It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

I LOVE the holiday season! I love Thanksgiving... getting together with family, remembering to be thankful for all of the blessings that we have, and eating until we are stuffed! And boy do I love Christmas! I love Christmas songs, Christmas decorations, Christmas service at church, Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, I could go on and on! Anyway, needless to say I am even more excited about the holidays this year because we have our little baby to share it with!

We are going to visit MrKLB's family in North Carolina for Thanksgiving. This will be our first trip with Brady (and the dogs!) so it will be interesting to see how that goes. I'm sure we'll pack our car full of way too much stuff and still find that we've forgotten something essential. Luckily they have stores in North Carolina, so I'm sure we can get whatever we forget! We'll be staying in Atlanta for Christmas and New Year's and MrKLB and I will both be taking a full week off work so that will be fun!

Since I haven't posted in a while I'll give a quick update...

Brady is now 4.5 months old. He weighed almost 17 pounds at his 4 month pediatrician visit and is 25 1/4 inches long. He is definitely a growing boy! So far he hasn't brought home any illnesses from daycare and we're hoping that continues all the way through this cold and flu season - though we know it's more likely that he'll end up with something at some point. MrKLB and I both actually got very sick last week with a stomach virus and somehow miraculously Brady didn't get sick. We were so proud of the little guy and so happy that he stayed healthy! Let's see... what else? Well, he is rolling over all the time now. He's very good at back to belly but sometimes forgets that he knows how to roll from belly to back. The past two mornings when MrKLB has gone in to wake him up he has been asleep on his stomach. I'm glad that he just goes back to sleep when he rolls over, though, rather than waking us all up screaming!

Brady can't sit up on his own yet, but he is getting very good at holding himself up when we hold him in our arms or when he's in his Bumbo seat, etc. He also started rice cereal recently. That seems to be hit or miss as to whether he is interested. The first day we tried it he really seemed to like it. There have been other days where he wants nothing to do with it and some days he likes it again. So, we'll just keep offering it every couple of days and may move to oatmeal cereal once we get through this box of rice cereal.

Brady laughs and smiles and "talks" to us all the time now. He loves when we sing to him (and I do love to sing even if I'm not very good at it) and he loves when we read to him. He is starting to really see things a lot better now and we catch him staring out the window of the car or staring up at the sky when we're outside or really looking at the dogs now. He is also great a grabbing onto things. He is very good at reaching out and grabbing toys... and I have to watch out if my hair is down or I'm wearing jewelry because he's got quite the grip!

We had some photos taken this weekend and while I haven't seen all of them yet, we did get a sneak peek and they are amazing! Here are two that I just love:

 

Well, that's the quick update.  If anyone who reads this blog doesn't have the URL for Brady's Blog then just let me know and I'll send it to you.  That's where I post the more frequent updates and photos so that family and friends can keep up with what's going on.  Happy Holidays!!

Getting into a good routine

Well, since I've been busy updating Brady's blog I've been a slacker updating mine. So, here's an update...

Today is the beginning of my third full week back at work and we're finally getting into a good routine. I am working from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays and so far that has been nice because it makes our morning routine a little easier those days because I don't have to worry about getting myself ready at the same time that we're trying to get MrKLB and Brady ready. Basically, we wake Brady up at 6am (he would sleep until 8 if we let him!) and MrKLB changes his diaper. I feed him while MrKLB takes a shower and gets dressed. Then we get Brady dressed for school, feed the dogs, and MrKLB and I eat breakfast. We try to get Brady and MrKLB out the door by 7:15am. If I have to go into the office, I then finish getting ready and leave. We make our lunches and get Brady's bottles ready the night before so that we don't have to deal with that in the mornings. I pick Brady up in the afternoons, and the time varies depending on what I have going on at work. Some days I can get him around 3:30-4pm. Other days it's around 5:30-6pm.

So far Brady is still exclusively on breast milk and I am really proud of that. When I first got pregnant I wasn't really that excited about breastfeeding, but after doing some research and talking to friends I decided to give it a try. 2 weeks was my first goal - check! Then 3 months - check! Now it 's 6 months. Anyway, in order to meet my 6 month goal I have to pump while I'm at work. It's not really as bad as I thought it would be. So far things are going pretty well and I'm able to keep up with the little guy. So, on to my 6 month goal...

Brady is truly the delight of our lives. I love everything about him. I love his beautiful blue eyes and his chubby cheeks and his chunky legs, and his tiny hands and his belly button. I even love his bald spot on the side of his head from where he sleeps on it! Okay, so really I wish he didn't have that, but I love it anyway. I love watching him sleep and watching him play and I even think he is adorable when he cries. Nothing is more precious, though, than when he looks up at me and smiles. Heart=melting! Everyone at his preschool loves him, too. They constantly tell me what an easy-going baby he is and are amazed that he laughs and smiles so much and that he eats so well there and sleeps all the time, too! We are truly blessed in so many ways to have such a wonderful baby.

Brady is really close to rolling over. He can almost roll from back to belly, but he gets stuck on his shoulder on the side he is rolling towards, so I don't think we can officially say he is rolling over just yet. I don't think it will be long before he does that. He's getting a lot better at sitting up, too. He obviously still needs some support but he's not nearly as slouchy as he used to be!

Let's see... what else? I'm in search of a halloween costume for Brady. MrKLB and I can't decide what we want him to be. I ordered a fireman costume that was adorable, but it was WAY too big and they didn't have it in a smaller size. So now I'm toying with some other ideas. Also, I made an appointment for Brady to see Santa!! He will meet Santa for the first time at Phipps Plaza. I love this Santa because you can make appointments and not have to wait in long lines. Also, this is one of the best looking Santa's that I've ever seen so I know the pics will be adorable! I'm so excited for Brady's first Christmas! MrKLB LOVES Christmas and so do I, so we know it will be even that much more fun to experience it with our son.

Well, that's all I have time for now. Here are a few pictures before I go:

We made it

Well, Brady's first day of preschool was yesterday and we made it through it! Whew. We woke him up early so that I could feed him and we could get him dressed and ready to go when MrKLB needed to leave for work. He was not very happy to be woken up from a nice deep sleep, but he did manage to eat and we got him out the door on time! When we put him in the car I kissed him goodbye and it was only then that I started to cry. I didn't think I would, but I did. MrKLB gave me a big hug and then they drove away. I did cry for a few minutes, but then I decided to reward myself for the 12 weeks of hard work with a nice little nap before I started actually doing my work. It was nice to have a nap where I wasn't worried about whether Brady would wake up or need me.

Anyway, work went okay. I'm easing back into it. I missed Brady a lot so I gave the school a call around noon to see how he was doing and if he had been eating and napping. I was so glad that I called because they said he was doing great and it made me feel a lot better. He had taken his entire bottle at 9am and was eating again when I called. He had even had a couple of small naps. So, I did manage to relax a bit. Later I got an email from the director with some photos that they had taken of Brady. It was really nice of them and brightened my day. I went to pick him up around 4pm and he was hanging out in the bouncy chair looking at the other babies. Everyone kept saying what a happy baby he is and that he was so alert and listened during story time. I could tell he was tired, though, and he ended up sleeping the whole way home.

