Week (or two) in review

Highlights from the last 2 weeks:

36 week Dr. appointment went well though I was not dilated and still measuring 2 weeks big. Not that I was disappointed by any means, at the time we were still trying to get the nursery ready and pack my hospital bag.

Carpet has been installed, Kyle has moved downstairs, and the nursery furniture arrived. The room has come together very quickly but it looks great! The rocker won't arrive till the end of January and I have yet to put anything on the walls but we're getting there.

BSC Christmas party 2009 was a small gathering this year but it's always good to see everyone and catch up. Jessi was also in town so I got to spend some time with her, twice.

Courtney, Rhonda, Hillary, Amy, Katie

And then came Christmas! The Jost family, Judy, Jon, Bella, James, and I, lit the Christ candle and read scripture at the Christmas eve service. Considering we hadn't really practiced much and we were dealing with a 3 year old it went really well! I have the service on DVD if anyone wants to see it. Christmas Eve we had Christmas at the Koser's complete with our traditional fondue dinner. This year Judy, Jon, and Bella joined us. We also acknowledged this was James' 11th Christmas fondue dinner with us. One of the highlights of the evening was the chocolate fountain malfunction. It was still good though!

Note: I look huge!

The following morning we celebrated Christmas with Judy and we got new point and shoot cameras and Bella was entertained with her new baby doll and doll house. The rest of the day we spent eating, napping...eating some more, and we had a great game of mexican train dominos with my parents too. It truly was a wonderful day and James and I feel so blessed to have such great families.

Saturday we had Christmas with Gary and Janet. As always, we had a wonderful meal and assortment of cookies, Grandma's famous chocolate chip cookies included! I managed to take a 36 1/2 week photo with their electric blue Christmas tree, it's so beautiful!

I couldn't resist, the cutest lil' crack I've ever seen!

And that brings us to today-I had my 37 week appointment and I have started to dilate! It will probably be another week or two but we're ready. Bags are packed, pack n' play is in the bedroom, her bed is made, all the clothes and blankets have been washed. They say time slows down in the last few weeks but I feel like I've been in fast forward mode. It won't be much longer now!

35 weeks and growing

They say a picture is worth a thousand words which is a good thing because I'm too pooped to post. I'm feeling pretty good though and I'm looking forward to a weekend at the spa thanks to Gary and Janet, what a great birthday gift! 

Wednesday James will be celebrating his 29th birthday. One of the things I love about James is the fact that he may only be a year from turning the big 3-0 but he's still a kid at heart. When I look at him, I still see the fun loving boy I met 12 years ago and who would have thought 12 years ago I was going to marry that boy? Well, 4 years ago this Thursday I married that boy and he has grown into a loving husband and soon to be a father. What a journey we have been on together and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for our family.

October 15, 2004

December 17, 2005

Picture Day

Wednesday was picture day at the doctor for Baby J. She wore her birthday suit-naturally!

Look at those chubby cheeks! She gets them from her mama.

Profile of her head. Poor thing is all squished up in there!

They estimate her current weight to be 5 lb 9 oz which is very normal. I'm still measuring 3 weeks big though they say I'm "all baby". I think we can expect her to arrive closer to her due date but we'll still be prepared. Painting is underway in the basement, doors and trim arrive tomorrow and will be installed the beginning of next week, carpet arrives Thursday, and nursery furniture will be delivered Friday afternoon. Whew, we're getting closer!

Thankful

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, a few days late, I am thankful for many reasons this year and here are just a few.

I am thankful to be back in Wichita near our families and to have a beautiful home. We celebrated 1 year of home ownership on November 21st. For all your real estate needs, contact Maggie Koser. She's the best Realtor anyone could ask for, and I'm lucky enough to call her Mom!

Ready for Christmas!

I am thankful James and I both have jobs.

I am thankful for our healthy little girl arriving in January, or December, whenever she decides to make her grand appearance. 

I am thankful for our families and many, many friends who share in our excitement for the arrival of Baby J and those that have 'showered' us with wonderful gifts and lots of love! James and I feel so blessed to have such amazing friends.

Thanks Victoria!

Because of previously mentioned families and friends, I am thankful our basement is almost finished just in time for the arrival of Baby J. Many hours have been spent cleaning, packing, insulating, wiring, painting, constructing, house sitting-we couldn't have done it without you!

