Monday, December 29, 2008

Ben Meets Carl

Ben got to meet his cousin Carl V today, as Kara and Carl IV were on their way back from Pittsburgh for Christmas.  They really seemed to like each other and clearly established an early bond that will last a lifetime.  Check out some pics below (there are more than normal, as I know Papi and Mimi were particularly interested in this meeting):

Ben Meets Carl

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Playing with Grandma

This morning Benjamin just 'hung out' with Grandma Bentley and had a great time....

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Benjamin Robert Update - 12/27

So things are going very well for Benjamin and Family.  He's actually sleeping quite a bit, including for good stretches of time at night.  This means Mom and Dad aren't in too bad a shape, but are still very thankful for the support of Grandma and Grandpa Bentley.  Some recent highlights:
  • Our first non-family visitors at home arrived.  The Sellery's drove all the way from Virginia for just a couple hour visit, which was incredibly nice.  It was good to see them and they were so excited for the new Grandparents, the new parents and the new family member (the future president of the US, per Mr. Sellery)
  • Mom and Dad attempted to give Benjamin his first 'bath', which consisted of a quick wipe down with a wet, a soapy and a dry face towel (we need to wait on his cord falling off before the real bath).  He wasn't a huge fan, but he'll get more used to it as Mom and Dad figure it out more as well.
  • Benjamin had his first doctor's appointment this AM.  He passed all checkpoints with flying colors, including his weight, which is already back up to 9lbs 1oz (reminder: he was 9lbs at birth)
  • He tried out his swing for the first time and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit (he's asleep in it as I type this).


12/26/08

Kray Family Christmas 2008

Ben's first christmas was a mellow event.  The Bentley clan was in town to celebrate.  Realizing we didn't know when Ben was really going to arrive, we did our full Christmas celebration a few weeks back.  Check out a few pics if you're interested.
Christmas 2008

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Benjamin's Homecoming (Day 5 in life of Ben)

So today was a pretty significant day in the life of Benjamin Robert Kray and the rest of the Kray family, we all came home from the hospital.  We spent the morning packing up our stuff, signing papers, listening to discharge instructions, promising not to shake him, etc.  After lunch, we all got to come home.  Ben made the trip like a man, as expected.

We then just hung out the rest of the day, enjoying everyone's company.  Big thanks to grandma for a great dinner.

Here are some more pics....come on, what can you expect from a proud new papa.

Day 5 in the life of Ben

Note: A couple people have told us they are having troubles posting to the blog.  It's not the most intuitive process, as it actually wants you to log in and validate yourself.   I believe you either need to log in using a google/gmail account, an OpenID account or anonymously (but you can say your name in the message if that's easier).  Apologies for any confusion, we really appreciate everyone's well wishes and kind words.  

Day 4 in the life of Ben

Some more pics for those of you who just can't get enough.....

Monday, December 22, 2008

Ben's Grand Entrance



just a quick intro video....we're still at the hospital, so don't have a ton of time to fancy any of this up....much much more to come.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Day 3 in the life of Ben

Things are going well for the Kray family....

Kris is getting more mobile and adjusting nicely to her new role as world's best mom

I'm doing well and getting sleep when I can (big thanks to Grandma Bentley on that one)

Ben is as cute as can be. He's nursing much better today, sleeping well, but also having some awake moments to 'hang' with Mom and Dad...the below certainly does not support that statement...

Day 3 in the life of Ben

Day 2 in the life of Ben

Here are some pics from day 2.  Thanks to everyone for coming to visit!
Day 2 in the life of Ben

Friday, December 19, 2008

Birthday Pics

We've received a bunch of requests for pics, so here's a quick gallery of pictures from day 1

Benjamin Robert Kray's Birthday

It's a Boy!!! Please Welcome....

Benjamin Robert Kray
9 lbs.
6:53 AM


Mom and baby are both doing great!

More pics, details and stories to come....
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Doctor's Quote Today....



"You're having a Hippopotamus"


9 pounds 6 ounces....smart man.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Testing out Tater's room

So Brian, Aimee and Dylan stopped by on their way up to visit's Aimee's parents this past week and also on the way home, which was an awesome surprise. It was great to see them. We used D-man to test out Tater's room and he seemed to be ok with it all . He presented us with his seal of approval....good thing, no shot I was doing any more work on that room.




38 week appointment update...

The baby is coming....

At my appointment today, the doctor told me that I'm 1 cm dilated. This could mean the baby still won't be here for a couple of weeks, but it's definitely exciting to know that the process is starting! We will update if anything changes between now and our ultrasound a week from tomorrow.

Also, we are taking boy/girl votes! :) Let us know what you think.

Friday, December 5, 2008

37 weeks!

