Noah is officially four weeks old already. It is hard to believe that almost a month ago I was in labor and anxiously awaiting the announcement of what sex our baby was. And now I couldn't imagine not having Noah in my life on the outside. Maternity leave and adjusting to motherhood has been easy. I know I was meant to be his mom. The only tough thing has been breastfeeding. No one tells you that it might not come easy. Due to my hemmoraging and episiotomy, my milk supply has not come in fully. Lots of hard work with pumping, bottle feeding, breastfeeding, and supplementing has been consuming much of my time. We finally have a routine and Noah has gained lots of weight. He is really thriving. We are starting to see a personality more and more. He is really laid back and alert much of the day. His eyes are open so wide now and he really looks and examines you when you hold him. Dave and I think he can really smile now and it is not just gassy smile. I see him laugh quite often in his sleep and it is just adorable. Noah really didn't like the washcloth/bath but when I took him in the bathtub with me the other day, he loved it. I let him soak with my hand underneath him. His little legs kicked and arms going crazy! He loved being in the water and moving around. He kept trying to dunk his little head! We also tried out the Moby and went to the luxury home tour thanks to our friend Mimi. The moby lets you hold him close to your chest and have your hands free. Noah loved that too! And he sleeps six hours a night already! For the last 5 nights he has given his mommy and daddy six hours of sleep. Now I know we are truly lucky! Dave misses him during the day, but loves to come home and hold his little guy. He enjoys being outside with daddy and smelling the fresh air. He falls asleep immediately in his carseat when we go for walks or take trips to the store in the car. Each day, we are seeing more and more of his personality and really feeling like a family. It has finally sunk in that I have a son. He is my blood and I am so happy that he is in my life. I know now what it means to be a mom and love someone unconditionally with all my heart. Noah David is so adorable and loving. To rely completely on Dave and I for everything is a big responsibility but every moment you get paid back with his beautiful smile, grab on to your finger, and coo in his voice.
At the moment we are traveling to Wisconsin to see our family and Noah will meet Uncle Jason, Aunt Chastity, and Liam and Bedelia for the first time. Then he will also meet all my aunts, uncles, and cousins on both sides of my family. They are all so excited to get to know our little Noah! Then next we will get to introduce Noah to David's extended family. What a month July will be! I will blog more after this weekend. There is always so much to tell about a new baby!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Journey to Baby R's birth
I waited and waited for our little one to come. Now here I sit 3 weeks into the life of baby R and ready to tell our baby's birth story. Oh, how amazing the journey has been so far. Let's go back 4 weeks...
I couldn't believe that the due date came and went and still no baby. My mom had been with me for two weeks before the birth and we all thought that Baby R would come early, even my midwife Lois. As the days passed and my patience was wearing thin, I got more and more anxious for the birth. We spent those days picnicing at Lake Nokomis on Memorial Day, traveling with my parents to dinners out at Tavern on France and a great pizza place by Nokomis, and of course, shopping for last minute nursery items. On Saturday, May 28th after David's parents had just left our house and I was getting ready to take a shower to get the smell of bonfire off me, I thought my water broke. We scrambled to get the hospital and Dave's parents returned to head to the hospital along with my parents. (FYI: Grandpa Marc had travelled twice up the twin cities ready for the baby to born only to have to drive or take the bus back to Wisconsin when the baby didn't come). After arriving at the hospital and having three tests done, we were told that it wasn't amniotic fluid and my water had not broken. Momma had just peed on herself (it really felt like my water broke!). So we returned home. So sad and even more anxious, we spent the next five days sitting around the house, waiting. Any little tinge and twitch, I was on edge wondering if you were ever going to come Baby R. We visited our midwife on May 31st and set a induction date of June 8th. I was happy to have a date but not happy about having to wait another whole week!
But then on the morning of June 2nd and five days after the due date, I woke up at 3am to go the bathroom. I felt a little tightening of my belly and then felt it again a few minutes later. I couldn't go back to sleep. I spent the rest of the night starring at Dave's alarm clock, counting the minutes between the tightening of my belly. I really thought that I was just having braxton hicks or false contractions. After a false alarm to the hospital only days before, I wasn't about to rush there again. And these pings did not hurt at all so I was convinced that I wasn't in labor. The tightening went on all throughout the night at about 10 minutes between feelings. As the morning approached and Dave got up to go to work, I mentioned to him that I think I was having contractions but would call him if I felt they were labor contractions during the day. I spent the rest of the morning watching tv and recording each contraction and the minutes apart until the next one. Nana was with me and she helped to record them. At about 10:30 my mom asked if she should leave to go the store or not. I told my mom that I wasn't in labor and she could go. I'll be fine! Well as I recorded the minutes apart, I realized they were now about 6 or 7 minutes apart. Still they were not painful or anything. My mom left to go the store. Two hours later, I got up to go the bathroom (this was about 12:30pm) and as I stood up I heard a pop and a gush came out of me of fluid onto the carpet. I still didn't know what it was (because the last time about the same thing happened). I walked to the bathroom and as I moved, more and more fluid came out. And then I had a little contraction and more came out. I realized that this must be my water! I called Dave and calmly told him that my water broke and that he needed to come home. I then called my mom and told her to come back home. Next I called Dave's parents and told them. Finally, I called Karissa and told her. I got things together at home and waited for my mom and Dave to come! I was so calm, but so excited! I think the most disgusting thing was the amniotic fluid coming out. Every movement, contraction, or laugh, I would gush out more! We made it to the hospital at 1:30 and went to the MAC to be evaluated. I was on edge that this time they'd tell me the same thing. But low and behold, they came back to say that it was my water and I was in labor. At 3:00, I got my room and they began officially monitoring me and the baby. They gave me my dose of antibiotics for my group strep b. My family came in to visit and the fun began (not really)! The pain began! I was dialated at about 3 cm and had started to feel a little pain with the contractions. Dave and I walked around the hospital, watched tv, played on the ipad, and chatted for a few hours. At about 5pm, the real pain started and I was told I was already at 5 cm. I used a tennis ball to squeeze through the pain or sat on the yoga ball. Dave held my hand through each contraction. At 6 o'clock, I was at about a 6. My contractions were now only about 3 minutes apart and getting more painful. I wanted to feel real labor and boy, was I! At 6:30pm, I couldn't take it anymore and asked for the epideral. Another patient was getting one, so I was going to have wait. They checked me again and I was already at 7cm. For about 30 minutes, my pain and my contractions got worse and now they were only about 1 minute apart. Finally at 7pm, I got my epideral. I had a tough time through it because as they were putting the needle in, I would have contraction upon contraction. BUT 15 minutes later, I felt no pain! I love epiderals! However; I didn't listen well to the instructions about dosage. I guess every 15 minutes the machine will administer a dose of medicine. If I need more than that dose, I can press a button to get more. Well I thought I had to press the button to get any dose of the medicine. So I kept pressing the button every 15 minutes. I was getting double dosage for the rest of the labor! Oops!