Before

Almost done! Kyle hard at work.

I am thankful for our Sunday morning fellowship group. They were an unexpected blessing when we decided to move back to Wichita and I think in a way it's God's cherry on top. We have enjoyed the growth and encouragement this group brings to our lives.

On the same note, I am thankful for my girls bible study, another unexpected surprise. These girls inspire me to be a more Godly woman and wife.

I am thankful for my husband who puts up with me, or I put up with him...depending on the day. Either way, we are each other's biggest fans and I look forward to many more years of being thankful together!

James, in his happy place.

2 for 1

Who doesn't love sales? I, for one, love them and for my readers, today is your lucky day. I have two post worthy events.

First, this past Thursday I got the seasonal flu vaccine on my own free will by myself. Consider it step one in getting past my fear of needles. During the pregnancy I've had lots of practice with getting blood drawn, at times once a week, but those don't count. I didn't WANT to get my blood drawn and Gary's nurse, Nancy went with me every time to keep me distracted. I'm so proud of myself for being such a brave girl. I did ask for a sticker though, it was Jasmine which is kinda funny because James' favorite disney movie is Aladdin.

Then, Friday afternoon I had my first braxton hicks contraction. It happened at work and at first I wasn't quite sure what it was but I quickly recalled our childbirth class and began to breath through it and sure enough it eventually went away. It wasn't extremely painful but was certainly uncomfortable. Fire up the engines, my uterus is officially in practice mode! There is one possible explanation why my body decided to kick into gear, my co-worker Terri had her baby Wednesday night and yesterday I went to visit her and meet sweet Kenadee. I think Baby J was jealous of me holding and cooing over Kenadee that she needed to make her presence known. Don't worry princess, you're still my favorite little girl! As I held the 2 day old baby I couldn't help but think that will be us in 2 short months...

A lot to learn

Apparently I should have done more research before getting pregnant. We had a 6 hour childbirth class this past Saturday and going into it I was expecting to feel a lot better about this whole labor thing. I was wrong. I didn't realize getting an epidural meant inserting a tube into your back and leaving it there which makes sense so they can regulate the 'good juice' but all this time I thought an epidural was a scary long needle they used to inject the 'good juice' and then it came out. Save yourselves from telling me it's not a big deal, you can't see it, you forget it's even there, it's far less painful than the contractions, the joy of seeing your baby for the first time will make it all go away...I believe all that. It's a mental thing for me. It makes me nauseous just thinking about it. When the time comes, I'll just put on my big girl pants. James, you owe me big time!

Also, for anyone out there in marketing/graphics, I've found a job for you. It seems Lamaze could use some updated material. I can't believe they're still showing births from the 80's and their presentation material is just as outdated. I was really disappointed. If I was going to sit through a 6 hour class at least make the presentation pleasing. I'm sure the information was great but I couldn't get past the visuals. 

Early?

Late, often. On time, if you're lucky. Early, never.

At my checkup this week I was told to 'be prepared'. Duh, I'm having a baby of course I need to be prepared but she was serious about something. As I laid there while she measured my belly which should be near 30 cm, I noticed it was taking her a bit longer than usual to get the reading and then she said "Well, if I squish (very technical) it down, I can get you to 33 cm". She then looked at me and asked if I've had my baby shower yet. No. Then she asked if the nursery was done. No. She had my attention now. Checking the baby's position, we found her head down and very low. Good news is that she wasn't engaged and I'm not having contractions, even mild ones. Her advice was to be prepared by 36 weeks "just in case" she arrives early. That's Christmas folks! I'm sure they tell that to everyone but now there is a sense of urgency to get things wrapped up and ready. 

I guess the pep talks about arriving in December have been working but we'll see. I'm probably doomed to go 2 weeks past my due date now but by 36 weeks I will be prepared. All I care is that she is healthy. Early, maybe.

30 Weeks

Drum roll please...

