Our Life...

2 months old...and sweet as ever!

2010-01-10T02:06:00.007-06:00

Connar is 2 months old now....Where oh where did the time go??? He is getting so big and is learning so many new things. Here's what's going on with our little monkey:

* He weighs 12 lbs. 9 oz..
* He is 24 inches long.
* He recognizes Talton and I--both our faces and our voices (which is just amazing to me...I love when he sees me and gets so excited that he pumps his legs and waves his arms!).
* He loves to be in the swing (and it's a life saver to us when we want more than 37 seconds to eat a meal) and often falls asleep in there.
* He is lifting his head for longer periods of time.
* He is sleeping between 4 1/2 - 6 hours at night for the most part.
* He coos every now and then.
* He has discovered his hand and that if he pulls it toward his face, it fits perfectly in his mouth.
* He loves to stare at the colors and pirate character on the bumper in his bed and gets pretty excited when we lay him in the bed to have his diaper changed.

Connar is such a happy baby. Really, he smiles all the time! Talton and I feel very blessed that our baby is healthy and happy. He is our world! I'm sure Connar thinks his mommy is some crazy lady who is constantly taking pictures of him, but I know that he changes every day and I don't want to miss a thing. Many years from now, we'll be able to look back on all these pictures and have such fond memories. Here are a few of my favorites that I've taken of him recently.

His 1st Christmas Day picture

Looking cool with his sunglasses that were in his stocking

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture!!!!!!!

Connar supported the Texans every Sunday. He even wore black stickers under his eyes for the last game to look like a real football player.

Isn't he just adorable?!!!!!!

Look at how strong he's getting with holding his head up!

I am soooooooooo lucky to be this little guy's mommy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6 weeks old

2009-12-17T23:07:00.008-06:00

Life is better than ever with our precious baby boy. We are loving our new names of "Connar's mommy" and "Connar's daddy". I love staying home with him and taking care of him all day. I just can't get enough of him...As I type this, I want to actually go wake him up just to kiss all over him and snuggle with him. He is growing like a weed and has such a sweet personality. He can now recognize Talton and I and smiles when we talk to him....that is amazing and so fun to see! He is working really hard on holding his head up. He is sleeping between 4-5 hours at night before waking up to be fed and changed, and we're praying that that continues and gets even longer as time goes on. He is beginning to make little noises every now and then. It's so neat to hear him as he's learning to find his voice. I could talk about him all day long if given the opportunity, so let me go ahead and show you some pictures so you can see for yourself what a handsome, happy, sweet baby we have the pleasure of having at our fingertips every day.

Here is our sweet little monkey...

So stinkin' cute!!!

HO HO HO! Merry Christmas Connar!

Look at that smile! Beautiful!

Ha! Adorable!

He's soooooo sweet and kissable!

Connar's 1st visit with Santa--he slept the entire time

I came across this and thought I'd share....This is the night before I went into labor. It was at a Halloween party. We didn't concern ourselves with dressing up this year (Talton threw on the wig and sunglasses from his costume last year), because we were at the point where I could go into labor at any given moment....and I did about 24 hours after this picture was taken. This is one of the last pictures of me pregnant. Look at how big Connar was!

HAPPY 1 MONTH BIRTHDAY CONNAR!

2009-12-02T11:17:00.004-06:00

I can hardly believe that Connar has been in our lives for a month now. Now I know what other people mean when they say that time flies when you have kids. We are so blessed that I'm able to stay home with Connar for the first couple months of his life.

Here are some current facts about our little man at 1 month old:
- He has recently discovered the hanging lambs and stars on the mobile above his swing, so he's actually liking to sit in the swing more often for a longer period of time now.
- He's sleeping in the pack'n play bassinet next to our bed and will sleep for 3-4 hours at a time during the night.
- He's starting to hold his head up for longer periods of time when he's laying on his belly.
- He seems to like to sleep on his side (when we're next to him awake of course!).
- He likes to ride in the car.
- He's starting to enjoy his warm baths more and more each time. Warm towels fresh out of the dryer have helped with that!