All in all, the day went pretty well. I missed him terribly and am not ready to start working again, but I'm happy to know that he is doing well at school. Hopefully this will keep up. We'll have a full week next week and I'll be back in the office 3 days, so that will be the true test of how our new schedule is going to work.

I uploaded most of the photos from yesterday to Brady's blog, but since this is really my blog I'll add a couple of Brady and me:

I'm a working Mom

I'd like to think this would be an eloquently written blog entry that details all of the complicated emotions that a mother feels when sending her first and only child to daycare and returning to work after maternity leave. I doubt I have the writing skills to put all of these emotions into words, though. (I am a techie, after all.) I'll write a few notes down here anyway, though, just so I can look back some time in the future and revisit this momentous occasion in my life.

Tomorrow my baby boy will be 12 weeks old. This means that I will officially return to work and he will start preschool. It simultaneously feels like just yesterday that MrKLB was driving me to the hospital so that we could meet our baby and like it has been so much longer than 12 weeks since he changed our lives forever. I've been told that with babies the minutes seem to last hours but the years seem like fleeting seconds. This is already proving to be true.

We visited Brady's preschool on Monday and got to meet his teachers again and see the other babies that will be in his room. I left there feeling 100% confident that we have made the right choice about who will be caring for our precious boy while we are working. Everyone there just doted over Brady and I know he will soon be a favorite. He is really such a good baby. Hopefully he'll be good for them. Hopefully we'll continue to see a happy baby who eats well, sleeps well, and smiles and giggles for us a lot! This is one of my fears... that somehow going to preschool and not being with me all day will change him in some way. In reality, I don't really think this will happen. But the thought does still cross my mind.

I'm excited for Brady to be around other babies. I'm excited that they will start to do sign language with him soon and that they'll involve him in little art projects (that truly are just for the parents!). I'm excited that he'll be exposed to new stories and songs and toys. I actually think preschool will be good for him.

That being said, I'm going to miss the little guy. I'm going to miss reading him stories in the morning (he's so happy and giggly in the morning) and taking him to lunch to meet Daddy and sometimes napping with him on the bed or the couch (yes, I do that!). I'm going to wonder if my time would be better spent taking care of my child rather than working. In the end, though, I know that I need the intellectual stimulation of my job. And I enjoy the nice paycheck. I have never planned to be a stay-at-home mom. I know that I can be an awesome working mom. And I will be. I will cherish the time I do spend with him that much more.

So, tomorrow starts the next phase in my adventures in mommy hood. I hope that Brady has a great time at preschool! I hope that I remember what it is that I do at work...

A pic before I go...

I am shredded!!

Yep, I'm shredded! I finished the 30 Day Shred on Friday. I did the workout every day for 30 days! Actually, it's kinda funny because I lost count and thought Day 30 was going to be on Saturday and it wasn't until Saturday afternoon that I realized when I had started and that the night before I had already completed Day 30! What a nice surprise! Too bad I didn't realize at the time, though, so I could have celebrated my completion! Anyway, I went for a run Saturday morning but I did not do the shred workout Saturday... it was the first day in 30 days that I've had a break from that!

Overall, I am very pleased with the results I got from doing the 30 day shred. My arms and legs specifically feel really toned. MrKLB thinks they look better than before I got pregnant! My stomach is starting to look pretty toned again, too. I do still have a little work to do in that area, but I don't blame the shred for that... I blame the fact that I've had a huge sweet tooth for the past couple of months! Anyway, I decided that after the weekend I was going to start cutting out some sweets and not have dessert EVERY NIGHT! That will probably do the trick! :)

I was planning to post some pics of me but I have not had a chance to take any because I spend all of my time trying to get good pics of Brady. So, I'll post one of my favorite pics of him here instead. He is 2 months old today!!

20 days down

Well, today marks day 20 of my 30 day shred and I'm happy to report that I've done the workout EVERY SINGLE DAY for the pas 20 days! I can't believe it! Honestly, I thought I'd miss a day or so here and there, but I've been really good at sticking to it. Some nights I've even had to do it really late after Brady goes to bed, but I've done it! MrKLB has even done Level 3 with me a couple of times. He agrees that it pretty much kicks your butt.

Other than working out, I've just been hanging out with Brady. The life of a stay-at-home-mom is hard... your days go by fast and you look back and think "what did I do today?" I still have no idea what I do all day, but I can assure you I'm not just sitting around on the couch eating bon-bons. :)

Brady is doing great! I think each week brings something new to his personality and it's so much fun to watch him grow. He's starting to react to our faces and we're pretty sure he has even smiled back at us a couple of times. I can't wait until he starts to become more expressive and babbling, etc! I'm trying to take lots of photos of him, but it's hard because he doesn't keep any single expression on his face for more than a second so you never know what you'll get when the camera finally clicks! I'll have to update this blog with some more pictures soon.

Half way through 30 day shred + 6 Week Post-Partum Checkup

Today was Day 15 of my 30 Day Shred and also marks 6 weeks post-partum!

I had my OB appointment today and she said that everything is "back to normal" - LOL! So, I'm cleared to resume all normal activities. Very exciting! I took Brady with me to my appointment and he was such a good boy - he slept the entire time! I was so relieved. He did try to wake up a couple of times but I was able to rock him back to sleep and wait to nurse him until I got home. Thanks for being such a good baby, little man!

I'm half way through my 30 day shred and have 5lbs left to lose to get back to pre-baby weight! I've been really happy with the shred so far. I think I'll try to move up to Level 3 tomorrow. My knees are sore, though, and my upper body definitely is feeling it... so it's getting a little harder to keep this up every single day. I've thought about skipping a day a couple of times, but decided that if I do it once it will be that much easier to skip more days and I really want to stick to this... so no cheating!

MrKLB and I are going out to dinner tonight and I'm very excited. We've been good this week and haven't eaten out a single meal since Saturday, so we're treating ourselves tonight. Not sure where we will go... hopefully it will be yummy, though!

Oh, and my friend Carrie had her baby today! Welcome Hayden William to the world! I can't wait to meet you!

Photos

Okay, a few quick photos to share before Brady wakes up from his nap...

My college roommate and her husband came to visit us last week. It was so awesome having them here! They cooked us dinner and made 3 meals for us to freeze! They have a little boy who is 2 years old, so of course, they were great with Brady. This is a picture of Alison with Brady:



And Michael with Brady:


Here is a pot pie that they made for us to eat... how cute that it has our initials on it! Oh, and it was delicious!


And here is a picture of Brady and MrKLB that I just had to share. I found them on the couch like this... how funny that even their arms are in the same position! Like father, like son...



And one last picture of Brady... this is one of my favorites...

