Soooo...our couples baby shower is tomorrow and I CANNOT wait!! I've been excited since Steff called me back in July to toss the idea around. I love that Jer and I get to share in this together. Afterall, this is our baby...not just mine! Why should I get to open all the presents and eat all the cake by myself? Steff and everyone have put a lot of hard work into everything. She's even put up with me saying I wanted to be surprised, but asking a lot of questions she couldn't really answer if I truly wanted to be surprised. I'm a pregnant pain in the butt! Thanks Steff ;) But before we are truly ready for the shower...we have a few things to do. So today Jer and I decided to take some time off work. He took the day and I decided to work a half day from home. We have lots of things on our to-do list. I can't wait to finish up some small details in the nursery, like hanging blinds and getting some of our baby clothes in the dresser. Stay tuned. I'll be posting nursery pics soon. I'm also looking forward to getting a couple scrapbooks in order to put on display. It's going to be a blast and neither of us can wait to see all our friends and family tomorrow!
Happy Friday :)
January 23, 2009
Eagle Watching
This past Saturday Jer and I got to enjoy spending a relaxing morning with my parents - The Lambie's . We all got up relatively early, for a Saturday, and Mom & Dad took us to Piasa Harbor to get a Big Weekend Breakfast! Afterwards, Baby Linley got his/her first taste of a long standing tradition in my family! We took a drive to look for eagles, both Immature and Mature (ask David for further explanation). Yes - We are the crazy people driving up and down the River Road looking to see if we can spot one of those gracious and beautiful birds.
We drove down the Great River Road, across to Lincoln Shields, and then over towards the Lock and Dam. We saw a ton of them out on the ice and a few soaring above us. But we never really got a good look at any up close until we took off down the Berm (Route 143) . There, Dad spotted one and pulled off near the bike path along the levee . We were able to walk down a trail to the river and follow it. We watched it soaring right above us. I think it might even have landed in the trees right above us, but we were loud and scared it off. What a fabulous improtu Saturday morning adventure!
January 22, 2009
30 Week Check-Up :
Last Friday, I had our 30-week check-up. Since Jer had to work, my Mom said that she would like to come with me to this appointment.
At this visit, we learned that the baby is nearly 3.5 or possibly 4 pounds, already – which Dr. Talsky says is big for this stage in the game. No wonder I am hungry ALL the time! When we listened to the heartbeat, the baby was very active causing the heart rate to go up and down. It fluctuated between 130 and 160 beats per minute. Dr. Talsky explained that this type of fluctuation is what they like to see. Apparently, the change in heart rate means the baby has good blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Good news!
Again, Dr. Talsky was impressed with my belly. I’m measuring 32 weeks, which is still just slightly ahead of where I should be measuring at this point. He made more of his famous comments. Starting with, “Wow. Look at that big belly looking up at me,” and “Everything is going wonderfully. We’re just a little ahead of schedule on the baby size.” If I had a dime for every time he said “big baby”, I’d be rich! Knowing us, we’ll have a 6-lb skinny pee-wee and I'll go a week over my due date. Right now, with the way Dr. Talsky is acting, I’m expecting a toddler to come walking out!
He told me because everything looked great and I was doing so well, we could wait another 3 weeks for our next appointment. So, we go again on February 6th. He said at this point, we have to make it at least 6 more weeks without going into labor. Since I haven’t really had anything I’d classify as a real contraction, I’m guessing that shouldn’t be too hard to do. We'll see as the weeks go by. He told me to get 9 - 10 hours of sleep a night and do a lot of relaxing. And since I’m knee deep in Twilight, I think I can handle those orders!
All in all, it was our shortest, fastest visit and Mom & I were munching on taco wraps at the mall by 1:45. I left feeling very relieved and motivated to keep on chugging!
At this visit, we learned that the baby is nearly 3.5 or possibly 4 pounds, already – which Dr. Talsky says is big for this stage in the game. No wonder I am hungry ALL the time! When we listened to the heartbeat, the baby was very active causing the heart rate to go up and down. It fluctuated between 130 and 160 beats per minute. Dr. Talsky explained that this type of fluctuation is what they like to see. Apparently, the change in heart rate means the baby has good blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Good news!
Again, Dr. Talsky was impressed with my belly. I’m measuring 32 weeks, which is still just slightly ahead of where I should be measuring at this point. He made more of his famous comments. Starting with, “Wow. Look at that big belly looking up at me,” and “Everything is going wonderfully. We’re just a little ahead of schedule on the baby size.” If I had a dime for every time he said “big baby”, I’d be rich! Knowing us, we’ll have a 6-lb skinny pee-wee and I'll go a week over my due date. Right now, with the way Dr. Talsky is acting, I’m expecting a toddler to come walking out!
