First Christmas

Christmas went great! The festivities started last Sunday at my dad's house. It was so good to see that side of the family..it has been several years since we were all together. Then, Christmas Eve we had my immediate family Christmas at our house. My sister Jessica and her two boys were there along with my mom and Jim. We opened gifts and had lunch. Then we headed to Kimball for Christmas with my mom's side of the family. She has 7 siblings so it is always a ton of fun seeing our aunts, uncles, cousins, and the cousin's families. Emma is the youngest but she is one of several great grand-children. We stayed there late in to the evening. Then we got up on Christmas day and attended church and headed straight to Hutchinson for Christmas with Corey's family and his mom's side of the family. Emma was so tired from Christmas Eve that she slept most of the day. Sunday was nice because we got to hang low at home. Emma seemed to sleep everytime it was time to open gifts. We opened hers but then also took pictures of her with them, it was kind of like "Week-end at Bernies" if you know what I mean.

Emma is getting bigger. Her 2 month dr appt was on 12/14. She weighed in at 14 lbs 2 ounces which placed her in to the 99th percentile. The doctor made comment, "Well, she isn't starving!" She also said that Emma is really strong, and was doing things she would look for in a 4 month old. Emma is now wearing some 3-6 month clothes but mostly 6 month. What a" little" tyke!

Here is her Christmas day outfit. Of course she fell asleep right as we were about to open gifts.





Here is Christmas Eve. She was asleep but we had to try on her new shades.

Attention new & expecting moms!

I got this as a gift and it is awesome! I think it has been a big puzzle piece to Emma's crib sleeping. Not only does it offer soothing sounds like thunderstorm, rain, and birds but it also has white noise and heartbeat!!!! Emma LOVES the heartbeat one. It also has a timer where you can set it for 30, 45, or 60 minutes which is awesome for us. Emma loves her mobile but it doesn't stay on for nearly as long as she needs. There is also a built in night light and the volume control has a big range...I have to say..its a favorite!

18 days to Christmas..

We are counting down to Christmas in the Eystad home-we can't wait! The tree has been up for months but now there are presents under it which makes the season even more real.

Emma is doing well, still has the spit up issue, but otherwise good. It's amazing how fast she is growing and changing. I feel like one day I talk about something and the next day (and day after and day after) all of a sudden it changes. Example: her sleeping. We were sleeping through the nights together on the recliner. Then, I got some advice from a friend saying that I should put her in her crib and then rub her back to put her back to sleep. Well, needless to say that night I put her in her crib and she didn't even wake up like she normally does when we move her. She ended up sleeping for 7.5 hours straight in her crib. The next day, she napped in her crib and we had to wake her up on 2 different occasions so she wouldn't completely sleep the day away (and we had errands to run). So now, just like that, she is a crib sleeper. We put her on her stomach because we know that is her preference and we are all right with that. She has been sleeping on her tummy since Day 1.

Reflux/vomitting--this seems to get better and then go back to bad again. It is so hard and frustrating. Even though I did not want to medicate her I have been giving her the medicine on schedule for 3 days, and trying to give it a real chance. It hasn't worked completely but there are times it seems to.

I return to work next Monday, Dec 13. In many ways I look forward to it and am anxious for it!! the downside is I am still multiple pounds away from fitting comfortably in to my closet so clothing selection may take up a lot of time in the morning.

Here are some updated pictures of Emma--she is getting so big! :) She wears 0-3 months in some clothes and 3-6 in others...ya she is almost 2 months old ..we love our chunky monkey. Some of these pics make her look really chunky and that is ok :)

Exhibit A on Chunki-ness :) She just got done taking a bath with me..yes she pee'd on my leg but I didn't care.

Is that an Iraqi changing her diaper...NOPE..It's her DAD! Her new formula has done a number on her diapers. Apparently Corey is at his breaking point!

Smile!

So I write on the blog that she isn't smiling "on cue" and yet the next day she smiled for me 3x. We are noticing her doing it more and more!

Emma went 3 days (Mon, Tues, Wed) without taking a real nap. When I say "real" I mean anything longer than 20 consecutive minutes. We even took a road trip on Monday and Tuesday and she cried more than anything on those trips. It was a bummer. Then Wednesday night, she slept for 10 straight hours. For the past week, I have allowed myself to sleep with her and this has truly helped how long she sleeps for. I said I would never do it and one night it sort of happened by accident when we fell asleep on the recliner and she slept for 5.5 hours. The next day it happened again. Then during the day it was for 3 hours. I became hooked to the sleep I was getting. I hadn't gotten this much since sometime before August. Wednesday night came and she slept for 10 straight hours...it was amazing! Then Thanksgiving she ended up sleeping most of the day away..and same with today (Friday). Apparently her little body is trying to catch up now. Thursday night she slept for 7 hours straight. Even when she does get up she doesn't seem to be interested in eating. I give her a pacifier and/or change her diaper and she goes back to sleep...now again..this is when we cuddle. So this tells me that (a) she can sleep through the night (b) doesn't need to eat during the night so now we are going to try and get her to sleep in her crib again. The downside: with her spitting up I need to have her sleep at an incline. The only time she likes this is on her tummy on my chest. She isn't even a fan of her bouncy a whole lot due to her reflux/spitting up..so this is our latest challenge.

Here is a picture of her on Thanksgiving morning. I had to get up and go to the bathroom so I propped her on some blankets. This is the recliner we slept the entire night on. When I looked at the clock and it said 6am I was confused..thinking it had to be a mistake...Emma slept for 2 hours beyond that :)

Baptism & the next challenge

Hello

Sorry for the lack of updates!

November 14, Emma was baptised in to her new Christian life. We chose Corey's aunt and uncle, Todd & Bryn. They are some of the best people we know! Not only are they his aunt and uncle that we feel the closest to, but they are always so willing to help us with anything we need; they would do anything for anyone and we know they are the perfect choice for Baby Emma. After service, we had the family to our house for lunch and unfortunately the Vikings disappointed us again :(


She has become a fussier baby and I have noticed that she sounds like she has air in her belly and she seems to be spitting up a lot more frequently. Sometimes she spits up right after she eats and sometimes its hours later. We are burping her enough and so I know that isn't the issue. I have talked to some people and they mentioned acid reflux, which all the symptoms line up with. The last two days she hasn't been able to sleep for longer than 20/30 minutes during the day and then about 2 hours at night. I have been sleeping next to her on the couch because the way she has been gurgling and gagging worries me and I prefer to sleep next to her than wake up constantly and want to check on her. We went to the doctor today because she just seems so uncomfortable and cries a lot-she thought it could be reflux as well. She said there isn't any test its just trial and error-that is easier said than done! My nephews and one of my nieces had a milk (formula) allergy and also had the same symptoms as Emma..so that is another possibility. We are testing her for allergies this week..so I will keep you posted on that. She may also have too slow of a nipple, inadequate bottles, oh and the list goes on. Being a mom is hard work at times!

At the doctor we found out that she is 12 lbs and 13 ounces, our healthy girl has really grown! Here are some updated pictures!

This bib was a present from Grandma Lisa and so we thought we would show it off. Of the four pictures I took this is the only one where she isn't cross-eyed!








This picture was taken today--with the shirt my sister gave her. Once she grows out of this one we have the same one size 6 mo, 9 mo, and 12 mo. Yes, she thinks she is funny!

..and a happy smile! She doesn't smile "on-cue" but every now and then we get a few big ones :)

Week 3 Challenge- Thrush

We all have our challenges and Emma is making sure that we experience some together.
Week 1 Challenge- being a new mom
Week 2 " "- inconsistent sleeping begins
Week 3 " "- Thrush

Thrush is an infection of the mouth. There are white spots that form on the tongue (not just flat white from the formula) as well as cheeks, lips, throat, roof..all that good stuff. It can be sore and can prevent a baby from eating because the sucking motion hurts. It can also be the cause of a fever. Luckily, Emma has been a real trooper. She is more fussy at times than normal but otherwise she has been eating normal, which is a huge relief! We got some medicine that we give her 4x a day and she takes it well. Even after just a couple doses the spots on her tongue have really cleared up..although we are far from being done (and I have been instructed by a very smart pharmacist that I need to continue giving it to her for 2 days after it is gone :)

In my last post I mentioned Colic- I have been doing some research and reading because I want to get Emma more on a schedule, which can help colicy babies. I am not looking to become a hyper-scheduler or only feeding her at certain times (to go around my schedule) but I want to become consistent and get her on a pattern. Now, some of you may be saying, "DUH, you need a schedule." Some things have been scheduled like her night time routine, but throughout the day it was a bit more relaxed then it is going to be. I have read a couple books but my favorite so far is "On Becoming Babywise" by Gary Ezzo. This book has been criticized because some think that you should ONLY feed your baby at certain times (ex; every 3 hours). This is not the case, he recommends a specific schedule but always says- if your baby is hungry feed her! I have learned some great things and, to be honest, I am not sure that she has colic but instead showing symptoms of other things related to inconsistency. We are trying out a new schedule so we will see how it goes!

