Daddy's Boy

There's no question who his daddy is! At least he got my earlobes.

Pictures and Stats

Gary William Swafford
Born December 21, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Weight: 8-0
Length: 19.5
Head: 13.25
Chest: 14.5

Gary William Swafford is here!

He was born on 12/21/09 (Happy Birthday Mom!) at 2:30ish in the afternoon. He was 8 lbs and 19.5 inches long. He came out peeing and pooping! And hungry. I'll post more later. It's hard to type while holding a baby!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

12 days until Due Day!

I didn't realize how much bigger I was until I looked back at my 28 weeks pictures! I thought I was huge then. Haha. I've gained 28lbs (the last couple seem to have gone just to my face!) and I just measured my belly and it's 39.5" around. (Oh, and I also didn't realize how bad I need a tan!)

Nothing has happened today. I went for a walk and was hoping for something! A contraction, a cramp, anything! This baby is apparently perfectly comfortable and happy to wait until its due date. Hmmph.

Happy Birthday to Me

I'm 30 today! I've probably given my birthday about 2 seconds of thought this year. It's never been a big deal to me since I'm always so much more excited about Christmas, and now of course I'm more interested in someone else's birthday.

It's 3am and I'm awake (like usual) sitting here drinking Sleepytime Tea trying to get the swelling in my nose and throat to go down so I can breathe laying down. Ah! I just looked it up and it even has a name - rhinitis of pregnancy. And no remedies of course. Well I will be well prepared for sleepless nights I guess.

In honor of my birthday, here are my feet prints from 30 years ago. I guess I wasn't born until afternoon, so I still have a few more hours left of my twenties.

Baby it's cold outside!

It's been getting down below zero here! I'm about to take Oscar for a walk to see if I can get this baby moving along but I'm not looking forward to squeezing my belly into five layers of clothes.

I had my 38 week appointment today and I'm "a good 3cm" dilated and 75-80% effaced so the doctor doesn't think I have much longer. Of course, that could mean 3 days or 3 weeks I guess.

I still haven't packed my hospital bag yet. I feel like if I'm totally packed and prepared then I'll never have this baby... BUT my fantasy football team is all set for next week just in case!

4 weeks and 8 cm to go

I'm less than a month away (I hope!). I just had my 36 week appointment today. Everything looks good still. The doctor checked my cervix and said the baby has dropped and he could feel the head and I'm 2 cm dialated. Yikes! I guess that's normal but it means things are really happening! I still need to find a pediatrician and organize the nursery and figure out how the car seat works! Oh, and do all my Christmas shopping and turn 30.

The doctor said that since I'm due around Christmas I could be induced up to two weeks before my due date. I told him there was a betting pool for the due date so that wasn't an option!

Tomorrow night Kyle and I go to the birthing class. And oh yeah, I need to take a tour of the hospital sometime. I'm not even sure what building Labor and Delivery is in. So... maybe I could use a little more time...

November already!

The weeks are flying by now! I'm 32 weeks now, so 8 weeks left until B-Day.

We had a great pumpkin carving party on Friday. Kyle raked all the leaves in the front yard into a big pile for Brayden and Lily to jump in. We had a candle-lit walk through the "Haunted Pumpkin Patch" to get to the garage where some amazing pumpkin art was created. There was hot cider and apple bobbing and even a scarecrow. Maybe it will become an annual tradition! But who knows where we'll be living next year!

Kyle and I just got back from Lee's Summit yesterday after spending the weekend at Bill and Laura's to say goodbye to Chris before his deployment.

Today I'm going to start organizing the nursery at our new house. We finally got the keys so I'm going to start cleaning and moving stuff over there. The baby's stuff is all there already but just piled into a room. We brought a desk and dresser from Bill and Laura's so I can finally start putting it into some order. Now we just need to get the crib and glider over there.

I hate packing, but I love moving into a new place. Unfortunately this house hasn't been lived in for two years and needs some serious cleaning. I've been having a really hard time sleeping so I'm going to have to motivate myself to work on it. Swaffetus was upside down until this weekend but then flipped sideways and is pushing out on both my sides. It's really uncomfortable and I can't stay in one position for more than 15 minutes. I've been trying to push the legs (I think) back up but they just kick back at me.

69 Days Left

69 more days seems like a lot! I'm starting to feel huge and I still have two more months left...

I just got back from a doctor appointment. Everything still looks good. The baby is head-down, which is good. I was pretty sure it was already but I asked the doctor to check just because I was curious. I can feel its arms and legs jabbing me on my right side so I think its butt must be on the left. I got my regular flu and H1N1 shot while I was there.

