Connor 's 1st Christmas

It was a busy but joyful holiday!!! How exciting it was to be celebrating Connor's first Christmas as a family! We opened presents here at our house before heading down to FL for a week. On our drive down, we swung into Gainesville to visit the Highlanders who just welcomed their baby boy, Colton, a few weeks ago. From there we headed to Ft. Myers to see Grammie and Gramps. Christmas eve we drove up to Venice to the annual Parrish get together. Connor did very well with the huge crowd that is always there. We woke up Christmas morning at the Doehnes and then headed to Oma's in Venice for Christmas evening. Connor had fun opening his presents...but mainly playing with the bows. Unfortunately by afternoon, Connor was running his first fever and you could tell he didn't feel well. We think he was just cutting teeth, because he had no other cold symptoms and the fever broke after 24 hours. Connor had many visitors and even more presents from all the family and friends in FL. We had a nice visit, but we were anxious to get home and get back on our routine. We stopped in Orlando for a quick visit with some friends on our way out of town. We thank everyone for making our first holiday with Connor a great one! We are looking forward to the many more in the future!
Happy New Year everyone!!!

ROAR!!!

We caught him on video doing his latest thing....growling! It is too precious, we couldn't resist sharing!!! Also in this clip is his funny face he always makes when we take out the camera....he squeezes his eyes shut and squeals. Hope you will watch the entire minute, as the growls get better! Enjoy!

Connor visits Santa

Since this is Connor's first Christmas, we had to take him to see Santa and get his picture taken. Needless to say, it went okay for about a minute then he started to scream! These pics are just priceless!!

Connor is 8 Months Old!!

I know...it is so hard to believe that he is already 8 months old! Time is FLYING!!! We celebrated his first Thanksgiving last week! Oma and Auntie Katie came up here to visit and spend the holiday with us. We had our Thanksgiving dinner at Jessica and Drew Bedard's (Connor's God Parents) house. He even got to eat turkey and sweet potatoes!! Connor is such a blessing in our lives and we couldn't be more thankful for our healthy baby boy. He has enriched our lives so much and we are so grateful!!

Connor's latest achievements include waving bye bye....it is so funny when they finally do something you have been rehearsing all along. One day they just do it, and you are like "OMG he just did it!!!! Now, where is the camera!" His "growl" is back...and in full force lately. I have to get that one on camera!! He makes this lion-ish roar and it cracks everyone up who hears it. He also has more teeth coming in. 2 on top have broken through, but you can also see 2 more ready to come down as well.

Here are a few pics from the weekend!

Just wanted to share a cute video of Connor clapping...or as we say, pattycake. He is getting the hang of it! He is too funny!! He also has this little roar sound he makes. We think he is trying to imitate Luca when she play growls with her toys. He is working on his "high 5" as well as his kisses. Lots to learn!!!
Connor is almost 8 months old now....I can't believe how time has is flying by!! He is growing so fast...already wearing 12-18 month old clothes!!!
We took him to Blowing Rock in the mountains of NC with Grammy and Gramps a few weeks back. We were hoping to see some fall leaves, but we were too late. Also, Pops came for a vist last weekend! Here are some pictures of the past few weeks. Enjoy!

Connor's First Halloween!

We had so much fun dressing Connor up for his very first Halloween!! Holidays are going to be so much more fun again, now that we can see it through our son's eyes! Connor was a chunky monkey! Very fitting for the little guy! We trick-or-treated down our street visiting with neighbors.
Enjoy the pics from the holiday!


Also, if we haven't already shared them with you....Connor had his 6 month photo session. Here is a link to a slide show of those amazing pics!!!
http://jodygphotography.com/doehne/doehne.html

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

Fall is in there air here in Charlotte....actually it is feeling more like winter!! So, this weekend we took Connor to a pumpkin patch for a new fall tradition. It was a little colder than we expected (highs in the 50s) afterall, this is only October!! But we still had a great time!! We picked out 2 big pumpkins, bought some squash, and some cider. We had to skip the hay ride because it was so chilly, so we will have to do that next year. Here are some pictures from our visit!

Connor is 6 Months Old!

