38 weeks... winding down!

We have now made it to 38 weeks and the thought that she could arrive anytime now is crazy!  I think about it and it scares me just a little bit, but I am so excited too.  Ryan is just plain excited.  He wants her to come tomorrow. :)   I would like her to arrive sometime between December 10-15 and would really like if it was on her actual due date of 12/13, but she will arrive when she pleases!  In any case, she needs to keep cooking right now. 

My last appointment took place last Tuesday and it went well.  Blood pressure is still right on track, baby sounds great, and she is measuring how she is supposed to.  I lost almost 2 pounds since my last visit making my total weight gain only 15 pounds.  I am hoping to come out of this pregnancy gaining less than 20 pounds!  The doctor said I very well could as you don't tend to gain much more at this point in the game.  It was confirmed by a quick ultrasound that baby girl is in fact head down.  I am not dilated or effaced yet, but the doctor was able to feel her head right there.  Things could change at any moment.  My next appointment isn't until Thursday, so we will see what happens! 

Ryan and I were able to make it down to Rochester on Wednesday to see my mom after her brain surgery.  I am so thankful that baby girl hadn't arrived yet or didn't think she needed to arrive while we were there!  My mom's surgery went as well as it could go!  She had an MRI two days after surgery that came back showing that the entire tumor was removed.  She is doing very well and was discharged to home from Mayo today.  We are SO SO SO proud of her.  The courage and braveness that you have to have to go through something like this is outrageous -- and she has it!  I had a little freak out moment in the shower yesterday thinking about labor and being scared and I immediately stopped and thought, "What do I have to be afraid of?!  Look what mom just went through!"  She is an inspiration.  She is my hero.  I love you mom!  Now baby girl just needs to give her at least a week or so to rest up so that she can meet her when she arrives! 

37 weeks in front of mom and dad's Christmas tree!

Overall, I am feeling pretty good.  I am really starting to slow down and things like putting on my shoes, bending over, rolling over, getting up out of chairs and out of bed, etc. are getting harder by the day.  On Thanksgiving night I got out of the shower to find that my feet were swollen for the first time!  Yikes!  I hadn't even been standing on them all day!  Turns out that those dorky socks that I have been wearing everyday work!  I hadn't worn them for two days and it showed!  I am sleeping well at night despite having to get up 3-4 times to pee.  I fall back to sleep very easily.  I also have issues with reflux during the night and have to take at least one Tums every night.  Ryan is a little annoyed with me because my snoring has gotten progressively worse the further along I have gotten in the pregnancy.  Sorry dear!  

Baby moves all of the time and lots of the time I need to lean back so that she has more room!  She is all up in my business, but I am sure she thinks I am not giving her enough room!  I keep telling Ryan it will be so weird when she isn't in my belly anymore.  I am so used to all her movements and jabs.  It is such a wonderful feeling.  I even feel her hiccups at least once a day.  So exciting!  

 

Now a little bit about this guy!  I can't even begin to say how wonderful he is.  Many of you know how overwhelming being pregnant can be sometimes and he has made it so much easier.  I am so thankful for all the wonderful things he has done and how helpful he has been getting ready for this beautiful baby girl.  Over the course of this pregnancy we have painted 3 rooms in our house, laid hardwood flooring, changed light fixtures and water faucets, among many other things and the work he has put in has been phenomenal.  Early in the fall we deep cleaned our entire house and HE helped me.  Some of his guy friends told him he was crazy for doing it.  I told him he was exceptional.  The baby's room looks the way it does because of him!  He put up Christmas lights outside for me and helped me put up my Christmas tree.  He has put together all of baby's gear and attended 5 childbirth classes with me.  He has comforted me when I've been scared (especially with all of my mom's stuff) and he has told me that I am going to be a good mom when I doubt myself.  I am so thankful for him and I am so excited to see him with our new baby girl.  If you know Ryan and how good he is with kids, you know that he is going to be an excellent father.  My baby girl is going to be so lucky, just like me. I can't thank you enough Ryan.  I love you!  

 38 weeks in front of our Christmas tree! 

Stay tuned for updates!  It is hard to believe she could make her appearance any day.  Please continue to send prayers for my mom.  She has a long recovery ahead of her and needs to take it day by day.  If she is anything like me, she has a hard time taking it easy and that is what she needs to do!  Also pray that we have a safe labor and delivery with a very healthy baby.  Thank you so much! 