30 Day Shred - Days 9-11

Still shredding... I did level 2 on days 9-11 and today will be Day 12. I actually really like level 2 - maybe more than level 1. I'm not sure how many days I'll do level 2 before moving up to 3, but I'm definitely going to wait until after my 6 week post-partum checkup which is this Thursday. I've been trying to keep the workouts as low impact as possible until I get the official clear from my OB, but I think everything is fine. I'll probably start level 3 some time next weekend, though. I'm proud of myself for doing this 11 days straight so far... it's hard to even get in a 20 minute workout with a newborn, but it's important to me so I'm making it work. I can definitely tell that my arms look toned and lean because of this workout. My abs feel good, too, but of course still have a lot of work to be done after pregnancy and childbirth. Still, I'm sticking with it and going to do the full 30 days to see how I feel and look after that.

Not too much is new other than that. Brady is growing fast but the days are still pretty much the same... eating (a lot), sleeping (some), crying (depends on the day), and looking around. We've been doing story time with him and tummy time, too. He likes those some days and others he does not. He does really like his bath time, now, though. Once we started putting him in the infant tub rather than sponge bathing him he totally loves it! It's so cute. MrKLB and I bathe him together every night before his last feeding and it's just a great time with him because he looks so happy. He is rewarding us by sleeping for very long stretches at night. The past few nights he has been in bed by 11 and not woken up until 5 or 5:30! Awesome.

I think I have some photos I need to upload so hopefully I'll get to that soon!

jennifer

30 Day Shred - Days 5-8

Okay, I'm still shredding! I did Level 1 again on days 5-7 and moved up to Level 2 today for Day 8! Day 5 was really tough because my muscles were starting to get sore from the previous days. Days 6 and 7 went better, though. I started to get a little bored yesterday after having done the same workout 7 days in a row, so I decided to try Level 2 today. I was a little worried about how hard it would be, but it really wasn't that bad. There are some tough moves in there, but she always shows a modification you can do if it's too hard, so that helps. My knees were actually starting to hurt a little after 7 days of Level 1 and surprisingly Level 2 was a little easier on the knees. Level 2 focuses more on static lunges and squats while you're doing arms so while it is tougher on the muscles it is easier on the knees... at least for me. Anyway, I used 5lb weights for the first two circuits and then the 1lb weights for circuit 3. Oh, and as of this morning, after 7 days of shredding I am actually down to 6.5 pounds that I want to lose compared to the 8lbs when I started. So, yay!

It has been a fun week. Brady had his 1 month pediatrician visit on Tuesday and everything looks great! He weighed 9lbs 11oz (44th percentile), was 22 1/4 inches long (65th percentile), and his head was 38.8cm (57th percentile). Brady will go back to get his first round of vaccinations in another month. On Tuesday and Wednesday, my college roommate and her husband came to visit. They cooked us diner on Tuesday night and made extra that we could freeze. Then we met MrKLB for lunch on Wednesday and Alison made us 2 pot pies that we could freeze for later. They are awesome! It was so fun to see them and for them to meet Brady! Tonight MrKLB's best man from our wedding is coming to visit to see Brady, too, and we're going to cook out.

That's about all the time I have for an update now. Brady is doing great and I'm enjoying my time at home with him! I'll try to post more pictures soon.

30 day shred - Days 3+4

Okay, so I am still doing the shred and did days 3 and 4 this weekend. Day 3 was really tough... especially all of the pushups. My arms were starting to get sore from Days 1 and 2, so it was tough. Day 4 wasn't quite as bad, though, so maybe I'm starting to build some muscles! I am still doing Level 1 and using the 5lb weights, but I did use the 1lb weights on Day 4 for one move... I think it's called lateral raises? I felt that my form wasn't very good using the 5lb weights for that one move so I am moving back down for that one and keeping the 5lbs for all others.

I'll be doing the shred again later today so we'll see how it goes!

Oh, and Brady turned 1 month old yesterday and we took a picture of him with Mickey Mouse that MrKLB and I bought at Disney world when we went last Christmas. We'll be taking the same picture every month for his first year to watch him grow!



In other news, my friend Alison is coming to visit for the next couple of days so Brady and I will have some company while MrKLB is at work! I'm so excited to see her and for her to meet Brady!

30 day shred - Day 2

I did Level 1 again today but used the 5lb dumbbells instead of the 1 lb ones. That made it a lot harder, yikes! Anyway, the workout felt good again today. I did modify it slightly because my friend scared me about doing anything high impact until I go in for my 6 week post-partum checkup. There aren't really a lot of high impact moves in Level 1, but I did modify the jumping jacks some so that I felt a little better about it. Anyway, definitely a few more days of Level 1 with the 5lb weights ahead!

30 Day Shred - Day 1

Brady is 4 weeks old today and so far I've been pleasantly surprised at how much of my pregnancy weight I've lost and with how my body is looking in general. I still have a few pounds to lose (8, to be exact) and some toning of the stomach, but I can wear my pre-pregnancy jeans, shorts, and pants again so that is exciting! Anyway, since it's hard to get to the gym right now I told MrKLB that I wanted to try the 30 Day Shred (with Jillian from The Biggest Loser) to get toned, so he bought it for me. :)

There are 3 workouts - levels 1, 2, and 3. You're supposed to do one workout every day for 30 days, moving up through the levels as you feel you can handle it. Today was Day 1 of my 30 days and I did level 1 with 1 pound weights. It's great because the workout only lasts 20 minutes, but it is intense. I'll probably move up to my 5lb dumbbells after day 2 and hopefully move up to the level 2 workout after 5 days or so. Anyway, day 1 felt great and I'm looking forward to doing it again tomorrow!

In other news, yesterday was my 3rd wedding anniversary! We had a great day and took Brady with us last night to go out for pizza. We're having our traditional anniversary dinner (at our favorite steak place!) Friday night while my brother and sister-in-law babysit Brady. I'm so excited to go out!

Brady is doing great and has his 1 month pediatrician visit on Tuesday. I think we'll find that he is close to 9 pounds by then! He's still eating a ton so he should be growing! Oh, and he slept from 11:15 until 5:15 last night without waking so that was a great anniversary present for MrKLB and me. :)

Week 2 at home alone with Brady

This is my second week at home alone with Brady and things are going pretty well. Last week wasn't as hard as I had expected, though we did have our moments. Monday and Tuesday were pretty easy and we even met MrKLB for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen one day. Wednesday, however, was pretty rough because Brady decided he wanted to eat ALL DAY LONG! He was insatiable. That was pretty rough on me because I never had a chance to put him down to do anything for myself or nap or pay attention to the dogs. We got past that, though, and the rest of the week went pretty well. Brady has been sleeping pretty good at night (knock on wood!). He typically only wakes up once to eat, which is nice. Every now and then he'll have an off night and wake up more than once, but given how young he is still, that's pretty understandable.

