Baby Items I Love!

I thought I'd share some of the items that I've loved using during my little ones 1st month.

Aquaphor - http://www.aquaphorhealing.com/
Best stuff for diaper rashes and the dry skin newborns get. I cannot believe how well this stuff works!

Rock N Play Sleeper - 
He sleeps right next to our bed in this, it's great. When he fusses I just rock it with one finger.

Nursing Tank Tops -
I purchased all of mine at Target.

Mother Love Nipple Cream - http://www.motherlove.com/product/1001-Nipple-Cream.html

All natural, and works great! Safe for mom & baby. I purchased mine at Valley Natural Foods

A Water Bottle -

Nursing makes me so thirsty, plus drinking plenty of water helps with milk supply.

Baby Nail Clippers-

I cannot believe how fast his nails grow, we've had to clip them weekly.

Pampers Swaddlers-
Do not use the Target Up & Up brand! We've had issues with blowouts with the Up & Up diapers. We also tried Huggies and have decided that Pampers are the way to go.
Pampers also has a Gifts to Grow program where you enter a code from each package of diapers and you get points. Then you use the points to get stuff... We almost have enough points to get free photos from Shutterfly.com

Comfy Rocking Chair -

I've spent many long nights in our rocking chair.

Being a mom has been truly wonderful... however Tom & I are still learning as we go. I'd love any tips or recommendations on products from other moms. 

It's a BOY!

Thomas Daniel Buckley Jr. "TJ" was born on July 25th, 2012 at 8:58 p.m. 

7 lbs. 13 oz.   21.25 inches

I woke up at 5:30 in the morning feeling "crampy" and thought maybe I was hungry, but then couldn't finish my bagel. Around 7:00 a.m. the cramps got stronger and started coming in waves about 5-6 min. apart. I called the nurse line at 8:30 a.m. she said to call back in an hour if my contractions continued. By 9:30 I let Tom know that my contractions (which just felt like bad cramps) were 4 min apart and that he should head home. I then called the nurse line back, she told me that my hospital was full and that they would have to send me to Methodist. I was so bummed because my Doctor was on call and I was looking forward to having her deliver our little one. I asked the nurse what my other options were since I didn't want to go to Methodist Hospital. She said I could wait it out for about 2 hours at home and see if the hospital opened up... just then I had another contraction while on the phone. She said that she didn't feel comfortable with me being in labor at home, so she sent me to my nurse practitioner at my clinic to get checked. By now Tom was home and we headed to the clinic where they got us into a room right away. My nurse practitioner checked me out and said, "congratulations you are dilated to a 5, you are in active labor." I then asked if we could go to St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee, she said yes. We were then on our way to the hospital... with contractions now 3 min apart.

We arrived at the hospital around 11:15 a.m. They hooked me up to an IV, got the epideral started, and before I knew it it was time to push. Little did I know that I would be pushing for 4 1/2 hours. In the delivery room I had my mom, mother in-law, and Tom. They were all very helpful & entertaining, we had some good laughs, I seriously couldn't have lasted the 4 1/2 hours without them.

Even though I was deverted from my hospital, and didn't have my Doctor deliver our little boy I couldn't have been more pleased with the way things went at St. Francis. The Doctor that delivered TJ was a funny guy, I really liked him. The nurses were also amazing!

I'm so very thankful that everything went well. Tom & I feel so blessed to have a healthy and handsome little boy in our lives.

Time to go home:

I cannot believe he will be 3 weeks old on Wednesday. We love him so much!

1 Week until D-Day!

Hoping our little one will arrive soon! In the meantime I thought it would be fun to do a pool:

Hi everyone,

As you probably know, Gena & Tom are expecting a little bundle of joy very SOON! (due 07/30/2012).

We decided to use BabyHunch.com to put together a Baby Pool where you can guess certain things such as Baby's Birthdate (date and time), Baby's Sex, Baby's Weight, etc, etc.

If you'd like to play, simply click the link provided below to submit your hunches! Our little one is due in about 1 week so get your votes in SOON!

Winner will get bragging rights, and possibly a small prize or a beverage next time we see you.