 

36 weeks - Nursery is officially finished!

Here I am, 3 days into 36 weeks.  Woa!  I can say that this weekend we were able to get officially ready for baby to arrive!  Mentally?  Not so sure!  I am super excited, but I am scared as well.  It will be here before we know it!

Friday night and Saturday afternoon was spent finishing up the shopping for baby's remaining items that were needed as well as last minute household items that we may need so that we are all stocked up.  I did mention to Ryan that after a day of being home from the hospital, I am sure there will be a few things that we still need!  We closed out our registries at Babies R Us and Target and were able to get some great deals on things. 

We spent Sunday putting together any of baby's gear that still needed to be put together, dusting and vacuuming the house, putting away baby's goodies, and getting the car seat put in my car.  Our bags are packed, freezer meals are made, sheets are washed, baby's room is complete, and our Christmas tree is even up!  We did that yesterday too.  We are officially ready for baby girl to arrive, but we would like her to stay in there and keep cooking until at least December 10 or so!  :)  We'll see if she listens.  I have had some talks with her.  :) 

Here are the much awaited photos of her room. 

 

Ryan was so patient and put all of the frames and wall hangings on the wall.  I can't thank him enough for all the help and work he did to get ready for baby.  He is going to be a wonderful daddy.  The wall hanging with nothing in it will have her birth stats on it with a photo of her inside.  And obviously the frames will have photos of her and us in them!  That beautiful quilt was made by my mom.  I love it.  

Ryan did such a wonderful job making her closet functional.  It used to be just one shelf and a bar and he made it into that!  Her closet and dresser is already full!  And you can't see it, but the entire right corner of the closet is FULL of diapers!  The wall hangings on the right side were made by my Aunt Peggy and has the "I'll Love You Forever" quote on one of them.  The rocking chair was mine as a child from my grandpa and grandma Niemeier.  The "You are My Sunshine" sign special to me because my mom always used to sing it to me and over the past 3 weeks, I have been singing it to Baby Girl a few times on the way to work everyday.  

Again, thanks to Ryan for putting everything on the walls!  I am totally taking credit for putting the diaper genie together though!! Pretty proud of myself. :)  The musical bear on the very top shelf was mine as a baby and it shows it too!  This room has the electrical box in it and our friend Brandon made us that very nice cupboard door to hide it.  We even put up a radiant heater to give her room a little more temperature control.  

 

 

Thanks to my wonderful friend Andrea for the pink sign that has the Bible verse, "For this child we have prayed and God has granted what we asked of him."  I teared up when I opened it and it really means a lot to me.  I made the other two.  The one on the right has the quote "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue.  And the dreams you dare to dream, really do come true."  She is our rainbow baby and I can't wait to meet her.  

 

So here I am at 36 weeks.  I am still feeling really good.  I am feeling lots of soreness in my upper thighs and just a "full" feeling.  My appointment last week went great.  No swelling.  Blood pressure is great.  Baby is head down and sounds good.  No dilation or effacement yet.  

Please continue to pray for my mom and pray that baby girl doesn't make her appearance until into December.  I am determined to make it to Rochester for mom's surgery next week.  I am beyond bummed that I won't be able to stay with my mother and take care of her after her surgery and I know that she feels the same way about not being able to stay with us and the baby right away.  I am so thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives who have volunteered to stay with her and take care of her after this very extensive surgery.  We will never be able to thank you enough.  Again, I can't wait to see Baby Girl in her Nana's arms.  Love you so much mom!  

 And I'll leave you with a photo of our spoiled cat.  He knows something is up and he is not too sure about it.  :) 

35 weeks!

When we first found out we were pregnant, it seemed that it would take forever to get to 35 weeks!!  Here we are!  The time has gone by so fast. 

I have still been feeling very good this week!  On Monday I picked up some jobst stockings at work, dorky I know.  My feet aren't swelling (yet), but at the end of the day at work my feet would start to ache a little bit.  They have definitely been helping! 

