Week 38

The countdown begins.......we are at week 38. Time is going very fast right now! I go the to dr weekly and this week's appointment went very well. The heartrate wouldn't stay at one number...imagine that :) It was anywhere from 130-140. I am not dialated at all yet either so hopefully by this coming week, we see some progress there. I feel that the baby has dropped and is permanently sitting on my bladder. We are so excited and anxious to meet our new addition to our family!

I have been back to school for 2 weeks. The kids started last Tuesday. Every night I am exhausted!!! Troy has been wonderful and made supper every night for me. I try to lay low and keep my feet up at night so I don't get swollen. So far, I haven't gotten too swollen throughout the day. The air conditioning was not working in my room for a few days last week so that was not fun at all. My students have been wonderful and very helpful! They are so curious about the baby and are dying to know what it is. I told them last week that I was going to the dr and the next morning one of my girls said, "where's your baby? I want to see your baby." She doesn't quite understand that when the baby arrives I won't be at school for many weeks. I've been prepping them that I will be gone for awhile and that their schedule will still remain the same. I don't want their structure to change much at all because they rely on that.

The past couple weekends we have layed low so that has been very helpful. This weekend we went to the Marshalltown football game. It was beautiful weather! Then Saturday we didn't do much of anything. Today we went to a couple's wedding shower for friends of ours, James and Allie. They get married in October and I am her personal attendant. I am very honored and can't wait for their special day. I have to say that Troy and I were the official bags game champions! We brought home the title. I pulled through and had to carry Troy :) We had a great time.

I hope everyone has a great week and I will update after my dr appt this week. I pray for good news!

Week 36

4 more weeks, hopefully........although I wouldn't mind going a couple weeks early :) I need at least a week or 2 of school to set routines and expectations and then I will feel more comfortable. Teachers are back to school tomorrow :( What a fast summer! It went WAY too fast. I've been in my classroom here and there getting things ready just incase I go early. I'm excited to meet my new class. Starting school gets me even more excited to meet our new little one because I know it could be anytime. I had a dr appt today and now continue to go every week. He did an exam and said that the head is down, which is great news. The dr. also said, the head is very low, which is even greater news :) He said it is probably sitting on my bladder and I totally agree because I feel like I'm going to the bathroom all the time. The heartrate was at 126 today. I had a morning appt so she wanted to make sure that it wasn't my heartrate because it wasn't as active. She pushed my stomach around-not comfortable at all- and woke the baby up. Then it shot up to 150 which it should have. After that, she wanted to make sure it went back down and it did right to 126. She was impressed because it did exactly what she wanted it to. This appt was very real for me and helped me realize that this could be any day! He told me since we live about 45 mins away I need to make sure that I call when contractions are every 7 mins for an hr. While your pregnant you constantly think ahead of when your in labor and the baby arrives but this was very real. It made me so excited!

I started having Braxton Hicks contractions last week and my stomach gets rock hard. Troy strongly suggested that I get my bag packed. I think he was getting nervous:) So I got my bag and the baby's bag packed and put everything we need inside the crib so it will be very easy for Troy to get us loaded in the car because I'm sure my mind will be elsewhere. I put the car seat in the car already so that's one less thing to remember. I packed a boy and girl outfit....ok outfits:) After the baby is born, a photographer comes in the room and takes professional pictures for you. So I wanted to be prepared:) This is the reason for the baby bag and my bag separate. I first had them in one bag but I just didn't have enough room :) We are set now!

I am very happy to say that we have officially found a daycare provider. This has been very stressful. We thought we had this all figured out back in February but things changed and we had to search. I called about 4 different people and had no luck. Then I happen to ask a lady that lives in Conrad if she would be willing to do it because she stays home with her 3 girls. She graciously said yes. We were so relieved! Troy and I are very glad too that we will not have to travel to Marshalltown each day with the baby in the winter. There are so many positives about this decision. We are very blessed!

Below are some pictures of the nursery. I am happy to say it is done! Some of the pictures didn't turn out as well but you can get an idea of how it looks. I have really enjoyed decorating:)

The past few weeks have been VERY hot! So I've tried to lay low and stay in the AC as much as possible. This week has been so much better! We did make a trip to the State Fair on Saturday. It was very hot and humid. We lasted a few hrs. I can't believe how much the heat effects me now. Usually I have no problems but I was miserable. Troy was a trooper and always made sure I was feeling ok. He could tell I was getting too hot, so we left. I got my cheesecurds so the mission was accomplished :) Well better get my things ready for school. It's a school night! Have a great week!

