Chic-Fil-A Opinions

Ok, I know I live in Kansas.  I know this is a Republican state.  I know that people who live here support the biblical definition of marriage between one man and one woman.  I support that definition of marriage too.  However, my marriage is not going to suffer in any way, nor is it going to have less value if gay people are allowed to be married.  What really gets my goat is people posting on facebook supporting Chic-Fil-A and claiming "they are just using their first amendment rights".  These are the same people who refuse to shop at JC Pennies after a gay couple is featured in their catalog.  You hypocrites!!!!  JC Pennies have first amendment rights too!  So no, you aren't supporting Chic-Fil-A because they are using their first amendment rights.  You are supporting them because you believe in the same definition of marriage that they do.  This has nothing to do with the first amendment.  You are simply using it to fight back at those people who are calling you biggots.  When, in fact, you are doing the exact same thing by refusing to shop at places who are supporters of gay rights.  You make me crazy!!  This goes out to a certain facebook family member who posts all sorts of right wing crap all over facebook.  When I defriend you on there, this is why.

Rant over.

Childbirth Class Numero Tres

Another great night of class last night!  We learned about the transition phase of labor.  It definitely sounds like the most intense part so far.  Next week we'll learn about the final stage and pushing.  We practiced relaxation techniques again, finding different comfortable positions and practicing slow-paced and modified-paced breathing.  I tried laying over one of the medicine balls this week.  I liked it because I could keep our little girl out of my ribs and I was able to breath better.  :P  I know she'll get lower and begin to drop closer to the time of her birth, but as for right now, she is more than happy to lay high in my abdomen, making breathing a challenge.  Another relaxation technique we tried last night was a full body massage!  It was AWESOME!  I'm not sure the husbands were as thrilled about this particular technique since they were the ones having to give the massages, but us wives sure enjoyed it!  :D  The only thing was that she wouldn't allow them to touch our ankles, because it can induce labor.  I was already aware of this.  Michael and I already have a plan that as soon as October 1st hits, he's going to give me daily ankle massages to try to get our baby girl ready to show up.  If nothing else, maybe she'll be ready to come on her due date instead of showing up late (like so many friends and family members seem to have problems with).  We will see.  The class was very informative again, this time about our rights and choices during and after delivery.  I was pleased to find out that a lot of the choices we've made about how we would like labor, delivery, and post-pardum to go are standard procedure now at Wesley and the Birthcare Center.  :)  Just a few less things to worry about.  So instead of me having to put my foot down and insist on at least an hour of skin to skin contact after the birth, this is the standard procedure, so they will just do it.  I won't have to fuss and fight with them.  :)  Seems like they really do as much as they can to accommodate the mother and baby in this process, and to make the healing process the best that it can be.  :)  So while labor and delivery is a somewhat scary sounding time, I'm actually more at ease and more calm and resolved to the idea since attending these classes and being more aware of what's coming.

She will be here in 66(ish) more days!!!  I simply cannot believe it!  Where did the time go???  It seems like just yesterday I was looking at the countdown ticket online and it said 250 more days.  I remember sighing and thinking, that's going to take FOREVER to get here!!!  And while some days it's seemed like the pregnancy has really drug on, for the most part, I would say it's gone very fast.  Especially since we've gotten to the third trimester.  We're been much busier lately and that seems to make the time go by faster.  The weekly childbirth classes and bi-weekly doctors appointments are making things go quickly.  We're getting down to the last couple of months!  She'll be here before we know it!  I can't wait!

Michael is not worried about the labor and delivery aspect of our little girl's arrival.  Probably because it will not be as intense of an experience for him as it will be for me.  I know he'll be my cheerleader through the entire thing, and I'm looking forward to having him there by my side to help me through it all.  When Michael thinks about our little girl arriving, he doesn't think so much about the labor and delivery as he does about seeing a very tiny person with his eyes and my nose and bringing her home and having to take care of her.  He's said on more than one occassion that he imagines himself just staring at her, wondering what to do.  I think he's going to be an amazing dad and that he's going to slip into his new roll perfectly and without complications, he's less confident in his abilities.  :)  It's just entirely new territory for him.  At our class last night our instruction mentioned that newborn babies love hair and necklaces and beards because of all that new sensory input that they have never experienced until they arrive outside of the womb.  I couldn't help but think, "October, hmmm, Michael will definitely have his beard then.  She's going to love that!"  :P  My only thought was that she might not love the scratchy kisses as much, but we will just wait and see.  :)

