroundings. His features are becoming more and more defined and his muscle control increases every day. What was once a balled up little bundle is stretching out his arms and his legs and growing by leaps and bounds. Every day brings a new facial expression, a new learning, etc.
If all of our weeks are like this one, we are in for an experience beyond anything we could have imagined!
Pappa John, Grandma Nee and Grandma Karen were all on hand for our first day home from the hospital. We were released on Sunday, March 14, 2010 and greeted by a spectacular carolina blue sky and sunshine. Of course we had our obligatory bad driver cut in front of the car about 4 miles from home, but Daddy was able to stop in time and with the exception of some irate parents the ride home went without incident. Kaden slept through the entire event. At home, Pappa John carried Kaden from the car in to home and made sure everyone was settled before he and Grandma Nee returned to West Virginia.
Kaden's first night home went very well. Much of the day and most of the evening were spent curled up in the recliner with Grandma Karen. After two weeks of waiting patiently for his arrival, she was able to enjoy some alone time with her new Grandson before returning to Alabama the following day.
On Tuesday, Kiesel came home from his vacation at Don and Kelley's and the house was complete again. After many days spent romping and playing with his dog friend Smokey, Kiesel was ready to relax and lay in his spot by the couch. Kiesel was happy to see Kaden and maintained a constant visual getting up to supervise each time Kaden woke or fussed. In fact, Kiesel is so in love with our new addition that we've had a hard time explaining to him why puppy kisses are not appropriate for little babies.
At first we thought Kaden was trying to set a record for number of wardrobe changes in a single day, but quickly learned that efficiency with the diaper changes saves on the laundry. As Mommy and Daddy have gotten better with the diapers and dressing we've been going through slightly less outfits and linens each day. We have also learned pretty quickly that Kaden does not like to wait for his meals. Working on our system and our technique has produced fewer tears, though we are finding out that sometimes the crying is inevitable and will pass with time. And speaking of eating, Kaden went from eating around .5 ounces of milk about 7 times a day when we came home and is currently demanding 4 ounces of milk around 7 times a day. For those keeping track, there are 16 ounces in a pound...so Kaden is consuming almost 2 pounds of milk in a 24 hour period. This explains why at our last check up on 3/19 he was weighing in at 8lbs and 9 ounces, just 3 ounces shy of his original birth weight.
We have even managed to venture outside of the house on multiple occasions. Kaden seems to really enjoy walks around the neighborhood with his puppy. Thanks to Granny, who came to spend a long weekend, we've also made our first of many shopping trips. A little more tricky than normal to make sure you have all the necessary gear and baby travel items, but Kaden is showing signs of being a very agreeable traveler and quite adaptable to being out and about.
Even in just a weeks time it's been remarkable for us to see how much Kaden has changed. Every day he opens his eyes wider and stays up longer visually exploring and processing his surroundings. His features are becoming more and more defined and his muscle control increases every day. What was once a balled up little bundle is stretching out his arms and his legs and growing by leaps and bounds. Every day brings a new facial expression, a new learning, etc.
If all of our weeks are like this one, we are in for an experience beyond anything we could have imagined!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Introducing Kaden John-Conley Marcum
Hey all!
Wanted to “officially” introduce you to the newest member of our family, Kaden John-Conley Marcum.
Kaden was born in to the world on March 11, 2010 at 5:35pm. He weighed in at 8 pounds and 14.7 ounces and is 21.5 inches long. We couldn’t be more excited to have our beautiful baby boy! We are still undecided as to whom he favors in the looks department, but I think I see more and more of Lance in him everyday. Size wise he seems to take a little more after the male genetics in the Yokum family, sporting some sizable hands and feet. We were told he was the biggest baby born at the hospital on 3/11/10.
Needless to say it has been a long few days. We were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 so that the doctors could start the process of inducing labor. By Thursday morning, labor had begun and by around 12pm that same day Mommy was full of “happy juice” and fully dilated. It looked like Kaden would be born at any time. Unfortunately God and Kaden had other plans. After an afternoon of labor that I’m sure all of the participants would like to have missed, the doctors provided the option of a c-section. Within 16 minutes of starting the procedure Daddy and Mommy finally got to see their beautiful baby boy. Hearing him cry for the first time and seeing him for the first time was an amazing moment neither of us will ever forget and worth every bit of the day’s prior events. The first notable comments in the operating room were regarding the impressiveness of his size and everything after that was a blur of tears and happiness.
I’ve posted lots of pictures to my shutterfly page, which you should be able to access via the following link and you are not required to be a member to do so. If you have any problems, let me know. It’s something new I’m trying out, so feedback welcome.
http://kadenjohnconleymarcum.shutterfly.com/
Wanted to “officially” introduce you to the newest member of our family, Kaden John-Conley Marcum.
Kaden was born in to the world on March 11, 2010 at 5:35pm. He weighed in at 8 pounds and 14.7 ounces and is 21.5 inches long. We couldn’t be more excited to have our beautiful baby boy! We are still undecided as to whom he favors in the looks department, but I think I see more and more of Lance in him everyday. Size wise he seems to take a little more after the male genetics in the Yokum family, sporting some sizable hands and feet. We were told he was the biggest baby born at the hospital on 3/11/10.