He told me because everything looked great and I was doing so well, we could wait another 3 weeks for our next appointment. So, we go again on February 6th. He said at this point, we have to make it at least 6 more weeks without going into labor. Since I haven’t really had anything I’d classify as a real contraction, I’m guessing that shouldn’t be too hard to do. We'll see as the weeks go by. He told me to get 9 - 10 hours of sleep a night and do a lot of relaxing. And since I’m knee deep in Twilight, I think I can handle those orders!
All in all, it was our shortest, fastest visit and Mom & I were munching on taco wraps at the mall by 1:45. I left feeling very relieved and motivated to keep on chugging!
January 20, 2009
Childbirth Classes - Week 3:
Last night we went to week 3 of our childbirth classes at SAHC. It was a good night and very informational!
We started with a tour of the Women's Pavilion. It was a quick tour, and I was a little disappointed b/c the nursery had just sent all the recent babies home, so it was empty. But she informed us that they had two women pushing at that very moment, so there would be two new babies born last night! How exciting :-) We learned all about the crib warmers, what happens to the babies when they come to the nursery, and other important things like what happens to sick babies when they can't care for them there. She also showed us an exam room where they check you out before admitting you to a birthing room. And finally she showed us the birthing rooms. They are very spacious and cozy. Seeing the room put a lot of things at ease in my mind, but also made me realize how very real this all really is. Wow - This is going to be me in a few short weeks! At least I know I'm in good hands, and will be in a nice relaxing space!
After the tour we took our CPR lesson. We watched a video and learned how to give chest compressions and breaths to a non-responsive child.
We also learned about how to help a choking child. Jer and I each got to take turns practicing our skills. It was sort of scary after thinking about the fact that neither one of us has had much first-hand knowledge of CPR, much less, Infant CPR and child choking hazards. But it's definitely a great thing to learn! And we would recommend learning it to anyone.
For more information on CPR check out this link from the Red Cross.
We started with a tour of the Women's Pavilion. It was a quick tour, and I was a little disappointed b/c the nursery had just sent all the recent babies home, so it was empty. But she informed us that they had two women pushing at that very moment, so there would be two new babies born last night! How exciting :-) We learned all about the crib warmers, what happens to the babies when they come to the nursery, and other important things like what happens to sick babies when they can't care for them there. She also showed us an exam room where they check you out before admitting you to a birthing room. And finally she showed us the birthing rooms. They are very spacious and cozy. Seeing the room put a lot of things at ease in my mind, but also made me realize how very real this all really is. Wow - This is going to be me in a few short weeks! At least I know I'm in good hands, and will be in a nice relaxing space!
After the tour we took our CPR lesson. We watched a video and learned how to give chest compressions and breaths to a non-responsive child.
We also learned about how to help a choking child. Jer and I each got to take turns practicing our skills. It was sort of scary after thinking about the fact that neither one of us has had much first-hand knowledge of CPR, much less, Infant CPR and child choking hazards. But it's definitely a great thing to learn! And we would recommend learning it to anyone.
For more information on CPR check out this link from the Red Cross.
January 18, 2009
You gotta get away from me...I'm gonna do it too! I'm gonna do it too!
Childbirth Classes - Week 2
Holy Smokes! Last night’s class got interesting! From the empathy belly to the videos everyone warns you about, we realized last week she was just easing us into all of this. This week, however, she laid all the cards on the table.
We managed to stroll in early b/c we didn’t forget anything this week. Nice! It was weird because the class size was considerably smaller than the week before. Boy it's a shame because this week was kicked off by Jer in an empathy belly. It was quite a sight! Cheryl our nurse and instructor, filled the belly with 2 five pound weights, a hot water bottle, and a sand bag to add weight. Total weight is around 35pounds. Jer was such a good sport. She wrapped a hospital gown around him and made him stand there and sweat as she explained to him what his partner is more than likely going through. Before he was relieved of the body suit, she had us stand belly to belly for a picture. It was a priceless! There he stood, the only guy in the room who would try on the empathy belly. See below for a picture. Bare with us, it's a polaroid the instructor had at the class! But it’s still a classic!