Today is our 30 week (and 4 days) doctor's appointment.  My doctor told me that he likes to get everyone in at 30 weeks, and then we see each other every 2 weeks after that (until the last month when we should be seeing each other every week).  I assume this will be a normal, run-of-the-mill appointment.  We'll check my weight (groan) and blood pressure.  Then we'll measure my belly and listen to little girl's heartbeat.  He'll ask if we have any questions or concerns (we never do, we're very low maintainance patients).  But this week we finally have questions!  Thank you childbirth class!!  We need to ask our doctor at what point in labor does he want us to call him?  Does he consider full term at 37 or 39 weeks?  And is it possible for me to get the whooping cough vaccine while I'm pregnant so that our little girl has a little immunity built up right off the bat?  In case you haven't heard, there is a whooping cough epidemic going around.  Not a huge deal for adults, but a very big deal for babies because they can't get vaccinated for it until they're a little older.  It can kill a small baby.  So I encourage any of you who are actually still reading this, if you're going to be around Sis', Chelsey's, or my little babies (especially this holiday season) please consider getting vaccinated for whooping cough.  If you choose not to, please know that the second I hear you coughing I'm taking my baby back and we're leaving from where you are.  I'm not putting my daughter at risk because you wouldn't bother to get a $25 vaccination.  ;)

Ok, this has gotten very long, and I've run out of things to say, so I guess I'll call it good.  I'll try to update again in the next couple of days about how the appointment went today.  :)  Have a great Tuesday!  Love ya!

-Michael, Jen, and Baby Voss

Not-so-deep thoughts ;)

Today we have our childbirth class!  Woot!  Can't wait!  This is our 3rd of 6 classes!  We have most of our homework done and are ready for another class.  :)  I hope we get to lay on the floor and practice slow breathing (aka: napping) again tonight!  :P

Tomorrow we have our 30 week Doctor's appointment!  :)  My doctor told me he likes to get everyone in at 30 weeks, so even though it's only been 3 weeks (instead of 4) since I've seen him last, we have another one anyway.  From here on out we will see him every 2 weeks or every week (the last month).  Can't believe we're getting so much closer to meeting our baby girl!  Only 2 more weeks until our last sono!

Saturday is the baby shower!!!  I'm very excited to see friends and family!  I'm excited to eat some tasty food and play games.  :)  I'm also excited to have the shower over with (I know that sounds terrible, hear me out...) so that I can see what else we need and start buying things on my own.  Waiting until this late in the pregnancy for the shower has just about killed me!  :P  If you didn't know, I'm not a patient person.  :P  I'm ready to finish her room and have everything ready for her arrival, but I can't start shopping for myself until others have had a chance to shop first.  :P

Next Monday, more class!  Hooray!  Gives me something to look forward to at the beginning of every week.  It will be a bummer once it's over and I just have to sit around on Mondays waiting for this little one to decide she's ready to arrive.

Next Thursday we leave for Iowa to go to Tugfest!!!  Wooohooo!  :D  I look forward to this vacation all year!  I love seeing Michael's family.  I love getting out of Kansas for a couple of days (even if it is to go to Iowa).  ;)  I love the carnival and the bands and the parade and the food and the fireworks!  :)  The whole trip is just great!  :)  Can't believe it's less than 2 weeks away!! 

These are my excitements for the day.  ;)  I'm sure there will be more tomorrow.  For now I have to get up out of bed and get ready for work.  Laying down, the heartburn is still killing me from last night. 

Have a wonderful Monday!  :D

I love my life. :)

Everything is going right.  I love that.  :)  Michael and I are healthy and happy.  We have a large, beautiful home that we plan to raise two beautiful babies in.  We have two sweet puppies who make us laugh and keep us smiling, they add a great deal to our lives.  We have jobs that are understanding of our family-centered lifestyle and who don't mind giving us time off of work for appointments, family functions, and the arrival of our little one.  We have a perfect baby on the way, weighing in at approximately 3 pounds and 15 inches long.  She still has 9.5 weeks to bake, but she's already getting big and healthy.  We are dearly loved by friends and family, who are there to support us through good times and bad.  We have two nice cars that run well and keep our family moving.  Everything is going so very well!  Life is good.  :)

