Evan is 6 months old already!

Evan sitting up for the first time!

Our Fall Family pictures

Evan's first picture with Santa!


Holy cow! Where does the time really go? Last week, Evan turned 6 months old. I feel like I just gave birth and blinked and now he is 6 months already! I can't believe how incredibly blessed we are to be his parents as he is honestly the best baby ever!! He just rolls with the punches and is as happy as can be. He has been a traveling little guy for only being 6 months old! He has been on 3 or 4 road trips and an airplane ride already! We went to Minnesota the weekend after Thanksgiving and had a great visit with the Helgemoe's.

He seems to just be changing every day and on the 21st Evan began to sit up all by himself! He kinda skipped the rolling over and went straight to sitting up. He still only rolls over in the crib and now that he can sit up, he doesn't really like to lay down so he can roll over! I guess he'll get there sooner or later! He is grabbing toys and transferring them from hand to hand. He is exceptionally good at taking his pacifier out of his mouth and then requiring us to get up at 2 am to put it back in his mouth! That's okay though, he is so cute when he does it that you can't get mad at him! He is really starting to like to be read to and he is very attentive and observant. He is eating pretty well, but I think we are going to have a picky eater on our hands. I make all his baby food and so far, he pretty much only likes to eat things that are orange! He loves butternut squash, pumpkin, carrots and sweet potatoes. He is starting to come around with peas and bananas, but that's about it! He does not like apples, peaches, green beans or chicken. I am afraid he is going to turn orange! We have his 6 month check up at the end of the month so we will see what he weighs then.

We had our first bout of sickness last night with him. He was puking and having diarrhea. It was really sad, but he is the happiest, sick baby I have ever seen (and I've seen my fair share!). Eric was very worried and was ready to take him to the hospital, but Pedialyte to the rescue! He made it through the night and hasn't thrown up since. I guess it was just a 24 hour bug, thank God!!

We are gearing up for Christmas as I am sure all of you are too! We went and cut down our own tree this year and it is beautiful. We took Evan and hope to make it a tradition, as I never got to do anything like that living in Arizona. Nana and Papa Keating are coming out on Thursday and we are looking forward to seeing them! Wish the Droste's could be here too! It is crazy to think that this will be Evan's first Christmas. I still think back to when we wondered if we would ever be able to have a child and here we are. Again, feeling really blessed this year! We are looking forward to next year and just continuing to watch Evan grow and hope to teach him about love, respect and God, although not necessarily in that order! It is so fun and amazing to see him change and evolve every day and he just melts my heart and fills me with so much love that I could just explode!

We want to thank you all for your support and love this year and we pray that you have a blessed 2012 and we look forward to sharing with you in this awesome journey of parenthood and Evan's life!

Evan's first airplane trip to Bullhead City!

Nana and her baby!

Me and Ricki rockin the 'Vette!

Evan's Aunt Kellie! I think it's love!

Evan go to meet his GG's!

How stinkin adorable!!!

Love my sweet Nicholas!

The whole family (minus Colin who took the picture)!!

Evan with his cousin Nicholas! Nicholas just loved him!

Evan's first plane ride! He did AMAZING! And 1st class no less!

So on November 12th we embarked on a scary journey - Evan's first airplane ride! I had gotten tips from several people before we left, but I was still terrified that we would be "those people" with the screaming baby, and in 1st class! Apparently we had nothing to worry about as Evan barely made a peep the entire flight! I noticed when we got on the plane, we got a few looks like "oh great, a baby right in front/behind me". But after the flight was over and he proved to be the angel that we know he is, everyone was just gushing about how cute and good he was! We were fully prepared with 3 diaper bags and 4 extra hands thanks to our awesome friends Ricki and Colin who joined us! One was full of toys and distractions, the other was full of diapers and clothes and the other was full of booze for the adults!! Just kidding on the last one! The magic is in feeding him during take off and landing! Not a peep.

We were headed on this trip to go back to my home to visit my parents and my sister and her family. It was such a great trip and I just love being home! I got to see my ADORABLE nephew Nicholas and niece Avrie! I can't stand how cute they are and I miss them so much. Evan sure didn't fall short on being loved that week, that's for sure. Nicholas especially just loved on him and wanted to hold him all the time! I think it's time for his mommy to have another! We went up to the Hualapai mountains one day and had a great lunch and the weather was beautiful. We also went to Valle Vista so that Evan could meet Great Grandpa and Grandma McCarthy! Unfortunately Evan was in a bit of a mood and cried pretty much the entire time. So needless to say, the visit was short, but the GG's were happy to finally meet him.

The rest of the time was spent relaxing and having fun. Thanks to Nana and Papa, Mommy and Daddy got to spend an adult only evening having an amazing dinner at the Gourmet Room and gambling till the wee hours of the morning. No big winners, but we had a great time anyway! All in all it was a fabulous trip and I can't wait to go back, hopefully it's not too long. I think I am going to have to invest in a airline credit card to get frequent flier miles! Evan is so blessed to have such a loving family who adores him!

This weekend we are heading on a road trip to Minnesota for Thanksgiving with the Helgemoe family minus Kate, Josh and Isabel :( Wish everyone didn't live so far away from each other! We are picking up our "new" car this weekend, barring any issues. Our beloved Focus died the night before we left on our trip to Bullhead so we are in desperate need of a new car. We are breaking down and getting a Carney-mobile; a Buick Rendezvous! It's super nice and I am most excited about the heated seats with Winter quickly approaching!

