32 Weeks

Time sure is flying by...I am 32 weeks along already! We had our 32 week Dr.'s appointment today and everything seems to be progressing the way it should be. Her heartbeat is strong and as of right now her head is in the down position. I kind of figured that because she is a very active little girl and I mostly feel her moving around on the top right side of my belly (right in the ribs). So I was right about it being her feet and knees that I feel nudging me all the time. As far my measurements go, my belly measured at 32 cm and I have put on 22.2 lbs. I do have to admit that so far I have been fairly lucky because most of my weight is all in my belly (and bust for that matter). But I have also noticed it in my cheeks, my ankles (yes, I officially have cankles now), and the weirdest spot of all...my armpits. I actually have chubby armpits! I was a little concerned about it so I asked my Dr. about it today and she said it can be normal. They are just getting ready for the whole breastmilk process. I was relieved for her to say that because I thought it was pretty weird myself. Overall, I am still feeling pretty good. It is has been a really hot summer here already but I think I have been handling the heat alright. Everywhere I go for work is air conditioned and I just blast the AC when I get back in my car. The heat and the extra lbs. have slowed me down a little bit but not too bad, I can deal with it. Over the past few weeks I have really noticed how big she is getting, especially when I am sitting down. Like I mentioned before, she kicks me a lot in the right ribs, so driving can get uncomfortable after awhile but as soon as I stand it feels better. Oh, and in the last few weeks my belly button has popped so I now have a little bit of an outy. She also has been great entertainment for Brad and I. At night we love to just sit and watch my belly move all around. Sometimes I will have something bony sticking out and sometimes she moves her whole body so much that my entire belly rolls around. It might not sound like that much fun to watch, but we sure do think it is.

We haven't done too much more to the nursery yet. Brad did build in some shelves and another rod to hang her clothes and it looks great. It is going to be so fun to organize everything and hang up all of her cute little outfits. Good thing she has a big closet because she sure does have a lot of clothes already. Our hutch for the changing table is in but we haven't had a chance to pick it up yet. We also ordered our glider/ottoman and that should be here in a few weeks. I will post some pictures of the nursery once everything starts coming together.

Here are some 32 week pics of me and my big belly! By the way, I really feel cheesy posing for these pictures but I know people enjoy watching us grow and it will be fun to have and look back at the progression over the months. In fact, I just went back and looked at my 16 and 20 week pics and it cracked me up that I said I had "popped" because I obviously didn't know how much I really was going to "pop"...now I do.

Back to lounging on our porch - one of my favorite spots

Shower on the Cul-de-sac

This weekend we had our third and final shower. This one was with 5 couples who live on our cul-de-sac. Actually 3 of us are pregnant and all due in August (within 2 weeks of each other). So the other 2 ladies are throwing 3 baby showers! We told them to have it all in one shot but they said the more parties the better...and we all agreed. Again, we had a great time! The food was delicious, the weather was beautiful, it was a fun group of people, and we got some wonderful gifts.

Baby Spins sure did get spoiled these last 3 weekends. We are so lucky to have such great family and friends! It was all such a huge help to us. Thank you!

Opening presents - someone made a comment that the bibs were for Brad so we were checking to see how they looked. A little small but otherwise not too bad.

Some of the neighbor girls - Kathy, Dana (due August 21st, having a girl), Mindi (due August 29th, not finding out the sex) and Lisa

Baby Shower in Indy!

This weekend my friends Jaclynn and Lesley had a baby shower for Brad and I here at our house. It was a couples shower and we had some of our friends from Indy, from High School and from College here. It was so nice to have everyone together. Everyone from out of town got here Friday night (some later than others due to being stuck on a runway in NYC for 3 hours - sorry Nic) and stayed til Sunday. It was such a great weekend! The weather was nice so the guys could play yard games while us girls played games and opened presents out on our screened in porch. Again, we got some wonderful presents for Baby Spins!

Thanks for the great presents everyone!