We have had several ups and downs since we got married (seemingly more downs than ups).  But things have finally come around and we are at a really good place right now.  Things have been up and continue to look up in our future.  I'm so incredibly thankful for that.  :)  There's an old hymn that say, "Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God hath done."  Today I'm taking in the moment and counting my many blessings.  Michael and I have come to realize that there will inevitably always be good times and bad times.  We have become quite skilled at managing and getting by and through the bad times.  But we have also come to realize that the good times need remembered and recognized, in the moment, not just when they're gone.  So today I'm counting my blessings.  Today I'm thankful for the good times.  Today I'm drinking in just how perfect life is right now.  :)

Thoughts

Well, people on facebook are probably tired of hearing all of my updates and excitement on the baby front, so I will just post them here.  ;)

I love feeling our little girl move so often!  She is quite the wiggle worm!  You are see waves and kicks on the outside of my belly as she moves.  It's awesome!  She is so strong!!  I'm still thinking she'll come early or be large when she does come.  ;)  We will see!!

Michael is going to be such a great dad.  He loves me so much and it is only increasing and getting more sweet as our baby girl gets close to arriving.  He's always been an amazing man, but I think when our daughter arrives he's going to blow everyone away with how great he is and how dearly he loves our little girl.  :)

My round ligament pain started to come back yesterday.  This doesn't surprise me since our little girl is weighing around 3 pounds now.  My uterus can only take so much before it feels the need to let my body know that it's unhappy.  ;)  When I told Michael I was feeling a little pain he got a little panicked look in his face.  I assured him it was all right.  No labor yet.  ;)

Yesterday we hit 30 weeks.  We are 3/4 of the way done!  I am so pumped!!!  Our little girl will be here very soon!!  It's soooo exciting!!!!  Can't wait to introduce her to the family!  I hope that a lot of our friends and family will be able to make it down to the Birthcare Center on the day she's born!  :)  I just think it's awesome to be able to say that you held your daughter, niece, granddaughter, great-niece, great-granddaughter, or friend's baby girl on the day she was born.  :)  This little girl is going to have lots of friends and family looking out for her and loving her along the way as she grows up.  I want you all there the day she arrives as well.  :)  I don't need you in the delivery room, I think Michael, the doctor, and I have that covered, but we want you there afterwards, so please come.  :)

Our baby shower is a week from today!  I'm excited to see people and play games and eat and celebrate our baby girl!  :)  I'm also excited for when the shower is over and Michael and I can go through the list and see what all we still need to buy.  :)  I have a need to nest, and waiting for this baby shower is killing me!  :P

I love this little girl already.  I can't wait to see her beautiful face and love on her.  It will be one of the greatest moments of my life.  :)  I can't wait!  (I wonder how many times I've said that phrase in the past 30 weeks??)

Peace out!  :D

Emo

Embracing the emo music this morning was a bad idea.  :(

More Countdowns!

There is a lot coming up in our lives soon!  Here are my countdowns to all the exciting things coming up!  :D

4 days until our 3rd of 6 childbirth classes!  They are so informative!  I enjoy them a lot.  Just means we are closer to our little girl getting here!!

5 days until our 30 weeks appointment!  This is a big one because from this point on we meet with the doctor every 2 weeks (or more frequently towards the end) instead of every 4 weeks.

9 days until our baby shower!!  Can't wait to see all of our friends and family and celebrate our little girl!  After the shower I'll be able to finish up shopping and really make sure her room and everything is ready.  :)

2 weeks until TUGFEST!!!!  I have literally been looking forward to going to Tugfest since January when I was able to finally request it off on the newest work calender.  :)  Can't wait to see all of Michael's family!  I love them!  :D

2.5 weeks until our last sonogram of our baby girl!  At 32 weeks we'll check on her and her kidneys (which were measuring slightly large at her 19 week sono) as well as the location of the placenta.  This will determine a lot of what our labor and delivery will look like.  A very important sono!  And of course, more pictures of our little one!  ;)  Can't get enough of those!!!  :D

5 weeks until our last weekend of traveling!  Topeka on Friday, Manhattan and the K-State season opener on Saturday, Kansas City and the Ren Fest on Sunday!  It will be a packed weekend!!  At that point we will be 35 weeks pregnant.  We will stay in Wichita or the surrounding area for the next 5 weeks until our little girl gets here.

6 weeks until our maternity photos!  We decided to go with Zao Photography.  Just before we hit 36 weeks we will get our maternity photos taken.  :)  Looking forward to some beautiful pictures to remember this exciting time with!  Courtney will also be taking our newborn photos when our little girl gets here and is about a week old.  :)

10 weeks until our little girl is due!!!  I can't believe she'll be here in a little over 2 months!!  It seems like we've been waiting forever!!  Our lives will forever be changed, but only for the better!  I can't wait!!  This exciting journey is about to end and another one will be beginning.  :)  Amazing!!  I've loved the ride so far!  I can't expect it to get anything but better!  :D

Childbirth Class Number 2!

