Ruby Dawn's Birth Story

Here it is folks...finally after two months (when I first started writing this)...

FINALLY AFTER 4 MONTHS...here it is...

The Birth Story of Ruby Dawn

Ruby Dawn Giedd
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
11:32am
7lbs 5oz / 20 inches

I had my 39 week appointment with Annie on Monday, October 20.  Everything looked good, baby's heart rate was in the 140s, and so I had her check my cervix and strip my membranes!  (I was very ready for this baby to arrive...it is amazing how sore my body was and it was only a week longer than how long I carried Noell).  I was dilated 2 cm and baby was about -1.  After I was checked and all that good stuff, Annie told me that my water could break tonight, contractions may start, or nothing might happen, so just be prepared for anything!

On the drive home I stopped in Osseo to fuel up the car and I texted my friends about the doctor's appointment (since one friend just had her baby a few weeks prior and one was due a few days after me, we kept each other updated).  As I was texting them, I had my first contraction.  I then had a few more contractions on the way home from Osseo.  When I got home, Mike had supper ready and Noell was already eating.  I ate with them and told Mike about the contractions.  I started to time them...they were anywhere from 9 to 17 minutes apart...very inconsistent.  Bad news...they were all in my back again :(  I used the exercise/birthing ball to take some of the pressure off of my back while I continued to time contractions for the next hour or so.  They started to get closer together...anywhere from 6 to 9 minutes apart.  During this time, Mike was adding the final things to our hospital bags.  I then decided that I HAD to go in to school.  If this was the real thing, I needed to make sure everything was ready to go for Toni and the kids for the week, and if it wasn't the real thing, I needed to make sure I had everything ready to go for myself!!!  Before I headed into school I called my doula, Rhonda, to let her know the updates.  We agreed that we would see how things were going and I would call her before I went to bed.  After I talked with her I headed into school which was around 7pm and Mike got Noell ready for bed.

While at school I didn't keep track of how close together contractions were...I was busy...moving quick to get things done...pausing every once and a while on a more painful contraction.  I texted Toni while at school to let her know that I was having contractions and would most likely not be in school the next day....she was like....yeah, you probably should NOT be at school right now....lol.  After THREE hours at school, I made my way back home.  While I was at school, Mike put Noell to bed, got somethings picked up, and baked the midwife and nurses brownies...just like last time!  Once I got home, I went back to the exercise ball (knees on the floor and leaning on the ball to let my belly hang to take pressure off the back) and started timing contractions again.  2 minutes apart for about 30minutes so I got into the shower.  They continued to be about 2 minutes apart and were getting more painful (still all in the back).  I was thinking to myself, "Wow, maybe this will go a lot quicker than Noell's...I can hope anyway!"  After my shower I called the midwife on call, Emily.  We decided that I would get ready to come in.  After getting off the phone with Emily, I called my doula to update her.  We decided that I would text her while going through Osseo and she would meet us at the hospital.  The next phone call was to my mom to have her come over to stay with Noell so we wouldn't have to wake Noell up to bring her to their house.  My mom got to our house around 11 and then we were on our way!

Picture of us before heading out the door to hospital.

While on the way to the hospital I listened to my pandora station.  Contractions seemed to almost slow down a little bit...about 3 minutes apart while on the way.  I checked into the hospital at 12:01am.  We got up to the room and I got changed into my robe.  Rhonda showed up as I was getting changed.  I got hooked up to the monitors and answered tons of questions.  Everything looked good.  Emily came in and checked me at 1:15am.  I was 3 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and baby was at a 0.  PROGRESS!!!!  I was still thinking that maybe this would go faster than my first!

After being hooked up for the 30minutes I roamed the hallways for a while.  Then we decided to do something different.  I went and sat on the birthing ball while listening to my music...very relaxed between contractions.  Then we tried the shower around 3:00am.  I would rock side to side in the shower, then squat once in a while, go back to rocking, etc.  I was in the shower for about 1 1/2 hours.  All I kept thinking to myself was "down and out."  Now it was around 4:30am and I was tired and wanted to lay down for a little bit.  Mike would sit up by my head and hold my hands while Rhonda would put pressure on my lower back during contractions.  In-between contractions I actually fell asleep or was able to relax (unlike my labor with Noell).  After a couple hours I needed to do something different so we got up and walked around the hallways some more.  I drank a little apple juice and a lap later it came right back up.  After a few laps we decided I would get checked and then hop in the tub.  When I got checked at 6:45am, I was only dilated to 5cm, 100% effaced, and baby was still at a 0.  Disheartening.  So I got in the tub and after a few more contractions I was just done, exhausted, and ready for relief.  All I know is back labor and all I know is that it sucks and for me with back labor....it is sssslllloooowww moving.   I was offered fentanyl (spelling?) as an option but turned it down because it didn't work last time and I read somewhere that it didn't help as much with back labor...so why take it if it isn't going to help anyway.  So at 7:10 was when I officially asked for an epidural.  While waiting for the epidural, I went back to the bed.  Getting the IV in my arm was worse than getting the epidural.  They couldn't get the iv into my little veins after like three tries and using both arms, so they had to bring in a ultrasound machine to find a vein, so it was a longer wait...irritating!  I finally got the epidural at 8:30am and it went perfectly.  Right before I got the epidural I had to say goodbye to Emily and welcomed the new midwife, Tonya, as the shift changed.

