Author Archive
Nearly 3 months old and life is tough!!
Posted on March 2, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
Natalie looking a little sad. Hard to imagine why.. tough life, lots of responsibilities.
Getting her workout with her baby gym. Again, tough life.
Natalie’s first visit to the Long Beach Aquarium
Posted on March 2, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
Natalie checks out the fish at the Long Beach Aquarium, from within the comfortable confines and perspective of a BABYBJÖRN
Sneezes, Coo’s and Smiles
Posted on February 21, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
Natalie has finally started smiling more and frowning less. The smiling actually started around 6 weeks, but this was the first time we caught it on “film” (at around 9 weeks). She’s also trying to talk — not quite sure what she’s attempting to say, but it’s expression never-the-less. Finally something for US to smile about, after we’ve been dragged down colic street.
Natalie meets Eva
Posted on February 13, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
Julie’s 4 year old Eva meets 7 week old Natalie. Already practicing to be a mom? I’m sure it will only be a matter of a couple years before the two will be hanging out together.
Rub-a-dub-dub, one baby in a tub
Posted on February 3, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
A 7 week old Natalie enjoying a nice warm bath before bed. Something we’ve definitely noticed is how she opens her mouth when enjoying something. Also, take a look at the amusing video below.
Natalie’s welcome home party
Posted on January 24, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
Denise’s side of the family came over to our house to welcome 6 week old Natalie into the world. A kind of “post-birth” baby shower.
Grandma holding Natalie
Dad (me) holding Natalie
Michael holding Natalie – getting a rude awakening from her colicky screams. You would never guess from this photo though.
Frowning as usual.
Frowning has now become darn right belligerent. Notice her Kung Fu fighting stance.
Michael joes Joesph something. Not sure Joseph is very interested though.
And who could forget Max. The furry baby and big brother.
Natalie in her Rainforest Swing
Posted on January 22, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
At 6 weeks old, Natalie is really starting to focus and track moving objects now. Here she’s in her Rainforest Swing
6 weeks old and focusing
Posted on January 22, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
Natalie is really starting to track and focus on things with her eyes. Whether it’s her toys, Manchester United on the telly, or the mysterious green stuff in the garden… her eyes are now working overtime!
Below, she focuses on catching up on some sleep.
Nearly a month old!
Posted on January 2, 2010 - by Bradley Hebdon
Here Natalie is nearly a month old – trying out Grandma’s homemade shawl and hat. She’s really enjoying looking out the windows now, and her eyes are getting bigger and brighter by the day.
Max is never far away from Natalie.
Natalie’s First Christmas (2009)
Posted on December 28, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Here are some of the latest photos, taken over the last couple of weeks around Christmas.
Here she is in her “My first Christmas” outfit. Thanks Dawn! Here, she’s nearly 3 weeks old.
Mom, Natalie and Max (the furry baby) relaxing in luxury
Here, she’s about 2 weeks old
Happy Holidays everyone! (Christmas 2009)
Natalie 1 week old!
Posted on December 15, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Here Natalie is already over a week old! Finger nails have been cut, hair has grown and her face is turning pinker. Notice her hands raised as she sleeps – her signature sleeping style. Thanks to Grandma for the warm and cosy jacket.
Eyes wide open (4 Days Old)
Posted on December 11, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
At 4 days old, Natalie is really starting to open her eyes and inspect her surroundings. Things that she finds fascinating are: the Christmas tree, ceiling fans and the golf course. In the photo below, she’s wearing Grandmother’s newly knitted jacket, and a double chin.
Below, she’s “zonked” out in her Rainforest Swing
Home, at last! (2 Days Old)
Posted on December 9, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
After a couple of days in the hospital, Natalie is allowed to come home where she is met by a curious Coco and jealous Max. To be fair, Max has already adjusted after only a few hours. Notice her incredibly long fingers.. destined to be a pianist like her mom?
Natalie, meet your grandmothers (1 Day Old)
Posted on December 9, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
One day after Natalie’s birth, she meets her Grandmothers in the hospital. Bundled, sleepy and full of hair.
Facing the world, Testing Her Expressions
Posted on December 9, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Natalie trying out her facial expressions, albeit a little red in the face.
