toys

Titus is learning new things. He is now grasping at toys that are on his bouncy seat. It is so much fun to sit and watch his determination to grab this cute little monkey toy that he loves. (It can be seen below, the girl in yellow is holding the monkey). He is not very coordinated yet, but he focuses and reaches and usually gets a foot. It is awesome to watch him bring it to his mouth too! He is exploring his world, and I can't wait for him to know more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone enjoyed their turkey dinners! We sure did. We went to a friend's house and we all brought something to add to the table. We contributed a sweet potato casserole. It was all so tasty. We ate dinner around 3pm, then lounged and watched some football. Titus had a really great time.

Photos

There is not too much to say right now. We are just having fun living life. Here are a few fun shots of us just goofin off. Enjoy!

Shots

Titus had his two month check-up today. Our regular Dr. just had a baby of his own on Oct. 31, so we saw a new Dr. He was very nice and helpful. Titus was awake and alert and Happy while he was being examined. We finally have a new weight!
He is in the 50th percentile for both. He is growing perfectly.
11.2lbs
23 inches

Then we had to get our immunizations. Titus was really good. He cried at the time of the prick, but he was quickly calmed by Mom's arms. Mom on the other hand, had to breath and take a seat after comforting Titus. Whew, that was tough. I can't believe I still cannot handle needles. After giving birth I thought I might get over it a little, but no. Such is life. But thankfully Titus takes his shots really really well. He takes after dad in that, and I will strive to keep it that way.

In the words of our Dr. "He looks great." He is gaining and growing very well. I am going through his clothing today to weed out the too little things. But it is hard. He has some size NB clothes that still fit really well. But then there are some size 0-3m that are way too small!!! I can't believe baby clothes can vary that much. I know my clothing can vary from brand to brand, but really, its baby clothes!

play time!

We decided to rearrange the furniture! This way it gives us more room to play on the floor. And Jones has his own area to play as well. Now we can enjoy the new sights and sounds of our toys in a big open space. Titus loves looking around at everything! Especially mom and dad.
Jones also helped move the furniture... doesn't he look tuckered out! THANK YOU Dad for leaving all four machinery skates. We could not have done it without all four. We have some heavy furniture. Now I have to organize things so life flows around this new arrangement. But that is a task for another day.

Check out our new trick...

We are smiling at dad and mom!!

October 31st

Halloween was pretty mellow for us this year. We handed out candy from the back of our truck. Our street is pretty dark so we decided to be more visible for the kids. We were the "trick" in trick or treat for some kids! Titus wore a pumpkin onesie from our friends in Canada, Thank you!

Pumpkin Carving

So we went over to Blayde and Leah Jungles' house last Friday night for some pumpkin carving fun. Here is a picture of the pumpkins, including our little pumpkin. (Sorry it's not a great one, but it's the best one we could find. We forgot the camera that night, I know...horrible parents. Also notice Ninja Daddy in the background.)


Our pumpkin is the one on the far right, it's a toothless and earless wolf howling. It's toothless and earless thanks to my awesome precision carving skills. (Let's just all be glad I wasn't the one who performed the circumsion.)

Anyways, we had a great night and Titus was all tuckered out. Here he is at home snuggling with his duckie.

Study.

I finally went back to Bible study today. My workbook was not completed, but Julie, our small group leader, said it was perfectly fine. I wish I had fully completed this lesson, the discussion time was so informative. Great stuff.

I took Titus with me this morning and he was really well behaved. He slept and cooed mostly. I never really noticed all the noises he makes. To me he was so loud, but no one minded, or really noticed. The office staff was happy to see Titus as well. Thank you Terry for saying Titus looks like both of us! I enjoyed getting back to a semblance of normalcy. Mom and Dad being here has been great! But I know that they will be going home. I am still adjusting to life with a baby. It takes so much more time to do the simplest tasks. Just takes time to adjust.

