The Week of Growth Spurts

Lucien is now 6 weeks old and in the books they call week 6 a growth spurt week.  He ate a lot more and a couple of times he needed some formula to supplement his eating.  Lucien was very busy this week getting ready for holidays and meeting a lot more family members.  The Folkers came in for a visit with their new nephew/cousin.  We also visited some friends for a holiday gathering.  It was a busy week for growth spurt week because little Lucien was hungry almost every hour and had to be excused from the festivities.  He loved all his Christmas gifts!  Thanks everyone!  He especially loved his tummy time toy from Uncle Vic and Aunt Soraya...    

All I want for Christmas...

We visited Santa on Christmas eve.  Lucien was very excited.  He got everything on his wish list...

Longer eyelashes like Mom

Fuller eyebrows like Dad

More Milk

A stronger neck to hold up my big head

Mom to sing to me more  

The Week of Digestive Difficulties

Lucien has made it strong to week 5.  We went to the pediatrician for his one month check-up and he gained a lot of weight.  He weighs in at 9lbs. 12 oz.  and fits the height weight and head size for an average baby his age.  He has been eating like a champ and has thus had many digestive difficulties.  He has ben eating much faster and ingesting a full meal half the time than it took at birth.  It sounds especially painful in the early morning when he has gas and liquid coming out of every end.  His sleep habits haven't changed yet and he keeps Mom alert every few hours for a feeding.   I have decided to incorporate myself into a big novel during feedings and burpings and received the first 2 books of the Twilight series (Thanks Jessie!).  We also ventured out to the mall for our first indoor outing.  He loved it!      

Lucien has started to smile a lot more this week.  He can also hold his head up straight when held upright.  His arms and legs are moving more freely and he's getting strong.  He can kick at us now when he's frustrated and is not getting what he wants immediately.  Oh the joys of parenthood!

Next week will be Christmas and I have one thing on my list...a silent night. 

 

The Week of Pacification

Lucien has almost made it one full month.  It is week four - the week we discovered the pacifier.  It barely fits in his little mouth but it definitely helps his late night sucking tendencies and pacifies Mom and Dad's nerves.  We have started to see a routine forming with Baby Lucien but the feedings are still every 3 hours.  Dad has been helping now tremendously with feeding him by bottle whenever Mom needs a couple more hours of sleep.  

We had another visitor this week - Aunt T.  She was a natural with the baby and helped Mom and Pau Pau get some time off of baby duty.  Lucien especially loved his time with Aunt T. when he spit up all over the place like something out of the Exorcist.  We noticed big changes with Lucien during Aunt T.'s visit.  Besides his constant weight gain he is now tracking objects with his eyes.  He reacts to voices and will gaze at more objects like his safari mobile.

Sunday we took Lucien out for his first walk around the neighborhood.  The bumpy road really put him at ease and made me think that we should take these walks at midnight.  About half a mile from the house he started to feel hungry so we rushed back to the sanctuary of home. 

Mom is doing well.  I went for her doctor's visit and her health is back to normal.  Most of the baby weight has shed right off leaving only 10 lbs. to work on to get back to my pre-baby weight.  

The Week of Reflux?

Baby Lucien has just turned 3 weeks old.  And what a week it was.  Just when you think you are starting a routine the 3rd week comes around with more crying, gas, and fussiness.  The spit up also started this week.  Also, congestion set in and little Lucien had trouble breathing a few times.  We contacted the pediatrician and made an unplanned visit to the doctor to check on the congestion.  The only advice that we received to clear his head was to give him saline drops.  The spit up was of more concern to the doctor.  She noted that if he is spitting up most of his meals then we should probably thicken the breast milk with rice cereal.  This was a shock because I thought solid food should not be introduced until the 6th month.  We also haven't even tried using a bottle yet.  The doctor also suggested using Enfamil AR.  Formula!?  I think I will continue with the breast milk and keep an eye on the spit up to see if he is experiencing reflux.  We did notice a huge weight gain (maybe because he is sucking me dry), the nurse even weighed him twice to double check.  Lucien weighed in at 8 lbs 8oz.  

We decided to see how Lucien likes the bottle.  After some time at the pump, Pau Pau gave him his first bottle.  He had no trouble sucking it down.  That's a relief - now Mom can get out of the house.  I just have to figure out how to produce more milk to pump.   

