Poppaw (great grandfather)
great Aunt Linda
great Aunt Karen
2nd cousin, Onilee--she and Owen share the same birthday :)On Easter Sunday we went over to my parents house for lunch. Tony's parents joined us and we had a very nice afternoon. As promised, here are some pictures of Owen in his day gown that my mom made. It is still a little tiny bit big on him, but soon it will fit perfectly. Mama did such an awesome job on it and I absolutely LOVE it! Tony's parents left before the photo shoot began so we didn't get any pictures of them with Owen, but we'll get some more soon!
Rocking with Geebee
Sleeping in Pops' arms
Our little family :)
Owen's Easter gown
Last week my grandmother, Nonnie, came for her visit with her great grandson. My Poppaw was unable to come as he was in the hospital recovering from surgery, but we're gonna get the little guy over to see him soon!
Auntie Ashleigh and Umpa Joel (borrowing that term from Joel's adorable nephew, Hampton) came last weekend to see Owen as well. They brought us some yummy BBQ and a salad for me and we had lunch and visited with them for a little while. They couldn't stay too long, but hopefully we'll be able to visit again soon!
Robyn, Emilie, and Lauren came to visit Owen today and DANG IT but I forgot to take pictures again...I really need to get with it! I guess they'll have to be on the list for a re-do soon so that we can get some pictures of them with the little guy too :)We had our very 1st doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon and everything went very smoothly. We even managed to squeeze it in between feedings without having to feed too early or too late which kept Owen a happy boy :) He has gained 4 ounces since we left the hospital--he was 8lbs. 60z. when we left and now he's 8lbs. 10oz. so he's gaining weight nicely. He is supposed to be back at his birth weight between 10 and 14 days old so we're well on our way! He measured 22 inches long so if everyone's measurements were accurate--he's already grown 1/2 inch since he was born! The doctor says he looks very healthy and as she put it, "I can't find anything to worry about!" Amazingly enough, Owen didn't cry the entire time we were in the doctor's office-even when he was stripped down to be weighed! Ironically enough, mama was the one who had to get a shot! I had to get the dpt shot and Owen got off without having to be stuck which was great. Next time he won't be so lucky though I'm afraid :( I wish I could take all of his shots for him--I don't like it when my baby boy has to hurt!!! He did fuss a bit on the way home. He's still not crazy about his car seat, but he's getting used to it pretty quickly.
Tony had his first day back at work today. We really missed him a lot, but there's only 1 more day until the weekend and we're really excited about that! Geebee (my mom) came over today and was a HUGE help to us. She watched Owen while I napped and cleaned and tidied things up a bit too which was great--the clutter was starting to drive me a little crazy!
This afternoon Sara & Richard came to visit Owen and Linda, Sara's mom, came along too! Richard got to meet Owen for the 1st time and he was so funny--he's gonna be such a great daddy himself in just a few months! They're both are going to be excellent parents, I can't wait to see them in action :) It was a lot of fun laughing and visiting with them, we all had a great time! Dang it if I didn't forget to take pictures today though :( They'll just have to come back really soon for a re-do so we can capture it on film!
Owen Michael Dichiara
Our new family!
Mama and Owen
Just wanted to send everyone a heads up...
In a few weeks, I will be making my blog a "readers only" blog because I'm just not crazy about the idea pictures and stories of Owen being available to complete strangers on the internet (not that they'd really be interested in them, but for safety's sake you can never be too careful!) So, if you would like to continue to access to my blog, all you have to do is leave me a message in the comments section with your e-mail address and I will add you to the list of approved readers. Oh, and you don't have to worry about your privacy either, I have set the comments to private so your e-mail address won't be posted for all to see :) I will wait a week or so before I actually change this setting so if you have any problems or questions you can just shoot me an e-mail or give me a call!
Thanks for your understanding :)
Hannah
Didn't do a 40 week post--basically it came and went...he became officially "full term" and decided he was so comfortable he'd like to stay in there another week. No big news to report so I decided to skip the blogging over the last week and Tony and I just relaxed, slept in, and enjoyed our last bit of free time for just the 2 of us.
We are headed to the hospital tonight to get things going. I will be given one medicine over night tonight in preparation and then my doctor will induce labor tomorrow morning. So, Owen will be born at some point tomorrow and we're SO excited to meet him :) I will post an update as soon as feel up to it, but I'm not making any promises on how soon it will be...we will be very busy kissing and loving on our sweet baby!
Well, Monday was my official last day of work, YAHOO! It feels so good that I have the opportunity for some time to relax, catch up on sleep, get some chores done around the house, etc. before Owen gets here! I'm technically "on vacation" for the rest of the week, with my official last day being this coming Friday, Feb 29th--so the paychecks won't stop until then which is wonderful!
I went to my doctor yesterday and everything looks good--he says, "any day now!" so it shouldn't be too much longer. Everyone keeps asking me this, but I'm really not impatient, I'm enjoying this down time right now--I have told several people that I'm in a "win-win" situation. If he comes today I'll be happy, but if he waits a little while longer, that's fine too b/c it gives me more time to rest and have some "me" time. Plus, he's easier to take care of this way so I've just told him, "I'm ready when you are little guy!" :) My doctor won't let me go over a week past my due date (which is 3/4) so regardless, the waiting period is almost over!