On Tuesday, Ryan and I ventured out into the beautiful sunshine and wind and took our maternity photos.  We are looking forward to seeing them!  It was kind of ironic.  The day we took our engagement photos it was very windy, our wedding day was slightly windy, and the day we took our maternity photos was very windy too!  Oh well, I know they will turn out great.  :) 

I spent Saturday morning for a couple hours making freezer meals.  I was able to get 3 meals completed and into the fridge!  I am planning on doing another 3-4 meals today as well. 

I am also finishing up getting baby girl's room all in order so that I can post some photos.  Last weekend we finished putting a couple more things up on the walls and I had another shower yesterday, so I am working on putting all that stuff away.  As well as packing baby girl's diaper bag for the hospital.  I also found a really cute wood crate thing at Michaels and Ryan is spray painting it for me.  I am going to put her name on it using my Silhouette Cameo and I am going to use it to hold all the rest of baby girl's books that do not fit under her night stand.  She has a ton and I am loving it!  She is going to love books! :)

 

35 weeks!!! 

On Saturday my sister threw me a wonderful shower with my great friends.  It was a lot of fun to just sit and visit with my friends.  We each brought a snack that we craved during pregnancy or that time of the month.  I brought pickles!  :)  It was such a fun time and I am so thankful for such wonderful friends.  Thanks to all of you!  

Aren't they a great group!  Love them!  

 

The Andreas ... Tall One and Short One! :) 

 

And my beautiful sister! I Love you so much! 

Things have been going so wonderful with this pregnancy.  We are so blessed.  Baby Girl is moving around all the time and we are getting closer and closer each day to meeting her.  We are getting very excited for her arrival, but before that time comes, our family is preparing baby girl's Nana for a major surgery.  This week we found out that my mom will undergo brain surgery to remove a benign tumor that is partially wrapped around her left optic nerve.  The surgery will take place at Mayo on Wednesday, November 26 - the day before Thanksgiving.  If I could ask for anything, it is prayers.  Please send your prayers for my mom and our family.  I have faith that God will take care of her and this Thanksgiving we will have SO SO much to be thankful for.  I'm looking forward to the day I get to see Baby Girl in Nana's arms.  

Stay tuned for an update next week!!  This week I start weekly OB appointments and on Thursday, exactly one month from Baby Girl's due date, Ryan and I are going to the Garth Brooks concert!  I've heard it is a good time.  :)  Thanks for your prayers!   

34 weeks and feeling great!

Well, here we are at 34 weeks already!! Where the time has gone, I am not sure.  What I do know is that Baby Kuenzel's due date is 6 weeks away.  Wow!  It is so hard to believe.  It is exciting and scary all in one! 

The past two weeks have been busy as usual.  We finished up prenatal classes last week which feels really good.  We have been doing them the past 5 Tuesdays and the past 3 Tuesdays they have taken place in St. Paul.  It will be very nice not to make that trek anymore!  Needless to say, we learned a lot and it was very eye opening.  It was good to get us thinking about everything and what we specifically want in our labor and postpartum experience. 

About a month ago I woke up freaking out with the thought, "What if the baby isn't a girl?!"  It was really bothering me.  Yes, I know I could never *really* know for sure until she comes, but I just had to have some more reassurance.  So I put matters into my own hands.  The first thing I did was go online and compare my photo of her gender to other girl ultrasound photos.  Yep, looked alike!  Definitely a hamburger sign present.  Second, I took my ultrasound picture to my physician to get her opinion.  She also concurred that it looked like a girl and not parts that of a boy.  Then she suggested having another ultrasound done for free by the students at Argosy University in Eagan.  Not only could they confirm the gender, but I was told I would be able to have a 3d ultrasound as well. 

33 weeks!

On October 21 Ryan and I went to Argosy to have the ultrasound.  We were both expecting to be in a room with a student and an instructor.  Nope!  We walked into a classroom with a bunch of students!  I laid on the table and the instructor started first and checked everything over and then each student took about 5 minutes practicing.  It was kind of neat and I totally understood what they were going through.  They need to practice too!  I was not able to have a 3d ultrasound because of my anterior placenta.  Baby's face is right up in it and you wouldn't be able to see anything.  It all makes sense.  I often wonder why our ultrasound pictures don't look as clear as others - it is because I have an anterior placenta.  I asked if they could tell me about how big she was.  Nope, that is diagnostic.  What we did find out besides of course being able to see her?  She is a big mover!  I feel her all the time, but if I didn't have an anterior placenta, I can't imagine what I would feel.  She is very active.  We got to watch her breathing and her heart working perfectly.  We got to see some hair on her head and we CONFIRMED she is in fact, a girl.  If she comes out differently, I will be surprised.  It was fun to do. 

