'Tis the season

Well, our sweet baby is 3 weeks old now and my attempt to blog one time every week hasn't happened exactly, but I'm going to try to find a good time, the same time each week to make sure I am blogging recent events and updating with pictures!

Updates:
- Will DID roll over on his own, just a few days after my last post!  Sunday Dec. 10th to be exact....and he has rolled over 3 times since then!!  It has always been when we put him on his tummy, on his giraffe mat, and then he must not like it, so he figures he might as well take care of it himself and roll himself over!  Such an overachiever!

- Will is still sleeping very good (compared with how I know it could be!) although, some nights are better than others...but overall, we are very lucky with the amount of sleep we have been able to get and if he does fuss, many times he will just put himself back to sleep.

- He is still eating really well!!  Seriously he is a hungry guy---and I think just had a growth spurt (which we can tell he is definitely getting bigger/longer!)  In fact, we gave him his first bottle last week, and the pediatrician said about 2 oz is normal for his age, and he CHUGGED that 2 oz and then still ate a full meal from mom right after that!  So, the next bottle we gave him was 3.5 oz, and he ate all that and probably could have kept going!  So interesting, since I have no clue exactly how much he is eating when I nurse him---but I'm thinking it's enough :)

- Grunter - we really find it funny how much Will grunts and the noises he makes! I think I need to record them so I don't forget it someday. 

- ...and the Grammy goes to.....Sarah/Patrick's made-up songs!!  Seriously, from lack of remembering lyrics or knowing what to sing, Patrick and I will make up words to songs and they are usually pretty funny.  We will play off each other and create some pretty 'original' songs for Will to enoy :) 

- Plugged milk duct/bleb = NOT FUN!  So early last week and late Saturday night, I developed what is called a bleb, or a plugged milk duct....basically looks like a whitehead zit that you want to pop, but it's milk that gets clogged and let me tell you it is SO. VERY. PAINFUL...especially when Will would latch on....holy cow!  I was seriously in tears pretty much both times---I called the Le Leche people (luckily someone that Patrick works with gave him her card to pass on to me, otherwise I feel like I would have felt very lost and not known who to turn to with breastfeeding help---any new mom's out there, make sure you know who to call, because you never know when you will need the support!)  I did lots of googling and searching ways to make it better, but talking to the Le Leche support, Summer, definitely was what I needed.  Basically it got or it gets better the more he nurses from it, but it's nothing I would ever wish on anyone!  (So, if you never had any issues with breastfeeding, consider yourself lucky!)

- Date night! This last Saturday night, Patrick and I went on our first date night in awhile---every year we go out to a nice dinner for our Christmas gift to each other, and we were hoping we would still be able to this year.  So Aunt Amy and Uncle Cody watched Will, while we went to new restaurant on the Plaza, Gram and Dunn.  It was VERY good, I highly recommend it and am looking forward to going again sometime!  It was exactly what Patrick and I needed and we are so lucky we were able to go and do that together.  Of course, we couldn't wait to get back and love on our little guy, but was nice to know he was in good hands while we were out! (Now, we just have to figure out a babysitter for both boys, so that the four of us can go to dinner together again sometime!)

- Newborn pictures are in!  We ordered the pictures last Friday and hoping to get the rights soon so that I can order our birth announcement/Christmas cards!  They are so stinkin cute!  I will post the ones we have the rights to on here ASAP.

- Last week our friend John came over to visit Will, a couple neighbors stopped by, the Kirby family came down and brought us dinner... and looking forward to several more friends/family coming over this week to meet Will.  It's such a nice reason to catch up and get to see our friends!

- We also went out and bought things for the bookshelves this weekend and it looks so great!! I think it makes the room/our house look more homey and I am SO proud of Patrick for making them on his own and doing such great work!!  Lastly, if we didn't feel 'adult' enough already, we got a CostCo membership this past weekend and were super excited!!  Now for sticking to that budget... :)

More pictures from the past week:

A few of my favorite things...

I knew that I would love being a mom, but I had no clue how much!  It really is true when people say you have no idea the love you can feel until you have your baby.  It's just the best feeling in the world to look down at him and know that someday he will call me Mama....to know that we made him and created this life together... I can never give him enough kisses!!  Those cheeks are so kissable!  He is absolutely beautiful, and I can't help but call him pretty, because he really is!(Sorry buddy, some day I will stop calling you pretty, but you REALLY are!!)

All my life, when people ask what I want to be or what I want, I have always known that I want to be married and have kids, it's that simple, but that's really all I want!  Now that I have this beautiful family, words can't explain how blessed I feel to be Patrick's wife and Will's mom.

