30 weeks...WOW!

I can't believe that as of today, I am 30 weeks pregnant. I remember how excited I was when I was 10 weeks, then 20 weeks, but now that I am 30 weeks, it is kind of crazy. That means that I only have 10 weeks left, or 70 days!. Wow, talk about a little bit of reality starting to set in. Josh and I get more excited every day as we anticipate the arrival of our little girl. Who will she look like? How big will she be? When will she be born? Will she have hair? What color will her eyes be? These are all questions I tend to ponder more and more as the time gets nearer. No matter the answer to any of those questions are, I realize that in approximately 10 weeks we will be blessed with the creation that God has designed especially for us! Isn't that an amazing feeling?
So I as think back again about 10, 20 and now 30 weeks I thought I would add some comparison pictures for you! :)

Here I am at 10 weeks pregnant...

And again at 20 weeks...
And now here I am today at 30 weeks pregnant!

Up 23 pounds! YIKES!!

Here is the naked belly for you!
And here I am just before leaving for work!

Tracy's Baby Shower!

On Saturday, February 23rd, we celebrated Tracy's baby shower. Baby Brock is due to arrive the end of March. Here are pictures from Tracy's shower.

Here I am before leaving the house...this shirt makes my belly look quite big!

And here are the pregnant ones...
L to R: Danielle, due April 14th, Tracy, due March 29th and me, due May 8th!

Marriage Enrichment

So last Friday, February 22nd Josh and I attended Marriage Enrichment Night at church. This is the 4th year we have gone and we continue to love it each time. It is just a great time to talk about marriage and at the end of the night we renew our vows. Since it was a dressy evening, I broke out my first maternity dress! Here are pictures from that night. I am 29weeks 1day pregnant.

Me before leaving the house.

Josh and I at Marriage Enrichment.
And showing off the belly!
My dear friend, Kate and I!
Me in Amelia's room at the end of the evening.

Songs that make me cry!!

So as the birth of our daughter gets closer, I tend to get more and more emotional. This past weekend I realized that there are so many songs right now that are making me tear up. It's probably because they are talking about little baby girls and the ones about daddy's and daughters are enough to make me cry like a 2 year old!! haha! So I thought I would share some lyrics from some of my favorites that are out right now. I am not posting the whole song...just some snapshots of why I love them.

"Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman
She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I'm sitting here wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It's been a long day and there's still work to do,
She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!
There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'
"Oh please, daddy, please!"

Chorus:So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone.

This one is one of my favorites because it reminds me so much of what we went through to have this little girl. The song is:
"We Laughed Until We Cried" by Jason Aldean
Just the other night the baby was cryin
So I got out of bed rocked her awhile and I held her tight
And I told her it would be all right
My mind went back to a few years ago
We tried so long, we almost gave up hope
And I remember you comin' in and tellin me the news
Oh man we were livin, goin crazy in the kitchen
We danced and screamed and held each other tight
We laughed until we cried

My third favorite is a new one. This one makes me cry the hardest. I choked up reading the lyrics but when I heard the song, I couldn't help but cry!
"I Saw God Today" by George Strait
Saw a couple walking by
They were holding hands
Man she had that glow
Yeah I couldn’t help but notice she was starting to show
Stood there for a minute taking in the sky
Lost in that sunset
A splash of amber melted into shades of red.

Chorus
I’ve been to church, I’ve read the book
I know he’s here but I don’t look
Near as often as I should .. yeah I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I just slowed down to stop and stare
Opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

Got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She’s sleeping like a rock
My name on her wrist wearing tiny pink socks
She’s got my nose, she’s got her mamas eyes
My brand new baby girl
She’s a miracle
I saw God today


All these songs just remind me of the precious gift I am carrying and the continued antipaction of meeting our little girl! :)

77 days to go or 11 weeks!

So as I was driving to work this morning, I began praying and thanking God for the wonderful day, the sunshine, my family and friends and most of all this pregnancy. As I was praying I became overwhelmed by the fact that today I am 29 weeks pregnant. Amelia is getting bigger by the day and I am in awe by the way she moves and kicks. It is such an amazing feeling to know that I am carrying a miracle, created by God, made with love Josh and I have for each other. The thought still overwhelms me! Overall, I have been feeling pretty good. I am still throwing up, but usually only after I eat...it's like my belly gets too full and invades Amelia's space, so I get sick and then all is well! The kicking is getting bigger and more noticable every day. Sometimes it even tends to be quite painful. She loves to roll around and stick her butt (or maybe or head, I'm not really sure) as far into my right side as she can, oftentimes causing my belly to become lopsided!! haha! She loves to wake up around 10:30-11:00pm, right when I am getting ready to go to sleep and kick, kick, kick. Eventhough I'm so tired, I love feeling her move and could sit for hours with my hands on my belly anticipating her next move! I just love her so much already.
So with all that...here are the pictures for this week. I actually lost 0.5 pounds this week, I'm not sure how...but I'll take it!
Here is my belly covered.

