He's Here!!!

Announcing Riley Blaine Honan, 8 pounds 8 ounces, born via c-section at 8:21 PM on July 29, 2009. As you all know, my body just wasn't made to have a baby apparently....as I never dilated. So, after 24 hours of contractions, I decided that a c-section was the only option. Everyone was so excited when Riley finally arrived, and the pain was worth it! Jon and I love him so much!

3:45am....Contractions.

I woke up to contractions at about 3:45 this morning. They are not unbearable....more like period cramps. Jon and I have gotten about 4 hours of sleep, but we are excited! We can't wait to meet Riley. We are waiting around to hear from the doctor. Apparently, my water has broken, so they are going to start the pitocin very soon. My nurse told me that at this hospital, "they won't let someone be in pain"....that's the best news I've heard in a while! LOL. Unfortunately, I am still only dilated to a one. Hopefully I'll start dilating with the pitocin. I'll keep you updated!

Waiting Anxiously....

Well...it's 8:30 pm, and nothing has happened yet. I started on the Cervadil, which is supposed to thin my cervix, and possibly start labor. It's been 3 hours....and no contractions, or pains. I was checked an hour ago, and I am still only dilated to a one....and only 40 percent effaced. I am getting Pitocin starting tomorrow morning at 7:30 am. The nurses tell me that Riley probably won't be born until tomorrow night....0h boy! Tomorrow should be very intense...and busy. So far, my mom, grandma, sister, dad, and step-mom have come up to visit. Jon and my mom are keeping me company through what looks to be a sleepless night. Riley is very active, and seems to be doing well. I'll definitely keep everyone updated on my progress!

Overdue: Day One

Okay...I am one day overdue, and my body seems to be preparing for this birth. I don't want to go into details, but I lost my mucus plug this afternoon....which freaked me out! I have not had any contractions yet, just dull pains in my lower abdomen. The pains seem to be constant, and are not unbearably painful. I know that false labor is very common....especially for first-time mothers. I don't know how to explain it, but I really feel like I'm starting the process of going into labor. We'll see, I guess! The positive in this situation is that I am being induced on Tuesday at 5pm....so there is an actual end in sight! I'm very hopeful that my body goes into labor naturally, because I've heard that labor will be easier/faster if my body does what it is supposed to. I'll keep you posted with any updates!

Two More Weeks?!

Pregnancy Photos Over the Past Few Months

Wow....does it seem possible that I am really two weeks away from having this baby? I am 38 weeks pregnant, and as uncomfortable as you could imagine. :) The heartburn/indigestion keeps me up at night, and my hands and feet are so swollen, they hurt. Jon has been a trooper through it all. He helps out a lot around the house, and lets me relax, which is so nice. I am now going to the doctor once a week....although this last visit made me a little sad when she told me that she was "not impressed with my cervix". Apparently, my cervix has not thinned out yet, but should be in order to prepare for contractions. This really doesn't surprise me, after knowing that my sister and I arrived 2 weeks overdue, and my mom was in labor for over 30 hours with each of us. :) Mom, in case I haven't said it before, I'm really appreciative of all you went through....it had to be awful being that overdue, and in labor for that long. My doctor assures me that I will not be in labor that long, and that the longest they will let me go over my due date is a couple of days. I'm not sure if we are looking at me being induced quite yet. Although, the closer I get to my due date, the more skeptical I become.


We are so anxious to see Riley! The nursery is completely setup, and all of his clothes/blankets have been washed and folded. The only fear that Jon and I have when it comes to parenting, is the OUTRAGEOUS cost of daycare. It has been quite difficult, to say the least, to find a suitable day care provider. I'll let you in on little secret...apparently, you have to start investigating daycares as soon as you find out you are pregnant. Well....needless to say, I have spent lots of time checking out different daycares, that could possibly get our child in at the time that we needed the care. I finally found a small catholic daycare in Norman, called St. Joseph's Early Childhood Development Center. It is very close to our house, and after touring the place, I fell in love with it. It was very important to me to find a daycare that employed teachers who really cared about the kids, not teachers who just came for a paycheck. I got on the waiting list for Riley to start attending in October. There is not a guarantee that he will get in. It all depends on the number of spots available in the infant room at that time. Wish us luck! Here is a link to their website....check it out if you'd like. http://stjosephsecdc.org/




I am so sorry that I have not blogged in forever! So many things have been happening, and I want to try to update everyone on all of them. At the end of May, my little sister, Allison, got married! She and her husband, Kenton, are living in Owasso, Oklahoma, and she is also pregnant! She is due in December...which is exciting, because our children will be so close in age.


The month of June brought three awesome baby showers! The first was hosted by my step-mom and step-sister, BJ and Vanessa....held at my Dad's house. The food was amazing at this shower, and the cake was beautiful! I enjoyed seeing all my Norman/OKC friends there too!