Mom and Baby Bond (1 Day old)
Posted on December 9, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Still in the hospital, Mom and baby bond 1 day after birth. Yes, that’s a full head of hair!
Our baby girl is born
Posted on December 8, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
We’re delighted to announce the birth of our beautiful baby girl, Natalie Claire Hebdon. She made her entrance into a stormy, rainy world on Monday December 7, at 8:40 am – that’s nearly 3 weeks earlier than her December 25 ETA. Albeit a tad early, she still weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs, 10 ounces.
Labor started on Sunday night at 11 pm, literally seconds after Denise had finished packing her bag for the hospital stay. It turned out to be a swift and smooth 8 hour event, but I’m glad it occurred over a weekend so I didn’t have to race down the 405 from work, when the time came.
Purifying the air for baby’s arrival
Posted on November 30, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
With baby looking to show her face on Dec 25th, it pretty much places her birthday within the flu season. Our house is also inhabited by Max and Coco (our cat and dog), so we figured we’d better get the home’s air quality in order, prior to her arrival.
After extensive research it became apparent that consumers could splurge up to a thousand dollars on Air Purifiers. And with different (and controversial) technologies out there, it can be a very confusing shopping experience. For the best bang for your buck, this is what we picked:
Honeywell 17000 Permanent Pure HEPA QuietCare Air Purifier
This portable air cleaner is recommended for filtering the air in a closed room as large as 168 square feet (12 by 14 feet). As it continuously circulates a room’s air–about six times per hour–it employs two filters to remove smoke, pollen, dust, animal dander, dust mites, molds, bacteria, viruses, and odors. Especially useful for asthmatics and allergy sufferers, the cleaner contains a true HEPA filter that is at least 99.97 percent effective at trapping extremely tiny particles (as small as 0.3 microns) while a prefilter reduces odors.
Take one contraction at a time
Posted on November 22, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
At 35 weeks pregnant, we’re now approaching the final straight. As part of the final preparations we attended a 9-5 compressed course at Long Beach Memorial, that shed light on labor, breathing, birthing, drugs, etc. While there was an enormous amount of information and graphic video footage, the thing that stuck with us most was the instructor’s simple statement: “Take one contraction at a time”.
Well that and one of the couples joking about the birthing video we had just watched. Let’s just say the star of the video was not the most attractive of women. So when they inquired as to whether any of videos included couples more like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it underlined the subject’s unattractiveness and the fact we are in Los Angeles. We had to admit, they were only saying what we were thinking.
We’ll probably forget some of the breathing techniques, but what we will remember is that it’s all about creating a distraction from the pain. And most importantly we’re confident that we have the tools to manage pain: humor, breathing, visualization, focus points and drugs IF needed… one contraction at a time.
A Baby Shower, Moroccan style
Posted on November 15, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Thanks to Jericoh, Marianne and Dawn for throwing the most amazing baby shower. It was hosted in Jericho’s Moroccan beautiful home, on the Naples canals.
27 Weeks Pregnant: A Photo Gallery
Posted on October 11, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Here are some photos of Denise at 27 weeks pregnant.
Vaccine more deadly than Swine flu
Posted on September 30, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Our suspicions confirmed. Doctor admits vaccine is more deadly than swine flu itself & will not give it to his kids.
The Swine Flu is an orchestrated attempt to spread fear and chaos into the population and to try to get people vaccinated, which everyone should know contains mercury that damages your nervous system. Pregnant mothers are told not to have sushi for the same reason.
Baby Dancing to Beyonce
Posted on September 27, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
At first glance I thought this was fake. Are all babies born with the ability to dance?
Winners Announced for Sandra Magsamen’s Baby Book Giveaway!
Posted on September 22, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Congratulations to:
- Chris Skeene and his son Ezekile
- Marlene Pyle and her nephew Gavin
Ezekiel
Gavin
Denise’s Baby Bump at 25 weeks
Posted on September 14, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Here’s Denise at 25 weeks. As you can see her baby bump has grown, and so has the frequency and force of baby’s kicks!
Baby is about about a pound and a half in weight now and is about 13 1/2 inches long. Her hands are now fully developed and she spends most of her awake time groping around in the darkness and throwing the odd punch. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that she can feel the sensation of touch.
Baby’s nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are cleared out and she is practicing breathing through her nose.