Needless to say it has been a long few days. We were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 so that the doctors could start the process of inducing labor. By Thursday morning, labor had begun and by around 12pm that same day Mommy was full of “happy juice” and fully dilated. It looked like Kaden would be born at any time. Unfortunately God and Kaden had other plans. After an afternoon of labor that I’m sure all of the participants would like to have missed, the doctors provided the option of a c-section. Within 16 minutes of starting the procedure Daddy and Mommy finally got to see their beautiful baby boy. Hearing him cry for the first time and seeing him for the first time was an amazing moment neither of us will ever forget and worth every bit of the day’s prior events. The first notable comments in the operating room were regarding the impressiveness of his size and everything after that was a blur of tears and happiness.
I’ve posted lots of pictures to my shutterfly page, which you should be able to access via the following link and you are not required to be a member to do so. If you have any problems, let me know. It’s something new I’m trying out, so feedback welcome.
http://kadenjohnconleymarcum.shutterfly.com/
It’s really amazing to think that this time last week we were writing to share stories about all the activities we were undertaking with hopes of inspiring our little guy to come out, and this week we are sitting here with an amazing baby boy and our life has completely changed. I am positive this is just the start of some amazing times for us all!
Thank you to everyone who has been part of our lives and particularly this most important part. We are blessed to have such an amazing collection of family and friends.
Love,
Lance, Amanda and Kaden
Blog: http://lanceandamandabigadventure.blogspot.com/
Photos: http://kadenjohnconleymarcum.shutterfly.com/
We have a plan - March 9, 2010
Another beautiful day in Charlotte, NC but still no baby Kaden. However, we are excited to report that we do have a plan and should be seeing our little guy in just a few days.
We had our final checkup at the doctor’s office today, and the ultra-sound and fetal monitor show that Kaden is healthy and apparently quite comfortable. Unfortunately he’s a little too comfortable showing no signs that he plans to depart his happy space anytime soon. Numerous miles of walking and a day of yard work (yes, I mowed the back yard yesterday) don’t seem to be coaxing Kaden to join us, so the doctors have agreed that moving forward with an induction is in everyone’s best interest.
Tomorrow night, we will be admitted to the labor and delivery floor where they will start the process for inducing labor. While no results are guaranteed, the chances are good that we’ll be holding our baby boy in our arms sometime Thursday, March 11. As you can imagine Mommy and Daddy are ready for him to get here ASAP and overjoyed to know that the beginning of our newest adventure is just around the corner.
We appreciate the calls, emails and facebook messages checking in on us during this waiting period. We know everyone is anxious to meet Kaden and we can’t wait to introduce him to everyone very soon. There have been a few times in the last few days where I’m quite certain that Granny, Grandma Karen and even Daddy have considered Chinese tickle torture and various other methods to get Kaden to join us. I’m sure many of you have had similar urges and we appreciate the restraint and patience everyone has shown.
Hoping our next message includes pictures of our amazing baby boy!
Love,
Lance and Amanda
We had our final checkup at the doctor’s office today, and the ultra-sound and fetal monitor show that Kaden is healthy and apparently quite comfortable. Unfortunately he’s a little too comfortable showing no signs that he plans to depart his happy space anytime soon. Numerous miles of walking and a day of yard work (yes, I mowed the back yard yesterday) don’t seem to be coaxing Kaden to join us, so the doctors have agreed that moving forward with an induction is in everyone’s best interest.
Tomorrow night, we will be admitted to the labor and delivery floor where they will start the process for inducing labor. While no results are guaranteed, the chances are good that we’ll be holding our baby boy in our arms sometime Thursday, March 11. As you can imagine Mommy and Daddy are ready for him to get here ASAP and overjoyed to know that the beginning of our newest adventure is just around the corner.
We appreciate the calls, emails and facebook messages checking in on us during this waiting period. We know everyone is anxious to meet Kaden and we can’t wait to introduce him to everyone very soon. There have been a few times in the last few days where I’m quite certain that Granny, Grandma Karen and even Daddy have considered Chinese tickle torture and various other methods to get Kaden to join us. I’m sure many of you have had similar urges and we appreciate the restraint and patience everyone has shown.
Hoping our next message includes pictures of our amazing baby boy!
Love,
Lance and Amanda
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Is it time yet?
As you are all well aware, yesterday was Kaden’s “due date”. March 3, 2010 came and went and we are still waiting for our baby boy to join the world.
It’s fairly common for first babies to arrive a bit late, so we still remain patient and generating positive thoughts that Kaden will join us any time now. We are continuing our regiment of walking and staying active, as well as introducing some suggested methods of encouraging labor, such as massage and Mexican food. I would like to emphasize the word some, because as time goes on we are receiving an increasing number of those suggestions…..a few of which sound less than pleasant (castor oil cocktail anyone?).
Here's hoping the next post contains pictures of our baby boy!
It’s fairly common for first babies to arrive a bit late, so we still remain patient and generating positive thoughts that Kaden will join us any time now. We are continuing our regiment of walking and staying active, as well as introducing some suggested methods of encouraging labor, such as massage and Mexican food. I would like to emphasize the word some, because as time goes on we are receiving an increasing number of those suggestions…..a few of which sound less than pleasant (castor oil cocktail anyone?).
Here's hoping the next post contains pictures of our baby boy!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Baby Countdown - March 2, 2010
Happy snowy Tuesday all!
So far our hopes that the winter storm would inspire Baby Kaden to make his way in to the world have been thwarted. We have snow falling in West Virginia and North Carolina, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to inspire him just yet.
We had our weekly check up with the Doctor today and were given two thumbs up for everything looking good and being as it should. Unfortunately they are still estimating an arrival time spanning from any time now to late next week. The signs of progress are there, but nothing to give a reliable expected delivery date.