At about 9pm, they came to check me again and said I was at about a 8 almost 9 cm dialated. My nurse told me it would be about 2 more hours till I push so hang in the there. Well 30 minutes later, I felt a little pressure down there and told Dave to get the nurse. Sure enough, she could see baby r! We had bypassed the 2 hours and were ready to push! With the epideral I could not feel anything! I pushed so hard for the next 30 minutes that baby r came out very quickly. We played our birth music, dimmed the lights, and called in the midwife. We watched from a mirror as we saw the tuft of black hair and Baby R's little head making it's way out. Both Dave and I watched on as I pushed out our first born baby. They pulled out Baby R and before they could announce what sex our little one was, I saw that it was a boy! Baby R took a moment, but then let out the most beautiful cry a mother could hear. And then they laid him on my chest for the remainder of the labor. Holding him for the first time was an experience I will never forgot as well as Dave seeing his son for the first time. We both were in awe of our new son. Dave cut the cord and we spent a long time just looking at our baby boy. We both looked at eachother and I said, is he a Noah? We agreed he was a Noah David. Noah David was born at 10:13 pm, a little over 7 hours after being admitted into the hospital. He was 7 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches long. He scored a 9 on the apgar and was VERY healthy. As he lay on my chest, we learned that I had lost quite a bit of blood (more the double what normal women lose). 1 whole liter, so there was almost 2 and a half hours of surgery to sew me back up. BUT through it all, I couldn't feel a thing and held baby Noah in my arms the entire time except for the last 30 minutes when I finally handed him over to his daddy! At about 1 am, we finally called our family in to let them know about baby r and meet their new grandchild. Dave went out to get them and asked if they'd like to meet their new grandchild. When they came in, we introduced their new grandson and nephew, Noah David. Everyone agreed that he was so precious and adorable. Each grandparent got to hold him and finally Karissa. It was such a special moment! Too bad we didn't get it on video. But it is a moment none of us will forget. Many pictures were taken and hugs, tears, and kisses were shared. Welcome to the world Baby Noah! We are so blessed to have you in our lives and on the outside! What a blessed day!
I couldn't believe that the due date came and went and still no baby. My mom had been with me for two weeks before the birth and we all thought that Baby R would come early, even my midwife Lois. As the days passed and my patience was wearing thin, I got more and more anxious for the birth. We spent those days picnicing at Lake Nokomis on Memorial Day, traveling with my parents to dinners out at Tavern on France and a great pizza place by Nokomis, and of course, shopping for last minute nursery items. On Saturday, May 28th after David's parents had just left our house and I was getting ready to take a shower to get the smell of bonfire off me, I thought my water broke. We scrambled to get the hospital and Dave's parents returned to head to the hospital along with my parents. (FYI: Grandpa Marc had travelled twice up the twin cities ready for the baby to born only to have to drive or take the bus back to Wisconsin when the baby didn't come). After arriving at the hospital and having three tests done, we were told that it wasn't amniotic fluid and my water had not broken. Momma had just peed on herself (it really felt like my water broke!). So we returned home. So sad and even more anxious, we spent the next five days sitting around the house, waiting. Any little tinge and twitch, I was on edge wondering if you were ever going to come Baby R. We visited our midwife on May 31st and set a induction date of June 8th. I was happy to have a date but not happy about having to wait another whole week!
But then on the morning of June 2nd and five days after the due date, I woke up at 3am to go the bathroom. I felt a little tightening of my belly and then felt it again a few minutes later. I couldn't go back to sleep. I spent the rest of the night starring at Dave's alarm clock, counting the minutes between the tightening of my belly. I really thought that I was just having braxton hicks or false contractions. After a false alarm to the hospital only days before, I wasn't about to rush there again. And these pings did not hurt at all so I was convinced that I wasn't in labor. The tightening went on all throughout the night at about 10 minutes between feelings. As the morning approached and Dave got up to go to work, I mentioned to him that I think I was having contractions but would call him if I felt they were labor contractions during the day. I spent the rest of the morning watching tv and recording each contraction and the minutes apart until the next one. Nana was with me and she helped to record them. At about 10:30 my mom asked if she should leave to go the store or not. I told my mom that I wasn't in labor and she could go. I'll be fine! Well as I recorded the minutes apart, I realized they were now about 6 or 7 minutes apart. Still they were not painful or anything. My mom left to go the store. Two hours later, I got up to go the bathroom (this was about 12:30pm) and as I stood up I heard a pop and a gush came out of me of fluid onto the carpet. I still didn't know what it was (because the last time about the same thing happened). I walked to the bathroom and as I moved, more and more fluid came out. And then I had a little contraction and more came out. I realized that this must be my water! I called Dave and calmly told him that my water broke and that he needed to come home. I then called my mom and told her to come back home. Next I called Dave's parents and told them. Finally, I called Karissa and told her. I got things together at home and waited for my mom and Dave to come! I was so calm, but so excited! I think the most disgusting thing was the amniotic fluid coming out. Every movement, contraction, or laugh, I would gush out more! We made it to the hospital at 1:30 and went to the MAC to be evaluated. I was on edge that this time they'd tell me the same thing. But low and behold, they came back to say that it was my water and I was in labor. At 3:00, I got my room and they began officially monitoring me and the baby. They gave me my dose of antibiotics for my group strep b. My family came in to visit and the fun began (not really)! The pain began! I was dialated at about 3 cm and had started to feel a little pain with the contractions. Dave and I walked around the hospital, watched tv, played on the ipad, and chatted for a few hours. At about 5pm, the real pain started and I was told I was already at 5 cm. I used a tennis ball to squeeze through the pain or sat on the yoga ball. Dave held my hand through each contraction. At 6 o'clock, I was at about a 6. My contractions were now only about 3 minutes apart and getting more painful. I wanted to feel real labor and boy, was I! At 6:30pm, I couldn't take it anymore and asked for the epideral. Another patient was getting one, so I was going to have wait. They checked me again and I was already at 7cm. For about 30 minutes, my pain and my contractions got worse and now they were only about 1 minute apart. Finally at 7pm, I got my epideral. I had a tough time through it because as they were putting the needle in, I would have contraction upon contraction. BUT 15 minutes later, I felt no pain! I love epiderals! However; I didn't listen well to the instructions about dosage. I guess every 15 minutes the machine will administer a dose of medicine. If I need more than that dose, I can press a button to get more. Well I thought I had to press the button to get any dose of the medicine. So I kept pressing the button every 15 minutes. I was getting double dosage for the rest of the labor! Oops!
