Settling In & Visitors

We are settling into a routine at home. So far Kingsley has been a great sleeper and eater. Per the doctor's orders, Mom wakes Kingsley at night to feed. However, we won't have to do that once the doc gives the green light at her next check up. They want to see her at her original birth weight before letting her sleep as long as she wants at night. At her last visit she was down 6 oz from birth to 9 lbs 3 oz. She's still quite a meatball!

We've had a couple visitors: Jill Andreu brought Mom and Dad dinner (Big Thank You!) and Mitten and Kathy Swartzwelder stopped in for lunch on their way to Tallahassee. Grandma Bev Tompkins drops in every couple of days to see her granddaughter and Grandpa Dave & Grandma Carol Baglia will be coming into town later this week.

We have been so blessed with wonderful friends and family who call for updates and are anxious to visit.

Kingsley Anne Makes Her Arrival - Friday, December 4th

2:30 am: My water breaks. Ben and I try to time the contractions but they are coming so irregularly that we decide it's best to call the hospital. Labor and delivery instructs us to come in.

5:00 am: We throw the last minute essentials into our bags and head to the hospital. We arrive at North FL Regional Medical Center at 5:00 am and learn that I am at 10 cm and in the throws of labor. No time for an epidural.

6:00 am: Doctors expect delivery very soon, it's a whirlwind in the room as the nurses get me prepped and ready for delivery. I push for 2 hours but Kingsley is content where she is and wants just a little more time on the inside. The doctors think I'm tiring, want to give me a rest, and think it's OK to receive an epidural. Ben calls the Grandmas and they make their way to the hospital.

8:00 am: I rest for two hours after receiving my epidural.

10:00 am: Doctors think it's time to start pushing again.

11:50 am: Kingsley Anne Tompkins is born weighing 9 lbs 9 ozs and is 22 inches long. She has some light brown hair and is just beautiful.

See pictures from Facebook here.

See pictures from the hospital here. Select By Family - Birthday is 12/4/2009 - Mother's Last Name: Tompkins - Family's City: Newberry - State: FL - Password: 23141284075655

Diaper Stockpile

Yesterday I visited the doctor and I am still at 3 cm and holding. OK Kingsley, Mommy and Daddy are ready for you. Could you please join us on the outside?

Ben and I started buying diapers and wipes almost weekly after we found out we were expecting. We've created quite a diaper stockpile. These stacks are three and four rows deep. I'm curious to see how often we have to buy diapers and how quickly she grows out of the sizes.

See pictures of Kingsley's room at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45087&id=1266227423&l=9b1c629d88

3 Centimeters & Waiting

Yesterday I visited the doctor and learned that I'm 3 cm (out of 10). That's a good sign but anything can happen. I could go into labor tonight or sit at 3 cm for another week. In case I don't go into labor, I have an appointment scheduled next Tuesday, December 1st and another on the 4th.

Bags are packed, car seat is installed and we're just waiting. More to come... soon I hope.

Whew! What a weekend!

Wow! What a weekend we had.

Friday night we attended the annual Tompkins Family Bonfire. Weather was cool and the fire was warm. We had a great time with friends and family.

Saturday we attended the UF vs FIU game. A special thanks to our friends Brian & Elsbeth Russell for the Champion Clubs seats. Picture: Elsbeth & I enjoy free ice cream comes at half time.

Sunday was the big event! Ben was able to watch the Tampa Bay Bucs warm up from the sidelines before he and three friends led the Bucs onto the field and out of the tunnel. What an experience!

Dear Ms. Kingsley - Thank you for staying put. You are now welcome to make your entrance whenever you are ready.

All About the Benjamin!

Kingsley, we need you to stay put for one more week! We've got a busy weekend ahead of us and Daddy is begging you to stay in place. Friday night will be the annual Tompkins Bonfire - always a ton of fun and not to be missed. Saturday we have free Champion level seats for the FIU vs. UF football game. But, Sunday is the kicker! Our friend, Ben Drawbaugh, won a contest through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he and two friends get to lead the Bucs out of the tunnel before the game. Ben has been invited to be one of those lucky people - a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Daddy/Ben: Kingsley, please, please, please stay in place for another week!
Kingsley: I'll do what I can, but I'm not making any promises.

Token of Appreciation

Yesterday I was surprised with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Ben as a small token of his appreciation for all I've been doing to prepare for Kingsley's arrival and all that is to come. It included a sincere note which warmed my heart.