IMPORTANT: The password for this pool is: buckley

Once you visit the page, click 'Enter New Hunches' to submit your hunches...

http://www.babyhunch.com/poolpage.php?poolid=cc7f0dc384c937c81a9aa27c4cc57739

Good Luck,

Tom & Gena

38 Weeks

Nothing really has changed since my 37 week post... So here are a few updates.

• It's another HOT week above 90 degrees. Which is fine if I stay in the AC, but it's getting kind of boring around here. The house is clean, nursery is ready, bottles washed, baby clothes washed, and I've read all of my parenting magazines & books.

• The other day when I was on a walk a guy up the street asked if I was even going to make it around the block. I guess I look like I'm about to pop! I laughed and said, "I'm almost home, and I'm actually trying to induce labor."

• I can't believe it's less than 2 weeks until the due date - My doctor says they won't induce until 1 week after I'm due. I'm praying it won't come down to that! 

• At my Dr. appointment on Friday my doctor was shocked at how low the head was. So baby is ready... it's just a matter of WHEN it wants to meet us.

• I've had some cramping and lower back pain, which I haven't had at all during the pregnancy. I feel very lucky - it's been a pretty easy pregnancy, hoping labor and delivery is the same. 

• I put together the baby book last night. Filled in everything up until I go into labor.

SHOPPING-

I saw this on Facebook this morning and I think I'm going to go - Junk Bonanza September 13th-15th at Canterbury Park in Shakopee: http://www.junkbonanza.com/

Totsy has some really cute kids clothes and baby toys for great prices: Totsy.com

Zulily has some neat stuff on sale right now, including Spanx: Zulily.com

I discovered Buy Buy Baby when I received a coupon when I was at Bed Bath & Beyond back in June (they are owned by the same company). I checked out their website & registered just for fun, then I stopped in the Woodbury store (the only one in MN) this weekend! Very organized and pretty reasonable prices. If you register there you get a free gift bag full of goodies. Buybuybaby.com

Nursery - Ready for baby!

A lot of people have asked us "what color are you doing the nursery since you don't know what you are having?" That was easy - we painted the guest room asparagus green when we first moved in, I did this knowing that some day it would possibly be a nursery. Then I added lots of fun bright colors for our little one.

The closet is full - we are very thankful for all the gifts we received at the baby showers! We could use more sleepers and clothes, but I'm going to wait and buy gender appropriate clothing since we have a lot of yellow and green stuff already. The dresser is stocked with toys, bath stuff, and blankets.

I sewed the buttons on the top of the curtains to add a little color, and the cute little button chair I got at a Just Between Friends Sale for only $40.
My mom purchased the vintage lamp and the mobile hanging above the glider at a thrift store and garage sale. I guess they sell for as much as $100 on ebay - Got to love thrifty finds! Vintage Mother Goose Mobile on Ebay and Vintage Irmi Wood Ferris Wheel Lamp

The glider we purchased off of Craig's List  for $100, it's a Shermag and they can retail for around $400. It came from a nice family who used it for their 2 kids. It just needed a little cleaning and it's perfect for our nursery.
The items on the shelves are from when Tom & I were little, and the dresser was Tom's growing up. We recently spent an evening going through stuff from when we were little and looking at our own baby books - it was fun to see what our parents wrote about us when we were babies.

I have 2 boy and 2 girl outfits ready to go. The top hat on the guitar was Grandpa Buckley's - I can't wait to take pictures of our little baby in it and wearing it.

I'm just so pleased with the way the colors turned out - this room makes me happy and I hope our little one likes it too.

I will be 38 weeks on Monday - WE ARE READY FOR BABY! 

37 Weeks - Full Term

Today I am 37 weeks and 3 days - The baby is now full term! We are more than ready to meet our little one, I feel like I've been pregnant forever! 

Updates-

• On June 24th my wonderful friend Amanda threw baby Buckley our 4th baby shower. I cannot get over how spoiled this little one is already. These photos are from the shower. I will have to get a more recent one of my big belly. 

• 4th of July- Hung out with the neighbors in the Winslow's pool and ate Wade's amazing ribs. Tom was on call for work so we were in bed before dark... pathetic I know. It was HOT - over 100 all last week. The pool and AC kept this prego nice and cool.