Oh, I got ringworm from Oscar. Ugh. I have to go back for another appointment on Friday to confirm it, but I know that's what it is since it's all over Oscar's face and he slept on my leg right where the ring appeared. (FYI - ringworm is a fungus, not a worm - still really gross though). But, besides that and feeling a little bulky and awkward, I'm feeling great.

I had two baby showers in Seattle and just got back home last night. They were both really fun and I got a ton of great stuff. Now I just have to move it all into the new house and set up all of the baby stuff!

New Pictures

I'm 28 weeks today! Here's what the baby belly is looking like these days...

A year and a day

Yesterday was our first wedding anniversary. Luckily, my crazy pregnancy hormones were in check and we had a nice relaxing day together. Kyle fixed a bunch of stuff around the house and I sat around being lazy and pregnant and giving him fantasy football updates. We had an amazing dinner of king and snow crab legs with potatoes and beans from our garden. And we made a pumpkin pie from one of our pumpkins. I was so stuffed afterward I could hardly breathe!

Crazy Pregnant Lady

Fall is my favorite season and so far it's been gorgeous. The air is crisp and cool and the leaves are just starting to change. Just taking Oscar out for a walk makes me happy. I can just sit and think, "yay, it's fall, and I'm pregnant, and life is great". And then, out of nowhere, something takes over and I become a crazy, pregnant terror. It just started in the last two weeks and I feel bad for Kyle, Oscar, and Agent Smith! It must be third trimester hormones because nothing will happen, but suddenly I want to punch the wall, and cry, and take a nap.

On Saturday I was making pumpkin pancakes (happily enjoying everything fall related). While I was turned around making the whipped cream, Kyle jumped in and poured a pancake that was way too big and not round so it cooked unevenly and then when he flipped it, it landed half out of the pan because it was too big. No big deal right? It's just a pancake. Well, I lost my mind! I couldn't calm myself down for the rest of the day! I already feel like I'm in someone else's body, but now it's like I have someone else's brain! A crazy woman's brain. I laid awake a few nights ago for an hour thinking about how mad I was a Agent Smith for sleeping on my pregnant belly. Doesn't he know I'm pregnant and it's hard to sleep and I'm already hot and I don't need any more weight on me?!?! Only 85 more days to go.

Eleven Years

Kyle and I met 11 years ago today on President Wright's lawn. Ahhh... just young awkward teenagers! In honor of that day, here is a picture of us from freshman year. (Kyle just got rid of that shiny shirt a few months ago.)

We also got engaged two years ago today. I'd only been waiting 9 years - no big deal...

25 weeks down, 15 to go

I just had my monthly doctor visit today and everything still looks good. Yay!

I'm still waiting for the results of my gestational diabetes test, but I doubt I have it. I did, however, have such low blood pressure that the nurse had to try both arms to make sure she did it right! She asked if I was able to walk around and stay awake. I probably would have mentioned something if I was having trouble walking...

Geez, I feel like I'm not growing at all, but I've gained 2 pounds and 1 inch in just the last week! I guess it's hard to tell when I look at my belly every day. I'm in maternity clothes now and thanks to Tara I already have a wardrobe to pick from. Laura also took me shopping on Saturday and got me a really cute outfit for my showers. AND we went to Baby's R Us and Target to register for baby things. Our garage is already full of baby stuff from Sarah and Brian so I don't know where we're going to put everything!

Kyle is working at the Kansas Life booth at the State Fair now, so I'm going to go bring him a snack. And maybe get myself a Pronto Pup and an elephant ear!

Baby Pictures

sort of... I had my 20 week sonogram today and everything looked normal. Based on the sonogram, my due date was moved back one day to December 30th. I've gained 9 lbs now, so 7 1/2 since my last visit! And Swaffetus weighs about 14 oz. Kyle asked the sonographer, nurse, and doctor a million questions.

This was how the whole thing basically went:

Kyle: what's that?
Sonographer: oh, I'm just checking baby's brain.
Kyle: why? is that the cerebellum? what are you checking for? does it look normal?
Sonographer: yep, and it looks fine.
Kyle: why are you measuring it twice?
Sonographer: just to get a good range.
Kyle: hey, there's the diaphram.
Sonographer: yep.
Kyle: what's that there? what are you measuring?
Sonographer: the placenta.
Kyle: oh, right. are you checking for placental abruption?
Sonographer: yep, but it's attached.
Kyle: okay, good. you're doing a great job. both of you.
Kyle: is that the hard palate? are you checking for cleft lip?
Sonographer: yep, but it looks okay.
Kyle: okay, good.

So here's what Baby Swafford looks like...



I think this one is where it was playing with the umbilical cord!

the little arm... and hand...
and foot.

Half way there!

I'm past the 20 week point! Yay! Only 4 1/2 more months to go... I'm getting bigger, but still not huge.

AND... I can feel the baby move now! I started noticing it on our canoe trip. It feels exactly like there's a tiny person in there poking me.

