Good Times

This past weekend my sister threw me a baby shower at my house. It was so wonderful to visit with my family and friends!! :) Everyone made me feel very special and loved. The nursery is coming along nicely now, but we still need a bookcase to fit all the books we received! The baby will be so smart!

As for baby news, I am currently 30 weeks along (10 more weeks to go). The baby weighs approximately 3 pounds and is about 16 inches long. Sleep is becoming difficult for me now, so I think I need to locate a few more pillows. The lack of sleep must be good practice for when the baby gets here. :) 

Test Results Update

I just realized that I haven't updated you about the recent test results for gestational diabetes and anemia. I found out earlier this week that I was negative for both (meaning that I do not have either). This is great news!! The doctor was even surprised that I didn't have anemia, because it is so common in pregnant women. It's a huge relief though because I heard that the pills they put you on when you have it cause constipation (even worse than it already is)! Yuck! Also during my appointment they found high amounts of protein in my urine and they said that it could be a sign of preeclampsia, so they sent me to get another urinalysis a few days later. I also got those test results in and I am negative for that, too. I am very relieved about that since my sister recently had that and I know how she suffered. I guess the doctors are still running another test to check for infection, but I was told that I was looking okay since the initial test came back negative. I am not too worried about it. That's it for now. I go back to the doctor in about two weeks to meet with a nurse practitioner and we will discuss a great deal of topics ranging from when to go to the hospital to infant feeding. It will be very informative and an eye opener to the reality of things. And on a final note, Ben and I start our prenatal classes this Wednesday, so hopefully we can start to get a feel for what is in store for us. I am excited to get those underway! Tomorrow is another baby shower (my sister is throwing it for me at my home) and I cannot wait to see all my family and friends. I will post pictures as soon as I can.

3rd Trimester...here I come

I am currently 27 weeks 6 days and officially entering the third trimester! Wow, the second trimester really flew by!! School wrapped up last week and summer break is now upon me. I have a conference every day this week though, so I do not really feel like I am on break yet. I was also suppose to begin grad classes this week, but they have postponed the start of classes until August (it is a two-year program that will continue throughout the school year). So beginning next week I will have plenty of time to clean the house for the upcoming shower (june 25th) and prepare for the arrival of the little one. I can't wait to have the time, yet I fear that the summer will feel very long.
As for the development of the baby, it currently weighs approximately 2.5 pounds and is almost 15 inches long!! The baby can now open and close its eyes (which now have lashes) and it kicks a lot!! As for the doctor appointments, I had to drink the glucose drink today (and get my blood drawn...this tests for gestational diabetes) and I had more blood drawn to test for anemia. I will find out the results on Monday. The doctor also wanted me to start the "kick count", which is where I have to see how long it takes for the baby to kick 10 times (it needs to be in two hours otherwise you need to go to the hospital immediately). After the Monday appointment then I move on to having appointments every two weeks. I'll be spending my summer in the doctor's office, that's for sure!! :)
And on a final note, I had to take my wedding ring off. My hands are now too swollen for the ring to fit comfortably, so I am now sporting it on a gold necklace. It still feels weird not wearing it, but I guess it's just something that comes with pregnancy...swollen joints. 

Memorial Day Weekend

This past weekend Ben and I spent time in Greenville and up north at my family cottage. It was a great time with family and many got to feel the baby kick for the first time (the picture is of my brother and sister feeling the baby kick). It was exciting!! The weather was hot, so much of the time I spent in the water (either floating on a tube or playing deck tennis). It was wonderful and I felt refreshed by the end of the long weekend.

School ends in a week, so I have been busy finishing up things there. The students are definitely ready for summer and are restless. I am ready for summer, yet I still need to finalize my summer grad courses. One is supposed to start next week, but I haven't heard any news about that, so I have some phone calls to make.

As far as baby things go, my next doctor's appointment is June 14th. A few days before this I have to drink the glucose drink to test for gestational diabetes and they will also test for anemia. Ugh! More blood must be taken! So much blood is taken in this entire process! After this appointment, I will move on to having appointments every two weeks (this is when I begin the third trimester). At the end of the month, Ben and I begin our Prenatal classes, also.

Finally, my co-workers recently threw me a baby shower and then the following week my students threw me a baby shower. It was so much fun having all the people show all their excitment for this baby. Everyone definitely made me feel special. It was great! :)

Landscaping Update

So our landscaping is coming along nicely. Ben has been hard at work hunting and digging for rocks to border our burm. He claims that if he can pick up the rock then it is too small. :) We've also purchased many loads of top soil and gravel to help fill in the areas that need it. So today Ben is out on the tractor moving dirt and smoothing things out. Yesterday when he went and got the tractor (which he borrowed from the farm) he was so giddy and excited to get to work. What a man! :)
Yesterday, while Ben was working the land, Andrea stopped by. I showed her around the yard and then we went to dinner. We had great conversation and after dinner she got to feel the baby kick! She is the first person, besides Ben, to feel the baby kick!! It was so exciting! It was great to catch up with her and I can't wait until she moves back to Michigan (which the move date is now set at June 13th). Yeah!
This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and today Ben and I are heading up to his grandma's cottage in Greenville. Then Saturday evening we are heading up to Lewiston to visit with my family. My family (well, except Grandpa Bob and Grandma JoJo) hasn't seen me since before we knew we were excpecting! They will be so shocked to see how I've changed since then! I'll definitely take pictures this weekend and post them when I can!! 

