Kim

Baby, You are Hitting on Some Nerves!

Oh sweet babe, you have definitely hit your stride with your growth!  Welcome to 34 weeks!

We are approximately 6 weeks away from the babe's arrival, which is absolutely insane, and I can definitely tell that this babe is growing like crazy.  Each morning when I wake up, I feel a little bit bigger than the night before.  Also, as a result of this growth spurt, he has started pressing on some nerves in my hips.  For a while it was mostly my right hip, and it would come and go.  Since this past weekend though, it has been my left lower back/hip...and is pretty much constant.  It is not very comfortable when I walk or sleep, but I'm making it.  The right hip still comes and goes too, so if you see me walking really funny, that is why.  I feel like such an old lady!  Some nights I sleep pretty well, but other nights I bet I wake up no less than 10 times.  And not all of those times are to use the loo...most of them are just because something is aching.  It's alright though...as I said before, I've made it pretty far before having to deal with these types of things, so I am still trying hard not to complain too much :)

Here's proof of the growth!
34 weeks!
According to the weekly email, he is about 18 inches long now.  He is squirming all the time and I definitely can tell when he is stretching out.  My entire stomach moves like silly putty.  It is pretty amusing.  I still love feeling him move around.  I honestly don't think I'd mind one bit if he moved all the time.  The countdown is on though.  I go to the doctor next week, and I think I will start going every week after that.  I am definitely getting to the point where I am ready to just meet this little guy!  I know that having him here will be challenging and bring new worries and woes, but I am ready for that next step.  Let's do this, already!  I also am aware that while I say that and fully mean it right now, I am really going to be saying that in another month or so when things are really uncomfortable. What a journey this is!

Christmas has come and gone, and we continue to be blessed beyond measure.  We had a fantastic time with both of our families and received so many sweet and thoughtful gifts.  The babe had a great Christmas, himself.  I think we really do have pretty much everything we need now.  There are a few odds and ends that I am going to get using gift cards we received, but if he came tomorrow, I think we'd be ok.  (That is not an actual invitation to come tomorrow though, sweet babe, regardless of what I might say, I know you need a little more cooking.)

I have no idea what we're going to do for New Years this weekend.  It will be sort of amazing if I actually stay awake until midnight, but I'm certainly going to try.  It is New Years after all!  Also, because of the holiday, I have Monday off of work.  I'm hoping to get some more things done in the nursery.  I am almost done decorating, but there are just a couple of things I need to complete.  Hopefully, I'll do that this weekend.  Not to mention that I need to take down my Christmas decorations this weekend too.  That is always so sad, but it must be done. This year, I am actually ready to take them down...time to start preparing for the next big event...the babe's arrival!

Oh, and one last piece of (not at all) exciting news...the day after Christmas our washing machine decided to die.  Yes, it just quit halfway through the cycle - full of water, of course.  Granted, it was an old machine - we actually inherited it when we bought our house - but it had been doing so well. I am glad it went ahead and did this now though instead of in February.  Matt is off of work this week, so we picked out a new washer and he went and bought it Tuesday.  It was delivered and installed today. 

We're now the proud owners of a washer that is high efficiency/energy efficient.  Supposedly, it will save us LOADS of money on our water and electricity bill...lol.  We'll see.  Regardless, as long as it cleans our clothes, I will be happy.  And of course, we had just bought new laundry detergent, including that fancy baby detergent that costs half an arm and leg, and now we can't use it because we have to use the HE stuff.  Luckily, we have lots of friends who are also having babies right now, so at least I can pass it along and know it will not go to waste.  I'm actually kind of excited to wash a load of laundry tonight, just to see how it does.  It is sort of ridiculous to be excited about laundry, isn't it?  I doubt the feeling will last.

I can't believe that 2011 is almost over.  Matt and I were talking last night about all the excitement that 2012 promises to bring.  2011 has been a great year, but I have a sneaking suspicion that 2012 might just top it!  Here's to the new year!
Kim

Merry Christmas!