And here is the famous "Naked belly", getting bigger by the day!
Here it is from the front...I have definately lost my waist!!
And here is a body shot...not a good picture, but hey I'm tired!

Curtains and coming home outfit!

So since I had a 4 day weekend this weekend because of President's Day I thought I should do something productive. So Josh and I headed to Hancock fabric and picked out some fabric for the closet. We took the doors off when Josh painted and I decided I didn't want to hang them back up. So Sunday night I made these pretty curtain panels for Mia's room! Hope you like them.

Here is a picture of both of the panels I did.

Here is a close up of the top panel
Here is a close up of the fabric...
it's little ballet shoes, so appropriate for our ballet themed room!

Here is the bottom curtain after I made another one and attached ribbons to both of them to keep them tied back.

And here is the fleece blanket I made Amelia

Also this week, I started contemplating what I wanted to bring Amelia home in. Yes, I understand that the practical thing would be a onesie or a sleeper gown, but hey, it's my first baby and I'm a tad bit impractical at times. So I was talking to my mom and she mentioned that she still had the outfit I came home from the hospital in...that settled it. Amelia is going to come home in the same outfit I came home in almost 27 years ago!! My mom had it in a box with my baptisimal gown and on the box had written what I wore each outfit for and that she had boxed it with love on August 20, 1981. Can you believe that!! So the lace on the dress is a little yellow, but who cares, it's the meaning and the photo opportunity that matter. I can't wait to bring our daughter home in the very same outfit her mommy wore home from the hospital. What a blessing. So here is a picture of the coming home outfit (it has a matching diaper cover that isn't pictured) and a picture of me 27 years ago this March, coming home from the hospital in the very same outfit.
Check out those cheeks...the ultrasound tech that did our 3D thought Amelia looked like she was going to have some cheeks on her...well if she does, we'll know where she got them!
This is me on the way home from the hospital!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Today is the day of love and romance and me being 28 weeks!!

I can't believe that 12 weeks from today I am due with our baby girl. The interesting thing is that in the beginning making it to 12 weeks is a milestone! It seems like it takes forever to get there. Now as I sit here I realize I only have 12 weeks left until our daughter arrives! Crazy, isn't it!! So as a flashback I thought I would post a picture of me at the milestone of 12 weeks and then post today's pictures with 12 weeks to go!! :)

So here I am at 12 weeks pregnant, there is barely a bump and yet I felt huge!!

And here I am today with only 12 weeks to go! Up 20 pounds
and a baby belly that can not be hid!

Here it is covered.
Here it is from the front, you can start to see my linea negra
(the blackline running under and above my belly button)
And here is a picture of me dressed for work...
not great, but I thought I would share!

I should also send an update that Amelia is quite active these days and actually kicked Josh in the face last night when he was talking to her! haha! It was cute! She also had her first case of the hiccups that I could feel. It was this rythmatic thumping that lasted about 30 seconds...It is just such an overwhelming blessing to feel her grow and move!

I can't wait to meet you, Amelia Rae!!
We love you so much already!

Mia's Room

So today, Josh and I spent most of the day working on Amelia's room. It was fun and tiring all at the same time. I thought I would post some pictures of what we got accomplished.
I also posted a picture of what I'm looking like these days. I figured most of my pics are just belly shots...so here is a real one...and you can see Comiskey trying to sleep in the background!

Here is the closet system we installed. Hanging up are the clothes she already has! I think she's going to be spoiled...
I took the doors off and am going to make fabric panels to hang there instead of doors.
Here is a picture of the hutch we put together and another view of the closet.Here I am after a long day with Mia's finished crib and crib bedding!
Here is a picture of Mia's crib and Comiskey "guarding" it.
Daddy and Comiskey after a hard days work!
Josh has done such an amazing job and been such a big help doing everything I ask him in preparation of Amelia. I just feel so blessed to have a husband as great as him. I know that he is going to make an amazing daddy and I can't wait for him to meet the little girl he's been working so hard for!

3rd Trimester...13 weeks to go!