I am 30 weeks pregnant! Where has the time gone? Up until now, time  has flown by and I kind of wish it would slow down. I want to enjoy my pregnancy a little longer before things start to get really uncomfortable. A co-worker is due any day now and each day before I get to my desk, I stop by to check on her. Today there were tears in her eyes when she told me 'I just want her to come out!' She is exactly 2 months ahead of me and it's been so helpful to have someone to compare notes with. Selfishly I'm not ready for her to have her baby because that means she's going to leave me to carry out my last 2 months all by myself. 

In honor of being 3/4 of the way there, we broke out our new Cocoa-Latte maker. Our friends Barry and Paige introduced us to this slice of heaven and James surprised me with it this weekend. It's the simple things that make me happy. And marshmallows. It's great for entertaining so guests are welcome.

Last, but not least, I purchased the crib bedding! I gave up on the idea of making it myself. I was putting myself through too much stress and was forced to make too many decisions so I went the easy route. Some may call me lazy and to you I say "I'm pregnant". I'm really happy with the decision and now I get 1 more hour of sleep each night. That's HUGE! Seriously though, it's one less thing to worry about and I can check it off my mile long to-do list. Slowly but surely things are starting to get done around here and it feels good.

Nothing and everything to say

I've put off posting for far too long. Several times I've thought to myself "self, I need to write a post about that" but then I get distracted, or tired, and I forget. So here are the highlights and not so highlights of the past week:

1. My Grandma, Mom's mother, Lois passed away peacefully in her sleep Oct. 21st. She was 98 years old and lived a long, fulfilled life. We traveled to Kansas City last Monday for her burial and it was a picture perfect day, except I didn't take any pictures. Very fitting for such a lovely woman.

2. My Uncle Ben flew into Wichita from southern California for the funeral and it was great seeing him. We don't get to see him enough and that's too bad. I think if we had mountains for his wife to climb, they would visit more often but Kansas is flat and not as fun as Peru, the Grand Canyon, or Hawaii.

3. Our basement project is coming along. Over the weekend, we got the electrical roughed in. The plumber will be here Friday and drywall will go up starting November 16th-just in time for Thanksgiving. The plumbing and electrical will be completed the first week of December and we can start the trim work and painting and finally...carpet. It still seems like there is a lot left to be done but I choose to remain positive.

4. I had my 28 week appointment last week and the dreaded glucose test. While I passed, I found out my blood sugar levels are REALLY low. The prescription-eat more snacks high in protein and cut back on carbs. I'm pretty happy with this diagnosis considering the other extreme is diabetes.

5. We finished our baby registries over the weekend. It was touch and go but we made it through without tears, meltdowns, or "it's  your fault I'm pregnant". Overall I think we did pretty well registering for what we NEED rather than unnecessary items. We did however register for a nightlight/soothing sound/mp3 player which I thought would come in handy. I'm getting very excited for upcoming showers and getting things ready for baby.

6. Lately, I have had fears of going into labor early to the point where I'm loosing sleep over it. I'm not sure why, nothing indicates that I will but I constantly run through "what if" scenarios. Thankfully, we have 2 very supportive families who would be there for us to help us out. Still, it is a very real fear and I need to constantly remind myself to chill out! 

7. I don't have any photos to share with you...yet. I'm working on it which means hopefully my posts will become more frequent. So I apologize to my readers for letting you down. If you're longing for more visually stimulating posts, I suggest you check out the blogs I follow (to the right).

28 weeks (almost)

If I keep growing at this rate, I'll be a Goodyear blimp!

I don't think this picture does the bump justice, in reality I'm much larger (at least I feel much larger). With a little less than 3 months to go, I'm feeling pretty good but I know changes are just around the corner. Big changes. I'm starting to get a little nervous about finishing our basement and setting up the nursery in time. The furniture is on order and will be arriving soon, James and I just started our registry, and if I didn't have enough to do, I've decided to have the bedding made-at least the bumpers, skirt, blanket, and drapery. I have the fabric picked out and a friend has offered us her bumper inserts from Pottery Barn. I hope it turns out like I have it pictured in my head but just in case, I have a plan B: order the bedding online from Caden Lane. I fell in love with this bedding but felt it was a little pricey which is why I thought having it made would be more economical. At this point I'm not so sure.

(Image property of Caden Lane.)

So there you have it. A new picture and quick update. Shout out to Rachel who finished her 4th marathon today-congratulations! Even more impressive, she gave birth only 6 months ago. You're my hero.

