He loves this position!

Bleeker and Baker get cozy

Blackmon's and Acara's eat BBQ

Carolyn, Ed, and Noah Espinoza - born 6 days after Baker

Family picture before Date Night!

Baker at Day 9:

So... lets see. It seems like the days have all blended together. First, we have a great annuncement - Baker's umbilical cord fell out yesterday!! Yeah, we felt like breaking out a bottle of bubbly to celebrate. Have I mentioned how great mom and dad have been to us? They let us go out on a date night last night, so we walked down the street to Momo Sushi to have a little night out. They also allowed us to go visit our friends Ed and Caroline Espinoza, who just had their little baby Noah. When we got back home, our friends the Acara's came over and brought bbq for us for dinner. We had a great time and really enjoy their company and their little boy Sam. Now we are getting ready for Nana and Papa to leave tomorrow and nobody is happy about that. Enjoy the pictures!

Brad

He has his daddy's toes
Baker relaxing in the living room

The Blackmon Boys

He loves his Moses Basket

Our little Pirate

He loves his mommy

Talk to the hand!

Update on Baker and Nicole:

Baker and Nicole are doing great. I am not sure if you know but Nicole has a mild case of Bells Palsy that was triggered right after her delivery. She is on steroids and antibiotics and the neurologist says that Nicole should be fine in a months time. You can imagine that this has bothered Nicole and has added to the extra stress of being a new mom, etc. So please keep her in your prayers - but she is doing awesome!!! Baker continues to grow day by day and we are learning that he loves to eat, pee, poop , and sleep. My parents have been amazing and are letting us sleep through the night so that we can be completly rested up by the time they leave on Sunday. Enjoy the pictures!

Brad

More Baker Pictures:

Here are more Baker pictures for everyone. Today we went to the dr. again to see if Baker had gained any weight overnight and thank goodness he had!!! He gained almost 7 ounces with the formula supplement and Nicole and I breathed a sigh of relief. We also gave Baker his first bath - and he was not excited about that at all. Things are going well and we continue to try and become better parents everyday.

Baker's First Visit to the Pediatrician:

Today was Baker's first visit to the Pediatrician. He did great and wasn't too traumatized by being stripped down for inspection. The doctor said that he is doing great, but needs to gain weight - so we are now going to supplement formula at night to help him become a little chunk!

He likes to scratch his face

In his Bouncy Seat.

Papa Troy and Baker!!

Joyce (Nicole's Stepmother) and Baker

We can't get him away from him!

Its Changing Time

Bleeker meets Baker for the first time and he loves him!

More Baker Images:

Attached are some other images that we have taken of Baker over the last 24 hours. He and Nicole are doing really well and he is sleeping about 4 hours between feedings - thank goodness! Yesterday was a great day as Nicole's Dad and Stepmother came up for a visit to meet their new grandbaby. Nicole and I are also very thankful that my mom and dad are here for the rest of this week. We are all taking turns with taking care of Baker and it is helping out GREATLY!!

More images to come!

Brad

Everyone, meet Baker Lindan Blackmon

Baker in his crib!

On his way home from the hospital in the same outfit that Brad wore home 32 years ago.

Nicole and Baker

He loves his Nana!

Proud Papa

Thank Goodness for Aunt Shannon

The Daniels' Family

Daddy with Baker

After his prints were taken

Our Midwife and Nurse

Baker Lindan Blackmon:


For those of you who do not know, our little boy Baker was born 2 weeks early on Thursday, January 24th. Nicole's water broke while having a manicure / pedicure on Wednesday afternoon. I picked her up and we went home to take Bleeker to our neighbor's house. (Thanks Cindy and Wayne!!) We then went to the hospital and labor officially started. Brian, Shannon and the kids arrrived just in time as Shannon helped Nicole and I greatly in the delivery room. Nicole had contractions for about 4 hours before she was given an epidural at 11:00 PM. After the epidural, she was in good shape and at 2:00 AM she started pushing. At 3:01 AM, Baker was born. He is beautiful and we wanted to share a few pictures with you. Nicole and Baker are both doing well and we came home today to start adjusting to this new life. My parents are here now until next Sunday and they are taking such great care of us. Nicole's Dad and Joyce come up tomorrow, so we are feeling the family love. More to come, I am tired and this is about all I can type! Have fun looking at the pictures!