First Sunday at Church...

aaaand he slept the whole time. Perfect for us. Lots of people got to meet our son and the breakdown was as follows: 90% = he's adorable, 10% = he looks just like Tiffany. Not that I mind, I mean she's beautiful and I know Titus is too. But maybe if his eyes were open I might have gotten some votes. His eyes are starting to change into a color and it seems they are a nice dark blue, which is not brown; so score one for Daddy!






Anyway, here is Titus in his present from Nana and Ashley, a Moses Basket.

Growing....

Titus entered this world at 7lbs. Then he dropped a bit, which is perfectly normal. At his 2 week old check up he weighed 7 lbs 6 ounces. So he is gaining, and we can tell. He is filling out his clothing better, and his diaper. The car seat is getting a bit heavier. And his face is starting to show more personality.

Activity

People said that if your child is active in the womb then he is just as active when he comes out. They were right. He is a squiggle worm. The doctor noticed how strong Titus was and warned us not to leave him on the change table alone, even for a second. He could roll off. We don't leave him on there, but it was a good reminder. Titus tries to lift his head and is pretty successful, but doesn't have the strength to keep it there yet. Soon he will be walking. :) Titus likes to be swaddled to sleep. We call him an "escape artist" because he will wiggle his little arm out, no matter how well we wrap him!

2 weeks old!

We are now starting a new life together. We have added one more to the mix. Life is precious and interesting. One day we are a happy couple, the next day we are a happy family. Titus is sweet. He is learning this new world very quickly and carefully. Each day is a new discovery; a thumb, a happiness with a clean diaper, a grandparent, a breeze, and of course the dog. Jones and Titus are getting along well. Jones is still learning to be number four in the house, and hot dogs are his favorite treat!

Titus is now 2weeks old. The doctor says he is doing great!! He has been gaining weight, which makes Mom happy. So we are starting to learn the art of sleeping, eating, waking and doing it again. One would think it would get boring doing the same thing over and over and over again. But, each feeding is unique. Each wake time is unique, and gets more fun everyday.

James Titus has arrived!!

James Titus Carnahan was born September 15th at 5:58pm at Lovelace Women's Hospital in Albuquerque, NM. He weighed 7lbs and measured 20.5 in. long. Moma, Daddy and baby are resting comfortably, getting to know each other and learning how to breastfeed.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I'll do my best to get more photos up soon, but for now, check out these pics.

hurry up and wait

This is a snapshot of what the baby might look like in my belly.

The big day is so close, but so far away. I have been trying to keep busy to keep my mind off of it. I am excited, but if I think about it too much I get nervous. I have read that adrenaline counteracts the oxytocin that causes contractions, so I am trying to stay calm. I am doing some addressing for birth announcements ( if you want one email me your address), finishing the quilt, Bible study, packing my hospital bags, and many other things. I have been reading up on the signs of real labor, and labor itself. I hope to be knowledgeable enough not to go the hospital too early. I will be really disappointed if they have to send me home. The doctor says things are progressing nicely, but I have not had any contractions. A friend says that is ok, cause then I will really 'know' when the real contractions come about.

Jordan and I have been doing a childbirthing class on the computer, and it has been informative. It has sparked some great conversations. We are prepared as we think we can be for this new adventure called childbirth. We know things can get complicated, but we hope to have a plan when things come up. We pray for an uncomplicated birth, but God's plan is not always ours. God is good.

3 weeks left to go!

The Doc says that he will not stop any labor that begins from now on. YAY. Not that I want him to come early, but he is fully cooked so to say. The baby has a funny way of relaxing in my belly. He sticks his little bum up, and my belly looks all awkward. But he's comfy like that!

I am getting more tired, I have to really watch my activity during the day. Naps are essential. As are movies, and books. Just things to keep me occupied, but not too busy. And it is better for me to choose either upstairs or downstairs for the day. I cannot do up and down, up and down, up and down, all day long. Once in a while is fine. But overall life is good.