Cereal- I found "cereal" nipples and, of course, this has solved my issue of a nipple either getting clogged or drowning her. Love them!

Other than Emma- our lives are pretty boring. She keeps us busy and on our toes! I can't believe that she will be a month old next Wednesday- time really does go by fast!

Week 2 Check-in

As of today, Emma is 2 weeks and 4 days old. We had her 2 week doctor's appointment yesterday. She is 9 lbs 11 ounces (1 lb and 1 ounce larger than her birth weight). This puts her in the 86th percentile. She is also 22.5" long which puts her in the 96th percentile.

We were on a great sleeping streak and then it came to a crashing hault the night of her 2 week birthday. My precious, quiet, content baby has turned slightly colicky. Through my research I have found that it starts around 2 weeks and lasts up to 3 months. No one is really sure why or how baby's become colicky, it just happens. For us, it starts somewhere from 730-9pm at night and lasts until about midnight or until she falls asleep. She doesn't want a bottle, doesn't want her nuk, and just plain unhappy where she exercises her intense lung capacity. Throughout the night she wakes up screaming as well and I feed her but she just seems like she is constantly hungry. I don't want to feed her over 4 ounces because she ends up throwing a bunch of it up. Call me a bad mom, but I have been giving her cereal as well. Each night, I make up cereal and spoon feed it to her (if I put it in her bottle it clogs the nipple, if I give her a fast nipple she drowns in it). She has been doing excellent with a spoon!! At first, this was the ticket..now it isn't doing much of anything. I have read several things and continue to do the 5 S's (Swaddle, Shh noises, Swinging motion, Side/Stomach, Sucking) but that doesn't usually help. So, needless to say this is a learning experience for us.

I'd like to end by saying: Happy (early) Birthday to the love of my life!!! Corey's birthday is tomorrow and if you know him, you know he loves presents. He has been counting down to his birthday for almost a month now so it has been a much anticipated day. He is also trying to talk me in to buying him a present on Veteran's Day because he is a Vet and deserves it and apparently can't wait until Christmas to receive more gifts...needless to say the jury is still out on this idea..and it isn't looking good :)

Sweet Child of Mine (..well...ours)

Emma is doing great. She is still only getting up 1-2x per night and eating well. She only seems to cry when she is getting changed or when she is hungry. Our little girl is well on her way to being a chunky monkey baby (being born with roles could have told me that). She eats plenty well!!

We got new internet yesterday so I have finally been able to upload pictures! I have them all on my facebook and you can access them by following this link (as long as it works): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=241752&l=9d42a82186&id=596341159

We have her 2 week appointment next week and we don't really have any concerns. We are watching her tongue a bit since it is showing signs of Thrush. It is basically an infection of her mouth so far she only has 1 symptom (white tongue) and that could be from her formula.

Last post I mentioned that my stretch marks are itching like hell..well I went to the doctor and found out I have Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy (Pupps). It is a rash that starts in your stretch marks and then spreads from there. I have it on my inner legs and inner arms (which is very common). It itches extremely bad, in fact once I start scratching I have a hard time stopping, even after I put on cream. I got a oral prescription and a cream to put on it, I pray it goes away soon. While at the doctor, I found out that I have lost 20 lbs in a week! I am THRILLED but then again, look at me - I was huge...I SHOULD be losing that much weight. I think that was the "easy" 20 lbs and the next 20 will be my next challenge.

Last week-end we visited the grandparents and Emma's great grandma Mary Ann. This week-end is Corey's sister (Whitney) birthday and so the family will be coming here to celebrate her birthday as well as Corey's (which is Oct 29). Then of course Sunday is the day of the NFL. For those of you that do not know--last year we started Sunday Funday. This basically consists of us having a football party for every Vikings game; although I don't believe we are going to have Sunday Funday this week due to the late game. I am sure Corey will disagree with me since it is the GB Packers--so stay tuned--if on Sunday my Facebook status has anything that says "Sunday Funday" in it..then the "party" is on. It is usually the same 4-6 people but is always a good time. Last Sunday there happened to be more than the usual suspects :) If you decide to come, always RSVP the day before because I want to make sure there is enough food available. Here is a picture from last Sunday Funday:

The age of the babies range from 1 week (Emma) to 3 months in age and they are sitting with their proud daddies. In the top left we have Corey and Emma, then next to him is James and Avery Unger. The bottom left is Kyle and Kaden Schantzen (the only boy baby) and then Ryan and Jessica Studanski. We also had 2 pregnant women at the party. One is due in 2 weeks and the other January so this picture has the potential to grow! Emma is going to have some great friends to play with!

That is all that is new in our lives--keep posted!

6 Days Old

Hello again!

This week has been a busy one!

Monday- We left the hospital and came home for MNF. The first overnight went pretty well. She woke up 2x and then again at 6:30..which I can't count as "through the night." Tuesday she was up a bit more often, Wednesday was about 2x again and so forth. We are trying to find a rythm with her. When I was pregnant I would be up from 12-3 (and sometimes until 5) and she is on that schedule. She is wide awake around 12-1am and it doesnt' really matter what time we put her down. I am proud to say that she has slept in her crib since day 1. We have a video baby monitor and it is awesome! I really didn't like sleeping 'so far' away from her the first night but I knew the time had to come sometime and it was better to start right away. Corey and I sat and watched her on the baby monitor for a while before we fell asleep. It is just so neat, I can't imagine not having one now.

Wednesday was her first doctor's appointment. She is in the 75th percentile for height and weight. She was just 1 ounce from her birth weight. The doctor says they hope the baby is back to birth weight at their 2 week appt, it doesn't look like our little piggy will have to worry about that. She is a good eater!! After that, we went to Wal-mart - she did very well!

Thursday was a big day- we attempted newborn/family pictures. She got fussy but I hope that we got some good ones, if not we will try again for her 3 month pics.

Friday- we took our first out-of-town trip to see the grandparents. Her umbilical cord also fell off. I was really worried about it since everything I read says it takes 10-14 days to fall off, so I called the doctor and we are cleaning the area and watching it. So far she is doing great and I really like not having to worry about it!

All in all- Emma is doing great...mom and dad aren't doing so bad either. Corey has really taken to his 'daddy' role and is doing better than I had expected him to. We take turns feeding and getting up in the night..even though Corey doesn't like getting up he always makes a fuss if I don't wake him up when I get up with her. He says 'It's a family thing' and that if I am up he should be up. I thought that would only last a couple days..but it has almost been a week..pretty proud of him.

My complaint: my stretch marks itch like hell!!!!! I hate it!!!

Here is a pic that would actually download for me--it was taking too long so I stopped. I will have more up once we get our DSL internet on Wednesday. Right now we have wireless through Sprint and we have horrible reception here.

Emma's first picture (that is appropriate enough to share)

FAQ's

I thought I would compile some FAQ's and answers (based off what I get asked) for you all:

Q. What did you do leading up to her birth?
A. As you may (or may not) know I was seeking a variety of ways to induce my labor naturally and/or get myself to dilate. On Thursday, I got a massage. The Massage Therapist hit up my pressure points in my hands and feet. Friday, I got a pedicure and also had my doctor's appointment. She scraped my membranes, I began having cramps and contractions instantly and they lasted until I gave birth. I believe the massage and pedicure were great for a way to "treat myself" but don't think they had anything to do with my labor. I also purchased Castor Oil before we went to Famous Dave's on Saturday, but my water broke just hours later and therefore I never used it.

