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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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. . .