I just got my pictures back that my sweet friend Cori took a few weeks ago! They all turned out AWESOME! I have hung some of them in Owen's nursery and they look so great :) If anyone's looking for a great photographer with very reasonable prices, I have a GREAT recommendation for you... :)
Your baby's weight and height have probably increased only a little from last week (and your overstretched skin is probably grateful for that). But his brain is still developing rapidly (a pace that continues during the first three years of life), with changes you'll be able to recognize firsthand as your baby's skill-packed bag of tricks expands almost daily. 
Elisa--the hostess--and me
A cute little outfit for Owen from Kelly 
Kelly and me
Some of the shower guests 
Finished and ready, hooray! We have checked everything off of our "to do" list and now we're just waiting for little Owen to get here.
An amazing (and by amazing, I mean amazingly awkward) thing happened to me yesterday that I must share...
First, let me say that I do not have a problem with people that I know touching my belly. I do find it slightly odd that people think that a pregnant tummy is public property, but if I know you—touch away if you feel so inclined. However, it does weird me out when complete strangers try to lay their hands on my midsection. If I sense that someone that I've never met before is contemplating an unwanted gesture such as this, I casually and discretely pull one of my arms across my belly. This move has been my standard "no touch please" signal through the duration of my pregnancy, a signal that up until yesterday, had always proved itself highly effective. Well, yesterday during church was a completely different story.
I turned around to say hello to a woman during the greeting—a woman that before this moment, I had never seen in my life. Much to my dismay, I could see in her eyes that she was about to make her move. Before she could do so, my arm went up and I achieved a successful block...or so I thought. Astonishingly enough, this woman made an attempt to move my arm off of my own belly so that she could access it. Due to the shock and bewilderment of the events playing themselves out before me, I was temporarily stunned and my arm remained firmly planted across my stomach. A slight struggle, perhaps only evident to the two of us, ensued and this strange woman’s effort to remove my arm from where it laid draped across my own body proved futile. I gave a quick, uncomfortable smile, mumbled something incoherent, and quickly turned around to greet someone else. Talk about a whole new meaning for the word STRANGEr…
That has to be the weirdest thing that has happed during my pregnancy thus far.
38 Weeks: Still a Freak-sized Cucumber
Only about two more weeks before your baby makes his appearance--and what an adorable appearance that will be! Your little one isn't so little anymore — weighing in at close to 7 pounds and hitting the height charts at the 21-inch mark (or less).
As you prepare for baby's ETA, he is also getting ready, big time. Vernix and lanugo continue to shed from your baby's body into the amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows that amniotic fluid and some of it winds up in his intestines where it—along with other shed cells, bile, and other waste products—will turn into your baby's first bowel movement (meconium) and perhaps your first diaper change.
Your baby's lungs continue to mature as more and more surfactant is secreted (remember — it helps prevent the lungs from sticking to each other when your baby begins to breathe…definitely a good thing). All systems, almost go!
Good grief...speaking of stretching, my body feels stretched to the max! Yet, somehow, in the next 4 weeks it will find a way to continue to share with this ever growing baby...either that, or I'm gonna be the first woman ever to deliver a baby via a popping belly! I can definitely feel that Owen has dropped some--especially when I'm exercising. There's quite a lot of pressure that's building up on my bladder these days. ...and I thought I had to pee a lot before! I could go on with the various "joys of pregnancy", but I'm afraid I'm starting to sound like an 80 year old woman listing all her ailments ;) At no time have I ever felt like it hasn't been worth it though. I know that as soon as I hold my son in my arms that all the backaches and stuffy noses will be forgotten!
Tony and I finished most everything on our "to do list" last weekend **pause and sigh with relief**. The nursery is complete! What a great feeling to have that checked off the list and know that Owen's room is ready in waiting for the little guy to come home to! I also finished making his diaper bag, washed some of his clothes, and did some packing for the hospital. All that's left are the things that can't go into the bag until the last minute anyway (toilitries, etc.). The carseat did not get installed last weekend, but Tony does plan on tackling that this weekend.
Tomorrow my sweet & VERY talented friend, Cori, is taking some pregnancy pictures for both Brianne and me. I can't wait to see how they turn out, she's a very talented photographer and I'm super excited to get these done! I shall post some of them when I get them back for sure.
This Sunday is the Super Bowl. The neighborhood ladies are headed to our 2nd Annual Girls Night Out for cheese & chocolate at the Melting Pot and then back to watch the rest of the game with the guys! I'm looking forward to yummy fondue, my favorite! :) I am neither a Patriots fan or a Giants fan so I don't care who wins, but the commercials will be fun to watch.
...and finally me, 9 Months Pregnant--ALMOST finished :)
Your baby is now about 6 pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he can store up all the energy needed for delivery.
Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). The skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily maneuver through the birth canal.
Geebee
Pops
Noni
Grandpa 
