Baby Update: 24 and 25 weeks

I wanted to try and get this post up before leaving for Canada is weekend. It may be shorter than normal but we'll see once I get started.

Another two weeks down! I can't believe that I only have a little bit left of my second trimester.  It's gone pretty fast and overall it has been pretty pleasant. Only 3 1/2 months left to go!!!

I was pretty excited about this garage sale find we made. I went for a walk one Friday morning and came across a few baby items at a sale. This activity center was priced at $25 and was in really good condition. It was originally $80 and I wasn't sure if they were asking too much for it or not. I didn't have any money on me anyway so I headed home to look up some reviews online and think about what it was worth. Kevin called me a little bit after that and needed me to come pick him up from work for a little bit. I told him about the item and we decided that $15 was a good price for it. We got some cash and Kevin did his negotiating magic and they sold it to us for $15. It has pretty good reviews and for the price I say it's perfect! Just needs cleaned and we'll be set!

Even Lupin liked it!

 In other exciting news....our crib arrived and we went about putting it together. By 'we' I mean mostly Kevin. I held a few things in place and tightened a few bolts but Kevin gets most of the credit.

 I couldn't get a great picture of it at the time (I'll get more up when the room is actually done). We're still working on clearing things out of the room and I didn't have a good spot to take the picture at that moment. We really like the crib though! Thanks Grandma Patti and Grandpa Kevin!

Baby K is in a growth spurt right now and is around 9.2 inches long and about 2 pounds. My fruit comparison for this week is an eggplant (although how they come up with some of these fruit/veggie sizes I don't really know). I haven't been feeling her as much or as strong lately. She moved positions and with my anterior placenta the blows are being muffled. She has also just switched her schedule around and is moving more in the middle of the night so I'm pretty sure I'm sleeping through it (I notice it when I wake up to pee at 2am and 5am). I did see my stomach move again a couple times last night which hadn't happened in a little bit. While I miss feeling her solidly every evening I've been told to enjoy this time because I might miss it when I get a giant kick to a rib later on.

I feel like I look huge in my 25 week picture compared to my 24 week picture. My last appointment two weeks ago I was up 10.25 pounds from week 7. The doctor seemed happy with the gain. I think I've packed on more since then but I decided to only use the office scale for my official weight so I have another couple weeks to see where I'm at.

Physically I'm pretty much feeling the same. I don't sleep amazing because of my bladder and lower back but I'm used to it now. Yoga truly has been amazing for me and I'm enjoying the prenatal yoga class I've started. I'm wondering what heartburn feels like. I felt a little off last night and took a tums and then I was fine. Not sure if it was actually heartburn...I feel like that is one of those 'you know it when you experience it' type of things. I wouldn't mind not having that pregnancy experience but let's not get picky.

I guess that's it for now but the bump watch is actually on now so I don't feel so silly posting all these pictures. 

Baby Update: 22 and 23 weeks

Yesterday marked the end of yet another week of pregnancy. It is crazy how fast things seem to be going now. I finally put a few belly pics up on Facebook after several requests for them. I guess I was waiting because I didn't really feel like there was much to see until recently. Looking back at my 11 week belly shot (if you can even call it that) I think...I look pregnant now!!!

Things have been going pretty well. Same story with the mucus vomit but according to my doctor that might just be one of the things that lasts for me the entire pregnancy. Lucky me! (but seriously...I can think of much worse things...I do have to remind myself of that during though). No nausea, but last night right before bed I had to throw up out of nowhere. Not fun. My face is still full of blackheads that could rival a teenager and I don't see that changing anytime soon.


Kevin has been my photographer and we thought it was his turn for a photo op.

Kevin at 22 weeks

I've been feeling our little lady moving around much more the last couple of weeks. She seems to be the most active at night (she really enjoyed it when we were watching the Olympics) which is nice because Kevin can enjoy feeling the movement too. I also notice her in the middle of the night when I wake up to use the bathroom and rearrange myself in bed. She even kicked at the Doppler yesterday at my doctor's appointment. I like to think she was saying "Get that thing away from me...I was sleeping". Right now she's about 8 in long and about 1.2 pounds. Weeks 24 to 28 mean big growth for baby too. She's expected to double in size over that period so I'm excited to see what I look like in 4 weeks and how strong her kicks will feel then!

My doctor's appointment went very well. Baby K's heartbeat was at 150 bpm and my uterus is measuring at 22cm. I guess you should be within 1cm of however many weeks you are. I'm 23 weeks so right on track. We've signed up for our "Preparing for Childbirth" classes through the hospital and we'll start those at the end of October. We're also going to take a breastfeeding, infant/child CPR, and baby boot camp class. (They had a 3 for 2 deal and are only 1 evening each) Before my next appointment in 4 weeks I get to go in for lab work including the gestational diabetes screening test. I'm not looking forward to drinking the sugar drink but everyone has to do it so I'll get through it. Hopefully I pass and don't have to do the 3 hour test!

Other pregnancy experiences I've had include: wondering if I just peed a little while coughing/sneezing/vomiting, going from feeling great to famished in a matter of minutes, feeling painfully full after a few bites when I was just famished 5 minutes ago, getting hot while sleeping, only sleeping a few hours at a time because I have to pee.