At about 9pm, they came to check me again and said I was at about a 8 almost 9 cm dialated. My nurse told me it would be about 2 more hours till I push so hang in the there. Well 30 minutes later, I felt a little pressure down there and told Dave to get the nurse. Sure enough, she could see baby r! We had bypassed the 2 hours and were ready to push! With the epideral I could not feel anything! I pushed so hard for the next 30 minutes that baby r came out very quickly. We played our birth music, dimmed the lights, and called in the midwife. We watched from a mirror as we saw the tuft of black hair and Baby R's little head making it's way out. Both Dave and I watched on as I pushed out our first born baby. They pulled out Baby R and before they could announce what sex our little one was, I saw that it was a boy! Baby R took a moment, but then let out the most beautiful cry a mother could hear. And then they laid him on my chest for the remainder of the labor. Holding him for the first time was an experience I will never forgot as well as Dave seeing his son for the first time. We both were in awe of our new son. Dave cut the cord and we spent a long time just looking at our baby boy. We both looked at eachother and I said, is he a Noah? We agreed he was a Noah David. Noah David was born at 10:13 pm, a little over 7 hours after being admitted into the hospital. He was 7 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches long. He scored a 9 on the apgar and was VERY healthy. As he lay on my chest, we learned that I had lost quite a bit of blood (more the double what normal women lose). 1 whole liter, so there was almost 2 and a half hours of surgery to sew me back up. BUT through it all, I couldn't feel a thing and held baby Noah in my arms the entire time except for the last 30 minutes when I finally handed him over to his daddy! At about 1 am, we finally called our family in to let them know about baby r and meet their new grandchild. Dave went out to get them and asked if they'd like to meet their new grandchild. When they came in, we introduced their new grandson and nephew, Noah David. Everyone agreed that he was so precious and adorable. Each grandparent got to hold him and finally Karissa. It was such a special moment! Too bad we didn't get it on video. But it is a moment none of us will forget. Many pictures were taken and hugs, tears, and kisses were shared. Welcome to the world Baby Noah! We are so blessed to have you in our lives and on the outside! What a blessed day!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The waiting is the hardest part...
So here we are, 3 days after the due date an still no Baby R. What's up with that little one? Perhaps you are all too comfortable in momma's belly? I get it, although I don't remember one day being in my mom's womb, it's all I knew and I was probably pretty comfortable in there too. Well, here's some words of encouragement to help "push" things around. You have an awesome mother and father ready to take care of and love you very much. You will have your own room, which your mom and dad spent countless hours of time planning every detail with your comfort in mind. You will indeed be the center of attention for a very long time and spoiled to no end. The way I see it little one, it's a win/win situation. So come on out baby R, the water's pretty nice out here too!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
39 weeks and 4 days pregnant...and waiting
Maternity leave has entered its second week and Baby R is not here yet! This week, Nana Isaacson came to stay with me keep me company on these long days of waiting. All is ready including a clean house, freezer meals, bills paid in advance, and bags packed. Baby R is still in the engaged position with about 2 cm dialated and 75% effaced. My blood pressure is now in check and that makes me feel a lot better. Dad came this weekend just in case but Baby R is not quite ready yet I guess. It has been fun spending time with David's parents and my family this last two weeks. They are as anxious as we are for this little one to arrive. We spent time going to movies like Bridesmaids and a Will Ferrell movie. We've spent time BBQing outside and having the Voyes over for dinner. We've celebrated Grandpa Rothe's birthday and had lots of good times. But I am getting VERY uncomfortable and so ready to meet this baby! Lois, my midwife, seems to think I will not have to induced and this baby will come very soon. I didn't realize how hard it is to have to wait. You get your due date and think of that timeline, but not the waiting one. The not knowing when is killing me! This might be our last blog entry but hopefully Daddy Rothe will chime in with some comments next before the baby arrives...we'll see.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Homeward Bound
Yea! Maternity leave has officially begun! Last Friday was my last day at Valley View and now I am getting all the things done that I need to before our bundle of joy arrives anytime now! Dave and I now have the house cleaned, car cleaned, and car seat properly installed. Each day I feel more and more at ease that we are ready for this baby. Most people say we are over-ready but if you know me, I like things VERY ready. Freezer meals have been made and scrapbooking ready to be done today! So now we wait for our little boy or girl to come! At my last appointment I was dilated to 1cm and 30% effaced. Today I have an appointment at 3:40 and will update you as to where we are at now! Hopefully my blood pressure has gone gone and my dilation/effacement has gone up! I do have a terrible stuffy nose which I hope goes away before I go into labor. Dave's mom and dad are now in town and it has been very nice to see them and spend some time with them! They got to feel the baby move and that was really special! It will be nice to have them here for the next two months! My mom comes up on Thursday because she can't bear to not be here helping out! So it looks like family time is headed my way! It will be nice to have people to hang out with until Baby R decides to come! David is getting a little nervous about the labor and when it will happen. I am relatively calm relaxing and getting things taken care of around here. I know that that too will pass and I may become anxious too as the days wear on. My due date is less that two weeks away!!!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Mother's Day and last week of work
This weekend we celebrated Mother's Day by having my family up from Wisconsin. I bought myself a fabulous purse like diaper bag that is so adorable! A little pricey, but we made it my Mother's Day and birthday present! My sister is moving back up to the cities so this was her moving back up weekend! It is going to be nice to have her close to spend time with her new niece or nephew! Dave and I spent the day on Saturday shopping for plants for our vegetable and fruit garden along with some perinnials for our flower garden. It is looking beautiful, but boy was I tired after working in the garden all day! So hot out and my ankles and calves ended up being huge! Each day they seem to swell more. Baby R is doesn't have much space in there anymore and the turns and twists are so sharp. He or she is finally FULL term meaning that we can go anytime to the hospital. I can't believe I have a little newborn size baby folded into my belly in a little ball.. I know it is normal, but I feel so bad for the little one being so crammed in there! It is becoming more and more uncomfortable as I am sure it is for our little Baby R. Mother's Day was very nice with
mom visiting. Karissa, Mom, and I went and got pedicures on Sunday for mothers day and that was amazing! It was nice to spend time with the family. We had a mini birthday party for Papa David on Saturday night. He got twins tickets to go with my dad and his sometime in June. Daddy's birthday is in the same month as Baby R and hopefully they won't share a birthday! I am not quite ready to have this little one yet with all the nesting and cleaning I still want to do! In other news....I've reached the last week of work! We had a work shower tonight where I got a convertible carseat for when Baby R is more than 22 pounds. We are SO set with everything! We've been blessed to have so many friends and family gift us so many wonderful things for our first baby! I am very grateful! Each day, we think about what our baby will look like and what they will be! We are getting so close to finding out! Took our breastfeeding class on monday night and learned alot. Tonight we got to meet all the midwives in our group and we feel so much more relaxed about the delivery. David is feeling much more calm about knowing where to go when we do come to the hospital. Now all we do is wait! We can't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time for our little one! 18 days and counting till the due date!
mom visiting. Karissa, Mom, and I went and got pedicures on Sunday for mothers day and that was amazing! It was nice to spend time with the family. We had a mini birthday party for Papa David on Saturday night. He got twins tickets to go with my dad and his sometime in June. Daddy's birthday is in the same month as Baby R and hopefully they won't share a birthday! I am not quite ready to have this little one yet with all the nesting and cleaning I still want to do! In other news....I've reached the last week of work! We had a work shower tonight where I got a convertible carseat for when Baby R is more than 22 pounds. We are SO set with everything! We've been blessed to have so many friends and family gift us so many wonderful things for our first baby! I am very grateful! Each day, we think about what our baby will look like and what they will be! We are getting so close to finding out! Took our breastfeeding class on monday night and learned alot. Tonight we got to meet all the midwives in our group and we feel so much more relaxed about the delivery. David is feeling much more calm about knowing where to go when we do come to the hospital. Now all we do is wait! We can't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time for our little one! 18 days and counting till the due date!
