Mr. Miles Nicolas King

Here's the baby story:

Tuesday June 23rd at about 12:45am my water broke. I was laying in bed.... not really sleeping... and felt it coming. I jumped up (in hopes of saving the bed) and ran to the bathroom. (I did save the bed). I was having contractions, but they weren't awful. Chris started timing them and while they didn't seem to consistent, they were definitely within 5 minutes of each other. I wanted to stay home as long as possible a. because I wasn't positive it was the real thing and b. if it was, I wanted to ride it out at home for as much of the process as possible. We had planned on delivering at Swedish Ballard, but Harrison Silverdale was our backup in case I went into active labor between the hours of 1:30am and 4:30am when the ferries aren't running. I figured all along that the labor process would be a long one... I was very wrong. It was about 2:00am when the contractions were about 2 minutes apart. Within the last hour or so, we packed our bags and prepped for the trip to the hospital. Chris was thinking we'd be driving to Ballard... when 2:00 came around, I let him know that I definitely wouldn't be making the 2 hour trip to Swedish and that we needed to go to Harrison. So we headed out.

I got checked in at Harrison at about 3:20 and by the time the nurse checked me out, I was dilated to an 8. I spent the next hour and a half laboring through contractions and then I felt it was time to push. I pushed for about 10 minutes or so and welcomed Miles Nicolas at 5:16am. He screamed immediately and was more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined. I had hoped for and planned on making it through the labor and delivery process naturally and that's exactly what took place. We were able to nurse right away which I believe helped the feeding process immensely. Miles is a wonderful eater :) I always knew he liked food.

Our baby boy is now 6 days old and getting more wonderful everyday. Yeah we're a little sleep deprived, but I think I'm actually getting more sleep than I did late pregnancy so I'm hanging in there. He's way worth it.

It has been wonderful seeing friends and family lately. Please e-mail me if you'd like to visit as our cell reception at our new place is slim to none.

ETA: Miles was born at 5:16am, weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz., and measured 20.5" long.

Here are some pics:

Just after delivery

Mama & her boy

Hehe... bath time

Almost has a Mohawk

Proud G-ma :)

Grandma Desi visiting Miles

Grandpa Steve & his grandson

Aw Papa...

Mama is KO'd

Sleeping just like his sister

That's my baby boy

The Kings!!

& our new addition

Good morning Sydney & Miles

Kisses for baby brother

Great grandma and her happy grandson

He loves his Great Grandma

Miles & Aunt Lori

Kisses for my baby

Miles & Mama

Delivery Date Bets??

Alright, so I don't want to hear about your bets on how much this baby will weigh, how big his head will be, how long he'll be or how big my belly will get, but I think I can stand hearing about when you think he'll make his arrival.

So let's hear it! When do you think baby Miles will make his appearance on this Earth??
His due date is July 2nd.

G-ma says: July 8th - his b-day would then be 7-8-9
Mama L says: July 8-9th - I think he'll be 6 or 7 days late
G-pa says: July 4th - every birthday is fireworks and a party

Cars, Houses and Babies - Oh My!

It's mid-June already?!? I just wanted to give a little update and let you all know that I might be a bit absent from the blogging world for the next month or so. I will try and keep you as updated as possible, but it will probably be a bit scarce.

We get a whole new set of keys this weekend. Keys to our townhouse and keys to our (new-to-us) car. Chris and G-pa are painting the bedrooms this Saturday and moving the crib, bookcases, Sydmo's bed, dining room table and a few other miscellaneous items into the house. Friday the 19th is our official move date, but we have so much stuff at G-ma & G-pa's that it will be easier to move that stuff in this weekend. They've also gifted us an air conditioning unit! I'm so excited to have a cool room to sleep in for the last week or so of pregnancy! If Miles is anything like me, he'll be thankful as well. Some days I think I'm crazy for having planned a baby and a move out of town all to happen in the same couple of weeks, but everyone has been so incredibly helpful and things are beginning to really fall into place. I hope this means we can try to relax with our new arrival after all the craziness passes. Before we know it, it will be Christmas ;)

I hope everyone is enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather we've been having!

Much love.

Baby Shower with the Girls

Heather and her wonderful mother hosted a baby shower for Miles and I yesterday at Heather's beautiful home in Ballard. It was so great seeing all the wonderful ladies. It had been far too long!

Thank you all for helping welcome Miles!! We love you lots!!

Our Evening Walk

Our future home...

Waterfront

Elliott Bay Marina

MC Hammer ;)

As we speak

Baby Miles has been punching my bladder repetitively and kicking my ribs for at least the last 5 minutes! I'm glad the kid is active and all, but "HEY MILES, give Mom a break!" Too bad Chris isn't around.... Miles really listens up when Papa's talking to him.

Maybe he's just testing out his big feet...

It's May!!