Last night was our second childbirth class.  It went great!  Last week we focused on the difference between true and false labor, so that we could tell if we were actually going into labor or not.  This week we focused on the early and active stages or labor.  We discussed how I would be feeling during these stages, what my moods and attitudes would be, and what my body would be doing during each stage.  We also got our tour of the Birthcare Center!  I'm so excited to have my baby there!  It's such a nice place!  At the birthcare center you don't have to change rooms.  You labor, deliver, recover, and post-pardum in the same room.  I like this because we can really get comfortable in a room and won't have to worry about being moved.  You are admitted to a room and you are discharged from that same room.  There is a fold-out couch that serves as a bed for Michael.  There is also a small room attached to the room that allows friends and family to be visiting and close by without being in your room standing around you the whole time.  The room is a little bigger than a bathroom and it has a couch and a few chairs, a tv, and a door, so that if the doctor or nurses need to check me out, the family doesn't have to be funneled into the hallway.  The baby with stay with Michael and I in the room the entire time.  Everything that she will need done, check-ups, baths, etc. will be done there in the room with us present.  This is important to me for bonding purposes in those first few hours and days.  :)  At the Birthcare Center you have to be at least 37 weeks with no complications to be admitted.  If there are any items early in your pregnancy that could lead to complications during labor and delivery, then you don't get to go to the Birthcare Center.  That being said, obviously, problems can arrive out of no where when you don't expect them to.  If that happens, the Birthcare Center also has sterile operating rooms in the event than an emergency c-section is needed.  This puts my mind at ease.  I know I will receive top care, even if something unexpected happens.  The Birthcare Center has it's own surgeons and anesthesiologists, so there's no waiting for someone to arrive.  They stay in the birthcare center in the event they are needed.  You get the exact same care you would at the hospital.  As for problems with the baby, if there are issues, the Daddy accompanies the baby to the basement where the baby is wheeled under the street to the hospital to receive more care.  This is only after the baby has been deemed stable enough to transport.  I know this is tons of information that most of you don't really care about.  Just trying to aleviate some anxiety for those of you who are concerned that we will not receive top notch care at the Birthcare Center.  ;)  But enough about the Birthcare Center....  Another thing we worked on during class was positions to sit or lay in during labor to feel calm and relaxed.  We also practiced slow-paced breathing and modified breathing.  I thought it was a very good week of class.  :)  I enjoy our instructor and come away feeling like I've learned something and that I'm a bit more empowered and ready for labor and delivery.  I can't believe we only have a little over 10 weeks to go!!  75% of my pregnancy is over now.  In just 72 short days (give or take) we will have a beautiful baby girl in our arms.  :)  Michael said the other day that the transition from being just the two of us to us being pregnant was not a difficult one.  But now that we're getting closer to the end, it's becoming more real that things are happening and changing.  I know our lives will change when our little girl gets here.  I'm sure we'll be more sleepy and have some other emotions to go along with that.  But I can't help but feel that everything is going to be so amazing and that our lives are going to get infinitely better with this new little addition.  :)  She will certainly be the center of our world, so please don't be upset with us if we become a bit more reclusive and you don't see us as often.  It's not that we don't like seeing you, it's that we've got a new job and responsibilty in our lives and that is going to come ahead of anything else.  ;)  So don't be surprised if we don't bust our humps to make it to every single family dinner for Thanksgiving, or if we don't plan out 8 different Christmas' to go to.  Our lives are already completely wrapped around her little fingers, and we could not be happier.  :)  Well, this got crazy long, I do appologize!  :P  Got a little carried away on a couple of soapboxes there.  ;)  Thanks for reading!  Love ya!!
-Michael, Jen, and Baby Voss

Early Gifts, Generous Families

I am getting more and more excited the closer we get to the baby shower!  I'm looking forward to seeing friends and family and celebrating the anticipated arrival of our little girl!  :)  It's going to be lots of fun!  Sis and Mama have figured out some fun games (not your run-of-the-mill "Don't say 'baby'" styled games), they have great prizes (seriously, I want to win a prize, these rock), they are planning a great menu (sugar rush anyone?) and it's just going to be tons of fun!  I can't wait!!