Babymoon

In some of the pregnancy books I'm reading, they suggest taking a babymoon in the second trimester so the first weekend in October, James and I went back to Washington, D.C. to attend Ana and Trustun's wedding. As a bonus, we also got to spend time with Rachel, Sol, Finley, and Victoria. Despite our trip being waaaay too short, we had a great time. I had forgotten how much I loved living in the DC metro area. Transportation is so convenient and I miss my favorite restaurants-Sweetgreen & Chadwicks (just to name a few). In the short time we were there we visited old town Alexandria (our old stomping grounds), went to a BEAUTIFUL wedding, a K-State watch party (they won!), ate Rachel's pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, went baby gear shopping, and babysat Finley.  

Something else to note-James and I are terrible at Rock Band. Just ask Sol. Terrible!

A few pictures from the wedding:

The best co-workers I've ever had, Greg & Ana.

ABA gang-Todd, Greg, Julie, Hillary, Kimberly, James

Trustun & Ana Connor

Zeke found Jesus today.

And ate Him.

I don't know what causes Zeke to do this. Hunger, boredom, anger towards James and I for leaving him home all day by himself. I do feel bad for him though. Perhaps if I become a stay at home mom, Zeke wouldn't destroy our material possessions. Problem solved, I'm putting in my two weeks notice tomorrow! (just kidding)

growing belly...shrinking brain

I've heard that as the baby grows, she will get in the way of the bladder, stomach, lungs and other organs south of my neck but I swear she's causing my brain to shrink! I've been so forgetful lately and it takes me longer to process information. I suppose I can't blame my forgetfulness completely on the baby, I've worn myself out mentally and physically this week. 

First of all, thank you to everyone who has been praying for my Dad. Last Wednesday he went in for a scheduled heart cath and we learned he needed triple bypass surgery. They scheduled the surgery for this past Monday and kept him in the hospital to monitor his medications. He was very strong leading into the surgery but Monday morning, I could tell reality was setting in and he let his softer side show-which made me a puddle of goo. The doctors said to expect a lot of pain and grogginess the first couple days out of surgery-I think they sugar coated that slightly. It's been tough to see him the past few days in so much pain and discomfort. As of tonight they still have the drainage tube in from his chest and lungs and they're hoping that can come out tomorrow assuming the drainage stops. In addition to the pain, he hasn't been able to sleep and still doesn't have an appetite. He ate more tonight than I've seen him eat since Tuesday morning so that's a good sign. I just hate seeing my Dad like this. He's supposed to be the strong one! If you think of it, please continue to pray for him. We hope he will be released this Saturday.

And if that isn't enough 'grey' news, I haven't seen the sun since last Wednesday. It's cold and rainy and while I normally enjoy this weather, I miss the sun. 

In brighter news, James' brother Jon and lil' munchkin Bella are visiting this weekend. It will be great to see them and spend time with family. I think there is pumpkin carving in the plans which makes me extremely excited. Pictures WILL be posted!

**I just realized I forgot to mention what prompted this post. I did some grocery shopping tonight on my way home from the hospital and I left the ground beef at the checkout. Completely ruined my dinner plans! I've NEVER done that. Ugh.

25 weeks

Time for a new photo-

I didn't realize how much I've grown in the last 3 weeks. In addition to a growing belly, I've had a harder time moving around. I feel slightly winded after a flight of stairs (I work on the second floor of our office and do this multiple times a day), getting comfortable in bed requires a bit more maneuvering, and bending over to do laundry is becoming more of a chore. But complaining aside, I'm still feeling great and with each day we're closer to meeting our little girl!

A match made in heaven

Chips and salsa.

Cookies and milk.

Fall and hot apple cider.

Chris Mann and Glee. I've told several friends about Chris and if you haven't heard him sing yet, search him on itunes (EP released not too long ago) or go here. He's a very talented singer/song writer from Wichita and everyone needs to tell their friends about him. Turns out he's been doing some writing for Glee-a fantastic new show on Fox. If you're not familiar with the show, my friend Rachel sums it up pretty well. Shame on you if you're not watching. Last week's episode featured one of his songs "Somebody to Love."

A match made in heaven.

