Only 3 more weeks until the estimated due date!! We are so excited and ready for Caden to join us. Allyson has been through a lot the last couple of weeks but right now everything is going really well. We had a little scare on the 9th of November when Ally's blood pressure was high at her doctors appointment. Her blood platelet count was low and they detected protein in her urine so they sent her to the hospital for an overnight stay to monitor her blood and urine. The next day her levels were back to normal so they let her go home and told her to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. While we there they performed a 4D ultrasound and a growth scan of Caden to make sure everything was well with him. The nurse told us he was doing great and weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces at that time. I posted the ultrasound picture above. It's a little hard to make out but if you look closely you can see his ear on the right top, his shoulder right below his ear, then his elbow is kind of blacked out at the bottom but you can see where the arm bends and his forearm comes back up in front of his face. You can see his cheek and the darkness where his eyes are closed. The top of his head is blacked out. Look at it closely and you'll be able to see him. He wouldn't take his hands away from his face so we were not able to get a clear picture but that's okay. It just means that when he is born is when we'll see his face for the first time.
We have had about 2 doctors visits since the hospital stay and we are now going to the doctor twice a week until Caden is born. At this time Allyson has not started to dilate but she is 70% effaced so things could start happening anytime. We want him to stay in the tummy as long as possible but if he has to come early, Allyson and I are both ready.

I will post more in the next week and hopefully get some pictures of Ally's tummy and the nursery on here. Keep checking back for updates.

Well a lot has happen since my last posting. Allyson's had 2 baby showers (1 in Fayetteville and 1 in Wilmington), we have completed our birthing classes that were provided through Allyson's OBGYN office, and we have started our Lamaze classes at a local church.
The baby showers went great and we received lots of cute clothes and many of the things that Allyson registered for. Thanks to everyone who came to the showers for making them such a wonderful experience for Allyson. She really had a lot of fun at both of them. The pictures below are from the Fayetteville shower and the pictures above are from the Wilmington shower.
The birthing classes were very interesting and helpful in preparing us for what is ahead. We were able to watch a video of a natural childbirth (which was an eye opener for me, to say the least) and a video of a C-Section birth. The nurse was able to address some of our concerns about the birthing experience and I think Allyson and I both are a little more prepared. We began our Lamaze classes yesterday and it was a lot of fun. There are only 2 other couples in the class with us so it is very personal and hands on. We have one more class to attend next Saturday.
The nursery is starting to come along nicely. We have the crib, dresser, and changing station in the room and our chair has arrived but we haven't picked it up yet. We are waiting on curtains and blinds and then I think it will be all ready for Caden's arrival. I will post pictures once it is completed.
With only an estimated 6 weeks until delivery, Allyson and I are really getting excited to meet our new little boy. Keep checking back for new posts and pictures. Take care.

Hey everybody

Sorry that it has been so long since I have updated the blog but as you can imagine we have been really busy. Because I have been so slack I made sure to post lots of new pictures of Allyson's tummy for everyone to see. Check them out below.

Allyson is doing great and looking beautiful. She went to the doctor on September 7th for a glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. The test results were negative so we were happy about that. Then we had a check-up appointment on September 10th with Dr. Robinson. We were able to hear the baby's heartbeat and the doctor informed us that everything looked and sounded great. Today, Allyson went to the doctor for her Rh negative antibody test and tomorrow she will be receiving the Rh injection. Our next check-up appointment is scheduled for October 8th.

Allyson is really looking forward to her upcoming baby showers in October. Her first shower is going to be held in Fayetteville on October 4th. Her second shower will be held in Wilmington on October 24th. I'm sure that many of you that are reading this blog have been invited to at least one of the showers so make sure to bring your cameras and takes lots of pictures for me to post on this blog.

Allyson and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary last weekend (September 20th) and took a long weekend trip to the mountains. We stayed in a bed and breakfast right on the Parkway in Fancy Gap, Virginia for 2 nights (Friday and Saturday) then stayed at a hotel in Boone the last night (Sunday). The weather was kind of crummy on Sunday and Monday but was beautiful on Friday and Saturday. We had a great time driving the Parkway in a little convertable sportscar and visiting a few tourist attractions along the way. The pictures below are from our trip and they really illustrate how much Allyson is showing now days.

Well we think we have decided the name for our new baby boy. Caden Jackson Steen!!! We have gone around and around with baby names and Caden is what we both like. Picking a name is such a huge responsibility but we believe we made a good choice.

Guess that is it for now. I will make sure to keep the blog updated more now that we are getting so close to the due date. The next posting should have baby shower pictures so make sure to check back around the 5th for all the latest developments. See ya.

Allyson and I had another doctor's visit on Thursday, July 30th. This was our follow-up visit to try and get the remaining measurements that could not be obtained in the last visit due to the baby's position. This time the baby was very active and the nurse was able to get everything she needed. We were able to see all the chambers of the heart, the kidneys, the blood flow and the spinal length. At our last visit the baby weighed in at 9.5 ounces and at this visit he weighed in at 13 ounces. Everything looked great and his weight is right on schedule. We are so excited.

We cleaned out the back room last weekend so that we could turn the room into the baby's nursery. Allyson ordered a crib, dresser and baby changing station this week. We plan to paint the room but haven't decided what color yet. We have started buying little onsies, outfits and shoes and they are so adorable. I can't wait to give him a bath and put him in one of those comfy outfits and fall asleep with him in my arms.