Good Times

I am excited to say that I love to watch the Olympics. I really enjoy watching the women's gymnastics, but I like the idea of the Olympics. I have to comment on the Opening Ceremonies. They were fantastic, but when you have that many people you can do some fantastic things. The newscasters say that there were around 15,000 performers. 15k different people doing different things. The one thing that really stood out to me is the fact that the performers were amazingly in sync with each other. I have experience with tap dance and cheerleading. One element from these activities that are difficult to master with many people is Timing. But the Chinese pulled it off beautifully. They opened with some drums, and the sound was clean, not muddled by off timing. Just masterfully clean. I loved it. I was in awe of the mastery. If you have a chance to see the rerun or check it out online I highly reccommend it. Amazing. I look forward to many more amazing things.

Baby's Room

And Now... the beautiful Baby's room. Not much to say about it but that it is done!! We took this past weekend and finished putting things together. We changed our mind on the bedding, and we hoped the new stuff coordinated with the walls. I think it looks great. And yes those are maps on the walls. I love maps, and I want our children to be aware of the distance between us and grandparents. Since grandparents will probably be flying and the time makes the distance seem short. Then also I want them to be globally minded. Enjoy the pictures!!

Registry

Wow I cannot believe how many different things go along with a baby. No wonder people want to buy a bigger home once they have a child. They just need a place to put everything!! We have boxed up lots of our things and put them in the garage or another closet. So now we have room for the little one's stuff.

Since family is far away, I enlisted two of my "mom" friends to help me register. This proved wonderful. They have 3 children between them and they had so much helpful information. Michelle would say, "I hate my version of this, but my mother-in-law has this one and I love it." So I would register for that one. And just practical advise on things. Like how many burp cloths do I need? or Do I really need bottles if I am breastfeeding? Wow, I didn't realize how many things we really do need to properly care for a child. From bath stuff, to bedding, and clothes, to just toys in general. Then there is the carseats, and strollers, and carriers. Also, the little medicines for them, and personal hygiene items like little saftey nail clippers. Slightly overwhelming, but good I had guidance.

We made a day out of it. The morning was at Baby's R Us, then lunch at Il Vicino's Wood Oven Pizza. After that they had to get their kids home for their naps, and I went home and online registered at Target. Jordan and I just put the finishing touches on our Target registry today after church. It is actually very tiring doing all of this. So many things to consider. And yes Jordan held the gun, that is his part of the experience!

So those of you out of town, my Baby Shower is August 10th here in the clubhouse up the street from our house. I am excited to see all my friends and just get to hang out. The sweets and presents are just bonus!

My Handy Work :)

I am a city girl who has always wanted to be a quiet country woman, but I can't seem to leave the city life. But I have learned some great things from my Grandma Lizzie (dad's mom). She taught me to be a worker with my hands. She tried to teach me to crochet, bead, and just be crafty. I Love the quilts and afghans that she makes. Aunt Ruth tells me that Grandma crochets now from her memory because she can't see well. I can't crochet with two hands two feet and two eyes. She amazes me. But I have decided that I can sew, thanks to my mom putting me in classes and giving me a sewing machine for Christmas, so I have started a baby quilt for our little one. I am so excited about it. I bought the squares, already cut, about 3 weeks before we knew what the gender was. I love the colors. I am so excited to finish it. I have pieced it together, and am now looking for a nice soft backing. Please do not examine the piece work, it is my first quilt and I haven't really sewed in a while. I know its crooked. :) But its mine. I love the fact that I can produce something useful with my hands. God is good.

10 weeks to go!

I am now at 30 weeks along. 38 weeks is considered full term, and the Dr. will induce by 41 weeks. I am having back pains, my feet hurt at the end of most days and sleep is a beautiful commodity. But there is a happy wiggly little boy in my belly who is not quite ready to see the world. I can handle the inconveniences for this little life. He has his spots that he likes to kick. One is just above and to my right of my belly button. The other is my lower left side just above my hipbone. The second one usually doubles me over. Its not that bad, it usually just catches me so off guard that it gets me. Jordan loves seeing and feeling our son kick around.

I am also getting tired again more quickly. I have been needing to do things slowly, and methodical. And then some days I need a nap. Some days Jordan comes home and says, "Tiffany, did you get your nap?" and I reply with a moody, "no." So then I go lay down for a while and wake up so refreshed. It is so unbelievable how just resting on the couch can revive my body and mood. I have to remember that rest is an important part of my daily 'to do' list. Jordan sure appreciates my remembering this rest.