MrKLB and I went shopping on Saturday and took Brady with us. He was such a great baby and slept the entire time! We had a lot of fun! Of course, we paid for it that night and the next day because he didn't sleep very well. So, you win some, you lose some.

MrKLB likes his new job so that is exciting. He misses being at home with Brady, but truly I think he enjoys the break from the feeding, changing, crying of it all. :)

So, this week is going well and the little man is still eating well and growing. He's somewhere between 8.5 and 9 pounds now. He goes back to the pediatrician next Tuesday so we'll get an accurate measurement then.

Brady's 2 Week Pediatrician Appointment

Brady had his 2 week appointment with the pediatrician on Friday and he now weighs 8lbs 4oz. So, he has surpassed his birth weight by 4oz, which is great news! They wanted him to regain his birth weight by 2 weeks, so he is an over achiever! After the pediatrician MrKLB and I went to eat Mexican food and Brady slept the entire time. So, that was nice.

MrKLB starts work on Monday so we're enjoying a nice weekend at home with Brady. Next week will be a big change so we'll see how that goes. Hopefully we'll get some good nights of sleep so that MrKLB isn't a zombie when he goes into the office!

That's all of the update I have today. I will post some new pics of Brady soon.

Brady's second week

Brady will be 2 weeks old on Thursday! Wow... time is already flying! MrKLB and I have been enjoying our time at home with the little guy. We're getting into a good routine with feedings and we've even made it out of the house a couple of times! MrKLB's parents watched Brady last Tuesday night while we went out to dinner and my mother watched him on Saturday while we went to lunch. It's good to get out if even for just a couple of hours between feedings! We also took Brady with us on Friday when we went to eat at Jason's Deli. It was about 2pm so there weren't many people in there at all and he just slept the whole time. Perfect!

Speaking of sleeping, I've been taking some pictures of Brady while he sleeps... he's so adorable. Here are a couple of pics:

Here is Brady in his bouncy chair:


And here is Brady in his co-sleeper:


We've also made it out on a few walks. On Monday we took Brady for a walk down by the river with the dogs. Here is Mommy and Brady:


And here is Mommy, Brady, and the dogs:


Brady goes back to the pediatrician on Friday. We're hoping he's back up over 8lbs by then. He was already back up to 8lbs 12oz when we took him last Monday... which was 5oz more than when he left the hospital!

My birth story

This will probably be long, but for those who are interested, here is my birth story...

I was working from home on Wednesday (7/1) and started having what I thought were contractions around 9am. They weren't very strong and were very far apart so I wasn't really sure if they were real contractions or not. They felt like cramps, though, which is how my mother described her contractions. I was trying not to get too excited because I thought it might be false labor, but started writing down when I had them anyway.

I knew that walking was supposed to help labor progress, so I took the dogs for a walk at noon. Yes, it was about 96 degrees that day... not sure if walking 2 labs in 96 degree heat while having contractions was a good idea or not, but oh well. The contractions were still about 20 minutes apart at this time.

I had been planning to get a pedicure before my birthday (which would be Friday) and I decided that if I really was in labor this might be my last chance. So, I went to get a pedicure around 2pm. At this point the contractions were still around 8-10 minutes apart, lasting for about 30 seconds and not very strong (still mostly like cramping with some pains that would run through my back, too).

Around 4pm the contractions were getting stronger and I decided I was actually in labor. I went to take a shower since I would most likely be going to the hospital at some point that day. While in the shower I'm pretty sure I lost my mucus plug, but my water did not break. So, I got out of the shower and called my OB's office at 4:30. I told them that my contractions were still around 6-8 minutes apart, lasting about 40 seconds, and getting stronger. The nurse said that losing my mucus plug was not necessarily an indicator one way or the other that I'd be going into labor soon. She said to make sure I was really well hydrated because if/when I go to the hospital they'll give me an IV and it could make the contractions stop if they are due to dehydration. She said to wait until the contractions were 5 minutes apart and lasting for about a minute (or until my water breaks) and then call the OB on call.

I had been talking to DH on at off all day to let him know what was going on, but kept telling him there was no need to come home from work yet. This was his last week at his current job and I knew he needed to finish some things up. At this point, though, I called and told him to mentally prepare himself because there was a good chance we were going to the hospital that night. He asked if he could go to the gym on the way home as planned or if he needed to come straight home and I said to go to the gym because the contractions still weren't 5 minutes apart.

DH got home around 6:45 and the contractions were about 40-45 seconds long and getting really strong at this point. We were timing them, though, and they were still anywhere from 5-7 minutes apart. We had been told that they should be 5 minutes apart for 1 hour, though, so we were still waiting. I really had this fear of getting to the hospital too early or being sent home, so I think that's why we ended up waiting so long. DH got dinner for us (Krystal - LOL!) around 7:15 and tried to help me through the contractions that were now pretty damn painful. We went outside and took a few last pics of the big belly and then finally, at 9pm I said I can't take it anymore and that we were going to call the OB even though the contractions were not consistently 5 minutes apart. Some were less than 5 but some were still around 6. OB called me back around 9:30 and said that we could come on into the hospital and see what was going on. He said "if you aren't in labor how do you feel about just staying at the hospital tonight to get some sleep and getting induced tomorrow since your OB is the one on call tomorrow?" I said "right about now that sounds fantastic!" So, we packed up the car, got things ready, and left for the hospital around 9:45pm.

When we got into the delivery room the nurse came in and had me fill out paperwork. Then she checked me out and said I was 2cm dilated but 100% effaced. She said "the hard work has already been done!" Whether that was true or not, it made me feel better. She then asked if I wanted to go ahead and get my epidural and I said "I can have it now? Yes!" I was surprised that I didn't have to wait longer. She said it would be about half an hour before they were able to get the anesthesiologist there and get it for me, so I could have a narcotic if I wanted one. I had decided during our childbirth class that I'd like to avoid the narcotics if possible and just go for the epidural, so I said that I'd just wait.

I had an amazing and funny anesthesiologist that came to give me my epidural around midnight. It really didn't hurt at all and I was so relieved. It took effect pretty quickly and I felt no more contractions! Ah, relief! Seriously, I don't know how anyone has a baby without an epidural!

After an hour or so of monitoring my contractions the nurse came in and said that the OB was just going to let me "labor through the night and get some rest" and then they would give me pitocin at 6:30am to speed up the contractions. My OB would be there at that time because she was the one on call Thursday. So, DH and I tried to sleep. I slept some, but the monitors kept beeping and waking me up because my blood pressure was taken every 15 minutes and apparently had registered as a little low. Then the epidural machine would beep indicating that I needed more of that. So, I kept having to call the nurse to come in and stop the beeping.

Anyway, I got my pitocin around 7am and around 9:45am my OB came in and broke my water. She said I was contracting very well on my own and that the baby should really start to drop soon.