Week 34 and Baby Shower

6 more weeks.............I am to the point where I am ready to have this baby :) I know, I've got to hold out a few more weeks at least. It is very difficult to get around, bend over, get off the couch, and most importantly roll out of bed a bazillion times each night. Luckily, I have not been swollen and I am very thankful for this. I had a dr appt last week and the past 4 or 5 times, the heartbeat has been at 145. This time it dropped to 135. It made me nervous but he said that we want the heartbeat to do this because it will begin to lower and be closer to mine as it is delivered. So we are getting closer :) :) I also told him that I am feeling more pressure and feeling like the baby might be dropping. He checked my tests to make sure that everything was ok and it's looking good. I go again this week so I can't wait to see what the heartbeat is. Oh and I'm ready to throw the scale out the window at the dr office! I hate that thing!

This weekend my aunt Cheryl and cousin Jill threw a shower for Baby Moore and I back home. Baby Moore is soooooooooo spoiled already! As you can see from the picture below, my car was full! I am very thankful that so many friends and family were able to make it. It was nice to visit with everyone. Below is a picture with Cheryl and Jill and then another picture of Cheryl, Jill, my mom, and I. I had a great time and we are very blessed!

Today I finally broke down and went to school for a long period of time. I was there for about 5 hrs and the air conditioner was NOT turned on. I was soaked by the time I left but I got a lot done! It's amazing what you can get done when nobody is there. I still have a lot to do and brought a lot home to do, but I feel that I made a lot of progress. Only 2 more weeks of summer vacation:( I hope you all have a great week!

Week 32

Sorry, it's been awhile! We are currently at week 32 and boy am I feeling it. I officially had to take my wedding ring off this week:( My arms have also been going numb especially at night. My dr said that there is more and more pressure in my wrists on a nerve and that is why this is happening. He assured me this is very normal. During my appt, he asked if I was drinking milk, taking my vitamin and also eating bananas. Negative on the bananas! I need to force myself to eat them to see if it gets better. He also recommended getting arm splints to wear at night and what a difference it makes! I don't wake up numb in the middle of the night anymore. I feel my tummy getting bigger and bigger. It is getting harder to get up, or should I say roll out of bed a bazzilion times during the night. I am still going to the dr every 2 weeks so I go again next week.

The baby room is also coming together! The first picture shows the new shelf I got from IKEA last week, with the turquoise tubs. We are still trying to get everything hung so I will include pictures later when the room is complete. Allie, my lifesaver, came to help put up the circles on the wall. She is wonderful and I am so thankful she has experience with these because I don't have the patience :) I love how they turned out! We put them on the one wall above the crib, as seen in the picture. More pictures to come.......

We have begun Lamaze classes and are in our 3rd week. This is definitely a learning experience for us both. First of all, I have to say our class is fill with a bunch of ladies that think they are the 1st person to ever have a baby and moan around like they are dying. The funny thing is, they are due around the same time as me. Troy said to me last night, "I am so glad you aren't like that and you aren't emotional at all like they say pregnant women are." I had to laugh, I said, "just wait until school starts thats when the emotions will probably start." I thought that was sweet of him to say. Makes me feel better! Last night we learned about the different drugs you can take and the epidural procedure....YIKES! Although, I have to say the needle is much smaller than what people have told me. She also showed how they break the water....that was interesting as well! Next week, we get a tour of the birthing floor. I am pretty excited about this to see exactly where we will be. This class has been very helpful!

This past week I spent the week taking a class in Minneapolis with other Marshalltown teachers. It was a great class and I am so glad I went. We also got some major shopping done in the evenings! We hit up IKEA! I love this store and could spend many hours in there. We also went to Mall of America and Medford Outlet. I found some good buys and it was well worth the trip :) During this week, Troy was also gone on a fishing trip to northern Minnesota. He had a great time and enjoyed the fishing.

I've starting going back to school little by little....I know too early! That's how I feel too but I have so much to do for the beginning of the year and having a sub soon after school begins. I'm hoping I can get a couple weeks in to "train" the kids and get routines in place. This year there is going to be a lot of changes in curriculum and schedules district wide so it will be a learning experience for us all. I need to get organized.

I can't believe July is almost over:( I hope everyone has a great week and weekend!

Week 30

Week 30 already! The past weeks have flown by and I can't believe our little one could possibly make an appearance in 10 weeks or less! As you can see my stomach is growing which is good. We were able to pick up our baby furniture and I already tore into the boxes. The changer and dresser came put together so I was dying to see what it looked like together. Our goal tomorrow is to put the baby bed together. The room is coming together. We've also come up with a boy and girl name that we both love. We won't be sharing those until Baby Moore is born :)

I am now going to dr appointments every 2 weeks so I had an appointment last week. Everything looked good with the baby. The nurse does the same routine everytime.....weigh me, blood pressure, and then listen for the heartbeat. As soon as she put the heartbeat monitor on my stomach the baby kicked it/her! She jumped back because it startled her. It was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing. Baby Moore already has a mind of it's own :) When I met with my doctor, he told me that my hemoglobin level is low and I now take an iron supplement. I can handle that! The baby still continues to suck all my energy and need naps often. Thank goodness it's summer!