After the hilarity was over, we got a slideshow reviewing the stages of labor and other pertinent information. Some was new and some was from the week before. There was a lot of info, but I feel like a lot of it is slowly sinking in. We learned about what contractions feel like, what to expect as labor progresses, how far along they want you to be when they give you an epidural. She also informed each of us that we should have our hospital bag packed. OMG! Already? I about fell out of my chair. But I guess I need to realize it is closer than we think! After the slideshow we watched a 45 minute video of 3 different deliveries. The deliveries were all different with different women. These videos were much more graphic than the week before. I was so proud because Jer made it through all three without a problem. It’s not something either of us had a blast watching, but I think it gave us a better idea of what to expect!
After the video we did some more breathing techniques. Jer helped me with timing a few contractions. We messed up a few and I was getting kicked during a few…which she said is a great way to learn to concentrate on what we're doing. I don’t know if we have it down…and I don’t know if all of the techniques will help me through…but something to focus on is the most important part. After breathing, we got a full demonstration of push positions and all the variations of things that the nurses will do to try to help you while you’re pushing. It was hard not to laugh…luckily we weren’t the only ones. It didn’t help that one lady told a story about throwing up while she was pushing…and the doctor literally had to catch the baby. So the nurses tip was…If you’re gonna throw up during labor, do it during a contraction, while you’re pushing. Thanks for that. I’ll make sure to work on it!
My favorite part of the night was when we got home and Jer talked to me about the whole throwing up during labor thing. Knowing me, I might puke a time or two. He then proceeded to reenact the scene from Four Christmases where Reese Witherspoon gets puked on and Vince Vaughn runs around saying “You have to get away from me. I’m gonna do it too. I’m gonna do it too!” What a night…
Holy Smokes! Last night’s class got interesting! From the empathy belly to the videos everyone warns you about, we realized last week she was just easing us into all of this. This week, however, she laid all the cards on the table.
We managed to stroll in early b/c we didn’t forget anything this week. Nice! It was weird because the class size was considerably smaller than the week before. Boy it's a shame because this week was kicked off by Jer in an empathy belly. It was quite a sight! Cheryl our nurse and instructor, filled the belly with 2 five pound weights, a hot water bottle, and a sand bag to add weight. Total weight is around 35pounds. Jer was such a good sport. She wrapped a hospital gown around him and made him stand there and sweat as she explained to him what his partner is more than likely going through. Before he was relieved of the body suit, she had us stand belly to belly for a picture. It was a priceless! There he stood, the only guy in the room who would try on the empathy belly. See below for a picture. Bare with us, it's a polaroid the instructor had at the class! But it’s still a classic!
After the hilarity was over, we got a slideshow reviewing the stages of labor and other pertinent information. Some was new and some was from the week before. There was a lot of info, but I feel like a lot of it is slowly sinking in. We learned about what contractions feel like, what to expect as labor progresses, how far along they want you to be when they give you an epidural. She also informed each of us that we should have our hospital bag packed. OMG! Already? I about fell out of my chair. But I guess I need to realize it is closer than we think! After the slideshow we watched a 45 minute video of 3 different deliveries. The deliveries were all different with different women. These videos were much more graphic than the week before. I was so proud because Jer made it through all three without a problem. It’s not something either of us had a blast watching, but I think it gave us a better idea of what to expect!
After the video we did some more breathing techniques. Jer helped me with timing a few contractions. We messed up a few and I was getting kicked during a few…which she said is a great way to learn to concentrate on what we're doing. I don’t know if we have it down…and I don’t know if all of the techniques will help me through…but something to focus on is the most important part. After breathing, we got a full demonstration of push positions and all the variations of things that the nurses will do to try to help you while you’re pushing. It was hard not to laugh…luckily we weren’t the only ones. It didn’t help that one lady told a story about throwing up while she was pushing…and the doctor literally had to catch the baby. So the nurses tip was…If you’re gonna throw up during labor, do it during a contraction, while you’re pushing. Thanks for that. I’ll make sure to work on it!
My favorite part of the night was when we got home and Jer talked to me about the whole throwing up during labor thing. Knowing me, I might puke a time or two. He then proceeded to reenact the scene from Four Christmases where Reese Witherspoon gets puked on and Vince Vaughn runs around saying “You have to get away from me. I’m gonna do it too. I’m gonna do it too!” What a night…
Pregnancy Pics
Jer and I mention time and again that our life is full of blessings. God has seen to it that we have wonderful caring people surrounding us everyday. For this we are always grateful. We only hope we can return the favor…and that in small ways are able to return the blessings to those we love!