My has time flown by! It is so hard to believe that Connor is already half way through his first year!! At his 6 month check up he was weighing in at 21 pounds and 14 ounces and 26 inches long. He is quite a healthy baby boy. We had a great visit and the doc said Connor is doing great!!! We are exploring the world of veggies now!!! So far Connor has had sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, and peas. Soon we will try some fruits!!
We had a special visit from a good friend who lives in London!! Alison made the trip for a short visit to finally meet Connor. We had a great time!! We wish she could be around more often, but we are so happy for the time we have with her!
Last weekend we took our first trip away from Connor. We went to Ohio for a long, 3 day weekend to attend a dear friend's wedding. Jeff's friend from college, Nate, was getting married and Jeff was in the wedding. It was hard to leave our little guy behind....but we survived and had a wonderful time. All while Connor was being well taken care of by his Grandma and Grandpa!!! The wedding was beautiful and we are so happy for Nate and Courtney...a big CONGRATS to Mr. and Mrs. Hohenstein!!
This coming weekend, Connor has his 6 month photo session and we are also going to take him to a pumpkin patch....so we will definitely post again with pics from that!
Here are some pictures of the last few weeks and a quick video of Connor with Luca....Enjoy!!!

The BEST sound in the WORLD!

Hello! It has been awhile and I know I owe everyone a good long blog update....so I promise to do one this week with lots of great new photos. But I wanted to post this quick video of Connor laughing hysterically!! It is the sweetest thing I have ever heard!! Enjoy!!

The latest with Connor.....

Lots to catch you all up on, so this is going to be a long post....
First of all Connor has finally rolled over!! yay!!! Yes, he did it for the first time last week. I happened to be video taping him playing on the mat with Jeff, and then all of a sudden he rolled over. How lucky were we to actually get the first time ever on tape! He is also sitting up on his own pretty good too and is very proud of himself! I just found that he is cutting his first teeth, two on the bottom! So YES, lots going on in Connor's world right now! See the video here of Connor rolling over for the first time:


This past weekend, we made a trip to Gainesville, FL to hang with the Highlanders. Jenny and Josh were able to get tickets to the big game, Florida vs. Tennessee, at the last minute....so it was hard not to pass up the chance to go with them. We all went out and tailgated (Connor's very first tailgate). Then, Jeff and Josh went to the game, while Jenny, Connor, and I watched it from their couch. It was a great time...and so good to see them. Jenny is glowing and pregnant with a little boy due in December....Connor's future BFF!!!!
Here are a few videos we snapped while hanging out in Gainesville with the Highlanders!


Also some pictures here of the tailgate:

FL vs Tennessee

Some New Videos!

It has been awhile since we posted a video....so here are a couple from the past few weeks. One is of Connor's first experience eating food (rice cereal, of course). As if the pictures weren't enough, this little video is too funny! The faces Connor makes are priceless! The other video of just of him in his bouncer saucer. He loves it so much and can easily go from toy to toy on it. He can be such a little ham, but of course as soon as I get the camera out, he stops!!! Well anyways, enjoy!!

Connor is 5 Months Old!

It is hard to believe how fast Connor is growing!!! We introduced rice cereal for the first time this weekend. We thought he was totally ready since he had been eyeing our food for weeks! He didn't do too bad with the cereal. More came out, than probably went in, but I am sure that is to be expected! We are going to keep giving it to him at dinner time, and in a few weeks we will try oatmeal and then start with veggies. So let the fun with food begin!
Connor is enjoying his excersaucer more and more. He can spin himself around and go from toy to toy in it. He just loves to bang on it and make it play music. He is also sleeping through the night now!! yay!! And has been for a few weeks now. He goes down around 8, and we have to wake him in the morning to feed him before we go off to work. He is also napping well for his grandma and grandpa Doehne....2 solid 2 hour naps every day!!
We are looking forward to fall and all the fun that it brings!! So far, we have ourselves heading to Gainesville for a Gator game!! And, we also have Connor's first Halloween costume ready for him to go trick or treating in the neighborhood!!
Enjoy the pictures below of the last few weeks!!!

Connor's Baptism

We have had a lot going on the past few weeks! One event of significant importance is Connor's Baptism!! He was baptized on August 9 at First United Methodist Church of Charlotte. Lots of friends and family came to witness and celebrate with us. Connor did so well throughout the service!! He didn't cry or fuss, and was just a happy baby as always. Connor's Godparents, Jessica and Drew Bedard, are very good friends of ours from Charlotte. We also had a little party at our house after the service to celebrate.

