Charlie Cole

2 year update

2011-12-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

We took Charlie in for his 2 year well check-up today and the results were great! Our growing boy now weighs 31 lbs (76th percentile) and is measuring at 37 inches long (94th percentile). He continues to surprise us everyday with how much he is learning. He sings the ABC's and many other songs by himself, and can almost count to 20 now by himself. Charlie repeats almost every word we say (even when it is muttered under our breath) so his hearing must be good. Trucks, tractors, and Thomas the Train continue to be some of his favorite things. Each morning begins with with a request for "Choo-Choo" while he eats his oatmeal and banana. We have recently switched day-care providers and Charlie adjusted extremely well. With only 4 kids (including Charlie), he gets lots of attention!

I have realized that I'm not much of a "blogger", so this will likely be my last post, but feel free to check out our website on Shutterfly for new pictures and quick updates: http://brianemilyandcharlie.shutterfly.com/

Happy New Year!

18 months and beyond

2011-09-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

This summer has just flown by! We have been so busy, I forgot to post Charlie's 18 month update (2 months ago, oops)! He is a healthy little boy, weighing in at 27 lbs (57th percentile) and 34 inches long (85th percentile). Charlie is 20 months old today, so those numbers have probably changed a bit since then. Charlie continues to be our sweet boy, but has defintely developed an attitude at times. He knows what he wants and doesn't want! He loves playing outside and exploring everything that he can. I don't know what we are going to do this winter when we can't be outside every day. It's funny how the most random things can keep him entertained for so long!

Here are some random pictures from the summer. I took the pictures of him eating corn on the cob last night, which is probably one of his favorite foods. Brian and I were laughing histerically at how he was chomping away at it (copying Daddy of course), and continuing to ask for more.

Uncle Brent teaching Charlie "knucks"

Daddy throwing Charlie in the air (he got some good height on this one!)

throwing rocks into the lake at Bill Maney's cabin

4th of July weekend

2011-07-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend at the cabin! I still can't believe how perfect the weather was! Clear blue skys and warm every single day.....which rarely happens when we are up there! Saying that Charlie loved it up there is a huge understatement. Charlie was able to spend some time with his cousins, Chloe and Carter, as well as his auties, Ma, and Papa. Charlie can say everyone's name pretty clearly, but is still struggling with "Carter" a bit. It's so fun to see Carter and Charlie interact now that Charlie is a little older. Charlie kept busy playing in the sand, floating with mommy on the air mattress, splashing around in the water, and going for pontoon rides. Brian entertained the boys for a while with throwing rocks into the lake, which they loved, especially Charlie who would say excitingly, "Ooo, rocks" after every toss. We don't have the nicest cabin, but our beach and lake couldn't be more perfect....especially for kids. Luckily, we didn't have to spend much time in the cabin this year!

Ready for football

2011-06-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Southwest Minnesota State is recruiting early! Here's Charlie sporting his SMSU t-shirt from the alumni association.

Memorial Weekend

2011-05-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Memorial weekend opening up the cabin with my family. The weather wasn't great, but that didn't stop Charlie for exploring every inch of the place. He is going to love it up there this summer! He even walked right into the lake with his shoes on. We are excited to head back up over the 4th when the weather is nicer.

Fun with cousins

2011-05-02T07:20:00.001-07:00

We headed down to Mankato on Saturday for Carter's 3rd birthday party. I can't believe my nephew is 3 already! Charlie had a blast playing with his cousin! They played on the swingset, Carter took him for a ride in his tractor (the highlight of his day), and he even got to hold his cousin Chloe! It seemed like just yesterday when he was that little. He also got to spend some quality time with Ma and Papa, which they thoroughly enjoyed. We look forward to heading back down this coming weekend for Aunt Becca's graduation party.

Here are just a few pics from the weekend, more on facebook.

Charlie and "Ma"

Charlie admiring his cousin Chloe

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T07:24:00.001-07:00

Charlie had a nice Easter playing at Great Grandma's with the Simon side. The highlight of his day was the dancing/singing Easter bunny! We listened to that over and over! Charlie took a nice long nap during the Easter egg hunt, so we'll have to wait until next year for that. Here are a few pics from the day.

Charlie and Grandma

Charlie and daddy in their matching shirts

15 months and walking

2011-04-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I've posted! Time just gets away from me. Charlie turned 15 months on April 2nd and officially started walking the next day. It's so crazy to see him walk.....I'm still getting used to it. He's getting into everything at this age. Some of his favorite things are mom's jewelry, mom's hair straightener, anything with a switch or button to push, BOOKS (specifically the recordable books from Grandma Dee and Great Grandpa & Grandma Keepers.....we've been hearing your voices a LOT lately!), going up/down stairs, being outside or in the garage with dad, and basically making a mess. He is starting to talk more too.....mama, dada, baby, car, ball, hi, bye, see ya (comes out e-ya), kiki (blankie). When we ask him to say truck, he makes an engine sound instead. So cute.

At 15 months, Charlie has already had 4 ear infections and what seems like one continuous cold/cough/runny nose. I'm SO ready for that to be done! His weight has stayed the same from his 12 month checkup, 25 lbs, and now has dropped to the 46th percentile for weight. Keeps getting taller though.... 31 inches....94th percentile.

We're looking forward to summer approaching!!

YAY, I'm finally walking!

Charlie could do this all day long.

I LOVE making a mess when mommy's not looking!

