Two Months Old...our little blessing

*update*
We went to the doctor's today and here are her 2 month stats: 

Head circumference: 15 inches

Length: 22 inches
Weight: 12.125 lbs

She's growing! She also got 5 shots today and 1 oral vaccine. I couldn't be more proud of my baby girl. She took the oral medicine very well, that the nurse was also surprised that she swallowed it so fast. She got 3 shots on her right thigh and 2 shots on her left thigh. Hearing her cry WAIL was the most heartbreaking sound I could hear. I think she handled today better than me and my mom! She only cried for a short time (also because I gave her a feeding RIGHT after!), and she is here resting in my mom's arms as I type. The doctor prescribed Tylenol to give her just in case she gets a fever or if she needs it to help with the pain. 

So proud of our little Sophie! 

Our Sophia Lee is now two months old! 

Wow...has it really been a whole month since I last blogged? It's crazy how fast time flies, yet still feels so stagnant when I think about the deployment (we are now officially at the halfway mark before Caleb gets home. It feels like an eternity!)

Sophie will be getting her two month shots tomorrow afternoon at the doctors. We are praying that she will be brave and hopefully not have any terrible reactions to them, but are expecting her to be a little cranky and fussy as we are sure her thighs will hurt and be a little sore =(  

We spent 2 weeks at my parents house over the holidays to soak up more time with family. Here's some photos from our stay there: 

Trying to get her to smile..."Sophie! It's your FIRST Christmas!"

There's that precious smile!

Merry Christmas! 

Opening some presents Christmas morning! 

Our family...just missing Caleb! 

My sis and brother-in-law. She is due in April and is having a baby boy

My Cousins 

Funny face =)

Second cousins! Sophie was tired of smiling by the end of the night! 

My cousins Linda and Cynthia 

Everyone had a chance to love on sweet Soph

Angel had a blast...as you can tell! Poor girl, she had to be on the gentle leader most of the night so that she wouldn't be so hyper and jump on everyone! 

And Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't say "hi" to dad! So grateful for technology! 

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Closing out the new year Face timing with dad. Our family had a pajama party at the house and we rang in the new year with yummy treats while watching Superman. And Sophie rang in the new year on my chest, snoozing away! 

Taking a nap with my baby while I could. She isn't the best napper, but these past several days, she has been awesome, sleeping throughout the whole day! 

I accidentally cut her nails too deep before we left to go to my parents and her little pinky was bleeding and she was crying because it hurt her so much. I felt so horrible so my dad decided to cut her nails more carefully while we were there! 

She loves smiling with Grandpa! He makes his funny noises and she loves hearing it! 

This was a sweet smile that was caught by my sister! She always smiles after she does a poopy, and she just finished a major one, thus the big sweet smile for mom to change her diaper! 

While I was at my parent's house, I looked through my baby pictures and couldn't believe how much Sophie resembles me as a baby! 

Sophie wanted to show off her beautiful ballet shoes that Aunt Julie got for her! We're on our way to our first party, which was a baby shower for a friend of ours. 

At the shower...she loves her Opa

The girls! 

This month has flown by so fast. Sophie can now laugh, smile, giggle, and coo back when you talk to her. She also learned how to smack her lips and I woke up to her smacking them this morning! She can now roll onto her side, follow you with her eyes, and she is trying so hard to suck her thumb! Not sure if I want her to start that habit though. She still hates the pacifier!  She loves being in the crib and especially loves looking up at the mobile, and loves it when we read her "Brown bear, Brown bear." She enjoys bath time in the mornings and walks with Angel around the neighborhood! =) 

She has been doing a lot better sleeping at night (praise God!). I got some great expert advice from my sister in laws, so thanks ladies! She is also napping a lot better during the day, so I am just super thankful for the progress. She is an absolute joy to me and I can't wait to have Caleb home so that he can experience all the things that I do with her! 

This was last night...our family of 4: The Gowans.

XOXO

One month

Happy One Month Sophia Lee Gowan! 