As we get closer to the shower, I'm monitoring the baby registries in case something gets removed from one, I can make sure to remove it from the other.  So I've been very excited the last few weeks when things are slowly starting to come off of the registry.  :)  Then, to make things even better, packages started arriving at my house!!!  :D  I'm so excited!!  Seems like every other day there's a big box on my porch!  :P  Here's what we've received so far:

From Linda, we got our convertible car seat.  We haven't opened it yet (I was going to wait for the shower).  Not sure I'll be able to wait that much longer.  :P  This carseat is one that can be used with an infant, but we will be using it when she gets bigger.  We don't have the infant carseat yet, but there's one on the registry that matches our stroller.  The convertible car seat will be used as she gets a little bigger and even converts into a toddler booster seat.  It should work out real well, and be one less expense to worry about when our little girl is growing out of things like her original carseat.  ;)  Thanks Linda!!  We're very excited!! 

From Shanna, we got 2 new baby food cookbooks and a tray that holds homemade baby food, can be put in the freezer, and can then pop the single servings of baby food out like ice cubes.  :D  For those of you who hadn't heard, I'm planning on making my own baby food.  It's cheaper to puree your own vegetables, and you also know what's going into your little one's food that way.  Healthy and cheap!  Sounds good to me!  One cookbook is all about baby food purees, creating different combos to make different nutritional meals.  The other book talks about feeding your baby from weaning to toddler meals that they can eat with the whole family.  :)  The tray holds your pureed baby food and allows you to freeze it in single servings.  Since the container is silicon it is flexible and maluable so the food comes out easy once frozen and can be transfered to a freezer bag for storage.  Looking forward to trying these things out!  Thanks, Shanna!!  :D

The third and final gift we've received to our home before the shower has been from Mama, she got us our double stroller!  :D  I am soooo excited about this stroller!  Michael and I went to Babies R Us and picked out this stroller because of it's convenience and ease of use.  We decided on a double stroller because we're planning on having our 2nd and final little one not too long after this one.  The thought was that we would have 2 children who were both stroller sized.  So instead of buying a second stroller when #2 is born, we decided to just get the big one right off the bat.  :)  Last night I called Mama and thanked her for the stroller.  Michael put it together very easily and it looks great!  Now I just can't wait to use it!  It's also compatible with Sis and Adam's carseat and stroller, so if Sis and I go someplace with both babies, we'll be able to snap both of their carseats into the stroller.  And if Dayton is too big for his infant carseat by that time, there is also the 5 point harness system in both seats to strap him in.  It's awesome!!  Thank you, Mama!

Michael and I are so amazingly blessed to have such amazing family who spoil us so much.  :)  Thank you, everyone!!  Can't wait to see you all there at the shower!  Love you!!

Movements

Wow!  Baby girl's movements are getting SO STRONG!  She's kicking a little less, but rolling A LOT more!!  When she rolls over it feels like I'm being pushed through a small space and my belly is being squeezed inward to get through.  It's so crazy!!  I love feeling her move, but it's definitely a sensation that is hard to describe!

Seeing my belly move as she moves and rolls is a strange thing too!  I'll be looking down at my belly and all of the sudden something is pushing my skin outwards.  It's like she's stretching out her arms and legs to find out just how much space she has in there.  And when she reaches the walls, she pushes a little more to see if that's really where she has to stop.  :P  It's just crazy!  This is a part of pregnancy that I am loving!  Will miss this part when she's here, but will gladly exchange it for a sweet perfect baby girl in my arms.  :)

If you haven't noticed in the past 6 months or so, I am very excited to have a baby!  :D

One more little update: Michael and I are looking for a photographer to take maternity photos for us.  We're not looking to spend a whole lot, but we would like a disk of the entire session with a copyright release.  If you have some suggestions, we'd love to hear from you!  Thanks!!  :)

Christmas Ideas!!