The Waiting Game

I'm now seeing the doctor for weekly visits. Last visit (11/10/09) we were treated to a sonogram. Kingsley is head down and weighing in at approximately 6 lbs 11 oz and looks great. My doctor is pleased - my blood pressure is good, swelling is minimal and my weight gain these last few weeks has been slight. Seems all things are on track and now we're just waiting for her to make her grand exit... or entrance.

She's an active baby but predictable. She practices her soccer moves at around 6am, 10am, 3pm and 6pm for little over an hour and gets the hiccups in the late afternoons. Some nights Ben is able to grab her feet/heel (we think) as she kicks and then she pulls away and kicks again.

Next doctor visit is Wednesday, November 18th. Stay tuned...

Bun in the Oven

For Halloween, I dressed up as a Bun in the Oven. The costume was a hit.

The writing on the front reads:
Timer: 4 Weeks
Bake 98.7 degrees

The Stockings Were Hung By the Chimney With Care

Kingsley won't remember her first Christmas, but she still needs a stocking. Here is a picture of the Christmas stockings I just purchased. These are the first items Ben and I have that say "Mom" and "Dad" and makes it all very real.

I look forward to these stockings becoming keepsakes for our family for many years to come.

The Big Day Draws Closer

Monday marks the beginning of week 35. It's been a while since I last made a post - boy have we been busy. Kingsley and I had another wonderful shower hosted in our honor by my mother (Mary Lou Baglia), Ellen Mooney, Shannon Drawbaugh and Brynn Wallace. We received wonderful gifts and so many hand made items. We have beautiful quilts and family heirloom treasures.

"How are you feeling?" seems to be the question these days. I'm feeling great, staying busy with the prep of Kingsley's room and trying to tie up loose ends at work. A couple weeks ago I started to experience some numbness in my finger tips in my right hand. This was the start of pregnancy induced carpel tunnel syndrome. Good news - it's pretty common and nothing to worry about. The numbness has moved into both hands. I consider myself quite lucky since this is my first complaint since becoming pregnant.

I've become a pro at the pregnant waddle. I'm still exercising in the mornings (if you call walking on a treadmill for 45 minutes exercise) and I take an afternoon walk near my office if the weather is nice. I'm also still sleeping hard and I think the walking definitely helps.

The Room Decor

More pictures to come, but we wanted to share two custom painted pieces for Kingsley's room. One is a canvas with her name on it and the other is a table and chairs set that belonged to me. I received this table and chairs in 1979 from my mother and the underneath is signed and dated. I wish I could take credit for these paintings, but both custom pieces were completed by Cindy Smith from Gainesville, FL.

It's Raining It's Pouring

Kingsley and I had a wonderful shower hosted in our honor in mid-September by some of my co-workers. We received some beautiful outfits, blankets, toys and other essentials. By far, she will be one of the best dressed kids in all of north central Florida. A very special thank you is extended to our hosts Jill Andreu, Elsbeth Russell, Debbie Phillips and Pam Blasetti.

(This is one of my favorite gifts - stuffed cow with a Day At The Farm children's book.)

So Much To Do, So Little Time

Our prep for Baby Kingsley is in full swing. Tuesday we had our first of five birthing classes at the hospital. It was educational and we enjoyed speaking with other mommies & daddies that are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their bundles of joy. Next week I attend a breastfeeding class... alone. No sense in dragging Ben to that class. I think the dairy farmer knows a thing or two about lactation.

We are beginning to decorate the room and paint - by far my favorite part! I'm also looking forward to the two showers that are being hosted for us - one with friends from work and the other by my mother, Ellen Mooney (family friend), Shannon Drawbaugh (college friend) and Brynn Wallace (college friend).

Plus, throw a doctor visit or two in there and the start of football season. It's going to be a busy September, but we're loving every minute of it!

Kingsley Reunion

This past weekend Ben and I visited with family in Michigan and attended the annual John & Clara Kingsley 20th family reunion. Ben played in the annual Kingsley golf tournament through a constant drizzle of rain on Saturday morning. His team didn't win... but at least they didn't finish last. Unfortunately, the rain kept us indoors for most of the day but it cleared later. We had a great time catching up with family, spent lots of time laughing and never growing tired of the stories we've heard time and time again.

My grandmother, Mary Shelle (maiden name Kingsley), is the only surviving sibling of her six brothers - plus she's also the oldest. What a woman!

Child Care Classes

Ben and I attended our first child care class Wednesday night. The class focused on newborn care and we learned how to swaddle, ways to soothe a crying baby and other good tips. We've also registered to take an infant CPR class and a childbirth class. Overall, it was enjoyable education. However, we did get a kick out of some of the questions asked by other new parents, such as: How do we teach our baby to sleep?

Here's a picture of Ben with his swaddled baby.

