Week 35

Only 5 more to go!!!

Doctor's Appointment:  We had a doctor's appointment on this past Wednesday.  I am measuring a little over 33 cm which is 2 cm small.  My midwife was a little concerned, but I have been small since 28 weeks, but have been consistently growing a cm a week.  She also said when she feels the baby, that she feels like a decent size.  If I don't grow a good amount by our next appointment, they will do an ultrasound just to make sure baby girl is okay.  She has been moving around just fine, so my midwife thinks that everything is fine.  And it was confirmed that Baby G is head down!

Below are my 35 week photos.  I decided to take one of my actual belly this week because I just realized I don't have any, and I think it will be a good memory!!!

Birth Classes:  On Saturday we had a birthing class.  Since I am doing my hypnobabies home study, there wasn't anything "new" that I haven't read or learned about already.  It was nice to have an instructor and to hear about how Luther does things versus just my work books and cds.  We also got to tour the labor and delivery floor along with the post partum rooms.  On Tuesday, I have a breast feeding class!

Hypnobabies:  I am just so excited for my daughter's birth.  I have been reading others' stories to hear their hypnobabies experiences and it is such a positive support for me!  If you have time and are interested in reading a few of other people's stories, please check out this site I have below this paragraph.  I can't wait to share a similar birth story :)  I cannot thank our friends enough that used this for their birth and introduced this to us!!!  Just an fyi if you do choose to read some here are some of the terms that are used:

Pressure Waves = contractions

Pressure= Is typically meant as pain.  You will learn that it doesn't feel like pain, it feels like pressure.

Birthing Time= Labor


https://www.hypnobabies.com/first-time-moms


Baby Girl Update:  There isn't much room in the womb so she is getting a little snug.  She is about the size of a honeydew melon which is about equivalent to around 18 inches and 5 1/2 pounds.  Her kidneys are fully developed and her liver can process most waste.

Nursery:  Here are some pictures of the nursery!!!  All we need is our little girl :)

View from doorway.

All of her books and stuffed animals.

Changing Table/Dresser/Hamper!  The saying above says, "Sometimes the littlest things take up the most room in  your heart!"

Crib and glider!  Her name will go above her crib...will post picture of that after she arrives!

Week 33 and 34

Well, it is hard to believe that we only have 6 MORE WEEKS!!! 

How Momma is Doing:  I find myself super tired and starting to feel super uncomfortable.  The place that I currently sleep the best is on the couch.  I will do my hypnobabies relaxation practice I will sleep on the couch until Mike gets home either at 11:30pm or 1:30am depending on what time he works till.  Then I will finally force myself to bed (where I am having a hard time sleeping)....I guess I could kick my hubby and the dog out so I had more room...lol.  I am currently having problems with leg cramps in my hamstrings, and a hard time bending over to tie shoes, put on socks, to pick something up, etc.  I have also experienced some braxton hicks contractions.  They are nothing too painful at this point...just a little reminder that Baby G is coming soon :)  As for stretch marks, I didn't get any more new ones yet, but the few that I have are getting bigger.  At least they are on the very bottom of my belly so not to noticeable ....even to me!!!  

When we had our 3D and 4D ultrasound a couple of weeks ago Baby G was head down.  When we had our doctor's appointment last week my midwife thought she was breech still.  I guess we will see what next week's appointment will bring.  I have kicks higher so I think she is head down...lets hope so :)

The next two pictures are for weeks 33 and 34 and I just noticed that I have on Christmas colors!  Although we have a ways to go, I am getting excited for Christmas, especially since I am getting the BEST Christmas present ever this year!  I have already completed a lot of my Christmas shopping so I don't have to worry about it when our little girl gets here!

Here is my 33 week baby bump!

Here is my 34 week bump!

 Below are some pictures from one of my besties,  Erin's, wedding that I was in last weekend!  Such a great wedding and what wonderful weather for such a great couple...it was perfect!

Our growing family :)  Love this picture of us!

The new Mrs. Bahr and I :)

Stout Girls....so glad to have met such great friends in college!

 
Baby Room Update:  We have everything ready to go.  I just ordered the valences, hamper, and mobile that go with her bedding so I am excited to get that up and ready.  I also am buying the letters for her name this weekend along with some paint (but for those of you who are wanting to know...it won't be hung up until she arrives).  I also ordered a thirty-one bag with her name on it for her room to hold some of her belongings...it is so cute and I cannot wait until she is here so I can post it for everyone to see.

