39 Weeks

39 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a mini watermelon.

He weighs a bit over 7 pounds and is around 20 inches.  This week he continues to build up a layer of fat to control his body temperature after birth and the outer layers of skin are coming off as new skin forms underneath.

How far along? 39 Weeks

Total weight gain?  29 pounds- how did my weight go down from last week? Weird.
Maternity clothes? Still the same- mixing maternity and non-maternity.

Stretch marks? Still none so far... my mom didn't get any either so here's to hoping the genetics win out!

Sleep? Actually really great.  I'm almost to the point where I'm pretty much getting up to use the bathroom in my sleep.
Best moment this week? Being on spring break, our last date ever before having to find a babysitter for little man, getting my delivery pedicure done with my mom, and meeting Baby O's gorgeous girlfriend, Leyton Grace Carlson.  Now he needs to hurry up and meet both her and his new buddy, Grady Thurman. 
Miss anything? Still nothing but I am getting sad thinking about no more kicks and hiccups from him inside my tummy.  I know that sounds crazy but I love feeling him squirm all the time.
Movement? Hasn't been as active but doctor assured us it's cause he's running out of room.  The movement is also way lower.

Food cravings? No food cravings- just drinking any liquid in sight like a camel. And no Mom, I promise it's not gestational diabetes- passed that test long ago ;)

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? Had one day last week where I was uncomfortable all day and that night we were having some contractions that made Trent start timing them and be on the verge of calling the doctor.  But, they went away after falling asleep for a bit.  I also had a few contractions last night that kept me up from 2-4:30.  FUN day at work after that and being on spring break all last week ;)
Symptoms? Honestly, I feel awesome!!!  I'm sure it has mostly to do with being on spring break last week and doing absolutely nothing but lounge around.  My cankles went away, I wasn't tired, and only minor heartburn.  We'll see how teaching all week makes me feel.

Belly button in or out? Out 99% of the time.

Wedding rings on or off? Off :( Hoping I can put them on soon after his arrival.

Happy or moody? Giddy (one of our vocabulary words of the week haha) to be soooo close to D-Day.

Looking forward to? His birthday of course!  Any day now.... the unknown/suspense is killing me!
Daddy moment?   Seeing Trent's calm and steady demeanor (just like we all predicted) when he was timing contractions completely put me at ease for the real D-Day.  He is going to make such a good labor and delivery coach.  Let's hope I'm not a crazy lady in delivery haha.

Spring break is "ruff" for these two.

Only this diva would refuse to wear pants and want to hold her Belle dog to show how fast her new soccer shoes make her run.  She ran ALL night showing us how fast she was in her new Nikes.  She's definitely got a mind of her own!

The outfit/poses just got better and better!

She got in her workout with Tio.

 Trent planned this date night out for us.  We started our afternoon with some pottery painting.  We picked a fish lantern to do together.

 The colors will be much darker/bolder once it's fired in the kiln in about a week.

 Last date night ever without arranging a babysitter!  Craziness!

 The final product!  Can't wait to use the lantern on our patio this summer!

 After our pottery painting we headed to the hospital to meet Baby O's girlfriend, Leyton Grace Carlson.  Love her!!!!

 Looks just like mama and big sister, Emery.  Precious!!!  Can't wait to hold our baby soon!!!

Dinner was at Oklahoma Joe's.  BBQ=our favorite.  Especially the Pork Z-Man sandwich!

Dessert= Chocolate Premium Pothole for Trent and a pint of Bubble Gum ice cream for me. I'm proud to say I did not eat the entire thing in one sitting!

Our photographer/friend Erin posted all our maternity pics on her blog- LOVE them!!! Click HERE for the link.

Here's to hoping that the next time I blog it will be to announce someone's arrival :) !!!!!!!!!!

Gender Reveal Video

So I realized while charging all my cameras today (for D-Day!!) that I never uploaded the video of our balloon reveal for the gender of Baby O.  Couldn't forget this one...even if it is about 4.5 months late :)

**Also... you can stop watching after the balloons fly out cause we forgot the camera was going and let it continue rolling for 9.5 minutes.  Whoops!

Nursery Reveal

Welcome to Baby O's nursery!  I'm getting bored on spring break since I've been instructed by my doctor and by my husband to do absolutely nothing... so it gave me the perfect time to blog the baby's room. It's been done for a few weeks now... all we need is the little man to move on in!

The view from the hallway as you walk toward his room.

View once you're in the room.  Ignore the black piece of construction paper on the monogram.  We can't give away his first initial just yet.  But the M is for his middle name of Michael- which is just like Trent and Bob's.  Surely no explanation needed on where the O came from ;)

The crib view and Harlee's new spot she has picked out.  This is normally where she'll lie down when we're in the nursery.  Practicing on her watchdog duties before his arrival.