Monday, May 2, 2011
So much to do, so little time!
Baby R is losing more and more room in belly these days. I feel lots of rolls, turns, and elbows moving across my belly! It is still an amazing feeling and each day I keep thinking that soon I won't feel him or her moving inside me because our little one will be in our arms as an outside baby! So surreal! We've gotten a lot done by finding our pediatrician, finishing our registry shopping, and purchasing the travel system. We have sold lots of things on craigslist and ebay to get rid of the clutter and make room for baby gear. We still need to officially pack the hospital bag but we've got that started as well as our birth plan and birth labor music. So much to do and so little time. We bought the coming home outfits together last weekend. So adorable! One for a girl and one for a boy! Only Baby R knows which one we'll be bringing to the her or him home in! So crazy that our baby knows and we don't! We've got to clean the whole house and freeze some meals, but the major thing is signing with a daycare! Yes, we are still searching and I might be having to stay home if we don't find a good one. We can't just put baby r anywhere can we? And the list of to do's goes on with the actual sub plans and maternity leave information. I am 9 days out from taking my leave and yet, I am so concerned with all that needs to be done. I know the minute I walk out of Valley View I will feel a sense of relief and look ahead to all that is coming our way! I know my feet will thank me for it. I am now going to the doctor once a week and recently found out I am Group Strep B positive so I will have to be on antibotics immediately when I get to the hospital for labor. Don't want the baby to get sick so that means no laboring at home, just heading right into L & D. My bladder is getting a work out as baby R has dropped and I feel huge! Just when I've gone to the bathroom, I feel like I have to go again! The amount that I complain doesn't even measure the amount of joy and excitement that I am feeling to meet our baby if you can believe that! Being pregnant is a joy and also alot of work. BUT I am so thankful to be pregnant and so overjoyed to be having a baby with my husband and best friend. Each day I reflect and make time to really take in all the feelings that I am having about becoming a mom and holding our baby for first time. I know it will be an overwhelming moment when David and I see our child for the first time. A little person that shares a part of both of us and joins us together even closer as a family. And to share that with our family will also be incredible emotional. In just a week, David's parents will be here to take in the moment also and then my parents and Karissa will be up to share in the celebration. I cannot wait to meet you Baby Rothe. Only 25 days until your due date but who knows when you'll arrive! It is definitely on your own time! So much to do still and so little time! We'll have to be ready though no matter what!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Pantyhose and pregnancy
Oh how I hate pantyhose. Why? Because when you are as white as I am and you're starting to get spider veins, yes...that's what I said! I have no choice but to cover those legs up when I want to be comfy in a dress or skirt. So the intial reason for wearing loose clothing like a dress is to be comfortable but then I have to go and wear pantyhose that constrict me and make me itch! I even went out and bought expensive maternity hose that go up and over your belly. Did that help? Well if it did, I probably wouldn't be writing this much in my blog about it!
Beyond the pantyhose though, this has been a good last few weeks. I got to really see the little one's hands/feet/butt move across my belly. I can tell that she or he has less room in there though because the kicks aren't as harsh but more of a roll or twisting feeling in my belly. It is crazy to think we only have 6 weeks left till we can meet and find out what sex this baby is. So exciting!
Dave and I made a trip to the BRU (babies r us for those without babies) to complete our registry. We got the major items and some fun things too like picture frames and books. Then we went to target to pick up our cubbie bookshelf. Complete with monkey and frog fabric bins! It looks great in the nursery. Dave has been busy putting together all the wonderful toys, activity centers, bouncers, and swings that we got at our showers. We are realizing that baby toys take more and more batteries than we thought they would. Missing the days when we got free batteries from my dad! We have also starting nesting! To do lists and lots of overwhelming stress has hit me over the last few weeks and I really want this place to be spotless and organizer before our baby comes! Time capsules, scrapbooking, putting photos in albums, searching for daycare still, and going to check out pediatricians will consume the next few weeks. Dave found a great site for what to pack for the hospital and asked me what his job was for sure and what we need to be doing. I think I realizing more and more for him, his fear is actually getting to hospital and finding the right floor, in addition to the whole labor process. For me, I am really not stressed or worried about that! This baby is coming out no matter what and how it happens is not in my hands! It is pretty sweet how he is organizing, helping, and keeping me calm. Despite the fact that I yell at him almost everyday for something that is really not important. He is a great husband and will be an incredible papa.
This last weekend my sister and cousin Donna threw me a fantastic shower complete with onesie decorating, amazing food (homemade pretzels, fruit kabobs, cupcakes, meatballs....) and fun games. Some dear and wonderful family and friends came by to celebrate Baby R's soon to be arrival and I realized how lucky I was to have those people in my life! My childhood friend, Jessica, came also! We grew up together in Platteville and were best friends from Kindergarten till we were in high school. We lost touch and came to find a few years ago that we both were living in Minneapolis. And now we are both pregnant together! So wonderful! All my guests were so great! I am really blessed to have such dear and supportive people in my life! I hope that my sister Karissa and cousin Donna know how much I appreciated all the work they put into the shower. It was a day to remember! Having my parents and sister visit is always nice too!
Today I had a procedure to remove a mole on my back. I am getting more relaxed on the anxiety and worry of this and realize that when a doctor says that it is ok, I should not worry! It only took me about 9 months to get over the irrational fear as a first time pregnant women.
As I look out on the snow falling in the middle of April, it is hard to think that this is technically springtime. With spring comes new life and babies in all of nature! And I am more than ever looking forward to May coming and finally getting to hold Baby R in my arms. Not to mention no more snow!
Beyond the pantyhose though, this has been a good last few weeks. I got to really see the little one's hands/feet/butt move across my belly. I can tell that she or he has less room in there though because the kicks aren't as harsh but more of a roll or twisting feeling in my belly. It is crazy to think we only have 6 weeks left till we can meet and find out what sex this baby is. So exciting!