Rhonda, Mike, and I all got some sleep after the epidural was fully kicked in.  I woke up around 10ish to what I thought was my water breaking.  I tried to check myself...haha...but couldn't tell.  So once a nurse came in she checked and confirmed that it had broke.  Tonya, the midwife, came in and asked if she thought she should check me.  I said no because I wasn't feeling as much pressure yet as I did when I was ready to push with Noell.  So we all waited, and I never really felt more pressure, but at 11:15 I was checked...and what do you know...IT WAS BABY TIME!  I was 10cm, 100% effaced, and +2.  I had my first push at 11:25...little progress.  I pushed again a couple minutes later and the head was coming out.  My midwife told me to stop pushing so she could finish getting her gloves on, etc.  She was holding the baby's head IN with one hand while Rhonda helped put her gloves on.  Baby G was FALLING out with each breath I took.  I gave one more little push and there the baby was...born at 11:32 (total of 7 min).  All I saw at first was tons of blonde hair and so I asked if it was a boy since I always pictured a blonde little boy...just like daddy.  Mike told me "It's a GIRL!"  We were both VERY happy!  She was healthy with apgar scores of 8 and 9.  She nursed not even 15minutes after being born and enjoyed eating/sucking/snuggling for two hours after birth.  She was so alert right away, it was just crazy!  I had a pretty easy birth and recovery with no stitches (Thank you Ruby).  The epidural must have been stronger this time since I didn't feel as much pressure...and it definitely went more into my right side.  I could move my left leg around quickly after birth, but it took hours before I had full control over my right leg.  This was very different than Noell's, as I was up walking pretty quickly after birth with her!

We did have one boy name and one girl name picked out a few weeks prior to birth.  Although at that time our girl's name was Annabelle.  I could not stay with that name because a demon doll movie came out a couple weeks before her birth and the name was Annabelle.  Mike thought I was being silly and that it was just a movie, but I just couldn't do it so back to the drawing board we went (although I honestly didn't think I would have to worry b/c I was for sure we were having a boy).  So Monday we finally decided on Ruby if it was a girl.  It was always on our list back and forth between number one and number two...sometimes our number three name....but it is funny, God always has a plan and his plan was for our baby girl to be Ruby.  Her middle name, Dawn, is after Grandma Rachel, whose middle name is Dawn!

Our sweet angel finally arrived!

Our first family of four picture!  It was about as close as Noell would get to Ruby!

How Lucky am I?

HOW LUCKY AM I???

As I turned out the light in my oldest daughter's (two years old) room after tucking her in bed, I heard those sweet words, "I love you, mommy" and thought....how lucky am I?

Minutes later, as I sat and held my youngest daughter (3 months old) tonight after she fell asleep in my arms, I was reminded how sweet a sleeping child is...so peaceful, so innocent, so breathtaking beautiful that it makes your heart skip a beat...and I thought to myself...how lucky am I?

These two moments I will never get back.  Sure Noell will say, "I love you, Mommy" again and Ruby will fall asleep in my arms, but those exact moments are now memories.  Memories that will stay in my heart forever.  How lucky am I?  How lucky am I that I get these memories!!!

Children are sweet angels that are sent from God.  How lucky am I that He sent me two beautiful daughters.  Two daughters that are completely dependent on me....to love them, to hug and kiss them, to snuggle them when they are sick, to show them compassion, to show them empathy, to guide them daily, to teach and model manners, to give them shelter, to provide them with food and clothes, to read them stories, to help them learn, to let them get messy with paint, mud, dirt, sand, to have a free spirit to sing and dance, to be silly, to show a love for nature and all of God's creation, to guide them to know the difference between right and wrong, to believe in them, to listen to them, to encourage, to discipline, to create meaningful traditions, to show and model compassion and determination, teach them how to give, how to be a friend, how to share, let them make mistakes, help them learn from mistakes....GOD trusts me to do all of these things for my daughters.  How lucky am I?

