Cloth Diapers

We began using our cloth diapers a couple of days ago! We were given lots of newborn disposable diapers at showers so we have been using those up. After changing the first cloth diaper, I was dunking it in the toilet to rinse it off and I flushed the toilet with the diaper in there. Unfortunately, the flush sucked the insert out of the diaper and we now have 23 inserts instead of 24. Haha. Hopefully it has not hindered my in-laws plumbing system. Right now, the cloth diapers are in the washer and I'm still excited about using them. The best part about them is that Deven looks super cute wearing them.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy! Deven is wearing a cloth diaper in the last picture.

Two Weeks Old

Deven turned two weeks old on Sunday! He now weighs 8lbs 10oz and is working on holding his head up. Right now he is in his swing trying to wake up or go to sleep. I'm not sure which. When he is in this in-between stage, his forehead wrinkles and his neck extends with the effort of opening his eyes. It's a pretty cute face and I've had a hard time getting a photo of it.

We closed on our house yesterday. We are officially homeowners! It is a wonderful house. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a loft, and really big windows. The location is probably the best part about the house. It is very close to two highways and only 10 minutes from Lee's work. Plus, good school district.

I was trying to figure out a way to control who can read our blogspot. Blogspot has a way to have people login using their email. So, you probably got an email from me last week saying that you were invited to read my blog. I didn't realize until after I sent that email that you had to have a gmail account in order to read the blog past one month. I decided that was silly to make everyone get a gmail account just to read my blog so I got rid of that feature. Just thought I would let you know why you don't have to log in to read the blog.

Here are some pictures of Deven on his two week birthday.

Deven is with his Nonna in the first picture and working really hard to hold up his head! The last three photos are just some funny faces Deven makes. After he eats, he often purses his lips as he is doing in the last picture. Enjoy!

Best Valentine's Present

Deven Lee Matthews entered our lives on February 14, 2010 at 10:23pm weighing 7 lbs 12 oz and 20.5 inches long. He is very healthy and so handsome!

Lee and I never went Polka dancing, but we did get to do all the other things I mentioned in the earlier post. We were supposed to go polka dancing Saturday night, but I felt terrible all day and the whole week prior. So we decided to stay in for the night. Thank goodness we decided that because my water broke at 8:45 that night. I'm so glad I was at home instead of in public. I called my friend who was going to be my labor and delivery nurse, who was at the Polka hall, and she said she would meet us at the hospital.

Lee and I packed for the hospital in disbelief. We had been told that only 12% of women have their water break before labor starts and we shouldn't expect it to happen. I couldn't believe this was real. We went to the hospital and I felt silly because I was walking around, had no contractions, and felt great. But they told me my water was broken and I was going to have a baby. That's when we called my parents who left San Antonio at midnight to get to OK.

My contractions never started on their own so they put me on Pitocin at 2am. Over the next fifteen hours, I only dilated to a 4. I finally decided to have an epidural at 5pm and dilated to a 6 within 45 minutes. Lee and I got a three hour nap before I started pushing and I only had to push for a little over an hour! My friend Kellie was with us the whole time. She was such an encouragement and comfort to Lee and I.

Deven is the perfect baby. He only cries when he's hungry or cold, which are both very easy to fix. He sleeps well at night and is so fun to hold and cuddle. He has met lots of family and spent most of his life being held. He is a very loved little boy and I think he knows that. Here are just a few pictures of Deven so far. Enjoy!

Here is Deven in his going home outfit. His granny made the booties and sweater that he is wearing. They kept him very warm in the frigid OK wind.

Deven is one week old in this picture! It is my favorite so far.

Last Few Weeks of Life as We Know It

The count down says 21 days. For some reason, 21 days sounds a lot closer than three weeks, even though it is the same amount of time. I am getting very excited to meet the little guy and dress him in his handsome outfits. I have loved getting things ready for him.

I just wanted to write about what the next few weeks will look like for Lee and I. Of course, this plan is written in pencil because Deven could come anytime; however, I'm expecting he'll be on time or late. I predict he'll come on February 24th. I have two weeks left of work and hope to have a few days to rest at home before he comes. We've had a few date nights already. We have gone to a couple of Thunder games, went out for dinner to Outback and Olive Garden using gift certificates! We also plan to have dates at Red Lobster and the Melting Pot using other gift cards. We plan on going to a Super Bowl party and going Polka dancing with some friends from church. Plus, the Olympics begin soon! Lots to look forward to.