Disconnected

Day 16 - the umbilical cord fell off.  Ahhhh!

The Week of Strength and Clarity

Lucien is now 2 weeks old.  With this 2nd week of life came more fussiness, gas and sleepless nights.  We put the swing together and it has been a lifesaver.  It has become my pacifier as it lulls Lucien off to sleep or into a trance.

This week we saw a lot of changes with him moving his arms and legs.  He is punching and kicking out of his swaddle like a madman.  Although his movements aren't too coordinated yet they do have some muscle behind them.  

Lucien has also started to focus better with his eyes.  He is opening them more and randomly gazing at Mom and Dad.  Every now and then he'll still go cross-eyed but I think he does it to entertain us.

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Baby's first turkey day.  Hopefully the tryptophan will come through in the breast milk and cause little Lucien to pass out for a few more hours.

1st outing to the doctor

On the 10th day of life we went to visit the pediatrician.  Lucien loved the car ride and rocking out to 95.5 on the radio.  The pediatrician remarked on how alert he was...then she opened his diaper and he peed on her.  He loves waiting for that moment.  He weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. 

One Week Old

Baby Lucien was one week old this Saturday.  His grandma and grandpa from NY came all the way down for a visit and to see their grandchild for the first time.  The week has gone by fast and it's blurred into the 2nd week already from the sleep deprivation.  Here are some of the week's highlights:

Monday - brought Lucien home from the hospital.  

Tuesday - my milk came in which caused very painful, very swollen breasts.  Eat more Lucien!  Daddy started to read to Lucien his first bedtime story - the Great Gatsby.     

Wednesday - the visiting home nurse stopped by for a checkup for Mommy and Lucien.  He gained his some weight so now he is about as heavy as he was when he was born.  He weighed in at 6 lbs. 7.5 oz.  

Thursday - Lucien got a nice sponge bath with pau pau (grandma Kathy)

.

Friday - Grandma and Grandpa from New York came in to meet Lucien.

Saturday - Lucien is one week old!  He is eating like a champ and I think I've gone through about a hundred diapers already.  His aim is really good and he has managed to pee on us every day this week.  Lucien is a peaceful baby and doesn't cry much but still manages to keep us up all night.

 

Hospital Daze

We spent 2 days in the hospital and was released on Monday the 17th at around noon.  I have chosen to breast feed Lucien so he stayed my my side our entire stay.  During his first day we were told that he had very rosy cheeks which looks cute at first but can change to jaundice if he does not get enough liquids and sun.  So I was feeding anytime he looked hungry.  We sat him over by the window during the day.  On the morning that we left he was cleared of any possible jaundice but we still need to get him out in the sun a few times a day.  The sun and feedings help break down the excessive red blood cells in his face.  His weight at birth was 6 lbs. 8 oz. and when we left the hospital he weighed in at 6 lbs. 3 oz.  

To see Lucien's hospital mug shot go to:

www.mmhs.com

click on Baby Photos

Hospital Code: C33

ID # 26003  

Introducing...Lucien Edward Conway

Lucien Edward Conway was born on Saturday, November 15th, 2008 at 10:17AM after 10 hours of labor.  He weighed in at 6 lbs 8oz and was 19" long.

  

Labor Pains

Ouch!  It's around midnight on Friday night and I awoke to very painful cramping.  This could be the real deal - contractions.  I started timing them and they were  - 10 minutes apart.  After a couple of hours they still continued and they were 5 minutes apart.  I knew this was IT.  Time to wake up David.  It was 3am at this point and he had trouble believing I was in labor.  He started to get ready, make a pot of coffee, pack his overnight bag, all while I was at the door ready to go.  We left the house at 3:45am - contractions down to 3 minutes apart.  

Week 39 Doctor's Appointment

The week 39 doctor's appointment was on Thursday.  Finally, an internal exam to tell me if Baby Butterball is on the way.  I found out that I am 1 centimeter dilated and 80% effaced.  when I asked the doctor how soon I can expect to have this baby she said it could be tomorrow or still two weeks.  If the baby doesn't come by next Friday they plan on inducing me the following week. Tomorrow is supposed to be my last day of work before my maternity leave.  They are hoping that he doesn't arrive on time and I can push one more week of work out before maternity leave.  