On this 1 month birthday of Connar's life, I want to also acknowledge my wonderful husband. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how lucky I am to have the husband that I do. When my spinal headaches forced me to lay down and not be able to take care of my family 100% after the birth, not only did Talton take the lead with our new baby, he also took care of me and nursed me back to health. Not only did he go out for diapers and formula during that time, he also made sure that we had our meals in the beginning. And not only does he take on part of the nightly feedings, he also feeds Connar before he leaves for work so that I can get some more sleep before taking on the job of full-time Mommy for the day. I've said it before, but I'll say it again... I love you Talton.

I sang to Connar on his 1 week, 2 week, 3 week, and 4 week birthdays, so it's only fitting that I sing to him today.
HAPPY 1 MONTH BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY 1 MONTH BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY 1 MONTH BIRTHDAY DEAR MONKEY,
HAPPY 1 MONTH BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

introducing.... Connar James Endres

2009-11-28T14:48:00.020-06:00

Wow, it has been so crazy around here getting used to having a baby in our house and our daily routine that I haven't stopped long enough to update our blog. Here goes:

Connar James Endres was born on Monday, November 2, 2009 at 12:53 p.m.. He was 19 1/2 inches long and weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces. He is absolutely perfect! Talton and I feel so blessed that God chose us to be his parents. I was to be induced on the following day, but Connar had plans of his own. That was fine by us, because we were so ready to finally meet our little boy face to face.

It all started on the night of Sunday, November 1 when my water broke around 6:15 p.m.. Talton and I were preparing to leave to go out to eat when I felt a gush of water all of a sudden. Knowing that this was not a false alarm, we both took the fastest showers of our lives (I had to be clean knowing that all kinds of people were going to be in my business very soon), packed our bags in the car, and walked out of our house for the last time as a family of two. We were at the hospital by 7:00 when I was between 1-2 centimeters dilated. In hopes that I could hold off on delivering Connar before my doctor got in the office the next morning, the nurse suggested that I either take a sleeping pill or go ahead and get the epidural to help me sleep through the night...so I got the epidural later that evening. Around 7:00 the next morning they began giving me pitocin to make me progress faster. That worked like magic! It wasn't too long before my contractions were more regular, and then the immense pressure began. After a few hours passed, I was laid on my side to help me dilate the rest of the way from where I was, and I really wanted to push at that point. The nurse wouldn't let me push, because I wasn't dilated to 10 centimeters yet so I had to tough it out for a bit longer.....I was awake for a contraction and then would fall asleep for one minute until the next contraction when I would wake up, and I just continued like that until my doctor came in and said it was time to push....FINALLY! I pushed for about 4 pushes and then he was here! Seeing Connar being laid on my stomach and touching him for the first time was the most incredible feeling that I've ever felt. There are no words to describe what it was like to finally see him and kiss him. I told him I loved him, and that his daddy and I had waited so long for him. After getting cleaned up, the nurses and doctor left Talton and I to be alone with Connar for a short time before any family was allowed in. Having that special time with just the 3 of us was priceless. I'll never forget holding Connar and looking at Talton for the first time as a daddy. That is definitely one of my favorite moments of my life.

Needless to say, Connar had MANY visitors on his first day of life. He has been loved on and snuggled with so much over the past few weeks. What a lucky little boy! Or maybe I should say what a lucky mommy I am to get to take care of him every day. Even in the middle of the night when I'm tired and he wakes up to eat and be changed, I can't help but think about how completely overwhelmed I am with this selfless, unwavering, unconditional love for this little human being that Talton and I made. He is our world....and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks of Connar's life:

The last tummy picture

As soon as Connar was born and placed on my chest

Awwww....

Mr. Amazing!!!

our sweet boy sound asleep

Connar and Daddy sleeping

1st bath

What a darling smile!

our little monkey

hanging out with Daddy

geared up in Texans outfit for Sunday football

I could kiss those cheeks all day long!

Connar's 1st Thanksgiving

I love this face!

kisses for Mommy

sleepy baby

It's almost time!!!