May has arrived! It's quite the month for the King family:

Tuesday Nights = Duck Dodge Sailing on Lake Union
Wednesday Nights = PsychoPATH Softball games
Thursday Nights = Knit Night
5/8 = G-Pa's Birthday
5/9 onward = House Hunting on Bainbridge
5/10 = Mother's Day
5/10 = Sounders Game
5/15 = Mariners Game vs. Boston Red Sox
5/16-5/17 = Seattle Cheese Festival
5/17 = Baby Shower - Seattle
5/20 = G'Ma's Birthday
5/22 - 5/25 = Folklife Festival (volunteer 2 days)
5/23 = Mariners Game vs. NY Giants
5/30 = Baby Shower - Bremerton
5/31 = Chris' 30th Birthday!!

This is pretty standard for May though :)

We got all our plants in the ground last night! I'll swing by the patch this weekend to take pics of our little plot. I wish I had before and after pics. It actually looks like a garden now instead of a crazy weed filled mess. We planted broccoli, beets, lemon cucumbers, pole beans, raspberries, strawberries, nasturtiums, basil, parsley, mint, lavendar, oregano, coriander, spicy greens, gourmet greens, and one hot pepper. This is all in a 75 sq ft plot. Wish our plants luck!

Pregnancy is going great. My only complaint - still - is back pain. It's a 24/7 thing now, nights being the worst. My morning routine is probably going to become bubble baths with breakfast in the tub. Heh. It worked this morning at least! Only 8 weeks left!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Prego Pic

Sarah B. and I went to Faye Bainbridge State Park on Sunday to take some maternity pics. I don't plan on posting many online, but I do want to post these two.

Many thanks to Sarah again :)

Mid-April Updates

News:

We are 30 WEEKS PREGNANT! Only 10 weeks left. Anxious? Yes. And very much looking forward to seeing the little guy's face. He is kicking me all the time. And punching too. I actually believe he punches much more than he kicks - that's if I have his positioning correct. I feel quite large now.... not like a whale or anything, but large enough. We need to register at the hospital and all those other lovely tasks.

It's SPRING - Really! Outdoor concert schedules are being released, Duck Dodge (sailing) starts in a few weeks, Chris' softball games start in a couple weeks, Folklife is around the corner, the Sounders are occupying our Saturday evenings, the Mariners are in town here and there, the tulips are in bloom, and we're getting anxious to go camping. Oh how I love the Spring/Summer around the Puget Sound.
We'll be planting our veggies in two weeks after a trip to the Seattle Tilth's Edible Plant Sale. It will be our first time at the sale..... wish us luck....

What else?..... Sounders game this Saturday and Prego Photos with Sarah on Sunday. Pray for sun!!

Well, get out there and enjoy the bit of sun today.....

Baby Bump About 30 Weeks

In Pioneer Square on our way to the M's game

The infamous mirror photo shoot

Slacking Blogger

Whoa! It's been two weeks since my last post. Here are the updates:

P-Patch: Is all cleared of weeds, etc. We are going to plant marigolds around the perimeter in the coming weeks and then hit the Seattle Tilth's Edible Plant sale on May 2nd for our herbs and veggies. Exciting stuff.

Knitting: Miles' vest is finished, my beret is about 5-10% complete, I'm about 3/4 the way through one burp cloth and am yet to go back to those leggings.

Pregnancy: Third Trimester - I made it!! All is great save for some serious back pain. A half recline sitting position is the best by far. Too bad I can't stay like that all day, out in the sun, by the ocean, with a virgin mojito and some knitting..... one can dream.

Sounders FC: Lost their game Saturday 1-0. They outplayed Kansas City, but with Keller out on a Red Card at the 29th minute and the lack of ability to capitalize on shot opportunities, they couldn't get a W.

We missed the game, but enjoyed a lovely evening at the Highway 99 Blues Club with Mom, Dad, Dan and Trina. DoctorfunK rocked the house.

I'd say that's about it for now. I promise to get the camera out this next week :)

Thinking Spring...

No new pics today, but a few updates:

P-Patch: We had our p-patch tour, orientation and meeting Saturday morning. We have a cute little 75 sq ft plot in Belltown that needs some TLC. We have a fantastic plot neighbor who has many years of gardening experience. We may share some herbs and veggies with her as we both plan on planting similar things. This week we should be able to make it down to weed as much as possible and then hopefully over the weekend the soil will dry enough for us to get some planting done next week.

Sounders FC: We went to the game Saturday night and enjoyed another 'W'. Our defense still looks strong, our midfield and offense had quite a few poor touches and Kasey Keller saved our butts many times. The final score was 2-0 Sounders. An awesome way to start the season.

Knitting: I finished a hat for Miles on Saturday. Went to Churchmouse on Bainbridge Island on Sunday and picked up some yarn for a beret for me, one for Syd, a vest for Miles and a sweater for Mom. Mom and I got lunch in Poulsbo and Ice Cream at Mona's on Bainbridge.... It was a fantastic day.

Pregnancy: All is going great aside from back pain. Ugh. We have an ultrasound this Friday and the lovely Glucose Test. We're excited to see the little guy again as he's grown so much in the last two months. Closing out the 2nd trimester in the next two weeks.