We are getting pretty anxious to hold our little guy and start our new adventures, but guess we’ll have to wait until he’s ready to join the outside world. Our first exercise in patience, with many, many more to follow I’m sure.
Mommy continues to remain fairly uncomfortable, particularly in the evenings, but finds that walking and staying active during the day with various errands and activities seems to help. Daddy remains excited and ready and has been logging some miles on his boots the last few days in support. He even completed a very necessary garage make-over to ensure that we are able to safely and easily move Kaden’s car seat in and out of the car. (those of you who have seen our garage know this was no small job).
Grandma Karen arrived safely on Sunday and just finished putting fresh linens and clean clothes in Kaden’s room. Kiesel is keeping her entertained and quite busy with playing ball. Granny is rumored to be driving around Elkins, WV with a packed car resembling someone who is moving and a cell phone clutched in her hand waiting for the word that labor has started.
I know many of you are checking your phones, email and facebook pages waiting to hear the good news…keep hanging in there and sending positive thoughts. J
We hope to be making the “big announcement” any day now.
So far our hopes that the winter storm would inspire Baby Kaden to make his way in to the world have been thwarted. We have snow falling in West Virginia and North Carolina, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to inspire him just yet.
We had our weekly check up with the Doctor today and were given two thumbs up for everything looking good and being as it should. Unfortunately they are still estimating an arrival time spanning from any time now to late next week. The signs of progress are there, but nothing to give a reliable expected delivery date.
We are getting pretty anxious to hold our little guy and start our new adventures, but guess we’ll have to wait until he’s ready to join the outside world. Our first exercise in patience, with many, many more to follow I’m sure.
Mommy continues to remain fairly uncomfortable, particularly in the evenings, but finds that walking and staying active during the day with various errands and activities seems to help. Daddy remains excited and ready and has been logging some miles on his boots the last few days in support. He even completed a very necessary garage make-over to ensure that we are able to safely and easily move Kaden’s car seat in and out of the car. (those of you who have seen our garage know this was no small job).
Grandma Karen arrived safely on Sunday and just finished putting fresh linens and clean clothes in Kaden’s room. Kiesel is keeping her entertained and quite busy with playing ball. Granny is rumored to be driving around Elkins, WV with a packed car resembling someone who is moving and a cell phone clutched in her hand waiting for the word that labor has started.
I know many of you are checking your phones, email and facebook pages waiting to hear the good news…keep hanging in there and sending positive thoughts. J
We hope to be making the “big announcement” any day now.
Baby Update - February 18, 2010
Happy February! I think this has been a memorable month for everyone. I will be referring to February from here on out as the longest month in history. I’m going to guess our family and friends in West Virginia and Ohio will be remembering it more as the month that the snow never stopped. Whatever February has meant to you so far, hope it’s been a decent one!
Everything is as it should be on the baby front. Kaden is healthy and comfortable, Mommy is healthy and uncomfortable and Daddy is healthy and trying to survive. From here on out we go Army style and just hurry up and wait.
We officially passed the 37 week milestone, which is the point when the baby is considered full term and possible to deliver at any time. At our 37 week appointment the doctor showed us how the baby was laying and even showed us how to feel his head. I’m sure it’s a little wrong to be squeezing on your babies head, but we only did it once under medical supervision and it was really cool to feel! The Docs best guess is that Kaden will come out somewhere in the 7 ½ lb range, though he’s not letting us hold him to that. His actual words were somewhat to the effect of “big enough to be healthy, but no so big as to be mean”.
As of today we are at week 38 and 13 days away from his March 3 due date.
Some of you have been asking about visitors after the baby is born, how will we know when he’s here, when can we come see him, etc, so thought I would share with you guys what we know at this point.
We are planning to deliver at Presbyterian in Matthews
Our expected stay would be between 2-3 nights depending on how the delivery goes
Kaden will be born, bathed, etc all in the same room and with the exception of the brief period of time for circumcision, unless medically necessary he will not be leaving that room until we come home – ie he will not be in the nursery
It is generally 1 to 1.5 hours after his birth before the hospital allows visitors back in to the birthing suite. This gives time to clean everybody up, do necessary checks, get a bath and babies first meal. In the event of a c-section it could be a bit longer.
The labor and delivery floor is a secured floor, so they do require sign in and ID before they let you back on the floor.
The flu warnings are still in effect, so nobody under the age of 18 is allowed on the L&D floor for any reason
We are most definitely planning to have our cell phones, laptop, email, facebook and internet access so that we can do our best to share the great news with everyone as soon as we can. Having never done this before I’m not sure what “as soon as we can” means, so please be patient with us.
We have secured the services of highly trained professionals to help us acclimate to life as new parents. Granny (aka Grandma Carolyn) and Grandma Karen have volunteered to make the long trip and stay with us during the first few days to help us keep things afloat while we all adjust. We are also expecting a visit from Pappa John and Grandma Nee….provided they can dig their way out of WV.
Kiesel will be going to stay with the Lambiotte’s while we are at the hospital to ensure he is not without love and attention during our brief absence from home.
We are planning to make a trip to West Virginia in April, but dates are TBD based on when he arrives and when we feel comfortable making the trip with him. More details forthcoming on that trip.
We know that everyone is crazy excited to meet our little guy and we are excited to introduce him to all the people who are going to be part of his life….I mean really, can you have too much love? So whether we see you in the hospital, see you after we get home or somewhere in the future we look forward to it. Please just be patient with us as we feel our way through everything.