More of my favorite things about being a mom:

• The way he smells--especially after a bath
• When he stares up at me, with his eyes very awake and alert, and know that he is looking at me and hopefully recognizing that I'm his mama!
• How everyone wants to see him when we go out somewhere! Knowing our sweet baby can make others smile as much as us too
• Seeing those angel smiles as he is falling asleep/waking up mostly---he is going to have a gorgeous smile too!
• I love, love, love nursing him!  I had no clue what an amzing feeling it would be, and the connection we have.  Such a wonderful physical and emotional connection, and I love the way he will look up at me when he's eating sometimes with his big eyes just staring up at me--melts my heart!
• Just like dad....the other day when I was feeding Will, he had one hand on his chest and the other resting behind his head.... I was laughing telling Patrick about it and when I looked up, Patrick was laying the EXACT same way on our bed!! Same arms up and everything!!  They both can fall asleep in one second and be completely out, and Will also has Patrick's unattched earlobes :)

Will's favorite things:

• Sleeping!! He is a great sleeper-- mom and dad really appreciate that!!
• Usually in the late morning he is very alert and awake--I love seeing those beautiful eyes!! Now he will start doing tummy time during all the awake times also!
• Grunting!! He seriously is usually making some kind of grunt/noise-- we must be used to it, but the pediatrician mentioned yesterday how vocal he is and I guess he really is!  A few times we can tell that he is really grunting and red-faced, most likely from gas.  But hasn't been too bad!
• Pooping!  He is a great pooper :), and the sweet poopy smell from my milk is getting stronger---in fact, dad gagged a little the other day when changing him!
• Putting his hands up to his face---it's so sweet and can tell it was his comfort in the womb, and now out in the world....the only bad part is he scratched himself, because he grips so hard!
• He has great muscle tone, has great neck muscles and strong legs, and he squirms so much when we change him, he is usually rolling from side to side--- I dont' think it'll be long before this guy is rolling over!  Definitely have to keep an eye on him at all times!
• He loves to be swaddled---that can almost always calm him down.  He loves his bouncy seat and swing also.

Lastly, this week my Mom has been in town all week---so nice to have her cleaning (she is a deep cleaning fanatic!!), spending time with Will, helping with meals, and ALL that she does!

This week we also took Will's newborn pictures at Moment's and Memories--I can't WAIT to see them!! I know they are going to be so, so good---I saw some of the pictures on her camera that she showed, and I seriously almost cried, I am so very glad we did it!

Will had his 2 week appointment yesterday--and the good news is, he now weighs 7 pounds!! YAY!! So, because he is above his birth weight, we no longer have to wake him up at night to eat, he could sleep all the way through if he wants to (after one night, Will slept four hour stretches at a time---seriously, have I mentioned how lucky we are yet??)  and then during the day he will still eat every 3 hours (but helps from the 2.5 I was doing before!)  Everything else looks really good---she is very impressed with how well he is doing---she told us to make sure when he's awake to do tummy time, to let him explore and play on the floor, that's the best way for him to learn and grow. 

Here are a few more pictures from the last several days:

William Joseph has arrived!!

We are so thrilled to say that Will was born on Saturday, November 26th at 8:58pm, weighing in at 6 lbs 9 oz, and was 19 1/2 inches long.  He has a very full head of dark hair and has completely swept his Mom and Dad off their feet and they are head over heels in love with this guy.  So, I'll explain how the whole thing went down:

After my last post, our false alarm, Friday afternoon/evening, Patrick and I ran a bunch of errands, got some Christmas decorations and had a nice, quiet evening.  At about 1:00am, early Saturday morning, I woke up to my shorts being soaked....this time was more than dribbles...I woke Patrick up and he shot up out of bed, and said, Oh--that's definitely it!  Your water just broke!!  So, I did call into the OB and she said to go to the hospital....so, this time we are jumping around, getting all of our stuff together and thinking, "We are having a baby!!"  So, again, we get all registered, get in a gown, they do the same tests, and it was negative AGAIN!  What??  So, again, we go home feeling kind of silly, it was about 3:00am and we took some Tylenol PM to help us get some sleep.  Well, that worked for Patrick, but not for me!  I was having some minor contractions, that actually were enough to keep me awake, and at 4:30am, decided that I should start tracking how long they were and how far apart.  Turns out they were about every 5 minutes and lasting about 30-40 seconds..coming.pretty regularly.  I took a bath for awhile, and that felt nice and also slowed down contractions (at that point, I was thinking, no way---please don't tell me I've been having these contractions and not sleeping, all if this is another joke!)  The pain was mostly felt in my back, and I knew from reading some things that that's what real contractions feel like.

So, Patrick and I went about our morning---with me taking a little time-out every 5 to 7 minutes to breathe out a contraction on my hands and knees, with forehead pressing into the couch.  After that, went back to getting our house decorated for Christmas and doing other chores!  I had called the OB that morning, and she said that likely they were contractions that were real, but that it will take quite a bit of time, I was only dilated at 1 cm when I was checked at 1:00am, so she said to just wait until the pain is too much, or the contractions got more intense.  That's what I did throughout the morning, and then about 12:00 they were feeling more intense, but we said we would wait an hour, make sure the contractions were regular and kept growing---at 1:00pm we called in and they told us to go to the hospital!!!  HOORAY---this time I was SURE it was really happening (who feels contractions all morning for them to be false?!  Apparently, that really can happen though, and the nurses made me doubt it a little when we checked in)  But, thank goodness, they checked me and I was at 3 cm---and they said this was the real deal!!  Patrick and I just stared at each other and couldn't believe it was really happening--we were going to have a baby!! I was bound and determined I was going to have a baby by that night too!