Baby Bump 23+ Weeks

Here is a more recent baby bump picture (23.5 weeks). Taken after an incredibly long day/weekend.... fun, but long.

Maybe I can recruit Sarah to take some bump pictures for me ;)

Prego Updates, Etc.

A little over 23 weeks and counting:

* Miles weighs about 1 lb. and is 1 foot long
* He kicks me on a daily basis. Usually after I eat and at about 9:00pm
* He also likes to do a little tap dance on my bladder.
* He was stubborn during the 20 week Ultrasound so we are having another one in 4 weeks to get better shots of his face and spine.
* My belly is continuing to grow. I'm not waddling yet, so it still makes me smile :)
* The Cystic Fibrosis test came back negative
* I have the Glucose Screening test next month - oh yay
* I've gained about 9-ish lbs.
* All morning sickness is gone.... very much gone
* Headaches have subsided
* Girl Scout cookies couldn't have come at a better time
* All other info would be TMI

In other news:

I'm knitting a beret. I love wearing hats in the Spring/Summer and it only takes a skein of yarn so it's the perfect project for a budget. It shouldn't be too long before it's finished so I'll post pics then.

I'll get back to knitting the baby leggings tonight. My fingers needed a break from those teeny needles.

I have a couple ducks to embroider on a onesie. I'm not sure what will go on the rest.

I've realized we need lots and lots and lots of cloth diapers. I have registered mostly for the BumGenius One-Size All-in-One's because they will get the most use (especially by Papa, Grandparents and Daycare). I'd also like to have some gDiapers for on the go since the inserts are flushable. But I think I'd like to add prefolds to the list because they're much less expensive and I personally have no problem working them out. This means I'll have to knit some wool soakers to go over the prefolds. Hmmm... more projects....
Note: I know this cloth diaper talk is probably a bunch of nonsense to most of you, but it's something I'm committing 100% to and am going to need some options.

We're having our little wedding party on Sunday. I'm excited to celebrate with our family and friends. :)

I cannot wait till Spring!!!!!

That's all for now.

Weekend Recap

It's Monday again.... not sure how that happens so dang fast, but it did.

Saturday I made potato-leek-ham soup.... yummm. We hung out at the pier and went to Sara Meagher's B-day Party. It was great seeing everyone at the party. Syd is such a social bug! She especially liked Sophie the cat ;)

Sunday Chris & Syd went to the Children's museum and caught the Curious George exhibit and painted a couple things. My mom and I went to see Lion King at the Paramount. It was fantastic.... we're a little sleepy today, but it was worth it ;)

Oh & Chris took a couple pictures of my baby bump. I'll get some more soon... I'm sure this is just the beginning.

Checking out Sea Life

The Olympics

It was a bit sunny...

Almost ready to go to Sara's party

Practicing winking...

Baby bump @ 22 Weeks

It's getting there...

First Project for Miles

I finished the onesie for Miles last night. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with it. I've learned a lot about stitching and will be able to improve on the next one. Here are some pics:

The Sketch

Finished Onesie

Close Up

Kicking Baby

It's official.... We can feel Miles moving around in my tummy. I felt him a bit on Saturday and then on Sunday I got two big kicks. I put Chris' hand on my belly and he gave him another big kick :) I'm so glad Chris was able to feel him so soon. I'm shocked how it can go from one day not feeling a thing to the next being able to feel him even on the outside. I think he's working out in there today. He's like a little kickboxer. Crazy kids these days.

Mid-Way Scan

We had our 20 week scan last Friday. We got our Quad Test results back and all is in the clear. I invited my mom to our hour long Ultrasound and it was a pleasure having her there. Our U/S Tech is amazing and very informative. We saw that Miles has quite large feet but thankfully I have an anterior placenta which is keeping him from kicking the crap out of me (for now anyway). My favorite part was checking out the brain and his heart. It was surprising how detailed the imaging is for such a little guy.

Profile: Head & Body

Spooky Face

The Determining Factor

Mr. Bigfoot

we'rehavingababyit'saboy

We're having a baby BOY!!! Miles Nicolas is a happy crazy swimmer dude. He swam around so well we could even tell he's a boy. Our appointment went great. We have another in a month and at that time will have an hour and 15 minute Ultrasound. It will be fun to watch a movie of our baby ;) He's as healthy as he can be at 15 weeks and has plenty of room to move around (for now).

I promised pictures and here they are:

Prego - Week 15

Week 15 today!

About the baby: Our baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces. She/he's busy moving amniotic fluid through their nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in their lungs begin to develop. Their legs are growing longer than their arms now, and she/he can move all of their joints and limbs. Although their eyelids are still fused shut, they can sense light.

About Mama: I have some of my energy back. Headaches have been dragging me down, but I finally have an appetite and if you know me at all, you'd know I definitely love food. We get to see our little one on the monitor tomorrow!! This alone is enough excitement to keep me going. I haven't started showing yet, but I'm sure that will happen soon enough. I can't wait to start feeling the baby kick and move and all that good stuff :)

* Will post pictures of our U/S soon.