30 Weeks and New York City

30 Weeks

Merry Christmas Baby Girl! We had an ultrasound and doctor's appointment today to check on the baby and she is doing great. She is about 3.5 lbs and she is about 17 inches long. She is measuring about the size of a 31.5 week fetus, so she may be here a little before we all think. The doctor said she is doing well and I am a OB doctor's dream patient. I hope it stays that way. Oh, and we had the doctor confirm she is still a girl. Yeah!
We got back from New York very early this morning because our flight was delayed. We saw Ground Zero, Wall Street, Battery Park, Chinatown, Times Square, and more. My favorite night was the night Matt and I went out on a date. We started our date by going up to the top of the Empire State Building at dusk. Oh my goodness it was freezing and windy. There was probably a -30 degree wind chill up at the top, but the view was gorgeous! After we got back down we went to the Heartland Brewery at Times Square and had a great meal just the two of us. We talked about the baby and how dates like this are going to dwindle after the baby is here.
Matt was such a trooper with all the shopping we did. I bought a fake coach purse in Chinatown for a diaper bag. The extra 20 lbs that I am carrying around sure impacted me a little more than I had expected. We had to slow down while walking and stop at Starbucks about every 3 hours for bathroom/drink breaks. All in all, the trip was really fun and I am glad we decided to go on our Babymoon before our Baby Girl arrives. Christmas is 2 days away and I can't wait to celebrate.

28 Weeks

Welcome to the 3rd Trimester! I am still feeling well, but boy am I tired. You know I am tired when I need to sit down for a minute while shopping (which happened this weekend at Gordmans). Basketball is in full swing and we won our first JV game last night. We are now 1-4. Ouch, I know.
I went to the doctor's on Monday and had my Glucose testing done. Everything came out fine with that and I have now gained 18 glorious pounds. But I did get a call from a nurse yesterday telling me my iron was really low. They want me to quadrulple my iron intake, which I am sure will reek havoc on my body again. But it's really important since my blood volume has now doubled since before I was pregnant. There are also complications which can affect the baby such as low birth weight or pre-term labor. So we are working to get this under control ASAP.
We now have to go to the doctor every 2 weeks for routinue blood tests and measurements of the baby. Once I get to 36 weeks, I will go every week. My next appointment is December 23. We will also have an ultrasound done that day to check on the baby and to see her position. I also want to double check that we still have a girl.
Matt and I leave for NY in 8 days and I am looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break with my electric blanet, couch, and TV. I can't wait until Christmas gets here!

27 Weeks

We have less than 3 months until we get to meet our sweet baby girl. She continues to be very active, especially at night. Last night she was moving all over the place. I told Matt I just want a peek at what she is doing in there. I want to know for sure what I am feeling...was that an arm or leg? I am still feeling really well and have run three times this week at the gym. Winter has hit us with full force this week and I found myself reaching for my winter coat. I realized this morning that my good winter coat will not button or zip due to my expanding belly. But I do have over 15 pounds of extra fun to help keep me warm.
I am going to go Christmas shopping for Matt right after school today and then we are heading to Lee's Summit to eat dinner with Bryan and Sarah before taking in the Lady Falcon championship game. I am ready for a relaxing weekend. We have a lot to do to get ready for Christmas and I want to spend some time just hanging out with Matt. We continue to get Gracie ready for the arrival of her new little sister. She has no idea though. I am sure she will get used to the baby but it will probably take a week or so before Grace realizes that the baby is not leaving. I do believe she senses something is different with me because she will no longer rough house with me and seems to be extra lovie.

3 months to go

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now the countdown is on for Christmas. This month will fly by as we are busy with the holiday festivities, basketball, and a trip to New York. With only 3 months left until the birthday, we'll be busy right up until then! Andrea's belly has now grown to the point that she has a shelf that she can place a bowl of cereal, popcorn, ice cream, or in this case chips & dip.

26 Weeks

The baby weights almost 2 pounds now and she is about 14 inches long. The baby has about 5 to 6 more pounds to gain before she is done cooking. But her little legs are getting so strong. She has been in the same position for 3 days now and her little feet are now located on my left side under my ribs. She has daily been practicing her dance skills. Even Matt can feel her tiny feet dancing on my side.
The sleepless nights have begun too. She dances all night long and I have to sit up and change positions every couple of hours... Add that to the bathroom trips and I think I am sleeping about 2 straight hours at a time. I guess she is just getting us ready for the nights to come. We also bought a chandelier and put it in her nursery. It is fit for a princess and looks precious. Last week we finished registering at Target and Babies R Us and we are excited to get some baby stuff for Christmas. Matt and I are also excited to go to New York in about three weeks. I love the holidays and this year is even more exciting. More info to come later!

