Some more random pics...

It's getting easier to catch his adorable smiles!

I just love his long eyelashes. I was trying to catch them in this picture.

We were waiting in line at the ferry to go over to visit my parents, so Nathan thought he would practice driving already!

Ashley's B-Day Party

On Nov. 7th, we went to Ashley's 2nd birthday party at Red Robin. It was really fun to see Ashley interact with Nathan. She was very interested in him and so gentle with him. She is going to be a fantastic big sister to her little brother when he arrives in late January. We had a great time hanging out with the Timms and Salibas. Ashley kept us all very entertained. She is a very neat little girl and constantly has to make sure her area is clean. Hani kept playing with her and dripping ice cream all over the table, and she would make sure to clean it up with her napkin right away. It was actually pretty funny to watch, she's such a little girly girl. She's so adorable!

One Month Old

This picture was taken on Nov. 3rd, one month after Nathan was born. It definitely seems like he is starting to smile more. Whether it's a real smile or not, I'm not sure, but I like to think it is! It just makes me feel so good to see that little smile. It's amazing to see how fast he is growing. At his two week check he was already 8 lbs. 12.5 oz (53%) and 22 inches (91%) long. It's incredible to watch him change so much and so quickly. We're trying to enjoy every minute and every stage with him.

Nathan's Baptism

Nathan was baptized on November 1st at Christ the King Lutheran Church. It made it extra special to me that he was baptized by Pastor Lambert who baptized me when I was 9 years old. He also married Steve and I back in 2002, so I felt blessed that he was able to baptize our son. Rachel stood up as Nathan's sponsor for which I am extremely thankful. I know she will do all she can to help us raise our son in God's Word and be a shining example of God's love in his life. I can't thank her enough for all her support.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Us with Rachel's parents, Doug and Kathe

A few of our good friends came over from Seattle to be there too. It meant a lot to me that they were there for Nathan's baptism. We are so thankful to have so many great friends and family who love and support us and now are there for Nathan too.

Hani, Steve, Me, Danielle, and Nathan

Steve, Me, and Lisa with Nathan

The Girls with Nathan

My parents threw a little party for Nathan up at their house after his baptism. My grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a few of my cousins all came up to the house to see Nathan and celebrate. We had a fabulous meal, thanks to my mom, and some delicious cake. It was a fun day!

A Visit from Aunt Rachel

My best friend, Rachel, flew in from Nebraska where she was doing her student teaching to be there for Nathan's baptism. She came over on Friday and spent the whole day with me and Nathan. We had such a relaxing day at home. It was the first time Rachel met Nathan, so she spent most of the day cuddling the little guy. I think they both really enjoyed it! It was great to catch up with Rachel and all she has been up to with her student teaching.

Random Pictures

Nathan in his adorable frog hat that Jen made him.

I love this little bear coat!

Nathan hanging out in his swing

I thought this was so adorable. Steve was vacuuming with Nathan in hand. It put Nathan right to sleep!

A Visit from the Grandparents

Our little Nathan is almost 8 weeks old. I can hardly believe it. Time really does fly by. It's been a great 7 1/2 weeks with our little guy. He sure is a blessing and a lot of work too, of course. In the last 5 weeks, a lot has happened. We had some very special visitors from Oklahoma. It started with a visit from Grandma Powell and great-Grandma (Janet's mom). Then Grandpa Powell joined us for a long weekend. It was so fun to see all of them with Nathan. I think they really enjoyed their time here, and we certainly enjoyed having them. I was really thankful to have Janet here to help. She made us some great dinners and hung out with me and Nathan once Steve went back to work. We truly are blessed with great parents.

I'm sure Dan has a lot of great pictures on his fancy camera, but these were the only 2 that I had on mine. I'll try to post a few more of the visit once I get them from Dan or Janet.

Nathan with Grandma P.

Nathan with great-Grandma Strumpfer

First Week at Home

It sure does take a lot of adjustments having a little one in the house. My mom came over for a couple days to help out which was really nice. She made us dinner and cleaned the house. She also hung out with Nathan for a few hours in the morning, so Steve and I could sleep. People were right when they said that we wouldn't get much sleep.

Our first week was made a little more exciting when we found out we needed to go back to the hospital on Friday, so Nathan could go under the bili lights. When we left the hospital on the Sunday after he was born, the pediatrician told us that Nathan's bilirubin was a little high and after a couple more visits to the pediatrician that week, the doctor decided he better go into the hospital overnight to bring his bilirubin levels down. My mom and aunt Debbie were visiting that day, and I was thankful they were there, because they were supportive and assured me that everything was going to be okay. We were stressed out because as new parents you want everything to be perfect, but we realized that in the scheme of things, this was not very critical and we knew Nathan would be just fine. We checked into the hospital on Friday evening and by the next morning his levels had come down enough that we were able to go home around noon on Saturday. After another night of not much sleep, we were happy to go home again, and we were thankful that Nathan was healthy and strong.