The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in her body, giving her formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also developed this week — another step closer to getting ready for her first breath of fresh air!Baby Book Giveaway! Win a set of Sandra Magsamen’s Snuggle-Me Stories
Posted on September 7, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
UPDATE: Giveaway has closed. Winners will be announced and contacted shortly. We’ll be giving away a set of Little Bear Hugs and My Little Monkey books to two lucky winners! All you have to do is submit your baby’s photo and you could win a set of these lovely books. Let the two cutest babies win!
Send one cute photo and your contact information to: admin@babypatter.com before 9/21/2009. Winners will be announced shortly after, with their names and baby photos posted on BabyPatter. Good Luck!
About the Books
My Little Monkey and Little Bear Hugs (the newest addition to Sandra Magsamen’s award-winning Snuggle-Me Stories series) are beautifully simple and touching. And as you can see from the photo, a little plush bear and monkey accompany the books. These little guys are definitely snuggle-ready! The books are written as sweet rhyming stories that convey heartfelt sentiments of love. Playful rhymes like “my little monkey, I love you – for all that you are and all that you do..” and “I made a wish and it came true.. you’re my little bear to hug and kiss, too…” are sure to make both babies and parents smile. The books are sturdy and durable with vivid illustrations, and will definitely become a favorite for cozy laptime reading.
About the Author
Sandra Magsamen is an artist, mom, author of Living Artfully and creator of the Messages From The Heart brand. She designs gifts and ideas that encourage us to live with heart. Sandra Magsamen lives artfully with her family in the Maryland town in which she grew up. Please visit her website: www.sandramagsamen.com.
I finally feel baby move at 22 weeks!
Posted on August 24, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
It’s official. With my hand on Denise’s round tummy, I felt the baby move at 22 weeks. A pretty amazing experience which is hard to describe. After reading through a few blogs, it seems many dads-to-be are actually pretty freaked out by the experience and find it too unusual or weird. I’ve also read that some dads ”communicate” with their baby via tapping on mom’s stomach, and being replied to by a swift punch. Not sure how mother’s feel about this game.
By the way, I wonder how “Octomom” felt with 8 babies all doing their Kung-Fu routines inside her?
What are your top 5 baby necessities?
Posted on August 22, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
We registered at Babies R Us today, an overwhelming task that is by no means complete.
The realization of having a baby really starts to sink in when you stare at 15 strollers blankly, with no clue which to pick. I mean, do you really need a stroller? We’ve managed for thousands of years without them. That’s pretty much my thought process when I look at every item on the shelf.
Any advice out there on what you would consider to be your top 5 baby necessities? And if it’s more than 5, then so be it.
Baby now at 22 weeks!
Posted on August 22, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
Baby’s now nearly a pound and 11 inches from head to heel. She’s definitely stronger with more frequent and stronger punches, kicks and headbutts. In fact, her hands have grown bigger and stronger and she can now feel and touch with newly developed nerve endings in her fingers. Apparently she’ll try them out by touching her face and yank the umbilical cord — probably for more food, I’m sure. And by the way, she can also taste the amniotic fluid. Yes, she’s test-driving her new taste buds. She’s also sporting a short hair-do. White, I’m told. But this obviously changes over time once pigment appears.
Baby now at 20 weeks
Posted on August 7, 2009 - by Bradley Hebdon
At 20 weeks today, we’re half way there. Although we’re told that the real growth starts now with the baby packing on the pounds.
The baby now weighs about 10 1/2 ounces and she’s around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana and the weight of a cantaloupe.
She can hear sounds now, and covers her ears with her hands if a loud sound is made. She’s also moving a lot — twisting, turning, punching, and kicking. This feels like butterflies or stomach rumblings. She’s been pretty active in that department, which we’re told is a good sign. Apparently it means she’s getting lots of oxygen.
She is starting to grow hair on her head and a waxy skin covering is forming to protect her skin from the amnotic fluid. Her eyebrows are forming, and nail growth has started. Amazingly, her uterus is fully formed and her vaginal canal is starting its development. She also has primitive eggs in her tiny little ovaries, seven million of them — though by the time she’s born, that number will be down to two million. And interestingly, she’ll be born with all the eggs she’ll ever have.