Anyway, everything else here is good. I am so lucky and blessed and thankful to be able to be home so much with Evan. He is growing up so fast and I am so glad to be able to watch it first hand! He has started to sit up on his own for a moderate amount of time. He is not consistently rolling over yet, but I think he'll get there soon. He is also still not sleeping through the night, but I guess I'll count my blessings for the quiet snuggle time that I get to spend with him at 3 am! He is "talking" up a storm, laughing a lot and just as sweet as can be. We started him on some baby food that I have made and he loves the pumkin and carrots, but is not a fan of the peas or green beans. I guess he takes after his mommy in that department! I guess we'll just keep trying.

I can't believe Christmas is decending upon us so quickly and that Thanksgiving Day is in 2 days! I wish you all a fabulous Turkey day and just know that we are so thankful to have all of you in our lives and we pray that you are all safe if you are traveling or Black Friday shopping! Love to all!

Happy Halloween!!

We made a little diddy, so click on this link and enjoy! http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/5g5juJUQm1jYYCW3

Ok, so again, I'm sorry for the delay in updating this thing! It is crazy how little time you get with a baby! So Evan is 4 1/2 months old now, I know what you are thinking "how can that be?" I feel the same way! I can't believe he is growing up so fast. At his 4 month check up he weighed in at a hefty 12 pounds 14 ounces and 24 inches long. He is only in the 13% for weight, but the doctor didn't seem too worried. He is just a little nugget! We have just been so blessed with him as he is always pretty happy and smiling all the time. He is so expressive in his face and his whole face lights up (as well as my heart!) when he smiles. He is developing new skills everyday it seems. He is grabbing at toys on his play gym and he is starting to try to roll from back to front. He has been rolling from front to back, but mostly only when he is in his crib. I haven't seen him do it while on tummy time, mostly because he just wants to fall asleep during tummy time! He is very observant and notices us walking in/out of rooms and he is really starting to notice the dogs. He stares at them all the time! They still don't really pay him any mind, they just know that this sweet little thing now takes all of their mommy and daddy's attention! They are too good though. Evan has also discovered his hands. He LOVES to chew on his fingers and is now getting really good at pulling out his pacifier and then gets mad that he doesn't have his pacifier! He still loves to stand up on his feet and can hold his own weight up pretty well. Nana and Papa bought him a bouncer and he loves that! I caught him playing with some of the toys on it the other day and that was a first too! It's crazy how much he can change in 1 day!

He is now on a pretty good routine. He usually gets up about 8am and eats and then plays until 10, when he takes a 2 hour nap. He then is up until about 2pm when he takes another 2 hour nap! We haven't quite gotten an evening routine down because if it were up to him, he would be down for the night at 6 or 6:30, but then he is up way too early for mom and dad! He is not sleeping through the night yet, he requires lots of rearranging and pacifier replacing still! He only eats though once during the night, usually around 4 am. I think Eric and I are still trying to adjust to the lack of sleep and exhaustion, but I am told that never goes away!!

We started Evan on rice cereal a few weeks ago and he has done pretty well eating it. The first time we tried it he wasn't sure about the texture or the spoon, but he caught on really quick and now we can't seem to feed him fast enough! I attempted to give him some homeade pumpkin puree but I don't think he was quite ready for it, so I think I will try some peas or carrots next.

We went to our first pumpkin patch last week and it was really fun! (It was my first time too!) We got to show Evan some goats and chickens and pigs and donkeys. He also got to go on a hay ride and we picked out the perfect little mini pumpkin for him! I can't wait until he gets older and understands things! (not that I want him to grow up any faster than he already is!)

We are going on a trip to Bullhead City on November 12 to see Nana and Papa and Aunt Kellie, Uncle Dave and cousins Nicholas and Avrie, and that will be Evan's first time on an airplane. I hope he does ok! I don't want to be "those" people! I have a feeling it is going to be a logistical nightmare to pack all his stuff!

It has been so amazing to be at home with Evan, as I am only going to my job 1 day a week now. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to stay home with him and not to put him in daycare(not that there is anything wrong with putting kid in daycare!). I mean, he is only this little 1 time and I want to spend as much time with him as I can! I do feel bad for Eric though because I am sure that if he could, he would much rather stay home with Evan too! He is such an amazing father and husband and I am so lucky to have both of them in my life.

It is crazy to watch him grow and change and I feel so blessed to get to be his mom. I just hope and pray that we are not screwing him up too badly! I am sorry that I don't update this more, but duty calls! I hope you are all having a great year and only 2 more months till Christmas!! Can you believe it! Where does the time go???

Evan's first laugh

So tonight while I was getting dinner ready for me and Eric, Eric was holding Evan and was making burping noises and all of a sudden, Evan just started laughing! We had never heard him laugh before! He has always kinda just made noises, but no definitive laughing! It was so cute!I am trying to post the video I took of him laughing, so look for it on the right side of the blog. So he is 3 1/2 months now and changing constantly! He is getting very good at pushing himself up while he is on his tummy and is very alert and always looking around. He has discovered his hand, mostly his right, and loves to hold it up in the air and also to suck on it! He is so expressive in his face and makes me laugh all the time with his expressions! I think he is going to be a class clown because he is pretty funny already. I also think he is going to be pretty smart because he really likes to be read to when we do his nighttime routine. He sits so still and really looks at the pages of the books! He is also starting to grab at toys and hold on to them. He is liking his activity gym more and more. I think he is going to be right handed because he uses that hand more than the left.

We took him to his first baseball game. It was the KC Royals vs MN Twins. The Royals actually won a game and Evan got a certificate from the Royals organization for it being his first game! It was really cool. He did amazing and barely made a peep the whole night. He ended up falling asleep in his stroller! We truly are blessed to have a baby boy who is so chill and relaxed!

We moved him into his crib recently, much to Eric's dismay! He does well, but still not sleeping through the night. He moves around a lot, and if it's any indication of how he will be when he is mobile, we are screwed!! So he gets himself stuck in the siderails of the crib and we have to get up and get him out. Luckily Auntie Kellie loaned us her video monitor and Eric stares at it all night long!