We ended up having a great nurse, Sally, who was the nurse that took care of us on my first false alarm.  She was happy that she could be here this time for the real one :) I got my epidural shortly after we got there, and it was the best!! I could rest and relax....we watched some football, a movie, and even both took a short nap!  It was nice to see on the monitor, whenever I had contractions, all I could feel was a mild squeezing at the top of my uterus, nothing painful though, and my backpain was gone---amen!    My water ended up breaking on it's own, and each hour they checked me I had progressed about another centimeter---this helped pass the time.  I was starving at that point, but couldn't eat, just in case of an emergency C-section, they don't allow you to eat.

Anyway, at about 8:20pm, they told I was ready to push!  AHHH-- I was kind of nervous and not sure how to do it---but found it to be harder than I thought---pushing out for 10 seconds, 3 sets of that is pretty exhausting---I couldn't believe they said it takes some people 1-2 hours usually.  But, I was bound and determined.  Our nurse at this time, Tawny (who also was the nurse on when we got sent home the second time) and Patrick were both saying how great I was doing, and I figured they just say that to everyone, but really Tawny said I was really making some progress.  Oh, and when we were getting ready to start pushing, I have to say, we turned on some Pandora on the quick mix station, and the first song on was "My Goodies" by Ciara!! HA!  Love it---totally my type of music to pump me up and was a perfect start! :)  Actually, Dave Matthews, "You and Me" which was in our wedding slideshow, also came on randomly, and when Will was born, "Show Me Your Glory" by Third Day (now, that's a perfect song at the perfect time!) We were having a good time, had the Stanford vs. Notre Dame football game on, and honestly was a very relaxed environment (Patrick and I have since said that we were both surprised how chill it can be, or I'm sure how stressful/tense it can be, depending on the situation and the people)  Tawny called the doctor in, and although it wasn't my OB, it was the only other one we had met in her practice and we both really liked her!  I told Dr. Schwartman I was going to show her what a good pusher I am, and once I did that, she was like, whoa, this baby is about out!! She barely had time to put her scrubs on, and with one more push, Will was born!!

Of course, it's not like in the movies when the first time a mom holds her baby, they are all clean and dry, he definitely was covered in fluid and when they put him in my arms, he pooped on me!!  Haha--I was like, hey buddy, I did all that and you pooped on me?! :)  They quickily got us both cleaned up, Patrick was able to cut the cord and hold him shortly after me....and I don't think I will ever forget the look on his face as he was holding Will for the first time---a look of pure love, awe, wonder, excitement, etc....something I will always keep with me (along with the look of when I first told him I was pregnant)...and then I nursed him right away too.  It's amazing to me how he just knew what to do, but he latched right on, and was the most amazing feeling ever.  Words can't describe.  At 8:58pm, our world changed for the better and our lives will never, ever be the same. 

Both of our parents were able to come down to meet him, and after they left, we got set up in our Mother/Baby room and it was almost midnight.  We had Will in his bassinet, sleeping in between us, and I must say that I didn't sleep much that night, with the adreneline (how do you have a baby and then just go to sleep?!) and anytime he would fuss, either P or I would reach over to comfort him. That, plus needing to feed him, nurses coming to check vitals, etc.  That was the 2nd night with little to no sleep...but still was so excited it didn't matter a whole lot. 

Day 1: We had some visitors on Sunday--- and that night had him sleep in the nursery, and what a great idea that was...some people may discourage it, but I knew that I needed a good night's sleep, and that's exactly what I got---I felt so refreshed that next day, and it was the day we got to go home! 

Day 2: They took Will out around 10:00 to get his circumcision, and we were ready to leave before noon!  We got him dressed up all cute and the ride home was so fun--we loved getting him all settled, and the 3 of us just being home. Marilee and Elaina came by to drop us off some dinner, and Aunt Amy and cousin Daniel also came by with some food.  We are so thankful for all the help and food from all. Such a nice thing to do!  Since then, we really have been getting good sleep (Will sleeps so much, that we have to wake him up at night to feed, and we are still able to do things around the house, although mostly one of us just holds him and stares at him and how beautiful and perfect he is!)  I know it's bad to call a boy pretty, but seriously, he is just the prettiest baby and it's such a miracle to know we made him and he's our son.  We are so tremendously blessed, it brings tears to my eyes as I type this (maybe slightly hormonally induced, but quite worthy) and this little guy has his Mama so wrapped around his fingers.  My favorite thing is while nursing....when he looks up at me with his beautiful eyes, it's a connection I can't even begin to describe.  Daddy has been such a huge help, doing pretty much all of diaper duty and burping, and has been home most of the week to help, just going into work a few mornings. 