Q. How did you come up with "Emma Louise?"
A. Emma was my great grandma's name and Louise was Corey's grandma's name. About a year in to our relationship we found out that Emma and Louise grew up together in a very small town. They remained good friends throughout their lives, in fact when Emma went in to the nursing home she requested to be in Morris, close to Louise. They both have passed away now, but also passed away just a few months from one another. Not only is it a great story but it just seemed to fit.

Q. Did you get an epidural?
A. Yes, wouldn't do it any other way.

Q. How long were you in labor?
A. From the time my water broke to the time she was born was 14.5 hours. I had strong contractions the entire time so some could say I was in active labor for that long, I pushed for 3 full hours.

Q. How was your first night at home?
A. It was great, better than I expected. Emma woke up at 12:30 and was up until 2 am. Then I fed her and put her down about 2:30 and she slept until 6:45, which is "sleeping in" for Corey since he usually gets up at 4:45.

Emma Louise Eystad- 10/10/2010

Do you believe it--Emma Louise Eystad has graced us with her presence! It was a great week-end..here are the highlights and details :)



Friday-
Dr's appt went better than it has been in the past. I went in and she offered to schedule an induction for the following week. I offered Thursday (10/14) but she wanted Tuesday or Wed at the latest. I loved the idea. Then, she asked if I minded if she scraped my membranes. It was perfect since I was going to ask her to do it. Yes, it hurt but it was all very worth it.


I began having cramping and contractions instantly and they lasted through the night. Corey really wanted to go to the first night of the Fall Classic in Alexandria and I agreed that we should do something outside the house, even though I didn't feel too well. We left the race track and I was having contractions about every 5-6 minutes apart but I would have a couple and then they would go away and they were sparatic. Once we got home, I fell asleep for the night.

Saturday-
I woke up with some cramping but nothing major. Now that there was an induction date in mind I felt like I had a bunch of things to do, they are all minor and were not "needed." The only required thing was to go to the grocery store. Corey and I hung out at the house for a while and then decided to hit the road and run errands. I was having minor contractions and a lot of cramping.

We got to town and decided to drive through our old neighborhood, as we did that we saw our friend Siri had just gotten home so we decided to stop and say "hi" after our convo we decided to all go out to lunch to Famous Dave's. First, we stopped at Shopko to look for something and ended up picking up some munchy food. I also picked up Caster Oil, even though I didn't really want to do it I figured I would drink some that afternoon and hope to push things for her due date.

At Famous Dave's we had lunch and as I jumped off the tall bar stool I felt a gush of liquid..which I wrote off as urine. I ran to the bathroom and came back out announcing it was a good time to leave. We dropped Siri off and I begged Corey to go to Crafts Direct. I really wanted him to paint this thing for her room. I figured, we were right next door so we would stop there and then just spend the extra $$ and have our groceries delivered since I was no longer up for it and contractions had started again. As we left Crafts Direct, I had more liquid escape my body. I got in the car and called the first person I could think of that delivered recently and didn't get induced-Jennifer Unger. She told me she was thinking my water broke and it wasn't just 'random' which is what I kind of wrote it off as. My contractions began to get more regular between 4 and 6 minutes. Even though we were in town we decided to run home and get our packed bags...even though we had just discussed it that morning that we should leave it in the car. My contractions continued to stay regular and my pants...wetter. By the time we got to our house..which didn't take much time since I told Corey to "step on it" since my contractions were getting stronger..and the entire front of my pants were wet. We ran in the house, grabbed our things (and the puppie's overnight bag) and I changed. We headed back in to town and I called the hospital to let them know to expect us. We also called Siri back since she had planned to watch Odie. She met us at the hospital and got him.

Here are the highlights for the rest of the day:
3:37pm: Checked in to the hospital and got settled in to the Triage area. Water was still leaking. I changed in to a gown and was checked. Dilated to 3. Contractions were 4-5 min. apart and getting stronger.
5:30- received Epidural- yes it was early but I was dilated to 3.5 and they were getting stronger and longer. My nurse recommended that whenever I wanted it to get it.
8:00- received Petocin to continue my contractions.
9:00- we are used to be sleeping by this time..so with the epidural I was comfortable and we were resting. We watched the Twins and The Office episodes. Contractions were 3-5 min apart.
9:30- dilated to 5 with lots of pressure, also got a headache.
10:15- Emma's heartbeat went up and I had a fever & headache so they started me on oxygen.

Sunday
12am- dilated to 5.5
12:40am- dilated to 9--Corey took a walk and found 10 babies in the Nursery--Busy Saturday!
1:40 am- dilated to 10
2:00 am- started pushing
5:01am- delivery--Yes I pushed for 3 full hours during every contraction. Even with the epidural the pressure and "ring of fire" (not to mention my extreme exhaustion) was enough to make me scream, cry, and even swear.

Emma was 8 lbs 10 ounces and 21" long. I wonder how she fit in my belly! Once delivered they cleaned both of us up and about 6am we moved to a new room. We requested they take Emma to the nursery so we could try and get sleep before hosting visitors. We slept from 7-9 before we woke up and got ready for the day.

Sunday was a day full of visitors and the NFL (it just wouldn't be the same without it!).

We are debating about being discharged today (Monday) we will see how Emma and I are doing around 12pm and we will make the decision.

Even though delivery was way different (and parts worse) than I had imagined, everything happened just as I had prayed it would. My water broke on my own, we went in on our own, and she was born 10/10/2010. We couldn't be happier.

For all those of you worried about Corey- he was fantastic!!! He even watched the birth and cut the umbilical cord- he was a champ and is a very proud daddy :)

Antsy at 39 weeks!

Yes...still pregnant, still feel good, and still thinking baby girl is comfortable right where she is at!

I guess if I am still pregnant at 39 weeks I should be thankful that I am not in a lot of pain or discomfort, and I am very thankful for that! I am just antsy now...Antsy to:
- lay in a recliner and not have to "prop" by belly
- sleep in a flat bed
- sleep in the same bed as my husband
- see our baby
- share in the next stage of our lives
- begin shedding some pounds and working towards getting in my old clothes again
- actually use the baby room after preparing it for the past 5 months
- go to the bathroom like a normal person instead of 15x a day
- lose the "front bumper" and stop running in to things

You know, all of those simple things :)

I had my 39 week appointment last Friday. My doctor is definitely not gaining brownie points.
The good: I am almost dilated to 1. When she said that I told her "just stretch it to make it a 1" and she goes "I kind of am." Great!

The bad: I asked her when she would schedule an induction. She said that we were going to wait for this week's appointment (on Friday afternoon) and see where I am at. If I am still not dilating then she wants to wait another week.. (yes that means..wait until my 41 week appointment to schedule it). I told her I wasn't sure that I liked that but I also understand that by forcing my body to do something it isn't ready isn't going to be a walk in the park and may not be the best environment for the baby. So I guess I just have to "wait and see."

She also asked me if I had questions about labor, birth, or pain meds. I told her "no" because I don't. I am excited for birth and know it will hurt but there isn't much I can do at this point. Yet, I told her I did want to have pain meds. Her response was, "Well we will let you be in pain for a while, to make sure that you are in labor." I just said that was fine but what I wanted to say was, "Um, and you won't even be there until I am ready to deliver, so you probably won't have much say in the situation."

In conclusion, she has to come out in the next couple weeks whether she wants to or not. I should just try and focus on that :)

Other than that- Corey and I have not been up to much of anything. For the past couple Fridays we have went to Hutch and visited with his parents (for something to do). This past Saturday, we went to Ogilvie to watch racing. It was fun to be a spectator and not have to worry about getting the car ready, checking the line-up, or having to do all the running back and forth. We didn't make plans for next week-end either..since we hope(d) to have a baby..but who knows what will end up happening!

38 weeks--Contractions?!?

Hello everyone!

I am 38 weeks this week-end. I just had my doctor's appointment and we are still not fully dialated to 1 yet. Which, truly that doesn't mean anything because I could still get heavy contractions and go in to labor without being dialated. Everything else looks good- she said I am measuring a little behind (closer to 37 weeks) but that everything is just fine.


A couple weeks ago Corey and I guessed which day we would have her and let our families guess as well. Corey's guess was yesterday, September 23. I share in his excitement but it just didn't happen. Although, I am thinking I had contractions last night for about 4 hours on and off. They were nothing regular but were definitely something.