I can't believe it has been one month since sweet Sophia Lee was born. I still look at her in awe and can't believe the little miracle that she is!  I can say that I have learned so much about myself, motherhood, and this beautiful baby that God has blessed us with. The joys of mommy-hood is an emotional roller coaster for sure! No matter how many books I have read or how much advice has been thrown my way, I have learned that the best thing I can do is listen to my heart and pray that God is leading me on the right path to raise this precious baby. I have felt so much happiness seeing her sweet face daily, so much love for her that I can't describe, and so much joy in my heart, but have also felt feelings of self-doubt, frustration, anxiety, and being scared. Hearing her cry and not being able to soothe her even after trying everything the "books" advise you to do, not knowing if I'm feeding her enough or if she's getting enough from me, the frustration of not sleeping (that's no fun at all...my 10+ hours of sleep during pregnancy is now a distant memory...), and trying so hard to get her to sleep, but failing so many times has left me feeling those feelings. But, looking back at this past month, I wouldn't change anything for the world. I treasure each moment that I have with our baby and am so thankful that I am learning how to lean and depend on God each day & every moment as a new mom, just as my daughter depends on me.

I am also so thankful that I have such great In-Laws who were able to help out so much in the beginning  and for my family here in San Diego as they are helping me out while Caleb is gone. My mom has also been such a wonderful help, teaching me simple tricks like how to hold her in a more comfortable position when I cradle her, and being the extra pair of hands to hold her while I use the bathroom or take a shower! I love how God provides and I am so so so thankful for her. It's been a crazy roller coaster of a month, but I feel so blessed. Motherhood is truly a blessing, and I am so blessed that we have our sweet baby Sophia Lee!

I don't have her current stats, but here's what I know:

- Last Thursday at her weigh in, she was 8 lbs. 5 oz, 21.5 inches long. We will be doing another weigh in next week!
- She is very alert and is awake most of the time (NOT what I was expecting for a newborn..I thought they sleep all day!). We are still trying to figure out how to get her to sleep. So far, the best technique is in my mom's arms while she sings a lullaby! We have tried everything, from the miracle blanket, swaddling, white noise, swings, bouncers, leaving her in the crib to fall asleep by herself, but nothing seems to work better than being in Grandma's arms!
- She grunts and loves to stretch A LOT in her sleep
- She has a lot of control of her head movement. When she does tummy time, she can lift her head and peck, and also move her head from side to side
- She tracks sounds very well. When you talk to her, she will follow your voice with her eyes!
- She loves falling asleep with her right hand on her face
- Her sleep cycle usually lasts an hour, but has reached 4 hours once!
- She coos and hums while I feed her (best sound ever!)
- She has stolen the hearts of both me and her daddy!

Day 1: First 24 hours in this world!

Day 2: First time meeting daddy!

Day 6: Loving the car rides

Day 13: Being in Daddy's arms

Day 16: Ready to conquer the world

Day 17: Relaxing in her snugglebunny

Day 18: showing off The Gowan Furrowed brow! 

Day 19: First time in her stroller enjoying the outdoors

Day 20: Enjoying crib time

Day 21: Mommy's sleepy sweetheart

Day 23: Mommy and me time ~ Sophia

Day 25: Facetime with daddy (mommy is very tired...no sleep that night!)

Day 29: Fresh and clean from a bath

My heart and soul 

One month old: 

“Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ”

The birth story of Sophia Lee Gowan

What a month! We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and our greatest blessing is our little bundle of joy, Sophia Lee Gowan, born Tuesday, 11/12/2013 at 10:31 AM. I was in the hospital for 18 hours and had contractions starting 2 days before she arrived. Here is a glimpse into her journey into the world...

Caleb's parents came in the beginning of November to give me all the help I needed...what a blessing they were! They spoiled me (and Angel!) rotten! =) 

A couple days before she was born. "Sophie, are you in there?! We can't wait to meet you!"

My beautiful family. They came up on Sunday to give me some love and support as well. That night,  I was experiencing contractions every 10-14 minutes. Caleb was on the phone with me and was already coaching me through them. The pain was moderate and I was waking up every time I had one. 

40 weeks pregnant! (to be exact, I was 39 weeks and 6 days).  

I went to the doctor's that morning and he told me I was 4 cm dilated already. He also scraped my membranes to help the labor progress. We headed to the hospital several hours 

later when my contractions were about 6-7 minutes apart. 