2009-10-29T14:52:00.002-05:00

I went to the doctor this morning, and she said that I was 2 centimeters dilated, Connar's head was in a really good position, Connar is a good size baby :) , and she stripped my membranes. We are scheduled to be induced Tuesday morning if he doesn't come before then. Woo hoo! Excited doesn't even begin to describe the way Talton and I feel about our baby boy making his grand arrival. We can't wait to meet him!

our little pirate's room

2009-10-07T18:35:00.011-05:00

Our sweet boy's room is complete and ready to go! I'm actually washing the last of his clothes right now, and then everything will be done for his room. Talton hung all the wall stuff this weekend, and now all we have left to do is wait for our little man to make his big debut. We have 4 1/2 weeks left before his due date. Yeah! We are so very excited to meet Connar! Here are some pictures of his room all complete:

34 weeks pregnant!!!!

2009-09-30T23:00:00.003-05:00

So Talton and I went to the doctor yesterday and had our first ultrasound since we found out that Connar was a boy at 20 weeks along. Our sweet boy is growing big, strong, and healthy....please pray that this continues. :) The ultrasound tech said that he has big chubby cheeks, is head down (smart boy!), and estimates him to currently weigh 5 pounds 10 ounces. We have six weeks to go until his due date, so we're anxious to see how much he'll weigh once he arrives. As long as he's healthy, I'll be a happy mommy. :) He actually got the hiccups during the ultrasound which was quite funny. We can't wait to meet Connar and just dream about what it will be like to hold him for the first time......

In more exciting news, my sister, Kelsie, got married this past weekend. It was a beautiful wedding and so much fun. I did my best to dance around a bit even though I'm soooo pregnant. :) Here's a picture of Connar at the wedding:

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me!!!!

2009-09-18T21:48:00.006-05:00

I am nearly 33 weeks pregnant, and we just had a blast at our second baby shower. It was thrown by wonderful family friends who have been like other moms to me through my life. So many friends (from long ago as well as new friends) made time to come out to celebrate Connar, and that meant the world to me. Connar received so many cute clothes, fun toys, thoughtful gifts, and sweet books, and Talton and I are so excited to be able to use them with him soon. Speaking of my husband, he surprised me at the end of the shower by showing up (had been planned for like a month), and the hostess actually had gifts for Talton to open up as the daddy. That was quite fun!

Connar's loot! He's already so very loved...

The amazing hostesses with the super cute pirate cake that matched Connar's bedding...

Fun bibs...

One of Talton's Daddy gifts that he opened was a Texans outfit, including the helmet and ball for Connar to wear one day. I can already imagine my boys sitting sitting together on the couch on a football Sunday....Connar as a little boy wearing his Texans jersey and big helmet next to his proud daddy. So cute!

My prince charming...

This was the funniest gift that Talton received. It was an apron full of things he'll need for "Daddy Diaper Dooty"...gotta love the tongs to pick up the dirty diapers! Ha!

What a great day!

2009-08-26T20:29:00.003-05:00

Exactly 10 years ago I met the man of my dreams....and he's held the key to my heart ever since. It's crazy to think that it's been 10 years since Talton and I met, but you know what they say - time flies when you're having fun. If someone would've asked me that day where I would be 10 years from then, I would've said "married, have a child, and be really happy with my life". Well we're right on track with that!!!

Talton and I went to the doctor today for a regular check-up and everything is going great. We'll go back now every 2 weeks. That means we're getting closer to Connar making his big appearance. I'm 29 weeks 1 day pregnant today, so less than 11 weeks to go until his due date. SO EXCITING!!!!!!!

cake & gifts & a stroller, oh my!

2009-08-17T22:14:00.010-05:00

So Connar's first baby shower was this past weekend. My teaching team at school threw it for us, and it was absolutely fantastic! Connar got so many goodies that I had so much fun looking at as I opened them and then again at home when I was putting them away. Looking at the picture below it might look like he got everything he needs, but we actually still have quite a bit of essential things to get. On the invitation, the hostesses asked the guests to bring a book instead of a card...right up a teacher's alley! They look perfect on his shelf with plenty of room to add more. I'm so excited about the second shower for family and friends that is in September!!! When we got home from the shower, Talton put together Connar's combination stroller/car seat and his super cute car walker. What a great daddy!

Look how tiny the socks are! Talton and I are so unbelievably excited to have Connar here to put them on his sweet little feet! I sure do love this baby so much it hurts!!! By the way, I'm 28 weeks pregnant tomorrow......yes, that means only 12 weeks to go until his due date. Amazing how time flies when you're having fun. :)

I heart Talton!

