Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Numbers Never Lie

28: Number of weeks pregnant
8: Weeks til we meet our Audrey Marie

5: Average number of times I eat ice cream per week
12: Approximate min it takes Audrey to move 10 times during our "kick counts"
16: Average visits to the ladies room per day!
28: My age when I lose a belly [riiiight] and gain a daughter
29: Chris' age when he becomes a Daddy (Unless she's born around 38wks!)
???: My weight. Something I've never seen the scale say [ahh!]

Our lil girl is gaining weight every week, and is now approximately 3.75 pounds, similar to a large jicama. She's about 16.7 inches long...which explains the lack of room I'm feeling in my uterus. She'll gain a third to half of her birth weight in these last 7 weeks. Apparently, I'll be gaining about a pound a week, half of which will go directly to her. But...this begs the question: where does that other 1/2 pound go?? Hmm. Let's chalk it up to extra blood in my system. :) (Actually, the doc says I'm doing pretty well in terms of weight gain...right where I should be. So I won't cut back on the ice cream.)

I have a feeling that Audrey is starting to move into "position"...head down, feet up. After eating chocolate ice cream two nights ago (See a pattern here?), she really got moving. :) She started rolling around a lot, and I felt kicks up at the top right of my belly, which was new for us. (I just figured she loves chocolate, too and was thanking me.) The next morning, however, the kicks were very persistent in that same spot on the top. Not to mention, the big head-like bulge at the lower left of my belly. (Kind of on the diagonal.) So, maybe she's gettin' ready to get ready! Or, maybe I'm just new at this and making things up all together. :)

Random side note: Audrey loves the right side of my belly.

Onto the bump!

Baby Bump - 32 Weeks

Friday, July 24, 2009

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

As I mentioned in my previous post, Chris' sister Jen and her husband Todd came into town, along with their two sons. Our nephews really cannot get much cuter or any more fun. Braden is 5.5 starting kindergarten this Fall and Carter is turning 3 this September.

This trip was the first time we've seen them since being "with child." So, seeing Auntie Kiki* with a huge belly was a change. While Carter didn't pay too much attention to my ever growing bump or Baby Audrey, as they called her.......Braden had a few comical things to say:


While I was plating my dinner their first night....
Braden
:
"Kiki, hurry up and eat so Audrey can catch the food!"

After having my backed turned to my nephew one afternoon....
Braden
: "Kiki, you don't look big from the back!"
Kiki
:
"Oh yeah? That's good to hear! And what about the front...? Do I look big this way?"
Braden: [grinning ear to ear realizing the indication] ".....yes....."

Wanting to show me the bird guarding her nest filled with eggs....
Braden: "Kiki, come outside! Come see the bird's nest. She's having babies....like you!!"


Lastly, this one from Carter.

At the beach in my bikini top and shorts...

Carter
: [Looks at my belly and points] "Big belly".


So true, Carter, so true. :)

Adorable Nephews
Carter and Braden


*Auntie Kiki originated from the nickname Keykey, which is what my sister Jenny called me when younger, and then Paige used it, too. (They couldn't pronounce Kristen). And the name stuck! :)

Once you pop...you can't stop!

Yes...pregnancy is like Pringles. Once you pop...you just can't stop......til "D" Day, Delivery Day, that is. :) And this growin' belly is no exception.

I know - I've been a bad, bad blogger lately. I deserve a time out. But life has been busy, as you could imagine! We've been working hard painting, getting furniture moved in, hanging the valance, and organizing and cleaning for our lil angel.....AND for our house guests. My family and Chris' flew in to celebrate our Shower for Audrey and what a great week it was.

First, let's start this catch-up post with some belly pics:

Baby Bump - 29 Weeks

Baby Bump - 30 Weeks
Baby Bump - 31 Weeks
Did you see the sneak peak of the nursery?? That's all you get for now! There will be more to come as we get organized...and fun decor on the walls.

Our lil Audrey, now 31 weeks, lets me know she's well by moving throughout the entire day now. She's not so much a kicker, as she is roller. (I'm pretty sure she's crawling around in there!) Our baby girl is around 3.3 pounds, similar to that of 4 naval oranges...and she's heading into a growth spurt! By now, her lil arms and legs are starting to 'plump' up, and there's no doubt that she'll have the infamous Prilaman and Kline cheeks. (Check out pics below of Brooklyn and Rylie...I'm pretty sure our daughter will be a combo of those two! And they're adorable...so thats great with us!)