On October 25 my mom threw me an amazing shower!  It was just perfect and we received so many wonderful gifts.  We are so thankful for all of you and your support.  We appreciate it very much.  Here are some photos!

 

Such a cute summer outfit from Nana!

 

Absolutely beautiful quilt made by Nana!  Love you! 

 

Super soft and adorable baby blanket made by cousin Danni!

 

Fabulous quilt made by Auntie Peggy!  Matches baby's room perfectly.

 

Love this onesie from Auntie Shannie!

 

Table centerpieces made by Auntie Peggy!  Great job! 

 

And my family picture - because I love them! :)  

On Sunday after the shower while Ryan went to help in the field I put away all of baby's new goodies and washed and folder her clothes.  It is overwhelming, but it is so exciting too! 

Instead of baby stats this week, I am going to do something different and answer 

Frequently Asked Questions:

1.  How are you feeling?  I am feeling great!!  Seriously.  I often wonder if this is weird and I shouldn't be feeling this well.  I know I am getting larger, getting out of bed is becoming a struggle, bending over is a lot of work, I run out of breath easily, I am dealing with acid reflux and a little heartburn, but seriously.. none of this is worth complaining about.  I feel really good and I hope that it continues.  I am thankful.  

2.  Are you ready to be done?  Of course not.  God has blessed me with this baby and I want to keep her in there as long as she sees fit.  Am I excited to meet her?  Yes!  But after what happened, I can't even begin to complain about being pregnant or wanting to "be done."  I know it helps that I feel so good.  I know that it won't be long and I will start to become uncomfortable and I will long even more to meet her, but I don't ever want to phrase it as "being done."  Honestly, this is my most disliked question and it is the one I hear the most... and I am only 34 weeks. 

3.  Are you sure it is a girl?  Am I sure?  Well, you tell me.  Last I knew there was no way anyone could be 100% sure.  This is kind of like "Are you sure there is only one in there?"  ha. 

4.  Do you have a name picked out?  Yep!  Honestly, we had a boy and a girl name picked out since our last pregnancy.  Both names were the same names that we chose for this baby as well and since we know it is a girl, well, it is STILL the same name.  So technically we have had her name picked out for about a year and a half!  We really like it (obviously) and we pretty much made it permanent a little over a month ago when I ordered something with her name on it.  :)  

5.  Do you realize how much your life is going to change?  Did you just ask a pregnant woman that?  Of course!  Do you know how much I've thought about that?  A lot.  I think about it all the time.  Those who have asked me that often say it like it is a bad thing.  It bums me out.  Is everything going to be roses and sunshine?  No, but we are going to have a child, a child of our own, that we get to love for the rest of our lives.  What a blessing and a WONDERFUL change to our lives.  

6.  What is the baby's name?  Sorry, we aren't even telling our mothers this one!  

7.  Are you getting an epidural?  Yes, I am a fan of western medicine.  They made it and I am using it! 

8.  What is the theme of the nursery?  Theme?  Uhhh.. baby?  Right?  I wasn't about to put monkeys or other characters all over her walls and then have to change it in a year.  It works for other people, but not for us.  It is my practical side. 

9.  Are you going back to work?  Of course I am.  

10.  Are you going to breastfeed?  I am planning on breastfeeding and I am praying all the time it works for us.  We understand the commitment that it requires and we are willing to do it. 

11.  Is this your first baby?  This question is always so hard for me, but I always say yes.  I know no one wants to hear my story, but sometimes I feel guilty saying yes.  We do have an angel in heaven and we will never forget about that baby.  

12.  What has been your favorite gifts?  Handmade blankets and gifts.  I will cherish them forever.  

If you have been pregnant before, I am sure you were asked many of these and others as well.  Most I don't mind, others baffle me.  The ones that baffle me the most, I didn't share. 

We have another busy week ahead of us and on Saturday my sister is throwing me a shower!  I am very excited.  I even started packing my hospital bag this week.  I have been scared to do it in fears that she will show up early.  We are pretty excited and it just blows my mind that our due date is only 6 weeks away!  Crazy!  Stay tuned!