Sucker Punch

Last night, James' boss had a few of the directors over to watch the Cowboys/Giants game. I'm really not a NFL fan, I LOVE college football though. I have a had time watching athletes who get paid millions of dollars and complain about not making enough and some of them (not naming names) abuse dogs. Not cool. Zeke doesn't think so either. 

That's not the point of the story, this is: Adam and his lovely wife Kelly have a 4 year old son who is non-stop. Really, from the minute we walked in the door he was bouncing off the walls. I laughed when Kelly said "can you tell he's an only child and we don't have many visitors." At one point Caden got out his bowling set and he asked me to take a turn. I don't quite remember the sequence of events but I'm pretty sure I beat him. Playfully, he turned to me and punched me right in the belly. Granted it wasn't hard at all, I poke my belly harder than he hit it but the look on his parents' faces was priceless. Kelly had to explain to him that pregnant women have babies inside their tummies and you can't hit them. It was completely innocent and I thought it would make for a good post.

Moral of the story: Zeke is cute and don't punch pregnant women in the tummy.

Belly button

In celebration of being 22 weeks pregnant today, I am gifting you a new belly photo-enjoy!

In other news, I'm loosing my belly button. It's starting to disappear and will soon become an outie. I've always thought belly buttons were awkward and I've never understood why we have them or what purpose they serve. Perhaps some of you more intelligent readers could enlighten us. For the first time (and probably last) I will expose my bare belly.

Long Overdue

Whew, it's been a big week but I couldn't leave you hanging without sharing the following highlights of our last week.

1. Last Saturday we took a road trip up to Manhattan with our wonderful friends Barry and Paige for the K-State home opening game against UMass. We had awesome seats on the 50 yard line and the weather couldn't have been better AND the Cats won! Several of the partners at my office have season tickets that occasionally they don't use so hopefully we'll get to see them play a few more times this season. It's fun to think that next year we'll be taking our Baby Wildcat to the games too!

2. Probably the most exciting news of all, James felt our baby kick. Thursday evening, after consuming large amounts of chocolate, we settled into bed for the night and she was the most active she's been yet. I had doubts that James could feel her but he tried anyway and sure enough, she put on a show. It was a very special moment, one I never want to forget. I try to get ready for bed 30 minutes earlier just so I can lay there and feel her move-it's my favorite time of day now.

3. We purchased the nursery furniture! Such a big commitment but I feel so much better. Last weekend James and I drove all the way to Tiny Tykes Furniture on the west side. I highly recommend going there-best kept secret in Wichita. It's a family owned business and the owner was extremely helpful and was willing to negotiate with us. I couldn't be happier with our decision. Deciding on the furniture was a very emotional experience for me. As soon as we saw the crib, we knew it was 'the one.' I would even go as far as comparing it to finding my wedding dress. Is that weird? 

So much going on in our lives right now but I'm loving every minute of it. We feel so deeply blessed and thankful for all that God has provided. Whoever and wherever you are, take a moment to reflect upon the blessings in your life, both big and small, and be thankful!

Flirt

Baby J isn't even out of the womb and already she has two crushes. The first being Finley Scott-he's older and might be one of the cutest babies I've ever seen. The second being Baby Woods who is also still in the oven but judging by his parents, he'll be one cool dude. Congrats Carrie and Cory on your wonderful news!

Mission Accomplished

If I wait to post until I've downloaded photos, this blog would never happen. I'm terrible at remembering to take pictures to begin with and then it takes weeks, sometimes months, to download them. So, I've decided to post anyways and post the pictures later. Something is better than nothing, right? Also, since we're talking about pictures-taking pictures of my belly is awkward. I feel so strange having a profile picture taken not to mention the cheesy smile. James hates taking them too. I'm growing by the minute it seems so we'll work on getting over the awkwardness. You're welcome.

UPDATE: Photos added!

All of this...

For this. Me at 20 weeks, half way along. Zeke is not pregnant. He is 7.

Now onto our weekend adventure shopping in Kansas City. We set out Saturday morning with the goal of finding maternity clothes, nursery furniture 'browsing', and shoe shopping for James. Along the way we also looked at girl clothes and found an awesome store, Janie and Jack. It's difficult to anticipate sizes and figure out seasons so we didn't buy anything but now we know where to go. I was very successful in the maternity clothes department (and shoe department)! We also checked out Nebraska Furniture Mart and found a crib we liked. We still need to look here in Wichita too. Best part of the trip-eating at Five Guys for lunch. Heaven.