"Lake" Progress

Here are a few pictures of how our pond looks today. The recent rain has definitely helped fill it in!! It is a little murky right now, but we're hoping that this will settle within the next few weeks. Now we have to work on planting grass and bringing in sand for the beach area. The pond has been a great addition, Koda definitely thinks so!! :) She's already been swimming several times! Ben also enjoys it, from the several deer tracks that are visible all around the pond to the big burm that he gets to ride the quad on. He's outside working the land and making our yard beautiful as we speak. We are all loving life! :) 

23 Weeks

It has been awhile since I last posted a belly shot, so here you go. I definitely have a preggo belly now!!! Strangers now notice the belly and I am already being told that it looks like a basketball and that it is all belly. I'm glad to hear that! :) I hope they're right. No stretch marks on the belly, yet, but they say that they can start to show up any week now, if they are going to show up.

As for the development of the baby, the baby currently weighs just over a pound and is more than 11 inches long. Blood vessels are developing in the lungs to prepare the baby for breathing and the baby can now swallow (hiccups are common in babies so those could begin to happen also). Eyelids, eyebrows, and eyes are in place and developed as well as the baby's lips and teeth buds (which are underneath the gums). It is all such a miracle!!

In a final note, I have been feeling the baby move/kick for about 5 weeks now, but just last week Ben was able to finally get a feel!!! Yea!! He keeps trying to feel more movements, but the movements are still unpredictable (although it does move a lot more often...I just don't know quite when it will happen). I am excited for the movements to get more noticeable to everyone else so that others can feel the movements, too. Last night I laid down on the couch and I felt the entire baby on my left side and then I had to gently push it back in the middle...it was wild!! I hear from others that this definitely gets more and more noticeable...I can't wait! 

Puerta Vallarta

Our trip to Puerta Vallarta was great!!! It went by too fast (like most vacations do), but we sure had a lot of fun while we were there. The weather was perfect everyday and my belly even seemed to become pregnant looking while we were there!! We got down there on Wednesday and still had time to get some sun, which was nice. Then on Thursday, Ben and Jeff went on the Canopy Tour (rip-cording through the jungle), while the rest of us did some little shopping and got some more sun. Friday we all went on a snorkeling trip to the Mariatas Islands. On the way to the islands, Ben, Renee and I all got sick (no fun...). When we finally reached the islands, Ben seemed to recover pretty well and managed to go snorkeling with the group, but Renee and I stayed back. The water was pretty rough looking, so I thought that I would not have the energy to snorkel in that kind of situation. I don't think I missed much. We took some great photos on this island, too, which will be great to hang on the wall. Saturday, the group (excluding myself) went to downtown Puerta Vallarta to do some shopping and sightseeing. I stayed behind (my ankles were swollen from the two previous days) and laid out in the sun!! I loved the relaxation! Sunday we spent the entire day traveling home. We travelled with Jeff and Renee and at our connector flight in Dallas, we had to go through customs. We were very short on time and just made it to our flight. We lost Jeff and Renee at customs, so Ben got on the plane and tried to stall putting his luggage up and I got us all food and tried to stall the plane some more...to no avail. They were even calling "Britta Spitzley...Last call" and told me that my friends were not going to make the flight...ugh! So needless to say I felt horrible about this, but I guess the Owen's got on a later flight (though having to wait 4-5 more hours in Dallas...sorry guys). So that was a crazy event to end the trip. Overall, the food was excellent and the company was better!! We will definitely need to do another trip in the future. 

Breaking Ground

We broke ground today on our new pond!! It is very exciting to watch the digging process and I think Ben is really ready to begin stocking it with fish!! The pond is going to have a burm around the back curve and then there will be a beach area on one of the curves facing the house (the pond will be a kidney shape when it is finished). Once the digging is finished we'll be able to get some good grass growing around it and start swimming!! Yeah! 

Halfway There!!!