32 weeks!

32 weeks and doing great!  I am constantly praying that it continues to go that way!  The last two weeks have gone great, although I am having some new symptoms!

 

We are continuing to go to our prenatal classes on Tuesday evenings.  We had our breastfeeding class during week 31 and it went well.  We learned a lot and continue to hope and pray that breastfeeding will go well for us.  Week 32 brought the first of our 3 childbirth classes.  We had originally had it scheduled for one full day, but had to change it.  We are making the long trek to St. Joseph's hospital in St. Paul, but it is totally worth it.  We are learning a lot and each class makes it more real!  We are going to be going through labor -- this baby has to come out!  Ryan giggled when he pointed out a spot in the book that was geared towards the partner that said, "Don't take anything personally."  Seriously.  :) 

I had another prenatal appointment last week and it went great again.  My blood pressure is still great and I still haven't gone over 10 pounds in weight gain, which is good for me.  I got my Tdap vaccination and my 32 week packet with lots of information as well as information on pre-registering at the hospital.  It is so hard to believe that it will be here soon. 

This week we went to Wisconsin Dells with Sam, Rachelle, and the kids and stayed at the Wilderness.  We had a fun time, but baby sure made it easy for me to take it easy!  On the very few water slides that I was willing to ride, the trek up the steps sure was a lot of work.  I can tell that baby is really starting to grow and take up space inside of me -- and take my breath away!  I tired very easily and took lots of breaks.  

Here are baby stats this week: 

Size of baby: According to the Internet - a large jicama.  Seriously? Who comes up with that stuff?  And what in the heck is that?  Apparently she is around 3 3/4 pounds - 4 pounds and about 16-17 inches long.  She still has lots of growing to do!

Movement: She is a very busy girl and I am loving it!  I feel her movements all of the time.  I feel a lot of her movements up by my left rib cage, but feel them all over as well.  I love watching her move in my tummy too!  What a miracle!

Sleep: I am still not going to complain about sleep!  I am getting it and that is all that matters!  The last 4 nights I have woke up every 2 hours to pee, but I fall back to sleep right away!  Every morning before I get out of bed I wait for a kick or punch from baby girl.  :) 

What I miss:  Not sure. 

Cravings: Pizza.  It is so good.

Symptoms: Week 31 brought a new symptom for me -- Heartburn.  I have never had heartburn in my life.  Ugh -- gross!  I will fall asleep for a little while and then wake up, sitting up fast with a feeling like I am going to puke and nasty taste in my mouth, throat, and chest.  Yuck.  Tums have been my friend.  I also had one night where I woke up with what I am sure was a Braxton Hick contraction.  And of course, the peeing and the charlie horses.  I am still battling a bad cold.  This will be the third week.  That can go away anytime soon!

Maternity Clothes: Nothing has changed here.  Yes, maternity clothes are necessary.  My normal t-shirts are getting tighter by the day. 

Best moment this week: My heart melts when Ryan feels or sees the baby move.  He gets so excited and it just melts my heart.  I get to feel her all day long and the little bit he gets to feel her is just so exciting.  I love it.  

 

 Happy Fall!

 

Week 32!  Not sure if she is as big as that pumpkin yet-- but I feel that way! 

This week will be a fun week.  On Tuesday night we have our second to last childbirth class.  On Tuesday afternoon we are doing something very neat that we will share after we do it!  This weekend my mom is throwing me a baby shower in Grogan.  I am very excited!! It is hard to believe it is getting to be the end of October!  

Week 30! 10 weeks to go!

Yesterday we made it into week 30 which means there are potentially only 10 weeks to go!  It is so hard to believe!  Next weekend marks exactly two months until our due date.  To some that may seem like a long time away, but when you are expecting a new life to come into the world that is your responsibility for the rest of your life... two months isn't long! 

The past two weeks have been great and we have been making quite a bit of progress in the baby world again.  It is going to be non-stop from here out! 

On Sunday I had my first baby shower in Norwood Young America thrown by Rose, Julie, and Ryan's aunts.  It was an awesome shower.  I still can't even believe all of the wonderful gifts that we received and the great support that we have.  It is incredible.  When I got home that evening I took each thing out and showed it to Ryan telling him who it was from, etc.  I felt like it was never ending! 