Baby Update - February 6, 2010
Happy winter weekend everyone! Doesn’t look like we are going to get any snow in Charlotte this weekend, just a lot of cold, damp rain.
As you can imagine we are counting down the days now until our little guy arrives. Less than a month away from his March 3, 2010 due date (please be on time, please be on time). Our last check up with the doctor was this past Tuesday and all reports are good. Kaden’s heart was beating at a healthy 155 beats per minute and he’s head down in the proper position to make his debut.
As far as mommy…well let’s just say we are all trying to maintain a sense of humor in the Marcum house. Everything is healthy and as it should be, it’s just dealing with all the “fun stuff” that comes with the last part of pregnancy. Daily challenges start with lopping out of bed and run the range of picking up dropped articles thru putting on shoes and everything in between. All part of the experience though, and most importantly temporary.
We have been busy this past week washing, organizing and putting away all of the amazing gifts we received at our baby shower last weekend. We have to express a huge Thank You to the Dooling’s (Aunt Cassie and Unlce Jose) for putting together Marcum Baby Bash 2010, then basically putting it together again when the weather messed up everything. Thank you, of course, to our friends and family for braving the highly unusual winter snow/ice storm to come out and celebrate with us. The weather didn’t let everyone come out that wanted to be there, but we felt the love just the same. Yes, if you are counting, this was our second baby shower and coincidentally the second time it’s been obstructed by record setting winter storms.
In addition to the great baby shower, we also had a visit with Aunt Amy. Aunt Amy braved the weather and flew down from Indianapolis to hang out for the weekend, attend the baby shower and bring lots of great gifts for her nephew. We are sorry we couldn’t provide more hospitable weather for her visit (and her flight home) but really enjoyed having her for the weekend. Kiesel was highly upset when she left, so don’t know what she’s going to do on the next visit about splitting her attention between Kiesel and Kaden.
As you can imagine we are counting down the days now until our little guy arrives. Less than a month away from his March 3, 2010 due date (please be on time, please be on time). Our last check up with the doctor was this past Tuesday and all reports are good. Kaden’s heart was beating at a healthy 155 beats per minute and he’s head down in the proper position to make his debut.
As far as mommy…well let’s just say we are all trying to maintain a sense of humor in the Marcum house. Everything is healthy and as it should be, it’s just dealing with all the “fun stuff” that comes with the last part of pregnancy. Daily challenges start with lopping out of bed and run the range of picking up dropped articles thru putting on shoes and everything in between. All part of the experience though, and most importantly temporary.
We have been busy this past week washing, organizing and putting away all of the amazing gifts we received at our baby shower last weekend. We have to express a huge Thank You to the Dooling’s (Aunt Cassie and Unlce Jose) for putting together Marcum Baby Bash 2010, then basically putting it together again when the weather messed up everything. Thank you, of course, to our friends and family for braving the highly unusual winter snow/ice storm to come out and celebrate with us. The weather didn’t let everyone come out that wanted to be there, but we felt the love just the same. Yes, if you are counting, this was our second baby shower and coincidentally the second time it’s been obstructed by record setting winter storms.
In addition to the great baby shower, we also had a visit with Aunt Amy. Aunt Amy braved the weather and flew down from Indianapolis to hang out for the weekend, attend the baby shower and bring lots of great gifts for her nephew. We are sorry we couldn’t provide more hospitable weather for her visit (and her flight home) but really enjoyed having her for the weekend. Kiesel was highly upset when she left, so don’t know what she’s going to do on the next visit about splitting her attention between Kiesel and Kaden.
Doctor's Visit # ??? - January 20, 2009
As of today we are officially 34 weeks, meaning only 6 weeks before we should be meeting our little guy. We are remaining optimistic that he will make an on-time arrival, but statistics and genetics are not in our favor, so let’s all hope and pray that he doesn’t keep us waiting too long.
Our last check up was yesterday and the doctor gave us two thumbs up for everything progressing as it should. Per “the baby book” he should be weighing in around 5 pounds or more at this point. They don’t give any sort of estimate on length, but Mommy’s at-capacity torso and sore ribs seem to be indicating he’s going to be taking after his Daddy in the height department. We can’t wait to see for ourselves!!
We are pleased to report that we have also been hard at work checking off the list of “to-do’s”. We have completed his room, attended breast feeding class, participated in a hospital tour and sat through 8 hours of child birth class. For any inquiring minds, child birth class was completed without incident. In fact, between the two of us, Lance was probably the better study and the better receiver of information. I would classify the course as TMI in a lot of cases and have chosen to block some of the information from my mind. J
Probably the biggest update is that we have settled on his name! It is officially decoupaged (thanks again Aunt Cassie!) and hanging above his crib in anticipation of his arrival.
Kaden John-Conley Marcum
Kaden is a name we selected after searching through multiple baby name websites and various other sources. It has origins in English, American and German depending on which sites you search and is typically cited to mean “a fighter or companion”. Kaden’s middle name is a multi-faceted tribute to both our families. John is his maternal Grandfather’s first name and Conley is the first name shared by his paternal Grandfather and his Uncle CJ. The hyphenated middle name and the tradition of being named after his grandparents is something he will have in common with his Uncle Shane(y) and his cousin Rhea.
Our last check up was yesterday and the doctor gave us two thumbs up for everything progressing as it should. Per “the baby book” he should be weighing in around 5 pounds or more at this point. They don’t give any sort of estimate on length, but Mommy’s at-capacity torso and sore ribs seem to be indicating he’s going to be taking after his Daddy in the height department. We can’t wait to see for ourselves!!