It is hard to believe that Christmas is this week!  It has been 60 degrees here for most of December this year and doesn't quite feel like Christmas outside.  Regardless, the holiday is almost here.  Crazy.  This past weekend I was determined to get all of my Christmas shopping done on Saturday.  I was not going to quit until I had everything I needed.  I shopped from 11:30am to almost 5:30pm and let me tell you, I was EXHAUSTED, but I did get it all done.  By Saturday evening I was feeling like maybe I had overdone it just a little bit.  Needless to say, I went to bed early.  It is nice to not have to worry about shopping at all this week though.  Our office is closed Friday, so I am really glad for the short week.  We'll head to my sister's on Saturday for Christmas Eve and be with the Richardsons on Christmas Day, so it should be a great weekend.  We are lucky that we get to see both of our families. 

Oh, here's our Christmas card from this year, now that most everyone should have received their's in the mail...

And the back...

We had to do something to commemorate the coming of the babe (and make sure Fisher got some attention).  I got the idea for the front online...and Photoshop allows you to work a lot of magic with pictures!

Tuesday, I was officially 33 weeks!  I went to the doctor Monday and things are still looking great.  It was one of those appointments where you spend more time waiting on the doctor than you do actually seeing her, but I guess that is a good thing because it means nothing is wrong.  The babe's heartbeat is 144, which is great, and he was still squirming away from the doppler each time they'd find his heartbeat, like he seems to always do.  I have noticed my hands starting to swell just a little bit this week while I am sitting at my desk, but I've found if I increase the amount of water I'm drinking that usually helps.  My blood pressure was still really good, so they said there's nothing to worry about.  It's just part of being 33 weeks pregnant.  The babe should be over 4 pounds now and about the size of a pineapple.  He is still moving around a lot, and I can definitely tell I am getting bigger by the day!  I have had two people at work tell me that I am definitely "looking pregnant" now. Haha.  I'm trying hard to take it all in good stride and stay focused on end goal...a healthy, strong babe, but it is hard sometimes.  And I am thankful that I am just now (at 33 weeks), getting to the point where I feel so pregnant.  It happens much earlier for some.  I really can't complain, so I will try hard not to. 

I've gotten some more work done in the nursery.  I've hung the mobile and put some pictures on the walls (pictures to come a little later).  Also, we did get the bookcase from Matt's house.  It needs a fresh coat of paint, but it really does look great in the room.  Things are starting to come together.  We received an early Christmas present in the mail yesterday - our stroller!  I love it and can't wait to see the babe riding around in it.  It has an infant carseat adapter that we'll use when the babe first gets here, but this picture is just of the stroller.  Matt snapped it as we were taking it out of the box.  His Facebook caption was something along the lines of, "Nesting - a green stroller in the green room."  :)
It's light and easy to maneuver and fold, and it got a lot of great reviews, both online and from friends, so here's hoping that it works as well in reality!

Alright, here's the 33 week picture.  And no, I don't actually wear the same outfit every night, I've just started putting it on for the pictures because I think it makes the growth all the more evident.  Also, did I mention I ate a basketball for breakfast?  :)
P.S. I usually take these pictures on Monday or Tuesday, but I didn't get around to taking this one until Friday...so technically, I am about 33.5 weeks in it!

We are getting so excited to meet this little guy.  Approximately 7 weeks to go!
Kim

32 Weeks!

Oh my.  32 weeks.  Do you realize that means we have only roughly 8 to go?! 

We finally ordered our rocking chair this past weekend.  I've been going back and forth and around and around as to which one I wanted, but I kept coming back to the same one, so I decided it was time to just get it!  It was sort of a wake-up call when they told me that it will probably take 8 weeks to come in, and I realized that that is precisely when the babe is due to arrive!  Time is moving along quickly!  I'm excited about our chair though.  We got something neutral that could fit in the nursery, but also will fit in our den.  Everyone keeps telling me that I am actually going to want it in the den, so at the moment, that is our plan for it.  I figure if we put it there and I find myself wishing it was in the nursery, I'll just move it.  Also, it frees up some space in the nursery, so now I am feeling definite about a bookshelf.  Matt's mom has one in Matt's old room at their house that I'd really like to use if it fits.  I just need to go by and check it out.  Even though I've seen it a thousand times, I've never really paid attention to the size of it.  Hopefully, it will work.