Here is a photo of all the goodies after I took them out of their bags to show Ryan.  Thank you SO much for the wonderful gifts, cards, good wishes, and just being there for us.  It really does mean so much to us!  We are very thankful. 

The adorable cake made by Rose! Thank you!

My wonderful mother and mother-in-law! 

My great sister-in-law Rachelle! 

On Tuesday night we had our first prenatal class at Amma Parenting in Edina.  It was titled Newborns 101.  The class was good, but I knew a lot of the information from nursing school and taking care of my niece Alaina and Ryan knew a lot from living with his niece and nephew for 8 years as they grew up.  It was kind of comical when we had to go around and introduce ourselves and explain how much interaction we have had with newborns and babies.  All of the men said that they have either A) held a baby once B) never changed a diaper or C) never touched a baby.  Ryan wasn't afraid to mention that he lived with and took care of his niece and nephew from birth to at least 6 years of age, not to mention his own siblings or cousins.  He definitely had the most experience and I wasn't afraid to mention that he has a lot more experience than me!  

Overall, it was a good class and mostly a refresher, but there was a lot of good things pertaining to safety that you can never hear too many times.  Our next class is on Tuesday and it is all about breastfeeding.  Again, I learned all about breastfeeding in nursing school and helped teach mothers how to breastfeed, but when it comes to myself.. well, I don't really know anything and I need the help!  Breastfeeding is going to be challenging and I pray that it will work out for us.  This class will be very helpful for me and even Ryan so that he can help troubleshoot and understand the entire process.  I am very thankful I have a husband (daddy to be) that is so willing to learn and wants to be a part of every step of this.  Thank you Ryan.  

I started putting away all of baby girl's new goodies this week.  Her room is really starting to look like a baby's room with all of the new goodies!  I am in the process of washing everything and putting it away.  This process makes me pretty excited for her arrival.  I even sat down on Friday afternoon and read some of her new books to Baby Girl.  Apparently you're even supposed to be reading to your baby in the womb -- so that is what I was doing! :)  Of course, I couldn't get through "I'll Love You Forever" without crying.  I don't know how my mom read it to us so many times without bawling through the entire thing!  I may have to learn how to control my emotions or maybe it won't be as bad since I won't be pregnant anymore!  :)

As a I was putting stuff away the other night, Buttons wasn't being so helpful.  He knocked over a stack of Baby Girl's new books and decided to sit on them, but he looked oh so cute.  Of course the only thing that I could do was take a picture! :)

 On Thursday of this past week I had my first biweekly prenatal appointment.  I have biweekly prenatal appointments until about 36 weeks and then I will go weekly.  The appointment went great.  Baby sounded great and I explained how much I am loving all of her movements.  I can tell when she is doing a full movement in my belly and when she is just giving me kicks or punches.  She has recently starting using my bladder as a trampoline.  It is kind of annoying, but I'll take it! :)  My blood pressure was right on target at 125/71 and heart rate was great at 81.  Best of all, I have only gained 10 pounds.  The doctor congratulated me and said that they are okay with moms gaining 10 pounds at the halfway point.  Well, I am quite a bit past that and I am doing great.  The pounds will start creeping up over the next few weeks that I get to meet our baby girl. 

I got Rhogam this week since I have A- blood and if Baby Girl has + blood, my antibodies could attack her.  I also received it after my miscarriage and will receive it again after birth to protect any future births.  Ya know what else I got this week?  My flu shot!!  I would encourage you to get yours as well if you haven't yet!  I am urging any family members of ours to receive their flu shots and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) since Baby Girl will be born in the thick of flu and pertussis season.  We want to do what we can to keep her safe.  Ryan is getting his flu shot tomorrow and we will set up an appointment for him to get his Tdap when I get mine in two weeks.  It is very important. 

 

 

Week 30 Baby Stats:

Size of baby: According to the internet she is the size of a large cabbage.  That simile is hard for me.  In normal terms, she is about 17 inches long and over 3 pounds.  She has almost reached her birth length, but she has a long way to go in the developing department.  But really, she is getting big!  She is going to start growing exponentially and my photo above shows it.  I don't want to know what I am going to look like at 39 weeks.  Uffda!  

