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!