Some Strickland Videos

Here are some of our latest and greatest in the world of Strickland. We've got everything from rolling over, to jumping around, to eating for the first time. Lots of milestones and firsts. We are loving every minute!

Let the eating begin! from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

Roll Baby Roll! from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

Jump up Jump up and Get Down! from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

Strickland and his favorite book

Stricklands enjoys having books read to him and he already seems to have a few favorites. Enjoy!

He loves to read! from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

More Florida Pics

Cousin Walt and Strickland

Sleeping at the river

Introducing the little guy to the cold Rainbow River

Florida Vacation

We took our first roadtrip with the little guy to Florida earlier this month. We traveled back to Williston, FL to visit Ed's family. We spent lots of time swimming at the Blue Run and introducing the little guy to the cold, spring fed water. We saw lots of family and enjoyed unplugging for a week. All in all, it was a successful trip. What usually takes about 8 hours to drive only took 12 hours with the stops for feeding the little one. For the most part, he slept the whole way. We couldn't have been happier. Next up, a trip to Texas. That will require an airplane ride which makes me nervous.

Taking a bath in his new pool.

Lou and Brandy hanging out.

Hamming it up for the family.

Lazy Summer Days

No major updates from the Priest household. We've been enjoying having Ed home and the lazy days of summer. The little guy continues to grow like a weed. Here are some snapshots from the last few days.

 

 

 

Strickland's Feet

Strickland has successfully discovered his feet. As you can tell from the video, we are very proud of this little milestone. Enjoy!

Finding His Feet from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

Strickland's 2 Months Old!

Where did the time go? My baby boy is already 2 months old. We went to the doctor this week for his well baby check up. He weighs 12 lbs and is 23 inches long. Clearly my breastmilk is doing something right. This is his 2 month picture. They always said they grow fast but I'm just starting to believe it.

 

 

 

Bath Time

Strickland loves taking a bath. He still can't really sit up on his own so I had to juggle bathing him and holding him up for the camera. But as you can tell from his little eyes, he's enjoying his bath. He is content to sit in the tub for as long as I'll let him.

 

 

 

 

Time to Eat

We enjoy our time feeding the little guy. It's always comical given that he grunts throughout the entire process. Here are a few snaps of his post feeding coma.

 

 

 

Chilling with Strickland

Just hanging out from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

A Week of Firsts

This is our first week home alone. Meme has gone home. Daddy is back to work. The little guy and I are learning how to live and juggle feedings and life together. I must say that it's harder than it looks. I never dreamed mom's had such a busy schedule. I'm not sure where my days go but they definitely go somewhere.

In other firsts, Strickland is now able to focus on his mobil above his crib as well as various toys strategically placed on his car seat, bouncer, and swing. It's cool to see him gain more control of his eyes.

He is sleeping fairly well. He goes about 3 hours during the night. We can't complain although we are still adjusting to the lack of sleep.

Ed and I are loving having him here finally. He really is a good baby so we can't complain. Enjoy the pics of our last couple of days. I'm working on trying to get more pictures of him awake but it's hard to do.

Some Strickland Videos

Strickland's Stretching from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

Strickland's First Bath from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

Welcome to the world Strickland!

What a difference two weeks makes. We welcomed our latest addition to the family two weeks ago - Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 at 2:19 a.m. Strickland Campbell Priest was one month early. He is a healthy little boy weighing in at 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. He spent a week in the NICU as he had fluid on his lungs followed by jaundice. But he is home now and is growing like a little weed. He eats every 2-3 hours and sleeps in between. This week he has been more awake and alert which has been fun. Ed and I were definitely surprised with his arrival a month early. But we are adjusting to our new life and loving every minute of it. He is truly a blessing and we are so thankful to be his parents. We can't wait to introduce him to our extended family and friends in the coming weeks.

Jodykae's first poopie diaper...ever.

First Poop from Edward Priest on Vimeo.

Catching Up

Here are some pictures of our last few weeks. We have been busy getting ready for the little guy's arrival. I can't believe we're only 35 days away. Ahhhhh..... We spent the last few days working in the nursery. I've included a pic of the current state of the nursery. It's a work in progress but thanks to Mom, we're MUCH closer to having it completed. The little basketball belly pics are me at 34 weeks. And finally, here is our latest purchase - our new furniture. We went shopping for a rocking chair for the nursery and Ed bought new living furniture. I didn't even have the energy to protest so here we are.

We are very excited to meet our little man. But at the same time, I feel like we have so much to do. Can we say nesting?

Never thought I would love the word "Average" so much!

