rhys beckett

anthony and i are so happy to introduce our son, rhys beckett walker. our boy turned out to be an aries, after all, born ten days after his due date, on march 28, 2014 at 2:07 am, weighing 8 lb 6 oz and measuring 21 inches long. he made his debut a week after his daddy's birthday, and a day after his fur brother, fender's birthday. today, he is six weeks young.

the path to his birth turned out nothing like we expected, but we're so happy to have him in our lives. here are just a few moments from our six day adventure in the hospital.

^^^ two days hooked up to a monitor and five hours of pushing finally and unexpectedly turned into a caesarean section birth to welcome our little man into the world

^^^ his hearing test in the hospital. love, love, love this photo

^^^ six days in the hospital gave us tons of down time (in other words, waiting, especially before his birth)

^^^ recording every feeding and diaper change

^^^ dressed and ready to go home with daddy and momma

what's in a name? the one thing we didn't share before our babe's birth was his name… we wanted to be able to properly introduce him to the world as our new little man. rhys is a welsh name meaning enthusiasm, and is the masculine spelling of the name vs. 'reese' which often is the feminine version. initially, we were set on using rhys as his middle name but it grew on us and we loved it so much, it became his first name and what we'd call our little man.

the past six weeks have been quite an emotional learning experience, full of both happy and difficult times. i've been so blessed to be able to be home with rhys and its been amazing to see his progress, becoming more alert and aware of his surroundings each day. eventually, i'll make my way back to work after taking advantage of a 12 week maternity leave, and i know that'll be yet another hard transition to make. with mother's day upon us, it prompts many feelings and thoughts... i never really imagined anthony and i would be where we are today - after ten and a half years together, our travels and vacations, buying a house, raising a doggie and really letting it up to fate as to whether or not we'd have a little one… it's just one more adventure that we've embarked on and another little human to experience the rest of our lives with. 

we love you, rhys.

40

40 weeks!

his due date of march 18 has come and gone. still waiting for our boy to arrive… every morning, anthony asks "do you feel like you're going to have a baby today?". i wish i knew, lol. if he waits just a few more days, he'll be an aries like his daddy. i've never really followed astrology that closely, but it's fun sometimes to check and see what different sources say about a sun sign.

astrology.com says "aries are leaders of the pack, first in line to get things going. the leadership displayed by aries is most impressive, so don't be surprised if they can rally the troops against seemingly unsurmountable odds - they have that kind of personal magnetism. aries is a bundle of energy and dynamism, kind of like a pied piper, leading people along with it's charm and charisma. the dawning of a new day - and all of its possibilities - is pure bliss to an aries."

i hope he's healthy. i hope he's brilliant, curious and always learning. i hope he's full of energy, but loves to cuddle his mama in those special moments. i hope he's humorous and shines like his daddy. i hope as he grows, has self-respect and is empathetic and forgiving. i hope he has a vision to lead. i hope he works hard and is thankful for everything he receives. i hope we raise him to be one of the good guys.

we can't wait to meet him.

oh snap… nursery reveal!

how far along?  39 weeks

development:  our little one is measuring 18.9 to 20.9 inches long and weighs between 6.2 to 9.2 pounds, about the size of a watermelon. not much bigger than last week, but he's still growing little by little, even though he's probably running out of space!

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  is it ok to wear yoga/workout pants everyday? cause that's about all i feel like wearing.

sleep?  trying to rest as much as i can

stretch marks?  not too many

best moments this week:  leaving work last friday. a combo of a wandering 'baby' mind, feeling uncomfortable, trying to train a new employee, and keeping up with a heavy workload during the busy spring trade show season left my mind pretty worn out last week  •  homemade chocolate covered marshmallows and chocolate cupcakes with bailey's irish cream frosting from the local market

miss anything?  my mind sometimes

movement:  the little guy's pretty active in the evenings especially 

food cravings:  sweets... ice cream, starburst

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  boy… "young boys should never be sent to bed, they always wake up another day older." ~ johnnie depp as jm barrie, from the movie finding neverland

pregnancy symptoms:  almost out of time to complain about pregnancy symptoms  ;)

wedding rings, on or off?  on… although, lately my right hand has been minus the ring i usually wear

happy or moody most of the time?  mostly happy, a little irritated at times

looking forward to:  meeting our little one
notes from dad:  you've heard about all of our hard work, here's our baby's nursery -

^^^ excuse our mess… room in process of being gutted, after the paneling was removed.