Final Countdown - 38 weeks

I had my week 38 doctor's appointment and I was in and out in a flash.  They check my blood pressure, tell me everything looks great, and they tell me not to call the office at all just go to the hospital if my water breaks or when contractions are 5 minutes apart.  "See you next week"

Life with baby butterball has been a little bit more painful this past week.  In the day he's great - moving around just a little to remind me that he's there.  He must like all the hustle and bistle at work.  At night,  he's doing flips and continues to cause crampiness.  I have started noticing a little waddle in my step these days.  The weight is throwing me off balance from my cat walk strut down the hotel halls.  Total weight gain = about 34 pounds.    

9 months pregnant and counting...

I am officially 9 months pregnant.  The week 37 doctors appointment was a long grueling wait for a short painless visit.  Last week I had thought that my weight leveled off (one of the first signs that your body is getting ready for labor).  This week when I stepped on the scale I had gained another 5 pounds.  Baby Butterball has settled in again for a couple more weeks giving me a chance to tackle a couple more home improvement projects.  

Week 36 Doctor's Appointment

Baby Butterball is on his way down the chute.  He has started to drop and is supposedly entering the pelvis area and my cervix is thinning.  This would explain the increased intensity when I need to urinate.  "Holding it" is not in my vocabulary anymore.  

The midwife at the doctor's office made me feel a little better when she said that Baby Butterball would not 

be making an appearance over the next week because David will be out of town.  But she said it is more than likely that he will arrive on or before the due date of November 19th.  During this doctor's appointment they gave me the week 36 handout - birth control.  It listed all the different types of birth control and I found it funny that they would hand it out at this point.  I guess if I was planning for the hospital last week then this week I have to start planning for after the baby.  

I have not experienced cramps for 8 months and it has been such a joy until last weekend.  Now that Baby Butterball is getting larger and shifting, I am experiencing minor cramps throughout the whole area everyday.  I have been told that labor contractions feel like intense cramps so I'm just waiting for the big ones.  I have found that when I do get the crampy feeling if I drink a lot of water and change position, they subside within minutes.  

Book and magazines suggest I should start packing for the hospital.  I tend to pack for trips right before I have to go, so this is going to be difficult for me.  Whenever I pack days in advance (if not weeks in advance) before a trip I always forget more things than if I just pack right before I'm leaving.  What do I have to pack?  It's not like I need an outfit for dinner.  If anything, I'll need less clothes at the time of delivery.  Do I pack all those good luck charms like the women at BINGO?  As long as the hospital room has a TV I'm good to go.   

After Research...

After all the research here is what I found with my 3 previous pregnancy questions:

1.) If you stay on your feet a lot in the last month of pregnancy then the baby will drop and you will have premature labor...FICTION.  

Walking and being active does not induce labor.  Walking is recommended to get the baby into a good position before labor begins.  After labor begins walking is helpful with contractions.  This is good news as I run all over the hotel each day.  Baby Butterball will be in prime position when he is due to come out.

2.) You should not eat parsley because it will dry up your milk ducts...FICTION. 

Although part of it is a Fact.  When you are pregnant though, eating

 parsley will not dry up your milk ducts.  I did read that consuming massive amounts of parsley 

may induce premature labor but I think consuming massive amounts of anything would lead to labor.  Once you are breast feeding, if you have an overabundance of milk it is recommended to eat parsley to help dry up the milk supply.  But that is once you are in full flow and if you are huge - I don't think I'll have a problem with that so bring on the Italian food.  Other herbs known to dry up milk supply are sage, mint, thyme, oregano, and lemon balm.

3.) If you play classical music will the baby is in the womb it will make him smarter...FACT.

Or at least I like to think so.  Expert opinions are actually divided on this but many do agree that it may stimulate the brain to help educational and emotional development.  Some studies conclude that playing music to the baby in the womb and in the early years helps build the neural bridges along with thoughts and information travel.  I guess I'll have to practice my guitar more.  I've been taking classical guitar lessons for over a year now.  With the guitar resting right on my belly the baby had to hear the music (although not very good music).  I'll have to set up my practice time around baby's bedtime over the next few years.  Go Mozart! 

Fact or Fiction?

I am at the point in the pregnancy where it is no longer a question if I am pregnant and everyone can tell that it is a boy by the way that I am "carrying".  Working in the hotel I come across many discussions with guests throughout the week and I get earfuls of advice.  Which leads me to the question, are what people telling me fact or fiction?  