Sunday I spent the day cleaning out/re-organizing my closet. I packed up my summer clothes and a few fall things that I would not be fitting into for a long time and replaced them with my new elastic wardrobe. Don't get me wrong, I love all my new clothes but it's sad to see some favorites go. Thank goodness maternity fashion has changed over the years!

thinkPINK

It's official...we are having a baby girl!



The sonogram went well and we saw her in action waving her hand, stretching out her arms and legs and we got the all important bottom shot confirming she is in fact a she. Sonogram pictures will be posted soon.

I won't lie, I think James and I were a little surprised. I really thought it was a boy so it took a while for it to sink in and for James he still may be trying to digest the news. None the less, she will be daddy's little girl and he is going to be a great father teaching her all about sports and hunting...and then I will take her shopping! I suppose we should start the college and wedding funds, I already feel poor! But she will be worth it.

Now begins the name game and all important nursery decorating though we need to finish our basement and move our current tenant out of the soon to be nursery. Lots to do in the coming months and we will need lots of help. So if you or anyone you know is an electrician, can hang drywall, painter, carpenter, etc. we could use you! Seriously. Call me.

For your viewing pleasure, enjoy:

Laying on her side with her hands up by her face.
Laying on her back with her hand up.
One foot. Two foot.
Touching her cheek.

Could it be?

I am 99.9% sure I felt the baby move today! It happened at the office around 2 pm and lasted for about 45 minutes. It felt like a light 'thumping' and it was all over my belly. It was so light though, I really had to concentrate otherwise I probably wouldn't have known it was happening. Very exciting, especially since our sonogram is this Thursday! James and I are both very anxious to discover the sex of Baby J-myself especially because I found the diaper bag I want.

It's the Lexie Tote from Fleurville and they sell them here in Wichita at Marshmallow Kisses, which I am in love with. They have everything baby and all of their things are so cute! All we need to know is boy or girl!

I am being summoned by my dear husband...must be time for dinner! More later if there is time (and energy).

18 Weeks

Stearns & Foster side sleeper pillow - $59.99, Laura Ashley body pillow - $19.99, getting a good night's sleep...priceless. After weeks of nagging back pain, several friends suggested trying a body pillow. I should have listened sooner. Disclaimer - James, this does not mean you are exempt from being my personal masseuse. I thought back pain was only associated with carrying a baby in the 8th and 9th months, boy was I wrong. I'm crossing my fingers I'm not experiencing early stages of sciatica. Another trick I learned - using a donut cushion at work. Sitting at a desk all day was making matters worse so a fellow mamma-to-be let me in on her secret. 

Aside from the back pain, I've been feeling great the past few weeks. My energy levels are coming back which means exercise is becoming more regular, my belly is starting to form a nice 'bump', and in less that 2 weeks we will know whether or not Baby J is a he or she! James has a very scientific theory when it comes to predicting the gender which I'm sure he will share with you all. 

Lastly (my eyes are getting heavy as I type...) another milestone to note - I wore maternity jeans for the first time. I purchased them from Baby Gap a few weeks ago because they I found out they were no longer going to carry maternity clothes. I got a great deal on them and I knew that I would eventually get a lot of use out of them. After a few weeks of wearing the Bella Band with my regular pants I gave in...and they were AMAZING! Did I really need to wear them? Probably not but they are my new favorite pair of jeans and will be for the next 4 1/2 months. The Bella Band will probably work for a few more weeks but I should probably start investing in some work clothes. We've planned a shopping trip to KC next weekend with my mom and Judy, perfect timing. Other items on the list: nursery furniture & accessories, diaper bag, and Five Guys. What more could a pregnant woman want!

Here we go...

I did it. I started a blog. I've been saying for weeks now that I wanted a way to record the happenings of our family, especially with a baby on the way. But it's not all baby, okay mostly it is, but consider it a glimpse into our lives. So stay tuned, I can't guarantee every post will be life changing but it's our life changing so enjoy!

Love,

Hillary, James, Zeke, and Baby J