Being silly

New pics

2011-02-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

Meeting Chloe

2011-01-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

We finally met Charlie's new cousin, Chloe Ann Fischer this weekend. She is a perfect little peanut! Charlie kept wanting to touch her, but doesn't quite understand the word "gentle" yet, so we kept her pretty guarded. Charlie has been a busy boy lately! He walks around the house (using his walker) every chance he gets. He's recognizing lots of words and repeating certain words and sounds. He loves books and tends to throw them at us when he wants to be read to. We are excited to see what his second year will bring!

Happy Birthday Charlie!

2011-01-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe my baby turned one yesterday. We had a little party for Charlie on New Year's Day with Grandma & Grandpa Simon, Uncle Brent and "Auntie" Linda. Unfortunately, my family wasn't able to make it due to the weather and road conditions, but my parents drove up the next morning to see Charlie on his special day.

We had Charlie's 12 month check-up today and it seems like he is right on track. He's weighing it at only 25 pounds (75th percentile), which we were a little surprised about, but given the fact that he's been more active the last few months, it makes sense. He has definitely gotten taller at 33 inches long (99th percentile).

Charlie is crawling all over the place and pulling himself up on things more often now. He's showing more interest in walking now too. He loves to bang things together and throw things....such a boy! He loves tractors and trucks and he makes this cute engine sound (that daddy taught him) when he plays with them. He can be an aggressive little boy, so he's had to learn the word "gentle".

Charlie has become quite the daddy's boy! If given the choice, he will go to dad every time, but I know he loves mom too. He is such a cuddler and is always giving us hugs. He loves his daycare provider too and sometimes cries when I pick him up....that is the worst. :(

Charlie is still an excellent sleeper. He never makes a sound when we lay him down for naps or bedtime, so he knows his routine and appreciates it (and so do we). Charlie is eating everything we eat now and is showing no signs of being as picky as his dad. I just hope he stays that way! I'm so happy to be done with bottles and formula!

We are so blessed to have such a happy, healthy baby. We can't imagine life without him.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

Charlie had a wonderful first Christmas filled with lots of gifts, attention, and love from family. He wasn't too interested in opening presents, but enjoyed playing with the paper and bows! Here are just a few pics from the weekend:

Carter and Charlie

Looks like such a big boy in his sweater vest!

Opening gifts

Charlie was not interested in wearing the santa hat

So much to be thankful for.....

2010-11-28T18:35:00.000-08:00

We are thankful for so much this Thanksgiving, especially our precious Charlie, who has brought more joy to our lives than we could have ever imagined. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Charlie sitting in Carter's big boy chair!

My first Halloween

2010-10-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Cutest little Dalmatian puppy I've ever seen!

Fall pictures

2010-10-28T15:11:00.001-07:00

9 months old

2010-10-02T07:29:00.001-07:00

I can't believe Charlie is 9 months old today. Time has just flown by. He had his 9 month check-up yesterday. He's weighing in at 24 pounds (91%), height is 29 inches (69%) and head size is 83%. The nurse kept commenting on how big his legs were! Charlie had to have his flu shot and did surprisingly well....smiling 10 seconds after it was over! We were surprised to find out that Charlie has an ear infection. He really hasn't been that fussy (other than due to the cold/cough he has had for over 2 weeks). So hopefully the antibiotics will take care of it soon. He's sleeping great, about 11 hours a night and still takes 2 good naps a day. We are noticing a few more teeth coming in, so that's exciting. No news on crawling yet, but we are expecting something to happen soon....he wants to move around so bad! We've been experimenting with some table foods, so that has been scary and exciting all at the same time. Charlie loves to feed himself and does really well with all types of food (I'm hoping he won't be as picky as his daddy).

Anyway, we are off to SMSU Homecoming in Marshall today. We're looking forward to seeing our college friends again. Charlie is excited to go to Grandpa and Grandma Simon's for the weekend! Here are just a few recent pics of Charlie:

Charlie excited about the SMSU football game

Charlie and daddy reading together

Colleen's wedding

2010-09-06T10:05:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun time at my cousin Colleen's wedding this weekend in Mankato. Charlie came with us for the weekend, but stayed with my aunt Margaret, who also lives in Mankato, during the wedding and overnight so that mom and dad could have a little break. This was the first time someone other than his grandparents have watched him, but it went great! Margaret couldn't stop saying how good he was for her! He even came down with a little cold over the weekend, but was still as happy as ever. Below are some pics from the day:

A little photo shoot at my parent's house before the wedding

Our whole family, minus Charlie :( I will have to photoshop him in.

August 27-29

2010-09-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

I finally have a little time to post about last weekend. We spent our final weekend at the lake with Brian's family (Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Brent and "Auntie" Linda) on Lake Osakis (just 40 miles from our house). Brian's boss, Bill Maney, has been kind enough to let us use his beautiful new cabin several times this summer, so we took him up on it on for the final weekend of the summer. The cabin is small, but SO nice, perfect for the 7 of us. Unfortunately, the lake is really weedy (doesn't compare to Lake Belle Taine), and since it's a huge lake, no beach and lots of rocks. But....it was perfect for a short weekend and we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather! We took Bill's pontoon out for most of the day and sat by the campfire at night. For my birthday dinner, we went to the Walleye Lodge, just a few miles down the road. Yum!

Charlie turned 8 months old yesterday! I can't believe how big he is! His first tooth popped through this week, which we were expecting. No signs of crawling yet. He loves to just sit and play. Sleeps about 11 hours straight at night. We are so lucky to have such a good little boy.

We are looking forward to my cousin Colleen's wedding tomorrow in Mankato. Will post again soon.

Driving the pontoon with daddy

Dinner at the Walleye Lodge

My 30th birthday

2010-08-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

I celebrated by big 30th birthday on Friday with my family at our cabin. The weather wasn't the best, but we still had a nice weekend together. Charlie and his cousin Carter had a great time playing! Carter can't say "Charlie" yet, so he calls him "Baby Cha-Cha". They are so cute! Can't think of a better way to have spent my 30th birthday than with Charlie and the rest of my family!