2009-08-09T21:08:00.002-05:00

He makes me laugh every day, takes care of me, comforts me when as my hormones are on this roller coaster, and he loves me with every fiber of his being. I'm quite the lucky girl to be loved by such an amazing man. I love you Talton, and I can't wait to become Mommy and Daddy side by side.

Who'd have thunk it?....

2009-08-09T20:01:00.006-05:00

....Connar likes music...don't know where he might get that from. I think he might already have pretty good rhythm too. :) Talton and I went to the Green Day concert this weekend (which was amazing!), and in the middle of the show I felt Connar kick me. He had been pretty calm all day, so it was funny that he kicked when the music was going.

So not only did this weekend consist of Connar's first concert, Talton and I also went to our first childbirth class. As we were walking into the hospital, we were joking that wouldn't it be funny if they had us do the breathing exercises...hee hee hoo...hee hee hoo. Just as the class was ending and we thought this might not be the case, the time had come. It wasn't long before we were both hee hee hooing on the floor. So funny and so hard to keep a straight face when you have 20+ adults laying on the floor hee hee hooing all at the same time. Next week we'll cover epidurals (among many other things)...Do you think they give an epidural pill to get you started in the parking lot????

2009-08-04T08:55:00.002-05:00

Today begins my 26th week of pregnancy. Wow. It's fun to think that he'll be here in 3 months. He is still kicking me regularly (which I love!) and is growing steadily (see picture below for proof that he's growing :) ).

I registered at Babies R Us last week....talk about an overwhelming place. I am happy that that's done now, because that was quite the task. After it was said and done though, it was fun to see all the items that will soon take over our house. My wonderful 4th grade team at school is throwing me a school baby shower in a few weeks, and I'm so excited I can hardly wait for the day to arrive. The invitations were so cute! We're so lucky to have such sweet friends who want to shower Connar with love.

We're still working on his room, which is so stinkin' cute if I say so myself! Talton hung his curtains this weekend and they look fantastic -- great job Daddy (as usual)! I heard this from a friend who is pregnant and it's so true: The daddy is in charge of building the room and the furniture and the mommy is in charge of building the baby. :) Connar's already loved so very much!

Lookin' good!!!

2009-07-21T17:14:00.003-05:00

Within 24 hours of Connar's bedding arriving via UPS, Talton and my mom were painting his room. Thank goodness for them! I served as the water and snack girl while they worked hard to make his room beautiful. Thank you to the best husband and the best mom a girl could ask for.

I couldn't resist putting the bedding in the crib the same night we painted the room after it was dry. We still have some decorating to do in there (pictures will be posted when that's accomplished), but it's so fun to be in the room with Connar's furniture, bedding, some accessories laying around, and sit in the oh so comfy glider just imagining what it will be like when our little man arrives. Here is the bedding we picked out and love...it's called Pirate's Cove.

our little man's furniture

2009-07-13T11:30:00.010-05:00

If you know me, you know that I am not a last minute kind of gal and you're not surprised to find out that Connar's furniture is now sitting in his room, set up, and ready to be dressed with cute bedding. That's right folks, Talton and I bought Connar's bed and dresser this past weekend and set it up. (I know it might seem a little early to have this accomplished already, but I have time to do it right now during summer break and once school starts back up in a month I'll be super busy. Also, within the two months or so after school starts, my sister will be getting married and Connar will make his debut. It's about to get really busy around here!) We thought about not setting it up until after we painted in a couple weeks, but we just couldn't resist the urge to tear open the boxes and put it all together once it was home. It is gorgeous! Talton did a great job assembling it....I'm such a lucky girl to have such a handy husband. He's always willing and ready to get his hands dirty for me. I love him so much! Connar will be one lucky little boy to have such a great daddy.

Also coming in the next week or two: a glider (I can't wait to read to Connar in such a comfy spot!) and Connar's bedding (so stinkin' cute!). Once that gets here, we'll be painting his room, and it will all come together.

Love me some Connar!