Dave and I made a trip to the BRU (babies r us for those without babies) to complete our registry. We got the major items and some fun things too like picture frames and books. Then we went to target to pick up our cubbie bookshelf. Complete with monkey and frog fabric bins! It looks great in the nursery. Dave has been busy putting together all the wonderful toys, activity centers, bouncers, and swings that we got at our showers. We are realizing that baby toys take more and more batteries than we thought they would. Missing the days when we got free batteries from my dad! We have also starting nesting! To do lists and lots of overwhelming stress has hit me over the last few weeks and I really want this place to be spotless and organizer before our baby comes! Time capsules, scrapbooking, putting photos in albums, searching for daycare still, and going to check out pediatricians will consume the next few weeks. Dave found a great site for what to pack for the hospital and asked me what his job was for sure and what we need to be doing. I think I realizing more and more for him, his fear is actually getting to hospital and finding the right floor, in addition to the whole labor process. For me, I am really not stressed or worried about that! This baby is coming out no matter what and how it happens is not in my hands! It is pretty sweet how he is organizing, helping, and keeping me calm. Despite the fact that I yell at him almost everyday for something that is really not important. He is a great husband and will be an incredible papa.
This last weekend my sister and cousin Donna threw me a fantastic shower complete with onesie decorating, amazing food (homemade pretzels, fruit kabobs, cupcakes, meatballs....) and fun games. Some dear and wonderful family and friends came by to celebrate Baby R's soon to be arrival and I realized how lucky I was to have those people in my life! My childhood friend, Jessica, came also! We grew up together in Platteville and were best friends from Kindergarten till we were in high school. We lost touch and came to find a few years ago that we both were living in Minneapolis. And now we are both pregnant together! So wonderful! All my guests were so great! I am really blessed to have such dear and supportive people in my life! I hope that my sister Karissa and cousin Donna know how much I appreciated all the work they put into the shower. It was a day to remember! Having my parents and sister visit is always nice too!
Today I had a procedure to remove a mole on my back. I am getting more relaxed on the anxiety and worry of this and realize that when a doctor says that it is ok, I should not worry! It only took me about 9 months to get over the irrational fear as a first time pregnant women.
As I look out on the snow falling in the middle of April, it is hard to think that this is technically springtime. With spring comes new life and babies in all of nature! And I am more than ever looking forward to May coming and finally getting to hold Baby R in my arms. Not to mention no more snow!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Spring Break and Baby Room
It was off to Arkansas for me this week as I went to visit the Bennicoff family and my St. Louis relatives. I flew for the first time being visibly pregnant at 30 weeks! It was only an hour flight, thank goodness! After getting off the plane, I was greeted by my parents and sister. They were excited to see me, but I think more excited to see the baby belly and feel the baby! We then boarded their car bound for Arkansas. Baby R must like car rides because it always seems that he or she is moving around and doing flips. It was a four hour ride to Arkansas and a with a 7 month pregnant women we took many stops, turning four hours into more like 5! Finally we arrived in Arkansas and pulled up to the Bennicoff house! They were so excited to see us! As soon as I walked into the house, Liam ran over and hugged my belly, talking to the baby and saying things like, "It's your cousin, Liam",. "I love you baby cousin", "you are so cute baby", and "you can kick me if you want to." He was so excited about the belly and baby! Bedelia was a little more reserved but still very excited about Baby R and having a new cousin. They both came up with names for the baby. Liam talked a lot about the baby being a boy and most of the time called it a he. He thought a good name would be Tyler or Storm. Bedelia thought it was a girl and thought either way, it should be named flower. The trip to Arkansas was great! We got to dance on kinext with my family! How funny it was to be pregnant and dancing like that! I enjoyed spending time with Chas, Jason, and the kids as well as my parents and sister. We got to see the Duggar house, Tulsa Zoo, Melting Pot restaurant, and a wonderful park where we had a picnic lunch and took a nice walk along some trails. It was special to spend time with my brother and his family and have some nice chats with both him and Chastity. Baby R is lucky to have so many great family members. The five days with them was great and it was hard to say goodbye. We got to see Liam ride his bike without training wheels and see him practicing at soccer. Bedelia is getting so much bigger and it was fun to be able to play with her and see her wonderful imagination at work! On Wednesday we boarded the Camry again bound back to St. Louis to spend a few moments with the St. Louis relatives. It was a great surprise to find that they had planned a shower for me there that evening where I got a chance to see all my St. Louis relatives including Auntie Sug and Uncle Ralph and all the cousins from St. Louis, and Jim and
Maggie! I got some great gifts, enjoyed spendning time talking to each of them, and Baby R really got a kick out of it. As Baby R is growing, you can feel him or her even more and the baby was especially active during the shower. I think that he or she was just as happy as I was to be able to spend this spring break with all my family down South!
Meanwhile, back at home, David was busy designing and working hard on the baby nursery. He installed a chair rail, put up Wainscoating, painted the ceiling, put up the valances and pictures, painted the trim, and then set up the entire room. He did an amazing job and while he was at work, every now and again, he would think about how soon we would be in that room with the baby as parents. It was a little emotional to think about! When I arrived home on Thursday, David taped me seeing the room for the first time! It was amazing! He is such a great husband and will be a fantastic daddy! Baby R will love his or her room because it is so adorable but most of all because it was created with so much love and hard work. I am so proud of daddy Rothe! Baby R is so lucky! To see pictures of the completed room, go back to our website! It really turned out fabulous.
Baby R is moving like crazy lately with full on rolls and feet/hands sticking out through my belly. It is so crazy to see a hand or foot move across my belly. Dave has felt it a few times and we know it will continue to be more as the baby gets bigger. 9 weeks left and counting till our little one comes. It has been a journey so far but we know we have so much more of a roller coaster ahead of us! It was a fun week of spring break which ended with Daddy Rothe buying a "practical" car for our family! Practical but definitely slick and attractive! We've had a wonderful week!
Maggie! I got some great gifts, enjoyed spendning time talking to each of them, and Baby R really got a kick out of it. As Baby R is growing, you can feel him or her even more and the baby was especially active during the shower. I think that he or she was just as happy as I was to be able to spend this spring break with all my family down South!
Meanwhile, back at home, David was busy designing and working hard on the baby nursery. He installed a chair rail, put up Wainscoating, painted the ceiling, put up the valances and pictures, painted the trim, and then set up the entire room. He did an amazing job and while he was at work, every now and again, he would think about how soon we would be in that room with the baby as parents. It was a little emotional to think about! When I arrived home on Thursday, David taped me seeing the room for the first time! It was amazing! He is such a great husband and will be a fantastic daddy! Baby R will love his or her room because it is so adorable but most of all because it was created with so much love and hard work. I am so proud of daddy Rothe! Baby R is so lucky! To see pictures of the completed room, go back to our website! It really turned out fabulous.