1.) Fact or Fiction:

If you stay on your feet a lot in the last month of pregnancy then the baby will drop and you will have premature labor.

2.) Fact or Fiction:

You should not eat parsley because it will dry up your milk ducts and that would not be good if you plan on breast feeding.

3.) Fact or Fiction:

If you play classical music to the baby while he is still in the womb it will make him smarter.

There are more but I forget them right now...it must be a FACT that pregnancy causes memory loss.

Week 34 Doctor's Appointment

The Week 34 doctor's appointment came by pretty quickly.  My previous theory about getting the first appointment in the morning didn't pan out this time.  I had the appointment with a midwife and after sitting in the office for over 45 minutes listening to her discuss exercise routines with a co-worker, she finally came out and remarked "I guess I should do some work today".  I've decided to change my theory and take the first appointment after their lunch break.  Luckily I only have a few more appointments before Baby makes his debut, but after week 36 I'm going to have to come in every week.  

Baby Butterball has grown a lot over the past 2 weeks.  He now weighs about 5 pounds and my total weight gain from the baby is just about 30 pounds.  I asked about the hiccups that the baby gets at least 3 times a day.  The midwife said that that is a good sign that the baby is getting a lot of oxygen.  I have definitely felt like I hit the 3rd trimester brick wall.  The exhaustion has set in again but it's now coupled with pains, sprains, and cramps.  I have become more clumsy but the squats that I do, picking up everything that I drop, is my body's way of exercising.  

Off To NYC

It was the beginning of my 32nd week, and the start of my 8th month and there I was boarding a plane to go to New York for the weekend.  Many friends thought I was crazy and regaled me with stories of woman who had birth on airplanes that they all knew.  But I decided to take a chance.  I planned the trip by booking morning flights to eliminate possible delays.  I also found direct flights so total airtime was 3 hours.  The flights went smoothly and I was able to enjoy a great weekend in NY with family and friends.  

The main reason for the trip: Jessie and Mike's wedding.  Congratulations to the Gormans!  We had a great time at the wedding and the guys that passed the hors d'oeuvres loved me because I helped them clear their trays quicker.  Momma still wore her high heels, butterball...even at 8 months.

The biggest surprise for the weekend was a baby shower that my sister had put together with Martha.  Tamara really surprised me with all the little baby paraphernalia she managed to put up in the one hour set up time.  David surprised me with a strong desire to go to the local whaling museum that day - I should have known.  Thanks Tamara!  You're the best sister in the world. I love you!

It was truly a busy weekend last week which resulted in a work week of just work and sleep. Baby butterball is getting really big and making it very difficult to roll out of bed to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  The good news...my inny belly button is still not an outy.  The bad news...there is no bad news, we're anxious and excited.  Ahhh, time to get the baby room set up.     

    

Week 31 Doctor's Appointment

This Monday we went in for our 31 weeks and 5 day checkup.  Unfortunately, I had the second appointment of the day for the doctor and he was already backed up almost 45 minutes.  I try now to call and schedule multiple appointments weeks in advance so that I can get the first appointment of the day.  Baby Butterball is doing great.  Total weight gain: 23 pounds.  I had a chance to ask the doctor about the umbilical cord and found that the other end is connected to the placenta which all comes out in the after-birth.  The biggest question I had was if I was still ok to fly.  The doctor said flying is fine at this point so I'm packing up Baby Butterball and we're headed to New York for the weekend!     

A Tour Through the Unknown

It was Saturday morning and time for our tour of the Martin Memorial Hospital where Baby Butterball will hopefully be born.  We were on the tour with four other pregnant couples all waddling down the cafeteria smelling halls.  Overall, I'm really happy about the hospital because it is big enough to handle many women in labor yet it is small enough so that you don't feel lost in the crowd. 

A few days ago I had another dream...this one was the first dream that I had about delivering the baby.  Luckily, there was no pain involved and the baby just slipped out.  It was very early in the morning and there were no doctors at the hospital yet.  I wandered the halls looking for someone to cut the umbilical cord and then had another baby.  The dream got more in-depth and ultimately one of the babies died.  I will spare everyone the gory details.  When I awoke I didn't feel sadness I felt like I was unprepared and anticipating the tour of the hospital.  