I decided to live the next few weeks as normally as possible so that I'm not sitting at home watching the clock tick unitl I go into labor. Plus, I want to make the most of these last few opportunities to go on dates with Lee without having to worry about childcare.

Let the Nesting Begin!

Lee and I had two showers last weekend and got the majority of items from our registry! It was a wonderful weekend. My parents and two of my sisters came up for the shower our church gave us. Everyone stayed with us at my in-laws house and we had such a good time hanging out (we sure missed you, Chels).

It has been sleeting/snowing since yesterday afternoon. Lee and I got off work yesterday at noon and did not have to go back today (Friday). I got a 2.5 hour nap, finished all our thank you notes, finished a couple of other projects, got to celebrate my mother-in-laws' birthday, and sort through all the baby stuff. I started Deven's first load of laundry a few moments ago. The first of millions. I am so thankful for this time off of work to get stuff done!

Here are some pictures from last weekend. Enjoy!

Some of the loot from the showers

All of Deven's clothes. I think he has more than I do.

Deven's blankets. Most of them are homemade!

A picture of my belly at 36 weeks!

The quilt my mom made for Deven. This will be his bedroom set!
Kate, me, Celeste

Me and Jackie (Lee's Grandma) standing in between the awesome stroller/carseat and bassinet.

My lovely hostesses and close friends at the Northwest C of C shower.

Heather, Mom, myself, Meagan (we missed you Chels)

The cake made by my friend Tia

The diaper cake my Mom made. Everything on it is homemade!

Lee trying out the carrier at his work shower.

Lee got to practice reading a book to his coworkers.

The fabulous money tree from Lee's coworkers.

Lee and I feel incredibly blessed by friends and family. We got so much from our registry and so much cash/gift cards that we have not had to buy anything yet. Well, we have bought one thing: 24 cloth diapers. We are going to be the crazy cloth diaperers. We are so blessed by the generosity of our loved ones. I can't say that enough!

Wonderful Husband

I just wanted to take a moment to brag on my husband. He has been a rock for me the last few months. He has such an even temper and strong faith and he gives me encouragement every day. Every morning, he asks me what I want for breakfast and goes to fix it. He makes sure I have a glass of water on my bedside table when my throat is scratchy and dry. He offers to give back massages and he often tells me “thank you for carrying our son”. I think he recognizes that this is no piece of cake. I know he will be the best birthing coach I could possibly have, which gives me some peace about that event. I thank God for giving me such an attentive husband!

A Brand New Year

2009 ended wonderfully for Lee and I. We got to spend some wonderful time with family in California and got some really great pictures of beautiful scenery. The New Year began celebrating with friends from church and a birthday party for Lee’s Grandma who turned 80! It has been a wonderful year so far. I am 31 weeks in the picture to the left.

I’m still enjoying pregnancy for the most part. Deven has been moving a lot this weekend and I have fun watching my belly move all around. Speaking of bellies, I find it humorous that my body awareness has not changed with my growing belly. I often forget to make room for it and it has hit people in the head when I get back in the church pew or I run it into the counter or something else. I get tired fast when I wash dishes because I have to hold my arms out further since my belly runs into the counter. Wednesday, we have our last ultrasound to see how Deven is growing and what position he’s in. I’m really excited to see how big he is.

I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. In our birthing class, they said one of the signs that labor is about to begin is nesting. I have been feeling “nesty” lately, which makes me worry that he’ll come early. Then I get flustered because we are not nearly ready for him to come so then I get even more involved in nesting. It’s a vicious cycle. But the only thing that I’ve accomplished so far is making 4 lists. I have one at work, two in my purse, and one in my head. I realized how ridiculous this was and compiled just one list and have created a “plan” to get rid of my nesting energy. I already feel calmer or at least less scattered.

My employer knows that I do not plan to return after Deven arrives. That was a difficult discussion but it needed to happen. I struggled for months over the decision to continue working there or not. It has been a great job and a great learning experience; however, it requires too much of me. I want to be more available to my family. In February, I will put in an application for the school system and I hope they have a part time job available. The school system is desirable for so many reasons: summers off, repay my grant, allow me to take CEU’s to keep my license, and give us a little extra income. I trust that God will provide me with a more flexible job that allows me to serve my family.

I hope all of you have had a wonderful New Year and that it continues to be wonderful.