Baby R is moving like crazy lately with full on rolls and feet/hands sticking out through my belly. It is so crazy to see a hand or foot move across my belly. Dave has felt it a few times and we know it will continue to be more as the baby gets bigger. 9 weeks left and counting till our little one comes. It has been a journey so far but we know we have so much more of a roller coaster ahead of us! It was a fun week of spring break which ended with Daddy Rothe buying a "practical" car for our family! Practical but definitely slick and attractive! We've had a wonderful week!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Baby Shower and Head butting
This weekend was our first baby shower. We made the 6 hour trip back to Wisconsin and boy, was it a long one. Stopping every 2 hours to go the bathroom, pain from sitting so long, and a little indigestion made it super fun! BUT it was all worth it to see our entire famiy and a few friends! We arrived on Friday night and Mom Isaacson, Dad Isaacson, and Karissa all got to feel baby r moving around in my belly. It was a special moment. Karissa felt some wiggles when she visited me the weekend before, but really got to feel and big kick. She jumped back from being a little frightened. It was kind of funny! Baby R just wanted to make his or her presence known to the Isaacsons! Mom Isaacson couldn't keep her hands off my belly and really enjoyed feeling our little baby! The next day we headed off to the Pachners for our wonderful family shower. Sue really made the day special by opening their home to us and hosting our shower. Kathy made some great food as did my mom. The three of them really went all out and made the day very wonderful. We got to play a few games featuring famous kids and their parents and a game to name all the movies you can think of with the word baby in them. Mom Rothe made the cutest favors that were little baby bottie shaped filled with jelly beans. and Auntie Lisa and Margaret made adorable bookmarks that welcomed our little Rothe! The presents were wonderful too and we are getting to almost all set for our little one. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. It was a great day and we really enjoyed both being there to open gifts and spend time with the family! Grandpee Isaacson even joined us! Many guesses were made as to the sex of baby R but we still don't know! Boy or girl, we just want a healthy baby!
As for the head butting belly experience, as David was getting our sick Tiger back into his crate, Tiger ran away. David turned to catch him and tripped and fell into the belly pretty hard. I was a little concerned and it did ache a little afterwards but I wasn't in severe pain and there was no bleeding! So the next day, I called my doctor to let her know and she said to immediately come into the MAC at the hospital to be checked out. I had to leave work early and sit there for four hours hooked up to a fetal monitor. Baby R was moving all around, kicking the monitor, and my belly. The nurse had to let me go early because she said this baby is just fine! David felt awful but obviously it wasn't his fault. I was moving forward as he was trying to get tiger so it was just an accident and baby r is doing wonderful so no worries.
It was an eventful weekend for our little one and us! We are so blessed with fantastic family and had an amazing shower! So special! We got to relay all the stories to David's mom and dad! They are excited to feel the baby in May! We even got to chat with Auntie Noreen and Susan who have made the most adorable sweater and hat for our baby! Everything is happening and soon he or she will be here! Can't not wait for these 10 weeks to go by!
As for the head butting belly experience, as David was getting our sick Tiger back into his crate, Tiger ran away. David turned to catch him and tripped and fell into the belly pretty hard. I was a little concerned and it did ache a little afterwards but I wasn't in severe pain and there was no bleeding! So the next day, I called my doctor to let her know and she said to immediately come into the MAC at the hospital to be checked out. I had to leave work early and sit there for four hours hooked up to a fetal monitor. Baby R was moving all around, kicking the monitor, and my belly. The nurse had to let me go early because she said this baby is just fine! David felt awful but obviously it wasn't his fault. I was moving forward as he was trying to get tiger so it was just an accident and baby r is doing wonderful so no worries.
It was an eventful weekend for our little one and us! We are so blessed with fantastic family and had an amazing shower! So special! We got to relay all the stories to David's mom and dad! They are excited to feel the baby in May! We even got to chat with Auntie Noreen and Susan who have made the most adorable sweater and hat for our baby! Everything is happening and soon he or she will be here! Can't not wait for these 10 weeks to go by!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Birthing and baby classes
I forgot to mention that we finished our four week course on birthing last week. We met some great people, Melissa and andreas, won a baby toy elephant, and learned a lot about labor and delivery. We are more anxious than before but are glad we took good notes and are more aware of what to expect once I go into labor. We still have to write up a birth plan and really plan out what we need for that big day. I created a play list for some music I'd like to listen to in the birthing room. We also got to tour the hospital and see where all the action will happen. While there we got to see some tiny babies in the nursery. So amazing that we get to take ours home! The all about babies class was fun! We chose a gender ambiguous doll to act as our baby. We practiced swaddling, diapering, and bathing a baby as well as learning all about what to expect health wise with our little one when we bring him or her home. We learned about car seat instalation, safety concerns in the home, and met a pediatrician. That's our next step. Finding a pediatrician as well as a daycare person. So much to do! All about babies really is and will be our motto for a long time to come!
Less than 3 months!
Baby R is about two pounds now and we can really feel the little one moving. Dave has laid his ear against my belly and baby r has kicked him right back. I find it fun to watch my belly move and jump when he or she gives me a kick. It is an amazing yet strange feeling having a live human rolling and moving inside me. Dave thinks it is humorous that I keep making comments about myself and how big I am getting. I make comments like, just look at me and can you believe how big I am. Dave replies back, honey you're pregnant and you act so surprised that you are getting big. I think it is still strange to see myself with a pregnant beer belly like tummy. I know when I was little I'd stick a pillow under my shirt and image being a mommy. It is exciting to think in less than three months we will meet our flesh and blood son or daughter. We have begun playing the song, "you are my sunshine" for baby r and he or she seems to like it. The room has ben painted a nice light blue after several color choices like yellow or green. We decided on blue because if it is a girl we can paint clouds and butterflies around the room. If it is a boy we'll do some sort or air or boat theme. As I am typing this our little one is banging away at my belly probably loving listening to the tv instead the loud noises during the day of mommy teaching and my 2nd graders voices. Today you are active little one. Maybe it's the mint ice cream? In two weeks is the first baby shower already! 26 week doctor visit showed I am slightly anemic. I need to be eating more iron rich food to increase my blood count. Good news is my glucose test was passed so I don't have gestational diabetes. Yippee! Baby r's heart beat continues to be 140's so it's still a guess to as if it is a boy (old wives tale) or girl (grampees guess). Lois, our midwife, keeps saying we have a 50% chance of either! All we care about is that you are healthy baby r. More later. . .
Friday, February 18, 2011
Felt a foot!