Here in Albuquerque we have what is called a dry heat. We also have what is called a monsoon season. We are currently in the middle of our monsoon season. That means it rains once a day and usually at the same time. Jordan says you can set your watch to the rain on base. Its kinda funny compared to the rain in Kentucky. And as a side note, people here don't really know how to drive in the rain. Or how to properly use their windshield wipers. :) Sorry New Mexican's reading this. So with this rain, comes humidity. And therefore our swamp cooler does not work as well in the humidity. It just brings in the air from outside and does not cool it. So here we are very pregnant in the very hot of the summer. :) If you have been following our blog, I was warned by many people about this very thing. So yes people you were right!

Thank you to the folks who have visited in the last month. We have gotten a new backyard, and some new stuff, and some great family time. We both enjoyed the visits and appreciate the time spent together.

Accident

Friday was quite the day! We went to a pottery store to find a nice chiminea for our back yard. Upon pulling out into traffic and stopping at the stop light, we were rear ended. Here is the summary of what happened.

We were stopped at the light and it turned green. The truck in front of us honked at the car in front of them for not going at the proper time for a green light. The driver behind us must have got distracted and didn't see that we were not moving at a green light. He hit us, then shoved us into the truck in front of us, then promptly put it in reverse and sped off. Jordan stuck his head out the window and got the plates on the speeding truck. We found a pen and scrap paper and wrote it down. We pulled into a parking lot right off the street, which happened to be a Starbucks, and began the insurance procedures. I got out of the car and went into Starbucks hoping for a big comfy chair, but no such luck. I got a glass of water and waited for the baby to move. Thankfully he kicked gently within 20 minutes. I didn't feel much pressure on my lap belt during the accident, so I really didn't think anything was wrong. But, the waiting for him to move was enduring.

The truck in front of us did not receive very much damage, but as you can see, our new Pilot sustained debilitating damage. The truck in front of us had a cab full of children. Three between the ages of 14 and 3. The police did not arrive for a really long time, and then when they did get there, it wasn't too much help. They had another witness call in the plates as well. They ran the plates and it came up expired, and in another city in NM. So it is very likely the guy doesn't have insurance. Thankfully we are fully insured. So, now we wait for the towing company. They get there and take our bright shiny new truck away. Sad, but we will live. The Lord gives and The Lord takes away. We are blessed to have two vehicles in the first place. Now its just an inconvenience.

I called our friends Lauren and Carlos to ask for a ride to our house. I went and picked up the Malibu and went back to Jordan and we came home.

We were not checked by EMS at the time of the accident. But as we got home, I called my doctor on call, to apprise them of the accident. Upon his advice we went to the Women's Hospital. I went up to labor and delivery and not the ER. The doctor had called the nurses and gave them orders for me. They put a fetal monitor and a contraction monitor on and we were monitored for 2 hours. The baby's heartbeat was strong, and she had no contractions. The nurse said the baby looks great for 26 weeks! That was such a reassurance.

So there is the story. Just to let you in on the news of the week. Oh yeah, by the way about 2 weeks ago we bought 2007 Honda Pilot. We are blessed to have 2 vehicles and we are doing just fine with one. I am getting practice getting up early. Thank you to all who prayed for us. The Lord is good.

Love,
Jordan & Tiffany

24 Weeks

Now the baby is a full pound of my weight. This little boy is growing fast! It feels like I grow an inch a day. One day a regular t-shirt fits and the next day it is too tight. I have put away most of my regular clothes in a box labeled "post-pregnancy." I still have a few t-shirts of my own I can still wear, but Jordan's t's fit really really well. He is nice enough to loan a few to me. I love it!

We are starting to put together the Baby's room. We are painting a nice green. We will post a picture of the room as soon as we get it done. My friend Lauren is gonna help me paint while Jordan is at work one day. I helped her paint her home, so she is coming over to help me. It's great to have good friends out here.