That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure there will be more soon enough!

Moria's Visit

A couple of weeks ago Kevin and I had a special treat because Moria was in Michigan. She had commitments in Ann Arbor but we drove down there one evening to pick her up and bring her up to Midland for a few days. Kevin had to work but it gave Moria and I a little girl time which was a lot of fun.

Moria treated me to a pedicure which was much needed and felt amazing!

With the Olympics on we decided to just grill out and enjoy each other's company. 

Kevin manning the grill

 The next day Moria accompanied me to yoga class before Moria's mom, Heather, made it to Midland. She drove up from Nashville to see Moria and check in on Moria's grandparents who live in Ann Arbor. They invited me to come down with them for a couple of days until Kevin could drive down on Saturday morning. It was fun hanging out in Ann Arbor and I had a great time with both of them!

When Kevin got in on Saturday morning we drove over to Chelsea which is where Moria lived and grew up before moving to Saline (closer to Ann Arbor). 

Heather, Kevin, and Moria in downtown Chelsea

 The downtown area was so cute and we had a fabulous lunch before checking out more of the city, including getting to drive by the house Moria lived in when she was little. Fun Fact: Chelsea is the home of "Jiffy Mixes" and the blueberry in the mixes is actually apple.

Heather and Moria also took us to this nature area that they used to visit frequently and we went on the "Bog Walk". Heather used to be a volunteer and took kids on the walk all the time so we got some extra fun facts. A bog is a type of wetland that forms in glacial lakebeds. It is a very acidic environment and only certain plants are able to grow in it including lots of peat and mosses. The bog has a layer of growth over the top but it doesn't go all the way down so it was a spongy like surface. We got to stand on one part and when you jump or bounce you can see the surface moving. It was really cool to see the area and it was even better having two bog experts in our midst. 

Bog Walk!

After driving by a few more places important to Moria as a child it was time for us to head back to Midland. Moria and her mom were going to spend some more time with her grandparents and then she had an early flight back to California the next day.

We were sad to say goodbye but we'll get to see Moria again at the end of the month. Brian and Moria are moving to Ithaca, New York for their post-docs and the move includes a trip to Peterborough, Canada where we will be going to Colin and Andi's wedding reception. Both Sarah and Jonathan (who just got engaged...yay!) will also be there so we look forward to a mini California reunion!!!

Baby Update: 20 and 21 weeks

The last couple weeks have been pretty great. I'm feeling pretty awesome right now for the most part and I'm so grateful for this second trimester. I still get the occasional "mucus vomit" and I've had one random run to a trash can to throw up but there isn't any nausea and that alone is wonderful.

I'm taking a yoga class at the community center twice a week and that has been a lifesaver for me. It really helps out my lower back and I feel better overall doing the class regularly. My instructor is going to be out of town for a couple weeks this month and I'm bummed to miss. Cindy is awesome. She gives me prenatal modifications when needed and throws in hip openers to class sometimes with me in mind. I love her! Luckily she put me into contact with a lady who is doing a prenatal yoga class in town for a few weeks while she has studio access so I'm looking forward to that. It will be fun to meet a few other pregnant ladies in town and learn some more moves custom made for us.

Besides yoga, Kevin and I are trying to swim a little bit. The pool hours are a little strange so it is intermittent but we have fun when we go and it mixes things up. We take walks when the weather is nice and I'm putting the cardio equipment at the community center to use as well. I just have to make sure not to push it too hard or I pay for it the next day.

A week and a half or so ago I felt a few twitches that I thought could possibly be baby movements. They were very light and brief so I couldn't be sure. Well, this last Thursday and Friday I felt them again, a little stronger and for a longer period of time so I was pretty sure it was the baby. Then last night we were sitting on the couch watching the Olympics. I was looking down at my stomach and all of a sudden I saw it move a little bit! I was a little surprised so I kept looking and it did it again. I told Kevin and then he saw it so I knew I wasn't seeing things. He put his hand there and could definitely feel it. Baby K kicked a few more times and it was incredible. I'd heard that with an anterior placenta the "flutters" are sometimes non existent and you go straight to feeling the kicks. I tried pressing on her in the spot where we saw the movement and I managed to get a little more out of her but then the dance party was over. I look forward to many more of these kicks and feeling them get stronger and stronger!

I think there is an actual bump now as well. Even since taking this picture last Wednesday I feel I'm showing a little more. I don't officially need maternity clothes yet since I can still wear my dresses and a couple pairs of jeans but I have started wearing my one pair of maternity capris. They are so much more comfortable and I feel like I actually look pregnant in them instead of a heavy brownie eater.

According to my "What to Expect" app, Baby K is about 8 inches long and around 1 pound...think spaghetti squash. Her sense of touch and sight are developing and her eyelashes and eyebrows should be well formed now too. We're over halfway to getting to see what she looks like! Whoooo hoooo!

Couple's Shower

While back in Kansas Serena hosted a couple's baby shower for us with the help of Theresa and Brandy. It was great getting to see family and friends that we don't get to see very often.

