5 months

Isaac has hit the 5-month mark! He has become Mr. Personality, as he really enjoys interacting with us, Kaley, strangers...anyone who will take interest in him! His "vocabulary" is expanding, as he has moved from cooing, blowing raspberries and squealing to making gurgling noises and repetitive consonant sounds, such as "bla bla bla". Jesse swears he heard him say "o ba ma". Since he is teething, he seems to enjoy gnawing on our fingers, and subsequently making silly noises.

Next month marks several big milestones, including Isaac's 6-month check-up, Jesse's return to work, Isaac's start at "school", and the introduction of solid foods! Check back in a few weeks for more updates on our precious babe.

4 month update

Isaac is now 4 months old! It's been amazing to see all the changes just in a few weeks. Here are the highlights:

• Weight: 13 lbs 14 oz (23%)
• Height: 2'1" (37%)
• Head Circ: 42.5 cm (52%)
• Isaac has started to vocalize like crazy. His favorite sounds are high pitched 'ahhhhs', laughing/giggling, and "pffft" noises with his lips.
• He has started rolling over from back to front, and back again! He had a hard time at first, as he wasn't quite sure what to do with the arm that was stuck beneath him. He has since mastered the roll!
• He has found his thumb, and often sucks on it while his pointer finger is hooked around his nose.

In other news, Mom is sadly back at work after a nice 4 month hiatus, while Dad mans the fort with the baby. Jesse is taking 2 months off to play Mr. Mom, then will resume work in March. We are furiously looking for daycare, as most places around here have a 18-24 month waiting list!!

3 months old!

Wow! It's been 6 weeks since the last blog update. We've been pretty busy and trying to get out (and away from the computer!) as much as possible! We just returned from Isaac's first plane trip back East. Once we recuperate from the flight and catch up on sleep, we 'promise' to give an in-depth update on all things Isaac!

Visit from my Uncles!

My, what big eyes you have!

Lately a lot of people have been remarking how Isaac has nice, large eyes. Since his eyes are closed 95% of the time, everyone is finally getting a glimpse of his baby blues (well, slate grey/blues).

He is very alert when awake. He especially loves his new bouncy seat that Seth, Kelly and Allistair gave him recently.

He's mesmerized by the water and bubbles...for about 10-15 minutes then he's ready for something else....usually another nap!

I'm one month old now!

Baby brigade

Yesterday, Isaac made it out to Alki Beach with his new West Seattle posse.
We meet up weekly for coffee, walks and Moms Night out (read: baby and Dad get to bond at home while Mom gets a break!) :-)

Later in the week, we went to Linclon park for another walk. It's been great to get out while the weather is still nice!

Sunday dinner at Grandma Theresa's

Isaac went to Grandma Theresa's house for Sunday dinner and lots of snuggling. Both were happy campers!

Isaac couldn't wait to call Grandma Tamara and tell her all about his exciting visit!

He is eagerly awaiting his big road trip to Portland next month to visit Grandpa Tom and Grandma Mary..and hopefully meet Great Grandma Lorraine. How many lucky boys have 2 Grandpas, 3 Grandmas and 3 Great Grandmas!

funny faces

Isaac has many different "looks" depending on his mood and sleep state. Peaceful, squishy and smooshy....

...curious, suprised, indifferent, hungry....

..but most of all, cute as can be :-)

Brunch, Bathtime and Belly Button!

Ok, I finally have a couple minutes while Isaac sleeps to update the blog and post some more pix. I know I *really* should sleep when he sleeps, but the family needs their weekly fix so I am sacrificing a few moments of shut eye just for you.

Two weekends ago when the family was in town, we went out for a nice brunch. Isaac slept the entire time, so it was a rare occasion that we got to eat and drink coffee at a leisurely pace... and with two hands! (We're getting very nimble at doing daily tasks one-handed while holding Isaac in the other...)

Later that day, we gave Issac a sponge bath in his new bathtub. We were told not to give him a full immersion bath until his belly button stump falls off. Oddly enough, Jesse discovered that it was "gone" when he went to change him (and to my dismay we still have not "found" it....ugh)

Anyway, it was still healing so we were careful as we cleaned him up. Here, Isaac is looking very calm and peaceful...almost doll-like:

Kaley wanted to help "clean" the baby too.

