First Christmas

We had the best Christmas ever this year! I was just thinking about how a year ago I was a little upset about being around others who were pregnant and just thinking to myself, "I wish that was me!" Turns out we were pregnant and here we are a year later at Christmas and I couldn't be more blessed with my son. Of course I had to do a little Christmas photo session with my son...I am a photographer after all. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

We spent Christmas Eve at my grandfather's house enjoying a Mexican style Christmas Eve. As usual we had plenty of tamales and menudo to eat. Will also got to meet some of my extended family that he hadn't met before. We also went to church and Will just loved the music and was very good throughout the entire service. He didn't even make a peep! On Christmas day we woke up late and spent a little bit of time opening his gifts before he fell back to sleep. It was fun being able to share a Christmas like that with my son. We had Christmas dinner at my brother Brock's house and we spent the rest of the evening with family. All I can say is it was the best Christmas EVER!!

3 Month photo session

I have a photographer friend who I swap services with, so she will be taking Will's photos at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. I'm sure once I get the hang of things I will also be taking my own pictures as well.

 



3 Months Old

Ugh! I don't want to go back to work in a couple of weeks! I have enjoyed staying home and being with my son every single day and now...all I want to do is cry! I feel like I am going to miss him growing up. It's so sad. Will is getting bigger and bigger every single day it seems! He is now laughing...and a very cute laugh I might say! Since he can hold his head up on his own he is also starting to pull himself up to a seated position while holding onto my fingers. He is very strong and has been doing just great at becoming independent. He talks all of the time...non-stop! He laughs like crazy especially when he is sitting in his yellow chair in his room. He is starting to play by himself more and more. He is also starting to sleep in his crib, where before he would scream and cry the second you laid him down in it. He likes to watch certain shows on NICK JR and DISNEY JR. He LOVES music and can listen to it all day everyday. He is grabbing toys and hitting toys on his mobile or play mat. He is sleeping from about 9pm to 5-6am and only getting up once around 11pm. He is now wearing 6-9 month clothes, weighs aprox. 16 lbs and is 26 inches long. He is growing and growing and it just amazes me how much he has changed in the last 3 months.

I have become much better at doing little photo sessions at home with him as well as taking tons of everyday photos on my IPhone (you can follow me on Instagram under qianak). I had my favorite photographer Chelsea take his 3 month photos and they are so dang cute I can't wait to get the cd and post them! He just LOVES his Nana Yoli so much! He spends time with her on the weekends when I need to catch up with editing or have a ton of things to do. According to my dad, she seems to be hogging all the time with Will...go figure!

We are looking forward to his first Christmas and him being part of the traditional Mexican style Christmas Eve that we celebrate every year. I can't wait until he is older to actually understand about Christmas and get excited about it. I plan on spending our last days before I go back to work snuggling this little boy as much as possible! I cannot get enough of him.

 



First Thanksgiving

Will is such a good baby so needless to say he was great during his first Thanksgiving. We started our celebrating at a friend's house for a Friendsgiving party. He was well behaved and was liked by all the ladies at the party! After that we went to my sister in law's grandparents house where we had our family Thanksgiving. Once again he was well behaved and visited a lot with his Nana and Opa. Here are a few pics from his first Thanksgiving.

cousins in Thanksgiving attire

Opa and Nana with Will

Kelsch Family

2 Months Old

2 months old already! Ugh! I can't believe how fast this time is going. He is only going to be a baby for 1 whole year and we are already 2 months into it. So sad.

His milestones this month have been talking a WHOLE LOT more, laughing, smiling non-stop, holding his head up for longer periods of time, sleeping shorter naps and longer at night time and he pays much more attention to moving objects and lights. He seems to recognize certain songs, words or phrases that we sing or say. He is now in 6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. I am sure the clothing size will go up before the end of the year as 6 months fit him pretty perfectly with little room to grow. He eats about 4-5 oz at each feeding, so that should explain the clothing size! He has been sleeping very well at night, mostly getting up just once for a feeding and diaper change and he sleeps anywhere between 4-6 hours at a time at night.