Family weekend at the lake

2010-08-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Each year, Grandma Shirley's side of the family rents a cabin on Pelican Lake in St. Anna (small town just 5 miles from our house). It works out great for us to spend time there during the day, and then go home to sleep each night. Charlie was the center of attention all weekend and he loved every minute of it!

4th of July and 6 month update

2010-07-08T07:00:00.001-07:00

We had a fun and relaxing weekend at the cabin with my family over the 4th of July. Charlie went in the lake for the first time and he did great! Not quite as warm as the bath water he's used to, but he still had fun.

Charlie was officially 6 months old on July 2nd, and we had his well-check visit yesterday. He's weighing it at 22 lbs (97th percentile), 28 inches (90th percentile), and 90% for head circumference. He's continues to grow so fast and amazes us every day. Here are some 6 month updates:
- Charlie can pretty much sit up by himself (still needs a little support)
- Started rolling over a few weeks ago, but only tummy to back. He HATES being on his tummy, so he will roll to his back immediately, and then will just hang out.
- Started eating baby food at about 4 months, and at this point has tried everything and is loving pretty much everything (still having to dilute the veggies with rice cereal).
- Talks alot, especially in the morning!
- Such a happy baby. People comment all the time about how smiley he is!
- Sleeping from about 7:30pm- 5:30am, which is great! Can't seem to make it to 6:30 though, which would be heaven for mom and dad! He is such a good napper too, rarely cries or fusses when we put him down.
- Grabbing everything is sight, especially loves to pull mommy's hair and grab people's faces
- No teeth yet, but we think they will be coming soon! Drools a lot and puts everything in his mouth.
- He is very aware of his surroundings. Loves to look around and responds quickly to voices.
Here are some pictures from the 4th:

Carter giving his cousin kisses

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

We spent Brian's first Father's Day with the Simon's on Sunday. Charlie got TONS of attention and fell asleep moments after we put him in the car seat to head home. It was a fun and relaxing weekend.

1st trip to the cabin

2010-05-31T17:58:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial weekend opening up the cabin with my family. Charlie sat in his stroller and watched everyone work. He LOVES the outdoors, just like his daddy. Even though the weather was perfect on Saturday, the water was a little too cold for swimming, but will hopefully get to go in over the 4th of July.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Charlie surprised mommy on her 1st Mother's Day with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, with some help from daddy of course! We spent the day at Grandma and Grandpa Simon's, where Charlie was the center of attention, as usual. Below are a few pictures from the day.

Charlie is 4 months old!

2010-05-03T14:41:00.001-07:00

Charlie was 4 months on Sunday. I can't believe how fast the time has gone and how much he's grown. Brian took Charlie to his 4 month well checkup today. He currently weighs 18 lbs, 9 oz and measures at 27 inches long (95th percentile for both). I wasn't surprised! We have a big boy on our hands!

Charlie has been such a good baby! Smiling and cooing constantly! He's been following a specific eating and sleeping schedule lately, which has been so nice for us. He is still waking up once in the middle of the night to eat, but we feed him and he goes right back down.
Here's a recent picture of Charlie is his jumper:

Charlie's baptism

2010-04-26T09:08:00.001-07:00

Charlie was baptized on Sunday at St. Benedict's Church in Avon. We were happy to have Father Blane do the baptism, the same priest that married us almost 6 years ago. Charlie was such a good boy! He cried a little when immersed in the water, but other than that, he was content the rest of the time.

Charlie wore Brian's baptismal gown

Charlie's Godparents- Bill and Laura Fischer, Brent Simon

Charlie's grandparents

Charlie was the centerpiece at the table!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Charlie had a busy 1st Easter! We left for Mankato Friday night to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Rengstorf, Auntie Becca, Auntie Laura, Uncle Bill, and Cousin Carter. Below is a picture of Carter and Charlie together. Carter can't wait for Charlie to get a little bigger so that they can play together. I can't believe my little nephew will be 2 at the end of the month! I just can't imagine Charlie getting that big, but I'm sure it will happen before we know it.

We spent Saturday with some of my extended family and then headed back home to Albany on Saturday night. On Sunday, the 3 of us went to church and then went to Brian's grandparents house in Richmond for Easter. Charlie got to spend some time with Grandpa and Grandma Simon and many other relatives that Charlie hadn't met yet, so that was fun.

It was a big weekend for Charlie! I think it was a lot for him getting passed from person to person all weekend; he was so exhausted, he slept from 8-3 last night!! That is the longest he has ever slept. I'm hoping that he's finally turning a corner with his sleeping habits.

It was hard sending him off to daycare today. I think we both could've used one more day at home.

Girls Fun Adventure

2010-03-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

Desperately needing a girls getaway, my 3 girlfriends and I went on a Girls Fun Adventure this past weekend. We boarded the charter bus at 7:30am on Saturday morning in St Cloud, not knowing where we would be going or what we would be doing. We ended up traveling throughout the Twin Cities to several exciting destinations.

Here's a summary of the weekend:
First, a visit to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, a tour of the Wabasha Street Caves, lunch at Jersey's bar & grill, took a ride on the new Northstar commuter train, wine tasting at Winehaven Winery, toured the Franconia Sculpture Park, saw dueling pianos at the Shout House, ate supper at Gasthof's- a famous German restaurant with music and dancing, relaxed in the hot tub at our hotel, toured the Guthrie Theater, went shopping at Fun Sisters Boutique, had an amazing lunch/brunch buffet at the Roated Pear, and lastly, we saw a play at the Old Log Theater called "Dixie Swim Club".