Now, we are 2 months away from delivery.  I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow and I keep wondering...what happens to the other end of the umbilical cord after they cut it?  Do they they stuff it back inside of you :)  Is it like one of those price tags that you can never get off your clothes - when cut is there always a little bit sticking out?     

Baby room update - We're finally done painting and we got brand new carpeting this week. Now it's time to decorate with murals and baby-proof with outlet covers I was told I must buy.  

Week 29 Doctors Appointment

Week 29 has come and gone and it has taken me an extra week to post this update.  This was an exciting week filled with 2 storm threats - Hurricane Hanna and Hurricane Ike.  Both originally projecting to hit South Florida but steered clear of this area.  It's still not time to test out our storm resistant windows. 

                                                            

We celebrated David's birthday on September 2nd and I took him out to a fancy restaurant called 11 Maple Street in Jensen Beach.  It was so difficult not to choose raw items off the menu that I love.  Dinners like these usually take a few hours but after the main course David could definitely tell I was fidgeting.  So I took a walk around the restaurant and showed off my dress which made me look much more pregnant than the 7 months that I am.  When I headed back to our table I could hear a business woman comment to her friend "That will never be me".  In a couple of months I'll be headed back for the wine pairing dinners - I guess when "date nights" start.

The doctor visit this week went well.  All tests came back normal and Baby Butterball is progressing nicely.  I've gained a total of 20 pounds and it's all in the front.  My bellybutton is approaching "equilibrium".  The only foods I have craved have been cocoa puffs, pistachios, and the little lychee jelly snacks from the Asian market.  My wonderful husband has kept these items fully stocked for me.  

Week 28 Doctor's Appointment

Another week, another doctor's appointment.  This time I went in to take the glucose test which checks for diabetes.  I had to drink this sugar water concoction one hour prior to my appointment to check how my body breaks down sugar.  It was a quick appointment with a couple of other tests like an HIV test (optional) and a hemoglobin test.  It was at this appointment where the nurses gave me all the information and forms to sign off for hospital pre-registration, pediatrician selection, circumcision (boys only of course), and epidural request.  Time to tour the hospital!

Week 28 - He can now blink his eyes and possibly see light that comes in through the womb.  He now has eyelashes too.  He weighs about 2 1/2 lbs. and is about 15 inches long.

Butterball's American Idol

Baby Butterball's first concert!  Thanks John for the great seats up front and the backstage access!  Being so close, I thought I might need to pad my belly from the sound but the baby was chillin' out and enjoying the music.  It wasn't until the last half hour that he started to really knock around in there.  Either David Cook really made an impression and he was bopping away or he was knocking me telling me that it's time to go.  The show was great!  Hopefully all this music and my guitar playing will provide Baby Butterball with some musical talent.

           

Naked Man Walking

Baby Butterball had an action packed day this week. It was Monday afternoon, about 12:30 pm. Checkout time had come and gone and we were all wondering when room 212 would checkout. The lobby was full of people from the meeting room coming back with lunch and the staff was all at the front desk. All of a sudden, the radio was full of Spanish chatter. Before we could determine what was being said, the front desk agent looked completely spooked and was motioning to us for some help. As we took a glance out into the lobby a naked man about 70 years old was walking by on his way into the meeting room. He paused in the meeting room as a group of 20 stared in disbelief and then he came back out to the lobby. Normally I would immediately take care of the situation, but Baby Butterball's safety is my first concern now and I sent the men out to take him back to his room while I hunkered down behind the front desk and dialed the police for backup. The drunk, disoriented and possibly drugged man ended up being shuttled to the hospital in his boxer shorts. His room was cleared out and now we're just waiting for his return for his belongings.
On the same day another threat emerged, Hurricane Gustav. Will it be coming to South Florida? It's still too early to tell but this one looks like a big one wherever it lands. Hopefully, we won't get a negative turn of events in the next couple of days from naked man or the hurricane.
On a baby's note, I felt my first joint that night. He was kicking up a storm after dinner and when I pressed my belly I felt a small little joint, either a knee or an elbow. As I pushed on it he moved it around and then shifted his weight somewhere else. Now I'm addicted to trying to pinch him. Does that constitute abuse?