As for the babe himself, he is still growing.  This morning is the first morning I woke up and actually felt really pregnant.  I'm still sleeping ok, but my hips are starting to ache in the middle of the night.  I am trying hard to lay on my left side because that is what they recommend for the best blood-flow for the babe and myself, but naturally, I like laying on my right side...and with the added weight of the babe, I think trying to lay on one side all night is making things a little achey. I did finally put an extra pillow between my legs and that seemed to help, so here's hoping that keeps working.  All-in-all though, I know I can't complain.  I've made it pretty far without any major discomforts. 

The babe is still wiggling around.  I know things are tight in there for him, and most of his movements are still wave-like instead of hard punches, but most of them can been seen from outside my stomach now and they are firm waves, far from the flutters I felt early on.  It is a bit like there is a small alien inside of me :)  I don't mind one bit though.  Even right now as I type this, he is wiggling...my stomach looks lopsided - he must have his behind or legs or something curled up on my left side.  He goes back and forth though. Sometimes he's on the left and sometimes on the right.  Occasionally, he'll be pressed right up against the outside and you can feel something really hard through my stomach. I always assume it is one of his little (big!) feet or maybe his bottom.  Who knows, though?  And a few times I have felt his limbs in my right rib.  He usually moves pretty quickly though.  I guess that isn't too comfortable for him either!  Also, he's started getting the hiccups.  People always talk about that, but I never knew what to expect it to feel like.  I'm pretty certain that is what I'm feeling though because occasionally there are these rhythmic little thumps that go on for a few minutes and then stop.  I'd say he gets the hiccups at least once a day.  It's pretty funny to feel them and to imagine him in there all cozy, hiccuping. 

Being at 32 weeks is a bit of an awkward time because it feels so close - like I need to get everything ready RIGHT NOW.  But also, technically, we're still two months out, so I have time...and need to save some things to keep me occupied during that time.  I don't know.  I'm trying to do a little each night without overdoing it.  But let's be honest, I know myself and I'll probably have most of it done sooner rather than later. That's just the way I work - I start to get extra anxious if I don't have things done a little early.  :)

According to the weekly email, the babe is looking a lot more like an actual baby now, with toenails, fingernails, and hair.  Also, he's started to gain weight and put some meat on those tiny bones.  He should be just under 4 pounds and over 16.7 inches long.  I'm supposedly gaining about a pound a week now and the babe is gaining about half of that, so he's really going to grow, grow, grow in these next two months.  So crazy to think about!

Here are two 32 weeks pictures.  Fisher really wanted to be a part of what I was doing so I had to add the second one.  I thought it was too cute.  So, what do you think?  Definitely bigger, right?

32 weeks!


She always wants to be a part of everything!

Also, Christmas is less than two weeks away.  Can't wait to show your our Christmas card picture, but I'm still waiting on them to come in so I don't want to spoil the surprise just yet!
Kim

Shower the people you love with love...

...and let them shower you, too!  This past weekend was my shower here in town!  December has been a big month around here - very busy with a lot of fun things going on.  My good friends, Emily, Allison, Caroline (who is also my awesome sis-in-law) and Sarah hosted this shower at the Kyle House.  It was another great afternoon of love and friends.  We really are surrounded by so much love, and it amazing to see it all!  The house was beautiful, and the girls definitely spared no details.  We ate delicious food, played some fun games and celebrated the babe.  Henry got a lot more presents, including some pretty amazing handmade gifts that we will certainly cherish.  He also got a lot of things that he needs, and it was so fun to go home and start sorting though it all.  I have some work ahead of me as I figure out where to put everything and how I want to organize his room.  It is amazing how much space such tiny things can take up!  I've got some ideas floating around in my head, and I think I just need to start executing them.  It's about time, right?
With the beautiful table and cake

Sis, Cathy and Barbara enjoying themselves.

Lots of gifts!

They thought of so many sweet details!

Me & Natalie

The spectacular hostesses!

Playing a game.

Opening presents

Having so much fun!

A very sweet handmade blanket
Can't wait to see the babe bouncing in this fun toy!

Almost the whole crew - see, Henry, you are so very blessed already!

All the opened gifts!
Kim

A picture is worth a thousand words...

I finally have some pictures from the shower at my sister's house.  SUCH a fun time!
Awesome diaper cake that Aunt ReRe made!

With Catherine, Elisa and Carolyn!

Playing a game - Carolyn estimated the size of my belly almost exactly!

ReRe and Cous


With Cous and Sis and the pretty table.

Even Maggie and Ashley made it!