We are pleased to report that we have also been hard at work checking off the list of “to-do’s”. We have completed his room, attended breast feeding class, participated in a hospital tour and sat through 8 hours of child birth class. For any inquiring minds, child birth class was completed without incident. In fact, between the two of us, Lance was probably the better study and the better receiver of information. I would classify the course as TMI in a lot of cases and have chosen to block some of the information from my mind. J
Probably the biggest update is that we have settled on his name! It is officially decoupaged (thanks again Aunt Cassie!) and hanging above his crib in anticipation of his arrival.
Kaden John-Conley Marcum
Kaden is a name we selected after searching through multiple baby name websites and various other sources. It has origins in English, American and German depending on which sites you search and is typically cited to mean “a fighter or companion”. Kaden’s middle name is a multi-faceted tribute to both our families. John is his maternal Grandfather’s first name and Conley is the first name shared by his paternal Grandfather and his Uncle CJ. The hyphenated middle name and the tradition of being named after his grandparents is something he will have in common with his Uncle Shane(y) and his cousin Rhea.
Doctor's Visit #7 - December 2009
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Wherever you are, we hope you are having a wonderful Christmas! We made a snowy trip home to WV last weekend and are back in Charlotte thinking of everyone today.
Our last doctor’s appointment was on Wednesday, December 23 (Happy Birthday Daddy to-be). It consisted of our normal check-in (weight, blood and Doppler to hear the heartbeat) and 3 hour glucose screening (not a stellar time). We are very pleased to report, that everything is still tracking perfectly and we are all healthy and developing as we should. Baby’s heartbeat and growth rate are right on track and I did not test positive for gestational diabetes.
During this visit, baby displayed his first signs of authority. When the nurse was applying the Doppler to my belly she hit right on the baby and he gave a pretty quick and hard kick to let her know. It actually caused the Doppler wand to move, and it sounded like someone was doing a microphone check. J As you can imagine, I am feeling more and more of those soccer style kicks every day.
For security reasons we won’t be disclosing my new fighting weight, but let’s just say that as of last night, we were able to inform the police and an APB has been put out for my belly button. Should you see my belly button or know where it might have gone, please let me know as it seems to have disappeared.
In other baby news we completed one awesome baby shower and the babies’ room is coming along nicely.
The plans for our baby shower in Elkins were almost thwarted by the massive snow storm that hit the night before, dumping around 2 feet of snow and prompting the governor to call a state of emergency. Fortunately we were able to postpone and dig ourselves out to have the shower only one day later. We want to thank everyone who was able to join us and a big THANK YOU to Kristie and Becky for coordinating everything. We finally broke down and disassembled Shaunna’s awesome diaper cake yesterday and all of the great clothes and gifts we received have been put away in babies’ room.
While we were in WV enjoying the snow and spending time with family and friends, Aunt Cassie was back in Charlotte working her fingers to the bone painting the babies room. When we left Charlotte the walls were a boring off-white, when we came back they were a beautiful blue color and you could see the characteristics of a little boys room starting to form. Thanks Cassie!! Inspired by Cassie’s efforts, Lance was able to assemble the crib and populate the room with the rest of the furniture. Bedding has been washed and it’s really looking like a baby’s room. Granny (aka Grandma Carolyn) is coming this weekend to help decorate and we should have pictures to share with everyone soon.
As we hit the home stretch (only 2 months and some change left to go) the Doctor’s visits will become more frequent. We will do our best to keep sending out the emails, but can’t promise you will get one with each visit. Don’t be afraid to call, or stop by and see us…as my tummy grows my pension for leaving the house gets a little smaller, so you’ll likely find us at home a little more these days. ;-)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!!
Wherever you are, we hope you are having a wonderful Christmas! We made a snowy trip home to WV last weekend and are back in Charlotte thinking of everyone today.
Our last doctor’s appointment was on Wednesday, December 23 (Happy Birthday Daddy to-be). It consisted of our normal check-in (weight, blood and Doppler to hear the heartbeat) and 3 hour glucose screening (not a stellar time). We are very pleased to report, that everything is still tracking perfectly and we are all healthy and developing as we should. Baby’s heartbeat and growth rate are right on track and I did not test positive for gestational diabetes.
During this visit, baby displayed his first signs of authority. When the nurse was applying the Doppler to my belly she hit right on the baby and he gave a pretty quick and hard kick to let her know. It actually caused the Doppler wand to move, and it sounded like someone was doing a microphone check. J As you can imagine, I am feeling more and more of those soccer style kicks every day.
For security reasons we won’t be disclosing my new fighting weight, but let’s just say that as of last night, we were able to inform the police and an APB has been put out for my belly button. Should you see my belly button or know where it might have gone, please let me know as it seems to have disappeared.
In other baby news we completed one awesome baby shower and the babies’ room is coming along nicely.
The plans for our baby shower in Elkins were almost thwarted by the massive snow storm that hit the night before, dumping around 2 feet of snow and prompting the governor to call a state of emergency. Fortunately we were able to postpone and dig ourselves out to have the shower only one day later. We want to thank everyone who was able to join us and a big THANK YOU to Kristie and Becky for coordinating everything. We finally broke down and disassembled Shaunna’s awesome diaper cake yesterday and all of the great clothes and gifts we received have been put away in babies’ room.