Last week, Connor had his 4 Month doctor's appointment. They are always amazed at how much he is growing!!! He weighed in at 18 lbs, 13 oz. which is in the 97% for his age. His length was 26.5 inches, which is in the 90% for his age. He is changing so much each day. Lately he loves to gaze at his hands as he moves his fingers. He likes to touch everything!! He is still smiling and making raspberry sounds all the time! He got a new excersaucer this past weekend and has really enjoyed having this new, big toy to play with.
Also last week, the Doehnes moved up here to Charlotte and got settled into their apartment. We are so fortunate to have them here to watch Connor for the year!! It will be so nice to have them so close! We hope they enjoy the Carolinas while they are here!

At the end of July my good friend from college, Katie McDowell came up for a weekend visit. She got to meet Connor and hang out with us while Jeff was out of town.
Check out the slide show below of the past few weeks!!! Or you can click on it to see it bigger in picasa.

Connor is 4 Months Old!

Well he is technically going to be 17 weeks on Wednesday!! We have Connor's 4 month doctor's appointment next week, so we are anxious to see where he is with his growth! We think he is quite a big boy for his age!!! He is smiling and giggling all the time. He truly is a very happy baby!! He is constantly drooling and making bubbles and raspberry sounds with his mouth! We have to keep a bib on him otherwise his shirt is soak and wet! This past weekend we put him to sleep in his crib for the first time (which is upstairs, when our master is down stairs). I wasn't sure if I was ready to let him go...but he has been doing well and sleeping better than ever!! So I am happy we went through with it!
We have a busy few weeks coming up. Lots of visitors coming to see us. And in 2 weeks Connor will be baptized! So we will have lots of pictures to share soon!! Below is the latest photos....enjoy!!!

Okay....just one more

Had to post one more little video clip! Connor has this little giggle going on....he isn't doing the big belly laughs just yet, but this one was too cute not to share!!! It is just a minute so check it out!

Videos of Connor

Hello!!! Here are a few videos of Connor. One was taken while on vacation in Captiva (laughing with Daddy and then on the beach with Mommy) and the other is him just being very chatty!! He is getting so much more verbal with his sounds and noises! It is so fun. Connor is 15 weeks now....very near that 4 month mark. His is blowing bubbles and drooling like crazy all of the time. He is such a happy and good baby! We enjoy seeing him grow everyday!! Enjoy!!

Captiva Island!

We had a busy month! June flew by and we never got to post! We quietly celebrated Jeff's first Father's Day by going to church and then to the Pancake House! Yum! Connor is growing so much! We got him on the scale recently and he is already 16 pounds! He is quite the little chunky monkey!! He is now 3 months (technically 13 weeks) old! I am losing track of the weeks and am about to just start counting the months!

We just got back from Florida where we had a little vacation in the sun!! We stayed at South Seas Resort in Captiva Island for the week. We got to see family and friends and had a wonderful time! Connor experienced many firsts on the trip....first time on the airplane, where he had a poop blow out that went through his clothes and onto mommy's lap only 10 minutes into the flight!! First time in the pool, he wasn't sure what to make of being in the water!! First time at the beach....where he mostly took his little cat naps! We also celebrated the 4th of July while flying back home to Charlotte.
Please check out our pictures!! There are a bunch since we just couldn't choose the best ones!!!

Week 8-9

Connor went for his 2 month check up this past week. He weighed in at 14 pounds, 11 ounces, 24.5 inches long. He is in the high 90 percentiles for his size and age. He has almost doubled his birth weight already! And the doctor said he was as big as average 4-5 month olds!!! He passed all the other tests they did as well...like following sound with his eyes, pulling on his arms to see if his head lags. He passed them all with flying colors. We were reassured that we have a big, strong, healthy baby boy!
We have some new pictures, so please view them on picasa!

Weeks 5-7

Things have been busy and we are long over due for some pictures!! But don't worry, I have already been snapping some for Week 8, which Connor is today! Happy 8 week Birthday little guy! Oma says he is not officially 2 months until the 1st...so we'll call it 8 weeks.
Anyways, we are enjoying the changes we see in Connor everyday. He is smiling all the time now!! He is such a happy baby! The sleep intervals at night are getting longer....he is averaging 5 hours straight...sometimes more and sometimes less. We have been doing a bedtime routine of a bath, feeding, and a book. And it seems to be working because it is not as hard to get him down at night! He is also getting to be quite a chubs!! We weighed him over the weekend and he is 14 pounds!!! What a big boy!! He is already outgrowing clothes, and is mostly wearing his 3-6 month stuff now!
We have his 2 month appt. next week, so we are anxious to hear what the doctor has to say!

FINALLY SOME VIDEO!!!