There is not a whole lot else is going on as far as major milestones, just growing and changing everyday. I can't believe how fast time goes. I know I say that in every post, but it still amazes me that it was already 14 weeks ago that I had him. I still look at him and can't believe he is really ours to keep! He is such a blessing and we are so honored to be his parents. I just hope that we can do half as good of a job raising him as our parents raised us! At least we have good role models! Anyway, I will try to keep posting! He has his first 5K coming up on October 1st. Bumpa, Gammy, Uncle Chad and Aunt Tani are all coming to visit that weekend too so it should be a blast! We are all going to the Chiefs vs Vikings game! Not sure who I want to root for, but know that Eric will be rooting for the Vikings! Evan will not be attending this game, but I am sure it won't be long before he does! Take care and stay posted!

the joys of watching growth!

Evan with his Great Grandma Keating!!
Evan with his Nana!

Evan with his Papa!

Wow! What an amazing treat to watch Evan grow and develop every day. It really makes you consider what really matters in your life when you watch your son delight in just finding and sucking on his own hand! It's like discovering things all over again through the eyes of your 12 week old child. Realizing that he is seeing things for the first time ever and it is developing his little mind is miraculous to me! I just hope that we are doing him justice and setting him up for a life that he will love and live to the fullest, whatever that entails!

So Evan is 12 weeks and 4 days old today. He is getting so big (at least we think he is!) and is becoming more and more aware every day! He recently has discovered his right hand and LOVES to suck on it all day! He holds his arm up in the air and makes a fist and thinks it is very funny to punch his momma in the face! He's lucky he's so cute! It makes me wonder if he is going to be right handed? He is such a happy baby and is smiling and cooing more and more! No giggling yet, but I hope that comes soon, not that I want him to grow up any faster! He definately notices when someone walks in the room. He loves to play patty cake and he especially loves to clap to Miley Cyrus' boom boom clap, boom de clap de clap! It is stinkin adorable! He loves to stand up while we hold him and look around. He is so strong! He isn't quite rolling over yet, but I think it's coming soon and he is pushing himself up while he is on his stomach and he is starting to rock from side to side. It's hard to believe he was just a helpless little baby not that long ago! I'm not sure if I am sad that he is getting bigger or if it is going to be more fun? He is still not sleeping through the night and I am hoping that time is coming soon! He is still sleeping in our room and I can't seem to talk Eric into trying out his nursery! Maybe someday!

Since my last post, Grandma and Grandpa Helgemoe came for a visit to watch Evan while we went to see Keith Urban in concert! It is so much easier to leave him (not that is is ever easy to leave him!) knowing he is in good hands! Grandma and Grandpa Keating were just out for a visit over Labor Day weekend and it was so good to see them! We made a whirlwind trip to Oklahoma to attend Uncle Bobby's retirement party and to visit Great Grandma Keating. It was so great to see everyone and they all just loved Evan. I was so happy to have had the chance to introduce him to his great Grandma and we got some good pictures. I will treasure that memory forever! He did so well in the car ride and only cried for the last 2o minutes of both ways. We also took him to the lake for the first time and he slept the whole time! His Nana and Dad were the only ones to catch a fish, I got skunked :(

I went back to work on the 4th and it was the hardest thing I have ever done! The worst part was actually leaving the house, but the rest of the day was tough too. Thankfully Eric and my parents brought Evan to have lunch with me, so I didn't have to go the full 14 hours without seeing him. I have a feeling that it won't get any easier to leave him, especially as he begins to develop and change more and more! I feel so bad for Eric having to do it 5 days a week since he was 1 week old! I feel bad because I never knew how hard it was. I am sure this is just the beginning of the difficult things we have to endure as parents!

So the next thing we have coming up is Eric's family coming at the beginning of October for the Vikings/Chiefs football game! Evan will not be attending but he will be walking (ok, maybe riding in a stroller) in his first 5K! It is so nice having a baby because everyone wants to come and visit!! We will continue to try to keep you all updated and at least post pictures as he changes! Hope you are all doing well!!

Where does the time go?

It is amazing how fast time goes by and even more amazing at what occupies your time when you are a new parent! I really don't know what I do all day, but I look up and it is 9 pm and I think, "what did I do today?"! I really had intentions to update this blog more often, but I truly just don't have the time, so I apologize for the long times in between posts!

Evan is 8 weeks and 2 days old today! At last weight check he was 9 pounds 8 ounces! He is growing up so fast and I HATE it! He is getting stronger every day and he loves to stand up on his legs. He is smiling a ton and "talking" to us often. He is such a good baby for which we are so grateful! He is focusing on objects and holding his head up pretty well. Although he still resembles a bobble head at times! He is filling out finally and has officially gone on from newborn clothes to his 0-3 month clothes. He also moved to size 1 diapers :( I was going through his dresser the other day and saw a preemie outfit that he wore when he was first born and of course burst into tears at how small it was and at the fact that he actually fit into it! It is a very bitter sweet thing because as much as I look forward to seeing his pesonality develop, I am going to miss him being so mushy and snuggly! I keep telling him that he better snuggle with his mommy forever! Probably won't happen, I know :(

We had our first road trip with Evan to Minnesota at the end of July. It was definately an interesting experience with a baby, but he did pretty well! The normally 5 1/2 hour drive took 7 hours with a couple of stops to feed and just get hime out of the carseat for a bit. He had TONS of visitors while we were there and by the end of the weekend, I think he was a bit overstimulated! I don't think he got put down the entire time we were there! That's ok though. We feel so blessed that he has family that loves him so much already. We developed some feeding issues a few weeks ago, but finally got that figured out thank goodness! Otherwise, everything is going great. He is sleeping pretty good, still getting up about 1 time per night.