We don't have any plans for the week-end, so not sure what will be going on. Probably laundry, dishes and cleaning...seems like that stuff never goes away.

I will update you when something new happens otherwise.....my next doctor's appointment is Thursday!

Jennifer

37 weeks-Full Term

I am truly full-term now and sitting at 37 weeks pregnant! It is crazy to think that she could come any day, if she chose to do so.

My doctor's appointment on Friday went all right. My cervix is closed but she said that it is soft and can tell Baby Girl is right in position. Of course my pelvic bone/muscles could have told you that for the past 2 months. I asked her how long she will let me go over and she said 10 days at the most...so that would be Oct 20. I let her know that didn't work for me so we needed to find a different solution. She laughed and said that we can discuss things at 39 weeks. If I am dialated and things are good she will break my water. If I am not she will not. I am fine with this, I don't really want to be induced at 39 weeks with a closed cervix. That would tell me that my body (and baby girl) are definitely not ready for delivery.

Yet, I am ready for her to be here and to be done being pregnant. I am having a horrible time getting comfortable at night and just laying around in general. I look forward to moving around without pain.

Last week-end we did nothing, literally. Corey played NHL on Playstation for most of the day on Friday and part of the day Saturday. Then of course Sunday is the day the NFL has made..so we were captured by the pig skin. We bopped around town on Saturday to get out of the house but other than that I haven't felt up to doing anything. It's not only exhaustion it is just feeling comfortable enough to want to see others as well.

Classes are over for now but will resume Oct 4. For all those critical thinkers out there..yes that means I am starting classes before my due date and during my maternity leave. They are "easier" classes and therefore I am not too worried about it. I am sure I will be upset come Thanksgiving but if I didn't push my time management/procrastination skills then it just wouldn't be me.

Next update: sometime after Friday's appointment

Jen

36 weeks

Hello everyone-

I am rounding the corner to 36 weeks..(actually 35 weeks and 5 days today).

Let's start with last week-end (Labor Day week-end). We didn't race on Friday, in fact we hung out at home. CONGRATS again to Ryan Studanski for winning track champion at Princeton Speedway--what an accomplishment!!! Saturday we went to Arlington, which is a track Corey has really grown fond of. He got 3 in his heat and started outside row 1 in the feature..he led it with 7 laps left and then got caught up and spun..he was in the clear until another car came and hit him head on. He is fine (thank God) a little sore the next day but manageable. His car on the other hand: done for the year. If I was a big time race wife who listened every time her husband spoke I would know everything that is wrong with it...but I don't. I just know we are spectators for the rest of the year. It is bittersweet..I was ready for the season to be over but definitely not like this. It is such a hard thing to sit on for the winter. So then on Sunday we went to Hutchinson and hung out with his family and I also got to sit with my sister for a while which I haven't been able to do. It was a wonderful Sunday and I couldn't ask for it any other way. Then Monday, we came home and did misc stuff around the house.

This week hasn't been too eventful actually--which isn't too weird for us at all. Thursday we had some people over for the Vikings football game, we are excited the season is back! This year will be different than last...we will still have our football parties..but just more babies in attendance. Ryan & Rachel Studanski brought over baby Jessica so she got to "break in" Baby Girl's swing and play mat. She is so darn cute and was such a content little girl. She even fell asleep in the swing..Corey and I agreed we can't wait for our little one...we are just as nervous as we are excited but that is only to be expected..

Oh, another thing! I am officially working from home Mon-Friday. With my doctor's suggestion of being within an hour from the hospital the closest campus would be St. Cloud but my boss gave me the approval to just be comfortable and be at home. I am SO blessed!!

I also pulled thorugh my procrastination and indecisiveness and finally purchased our stroller/car seat. After months of analyzing, reading reviews, and trying to find the "perfect" one I ended up picking one completely different than anything I had looked at, which is odd, but its purchased and on its way to my house (I love online shopping). Baby Girl's room is cleaned up and ready and her clothes are all washed. I have also started to pack for the hospital. I have girl's stuff ready and half of mine. Now, I just need to get it in the same area so we can grab it quick if needed.

That's about it--check back for updates!

THANK YOU!

It has been a crazy week at work, so I am finally able to get on and say, "Thank you!!!!" to everyone who attended my baby shower on Sunday and for the friends that threw me a Baby Shower-Happy Hour on Monday! Both were perfect and I received so many great things that will really get me ready for Baby Girl to be born. I didn't receive duplicates of anything I wouldn't want duplicates on (diapers, burp rags, etc) so I don't even have to worry about lugging things to the store to return!

Other than that, last week-end wasn't too eventful. Corey's motor is getting fixed so we didn't race although Corey attended on the fan-side on Sunday in Ogilvie.

This week, I had my doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I told her about the lower pain I have been having so she checked me, but I have not started to dialate- which is a GREAT thing! Little girl needs to hang out for a couple more weeks. She did mention that I should start working closer to home (if possible) since I am coming up on 35 weeks and considering my mom and sister both had fast deliveries. She said, and I agree, that it would stink if my water broke at work and then would have a 2 hour drive to the St. Cloud Hospital. I can always go to one closer to my work but it's not my first choice. I already work from home on Tuesdays and Fridays but she recommends a 5-day/wk stretch if possible.

Labor Day week-end: our plans are still in the air. Corey wants to race in Brainerd for the Mighty Axe, but there are some financial strings we need to work out first before that can happen. At the least, he will race Monday for the RaceMN series in Brainerd. I will not be attending the race track anymore this year. The walking has gotten to be too much. Heck, taking a shower in the morning and try to get ready for work makes me completely exhausted. Then if its hot that just makes things worse. It's bittersweet for me. So when he is racing, I plan to get little girl's room ready. Right now I have all of the gifts from the baby shower sitting on the floor-its a disaster! I am also going to wash all her clothes and pack the bag for the hospital. I know I may be a little early on that one but having it done will make me feel better about life :)

That's all that is in our world..next doctor's appointment is next Friday, Sept. 10-36 wk check-up!

It's the final countdown...

Hello everyone!

I'd like to start with a CONGRATS to Danielle & Allen Gessell for welcoming their baby boy in to the world last night. She is the last one of of my racing friends to deliver before me..so now I feel like I am in the "final countdown!" Danielle delivered about 3 weeks early and considering I am 3 weeks behind her.....ummm that means I could have a baby in my arms in 3 weeks..or if I am anything like my sister, it could be sooner. CRRRAZY :)

Adventure of the week: Corey and I decided that instead of going to a birthing class we were going to pay for the take-home kit. You go to the hospital and pick up a video that walks you through everything for birth. On Monday, I said that we really needed to sit down and watch it so I could return it on Tuesday. Corey looks and sees that it is like 2 hours long and he said, "2 hours, are you joking?" I told him to relax and about that time he opened the case and found 2 DVD's - the normal one and an "express" version--which he didn't think twice about and threw in; the video was over in about 45 min to an hour so I asked him- "what did we miss?" because he was looking at the chapters on the back of the DVD case. He responded with, "umm not much, I mean it looks like the pregnancy section was 35 min in the long version but in ours it was 18 and then we skipped 'Christina's Birth', relaxing and massaging techniques, and the rest we watched but just not as much in detail..so we didn't miss much." I said, "Oh really? Becauase I think I want to know some relaxing techniques..." Come on buddy- think a little!! So he put in the other DVD and we watched it. It wasn't a ton of new information but still good to watch.

Last week-end was a blast on the race track. We went to Fergus Falls, MN on Friday. Corey started 3 in his heat and was maintaining it well but then had a minor driver error that put him in 4th which led him to start pole in the 2nd B-feature which he won (YAY!). This placed him 17th in the main feature which he finished 9th. The car was doing great in both the features but when he came in the last time he said he could feel it giving out on him .....and after looking at it last night another push rod went through. How does this happen, you ask? We'd like to know as well. It is a blessing in disguise the racing season is coming to an end. Either way- we had a BLAST in Fergus. Saturday, we went to a wedding reception for Stacy & Dale Roufs (CONGRATS!). Corey was deployed with Dale in Iraq during his second tour. Dale also did a ton of work on our basement at our last house when we were finishing it. Dale & Stacy got married in the Spring in Mexico and had a reception here. It was great to see them again! Sunday was a very lazy day around our house...lots of laying around!

