Today is "D" Day!

December 30, 2008...our baby's due date! There is still time, but I have a feeling our little one is not coming into the world today.

I have a stubborn baby!

We had our Week 40 pre-natal appt. this morning and since today is our due date my doctor wanted me to have a fetal monitoring test to make sure there are no problems and she can let me go overdue. In the waiting area Baby E was rocking and rolling inside my belly! But of course once I went back and had the belts strapped around my middle, "clicker" in hand for every time I felt movement, it all stopped! There was no kicking, moving, or even hiccuping, the feelings I endure all day long! So the nurse eventually had to "buzz" my belly with a loud noise device which startled the baby to kick once, then nothing for a long time! I told Craig I wasn't surprised, we have a stubborn baby! Anytime I have wanted someone to feel a kick or see a "roll" our little Sprout just will not do it. Craig's response was, "Well we know who he (or she) takes after." I'm assuming he means himself...

We Made It Past Christmas!

Yay! No baby born on Christmas!! That was one of my worries, even as special as it would be to share a birthday with Jesus! Our Christmas was very quiet this year, just Craig and me. On Christmas morning Craig woke me up like a little boy would his parents (such a kid at heart!). He read Luke's account of Jesus' birth to me, we gave great thanks and then opened our gifts to each other.

We did open one gift on Christmas Eve...

a diaper bag that Craig will be proud to carry, a blanket, bottle, pacifier, hat and booties...Our child is destined to be a Cyclone fan!

On Saturday we joyfully celebrated with my sister, her hubby Craig (yes 2 Craigs in the family!) son Will, and my dad. It was great to have some interaction with family! We played games

opened gifts

relaxed

and broke rocking chairs!

What a fun time! My dad and sister kept watch for any signs of contractions...they were hoping for some action while they were here! Unfortunately it didn't happen, but tomorrow (Dec. 30th) is my "due date"...so it's bound to be SOON!

Am I Going to Miss Being Pregnant?

As the end draws near Craig has asked me a few times, "You're going to miss being pregnant aren't you?"

I really haven't been able to give him a good answer, due to the fact that it has been wonderful but there is so much I am looking forward to after the baby is born! It is amazing that in 9 short months I have forgotten what it is like to not-be-pregnant. So I decided I must ponder the past several months, all of the ups and downs, joys and "inconveniences", and list them all so we will never forget!

My Joys of Pregnancy:
1. Watching my belly grow!
2. Laughing with Craig as we watch the "fireworks display" across my middle!
3. Wondering is this a boy or a girl?
4. Imagining what he/she is going to look like
5. Snuggling up behind Craig and seeing his eyebrows raise everytime he feels a kick in his back
6. Feeling all the wonderful movements of life inside me
7. All the kind words, prayers, and well-wishes from friends and even strangers
8. Baby showers!
9. Being able to wear belly-snuggy clothes and not feel self-conscious!
10. All the extra pampering!

There is so much more I could write but who wants to read the ramblings of a first time mom?! I have to be honest and list the not-so-great stuff too - just so I can remind Baby E someday what I went through... :)

Things-I-Am-Not-Going-To-Miss-About-Pregnancy:
1. Nausea, nausea, nausea!
2. Short of breath-ness
3. Sweatpants are the only comfortable pants I can wear!
4. Watching myself gain weight and not being able to do anything about it
5. Feeling the need to go to the bathroom every half hour
6. Not being able to bend over which is very inconvenient when I need to shave my legs!

I must stop there because I could probably find more to complain about, but when carrying a miracle of life is such a BLESSING, how can I complain? So I would say my lists prove that I WILL miss being pregnant, but I CAN'T WAIT to hold our little miracle in my arms and share the joys of parenthood with my dear Craig. (It will be nice to not feel so out of shape again too! :)
Will my next post be baby news...???

Getting Ready...

Setting up the crib was a breeze ~

Craig was able to do it in no time!

Now the dresser was another story...

After about 2 hours it is done - woohoo!

Almost There!

It seems like time couldn't have passed any slower through last spring and summer. I wasn't showing, everyone commented on how "small" I was for the stage of pregnancy I was in, I was very nauseous and tired, and we were in the process of moving! I can't say I really enjoyed being pregnant! Eventually the nausea subsided, I started looking pregnant and we got settled into our new home. More and more I have loved being pregnant! I keep saying that I need to take advantage of all the pampering while it lasts! Massages from my husband, everyone offering to carry things for me and bending over for me, you can't beat that! And I love that no one thinks twice about my second helpings of food! 8-) Time is now flying and the end is drawing near. What a wonderful, and scary, thing! Everyone asks how I am feeling and truly I mostly feel good, besides not being able to breathe, walk, or sleep normally...but feeling my baby move and kick and hiccup inside me is a feeling I cherish and don't take for granted. I am so blessed to be able to experience it all!