While we were in WV enjoying the snow and spending time with family and friends, Aunt Cassie was back in Charlotte working her fingers to the bone painting the babies room. When we left Charlotte the walls were a boring off-white, when we came back they were a beautiful blue color and you could see the characteristics of a little boys room starting to form. Thanks Cassie!! Inspired by Cassie’s efforts, Lance was able to assemble the crib and populate the room with the rest of the furniture. Bedding has been washed and it’s really looking like a baby’s room. Granny (aka Grandma Carolyn) is coming this weekend to help decorate and we should have pictures to share with everyone soon.
As we hit the home stretch (only 2 months and some change left to go) the Doctor’s visits will become more frequent. We will do our best to keep sending out the emails, but can’t promise you will get one with each visit. Don’t be afraid to call, or stop by and see us…as my tummy grows my pension for leaving the house gets a little smaller, so you’ll likely find us at home a little more these days. ;-)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!!
Doctor's Visit #5 - November 2009
Happy belated Thanksgiving all!
We had our last doctor’s appointment on 11/20 and everything checked out perfect. His heart rate was a perfect 148 beats per minute and sounding strong like always. The doctor has started measuring my belly on each trip and we are happy to say it’s right on target. We’ll skip the part about getting weighed in on the old school, slide the blocks over scale. (Let’s just say I’m back to my old college weight and leave it at that.)
Our little guy is growing by leaps and bounds at this point and continuing to be quite active. What previously felt like butterflies in the stomach is starting to take on a much stronger feeling. He’s even caught me off guard a few times resulting in what I’m sure are some interesting faces. He is also waking me up fairly regularly with his movements in the morning.
In the week before Thanksgiving Lance was able to feel him moving around for the first time; which was a pretty cool experience for both of us!
I’m proud to say that we are making excellent progress on our baby preparations. Thanks to the help our great friend Brian, who can now add “mover” to his resume, we have been able to get all the furniture moved around and/or cleared out. The rooms upstairs are really starting to take on their appropriate future state.
Our Thanksgiving trip to WV was great as always and extremely productive. The pool table is stored safely in my Mom’s basement, we got to spend at least a little time with a lot of loved ones, our freezer has fresh deer meat, and we checked off some big items on our need for baby list. A big thanks to my family in WV (Mom, Dad, Petey, John, Shaunna and Ma), as we now have furniture for the babies bedroom and a good base of baby items to get us going. And if all of those things weren’t enough to be thankful for this month, we got to talk to my little brother on Thanksgiving day!
Still no final decision on the baby’s name yet. We are finding ourselves at a little bit of a stand still on his first name, but we should be able to come to a conclusion soon. We’ve still got 3 months and at the current rate may need every bit of that time. ;-)
We had our last doctor’s appointment on 11/20 and everything checked out perfect. His heart rate was a perfect 148 beats per minute and sounding strong like always. The doctor has started measuring my belly on each trip and we are happy to say it’s right on target. We’ll skip the part about getting weighed in on the old school, slide the blocks over scale. (Let’s just say I’m back to my old college weight and leave it at that.)
Our little guy is growing by leaps and bounds at this point and continuing to be quite active. What previously felt like butterflies in the stomach is starting to take on a much stronger feeling. He’s even caught me off guard a few times resulting in what I’m sure are some interesting faces. He is also waking me up fairly regularly with his movements in the morning.
In the week before Thanksgiving Lance was able to feel him moving around for the first time; which was a pretty cool experience for both of us!
I’m proud to say that we are making excellent progress on our baby preparations. Thanks to the help our great friend Brian, who can now add “mover” to his resume, we have been able to get all the furniture moved around and/or cleared out. The rooms upstairs are really starting to take on their appropriate future state.
Our Thanksgiving trip to WV was great as always and extremely productive. The pool table is stored safely in my Mom’s basement, we got to spend at least a little time with a lot of loved ones, our freezer has fresh deer meat, and we checked off some big items on our need for baby list. A big thanks to my family in WV (Mom, Dad, Petey, John, Shaunna and Ma), as we now have furniture for the babies bedroom and a good base of baby items to get us going. And if all of those things weren’t enough to be thankful for this month, we got to talk to my little brother on Thanksgiving day!
Still no final decision on the baby’s name yet. We are finding ourselves at a little bit of a stand still on his first name, but we should be able to come to a conclusion soon. We’ve still got 3 months and at the current rate may need every bit of that time. ;-)
Doctor's Visit #4 - October 25, 2009
Happy daylight savings time everyone!
I hope some of you got to enjoy an extra hour of sleep this morning. Unfortunately Kiesel and my bladder are still on the old time….so here we are this morning.
We had a regular check up with the doctor and everything is in tip top shape. The baby’s heart rate is clocking in at 153 beats a minute, which is right on target. This time it sounded like he was having a party in there; the beats almost sounded like club music. I can feel him move pretty regularly now. Sometimes in the mid-afternoon it feels like he might be having a party in there, or practicing for his debut in the 100 meter butterfly.
We learned that our baby boy is weighing in around the weight of a can of coke and is likely to be around 12 inches or more long.
Everything is good with Lance and I as well. I’m starting to “expand” and it’s getting obvious to most people that I’m pregnant, (no Shaney, it is not time to send the tarp just yet). Some of my energy has come back as well, so we are working on getting ready for our new arrival. We’ve been able to knock one big thing off our list, which was to get Lance a truck that would have room for a car seat. Lance picked up his 2009 Chevy Silverado extended cab (that’s right, the 4 door job) earlier this week. It seems like he’s been on the road for work ever since, so he’s getting fast acquainted and seems pleased with the new purchase.