Baby Girl Update:  She is about 18-20inches long (depending on what source you look at) and is between 4 3/4 - 5 lbs.  Her lungs and central nervous system are continuing to mature.  Good news is that if she would decide to come now she would most like develop just as fine as a full term baby.  She would possibly have to stay in the NICU for a little while and might have some minor set backs...it all depends on the baby I guess.  Lets just pray that she cooks for at least 3 more weeks until she is considered full term.  The bump.com says that she is urinating about one pint per day...good thing we have lots of diapers ready to go :)

Baby Clothes:  Thanks to my good friend, Krista who found us a GREAT deal, we have a bunch of 0-3 months of clothes!  

Birthing Classes:  We have our birth basics class next Saturday where we get a tour of the birthing center!  I am so excited that I will be able to actually visual where I will be giving birth to my little peanut!  I am also taking a breast feeding class the following week!  I think I will feel even more prepared for this little girl to enter the world once I complete these classes!

Thanks for your continued support everyone :)  God Bless!

32 Weeks

Mike and I went to a 3D ultrasound today thank you to my teaching partner who shared the name of this new place in Eau Claire!  It is called Stork Vision (near K-Mart).  We got to take home a CD full of pictures, a DVD of the ultrasound, and a few other goodies.  It was so neat...so glad I paid the money to have it done!  Her heartbeat today was 161 which is good and strong.  Also at the ultrasound we could tell that our little pumpkin has lots of hair (you could actually see the little fuzz on the top of her head).  The coincidence is that I had a dream last night that she was born with dark hair.  I love having dreams of me holding my little girl in my arms...only a matter of weeks before I actually get to!

Check out the latest pictures of our little girl :)

It is confirmed...Baby Giedd is a GIRL!

Profile picture of our peanut!

She was sucking on her thumb most of the time, so we FINALLY go a picture of her whole face.

She has long fingers....JUST LIKE HER MOMMA!

We love to see her huge SMILE!

                                                     Here is my belly picture for week 32 :)

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that gave me ideas for what to pack in my hospital bag...so many things I didn't even think of!  Today Mike and I also bought Baby Girl Giedd's outfit that we will bring her home in :)

31 Weeks

We are in single digits....ONLY 9 WEEKS TO GO!!! 

I cannot not believe we only have nine weeks to go.  Baby girl is going to be here before we know it.  It still seems so surreal that I have a little girl growing inside me and that I will be holding her in my arms in two months.  Her kicks, punches, and other movements are more frequent and more stronger each and every day.  She likes to play tricks on her daddy already though.  I will tell Mike that she is moving so he will put his hand there and she won't move.  As soon as he takes his hand away she will make a big movement that he can see.  This will go on for a good 5 minutes or so...super funny!!!

I was reading my weekly e-mail and it didn't say I should start packing my hospital bag yet, BUT I should start thinking about what I want to bring...so IF YOU HAVE ANY MUST HAVES THAT I SHOULD ADD...PLEASE COMMENT BELOW ARE MESSAGE ME ON FACEBOOK!  Thanks :)

I had a doctor's appointment this past Wednesday.  Baby G's heartbeat was solid at about 152.  As of right now her head is down!  I'm sure she will move a lot before she finally settles into her birthing position but I'm okay if she stays head down from now until then :)  Momma (me) is also doing good!  I'm feeling well although sleeping is starting to get uncomfortable.  I love sleeping on my back but not supposed to.  The best way to sleep is on the left side so the baby gets the best amount of oxygen and other things...although, it is painful for me to sleep on my left side.  So, the only way I can sleep in on my right side.  I wake up and my legs are all cramped....blah!

Baby Girl Giedd this week....

She is about 16inches long and about 3.5pounds!  One source says its like carrying four navel oranges!!!  She can turn her head side to side!  All five of her senses are working!  The only sense she cannot use until birth is smelling; but she can use hearing (this is why mom and dad already are reading to Baby Girl every night before bed), seeing (can sense bring lights), touch, and taste.  Her lungs are still not mature at this point...so we need her to stay put...healthy babies are WORTH the wait!!!

Mommy this week (besides the uncomfortable sleeping)...

• I was showing my volleyball girls how low I wanted them to get for their wall sits while holding a couple volleyballs.  Although I could get that low, I had to ask the girls to help me get back up!  Good thing they like me enough to help...lol.
• Mommy got her first two small stretch marks this week (actually I noticed them this morning).  I guess I should be using my lotion a little more religiously.  I was not excited about it considering I still have two months left before she arrives.  I don't even feel that big....oh well I guess!  So, I was hesitant of posting this, but I am a real human person that is pregnant...so why hide it...being pregnant is a miracle and so is the little girl that is growing inside me!!!

