Tour of Washington!

Whew! We returned Saturday from our 10 day tour of Washington. I think we covered nearly every mile of I-5 and possibly half of I-90! It was a whirlwind trip, but so wonderful so see so many people and introduce them to Cole. With the exception of a few melt downs (which the vacuum solved) he did very well.

Christmas was our busiest day starting our morning in Olympia and traveling to Gresham, OR to see Shawn's family. We arrived to Shawn's aunts house and a white Christmas! From Gresham we headed back to Washington to my aunt's house and finally wrapped our evening at my dad's for more Christmas celebrating. Cole was able to meet both his Great Grandpa Harter and his Great Grandma Blubaum during our visit.

Great Grandpa Harter performed Cole's dedication ceremony while we were in town. Poor little guy cried through the entire thing! We decided it was his party and he could cry if he wanted to.

Here are some pictures of our visit...Happy New Year!

Christmas at the Blubaum's

Since we will be in the Northwest on Christmas, we celebrated it early here in Arizona. I wanted to share a couple of pictures from our celebration. Try to ignore the devil eyes that Cole has in the picture with me, I am still trying to figure out the red eye reduction on our camera! You have to love Shawn's hat. He purchased it in October and has been wearing it and drinking egg nog ever since. He's a festive man!

Happy Holidays!

Cole is 1 month old!

I can't believe that a month has already passed since Cole was born! We had a big week celebrating Cole's 1 month birthday and Shawn's 34th birthday.

Yesterday Cole had his 1 month check up and is doing very well! We were happy to learn that he is back to his birth length of 22" (see previous posting re: the incredible shrinking Cole) and he is already up to 11lb! Unfortunately for us his latest trick is his screaming non-stop from 6pm-9pm each evening. The pediatrician informed us that it is colic...could last until he is 6 months old. I think some earplugs might be a good stocking stuffer for the Blubaum's this year!

Cole and I have had fun going to the mall to do some Christmas shopping. On Wednesday we went out and I had so many shopping bags on the stroller I thought it was going to tip over. I am learning how to shop with a baby...it's all about the handicap fitting rooms!

We are getting excited about our trip home for the holidays. I will be in Seattle/Portland for 10 days and am looking forward to seeing everyone and introducing you to Cole. I promise we'll stay away during the 6p-9p screaming hours. Those hours will be reserved for time with Grandma & Grandpa Blubaum. :)

That is what is new with the Blu's this week!

Apple Cup 2007!

Today is Cole's first Apple Cup! Since he is only 3 weeks old today and not yet ready to decide if he should be a Cougar fan (mom says YES!) or a Husky fan, we are making him a baby divided. He is wearing a onesie supporting the Huskies and a hat and socks supporting the Cougs!

The game just started and the Huskies already scored...let's hope it is not a sign of things to come...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving! The month of November is flying by. Hard to believe Cole will be 3 weeks old on Saturday. He is changing so fast and looks so different from the baby we brought home from the hospital -- he just keeps getting cuter!

We are having a quiet Thanksgiving at the Blubaum house. We put my mom on an airplane this morning after a 2 week visit. It was wonderful having her here and I know she loved spending time with Cole. We have our first 2 nights alone as a family tonight and tomorrow...then the Blubaum's arrive on Saturday morning and they visit until Tuesday. This will be their first time meeting Cole. We'll celebrate Thanksgiving with them and cook up the big meal on Saturday. Today...Shawn is making Beef Wellington for our feast. I am a little nervous as it's 11am and he's already cracked a beer (to celebrate the day of football, of course!). I really wonder by 6pm if he will be fit to take on something as complex as Beef Wellington? If all else fails there is left over pizza in the fridge. This could be a Thanksgiving to go down in history!

Here is a picture of Cole that we took this morning. He has his festive Thanksgiving onesie on and some cute pumpkin socks. He is ready for the holiday!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving...we certainly have a lot to be thankful for this year!

They ARE related!