Here's what I look like these days... and the view from above...

Swaffetus must be lazy

I've been trying to concentrate on feeling the baby move, but I still haven't felt anything. It should be moving around a ton, but I just don't know what kind of feeling I'm looking for. I've read that first time moms can't distinguish the baby's movements until later, but I know something has to be going on and if I just focus enough I'll be able to tell.

Once I feel it moving then I think I'll feel like I'm really pregnant. The tiredness, growing belly, sore back and feet, and big appetite just haven't really convinced me. I sometimes feel like there's no way I can actually be having a baby! I don't feel like I'm old enough to be a mom (even though I'll be thirty when it's born) and the idea that Kyle and I are going to be responsible for a baby seems ridiculous!

Maternal Instincts

I was hoping now that I'm pregnant my maternal instincts would have kicked in and babies wouldn't immediately start crying when I held them. So I tested it out a week ago at Camy and Cliff's wedding with Aurora, Chris and Tara's new 8 week old baby. She was perfectly happy when Camy was holding her, but the second I took her she started crying. And I had no idea what to do. It was just as terrifying as usual.

Kyle thinks it's hilarious and talks complete strangers into handing me their babies just to make me uncomfortable. Everyone says it will be different with my own baby, and I'm sure they're right, but it still worries me! Luckily Kyle is the Baby Whisperer so he can calm down Swaffbaby until I get it figured out.

18 weeks!

I'm at 18 weeks today. I thought I hadn't gotten that much bigger, but now seeing the picture from a month ago I guess I have! I've gained 5 pounds now, so 3 pounds just since my last doctor appointment 2 weeks ago. I've been eating a ton so I think I'll be growing pretty fast now.

Second Trimester!

I've made it through my first trimester and I'm feeling a thousand times better! I feel like I have a ton of energy but it's probably just the same as before I was pregnant and I just forgot what it was like not to be tired. And it's a good thing because we've already started our marathon of weddings this summer. Last weekend we went to Crested Butte, Colorado for Brian and Shana Hood's wedding. Next weekend to New Jersey. Then home for one day and off to Seattle. Then home for one more day and then down to Nashville. Then we have a whole week off before we go up to Wisconsin, for the last wedding and a canoe trip!

I can't believe it was just a week or two ago that I was waiting for a bump. Now it's growing every day. At this rate I'm not going to make it through September! This pic is from last week and I'm way bigger now.

Baby Bump?

I've been walking around for the last few days singing "I want my baby bump, baby bump, baby bump" (to the Chile's tune) and I think it worked. Today I'm pretty there's something there.

Today it was 98 degrees! Right now it's still 85 degrees and it's 10:15pm. I'm still sitting by the fan, like I have been all day.

Sonogram Picture

Here is a picture from the sonogram I had at 7 weeks and 2 days. It doesn't look anything like a baby yet!

This is what a sonogram right now would look like according to babycenter.com. It looks more like something from Star Trek than a baby.

Baby Names

Anyone that's ever heard me talk about baby names knows that I'm really picky and opinionated on the subject, so... now that we have a baby on the way, I get to put all my years of thought and research to use! Since we're not finding out the sex, we won't know what little Baby Swafford's name will be until sometime around Christmas (hopefully not on Christmas day!). So, our top pick right now for a boy is Gary William Swafford. I was pretty set on William Robert Swafford, but Kyle already started calling him Billy Bob, so now I'm not sure about that one. For a girl, I'm thinking Margaret Katherine Swafford, but that changes from week to week. I kind of like Holly, Joy, Carol, and Noelle for a December baby, but Marianne has had Hollyanne Joy reserved for about ten years! And she'll probably only have daughters born in the summer...

Baby Swafford

Well, the main reason for having a blog is so I can post updates on my pregnancy. (Besides that, no one would want to read about our boring lives!)

At my first doctor appointment last month I had a sonogram to figure out the due date since I had absolutely no idea. I had thought I was about 9 weeks then and the due date would be Dec 17 (the day after my birthday), but according to the sonogram I was only 7 weeks and 2 days so the due date is now Dec 29 (poor kid!). Anyway, I got to see the fetus and could see the heart beating which was pretty cool.

So, I am now 11 weeks along and had my second doctor appointment today. The nurse found the baby's heartbeat, which was 160. Even though now I've seen it on the sonogram and heard the heartbeat, I still don't really feel like there's something inside me! I want to get my bump so it seems more real! Some days I think my belly looks bigger, but I'm not sure. Finally the nausea is passing. And today is the first day I feel like I have a normal amount of energy! Yay!

New Blog!

I decided to start a blog to keep our family and friends up to date on our lives here in Hutchinson, KS. I'm not sure how good I'll be at keeping this up to date, but we'll see.