This week-end we planned on going to the State Fair but with the new motor issue we may be bringing that to get fixed. Saturday and Sunday are races in Ogilvie-but it is next to impossible for us to be able to make it. Sunday is also my baby shower in Sartell, MN at Love of Christ Church. It starts at 1:00 pm and I am super excited to see everyone and continue getting ready for Baby Girl. She has a lot (!!!!) of clothes and so my goal this week-end is also to wash them all and put them back in her drawers/hang them up. I also want to organize her toys and all of that fun stuff :)

On the baby note-
I still can't complain too much about my pregnancy. My feet still swell at night and I still get short of breath easy, but nothing I can't deal with other than the strong leg cramps. They come randomly in the middle of the night. Last night I woke up to some intense pain-if it would have been in my abdomen I would have thought I was in labor for sure. I instantly go to flex it but can barely move it, especially since my stomach begins hurting as I roll around in pain. Corey wakes up- probably thinking I am dying from me moaning like a cow thats been shot- and just keeps telling me to flex it. I couldn't move it. So he grabbed my leg and began massaging it-what a sweetheart- even though it hurt like hell. He told me I should get up and walk around, which is easier said than done ("get up" is a 60 second process). I got up and went to the bathroom and then came back--nice walk huh? I look forward to those being gone!

I am also really sick of the humidity and heat-I love Fall weather and look forward to it even more this year!

Don't scratch that itch!

I have heard that scratching your itches can create stretch marks on your belly...and I think it may be true. I have been very careful not to scratch but recently I have forgotten and have caught myself several times...this morning, like every morning..I was checking out my belly as I put on lotion and found stretch marks on my under-belly. Ew! There are not many and they are very slight (right now)---is this the cause of scratching or just my body? Not sure..but I am done with that!

I am now 32 weeks--which one would think I am 8 months and therefore only have 1 month left...nope there are 8 weeks left of this pregnancy (as explained in a prior post about actually being pregnant for longer than 9 months :) ). We had an ultrasound on Friday and Baby Girl was on the move--she was all over the place and therefore we were (unfortuntaely) not able to get a good picture. Yet, we did get to see that she has hair which was a suprise to me. First, I haven't had any heartburn (an old wives tale once linked the two), Second- I was born bald and Lastly- Corey was born bald. I guess our little one is breaking the cycle. It was fun to see her..we could see that she had a "sucking" motion with her hand right up by her face but it looked like she was sucking her fist rather than a thumb--either way we think she is a keeper :) The Dr. says that everything looks good and all my symptoms are normal at this point so we are doing good. Baby Girl is 4.4 lbs which puts her in the 60th percentile--so she is growing right on pace!

Thursday night, our friends Kyle & Lindsey Schantzen welcomed their baby BOY in to the world- Kaden Kyle- he was 8lbs 5 oz and 20" long. CONGRATULATIONS!! This means we have one more couple that we know that is due before us...so in baseball terms I guess we are "on deck." We were going to visit them on Saturday evening but they ended up getting released so we ended up having a dinner date in Maple Grove at Maple Tavern (ever been? If not, it is a GREAT choice!). We didn't do a whole lot of anything this week-end - a lot of laying around mostly.

That is about where we are at--no more news!

31 weeks and counting

It has been a little while since I last wrote but nothing has truly changed so I don't feel there is much to report.

My current symptoms:
- tired/achy calves and feet
- swollen feet in the evenings (after the races otherwise not frequent)
- short of breath after talking for a long time or walking
- exhausted- this happens randomly throughout the day, the hotter it is the faster it happens, or if I try and clean the house exhaustion sets in fast.
- harder time sleeping/getting comfortable in bed..I am finding the couch is a bit more comfortable

Baby girl is also moving around a lot more, which I am still enjoying!

Last Thursday night/Friday I had my 2 nephews and my neice over and they spent the night while my sister attended a wedding (Congrats Jess & Jay!). When I met my sister she made the comment, "Wow, that little girl is sure getting the best of you" which should be another comment that you DO NOT make to a pregnant person..so I guess my hopes that I wasn't gaining a ton of weight is out the window. It was fun to see the kids and spend time with them but Corey and I agree that we are happy we are not going from 0 to 3 kids ages 3-7. Saturday we attempted to race in Ogilvie. Corey started and ended 3rd in his heat but when he returned to the pits we found that we have.....................another motor issue! We hope to get it fixed up tonight to race tomorrow in Madison, MN but we're not sure what will happen. Sunday, we went to Willmar for Corey's grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary (Congrats Pat & Ron!) It was a very warm day so I spent the majority of it in the house. This week-end we plan on going to my dad's cabin in Park Rapids to spend time together and relax but it is supposed to rain so we may have to reschedule.

Have you received your baby shower invite? If not, save the date--Sunday, Aug 29 from 1:00-4:00 at Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN. It is the same church where I married the love of my life :)

Other news: we have an ultrasound on Friday where we can see little girl's growth as well as how everything is going. Let's hope that I can avoid the "full bed rest" bullet a bit longer. Currently, I am working 2 days a week from home and this has definitely helped the exhaustion!

Hungry & Exhausted!

As I finish out my 29th week of pregnancy I am realizing more and more how exhausted I am..and how often I snack. I almost fell over at the doctor's office last Friday when I stepped on the scale- Scary! She told me that the I am right on pace with my weight gain and am sitting at a very healthy place, but I don't feel it's healthy, especially when I take notice of my diet each day. In the mornings I am like a bottomless pit. I wake up at 5:30-6:00 and eat right away and by 8am I have to eat again! I am trying to eat good snacks though including raw vegetables with dip, fruit, applesauce, and so forth. On Monday, I was at work and had forgotten to bring food with me so I ran across the street to Caribou and tried their oatmeal- knowing it would have a lot of fiber and fill me up. I have disliked oatmeal since my very little days, my grandma would bribe me to eat it by putting ice cream in it but still no luck. Then being with Corey, he pours syrup in his and the thought alone, let alone what it looks like, makes me shiver in disgust. Yet, I decided that after all these years I was going to try it again. Plus, they put different things in it to add flavor. Well the apple cinnamon was ok for the first couple bites then went straight downhill after that. I forced myself to eat about half of it before I whipped it in the trash. The benefit: I was finally full!

The evenings are getting to be shorter and shorter, on week nights if I am not in bed by 8:30-9:00 then I am falling asleep wherever I am at in the house. This could be due to the fact that I am up so early in the morning or..just the baby. I don't sleep all that well either since I toss and turn. I often wake up on my back which isn't causing shortness of breath or anything (like I have heard from other people) but it does give me some back pain. On the week-ends I am fine at the races but have been falling asleep on the way home. This used to be a normal thing when we went to Willmar on Thursdays or when we go to Alexandria but otherwise a quick trip home from Princeton or Ogilvie I have been staying awake for. Speaking of the races- Corey raced last Friday in Princeton for Ryan's Race. Ryan is the son of the 4R and 2R race team who are racing in his memory (4R = 4 Ryan; 2R = 2 Ryan). They are a great team and are special to us because they were some of our first racing friends and have always been there when Corey has needed them for guidance or extra parts :) Corey raced his heat and a b-feature but didn't make it to the main event. On Saturday, we raced Ogilvie where Corey raced his heat and landed a spot in the B-feature which he won--YES!!! finally a victory (of sorts) for the year. He started 21 in the main event and finished 18th.

Other news: I passed my glucose testing on Friday! I was pretty excited about this since I have heard a lot of horror stories. The liquid wasn't nearly as bad as I have heard either- it basically tasted like flat/warm Sprite. Heartbeat is good and everything seems to be measuring right on. She is continuing to move more and more and actually kicking me now instead of only punching. Corey has had the opportunity to feel it a few times and we realize what a miracle the whole process really is. Aug 13th is our last ultrasound and I can't wait to see her again!!

This week-end: We are planning to drive out to Menomonie, WI to race on Friday night to add another track to our record books and for a little variety.