Well, some time around 11am (we were watching the Price is Right, which is how I know the time!) the baby really started to drop and I was having a lot of pain again. I had them come back twice to increase my epidural because they said that even though I should feel pressure I shouldn't feel pain. That was a long 45 minutes but they finally got it under control and I felt better. My OB came back around 11:45 and said that I was making great progress and would be holding my baby by early afternoon! This was such an amazing feeling and I almost started crying. I knew that I was going to make it!

I had an incredible delivery nurse named Cheryl. She was the most positive, encouraging nurse I've ever met and it's like God put her there to help me through this experience. She told me that some people push for 30 minutes and some for 3 hours. Then she said "I don't push for 3 hours. We're going to let the baby do all of the work and then we'll push for about half an hour and you'll have your baby." I was like "heck yeah, I love you!"

My mother arrived around 12:30 and went to get lunch for DH. She got back around 1:15 and DH stepped out to eat. He came back in around 1:30 and I started to push. By around 1:45 the nurse called for my OB and when she came in she was amazed at how far along we were after pushing for only 15 minutes. Really, she and the nurse (and DH) were just gushing over how great I was doing and it was just so encouraging and gave me the strength I needed to get through the final pushes. At one point my OB said that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, but she quickly calmed my fears by saying that at this point it wasn't a big concern and that everything would be fine. So, we kept going and after what I can only describe as the most intense 15 minutes of my life my beautiful baby boy was born at 2:09PM. It was just such an incredible experience. DH was so encouraging and made me feel so good and he was just overjoyed when our little boy came out. He cut the umbilical cord and took pictures and held onto me and the baby while the OB finished with me. Then DH ran out to tell my mother and to call family and he apparently just kept telling everyone that I "made it look easy" At that point it sure didn't feel like it had been easy, but I was so proud that he was so proud of me.

Overall, the entire experience was much better and easier than I had imagined. There were a few parts that were definitely very difficult and painful, but overall I just had such an amazing birth experience and feel blessed to have my DH and baby boy. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Brady Jasper B has arrived!

My beautiful baby boy was arrived! Brady Jasper B was born at on 7/2/09 at 2:09PM. He weighed 8lbs 0oz and was 21" long. His head and chest both measured 13". Everyone says he looks just like his Daddy, which is fine with me. :)

Here is one of my favorite pics from his first day with us:

The light at the end of the tunnel...

I can see the light at the end of the pregnancy tunnel!!! Yes, I'm feeling very optimistic today! I will be 39 weeks pregnant tomorrow and I had my weekly OB appointment today. Despite the fact that I was there for over 2 hours waiting, I left feeling energized and excited! I got to see Dr. A again today (no more appointments with the nurse practitioner - who, btw, I had been incorrectly referring to as a physician's assistant, but whatever) and she was very excited with the progress I've made since she last saw me 3 weeks ago. She said that I am now between 1 and 2cm dilated and the baby has gotten lower, etc. So, she said there is a good chance that something will happen soon! Oh boy! She shouldn't get my hopes up like that!

The real thing that I am excited about, though, is that I have an induction date! I'm not going to post the date here because right now it's just between MrKLB and myself. We don't really want people waiting/emailing/calling that day to see if the baby is here yet, so we're just going to let people know when it does happen. Anyway, if the baby doesn't come on his own then I will be induced not too long after my due date. So, yay! The end is in sight.... or, I should say, the beginning!!

Let's see... other than that, we had a very nice weekend. We went to the pool again on Saturday, which was awesome! We watched a movie at home and we also went to see a movie on Sunday - The Hangover. It was really funny. We've seen a lot of movies lately because my brother's only advice to me when I told him I was pregnant was to go see movies now before we have to pay for babysitters to do so! Anyway, Sunday afternoon we went to a birthday party/cookout for a friend and then installed the carseat in the car when we got home. I need to finish packing my hospital bags, but other than that, we're ready to go.

It won't be long until we meet our sweet baby boy now... and I really believe that now! :)

OB update

I had my weekly OB appointment today and saw the Physician's Assistant again. The baby is still doing well - heartbeat in the 140's and moving around a lot! My weight gain seems to have essentially stopped over the past couple of weeks, which is apparently normal. I have made some progress since my last appointment, but still no contractions. I'm still 1cm dilated, but 70% effaced and at station -1 (was 50% effaced and at -2 last week). So, I guess progress is good, but I still don't get the feeling the baby is coming any time soon. The PA asked if I had an appointment with my OB soon and I told her it will be Monday. She said that since they don't want me to go more than a week past my due date, Dr. A will want to start talking to me about induction. I wonder if that means she'll go ahead and schedule an induction date for me in case i don't go into labor on my own? I'm not crazy about the idea of having to be induced, but it would be nice to have a date on my calendar that tells me I'll be holding my baby no later than that day! So, I guess we'll see what she says when I go in on Monday. Hopefully I'll still go into labor on my own some time around my due date.

38 weeks

Yep, I'm 38 weeks pregnant today! I am getting really excited to meet our baby boy, but I am truly thankful for each week that this baby stays inside the womb. I've said from the beginning that I want to go full-term... all 40 weeks. According to an article I read in the Wall Street Journal, "A study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology calculated that for each week a baby stayed in the womb between 32 and 39 weeks, there is a 23% decrease in problems such as respiratory distress, jaundice, seizures, temperature instability and brain hemorrhages." All of that sounds like stuff I'd like to avoid, so I'm good with waiting a couple more weeks if that's what BabyKLB has in mind.

Of course, that being said, if he decides to come a few days early I won't complain! :)

MrKLB and I had a great weekend. We are all done with "baby preparation" - no more classes or things to buy for now - and just got to enjoy a fun weekend. Oh, actually, on Saturday we did do something that was in preparation for baby. We went to the Dinner A'fare and made a bunch of frozen meals so that we'll have those handy after the baby arrives. Saturday night we went to a party for a friend who is moving to NYC. Oh, and I had some Dom Perignon! Yes, you heard that... I had a big ole swig of champagne! I am very surprised to say that I have not drank any alcoholic beverages during this pregnancy, even though I know that drinking a small amount is allowed in the 3rd trimester. I really thought I'd have a glass of wine at some point or something, but I just haven't been into it. I could not pass up the Dom, though, so I did enjoy a very tasty sip at the party. MrKLB said he wishes he had a picture of that because I drank it right out of the bottle... classy! :)

On Sunday MrKLB took the puppies for a run and I actually jogged part of the way, too. We did a 3 mile trail and I probably ran about half of it. I was very surprised at how good I felt. It was crazy hot, but I had no cramps and felt invigorated! After that, we went to the pool and I laid about on a float. That was excellent! I will be doing that again this weekend if time permits!

My OB appointment this week is on Thursday. I am not expecting to hear of any changes, but it would be nice if the baby has dropped down a little more. Either way, though, I'm just killing time for a couple more weeks until he arrives...