24 Weeks

With her bedding and a new dresser in her nursery, the room is starting to look like a baby will live there soon. Her bedding looks precious in the crib and I cannot wait to begin to decorate her nursery. Gracie is still pretty confused about what is going on in that room. She is not allowed to come in unless she is invited. When we do invite her in, she is sniffing all over the place. Last week Matt and I found a video of a newborn crying on YouTube and played it for her. Poor girl was so confused. Soon I don't think the crying will phase her at all.
Basketball starts today and before you know it the holidays will be here. The months have just been flying by. I cannot believe she will be here in 4 months. Basketball and the holidays will keep me busy and distracted. Matt and I will be traveling on our "babymoon" (yes it is a real word) to NYC right before Christmas to celebrate our last trip without baby. My mom and Grandma will be coming with us too. We plan to stop by to see Dr. Barron (my hand doctor) and of course, hit up Chinatown. Matt has no idea what he is in for!

New Sonogram Pics & Baby Registration

Here's the latest sonogram pictures. These were taken at 20 weeks. Everything is going perfect with the baby girl and she has become very active lately! We spent the weekend registering for the baby. You can find our registry online at Target & Babies R Us. We are just getting started, so there will be plenty more to add as time goes on. Who knew you would need so much stuff?!

22 Weeks

Matt and I are having a blast shopping for our little girl. We bought her first outfit from Mommy and Daddy this weekend. She won't be able to wear it until next fall, but it is so cute. She is moving around all the time. I can even wake her up sometimes with some tapping. My favorite part of the day with her is at nighttime. Matt will lay his hand on my belly before we go to sleep to feel her. She will twist and turn and sometimes even give him a big kick. She is getting so big. Last week she was the size of a squirrel. You should see what she is doing to my belly button. I won't be an innie for much longer.
She gets hiccups about once a day now too. Yesterday she had them three times! We are really excited to register and to get started on her room. I think I have found the bedding I like at Nebraska Furniture Mart. It is soft brown, pink, and green with precious flowers on it. We also need to buy the dresser that goes with our crib too. So much to do and so much to buy!

It's a Girl !

It is official. We are having a little girl. Now the shopping can begin. When Matt and I went to get the ultrasound, I was almost a little nervous. But she looks absolutely perfect and healthy. We were so excited when the technician said that we were having a little girl. Matt gave me a high five and sqeezed my hand as I teared up a little bit. Then we were off to Babies R Us and Target to get something to show the family. Later that night we met the parents at Cascone's for dinner to announce the sex. As we yelled, "It's A Girl," we pulled out a pink and white bib that said I Love Daddy. There were hugs and tears all around the table. My mom even gave us her first outfit. It is pink and soft and has angel wings on the back.

Matt and I are really excited to start shopping for her room and bedding. We even talked about some names last night at dinner. What a great week. I am even more excited to meet her. Until then, we will enjoy her every little kick and turn in my belly.

20 Weeks

This is the week we have all been waiting for. We have a doctor's appointment today, a District Championship Softball Game tonight, and our Ultrasound to see the sex tomorrow. We are all praying our baby has it's legs spread. We are headed out to dinner at Cascone's with all the parents tomorrow night to break the news. What a week ahead!
Last night the baby was going crazy as we laid in bed. Matt had his hand resting on my tummy as he tried to go to sleep. The baby was kicking and rolling all over. Matt would get excited with each kick. Oooh and Ahhhs filled the bedroom well past ten last night. The baby has gone from kicking once or twice a day to kicking probably five to six times a day. Sometimes the acrobats last for five to ten minutes. Yeah for our little athlete. We will definitely be posting tomorrow when we know the sex.

Bought the crib!

We bought the crib that we have had our eye on for a while. This is the first big thing we have purchased, the next thing will be the matching dresser. Next week we find out the gender of the baby! It's hard to believe that this experience is nearly half done. Next week is the big week, we'll update you then.

18 Weeks

Well finally something to get excited about at 18 weeks! I felt the baby move on Monday September 28th. I felt it twice in fact. The first time I was laying in my warm bed after taking my morning shower and I felt a little brush of something about 3 inches below my belly button. It happened about three times in one minute. I had a feeling it might be the baby, but chalked it up to gas. But about 1:00, while I was grading papers in class, there it was again. I knew it was the baby this time. It's so exciting! Week 18 has been the best so far! But our next doctor's appointment is 12 days away and I am also excited for that. We get to find out the sex of our baby in less than 2 weeks! Matt is still hoping for a boy, but at this time I just want a healthy baby. I have no preferences and my feeling of a girl has disappeared. We are just anxious to start decorating the nursery and buying bedding for baby Holmes. The belly continues to grow and I have begun to love sweatpants more and more. Even my gym shorts are feeling tight. I am still feeling great 99% of the time and hope the rest of the pregnancy continues in this fashion.