Update From Our Doctor's Appointment

This morning, Brad and I had our weekly check-up with our doctors & midwives practice and all went very well. Our midwife gave us some news that slightly overwhelmed us. After examining me, she doesn't seem to think I am going to make it to my due date. She even touched the baby's head! She said that I have definitely dropped and that I am 50% effaced...so I am definitely thinner "down there"! I had a really rough night last night, wondering if what I was feeling were contractions or the baby moving, but whatever I was experiencing wasn't comfortable. So by the time I got to the doctor today, I was very tired and emotional and even asked if I could be induced just so that I will know when it's going to happen and not have to have these anxieties all the time! That didn't work but at least I tried right? I guess you can imagine that we want to make sure everything is set for when he arrives. Brad even put the car seat in yesterday. I think we're as prepared as we can be at this point! So, that's the update. Keep your eyes and ears open for any news!!

All of us!

Carolyn and Ed
Sara Beth, Sam and Jaime

Could This Be Our Last Hoorah?

Brad and I have thought a lot about things we need to do before the baby arrives and one of them is to get together with friends before the big day arrives! So, tonight we decided to have dinner with some friends from church...Sara Beth, Jaime and their adorable son Sam and Carolyn and Ed who are expecting a baby boy any day now (she's due on the 25th!). With Carolyn and I both expecting very soon, we knew that if we didn't do something now, it may not happen for a long time! So, we all planned to meet at Overwood, a great restaurant in Old Town, for dinner. It was a night full of laughs, as we knew it would be, and a fabulous meal with friends. What could be better? We are so thankful for the new friends God has placed in our lives here in DC and know they are sure to make living here (esp. with a new baby) that much easier. Cheers to a great night!

37 Weeks (or 19 days to go!)

I know we just posted a belly picture this past Sunday but I am certain that my stomach is bigger today than it was then! So, I had Brad take a couple more pics of me last night. I feel huge and as if my stomach couldn't grow any larger without exploding! Take a look for yourself and see what you think.

No one can say I don't look pregnant anymore!! That would be nonsense these days!

The bare belly
Bleeker isn't so sure what's happening in this room!

He'll be sleeping here before we know it!

Baby's closet

Pics of the family to watch over him - Andy/Patty, Troy/Linda, Bleeker, and Daddy/Mommy

The daybed/guest bed - despite the size of the room, we couldn't get rid of this bed!

36 1/2 Weeks Pregnant and the Nursery

We've been really slack lately about posting pictures on the blog of my pregnant belly and I know that many of you have been on me about that! So, this weekend, Brad and I were very determined to take some pics to show you guys. It's hard to believe that we are already at 36 1/2 weeks and only have 3 1/2 more to go before our little man arrives! It's quite interesting to be pregnant right now as I have so many friends at church and elsewhere that are also pregnant. As of now, a good friend of mine here, Carolyn, is expecting 2 weeks before Brad and I, so any day now. It's been great to share this experience with someone so close by as we are going through the same aches and pains and more importantly, we're able to complain to each other and it's okay! We've also taken prenatal yoga together and the four of us (her husband Ed and Brad and I) took a diaper changing class this past week! How funny! The best part about it-the English tape was broken so it was all in Spanish and lucky for us, they just moved back from Madrid so they could interpret it for us! Ha! I have another friend from college who is expecting the day before me on the 5th, and literally about 5 others all expecting in the few months following. So, there must be something in the water!

I guess you can say the past 2 weeks have become rather challenging with the final weeks approaching. I certainly haven't felt like myself and bless Brad, he has been the best husband ever and completely understanding! Sleep has become much more difficult, potty breaks have doubled, back aches are unlike anything I've ever experienced and my Braxton Hicks have finally picked up the pace. So, I'm just taking things easy and resting a lot. We finally got out yesterday and went to dinner and got groceries...woohoo! Tomorrow is my check-up at the doctor where I will have the Strep Test and begin my weekly doctor appointments. So, this certainly makes it seem like there is an end in sight. And with the final pics hung on the wall this weekend, our nursery is pretty much complete! This is a great feeling to know that we have the basics should he come early! When you live in a city like DC, large rooms aren't common so we made a small room work! Thanks to everyone who has helped make this possible for us! You will never know how much it means to us. Enjoy the pics and we will try our best to take more of the belly before he comes!