They call me mommy.  They come to me for help (or cry).  They smile at me.  They hug and kiss me.  They get excited when I enter a room.  They watch me to see my response, how I act, how I carry myself.  They listen to me talk.  They listen to me sing.  Heck, they even listen to me yell sometimes.  They let me act like a kid.  They let me act like an adult.  They love me back.  How lucky am I?

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow....I feel pretty darn LUKCY!!!  

I posted this picture when I was pregnant with Noell...but how fitting for how I'm feeling....very blessed to be called someone's Mommy!!!

The Home Stretch!!

LESS THAN A MONTH!!!!  It is hard to believe that I am almost to the end of my second pregnancy and so close to holding G2 in my arms instead of my belly!  I am feeling huge and more and more uncomfortable each day.  By Friday night my ankles are swollen and usually last until Sunday morning.

Last Doctor Appointment:  Last Wednesday, I had my 36 week appointment.  We went over our birth plan so that is all set!  We are going for a natural birth again this time and I feel more confident in myself that I will make it :)  I also had the Strep B test done, but haven't gotten results back yet...I should find out tomorrow since I have another appointment...I am going weekly now!  The baby sounded great.  His/her heartbeat was in the 150s and sounded strong.

Baby Pool:  I set up an online baby pool...check it out and make your guesses on gender and birth date, etc of G2!  It is free...just fun to see what others think :)

Here is the site: http://www.babyhunch.com/poolpage.php?poolid=8253b3eb211aef215ed189e8095f67c7

Baby G2:  I feel like this baby is bigger than Noell...the movements are very strong and sometimes hurt!  Either it seems that way or I just don't remember in that great detail from my first pregnancy.  I feel like baby has dropped, and it makes sense because I am going to the bathroom ALL.THE.TIME.

35 Weeks- September 19, 2014
Baby is the size of Honeydew Melon
18 inches long and 5 1/4 pounds
Kidneys are fully developed and liver can process some waste.

36 Weeks- September 26, 2014
Baby is the size of a head of romaine lettuce
18 1/2 inches and 6 pounds
G2 is shedding downy hair covering and vernix caseosa...he/she will swallow it and that will become the first poop: meconium.

We put up the baby's crib (well moved from Noell's room) this summer.  Today, we finally brought up the swing, car seat and bases, and the bassinet.  Noell likes to help by playing with daddy's tools!

My bestie, Krista, gave birth to her beautiful baby BOY, Owen James, last week.  I was so happy to snuggle him this past Friday and relax with the new momma and daddy!  Krista was a rockstar and has an amazing birth story!  Here is a picture of me with my new *nephew* and the next time I see him, I will have two friends for him to play with...Noell and G2!

Noell Updates:

New Words:  boy, girl, up high, clock up high, pumpkin, deer, sky and more.

Favorites:  NOELL LOES THE PARK!  Every time we get ready to go in the car, she says park!  So, we have been making lots of trips to the park :)

Noell the Builder:  Noell has become quite the builder with her blocks!  She likes to create, move around, and of course demolish her buildings!

Sickness:  Noell came down with her first ear infection last week.  She was given amoxicillin and about after a week of being on that she broke out in a rash all over her body.  Turns out she is allergic :(  But the rash should clear up within the next week.



I'm going to try and update weekly...since I have no idea how many more weeks until G2 makes his/her arrival :)

Just Another Day In Paradise

And five weeks later ;)  Life is busy.  Life is stressful.  Life is crazy.  BUT I wouldn't have it any other way or with anyone different....it is perfect!

This post is going to be short...I'm tired.  I'm tired.  I'm tired.

Disclaimer: please don't mind the grammatical errors...I'm not reading through!!!



Noell Updates:

New Words (the ones I can think of right now anyway):

• boat
• fly
• hippo
• horsie
• Pete (from Mickey Mouse)
• cloud
• park
• lollipop (will sing the song with me and attempts to do the "pop" with her finger)

New Phrases:

• she is finally saying "love you" again!  
• She is also saying two-three word phrases!  
• It is so fun to watch her think and trying saying different phrases!  Pretty soon she will be talking in sentences!