Hello!
We have been slackers about uploading video. I have some from when Connor was only days old...but I thought I would start with a little one I took yesterday morning (he is 6 weeks old). Connor is always so happy in the mornings....and now that he is smiling A LOT...I thought I would try and capture some of that... So here it is just a minute of it...because I know that the grandmas are dying to see more than just pictures!
Also there is one of his first bath. This was a few weeks ago...I think he was 4 weeks old here.
Give me some time and I will get some of the really early video posted!! Gosh how he has changed so much already!! More the reason, we need to be better about filming him often!

1st Mother's Day

Just wanted to share a few pictures from our first mother's day with Connor!
It was a wonderful day!! Daddy took the night feeding all by himself and allowed me to get a full night sleep! The first time in nearly 6 weeks! We went to church and then to brunch on Sunday afternoon. Connor did really well being out all day! We are getting more comfortable and braver taking him places. I am still nursing him, but being able to use a bottle is giving us a lot more freedom!
I don't think I truly appreciated mother's day until I became a mother! What a new respect and admiration I have now for my mother and her mother....and all mother's!! A mother's love is truly a blessing!

Happy 1 Month Birthday!

Yes!! Connor turned 1 month old last Friday! We went for our BIG 1 month check up today. The doctor said Connor weighs 11 pounds and 3 ounces, and is 23 inches long. He is certainly growing fast. He is in the 90th percentile for his weight and length. Daddy thinks we are going to have a big boy....I think he is hoping for a little Tim Tebow :)
We have been quite busy with more visitors. After Grandma and Grandpa Doehne left, Pops arrived for a week. We went for our first mall outing while he was here and got a little shopping done. We also took Connor to church for the first time. He did great!! The pastors blessed a rose and had it at the alter in honor of his birth. We are looking forward to baptizing him in August!
Then Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Rob arrived for a weekend visit. Connor did very well on his first out to dinner experience while they were here!
We also gave Connor his first bath! He loved it!!! Until we took him out of the water....when he got cold and began to scream. We have since learned our lesson and the subsequent baths have gone much better!
Below are some pictures over the last few weeks.
More to come soon, as we share our very first Mother's Day together!!

1 Month

Newborn Session

Just wanted to share a link to our photographer's slideshow of Connor's newborn photo session. These pictures that she captured are just amazing and priceless and bring tears to my eyes when I look at them!

Please take a look, copy and paste the below address into your browser:

http://jodykavanagh.com/doehne/doehne.html

3 Weeks Old

Gosh where has the time gone?!?!? Connor will be 3 weeks this Wednesday! In the below album are some new pics of him. We have had lots of visitors here to see him....and there are still more coming! Connor is doing well! At his first doctor's appointment he had already regained the weight he lost after birth and then put on some, clocking in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. SO he is healthy and happy!! We will go back again for his 1 month check up which is right around the corner!
Connor got to celebrate his first Easter. We weren't able to attend church because we had to take Katie to the airport...but he did he his first Easter basket and bunny!
Today we went to have lunch with Daddy at his office! All of Daddy's coworkers were excited to see and meet Connor.
Everyday we are thankful for this little blessing!! We are so excited to see him growing everyday! We know they don't stay this small for very long!

Connor

Connor Has Arrived!!!

Hello Everyone!! I know many of you have been anxiously awaiting pictures and details of the arrival of Connor. Well, sorry it has taken us a little while, but I am sure you all understand things have gotten quite busy!!!
Anyways, last week the doctor recommended inducing since Connor was not coming on his own. He was over a week late, so we decided to go ahead with the induction. They began the process at 8AM on Wednesday, April the 1st. Connor Vaughn was delivered at 9:14PM on that same day. He weighed in at 7lbs., 14 oz., and was 20.5 inches long. It was a long hard day but Mommy and baby are happy and healthy and Daddy was a great support during the whole process.
We all got to come home on Saturday, and since have been adjusting to the life of first time parents. Connor has been nursing well and seems to be a happy baby.
Below is an album of pics from his birth up until yesterday.
We have to run, but we will post again soon....and lots more pictures to come!!!
Thanks for all of you who have called, messaged, and e-mail. We have felt an overwhelming amount of love and support from you all! We hope to catch up you all soon!

