1st Bath

Last Wednesday night we gave Owen his very 1st bath. We used his baby bath tub and put it in the kitchen sink. I bathed him while Tony recorded some video of him with the camcorder. At first he was very unsure of what to think of getting wet, but we made sure the water was nice and warm and he ended up liking it pretty well. He was so snuggly afterwards and smelled so good! I just love the way that all the baby shampoo and lotions smell :) Here are a few pictures of Owen's very first bath...

Before we got started

Mama bathing Owen

Drying off

Snuggling with Daddy

My little cutie

Daddy D & Dean Come to Visit

This weekend Tony's grandparents came from Mississippi to visit Owen. On Friday night they came over to our house to visit with him and eat dinner and then on Saturday we went to Tony's parents and D did a big fish fry for everyone with some fish that he had caught back in Mississippi. Owen was a little off of his schedule so he got a little cranky at times, but overall he was in a pretty good mood and we had a great visit with everyone. Here are a few pictures of Daddy D and Dean with Owen...

Phillips Family Dinner

On Tuesdays we usually go over to my grandparents' house for dinner with my dad's side of the family. This past Tuesday (3/25) was our first trip over there since Owen was born and it was the first time for them to meet the little guy (all except my grandmother who'd already met him). Here are a few pictures...

Poppaw (great grandfather)

great Aunt Linda

great Aunt Karen

2nd cousin, Onilee--she and Owen share the same birthday :)

Easter Sunday

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

Hoppy Easter and more visitors :)

Just wanted to share a few pictures of Owen in his bunny outfit that his Noni (Tony's mom) got for him. He was very cooperative for a photo shoot and some of them came out pretty cute :) Since Owen won't even be 2 weeks old tomorrow, we've decided not to go to church for Easter. We're really gonna miss not being there, but we don't want to expose him to any unnecessary germs so we're gonna pass :( We are going over to my parents' house for lunch though so that will be a lot of fun! Owen is gonna wear his Easter outfit--a BEAUTIFUL hand smocked day gown that my mom made so I'll be sure and get LOTS of pictures tomorrow :)

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 :)

1 week dr. appt

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!

Meet the Grandparents :)

Geebee

Pops

Noni


Grandpa

So far, so good :)

Well, tomorrow Owen will be 1 week old and so far things have been going pretty smoothly. The first night was pretty rough--little man only slept for about 2 hours total--but since then things have improved dramatically. He's only waking up every 3 hours now (which is right on schedule with his feedings) so Tony and I are still tired, but no longer the walking dead. Days have been good too--I can already see a schedule starting to form which is a sigh of relief for me! He feeds every 3 hours, has some "awake time" and then naps until the next feeding. Owen's first doctor's appointment is tomorrow. Our very first family outing :) Tony is off work until Thursday and has been a HUGE help with everything! So many of our sweet neighbors and friends have arranged to bring us dinner for about the next month! (SUCH A HUGE HELP!!!) and that has also helped out a great deal--we are so very blessed!!!! Here are a few pictures as promised!

Owen Michael Dichiara

Our new family!


Mama and Owen

Daddy kissing Owen :)

Owen is here!!!

Born Wednesday, March 12, 2008
1:20 a.m.
9 pounds 1 ounce
21 1/2 inches


I was going to picture, but I'm having trouble here at the hospital. We are being discharged tomorrow so more to come soon...

NEW Blog Format...

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

Update...

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!

39 Weeks & Pregnancy Pictures!

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... :)

39 Weeks--didn't feel like posting the cucumber again, you get the picture :)
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.

Heard that babies cry a lot? There's definitely truth to that rumor — as you'll find out soon enough (and usually during the middle of the night). However, tiny babies don't produce tiny tears when they cry, since their tear ducts aren't open for business yet. While you'll be consoling your crying baby right from the get-go, it won't be until sometime after the first month that you'll be wiping tears off those chubby cheeks.