So today marks the 27 week mark, which in most books constitutes the 3rd trimester! I can't believe that I am 2/3 of the way done with this pregnancy. It still amazes me! I had a doctor's appointment today, and they said everything is looking great. My weight gain has been good, I am measuring right on track, Amelia's heartrate was 138bpm and overall they are happy with how this pregnancy is going.
I did have to do my gestational diabetes test today, but I passed so that was a good thing. They are also sending my urine to the lab, there was a little bit of blood in it again today, and I may have another bladder infection...oh the joy!
Overall I am feeling good...and big and just excited that very soon we will be meeting our little girl. Here are the newest pictures from this week. This was a big weight gain week...3 pounds! YIKES!!! So I am officially up 17 lbs!

Uncovered belly

Covered bellyBelly from the front...it's really starting to round out on the sides!
And one of me...my face looks a little fat here! YIKES!
Thanks for all those who continue to pray for us...we really do appreciate it.

3D Ultrasound

So Friday, we decided to brave the weather and head to Naperville, IL to Stork Snapshots. It is a facility that specializes in 3D/4D ultrasounds. Needless to say it was AMAZING. We got to see Mia smiling and opening and closing her mouth. And let me tell you, she's pretty flexible, her foot was on her forehead!!
We also verified she is 100% girl. She was not afraid to show it yesterday. So here are a few pictures from the ultrasound. Hope you enjoy them.

Here she is showing off her chubby cheeks

And here she is all cuddled up and comfy.

Here you can see how flexible she is by having her foot in front of her face. Well hopefully you enjoyed "seeing" our baby girl!

98 days to go...(But who's counting?)

So we have made the leap and have under 100 days until the arrival of our daughter! It's hard to fathom that today at 26 weeks, I am so close to meeting her.
Thanks for all those who prayed for me this past week. The Lord is amazing and has blessed me by slowing returning my health. Thank the Lord!
Well, next week I will officially be in the 3rd trimester. I can't believe that I am almost 2/3 of the way done!! YAY!!
Well here are this weeks belly pics for those of you who are still brave enough to look!! HAHA.
I only gained .6 pounds this week, so I am happy that the weight hasn't come piling on yet. For those of you interested, to date I am up 14 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. So I'm still doing well, but I still have 14 weeks to go!!

Uncovered belly

I've noticed my tank top is getting shorter and shorter...
oh wait...my belly is just getting bigger and bigger!
For those of you who want to look, here is what I look like from the front!
My poor belly button is disappearing by the day!
Well, we'll keep you updated on any new information. Please keep Josh, myself and Amelia in your prayers!

Mia's room...A surprise!

So while I was gone at my conference in Madison, WI this week, Josh suprised me by painting Mia's room. I must add I have been blessed with an "AMAZING" husband. So I decided to add some pictures. The best part of the story is that he actually took 2 days off work to work on the room...then he fibbed and told me he got called into work...he even called my mom and had her in on it. Plus he has been REALLY sick. So he told me he only got the ceiling trim done...I was disappointed, but oh well. Needless to say I was SHOCKED when I came home and it was all done!! :) I love it. The color is beautiful and I feel so blessed that he wanted to surprise me! When he told me he hadn't gone to work after all I was amazed that he had pulled it off!! Well it was worth it.

Here is the room right before we started painting. The walls were patched. This is the old color of the room. Here is the old ceiling fan!I love this picture of Josh...he took it so I would have a surprise when I got home...He's so cute!
Here is the new color and the new ceiling fan/light~

I love it!!

What an amazing husband and father-to-be!!
Mia says "Thanks, Daddy, for working so hard!"

Trip to the Hospital...

So Thursday (25 weeks) I went to work and after about an hour I was in excruciating pain. I called the OB group and they told me to come right in. I was in so much pain, that the school nurse had to drive me. I was in hysterics from the pain. I got to the group, they ran a urine sample and it was full of blood (sorry for the info). So they sent me right over to the Genesis Birth Center. As soon as I got there they started me on an IV and gave me Percocet for the pain. I was only allowed a clear liquid diet for the first 8 or 9 hours. I was so hungry. I slept on and off most of the night and they continued to strain my urine checking for kidney stones. After some more blood work it turns out I have a UTI that was heading towards my kidneys and intensified by the pregnacy and my uterus growing. So they put me on antibiotics for the next 4 days. I am glad to be home now. It was so weird being in the birth center with a baby bed next to my bed. I realized how soon this was all going to happen. My nurses were WONDERFUL, it was such a blessing that I actually knew most of them! :)
We took some pictures, so I can look back and see how big I am on the day of delivery vs. my 25 weeks stay in labor and delivery!
Here I am with some percocet in my system...note the dazed look on my face.
Here I am getting ready to go home. Don't those gowns make you look beautiful?
And here is the balloon and the lovely flowers, my mom, Lindsey and Auggi brought me! It was so nice and the flowers were beautiful! ;)
So hopefully we are now back on the road to recovery. I am off to sleep some more, but wanted to give an update to thos who read! :)