What a Week (26)

Merry Christmas to US!...

And a Happy New Year too!...

So this past week, starting on Christmas Eve, or basement decided to flood, not once... but twice! The first time was on Christmas Eve night, we came home to find that our newly re-done basement was covered in water and sewage.

Our new rug was ruined, and two couches, the computer, the flat screen TV, storage cabinets, and a few other things. It was a nightmare. We called in the parents and Colin and we all stayed up until 2:30 AM Christmas morning to get the water out and start cleaning and drying things.

THEN, just as we got everything cleaned and bleached... it flooded again on Friday night. This time the water did not stop, and we had to use 3 pumps to get all of the water out. Then the cleanup started again, and the drying out has started. Hopefully our homeowners insurance will cover what we lost, but it is disappointing to know that all of that work we put into it has been undone. Not to mention the fact that I couldn't help at all with the cleanup because I'm pregnant.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

To top it all off, on Saturday night, I went to walk up the the stairs and something snapped in my lower back, leaving me unable to move for the rest of the night. This weekend my tailbone area has been excruciatingly painful, and today the Dr. diagnosed me with a dislocated tailbone. This has left me unable to sit on my butt, bend over, or lean to one side or the other. All I can do is lay on my side, or stand straight up. I can only take Tylenol to relieve my pain, which is not working, and take hot showers. I have been taken off work until my symptoms improve (which I have no idea how long it will take). Basically they told me I just have to deal with it and hopefully it will go away on its own.

What's In A Name...?

100 Days left! Can you believe that's all we have left (maybe fewer?)?!
Pita wanted to participate in this weeks belly picture... Week 25...


Kevin wanted to keep the baby's name a secret, but then we ended up telling a few people, which became a few more people so... in celebration of our milestone Kevin and I have decided to reveal the name we have picked for the baby.

This is a picture of the letters we made for her room that will hang above the crib. Her middle name will be Jean. Do you like it? Well... it doesn't matter if you do or not! Hehe, because we do!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

New Produce!

Today marks the beginning of week 25, which means we are entering our SIXTH month! This month's produce is: Eggplant!
"Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes."

Week 24

This week proved to be another productive one, as Kevin's dad came over and helped us lay the tile for the bathroom floor on Thursday night. It looks great now! On Saturday I grouted the floor and sealed the tile on Sunday morning. Here are the latest pictures:

All that's left is to install the baseboard, and put the sink and toilet in! I will have a fully functioning bathroom by Christmas! Whoo Hoo!

This weekend was also Christmas Tree Hunting Day for Kevin's family. Unfortunately we couldn't partake in the actual hunt, but we did join the whole family out for dinner afterward. Kevin's Aunt and Uncle and cousins were there too. We spent a lot of time talking about the growing 24 week bump...

What do you think? Getting any bigger? I should be, by the way she has been kicking lately, trying to spread out and get more room to grow in there. Either that or she is honing some awesome ninja skills... Her favorite thing to do, instead of kicking on the outside so Daddy can feel, she turns around and kicks Mommy in her internal organs! So much fun!

Tune in next week for a special "100 days to go/Christmas Special" blog entry. Kevin and I have a special Christmas gift for all of you!

Busy Weekend

This weekend was a busy and productive one for Kevin and I. I finally convinced Kevin to help me put together the baby's furniture so that we can get rid of all of the large boxes they came in, and make the space more useful for storing all of the baby things we have accumulated so far.

Kevin put together the crib with a little help, and I put together the tall dresser with a little help. Then tonight we both put the long dresser together. Everything looks so great all put together! It just makes us all the more excited... it's getting so close! Pretty soon we will have a little person to fill that crib!

Here are some pictures and the week 23 belly pic!

Pita helped a little too... supervising from her new chair :)

New Layout!

I decided that we needed some pizazz on this page, and something more appropriate for a baby girl... so here we are. Do you like it?

Here is this weeks belly picture too! Nothing too exciting to report this week... the baby is moving around more than ever, and all we have to do is lay tile in the bathroom and then it's DONE! I can't wait to take a shower in my nice new bathroom.