Back: Michelle, Pat, and Kevin. Front:Laura

 Serena, Theresa, and Brandy did a great job and had several fun games for us to play. In one, everyone filled out cards with "wishes for baby". There was a wide range of responses from sincere and sweet to funny and silly. Several people have hopes that Baby K ignores stupid people and also grows up. Some other wishes include learning to talk, laughing loud, and getting a drum set (thanks Mom).

Another game that I enjoyed was blindfolding Kevin and having him try to guess the flavor of baby food. He did pretty well overall but I did not want to be in his position when the beef one came around...boy did it stink!

The "chug beer out of a bottle" game was also very entertaining to watch. Apparently drinking out of a bottle is not that easy!

James was disqualified immediately after removing the nipple and drinking straight out of the bottle.I believe it came down to Kevin and my Dad for the win but Kevin pulled out the victory. I don't think he'll be using a bottle at home anytime soon :) 

Hailie was our gift opening assistant and I think she really enjoyed the whole process. She loves babies and is in heaven now that we're having a cousin for her.

It had been years since we'd seen Laura and we were so happy that she was able to make it!

We have a fantastic start to our baby room now and I'm just sad we have to wait to use everything! It is definitely getting me to work a little more on clearing out the room we are planning on using as a nursery. Thank you so much ladies for this wonderful shower! We had an amazing time and we feel so  lucky to have such incredible people in our life.

Adell, Serena, Brandy, Cara, Theresa

 During our time in Kansas we also bought a second vehicle. One car was perfect during our time in California but a second one before Baby K arrives is a must. We bought a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe and we're excited to have a vehicle with a little more room. Kevin and Patti will be driving the car up for us sometime in August/September when they come to visit. I can't wait!!!  'Eagle-Eye' Kevin (my husband's Dad) spotted a crack in the windshield after we left and took it back to the dealership to get it fixed.

Although I'm going to be back in Kansas in October this is the last time both Kevin and I will be there before our little girl arrives. I feel we made the most of our trip and it was fabulous. I can't wait to go back with all three of us!

 

Baby Update: 19 weeks and....

We had our anatomy scan yesterday and not only did everything look great but the tech told us it looks like a girl! We're beyond excited to know the gender of this little thing growing inside of me! Baby K had a heartbeat of 157 bpm and she is in the 66th percentile. I wish I knew how to describe how incredible it was to see our little girl. Her little hands and feet...it was the most amazing thing. This is probably the best still shot that the tech gave us. Seeing it live is way better but I wanted to at least include one sonogram photo.

 We would have been just as elated if it had been a boy but I'm just glad that we now know. I like being able to refer to Baby K as a she/her (or as Grandma Patti prefers...Princess Baby K) rather than simply "baby" or "it".

We had a doctors appointment today to go over the ultrasound results and Kevin called it a useless appointment. I had to remind him that it felt that way because everything is going well and that he should be happy. (I have to admit that after seeing the baby yesterday today was a little anti-climactic). I did see on the sheet that I have an anterior placenta which is fine except that I might not be able to feel movement for a bit longer. Grrrr.

Everything else also looked great. I'm up a total of 6 pounds from my first appointment and I'm happy with the pace I'm gaining at. I'm definitely eating better so I just have to make sure I'm making good choices. Most of the time I do but I did make a red velvet cake last night (with pink frosting of course) to celebrate since I can't have champagne. I wash it down with a glass of milk so it can't be that bad right?

Up to this point we hadn't bought anything for Baby K but that changed right after our ultrasound yesterday. We stopped at the store and bought a couple of sleepers. I love the one that Kevin picked out. In case you can't read it, it says "Daddy loves me". So sweet. Not going to lie...melted my heart. 

4th of July!

After our wonderful weekend in Wisconsin we were Kansas bound for the 4th of July! As usual it was great to get to spend some more time with family. Patti, Serena, and I even had time to sneak away from the boys for a movie and dinner. As most of you know it was still extremely hot but we didn't let it get in the way of our fun.

Adell and Grandma Patti

The boys helped get the tables and volleyball net set up outside while us ladies finished getting food ready for the party. I may have spent a little too much time decorating these cupcakes but I can hardly resist a good theme. 

I had a blast at the Kent party. This is the first year I've been able to make it since they started having this annual party at their new house. Being on the lake and having a prime seat for the fireworks was AMAZING. It had been way too long since I'd seen a decent fireworks show.

Happy 4th!

 Luckily it worked out for me and Kevin to make it out to the farm to visit Grandmom and Grandad. Grandad had only been out of the hospital from his surgery and heart scare for less than a week. He was looking really good and I'm so glad he's on the road to recovery!

More fun was had for dinner at On the Border with the Kent side.

I gave up trying to get any of the Kent brothers to give me normal faces for pictures some time ago. I have just become grateful on the rare occasion that I get one. I also realize how short I look next to Joe.

We did manage to get a group photo (although it was not easy in a crowded restaurant) I think it turned out pretty well. We decided to cut Adell some slack for not looking at the camera.

A great week!