Here are a few pictures of Baby Spitzley @ 20 weeks 1 day. The top picture shows Baby S on his/her back (the spine is pretty noticeable here) and the bottom picture shows the profile of Baby S and one of his/her hand's up by his/her face. The pictures didn't turn out so great, but we have the whole ultrasound on video!! Yeah! I think after this I am going to watch it again. It was amazing to see. We got to see Baby S clasping his/her hands and even yawn!! It was incredible! Of course, like I have said before these pictures just do not do an ultrasound justice, because it is much better in "live action". As for all the health reportings, everything is top notch. The heartrate was at 150 beats/minute (which some says means it is going to be a girl) and the measurements came out to be around 20 weeks 3 days (so right on schedule...growth-wise). All-in-all everything is going great and things couldn't be better for the baby and it's health!! Which is such a relief, since I was completely stressed out because I bought a pet rat for the classroom and just learned that rodents can carry a virus that is harmful to unborn babies!! Yikes! They said that the baby had his/her thumb sticking out during the ultrasound which is a good sign for a normal/healthy baby (meaning there are no chormosomal abnormalities). As for my health, I am doing great. I am still tired after every school day and try to fit in a nap. One annoyance is a recent nerve pain in my right lower back area. The doctor said this is common and recommended that I buy a pregnancy cradle (although I may just manage for a seven more weeks until school is out). Once summer is here I think this nerve pain may subside somewhat (or atleast I hope so). It is very painful at times. I do feel the baby kick often now, yet still to faint for Ben to get a good feel. I love when the baby kicks (which has been happening while I am at school and then later again at night as I go to bed)!! It is definitely noticeable and wonderful every time!! :)

In other news, Ben and I have decided to dig a pond in our yard!! Ben can't wait to stock it with fish and I can't wait to go swimming! The digger comes on Sunday and it will take a fews days to finish. The digger is also redoing our driveway and making it into a circle drive (we will put a burm in the middle of it). I think it will look great when it is finished (which will hopefully be before the baby shower Jocelyn is throwing for me at my house). Pictures will come when it is finished.

Well, we are off to Mexico Wednesday morning. I will post pictures when I return!! 'Til then... 

The New Looking Rooms

The top picture is of our new guest bedroom (without furniture in it, obviously). It used to be the superman blue room. The bottom picture is of what is going to be the new nursery. This room used to have bright purple carpetting and purple walls. I think the new carpet looks great and the new color on the walls helps to make it more our own. We'll have to wait and see what the rooms look like with furniture in them!! :) 

18 Weeks 2 Days

Here are a couple of pictures taken today (18 weeks 2 days along). I couldn't decide which one was a better belly pic, so you got both. The one on the right makes my belly look huge, but I guess that's what happens. It's crazy because for awhile I have felt like I didn't have a pregnant belly, yet all of a sudden I guess I do! :) It is actually quite fun to see the changes and I actually have felt the changes also!! Yes, you read correctly, I have felt the baby move!! They call this "quickening", but to me it feels like bubbles. It isn't very often (usually atleast once a day), but it is definite when it happens. Just a little blup, blup here and there. It's fascinating!! I love it. I think Ben is getting anxious to feel the baby now, too. I cannot wait until it is felt by others, also.
We also got word back on our genetic testing (the Quad test) and the results were negative. This is a very good thing, because a positive test result would mean that the baby may be born with birth defects. That was such a relief to hear that good news!
Our re-carpeting efforts are coming along nicely, also. As I write this there is a carpenter putting in the new carpet!! I cannot wait to see the final result. It will look great! I will definitely post a pic of it when it is finished. :)
Our next doctors appointment is April 19th (2 weeks from yesterday) and that is with the ultrasound (we will be 20 weeks along) in which we can tape it!! I am so excited for that! Then the following week we are off to Mexico with two other couples (Puerta Vallarta), so that will be a nice getaway before the baby comes. I'll keep you updated on that, also. 'Til then... 

The Four Girls at the 80's Party

Here is a picture (thanks, Andrea) from Matt Upton's 30th Birthday Party. The theme was the 80's, although I think that it may be obvious!! :) It was a great night. The girls in the photo (from left to right): Kate, Me, Andrea, and Rachel (Matt is in the background). 

Nursery Bedding

These are a few pictures of the nursery bedding that Ben and I selected. You can either look at our registry or check it out at www.wendybellissimo.com. The title of the crib set is "Starlight".

Updating the Spare Bedrooms

Ben and I spent last weekend painting and tearing out carpet in the two spare bedrooms (with the help of our friend, Jeff). One room is going to be a guest room and the other is, of course, going to be the nursery. The guest room has a nice mauve color on the walls now (it used to be baby blue with superman blue carpet). The nursery now has a light green color (it used to be a pale purple with bright purple carpet). We chose our nursery color based on the nursery bedding that we chose for the room. Check it out at our registry. The new carpet gets put in on April 6th, so in preparation for that we had to tear out the old carpet and the padding. So right now the rooms are bare, but they have beautiful wall colors!! :) It is amazing how much the hallway and rooms echo with out carpet and stuff in them, though! Once the rooms are finished I will post pics (I am still waiting to post pics of the 80's party, too).