We returned to St. Cloud at 6:00 on Sunday night. We had an AMAZING time. It was SO much fun! I would highly recommend it to anyone who just needs to get away. I'm not a planner, so it was really nice having someone else arrange everything. Plus, not knowing where we would end up was really exciting! Check out the GFA website: http://www.girls-fun-adventures.com/

Thanks Jill, Amanda, and Sharon for a fun-filled weekend! I needed that!

A few of my favorites

2010-03-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

I posted the link to my Snapfish photos a few days ago, but I just realized that they want you to sign in or create an account to view them, so I'm posting a few of my favorites. A friend of ours who does professional photography came to our home and took these pictures. It's amazing how much he has already changed just since these pictures were taken a month ago! I will post more on facebook since it only lets me upload 5 on here.

Charlie's 2 month pictures

2010-03-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

New pictures

2010-03-20T10:18:00.001-07:00

Charlie loves bathtime!

Charlie's first walk outside

Daddy making Charlie smile

Is he sleeping through the night yet?

2010-03-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

That seems to be the popular question I get asked these days, and the answer is no, not even close. And if one more person tells me that their baby started sleeping through the night at 2 months, I think I'm going to scream (I got 3 hours of sleep last night, so yes, I'm a little crabby). We work SO HARD to keep Charlie awake until 8:00 so that he sleeps for a longer period of time. Before we put him down, he eats a bowl of rice cereal and 4-6 oz of formula, falls asleep until around midnight....sounds good so far, right? Then he's up around 2:30, again at 4:00, and then again at 5:30. I find him grunting and snarling in his crib, both fists in his mouth, acting like he hasn't had anything to eat in a week. I was hoping that the rice cereal would help, but on the nights that we don't give him any, the same thing happens. Unfortunately, he can't stand the nuk, so that's not an option either. I wonder sometimes if we should just stop trying so hard to figure him out and just let this stage pass, because eventually, he will start sleeping more, I know that, and every baby is different, I know that too. It just can't happen soon enough for me.

2-month well-baby check

2010-03-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Charlie was 2 months old yesterday! I can't believe how fast that time has gone. Since I just went back to work, Brian took Charlie to his 2 month appointment today. Brian said that he just screamed during the shots, so I'm glad I wasn't there to see that. My poor little man. He's getting so big! Weighing in at 14 pounds (90% percentile and has almost doubled his weight since he came home from the hospital), his head circumference is in the 50th percentile, and his length (22 1/2 inches) is in the 50th percentile.

Charlie is doing great at daycare and the transition back to work has been going well. I can't wait to see him at the end of the day! He smiles so much now....just makes my heart melt.

Back to work

2010-03-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day back to work after 8 weeks at home and Charlie's first day of daycare. He's going to an home daycare in Albany, just a few miles down the road from us. His daycare provider, Kelly, is young, fun, and energetic. We don't know her personally, but are very comfortable with her. She has 6 kids (including Charlie). I can't imagine doing what she does everyday! As hard as it was to say goodbye to Charlie this morning, I could never be a stay-at-home mom. It will be nice to get back into a routine again and get out of the house everyday. The plan is for Brian to drop Charlie off and for me to pick him up each day (I get the fun part). :) I'm sure everything will be fine, it will just take a little time to adjust. I think that the time I spend with him now will be even more special.

Smilin'

2010-02-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

Bring on the rice cereal!

2010-02-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

As I've said in previous postings, Charlie eats constantly. At just 7 weeks old, he's eating 4-6 oz of formula every 2 hours, and sometimes that isn't even enough. When he does eat, he attacks the bottle like he hasn't had anything to eat in days. The nights are tough on us because he's waking up every 2 hours to eat. I called his doctor yesterday and she said that he should be sleeping more at this point. She suggested giving him rice cereal at bedtime to see if it will help sustain him. The little porker gobbled up a small bowl of the cereal last night and didn't even spit it out! He loves it! After that, he slept for 5 hours straight! Not sure if it was the rice cereal or the fact that he had been up for 6 hours before that, or maybe a combination of both, but we were definitely happy! Next up, steak and potatoes for this kid! :)

P.S.- Charlie's gas buildup has greatly decreased since we started the acid reflux medication.

Diabetes update

2010-02-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 20 weeks pregnant. I was told that because of my extremely high blood sugars, this would be a lifelong disease and would not go away after pregnancy.

After delivery, I had reason to believe that the diabetes had cleared up. During my entire stay at the hospital, my blood sugar had stabilized, and my body did not require any insulin for the first time in months. When I was discharged from the hospital, my endocrinologist said at that point that the diabetes appeared to be gestational, but to still continue checking my blood sugar 4 times per day just to be sure since it's normal for the body to require little or no insulin after delivery. My blood sugar remained stable for a few weeks, but has recently been creeping up again, requiring me to take a small amount of insulin at meals (not nearly the amount I was taking during pregnancy). I had some blood work done and met with my doctor yesterday to discuss the results.

My doctor said that it appears that I have "slow-evolving Type 1 diabetes", which means that at this point, my pancreas is partially working and my body is requiring very little insulin, but over time, my pancreas will stop working completely and I will be a true Type 1 diabetic. This news was not shocking to me, as they had prepared me for this during pregnancy. But a small part of me still had my hopes up that this disease would disappear. They still believe that this was not brought on by pregnancy.