Movement: Since I really started feeling her big movements, I have began to feel the difference in them.  I know when she is just giving me kicks and punches and I know when she is moving and squirming around in there!   It is fun to SEE her move as well!  Sometimes she kicks right at my bladder and it makes me nervous about what could happen in the future if she keeps that up!  Yesterday I rolled onto my side and she was like a drum in there.  It amazes me every single time!  Sometimes she catches me so off guard with a big kick that it still startles me!  All I have to say -- stay in there baby! 

Sleep: For the most part sleep is still pretty good.  I have been using that body pillow since about 20 weeks and it really is necessary.  I've noticed that sometimes I wake up on my back and I can feel that my heart is racing and I have trouble breathing.  Back to my side I go!  The past week I have also started having to use the bathroom multiple times throughout the night.  That obviously has something to do with her using my bladder as a trampoline! 

What I miss:  Bending over normally?  Seriously, I look like a dip when I bend over.  You can't just bend straight over with a big belly in the way.  Oh, and I still miss sandwiches.  First meal after birth please?  Thank you. 

Cravings:  Cereal.   I always want cereal as a snack. 

Symptoms: Peeing.  I have to pee.  Funny though, I have to pee much more during the night than during the day.  I am starting to get tired easier.  I haven't really started swelling yet (a little in my ankles), but I am nervous each day that I put my wedding ring on.  As soon as I get a hint of swelling that thing is coming off!  I am not about to get that beautiful ring cut off my finger (I had a friend who did)! 

Maternity Clothes: Totally necessary!  And they are comfy.  I have been wearing some of my normal t-shirts, but I definitely stretch them out when I wear them. 

Best moment this week: I have a couple!  Like I mentioned above, my shower was just great.  I am very thankful for everything that we received and all the wonderful people in our lives supporting us.  The next one?  Putting away and "playing" with all these baby goodies.  It is sure getting me excited to finally meet our little one.  It is hard to believe that it won't be long and she will be in our arms, not in my belly.  And finally, hearing her heartbeat at my 29 week, 5 day appointment.  Why it was so neat this time?  It was the first time during my entire pregnancy that I wasn't afraid to go to my appointment or hear (or not hear) her heartbeat.  Will I still be afraid the rest of my pregnancy that something could happen?  Yes, but feeling her move around inside me so much during the day is so reassuring.  

Well, I am off to finish washing and folding Baby Girl's clothes.  They are much more fun to wash and fold than our clothes!   :)  Thanks for your support! 

Welcome to the THIRD Trimester!

You read that right!  We have now officially entered the THIRD trimester and as always, time is flying by!  I am just so happy and thankful that everything has been going so well and I have really been able to enjoy this pregnancy.  Apparently Baby Kuenzel's due date is about 80 days away which seems like a lot.. but it really isn't!  We have SO much going on between now and then that it is going to fly by! 

26 weeks and feeling great! 

At 25 weeks I had another OB appointment - my last appointment before I move to every 2 week appointments!  I was able to hear baby's strong heartbeat again and I talked to my OB about fetal movement.  I was kind of worried because I didn't feel her that much and I didn't know if that was normal or not.  She informed me that I had an anterior placenta (my placenta is in front of the baby) and could be absorbing some of baby's movements.  I also had to do the dreaded one hour glucose test to begin screening for gestational diabetes.  Well, to say the least, I failed.  My sister said it must be a Niemeier thing because she failed too.  Apparently 1/3 of women fail that test.  

So after failing the one hour glucose test you have to take the even more dreaded 3 hour glucose tolerance test.  Ugh.  They make you (a pregnant woman) fast for 12 hours and show up at the lab.  They draw your fasting blood and then make you drink a very sugary drink (100grams of sugar in 100mL).  To make a comparison, I was looking at a bottle of Sunkist yesterday and it had 72grams of sugar in 521mL.  Big difference.  Then they make you sit there for three hours and they check your blood glucose levels at the end of every hour for three hours.  Uff da.  I was pretty antsy and had a hard time just sitting there (I mean, when do I ever sit still?), but I made it through.  The news... I passed!  I do not have gestational diabetes!  As soon as I got into my car I ripped into my peanut butter sandwich I had saved for myself.  Ahhh. :)  