Up close view of the bedding and crib skirt that Lora made for him.  Exactly what I had designed and drawn out- she did perfect!

Standing in between the closet and the bedroom door you face the window.  My mom slaved away an afternoon to make the curtains for him- they were exactly what I wanted!

The wall in between the doors holds the bookcase that Trenton custom built for him.  The last two minor things we still have to do are on this bookcase.  1. Spraypaint the yellow frame (from one of my students) to orange. 2. Find a white drum shade with the top bulb attachment, not the middle like every single freaking store has.  We're going to have to order one online because every place we've looked (Target, Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Hobby Lobby, Home Goods, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and Gordman's) has the bulb attachment down in the middle and we need it on the top.  I would pick the most difficult one ;)  Until then... the burlap that came on it will have to do!

The wall opposite the crib is for the rocker and dresser.  Can't wait to break everything in!

Our craigslist find that Trent repaired, sanded, primed, painted, and polyed to get just perfect.  My contribution to this project- nothing unless you count the drawer liners and organizing everything inside.  Trent did AMAZING.  The picture doesn't even do it justice, you have to see it in person!

And for some of our favorite room details...

 My remake of a sign I fell in love with off of pinterest.

The special cross from his Grandpa Bob and the beginning of his hat collection.  The owl hat I got a few weeks before we found out the gender.  At this point we thought he was a boy and when we were back in Great Bend at the GBHS craft fair, we saw it was the perfect colors to match our boy nursery and had to have it.  His great grandma Geneva was the one that bought it for him :)

 Cheap picture found at Goodwill that we spraypainted white and painted with chalkboard paint.

 The motorcycle diaper cake from my shower that was made by Angie, Ashley, and Lora.  Of course it had to be a motorcycle for Trent :)

My favorite basket nearly full to the brim with stuffed animals already.  They added up quickly!

 His organized closet ready and waiting on him!

38 Weeks

38 Weeks: Baby O is the length of a leek.

He weighs 6.8 pounds and is over 19.5 inches long.  This week he has really plumped up, his organs have fully matured for the real world, and he has a strong grasp to get ready and hold our hands.

How far along? 38 Weeks

Total weight gain?  30 pounds
Maternity clothes? Still the same- mixing maternity and non-maternity

Stretch marks? Still none so far... 14 days to go... cross your fingers for me!

Sleep? Ehhh... I'm up to about 3 potty breaks a night so that definitely interrupts my slumber.  I'd better get used to it!
Best moment this week? 1.  Getting everything completely ready for my maternity sub at school.  I could go into labor tonight and not have to worry about a single thing!  2. Planning out a surprise date night on Saturday with my baby daddy.  3. Feeling what we think were baby farts today in my tummy.  Can they do that?!  I went to have lunch at Trent's work today and after lunch I was sitting in his office talking when I kept feeling these bubbly type sensations on my left side where his butt is.  Trent felt several of them too and we cracked up.  If that's what they were it's no surprise... he IS Trent's son after all ;) 4. I'm super happy that I have spring break this week which means I can get in some much needed rest after reading state assessments!
Miss anything? Nada! Although, I'm sure I'll miss my belly and all his movements once he's here.  But I'd still rather have him here :)
Food cravings? Thirsty as a cactus for any cold liquids.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? A couple Braxton Hicks but nothing major.  We have our weekly appointment tomorrow and I'm hoping we've made some progress so I don't have to go back to work after spring break ;)  Baby O and I have had a talk and I told him that anytime in the next week is fine with me if it's good with him!
Symptoms? I'm pretty sure I've reached maximum capacity for this little man cause I'm basically at that uncomfortable stage where I'm moving a lot slower than I have been.  I've also been having cramping, hip pains (which suck by the way), and my nemesis heartburn.

Belly button in or out? Out 99% of the time.

Wedding rings on or off? Off :( I am quite puffy so there's no way the ring is coming back on yet.

Happy or moody? Tired... but sooo happy!!!!  Let's hope the next 2ish weeks don't lead to any moodiness or meltdowns.

Looking forward to? Seeing him!!!!  I'm getting impatient and just want to meet him already.

Daddy moment?   I had fun planning out a date night just for Trent with his favorite things this last weekend.  He is my favorite person in the whole wide world and I can't wait to see him with our handsome boy!

 Shield your eyes... the cankles made their debut last Tuesday at our doctor's appointment.  When I took my jeans off we were SHOCKED because they weren't like that at all that morning!