Nathan getting his first "tan"

Bringing Home Baby

Nathan had a lot of visitors in the hospital. It was awesome to have so many people come and see him, and it made the time in the hospital go by fast. We checked out of the hospital on Sunday in the early afternoon. It was so exciting to take our little guy home. We showed him his nursery and settled in for our first night together as a family. I wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought I might be with bringing home such a huge responsibility. It's crazy to think that Nathan is so dependent on me and Steve to care for his every need, but God somehow prepares us for this great responsibility and gave us the confidence to be comfortable with having a new life to take care of.

My Birth Story

My day started with going to work in the morning for a few hours. I hadn't slept well the night before and just couldn't seem to get comfortable that morning which had a few people at work convinced that I was going to go into labor soon. I had a Dr.'s appointment at 11:00. At that time I was dilated to 2 cm. I went back to work until lunch, then headed home. I was only home about an hour when I started feeling the contractions. I decided to page Steve to come home early. Even though the contractions weren't very consistent, I still didn't want to be alone. Steve got home around 4:00, and we decided to go on a walk around the neighborhood. It was nice to be out in the fresh air, and they say that walking helps to move things along when you're in labor. My mom decided that it might be better to get on a ferry and head over so she wouldn't risk missing the big event. She got to the house sometime around 7. I was so thankful to have her there, because Steve had come down with a cold and was really not feeling well at all. He ended up going upstairs and getting some rest, and my mom hung out with me, giving me back rubs, taking care of me, and telling me that yes, that is another contraction, you better start timing them. At about midnight, the contractions were coming pretty closes together, sometimes 2-3 minutes apart, so it put us all in a bit of a panic mode, hoping that we could get to the hospital fast. By the time, we got all checked into the hospital, the contractions did slow down a bit, and I was thankful to be there.

My birth experience at Swedish was wonderful. I was so thankful for an awesome L&D nurse and a great OB doctor and staff. I couldn't have asked for anything better. As you probably already read, yes, I did get the epidural and was so relieved to FINALLY get it. It took quite awhile for the anesthesiologist to arrive, so I had to breath through quite a few intense contractions. All I have to say is that epidurals are AMAZING. Not long after receiving the epidural, they checked me and said I was fully dilated and could start pushing at any time. I decided to "labor down" for about an hour. This allowed me to get a little bit of rest before I had to really push. After an hour of active pushing, Nathan made his way into this world. It puts tears in my eyes thinking about the moment that they placed Nathan on my chest. All I could think was how beautiful and perfect he was. What an awesome gift from God! I see Nathan as our little miracle and having him in our lives is an absolute joy. Steve and my mom were a great support to me through the whole process. I'm so thankful that they were both there by my side throughout the entire process. Steve and my mom made all the calls to friends and family to let them know about our little arrival. My dad was Nathan's first visitor. He got there shortly after Nathan was born while we were still in the delivery room.

Proud new Grandma Ollos

Proud new Grandpa Ollos

Joana went into labor around 3pm on Friday, and her contractions did not become consistent until midnight. We called the hospital to let them know we were on our way. We got into the birthing suite around 1am, and Joana started having really hard contractions. Her water broke around 3am, and she got an epidural around 4:30am. Nathan James came into this world at 6:37am. He was 8 pounds 4.8 ounces, and he was 21 inches long. The placenta was not as nasty as I thought.

Belly Shot - 38 Weeks

I thought that everyone might want to see an updated belly shot. Nathan is definitely getting bigger! An ultrasound two weeks ago estimated him to be 6 lbs. 11 oz. which is right around the 65%tile. I'm guessing he'll be somewhere between 8 and 9 pounds when he arrives. Let's just hope he doesn't decide to make a late appearance. We're counting down the days!

Steve and I went down to Alki today to take advantage of the beautiful weather while it is still here. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day to enjoy each other's company before our little one arrives. We walked Alki for awhile and enjoyed eating dinner outside on Duke's balcony, probably one of the last times we'll get to eat outside for awhile before fall arrives.

Nathan's Nursery

We finally did it! Nathan's room is done, thanks mostly to Steve's mom who painted the room while she was here on her two week visit and to my parents who worked long and hard to stain the dresser, chair rail, and shelves, and to help us get it all put together. I just love how everything turned out. Now all we need is for little Nathan to arrive! We can hardly wait!

Working hard to put the crib together

THE COMPLETED NURSERY:

Work Shower - 34 Weeks - August 19th

Everyone at work threw me a shower over our lunch break. It was a great shower, and I again felt so spoiled. Nathan got so many adorable clothes, blankets, and accessories. Nathan is going to be one well-dressed little guy. I can't wait for him to come! Linda made one of her fabulous cakes. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you to everyone at work for a wonderful shower!

Linda's famous cake

Adorable froggy hat that Jen made for Nathan

Quilt that Judy's mom made