Of course as you all already know Will was born a very big baby...and his measurements now show for that. His one year appointment was today and he is pretty much a 4-5 months old instead of a 2 month old. His weight is at 13 lbs 13 oz, length is at 25 inches and his head size is 16 and 1/4. He is in the 97th percentile and in some cases, like his length, he is off the chart...literally! He is a very healthy boy and we couldn't be happier!

I have been cleared to finally start working out and live my life somewhat back to normal after my 8 weeks of restrictions. I have lost all the baby weight plus an additional 12 or so lbs. This breast feeding is taking away all of my stored fat...and I love it! I have also been taking a lot more pictures of Will as he grows. We also had our first professional family photos done just last week by my friend and fellow photoger Chelsea. As always she does an amazing job and I will post some once we get the finished product. I am dreading going back to work in about 45 days or so. It makes me sad to know that I won't be able to see him all day ever day come January. His next appointment is not until January for his 4 month check up.

 

2 months old (11/20/12)

 

1 month/ 2 month comparison 



Christmas Photos

Our first Christmas family photo session was probably my favorite moments of being a mom. It was the first time someone else photographed my son and us as a family. LOVE the photos!! And a big huge thanks to Sofia Brown Photography for taking the photos.

 



First Halloween

Will's first Halloween was a success! We went to go visit Chris at his work and join them for their Halloween party they were having. Will went as R2D2 and was the cutest ever!! After his day of visiting his dad's colleagues he was pretty wiped out. Our plan was to go visit his Nana and Opa for Halloween but no such luck. Here are some of the Halloween pictures I was able to get.



1 Month Old

I cannot believe my baby boy is one month old already. I almost started crying when his little belly button fell off at 2 weeks old! I feel like I am missing everything even though I am with him 24/7. I spend so much time cuddling him and playing with him and just taking care of him that the mom part of me (and even the photographer part of me) is missing out on so many pictures! I will say that I learned my lesson as far as newborn pictures go. It took me forever to just get the few shots I ended up getting. I had to play both the role of photographer and mom and it took so much time to prep and get him to sleep and comfortable in order to shoot. Next baby I will just hire someone to do it!

His milestones this month have been lifting his head higher and higher every day, paying more attention to lights and sounds, such as music and the TV, and he has just recently started "baby talk". He has also started to get into a routine of sleep and everyday activities. He wakes up anywhere between 6-8am, gets a diaper change and eats. Swings in his Momma Roo for about 15-30 minutes followed by bath time. After he is ready for the day he relaxes in his Boppy lounger while I shower and get ready and sometimes if I'm lucky he will take a little snooze while lounging. He naps 2-3 times per day, starting between 9-11am, 12-2pm and if we are lucky in the late afternoon early evening. His naps are anywhere between 1 and 1/2 to 3 hours long. His bedtime is anywhere between 9-12pm and usually wakes around 2-3am for a diaper change and feeding. We mostly get an average of 6-8hrs of sleep nightly, which is just great for me (what more could I ask for with a newborn!) He nurses several times daily and usually on both sides. He is a little piggy! He is now starting to fit into 3-6 month clothing! TOO BIG TOO FAST!

His one month visit went very well! He is 11 lbs 2 oz and 23 inches long. He is weighing in the 75th percentile and measuring in the 90th percentile. He actually fell asleep during his appointment, the nurse and I were giggling because he was sleeping the whole time I undressed him, when he was getting weighed and measured and while we waited for the doctor to come in (his appointment was during his morning nap time). He is a good sleeper...what can I say! The doctor said he is having a little bit of a hard time digesting dairy products so I am on a strict diet of no dairy for the next 6 months since he is breast feeding only. He is also starting tummy time now, so we will be able to use the play mat we had received for him as a gift from one of Chris' relatives. His next appointment is at 2 months old, so right around Thanksgiving.