Having a baby has made us feel more blessed that ever! For one of our pregnancy gifts, we were a given pregnancy picture session with Steph’s Photography. This gift was given to us by Bryan and Steff Cincoski. As I mentioned in past posts, these two make up the other half of "The Linoski’s". They are like family to us and we can’t wait to introduce our baby to Uncle Bryan and Aunt Steff. Knowing them has enriched our lives. They are kind-hearted and just wonderful people!
So from Jer, Jess and Baby Linley, thanks Aunt Steff and Uncle Bryan, for making it possible for us to document this very special time in our lives.
Check a few of our favorite shots from the shoot below.
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For more information about the photographer, you can find her on MySpace.
Steff also has her own blog. Check it out!
Having a baby has made us feel more blessed that ever! For one of our pregnancy gifts, we were a given pregnancy picture session with Steph’s Photography. This gift was given to us by Bryan and Steff Cincoski. As I mentioned in past posts, these two make up the other half of "The Linoski’s". They are like family to us and we can’t wait to introduce our baby to Uncle Bryan and Aunt Steff. Knowing them has enriched our lives. They are kind-hearted and just wonderful people!
So from Jer, Jess and Baby Linley, thanks Aunt Steff and Uncle Bryan, for making it possible for us to document this very special time in our lives.
Check a few of our favorite shots from the shoot below.
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For more information about the photographer, you can find her on MySpace.
Steff also has her own blog. Check it out!
I've been Tagged!!
My best friend Steff has tagged me!
Here's how it works:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 2 to 5 sentences, along with these rules.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual book. Pick the CLOSEST!
6. Tag five other people to do the same!
The closest book to me just so happens to be Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Well it was that or the phone book??
The following is from the 5th sentence on.
"I didn't even have time to close my eyes. Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the ice blacktop, and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement behind the tan car I'd park next to. But I didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming."
I happen to be nearly finished with the first of this book series. A friend at work turned me onto them. I'm hooked and can't wait to see where it takes me! So I guess I'm joining the Twilight craze! For more information on the series check out this link.
I'm tagging April because I don't have a ton of blogger friends and most have already been tagged!!
Here's how it works:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 2 to 5 sentences, along with these rules.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual book. Pick the CLOSEST!
6. Tag five other people to do the same!
The closest book to me just so happens to be Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Well it was that or the phone book??
The following is from the 5th sentence on.
"I didn't even have time to close my eyes. Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the ice blacktop, and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement behind the tan car I'd park next to. But I didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming."
I happen to be nearly finished with the first of this book series. A friend at work turned me onto them. I'm hooked and can't wait to see where it takes me! So I guess I'm joining the Twilight craze! For more information on the series check out this link.
I'm tagging April because I don't have a ton of blogger friends and most have already been tagged!!
January 9, 2009
Evaluating Pregnancy so Far:
So I decided that I wanted to take an inventory of my pregnancy…and rather than wait until I’m knee deep in diapers or when I hit that 38 week mark and am suddenly not motivated to do anything but eat bonbons and put my feet up…I thought I might do it now…while some things are still fresh in my mind. I started a mental tally of things I wanted to remember about being pregnant some time back. They range from my favorite moments so far, to the most surprising things I’ve found, and even includes what’s been annoying, etc. So…if nothing else, I wanted to put this somewhere in my memory bank as a reminder of this time in my life. So somehow the things I thought and felt would be here for me to look back on. And when our daughter (if we are blessed with one) asks me what it was like for me, I can say…here you go! Read this!
My favorite moments so far:
Seeing the pregnancy test turn positive
The way we told our loved ones we were pregnant. (Check out Steff’s blog for a picture and story)
My first pair of maternity jeans and how amazing I felt watching the bump grow
Feeling the baby kick for the first time
The look on Jer’s face when he felt the baby kick for the first time…hilarious!
The look on Steff’s face the first time she felt the baby kick…also hilarious!
Getting the first pictures of our baby
Deciding not to find out the sex
Putting together our baby’s crib
Seeing the crib in our baby’s room
Feeling the baby move everyday – my little reminder of what a miracle it is
Watching Jer be more loving with me than ever
Getting pictures taken together
The extra phone calls from Mom about how I’m feeling
Being hungry and cleaning my plate
How not being able to reach my feet very well has been a fabulous excuse for a mani/pedi session ;)
Steff calling me Baby Momma and Jer Baby Daddy
Peanut butter cup blizzards with chocolate ice cream
Falling in love with Jer all over again
Things that have annoyed me:
That everyone has to share their horror stories with you
That people actually feel like they have the right to talk to me about my weight
That people actually feel like they have the right to talk to me about my diet
That I outgrew my favorite pair of maternity jeans
That I’m getting a double chin and an outty
That I get winded just walking up our stairs
That I miss sleeping on my stomach
Waking up at 3am and staying awake till 4:30am for NO reason
Waking up at 1am, 3am, 5:30am to go the bathroom
How everyone says, “Just you wait. You have no idea what you’re in for.” (Hi. We had some clue or we wouldn’t have done it.)