The countdown has begun!  We are under three weeks until the due date and technically the baby is full term.  We definitely feel ready for the baby to come in terms of making sure we have all the necessary "supplies" and getting the house ready.  However, now that we are ready, the baby probably won't come until after the due date!  My doctor appointments are down to every week and we have another ultrasound scheduled for a week from Tuesday.  The baby is just getting bigger and bigger (scary)!

Thank you to everyone that's been checking on me during this last month!  I really appreciate the emails and calls.  I'm feeling great...I'm just a little big and awkward.  My clothes all seem to be tight and it's getting hard to pick things up off the floor.  Fortunately, I'm probably only working one more week and then I can just relax and wait for Tater to decide to come.  :)

We will be sure to let everyone know when something changes!  For now, we are just having fun waiting and getting ready for our Christmas celebration (next weekend :)).  

Saturday, November 22, 2008

8 Months

8 months down, 1 to go....




35 weeks....


Things are progressing pretty nicely in the Kray household.  A couple of highlights from the past two weeks:
  • Kris' other 'moms' threw her a wonderful shower in VA.  It was a great time and we got some really nice gifts that we're excited to use with the new baby.
  • We had our Child/Infant CPR class, which was what you'd expect...nothing to exciting, but we now feel prepared in the very unlikely event we'll need to use the skill.
  • Kris' good friend Colleen threw her a surprise shower with all of her local friends, which was the first of her showers to be a surprise.  Rumor has it, she was very surprised.  She loved seeing everyone and eating her favorite ice cream cake.
  • We had another ultrasound (see above) to see how the baby is progressing.  It's already at 7.2lbs, which is big but still in an OK range, per the doctor.  Dad thinks it's good because it will be more durable upon entry to the world.  Mom likes it because it justifies some of her size.  The pic above totally looks just like Dad.....this is one lucky kid.
  • We graduated from our child birth prep class, which may make you think that we're ready....not sure we really feel like that, but I guess there's no turning back now...

Saturday, November 8, 2008

The 32nd Week...

Well, it's been quite a week for us, which is requiring a post from me instead of Nick.  We are feeling like we are in the homestretch here as a lot of the last minute baby things have started. 

- This past weekend, Nick's mom generously hosted a baby shower for me in CT where we had lots of fun celebrating with the Sharry clan.

- On Thursday, we had a doctor's appointment (our first of the more frequent appointments).  Everything is going great with the baby and we are scheduled for another ultrasound in two weeks - the baby seems to be tracking a little large.  I'm just excited to see the baby again!

- Our baby furniture was delivered (also on Thursday) so our empty yellow room is starting to feel like a home for our little one.

- Also, on Thursday (Thursday was a big day for us!) we had our first childbirth prep class where we took a tour of the labor/delivery and maternity ward at our new hospital and learned about some of the early stages of labor.  We saw 6 newborn babies in the nursery - pretty soon, one of those babies will be OURS!

With all of the activities of the week, I'm getting incredibly excited and loving every day as we anticipate the baby's arrival.  I'm feeling fantastic and every movement the baby makes is just awesome.   It's exciting to think that in less than 7 weeks, the baby will be here!

This weekend, my "Moms" are hosting a shower for me in VA.  More details/pictures to come!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Current Child, New Camera

So Kris and I had been talking about getting into photography and also getting a new camera. With the new child coming soon, we figured there was no time like the present (yes, we recognize we'll have less time to play and learn, but we don't think we could have a better subject). So, we went ahead and got one after a good amount of research. Our first practice subject was Kristin's current baby, Sophie:



Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Saturday, September 27, 2008

6 Month Photo

Sorry I'm a bit late, but here's Kris' 6 month photo.


Saturday, September 20, 2008

Carlo Quinto

He's very little....but very cute:

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Other Kray Family Updates

We've had some baby activities recently, we figured we'd share.
  • Kris has been feeling great recently!
  • We ordered our furniture for the nursery today, which means that I officially have 6-8 weeks to clear out my office, clean pant and get ready for its delivery.  Which leads to...
  • We started cleaning out the closets in the house today to make room for all the baby stuff...this is NOT a fun task, but results in significant amounts of stuff that we don't need being thrown away, so I support the effort.
  • We visited Carlo Quinto (a possible nickname for CJHV, see below) and he's doing very well at 11 days old and Mom and Dad seem to be doing well as well.
  • Tater has been kicking up a storm recently.  Luckily it's normally at bedtime so Dad can actually feel it.  Perhaps not so luckily for Mom, but she doesn't seem to mind it yet.
  • Name list is holding steady at 3 each.

Pictures from our trip to Orlando

As we mentioned below, over Labor Day Weekend, we went down to visit our friends, the Shields'.  Here are the pics:

Saturday, August 30, 2008

I FELT THE BABY KICK!!!!!!