Yes, I'm already thinking about Christmas!  So what??  :P  Since finding out we were pregnant (when we still had Christmas presents laying around the apartment needing to be put away) I have thought about our baby girl and what her first Christmas will be like.  I can already see her in the kitchen with me in her bouncer or her Bumbo making cookies and taking adorable pictures!  This Christmas is going to be unlike any other, because for once, Michael and I won't be the kids.  We're going to have a new person in our lives, who I think Christmas will revolve around for some time.  :)  Well, I wanted to do something special for an ornament for her first Christmas.  Like many families, Michael and I are going to adopt the tradition of getting a new Christmas ornament every year for the kids.  We're taking a little different spin than Michael's family did.  Instead of choosing a series and buying the newest one in the series each year, we will let our little tyke pick out her own ornament every Christmas season.  An early Christmas gift to hang on the tree and display for all of the Christmas season.  :)  But this year will be a little different.  At 2.5 months old, I doubt she'll be ready to pick out her own ornament, so Michael and I will have to choose for her.  I visited a website today that I love and frequent for special personalized gifts.  That's when I found the perfect ornament for our little girl's first Christmas!!!

http://www.PersonalizationMall.com/Personalized-Baby-Christmas-Ornaments-Baby-Birth-i35453.item?productid=13100&sdest=Search&sdestid=21821636

I'm pretty stoked!  Because this is such a beautiful and fun gift for baby's first Christmas, Dayton and Baby Voss #2 (Nathan and Chelsey's baby) will probably be receiving these fun momentos as well.  (Mama's and Daddy's, if you do not like this gift idea, let me know and I won't waste my money.)  :P  I'm pretty excited!  Can't wait until she's here!!!  Only 79 days to go!!  Everything is coming up so fast!  I can't wait!  :D

And in case any of you were wondering....  There are only 159 shopping days until Christmas!!  Better get a move on!  :P

Childbirth Class: Round 1

Michael and I signed up for childbirth class.  Last night was our first session.  There are 8 couples in the group with due dates ranging from the middle of September to the end of October.  One couple even has the same due date as us!  6 of the couples are having boys, and us and 1 other couple are having girls.  Half of the couples weren't telling what name they were using.  The instructor kind of rolled her eyes at this at first, but then so many other couples said the same thing she eventually stopped giving them all grief.

While I plan to get the epidural, I think this class is going to be helpful and informative.  Last night we discussed contractions, the difference between true and false labor, and breathing techniques.  The women in the group were all listening carefully, paying attention, and making eye contact with the instructor.  The men, however, were looking away and generally looking pretty uncomfortable to be talking about all of this stuff.  It reminded me of freshman year health class when they finally allowed the boys and girls to be in the same room for the sex ed.  The boys could handle their own video well enough, but when it came to the girls' video, they couldn't quit squirming in their seats.  :P  Hopefully the guys get a little more comfortable.  Either way, I think we'll learn a good amount in this class.  However, I don't think it will sway my opinion from medication to all natural.  Like someone in Sis' class said, It's not like you get a prize for doing it all natural.  So why put yourself through that???

We attend the class every Monday evening for 6 weeks.  Next week we're going to practice breathing, as well as get a tour of the Birthcare Center (which is where the classes are being held).  I'm hoping we get to tour the hospital as well, but I'm unsure what all we're doing exactly, I guess we will just wait and see.  The plan as of now is to deliver at the Birthcare Center.  As long as everything stays low risk (we will have to keep an eye on my iron levels and in 4 weeks we'll have an ultrasound to check the position of the placenta) and labor begins and continues on it's own, then we'll be over there.  If I need to be induced or there are any risk factors that are noticed ahead of time, then we'll be at the hospital.  Time will tell.  I think in about 4 weeks (2 appointments from now) we should have a pretty good idea of where we'll be.  Then we'll just have to wait until she decides to come and go from there.  ;)

On an entirely different note, Michael and I have started noticing our little girl moving from the outside of my stomach.  As she gets bigger and stronger, her movements are getting more pronounced and she's feeling a little more cramped in her tight quarters.  She still has plenty of room to move around at the moment, but not for long the way she's growing!  We can see her arms and legs moving across my belly, making a waving like on the water.  If we try, we can even feel her little arms and legs for a moment, until she gets tired of being poked and moves away.  It is so cool!  I can't believe all that is happening with her!  It's amazing!  :D  Only 11 weeks and 3 days left to go until she's expected to be here.  I learned yesterday at our class that only 5% of babies come on their dues date.  So I wouldn't be surprised if she came a little early or late.  As long as she's healthy, I'm happy.  And if the rumor is true that active babies are healthy babies, then I think I have one of the healthiest ones!!  :D

Is this nesting?