How far along?  37 weeks 3 days

Work out: Last 2 summer classes at the studio are on Thursday. Today I went on a 30 min. walk... cleaning the house. I feel like my belly is getting heavy, so working out isn't all that easy any more. 
Maternity clothes? Yes. 
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I'm shocked when I sleep for 4 hours straight without waking up to go to the bathroom... this happened last night, I was excited!
Best moment this week: Spent the weekend with my mom and sisters. We went shopping on Friday and out to lunch. Then Saturday mom, Anna and I went to a winery in Red Wing, I had a 1/2 glass of wine - it was delish! The we did a little shopping in Stolkholm. Sunday I helped Tom with some of his nesting projects... I swear he's nesting more than I am. 
Miss Anything? My old body, and getting a full nights rest (but I know this won't change anytime soon.)
Movement: Yes, we have a very active baby. Sometimes it will stick a foot out and just leave it there for a second, it kind of hurts. It also gets the hiccups a couple of times a day.
Food cravings: Been feeling full a lot faster lately. Popsicles have been my favorite treat since the weather has been so warm.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  No
Gender ideas: I'm still not sure... can't wait to find out though!
Symptoms: Sore pelvic bone... other than that I feel pretty good.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: Anxious, uncomfortable, but mostly happy... just trying to go with the flow and keep busy.
Labor Signs: Nope... but at my 36 week appointment last Thursday I was dilated to a 2, which really doesn't mean much. My doctor said you could have this baby is 4 days or 4 weeks. I'm hoping for sometime in between. The week before that they did an ultrasound and the head is down. So... now we wait.
Looking forward to: Meeting our little one!


According to the What to Expect website - Baby is 20 inches long and weighs between 6 1/2 to 7 pounds now.

35 Weeks!

Great Grandma's & Grandma's of Baby Buckley.

How far along?  35 weeks (this coming Monday) - 38 days until D-day.

Work out: Summer classes & camps, walks, and getting the house clean and ready for baby feels like a work out.
Maternity clothes? Yes. 
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Uncomfortable... and I wake up about every 3-4 hours to go to the bathroom. I guess it's true, my body is preparing for when the baby is here.
Best moment this week: Last weekend I had my family baby shower. I feel so blessed to have so many amazing women in my life. I really enjoyed everyone's company and hearing all kinds of stories about when my aunts gave birth. They made bets on whether or not I will actually follow through with making homemade baby food (once our little one starts on baby food) and for how long. The shortest length was from my mom, only 3 weeks! I think I will stick it out for longer than that... it can't be that hard. They also placed bets on when the baby would arrive, I think the earliest was July 4th and the latest was in August. Hoping for sometime in between. 
Miss Anything? Same as last time - Having an ice cold beer on the deck.  Walking without feeling winded.  
Movement: Yes, lots of movement! 
Food cravings: Culver's Strawberry Lemon Ice Cooler - so yummy!
Anything making you queasy or sick:  I feel very lucky that this hasn't been a big issue for me.
Gender ideas: My mom has had more dreams that I'm having a girl. Brittany thinks boy. I'm leaning towards girl... but still not sure. It's a baby and I can't wait to meet it. :)
Symptoms: Heatburn has gotten better since I dropped a little a couple weeks ago, but now I have sore hips and pelvic bone... just starting to feel uncomfortable in general. Other than that I feel pretty good. It's all worth it in the end... right?
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy - this past week I felt like I had a little more energy, maybe I've hit the "nesting stage"?
Looking forward to: Friend shower on Sunday, maternity pics (Tom's idea), and my Doctor's appointment next week. My doctor wants to do an ultrasound to make sure the head is down, I'm excited to see our baby. 

According to my What to Expect emails - Our little one is 20 inches long, and won't be getting much taller. He/She now weighs about 5 1/2 pounds and continues to add around a 1/2 a pound a week! No wonder my belly is starting to feel heavy. 

Boy or Girl?

Here are the signs / Old Wives Tales...

- Dance teachers are surrounded by girls, so they usually have BOYS.