I was going to title this posting "Safety 1st" until I found a photo that I thought should be posted along with a new picture of Cole. Each morning I go into his room to get him up for his morning feeding and this is how I find him. The sleep positioner is supposed to keep him sleeping on his back, however as you can see...Cole shimmies his way down so that it ends up being a head blocker in instead! This is not achieving the goal of the sleep positioner.

What is just as funny is the photo below. This is Cole's cousin Lukas, at the exact same age, doing the exact same thing! I guess they really ARE related!

Below is a picture of Cole after his morning feeding (with a little milk on his face!)...we call this the Boobie Coma! He ate 45 minutes ago and is still in it right now in the family room with Dad!

We are calling today Independence Day for Kelli. After 2 weeks of no driving (due to c-section) I am a free woman. My treat...off to Starbucks to enjoy a seasonal Gingerbread Latte. Ahhh!

The first days of Cole!

Cole is 1 week old today! We've had a great week with our little man. We are adjusting to our new schedule of no sleep, lots of poopy pants and warm snuggles with our baby boy.

We had our first pediatrian appointment this week. We discovered our baby is the Incredible Shrinking Cole! At birth they measured his length at 22"...then when they measured him at the doctor he'd shrunk to 20 1/2". Hmmm...

Each day we get to enjoy more and more awake time with Cole and we've discovered he loves his bouncy seat.

Grandma Grentzer arrived today...she will be visiting for the next 2 weeks! Lucky for her both of her grandsons are in town right now so she is getting time with Lukas and with Cole.

Speaking of Lukas...I love to share pictures of my cutie nephew. The one below is him eating breakfast with the worlds worst bedhead!

I hope everyone enjoys the new pictures of Cole. We'll add more as we take them!

Cole William Blubaum has arrived!

Well...we thought the day might never come...BUT Baby Blu, now legally known as Cole William Blubaum entered the world on Saturday, November 3rd. I endured 40 hours of induced labor and eventually had him via c-section at 1:13am. You will recall he was 9 days overdue and he came out big enough to prove it. He was 8lb 13.5oz and 22 inches long. Big boy...he even beat his cousin Lukas!

We just got home from the hospital this evening. After being there since Thursday we were definitely ready to get home and to introduce our little man to his new home. We are all 3 doing great. Thank you to everyone for your calls, thoughts and prayers. We look forward to introducing you to Cole soon!

Eviction Notice

A quick update on the baby...I am now 5 days late, which means the doctor can finally call the hospital and get me on the induction list for Thursday. I am scheduled to go in at 7am on Thursday, November 1st. As much as we'd love to let Baby Blu continue to hang out, he is officially getting his eviction notice!

So, it looks like he will end up sharing a birthday with his Grandma Grentzer after all!

Wasn't my due date October 25th?

Week 40...October 25th was our due date and it has officially come and gone with no baby to be seen. We've received so many phone calls from people checking in on us and Baby Blu (thank you for thinking of us!), so I thought I would post a quick update.

We have no baby action so far! We went to the doctor on Tuesday and Baby Blu still isn't making his preparations to join us. So...yesterday we went and had a BioPhysical Profile done of him. It is done via ultrasound and is commonly done when you are past your due date. The doctor just wants to check that the baby is happy to stay where he is for a few more days. The baby is given a score based on things they do during the ultrasound; movements, breathing, etc. He scored a perfect 8/8 (we are so proud already!) and is looking really good. They confirmed he is in position for birth (this is a good thing as there had been speculation he might be breech for a short time) and they also reconfirmed his sex (boy/blue/baseball themed room can stay!). Based on his measurements right now they estimate him to be about 8lb, but that can vary within a 1/2 lb either way. I'll venture to guess he's going to be on the bigger side of that, no Fromhold/Blubaum is small! Another funny, for those of you that know Shawn, you know we like to laugh about the size of his lips. Well...turns out baby is definitely Shawn's son! During the ultrasound baby was puckering up his lips, playing with his tongue and showing off his lips...big, just like daddy's! So funny!