We still have many things to do, but slowly and surely we are working the list.
Oh, and before I forget, no we do not have a name picked out. We each independently developed a list of first names and compared them at dinner a week or so ago. To our surprise we didn’t have one single name the same on our lists. We think we have the short list though, so we are on the right path. We aren’t sharing names at this time, but we’ll keep you posted once we make a decision.
I hope some of you got to enjoy an extra hour of sleep this morning. Unfortunately Kiesel and my bladder are still on the old time….so here we are this morning.
We had a regular check up with the doctor and everything is in tip top shape. The baby’s heart rate is clocking in at 153 beats a minute, which is right on target. This time it sounded like he was having a party in there; the beats almost sounded like club music. I can feel him move pretty regularly now. Sometimes in the mid-afternoon it feels like he might be having a party in there, or practicing for his debut in the 100 meter butterfly.
We learned that our baby boy is weighing in around the weight of a can of coke and is likely to be around 12 inches or more long.
Everything is good with Lance and I as well. I’m starting to “expand” and it’s getting obvious to most people that I’m pregnant, (no Shaney, it is not time to send the tarp just yet). Some of my energy has come back as well, so we are working on getting ready for our new arrival. We’ve been able to knock one big thing off our list, which was to get Lance a truck that would have room for a car seat. Lance picked up his 2009 Chevy Silverado extended cab (that’s right, the 4 door job) earlier this week. It seems like he’s been on the road for work ever since, so he’s getting fast acquainted and seems pleased with the new purchase.
We still have many things to do, but slowly and surely we are working the list.
Oh, and before I forget, no we do not have a name picked out. We each independently developed a list of first names and compared them at dinner a week or so ago. To our surprise we didn’t have one single name the same on our lists. We think we have the short list though, so we are on the right path. We aren’t sharing names at this time, but we’ll keep you posted once we make a decision.
It's a...... - October 12, 2009
Boy!!
The ultra-sound tech said everything looked good and as it should be with our baby boy!!! We couldn’t be more pleased with the news. It was quite an experience to see our little guy moving his little arms and legs around and moving his mouth up and down. Quite surreal actually.
Lance was the first to identify that the baby was a boy, and all but jumped out of his chair. He declared two weeks ago that he knew it was a boy…and of course we are now getting several folks who said “they knew that too”.
We also found out that I’m measuring at 19.5 weeks, as opposed to the 18 weeks they originally estimated. So either baby boy is already a big boss-hoss, or he should be here to see us a little sooner than we thought. Our new due date is March 3.
It’s a toss up for me, but my favorite pics are his profile and his little foot. I think you can all guess which one was Lance’s favorite.
Lance was the first to identify that the baby was a boy, and all but jumped out of his chair. He declared two weeks ago that he knew it was a boy…and of course we are now getting several folks who said “they knew that too”.
We also found out that I’m measuring at 19.5 weeks, as opposed to the 18 weeks they originally estimated. So either baby boy is already a big boss-hoss, or he should be here to see us a little sooner than we thought. Our new due date is March 3.
It’s a toss up for me, but my favorite pics are his profile and his little foot. I think you can all guess which one was Lance’s favorite.
Doctor's Visit #3 - September 30, 2009
Everything checked out normal and good at the appointment. We got to hear baby’s heart beat, which sounded a little more like a washing machine this time, at a very healthy 158 beats per minute. We got a little nervous when the nurse couldn’t find the heartbeat at first, but that then turned in to laughter when the second nurse quickly found the heartbeat. Apparently baby was on the move, so it took a little more searching. I guess when you’re somewhere around the size of a turnip in a space that’s the size of a small watermelon you’ve got a little room to roam about.
They also took some blood, which is apparently going to be a routine thing at this point (groan). My Mom will be proud to know that once again I looked the floor directly in the eye and did not pass out. They found out my iron is a little low, so I started on some iron supplements today. I’m looking forward to the energy boost that I should get out of those little suckers. Apparently I’ll be taking them for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Outside of the doctor’s visits we are slowly but surely working on preparations for the baby. Step 1 of converting Lance’s man room was completed this weekend. With a closet now installed, it is well on the way to being our guest bedroom. Now we just have to paint, move out the pool table and move in the bedroom furniture.
Our newest furry addition, Kiesel, is doing well. He’s definitely doing his part in getting us accustom to waking up early in the mornings, (even on weekends), and having a constant dependent in the house. We’ve been focused mostly on socialization with other dogs, other adults, babies and kids. We are planning to start obedience training soon. He’s definitely a lover who wants to be around either a person or another dog as much as he can, though he seems to adapt well to the times when he’s “home alone”. So far I’ve got a slightly torn chaise lounge cover, but everything else seems to be in tact.
I have recently given in and started shopping for clothing in the maternity section. At this point I’m wearing almost exclusively pants with elastic waste bands. I have to tell you, I was not pumped to start sporting the elastic, but now that I’ve given in, I’m not so sure I’m ever going back….it is like wearing sweat pants all the time! If you get the chance, I must say I recommend trying it at least once. I’m also approaching the point where people are starting to feel comfortable coming out and asking me if I’m pregnant. So far I haven’t had any real creative ways of folks asking the question, but I’m still hoping for a good one soon.
We are looking forward to our next update, where with a little luck we’ll be able to share the sex of the baby. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that baby doesn’t decide to play shy next Monday when we go for the first ultrasound!! We will of course keep you posted on what we find out.