Things that have surprised me:
How big my stomach has gotten
That’s it’s only going to get bigger
That I could love someone I’ve never met so much
How much I miss my favorite pair of worn out jeans
How good my bed can feel at the end of a long day
That until now, I could ever clean my plate twice in one day like I did at Thanksgiving
How much I hate giving blood and it hasn’t changed just b/c I have to
That I would feel the need to cry at the craziest things
That Taco Bell could give me such bad heartburn
That Buffalo Wild Wings could give me even worse heartburn
That 4 Tums Smoothies would make all heartburn stop
That I’m measuring a few weeks bigger than I actually am
How nervous I am about staying at the hospital
How nervous Jer is for the whole entire labor and delivery thing
How much I love Filet Mignon
How much stronger my marriage has gotten
How much patience my husband has
Other things that make up a Misc. List:
I love the way Jer laughs at me when I’m hungry and mention getting ice cream or eating again
I love the way I can see my stomach move when the baby moves
I love that Jer read crib ratings out loud to me and the baby when we first found out the baby could hear us talking
I love the fact that Jer even read crib ratings and car seat ratings and pack n play ratings at all
We’re blessed b/c we were able to purchase the crib and dresser we wanted brand new!
I love that Jer helps me take off my shoes at the end of a long day when I’m too tired to do it myself.
I love that even though I don’t love everything I wear, I’ve been blessed enough to go shopping a bunch and find lots of fun cute clothes to dress up the bump!
And I absolutley love that we have friends and family around us who are as excited as we are to meet the newest edition to the Linley clan!
I’m sure there are more than just these…but it’s a good start…and makes for some nice reflection! Thanks for reading!
My favorite moments so far:
Seeing the pregnancy test turn positive
The way we told our loved ones we were pregnant. (Check out Steff’s blog for a picture and story)
My first pair of maternity jeans and how amazing I felt watching the bump grow
Feeling the baby kick for the first time
The look on Jer’s face when he felt the baby kick for the first time…hilarious!
The look on Steff’s face the first time she felt the baby kick…also hilarious!
Getting the first pictures of our baby
Deciding not to find out the sex
Putting together our baby’s crib
Seeing the crib in our baby’s room
Feeling the baby move everyday – my little reminder of what a miracle it is
Watching Jer be more loving with me than ever
Getting pictures taken together
The extra phone calls from Mom about how I’m feeling
Being hungry and cleaning my plate
How not being able to reach my feet very well has been a fabulous excuse for a mani/pedi session ;)
Steff calling me Baby Momma and Jer Baby Daddy
Peanut butter cup blizzards with chocolate ice cream
Falling in love with Jer all over again
Things that have annoyed me:
That everyone has to share their horror stories with you
That people actually feel like they have the right to talk to me about my weight
That people actually feel like they have the right to talk to me about my diet
That I outgrew my favorite pair of maternity jeans
That I’m getting a double chin and an outty
That I get winded just walking up our stairs
That I miss sleeping on my stomach
Waking up at 3am and staying awake till 4:30am for NO reason
Waking up at 1am, 3am, 5:30am to go the bathroom
How everyone says, “Just you wait. You have no idea what you’re in for.” (Hi. We had some clue or we wouldn’t have done it.)
Things that have surprised me:
How big my stomach has gotten
That’s it’s only going to get bigger
That I could love someone I’ve never met so much
How much I miss my favorite pair of worn out jeans
How good my bed can feel at the end of a long day
That until now, I could ever clean my plate twice in one day like I did at Thanksgiving
How much I hate giving blood and it hasn’t changed just b/c I have to
That I would feel the need to cry at the craziest things
That Taco Bell could give me such bad heartburn
That Buffalo Wild Wings could give me even worse heartburn
That 4 Tums Smoothies would make all heartburn stop
That I’m measuring a few weeks bigger than I actually am
How nervous I am about staying at the hospital
How nervous Jer is for the whole entire labor and delivery thing
How much I love Filet Mignon
How much stronger my marriage has gotten
How much patience my husband has
Other things that make up a Misc. List:
I love the way Jer laughs at me when I’m hungry and mention getting ice cream or eating again
I love the way I can see my stomach move when the baby moves
I love that Jer read crib ratings out loud to me and the baby when we first found out the baby could hear us talking
I love the fact that Jer even read crib ratings and car seat ratings and pack n play ratings at all
We’re blessed b/c we were able to purchase the crib and dresser we wanted brand new!