We arrived at the hospital at 4:00 PM. They had a nurse check how far along I was and she informed us that I was only 2 cm dilated, not 4. Because I wasn't that far along, they were going to monitor me for an hour and have me walk around the hospital for another hour to see if that would help me dilate more. If not, I would be sent home. 

Walking around the hospital...I really didn't want to get sent home! I wanted this baby out! 

We went to the cafeteria to eat something (even though I couldn't eat anything because I had no appetite!). I was still experiencing contractions every 4-5 minutes as well. I had my phone with me so I could

 tell Caleb what was going on every step of the way and when he should Skype! 

When they rechecked me, I was at 3.5 cm, so they decided to admit me at 6:30 PM. We got one of the nicest suites in the hospital too =) I called Caleb and told him that it was happening and he should get on Skype! 

One of the worst pains ever, (besides a contraction) is getting an IV! This was the only time I cried during the whole labor experience. One of the nurses tried 2 times to get the IV in and failed, and it HURT. A LOT! I was in tears the whole entire time, but thankfully I had my dad's hand to hold and my husband's handsome face to look at. The third time they tried, it finally went in, but I was already a mess at that point! 

The sitting area in the room...That's my sister, my father-in-law, and my brother-in-law! 

At 12 midnight, the nurse checked how far along I was and I was only at 4 cm! The nurse asked if I wanted Pitocin to help speed up the contractions and hopefully it would help me dilate faster. After weighing our options, I decided to go ahead and get the Pitocin.

From midnight until 4:30 AM, I was in pain...contractions are NO JOKE! I had one every 3-4 minutes, and Caleb was coaching me throughout that time, telling me to breathe and encouraging me to get through it. It was the loooooong and tiring night for everyone...

At 4:30 am they checked me and I had only progressed 1 cm. I felt very defeated and tiiiirrrred! It was then that I decided to get an epidural to help me relax and rest so I could have enough energy and strength to push when I needed to...

...and it worked! I slept (as well as everyone else!) from 5-7 AM and progressed another 1 cm, pain free! When they checked me at 8 in the morning, I was at 9.5 cm!!! They had to break my water because it wasn't going to break on its own. When they did, I went back down to 8 cm, but was at 10 cm ready to push 15 minutes later.

I pushed for 40 minutes. 

And then this little miracle came.

No words can describe the immense joy of motherhood. 

Holding my beautiful Sophia Lee for the first time. 

Saying "HI" to dad via Skype. 

Opa holding his first granddaughter for the first time.

Grandma holding sweet Sophie! 

and Pho Pho holding her first granddaughter for the first time! 

and Grandpa holding baby Sophie! 

Two days later, Caleb was able to come back home and meet his daughter for the first time. The Gowan family has grown! 

Sophia Lee, we love you and are so happy you are a part of our family. 

"For this child I prayed; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him." - 1 Samuel 1:27

Full Term!!!

I am so excited that I am now considered "full term." My doctor doesn't believe that 37 weeks is full term though, he says that a pregnancy is full term once I reach 40 weeks, but at 37 weeks, if baby G were to be born, her lungs would be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. So, I am now in the "safe zone." Woo hoo!

Here's my 37 week update:

How far along:  37 weeks and 1 day 

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good! My legs are sore when I stand up for too long and I have some mild lower back pain and hip pain, but nothing too bad. Finally started feeling Braxton Hicks contractions where I feel my stomach tightening up, but it's not bad at all. 

Weight gain: 34 pounds! 

Sleep: It's harder for me to sleep at night now. I think a part of it is because Caleb isn't here, but I also have some insomnia so I don't feel sleepy til about 12-1am. 

Wedding Rings: Still OFF. I can't wait to wear it again. Hopefully all my swelling goes away right after birth and I can start wearing my ring!

Cravings: Nothing really. It's actually been hard for me to eat anything these days just because nothing really sounds good to me. My staples are yogurt, apples, chicken, and cereal =) 

Movement: Definitely can feel every inch of her now. It is actually kind of painful when she stretches and digs her heels into my ribs! But, I love feeling her moving inside of me and I know that it's going to be something that I will miss. 

