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.  

Week 24

24 weeks down...16 to go!  Holy cow time is flying...it will be December before we know it :)

Not a whole lot of updates this week...but first and foremost lets talk baby!  Remember last week when I said Baby G was moving a ton and I could actually see him/her move under my shirt...well, we moved all of our stuff last week Thursday from Wausau to Whitehall and after that move I hadn't felt the baby move for FOUR DAYS (talk about a drastic change from just days before).  Well needless to say it scared the crap out of me and I was stressing about it each day.  So I finally called the maternity nurses and they said it is very normal but had me come in anyway to hear the heartbeat.  So, I went in on Monday and the heartbeat was strong as ever!!  Thank the Lord!  I think all that moving around on my part made the baby cozy up and enjoyed being lazy for a few days.  But life in the womb was back to normal this week with all the movement going on :)  I think for right now, I will take all that movement...I absolutely LOVE it.  We have our next doctor appointment this coming Monday, so I will get to hear that strong heartbeat again!

The baby this past week was very hungry for oranges and puppy chow.  I would say it is a random combination but both tasted SO good :)

One other thing I thought I would just share...Everyone that I talk to wonders how I haven't peeked in the envelop to see if Baby G is a boy or girl...well folks, let me tell you...  I don't want to know what Baby G is until delivery and Mike wants to know...so we compromised (our marriage is working well!!).  Therefore I have no desire to peek before the shower when we find out.  I am going to be SOOOO happy either way because so far Baby G is as healthy as can be and if continues to stay that way, then my prayers are answered!  AND I don't have the envelop anymore...my good friends that are planning the shower now have sole possession of it :)

As for what the baby is doing this week...It is about the size of an ear of corn.  It is kind of weird to think about since I just ate corn on the cob the other night!  The baby's skin is still pretty see through at this point, but is starting to pack on the ounces and will continue to plump up to be healthy for delivery! 

Here is baby bump picture for 24 weeks....

As for me...I am busy getting my classrooms ready (both 4k and title)...it is hard to believe that in-service for teachers starts in about 10 days and school will be soon after!!!  I am very excited to start this new teaching adventure and meet all my new kiddos!  I am also excited for Mike as he starts his LAST year of school at CVTC (woot woot).  It is going to be a busy time for the Giedd family but we are excited for all of our adventures and we definitely enjoy and appreciate all of the support from our family and friends!  I thank the Lord every night for all that He has blessed us with and for all the wonderful people in our lives :)

P.S.  Sorry, I guess I had more updates than I thought :)

Weeks 22 and 23

I missed last week due to being very busy!  My good friend Erin had her wedding shower and bachelorette party, so that took priority over the blog as I was busy running around getting the final preparations done!

There has been a lot that has happened in the last couple weeks...we celebrated Mike's 28th birthday and he got a very amazing gift from Baby G!  The baby is going to be his little "Badger Fan Buddy!"

Last week we also celebrated our 1st anniversary!  We haven't eaten our frozen cake yet...we are waiting until we are in our own home to do that!  BUT I did make a pinterest inspired gift for Mike...52 reasons why I love you.

Okay...so now onto baby!  Here is the 22 week picture!

And here is this week's picture!

This week the baby has been moving SOOOOOO much!  Soon-to-be, Grandma Rachel, got to feel the baby move while watching the Olympics on Tuesday night!  Then last night while I was lying on the couch the baby had to have been doing flips or dancing because you could actually see my belly moving!  I cannot even put into words how incredible that feeling is :)

The baby this week:  Is over a pound and is a foot long (not a $5 footlong...there is no price on this little miracle)!!!  The baby can sense my movement, so we could get up and dance together....but instead of dancing we have been doing quite a bit of packing and volleyball!  Blood vessels are forming in his/her lungs to help prepare for breathing.  Cannot believe how fast our little peanut is growing!  See the link below to check out what the baby looks like in the womb this week :) 

http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-23-weeks



Before I leave to finish packing for Bill and Mike to start moving all of our stuff out of Wausau, I wanted to thank those of you who sent me messages telling me about your natural childbirths!  I appreciate your words or wisdom and support :)