I love that Jer helps me take off my shoes at the end of a long day when I’m too tired to do it myself.
I love that even though I don’t love everything I wear, I’ve been blessed enough to go shopping a bunch and find lots of fun cute clothes to dress up the bump!
And I absolutley love that we have friends and family around us who are as excited as we are to meet the newest edition to the Linley clan!
I’m sure there are more than just these…but it’s a good start…and makes for some nice reflection! Thanks for reading!
January 6, 2009
Childbirth Classes – Week 1
Monday night began our first week in childbirth classes. The classes are held at 7pm and go for 2 hours. There are six classes in total. 7 if I decide to attend the breast-feeding class. I’m still on the fence on this issue (please no one hunt me down and tell me what a horrible person I am for even considering not breastfeeding).
Anyway the night was full of information. From labor and delivery expectations to diagrams of the baby as it grows we saw lots of pictures and got a whole new perspective on what it means to have a baby growing in your belly. We took in more facts than we could possibly remember! The nurse running our class was funny, upbeat and very positive. Jer was dreading the movie, but it turned out to be just fine! He didn’t even turn green! I was proud!
After the movie, we learned two breathing techniques. It was something both Jeremy and I were unprepared for and honestly a little nervous about doing in front of 20 other people. I think Jeremy is nervous about coaching me in general because he's not sure what to expect, but he did great. Like everything else we’ve done our lives, it’s a challenge and always bonds us in new ways. We learned about cleansing breaths and two ways to keep my breathing slow and steady while I’m having contractions. By the time we left Jer was counting my breaths and timing pretend contractions - they last anywhere from 45 to 90 seconds. Let me tell you it doesn't seem like a long time until someone times and counts the breaths you take. Try it! It seems like forever! The nurse gave great tips on things to say to laboring moms. I think I’ll be in good hands with Jer as my coach and the nurses at Saint Anthony’s to take care of us both! We left at 9pm on the nose. Jer was quiet for a little while on the way home. I think it hit both of us just what a miracle it is, and just how much work it’s going to be. When we left I was feeling more excited and more prepared for everything ahead of us in the next several weeks! Wish us luck on week 2!
Anyway the night was full of information. From labor and delivery expectations to diagrams of the baby as it grows we saw lots of pictures and got a whole new perspective on what it means to have a baby growing in your belly. We took in more facts than we could possibly remember! The nurse running our class was funny, upbeat and very positive. Jer was dreading the movie, but it turned out to be just fine! He didn’t even turn green! I was proud!
After the movie, we learned two breathing techniques. It was something both Jeremy and I were unprepared for and honestly a little nervous about doing in front of 20 other people. I think Jeremy is nervous about coaching me in general because he's not sure what to expect, but he did great. Like everything else we’ve done our lives, it’s a challenge and always bonds us in new ways. We learned about cleansing breaths and two ways to keep my breathing slow and steady while I’m having contractions. By the time we left Jer was counting my breaths and timing pretend contractions - they last anywhere from 45 to 90 seconds. Let me tell you it doesn't seem like a long time until someone times and counts the breaths you take. Try it! It seems like forever! The nurse gave great tips on things to say to laboring moms. I think I’ll be in good hands with Jer as my coach and the nurses at Saint Anthony’s to take care of us both! We left at 9pm on the nose. Jer was quiet for a little while on the way home. I think it hit both of us just what a miracle it is, and just how much work it’s going to be. When we left I was feeling more excited and more prepared for everything ahead of us in the next several weeks! Wish us luck on week 2!
Christmas 2008
I have noticed a recurring theme when talking to those I know about the holidays. The question usually is “How was your Christmas?” And the typical answer this year has been “Great, but chaotic. We were just non-stop! ” When looking back at our holiday, it seems as though the same held very true for us! But Steff said something to me that hit home. “It’s better to have everywhere to go, than no where to go!” So chaos and all, we had a fabulous 2008 Holiday Season. Here’s a recap!
We kicked off our holiday with a Christmas Eve get together at Aunt Jenni and Uncle Doug’s. We always have a wonderful time with lots of good memories. We started a new tradition of Rob Your Neighbor last year and that provides for lots of laughs! The boys cap off the night with some poker and Jer’s favorite drink of Moose’s Milk. We were there till almost 11pm. I love the tradition and the festive feeling of this get together. We made a train to follow each other home from Swansea. I got a Merry Christmas good night kiss just as the clock turned midnight!