We got new video from his ultrasound and also some new pics (which I'll post later today once I get them scanned).

So...the update is baby is happy right now. We go back to the doctor on Monday and if I'm still not making progress we'll talk about my induction date (most likely 11/1).

My family arrives today and I know they are just as anxious for baby to arrive as we are. We will hope the next post on the blog is all about Baby Blu's arrival!!

Where is Baby Blu?

Here we are...week 39. Many people are starting to ask..."Where is Baby Blu?" So, it's time for an update. We have had 4 weekly doctor visits and each week we go, hopeful to hear news that our little man is making his preparations to join us. I am sad to say each week that is not the news we hear.

As a woman I work with said to me today, why would he want to leave? The food is good and the rent is cheap. This must be true because he really isn't making any progress to get out of the nice warm womb I have given him.

Shawn put a pool together for bets on when the baby will be joining us. Some lucky person will be winning $250 for the correct guess. Each person had to submit a guess on the date and the time of birth. Halloween was of course a popular pick. I am a little nervous for those that picked dates like this Saturday. I do have a facial scheduled for Sunday morning so have NO plans of going into labor and missing that!

I am feeling great and still enjoying pregnancy. I think this is rare at 39 weeks! Baby Blu's room is done, his car seat is installed and we are ready for him to get here. Worst case we have wait until November 1st, which is when they will induce me. The fun part is that day is Grandma Grentzer's birthday. The not fun part is we have cute Halloween outfits for him to wear that he would not get the chance to enjoy.

We have accepted that our little man is in control and will join us when he is ready. We'll keep you posted...!

Baby Blu's Room

The countdown has begun...3 1/2 weeks until Baby Blu's estimated arrival. There are still so many things for us to do, but we've got most of his room put together and ready for him. Shawn still has a few things to hang on the walls, slowly but surely we will get it all done. At this point there is a mattress in the crib and a changing pad on the dresser...this is progress.

His room has a bit of a baseball theme, not a surprise for those of you who know Shawn. Grandma and Grandpa Blubaum got Baby Blu a Seattle Mariners mobile that plays "Take me out to the ballgame." He's sure to be a Seattle sports super fan just like his daddy!

Some girlfriends hosted a baby shower for me and Baby Blu yesterday. It was so much fun and he was spoiled with more wonderful gifts. So many of them helped me finish parts of his room last night, so it was perfect! Our friends Courtney & Eric got him a diaper wipes warmer. A true necessity for the little boy that will pampered and spoiled. We want him to have happy buns!

Next Saturday we have an appointment with the fire department to get the car seat installed/checked. We are also down to weekly doctor appointments and will be at 37 weeks this week. That is the milestone that he can come at any time now. I'd prefer if he waits until the carseat is properly installed!

Shawn attended Daddy Boot Camp yesterday while I was at my baby shower. He came home with lots of helpful hints and safety tips. He said 100% of the men in the class raised their hands when asked how many were forced to attend the class by their wives. Helps me think I am boss, even though I know I am not.

Since it is NFL Sunday...Shawn is glued to the giant TV for the afternoon. We are crossing our fingers that San Diego can win...we both picked them in our football pool this week. Say a little prayer...Baby Blu could use the winnings! :)

That's what is new with the Blu's. We are patiently waiting for the arrival of our little man and will be sure to share pictures once he arrives!

The Babymoon!

Shawn and I just returned from our "Babymoon" in Northern Arizona. We spent the weekend in Sedona and took a trip to the Grand Canyon. In 4 years of living here, I had not yet seen the Grand Canyon -- it was definitely worth the trip!

We drove up on Friday after work and checked into the Amara Resort & Spa, a little boutique resort right in downtown Sedona. We had a little balcony off our room with a nice view of the grounds.