No produce on Wednesday for week 23, so I will update again soon!

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Baby girl has been having lots of fun the past couple days kicking mommies internal organs day and night. So yesterday was the first day of the infamous "2nd trimester heartburn". It all started after my mom's birthday dinner.

Perfect timing... the day before I plan on stuffing my face with as much turkey and mashed potatoes as it can hold... time to break out the TUMS!

Week 22

This weeks produce is actually this months produce because the website I use clumps the last 5 months together in 4 week groups for one piece of produce... Papaya"Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop."

That means there are only 4 more pieces of produce between now and when the baby is born!!!

Baby Kerl would like to wish Grandma Virginia a happy birthday today!!!

Finally...

So I finally got to see the Dr. on Saturday morning, after they cancelled and re-scheduled me twice. It was rather uneventful... he keeps saying "you're so easy!" because the pregnancy has been so textbook. I've gained 9 pounds since the start, and my belly is measuring right on target too.

Also, they gave me an ultrasound picture that they forgot about last appointment:

She is waving "Hi" to everyone reading her blog!

So now the count is official, 10 fingers, and 10 toes! So there's no need to worry about that when she finally arrives.

Kevin and I went to Babies R' Us this weekend to try and finish the registry. That place is so crazy all the time! It's terribly organized, and you can never figure out where anything is based on the printouts that they give you! I wish there was an alternative for baby registers, but they truly have more choices than Target and places like that. Luckily, Olivia lent me her copy of "Baby Bargains" (like Consumer Reports for baby stuff) so we were prepared to make decisions on the big ticket items.

I keep trying to convince Kevin to start putting together the baby's furniture, but he insists on the bathroom being finished first. I understand, one project at a time... but I want to see what it looks like!!! It would make everything feel so much more official.

The good news is the bathroom is almost finished. We just need to tile the floor, and install the sink and toilet! Yay! I will post pictures when we are all done... it's going to look great! Kevin's dad has been doing such a great job on the walls and painting... I don't know what we would to without him!

Week 21

This weeks produce: A banana!
"Baby gulps down several ounces every day of the amniotic fluid for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch."

So currently the baby and I are enjoying a cup of tea (decaff - of course) and some Girl Scout Cookies!!! I think the shortbread are her favorite... maybe she will be a good cookie seller if she wants to be a Girl Scout!

Update

This weeks belly pic is officially our "halfway there" picture!

Now I officially feel like I look pregnant when I go out in public. This weekend we went to Rochester to visit Eric, Olivia, and baby Rosie. We went to the mall for a while before hand and I actually felt like a mommy-to-be! We walked around and checked out all the families with their new babies, and what strollers they were using etc. It was fun.

Then we went to Eric and Olivia's for dinner, and to meet Rosie for the first time! She is the cutest thing ever! If our baby girl turns out half as cute and well behaved as she is, I will be so happy. They really helped us by talking about what to expect, and not to listen to others "advice". It really makes us think "we can do this!" We are now more excited than ever to begin our journey as parents!

OOOooo, and... when we got home, thanks to the sugar rush provided by the cake we had for dessert the baby was moving around like CrAzY! Kevin got to feel the baby kick for the first time! I think he was caught off guard about how it would feel... they were some pretty powerful kicks! Maybe she will play soccer like dad after all!

In other news, we were supposed to have a Dr's appointment tonight, but it got cancelled because two moms went into labor and the Dr. got called to the hospital. So we had to re-schedule for Thursday night, so hopefully I will post again after that!

Half Way Done!

Yay! Today baby girl is half way done! 140 days down, 140 days to go.

So far the journey hasn't seemed that long, the second trimester is flying by, and to think that we are already half way there is crazy!

This weeks produce is a cantaloupe:

"Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!"

Update

Well, this weekend was kind of crazy with Kevin and his dad working on the upstairs bathroom. Our baby girls room has been turned into VALU home center, filled with pluming supplies and extra parts and pieces right now. I think that until the bathroom is done, the work on the nursery cannot begin, because it would just be too crazy.