The next morning we got up and made some muffins. We headed over to Jer’s Dad’s at 10am. We had a relaxing, lazy morning in our sweats with Dad, Stacey, Casey, Jackie, Paul and Jonnie and April! After munching on some snacks we opened gifts! We got Mike a GPS this year. I think he really liked it! We headed out of there around 2:30pm. We went home and opened our gifts and got cleaned up to head over to my Mom and Dad’s. It’s always fun to go home on Christmas Day! Though our traditions have changed, the house feels the same way to me. We opened gifts and watched Dad rip out old records to play on his new Vinyl to CD recorder we bought for him and Mom. We ate dinner and headed out to see Marley and Me. We decided we would like to try to see a movie on Christmas Day again. It was something we always did when I was younger. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea! Marley and Me was sold out. We ended up seeing Yes Man. What a great pick! It was a funny, refreshing movie and a great way to close out our Christmas Day!
The next day Jer and I got up and pulled down all of our Christmas decorations. We packed up our bags and got the house ready for Josh to house sit (thanks again Josh!) and we headed up North for our annual Walnut Christmas festivities. The weather didn’t want to cooperate, but we’ve come to understand that when we go to Walnut in December, we always hit some sort of weather anomaly. This year on Christmas Day it was something like 0 degrees with 14 inches of snow in Walnut. The next day when we were traveling, the temps warmed up to a balmy 55 and the snow quickly melted. It made for the densest fog we’ve ever driven in! 6 hours later Jer and I made it to his Grandparents. I almost kissed the driveway! The next 2 days were full of family time. We visited with his Grandma and Grandpa, his aunt and uncle, and made the trip to Wisconsin to see his Great-Grandma Linley. Sunday we did our gift exchange, ate a yummy lunch and hit the road. It’s a whirlwind weekend, but we always enjoy the time with family!
Our Holiday 2008 season came to a close with a low key New Years Eve and an exciting New Years Day. Well a low key New Year’s Eve is what we had planned anyway. I had grand plans to sit in front of a fire with a couple good movies and snacks. It was the first year we didn’t do a house party with family and friends, but I was looking forward to the time with Jer. The evening didn’t quite go how we planned. Over the weekend while we were in Walnut, we got 3 inches of rain. Apparently our basement couldn’t handle it, and we ended up with an inch of standing water. By New Years Eve it was apparent it wasn’t going to drain…so I made the call to Roto-Rooter. They came out about 3pm to unclog our basement drain. 3 hours later, with 2 hours of Jer’s help, our basement was no longer flooded! Our New Year’s Eve didn’t get started until around 8:30pm…a little later than I planned…but we enjoyed some delicious food and good T.V. So it was uneventful or eventful depending on your definition, but we were together and our basement was un-flooded. New Years Day brought us a fun relaxing day together! We headed to Baby’s R Us to purchase our nursery furniture. We couldn’t have been more excited! Mom and Dad joined us and treated us to lunch at Long Horn. We ordered our furniture and then wandered around the Mills until Marley and Me started at 5pm. It was a fun and fabulous way to kick off 2009.
Happy New Years Everyone! May 2009 bring you blessings in abundance!
We kicked off our holiday with a Christmas Eve get together at Aunt Jenni and Uncle Doug’s. We always have a wonderful time with lots of good memories. We started a new tradition of Rob Your Neighbor last year and that provides for lots of laughs! The boys cap off the night with some poker and Jer’s favorite drink of Moose’s Milk. We were there till almost 11pm. I love the tradition and the festive feeling of this get together. We made a train to follow each other home from Swansea. I got a Merry Christmas good night kiss just as the clock turned midnight!
The next morning we got up and made some muffins. We headed over to Jer’s Dad’s at 10am. We had a relaxing, lazy morning in our sweats with Dad, Stacey, Casey, Jackie, Paul and Jonnie and April! After munching on some snacks we opened gifts! We got Mike a GPS this year. I think he really liked it! We headed out of there around 2:30pm. We went home and opened our gifts and got cleaned up to head over to my Mom and Dad’s. It’s always fun to go home on Christmas Day! Though our traditions have changed, the house feels the same way to me. We opened gifts and watched Dad rip out old records to play on his new Vinyl to CD recorder we bought for him and Mom. We ate dinner and headed out to see Marley and Me. We decided we would like to try to see a movie on Christmas Day again. It was something we always did when I was younger. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea! Marley and Me was sold out. We ended up seeing Yes Man. What a great pick! It was a funny, refreshing movie and a great way to close out our Christmas Day!