What does this mean for me? I have to check my blood sugar 4 times a day (before each meal and at bedtime) and follow an insulin-to-carb scale. That means that for every 15 carbs I eat, I have to take a specific amount of insulin. More or less depending on how high or low my blood sugar is. This will require me to give myself a shot about 4 times a day. Now that I've become accustomed to the diabetes, this is much less terrifying than it was before (especially now that Charlie is here and is healthy), but now I need to find the time to manage it, which is not easy with a newborn. I will have to start really watching what I eat again, which is probably a good thing anyway. :)

Many people ask me, what can't you eat? The answer is that I can eat whatever I want, in moderation, and I just have to count carbs everytime I eat something so that I know how much insulin to take. Of course, I need to stay away from high sugary things that won't sustain me, such as candy, juices, and pop. Basically, I just need to make the right choices. I could have a glass of orange juice, but that is all I could have since it's high in sugar/carbs, and obviously I wouldn't want just orange juice for breakfast since it wouldn't sustain me. Make sense?

What does all this mean for Charlie? Type 1 diabetes is not genetic, but it is familial, so there is a chance that he would develop this over time, but a VERY small chance. What a relief. Speaking of Charlie, a quick update. After switching formula 3 times, he is still very gassy and fussy. We saw his doctor again yesterday and she has put him on some acid reflux medication. Let's pray that this works....I hate seeing my baby in pain! Let's also pray that this helps him sleep for longer periods of time! He wants to eat constantly and it doesn't seem like the formula is sustaining him for very long periods of time. The little porker weighed in at 12 lbs, 6 oz yesterday, which is almost a pound a week weight gain since birth! I hate to keep feeding him so much, but he is his father's son! Otherwise, Charlie is doing great. I enjoy him more and more each day. It's hard to believe that I'll be going back to work in a few weeks already. He's smiling more and becoming more aware of his surroundings, so that's fun to watch. He has brought such joy to our lives.

Busy weekend

2010-02-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

Carter and Charlie meeting for the first time

The 3 of us at the baby shower

Getting ready to leave for the weekend

What a busy weekend we had! On Saturday, Charlie and I had our baby shower in Mankato, hosted by my aunts. We received so many nice gifts! Thanks to all who were there and to my aunts for such a nice shower! Charlie and my nephew Carter (almost 2 now) met for the first time. It was so cute watching them! I took so many good pictures. On Sunday we visited our friends Tim and Angie and their little boy Lincoln who was born a week before Charlie. It was good to talk to Angie who has had very similar experiences along the way! We also visited our friends Joe and Krystal, so it was a busy day! It was nice to get out of the house for the weekend and spend time with family and friends.

Since we recently sold my car, we also bought a new vehicle on Saturday! It's a 2007 black Ford Edge (mid-size SUV). I LOVE it!

New pictures

2010-02-03T07:39:00.001-08:00

Visit to the doc

2010-01-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

Brian left Thursday night for his annual ice fishing trip with the guys, so my mom came to help me with Charlie for the weekend. I've been a little concerned about Charlie's grunting recently. It's not just a little grunting here and there, it's all the time, even in his sleep. He's also been extremely fussy. Since we've never done this before, we just assumed that all babies were this way. But it's gotten much worse and while my mom was here, she pointed out how hard his tummy was too, and encouraged me to get him in to get checked. So yesterday we took him to the doctor. Charlie had an x-ray of his tummy and sure enough, his belly is completely full of gas. The doctor told us to switch to a more gentle formula, so we're going to give it a few days and hopefully it improves. Charlie was weighed again at the doctor....he now weighs 11 pounds! I was shocked that he gained almost 2 pounds in 11 days. He is a growing boy!

It's been so nice to have my mom here all weekend. She has been such a huge help. Brian is having a good time, but misses his little guy! We look forward to having daddy home again on Monday afternoon.

First night out

2010-01-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

I've been going a little stir crazy in the house over the past week and REALLY needed a night out, so Brian and I dropped off little Charlie at Grandma and Grandpa Simon's last night so the two of us could go out to dinner. It was wonderful!! It felt so good to get out of the house and get a sense of normalcy back. I didn't have to think about changing, feeding, burping, or pumping for 2 whole hours, and besides, I don't think Grandpa and Grandma minded too much. :) Charlie was a good little boy while we were gone, and even got a sponge bath from Grandma. Thanks Jill for the advice, you were right!

2 week appointment

2010-01-20T09:01:00.001-08:00

Charlie had his 2 week follow-up appointment yesterday. Our boy sure is growing! When we left the hospital, he weighed 7 lbs, 3 oz, and yesterday (2 weeks later), he's weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs, 2 oz!! His cheeks are really starting to fill out now and he changes a little each day. I find myself wondering what he will look like in 2 months. Charlie takes after his dad for height, he's now almost 22 inches long (80th percentile). We feel so lucky that he received a clean bill of health, as we learned that at birth, his Apgar score was a 2 (most babies get a 6 or 8).

I know I should be enjoying this stage, but I am constantly wishing he was older, mostly because the nights are SO long. Since Brian is working, I try to do most of the night routine by myself. People told me it would be hard, but I didn't realize it would be THIS hard! I've learned that nothing can prepare you for the sleepless nights and endless routines. I will be much happier when Charlie is sleeping through the night (or at least 5-6 hours at a time). It's fun to listen to all his crazy noises and sounds. Brian and I have many animal nicknames for him already.

Thanks for reading!

Bad blogger

2010-01-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a while- life is busy when you're a new mom! This is my first time on the internet since Monday! Charlie is definitely his father's son....he eats constantly...up to 4 ounces per feeding already. He's continues to change a little more each day. Brian went back to work this week, so it's been a little more difficult for me around here. I count down the hours until Brian gets home! I don't know what I'd do without his help in the evenings and weekends. My incision from the c-section is healing nicely, but I still have to remind myself to take it easy and rest when I can.

