Baby K Update

 

We are 39 weeks tomorrow and no sign of Baby K. He hasn't dropped at all and I really don't feel any different this week than I usually do. I'm still feeling "OK" (just uncomfortable, not miserable) and really starting to feel anxious, nervous and excited all at once!

We are extremely thankful he has decided to stay in there for a while longer and fingers crossed that he stays put until his due date in 8 days!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are staying warm during all of these winter storms sweeping the nation!

Cleveland Indians Snow Days

Who hasn't been tubing down a huge hill in the middle of their MLB team's field?

Weird right?

Derek found out a while back about the Cleveland Indians Snow Days event where they essentially fill up the entire Progressive field with snow. They have a mile long ice skating rink, a maze for the kids, and some other fun snow activities.

The best part though? HUGE tubing chutes that are fairly long and drop pretty steeply!

We took my brother Mike, who is in town for a few days over Christmas, on Sunday and although I couldn't participate, it was fun seeing him and Derek really enjoy themselves in the snow.

(Thankfully, it was a nice 28 degrees. Could have been WAY colder!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Derek and I are very thankful again this year for many things and are looking forward to our BIG change coming soon!

We hope you had a wonderful year as well and wish you peace and happiness in 2011.

 We were fortunate enough to host my brother, Mike, for about 5 days over Christmas. Seeing as how both sets of parents will be flying down shortly after the Holidays for the birth of Baby K, they couldn't make it for Christmas ALSO and then turn around and fly back. And anyone who has been pregnant knows why I wasn't about to get on a plane at 38 weeks! My brother is a med student and has to hit the books again on Jan 3rd so mom and dad flew him up here as a surprise for Christmas!

Maternity Pictures

I searched high and low for a photographer here in the Cleveland are that had good, natural talent and would be able to elegantly capture this pregnancy through film.

I stumbled across Cassie's website and was amazed. She has a knack for capturing the moment with great feeling and colors. Click here for the Cassandra Plummer website.

And without further adieu, here are some of our pictures from our session  -

(All pictures copyrighted by Cassandra Plummer Photography)

Thanks again Cassie!

Make Ahead Meals

One thing I loved doing for my friends who had newborns was to prepare large meals to help ensure they aren't ONLY eating delivered pizza once the baby came! Living up here in Ohio I don't get to do that often and it made me start to think about our nutrition once Baby K arrives.

I decided to bake something weekly (in a huge portion) and freeze it so that Derek and I can have some good home cooking when we're sleep deprived and can't even tell if it's day or night out.

So far I've made some great meals like lasagna, meatloaf, casseroles, etc. If you have something that freezes well and makes a large batch, please feel free to share! I have a few more weeks and can stock up a few more meals in that time.

Pregnancy Picture of the Day

Here's the current 'bump'! The doc estimates that he is between 6.5 and 7 pounds now!

Waiting

Almost 5 and a half years ago I was waiting to marry my best friend.

Now I'm waiting to meet our little man.

What a crazy journey life is.

(Photo credits: Banfii Photography and Cassandra Plumber Photography)

Happy Birthday Whitney!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful sister-in-law who has essentially been a 'real' sister to me for the past 8 years. Derek and I are so proud of you and everything you've already accomplished in your life. You will be the best Aunt for Baby K.


Love you tons and can't BELIEVE you will be 21 next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

FULL TERM!

Yep! Baby K is officially full term meaning baby is likely to thrive well after birth. He's about the size of a watermelon and is practicing his blinking, sucking, inhaling and exhaling skills. We are so excited to have made it to this milestone but hope that he still decides to stay in his little hot tub for a while longer.

I'm still feeling pretty well, just having a REALLY hard time sleeping and sometimes he gets into uncomfortable positions. Other than that, we are just anxiously awaiting to find out when our little family of four (including the two pups), will become a family of five.

I haven't had any contractions yet and the doctor said that based on everything, I should hit or pass 40 weeks. Anything could change quickly at any point though! Keep your fingers crossed for us that I make it past 40 days.... I'd like to avoid a Holiday baby if possible!

On a side note, I just want to say that I'm so thankful for my friends who check up on me daily to see how we are feeling. It's hard being up here away from everyone and having that daily reminder that there are people (other than Derek and I) who care about Baby K as much as we do makes me smile.

Nursery Pictures

There are still a few missing pieces to the puzzle like some picture frames and a large monogram over his changing table. We can't order that, however, until we have his name picked out! It's also hard to tell that the walls actually are green, but they aren't white... it's just a very faint green. I'd say we're about 90% done at this point!

Countdown Chain

Isn't the 'countdown chain' so fun? Seeing as how we are officially under the one month market, we have this little chain hung outside the nursery to remove one ribbon daily. My friend Michelle found this for us and I think it's a wonderful visual reminder of just how close we are!

It will only be getting shorter and shorter!

Dogs or Pigs?

Check out what the oinkers instantly do when there is more than 2 inches of snow on the ground.

You'd think they never got fed or something.

Who's Bigger?

Yep, that's my dad comparing his belly to mine after a full Thanksgiving meal.

I think we're almost exactly the same size, but only I have an "excuse".    :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

Warm and Toasty

One thing on our 'house list' to do before winter hit was to get a new set of gas logs for the fireplace. The former owners wanted to take their set for some odd reason so the fireplace has been empty since we moved in. After researching brands and types, we chose a charred oak set that has a split down the middle to create a wonderful view of the flame. It was ordered and installed last week JUST in time for the brutal Ohio winters. It's almost snowed daily since being installed!