 Bentley getting in some last snuggles as the baby of the house.

 2 years ago Trent and I spent a year taking turns planning out a "surprise" date night for the other person once a month.  Some of my favorite dates have been from that year so we brought it back one more time before Baby O arrives.  I planned last weekend and Trent is planning this weekend... if the baby doesn't come before then!

Our first stop was at the indoor Naskart racing track.  But Trent felt guilty racing without me so he requested we go back after the baby is born.  What a guy :)  So we left the go cart track and headed straight to dinner... New York Dawg Pound.  If you haven't been there yet you are missing something in your life.  They have the most amazing gourmet (crazy flavors and mixtures) hotdogs.  I usually get the Yankee Poodle but branched out and got the Cheezy Cheeto hotdog this time while Trent went with the Butkus.

 Stop #3 was to pickup Cheesecake Factory for dessert to take home and enjoy with a movie.  We both have a weakness for their cheesecake.  It seriously doesn't get better than that!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Patty's wasn't nearly the same this year since I couldn't enjoy our usual green beers.  Instead we celebrated the fun holiday with green pancakes. Baby O definitely enjoyed them!

37 Weeks

37 Weeks: Baby O is the length of a stalk of Swiss chard.

He weighs 6 1/3 pounds and is a bit over 19 inches head to heel. This week he must just be hanging out and packing on an ounce per day until D-day because my baby app didn't say anything new about his development.

How far along? 37 Week- Full Term!

Total weight gain?  28 pounds
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes. I'm proud to say I lasted the whole pregnancy with only having to buy maternity clothes in: 3 pairs of jeans, 2 dress pants, 1 pencil skirt, 4 tanktops, 3 solid burnout tees, and 2 dressier tops.  Everything else I already owned and mixed and matched with cardigans, leggings, dresses, and scarves I already owned.  Trent should be grateful ;)

Stretch marks? Still none so far...

Sleep? I wake up an average of 5-10 times a night having to lift my belly and tuck my body pillow underneath to get comfy.
Best moment this week? Our doctor's appointment last week for sure.  It was our first pre-delivery exam and I was excited to hear if we had made any gains toward delivery .  Our doc told us that we were 1 cm dilated, 20% effaced, and he's basically as low as he can possibly go before delivery begins.  I could literally tell the day he dropped (Tuesday, March 5)- one day I just woke up and I could breathe again and felt like I really needed to use the bathroom every time I walked.  Needless to say, I've been trying really hard to not walk around my room and teach as much... but to a teacher who only sits at her desk at lunch and before/after school... it's been a bit of a challenge.  Thank heavens for my fabulous para who has started making me sit and is doing the walking around for me.  The other new highlight was seeing him breathing through my tummy.  I had my shirt up while we were watching him move around one night and we could see my tummy going up and down with his fast little breaths.  What a fast little breather he is!
Miss anything? Clear skin- I'm starting to break out again.  What the crap?!
Food cravings? All about sweets lately- but that's pretty normal for me on a usual basis anyway :)

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? A couple Braxton Hicks one night last week but it was just that one night.  We're ready though- nothing left on the to do list and the contraction app is downloaded to both of our phones for when the real action starts to happen!
Symptoms? I don't feel like I'm waddling... but I'm definitely moving slower.  Still have heartburn, back pain, and random hip pains every now and then. 

Belly button in or out? Out 95% of the time.

Wedding rings on or off? Off :( I have a cute ring with our initials that Trent got me off of Etsy that I'm wearing as my stand in right now.

Happy or moody? Ecstatic... I'm soooo ready to meet him!  I'm really not even nervous yet because I just want to see/hold him so bad.  Trying not to think of what I have to do in order for that to happen... I'm choosing to remain oblivious to the fun that awaits ;) 

Looking forward to? Meeting him in T minus 21 days-ish.  Also that I only have 8 more days at work (spring break next week!!)... if he goes exactly on his due date.  I'll be working right up until the last possible day I can to make sure my kids are good and ready for those lovely state assessments!

Daddy moment?   Trent's ready!  He got all of his last to do things done as well... now we can sit back and relax just the two of us for the last time ever!  Bring on the last of our pre-baby date nights!

Headed to work on one of the last days before he dropped.

 

There's the outtie!

 I've been taking a few naps here and there on the couch while waiting for Trent to get home.  Luckily I have some snuggle bugs willing to cuddle up with me.

If only he knew what's coming... this dog has been my baby and he knows it.

One more cause he's so ridiculous.

Where I spent my whole Saturday preparing things for my maternity sub.  Blah... I need to get over my OCD/control issues and just give in to the realization that someone else will be taking control of my classroom for the next 2 months and things will be just fine without me.