So we have less than 12 weeks until our perfect baby girl arrives!  I am so completely stoked!  She already has a closet full of clothes and tons of cute diapers.  Her bed is made and ready.  She has blankets to lay on and a chair to sit in.  She has socks and hats and shoes and bibs.  She needs a few more items, but I'm hoping those show up at the shower.  I love just sitting in her room.  I love imagining what life is going to be like with her in it.  I'm so excited to meet her!  :D

The Good Lord Gave Us Mountains

Country music always seems to have a song that makes me cry.  When this song came up on the ipod today I couldn't help but think of Michael and I.  We went through a lot in our first 3 years of marriage, but I think we are stronger because of it.  :)

There are times in life when you've got to crawl,
Lose your grip, trip and fall.
When you can't lean on no one else,
That's when you find yourself.

I've been around and I've noticed that,
Walking's easy when the road is flat.
Them dang old hills will get you every time,
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains so we can learn how to climb.

This world ain't fair, it can knock you on your butt,
You can just lay there, or you can get back up.
You've gotta get back up.

I'm so thankful that Michael and I were able to get back up and fight through all of those tough times.  Things have been calm for a while, it always makes us apprehensive about what's coming next.  But whatever comes, we will get through.  We are nothing if not good adapters.  ;)  Proud of us.

Thankful

Today I am thankful for positive doctor's appointments, a healthy baby girl, and a cooler day which means I can lay out in the hammock and soak up the Vitamin D!  :)

Another Successful Doctor's Visit!! :)

We had another great doctor's visit today!  Woooohoooo!!  :)  I'm currently waiting in the lobby to get my blood drawn for my glucose test.  My doctor is optimistic and says I will probably pass and not have gestational diabetes because my weight is good, my blood pressure is good, my urine dip is normal, and my belly is measuring at a normal size.  :)  All good news!  If they have bad news they'll call and tell us right away after the lab work comes back.  If everything is normal we won't hear anything and will talk to them again in 3 weeks when we come back.  My doctor wants to make sure to get an appointment in at 30 weeks, then we will come back every 2 weeks after that.  I thought we would continue to come every 4 weeks, but we're getting closer to the end, so we get to come more frequently!  Hoooray!!  Believe it or not, I love coming to the doctor!  He's only had good and positive things to say the entire pregnancy. So I enjoy coming and get a pat on the back and a reminder that I'm healthy and all is going well.  :) 

I guess I should give you the stats from today's appointment!  Baby girl was very relaxed and calm, made finding and getting the heartbeat very easy.  :)  Her heartbeat was at 148 bpm.  My blood pressure was normal, but the nurse didn't actually give me the numbers.  When the doctor measured my belly it was measuring at 25 weeks (I'm at 27 weeks and 4 days).  It varries so much one appointment to another.  I was measuring 2 weeks bigger not that long ago, now I'm measuring 2 weeks smaller.  Ugh.  Oh well, she will come when she comes, and the smaller I am when she comes, the less I have to lose after she gets here.  ;)  As of this morning I am up 11.6 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I don't think that's too bad for being 2/3 of the way through my pregnancy!  ;)  We will see what the next trimester brings.

So, we'll be back on July 31st, then we'll go every 2 weeks after that!  The 2nd week of August when we go back (5 weeks from now), we'll have our last sonogram to check on the location of the placenta.  Hope all continues to go well!  We have been very blessed so far with how well this pregnancy has gone!  Praise the Lord for a healthy baby and Mama!  :)  More news when I have it!  Love you all!

Ribbons and Bows

I am so looking forward to having a beauitful little girl to dote over and dress up.  She will end up being a very girly girl her first few years, because Mommy will be picking out everything she wears!  ;)  I'm excited about adorable dresses, sweet headbands, beautiful bow and ribbons, cutsie tutus, and more pink than I know what to do with!!  :D  Well, in preparation for our little girl's arrival, I have made a couple of accessories for her!!  Hobby Lobby had a brochure about how to make your own hair ribbons and bows!  I am soooo excited!!!  I have only made 2 so far, but I thought they both came out GREAT!!!  Since she will be born in the fall, the first one I made her had to be in fall colors.  :)  The next one I made is different purples, black, and white for K-State!!  I've got more ribbon to make more bows and things, but I borrowed Sis' glue gun and only brought home one stick of glue, so now I'm out for the moment.  :P  So the project is temporarily on hold.  ;)  But not before I got 2 adorable bows finished!!  I also bought fabric to make rosettes!  So far I have made 2 K-State ones!  I would like to get some beads and some other fabric colors to compliment the K-State ones.  :)  We will see how things all turn out!  Needless to say, her head will be well adorned by the time she gets here!  :D  Check out the pictures to see what I've already got done.  I'm pretty proud of myself!  I was even thinking ahead a little ways, so instead of glueing the bow, ribbons, and rosettes onto headbands, that can only be worn while she's an infant, I glued them on to barettes, so we can clip them to headbands, but also clip them straight into her hair (or mine!) when she's older.  The other hairpiece I want to do is the flowers with the big jewels in the center!  :)  I will post more pictures as I get more done.  :)  Finally, my next project (after I have bows, ribbons, and rosettes in every color): tutus!!!  Can't wait!!  :D 
Adios!
-The crafty Mama!  :)