As for everything else, I have parent/ teacher conferences this week so I'll be pulling some long days which I am not looking forward to. I get so tired by 4 pm already (although I can't complain because I know I have it easier than some other pregnant women). Next week I have spring break, so I'll be able to relax and enjoy some time off then. Ben, on the other hand, is super busy at work and has been pulling long hours for awhile now. We both agree that it is better to be busy now then when it starts to get really nice outside. We are both looking forward to our Mexico trip which is at the end of April. That should help to relax us both! :)

To the 80's and Back Again!

This past weekend my friends got together and had an 80's party for Matt Upton's 30th Birthday!! It was great. Kate and Matt flew in for the event (well, obviously since it was his birthday) and many other good friends were there. Everyone was dressed to the theme (punk rockers, mullet haired men, short shorts on the men, pegged pants, side ponytails were all the rage). I will post pictures soon. They are classic!! :)

As for an update on other things...Animal Control made a stop in a few days ago (ugh, ugh). I guess one of our neighbors said she was running in their yard and getting into their trash. The trash part is not cool, but as for running in their yard...it is the country for goodness sake. We have other dogs in our yard all the time...who cares. They just gave us a warning, but said that if they had to come back we would get a huge fine. So needless to say we have been tying her up more (except she got out last night and was out all night). Hopefully we will not have Animal Control over again for that! :(

We also went and bought new (well, remnant) carpet a few days ago for the two spare bedrooms. On top of that we bought paint for the walls. We will be updating the rooms to a nursery and a guest bedroom. They will look great when we are finished. We also have registered for our nursery bedding (all chosen by Ben himself!). I can't wait to get started on the rooms (although my stampin' will be officially moved to the basement). 'Til next time!

14 Week Check-up

I had my monthly check up yesterday and everything looks great! The baby's heartrate was normal (it's always great to hear it) and some of my genetic tests (cystic fibrosis) came back negative. Whew! I now have to get some more blood drawn for the second stage of the Quad test (another genetic test). We did schedule our 20 week appointment where we get another ultrasound (this would be the time to find out the gender, but we are not going to). They told us that we could bring in a blank VHS to tape the ultrasound! We are very excited about that! That appointment isn't until April 19th, so we have some waiting to do. Until then I guess I just keep my routine and watch my belly grow more and more each day! Also, between now and then, they say that I may be able to feel the baby! I cannot wait for that! I'll keep you posted!

This morning, Ben and I were talking about how excited we're getting. He has been excited this whole time, whereas I have not really allowed myself because I was nervous. Now it is all sinking in and with my new belly forming, I am getting very excited! I have a feeling that Spetmeber will be here before you know it! :)

As for preparing for the baby, Ben and I are still deciding whether or not we want to re-carpet and re-paint the two spare bedrooms. I'm for it (they are an awful blue and purple), but Ben needs more persuading! :) He doesn't like the colors, but the carpet is still pretty new that he wants to get some use out of it. We'll see. We may stop by a carpet store this afternoon as we head to Grandma Lewis'.

At 14 weeks 2 days

 

Some things you may not know about pregnancy...

So you may have heard about all the common symptoms, such as constipation and nausea, but did you know that congestion and nosebleeds are other symptoms?? I didn't, but I am fully aware of them now! The congestion has been sort of around the entire time, but the nosebleeds are a new thing this week. I haven't had a nosebleed in years and then all of a sudden I have two in one week! I'm not talking about a slight nosebleed either...they even happen in the shower!! Ugh! On top of all of that I have the worst acne I have ever had in my life (even all those years through puberty were nicer then it is right now). It is horrible.

Anyway, my students just walked in for class (yup, I found a spare moment in my morning). Mynext appointment is tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes. By the way, do you like the baby countdown tickers?

Start of the 2nd Trimester!

Today marks the beginning of the second trimester!!! The possibility of a miscarriage now goes way down, so that is a relief! Whew! I am still tired and sometimes I still don't feel god, but I am hanging in there. I hear that the second trimester is the best part of pregnancy. Bring it on...I am definitely ready to feel better!

My next doctor's appointment is not until March 10th. It's just a monthly check-up, but I will get to hear the baby's heartbeat again. I love it everytime! I'm still in shock over this whole thing, but it is sinking in more and more each day. Jocelyn and I joked last weekend about the idea of pregnancy this past weekend. We both agreed that the common feeling was shock and that the shared phrase at this stage of the game is "So I'm pregnant...at least that's what they tell me!". This is because at this point it all still feels so unreal and to think that there is going to be a wee-one in 6 months, blows my mind a little bit (don't get me wrong, I am happy, excited, etc., but it is still such an amazing thing).

I'll keep you posted on how the doctor's appointment goes. Until then...