Our Friends Wedding

As promised, here are pictures of me in my new dress!! We had a good time at the wedding, the table favors were homemade salsa! Can't wait to try it.

The wedding was originally outdoors, but then was changed at the last minute to inside. Glad I had a little sweater to help me out. It was a bit cold in the reception hall. But Jordan was kind enough to sit outside for a minute with me so I could warm up.

One new thing did happen while we were there. Strangers were confident enough to ask me when I was due!! I am happy, I finally look pregnant and not just pudgy. :) That makes me smile.

Los Angeles

Here are some photo's from our trip to Los Angeles. The Beach photo is next to the Santa Monica Pier. Jordan and I walked down to ocean and wanted to just stick our feet in, but the ocean had other plans. We stood there and the wave came up to our knees! Thankfully Jordan had rolled up his pant legs and I had a skirt on. We both got wet. Then we walked the pier, and the cool breeze came through. It was nice, but got really cold.


And of course I had to get my photo taken with Dora!!! This was in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, where all the star's put their hand prints in the cement. We found Clint Eastwood, Eddie Murphy and Darth Vader. Harrison Ford, C-3PO and R2D2! We saw all this the last day we were there, so we didn't have very much time, and it was HOT! It was about 101 degrees. Crazy hot. But we didn't melt.

It was a great week in LA. I found a nice maternity store and bought some really nice things. Thank you to all who helped me with finding and buying the nice maternity clothes.

Mid-way Belly

As promised, here is the new belly picture. You can see we are making some progress. We're at about the half-way point in the pregnancy and still going strong.

We are planning on ordering furniture in the next few weeks, so we can get started on the baby's room soon. I'll post some pics of the set when we get there, but it might be a while as the furniture takes 10-12 weeks to arrive. In the meantime, we'll be preparing the room by moving my office out, painting and decorating. Expect picture of that progress over the next couple of months.

We love you guys and thanks your support.

Ultrasound Result: It's a...

great blessing technology is. (And you thought I was gonna tell you what the baby's sex is. I might later, so read on.) We went in for another ultrasound on Friday, this visit much more lengthy than the last. Instead of just having a "peanut" to measure, this time our baby was fully formed and there were lots of measurement to make.

The technician measure our baby's head, heart, arms, legs, spine, kidneys, stomach, umbilical cord etc. etc. It was amazing what all one could see and tell out of that grey fuzzy picture. In addition to that, the fancy machine was also able the bloodflow from mommy to baby. Everything the tech saw seemed normal to her, but it all will be formally reviewed by a doctor and discussed with us at our next visit. The machine also had a cool but creepy feature to be able to convert the ultrasound images into 3D.

So without further ado, I'll post the images. To view them in detail, simply click on the picture and you'll be linked to the full-size image.



Here's a profile shot of Baby Carnahan. Our favorite of the bunch.




Two legs, always a good thing. (°.°)b




Two Arms, which will be han...nevermind too corny.

So now we've come to the first of the 3D images. As you can see they make the baby look like a little alien, but it should be good enough for you grandparents to fight over who's side of the family the features best represent.

We think this picture shows the baby enjoys chewing on its arm.
Is that a family trait of anyone?



Here is a side view of the baby in 3D. Even though it may look like it's deformed, that's just how the pictures are, so don't worry. Just enjoy them for what they are. You can see the little arm up by the face, and the cute little leg and foot down below.



Here it looks like the baby is about to suck on its thumb. Well actually it is. During the ultrasound we were shocked at how much the baby actually moved. Just a few short seconds after this photo was snapped, Baby Carnahan had that thumb in mouth and not such a grumpy look. The dark line up on the head isn't necessarily the hairline, but if it is, we might have a little Eddy Munster on our hands.

And finally, I guess I owe it to you all to reveal the secret you've been patiently waiting for. Our baby is going to be... A BOY!!! And here is the pic to prove it.

And since some of you might have bad eyesight (or just doubt me), here's the blown up version.

He may have been shy about his face, but those last two photos are pretty conclusive in my book.

We should be putting up a new "belly pic" soon, so look forward to that.