A Note for the Baby

Goodnight, sweet baby girl.  I have enjoyed your little pokes and prods today.  :)  I think it's great that I can talk to you and then you will kick in response.  You are such an amazing miracle!  You are your daddy's and my greatest gift from God.  We love you so very much.  Daddy loves feeling you move and kick too, even if that means kicking him in the ear when he's listening for your heartbeat.  ;)  We can tell already that you are quite the fiesty little girl.  You have a name already.  Did you know?  You probably won't remember, but we have been calling you by your name since we found out you were in there.  I hope it fits you well.  You are so dearly loved, little one.  We are praying for you already.  Can't wait to meet you!  :D
All Our Love Is Yours,
Mommy and Daddy

PS
Sleep tight, my sweet angel baby.  :)

Beached Whale

So Michael and I went to the grocery store last night (ouch) because we were running low on a lot of things and needed to do another huge shopping trip.  I advised him to get me some food before we left.  We ended up getting a few more items than were on the list, but not too many.  However, we began with a pretty extensive list anyway.  As we were walking out to the car at the end of our trip, I was joking about being able to suck in my belly still (though not very effectively).  I sucked it in the best I could and asked Michael if he could tell, did I look skinnier??  He looked at me and smiled and began to laugh.  I asked him what was so funny, but he didn't want to say.  I kept asking until he finally gave in.  And then I realized why he didn't want to say what had popped into his adorable, handsome head...  He compared me to a beached whale trying to suck it in!!!  Ouch!!!!  If I look like a beached whale already, what am I going to look like in 3 more months?!?!  Haha!!  It was all in good fun.  I am not mad.  I just had to laugh at him.  This pregnancy has been quite the experience for both of us.  Lots of changing going on.  If possible, I think we have grown even closer together through it all.  :)  Love my sweet hubby.  <3  Can't wait to see what an amazing father he's going to be!  :)  3 short months left to go!!!

You be the judge...  Do I look like a beached whale already???  (26 weeks)

Making Plans, and Checking Them Twice

Well, it is rough and tentative, but we have a birth plan written!  Hoooray!!  :D  I won't bore you (or gross you out) with all the details, but the main idea is that whatever the doctor deems necessary for the health of the baby, we will do.  We will be at the birthcare center if there are no forseen complications or problems.  If we know in advance that there will be a problem, we will be at the hospital.  A few reasons we are choosing the birthcare center are: 1-You labor, deliver, and recover all in the same room, neither you, nor the baby, are required to be moved in and out of different rooms, 2-The rooms are bigger and have better accommodations for the husband, 3-If a sudden complication does arrise that was unforseen before the birth, there are rooms in the birthcare center for emergency c-sections, so she could still arrive at the birthcare center, then when we're both stable, we will be moved to the hospital across the street.  Another main idea in our birth plan is that I don't want to feel what's going on.  I want to be medicated as soon as possible for as long as possible with the standard epidural.  I understand that this will make it difficult for me to move and impossible to stand after the delivery, but that is ok with me.  Finally, the last big idea in our birth plan is that Michael will be there with me the entire time, and after the baby is born, Michael or I will be with her as she is checked out, bathed, etc.  We will make sure to have a good deal of bonding time, just the 3 of us, before friends and family are permitted into the room.  But once we've had that time, I am more than happy to have many visitors and share our precious angel with all of you!  :)

In other news, not sure I've mentioned yet, but Michael and I are officially signed up for childbirth classes!!  :)  Just one more step on the way to getting our baby here!  :)  We begin July 16th.  The classes run for 6 weeks.  We meet 1 night/week for 2 hours.  Not entirely sure what to expect from this class, but I'm glad that Michael and I will be going through it all together.  :)  Should be interesting.  ;)

Newest updates on the baby shower front: We are going to be having the shower in the evening, probably around 5pm.  I only had a couple people tell me that they had plans that day, and their plans were earlier in the day.  So we're planning on a dinner/evening shower to make sure that Amy and Maggie have time to get here and party with us!  :)