We continue to try to adjust to life with a baby and I think we are doing a pretty good job. It is so hard to try to split your attention between your child and your husband and your dogs! No matter what you do, you feel guilty because you feel like someone is gettig shortchanged! I don't know how people do it, but I guess you just do and know that it won't be like this forever! I try to cherish every moment because it goes so fast and we will never get this time back. Anyway, thanks for reading and I will continue to try to post as often as possible!

Hello again!

Well, today Evan is 5 weeks and 2 days old and weighs in at a hefty 8 pounds 12 ounces!! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. It is amazing how much he changes daily and I am terrified that I am going to blink and he is going to be off to college!

Since the last update, Evan has had his first 4th of July and he wasn't phased by the loud fireworks. We went to 2 BBQ's that day and he just rolled with the punches! He is such a good boy, we are so very lucky! The fireworks were so loud and he just slept right through them! Definately got that from his momma! His Grandma Helgemoe came to visit and love on him from the 5th through the 8th. He truly is so lucky to have such amazing grandparents that love him so much! On the 8th of July, Aunt Kellie and cousin Avrie came for a visit! His Aunt loves him so much and I think he loves her too! Avrie was a little leery of him and quickly became jealous when her momma held Evan! She was more enamored with the dogs! All in all, it was great having so many visitors as they were all a great help, and Eric and I got to go on a date too! We left him with Aunt Kellie so we were a little more at ease leaving him in such good hands!

We are now settling into a routine (as much as you can with a newborn!). He is going about 3-5 hours between feedings and sleeps well at night. He is so much more alert and focusing on things. He loves looking at the ceiling fan because it is dark! Mommy needs to get him an activity gym so that he can get his little genius mind working! He is getting so strong and is able to hold his head up pretty well. He is still a little floppy though. He loves his tummy time and usually ends up falling asleep (don't worry, he sleeps on his back at night!). Actually, he has rolled over twice already! I had him on his tummy on the couch and stepped away for a second and when I came back, he was on his back! I thought it was probably a fluke thing, but he did it again! Eric swears he is going to be a quarterback. I think that is every Dad's dream to have a son that is a quarterback right? He is starting to smile a little, but I don't think they are purposeful yet. He is discovering his voice too and is starting to coo and grunt. The grunting is his favorite thing to do, especially at night before he falls asleep! All-in-all, he is such a great little baby boy! We couldn't be more blessed. I'm sure all moms say that, but he has been such a chill little man (lucky for Mommy and Daddy!). We have been lucky enough that he hasn't been colicky (sp?) and hardly ever cries.

Eric has been amazing and is such a great help! He pretty much takes over when he gets home from work and he gets up in the middle of the night and changes his diaper before I have to get up to feed him! He has even given him a bottle one night so that I could sleep more than 3 hours! I really am so lucky to have such amazing boys! I'm not sure what I did to deserve them!

It is amazing how your life changes with a baby! You think you know, but you have no idea! Your whole mindset changes. You begin to question your ability to be a good mother and wife at the same time. You wonder if you are going to raise a serial killer or a productive member of society! We can only hope that we can instill the same values and morals that were instilled in us by our parents, and if we can do that, I think he will be alright! It is definately an adjustment, as it was just me and Eric for 10 years and truthfully we never thought we'd be able to be parents. It's hard to go from being totally selfish, to totally selfless. It is very humbling! I am already dreading going back to work and I am only going to be working 1-2 days/week! I never thought I would want to be a stay at home mom, but I really do, especially while he is so little. Maybe we can work it out! Anyway, we will try to keep you all posted and will try to keep pictures updated so you can all see how he is growing!

So finally an update!

Our family is now complete!


Our sweet baby boy! He's so pink and perfect!



Ok, so most of you know that we welcomed our little miracle, Evan Joseph Helgemoe, on June 13th at 10:26 am. He weighed in at a hefty 6 lb 4 oz and was 19 inches long. He is such an amazing little boy already and our hearts are so full of love for him, I feel like it could burst! I am especially happy that he took it easy on me for labor! So here's the story of his delivery, as it is kind of interesting!

So I was 2 days over due on Sunday June 12th. We got up and went to church and I noticed that "the baby" hadn't been moving as much as normal. We came home and I counted his kicks in 1 hour and they were less than what they recommend so I called the on call doctor. She told me to go to the birthing unit to have a non stress test. We headed there, thinking that we would be home in about 1 hour, we would soon find out that we thought wrong! So we got to the birthing unit and got hooked up to find that luckily everything was ok! But they did notice that I was having frequent contractions, so they decided to check my cervix. In doing so she said that my cervix was still closed, but the nurse apparently broke my water! We had to have a test to make sure it was amniotic fluid and it came back positive. So after speaking to the doctor on call, they gave us the option to induce that night or to just monitor and possibly induce later in the week. Ummm, let me think? You guessed it, we decided to induce! They placed cervadil Sunday night and were planning on starting pitocin in the morning. With the impending arrival of our little munchkin, I couldn't really sleep and about 3:30 in the morning I started to have some pretty uncomfortable contractions. Nothing that was intollerable, but painful. I breathed through them until about 5:30 when they became extrememly painful and I was in full on labor! I asked the nurse for pain meds and after offering it to me all night, she said that I should try a shower first! WHAT??? Whatever, so I showered (which did not help!!) and luckily the day nurse came on shift and she hooked me up with some meds that at least took the edge off! By about 6:30 in the morning my cervix was already dilated to 4 cm so I asked for my epidural right away! My nurse was amazing and got me the 1st epidural (out of like 7!)!!! After that it was a cake walk! Ok, maybe not, but definately more enjoyable! It didn't take long and by about 10 am I was fully dilated!! After needing some oxygen and repositioning, I was able to start pushing! After about 25 minutes of pushing, we finally found out what this little miracle was! It was a boy!!!!! He came out screaming and just perfect. It is amazing that you can love someone so much after about 2 seconds (especially for only making mom go through 5 hours of labor)!