Baby Shower #2!

I had my second baby shower on Saturday, November 8th. My good friend Danielle hosted, with help from other connection group gals and my dear friend Kate. It was so fun to celebrate with lots of good friends, including my mom and sister! Once again I was spoiled with many wonderful gifts for Baby E! We played a fun memory/matching game having to do with candy bars...who wouldn't love that?! There was a lot of laughing and good conversation. Most of the pictures were taken with other cameras, but I have a few to post:

Sarah, me, Kate: 3 pregnant friends all due within a month of each other!

One Last Childless Birthday

November 3, 2008 marks my last birthday without children! I spent it doing all the things I love: making cards, baking, shopping and going for a walk! Then Craig came home and spoiled me! He took me to Olive Garden for dinner, which has been one of my many must-haves lately! We shared bites and talked, it was so sweet. Then he did something that is truly a gift to me - he actually went for a walk (which is not his favorite thing to do) ! We went to Jordan Creek and walked around the water, not only once, but twice! It was such a beautiful night. We reminisced about the night we got engaged, 5 years ago to the day, in Kansas City. That was a very special birthday... It is hard to believe that was 5 years ago! I have found that our relationship gets even sweeter with time. I have never loved my husband more! Back to the birthday...We went into Jordan Creek and browsed through our favorite store - Kirkland's. No purchases were made, but it was fun to look around and imagine. We made it to our final destination, the Cheesecake Factory, for dessert! We shared slices of pumpkin and vanilla bean cheesecake. Mmm... Craig drank coffee and I drank iced tea and life could not have been more perfect. We talked about the baby and what our top name picks are (to be revealed on the big day! 8-) It was such a special time, I will never forget it. Then in the car, like a magician pulling a coin out of your ear, Craig mysteriously produces a cd that I have been wanting. No wrapping or gift bag, but such a cute delivery, it didn't matter! The idea was to listen to it on the way home. But first, a stop at Target because my sweet husband had spent an eternity earlier in the day in the Ames Target looking for the apple-corer-peeler-slicer I have been wanting, only to find out they were all sold out. So maybe the Des Moines Super Target had one! No luck, we left empty handed, but of course it's the thought that counts! Then one more surprise when we got home...a very beautiful card waiting for me on my pillow. My husband may not always plan ahead, or wrap gifts, but he is the sweetest, most romantic husband I could ever ask for! A wonderful birthday, a loving husband, a baby on the way... I am so blessed!

My 1st Baby Shower

Saturday, November 1, was my first shower! It was held in Davenport, Craig's hometown. My sister-in-law, Erin, hosted a combined shower for me and our other sister-in-law, Hannah, who is due on Dec. 2. It was a wonderful time! Many of Craig's relatives, including Grandma Faust and Great Aunt Karen, and dear family friends came and "showered" me with blessings! Erin and my mother-in-law made some delicious egg casseroles, muffins, breads and fruit salad. There was also a yummy sheet cake that said "Welcome Little Ones". Our little Sprout ate well that's for sure! 8-) Everyone gave us some "motherly advice" on recipe cards (such as "Drink lots of caffiene and invest in earplugs" - ha!) and we played some fun games. Erin spoiled us! I received so many wonderful gifts, including baby's first diapers! It was fun to show Craig everything later and imagine our baby using and wearing all these things soon...

Already a Personality?!

Okay, so it may all be in my head, but I feel certain my baby (or "little sprout" as I like to call him/her) plays games with me! For example, if I'm sitting and I start to feel lots of movement I will lift up my shirt (in the privacy of our own home of course!) to get a good outside view. As soon as I do that the movement stops and there is nothing to see. I put my shirt back down and immediately I feel moving and squirming, so I lift it up again and sure enough, it stops! Either it's the blast of light exposure or our little sprout already knows how to play "Freeze"! Another cute thing that has been happening is every morning when I wake up my first thought is, the baby must be sleeping... Then as soon as I start talking to Craig I feel kick, kick, kick, as if s/he is saying, "Good, you're up! I'll get up now too!"

Week 30 and Counting...

This is me and baby at Week 30! Time is flying by. I can't believe we are only 10 weeks away from our due date! I am starting to have some aches and pains from the growing belly, but it is all worthwhile being able to experience the joy of pregnancy. Craig is enjoying the back rubs I am giving him 8-)... and the little kicks he gets to feel!

Welcome to our News!

This is our first post as Mom-and-Dad-to-be! We thought it would be a good idea to track our experiences as we wait for our little one. Less than 3 months to go now! It was a long first and second trimesters, but time seems to be flying now, which makes us (more Mom than Dad) a little nervous! Craig commented today that when my "big belly" is gone we can both fit on the couch again 8-), and the beautiful thing is that when that happens, we will have a baby...we can't wait!