Knows:

• how to count to 10 (skips seven...can't say that number)
• all letters of the alphabet
• can say all letter expect w (will just say uh huh)
• attempts to sing ABC's
• some of her colors....finally!
• where her neck is...its the one we have been working on!  I think knee will be next!

Loves:

• To climb!
• doing the slides backwards (climbing up the slide and going down the steps)
• her stroller/walks
• Mickey Mouse (still)
• glow sticks
• flowers...smelling flowers
• fruit snacks, cheese, cookies

Daycare:  

• Noell is officially back to Aunt Liza's everyday!  The routine is great on all of us :)  Grandma Rachel has been getting to spend lots of time with Noell and even picks her up from Liza's somedays!  I think they both enjoy it lots!

I love watching her grow and learn new things...but I always think of the song Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift (dislike her but love the song)....I don't want her to grow up.  She is at such a fun, loving stage.  I'm trying to take it all in before time passes by.  I have been so busy with school and volleyball that I don't always get to see her at night so the past two Fridays she we have snuggle time and watch a video in mom and dad's bed and then she gets to sleep with me.  The only downside is that she wakes up earlier on Saturday mornings when she isn't in her own bed.  Anyway, I'm glad that I can take in the moments, because they do go by too quickly.

G2 Updates:

Last Doctor's Appointment:  Monday, September 8.  The baby's heart rate was in the 140s which is the lowest it has ever been consistently (it has fluctuated in the 160/150/140 but has never stayed in the 140).  Baby is head down...woot woot!

Next Appointment:  Wednesday, September 24.  Will go over birth plan and have strep b test done.  Our birth plan is pretty similar to our first birth plan.  I am going with natural childbirth again and am very excited about it.  We met with our doula a couple weeks ago to go over the birth plan with her and I am very happy that we are going this route.  I feel very confident that the birth will go well and that I will have the unmedicated birth that I want with the guidance of Rhonda!

I am getting very anxious to know what G2 is!  At first I was thinking boy, but now that I am getting closer, I just feel like it is going to be another girl.  Of course I will be happy with either as long as he/she is healthy...that is most important!!!

Names....Mike has his favorites and I have mine....and they are not the same!  We don't dislike the other's fav, but we haven't completely agreed.  So, I think we will be headed to the hospital with two boy and two girl names and G2 will let us know what his/her name should be!

I missed the 30 week photo...so we begin again at 31 weeks!

31 Weeks- August 22, 2014
Size of a coconut- 3 1/3 lbs and about 16 in longs
Can turn head from side to side.

32 Weeks- August 29, 2014
size of a jicama (what the hell is that??)- 3 3/4 lbs and almost 17 in long
Baby has toenails, finger nails, and possible hair.

33 Weeks- September 5, 2014
Size of Pineapple- over 4lbs and 17in mark
Baby is losing wrinkled/alien look and the skeleton is hardening.

34 Weeks- September 12, 2014
Size of a cantaloup- 4 3/4 lbs and almost 18 in long
The fat layers are filling him/her out to help regulate body temperature when they arrive.
Central nervous system is maturing.

Similarities/differences in pregnancies:

• Had nausea with both.  Threw up more with Noell...not as much with G2 (just a couple times)
• Felt them move around the same time.
• Have gained more weight with G2 than with Noell, but I started with a lower weight.
• No heartburn with Noell and she had tons of hair....I have heartburn with G2.
• Could only sleep on right side with Noell throughout whole pregnancy.  Could start sleeping on left side (still not as long or as comfortable as right side) around 27 weeks, but not prior (too much pain).
• Had acne on chest with Noell only during first trimester.  Had acne on face with G2 for all of first and most of second trimester.
• No swelling (well one time with each but wasn't much).
• Cravings are the same... a good mix of sweet and salty.
• I feel like G2 has stronger movements...hopefully it isn't a sign that he/she is bigger...I am okay with delivering another 6 lb baby!
• Was always measuring two weeks behind with Noell and am measuring right on with G2.

Kelly and Krista Pregnancy Journey
Krista Due:  October 7
Kelly Due:  October 24

Moving Right Along

Here I am....another four weeks has already past...I better do an update!

Noell.  We sure do have a smart little girl on our hands.  First shapes and now numbers and letters!!!  We do a lot of reading and some of Noell's favorite books are numbers and letters.  She also has a couple apps on the IPad, my phone, and my mom's phone where she will just sit and go over numbers and letters again and again!  We also do a lot of counting on our fingers, so the girl is definitely exposed to it all, but it is so fun to see her make the connection and be able to verbalize her knowledge at such a young age!