16 Weeks

Well, I gave in to the power of maternity clothes today. I wore my new green elastic waistband pants to school today. And boy are they comfortable. This decision came after yesterday at church when I had to unbutton my pants to sit down after worship. I looked over at Matt and he was just shaking his head. Natalie and baby Turner came over for the Chiefs game after church. Matt did such a good job holding 4 week old Turner. By the end of their visit he looked like a pro with Turner tucked in one arm and a diet coke in the other hand. It's hard to believe this will be what a typical weekend looks like in just 5 short months.
Last week at the doctor's we set our appointment to find out the sex. It is on October 13 at 2:00 in the afternoon. I am so excited. Although my mom is disappointed we are not going to wait to find out the sex, I cannot take the suspense. I am a planner and not up for surprises of this magnitude. As soon as we find out if we are having a boy or a girl, the shopping can begin!

heartbeat!

We heard the babys heartbeat on Wednesday at our monthly checkup! The heartbeat was 150 beats per minute, right where it should be. We still can't hear the heartbeat with the doppler that we bought, but it's not quite hospital grade equipment. One of Andreas coworkers who recently had a baby boy, Turner, came over to watch the Chiefs game with us. This was a pretty good preview for what we will be doing in about 6 months. Gracie was not sure what to think of Turner, any time he made noises Gracie wanted to come over and sniff him to figure out what this new noise is.

M.H.

We purchased a baby heart doppler to try and hear the babys heart beat. No luck so far, but it's still pretty early to be hearing the heartbeat. We have another doctors appointment this week, a routine monthly exam to check up on the baby and make sure we are progressing as we should be. It's still too early to know the gender, that won't come until October. Thus far the realization hasn't quite settled in that we are going to be parents in 6 months. I think once we know the gender we will be able to make plans and it will be very real then!

M.H.

Week 14

Here we are at Week 14. School is in full swing and softball is going well too. Matt spend the last two weeks traveling off and on, so it was just me, Gracie, and the baby. I am anxiously waiting to feel the baby move. One of my friends said she first felt her baby at week 14, so I find myself laying very still at night concentrating on every rumble of my tummy. In these 10 weeks we have known about the baby, I am convinced that God wants me to have tons of kids since he has made this pregnancy so amazing. My belly is still growing every week and now even students have started to comment on my "pooch". There is a 'look and don't touch' policy that I have had to inforce already though. My belly seems to look really big one day and then the next I can hold it in and still see my abs. I know it will become more consistent and those abs will be gone in a few short weeks.
Matt seems to be getting more excited about the baby now. He cupped his hands on my belly this weekend and said, "How's my baby boy doing in there?" I told him that she was offended by being called a boy. Boy or girl... we will be thrilled. Seven more days until our next doctor's appointment. Hopefully we will be able to hear the heartbeat for the first time. I am still amazed! I still wake up every morning and about the time I am going to the bathroom I have this sudden realization... wow, I'm pregnant. It's like I forget everynight when I go to sleep. But what a wonderful suprise to wake up to every morning. It still makes me giggle everytime I do it.

Second Trimester

Well I welcomed in the second trimester with a long awaited hair appointment to get my hair cut and colored. Praise Jesus, because I was rocking the roots! My hair is growing so fast because of the prenatal vitamins I am taking and I think it is growing out a little darker too. With school in it's second week, softball is in full swing. We have out first games tonight. I will be sporting the catchers gear on first base to protect my little one from any foul balls. Matt said the baby was the size of a peach, but in another magazine it was compared it to a Nutter Butter Cookie. I like this comparison better, but mostly because it sounds good and I am already hungry for lunch at 9:45. I am wearing a little red dress today which shows off my ever-so-subtle bump. I hate it when people tell me I am not even showing. Yes I am. There is something there. I just look a little out of shape or maybe like I need to go to the bathroom really really bad. But it's there. 7 more weeks until we get to find out the sex. It is killing me. Matt won't talk names with me until we find out if it is a girl or a boy. But if you want in on the secret, it's a girl. I can feel it. Don't tell Matt though.

Week 13

Today marks the beginning of week 13. The fetus is now the size of a peach and weighs about a half ounce. The facial features are beginning to take shape and the finers and toes are fully seperated. The baby will actucally begin to suck its thumb very soon. With the first trimester drawing to an end, Andrea has had a great pregnancy thus far. No morning sickness or any other problems. Within the next few weeks Andrea will start to show as the baby grows rapidly during the second trimester.
M.H.

This is our 9 week sonogram, you can make out the hands and feet, that's about it this far. The next sonogram will be in October when we'll find out the gender. But our baby is definately an athlete because this baby was moving all over. So far I haven't had anything change from my daily routine. I know that will change with Andrea going back to school and coaching.

M.H.

August 16,2009

Well we officially begin week 12 of our pregnancy today. I am 1/3 of the way done. My friend Natalie Moffit had her baby Turner today. It was like a small glimpse 6 months down the road. It has made me even more excited about our baby!
Things are going well for us and I am feeling great as usual. The only thing I complain about is the bloating. Oh my gosh... I know it is nothing compared it morning sickness, but it can sure make me misrible.
Other than that, school begins tomorrow for me. I packed an enormous lunch fit for a woman who weights 250 pounds. I might need a bigger lunch box. But I want to be over prepared for my usual every 3 hour eating schedule.