They also took some blood, which is apparently going to be a routine thing at this point (groan). My Mom will be proud to know that once again I looked the floor directly in the eye and did not pass out. They found out my iron is a little low, so I started on some iron supplements today. I’m looking forward to the energy boost that I should get out of those little suckers. Apparently I’ll be taking them for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Outside of the doctor’s visits we are slowly but surely working on preparations for the baby. Step 1 of converting Lance’s man room was completed this weekend. With a closet now installed, it is well on the way to being our guest bedroom. Now we just have to paint, move out the pool table and move in the bedroom furniture.
Our newest furry addition, Kiesel, is doing well. He’s definitely doing his part in getting us accustom to waking up early in the mornings, (even on weekends), and having a constant dependent in the house. We’ve been focused mostly on socialization with other dogs, other adults, babies and kids. We are planning to start obedience training soon. He’s definitely a lover who wants to be around either a person or another dog as much as he can, though he seems to adapt well to the times when he’s “home alone”. So far I’ve got a slightly torn chaise lounge cover, but everything else seems to be in tact.
I have recently given in and started shopping for clothing in the maternity section. At this point I’m wearing almost exclusively pants with elastic waste bands. I have to tell you, I was not pumped to start sporting the elastic, but now that I’ve given in, I’m not so sure I’m ever going back….it is like wearing sweat pants all the time! If you get the chance, I must say I recommend trying it at least once. I’m also approaching the point where people are starting to feel comfortable coming out and asking me if I’m pregnant. So far I haven’t had any real creative ways of folks asking the question, but I’m still hoping for a good one soon.
We are looking forward to our next update, where with a little luck we’ll be able to share the sex of the baby. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that baby doesn’t decide to play shy next Monday when we go for the first ultrasound!! We will of course keep you posted on what we find out.
Welcome Furry Baby - September 2009
In preperation for our new roles as parents, we decide to adopt a german shepherd puppy.
On memorial day weekend, September 2009, we bring home 12 week old Kiesel.
Doctor's Visit #2 - August 26, 2009
Completed baby doctor appointment number 2 and everything looks good. Most of the time was spent meeting with the business office manager on the financial aspects of the deal, discussing what not to eat and things that I should not be doing…..apparently contact sports are out for the remainder of the pregnancy. They also did some routine blood tests, and Amanda did not pass out (very big score).
For the grand finale of the appointment we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time! She put a high powered microphone with some cold goo on my stomach, moved it a little and a sound like a train came pumping out the speakers. (I said train, Lance said washing machine). The baby’s heart was beating at 168 beats a minute, which they assured us was completely normal and a good rate for an 11 week old baby. There was no crying….but definitely a lot of big smiles and wide eyes.
In 7 weeks, (Columbus day actually), we go back for an ultrasound. Provided the little one is cooperative we will find out if it’s a girl or boy at that time.
On the non-medical front, we have initiated our first steps towards preparing the house for the baby. We have a contractor coming to the house this week to give us an estimate on putting a closet in the pool table room, which we are planning to convert to a guest bedroom. Though we are sad to be parting with our pool table, we know it will be safe in my mom’s basement and hope the spacious new living quarters will attract many babysitters…I mean “guests”…. to visit us next year.
For the grand finale of the appointment we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time! She put a high powered microphone with some cold goo on my stomach, moved it a little and a sound like a train came pumping out the speakers. (I said train, Lance said washing machine). The baby’s heart was beating at 168 beats a minute, which they assured us was completely normal and a good rate for an 11 week old baby. There was no crying….but definitely a lot of big smiles and wide eyes.
In 7 weeks, (Columbus day actually), we go back for an ultrasound. Provided the little one is cooperative we will find out if it’s a girl or boy at that time.
On the non-medical front, we have initiated our first steps towards preparing the house for the baby. We have a contractor coming to the house this week to give us an estimate on putting a closet in the pool table room, which we are planning to convert to a guest bedroom. Though we are sad to be parting with our pool table, we know it will be safe in my mom’s basement and hope the spacious new living quarters will attract many babysitters…I mean “guests”…. to visit us next year.
First Doctor's Appointment - July 27 2009
One day after Amanda's 31st birthday.
We had our first Dr appointment. Nothing new to report. They confirmed we are pregnant and the estimated due date is March 15. That puts us at 7 weeks.
We go back on August 26 for blood tests and the first ultrasound.
I am most proud of Lance who went with me and stayed with me for the whole experience. Even when I was stressing watching the large uncomfortable pregnant ladies come out of the office he did not even bat an eye.
We began sending out emails to our friends and family to share the status of our progress, the above being the content of the very first email.
We had our first Dr appointment. Nothing new to report. They confirmed we are pregnant and the estimated due date is March 15. That puts us at 7 weeks.
We go back on August 26 for blood tests and the first ultrasound.
I am most proud of Lance who went with me and stayed with me for the whole experience. Even when I was stressing watching the large uncomfortable pregnant ladies come out of the office he did not even bat an eye.
We began sending out emails to our friends and family to share the status of our progress, the above being the content of the very first email.
The Adventure Begins - July 2009
The summer of 2009, we were constantly on the move. We started the summer with an amazing bike trip through the North Carolina and Georgia mountains and rounded out the summer with a dream vacation to Montana and Wyoming. Along the way we snuck in several camping trips, bike trips and trips North to West Virginia and Ohio.
On a rare evening home in mid July we found out that we were going to be parents......and that's when our Big Adventure's really began!
On a rare evening home in mid July we found out that we were going to be parents......and that's when our Big Adventure's really began!
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