This should be the last ultrasound we have done so there won't be any more baby pictures until he is born. I am however, planning on getting some tummy pictures posted as soon as I can. Keep checking back for more updates.

It's a BOY!!!!!!! Allyson and I had a doctors appointment Friday and an ultrasound was done to determine the sex of the baby. After some poking and prodding the baby moved out of his fetal position just long enough for the nurse to get some good pictures that determined, sure enough, it's a boy. Allyson and I are so excited to finally know what we are having. The nurse was able to get a few of his measurements, including the brain and spine, but was unable to get them all due to the position he was in. We are scheduled to go back in two weeks to get the rest of the measurements done. We were informed that everything looked normal and the baby's heartbeat and size were right where they needed to be. Now that we know what we are having the work begins. We need to start getting the back bedroom turned into a nursery and we have to start picking out names. Ally and I are so excited and can't wait to meet our little bundle of joy. Take a look at the posted pictures and you can already make out his little profiles. I know it is hard to see but you can see his nose and lips and chin. We should get more pictures at our next appointment so I will post again then.

Hey everyone. This morning we had a check-up appointment to make sure everything was going well with the baby. We were able to hear the heartbeat once again and it sounded great. Allyson is doing very well and everything seems to be on schedule. Our next appointment is on July 17 in which an ultrasound will be performed and we will be able to determine the sex of the baby. We are very excited and can't wait until that appointment.

I thought it might be fun to have everyone leave a comment at this blog entry and tell us what you think the sex of the baby will be, how much it might weigh, and how long you think it will be. Then after the delivery we can come back to these comments and see who got the closest. Make sure you leave your name with your estimates so that we will know the winner.

Things have been a little crazy around here with the sale of the house, then not selling the house so keep us in your thoughts as we deal with all the extra stress this is causing. Our main priority is keeping the baby safe and healthy and wherever we end up of living will be fine. I will post again in about a month. Stay tuned.

Today Allyson and I went to the doctor for a routine check-up. During our visit the doctor used a device that allowed us to hear the baby's heartbeat once again. What a wonderful sound that is. Everything checked out fine and we are scheduled to return in four weeks, then again in another four weeks. During the second appointment Allyson will be around 20 weeks pregnant and an ultrasound will be performed that will allow us to determine what the sex of the baby will be. We are very excited about that appointment. So until next time, everyone keep us in their thoughts and prayers and I'll post again soon.

Hey everyone. Time for a new update. Well we had a scary moment on Thursday evening, May 21st. Allyson and I were riding our bicycles in the Mayfair area and Allyson took a spill. While coming off a sidewalk she lost her balance and fell in the street. She fell on her right side and scraped her elbow and bruised her leg. Obviously we were concerned for the baby so we made an appointment the next morning to see her doctor. While at the doctor's office they performed an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. Thank goodness the baby is fine. The ultrasound showed that the baby had grown quite a bit from the previous ultrasound which you can see on the posted picture titled "The baby's second photograph". I know it is hard to tell, but you can see the babies head, spine, feet and hand in the ultrasound picture. We were able to see it live on the monitor and the baby was just a kicking and moving around in there. It was an awesome sight. We have a check-up appointment this Wednesday. I will post a new entry after that appointment. Take care.

That is the baby in the middle. Can you believe that little spec is going to be a child. Just amazing!!

Today was an exciting day. Allyson and I were able to see our child for the first time. An ultrasound was performed which allowed us to see the baby and see the tiny little heart beating. There was only one heartbeat so no chance of twins or anything like that. Everything is going great and both Allyson and the baby are doing fine. Based on the ultrasound the due date is December 12, 2009. But like the doctor said, the baby will come when it is ready. We have another appointment scheduled in 4 weeks which will mean Allyson will be just over 11 weeks pregnant at that time. At that appointment we should be able to actually hear the heart beating. We are so excited and overwhelmed with happiness that everything is going so smoothly. As soon as Allyson starts showing I will start taking pictures weekly of her tummy so everyone can keep up with the progress. In the meantime, I will periodically post some pictures along with another entry after our next doctor's appointment so keep checking back for updates.

Chet & Allyson

(soon to be Mom & Dad!!!)

Allyson, Peggy, Gail, David, Grammy & Granny on Easter Sunday

Happy Easter! Ally and I went to Fayetteville to spend time with the Family for Easter weekend. It was a beautiful weekend with sunny skies and warm temperatures. Gail cooked a wonderful Easter dinner and both Allyson's grandmothers came over as well as her grandfather. Everyone was excited about the new baby and curious about how Ally was doing. We took a walk over to the Azalea gardens after dinner where I took some family photographs for Allyson. We are looking forward to our doctors visit on the 21st. Gail supplied us with lots of baby books and books on pregnancy so I guess I better get busy and start reading them. My next post will be after our appointment when I will fill everyone in on the details. Until then, take care.

Hey everyone. Allyson and I found out some great news on Friday, April 3 2009. We're pregnant!! So we decided to begin this blog as a way to keep all our friends and family posted on all the latest news of this great event. My goal is to post comments and photos as often as possible from now until the baby is born so that everyone can experience the thrill of this blessing with us. Everyone make sure to check with us often to get the latest news and to watch the stomach grow!! We ask that everyone keep us in their thoughts as we pray for a healthy little baby to be born sometime around this December.