27 Weeks Doctor Appointment

I just had another doctor's appointment this past week and they confirmed that I am 27 weeks along.  I have entered into the "3rd Trimester" - the uncomfortable stage.  Baby Butterball's heartbeat was a strong 148.  Next week I go in for the glucose test and then it's back to the doctor every other week until I pop.  The baby is doing well and  I actually had no questions going in this time.  So far I have gained 17 extra pounds from Baby Butterball.  He likes to hang out low so luckily I'm still holding on to my girlish figure (at least for one or two more weeks).     

Tropical Storm Fay

Baby Butterball and I made it through our first tropical storm of the 2008 hurricane season - Tropical Storm Fay.  Luckily, the center of the storm didn't come close to the Stuart area but the rains seemed to hang around all week long flooding the town in certain parts.  I discovered that being a Hotel manager in this area is much different than in Key West.  In Key West, the city would call for an evacuation of all tourist so everyone would leave as you shut down the hotel and have a day off.  Up on the mainland it is a different story and you must stay open because everyone flocks to your hotel as a sanctuary, evacuating from their waterfront homes.  So Tuesday morning, we shoved off to work in torrential rains trying to get to the office with very little sleep from the night before.  The one thing we didn't expect was "Hurricane Scooter" to affect us (our incorrigible cat).  He generally goes out at night and he was fidgety mess, keeping us up all night.  We finally put him in his cat carrier and tucked him in another bedroom which granted us a couple hours of sleep.  When we awoke in the morning and let him out we noticed trails of blood coming out of the carrier.  Scooter had gnawed at the soft bag cat carrier and must have cut his nose leading to a massacre appearance on the plush woolly padding.  I guess we can't lock him up when he's bad now.  We'll have to review our parenting skills and practice on Scooter.

Dreams Through the Night

The trip to Atlanta is over.  I made it through and was able to shave off 3 days by completing all the tests very quickly.  When I found out we could set our own pace through the training my college instincts took over and the idea of "getting through it to get out" was the primary goal.

On the last night in Atlanta I had my first dream about the baby.  It was an unusual one but I woke up laughing.  In the dream the baby was very small only about 6 inches tall and when I picked

 him up it like picking up a paper doll cutout or a gingerbread man.  The baby seemed really delicate and soft like a beanie baby.  During the dream the baby was forgotten on the changing table and left there for some time.  After reviewing the next chapter in my handy baby book it mentioned that dreams might be more common and it specifically stated that a dream in which you forget your baby indicates you have anxiety about the arrival of the baby or caring for the baby.  We'll just have to wait and see if this becomes a reoccurring dream before I get psychological counseling :)

     

Exploring Hotlanta

On Saturday we finally left the 1 mile radius of  the hotel and headed out to explore Atlanta.  We went down and visited the Aquarium and the Coca-Cola factory along with everyone else in Georgia that day.  We had a great time!  

Photo 1: Wendy, Rhoda, Veronica, Misty, Renee 

Photo 2: Two Beluga whales - one is laughing at me

Photo 3: Wendy in front of the Coke truck

Photo 4: The fish tunnel (this reminded me of the movie Jaws)

 

Rude Awakening

It was Friday night at 4:00am and all of sudden the hotel's fire alarm system goes off.  The sound was so piercing that I immediately jumped out of bed.  I waited ten seconds to see if they were going to silence the alarm and when it kept on going I realized it was time to get dressed and head for the stairs.  Baby Butterball and I were out the door, running for our lives.  It took the fire department 30 minutes to clear the place as safe and the alarms were finally turned off.  As I laid in bed trying to go back to sleep all I could think of was 3 things:

1.  I forgot to take my valuables with me in case the building burnt down

2. Thank God I'm not the GM of this hotel tomorrow morning

3.  I better start getting used to waking up in the middle of the night for the next 18+ years

Southern Hospitality?

I have been in Atlanta for about one week and I have yet to witness this "southern hospitality".  The world outside the Fairfield Inn seems harsh and the staff here have been so great that you don't even feel like leaving the comforts of the hotel.  When I first arrived to the Atlanta airport I was hoping to witness some "southern hospitality" when my bag came out onto the baggage claim area.  With the hustle and bustle of that airport, I realized that no one was going to lend a hand to this pregnant one.   I had to fight off the crowd, run halfway around the baggage claim for an opening and struggle to get the bag off the belt.  As a business traveler, it was a tough job packing for 2 weeks and trying to keep the bag under 30 lbs. but luckily I managed it without toppling over.   