37 week OB update

I had another OB appointment today and basically there's not much change since last week. I've actually lost a pound (wow!) and baby's heart rate was in the 140's. Everything looks good. I saw the Physician's Assistant today and she recommended that I keep walking as much as I can to help the baby's head drop down lower in my pelvis. She said he is still pretty high and walking is supposed to help him move down. So, I will be walking almost every day now. I've mostly stopped running since last week because I don't want to put too much pressure on my pelvic bones now that he is dropping. I've been doing the elliptical and bike at the gym, though, and still yoga once or twice a week. I'm not sure there's too much else I can do, though, so now it's up to baby to do the rest!

Oh, and on a very exciting note, MrKLB just got a new job offer! He interviewed with a company a couple of weeks ago that he was really interested in, and he got called back last week for more interviews and then he found out on Saturday that they are making him an offer!! It seems like a really great company to work for - they have a lot of benefits for employees like sodas and snacks at work, free memberships to the YMCA, membership in the IBM Credit Union, lots of holidays, good vacation plan, 401k matching, etc. Also, he told them that I'm having a baby soon and they have agreed to be flexible on his start date so that he can start after the baby is born. So, anyway, I'm very excited for him and excited that the timing should work out pretty well! Hopefully he'll like the job.

That's all for now.

37 weeks = FULL TERM!!!

I am 37 weeks pregnant today, which means BabyKLB is officially full term! Woohoo! This is a very exciting milestone! He can decide to join us any day now and should be perfectly healthy! I've been convinced that I will go past 40 weeks, but then this morning a guy I work with that has 2 kids swears to me that I'll have him in 2 weeks. Everyone is an expert, right? LOL! Anyway, it is just a very strange feeling to know that I could go into labor at any moment or that it could be another 3 weeks or so. Crazy! I think if he'll give us 2 more weeks we'll be ready. I mean, we're ready today, but if he wants to stay in there and bake a little longer that's okay with us, too!

MrKLB has been taking belly pictures for me every week so I thought I'd post what I look like at week 37. As you can see, I did end up with an outtie after all, but the good news is that I can still wear my wedding rings. :)



My next OB appointment is tomorrow so we'll see if there is any change from last week. Other than that, I'm just continuing to try to get some things done at work and working towards 38 weeks!

36w2d OB Appointment

I had my weekly OB appointment this morning and things are going really well! I found out that I was negative for the Group B Strep (which is good). I also found out that the baby has started to drop some and is head down. Awesome! AND, she said that I am 1cm dilated! Wow... I wasn't expecting that! She said that doesn't mean I'm close to going into labor or that I'll go early, but that it is a good start for when I do go into labor. She seemed really pleased, so yay! My blood pressure is still good and the baby's heartbeat was around 130bpm. So, as I said, everything looks good.

I go back next Wednesday for another appointment. Oh, the only negative thing I can say is that my left ankle has been pretty swollen for the past couple of days. It's strange that it's just my left one, but Dr. A said that it was normal. She said it meant that the pressure from my uterus was concentrated on one side or something like that, which is restricting blood flow. Doesn't sound so good to me, but apparently it's normal. So, I guess I have one fat ankle for now.

This weekend I am going to a baby shower for a friend. She is 3 weeks behind me and is on bedrest, so that sucks. I'm sure she will enjoy the company, though. Then I will be going to watch MrKLB play in the Kickball City Championships which should be exciting! I'll actually miss the first game because of the shower but if they win that one I'll get to see him play the next game(s). Wish him luck! Sunday we're going to an infant to toddler CPR class. It's given at the hospital and is supposed to cover CPR techniques for infants up through about 8 years of age, I believe. Hopefully we'll learn a lot of useful information that we'll never have the need to use!

I'm also going to try to cook a few meals this weekend to freeze so that we can have them after the baby arrives. I'll keep doing this over the next few weeks as I have time. We may also do the Dinner A'Fare thing again since that's an easy way to put together a bunch of frozen meals. We've done that in the past and really enjoyed it.

That's all I have for an update now. I'm looking forward to hitting 37 weeks so that I can officially be considered "full-term"!!!

36 week update

I'm now officially 36 weeks pregnant! It's exciting to reach this point. I'm definitely feeling ready to have this baby now. I feel like we have most of what we need and we're as prepared as we'll ever be... so now we just wait. I still think he'll be late, but who knows. I will pack my bags for the hospital within the next 2 weeks and MrKLB will install the carseat so I guess we'll just be ready whenever he is!

I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm getting uncomfortable at night when I first lay down, but for the most part I am able to fall asleep and sleep pretty well. I'm tired lately but it hasn't been too bad. I'm still exercising and hope to continue that as long as I can. I'm also still going to work and will probably only start working from home when I'm a week or so from my due date. That depends on how I feel over the next few weeks, though.

Today I am getting my hair cut (my last one before baby!) and tomorrow I have an appointment to talk with HR about what administrative items I need to do before and after baby. Thursday I have my next OB appointment. So, I'm basically just trying to finish up some things so that I'm ready to focus on the baby when he arrives.

4 weeks to go and counting...

35w3d Update

This week has been a great one. I feel awesome and I'll be 36 weeks pregnant on Tuesday! I have gone to the gym twice, I ran on Tuesday, and I did yoga one day. It feels good to stay active! I never thought I'd still be able to do all of this at 35 weeks pregnant, but I guess the fact that I've stayed active throughout the pregnancy has helped.

I had my OB appointment today and things went smoothly. Weight, blood pressure, measurements, etc. look good. Baby's heart rate was in the 140's, which is good. They ran some test today for Group B Strep. Apparently some women have this and some do not. If I have it, it just means they'll give me an antibiotic through my IV while I'm in labor - to avoid passing it to the baby. Apparently it's essentially harmless to adults but can cause serious problems in newborns. As long as they know whether you have it, though, the risks aren't that high.

I will be going back to the doctor weekly now until I have the baby. I was able to go ahead and make my appointments for the next 4 weeks, so it's good to already have those on my calendar.

I went to Babies R Us yesterday and bought a bunch of items that were still on our list - receiving blankets, towels, wash cloths, etc. I think we pretty much have everything we need for now. I'm sure there will be many things we find out that we need and don't have, but I at least feel good about the fact that we have the majority of it. My office had a shower for me today during lunch. We ate Maggiano's, tried to guess what kind of baby food was in jars with the labels removed (we didn't taste them!), and they gave me TONS of diapers. We have so many diapers now in all sizes that it seriously should be a LONG time before we have to buy any. That's awesome!!!

I've been making a list of what I need to pack for the hospital and I guess I'll pack my bags soon - probably within the next couple of weeks. Then we'll install the car seat and be ready to go! I still don't think I'm going to go early, but I do want to be prepared just in case. It's such a strange feeling to know that it could happen any day now... I wonder if I'll have any warning signs and where I'll be when labor actually starts?? I hope I'm at home... and I hope he waits just a few more weeks. :)

I'm excited for the weekend! We have some fun things planned but it should be a lot more relaxing weekend than we had last weekend!