Last week at my friend Krista's baby shower was when she outputted the knowledge for the first time with her numbers.  There were huge blocks that had the different numbers in the basement of the church and she just started naming them to Mike.  So this week, I wrote down different numbers, and used our large magnetic letters in the kitchen and she is able to tell me most of them, but can identify all of them through 9.  (Numbers she can verbalize: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 / Numbers she can point to identify: 1-9)

As for letters, she has been able to tell us O and E for a while.  She picked up on the letter C and S when I had our "Cosco" step stool in the kitchen for cleaning and she kept pointing at those letters.  She picked up on the B and T with the foam bath letters in the bathtub.  A and M....I have no idea...she just knows them :) (Letters she can verbalize: a, b, c, e, m, p, s, t / Letters she can point to identify in addition to the ones she can verbalize: n, h, j, k, l)

New Words/sign language:  

• clock (sounds more like cock as she has a hard time getting the L sound in there...but at least she points to the clocks when she says it :)  
• She also signs "please" in her own way.  Please is with one hand in a circular motion, but she uses two hands and rubs her chest once in an outward motion (hard to explain).  We all know what she means!  
• She will finally say cow again with no hesitation!
• Says AMEN after we pray at dinner or when going to bed!  So sweet!

"Big Girl" Bed Transition:  We finally transitioned Noell into the toddler bed.  She has always been a good sleeper, but you never know how they will do when the time finally comes to switch to a bed from a crib!  Last night (the first night) went well.  We put her down and she laid in bed awake for about 20 minutes before falling asleep, but never got out.  When I woke up at 6 I went to check on her and found her laying on the floor...haha.  Then I heard her at 8am and went to check on her and she had climbed back into bed and was laying there!  For nap time today she did great and slept the whole time in her bed (not getting up once).  And so far tonight she laid in bed for about 20 minutes again but has been sleeping IN her bed!  We can only hope and pray that this continues :)

Our little sweetie right before we turned out the lights!

How I found her at 6am!!!

This was Noell at 8am...once she saw momma, she started to climb out of bed!

Gymnastics:  Noell had her last gymnastics class for the summer this past Tuesday and guess what?!  NO MELTDOWNS!!!  It was her best class yet!  She is so fun to watch in the gym and has made so many gains.  I am sad that we cannot fit it into our schedule to take her this fall, but plan to again this spring!

She loves the wedge.  She walks up on the one side and does a somersault down the other side!

She loves running on the long trampoline for the vault.  We are still working on jumping with two feet at the same time!

G2 is growing...momma is growing!  His/her movements are getting much stronger and I can actually feel the baby's body while it is just hanging out!  It is hard to believe that I am in the third trimester already.  Only 11 more weeks to go!

Last Doctor's Appointment:  The most recent doctor's appointment was for my 28 week check up.  This check up included the glucose test and other blood work and I am happy to say that all test results came back NORMAL!!!  I also got the Tdap vaccine.  It is recommended for everyone every ten years, but for pregnant women it is recommended with every pregnancy because of the pertussis vaccine that is part of it.  That will help protect the baby from getting it since they cannot get the vaccination right away (and pertussis can be deadly for infants).  Also at this doctor's appointment I shared that the baby hadn't moved in a couple days (except for a very small amount the night before the appointment).  The midwife also had a hard time picking up a strong heartbeat with the doppler...  So they hooked me up to the Non-Stress Test for 20 minutes to monitor the baby's heart rate and movement.  After about 10 minutes the baby starting moving like its normal self and the heartbeat sounded great.  I took a picture, but do you think I would have thought to take a video of that beautiful sound...of course not.  But it was music to my ears for those 20 minutes as I got to sit in the recliner just relaxing with my baby.

Baby G's growth:

26 Weeks- Friday, July 18

26 Weeks- Baby is the size of a scallion:  about 2 pounds and 14 inches long.  Baby is now opening his/her eyes.  The baby is very sensitive to light and sound.

27 Weeks- Friday, July 25

27 Weeks- Baby is the size of a head of cauliflower :  approximately 15 inches and just over 2 pounds.  The baby's has the most tastebuds that he/she will ever have.  I hope they are enjoying all of the yummy foods mom is eating ;)  He or she is hiccuping A LOT!  

28 Weeks- Friday, August 1, 2014

 28 Weeks- Baby is the size of an eggplant:  approximately 16 inches and 2 1/2 pounds.  The baby can now blink his/her eyes.  This also allows baby to start entering REM sleep...which includes dreaming!  His/her mommy is also having some crazy/vivid dreams!