Charlie has his 2-week appointment on Tuesday, so I'll try to post with an update on how he's doing next week.

Feeling better

2010-01-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

After 6 days of being home, I'm feeling much better. Charlie is doing great and I enjoy each minute with him. I can't believe he's over a week old already. Brian has been an amazing help. He's such a great dad! We share in the responsibilities equally, so that's been nice.

Thanks to all of the visitors who have brought food and gifts! It's nice not to have to think about cooking for a while.

Although being a mom is challenging, it is also SO rewarding! I can't imagine life without Charlie. He's such a blessing to us. I look forward to watching him grow.

We're finally home!

2010-01-06T16:57:00.000-08:00

It was so nice to come home yesterday after spending 6 days in the hospital, but I don't think we were prepared for this! Caring for an infant is much more difficult and time consuming than I thought it would be. The days just fly by. I thought I would have more time for the internet and phone, but between napping, changing, and feeding, my day is shot! Charlie is doing well. He's a little underweight and has slight jaundice, but overall a healthy little boy. It has been such an emotional time for me- I realize now how much patience it requires to be a new mom! I am SO overwhlemed. For those of you thinking of visiting this weekend, we'd like to keep the visits short. We are still adjusting to being home.

I'd like to write more, but Charlie just went down for a nap, and since I've had 2 hours of sleep in the last 24 hours, I'm going to try and nap too. Here a just a few pictures of Charlie. More on facebook.

It's a boy!

2010-01-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Charlie Cole Simon was born on January 2nd at 3:46am! He weighs 7 lbs, 12oz and is 20.5 inches long. He has dark brown hair and looks like his mommy!

Our birth story:
I went in for my 40 week appt on Thursday morning and was diagnosed with pregnancy induced hypertension, so my doctor wanted to induce me the same day. We headed over to the St. Cloud Hospital at noon and by 2:00, I was given pitocin to start the induction process. Unfortunately, by 10:00pm, I wasn't making enough progress, so they turned it way down and advised us to get some sleep and they would try again in the morning. At 10:00am the next morning, I was given a cervical softening pill, and by 3:00, I was having contractions, and then at 6:00, my water broke on it's own. That's when the contractions started getting really intense and I was in active labor. I waited about 2 hours before getting the epidural. After the epidural came, life was much better! By 12:30am, I was 10 centimeters and began pushing. I pushed for 2.5 hours with no luck. The doctor said I was doing everything right, but the baby just would not come out! The doctor gave me the option to push for another 30 minutes, but told me I only had about a 10% chance of getting him out naturally. After a lot of pain, anger, and tears, I authorized the c-section. It was extremely difficult to do so given what I had already been through, but it was the only option. After the surgery, I was really out of it, so I didn't get to enjoy his birth the way I had planned.

At about 6:00am, we had a little scare. Charlie stopped breathing while I was nursing him. The nurses rushed him off to the NICU to get checked out. I didn't realize that this had happened right after he was born too, so they wanted to keep him in the NICU to be monitored. He is officially getting released this morning! We are so thrilled! It's been such a difficult 24 hours.

As for me, I'm doing ok. I am moving around a little more today and they say my incision is looking good. The healing process is going to be long and painful, but I will make it through with Brian's help. The nurses and doctors have been excellent! I should be released on Tuesday. I can't believe we've already been here 4 days! It will be good to get home with our little boy.

As for Charlie, we are so in love! We think he is just the most perfect thing we've ever seen and thank God each second for bringing him into our lives. I will try to post pictures when we get home on Tuesday.

Last belly pictures

2009-12-28T18:00:00.002-08:00

39 weeks, 3 days

2009-12-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

Nothing new to report. My doctor is out on vacation until Wednesday, so I saw a nurse midwife today, and she can't make any decisions without the approval of my doctor. Still dialated about 3 centimeters. She was going to strip the membranes today in hopes of getting things to move along, but apparently my muscles are too strong and she couldn't reach the internal cervix (sorry if that's TMI). I was pretty dissapointed. I'm getting about 4 hours of sleep at night now, which is causing my emotions to run high. At this point, I'm beyond miserable. I cried throughout my entire appointment today. Last night, I felt some small contractions, which got my hopes up, but this morning, nothing. Since I don't see my doctor until Thursday morning for my 40 week appt, the nurse midwife is going to try to get in touch with her this week about scheduling an induction, so I hope to hear something soon.

Everyone keeps telling me to rest, since I'll need my energy for labor, but it's hard to do when you can't sleep. The swelling has gotten so bad that it feels like my whole body is bruised. My hands are numb most of the night (and day) and I have carpal tunnel in my wrists. There's more, but I'll stop feeling sorry for myself now. You caught me on a bad day. :(

I know that this will all be worth it once the baby is born, I know that it won't be much longer, and I know that I should be thinking positively, but that doesn't make the waiting any easier.

I'll update again on Thursday afternoon. My last day of work will be on Wednesday.

38 weeks, 3 days

2009-12-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

We had a busy weekend! With the baby coming, we're thinking about getting a mid-size SUV at some point, so on Saturday, we test drove a few. We loved the Ford Edge! If anyone is interested in a 2007 G6, let me know, we have to sell the G6 before we can purchase another vehicle!

On Sunday, we had a nice visit from the Meyer's! It was fun to see them again and their two little girls! In the afternoon, we headed over to Clarence and Shirley's for Christmas with Brian's immediate family. It was a nice evening with the 6 of us! Brian's parents bought us our stroller and car seat, so that was exciting!