The next day Jer and I got up and pulled down all of our Christmas decorations. We packed up our bags and got the house ready for Josh to house sit (thanks again Josh!) and we headed up North for our annual Walnut Christmas festivities. The weather didn’t want to cooperate, but we’ve come to understand that when we go to Walnut in December, we always hit some sort of weather anomaly. This year on Christmas Day it was something like 0 degrees with 14 inches of snow in Walnut. The next day when we were traveling, the temps warmed up to a balmy 55 and the snow quickly melted. It made for the densest fog we’ve ever driven in! 6 hours later Jer and I made it to his Grandparents. I almost kissed the driveway! The next 2 days were full of family time. We visited with his Grandma and Grandpa, his aunt and uncle, and made the trip to Wisconsin to see his Great-Grandma Linley. Sunday we did our gift exchange, ate a yummy lunch and hit the road. It’s a whirlwind weekend, but we always enjoy the time with family!
Our Holiday 2008 season came to a close with a low key New Years Eve and an exciting New Years Day. Well a low key New Year’s Eve is what we had planned anyway. I had grand plans to sit in front of a fire with a couple good movies and snacks. It was the first year we didn’t do a house party with family and friends, but I was looking forward to the time with Jer. The evening didn’t quite go how we planned. Over the weekend while we were in Walnut, we got 3 inches of rain. Apparently our basement couldn’t handle it, and we ended up with an inch of standing water. By New Years Eve it was apparent it wasn’t going to drain…so I made the call to Roto-Rooter. They came out about 3pm to unclog our basement drain. 3 hours later, with 2 hours of Jer’s help, our basement was no longer flooded! Our New Year’s Eve didn’t get started until around 8:30pm…a little later than I planned…but we enjoyed some delicious food and good T.V. So it was uneventful or eventful depending on your definition, but we were together and our basement was un-flooded. New Years Day brought us a fun relaxing day together! We headed to Baby’s R Us to purchase our nursery furniture. We couldn’t have been more excited! Mom and Dad joined us and treated us to lunch at Long Horn. We ordered our furniture and then wandered around the Mills until Marley and Me started at 5pm. It was a fun and fabulous way to kick off 2009.
Happy New Years Everyone! May 2009 bring you blessings in abundance!
January 2, 2009
The 7 Month Mark
Christmas Eve Jer and I went for our 7 month check-up. This check-up had the potential to bring us all sorts of news! This month I was scheduled to do my glucose screening. That was a load of fun! I went back into the lab and had the choice between orange or fruit punch glucola. It looked like those Rainbow brand fruit drinks you get at the grocery store. I chose orange. It essentially wasn’t much different than drinking flat orange soda...maybe a little sweeter. The fun part was chugging this 12oz bottle of sugary orange flavored water in front of the nurse, then waiting an hour for them to draw blood and do some testing. I haven't heard back from the office on my glucose levels so I am assuming no news is good news! After the glucola chugging, Jer and I went to the waiting room to wait for Dr. Talsky. The office was busy, but much less chaotic than some of our other appointments. We saw Dr. Talsky in record time. That’s when we awaited the big news. Was I still measuring ahead? Did that mean twins? If not, then what did it mean? My head was spinning and I was so ready to figure out what was going on! We went over our usual stuff, then proceeded to the measuring. I measured 30 weeks. This week’s check up put me at 27 weeks to the day. So about 3 weeks ahead. He measured a few times to double check his tape and felt around on my stomach quite a bit to get a feel for the positioning of the baby. He ruled out the idea of twins and then we listened to the heartbeat. Essentially we have a very healthy, nearly 3 pound baby that is doing spectacularly well! Dr. Talsky said everything was going great and to keep doing what I’m doing. I was relieved because he meant everything…from my weight gain to my blood pressure. When we left, we couldn’t have been happier. Our pregnancy was going along wonderfully and we have ONE healthy growing baby! What relief and a blessing! It’s the best Christmas present we got this year.
We see Dr. Talsky again January 16th at 1pm. Our bi-weekly appointments begin after that. We also start Child Birth classes on January 5th. I’m looking forward to a guaranteed evening with Jer for 6 straight weeks. We have a lot coming up! Baby Linley is going to be here before we know it!
We see Dr. Talsky again January 16th at 1pm. Our bi-weekly appointments begin after that. We also start Child Birth classes on January 5th. I’m looking forward to a guaranteed evening with Jer for 6 straight weeks. We have a lot coming up! Baby Linley is going to be here before we know it!
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