So much good food.

Sis, Maddie, Audrey, Mom and Me - Henry, there are going to be a lot of important women in your life!
Kim

You are getting verrrry sleeeeeppppy...

It was a bit crazy today when I opened my weekly email about the babe's development and saw the "weeks to go" number in the single digits.  "9 weeks to go."  Wowzers.  Technically, tomorrow is two months exactly from my official due date of February 7.  Now, I know the liklihood of him coming on that day is slim, but still...pretty crazy stuff.  According to the email, the babe is now over 16 inches long and weighs over 3lbs.  I went to the doctor yesterday and everything looked good.  His heartbeat is great - even though he kept squirming away from the doppler each time she'd find it!  But we got to hear it loud and clear, and it is exactly in the normal range, so that is exactly what we want.  I am still measuring small from the outside, but honestly, I think that is just the way it is going to be.  The doctor wasn't worried because the ultrasound was so good a few weeks ago, but she did say that I'd probably get another ultrasound in a few weeks just to be sure again.  I honestly have no worries about it.  I feel him squirming all the time, his heart rate is great, and in that last ultrasound he was actually measuring a little bigger than normal.  I think I'm just going to measure small.  Chalk it up to my size and all the ballet and pilates in my past. 

This weekend was my first baby shower.  It was at my sister's house and could not have been more perfect!  I don't have many pictures yet because I was too busy enjoying everything to take them with my own camera, but I am hoping to get some from my sister and aunt and will post them when I do.  It was such a fun afternoon though.  Just like with my wedding, my absolute favorite part of these things is having so many people I love, from so many different parts of my life, all together at one time.  It is just so fun and amazing.  And the babe got LOTS of stuff.  It is pretty incredible to think about how loved he already is.  He is one blessed little boy.  Another really neat thing that they did was instead of everyone bringing a card, my sister asked that they bring a children's book instead.  How fun is it that Henry now has his very own beginnings of a sweet library with some very special books, all inscribed with messages from people who love him?!  It is awesome.  I cannot wait to read all of the books to him. It is also amazing to walk by the nursery now and see things in his room besides some empty furniture.  It makes it all the more real that there really is a little person on the way to meet us in just a few short months!

This coming weekend is my shower here in town.  I know it is going to be awesome and overwhelming all over again.  I cannot wait.  I just cannot say enough how blessed we truly are.  One thing I have been feeling these past few weeks is an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and thankfulness for God's faithfulness and all that He has given us.  There are so many things that have fallen into place in this last month and so many people who love us and the little babe so dearly that it is hard for me to even fathom it when I really think about it.  I am getting so excited to meet this little babe and have him here with us.  He has no idea what he is in for, and I can't wait until we get to show him!

On a random/funny note...check out these pictures:

Sorry it's blurry...I had to take it with my phone.

Great get-up, right?
Each year, our church holds a special Christmas service called the Love Feast.  It began as a traditional Moravian service and somewhere along the history of time, the Methodists adapted it.  It is a really pretty service of carols and candlelight and during the service you are served buns and coffee.  This year, Matt and I signed up to help serve.  Part of serving involves wearing the very stylish garb you see here.  I felt like a pregnant pilgrim...haha!  But we had a great time, and all the other servers (there were 12 of us, I think) are dressed the same way.  Don't we look great, though?

Anyways, as for the title of this post...the fatigue has definitely returned.  It is different from the first trimester exhaustion in a way that is hard to explain, but is definitely there.  By 10pm every night I am falling asleep on the couch, and if I don't go to bed by 11pm (so that I get about 8 hours of sleep), I am DEAD the next day.  The day of my shower we got up early to drive to my sister's house and by the time we returned that evening, I seriously felt like I had run a marathon.  I was asleep on the couch by 8:30pm.  It is kind of ridiculous.  But I know I should enjoy my sleep now while I can get it, so I am.  Otherwise, I really feel great. I have noticed that I am starting to get "winded" a little more easily, but it is nothing severe.  And the babe's movements are still comforting and not painful.  He definitely wiggles a lot, but I love it.  Aside from the copious trips to the loo, I haven't had any trouble sleeping yet either.  So again, no complaints.  Let's just hope the next two months are as smooth. 

Here's to 31 weeks!

31 weeks!  9 more to go (approximately...)!

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