We forgot to take a Week 19 belly picture this weekend because we have been so busy, so we took one late last night... let me remind you that last night was "comfy pajama day"... hence my matching outfit!

The belly is definitely getting bigger now, and I am starting to feel visibly pregnant. I will post tomorrow with the Week 20 produce!

Baby Bedding

We picked out the baby's bedding (actually I did) and it came in last week! I absolutely love it, and I didn't think Kevin would care about it too much as long as it wasn't too pink, and it's not:It's actually less pink in real life than in the picture, its more of a salmon/orange color. Kevin ended up liking it even though he "hates dots", and it looks great with the orange walls! I can't wait to finally start getting the nursery ready!

Yes we can!

I am just so happy this morning because my baby will be born under a President that will be making his mark on history. After years of stuffy old white guys, who don't know their brain from their rear end, we will finally have someone with depth, intelligence, and outlook on diversity, and maybe we will get something accomplished, instead of just playing with little army men.

I know that politicians will pretty much say anything to get you to vote for them, and there are a few things that I am fully aware just won't happen... However, I truly think that Obama can accomplish much of what he talks about, and he is actually intelligent! He is not a puppet that has to be told what to say and do, he is a real person, and he lives in the real world! I could just hug him!

On to the bad news... I am so disappointed in the people in this country who use their right to vote to remove rights for other people... I'm talking to you Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and California...banning same sex marriage, banning them from adopting children, taking away rights that should be available to EVERY member of the United States. All they want to do is be YOUR definition of "normal", get married, have kids, get old together and be happy. I will NEVER understand why someone would want to take that away from another person.

OK, that rant is over I promise... on to this weeks produce!: Mango
Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

The Baby has a PSA

She would just like to remind you to get out and vote tomorrow!

(Unless you are a republican... in that case we will forgive you if you forget! ;)

Happy Election Day!

Also, everyone in West Seneca, don't forget to get out and vote on November 17th to decrease the size of our town board!!!

Included is the Week 18 Belly Picture!

Latest Photo Shoot

Here are the latest pictures of our baby girl!!!

Tiny Feet

Picture of her face up close

Profile

Baby Kerl is a...

Yay!!! We found out today!!





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Sorry, had to add some dramatic effect...




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GIRL!!!
We could not be more thrilled! The ultrasound tech told us the she could tell without a doubt. Baby girl was very cooperative while getting her picture taken, and we got lots of good news and good measurements. I will post some of the photos later on once I get them onto my computer!

Week 18 Produce

OK, this one is a little strange... Sweet Potato"Your baby has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon."

So I think I felt the baby move yesterday morning while I was sitting on the couch. It was something I had never felt before, like bubbles in my lower abdomen, like a fish was flopping around in there. I felt it a few times over about 5 minutes, so if it happens again in the next few days, I think it is the baby!

As I am typing this there is exactly 22 hours until our big ultrasound!!! I am so excited I don't even want to go to work today, I just want to stay home and sleep so that it will be tomorrow! I can't wait to find out tomorrow, and then go shopping! I have been saving a gift card for this occasion because I am not going to be able to resist going out and buying something for our baby boy or girl!

Busy Weekend at the Kerl's

So this weekend was pretty busy for us.

I had to work on Saturday morning, and when I got home, Kevin was starting to pull the tile off the wall in the bathroom. We figured that since we didn't have much work to do in the baby's room, we would start the bathroom project.

Grandma and Grandpa Kerl came over to help with some of the demolition, including the removal of the cast iron bathtub.

Here are the pictures of the state that it is currently in:

So all we need to do is rip up the floor, put up new drywall, re-tile the floor, paint, install a new tub and shower surround, and put in a new vanity and toilet. Hopefully we can get everything done by Christmas!

Today we went to a "Pregnancy Expo" which is like a bridal show for pregnancy... and equally if not more scary. There were really not too many interesting vendors, and all in all it was kind of disappointing. But all was not lost, because afterwards we went to Target and Kevin got his flu shot! What a brave Daddy!