As for me I am finally into a routine and I have adjusted to the new sleep pattern we have been forced into. I feel like we no longer have "bad days and nights" since he is sleeping so well. I have also lost all of my baby weight...well I lost just about all of it 2 weeks after I had Will and only had about 3 lbs left to go. Since I had a c-section I am unable to workout and am limited to how much I can carry and do. Of course I over do it every day with laundry and cleaning and carrying the car seat around...but I am a mom and still have a household to maintain. My last OB visit will be October 30th to make sure I am healing up and hopefully tell me when I can start working out again (although being a mom is workout enough it seems)! I plan on starting to take a whole lot more pictures of him now that we have a schedule and we are not sleep deprived. With Halloween right around the corner, I have lots of ideas for his little mini Halloween photo shoot. Hopefully I will have more photos for his 2 month post!

1 month old (10/20/12)



Our first week

Talk about an adjustment! Now I know why I took my leave from work earlier...to catch up on sleep BEFORE the baby got here. I'm not sure how I've been managing, but I am exhausted! The first couple of days were very rough adjustung to this new lifestyle of mommy-hood. Being up at all hours of the day and night caring for a newborn while trying to get myself back on track. The emotional rollercoaster has been something I never have experienced before. Feeling like crying one minute and yelling at my husband for nothing the next. The only time my emotions keep it together is when I am dealing with the baby. I made the mistake of watching The Notebook on TV the other day...not recommended for someone who just had a baby...just sayin'. For the most part I feel like I have kept it together. It has been nice having my sister and mom around to help out and let me catch up on basic things like showering and brushing my teeth. My husband had to go back to work on Monday and that was hard because I wasn't ready to be by myself just yet and I felt like he was the only one who could make me feel better. My sister spent all day Monday and Tuesday hanging out with me. Mostly just keeping me company and taking care of the baby while I ate and showered. My mom spent all day Tuesday and Wednesday helping me out at home as well. She did so much for me. Not only did she make Chris and I tons of food (enough for the whole week) but she also took care of the baby so that I could sleep and catch up on things that needed to be done (like a load of the baby's laundry...already!). It was hard the first day back at home dealing with the after math of a c-section, but honestly, I would totally do that again with baby #2. Today was the first day that I started feeling like myself again. I was completely by myself today, just me and Will, and it was nice to get up and just start to get into the every day swing of things again. I was even able to start taking his newborn photos.

It has already been an unforgettable experience taking care of Will from the very beginning. I am so very lucky to be able to know what all this feels like, to have a baby and raise him. I look forward to many more days and even longer nights with this boy because even though it takes everything out of me the outcome is so worth it!

(1 week old)



The Birth of William Jacob

My c-section was scheduled for 9am Thursday September 20th. I kept myself extra busy the day before with cleaning, laundry, crafting and every other thing I could think of. I was so anxious to get this pregnancy over with. A small part of me was even a little bit scared, but I couldn't stop thinking about meeting my son in 24 hours! I woke up the morning of the surgery and was just so pumped...not scared one bit! We got ready and left for the hospital. I had to be there by 7 am for labs and prep work. But before we left I had my husband take one last pregnancy picture of me to show off my baby bump one last time. I was 39 weeks and 6 days exactly in these pictures. My original due date was September 21st.

 

When we got to Mercy-Gilbert hospital we checked in and were taken up to the labor and delivery floor. I was taken to triage right away and hooked up to monitors and tubes. I had all of my pre-labor work going and we were just waiting for the doctors and nursing staff to be ready in the OR. My parents, sister Ciara, my grandparents, sister in law Kassie and best friend Nicole were all there in the waiting room waiting to see us after. My parents and grandparents came back to say hi and see me one more time before I went back to the OR. My dad was almost in tears seeing me hooked up to everything, it made me get a little emotional...and I had been doing so well with that! Everyone was finally ready to get this show on the road! I was taken back to the OR and given a spinal and prepped for surgery. After everything was done my husband was able to come back and they began the surgery. I was awake the whole time and I felt sooo good! All I remember is the staff laughing at everything I was saying. I think I even told the doctor that my kid was going to beat the weight of her last delivery of a 9 lb baby. It was a weird feeling to be on the drugs they gave me, listening to classic rock and feeling the pressure of the movements from the operation. All of a sudden Chris says, "Honey! Look, there he is!" and I heard that little baby cry and I started crying. I never felt so happy and so much love for someone before ever! It is true: being a mom changes everything!