I had my routine weekly biophysical profile today- baby is doing great as usual and was very cooperative! The ultrasounds can take up to 45 minutes, depending on how the baby does, and mine usually take less than 15 minutes, so that's nice. I have a nice amount of amniotic fluid, so the baby is loving that! I'm feeling lots of movement and kicks every day.

I'm definitely progressing a little more this week, 3 centimeters dialated and about 40% effaced. All I need is to start having some contractions, and things should start moving along! I'm hopeful for a New Year's Eve baby- but anytime before that would be nice too! :)

Merry Christmas to all!! Hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

37 weeks, 3 days

2009-12-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Just take it one day at a time. That's what I have to keep telling myself. The baby is doing great and that's all that matters right now. I'm not dialated at all yet, nor am I having any contractions, so getting induced is not an option right now. Since the baby is right on track with weight, my doctor will now let me go full term, which could potentially be 1-1-10. She said that if she induced me within the next week, I would most likely have a C-section since my body is showing no signs of being ready to have this baby any time soon. In that case, I don't want to be induced early, no matter how uncomfortable I am. I'd like to at least try to have this baby naturally. She also said that she won't induce before 39 weeks unless it's medically necessary, and at this time, it's not. The "not knowing" is so hard right now, but I just need to be patient.

Since the swelling has now increased from just my ankles to my feet, legs, hands, and face, I've been concerned about preeclampsia. Since I'm diabetic, my doctor ordered a test. I should have the results later today. Since my blood pressure is normal, it's probably just "normal pregnancy swelling", but I can never be too cautious these days. For those of you that didn't have swelling during pregnancy, consider yourself lucky. It's horrible.

Over the last few days, I've had increased numbness and tingling in my hands, mostly at night, but throughout the day as well. My doctor said that this is normal, especially with excessive swelling. I'm going to start wearing a wrist splint at night. It's actually pretty painful and has been keeping me up throughout the night, so hopefully this will help.

I had my A1C checked today too (average blood sugar over the past 3 months). It has decreased again from 5.8% to 5.2%, which is normal range. Considering it was 9.1% back in September, this is really good!

So unless I go into labor naturally, it doesn't sound like I will have this baby before Christmas, which is what I was hoping for. I suppose it will happen soon enough. I just can't wait for it to finally arrive!

36 weeks, 3 days

2009-12-07T08:25:00.001-08:00

I had my 36 week appointment today. The baby is doing great! Currently measuring at 6 lbs, 3 oz and in the 56 percentile for weight. This is an indication of how well I've been managing my diabetes, which is a great feeling. At this point, my doctor doesn't think I'll go anytime before 39 weeks, but it's still too soon to tell. She tells me to be patient and take things one day at a time, which is hard when your SO anxious! My induction date of choice (if I don't go earlier) is December 21st....so I guess we'll have to see!

Over the past 2 weeks, I have become increasingly uncomfortable. My ankles and feet are extremely swollen and painful. Out of all the shoes in my closet, I'm down to one pair that somewhat still fit. I would LOVE to wear my crocs to work everyday, but they don't exactly go with dress clothes. Dressing up when you're 9 months pregnant is NOT fun.

I'm going to the chiropracter weekly now. When I don't think my back pain can get any worse, it does. Brian willingly rubs my back and feet everynight, thank goodness!

Overall, I'm just ready to be done with this. It seems like I've been pregnant forever and needless to say, it hasn't been the most wonderful experience, given the diabetes. Brian and I got a lot done around the house this weekend, so I officially feel ready.

The constant questions are getting to be a little much too. I wish I could wear a sign around my neck saying: Yes, I'm excited, Yes, it's my first baby, No, we don't know what we're having, and I feel like crap. Hopefully only 3 more weeks to go..........

Work baby shower

2009-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my co-workers- Summer, Liz, Mindy, and Kailey for throwing me a baby shower at work on Friday! It was fun!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

Brian and I spend Thanksgiving Day with my family in Mankato and then I stayed at my parents house until Sunday. I was able to spend some quality time with my nephew Carter, which was so much fun! He's such a little boy now, I just can't believe it! I have so much to be thankful for this year, my family, friends, and especially this pregnancy. I hope and pray that things continue to go well over the next few weeks.

It was so nice to see my cousin Christa again (pictured above) who traveled from Denver for Thanksgiving this year. She is 25 weeks pregnant, so we had fun sharing stories and experiences!

Baby's room

2009-11-21T06:13:00.001-08:00

After almost 12 weeks of waiting, the crib FINALLY came in yesterday!! I have been SO anxious!! We were up until 11:00 putting it together last night (which was the latest I've stayed up in a long time). At first, I regretted ordering the chesnut rather than the dark espresso finish, but now that it's complete, I really do like it.

2nd baby shower

2009-11-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law Shirley hosted my second baby shower today. There were SO many people there and I received many very nice gifts.

Great news!

2009-11-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

The clinic is becoming my 2nd home....I was in twice today! (Believe me, I am not happy about this). I am so sick of doctors, nurses, receptionists, waiting rooms, repeating my last name and date of birth, needles, ultrasounds, scales, and a MILLION questions which end in the same answers......just to name a few.

This morning, I went in for my first Nonstress test. The nurse straps two devices to my belly: one to monitor the baby's heartbeat and movement; the other to record contractions in my uterus. The test takes about a half hour; each time I feel the baby move or kick, I press a little button. Since I was lying back in a recliner, the baby was kicking/moving like crazy! The results were normal, or "reactive", so the baby is doing fine for now. I will have this test every Thursday until the baby is born.