^^^ drywall hung, mudded and primed. all new wiring and electric. we're ready for paint!

^^^ scored big on a cozy carpet remnant for the room, it's super soft.

^^^ wall art and graphics by karin, colorful artwork for our little man.

^^^ restored vintage dresser... more work than karin realized.

^^^ is that a green screen covering his name? you'll just have to wait to find out what it is!

^^^ ikea spice racks painted to match the dresser in orange & white, with a yarn wrapped bar for holding books.

^^^ peek-a-boo!

we're technically 1 week out from our due date of march 18!!

weekly doctor appointment, check… things seem to be going as they should, now that we've settled into the weekly routine of monday morning checkups. my blood pressure, weight and belly measurement, baby's heartbeat all normal this week. last week, my blood pressure was a little elevated enough to call it a 'high normal', but blood drawn showed that there was nothing to be concerned about.

not sure how much longer this 'work' thing is going to last. it's been pretty busy lately and whether or not this little guy shows up soon or not, i think they'll have to get along without me next week and beyond. i've had more than a few people somewhat surprised that i'm still working… me, included. well, maybe not, but i really didn't plan on taking much time off before the baby is born. i'm slowly realizing it's just about time to throw in the towel, though.

to do list:

- figure out daycare

- decide on our babe's name

- wash and organize baby clothes, bedding, blankets, bibs, etc.

- pack hospital bags

- hem and hang curtains

- put supplies and hospital bag in car

- wash and sterilize bottles

- set up bassinet, swing, infant seat, etc.

- make appointment to be sure our car seat is properly installed

- attend hospital tour and two child care classes

- write out birth plan (do i need to do this?) and pre-register at hospital

- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, paperwork etc.

- prepare frozen meals for post baby boy

- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther… we've been close these past 10 years, lol)

- write thank you notes for gifts received from our family baby shower in chicago

- finish thank you notes for gifts received from our most recent baby shower

- start thinking about birth announcements (thanks to shutterfly, we have a coupon already!)

our little pumpkin...

how far along?  38 weeks

development:  the babe is measuring 18.9 to 20.9 inches long and weighs 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. his head is now about the same circumference as his abdomen and he probably has an inch or so of hair already. he has a firm grasp, ready to test when we hold his hand for the first time.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  still trying to stay comfy… i wore this striped shirt to work recently and one of the guys joked about the horizontal stripes - heck yea, i know they're not really the most flattering. what am i trying to hide?!

sleep?  ok overall… napping on the couch in the evenings, 'pre-sleeping' for about an hour before i wake up and get my behind off the couch and into bed

stretch marks?  not too many

best moments this week:  weekend diner breakfast with family  •  reading up on breastfeeding and baby care  •  laughing out loud, almost in tears, with anthony  •  baby movements  •  getting some relief from back pain by sitting on my exercise ball  •  a surprise lunch shower for us at work

miss anything?  lying on my stomach  •  sam adams winter lager

movement:  trying to pay attention to our boy and enjoying his last few weeks (or days!) of belly movements

food cravings:  sweets... ice cream, starburst

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  boy… "between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature of a boy." ~ author unknown

pregnancy symptoms:  being pretty much exhausted at the end of the day, but still having small bursts of energy here and there  •  slight swelling in my feet  •  back pain

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  meeting our little one!
notes from dad:  this could be the last post before his arrival! all systems go!

^^^ patiently waiting

^^^ this guy, going to be a big brother soon ;)

^^^ sunbathing in the nursery… so exhausting, yawn.

to do list:

- figure out daycare

- decide on our babe's name

- wash and organize baby clothes, bedding, blankets, bibs, etc.

- pack hospital bags

- hem and hang curtains

- put supplies and hospital bag in car

- wash and sterilize bottles

- set up bassinet, swing, infant seat, etc.