The traffic here is unbelievable and the stories that the locals tell are endless.  I feel like I'm in a real life game of Frogger trying to get across the street to get something to eat around here. This weekend some of my colleagues and I are going to tour around Atlanta.  Maybe the weekend activities will shed some new light on this crazy city.

Baby Butterball has been quite content this week.  There is very little stress since I'm not in the daily grind and I have an endless supply of goodies to eat.  Usually I am running around the hotel putting out fires that I don't notice how active he is.  Sitting in the boardroom all day trying to soak in as much information as I can is difficult when my belly is going up and down.  I have been sleeping great here up until last night when I experienced another dreaded leg cramp.  It's been a couple of weeks since I've had one that I forgot the best way to get out of them.  All this information that I've been taking in during the conference has clouded my memory.  As I tried to get out of it, the pain doubled, I jumped up awake and forgot where I was for the moment.  Another pitfall of business travel...waking up and not recalling where you are.  

  

Mile High Adventure

I have been called to Atlanta, GA for a two week training for Marriott's Fairfield Inns.  I am now at 24 weeks and although flying in your 2nd trimester is fine, many people still warned me that I should not be flying at all.  Thanks for everyone's concerns but sometimes you have to take a little risk or simply choose the doctors opinion.  So we took to the skies this afternoon for a 4:00pm flight.  I forgot to plan the flight around Florida's daily thunderstorms.  The flight was only delayed for about 30 minutes but the ride up to Atlanta was a bumpy one.  The baby definitely started kicking once they announced the drink cart wasn't coming out (for our safety) and I could only score one bag of peanuts.  I tried to pack some snacks to take on the plane - note to future Moms...SSA will confiscate that jar of peanut butter.  Ultimately, I made it to my destination and ravished the cookies at the front desk on display.  

The big challenges I'm about to face over the next 2 weeks - eating healthy when you're eating out everyday and staying awake through 2 weeks of classes without a large amount of coffee.  

Business travel can get a little lonely but it's nice to know that I'm not completely alone this time.  Baby Butterball Conway keeps reminding me that he's there about every two hours. Anybody visiting Atlanta this week?

Bargains for Baby

Last weekend was a busy one for us as we are still trying to finish up with our renovations.  The baby room has taken a back seat to getting the house completed and furnished.  Hopefully we'll get a chance to work on the baby room in September as long as Baby Butterball Conway does not make a surprise appearance a couple of months early.  

Saturday morning our friend Jenny called from a yard sale - aka: a baby shopper's paradise.  She had found a changing table for us and was quoted a price of $2.00!  I went down and picked it up along with a few $.25 books.  It is a beautiful wooden changing table that just needs a fresh coat of paint.  Thanks Jenny and little Henry for finding this treasure!

I tried to do some landscaping around the house but as the temperatures started to rise over 90 degrees with above normal Florida humidity the baby was not happy.  At 24 weeks I am starting to feel the baby being more active.  I can feel him turning around more and although his kicks aren't as sharp as they used to be, the pressure of his growing body is definitely felt.  

Luckily, I escaped this week with no nose bleeds or leg cramps in the middle of the night.  The only thing I'm feeling in the middle of the night is the baby at about 4am.  I think he's trying to tell me tht he's hungry because I'm getting a little food craving, but it's not enough to get me out of bed.  Pretty soon I'll be raiding the fridge all night long.     

Intro to Baby Buterball

The first blog for Baby Butterball Conway.  It's a boy!  Boy oh boy!  As we're going through the 5th month I am experiencing all the textbook symptoms, from bloody noses to leg cramps.  Luckily the morning and night sickness has subsided and my appetite is picking up.  

Last weekend we went out on the "Manta" and went fishing in the river.  It was a little nerve racking because it was David's 2nd time at the helm but the trip was a success!  I caught the biggest catfish I'd ever seen and tried to give Baby Butterball an up close view.

Names:  We are still not too close.  Suggestions?  Jackson, Langston, Sebastian, Hunter, Kevin, Leonardo, James...

Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Baby's first turkey day.  Hopefully the tryptophan will come through in the breast milk and cause little Lucien to pass out for a few hours.