Day 3: Went to hospital outpatient to test for jaundice, which was slightly high in hospital.  Turns out his counts were good, so we didn't need to worry about that as much, and that was a relief.  Was good practice for us to get all of us stuff ready to go somewhere and good to get out of the house.  I was feeling pretty good on Tuesday, just still somewhat sore, but not too bad.  Brad brought us over some pizza, which was nice, and the weather was so nice, we decided to go for a walk to pick up a few groceries and for a bottle of wine (yes, I was that girl pushing their baby around in the wine store!)  Our neighbor did a double-take when he saw us, of course, not expecting us to have our baby 17 days early!!  We had a nice night, gave Will his first bath, and had a pretty good night's sleep too.

Day 4: Wednesday, Patrick went into work for the morning, so Will and I hung out and made a trip to Target adn then P and I had some lunch together when he got home, before our pediatrician appointment at 3:15.  We were pretty annoyed at the really long wait we had there, but tried to be understanding--Cody was brining over the dresser/hutch that had come in for the nursery and we hated being late for him.  The good thing was, everything looks really good for Will, although he has lost about an ounce or two of weight---I started feeling really bad, like I was not being diligent enough about feeding or keeping him awake, although we has been eating about every 2 1/2 hours, which they reassured me is really great and should be enough, unless he is acting hungry (which he never does, we are still waking him to eat!)  Anyway, he had been spitting up a lot since my milk came in on Monday, and she gave us some tips on how to help that, and it really has seemed to be better.  She commented on how laid-back of a baby he is, and was nice to hear that from a doctor (we have been saying how lucky we are, but it's another thing to hear it from your doctor!)   Erin and Mike brought us over dinner and got to meet him.

Day 5: So, this is Will's 5th day of life, and I will continue to update as he grows up, big and strong and with all the fun stories! :)

... Just kidding!!

Today is the day after Thanksgiving, I am 37 1/2 weeks pregnant....and we thought we were maybe going to have a baby today!  However, it was a false alarm.  Here is the story:

Started off making me wonder when I went to the bathroom at my in-laws at the end of a nice Thanksgiving Day, and when I wiped, was pretty sure I saw my mucus plug.  There wasn't any blood, I wasn't contracting, so I didn't think too much of it, but made a mental note to call my OB in the morning.  So, when I woke up this morning, I felt like I had wet my pants a little....more of a dribble than gush of urine or anything.....so, after changing my pants (twice) thought I should call the clinic for sure and call Patrick.  Of course, office is closed for holiday's, but finally got the on call doctor to give us a call back and she told us to go into the hospital to check and see if it is my amniotic fluid.  OH MY GOSH!  We were thinking, is this really it?? It started feeling real when we packed up all of our bags and things we may need if we were going to be in the hospital for several days.  Also, I'm thinking I was going to do some Christmas decorating today, I needed to finish laundry, take a shower, etc :)  Funny how i need to remember that my plans really are tentative at this point! 

So, we drove to the hospital, again, I really was thinking most of the time that they would send us home....but they took us back to a room, put a fetal monitor on, got me in a gown, the whole works!  I was like, whoa now this is getting real!  Anyway, they did a few tests, and after the first one the nurse really thought it was amniotic fluid (they like babies to be delivered within about 12 hour window of water breaking, even though my water was more 'leaking')  So, they would just start inducing me if my contractions weren't starting....but, after a few more tests, looks like it was my mucus plug melting that was making me feel the leaking, no amniotic fluid just yet.  However, they did say I was having pretty regular contractions, about every 5 minutes for about a minute long.  So, that's pretty good, I just wasn't feeling them. So, they sent us home saying that they think he will come soon (of course, I'm thinking like soon today or next week??)  and to just wait and see if my contractions get stronger. 

Anyway, it was a bit of a false alarm, but I guess we will be even more ready when we actually do have to go in....which will be soon no matter what---even if it's 3 weeks from now!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  We definitely have been counting our blessings and can't wait to hold this little guy in our arms soon!!

Photo Updates

I have been bad about posting pictures lately, so here are a few:

A few from my Nebraska shower (love the Halloween theme, as shower was on 10/30/11:

Only my Aunt Jane could put together a pregnant pumpkin giving birth :) Hilarious...and a little disturbing!

My wonderful shower hostess': Aunt Jane, Aunt Denni, and BFF Lindsay

My Kansas City shower was the following weekend on 11/5/11:  Amy and Lauren--thanks for ALL that you both did---it was such a great shower!!

Lastly, my co-worker wanted to take a picture of me at work, at 34 weeks:  (yes, thank you Cerner for jeans days everyday!! Makes it much easier to be comfy while pregnant!)

"You must be like 9 months pregnant or something..."