So here is this week's belly picture!

Getting bigger! Still not visibly pregnant to strangers, but we are getting there! To give you another perspective I took a picture of what my belly looks like while I am sitting at the laptop:

I'm not even sad that I have to go to work tomorrow, because that means that we are one day closer to Thursday! I can't wait!

Boy or Girl Quiz

So i took the quiz that Rachel sent me and here are the results:

You have a 39% chance of having a boy. And you have a 60% chance of having a girl.

We will see if this is correct!

This weeks "fruit" (I think maybe I will start calling it "produce")

"Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints. "

No Ultrasound Today...

So we just got back from the doctors office and we didn't get our ultrasound today. However... we did make the appointment and he said we could do it next week!!!! Yay!!!! So Thursday is the big day that we find out if we are on team pink or team blue. Everything checked out well today, I gained 7 pounds (average is 10). They baby's heart rate was 150, so I guess we were both a little more relaxed this time.

So now the countdown begins...

Dear Butt...

I don't know if you got the memo.... but, it is my belly that is supposed to be expanding and not you!

Seriously, I don't think I look any bigger than I did last week, and it's starting to get a little disappointing. I know it all won't matter in a few months when I am as big as a whale... but right now I just want to finally look pregnant!

We have another Drs appointment on Tuesday, and according to the paperwork they gave me, they do an ultrasound at this appointment. Now, no one mentioned it the last time, and I know that lots of people typically have 20 week ultrasounds, so I am not getting my hopes up... But it would be great if we did get one, and maybe, just maybe find out the sex of the baby!!!
So now of course I can't wait until Tuesday to see what happens! I will keep everyone posted!

Slacking

OK, I am seriously slacking with this blogging stuff. Tomorrow I will be 16 weeks (4 Months!) and I still haven't posted the Week 15 belly picture! So here it is... a little late. I think my "normal person" yoga pants have been stretched to their maximum capacity. Just a few more weeks and hopefully I will actually look like a pregnant woman.

Kevin and I went to Babies R' Us on Saturday because we were running some errands and we wanted to check out some of the strollers we had been looking at. I felt so out of place there. Everyone was either visibly pregnant, or had a baby or toddler in tow... or was wandering the isles with pages of registries. Kevin and I were none of the above...the normal looking couple picking up all of the strollers to see how heavy they are, if they are easy to collapse... I think I will feel better about going back when people can actually see that I am pregnant!

So while I am at it, I will post this weeks... fruit?!? The Avocado. I looked it up and it is actually categorized as a fruit... more precisely a berry! So here it is:"Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender."

Not exactly the cutest fruit, but it's exciting to be able to talk to the baby now, and know that he or she is in there listening. I just hope they don't mind all the singing in the shower and the car!

Naval Orange

This weeks fruit!"Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your baby is wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements. "

Big Cousin Derek

We got to see "Aunt Beth" and Derek this weekend, and we got a picture of him posing in his new t-shirt:
Nothing new to report this week, except for my ever expanding abdomen...

Here is the Week 14 belly picture. The bottom part of my belly is starting to get hard, which is really, really weird to feel.

Only two more weeks until our next Doctor's appointment (no ultrasound this time)... but that means that the time after that we will get to find out the sex, if the baby cooperates! Sooooo exciting! I can't wait to find out who's in there... I feel like I need to know so I can start planning things!

100 Days so far!

Wow, 100 days seems like sooo long, but it has just flown by! This weeks fruit:

"Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth. "

Don't ask me how a lemon is bigger than a peach...

Week 13 Belly Pic

So, I'm a little late to post this weeks belly pic, but here it is. Nothing new to report this week except that my jeans officially do not fit anymore. Take a look at the picture and I will give you one guess why...

In other exciting news... Dr. G. had her baby on Friday! Welcome Melanie Giallella, born September 26th at 8:21am, 7 pounds, 20 inches. She looks just like her mom! What a lucky girl! Congratulations go out to Val and Mark!