- make appointment to be sure our car seat is properly installed

- attend hospital tour and two child care classes

- write out birth plan (do i need to do this?) and pre-register at hospital

- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, paperwork etc.

- prepare frozen meals for post baby boy

- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther… we've been close these past 10 years, lol)

- write thank you notes for gifts received from our family baby shower in chicago

- finish thank you notes for gifts received from our most recent baby shower

- start thinking about birth announcements (thanks to shutterfly, we have a coupon already!)

^^^ the babe's gonna be stylin' in these baby leggings - i got an email from babyleggings.com for 5 free baby leggings (just had to pay shipping), so i jumped on it with these cuties! they look great to wear with onsies around the house to keep his chubby legs warm and have easy access for diaper changes.

^^^ chocolate pb cookies (yum!) and gifts at our work shower lunch

we're ready! getting down to the end, with less than two weeks to go until his march 18 due date!

i've already been given a few predictions that the little one will make his grand entrance:
- this friday 3/7... what?!
- on/before wednesday 3/12!
- late, during the last week of march

what do you think?

in like a lion, out like a lamb

how far along?  37 weeks

development:  the little one measures about 18.9 to 20.9 inches and weighs between 6.2 and 9.2 pounds, about the size of a winter melon. he's pretty much ready for birth now, inhaling, exhaling, sucking, gripping and blinking. 

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  trying to stay comfy!

sleep?  ok overall... waking up every few hours to roll over. soon, it'll be waking up every few hours for night time feedings.

stretch marks?  not too many

best moments this week:  meeting the pediatrician  •  catching up with friends  •  showing off the babe's room to a few visitors  •  hearing about and seeing photos of my cousin's new baby boy!

miss anything?  not too much

movement:  i was thinking last night that i'll have a baby to hold in my arms within a few weeks time, but might miss carrying him around as a part of me and feeling his movements (minus the uncomfortable feeling of the extra weight on my belly!)

food cravings:  sweets

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  little boy… "don't wait to make your son a great man - make him a great boy." ~ author unknown

pregnancy symptoms:  being pretty much exhausted at the end of the day, but still having small bursts of energy here and there  •  nesting, trying to keep the house clean and organized

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy overall, been a little emotional the past week or two. i've had a hard time feeling motivated at work... getting distracted and annoyed easily.

looking forward to:  relaxing and enjoying the last few weeks of my pregnancy, trying not to feel too anxious
notes from dad: We are starting the countdown, heck March is here! Before it ends I'll be a dad, Karin will be a mom! We will be parents! I still can't believe it? Needless to say, we are excited for our little mans arrival! We worked really hard on his bedroom, a little space for him. We're really happy with how it turned out. I think we were successful pulling off our original ideas. We scrapped an area rug for the nice carpet we installed and we are doing without our original dresser (for now). Other than that, we pulled it off just like we dreamed. With all his worldly experience, I'm sure he'll like it! (because he has none, lol).
Well little man, the stage has been set. The lights are lit and the seats are full. We can't wait to watch your movie, enjoy your show and experience your life. We wait for the star!

randomness:

wow, this saturday is march! we've made it to his birth month!

i need to get my butt moving on putting together some frozen meals that will be easy to throw in the crock pot later. i've pinned a few sites to pinterest, so i have the recipes - just need to shop and prep!

to do list:

- figure out daycare

- decide on our babe's name

- wash and organize baby clothes, bedding, blankets, bibs, etc.

- pack hospital bags

- hem and hang curtains

- put supplies and hospital bag in car

- wash and sterilize bottles

- set up bassinet, swing, infant seat, etc.

- make appointment to be sure our car seat is properly installed

- attend hospital tour and two child care classes

- write out birth plan (do i need to do this?) and pre-register at hospital

- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, paperwork etc.

- prepare frozen meals for post baby boy

- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther… we've been close these past 10 years, lol)

- write thank you notes for gifts received from our family baby shower in chicago

- finish thank you notes for gifts received from our most recent baby shower

- start thinking about birth announcements (thanks to shutterfly, we have a coupon already!)

18 more days until his due date... we'll see if he sticks to it.