This weekend is the 4th of July holiday. We have decided to stay home this whole weekend and I am loving it! This is a busy weekend for Troy at work and he still has to work. Every year since we met, we've been gone for the 4th, so it's been nice to stay home this year. I can't believe how fast this summer is going. I've been busy with taking classes and I have one more in a couple weeks. Then I will be done with those for the summer. I have also been enjoying waterwalking at the pool and spending time outside. Troy has been busy with work and has been preparing for his big fishing trip coming up. We have been keeping busy! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

Weeks 27 and 28

The past 2 weeks have flown by! The first 2 weeks of my summer vacation have been very busy. I am so thankful it is summer as I am starting to get very tired and it's becoming very hard doing things and getting around. I lose my breath easily. I can tell Baby Moore is growing and growing each day and is very active. Sometimes I can watch my stomach and see my shirt pop out. It's very entertaining! I think it's running out of room to move around. Now I start going every 2 weeks for dr appts. Last week I did the glucose test to test for Gestational Diabetes. Well, I didn't pass. You had to be 140 or lower and my number was 147 so I was barely over. So I had to go to the hospital yesterday and do the 4 hr blood test. I couldn't eat 12 hrs prior to the test. I went in at 6 am and had to have my blood drawn right away to make sure my blood sugar was ok to begin. Then I had to drink double of the orange liquid-YUM! Not so much! Then have my blood drawn every hr after that for 3 hrs. By the end I was very shaky. Pregnant woman + fasting don't mix if you ask me! I told the nurse that too, she thought it was hilarious. I found out later that day that I passed. It was a huge relief! I found out that I had to do this blood test before we left for vacation and I wouldn't be able to do it until I returned so I worried about it a lot. I'm so glad it's done!

We were very fortunate to go on a family vacation last week. Troy, mom, Justin, and I went to Lake of the Ozarks. It was wonderful and very relaxing! Just what I needed! We stayed in a beautiful condo right on the lake. It had a pool so I was very content laying out and spending time in the pool. I made one of the best investments....I purchased a noodle to float on! It was so relaxing! Troy and Justin thought it was hilarious that I blended in with all the kids. While I was enjoying the pool, they went golfing at 2 of the golf courses and said they were very nice. At night we enjoyed restaurants on the lake. I loved the atmosphere at those places. It was also very nice to get away from the rain. It rained a couple times, but cleared up within 15 mins. Osage Beach also has a great outlet mall so we took advantage of that a couple days. There was a lot to do there.

One of the days, the Kemerlings came and visited us. They are very good friends of ours that used to live in Conrad. They now live in Missouri so they came to spend the day with us. That night the boys rode go carts...that was comedy! Then we went to Pirates Cove and did some miniature golf. One of the pictures below shows Justin and Troy posed. They both got a hole-in-one and thought they needed a picture taken. Aubrey is also pregnant and due 2 weeks after me. You can see the picture of us and our bellies below:) It was great spending time with them!

Below are some pictures of vacation. Have a great week!

Weeks 25 and 26

We are now officially in week 26. Here is a lovely profile picture from Memorial Day weekend in Pella. My brother lives there now, so we went to see him. Troy's parents and family were camping there so we spent some relaxing time with them as well. The boys went fishing during the day and were very successful! We even had fish for supper one night. It was very delicious. I went along to supervise:) These first two pictures are at the river.

Troy and one of his catches :)

While in Pella, I also was very fortunate to see my friend Kristin get married. She was a beautiful bride! The wedding was wonderful and elegant! Kristin was very fortunate to live next door to Wendy and I for a few years at Central College ;) Here is a picture at the reception with Jill, Kristin, her husband Jason, and Wendy. Us four ladies all went to Central and these are wondeful friends.

This past weekend we had a bunch of Troy's college and high school friends come home and stay with us. Each year, they play in a Memorial Golf Tourney here in Conrad. So we had fun seeing all them and enjoying the Conrad Black Dirt Days Festivities. On Saturday, mom and I went to a few places to scope out registry items. I wanted to compare prices and find a stroller and car seat that I was interested in. There are so many decisions. Talk about a headache by the end of the day! I think I have narrowed it down and now Troy and I get to go register. I think we will go to Target and Babies R Us. It was fun seeing the different designs and options that we can choose from. Hopefully we can register within the next few weeks. After this, my mom and I

went to Adalee, my goddaughter's, tball game in Ankeny. This was so fun to watch! She is quite the ball player! It's amazing what they have already taught them. She's a lefty like me but plays tball with her right hand. I was the same way. She was so proud!

Look what I found Justin! This picture is from Justin's graduation. He's been bugging me to find it so I thought I would just post it, as well. He thought it would be fun to take a picture and ad the caption, "Baby was here!" This is when I was a little bit smaller.

School is finally out for th summer! I am so excited to start my vacation. This summer will be filled with preping for the baby, taking 3 classes, going to the pool, relaxing, and spending time with Troy, family and friends. I can't wait! We have a lot of fun things planned. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!