The Nursery

Everything is pretty much in place and ready to go in the nursery. Outfits are in the closet, changing table is stocked with diapers and the crib is made up and ready for baby. We wanted to update you on the nursery and how it is designed. With only a month left everything is ready to go, now all we need is a baby!

35 Weeks

Only 5 more weeks to go! We bought her stroller and car seat this past weekend along with a few other essential things. I think we are ready! I even packed her diaper bag. Matt and I are getting excited to bring her home. We went to birthing class on Saturday at North Kansas City Hospital. We learned about the labor process and birthing options the hospital offers. Now that I have all the supplies and I have toured the labor and delivery floor, I finally feel ready. I even have my substitute plans done when I have to miss work. I am hoping this last month, I can just relax and enjoy the last few weeks of her in my belly.
I feel her moving all the time now since she essentially has no more room in my belly. He movements are strong and my stomach moves all over. She has a heel firmly planted in my left side most of the time. Even in the middle of the night I will tap her foot and she will kick back. My stomach is filled out and it literally looks like I have a basketball under my shirt. Strangers are always taken back that I have a month left but look small. I do not think I look small nor do I feel small anymore! But I am trying to enjoy the last little bit of pregnancy because it will be over before I know it. I have given up tying my shoes and running. But I am still doing pregnancy yoga twice a week. My schedule is still crazy with two weeks of basketball tournaments but for the most part, I am still feeling great.

Oh Gracie!

If she only knew what was on the way! She had to try on the baby's sunglasses & check out the outfits and diapers. She approves.

34 Weeks

What a great week. On Saturday night, all Matt's boys from Lee's Summit came over for his Diapers for Daddy Party. Matt wore a doll in a baby carrier like the movie Hangover. There were about 10 people there and we ended up getting over 600 diapers and some wipes. When I woke up the next morning, the boys had all crashed on the livingroom floor. Me and my 8 boys all went to breakfast at Hy-Vee before I had to get ready for my shower at Staley Farms.
We had a full house at my shower. My sister and sister-in-laws did a great job with the shower and the games. My mom and grandma took care of the table decorations and they were so cute. My cake was pink and it had an ultrasound picture of the baby on it. Plus it was delicious! We got so many presents. We received a lot of presents off the registry which helps me feel more prepared. I still need to get the car seat, a base, stroller, baby monitors, and a few small items... but friends and family really helped me with most of the necessities. What a blessing!
This Saturday, Matt and I are going to Birthing Class at the hospital while Mom, Dad, and Grandma are going to a Grandparents Class. Matt is really excited to tour the hospital and the birthing room to see where all the action will take place.
We had a doctor's appointment yesterday and the baby's heartbeat was 140 and everything looked good as usual. I am going for my next appointment on February 4th. From then on, I will be going to visits every week. I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by. She will be here before we know it. I cannot wait to hold her. Her little feet are lodged in the sides of my belly and she is a kicker. No stretch marks to this point... Praise Jesus. But with about 5 weeks left I will continue to lather on my lotion.

Baby shower!

Andrea had her shower on Sunday with all her girls and Andrea threw me a "diapers for daddy" shower with the guys. We provided the food and the beer and asked the guys to bring a package of diapers to help me get started with the diapers. After all the gifts were opened and put in their place in the nursery, the room looks more like a nursery than just a room with a crib! We had a baby class at the hospital this weekend. We learned about the birthing process and how to care for the baby after she leaves the hospital. The one piece of advice they gave me that stood out was to wake her up every 3 hours to feed and get her on a routine, otherwise she'll be up all night from sleeping during the day. Thanks to all our friends and family who helped make this weekend so much fun!

33 Weeks

Well here I am about 6.5 weeks away from my due date. Reality is setting in that my nights will be longer, my sleep cycles shorter, my house a little louder, and my life a little crazier... and I could not be more excited! My baby shower is this Sunday and I am excited to hopefully receive some much needed baby items. We had our painter come over and look at the nursery yesterday so hopefully he will begin painting the castle on her playroom very soon. As for me, I am definitely feeling very pregnant. Don't get me wrong- I still feel good. But I am feeling big, heavy, and tired. I am still carrying the baby really low, but now that she is putting on weight like crazy I think the only way she can grow is up. So her feet settle under my ribs and I have to sit up straight to get a deep breathe.
Because of all the snow, our first day back from Christmas break was this week. My students all made comments about how much my tummy had grown in the three week break. I believe them too! My tummy is feeling round and tight. The baby weighs around 4.5 pounds right now and is about 19 inches long. Amazing! This Saturday Matt and I will go to our "Beyond Birth" class at the hospital. Matt is really excited to learn about how to take care of her when we bring her home. Next Saturday we will go to our Birthing Class since it was cancelled last week due to the snow. The weeks are flying by and she will be here before we know it! I can't wait.

31 Weeks

Happy New Years! I cannot believe it's 2010. We are having a baby in 2 months (or less). Last night on New Years Eve we went over to Adam and Whitney's house. I had a great time playing Mexican Dominos with the girls and Matt played video games in the basement with all the boys. We had a ton of food and ended up having a great time. Mom and I went shopping/looking for the baby today. We had a great time looking at all of the cute things that I registered for. My shower is about 2 weeks away. I am really excited for the party because I am feeling really unprepared right now. We have lots of 0-3 month old onsies but no car seat, stroller, bottles, diapers, etc. Once we have the shower, I am hoping to feel a lot more prepared for her arrival.
The baby is running out of room in my tummy really quickly. I can feel every movement, roll, and turn. Her kicks are getting a lot less frequent due to the lack of space. Two nights ago Matt found some body part of her's sticking out and gave it a little tap. My entire stomach then jumped and rolled. Aparently she did not like that. I am really excited to see her, hold her, and cuddle her. Reality is setting in... we are going to be parents in about 8 weeks! We cannot wait to meet our little blessing!