 

 

 

Our son was finally here! William Jacob Kelsch arrived on September 20, 2012 at 10:03 am via c-section. He weighed in at 9 lbs 4 oz and measured at 22 inches long. He was so big they even had to suction him out! The doctor said he was wedged inside of me and they needed a little help getting him out. The doctor said, "I don't know how you fit that baby inside of you! You hid it very well." They brought him around to me right away, before they even cleaned him up, and I just remember telling him, "Son, its your mom. I'm so happy you are here! I love you son and mom is right here!" The nurses and Chris went to the nursery to get him checked out and give him a bath. My family that was in the waiting room all got to see him through the window in the nursery. While he was getting cleaned up I was getting stitched up. I felt so tired and was trying to keep my eyes open the entire time. I could feel them tugging and pulling at my stomach, it felt so weird! After they finished I was taken to recovery for about 45 min to an hour. Of course, being a Kelsch, he nursed right away. After I was able to move my feet, after the drugs started to wear off, I was moved to my room. My family came back to visit with the baby and my parents spent all day there with us. It was nice to have them around for such a huge deal in our lives.

 

 

We were in the hospital from Thursday to Saturday and I was released early because I was up walking around and doing very well after a c-section. I was pulling myself out of bed while holding the baby...that's how good I was doing. The hospital and staff were amazing. I felt like we were taken care of and important, not just another patient in a bed. The rooms were large, the food was great and they even had tea time with little cakes and tea in your rooms. I am totally having baby #2 there. Best hospital ever...it was more like a resort than anything else. Since coming home it has been an obvious adjustment. I am very exhausted still and Chris had to go back to work right away on Monday. It has been such a help to have my mom and sister come by the first few days this week. They have mostly been cooking and helping me with the baby while I sleep. But in the end all of this is worth it just to see my baby boy smiling and laughing in his sleep. I am very much looking forward to spending the next 3 months with our little guy at home. Of course, being a photographer, there will be many pictures to come!









40 weeks

The light at the end of the tunnel is bright!! I finally made it to the end. The growth ultrasound showed that Will is measuring at 41 weeks and 5 days and weighing in at 9 lbs. The doctor says that ultrasounds can be around a 1/2 of a pound off but she thinks if that is the case he will weigh more and not less. After hearing this news Chris and I have both decided that a c-section will be our safest and easiest route to have the baby. I think that if he wasn't so big I would have no problem trying to have him vaginally. Chris and I were both big babies and my mother in law had complications with delivering Chris beacuse of his size and weight where as my mom did not have any complications. I just feel that it is what is best for me and Will. I have not effaced any more than last weeks visit and I have dilated at most 1/2 an inch, which can change. The baby has also not moved down any more than where we were at before and is still up a little higher than where we would like him to be. I have had contractions but nothing that has obviously made me have him. I feel like I have progressed as much as possible with his weight and size and my body has just about had enough. I am constantly in pain from my lower back and hips. Everytime he moves it hurts and I just feel bad for my son beacuse he just keeps growing and I cannot make any more room for him. We are just ready for him to be here! Thankfully the hospital had an opening and I will be having my c-section at 9am on thursday September 20th.

I'm swelling a bit more in my legs now that I am getting to the end of the pregnancy. Since I've been home for the most part I do about 1-2 things a day and then just rest and nap. I want to be rested and I usually end up being pretty exhausted by the afternoon. I have gained a total of 33 lbs so far and hopefully that will be all!

I cannot wait to meet my son in less than 48 hours!