Eric was such a proud papa and was able to go to the waiting room and announce that we had a little boy! Grandpa Keating and Auntie Ricki and Uncle Colin were there and Grandma Keating was able to be in the delivery room. We were so happy that it worked out the way it did so Papa Keating could be here to meet him! He left the next day! Grandma and Grandpa Helgemoe were about 45 minutes out when he came into the world and we were so happy that they were all there!!

He had a few issues after he was born though. Because he was SGA (small for gestational age) they did a blood sugar that came back low. So he had to have it rechecked a few more times to make sure that it was okay and after a few attempts at breastfeeding, his blood sugar was up where it needed to be! Also, his bilirubin was a little elevated so we had to supplement breastfeeding with a little bit of formula for a few days, but it came down and we stopped supplementing. We were able to go home on Wednesday and we were so excited to get home and start this new life with Evan. The dogs were very curious when we brought him home, but they have been great with him. Molly sure didn't like it when he cried at first, but she is adjusting well. I do feel bad that I can't spend as much time with them at this point. I hope they will forgive us!

Evan has been an amazing little man so far. He is sleeping great and he hardly ever cries! He is such a chill baby, thank goodness! He took to breasfeeding right away and so far have not had many issues. We were so lucky to have my mom here for a few weeks after Evan was born. She was such a great help and I don't know what I would have done without her! Eric was able to take 1 week off work so he was able to spend some good time with Evan. Evan really calms to Eric's voice, I think because he talked to my belly so much during pregnancy! They are going to have so much fun when Evan gets older! But he better stay my momma's boy forever!

He has had a couple of doctor's appointments and he has had good reports at both. He is gaining weight and currently weighs 6 lb 11 1/2 oz and has grown 1/2 inch already :( I told him he has to stay little and mushy forever! Probably not gonna happen though! We are adjusting well to life with a little man and couldn't imagine our lives without him. He totally completes our family and we feel so blessed to have him in our lives. We look forward to what the future holds for us and him and hope to guide him the best that we can. So I will try to keep up with posting pictures and updating you all about how he is doing. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and well wishes after Evan was born! He is so lucky to have you all in his life, as are we!

38 week update

Today we are 38 weeks and 4 days, but who's counting? We had a Dr. appointment today to see if this baby is ready to meet the world, and you guessed it, he/she is comfortable and no where near where we hoped they'd be. So, maybe the baby has already anticipated the world it would be coming into, or it is just really comfortable. I think probably the latter. Although this has been a bit frustrating for Angie, I think it is a good sign. A sign that she truly is going to be an amazing mommy and that this child already knows it and won't let go.

So we continue to wait. We are so excited to meet this little nugget, and look forward to the day he/she makes their debut. We just hope it is closer to June 10th (the actual due date) than the 2 additional weeks the Dr. said we could have to wait, if in fact this child is not ready to come out. Either way, we aren't going anywhere. We'll wait right here, nesting. I do not recall ever organizing my sock drawer, but I am pretty sure I have done this 3 times in the past 9 months. Of course, we just want to be prepared.

Angie also asked the Dr. what we could do to speed up the process and he said sex and walking. So you know what we've been doing a lot of. Oh yeah, I think we could both use a new pair of walking shoes.

We have our next appointment on Monday so please send good juju our way that the process is at least moving along!! Up until now, we have been so busy getting everything ready that we hadn't had time to really think about what is coming. Now that we are pretty much ready (as anyone can ever be for a baby!), the time seems like it is dragging. Angie's mom comes on Monday and her dad comes on Wednesday, so we are looking forward to that and just hope that they don't spend most of their time here with no baby! That's about it for now, we will keep you posted after our next appointment. Again, good vibes are welcome!!

So today we are 37 weeks and 3 days! Only 18 more days to go, but who's counting?! We have been trying to slow down a little bit as D-day approaches, but to no avail! I did surprise Eric with a little "staycation" at a bed & breakfast over the weekend and that was just what we needed! We were able to spend some quality time together and the B&B was beautiful. It had a little "lake" that we went out on and Eric did some fishing. He successfully caught a snapping turtle and hooked a fish on it's side when he was top water fishing! We relaxed by the pool and in the hammock and had a nice dinner. We hated to come home, but know we will be going back there again!

We are at our weekly appointments and had one today. I am just starting to dilate, but the baby still hasn't dropped yet. Everything is going well as far as my health. No signs of pre-eclampsia or diabetes. My blood pressure is great and my weight gain is right on at about 20 pounds. He said that he estimates the baby is about 5 1/2 pounds at this point and by delivery, the baby should be about 7 pounds. Music to my ears as I'd hate to have a giant baby!! I have been taking walks and mowing the lawn to get this party started! I just don't want to go over my due date! I have been trying not to think about the fact that this baby actually has to come out!

I have been sleeping ok, getting up a little bit more to pee and I have been having some bizarre dreams! I think (without going into gross detail) that I am having some major unconscious (and conscious) fears of pooping on the delivery table! Oh well! Eric continues to be great and taking my crazy request of cleaning/nesting in stride. We are both getting so excited and can't believe that it is only 18 days away! We remember when we still had 240 days to go and it felt like it would never be here! I am terrified that if it goes by this fast without the baby here, it is going to go even faster when it is here! I feel like I'm going to blink and the baby will be graduating from high school. Makes me want to really take everything in!