The second baby shower was hosted by my friend, Danielle, where I work in Oklahoma City. I loved the diaper cake she made me! Also, she made the letters above that spell out "Riley". Also, another co-worker made a quilt for Riley. It was so neat! I work with really creative people!


The third baby shower was hosted by my best friends, Kellie and Leslie, who live in Tulsa. They did an amazing job! Everything was absolutely adorable, and perfectly planned out. I really think Kellie has a future in party planning! It was a fun baby shower, and I got to see all of my family and close friends. Kellie and her husband, Kenny, will be Riley's God Parents. Jon has known them for a long time, and Kellie and I have known each other for almost three years, and have become close friends, even though they live about an hour and a half away from us now.

Well everyone, this blog is incredibly long, so I'm going to wrap it up! Look for the next blog, which should have pictures and video of the nursery. I will keep you all updated on my status, as my next doctor's appointment is Thursday, July 16th. I plan to bring my laptop to the hospital with me, and will try to blog during labor, so that those of you who can't be there, will be there in spirit! As always, God Bless.

Daisy Honan - The Newest Member of Our Family

Here she is...Ms. Daisy Honan. She is a 10-week old, 3lb., Miniature Schnauzer. Although she requires constant attention, she is the best dog ever! I have been telling Jon for quite sometime now that I wanted to get a dog. Jon was pretty much against the idea, but after a week...he can't imagine life without the puppy. Potty-training and biting are Daisy's most difficult behaviors to overcome. We have introduced her to the "pee-pee pads", which are plastic lined on the bottom, and cotton lined on top. These pads are supposed to attract dogs with an appealing scent, but our dog likes to drag them all over the house like a chew toy, rather than go to the bathroom on them. As far as biting goes....well, let's just say blood has appeared a few times after one of her "playful" bites. Daisy has many toys, and is spoiled rotten. It's funny, because Jon and I already find ourselves calling each other Mommy and Daddy. Daddy takes Daisy outside, while Mommy prepares her food, bedding, and bath time. We feel like an (almost) complete family. We can't wait for Riley to get here, and complete the circle. Being pregnant for nine-months just seems to drag on...but I am now almost 29 weeks pregnant, and getting anxious! By the way, I just thought I'd mention that these pictures of the dog were taken by the breeder....Some of my friends were concerned that I decorated my kitchen with Disney wallpaper, and that I ate "Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup". I hope everyone is doing well! God Bless!

Our New House

We celebrated our new house a few weeks ago with some of our friends, and had so much fun! Jon and I are thankful to have such great people in our lives, and would like to thank those of you who came over, and those who gave us gifts. The last few weeks have really been a rollercoaster for us. The house is consuming all of our free time, and decorating it seems endless! We have come a long way from what it looked like when we moved in. Jon's former boss installed a microwave above the stove, mounted the television above the fireplace, installed a new light fixture and doorbell, and helped Jon hang all the curtains. I think I have been to Target about 10 times in the last week and a half. But, in the end, our hardwork is paying off and we have a beautiful home to show off. We look forward to having many fun times with our friends and family in this house. A big thanks to my dad, Jeff, for the patio set housewarming gift, and all of the yard-work equipment....not to mention all of your help in the closing of the house! We can't wait to get started on our next project....Riley's Room! I have added some pictures of the house for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Exciting Things to Come

Well, here we are after all this time, FINALLY moving out of Bishop's Landing! In just one week we will make the move to our cute new house in northeast Norman. Jon and I are so excited, and can't wait to start our lives in a new place. Yesterday was Jon's 28th Birthday, and we went to Bison Witches to celebrate. We also ended up in Oklahoma City to purchase a bedroom set, mattress, coffee & end tables, and a few lamps. I think decorating this house is going to be so much fun....although Jon and I disagree on exactly how to decorate it. If he had his way, everything would be OU related....and if I had my way, everything would be damask print. Despite our strong opinions, we have managed to compromise with each other. Oh, and I am now 22 weeks pregnant! I can feel Riley kicking me...which wakes me up almost every hour of the night. I just want to say thank you to Jon for putting up with me. I know that I am extra emotional (crabby) right now, but I still love you with all of my heart. I'm starting to feel hot all the time....I can't wait for July...I'm sure I will be miserable. I also wanted to say congratulations to Jon for promoting to Case Manager II. Well, that's all for now....we are beginning a week of packing/moving! I can't wait to have you all over for a visit! I wanted to add a momento....this is a picture of the apartment Jon and I currently live in....

First-Time Homeowners!