- Our baby's heart rate has been all over the place, but at our last doctors appointment we looked back and majority have been below 140 beats per minute = BOY (My doctor says this is 60% accurate) 

- I'm carrying out front (so I've been told) = BOY

- I've also been told that it looks like I'm carrying high so it's a GIRL.

- I gained weight in my hips = GIRL

- Breakouts/acne mostly just early in pregnancy = GIRL

- Linea Nigra, the dark line on my belly goes all the way up to my ribs = BOY

- No morning sickness = BOY

- Tom has all brothers, I have all sisters = BOY / GIRL

- Craving fruit & sweets = GIRL

- My face has become more round = GIRL

What does everyone else think? Will we have a Boy or Girl?

32 Weeks - Time is flying now!

How far along?  32 weeks (yesterday) - 56 days until D-day.

Work out: Summer classes at RVDA have started, so teaching and walks.
Maternity clothes? Yes. Anything to keep cool while temps are rising.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Pretty good. Feeling more tired lately though.
Best moment this week: Over the weekend we took a tour of the hospital, which was very helpful. We also attended the All in One Express class at AMMA Maternity. We learned ALOT! Totally worth the $200 for a 6 hour class. Other good moments from the last couple of weeks: -Weddings. -Setting up the crib (although Tom might not agree that this was a fun moment). -Washing and folding the tiny-cute baby clothes. -At our last doctors appointment we learned that the baby's head is down, so that's good news.
Miss Anything? Having an ice cold beer on the deck.  Walking without feeling winded. 
Movement: Yes, starting to feel more jabs than movements... elbows, knees and feet. I think I've been able to identify a foot when it sticks out now. I can't believe how big our baby is getting!
Food cravings: Not really. Ice-cream and popsicles have been my treat of choice lately. Other than that just trying to eat healthy.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  I have felt a little sick lately... not sure if it's the heartburn or the fact that my stomach is being squished by our little one.
Gender ideas: My mom had a dream that it's a girl. Tom is still hoping for a boy, but would be just as happy to have a little girl. I'm not sure... dance teachers usually have boys so I'm leaning towards boy.
Labor Signs: I think I had a Braxton Hicks contraction yesterday. 
Symptoms: Less energy lately, heartburn, nausea sometimes, sore pelvic bone... but other than that I feel pretty good.
Belly Button in or out? In, but it's looking like this might change.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and a little anxious. I feel like there's a lot we still have to get done around here.
Looking forward to: My upcoming showers and finishing up the nursery.

According to my email updates from whattoexpect.com our little one is weighing in around 4 pounds and is about 19 inches long.

29 Weeks - 3rd Trimester

How far along?  29 weeks (yesterday)

Work out: Still teaching dance, although stretching is a little awkward sometimes. On days that I don't teach I usually take a 30-45 min walk. 
Maternity clothes? Yes. Got a few sun dresses and maxi dresses to wear on the warmer days, very comfy.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Besides waking up to go to the bathroom once in awhile, I'm sleeping pretty good. I sleep with 4 pillows. Tom says that I've started snoring, which he can't stand... I told him it's just payback.
Best moment this week: First I'll start with my shower that I had last weekend, it was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed spending time with my sister in-law and her son Jacob (cutest baby ever!). Check out this cute video of him on Youtube: Baby Jacob Laughing with uncle Tom & Dad  I also had a great day with my mom and sister Anna on Saturday, we went to the Minneapolis Farmers Market, stopped by our grandparent's house, then hung out on the patio at Psycho Suzies. Mother's day was also a lot of fun, hung out with the family at mom & dad's, it was a gorgeous spring day!
Miss Anything? I guess doing things with ease, things seem to be a lot more difficult when you have a big belly in the way.
Movement: Yes, we have a wiggly little baby. So fun to sit and watch my belly move. However, some of the movements are getting a little painful... big kicks and jabs of elbows, but it's still really cool.
Food cravings: Still fruit, but no big cravings like I have to have something right now. I noticed that I've started to feel full more quickly now that the baby is getting bigger.
Anything making you queasy or sick:  The heartburn some days is enough to make me sick. I heard this means the baby is getting hair.
Gender ideas: Still not sure. I have had a couple of dreams that we had a little girl. Tom is still set on it being a boy.
Labor Signs: No.
Symptoms: A little pain in my rib cage, heart burn, and swollen hands. For the most part I feel great.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? Off. This happened about 3 weeks ago, I cried. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy... a little stressed things are busy with recital weekend coming up, but other than that I feel great and very blessed. Anxious to meet our little one.
Looking forward to: My studio kids are throwing a shower for me tonight, I'm very excited. I'm also looking forward to recital weekend, I love watching my dancers perform and seeing how much they've improved over the year. 