On a sad note, just last night a devastating tornado went through a town about 2 1/2 hours south of Kansas City and killed over 100 people. It's hard to feel excitement and anticipation when there are so many people who are mourning the loss of loved ones and their homes. We just pray for all of them.

That's about all for now. We have our next appoinment on Tuesday so will update after that!

Belly pictures!

Here are our belly pics that we had done a few weeks ago. We had so much fun and were at a beautiful state park called Watkins Mill. Hope you enjoy! Will update after our appointment next Wednesday.

35 week update

So today we are 35 weeks and 3 days and we have been super busy since the last update (that's the reason for the 3 week wait!)! We went to Minnesota for another shower hosted by my awesome sister-in-law Tani and my awesome mother-in-law Nancy. It was so great to see everyone and the shower was beautiful! Again, we were overwhelmed by the love and support from our family and friends. Thank you all so much! We happened to be there for Easter weekend and it is always great to spend holiday's with family.

We have been really busy getting the nursery organized and all the clothes and bedding washed. It is crazy how much stuff this little 7 pound baby (hopefully) requires! We got the swing and bassinet put together which makes it seem so much more real! We are pretty much finished with the nursery now, just going to wait to decorate until after the baby is born.

We had a doctor appointment last week and everything is still moving along great! The baby is measuring right on and the doctor said that if we were to deliver, everything should be okay. We sure hope that we don't deliver quite yet though! I am starting to get more and more contractions and the baby is running out of room, so it's movements are getting more and more uncomfortable. I am feeling pretty good most of the time, just a little more tired. Surprisingly though, I still have a good amount of energy. After long days at work, I definately have some ankle swelling (so cute)! I still don't have any cravings or food aversions and I figure, at this point, I probably won't! We are going to be putting together our hospital bag this week and then hopefully we will have some time to relax and spend some time together before we become 3!

We got belly pics done last week and hope to have them soon. I will post some when we get them. It was really fun, as we went to a local state park called Watkins Mill. It was a gorgeous day and Rachel was great fun to work with!

Lastly, on Sunday, I celebrated my first Mother's Day! It is amazing because just 1 year ago, I thought that I would never be able to celebrate a Mother's Day and here we are just 4 weeks from realizing our dream! Eric made the day so special! On Friday, he surprised me at work with flowers, then Sunday I got breakfast in bed, we went to church, then had lunch on the lawn of the Nelson Atkins Art museum and then we toured the museum. We came home and he let me take a 2 hour nap while he cleaned the house and then we ended the night watching a movie and snuggling! It was the best day ever! I truly am the luckiest girl to have Eric as a husband and this baby will be the luckiest baby to have him as a dad! I am so happy that he will also be celebrating his first Father's Day in a few weeks, with a real live baby!!!

We have our next appointment in 1 week and then we will go weekly until we deliver. Hope you are all doing well and Happy Spring!

32 week update

Well, where do I begin? It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks and it was topped off with an awesome baby shower, hosted by my girl Ricki with the help of lots of people! I want to thank all of you, my mom, Nancy, Amber, Holly and Trudi for all your help in making the shower amazing! We got so much great stuff and are now stressing about what we will do with it all! We truly are overwhelmed by the love and support of our amazing family and friends! It was so good to see the Oklahoma clan and we want you to know how much we appreciate you coming all the way out here for us! We were missing lots of people, but know you were there in spirit!

So today we are 32 weeks and 6 days! We had a dr appt yesterday and everything is on track! I have been feeling pretty good, however, I have started to get a little uncomfortable. I have a hard time breathing sometimes and the baby is moving around like CRAZY, which most of the time feels like it's having it's own tumbling class in there!! I have been having more and more Braxton-Hicks contractions and my ankles are starting to swell. Other than that, I have no complaints. Still no crazy cravings and no heartburn yet, but I have had some indigestion. I still feel bad, but I haven't had many baby dreams yet. I have had 2, and they were boys both times. I still think we are having a boy, and most days, so does Eric. We haven't really talked about names yet either, but are planning on doing that this weekend.

We are heading up to Minnesota on Friday because my lovely sister-in-law Tani and Eric's mom Nancy is throwing us a shower too!! How lucky are we? We are so looking forward to seeing everyone and we will also be celebrating Easter with the family, so that is always nice! We are looking forward to the weekend, but are ready to start settling down as it has been a crazy few months!

The nursery is as done as it's going to be before the baby comes as we will wait to decorate until after the baby is born. We have a few things to pick up before, but the big stuff is done.

We still can't believe that we will have a baby in less than 8 weeks! It is so surreal, but I guess we better get with the program because this baby is coming! Eric is getting so excited and he likes to talk to the baby and read it books. It is so cute!!! The baby even responds when he talks to it, which I know he loves! Other than that, everything is pretty much status quo. I will try to stay updated as much as possible and thanks again everyone for your support and love! We truly are blessed beyond what we deserve!

30 week update

Steve getting ready to use the saw! Lookout! Nancy helping decorate the living room! Looks beautiful!

At the Under Sea Adventure in the Crown Center KC!

Celebrating Angie and Ben's Birthday! We sang to Ben first, then sang for Angie.

So a lot has been going on since we last updated the blog! Today we are currently 30 weeks and 3 days! I can't believe we have less than 10 weeks to go. We have been so busy that time just keeps going faster and faster. So after our last appointment, we found out that I had failed the 1 hour glucose test and I am anemic. So we had to go in for a 3 hour glucose test and I started iron supplements. Thank God, I passed the 3 hour glucose test so no worries about gestational diabetes! Otherwise, everything else is going great! The baby continues to move a ton and my belly continues to get bigger and bigger! We have our next appointment in 2 weeks, then after that we go to every 2 week appointments!