The best part of our weekend was our slumber party with JFe!  The last one just the diva, Tio, and Tia.  We celebrated with pizza and Madagascar 3.  She got in lots of practice with her babydolls for the arrival of her baby cousin!

She made sure Tio was in one too.

And then this pose happened.  5 seconds before, we had asked what she was doing and her response... "Pickin' a wedge."  LOL... that girl is the funniest person I know.

I know I'm crazy but I had to document the first time we could take advantage of this parking while we were running errands on Sunday.  VIP.

36 Weeks

36 Weeks: Baby O is the weight of a crenshaw melon. 

He weighs almost 6 pounds and is putting on the weight at about an ounce per day.  He is more than 18.5 inches long. This week Baby O is shedding most of the downy hair and the waxy vernix that covered his body.  He swallows these substances for his first bowel movements- nasty.

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain?  28 pounds
Maternity clothes? Mix of maternity and normal clothes.  Happy that all of my dresses and leggings still fit so I can be comfy at work!

Stretch marks? None so far...

Sleep? Not so bad this last week but I did wake up a few nights with some hip pain.
Best moment this week? Definitely not our birthing class- didn't really walk away with a whole lot of knowledge that will come useful on D-day.  And biggest complaint- worst metal chairs EVER to make pregnant women sit in from 8:30-5.  What were they thinking?!?. We did enjoy the birthing center tour though.  Luckily, our maternity pictures yesterday more than made up for it.  We LOVED our session with our friend Erin!!
Miss anything? The Ruscos are about to arrive here in a bit to have a drink on their way through town.  Guess I'll enjoy some grape koolaid while they enjoy their beverages.
Food cravings? Just as thirsty as a camel- no matter what it is I gulp it down without breathing.  Trent has really been making fun of me for this.

Anything making you queasy/sick? Nada

Gender? Little man :)
Labor Signs? None and that's how I like it!  I want to hold out till his April 1st due date or after.
Symptoms? Same as last week- being slow, heartburn, back pain, getting hot, puffy feet and face, super thirsty, hip pain.  But I'm not complaining because none of it is really all that bad- it comes and goes. 

Belly button in or out? Out 90% of the time.
Wedding rings on or off? As of yesterday I officially took them off for the remainder of the pregnancy.  Erin wanted to use them for a shot at the maternity pictures and I was worried it wasn't going to happen... once we got them off they stayed off :(
Happy or moody? I had a hard day at work last week after enjoying my 4 snow days... but other than that I've been SO happy finishing up all the final things to get ready for the little man's arrival! 
Looking forward to? Here's to hoping that our infant care class makes up for the birthing class this week!  I'm also excited for our last sleepover ever with just J-Fe this weekend.  It'll be her and "her" baby from here on out.  CRAZY.
Daddy moment?   Trent is such a good sport with me and our pictures.  He knows how important pictures are to me and actually enjoys participating in it to document this milestone in our life, I know not every husband would be up for this so I'm super thankful for that!  He has also been a huge help in finishing the nursery organization, house projects, etc.  We bought the last of the baby stuff this weekend from Babies-R-Us and only have 3 things left on the baby to do list: install car seat, install the Angelcare monitor system, and hook up the video monitor to the crib somehow with zip ties.  Then it's just waiting for our little mister while enjoying a few more date nights with just the 2 of us :)

 Our friend, Erin, is an awesome photographer out of Wichita (Erin Kata Photography) and eagerly agreed to do our maternity session for us.  We were so excited to see her work because she is so talented and would be a ton of fun to work with.  Our maternity session was everything we wanted and more!  We're pretty lucky to have such a good friend/photographer to call on :)  She posted this teaser yesterday on facebook and I feel in LOVE with it.  Love both of our hands on the baby belly!

On pinterest I saw a pin where a couple went back and took maternity pictures at the same spot where they took their wedding pictures.  I fell in love with the idea since we were meeting up with Erin in Emporia.  I knew that meant we could head back to our favorite spot at Peter Pan Park to do our pictures and luckily Erin was on board as well.  She then asked for a digital copy of our original wedding picture that was the inspiration behind the maternity picture.  Hands down this is my favorite so far- especially with the saying she put with them.  My how things have changed in five very short years!

Erin pointed out how cool it is that we were in the same spot with completely different seasons shown in the picture.  Couldn't be more true!

Seems only fitting that we got engaged in the snow and we'd be taking baby pictures in the snow.

 

Driving all over town we tried to find the best spot so Erin could get this silhouette shot.  Perfect way to end our fun session with her.  Thanks again Erin... we can't wait to see the rest!