Maternity Photos

As I mentioned in a previous post, we had some maternity photos taken on Mother's Day. We got the proofs this weekend and there are some really great shots! I know that in the future MrKLB and I will enjoy looking back on these and remembering how it felt to be expecting our first child. Here are a few of my favorites...





This is one of my favorite shots:


The puppies were also there for a great family photo:




This is MrKLB's favorite:




And I just love something about this one, too:


That's all I have as an update today. I will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow! Today is the first day of June... I wonder if we'll have our baby in June or if he's going to hold out for July? I guess we'll know in just a few short weeks!

Checking things off my list

We had a wonderful, long Memorial Day weekend! MrKLB and I just hung out, did some projects around the house, went shopping, went to a cookout, and saw a movie. It was great! MrKLB has decided what car he will buy once I go back to work after maternity leave. He'll need something other than the Jeep Wrangler because we don't think that will be very safe or convenient for an infant car seat. Anyway, he test drove a car this weekend and really liked it. We probably won't buy one until close to the time I go back to work, though, since we don't really need to have the car seat in two cars until then.

We also bought a new refrigerator this weekend! We were going to get a freezer so that we'd have more space to store frozen items, and somehow that turned into just buying a new fridge and moving the old one to the basement. Anyway, we got a cool GE Profile one and it will be delivered on Saturday! I'm actually very excited because we hate our current one. Anyway, it will be nice to have 2 in the house so that we have more room, though. I'm sure this will come in even more handy when the baby gets older and starts eating solid foods.

We hung up the letters for BabyKLB's name in the nursery. It looks great! It's so fun to walk by the nursery now and look in and see his name above the crib. I guess we're not changing it now! :)

Tonight we are going to do the tour of the hospital so that we'll know where to go when I'm in labor and what to expect once we're there. I've been there many times before visiting friends and family who have had babies, so I have a general idea, but I think the tour will be useful anyway. This weekend we are also taking a "Baby Essentials" class at the hospital. It's supposed to be a crash course in how to care for a newborn, I suppose. How/when to give the first bath, how to swaddle, etc. Hopefully that's interesting. I'm sure it's not totally necessary and we'd figure all of these things out, but MrKLB said he didn't mind taking the class so I figured it would be useful. We'll also get a copy of the DVD of the Happiest Baby on the Block book, which a lot of friends have recommended to us, so that's nice.

MrKLB's kickball team is in the playoffs so he has a game this Sunday. After the game we're having a cookout at our house. My boss (who is also on the team) is moving to NYC, so it's kinda a going away party. Anyway, the weather is supposed to be beautiful and we've been wanting to have a cookout for a while, so it should be fun!

Less than 6 weeks to go until my due date! We're checking things off the list and looking forward to his arrival!

Week 34

So, week 34! At least I think it's week 34... that's how I count it when I'm 33w2d pregnant. This is the 34th week. I had an appointment with my OB on Tuesday and I am still measuring right on track. Blood pressure is good and weight is good. Nothing too exciting, but that's apparently exactly what you want when you're pregnant. I go back in 2 weeks and then start my weekly appointments.

I asked Dr. A how far along I need to be before they would not try to stop the labor and she said at about 34 weeks they would only try minor things such as hydration and a few meds, but they wouldn't use any of the more aggressive meds to try to stop it at that point.

I also asked how far they'd let me go before inducing, and she said that if I make it to my due date she'll just look for a date that she is on call the following week and they would schedule me for that day. So, it looks like 41 weeks is the max that I'll go. That means we have at most 8 weeks left before I get to meet our little guy! How exciting!

My family threw a baby shower for me this weekend and it was great. It is always fun to get together with my extended family and eat good food and share stories. Anyway, we got some great stuff for the baby. Here is a picture of me with the hostesses (my cousins):


MrKLB's parents were in town, too, so his mother came to the shower. Here is a picture of me with my mother and MrKLB's mother.


And here is a picture of me with my adorable and delicious cake!


Next Monday is Memorial Day so we have a 3-day weekend! I am really excited because MrKLB and I are planning to stay in town and hang out and do a lot of nothing! We're actually going to see my niece for her birthday on Saturday and to a cookout on Sunday, so that should be fun. Other than that we're going to watch a lot of TV shows and movies and relax. We've only got a handful of lazy weekends left before the baby arrives so we're going to take advantage of it while we can!

Sneak Peek: Maternity Photos

On Mother's Day, MrKLB and I had some photos taken so that we could capture what I look like pregnant, and enjoy some last photos of us as a couple before the baby arrives. I got a sneak peak of the photos from the photographer, so here they are. She said that there are so many good ones it was hard to pick which to sneak peek for us, so I'm really excited to see the rest!





Special thanks to Jody of Jody Lynn Photography for the beautiful photos and sneak peek. More to come!

8 months pregnant already?

Today I am 32 weeks pregnant. Wow! That's officially 8 months! 8 more weeks to go and we'll get to meet our baby boy! I washed a bunch of the clothes this weekend that we got at our first baby shower and it made me very excited to think about our little baby wearing all of those cute things. I definitely want him to wait quite a bit longer before deciding to join us out here (I'd like to go full term), but I'm so excited to hold him now!

The nursery is essentially complete. MrKLB has been helping me make the final touches (we hung up some shelves this weekend and did a few other things) and all that is left is to hang up our baby's name above his crib. We bought the letters this weekend but are waiting to hang them up since we haven't revealed the name to anyone yet.

I have another baby shower this weekend, so that should be fun. This one is being hosted by my 3 girl cousins (out of 14 cousins only 4 of us are girls and we were pretty close growing up) and a lot of my family will be there. MrKLB's parents are coming to visit us this weekend and his mother will be going to the shower with me. I'm excited to see everyone because we don't get together often enough. Most of them haven't even seen me since I've been pregnant. Oh, and one of my cousins who is hosting just got engaged yesterday so I'm super excited to see her and congratulate her in person!!

I'd say for being 32 weeks pregnant I am feeling really great. So far I am still able to run (jog) and had a nice run yesterday. I am definitely getting winded easier, but as long as I control my breathing it's not too bad. I haven't been having much swelling so far and am sleeping pretty well. I do look forward to the day I can lay on my back again or even roll over onto my stomach, though. :)

I am trying to enjoy every week of this pregnancy because I know it's a blessing and I'll only be pregnant for a very small part of my life. It truly is amazing. I'm so looking forward to meeting our son, but I know that my life will forever be changed once he arrives. It's a lot easier to take him places with me now than it will be once he's out! Anyway, he is still moving around quite a bit. The movements have gotten pretty powerful and I frequently can actually see my stomach moving and contorting around when he's in there doing whatever it is he does. It's good to know he's still doing well, though, so I don't mind.

That's pretty much the update for now. Now I'm counting down to 36 weeks so I can be considered "full-term"!

31 Weeks Pregnant

I'm 31 weeks pregnant today! I can't believe how fast April went by. I think May will go by fast, too, because I have lots going on this month. Starting with my first baby shower this past Saturday!!