..Funny story, a teenage boy working at Coldstone asked me that as we were getting ice cream this weekend, as he stared at me with wide eyes, probably thinking I was HUGE and may pop at any minute!!  Haha--it was pretty funny. 

So, yes, I am, like, nine months pregnant or something....exactly 28 days left!! We have been busy getting ready for Baby A---this past weekend I got a ton done and feel much more prepared.....returned some things, took everything out of piles and put it away or organized, washed all his clothes and hung up, got nursery set-up/arranged, etc.  It was a full weekend, but made me feel more ready. We have been slowly adding a few things here and there to the bag we will take to the hospital too.  Patrick has been working hard on building some built-in bookshelves, and his goal was to have them done by Baby.....and he's getting close....they look great! (pictures to come soon!)

Otherwise, last Tuesday we were able to go to the KU exhibition game against Fort Hays State---it was really fun and we enjoyed watching the Jayhawks (I told Patrick it's a really good idea to take me to one of the first games of the season, so that way I feel like I get to know the guys and am more interested in watching the games throughout the season :))  Unfortunately, it was raining really hard when we were leaving the game, and walking in the rain, in the dark, being 9 months pregnant, and mostly uphill wasn't exactly ideal :)  I must say I was trying to stay positive, but I just hate being stuck in wet clothes (jeans especially) and wet socks.  Ugh.  I felt like it was fun to take our little guy to his first Jayhawk game too :)

I have been very blessed to have had 3 wonderful showers: a NE shower,, a Kansas City shower, and then a surprise work shower!  It really means so much to us all the love our little guy is getting already, and he has been spoiled! :) 

Starting my weekly appointments now with Dr. Wittek, going in tomorrow, so may have more to update then!

He has dropped!

Today we had our 34 week check-up with Dr. Wittek-- and everything looks great still!  Baby's heartbeat was 140 and I'm measuring right on track.  I have one more 2-week appointment, then I will start going every week!  That seems pretty crazy... she did say that although it's not a medical term, the baby has 'dropped'!  Which she was really happy to hear b/c it means he is getting in place and my body is adapting, which usually helps for a successful vaginal delivery. So, that was fun news!

The other interesting thing, as I met with the maternity care coordinator to fill out all the paperwork, when I was signing consent forms for Baby A, and it asked for relationship---it seemed so 'real' to me when I wrote down Mother.  I was like, whoa this is really happening--- I am really a mother!  It was pretty cool!  Also, making it seem more official was that last night we ordered some Christmas stockings for our family of 3 with all of our names on it---so, since we aren't announcing his name, we can't hang up his sweet little stocking until he's born :)  BUT--was the first thing I've bought with his name on it--so made that seem pretty official too!  So exciting!! 

Hope all is well with everyone and hope you had a very Happy Halloween a few days ago!

For My Son...

Here is a great quote I ran across on Pinterest (if you haven't become a member of this site, I highly recommend...CAUTION- it is highly addictive, but oh so much fun!!)

My Son
I wish you the strength to face challenges with confidence...
along with the wisdom to choose your battles carefully...
I wish you adventure on your journey and may you always stop to help someone along the way...
Listen to your heart and take risks carefully...
Remember how much you are loved...
I am so proud of you!!

It feels like a bowling ball...

Wow--lots to update since my last post a few weeks ago.  Crazy how fast time can fly by (and yes, I know it'll go even that much faster once Baby is here :))  Anyway, I am 33 weeks today, only 7 more weeks until D-day (as in Due date) and while some have asked if I am ready, my response is usually, give me a few more weeks! We are so excited to meet him, to love all over him, but I would love a few more weeks to get things together...I'm thinking anytime after Thanksgiving would be great (like I have ANY say in this matter--haha!)  Anyway, here's what's been going on lately:

• Monday, the 17th, I had an appointment with Dr. Wittek (as I was fighing off a nasty cold that I couldn't shake.  Hopefully that's the only one of the season, it's so much harder to fight off a cold while pregnant!)  and we got to do another sonogram!!  Mostly it was to reassure us that there were no longer spots on his brain, and there was not!!  So, that was a huge relief and it was so fun to see him again.  They did tell us that he has' quite a bit of hair' :)  It's so fun picturing him coming out with hair, and trying to think of how else he may look!  But, he is still measuring within a day of his due date, Dec. 13th, and as I asked how the  head was measuring, they said at 40%.  So, good to hear!  We also loved that during the sonogram, he turned us face directly to us and was staring us right in the face!!  Looks like he may have some chubby cheeks, that I just can't wait to kiss and squeeze!

• Another thing pregnancy has brought on in me is baking!! I'm not sure if I have mentioned it, but I seriously love baking and I can't get enough!  I'm sure it's because I'm enjoying eating it all too, but it's so therapeutic and I love baking in any free time I have.  I also am not very humble about my treats, and like to mention how delicious it all is, which Patrick finds pretty funny. 

• It's also getting harder to get in/out of bed.... it's usually accompanied by some grunting, rolling around, and takes a bit to get comfortable....thank goodness for body pillows though--highly recommended for anyone that's pregnant!