We've been really busy the last few weeks planning the baby room, going to birthing classes, worrying about leaking (TMI), trips to the doctors, and a surprise ultrasound. Let's start with the baby room. David is really excited to start painting and putting up the chair rail in the baby room. He plans on doing it while I am away visiting my family in Arkansas. We might actually paint this weekend but are still unsure of the color! Baby R's room will be adorable and is coming together already! Birthing classes are fun! I didn't think I'd say that, but we are learning alot and getting more comfortable with all that might happen during the labor and delivery of our baby! It is so cute to see Dave taking notes and getting a little anxious about the whole process. It makes it that much more real to both of us! We met a great couple in the class and plan on meeting up with them after both our babies are born. So far we've learned about the whole labor process including all the machines and interventions that might need to be used during delivery, all about epiderals and epiosiotomies, and even got to hear our birthing teacher practice moaning! Relaxation techniques have been interesting with the use of ice in our hands and music playing in the background. We have started thinking about how we want our birth to go and what to include in our birth plan. It has become apparent that I don't like too much talking during pain and definitely like a laugh here and there. With a wise cracker as a husband, that could go either way! Will I want that during labor...hmmm...I am not so sure! The two doctor visits this last week were due to my anxiety about whether or not I was leaking fluid. Turns out both times the test came out negative so the consensus is that I need to practice my kegels more! Also turns out that I have a touch of maternal anxiety, which leads me to my midwife, Lois, saying, "Let just do an ultrasound to be sure". Well, ultrasound was wonderful! Baby R looks beautiful and we even got to see him or her in 3D. What a little cutie! I am so excited to meet our baby. I know I've said that before, but as I get bigger the feeling grows more intense. I am so excited to be a mother and have Dave's baby. I know he will make an incredible Daddy and talks to our little one all the time. My appetite is definitely something to laugh at! Dave can't believe how much I eat sometimes and we spent Valentines at Arezzo were I couldn't wait to eat! I love italian and we both enjoyed great meals. We had bought desserts from Cocoa & Fig (where we got our wedding desserts) and enjoyed those when we got home. Then today I ate a big mac, fries, and a shamrock shake! I love me some shamrock shake! I still manage to work out and walk on the treadmill but this baby might end up being a big one! I need to slow down on the food. I am going to end this blog with the fun event that happened tonight. I was using Dave's Ipad and all of a sudden felt a kick to the Ipad! I went and felt where I thought it was coming from and pushed in on it! Then I felt a body part kick back and felt my actual baby's foot for the first time. I've felt the baby inside but never felt an actually body part! What another incredible pregnancy experience. Baby R, I felt you for the first time today! It is amazing how you can love something so much and I've never even seen you in person yet! 100 more days!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Wow, I finally felt something!
OK, so as you can tell from Jenni's comments in her previous blogs posts, I'm not much of writer. It's not that I don't have anything to say, I just lack the grace of putting words together in an eloquent manner. That being said, tonight something happened that I didn't expect that's worthy of writing about.
For the last month or so, every couple days, Jenni would run up to me, place my hand on her belly with hopes that I would feel what she just felt. I would sit there, with my hand on her belly, in total quietness and deep concentration, waiting for something to indicate to me that what's been growing in her stomach the last 24 weeks would give me some kind of knock of life. Each time she felt something, she would ask "Did you feel that? How about now? You had to feel that!" Each time we came up empty...until tonight.
As I was sitting at my computer in deep concentration measuring the pros and cons of a miter cut vs a coping cut for a chair rail that I plan to install in our baby room, Jenni came running downstairs. She said that the baby was kicking like she hasn't felt before (I'm sure as a result of the 2 brownies she had for dessert!). She sat down on the sofa and told me this has got to be the time where I would feel something. I sat down next to her, place my hand on her belly and sure enough, I felt a kick! A sign of life!
What an amazing feeling. The fact that this little bean has grown into a 1 pound, 12 inch being inside my wife's belly is truly a wonder. It was a great feeling to finally feel what my wife has been feeling for the past month. Can't wait to feel the next kick!
For the last month or so, every couple days, Jenni would run up to me, place my hand on her belly with hopes that I would feel what she just felt. I would sit there, with my hand on her belly, in total quietness and deep concentration, waiting for something to indicate to me that what's been growing in her stomach the last 24 weeks would give me some kind of knock of life. Each time she felt something, she would ask "Did you feel that? How about now? You had to feel that!" Each time we came up empty...until tonight.
As I was sitting at my computer in deep concentration measuring the pros and cons of a miter cut vs a coping cut for a chair rail that I plan to install in our baby room, Jenni came running downstairs. She said that the baby was kicking like she hasn't felt before (I'm sure as a result of the 2 brownies she had for dessert!). She sat down on the sofa and told me this has got to be the time where I would feel something. I sat down next to her, place my hand on her belly and sure enough, I felt a kick! A sign of life!
What an amazing feeling. The fact that this little bean has grown into a 1 pound, 12 inch being inside my wife's belly is truly a wonder. It was a great feeling to finally feel what my wife has been feeling for the past month. Can't wait to feel the next kick!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Doctors and dreams
So my husband needs to write on the blog... But I will do a quick update. Baby is moving up a storm but Dave hasn't felt it yet. Every time he puts his hand on my ever expanding belly, baby r goes still. I can definitely feel our little one from the inside but not sure about the outside. Hopefully Dave will feel it soon. We had one scare with a trip to the ER a few weeks ago. Pain in my belly that ended up being round ligament pain but better to be safe than sorry. Ever since then, I have been feeling fine. Hip and belly pain on occasion but it is normal and the doctors say to adjust how I move and get up from a sitting position. Baby r is a mover at night. LO moves at the same time everyday from 6pm through the night. I am getting more and more excited to meet him or her. As we put the room together with some help from my parents and sister, I think about how wonderful it will be to hold our baby. We got a glider chair now and I even sat in it with a blanket just to test out how it would be to rock our baby to sleep. Goodness knows we will spend many sleepless nights in that chair with our crying child. Dreaming of that day...did I mention it is true about crazy pregnancy dreams? We won't go in detail about those. And daycare searching, I think I will let Dave tell you about that.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Baby Rothe is one normal, healthy, growing baby!
We had our 20 week ultrasound today after nearly 14 weeks without seeing our baby on the big screen. Our little one was not into moving much, just squirming around on the ultrasound moving its arms, legs, and head and every once in a while giving us a yawn as to say, "come on, stop bugging me." We got some great profile shots of our Baby R and Joyce, our tech, did a great job of concealing the gender. She said she knew what we were having and David almost gave in to find out by asking me if we should. But I stood firm. We're going to wait and get a surprise. Two relatives now have said the ultrasound profile looks like them! It is hilarious. Half the time during the ultrasound, we could tell what we were looking at. But we are happy to report that our little guy or girl has all ten fingers and toes, four chambers of their heart, a good looking belly and brain, and two kidneys. He or she is also comfy crossing their little legs and making fists. Their bladder and heart are working great! Although the 25 minutes ultrasound was exciting, we know really cannot wait to actually see him or her and get to know them in person! As Bon Jovi would says, Ohhhh....wer're half-way there! And my belly is getting huge. It feels like it doubled overnight. I have also begun to feel the rolling of our moving little one. Baby R really likes to move around 6 pm at night till about midnight. I feel what I can only describe as popcorn or that stomach like dropping feeling only its in my belly each time the little one moves. Heartbeat has remained consistant at about 145 per minute, faster if it is later at night. Dave is getting the feeling that this is for real now! During the ultrasound he couldn't stop smiling or recording it on video using his blackberry. He kept asking questions like what is that or is that his belly, arm...etc. He is using he a little too much! What if we've got a little Jenni in here! I am stuck with using little one or baby r. I am not sure what gender our baby is, but I will be so happy with either boy or girl. Time seems to be flying! We met with our first daycare prospect two days ago. It has been a busy last few days. Next I know I will want to do that nursery! I've been hooked on searching the internet for bedding and ideas. Gender neutral is hard...but we are keeping firm about not knowing! Here's to being halfway there and feeling good! Here's to also knowing there is only one baby in there. We got a little scare the other day while using the doppler...heard two heartbeats but realize now that one was the cord! More later....