Your baby's skin has now finally changed from pink to white (no matter how dark-skinned he will be eventually; pigmentation will occur soon following birth). That's because a thicker fat layer has been deposited over the blood vessels.

Baby Shower (hosted by Elisa, Tony's aunt) Pics

Elisa--the hostess--and me
A cute little outfit for Owen from Kelly Kelly and me
Some of the shower guests

Baby Shower (hosted by friends) Pics

My sweet hostesses minus Lauren who got sick and Katie who "hosted from afar" :)

My fellow prego friends--yea! so excited to "bump bellies" with Rachael & Sara!!!

Ash, Amanda, & me--Manic Monday friends!!!

My aunts, grandmother, mom, & me

GREAT friends :)

38 Weeks

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!

hmmm, "full term"?! I just don't get it...

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times--I just don't GET the numbers that are thrown out during pregnancy, they are so confusing! The latest oddity to add into the mix is that babies are considered "full term" at 37 weeks (um, yeah, that would be right now). If he's full term now, then why are there 3 more weeks until my due date? I understand the logisics of it--he's practicing getting "ready for the outside world", building up more fat for protection, yada, yada, yada...but if it's better that he stay in there until 40 weeks, then why are babies considered full term at 37? Oh the silliness that comes along with being pregnant...

All that said, I have quit trying to make sense of these tricky numbers because when it comes down to it, this baby's gonna come when he's ready no matter what my "numbers" say. Thus I arrive at a conclusion-->numbers don't mean squat. Which is pretty ironic considering that's pretty much all people focus on and ask me about these days regarding this little guy ;)

.

Oh, and one more thing, in case you're still not sure about how I arrived at my conclusion: according to my doctors, I will be 40 weeks pregnant on February 28, yet they have never "officially" changed my due date from March 4. Last time I checked, that's 5 days later--almost an entire week. When I asked my doctor about it he said, "eh, it's just an estimation anyways," which obviously I know, but still, when it's all you have to go on...

Alas, just another case in point on why numbers don't matter.

Moving right along...

The photo session with Cori went really well last weekend. I know that she got some great shots and I can't WAIT to see them :) It was a whole lot of fun and I'm so excited to see the end product once she's done putting her finishing touches on them!

My poor Tony has been sick ALL WEEK :*( He started feeling kinda run down last Sunday night during the Super Bowl, went to work on Monday, and then by Monday afternoon he was feeling pretty crummy. He's been running a fever and has had some terrible congestion--it sounds like he's on the verge of coughing up a lung any second! He's headed to the doctor today though so hopefully they'll get him feeling better soon.

I have 2 baby showers this weekend and I am SO excited! On Saturday my very sweet friends are having a baby shower brunch for me at Emilie's house. Incidences of getting the whole crew together are few and far between and I can't wait to see my girls :) I have a feeling that it's going to be a VERY FUN and EXCITING day!!! On Sunday, Elisa (Tony's aunt) is hosting a shower for me at her house. It should be a very nice time, I am looking forward to that one as well.

37 weeks: Um, a cucumber...? I've NEVER seen a 6 lb cucumber in my life, but ok, we'll go with it....

With just 3 more weeks to go and at about 6 ½ pounds, your baby is doing just fine. You can expect weight gain to be about half an ounce per day.—boys, though, are likely to be heavier at birth than girls. Since your little one is considered full-term now, if your baby was to leave the wet nest this week, he would likely thrive. That's because Mother Nature and you have done such a fine job.

So what's keeping your little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Your baby is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking on his thumb, blinking, and pivoting from side to side (one day you feel the tushy on the left side, another day it has swung around to the right side). All these are skills needed for his next gig — starring as newborn.

Here's an interesting fact: Your baby's head (which, by the way, is still growing) will, at birth, be the same size circumference as his hips, abdomen, and shoulders. And guess what's making an impression (literally) these days on those shoulders and hips: fat — causing little dimples in those cute elbows and knees, shoulders and hip, and creases and folds in the neck and wrists