Saturday morning we got up early and made the 2 hour drive up to the Grand Canyon. We survived some windy roads and were so comfy in our new Tahoe, reminding us how happy we are with our purchase! I was impressed we made it in 2 hours, as you can imagine driving with an 8 month pregnant lady tends to makes drives just a tad long (frequent stops!). Here are a couple of pictures of Shawn and I at the Canyon.
We stayed for about 3 hours, going to different view points and had lunch. There are so many great hikes you can do, but as you can imagine we were not able to enjoy hiking this time around. I was amazed at all the people we saw at the Canyon -- people from all over the world coming to see it. It was beautiful and I am so glad I can say I have seen it!

When we got home we were excited to see a package from Grandma Grentzer! She made Baby Blu's crib skirt and it turned out perfect! His nursery is coming together...furniture is assembled and it looks great. We bought him a closet organizer this afternoon -- now Dad just needs to put it together. We plan to get the rest of the nursery done over Labor Day weekend.

We are at week 31 right now and go to the doctor tomorrow. We have a busy month of September with lots of travel for Shawn. He'll be making 2 trips to Seattle -- trying to get him to as many Seahawk games as we can before Baby Blu arrives. My sister and Lukas are coming to town in late September to visit while Shawn is in Seattle. I'm looking forward to taking my nephew to the zoo (if the weather cooperates and cools down a bit!). It will be October before we know it and our little man will be here.

That's what is New with the Blu's...more next weekend after Operation Nursery is complete!

Baby Blu's Shower

I spent last weekend in Olympia (out of the AZ heat!) where we had a shower for Baby Blu (thank you Kristie, Beth and Amy)! It was a great weekend with friends and family and was much needed since I hadn't been back since Christmas. It was so fun to see so many friends (and their darling new babies) and to catch up with everyone.

Saturday was a perfect NW day, the kind that makes you want to move back there, but then you remember that October - May it will be gray and raining again. We were at my Dad's house on the lake and it was just beautiful.

Baby Blu was spoiled with so many wonderful gifts...including his first #8 Matt Hasselbeck jersey (thanks Amanda!). This was probably Shawn's favorite!

Of course there were great gifts for mom as well...including my very own "Hooter Hider." I am going to assume that it's purpose is self explanatory. It will come in handy once Baby Blu arrives!Since I am 7 months pregnant now and have released no pictures to prove this, I have decided it's time. This may be the only post I do of the belly, so please enjoy (this is for you Mom!).

I hope to have some pictures of his nursery up soon! We painted his room a couple of weeks ago and had new carpet installed throughout the house last weekend. It's shaping up! We still need to order our furniture (oops...didn't realize it can take up to 10 weeks to arrive?) and take care of a few other things. We are so excited for our little man to arrive in October.

I am feeling great and am 28 weeks pregnant today. 3 more months to go. Somedays it feels like that is right around the corner, but then I remember I've been pregnant since January and it feels like 3 months is so far away! We go back to the doctor next week for our last monthly appointment. After this we go every 2 weeks, then every week.


Can't forget to mention the half of the Blu's...Shawn! He is doing great, enjoying Blu's Summer of Golf Tour. He's only got a few more courses to golf. He is off to Vegas with the boys next weekend and then we are having our "Babymoon" later this month. A weekend in Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Looking forward to our last getaway before Baby arrives!


That's what is "new with the Blu's!"

Father's Day 2007

Happy Father's Day! This year is Shawn's first celebrated Father's Day...since Baby Blu is on the way. Since it is "his"day...he's spending it exactly as he wanted to...Golfing! He is enjoying one of the best courses in Arizona and I treated myself to a morning at the Spa. Ahhh...life with no kids. I guess we should treasure these days as they will be few and far between after Baby Blu arrives in the fall.

Shawn is attempting to complete the "Summer 2007 Golf Tour" by the time the baby arrives. He was kind enough to submit a list to me of all the courses he wants to play and it's my job to try and use connections to get him a deal. So far, so good.