Isaac was happy when we were finally done and wrapped him up in a warm, dry towel.

..and so was Jesse!

We are hoping he learns to love bathtime instead of screaming bloody murder the entire time!

Watch the video of bathtime here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-gMiuE83Rs

**Warning** Video contains screaming and crying baby .

Isaac's Busy Social Life

Starting at the ripe age of 5 days old, Isaac started going out about town and seeing the sites of Seattle. Actually... on Doctors orders, I was instructed to try and get out and walk as soon as possible to help expedite the healing process. And Grandma Tamara was in town to help us expand his horizons!

Here we are at Alki Beach on a beautiful sunny day. I was still moving very, very slowly and feeling the pain from the surgery, but it felt nice to get out and get some fresh air:

Both Isaac and Kaley were tired after the first outing:

At 7 days old, Isaac made his first trip to the sushi bar after some retail therapy at University Village:

And at 8-days old, we went to the SAM Olympic Sculpture Park.

We took a couple days "off" to catch up on sleep and figure out how to deal without Grandma Tamara in town :-( Then by Friday, we had Grandpa Tom, Grandma Mary and Auntie Renee come into town for a fun week-end visit. We made a trip up to the Prime outlet stores for some more shopping and walking.

..and finally to cap off the exciting week, we headed to a Mariners Game on Friday night with the family. Grandude, aka Grandpa Tom, was very pleased (to say the least) that his grandson made it to a game at the ripe age of 11 days old. With the Mariners win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Isaac has a lifetime 1-0 record. Off to a good start!

Kissy Boy

Isaac loves his Auntie Renee!!

Isaac's Hospital Stay and Homecoming

Week one has been filled with lots and lots of rest, recovery and relatives! We spent the first 3 days in the post-partum unit at Swedish Medical Center. Isaac taught us the new meaning of "Labor Day", with 19-20 hours of labor on Monday and a last-minute delivery by c-section. We survived the first night after surgery and no sleep for 44 hours! Isaac woke up a couple times to be changed and fed, but let the new mom and dad get some rest. The visits from the nurses and doctors kept us up more than he did!

Here's a pic from Day 2, holding hands with Grandma Tamara:

Day 3 in the hospital. One more day until we can go home! Isaac had visits from all the grandparents, and friends Sayuri and Emily. Once alone, Jesse had some nice bonding moments with his new son.

They say to sleep when the baby sleeps. Grandpa Leon took that advice while visiting us in the hospital:

Day 4. After both Isaac and I passed our final tests, we were discharged from the hospital.

Luckily, Jesse read the instructions for the car seat beforehand and was able to strap Isaac in properly for our grand departure.

And formal introductions were in order when he arrived at home. Kaley, our 8-year old Shih-Tzu, has been intrigued by Isaac ever since their initial meeting.

Once home, we all settled in and enjoyed the newest addition to our household.

Welcome Isaac Henry Knappenberger!

We're proud to announce that Isaac Henry Knappenberger was born September 3rd at 10pm! He's a healthy baby boy weighing 6lbs 12ounces and measuring about 17in long.

We went to the hospital at 4:30 a.m. Monday morning after Greta had been having contractions since 1am and her water broke at about 2:30 or so. We hung out and walked around as Greta coped with contractions that became more intense and more frequent. At 9:30 a.m. we got into a room and Greta got some awesome drugs (sadly, none for dad). The middle of the day was not too exciting as the nurse and doc monitored her progress.

Greta started pushing at about 6:30 p.m. and made great progress, however after three hours of that fun, a specialist determined that Isaac's head was not going to fit through the space between Greta's tailbone and pubic bone. (Ahh, all those times Greta fell on her tailbone while snowboarding....Must've put things out of whack!) So, without wasting much time we all went into an operating room and Isaac was delivered by cesarean section soon after.

We're very excited that the little guy is finally here, and that everyone is healthy and happy. Stay tuned for more as we will be coming home from the hospital tomorrow and getting settled in with Isaac.

Oh, and Happy Labor day!!