Old Wives Tale

When you are pregnant people come up and tell you all kinds of stories. They can tell you are having a girl/boy by a string, ring, the chinese calender, how you are carrying your baby bump, your diet, acne, morning sickness, heartbeat, and so on. The old wives must label themselves as being pretty smart, yet none of them must have had a calender or knew how to do math because the idea that you are pregnant for 9 months is a little off.

I figured this out one day when I was 24 weeks along (6 months) and thought to myself that I must be in the 3rd trimester because I was 2/3 done with my pregnancy..when you look at a traditional month. Yet, I still had 16 weeks left which is 4 additional months. 6 + 4 = 10. Or you could look at 40 weeks/4 weeks per month=10. Yes, some months have 5 weeks but pregnancy isn't measured by months..it is strictly by weeks. Somewhere along the line I started to feel a little gyped by the idea. For now, I am still enjoying my baby bump (when I can find something comfortable to wear) and am not complaining however thought it was necessary to mention the life-long lie that we all have bought in to.

Note to the kidless

If you do not have children and therefore never have been pregnant, you may not know if questions are appropriate to ask pregnant women or not...well let me give you some insight:

Acceptable Comments/Questions*:
How far along are you?
When are you due?
Do you know if you are having a girl or boy?
Do you have any names picked out?
You can't even tell you are pregnant from the back, you are only baby.
You look great, how have you been feeling?

Unacceptable Comments/Questions*:
Wow, you must be close to giving birth.
You have really popped since the last time I have seen you.
You look like you have begun swelling up a bit.


*Of course everyone woman's pregnancy hormones are at different levels and therefore they may see questions/comments acceptable or unacceptable at different times. Still ask with caution. If you are unsure, ask yourself if you would like someone asking you that after you have gained major weight...if you still think it is ok then make sure to give them a compliment first. Also, if it is one pregnant person talking to another pregnant person then these may not apply as well.

Congrats & Future Congrats!

Lots of things to be excited about after this week-end...I will start with Congratulations to our friends, and dear past neighbors, Jennifer & James Unger who welcomed Avery Ann Unger in to the world. Just a "quick" 5 hours after arriving at the hospital they were holding their miracle baby in their arms. We visited with them on Sunday and they were both glowing. Ryan and Rachel Studanski, a racing couple of ours, went in this morning to get induced so we are expecting yet another baby this week! We are thrilled for everyone and are getting excited for our little girl as well.

Last week-end: We went to Park Rapids for the Eystad Family Reunion. We don't get to see that side of the family very often but it is SO much fun when we do. It was, of course, a blast. We went up on Friday and got there late then spent the entire day Saturday outside and out on the water. Sunday I was beyond exhausted and couldn't move, literally. My legs were tingling and I was completely spent, but every minute of Saturday was worth it! We can't wait to take our little girl with us next year!

This week-end: Friday night we had the wonderful opportunity to spend the evening watching Corey's little cousin play baseball. They were down from Park Rapids and had a tournament in Waite Park. Then Saturday, we spent the day lounging around and waiting to hear if Ogilvie was going to cancel or try and beat the storms...well they did the latter only to get the heats in (a repeat of 3 weeks ago) until the storms won the battle. We didn't get anything too serious at our house. Sunday we headed in to town and watched more baseball as well as visited with Avery Unger.

As a whole, I have been feeling good but definitely warm and exhausted. I get exhausted after walking a lot and bedtime has gotten progressively earlier. I finally spent some money last week and went to Motherhood Maternity to get some new clothes. I am cheap and didn't want to spend a lot so I pretty much only bought things on sale but am very happy with my purchases. They are lighter and much more comfortable. I am now in my 3rd trimester so all of these things were expected and we will enjoy this home-stretch.

Iowa--the state of friends and small towns!

I forgot to tell you all our happenings from last week-end! Last Friday, Corey, myself and his family drove down to Cedar Rapids/Ely, IA. They used to live there and since then Corey has stayed close with a friend of his from there. If you were at our wedding you may have met him- Adam Smith- he was one of our groomsmen and was also in the military. His wife Kelci is a sweetheart and they have a 8 month old named Taylor. She is a dollface!!! We spent the week-end with them and were able to experience small town living. Saturday we lounged around their house and then Corey and Adam decided to go for a booze cruise..and I say that lightly but yet seriously. The boys decided that if they didn't get off the couch they were going to fall asleep so instead they filled the cooler with beer and then put the cooler in the pull behind stroller that attaches to the bicycle. From there, they were on their way biking through neighborhoods and joining block parties. They had a lot of fun and that is all that matters...later that night they came back to eat dinner and then hit the road again and this time they stopped at the bar and closed 'er down :) Sunday we grilled at Adam & Kelci's then went to his dad's place for fireworks. The week-end was a blast and we all agree that we lived closer to one another!! In the meantime of all of our fun, Corey and I had a complete blast with Taylor (their little girl) and were caught mentioning how excited we were to have our little girl on her way. We already feel so blessed with everything we have and that little girl is just going to enhance everything that much more.

Daddy's 1st!

This morning I woke up to Corey's alarm clock going off at 4:45 (a typical morning at the Eystad house). I got up to use the bathroom and layed back down next to Corey. Baby girl decided to begin kicking, like she does every morning when I get up. Since Corey didn't feel like jumping out of bed and springing to work I had him put his hand on my belly and I layed flat on my back. He finally got to feel our little girl kick (or punch..I think she does a lot of punching)!!!! It was so great for him to finally experience it. We have tried a few times but I could never tell if I was feeling it from the outside or inside and so I couldn't explain it to him- he may have even thought I was crazy but now he knows our little girl truly does move around! :)

Books, blisters, and cravings

I got some time to write so I thought I would do another quick update.

Saturday Corey and I went to the Great MN Air show before heading to Ogilvie (just in time to get the heat in, which Corey placed 2nd before the rain cancelled the rest of the show). I don't know where our head was at because we forgot sunscreen and any sun protectant of any sort. His forehead and face are proof of that as well as my shoulders and arms. Today, I wake up to blisters on my shoulders...I don't think I have ever been so burt in my life --including the trip I took to Hawaii where I got burned as well..I can't wait for the pain to go away!

I treated myself to a book to pass the time at the track and sitting outside..."Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy. I sat and read 50 pages this morning and really like it. It probably wouldn't be great to anyone that has not went through the pregnancy process but if you have (or are currenlty) you may enjoy it. It is a quick and easy read!

Cravings...who says pregnant people get cravings? Because I have had ZERO....that was one part I was looking forward to...maybe they will still come?!

Until next time..

Baby Room Unveiling!

Here it is! A peak inside from her doorway....

A closer look at her bedtime hangout:



Her very own dresser/chest...which has some of her 2nd hand clothes waiting for her. It is a little blah without pictures and stuff...which will definitely come.


Fun pictures on the wall..there are also multiple stickers around her crib...Both Corey and I had a blast getting the room ready and we often find ourselves peaking inside..

Baby room- complete!

Hello everyone!

I am 25 weeks along (6 months)-wow- it is crazy to think that I am truly 2/3 done with my pregnancy. I have really gotten to enjoy it the last few weeks! Now I just have to enjoy the time I have left and give myself more rest breaks. I have been feeling so energetic and motivated but am beginning to feel the evenings coming faster as exhaustion sets in.

We are excited to say the baby room is all put together! Now we just need to fill it with baby supplies, clothes and so forth. We had a blast putting it all together and kept walking in and looking around all day. Corey put up the mobile and played the music and he said that is when it hit him that we are actually having a little baby. I tried to post pictures but the site wasn't letting me so I will have to try another day.

We let Odie wonder around her room and even check out the crib. We could tell he was really curious and can sense that things are going to change. We got some baby clothes from Corey's mom's coworker so I sat and folded them and put them in her dresser. Odie layed as close to me as he could, he is so sweet.

We still haven't decided on a baby girl's name- we have a couple in mind but just haven't finalized it yet.

Other things in our world: we raced in Ogilvie for the Race MN series last Tuesday and also drove up to Fargo for Tony Stewart night on Wednesday. It was good seat time but we still need to figure out the car a bit more.

The next couple week-ends will be busy as well. During 4th of July we are headed to Iowa to see some of Corey's old friends and neighbors. Then the following week-end we have an Eystad Family Reunion in the Park Rapids area.

If I don't write before-I hope you all have a wonderful & safe 4th of July!