The weekend of March 19/20, we had Eric's brother Chad and his wife Tani and their kids Ellie and Ben down from Minnesota. It was my and Ben's birthday on the 20th. We had a great visit and were happy to have 70 degree weather so we enjoyed most of our time outside! We always have a great time when they are here! They are growing up so fast, it makes me nervous for our baby! I feel like we have blinked and Ellie is almost 6 and Ben is 4 already! Makes us want to make sure we take in each and every moment with our little nugget no matter how crazy life gets!

After they left, Eric tore out our guest bathroom and we began renovation on that. We are super excited about this because that is our last project for the upstairs and we are done! Eric did an amazing job on the tiling and I did what little I could to help. We had an issue with the drain pipe for the sink and thank goodness Eric's Dad has skills! Steve and Nancy came last weekend for a visit and he helped get the pipe fixed and the bathroom is now complete! It looks amazing and we wouldn't have been able to do it without him! So, needless to say, while they were doing the manual labor, Nancy and I went on a little shopping spree! (I think we got the better end of that deal!) We got lots of good stuff for the house and it looks great! So thank you to both of them for all their help! I think it goes down in the record books that WE wore them out for once!

We have our first baby shower on April 16th and I am looking forward to seeing all of my family and friends! I am so grateful for Ricki for throwing us this shower and for all the people who are taking time out of their busy lives to come! This baby sure is lucky to have such great family! Other than that we are looking forward to slowing down a bit and enjoying our last few weeks of being just husband and wife! We will post more after the shower!

Week 28 update

Our little babies!

So today we are 28 weeks! I can't believe how fast this is going!!! There is so much coming up too, so I am afraid it is just going to keep going by faster and faster! That's ok, though. My back started to hurt this week :( It's mostly when I sit for a while, so needless to say, I haven't been sitting much, which is good because we are getting lots of stuff done around the house. We have pretty much finished up the nursery besides a few last things like a rug, light and wall decorations. We got a super comfy rocker/glider and I have already broken it in and read a few books to the babe.

Eric's brother Chad and his wife Tani and their kids Ellie and Ben are coming tomorrow and we are so excited for their visit! We love spending time with them, especially our sweet little niece and nephew. It is my and Ben's birthday on Sunday, so it's always fun to celebrate together! I will post some pics next week of their visit.

We had another Dr. appt this week and so far everything is going great! Blood pressure is good and weight gain is right on track. I had to do the glucose challenge test and some other blood work to check for anemia, but we don't have those results yet. Hoping and praying they will be ok. We got to get another ultrasound because at the last one my placenta was a little bit too close to my cervix, but it has moved far enough away that a vaginal delivery is expected!! So happy about that.

Other than that, not a whole lot going on, which is fine with me! Eric continues to be such an amazing partner in all of this and it is so adorable to see him so excited about everything. I truly am the luckiest girl in the world and I don't know what I did to deserve him, but I sure am glad God thought I was good enough for him. I hope everyone is doing well and we will continue to keep you all updated! Happy Spring everyone!!





P.S. Our other 2 babies are doing well and for the most part don't seem to notice all the changes going on. Maggie has taken to Daddy though and is pretty much obsessed with him. She follows him everywhere and is by his side ALWAYS! Eric just loves it. Molly just sleeps and lies in the sun as much as possible. I posted a recent pic of them at the top!

Baby's 1st concert - Joe Bonamassa

He signed the ticket: To the baby, welcome!
He looks really different without his sunglasses on!

Me and Eric at the show

If any of you know us, you would know that Eric LOVES music! I think we have passed that love of music on to the baby because anytime there is loud music on, the baby kicks like crazy! So we decided that we should take him/her to their first concert on March 3. We went and saw Joe Bonamassa at the Midland theatre in KC. It was an awesome show and we had great seats. When we first got there and went to our seats, we were literally 2 feet from these GIANT speakers and we could feel the base in our throats! I didn't think it would be so great for the baby and if I'm being honest, I didn't think I could handle it! So my sweet husband went and got us some seats a few rows back that were perfect! The baby was kicking up a storm all night! After the show we were able to meet him and he was so nice! So I think we have a music lover on our hands!

Otherwise things are still going great. Today, we are 26 weeks and 5 days. The baby is very active and it feels like it's growing every day! It's pretty funny how he/she responds to Eric talking or even when he puts his head on my belly, the baby goes crazy! I have a feeling that I am not going to be the Queen Bee around here when this baby is born. But that's ok. We registered at Babies R Us last week and that was interesting. It took us about 4 1/2 hours, 45 of which were spent in the carseat/stroller isle alone! After we chose the bigger things, it wasn't as stressfull and was actually pretty fun!

We also pretty much finished the major parts of the nursery this week and we just love it! I can't believe how real this is all getting! We got our rocker delivered yesterday and I forsee many a sleepless nights in that thing! It's so comfy! Now it's time to decorate!

I have been feeling great, except that I am getting a little more tired now. I have also been getting kankles after a long day at work :( I think I am starting to feel some Braxton Hicks contractions too, mostly at the end of a busy day. Otherwise, I really don't have anything to complain about. I just feel so blessed to be carrying this baby and for how smoothly this pregnancy has been going so far. We just continue to pray that we have a healthy baby boy or girl!

We realize that June will be here before we know it and with lots of family visits coming in the next 2 months, we really don't have much time. I am going into panic mode to get everything ready to go. Eric built shelves in the basement (thank you!!) and now it's time to get everything down there organized. We are going to remodel our guest bathroom too. So lots of work to do! I am so thankful for Eric and all the work he has been doing and how supportive he has been through everything! I truly am a lucky girl! Next week we have another appointment and we will get an ultrasound then too, so we will post some pics of that. So until then...