Yesterday I got together with Erin and Jess who are also pregnant, we are all due around the same time.
Erin- August 9th, Me - July 31st, Jess - August 17th. 

Erin's having a girl and Jess is having a boy, so what will I have?

Bargain tips:

• Huge Garage Sales in Prior Lake, MN - Wild's Golf Course neighborhood. Saturday, May 19th. I heard some start on Friday though. Here's a link with more garage sales in Prior Lake: http://www.yardsalesearch.com/garage-sales-prior-lake-mn.htm

• I've posted these sites before, but I'm obsessed with them. Totsy.com  and  Zulily.com awesome deals! Check them out!

26 Weeks!

A pic from the dance competition this past weekend. My dancers all had their best performances of the season, I was very proud! 

I can't believe it - only 96 days until the baby's due date! I hope the time goes by fast, but not too fast.
I feel great, but starting to get a little uncomfortable. The baby is very active, which has been a lot of fun. I could sit and watch my belly move all day.

This is just a short update, I wanted to share a few shopping things real fast...

• Totsy is having a huge blow out sale - Check it out: http://www.totsy.com/join/BnkNPa0n

• The Brooklyn Park/Maple Grove Just Between Friends Sale started yesterday and runs through Saturday. http://twincities.jbfsale.com/pages/home

• Garage sales have started!

Happy Shopping!

24 Weeks - Happy Easter!

How far along?  24 weeks.  16 more to go!

Total weight gain: No comment!
Maternity clothes? Yes. I even started wearing some of Tom's t-shirts. 
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Starting to get a little uncomfortable. I think I need to invest in a body pillow, I heard they are great.
Best moment this month: The 20 week ultrasound was really neat, Tom and I really enjoyed seeing our little guy/girl. Our baby was being stubborn (shocking) and they weren't able to get all of the facial measurements. I went back for another ultrasound around 21 weeks and brought my mom with. The baby was very active at the 2nd appointment, we got to see it wiggle around and even swallow. 
Traveling to Louisiana for Ian & Megan's wedding was a lot of fun. I enjoyed hanging out with Erin who is also pregnant and due just over a week after me. 
Miss Anything? Putting my shoes on with ease. 
Movement: Yes, lots! The baby is most active after I eat breakfast and when I'm trying to fall asleep. Tom has been able to feel the baby kick for awhile now. We recently discovered that you can actually see my belly moving, so we lay in bed and watch my belly when the baby is active. It's kind of weird looking, but still very cool.
Food cravings: Fruit, pineapple specifically. I'm always hungry, and trying my best to eat healthy and not over indulge.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No.
Gender ideas: Tom had another dream - he was running down the hall of the hospital screaming "It's a BOY!" I truly have no idea. However, Tom thinks he saw boy parts at the Ultrasound... but who knows it could have been anything. 
Labor Signs: No.
Symptoms: Heartburn, charlie horses... and hungry.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Besides feeling huge, I feel good... only 16 more weeks to go, which is very exciting!
Looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery. Tom has been a huge help moving furniture around and painting the new office/guest bedroom so we can work on the nursery. 

~ Baby Bargains ~ 

My sister in-law told me about this great book - Baby Bargains Book
It has been very helpful, and I highly recommend it to expecting parents! Not sure what you need? What brand is good? What is and isn't worth spending money? - GET THIS BOOK!!


Consignment Sales - Just Between Friends Sales 
We went to one in Blaine and it was a little lame, but I got an adorable little chair for the nursery at a great price. I heard the Maple Grove and Eagan sales are great! 


Totsy.com - 
Up to 90% off retail prices! Keep your eyes out for good deals. 


Zulily.com - 
Another website with awesome deals! I've found some cute nursery decor items on this website.