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
January 4th, 2011
Happy New Year! So excited to think that 2011 is the year our baby will come into this world!
So how did our winter break go? Before the holiday break even started, the year ended with a bit of a cry/meltdown at work. I thought the emotional thing was done! I had a bit of a cry when I couldn't handle my students chaos of the last day before the winter break. They were out of control with excitement. I teared up and had to leave the room because they wouldn't be quiet for the math lesson after repeatedly stopping the lesson. Ugh...Good thing, my co-teacher was there to take over. Baby R sure does hear me go through many emotions from yelling to crying to laughing while at work. Our little one will know their mommy has a majorly emotion filled job! After a quick recovery, many hugs, apologies, and pats on the belly from my kiddos, the day ended with laughs and a little sadness that I wouldn't see my students for a few weeks. Oh, who am I kidding? I was happy the winter break and the student-break had started! The holidays were fun and exciting with 4 Christmas' and a nice long break. We got to have our Arkansas family, the Bennicoffs, here at our house for the holidays. Mom, Dad, Karissa, and the Bennicoffs came over and we had the first big family Christmas in our house. It was truly special to have them all here. Next we ventured down to Wisconsin for the two more Christmas' with the Isaacsons and the Burkes. We finished our break traveling down to Miami to see our Rothe family! What a nice time we had exploring Miami with VEG and D & G Rothe (otherwise known as mom and dad). We enjoyed seeing Glen and Velvet's new home and of course, playing with Evan! Donna and Glen even took time to throw us a surprise baby shower: Our first one. It was so kind of them and we got some adorable gender neutral clothes and baby supplies that we very special to us! All our immediate family members got to hear the baby's heartbeat during our visits. Each niece and nephew seemed excited about the new baby. Liam had to try and listen to the baby using a 'kid" stethoscope. Lots of questions were asked about when the baby would get here and how big it was. Liam and Evan both have names for the baby including smoke and march april bennicoff. All kiddos said hi to the belly and told him/her how much they loved them. It is so adorable to see them so excited about their new cousin coming soon. Baby Rothe enjoyed the pats on the tummy and was especially happy during the break with the cookies and holiday meals that we were fed. My belly is getting bigger! I don't know if it is all baby cause I know there must be some "fat" in there too. Dave swears I look adorable but he is just a great husband. We spent the New Year at the Pachners celebrating with David's cousins and aunt/uncle! Family time is always so wonderful! And now we are back to the grind of work and home life. I love being with my families, but it is good to be home with my new family...and soon Dave and I will be more as a family of 3. Feeling really good....have flutters here and there. I can't wait to feel it for sure. Right now our LO feels like it is tickling my belly. Hip pain and sore back are some of my fun symptoms right now. Tings and pangs of pain come and go but overall I am feeling good. Memory loss and jumbled thoughts seem to be in full force. My belly is certainly hard and at times (especially at night) is huge! I am seeing the spider veins coming too! Oh the joys of getting older and of course, those that come with being pregnant. But one thing is for sure, this baby is going to loved so much! There is so much excitement by our parents, siblings, and especially the little niece and nephews for this little one to come. Baby R, you know mom and dad can't wait to meet you! More to come! Our next appointment is next Tuesday! One week till we get to see you on the big screen little one! It has been too long since we got a peek at you! David promised to post next so now let's see what he has to say on the blog.....
So how did our winter break go? Before the holiday break even started, the year ended with a bit of a cry/meltdown at work. I thought the emotional thing was done! I had a bit of a cry when I couldn't handle my students chaos of the last day before the winter break. They were out of control with excitement. I teared up and had to leave the room because they wouldn't be quiet for the math lesson after repeatedly stopping the lesson. Ugh...Good thing, my co-teacher was there to take over. Baby R sure does hear me go through many emotions from yelling to crying to laughing while at work. Our little one will know their mommy has a majorly emotion filled job! After a quick recovery, many hugs, apologies, and pats on the belly from my kiddos, the day ended with laughs and a little sadness that I wouldn't see my students for a few weeks. Oh, who am I kidding? I was happy the winter break and the student-break had started! The holidays were fun and exciting with 4 Christmas' and a nice long break. We got to have our Arkansas family, the Bennicoffs, here at our house for the holidays. Mom, Dad, Karissa, and the Bennicoffs came over and we had the first big family Christmas in our house. It was truly special to have them all here. Next we ventured down to Wisconsin for the two more Christmas' with the Isaacsons and the Burkes. We finished our break traveling down to Miami to see our Rothe family! What a nice time we had exploring Miami with VEG and D & G Rothe (otherwise known as mom and dad). We enjoyed seeing Glen and Velvet's new home and of course, playing with Evan! Donna and Glen even took time to throw us a surprise baby shower: Our first one. It was so kind of them and we got some adorable gender neutral clothes and baby supplies that we very special to us! All our immediate family members got to hear the baby's heartbeat during our visits. Each niece and nephew seemed excited about the new baby. Liam had to try and listen to the baby using a 'kid" stethoscope. Lots of questions were asked about when the baby would get here and how big it was. Liam and Evan both have names for the baby including smoke and march april bennicoff. All kiddos said hi to the belly and told him/her how much they loved them. It is so adorable to see them so excited about their new cousin coming soon. Baby Rothe enjoyed the pats on the tummy and was especially happy during the break with the cookies and holiday meals that we were fed. My belly is getting bigger! I don't know if it is all baby cause I know there must be some "fat" in there too. Dave swears I look adorable but he is just a great husband. We spent the New Year at the Pachners celebrating with David's cousins and aunt/uncle! Family time is always so wonderful! And now we are back to the grind of work and home life. I love being with my families, but it is good to be home with my new family...and soon Dave and I will be more as a family of 3. Feeling really good....have flutters here and there. I can't wait to feel it for sure. Right now our LO feels like it is tickling my belly. Hip pain and sore back are some of my fun symptoms right now. Tings and pangs of pain come and go but overall I am feeling good. Memory loss and jumbled thoughts seem to be in full force. My belly is certainly hard and at times (especially at night) is huge! I am seeing the spider veins coming too! Oh the joys of getting older and of course, those that come with being pregnant. But one thing is for sure, this baby is going to loved so much! There is so much excitement by our parents, siblings, and especially the little niece and nephews for this little one to come. Baby R, you know mom and dad can't wait to meet you! More to come! Our next appointment is next Tuesday! One week till we get to see you on the big screen little one! It has been too long since we got a peek at you! David promised to post next so now let's see what he has to say on the blog.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)