Ba-boom Ba-boom

Hello!

Our little angel has begun showing herself more and more. It started one morning as I was laying in bed on my back I had my hand on the lower part of my belly and I felt it bulge out a bit here and there and realized that our little one is now kicking. Due to the placement of my placenta they said I may not feel all her movements like other mothers can because there is a bit of a barrier but I am now feeling it. She doesn't move a whole lot, which I hear can mean that she is content, but mornings are her favorite. It is an odd feeling but I enjoy it....for now..I am sure when she is 7 pounds I may not feel the same way.

On Monday, Corey and I had a Level 2 ultrasound. We didn't really tell anyone about it but during our 20 week ultrasound they found a marker on her heart. So hearing this information we freaked out of a possible heart condition- what else could it be right? WRONG! They were checking for down syndrome. The marker on her heart is actually built up calcium which will eventually go away but this could be a sign that she will be down. Through the ultrasound they did not find any other markers so she has a 1 in 500 chance of being down, we will continue saying our prayers!

The ultrasound, even though we went for a sad reason, was wonderful. We got to watch our little girl sleep for about an hour. I found out the "kicks" I am feeling may actually be punches due to her placement and where I am feeling it...who knew?! We were both really excited to see and watch her, even though she was sleeping most of the time. Once she started moving she really moved around and I didn't feel it much. This was actually calming for me because I realized that when I don't feel her every day, that it is ok and that she probably is just fine.

Busy start to the summer!

My appologies for the late post, I can't believe I skipped last week but things have been all over crazy.

Memorial Day Week-end we did not race, instead I got stuff done around the house and Corey had a bachelor party. We didn't race last week-end either since we had Kallie & Kyle Kolden's wedding! They are one of our closest "couple" friends and love spending time with them and their little girl. Their day was beautiful and we couldn't be happier for them! On Sunday we bought a lawn mower and I mowed down our 2 feet high weeds, our front lawn doesn't look to bad for being a sand pit. The backyard is a different story but all of it should be transforming in the upcoming weeks.

As you can see, I have posted baby belly pictures. Corey isn't a professional photographer-in fact he keeps getting closer which is strange since the belly is getting bigger and definitely more visible. I am feeling her move more often but can't say it's everyday yet. She seems to be a calm baby and I can get used to that! As you know, Corey is a joker and we find ourselves acting like kids at times. Well one morning I was making breakfast and Corey grabbed something out of the fridge and put it on my stomach- little girl started moving all around. I told Corey that he was upsetting his daughter and he thought he should grab something else from the fridge and put it on the other side...I said absolutely not. I could tell she was NOT happy :)

This week-end we plan on racing on Saturday. Corey has been working mandatory overtime so I don't see us racing Friday night but then next Tuesday and Wednesday Corey will be making the trip to Brainerd and Ogilvie to race in their specials.

Other than that-nothing is new. Our next doctor's appointment is next Friday.

Corey and I at Kyle & Kallie's wedding. This is the first time my hair has gotten attention in months...well probably 20 weeks :)

Lindsey Schantzen, Jennifer Unger, and myself--3 pretty & pregnant ladies...although Jen's shirt doesn't make her look too pregnant

Anniversary present to us: We're having a GIRL!

Hello everyone!

As a lot of you know, we are expecting a little girl! We found out early Friday and couldn't wait to start shopping!

Saturday was a wonderful day all around. First, it was our 1-year wedding anniversary. We chatted how only a year ago we were getting ready for one of the biggest days of our life (or biggest up to that point). We had a blast and wished that we could do the whole day over again- just to experience it. Instead, we headed to Hutchinson to pick up my mom and go baby shopping, which was a perfect runner-up choice! We went to USA Baby in Richfield, if you are a mom or expecting-mom and haven't been there you should check it out (P.S. they are having a huge Memorial Day sale now through Monday- 20% off everything in the store..even clearance items!) It was a great decision!! After looking at all the bedding we couldn't have (because they were boy colors...) Corey found the bedding which ended up coming home with us! I couldn't ask for a more excited and willing to help husband. He was like a kid in a candy store, running around picking out bedding, lamps, mobiles, stuffed animals and so forth. We had a blast! Not to mention we also found a crib and bedroom furniture for her room as well-to top it off we found it in the clearance area and saved some $$.

From there, we headed back to Hutchinson to suprise my mom with a birthday party. Her family was already at my sister's house and we had a blast. That night we stopped by Corey's parents house to show them our purchases before we headed home.

Sunday morning we woke up and began thinking about the purchases we made and realized that the furniture just wouldn't be able to fit in the baby room....so we decided to switch our upstairs bedrooms around! So guests have been downgraded to the smaller bedroom and our little unborn spoiled bundle of joy is having the bigger room. This is perfect since it is already painted! Corey debated about going and picking up the baby furniture but decided to hang out around the house instead, which he deserves! Once the room is all put together I will take pictures for you! I headed to Litchfield to host my best friend's (Sarah Fischer-Anderson) baby shower and enjoyed the afternoon with her and her family. By the time I got home I was exhausted and had all I could do to keep from falling asleep at 6pm.

With so much to do over the week-end it is a blessing that I have been feeling so great! The doctor said everything looked great and she is developing well. She is right on schedule for a 10/10/2010 delivery (I thought my due date was the 9th but I was wrong...I am sure I won't deliver on this day, but how fun would it be??). We peaked in on her when she was sleeping and therefore got to watch her stretch as she woke up. I still don't truly feel that she is in my belly or that we are becoming parents but it is still a very exciting time for us!

Racing update: Corey raced in Princeton on Friday night (I stayed home and caught up on laundry and other "house" items). He had a blast in the heat battling it out but then the B Mod consi came and didn't treat us too well. The next 2 week-ends we have stuff going on so we will take a break and try to get refreshed and start again the 2nd week-end in June.

Thanks for checking in!

Oh Mr. Sun...Sun..Mr. Golden Sun!

Hello everyone!

We had a fantastic week-end filled with wonderful sunny weather!

Friday- raced in Princeton. Car was still not running up to par.

Saturday- after a full day of working on the car we went to Ogilvie. The car is back!! Now I think we have some set-up things to work out and possibly need new gears..it's always something right?!

Sunday- we spent the day outside!!! I had homework to do so I brought it out in the garage and worked on it all day. Corey also rigged up a television out there so we didn't have to miss the Nascar race, even though I wasn't a fan of who won (Kyle Busch). We strapped a basket to the 4-wheeler and put Odie in there and took him out for a Sunday ride. Corey washed the car and just tinkered around in the garage.

Friday is the day--hopefully--we have our ultrasound appointment at 8:30. We are hoping baby will cooperate and show some of his/her wild side and let us see if we are having a girl or a boy! I told Corey that I will do jumping jacks as well as poke at my belly to try and get some movement, if needed. Once we know, the baby purchases will begin!

I am looking forward to the sunny forcast and hope that this weather sticks around, I think we deserve it after the rain and wind!

So...when are you due?

I had the first person ask me, "So when are you due?" yesterday. This is proof that I am truly showing even though the girls at work keep saying they can't really tell, LIARS! You would all be able to tell me yourselves but I don't have pictures up which I really need to get on top of.

Last night, Corey and I had the opportunity to go to the Twins game, our first at the new field. My mom got us tickets so we went with her and my sister Jessica and Jess's boyfriend Beau. It was a blast. The weather wasn't ideal since it had rained all day but once we got there not one drop fell from the sky and the wind didn't touch us either! We were 3 rows up from the Twins dugout so we had awesome seats! Sure, I had 7 layers of clothing on including my winter jacket, maybe some leggings under my jeans and mittens with a winter hat...but whatever it takes to stay warm!

On the racing front, we had another week-end off. Even though we really wanted to race it couldn't have fallen on a better week-end. Friday we didn't end up doing much of anything but Saturday was Whitney's dance receital in Hutchinson. If the races wouldn't have cancelled we would have went but then raced the clock on the way back. Sunday was Mother's Day, my first as a semi-mom. We went to Corey's aunt & uncle's in Rice and spent some time with his family. It was all very great ...until my migraine kicked in. I had a headache all week-end and then it turned migraine on Monday- no fun!