29 Weeks- Friday, August 8, 2014

 29 Weeks- Baby is the size of a butternut squash:  17 inches and 3 pounds.  The baby is approximately 3 inches short of what he/she will be at birth, but the body weight will double or even possibly triple (I sure hope not) by birth.  I would be TOTALLY okay if the baby weighed around the same as Noell (6lb 10oz)!!!

Mike & Kelly

We celebrated our 3rd anniversary last week.  We went to Fuji as neither of us have been there before (we have been to restaurants similar but never there).  It was amazing!  It is hard to believe how quickly time goes.  The past three years have had its ups and downs, rewards and challenges.  The best rewards would be our daughter, Noell, baby G2 on the way, our lovable pup, Katie, and our house!  Of course we could never forgot our family and friends who are always there as constant supports!

I, Kelly, just finished up my summer school classes, getting an A in both!  It was a lot of work and I'm glad that they are over!  Now enjoying a couple weeks with Noell, resting, and nesting before I get super busy until G2 comes.  Volleyball and inservice start the same week (aug. 18) and I still have A LOT to do to get my classroom ready.  School officially starts the Tuesday after labor day and so does another grad class!  I am hoping that G2 waits to make an appearance until at least October 16 as that is the JV girls' last game of the season (and that would be 38 1/2 weeks....which would be the time Noell was born) but preferably would like him/her to wait until the actual due date.  BUT of course I will be happy whenever he/she makes the arrival as long as everything goes well and he/she is healthy!!!

Mike is officially the BIG 3-0!!  We celebrated a couple weeks ago on his actual birthday at our house...utilizing our new deck and fire ring with family and friends!  It was a lot of fun...thanks again to everyone that helped celebrate with Mike :)

Noell and Weeks 22-23-24-25..A little Behind!

Well, this summer is pretty much anything but relaxing!  Toddler, homework, toddler, toddler, house, homework, homework, toddler, sleep, toddler, homework...etc, etc.

These two summer classes are kicking my butt and pretty much every time Noell takes a nap or if I have to stay up late/get up early is fulfilled with homework and reading.  Good news is, is that I only have two more weeks left :)



As for Noell....she is just a growing!  Here are some highlights over the last month:

Gymnastics:  Noell goes to gymnastics once a week for 45 minutes.  The first class was challenging as in Noell wanted to do her own thing and explore...but that sounds like a typical toddler who is over stimulated by a huge gym.  The second time went a little better and this third time (last week) was going WONDERFUL for about the first 30min.  She did the bear crawl on two mats, did a handstand while momma held her legs up, did backwards summersaults, and walked on the different balance beams!!!  That wonderful-ness lasted until a little slide was included on the "bars" rotation.  She stood next to the slide, crossed her arms, and was telling the other children "no, no, no" as they went down, and then when it was time to move to the trampoline she had the biggest screaming tantrum EVER.  Seriously, I was like, is this really my child...she has never, ever done this before.  So, I took her outside to cool off.  We managed to make it back in to take two turns on the trampoline.  Then of course she had another tantrum because she didn't want to be done on the trampoline...but good thing that was the end of class!  haha!  It will only continue to get better, right??

New Words/Phrases/Sign Language:  Has started to say and sign the word please!  Says cow occasionally.  There are more, but it is so easy to forget if I don't write it down!

Toddler Attitude:  Crossing her arms and saying, "no, no, no, no."  I honestly don't know who she learned that from.  I will tell her no, but I don't cross my arms.

Funny/Exciting Stories:

• Noell went with me to my latest doctor appointment.  She was crying when I went up on the table.  Once we heard the heartbeat on the doppler, she stopped crying to listen, and then she started crying again until I got down.  But it was cute that she stopped for a little bit to listen!

• Noell has started "reading" her books.  She picks them up, quickly turns to a page, and shoves her face right in the book and moves her head like she is reading the words.  She will then say, "Momma" and point to the words and say something in gibberish like she is reading to me...so darn cute! 

• We got Noell a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal that talks for Easter and she was scared of him back then.  Well just a couple weeks ago she was finally interested and now they are like best buds!

• Learned how to fall down on purpose!  Grandpa Todd always says, "BaDaDomp" when she falls down and will sometimes fall down on purpose to make her laugh after she falls down and is sad.  So, Noell started doing it on purpose because she thinks it is funny!

• Our peanut loves to sing and dance to "If You're Happy and You Know It" and will have momma sing while she does the actions.  We sang/danced in Target the other day for about 10minutes!!