39 weeks

Well it looks like this baby is way too comfortable in his mommy's belly. There is no sign of him arriving any time soon. I went to the doctor today and there has been no progress since my last 2 check ups. I am still only 50% effaced and he is only getting bigger inside of me. I am hardly sleeping at night with the horrible lower back and hip pain. And of course getting up every 1-2 hours to go to the bathroom doesn't help. Every time he moves in there I flinch because there is just no more room for this growing baby to grow. My doctor estimates that he will be AT LEAST a 9 to 9 and 1/2 lb baby, if not bigger. She said just looking at me she could tell I was having a big baby. I am glad that he is healthy and growing but it is killing me. The soonest they will induce labor is at 41 weeks (Sept. 28th) and I just don't think I can make it that long. If we switched to a different hospital for delivery, their policy would allow me to be induced at 39 weeks and so many days, which would be next week sometime, based on availability. I'm not sure how I feel about switching hospitals since we have always planned on delivering at a certain one. The doctor also scheduled another growth ultra sound for my next appointment, next week, to talk about c-sections. If he is weighing a certain weight then I may be able to schedule a c-section sooner. There are a few things the doctor wants to go over with me after the appointment, so unless I go into labor between now and next Tuesday everything will be determined off the ultra sound results.

I was pretty upset hearing all of this because I thought for sure he would be arriving very very soon or at least they would induce me at 40 weeks and 1 day, but the thought of having to possibly go to 41 weeks just made me cry. I am that uncomfortable. At least the pumpkin cheesecake shake I had after made me feel a little bit better :)

I am finished working from now until I return in January. That was one of the things my doctor asked me today and she was happy to hear that I am on leave already. She thinks it will help me feel a bit more comfortable resting up. I haven't been doing too much, mostly taking small naps and getting the house ready. My weight is still holding good, about 29-30 lbs total gain. Next week will be 40 weeks (Sept. 21) and I just pray this boy comes sooner rather than later. My next and final doctor's appointment is Sept. 18th and hopefully we will be scheduling a c-section for later in the week.

39 weeks



 



38 weeks

Almost there! I'm down to weekly appointments so I went to the doctor today for a growth ultra sound and check up. The ultra sound was ordered last week because the doctor was a bit concerned about the baby being so big and delivery. Today the ultra sound showed that he weighs 8 lbs so far and all his measurements are at 39-40 weeks. He is over all in the 83 percentile and based on his weight and measurements of the ultra sound, he has a due date of September 10th. My original due date is the 21st...I hope he comes before the 21st! I am also 50% effaced already and hopefully by next week he will either be here or be on his way here. I have also gained a total of 28 lbs. Our friend Mel had her baby girl on friday last week and it looks like my sister-in-law Kassie will be having a scheduled C-section this friday to deliver her baby girl. I am so excited for both of them!

I have been getting zero sleep at night. I'm better off taking about 10 naps in 24hrs instead of trying to sleep through the night. It has been very uncomfortable for sure! I have been cramping a lot and have had some contractions but nothing that is ending with me in labor. The hospital bags are packed, all the baby furniture and clothes are put together and the carseat is in the car...we just need our boy! My last day of work is this friday and I am looking forward to just sleeping and being at home resting up for the baby. His ultra sound picture just makes me want to grab those little cheeks and kiss them like crazy! Can't wait to meet him!

37 weeks

 

38 weeks (Kassie and me)

 

our baby boy



36 weeks

Almost there! I cannot wait...this kid is literally hurting me! I went to the doctor on tuesday to get a check up and go over my test results. The good news is that I do not have preeclampsia. However my iron and potassium levels were a little on the low side and my protein was a little on the high side. Since my blood pressure has been all over the place the doctor said that they will just keep monitoring my blood pressure at each visit and if anything changes in the meantime to just call or go in. My doctor thinks that because I am nearing the end my levels may just be related to that. So I am eating a banana or 2 a day and also taking an iron suppliment. I knew something was up because I was feeling so tired and sick the last week or so. I have gained a total of 26 lbs so far and my doctor seems to think I shouldn't gain more that 35 total. Even though the number on the scale is a little scary to me, she says I am doing very well with my weight.