So I'm still horrible and don't have pictures ready to post of the house for before and after...although, we have had a little bit of a mice problem...gross.  This is the mouse I found this morning while unplugging my computer :P  We are going on a SERIOUS MOUSE HUNT before Baby G gets here!  I cannot stand it...yuck!

  Have a good week, everyone :)

Weeks 29 & 30

We found out at our shower last weekend that Baby G is a .......GIRL!!!

Almost time to find out....

                      
                                    "Oh, it's a girl!"

 

There is the expression from Mike we were looking for :)

Of Course we would have been happy if it was a boy or girl...so we are just happy!  It is fun to actually start calling her by her name when it is just Mike and I, but for everyone else you will have to wait until the little girl makes her arrival.

What is strange is that the week before the shower I had 3 dreams that baby G was a girl.  Here are the dreams...just thought I would share so I would remember some day!

1. No vivid detail just remember that I was told it was a girl.
2. I was walking into the church basement and it was decorated in green and a few other colors but mostly pink!
3. My final dream before the shower was that I was upstairs greeting people and I happened to look on Facebook and my mom already posted that it was a girl.  My mom of course would be the last person to ever do that which is funny! 

This is the adorable watermelon baby that my friend's husband (Heath) made!!!

I'm so excited to share my pregnancy experience with my cousin Danielle :)  Our children are going to be great friends!

 The amazing diaper cake my cousin Brooke made!  She wrapped each diaper in either blue or pink tissue paper!!!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to many people.  

• Thank you to my wonderful friends who planned the most perfect baby shower.  
• Thank you to all of our friends and family that came and celebrated the day with us.  
• Thank you those who still sent a gift even if you couldn't make it.  
• Thank you to everyone who helped get our house ready over the last month so we could move in and celebrate with everyone at our new place!

Week 29

It is a good thing I LOVE milk and drink lots of it, because baby girl's bones are soaking up a lot of calcium these days.
 

 

Week 30

Baby girl is about 15 1/2 inches long and 3 pounds which is about the size of a head of lettuce.  From now until she is born, she will gain about 1/2 pound a week!  She is gaining more fat and so her body is starting to shed the lanugo (hair that covers their body to help them keep warm in the womb).

We now have doctor appointments every two weeks until 36 weeks.  I cannot believe that we only have 10 weeks left (give or take).

Oh, not sure if I mentioned this before, but my glucose tests came back normal...Good work, Kidneys--keep it up :)

My goal for next week is to add some before and after pictures of our house!!!!  Have a great week everyone and again thank you to everyone for your love and support!  God Bless!

Weeks 27 & 28

Wow.  The past few weeks have just been something else.  I started work with the Whitehall School District, and not only is it difficult to get back into the routine of school, but there are extra nerves and pressures when starting at a new school.  I absolutely love working with my little 4-Kers...they are so much fun and have so much energy, and on the other hand, I am enjoying my quiet afternoons as a title teacher with Kindergarten (I work with one to two children at a time right now).  I am very tired by the end of the day!  I also started coaching 8th grade volleyball once school started last week and I am so PROUD that my girls won their first game this past Thursday.  Not am I only proud that they won, but they worked hard at accomplishing our goals:  run a 4-2 offense (after only 4 practices), set up the ball (a total of 23 times in the three games), played as a team, and cheered each other on!  What more could a coach ask for???

We have also been working super hard on our house!  Painting was done by Mark Johnson of Whitehall, and he did an AMAZING job!  Also between my Dad, Mom, Grandpa Roger, Grandma Carol, and Uncle Randall, we would never be moving into our house over the next few days.  I will post pictures later so you can see all the remodeling that has happened.  We plan on getting a lot done today such as putting in the laminate wood flooring in the kitchen, dining room, and front entry way; putting in our counter tops and dishwasher, and other small things.  A lot of Mike's cousins and friends are coming down today along with my grandpa to help us out...THANK YOU!  The carpet and rest of appliances will be installed Sunday and Monday and hopefully we will be starting to move in on Wednesday....and then all of you can see it on Saturday for the shower/diaper party!!

On a more sad note, we found out early last Sunday morning that my aunt and uncle had been in a bad car accident with some good friends of theirs.  They are both making much progress because of the hospital staff, their family by their sides, and because all of your prayers, thoughts, and well wishes.  I have always know that our family has such a strong bond, but it really shows through when there is a definite time of need.  It has been great to be by their side the couple times each that I have been able to be.  Please continue to pray for them as well as their good friends as they all still have a long road of recovery ahead of them. 