• When Noell walks on the balance beam at gymnastics or our wood balance beam we made her at home she will say, "Tip toe, tip toe" all the way across.

• Noell stacked 11 little letter blocks all by herself!

• If potty training meant "going poop in the tub" then Noell has got it down!  She never used to do that until we started talking about the potty and she was getting interested....I think she is a little confused. lol.  Anyway, I was going to start, but now I am going to wait a little longer as she doesn't like to sit on the potty, so I am waiting because I don't want it to be a bad experience for her.

• She enjoyed the fireworks again this year!  We went to Blair fireworks on the 3rd and watched Dad, Grandpa Todd, and Butch Halama shoot off the Mondovi fireworks on the 4th.  We also got to enjoy playing on our new back deck!!

• Noell loved going to the Northern Wisconsin State Fair.  She really like the chickens, horses, and cows (from a distance).  She was a little scared of the pigs still.  She fed goats and LOVED it.  She also enjoyed going down the big slide and was mad when we couldn't go anymore!  Noell was not a fan of the carousel (see her worried look below and that was just sitting on the bench).

• Noell enjoyed her first time at the beach this summer at Lake Wazee in Black River Falls.  She especially enjoyed playing in the sand...I guess we will have to get a sandbox!  In the picture with momma, she came over and said "cheese"....maybe I will get her to like taking pictures after all!

• Noell loves to paint and enjoyed painting on a rainy Friday!

Baby G2 is continuing to grow and move!  I have not only been feeling our little one move, but I have been able to watch him or her for the last few weeks as he/she punches, kicks, and rolls around!  I just love that feeling!  I also felt the little hiccups for the first time a few days ago as well :)

I have been feeling like I am a LOT bigger this pregnancy.  I only gained 25 pounds total with Noell and I have already gained 20 pounds with this baby.  Granted I started 10 pounds lighter with this pregnancy.  I have been working out.  I bought a pregnancy workout video with Summer Sanders.  It has a different workout for each trimester and works a lot on legs, arms, butt, and a little tummy to build the core!  I try and do it every other day and then Noell, Katie, and I get out for a walk almost every day!  Now, I just need to eat a little better!  With working out/walking, I have been drinking more water!!

I had my first baby dream last night (25 weeks) that Baby G2 is a boy.  In my dream I had him 5 weeks early but he was very healthy and he had a lot of blonde hair!!!  In the dream we were deciding through three names.  We ruled out one because he didn't look like that name but couldn't decide between the other two.  The crazy thing is, is the two names in the dream are our two top names right now...I wish I would have made the decision in my dream!!!  Right before we found out what Noell is, I had three dreams I was having a girl...it will be interesting to see if I have any more dreams and if they are boy/girl!

Some growth updates about G2 over the past few weeks:

22 Weeks- Baby is about 11 inches and almost 1 pound.  Baby's lips and eyelids are more distinct and he/she is developing tiny little tooth buds.  The lanugo is covering the baby's wrinkly skin.  The pancreas is developing steadily.

23 Weeks- Baby can feel momma dance...or workout in my case!  Baby is now just over a pound.  He/she can hear loud noises.  The blood vessels are developing in the lungs.

24 Weeks- G2 is 1 1/3 pounds and is a FOOT LONG!  Taste buds are developing.  The lungs are developing the "branches" of the "respiratory tree."

25 Weeks- Head to heels Baby G2 is 13 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 pounds...the size of a rutabaga.  He/she is exchanging the lean look for some baby fat...grow baby grow!!  The baby is also starting to grow hair....I wonder if it will be a lot like Noell had?!?!

We had a doctor's appointment this past Thursday.  I am measuring at 24 weeks (which at the appointment I was 24 weeks 6 days).  The heartbeat was approximately 150 bpm.

Also, tonight (July 12) there is the supermoon!  I just had to catch a photo!!!

G2 Ultrasound and Father's Day

It has been a busy week.  The Giedd's are getting ready for G2 and have been working hard at clearing out the office...our house still looks like a disaster!  It is hard to find new places for things, re-organizing other places of a smaller house without a finished basement, and decide what things to sell/donate/get rid of.  It is a slow process but we are getting closer.  We moved our small desk into our bedroom (which I am not a fan of but will work for now...as long as I keep it looking nice).

School is officially out BUT summer school (grad classes) has officially started and wow was that a lot of work for week one....only six more weeks to go!!!  Below are a couple pictures of my classroom....its starting to come together.  I haven't been in there for a week now, but need to at some point!

View from my desk area!

Carpet squares.