• Never understood why pregnant women waddled... I always thought they were just kind of exaggerating or making it seem worse than it really is.... ok, now I completely understand and am pretty sure have joined the waddle-world. :)

• Other noticable side effects as I continue to grow, and get closer to delivery:
•  my gums bleed big time when I brush them or floss, it's crazy to see all the blood come out when I spit
• I can no longer kneel in church on the kneelers, b/c my belly bumps into pew, so I have to lean back on my knees,
• my feet have been spreading out and feels better when I wear shoes a 1/2 size bigger, but I feel like I am stretching out some of my shoes (in fact, I held myself back from wearing a pair of Amy's that I was borrowing, b/c I didn't want to stretch them out for her and ruin them!)
• Really sharp pains in my sides, along my rib cage.  Dr. Wittek says that's from my uterus ligaments continuing to stretch out.  It literally takes my breath away sometimes, and I have to hold my side, but luckily it comes and goes...I definitely prefer when it goes!
• Lastly, Dr. Wittek had mentioned the last few appointments that pretty soon it may start to feel like I have a bowling ball sitting on top of my va jay-jay.  I didn't really understand what she meant, until about 2 days ago!  Oh my goodness, that's exactly what it feels like!!  I guess since his is head-down, he is working down there further and getting into place, but it seriously is hard and it hurts to cross my legs, to lift up my leg to put on my pants, etc.  Anyway, I guess this was surprising to me, as I hadn't heard of many other people that felt like this (I guess I was thinking I would maybe feel like that 1-2 weeks before, but not 7!)

• Newborn Care Class- we went to this last Thursday and it was really helpful and we learned lots of good Baby Basics, and really good tips from the instructor.  Basically they talked about, products/items you'll need before baby (and those you can live without), installing the car seat, giving baby a bath (always holding them by the theigh if you worried about them being slippery, or ever dropping them), changing diapers, especially with umbillical cord and circumcism, when changing clothes, go over the crown of baby's head, vs. the biggest part, and I thought was really interesting, was that right after delivery the skin to skin contact is so important to regulate baby's temperature.  And Mom can heat/cool baby by making their own temperature go up or down by 4 degrees!  Isn't that crazy??  So cool--even outside of the womb what your body does to adapt to baby's needs!

In other news, this past weekend we celebrated the wedding of a good friend from Beatrice, Justin Villafane and his wife Kelly, and had their reception in Lincoln.  We also celebrated Emma's baptism in Kansas City with all the family, and I am so very honored to be Emma's godmother.   And sadly, this past weekend, we also lost my Uncle Randy to cancer that he had been fighting for the past 500 days.  He truly was one of the kindest, most humble guys that I have known and Patrick and I have said that if our little guy could be the kind of man Randy was, that we would be so lucky.  Please keep my Aunt Denni and my cousin's in your prayers.

I have included a few pictures from the past weekend (32 weeks)

Updates from Week 31

Well, this past weekend we completed our first childbirth class.  It was very interesting and we learned quite a bit!  It was very helpful to know more of what to expect, to learn what your body is going through, and even better we got to tour the hospital and get a feel of the room (s) we will be in!  So, very exciting and well worth the long day of class.  It was fun being a room with all other expectant moms and hearing their stories... (and the bathroom line was always pretty long during breaks!) That evening we had a nice date night--with dinner and a movie, enjoying all these quiet nights :) 

More updates -- I am still so lucky to be feeling so great.  I have noticed over the past couple weeks that I am swelling a bit more.  Actually, just a few weeks ago, my ring started feeling pretty tight on my finger (especially when I'm on my feet more often)  So, I bought a Target $20 ring that I have been wearing instead and will have to do until swelling goes down!  My feet also are getting pretty thick *yes, even 'thicker' than they usually are!  Ha!  So, long days of being on my feet is getting more difficult, and as I am going through our long Cerner Health Conference, I am doing my best to stay off my feet, but the feet swelling and backaches are hard to avoid.  Otherwise, I'm getting a few sharp pains up in my rib area---which I guess just means things are squishy up in there, and he is getting so much bigger and taking up more room! 

Only 9 more weeks left!!  (actually we learned at our class, that the average first-time mom, actually goes 41 weeks and 1 day....that would put us at Dec. 21st - the Wed. before Christmas---we'll see if they let me go that long if he doesn't decide to come out before!!)

This says it all..

Gramma J found this in a magazine and sent to me.... it's such a perfect way to express exactly what I'm feeling...all the thoughts and emotions as we anticipate our sweet baby's arrivial.  Mama can't wait to see you, to hold you, to snuggle with you, and to watch you grow from my baby to my big boy. 