Belly Button: I am an OUTIE! It looks really weird to me...I think it looks like a flower right now and you can definitely see it poking out when I wear my tank tops! 

Excited for: Baby girl to come! I am counting down the days til my "due date" and hopefully she doesn't make me wait too long after! 20 more days! I am also super excited that my In-Laws are coming to visit me for several weeks to help me and be there for the labor and birth of baby G. She will definitely feel loved by so many people! =)

Missing: Being able to tie my shoes, getting out of bed easily, my pre-pregnancy clothes and shoes (I can't even wear my fall boots!), and ice cream & sushi & coffee! She still doesn't like ice cream (makes me want to throw up), and I can't wait to eat sushi and drink some coffee in the morning! 

Exercise: Still doing Zumba 2 times a week and walking about 1.5 miles a day. 

Stretch Marks: None! Cocoa butter is still doing its job! 

How big is baby girl: I went to get an ultrasound at the hospital last week because one of the doctors thought my stomach looked kind of "small." They took some measurements of baby G and today at my appointment, they said that they predict her to be 6 lbs right now! Which means that they are predicting that she will be a 7.5 lbs baby! Let's see if they are right =)

Feeling: Excited and anxious. So many of my friends just had babies this past week and I can't wait to meet mine and hold her in my arms. Anxious about the labor and birth, but talking to my doula and meeting with her often has been helping me prepare for the big event. Missing Caleb and wishing that he could be here, but happy to know that he will be coming back once our baby is born! 

Here's a picture of a stomach comparison of me at 7, 27, and 37 weeks! Holy moly! 

Still have to finish packing my hospital bag. I have the diaper bag pretty much packed and ready to go. I have my first small group/bible study tomorrow morning at 10am so I'm excited about that and hopefully, I'll be able to meet some more people and connect with them from the church. Tomorrow evening, Angel will have her first playdate with a couple that I met at the dog park last Sunday, so I know that she will be happy to play with a friend and not just 'mom.' 

I pretty much talk to Caleb every day, but the time difference sucks. I will call him to wake him up at 5am his time (1pm my time), and he will call me when he gets off work which is about 4-5am my time (8-9pm his time). One of us is always sleepy, but I'm happy to always hear his voice. 

Hope everyone is having a good week and happy hump day today!

XOXO,
Nancy

Deployment #3

I can't believe how fast this deployment has come. This will be our 3rd deployment and I'm starting to feel like quite the veteran, but no matter how many times he leaves, it is always so hard to say good-bye. We went on base last night to say our good-byes, and here are some pictures I'd like to share:

All the stuff that needed to be packed! Took us a several hours to do it but we finally managed to fit it all in his two sea bags! 

Finished! 

Yesterday was actually pretty cool outside, so we took advantage of it and cuddled by our fireplace. It also rained (surprisingly hard), and we enjoyed a quick date at Starbucks drinking some pumpkin spiced lattes! 

He surprised me with a bouquet of flowers...

...and made me another worship CD that I will be listening to in the car.

Saying good-bye to daddy... =( 

Saying our final good-byes. 

I'm praying and hoping that nothing will prevent him from coming back for a couple weeks after baby G is born. So far, it doesn't look like there should be anything in the way, so I'm hoping for the best! It would mean so much to me for us to have a little family time together once baby G makes her debut! 

As far as baby G goes, I am 35 weeks and will have another doctor's appointment on Monday for my 36 week check-up. The doctor that I saw last Monday was a little concerned that my bump looked kind of "small," so she has referred me to get an ultrasound at the hospital so they can do some measurements of the baby and see how big she is. Baby G is still head down, and her heart beat is strong, and she told me that there are lots of fluids around her, which means it's good! She is moving a lot, and stretching, and I just can't wait to meet her. My to-do list this week is to finish packing my hospital and diaper bag and getting ready for our little princess =) 

I'll definitely try to blog more often now that I have some time on my hands! Other than that, I will be working on stretches that my doula has recommended me to do to help with my labor, my pre-natal Yoga, Zumba, and lots of walking (even though I can't walk more than 5 minutes without having to use the bathroom!).

Love you all,

Nancy