Week 39 and feelin' fine

Week 39 is here and we're in the home stretch. The doc said I could go any day...or it could be another week...or even two! Hopefully it'll sooner rather than later, but baby knappy will make his appearance when he is good and ready.

Tomorrow is my last day working at the office. I'll be working from home until the baby arrives, which'll be must more comfortable for me. Plus Granny Tamara and Gramps Leon will be arriving on Sunday, so I'll get to hang out with them.

We'll keep this up-to-date so all you east coasters will know when anything exciting happens. Not that pictures of my growing belly (and Kaley) aren't exciting...but ya know........

No lunar baby!

Sorry to disappoint all you believers, but baby knappy did not come during the full moon/lunar eclipse yesterday. I even went to the doctors for a check-up, and while she said I look very, very close...the baby will most likely come next week close to (or after) my due date.

I found this article on the "lunacy" of the correlation between birth rates and the full moon:

For years people have tried to blame the full moon for increasing just about everything from the birth rate to the aggression of professional sports athletes.

No scientific study has conclusively proved that child births go up around the time of a full moon. Also, no study has proved that crime, suicide, or emergency room visits increase either.

The theory seemed to gain momentum briefly in 1978 when Dr. Arnold Lieber published a book called The Lunar Effect, which introduced the world to the "biological tides theory." Lieber argued that the moon affects the human body (which is 80% water) in much the same way as it does the world's oceans.

Critics blasted the book and the theory. Astronomer George Abell reviewed the book in 1979 and said the moon's gravitational pull on the human body was in total less than that of a mosquito.

Despite the studies, the idea of the lunar cycle and the moon casting mysterious spells on humans survives as a popular myth today.

Scientists fielding this question usually take the opportunity to point out that the word "lunacy" is derived from "luna," the Latin word for moon.

The only thing that came early this year during the lunar eclipse was the burning of the man four days early by an arsonist.

So there you have it! More updates as the week progresses.....

Week 38!

We're in the final home stretch...literally and physically! While this past week has flown by, I've been experiencing some new "sensations" which turn out to be early signs of labor! This includes the baby "dropping" or lightening, where the baby drops lower into the pelvis. It feels like I'm carrying around a large bowling ball now, instead of a oven stuffer roaster.

Speaking of...Jesse has been on belly button watch the past month, and after a few false alarms, we think the baby is almost "fully cooked" ....if my navel is any kind of gauge.

I've also been experiencing more Braxton Hicks contractions and stronger nesting instincts. Occasionally, I'll wake up early in the morning (say 2-3am) unable to sleep but feeling energetic, raring to attack dust bunnies under the couch, set up the crib and arrange the baby's outfits according to color and size. But then reality sets in and I go back to sleep.

I have a follow-up appt. with the doc tomorrow, so we'll see how I'm progressing. I've had no less than 5 people tell me that they think the baby is coming tomorrow, as it's a full moon. This includes co-workers, friends and clients...who are all "in the know" since they had their babies during a full moon. Not sure I belive any of this, but check back tomorrow to see if it's fact or fiction!

So, we're close but no cigar yet! Well, Kaley may disagree with that....

Week 37

Less than 3 weeks to go until d-day!
Jesse is getting ready and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his son!

Kaley can't wait for her little brother to arrive either....

Week 36 - Baby Shower in Seattle

4 weeks and counting!

This week-end, Theresa hosted a co-ed baby shower at her house. The weather was perfect and the company was great!

Jesse even got to practice holding a real baby! Yes, it's true! Anastasia was very cooperative and let Jesse hold her for upwards of 10 minutes without making a fuss. Both seemed very happy at the time.

People got pretty crafty for the party! Theresa and Aunt Kathy made these gorgeous and delicious chocolate mint and peanut butter cupcakes. And they were dairy-free...woohoo!!

During the party, there was a onesie painting table, where there was some serious creativity going on.

Uncle Chuck, aka "The godfather" crafted this awesome design. Nothing beats a binky on a gold rope chain.

..and Mom contributed her great design skills by creating these personalized candy bar wrappers. Oddly enough, almost all the candy bars were taken with the exception of the "Kryin Kid" ones...most of those were left for Jesse & I...I guess as a gentle reminder for what lies ahead!

More pictures are here of the day's events.