Jon and I are very excited to report that we are under contract on a house in Norman! After a long process of finding a home, we finally found a great one. It is 1407 square feet, 3 beds, 2 baths, 1 living, 1 dining, 2-car garage. It was built in 2006, and the seller is the original owner. Let me explain a few things about how we scored this house. I found the listing on OpenHouseOK.com, a popular real-estate website. Jon and I looked at the house on a Sunday, and called the realtor to place an offer that same night. The seller came back the next night with a counter-offer, which was okay, but $ 2,500 over our offer. So, my father advised us to let the counter-offer expire.....which was really hard! But, in the end it was the best thing ever because we then had the bargaining power to stand firm on our original offer of $ 134,000....which the seller agreed to on Wednesday! The house is in great shape, the seller hadn't hung anything on the walls, and lived alone. There are a few upgrades Jon and I would like to make in the house: new bathroom and dining room lighting, adding a microwave above the stove, and of course painting what will be little Riley's room. All in all, even though this process was super stressful, I recommend that everyone own their own home, it is worth it! Oh, and the $ 8,000 tax credit isn't too bad either. I hope that everyone can come for a visit, because we now have an extra bedroom....no more couch surfing! Although, both Charles and Ajay have claimed the extra bedroom as "their room". Thanks to Leslie, Kellie, Kenny, Kathleen, David, and Charles for offering to help us during the moving process. Lastly, I want to thank my dad for all his patience and help throughout this entire process. The pictures are below....and this is not our cheap-o furniture!

Our Little Riley

Well, as most of you know by now....It's a boy! We found out on February 23rd, that little Riley is a strong, and healthy baby boy. I must admit this was not a shock to me...call it mother's intuition. I had a feeling the baby was a boy, and Jon was of course convinced that he could only bear boys! Haha. I couldn't wait to buy little baby boy stuff. I bought the cutest pair of socks yesterday, that look like little tennis shoes, with laces and everything! I am so happy that we know that the baby is a boy for sure. Now I can call him Riley, instead of "it". I uploaded a video and several pictures from this ultrasound...I know they are fuzzy, but I will try to explain what each photo shows. On another note....I just found out that we did not get house #2. I am so upset! The person whose offer was accepted offered less for the house than Jon and I, but their realtor took zero commission, while our realtor took 5%....causing our offer to be lower by $500. I really never thought buying a home would be this awful! I just don't know what to do anymore...it is like a rollercoaster, up and down all the time. But, life goes on, and I'm sure we will find something that is right for us. We keep praying that God blesses us with a home of our own.


This picture is Riley's profile view, you can see his spine at the bottom, and head to the right of the screen.
This picture shows the bottom of Riley's butt, back of his legs, and in the midde, are his little boy parts.

This is another picture of Riley's boy parts...there is a little pointer to show where it is. This kid is not shy when it comes to having his picture taken down there! Haha, he had his legs open the whole ultrasound, as if to let us know for sure he is a boy!

This is a 4-D image of little Riley's head, and body from the side.

Another profile view of Riley, laying down, curling his legs up.

This is a picture of Riley's face....the bones glow, so it looks a bit skeletal.

Finally, here is a 3 second video of Riley, you may be able to see his little heart beating.

Cravings....and Pregnancy Updates

So I have started to have some cravings during this pregnancy. Among the cravings, the strongest urges I have are for grape-flavored slushes from Sonic, and sour sweettarts. I really don't know why sour foods taste so good right now. I can also tell you that I LOVE anything spicy...preferably hot sauce. But, as most of you know, I've always loved spicy foods. Everything is going great in the pregnancy. Today marks week 14, and I am excited to be getting closer to my fourth month of pregnancy. My next doctor's appointment is on February 9th...it should just be a routine checkup...nothing too exciting. After that, I am scheduled to have an ultrasound on March 9th. This is the big, important ultrasound folks! Jon and I will find out if this little busy-body inside of me is a little girl, or little boy. We haven't really been able to agree on a name for either sex, but we do have a few that we like: For a Boy: Peyton, Ashton, and Holden....For a Girl: Peyton, Chloe, and Addison. I will tell you that among our friends, Chloe was the choice for a girl....and Ashton for a boy.

Right about now...this is how Jon and I feel...like we live in a sardine can. The one-bedroom apartment we currently inhabit is so small, that we find ourselves unable to have a space that is all our own. We truly cannot wait until June, when we can bid the small-college apartment goodbye. So, the house dreams continue...

New Year....New Possibilites

Jon went to Miami last week to attend the National Championship game with his best friend Derek. He said being in Florida was fun, but preferred not to talk about the football game, for obvious reasons. I'm glad he was able to go on one last "BOYS TRIP" before the baby comes.

Okay, a couple of days ago, Jon and I got to see the first ultrasound of the baby. It was amazing! I can't believe there is this little person growing inside of me. The funniest thing about this experience was the fact that the baby was moving so much! Jon continuously asked me if I could feel the baby moving, however, it's too early for me to feel kicking. It looks like we are going to have an active baby. There are so many things going on, sometimes it is a bit overwhelming, to think that in 6 months we will be parents. We also got to hear the heartbeat for the first time, and I almost cried....darn these pregnancy hormones. We are happy to report that the baby is healthy, and that all the blood tests came back as normal. I'm elated to not have any complications with this pregnancy, we are very lucky. We're also blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives. A big thanks to Kellie, Kenny, Leslie, and Derek for being supportive. We couldn't do any of this without the support from those we love.