I'm scared.  I'm excited.
I feel like I'm going to throw
up.  This is what I've dreamed about since
I was a little girl playing with dolls, but I'm not a little
girl anymore.  And this won't be a doll.  I'm going to be a mom. 
A real mom.  I am growing a baby inside me.  If this didn't happen every
day, I'd think it's a science fiction movie.  My friends have had babies, but you
just don't know how bizarrely cool it is until it happens to you. Will he look like me?
Will he look like his dad?  Both?  How can something so close be so far away?  I know him,
but I don't know anything about him.  I can hear his heartbeat.  His kicks practicially lift me off
the ground.  But is everything all right? I mean, is he developing all right?  Is everything okay?
I can't wait to see him.  I hope he looks like me. Or his dad. If he's healthy, I'm good either way.

30 weeks!!

Babymoon trip

So, this past weekend Patrick and I went on a long weekend trip to Savannah, GA and Tybee Island.  We had both heard good things about Savannah, and I'm so glad we went!  It was a perfect little getaway, and saw so many cool things! 

Thursday night- we left after work and after rain delays in Atlanta, we almost didn't leave KC that evening. Luckily, our connecting flight in Atlanta was JUST the right amount of time, but we still had to do the whole run-as-fast-as-you-can-until-out-of-breath through the airport and made it just in the nick of time (ok, disclaimer, Patrick had our 2 carry-on bags, backpack and he sprinted.... I jogged as good as I could, but slowed down when I no longer had air in my lungs---geeze... I USED to be in shape! haha!)  So, we made it in late Thursday night and were happy to get a good nights sleep!

Friday- we explored the city and started our walking early!  Took a 90 minute trolley tour and were baking in the heat/humidity.  (Ok, I was NOT a smart packer and only brought jeans/leggings, which it was way too hot for...didn't realize the humidity that would be greeting us there!)  So, our first stop after the tour was to the Gap where I found some larger shorts on clearance that I wore the rest of the trip! What a relief!  Then, we spent the rest of the day at Forsyth Park (loved it!), the Mercer Williams mansion (where Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was filmed and based on), and along River Street and the City Market.  We loved sitting in and trying to stop in all the 22 squares in the city, but made it to probably about half or more. One of the stops was where Forest Gump bus stop scene was filmed!  My favorite thing was all the live oak trees with the Spanish moss---so pretty!  Then, we cleaned up for a bit (I put my feet up for a bit!) and then had a late dinner at the Olde Pink House.  It was an old mansion turned restaurant, was fine dining and had GREAT seafood and southern cuisine--- some of the best friend green tomatoes I have had!  Great service too and very romantic place!  We loved it!

Saturday - we did more exploring, eating, and made our way to Tybee Island early evening on a $3 shuttle they offer.  We loved this laid-back, very chill island town (this actually is where Nicholas Sparks' book The Last Song was filmed...they said they have seen about double the size of visitors since then!)  In fact, we definitely want to return again for longer, renting a nice vacation rental on the beach...such a clean, quiet, and wonderful beach.  It was still very warm out, we walked for awhile and then swang on a nice swing on the beach for awhile.  We stayed at a bed and breakfast that we found there, and it was a good location, but the owner Nick was a huge tool.  Not what we were expecting from him, but the rooms were clean and comfortable, that's all that matters I guess.  That night we saw a restaurant we really wanted to try about 1.5 miles from our B&B.  Even though my feet were killing me, and realizing I'm way more out of shape than I thought, I was hoping this place would be worth it....and it was!! (Funny story, on our walk, we passed another couple, and the guy was wearing a Husker shirt!  Patrick noticed and pointed it out, and turns out they were from Lincoln!! They were on the island for a wedding...lots of weddings there...and were walking to dinner...so it was nice to chat with them for awhile...what a small world!)  This place was in a strip mall, and looked like it could have been a Chinese restaurant right when we walked in from the decor and size of the place, but it was SO good.  The menu was awesome and everything we had was amazing.  Great way to end the night!

Sunday- lastly, we had breakfast at a raved about place in the morning....was good, but Eggtc still has our hearts :)  and then made our way back to Savannah and then on to the airport.  Last funny story here-- when picking up some gum at the airport, the lady checking me out says--- let me guess, you are having a boy?!  I said, yes, how could you tell?  She said that she had had two girls and a boy, and she can just tell...she said, with a girl, you want to dress nice, look pretty and all, and with a boy you are just more lazy.....SOOO what your saying is I look like crap lady?! :)  Haha--granted I didnt' look nice and was craving a nice hot shower, but who doesn't look like a hot mess when travelling... I guess I do!! :)  Anyway, I got a kick out of that and then wondered why she didn't stop with just "you must be having a boy" :)  Oh well...

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Lastly, Congrats to our cousin Tony and his wife Emily, and their son John on the new addition to their family as well--- a little baby girl, Josie who was born today--this makes the 3rd Altenhofen family addition this year (all girls)...I guess we had to break the trend and have a boy to even things out :)

Introducing Emma!