Nothing else is new here--we have 9 days until our next doctor's appointment and we are both getting anxious. My mom and sister are pretty set that we are having a girl, as am I. So I guess if we find out it's a boy we will be a suprised set of ladies.

Racing & Sniffles

Hello!

Due to the rain Princeton cancelled their Friday show so we ended up going to Denis's shop and hanging out with some of our racing community- my only request was that we were home and in bed by midnight. We met the deadline so I was happy with that.

Saturday we woke up and were lazy in the morning, I was more lazy than Corey. I began not feeling well on Friday. A co-worker (3 cubes down) was sick and I knew it was only a matter of time before I caught it. So Friday I woke up with a sore throat and lots of sinus pressure..it continued through the week-end. Saturday night we raced in Ogilvie and it wasn't a good night from the start. The generator is still in need of some major TLC. Then for both the heat and the B-feature Corey pulled off- maybe completed a total of 4 laps. We think, based off input from other drivers, there is something in the fuel lines/carb/etc. So we will be fixing that this week. Corey also decided that we are going to buy a set of scales for the car--so if anyone knows anyone that is selling a pair- let us know!

On the baby note- I am measuring 39" around pretty much all the time. We are sitting at 17 weeks and can no longer "hide" the baby bump. We weren't ever hiding it anyways but now I wouldn't be able to if I wanted to. I will truly try and get some pictures up this week.

Hope all is well in your worlds!!

Almost forgot...

I almost forgot our new thing--Corey's sister (Whitney) mentioned that I should start measuring my belly. I thought it was a great idea so Corey and I got the measuring tape out and started a log.

I always feel like my belly changes so much throughout the day. I wake up in the morning and barely look pregnant then I take a couple deep breaths and the belly comes out of no where and stays for the day. We measured on Saturday around 1:00pm and found that I am 37 and 3/4" around the largest part of my belly. We measured again on Sunday at the same time and found the same measurement. Then I ate supper and Corey said I looked larger so we should measure again and found I grew just over 1". Corey loved this since he has loved to make "belly" jokes long before we had a baby in it. Yet, from beginning of pregnancy to now I am still down 13 pounds.

I will keep you posted with this as I grow as well...

Doctor visit

Hello everyone!

Things in our household are going swell. I have continued to feel better and am able to eat adult sized meals.

On Friday, we had a doctor's appointment and got to listen to the strong heartbeat once again. It varied from 150-160 which my doctor said was normal. I asked again if there was any chance for twins and she said there is always a chance but she didn't sound too confident that I should keep my hopes up. We have our next appointment on May 21st and we hope to find out the gender!

Friday night was the first race night of the season. Corey started 4th in his heat and ended 5th which placed him in the B-feature where he started 4th (I think) and finished 2nd. He was much happier after this race than his heat. We didn't change much in between the races but he decided to change out his shock and found it made a world of difference. He then started 18th in the feature and made it all the way to 10th which was a great run! All in all, it was a good night with almost no damage done to the car.

We had planned to race in Ogilvie on Saturday but the rain cancelled those plans. Instead we woke up late and bopped around in town for most the afternoon. We had friends come up from the cities and we went out to supper at Space Aliens with Lindsey & Kyle Schantzen and Jen & James Unger. While we were there Ryan and Rachel Studanski showed up so with 4 couples around the table we found that all 4 of us women were pregnant---tis the season!

Sunday we spent the entire day on the couch-literally! In fact, I didn't change out of my pajamas and both Corey and I agreed it was amazing.

Congrats to my best friend-Sarah (Fischer) Anderson for delivering her baby boy-Tyson Landon- last Monday. After weeks of bed rest and hours of labor Tyson decided to be stubborn and forced Sarah to have a c-section. He was 8lbs 7 ounces and both mom and boy are doing well!

Finally!

So after procrastinating for over 8 weeks I finally set up my blog account. Wow!!

Let me catch you up to speed:
January 30th- After days of waiting we took our first semi-positive pregnancy test. I say semi-positive because the "positive" line was vivid but faint. We were 99% sure I was pregnant since I was over a week late and am NEVER late- plus we had been trying for months. Prior to taking the test we had planned to spend the day at Rasmussen doing homework. Well, we went to campus but couldn't get much done because of the excitement. We decided that even though it was early...we HAD to tell our parents. So we did it the way we had discussed over and over. We went to Wooden Hearts, an arts & crafts store, and bought a sign that said, "What happens at Grandma's-Stay's at Grandma's." One for his mom and one for mine. Then, we went to Hutchinson. We told my mom first who was very suprised since we have told everyone that we would consider it in a couple years. She was shocked and even shed a couple tears. Then we told Lisa-Corey's mom-and she was VERY suprised..in fact she was so suprised that she didn't exactly "get" the sign but yet his family is very excited as well.

February 4- Corey and I were in Florida and found out I was pregnant, for sure, without a doubt! I often say "we are pregnant" but he just doesn't like the way that sounds so..I am pregnant...WE are having a baby :)

February 11- Sickness begins. With only 5 weeks in the books- my fun, exciting pregnancy turns to a very ill one. I was working in Florida and was scheduled to fly home the next day. Yet, I couldn't even work. I went back to the hotel around 12pm and didn't move until Monday morning when I had to go back to work. I lived through a week of crap and ended up flying home on Wednesday. The flight was horrible, so bad that I called my boss on Friday and told her I was pregnant-earlier than what I wanted. I ended up staying in MN instead of flying back the next week.

March 8- I went to the doctor for my first appt and found out many things. First was my lab work and I was dehydrated. This could be the explanation for vomitting 4-6x per day (every day) along with the 24/7 nausea. At this point, morning sickness sounded like heaven. I didnt eat anything but crackers, applesauce, pudding, and water for over 4 weeks and lost about 15 pounds. The lab filled me with an IV along with some glucose and anti-nausea medicine so I could survive. They also decided to do an ultrasound which I was happy about but bummed since I told Corey it was just a lab appointment and nothing exciting. Our peanut was very small so I was able to bring home a picture and put it on the fridge. He will for sure come to every appt from here on out. My doctor also formally restricted my travel so it was official I would not be flying for at least 6 weeks.

March 29- After sleeping for the entire day on Saturday due to a migraine, I found myself dehydrated once again. I tried to catch up but within 5 minutes of eating or drinking anything on Sunday and Monday I found myself vomitting again. I headed back to the doctor and received the IV treatment again...ahhhh so much better!

April 2- Doctor's appointment! The highlight of this appointment was hearing the heartbeat. Corey was with me and it was crazy to hear. The beat was around 155 (if I remember right). We look forward to our May 21 appointment where we can hopefully find out the gender! At this point, I was still vomitting but not nearly as often. I was also still eating smaller meals.

April 15- On the way home from work (I am now working in Blaine) I felt a tickle in the belly and am thinking it was the first sign of movement. I don't know for sure but all I can say is it kind of tickled. I know it wasn't gas or normal digestion so I am excited to feel it more frequently to see if that is truly what it was.

April 19-Present day- 15 weeks along-Each day I feel a little bit better. I am now able to eat full meals, drink fluids like an adult instead of sip them throughout the day, and so forth. I still get headaches a lot and now I am finding myself up 1-2x each night to go to the bathroom, which is annoying but I can deal with it. I have found that if I don't eat every 2.5 hours I will find myself dry heaving in the bathroom not long after so the baby is finally getting food but I am sure the pounds are going to follow. I still have strong nausea for certain smells but I will take how I am feeling now any day compared to 6 weeks ago.

We have picked out a couple names and if you get a few beers in Corey he shares them (right Katie?!?) but I guess we haven't established if we are keeping them a secret or not yet. I have always felt like we were going to have a girl but Corey is hoping for a boy to nickname after his grandpa and of course to do "boy things" like carry on the racing legend of course....but little girls have a way to his heart so I don't think it truly matters. I looked it up on the Chinese birth calendar and it says we are having a girl too, but Corey has no faith in that..and seriously how does it work?? We will begin the baby room once we know the gender and go from there.

Our due date is Oct 9 and since we don't race the Fall Classic in Alexandria, it is a perfect end to our racing season. Let's just hope our baby doesn't come too early and be born during the Wissota 100-that would not be ideal.

*Deep breath* Well I think that is all I have. I will keep you posted from now on--promise!