View from door/hallway to back of room!

View from door/hallway to my desk/library/front of room.

It was father's day today and it was a great day!  Noell and I were up early making our father's day gifts (last minute, I know, I know...I did much better last year) and making breakfast for dada in bed!  Noell and I headed to church, while daddy stayed home and relaxed with some "me" time.  Then we headed to my parents for some lunch, followed by a lOOOONG nap taken by all three of us (well 3 1/2).  After nap time, we headed to Whitehall to visit Grandma Mary and took a little walk to visit Grandpa Quinn's grave site.  Our last stop of the day was to visit Papa Roger and Grandma Carol.  We ended the day by giving Noell a much needed bath!  Below are some pictures for this wonderful day!  I am so thankful for the wonderful fathers/grandfathers in my life!

Noell's hard work and Father's Day Masterpieces!

Speaking of our little Noell!  I have a couple updates!

New Words:  open (actually sounds like open...used to sound like apple), applesauce (tries hard...Noell's version), and a bunch of other words that we don't know yet!

Songs she likes to sing:  Rock-A-Bye-Baby!  She loves to listen and sing this song...so sweet!

Potty Training:  We haven't officially started, but are trying to get her excited to start soon!  This may sound weird, so skip this part if you aren't interested...I guess more for me to remember as this blog is pretty much her baby book!  

• likes to stand next to the toilet and wave and say bye-bye to everything that is flushed down the toilet.  She even tries to take toilet paper off the roll just to be able to flush it down.  We are trying to have her learn/understand that she needs to go potty in the toilet in order to get toilet paper and to flush. 
• The past couple of nights she has started to poop in the tub, so I grab her quick and she poops in the potty (cries while this is happening) but of course she is excited to watch it flush down the drain...too funny!  Then we definitely get practice in washing our hands ;)
• I'm thinking soon we will officially start...when I am physically ready as I believe this process will cause me to be more tired than I already am!

New Body Movements:  Spinning and rolling.  Yes, she could roll a long time ago and of course it was super exciting when she figured that out, but once babies start to crawl, walk, climb, run....they stop rolling!  So, she just figured out that it is fun to do and will yell, "ROLL, ROLL, ROLL" as she rolls around the floor!  She also figured out spinning this week, and will just stand and spin....stop and catch balance, and do it again.  Sometimes she will take off and try and run afterwards and that is just funny as she crashes to the floor!

Phoenix Park, Eau Claire!  Too cold to play in the water, but that wouldn't stop our little fish!!!

Noell loves her baby dolls!!!  And snuggling her momma!

Enjoying the beautiful land that God created on a walk down our coulee!!

G2 Ultrasound Pictures!!!

This past Thursday we finally got to see our littlest baby!  Everything is looking good so far...baby is growing how it should and is healthy!  We also found out that our peanut is very flexible!  Normally for the "profile" picture, you just see the head/chest...we our G2 had his/her feet way above its head with its knees touching the nose...I couldn't stop giggling in the ultrasound room...just loved it!  For many of you wondering...we did NOT find out the sex of the baby.  We had the tech turn the screen off while she check the lower area, so she is the only person that knows!!!  And, no, we didn't get anything put into an envelope either as that would be a temptation that I wouldn't want lying around!  But now thinking about it, it would be nice to have it for scrapbook pictures later on...or to see if the tech thought it was a different gender than it really is, etc!

Anywho.... the baby's heartrate was 147.  PERFECT!

Face!  Looks like a skeleton right now!

Profile picture of our very flexible child!  Knees are up by the nose.

Both feet together.

One foot.

Growing Baby:  At our ultrasound, the tech said the baby weighs approximately 14 ounces.  It is also about 10 1/2 inches long (about the size of a carrot).  All the measurements at the ultrasound were right on track varying from 20 weeks to 21 weeks!

Movement:  I am feeling tons of movement.  It keeps getting stronger and stronger!!!  Mike has felt baby move a number of times as well :)

Noell and Baby:  Lately, I have been asking Noell where is the baby and she will usually point to herself or go find one of her babies.  I have been pointing to my belly and saying baby.  Today, I asked her where the baby was and she patted herself and said, "baby", and then patted my belly and said, "baby".  Then she leaned down to give my belly a hug and said, "Awe!"  Super sweet!

Names:  Baby is still nameless if it is a boy or girl.  We are having a hard time deciding a name this time around.  I know it will be clear as day at some point, but until then we are still tossing in and out names.  The middle names are done...those were easy!!!

Next Appointment:  July 10.