As for the baby.  He/she continues to grow.  Baby G is between 2-2 1/2 pounds this week and about 15in long!  He or she will just continue to pack on the lbs until it is strong for its grand appearance.  The baby is also now able to open and shut his/her eyes.  Our little peanut is sleeping and waking on a regular schedule although the baby only sleeps for about 20-30min at a time.  I definitely don't feel the tickle as the baby moves, it is more of a pressure feeling.  I just love when it is non-stop moving.  It always puts a smile on my face :)  I actually felt a little rhythm in my lower abdomen the other day, so I am guessing that Baby G had the hiccups for a minute or so.  I am officially into my third trimester which is hard to believe that I am already this far along.  I am starting to feel a little more aggravation on my back, especially when I do a lot during the day....good thing my husband is amazing and gives me back rubs when I request them.

I have my next appointment on Wednesday where they test for how your body/pancreas handles the sugars in the body (gestational diabetes).  I pray that my body is handling it the correct way and that I am staying right on track health wise for Baby G and myself.

We started our Hypnobabies home study a couple weeks ago.  It is going well.  I am very excited for my birthing time and to put to use everything I am learning and working on each night :)

Here is my 27 week photo taken on Thursday, September 6...

Here is my 28 week photo....

Yesterday while on the way up to St. Paul to visit my aunt in the hospital, I had looked down at my feet and thought they looked a little swollen, but then I was like no they are just fine.  After sitting in the hospital room for a couple hours, my Grandma Carol says, "Wow, are your feet that swollen?"  I looked at them and they had really puffed up....so I replied, "I guess so."  I didn't have my little 4-Kers yesterday as they only come Monday-Thursday...so not sure why they decided to swell up.  Beyond me.

 BABY G is already a BIG GREEN BAY PACKER FAN!!!!

As the time to my shower gets closer, and I finding myself getting more excited about finding out what Baby G is.  I cannot believe it is only one week away!  I actually had a dream a couple nights ago that Baby G is a girl.  I told my cousin Danielle that and she well yea, what else are you going to have?  lol.  Our family has all girls, so it is hard to imagine one of us actually having a boy (besides my parents who had Chad).  

I am so very lucky to have such great friends and family that I can celebrate this little bundle of joy with :)  God Bless you all!!!!

Weeks 25 & 26 AND....

We are a couple of homeowners!!!!  Mike and I just closed on our first home this past week Wednesday.  We are moving to the HUGE town of Coral City (in the middle of Whitehall and Pigeon Falls).  It is a three bedroom, 1 bath, split level house with a 1 car attached garage.  It is currently under a little construction as it needed updating with flooring, paint, and the tearing out walls to open up the kitchen.  We definitely couldn't have done it without my parents and grandparents who have already put in so much time and money of their own to help.  We also couldn't have gotten where we are today without the help of Mike's mom, aunt and uncle, and my parents who have let Mike, myself and our puppy stay with them for rent free different times throughout the past year!  We cannot thank you all enough for your support.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

Here is our first family picture at our home!

Here is an outside picture of the house!

P.S.  This is where the diaper party will be held!  We cannot wait for everyone to see it :)


Now on to baby news!!!

Here is my 25 week photo.  Only news from 25 weeks was that we had a doctor's appointment and everything was good.  Baby's heartbeat is still going strong :)  Our next appointment is September 19.  I get to drink the sugary drink and get my blood drawn to see how my body takes the sugar.  Pray for me that my body is responding in a healthy way so I can continue to see the midwives (having gestational diabetes is one reason why I would have to switch over to an OB along with all of the other extra issues)!

Week 26.

This week my uterus is about the size of a basketball according to one source which seems crazy that it could be that big, but thinking that Baby G is about 14in and 2lb makes it seem a little more realistic!  The baby has changed its schedule a little bit.  It has decided to be more active in the morning.  It was doing flips and kicks while I had inservice this week.  It definitely made getting back into the work routine eventful!  The nerves are better developed which allows the baby to hear better.  Otherwise the baby continues to swallow amniotic fluid to help develop the sucking/swallowing/breathing reflexes, and continues to grow and add fat!

Mike and I tried to register for Hypnobirthing classes but the classes that are nearest to us are in Hudson or the Cities.  We would travel but the times and dates don't match up with our schedules.  So, we did some more research and have decided to buy Hypobabies home guide.  We are very excited to start using the home program.  I will keep you updated on how it goes :)

This is my last photo for the second trimester!  Whoop Whoop.