******************************************************************
The Shower

Chris' mom, sister, and good family friend (Karen, Jen, and Marilyn respectively) threw us an amazing shower. Expecting our first child often has Chris and I reflecting on how good life is and how happy we are. We are both grateful for the lives we lead, and try to make sure we appreciate everyday that we are healthy and happy. But......having a house full of woman who are genuine and supportive and excited about our expanding family really brought our appreciation to a whole new level. Being surrounded such a great circle of family and friends really put into perspective how truly blessed we really are.

The shower started off with some mix n mingling followed by a salad buffett lunch. And when I say buffet...I mean...smorgasbord! And it was delicious...and about 98% home made. Potato salad, pasta salad, green salad, orzo salad, fruit salad, veggies and dip, Hawaiian rolls...I think I'm salivating. Let's just say no one left hungry, and many were requesting recipes. (And considering many of us are pregnant or nursing....let's just say we really appreciate some good grub!)

After lunch, we played a few low key games and then dug into the phenomenal cake. Now, as you'll see in the pics below, the cake was not only beautiful...and had matching cupcakes....but it was so moist and scrumptious, too! It was a huge hit. And, it was made by Marilyn's daughter, to boot! (Really! She just started her own cake business...let me know if you need her info!)

Shower Fun!

Once we were all in a good food coma and inside with the air conditioning pumping, Chris joined us as the ladies showered Audrey with some wonderful gifts. (In an unplanned turn of events, Chris' family made him sit with me while I opened. He was a good sport, and I was SO excited...cuz all eyes were on two of us...rather than just me). :) The generosity of our friends and family was endless. We received lots of the necessities that a new baby calls for and a few homemade items that we'll cherish forever. Thank you all so much for your love and support!

Below are some kodak moments from the day. [I included a few highlights, but I'm sure there are some details...and guests...left out.] :(

My Family
Bro-n-law Joey, Sister Jenny, Niece Brooklyn, Mom Kline, Sister Paige, Me, and Daddy-to-be


Great Girlfriends
Carrie, Me, Becca


More Fabulous FriendsCalista, Niki, Me, Kristy, Michelle


Adorable KidsNephew Braden, Niece Brooklyn, Nephew Carter, and Cousin Rylie


AND...the Wonderful (hardworking) Hostesses!
Family Friend Marilyn, Sis-in-Law Jen, and Ma-in-Law Karen


Thank you everyone for such a wonderful shower!
We are so blessed. Thanks for your love and support.

Mommy-to-be and Daddy-to-be

Thursday, July 2, 2009

3rd Trimester...28 weeks down

Now the real countdown begins! 3 months left. 12 weeks. 84 days. Wow!

We are so excited to meet our little Audrey, but are grateful for the time we have left to get ready. The nursery is finally cleared out, and paint is mostly on the walls with some finishing touches needed. [Chris, being the wonderful husband that he is, had paint on the walls to surprise me when I got home. Awww] And, after a little hitch, turns out our furniture will in fact be delivered next week. Checking things off the list, and it feels great. It feels real. SHE'S ALMOST HERE!!

This week Audrey is about 2 and a quarter pounds, like a Chinese cabbage. Her eyes are opening and closing....and are now adorned with lashes. (Hopefully dark lashes like her daddy's.)

Had a doctor appt yesterday, and now I'll start to go in every 2 weeks. That's a lot of appointments! All to make sure she's on track, so I don't mind one bit. I did a second round of bloodwork, checking to see if I'm animic (anymore than last time) and to check for gestational diabetes. (Dear God, please don't take my ice cream away from me!) haha. More importantly, it's not healthy for the baby.

We are also starting our kick counts to make sure Audrey is moving consistently...which she seems to have no problem doing so far. LOL. So, everyday around the same time (after dinner for us)...I time how long it takes her to kick 10 times. Last night it took 14 minutes, which I think is a lot! Naturally after I was done counting, she started moving around like crazy. Maybe she was brushing up on her dance skills....shuffle, shuffle, tap, tap.

I'm pretty sure I felt my first Braxton Hicks contraction last week! It happened two days in a row, while at work.......a tight squeezing under my belly button. Hasn't happened since, though. Phew. (Didn't "hurt", but didn't feel good). :)


Baby Bump - 28 Weeks