My amazing friends threw me a shower on Saturday and it was so much fun! The food was great, the cake was delicious, the gifts were overwhelming, and the company was unbeatable! I have a ton of pictures that my mother took, but here are a couple to share:

Here is a picture of the cute place we had the shower:


This is the delicious and adorable cake:


This is a picture of everyone at the shower except for my friend Kat and her mother, who showed up later because they were at her daughter's birthday party:


And this is a picture of me with the hostesses:


Thank you so much!!!

One of the hostesses stayed with me this weekend with her 5 1/2 month old son, Ben. Ben was so much fun to be around! MrKLB really enjoyed having him around, too, and many people commented that he seemed like a natural with babies. I don't know where he gets it because he hasn't been around that many, but I know he'll be a great father. When Jaime and Ben left, MrKLB said "I miss having a little baby in the house". Soon enough he won't have to say that anymore, though!!!

This Sunday is Mother's Day. I can't believe that next year I will actually be a mother on Mother's Day!!! Wow, by that time I'll have a son who is almost 1! The following weekend I have another shower that my cousins are throwing for me in my hometown. I think that MrKLB's parents are coming into town that weekend so his mother can go to the shower, too. So, I'm looking forward to that!

Other than that, nothing new to report on the pregnancy front. I had my 30 week OB visit last week and she said that I am measuring exactly on schedule. I still feel great and am exercising several times a week. I want to keep it up while I still can! Only 9 more weeks to go!

Nursery Photos!

Okay, as promised, here are some photos of the nursery... it's still a work-in-progress, but we got a lot done this weekend!

Oh, and I'm 30 weeks pregnant today! Woohoo!!!

In this picture you can see the cubbies that we bought at IKEA (on the left), the dresser/changing table, and the curtains. I bought the curtains and added the polka dot fabric at the bottom.



In this picture you can see the crib with the crib skirt that my mother and I made as well as the glider and ottoman! This is the Dutailier glider that a friend from work gave me (see picture here). It was white and had a yellow/blue plaid pattern on the cushions. MrKLB stripped, sanded, stained, and finished the glider for me and my mother recovered the cushions. I love it!



And I just thought this picture was too cute because the dogs came into the nursery when I was taking pictures. They are waiting for their little brother to come home!



Finally, here is a picture that MrKLB took when we were visiting his family in NC last weekend. We had just finished a nice 2.5 mile run and I almost look skinny since the dogs are hiding my baby bump! :)

Happy Monday!

Well,last week was a good week followed by a fantastic weekend! I feel like I got so many things marked off my list this weekend! That's a good thing because I'm going to be out of town for work most of this week and then I have friends coming to town for my baby shower this weekend.

Let's see... We attended our childbirth class on Saturday and it was actually pretty interesting and not nearly as boring as we thought it would be. Our teacher was good and she went over a lot of what you may or may not encounter during labor, talked about medications, breathing techniques, labor positions, etc. It brought up a few things for us to ask my OB about and generally made me feel a little more prepared or the whole experience. Anyway, I'm glad we took the class and now that is marked off the list!

We also had our 3D ultrasound on Sunday! This was actually a "make-up" session because the last time we went we couldn't get a good look at him because he had his head buried in my placenta. Anyway, he was a little more cooperative this time and we got a few good looks. Here are a couple of pictures:

This is a shot of him head-on:


And here is his profile...


It was fun to get a look at him. We're excited to meet him in about 10 weeks!

What else? MrKLB has finished working on the glider and ottoman and my mother brought the cushions for it that she recovered and they all look great! I'll take some pictures tonight so that I can post them here. My mother came up on Sunday and we had a day of sewing for the nursery. We made a crib skirt (with the blue/brown/tan polka dot fabric) and also added the polka dots to the bottom of the curtains so that they not only coordinate with the room but are also now the correct length. They all turned out great! I'll post pics soon. Oh, and we got a few more things for the nursery and it is really starting to come together!

I leave tomorrow to go to NJ for work for a few days. Then I come back and it's time for my shower! I'm so excited to see my girlfriends!

MrKLB is employed!

Well, MrKLB got the job offer and worked out the terms yesterday and is actually at work today! That was fast! He wanted to start Monday but apparently someone he needed to meet with won't be there next week so he had to go in today. He's not really excited about going back to work, but he is excited about a paycheck! As I said in my previous post, it's not his dream job, but it will do for now. Since he has essentially joined as a contractor for 3 months (temp-to-perm position) he's going to keep looking for another job to see if anything else comes along. So, we'll see. Either way, it's nice not to have to stress so much about money for a while. Now we can concentrate on the baby... just over 10 weeks away!

I passed!

I passed the 3 hr glucose test this morning! Yay! It actually wasn't all that bad. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything other than water after midnight last night so I was hungry this morning. When I arrived they took my blood to get my fasting glucose level and then I drank the sugary drink. Then they tested my blood again after 1 hour and I passed that one. She said that if I passed after 2 hours I could leave. Which I did! So, I was actually only there just over 2 hours. MrKLB met me for lunch to celebrate!

Speaking of MrKLB, his interview went well yesterday and it sounds like they are going to be making him an offer! I'm so excited for him, but it's also a very difficult situation. The job is not something that he really wants to do (it's back to the type of engineering he did in past jobs), but it does pay well and right now he really just needs a job. So, we'll see. They are talking about a temp-to-perm position which may end up being ideal for him because he'd essentially be a contractor for 3 months and then both he and the company could decide if he will move to a permanent position after that. So, if he is miserable then he can decide not to go permanent and look for another job (hopefully he'd be doing this prior to the 3 months being up!). If he does like it - or at least can tolerate it - then he may decide to stay and go back to school to get his MBA while working there. This is something he's talked about in the past and it seems like it might be the right time. Of course, working full time and going to school will be a challenge with a new baby... but he has to do what is right for him, so I'm sure he'll figure it all out. Anyway, I'll update when the offer is "official".

Much better week so far

Good morning! I just returned from our long weekend in North Carolina last night and so far this week is going much better than last week. First of all, MrKLB is in a job interview as we speak! I'm so excited for him! He got the call on Friday afternoon, had a phone screen, and setup the interview for this morning since we were out of town Monday and Tuesday. He was in such a good mood all weekend just because he finally had the prospect of *something* happening on the job front! I don't know if it will be the ideal job for him or if he'll get the job, but I'm so thankful that at least this is giving him some renewed hope that he WILL find a job! So, keep your fingers crossed for him!

MrKLB and I went to a wedding in Chapel Hill this weekend. We had a great time and MrKLB enjoyed seeing a bunch of old friends from when he lived there. Here is a photo of us at the wedding... you can see my 29 week belly bump here!



Oh, and I got the curtains I was looking for on Friday and they look great in the nursery! We are going to add some of the polka dot fabric to the bottom of them that we are using for the bedding. I need to start working on that!

I go in tomorrow for my 3 hour glucose test so hopefully that will go well. That's really all I have as an update for now because I have to go to a meeting!