My sister-in-law found a growth chart on line and according to Will's last ultra sound he should be measuring in the 90th percentile now. That is one big boy!! I believe at 28 weeks he was just under 4 lbs and average is 2 lbs 10 oz. I already have a couple of friends booking trips to come and meet our little Will. I am excited to be off work for a little over 3 months to be able to spend all that time with my little guy. I also arranged his newborn pics with my friend Chelsea who did our maternity pics. I am sure I will still take some of my own, but you never know how tired and up for it I will be when the time actually comes. After all I can never have enough pictures of him :)

36 weeks



34 weeks

I am pretty much done with being pregnant. I am tired. My ankles are huge. I feel like this baby couldn't possibly get any bigger...but I know he will. The heat is probably the worst thing for me right now. I feel like I am never cooled off and I am always hot even when the thermostat is set at 73 degrees. I just want to hold my son!!!

OK! So now that I am done with that, on to the bi-weekly update. I have gained a total of 23 lbs so far, which is a little surprising to me since I thought it would be more, water weight wise. The doctor told me to start counting kicks at my last appointment 2 weeks ago. It should be 6 or more kicks per hour, twice daily. I did it for a couple of days and he was already at 20 kicks in less than a half hour. Its safe to say I pretty much stopped counting...he kicks all the time!! I started to have some blood pressure issues within the last 7-10 days. Sometimes it would be high (between 135-140) and sometimes really low (103/69!). I had another doctors appointment today and told her what had been going on. She set up a test for preeclampsia. I have to collect urine for 24hrs (sick!) and then have blood work done. She doesn't think I have it but wants to rule it out anyways. Less than 6 weeks to go with this guy and then I can't wait to spend lots of time with him while on leave.

I had a couple of baby showers as well. My best friend Nicole threw me a shower as well as my mother. It was nice to see family and friends. We pretty much received everything we needed except for our stroller and high chair. And William has enough clothing for a year...easy! Thanks to everyone who came or sent gifts, we appreciate it so very much. Now on to the waiting game. The last measurements of him put me at a due date of September 8th instead of the 21st...we shall see!

33 wks

34 weeks



32 weeks

I can't believe I'm almost in the home stretch of this pregnancy! I am getting so excited to meet our son!! I have gained a total of 22 lbs...so far, but with the water weight picking up speed who knows where I will end up! I had a serious case of the cankles the other night. My left ankle was swollen bigger than I have ever seen it this entire pregnancy. It made me sad to see how swollen my legs have gotten when I return home from work. I have also started to get less and less sleep at night. I read that 75% of women get insomnia in the 3rd trimester and I think this girl has got it! I also started to worry, just a tad, about the delivery. It's funny because it's not the actually delivery as much as it's how am I going to get to the hospital! I keep having this thought that I'm going to go into labor while out visiting one of my stores for work and I will end up calling one of my bosses to come and get me to take me to the hospital. It's so weird! My brother moved out the other day and ever since then all I can think about is cleaning this entire house! I think it's safe to say the nesting portion has kicked in! All I want to do is clean!!!

Since most of the baby's weight gain is happening from here on out, I have decided to take a photo every week of my ever growing baby belly, instead of every other week. Also the last 2 view from the top pics will be the only ones. I actually had to lean forward to get the toes in! I haven't been able to see my toes in months!! I hope these next 2 months fly by!!

view from the top @ 31 wks

31 weeks

32 weeks



Baby Boy's Nursery!!

And finally my vision is complete! I have been dreaming of this nursery since before we were pregnant. I couldn't imagine it any other way. I made all of the wall art except for the black and white "Baxter look-a-like" photo and the flag banner. The large gray and yellow frames I bought and painted and will soon hold my son's newborn photos as well as a maternity photo of the 3 of us. The bedding is all from Land of Nod, crib I found on Overstock.com and the 4 other pieces of furniture where purchased at antique stores. The dresser/changing table and the night stand where both repainted. The yellow chair was left as is and the foot stool was recovered in fabric purchased at a craft store. Chris and I did everything ourselves and love every single bit of this room! I cannot wait to complete it with our son.

 walking into his room

 starting at the left of the room

notice Bax under the crib