Shawn received some fun gifts for Father's Day, one that is definitely worthy of sharing. This little shirt was purchased for Baby Blu. We just have to hope that the baby isn't born with MORE hair than his daddy!

All is well in Chandler. We enjoyed a nice hot day yesterday -- already up to 110. Last night I drug Shawn to go see Kathy Griffin perform in downtown Phoenix. I think there were just a couple of other heterosexual couples attending. She put on a good show...very funny!

What is Baby Blu?

Well, it tuns out that Baby Blu is a pretty fitting name for our baby...Shawn and I found out today that we are having a little boy!! Most predictions were correct (apparently I've been putting off some boy vibes). We are both so excited! Shawn is already making plans for the batting cage he is going to build in the backyard and is so happy he will get to be a Little League coach. I had to remind him that this will only work if the baby gets HIS athletic ability. My hand/eye coordination leaves a lot to be desired. Based on all tests and ultra sounds at this point the baby is doing great and is very healthy. We are still looking at October 25th for a due date.

Speaking of due dates, Shawn informed me on Tuesday that he was looking at the calendar and he realized that the week of Thanksgiving would be a really great time (for his schedule) to have the baby. His job would be close to done and he could take the entire week off to be with me and the baby. I informed him that I didn't sign up for a 45 week pregnancy. He'll just have to work with me on this one!

So...that is what is "new with the Blu's" this week. Pretty exciting news for an already exciting time!

"Mom Wheels"

After what feels like months of searching, the "Mom Wheels" have finally been purchased! Lucky for me (as he likes to say) Shawn is very much into "enjoying the process" of things like buying cars. As a result, we have test driven nearly every SUV on the market. This even included us sitting in a $93k Mercedes SUV, just to "see what we think." I told Shawn not to touch anything inside the vehicle, just in case Mercedes lives by the You Break It You Buy It philosophy.

In the end a 2007 Chevy Tahoe was purchased. Greystone exterior (which is really a champagne/grey color) with light grey interior. I am adjusting relatively well to the new big car. One of the best features is the rear indicator. This translates into lights blinking if I am about to back into anything. A fine feature for a woman who has more car than she can truly handle.

We are thrilled with our new purchase and we are ready to tote some people around in the new rig! Come visit soon!

The Blog

Well...I said I'd never do it...and here I am, starting my very own blog. I can't wait to get a hard time about this one! I figure since I am now pregnant and fall asleep at 7:30pm, I am missing valuable phone time catching up with my friends...thus...the blog to fill everyone in on all the happenings here in Chandler-Bing, AZ. Shawn had just increased the Verizon minutes on my phone (due to months and months of insanely going over on my alloted minutes) when we found out I was pregnant. Now we have excess minutes each month and I am wishing I was back with Cingular reaping those roll over minutes!

So a few promises as I start this blog. It will not be filled with embarassing pictures of me as my stomach grows ever so huge (update, last night after 14 years...the belly button ring was removed -- doctors orders. It was a bit of a sad moment). It will not be filled with gross pregnancy information that people really don't want to hear about. Updates on life here and updates on the baby, sure...but no TMI happening on this blog.

So I suppose that leads to an update on the baby. 17 week doctor visit was yesterday and all appears to be going well. We call Monday to schedule the ultra sound to check on the baby and to find out if we are having a boy or girl. The baby is affectionately referred to as "Baby Blu" for now. I've felt from the beginning that it's a boy. No real rhyme or reason, I just figure I might as well guess because I have a 50/50 chance of being right! Here is Baby Blu getting ready to suck its thumb (or tip back a brewski?). This was at 12 weeks.



No real exciting updates on life here in Chandler. We were lucky enough to purchase a new roof for the house a couple of weeks ago. The 20 year roof was holding on in its 22nd year and sprung a leak above our bedroom. So, that was good times to get that replaced. Many home improvement projects will be occurring between now and October when Baby Blu arrives. I plan to do a lot of supervising of these projects, not a lot of working on them.

And that is the start of the blog. More good times to follow, I am sure!