We had another ultrasound this week and the word of the day was "average". I have to say that I have never been so happy to hear that word. Peanut has dropped from being in the 95th percentile for his weight to the 60th. This is music to my ears. The doctor said that there are no concerns at this time, that everything looks fine, and that we can plan initially for a natural birth. This is exciting because up to this point all we have been told is that he's a big baby. So to say the least, Ed and I left the doctor's office in great spirits and looking forward to the arrival of our little man in just a few weeks. Where does the time go?

I'm heading up to DC this week for my last round of classes before the baby's born. I'm looking forward to wrapping this class thing up. Then mom is coming in to help finish up the nursery. Then it's a baby shower. And then it's a baby! Lots of exciting things coming in the next few weeks.

Thank you for sharing this exciting time with us. Happy St. Patty's Day!

Growing Like a Weed

We have officially hit the 32 week mark. And true to all the textbook definitions of the third trimester, we are growing like a weed. We can now see the little guy move in my tummy, causing my entire tummy to shake and move with him. We go to the doctor again on Monday for another ultrasound. They continue to track his growth to determine his delivery date (or window as it is now). So stay tuned for Monday's news.

As for me, I am still feeling good. Although the past few days have been rough as my feet are now hurting. They aren't necessarily swollen, rather just painful. So this has been a fun experience as no shoes seem to comfort them. Ed is getting more and more excited the closer it gets. He was a very good student at our birthing classes last weekend. He said that when April arrives, he is going to install all of the car seat bases. To say the least, I think he's excited to meet his little guy in a few short weeks. We just can't believe that it's almost been 9 months already. Crazy how time flies.

The Best Picture Yet

Today was our 29 week ultrasound. Since Peanut has gotten bigger, it was harder to pick out some things (since there's less room in the tummy) and easier to pick out others. Nevertheless, we got our best snapshot of the little guy yet. As you can see below, we got a perfect picture of him yawning. It was the cutest thing. Not only was he yawning but he kept rubbing his eyes. Amazing how much they develop in just a few weeks. You should be able to pick out his nose below with his mouth wide open. Ed was so excited he was squealing in the ultrasound room.

The doctor said that things are looking great. Peanut is still growing and much to my dismay, he is measuring about a week and a half bigger than he should be. To give you an idea - the normal weight for this week is about 2 lbs. Peanut is weighing 3 lbs 7 oz. The doctor said he isn't worried and there is no cause for concern. But we are going to have another ultrasound in 4 weeks to see what we're looking at for a delivery. At this point, we can plan for a delivery anytime from April 25th to May 4th. So mark your calendars. My only response to the doctor was "Please don't let me have a 15 lb. baby. I want to walk again."

Feet, Hands, and a Big Ole Head

Since we last posted, our little guy has gotten notably stronger. The story of the day these days is which body part he's trying to shove through my belly. Generally, it's either his head or a foot. I'm convinced both are going to be big by the feel of them. We go to the doctor on Monday for our next ultrasound. We are looking forward to seeing just how much he's grown. We'll post more info after our appointment on Monday. In the meantime, enjoy the updated pictures of my growing little basketball.

This is our 28 week picture. I'm trying to remind myself to take pictures every 2 weeks at this point.

The Nursery and Hiccups

Here are some pics of our labor this weekend. Ed especially enjoyed the big belly pic on top of the ladder from down the hallway. I'm always surprised when I look at some of the pictures on the camera. We still have lots to do in the nursery but the hardest part is over (I think).

In other news, Peanut has truly developed the hiccups. He had them a few weeks ago and since then, they have been sporadic. As of the last few days though, he has had them everyday and even multiple times a day. It's quite entertaining at first but after about 30 minutes of hiccups, it gets a bit old.

Today marks 27 weeks! I can't believe it. Have a good week everyone.

Are we really already at 26 weeks?

I absolutely can't believe we are already at 26 weeks! Ed and I realized yesterday that we haven't taken belly pictures since week 23. We need to start keeping up with this a little better. As you can tell, the belly is a little bigger. I have chosen a spot on my lower pelvic area as my guide to how big the belly is getting. It gets a little harder to see my little spot each week so I know the belly is growing some each week. Not sure what I'm going to do when I can't see the spot anymore. Guess I'll move on to my feet as my guide.

In other news, we go to the doctor next week for our sugar test. Then we have our next ultrasound shortly thereafter to get a better idea of how big the little guy is. That's what's on the horizon in the way of doctors. On the home front horizon, we are starting to paint the nursery this weekend.

Peanut is now stronger and kicking like crazy. It's really fun now because I can pick out his little foot or hand as he moves around. Over the last few days, he's been getting the hiccups. While they were fun to experience at first, I don't think they are my favorite, especially when they last for what seems like forever when I'm trying to sleep.

I'll close for now. We'll try to do better with posts and pictures in the coming weeks. Hope everyone is having a good 2010 so far.