Week 27

27 weeks brought some excitement!  On Friday, the 12th we were at the BP football game and I was getting kicks and punches like I had never felt before!   On Monday night I was laying in bed holding my belly as I had been feeling some more of those strong movements and sure enough, I felt her kick me from the outside!  I couldn't believe it.  I got up and ran out to the living room to tell Ryan and headed back into bed to feel it some more.  Sure enough, she kept it up!  Since then I have been getting lots of kicks, jabs, and punches and I am absolutely loving it.  I can't even begin to explain how amazing this feeling is.  Sometimes she does it so hard and catches me so off guard that it completely startles me!  Ryan makes fun of me because it makes me jump.  I have even been able to SEE her move from the outside.  How cool is that?  A miracle, that's for sure.  As for Ryan, he has yet to feel Baby Girl.  She is playing hide and seek with him at this point.  Ryan and my brother-in-law John have a theory that it is because when they (John would try with his daughter Lainey) would put their hand on the belly it would have such a calming effect that she wouldn't kick and when they take away their hand (the calming effect), the baby gets upset and kicks.  Sure boys, keep your theory. :)  I'll take all the kicking I can get! :)

On Wednesday we had our Family Birth Center tour at Methodist Hospital.  Absolutely incredible!  They just opened their new family birth center last year and it is beautiful.  I have seen labor and delivery units before and this place takes the cake.  From the labor rooms to the recovery rooms, the waiting areas, the equipment, the available options, the security, the proximity of the operating unit on the same floor, as well as the NICU if it is needed.  Not to mention the knowledgeable nurses and staff.  I left that place in awe.  I am so thankful I have been provided the opportunity to give birth to our baby at such a wonderful facility. Ryan was pretty impressed that they have a snack area that he can dig into whenever he wants.  He is going to need it!

We've had a few people wonder why we are giving birth at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.  Lots of "isn't that too far away?"  No.  It is not.  First of all, it is a no-brainer.  I have wonderful insurance through Park Nicollet and will pay $250 for my delivery.  I refuse to go to a different hospital and have to pay more.  Second, the likelihood that I will go into labor during rush hour is lower than other times of the day and I drive to and from work during rush hour every day of the week and it take me tops 45 minutes.  What if it is snowing?  We will cross that bridge when we come to it.  And what if it happens during the 9.5 hours of the day, 5 days of the week that I am at work?  Well, then I just need to drive down Excelsior Blvd and I will be at Methodist Hospital in 5 minutes! :)  Honestly, this is what Ryan is hoping for!  I am a little nervous that my water will break during a surgery or something.  Oh well, we will cross that bridge when we come to it and through some way and some how.. I will get somewhere to give birth! :) 

28 weeks- third trimester!!  Don't worry, that blanket and pillows in the crib will not stay there.  They are just for show right now and will move to the rocker recliner soon enough.  

So that brings us to today!  Today we are 28 weeks, 1 day and tomorrow is our 2nd wedding anniversary!!  Ryan left about an hour ago to spend the week up in Thief River Falls at Arctic Cat school.  It will be a lonely week without him, but I got my little baby kicking me all the time to keep me company (not to mention Buttons).  I am going to stay busy with work, finish up cleaning the house, getting up to date on my pregnancy scrapbook, and working on a wedding scrapbook for my best friend.  

These next 80 days are going to FLY by!  We are going to the Wild game on Saturday night with Russell and Meghan and my mother-in-law and Ryan's aunts are throwing me my first baby shower on Sunday.  The following two Tuesday evenings we have two prenatal classes and will learn all about breastfeeding and newborn care.  On Oct. 12 we have an all day prenatal class learning about childbirth, over MEA we are going with Sam and Rachelle and the kids to the Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells, and the last Saturday in October my mom is throwing me another baby shower.  Not to mention we've got to fit in going to the apple orchard with our niece Alaina sometime in there! :)  November will bring another baby shower, hunting for Ryan, Thanksgiving, and lots of getting ready for baby!  

I am so excited, but I am getting very nervous too!  I had a little freakout moment with Ryan the other night and I just kept telling him, "somehow, someway, this baby has to come out of me!"  But for now, please stay in there and keep cooking! :)  I just keep praying it all continues to go well.  We sure have a lot to be thankful for!