Our sweet and perfectly beautiful niece was born yesterday at 1:50pm, at 7 pounds, 5 ounces.  Her name is Emma Elizabeth, and she sure has a full head of dark hair!  Congrats to Angie, Brett, and big brother Brady! (he's pretty tickled about his Sissy)

Otherwise, update for us, 84 days to go and just starting my 3rd trimester today!! In my BabyCenter updates today, they talk about Restless Leg Syndrome, which I definitely have from time to time!  It's such a strange feeling, it's like I just can't keep my legs still.  I actually had talked to my OB about it a few appointments ago, and she said it was a real medical condition...so I got a chuckle when I saw it in my updates.  It's funny how so many unusual things become usual during pregnancy :)  Oh, speaking of unusual, I didn't mention in my last post how I have a new love of red meat/potatoes....in fact, I actually ordered a STEAK at the restaurant this past Saturday night!!  For anyone that knows me, this is highly unusual and I can't tell you if I've ever done that....the night before I had pork tenderloin also!  I just keep thinking that A) I need the protein/nutrients/iron from the meat  B) it tastes good, so why not?? and C) if this little guy is anything like his Dad, he will be a steak and potatoes guy , so I'm doing it for his enjoyment also! :)  So, when people ask me if I have any strange food cravings, I really don't, it's more just me eating foods that seem weird to me!  I have also begun a new hobby and increasing my confidence in baking!  I seriously have become a little obsessed with wanting to bake something every weekend--and I must say all of my experiments have turned out pretty delicious!  I hope it's something I continue after Baby gets there too---something theraputic about it, and I like sharing the treats too!!  But, I'm enjoying the 'fun' stuff to eat also and having the excuse that it's 'for the baby'.

Happy Tuesday to all!

Almost a new niece....

Well, we are anxiously awaiting word from Brett and Angie on the birth of their baby girl!  At noon, Angie was at a 4 and just got her epidural.  We really can't wait to see this sweet girl, AND to know what her name is! (We are realizing how suspenseful it can be when you don't know the name!!)  Anyway, praying that all goes well and we'll get to meet her tonight!

Otherwise, we all had a great weekend. Friday night we got to celebrate with Patrick's Uncle Chip's swearing in party as the new Jackson County judge.  Congrats Chip!!  What an Honor :)  Saturday, Mom was in town and she came over to paint the nursery. We are SO happy with the color and how it turned out.  Mom and I both think it's a good sign that we chose the color...Contented.  Maybe it'll be a good omen for the room and we'll have a very content baby :)  We also got some stuff to help organize the nursery closet and maximize our space!  Had a nice dinner with Mom, and to top it off, wins for both the Huskers and Bearcats!  Great way to spend a rainy Saturday.  Sunday we had brunch at Amy and Cody's....got to play with Daniel.  He's at such a fun age--smiling a lot, 'talking' to us, and he's just such a happy, laid-back guy.  I can't get enough of him!!  Then, we went up to our friends Lauren and Reid's and spent the evening with them and their son, Jack.  Had a good dinner, played some good pitch, and just enjoyed catching up with them.  Funny story-- Lauren was feeling my stomach to feel Baby A kick...and Jack wanted to do the same!  It was sweet--- we kept telling him the baby was in my stomach, which he then proceeded to try to lift up my shirt to see the baby! Haha---sorry Jack, few more months.  We know Jack will be a great teacher and like a big brother to Baby A. 

Here is a picture of the nursery so far:

27 Weeks!

Feeling really great as I wrap up the 2nd trimester here....I've been feeling great, really don't have any complaints.  Just praying things continue to go smoothly and our little guy keeps growing bigger and bigger!

Nursery furniture

Here is a link to the furniture we ordered this weekend: (excluding the chest of drawers)

Sophia Sorelle Collection

6 months along today! (24 weeks)

Seems so crazy that I am already 6 months pregnant!  Ah---time is really flying!  This week, Baby A is compared to the size of an ear of corn or a banana and a little over 1 pound.  He's slowing getting more fat on his little body and is such an active little boy! :)  I love it!

My sister (and Daniel, who slept during the whole trip!) and I went to do some baby registering this past weekend.  It was really great to have her opinion on what you need and what you don't, what she has learned, etc.  Kind of what she has been doing for me the rest of our lives, so why change now?!  Anyway we had a lot of fun and looking forward to going to a few consignment sales together in the next few weeks too!  We have had a little hiccup with ordering our nursery furniture, but think that we will still be able to order it this weekend (cross our fingers)  I was told Sunday that the set was discontinued and was so dissapointed.  I called Buy Buy Baby yesterday, and now they told me it's NOT discontinued and they actually have the crib in stock that we can pick up this weekend.  So--I'm hoping that my next post, I can officially say it's ordered :)  It'll be nice to have that part decided on, ordered, and on it's way!

Otherwise, it's been interesting to hear all the labor/baby stories that Patrick is experiencing first hand at his new job these days---he's seen some pre-mature babies in the NICU and a C-section (he's thinking that leaving the actual labor part to experience for the first time with our baby--- I think that's a good idea and sweet of him!) 

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Love from all 3 of us!