Lots of love,

Jeff, Jamie, and Connor

Connor Blog

40 Weeks...how much longer will he make us wait?

Well here we are, 40 weeks and at the big DUE DATE. I wish I wasn't posting another belly pic...I wish I was posting a picture of this little boy we have named Connor....however, he has not made his appearance in this world yet. We are trying to wait as patiently as we can! We want to thank all of you who have called, text, and e-mailed. We appreciate you keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!
So they say it is only a matter of time and when he is ready, he will come! We will keep you all posted and let you know as soon as he decides to make his grand arrival! Will it be tomorrow on his mother's 30th birthday....or will he hold out another few days (hopefully not weeks)....only time will tell!

Here are a few other belly pics a friend of mine took for us as well. These were done a few weeks ago.

Belly Pics

SNOW DAY!!!

This is the most snow Charlotte has gotten since 2004!! So that means, this is the most snow I have EVER SEEN since we were not here in 2004!!!! School was cancelled for the 3rd time this school year and Jeff worked from home since this city shuts down when this kind of weather comes through. Anyways, I got to make my VERY FIRST snow man...he is a mini one...but we had fun doing it. Even if I am 9 months pregnant...I did all I could to enjoy the snow today. Here are a few pics!!

36 Weeks!

We have officially reached the 9 month mark!!! YAY!! Here is an updated belly pic!! I am feeling good....but ready for this little guy to come!! I have cut back my work schedule a bit and have been getting my replacement ready for when I leave.
We go back to the doctor next week and then continue on with weekly appointments until the baby comes!!
Will keep you all posted!!!

Also, here is a picasa album of our "Baby Moon". We took little time for some R&R at Charlotte's Ballantyne Resort. It was wonderfully relaxing!! We got massages, had a nice dinner out, and then had breakfast in bed the next morning. You truly feel pampered at the resort, and we very much enjoyed ourselves!!

Baby Moon

Nursery!!!

So here is the first unveiling of Connor's nursery. It is still a work in progress, but I had to share because I couldn't wait any longer. This is also only my second time really using the video camera (I know mom, I have had it for a year). Just remember this is a sneak peak. We still have to hang decorations on the walls and get the computer moved into the office. So, I will definitely post again when we have the final product, which I hope will be sooner rather than later. After all my due date is in 7 weeks. 

Baby Showers

After 3 wonderful baby showers, Connor's nursery is stocked and ready for his arrival!! I have combined all the pics from the showers into 1 Picasa Album which you can click on to see all the pics. 

My good friend, Erin and my sister, Katie threw me one in my home town of Venice, FL. All my aunts and cousins and family friends came to share in the excitement!

My good friend, Jessica, threw me a lovely little shower up here in Charlotte. My mother in law, Sue, was in town to join in the festivities as well.

And lastly, my coworkers, Melissa and Cheryl, put together a very nice, after school baby shower for me.  Where I got to celebrate with some of the gals at my school. 

All in all, Connor has so many wonderful things and so many people who love him already!! 

Thanks to all who came to my showers and shared in this special time with me!! And also thank you to all who were unable to make it and sent gifts in your absence!! It means so much to have your love and support!!   

Nursery pics are coming soon.....

Baby Showers

32 Weeks!!

I have officially moved into the 8th month!!! Yay!!!! My belly is big, but doesn't appear to have changed very much since week 30. We went to the doctor on Monday where we had another ultrasound. The doctor says he looks good! He is a big boy though...weighing in at around 4 pounds. If he continues to gain at the normal rate, he will be an 8 pound baby!!!
I tried to insure that we would get some movement in the ultrasound...but Connor was just chilling and not interested in getting his picture taken! We didn't get any good 3d/4d images except for a few of his feet! Ha! We did get a good traditional ultrasound image of his profile though. He had his hand up by his mouth and we could see him opening and closing his mouth. It was the neatest thing!!
The nursery is almost ready to show!! Hopefully we will post some pictures after this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Doehne are here this weekend helping us get it all ready!!!

Belly Pics

Hey!! Here is an album of Belly Pics. It is crazy to see the progression...and now I look like I am ready to pop!!! Ladies and Gentlemen, I have only 9 weeks to go!!! Hallelujah!! We can't wait to meet this little man! 

Pregnancy Belly Progression

Also, here are a few pics from the ultra sound we had back at 20 weeks:

Moving from our .mac page

Well, here we are announcing our arrival on blogspot!! We no longer have our mac website. It expired and instead of renewing it, we thought we would give this one a try since it is free! 

We will continue to update you all on what is going on with us, and most importantly, our little one on the way!!! Please save us to your favorites or subscribe to the blog (link is on the right).