25 week update

So, we made it back to KC last night after an amazing 5 day babymoon to Cancun! Of course we would fly home from low 80's into a blizzard! We got about 6 inches of snow last night and landing was kinda scary. We were skidding on the runway, but we made it home nonetheless. We had a great time and did lots of relaxing. I did most of the eating and Eric did the drinking, so I think the all-inclusive was worth it! The baby loved the sun, but sure let me know when it was getting too hot! It was pretty windy there, so the waves were pretty big and they weren't allowing any kind of water activities like boogie boarding or anything. Eric was pretty bummed about that, but he body surfed and had a good time. I think this vacation was just what the doctor ordered. Now it is time to get busy preparing for this sweet little love of ours!

We had another doctor appointment today and so far, everything looks great. The baby is kicking up a storm and let's momma know that he/she is in there, especially when I'm nice and relaxed! My belly is starting to move around a lot as the kicking gets stronger so Eric is having a blast watching it! He has been so amazing and I know this baby will be the luckiest baby in the world to have him as a dad! I am still feeling great. Still no heartburn or weird cravings. I have to admit that sometimes I "forget" that I am pregnant until I feel something moving around in my belly and then I'm like, oh yeah, there's a baby in there! I feel so fortunate to have had such a great pregnancy so far and we just keep praying that it continues. We have our next appointment in 3 weeks and we will get an ultrasound, glucose tolerance test and some more blood work drawn. Then after that we will move to every 2 week appointments. I can't believe how fast this is flying by!

We will be registering on Monday at Babies R Us, so that should be interesting! It is so overwhelming in there, I sure hope someone will help us! We are currently in the process of picking out bedding and nursery ideas. It is so hard to decide when you don't know what you are having! Plus, I am like the world's worst decision maker EVER!!

We are looking forward to family visits in March and April and then we will be going up to Minnesota for a shower at the end of April and that will probably be the last bit of traveling we do until this baby gets here. I just know June will be here before we know it and I hope we are prepared!

More Belly Pics

23 weeks

22 Weeks

So here are the latest belly pics. It feels like every day my belly gets bigger! Someone even asked me the other day if I was having twins!!! I don't really feel like I look that big, but oh well! Eric is enjoying my growing belly, and it is so sweet how he talks to the baby. He is going to be the BEST Dad ever! We have started working on the nursery a little bit, we got the crib put together. I will post pics when we get a few more things in there! Hope you all have a great week. We are heading to Cancun on Sunday and we are so excited. I will try to update before we go.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

So today we are 23 weeks and 3 days (but who is counting)? We have been feeling a lot more movement from the baby. It is still so surreal. I find myself wanting to leave work all the time just to come home and talk to Angie's belly. Not sure how I should feel at this point, but I am definitely getting more and more protective of Angie, and I am pretty sure that is only going to get worse. Well, according to this blog, we have 116 days left until we get to meet the little man/woman. So far, it seems like the time is flying by, and I realize June will be here before we know it. We have been hoping for this moment for several years, and now we are so close. I just pray that God continues to watch over my wife and my child. This time has been so great for Angie and me, as we have grown so close throughout this process. Thanks to you all for your continued prayers and we cannot wait to meet our nugget!! Love you guys!

e

Update

So I thought I would just update you all on how the pregnancy has been going so far. I have to say that I have been truly lucky and blessed this pregnancy. I swear, if I knew they would all be this great, I would have 18 kids! I was fortunate enough to have absolutely NO nausea or morning sickness. I was really exhausted (which is expected) for the first 12 weeks, then I got all my energy back and quickly began my nesting/organizing phase! I have been sleeping great with the exception of a few restless nights. I have had a cough for about 3 1/2 weeks now and am anxiously awaiting the end of that!

Lucky for Eric I have not really experienced any major emotional outbursts, however it does seem like it's a little bit easier to cry these days. I have been a little bit more clumsy and I forget EVERYTHING! As a matter of fact, I was typing this and I thought of something I wanted to say, and by the time I finished the sentence I was typing, I forgot what I wanted to say! Oh yeah, just remembered! I have not had any strange cravings so far. I guess I could say that I do eat a lot of Mexican food and chocolate, but those were my favorites before I got pregnant! I guess I justify eating more of it now! I think, unfortunately, that this baby is going to come out addicted to chocolate! Other than that, everything so far has been uneventful.

We are really looking forward to our trip to Cancun in 2 weeks and then we have another checkup after we get back. We started working on the nursery a little bit and put the crib together today. I felt like I was watching myself from far away because it is still so surreal that we are going to have a baby! We are so excited and again, are so thankful for all the support from family and friends that we have had throughout this process. We would not have been able to do it without you all!

Belly Pics

Ok, so I thought I would post some belly pics! The bottom one is me at 17 weeks, the next pic is at 20 weeks and the top one is 21 weeks. I am 22 weeks and 1 day today so I will keep posting pics as we go! It is amazing how it seems like overnight my belly popped out and now, every day it feels like it is getting bigger! I am feeling the baby move so much and Eric has been able to feel the nugget move as well, which is really exciting for us! Stay tuned for more belly pics! Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Snowmageddon

So the baby got to experience it's first "blizzard" yesterday! It was supposedly the 50 year storm here in KC and it was pretty impressive. Complete white out for most of the day. Eric got stuck in the driveway when he got home and I ended up having to stay at the Hyatt by my work because it was so bad! It's very pretty outside, but we have had enough snow already! It has snowed several feet in the last couple of weeks and we are done now Mother Nature! We are heading to Cancun in a couple of weeks and it couldn't come at a better time! I'll try to take some pics of the snow and post it.

Hello Everybody!

So I decided to take a cue from my pregnant friend Mandi and start a blog myself! I thought it would be an easy way to keep you all updated on the progression of our pregnancy and to let you all see my growing belly! I will try to keep it updated as much as I can. I hope you all like it!