The Name Game

Selecting a name for Baby T has been one of the hardest decisions Ben and I have had to make. After much discussion, we have finally settled on one - Kingsley Anne Tompkins. My grandmother's (Mary Shelle) maiden name is Kingsley, but it wasn't thought of as a first name until we met a young lady with that name several years ago. We made a mental note of it, just in case we were blessed with a baby girl. We picked Anne only because we liked it. We can't wait to welcome our new bundle of joy, Kingsley.

It's a GIRL!

Ben & I learned today that Baby T is a baby girl. Naturally, we are very excited and thank God for blessing us with a baby girl. Ben is already thinking about golf lessons and spending our future weekends cheering on the sidelines of the soccer or softball fields (like her mother played).

I still scheduled for a level 2 sonogram at Shands to check her heart development because of my heart condition, but today they said everything looks good.

In the pic she has her hand up by her head. Perhaps she's doing the Seminole chop. Out of modesty for my daughter, we decided it was best not to post the "money shot."

Happy Father's Day!

The Tompkins family spent Father's Day on their boats soaking up the Florida sunshine. Weather reports said the heat index was 105°. The water was cool and very refreshing. Here's a picture of the whole Tompkins clan.

Front row (Me, Sonja with her son Dylan, Rhonda, Robin and Andrew's daughter Christy) Middle Row (Ben, his oldest brother David and his daughter Jayden, Ben's father Rod and middle brother Andrew) Back Row (Brittany with Cheech and Andrew's son Drew)

Save The Date!

Ben and I will be learning the sex of Baby T on June 30th. Stay tuned. More to come...

And Baby Makes 88

Baby T will mark my Grandmother's 88th grandchild. Mary Shelle is an amazing woman and words can't explain the respect and love that her entire family feels for her. Grandma will be turning 90 this winter.

My cousin Aaron and his wife Fran are expecting their second son and he will make 87.

How do you get to 88 grandkids?
14 children
44 grandkids
40 great grandkids
2 great-great grandkids
2 on the way

Rounding 1st and looking to 2nd

This week marks the beginning of my second trimester. Today I had my first sonogram, we heard the heartbeat and saw the baby. Baby T is about three inches from head to rump. It was all quite exciting and emotional! My prenatal blood tests came back clean but we have not yet completed the quad testing (Cystic Fibrosis, Downs Syndrome, etc.) The doctor is scheduling a special sonogram at the end of June/beginning of July at Shands on Baby T's heart because of my preexisting heart condition.

We've also decided to let the cat out of the bag - so to speak. I will be sharing our exciting news with my co-workers and expect word to circulate through the company in a matter of days.

Vegetarian?

Is this kid going to be a vegetarian? I'm experiencing my first side effect of pregnancy - food aversions. Lately, I've been unable to eat any meat. I've tried it all - steak, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp. Occasionally, I can stomach small pieces of meat in something like quesadillas. The good news is that I'm not getting sick. I find myself eating my salad, then my side dish and then looking at my meat and thinking I really don't want to eat this. Fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains have been keeping me fat, happy and full.

Uneventful Events

This week has been pretty uneventful. If it weren't for the "how are you feeling?" questions from family members, I might forget that I'm pregnant. I'm feeling a little nausea but not much to even complain about, very thirsty, a bit more tired at night and my body is asking for more calories. I'm still exercising every morning before work and feel great. I haven't gained any weight yet, but the book/internet info says that's about to start this week. Oh, joy!

Baby T is an inch and a half and has been good to me... so far.

Baby's First Gift

We received our first baby gift this week. It was a sweet and thoughtful gift from Ellen Mooney, a die hard Seminole fan. Naturally, Ben loves them. I think we need a set of Seminole booties so we can take the baby home from the hospital in one Gator booty and one Seminole booty. House divided!

Telling the Rents!

Bev Tompkins was the first one in the know. Ben and I broke the news to her at dinner on Thursday night (April 2nd). In true Bev fashion, she teared up. My mom, Mary Lou Baglia, and Ellen Mooney had been planning a trip up the weekend of April 4th. We were planning an outing on the boat on Saturday with Rod & Rhonda Tompkins so we held the news until we were all together.

My mom was so excited and told the good news to complete strangers at the restaurant.
It's true - no matter how old you get, they can still embarrass you.

My dad, Dave, said the news made his week and when I talk to him he sounds giddy like a school girl on the phone. I have a feeling Grandpa Baglia is going to spoil this kid rotten.

There's no surprising Grandma Shelle - how does she do it? I told her I had good news, but you could tell she knew. What, what's the good news? I'm pregnant! Oh, congratulations!