2009-07-13T10:18:00.005-05:00

If you've read the past couple blog entries, you know that Connar has been moving quite a bit this past week, and I'm loving every second of it. In fact, once he starts moving I don't want to get up because I want to feel him move as long as he'll kick me. Well Talton and I got quite a treat yesterday as we were looking at my belly and trying to track the baby with our hands. What was the treat you ask? For the first time ever, we saw my belly poke out as Connar was moving! How amazing....He's really got to be getting strong in there if he's moving around so much that we can see him kick through my belly. Love, love, love this stuff and love, love, love me some Connar!!!!!!

On the move...big time!

2009-07-08T11:08:00.005-05:00

Connar was moving around like crazy last night when Talton and I were sitting on the couch. When I say moving, I mean moving....I thought Bruce Lee might be in my belly doing karate moves, seriously. I told Talton that he was kicking me a lot, so he pressed his hand on my belly. It wasn't too long before Talton felt Connar with his hand for the first time. It was amazing for Talton to feel what I feel. Connar was in action so long that Talton felt him several times. I just sat there for a while giggling as he kicked me. At one point Talton asked if it hurt because every time he'd kick I'd go, "Whoo, that was a big one!" Feeling Connar move has got to be my favorite thing about being pregnant....I love feeling him move because it helps me to know he's doing just fine in there, and I know that as the kicks get harder, he's growing bigger and stronger. What more could a mommy ask for? :)

"He kicked me!"

2009-07-06T11:19:00.004-05:00

We were being quite lazy Sunday morning, wondering how long we could lay in bed, when Talton laid his head on my belly to see if he could feel Connar move. That's when it happened.....Connar kicked his daddy right in the ear! Talton jumped up with huge eyes and asked if the baby had just moved, and when I said yes he said excitedly, "He kicked me! I felt it!" So funny! It was the first time Talton has felt the baby move, and now we can't wait for him to feel Connar with his hand on my belly on a regular basis. Love that feeling of the baby moving, and I just want Talton to be able to feel it too. :)

We went on a party boat on Lake Conroe with family and friends for the 4th of July and had a ball. I never realized getting in the water when you're pregnant would feel so good!

It's a BOY!!!!

2009-07-01T10:15:00.017-05:00

Today I am 21 weeks 1 day pregnant. Yeah!!! Talton and I went to the doctor yesterday and found out that we're having a boy....his name will be Connar James Endres. We just loved the name Connar and James was Talton's dad's middle name. Neither of us cared whether our baby was a boy or girl, but we both just wanted to be right. Talton thought it was a boy, and I thought it was a girl. Well I had a talk with the baby before going to the doctor, and I told the baby how important it was for him/her to show his/her goods to Mommy and Daddy today. Well no sooner did the ultrasound device touch my belly did Connar have his legs wide open for us to see that he was, for sure, a baby boy. Talton jumped out of his chair like a rocket and did the whole fist pumping in the air and couldn't help himself but to say, "YES! I was right!!"

This was definitely the best doctor visit we've ever had. Seeing Connar do karate moves and roll around in my belly was the most amazing 30 minutes ever. What I loved just as much as seeing Connar was seeing his daddy be so proud and excited to his little boy for the first time. (Keep in mind, this was the first ultrasound where Connar looked like a baby and not a piece of rice. :) ) Connar is growing just as he should and weighed in at 13 ounces today. Keep growing strong little man!

During the ultrasound, we found out that I have a small fibroid tumor on my uterus. Fibroids are masses that grow in the uterus. There is a connection between fibroids and estrogen, so when you're pregnant and your estrogen levels rise, this can cause fibroids to grow. As your estrogen levels decrease (after pregnancy or during/after menopause), the fibroids tend to shrink and even disappear. The doctor is not concerned with it and says that it should not interfere with Connar's growth or my pregnancy.

This day will forever be one of my favorite days ever. I will never forget that day....the day where Talton stood next to me as we saw our son for the first time. If we love him this much now, I wonder how it will be when we actually meet him for the first time. I can't wait...

Here are some more pictures of Connar. I know, already a proud momma showing him off. Warning: Know that when you look at these, you WILL fall in love with him.

This is Connar's profile....sure can't wait to snuggle with that sweet face!

his itty bitty feet

He stretched out his leg for us! Thank you Connar!