We're in Orlando visiting our good friends Brian and Aimee and their little man, Dylan....AND I FELT THE BABY KICK!!!!!

He's absolutely going to be a soccer player.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Picture of CJHV

New Baby in the Family!!!

We became Aunt Kristin and Uncle Nick today!
Our little one has its first cousin.

Kara and Carl (my sister and brother-in-law) welcomed Carl John Heyne V to the world today at 5:56 AM. He weighed a substantial 7lbs. 7ozs. and towered above his peers in the nursery at 20 3/4 in. Both Mom and Baby are doing great. Dad's doing well too.

We're visiting him now and he's super cute. Pictures to be posted soon.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

5 Months!!!

So yesterday Kris hit 5 months....over halfway!!  18 weeks to go.



Highlights since our last highlights:
  • Kris went a whooping 25 days without getting sick in the morning (the streak was recently broken with a little slip up the other day, but we're blaming it on a rough  elevator ride.  She does work on the 33rd floor).
  • Her 14 day cold is finally on its way out (the fun just keeps on coming).
  • She's started to be able to feel the baby (as noted below), but I haven't had the excitement yet.
  • We've just about completed the research we need to do for our baby furniture and main baby needs (stroller, car seat, etc.).
  • We narrowed down our name list to a small selection for each gender and NO we are not telling.
  • I'm thinking about investing some money in Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme for the baby's college fund seeing we're currently keeping them in business, or at least Kris is.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

It's Alive!!!

Kris says she thinks she can feel the baby moving!! Its about the right time, but still to early for me to feel... :(.

This baby thing is actually starting to feel real.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

20 Week Ultrasound

We went to the hospital today for our 20 week ultrasound. This is the one where they do the full anatomy screening, measuring all the parts and saying, "oh, that looks good..." They also could have told us whether it was a boy or girl, but we decided to hold out for the surprise, so we had to turn our heads when they got to that part.

Following that, we went to the ob/gyn for kris' check-up....everything is looking good. Kris is up 7 pounds total, doctor thought that was good. Baby weighs 12 ounces and has a 148 bpm heartbeat. Another new stat is the doctor has our due date in all the paperwork as 12/25, not the 12/27 we thought after our dating ultrasound. I look at this as a good thing, seeing only 4% of babies are born on their due dates. Either way, we're going to have an awesome Christmas this year.

We've posted an album on Picasa, including our 'clay baby' pictures (a.k.a. 3D sonogram). Click on the pic below to check them out.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Who knew...

Who knew that there is so much stuff to think about when you're having a kid.  Kris and I have spent a good amount of time researching the stuff that we think we'll need, which is tough because:

1) We first need to figure out what the item is and what it is for
2) We then debate whether we actual even need it.  I'm of the belief we shouldn't just get something because it's on some list.  I guess I'm a minimalist in that sense.
3) Kris then tells me what one of the many different books she has about this stuff says.
4) I do my normal obnoxious level of internet research from consumer reports and other sites
5) I tell Kris what the best few option are
6) Kris picks the one she likes and the colors she wants for that list.

That's a lot of work for a boppy.....

Good thing we have 4.5 more months....

Monday, July 21, 2008

4 Months...

So yesterday marked 4 months, but we didn't get a chance to take a pic (see previous post). Here is a pic of Kris at 4 months....note her current baby in the picture at the bottom.


Highlights from the recent past:
  • Baby is approximately the size of turnip (5 inches or so)

  • Kris' baby name list had shrunk to 3 names per gender, but following a long car ride is up over 15 per...with names like Macy Kray, Marvin Kray, David Kray, Meredith Kray and Rudy Kray

  • Morning sickness has decreased to once/twice a week, as opposed to daily or more (keeping our fingers crossed)

  • This lady keeps calling from the hospital saying, "I'm calling Kristin for some GRRRRREEAAATTT news" in a creepy, excited voice, but then she won't tell me what the news is (our testing has all come back very positive apparently)

We'll have some more updates following our 20 week ultrasound (8/5)....unless of course something that just can't wait comes up.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Late Post - 3 months down, 6 to go

So we're just starting the blog, but we figured we'd catch up with a few photos...

This one is from the 12 week ultrasound (6/23):

This is my lovely bride at approximately the sametime (6/28):


Updated 4 month picture to be posted shortly (gotta wait for Kris to feel good enough for me to take the pic :) ).



The Story Begins...

This blog is being created to share the stories and happenings of the Kray Family (the Nick and Kristin version). We're planning to track the progress of the now 4 months pregnant Kristin and share what's going on with us all the way to the big day and beyond. We recognize that this won't be of significant interest to most, but it's fun for us and the few who may find it exciting (e.g. first time grandparents and aunts).

Hope you enjoy!

Love, Nick and Kristin