Now for the really great news......I had my diabetic follow-up this afternoon, which included my monthly A1C check. It has now decreased from 7% t0 5.8% (it was 9% 2 months ago). My A1C is proof (as well as my stabilized daily blood sugars) that I'm managing my diabetes extremely well and making really smart choices with food (with the help of a large amount of insulin). This has not been an easy task for me. I continue to fight with myself everyday about what I shouldn't be eating. My endocrinologist assures me that it will get easier after the pregnancy. My insulin requirements should go way down and I'll be able to eat a little more freely. That is so good to hear!! I hope and pray that my blood sugars continue to be stable and I maintain my willpower with food!

32 week appt and ultrasound

2009-11-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

I had a new male ultrasound tech and he was just the nicest guy! The baby is currently weighing in at 4 lbs, 5 oz, and is in the 54th percentile for weight, which is almost perfect. Heart rate is good....132. The ultrasound tech asked me "Is your husband a rather tall guy, because this baby has long legs!" I said yes, he's 6'4", so that makes sense!

My weight is also right where it should be, although it's hard to see that scale go up each week!

At this point, it's too early to know if I'll have the baby early. As of now, the baby is measuring right on, so I'll know more the closer we get to my due date.

My first baby shower

2009-11-07T17:57:00.001-08:00

My friend Sarah hosted my first "friends" baby shower today at her home in Sartell. Sarah and I used to work together at Kelly Services and have remained close friends ever since. I received LOTS of really nice gifts! Thank you everyone!

Here are just a few pictures from the shower:

32 weeks

2009-11-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Visiting friends

2009-10-31T08:25:00.000-07:00

Last night, we drove to Andover to see Ruby Grace Engquist, born to Jill and Tyler a week ago. The Engquists are good college friends of ours. Ruby is SO adorable! It will be so much fun for Amanda, Jill, and I to have kids that are the same age!

30 week appointment

2009-10-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

I had my weekly biophysical profile today, which is an ultrasound to determine fetal health during the 3rd trimester. The BPP looks for breathing, movement, muscle tone, heart rate, and amniotic fluid. Everything looked great! It's a relief each week to see and hear that the baby is doing well, but the ultrasounds are extremely uncomfortable for me due to the sensitivity of my stomach from the insulin shots. It's also getting more and more difficult to not find out the sex of the baby! Starting at 32 weeks, they will be doing Level 2 ultrasounds again, which will measure the weight of the baby each week.

In this ultrasound picture, as with all the others, the baby is sucking on it's bottom lip (which is why the top lip appears to be so big). :)

Busy weekend

2009-10-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we had our childbirth education class. Even though it was important information, most of it I had already heard or read before, so I felt like it was a waste of time. I think it was good for Brian though....he learned lots of good massage techniques!

On Sunday, we drove to Hugo to meet Alivia Strommer, Aaron and Amanda's new baby girl! It's hard to believe that my friend Amanda has a baby now! She is such a beautiful little girl....lots of dark hair! Baby Simon and Alivia will get to know eachother soon!

Diabetic follow-up appointments

2009-10-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

I spent 3 hours this afternoon at the diabetes center for follow-up appointments. They tell me that I'm doing a great job managing my blood sugar, which makes me feel a little better, but until they tell me I can have doughnuts, cake, and cookies again, I'm going to continue feeling a little depressed.

My A1C percentage dropped down from 9.1% to 7% over the last month, which is excellent. A1C is a person's average daily blood sugar over a 3 month period. They will test this every month and hopefully it will continue to go down. Normal range is 4-6%.

My weight gain has stablilized now too, so I like to see that. After I started on insulin, I gained 11 pounds in 2 weeks, which apparently is normal for a newly diagnosed diabetic. Now I'm gaining the appropriate amount per week, so that's good.

This disease continues to be a daily struggle for me and I find myself incredibly frustrated all the time, but knowing that the baby is healthier now is definitely worth it.

Common questions

2009-10-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

I thought I would address some of the common questions I've been asked recently.

About 3-5 times per day, I get asked the question, how are you feeling?
To be honest, the diabetes has taken some of the excitement away from the pregnancy and has replaced it with worry, frustration, anger, and anxiety. I'm definitely on an emotional roller coaster these days.....being pregnant and on a "diet" doesn't help much either. Physically, I guess I feel pretty good. I've always had back pain, but now it's at an all time high. Sleeping through the night is nearly impossible (due to the hunger and back pain).

How does your doctor know that you have Type 1 Diabetes and not Gestational? How do they know it will be lifelong?
Both questions have the same answer. They can call it Type 1 because of how much insulin my body requires to maintain a stable blood sugar. Gestational diabetics require much less. They are about 95% sure that it will be a lifelong disease, but we won't know for sure until after the baby is born.

What is your diet like?
I have to eat a specific amount of carbs at each meal and snack, which I should try to do at the same time each day. At home, this is easy because I can read labels and I'm not tempted by sweets; otherwise, it's extremely difficult. I can't give into my cravings, which makes me very irritable!

28 week appointment

2009-10-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

I had my 28 week prenatal appointment and ultrasound today. Starting today, I will be going in for an ultrasound every Monday and will meet with my doctor every Thursday until the baby is born. Between those two appointments and my diabetic appointments, I'll be in the clinic 3 times a week. It's frustrating, but I'm glad the baby and I will be monitored so closely. Anyway, everything looked great! I'm measuring a little big, which is what I expected, but hopefully it will even out over time.

I have 2 diabetic appointments coming up this Wednesday, so I'll update again then.

I'm officially 28 weeks today- entering the 3rd trimester!

2009-10-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

Due to the diabetes, my amniotic fluid is about twice as much as someone with a normal pregnancy, which is why I look so big for 28 weeks.