We had delicous food at the party too and plenty of it! Jaclynn and Lesley went crazy with the amount of food that they made - it sure was nice to have the leftovers Sunday morning though. We also had a house full of babies! We had Maddy (almost a year), Noah (3 1/2 months), Connor (7 weeks), and Beau ( 3 weeks). They are all so cute and it is great that Baby Spins will have so many friends around her age.

A pic of all the girls and babies!

Jaclynn, Nichole, Lesley, and Jenny - my girlfriends from out of town

Brad and I had a great time at the shower and want to thank everyone for coming (and traveling from all over). We also want to thank Jac and Les for all of their work they put into planning this shower for us. The shower was fantastic and we really appreciate it! Les, it was so nice to finally meet Noah! He sure is a cutie!

Noah and I, all set to head to our pool!

Memorial Day Weekend - Baby Shower

Brad and I went home for Memorial Day weekend. We haven't been home since Christmas so it was well overdue and it was so great to be home! We left Thursday night and went to Howell and stayed with Jac and Jason. Then we only had a little more than 6 hours to go on Friday so we ended up getting there around 3:00. The trip up there went by pretty fast, it was nice to be able to break it up.

Saturday, my mom and Vanessa had a Baby Shower for us. It was wonderful! We had so many family and friends there and it was so great to see everyone! I couldn't believe how many people made it on a holiday weekend. Baby Spins sure did get spoiled by everyone. She got so many cute little outfits, blankets, baby necessities, and tons of great books! I want to thank all of you who were able to make it and for your thoughtful gifts. I also want to send out a special thank you to my mom and Vanessa for throwing such a great shower! I know you guys worked hard on getting the house ready, making all of the yummy food, and making sure everything went smoothly. The house looked wonderful, the food was excellent, and I appreciate all that you did!

Thanks Mom and Ness!

Teal and Amy - best friends of mine from home

My cousin Tara and my Auntie Susie

Opening all my wonderful presents!

I was very excited about the Favre jersey that we got from my Aunty Sue! Baby Spins is going to look so cute in that and is going to stand out from all the other little kids running around in Manning jerseys.

Getting the feel of pushing around our new stroller from my Grandma Sally.

Brad and I had such a great time being home this weekend. We got to see so many of our family and friends and really enjoyed spending time with everyone. Once again, it was hard to say our good-byes and leave on Monday morning. The 10 hour trip back to Indy went fine but it seemed a lot longer than the way up...I think it always works that way. Now, the next time we make a trip back to the U.P. we'll be traveling with a little one!

28 Weeks

I am officially in my 3rd trimester now. It's crazy how the time is flying by! I just had my 28 week appointment yesterday. It was the long one where I had to drink the glucola and test for diabetes. The drink actually wasn't that bad, just rather sweet by the end of it. They took my blood and should have the results in the next few days. I sure hope I pass cause I don't want to have to go back for another appointment which is more blood tests and a few hours longer. The Dr. said my measurements and weight are still right on so Baby Spins is growing how she should be which is nice to hear. She sure has grown a lot in the last few weeks. I feel so much bigger now than I was at 24 weeks. I really notice how much bigger I am when I am laying down and try to sit up or when I am standing up and go to bend over, it's just not quite the same as it was before. I am still feeling really good and I am enjoying this stage of watching my belly grow and feeling her move around all the time. Since 24 weeks she sure has been active! Brad and I love to watch and feel her move around. About a week ago she started responding to Brad when he would push on her. She actually pushed (or kicked) back which we both thought was really cool. She's only done that a few times but it was a really neat feeling for me to feel Brad and her pushing at each other.

We are starting to work on the nursery a little more too. We've got the crib and the changing table up there now. We really love the furniture. It is espresso colored and it looks great with the light pink walls. Here's some pictures of Brad working on the crib.

We also took my 28 week pics yesterday. As you can see I am no longer wearing the same shirt that I had on in the past pictures. For one, it is way to small on me now, and two, it is 85 degrees out so it is time for the tank tops.

Where I'll be parked most of the summer!

Oh, and one more thing that took place over the last few weeks. We have decided on a name for our little girl! We have been calling her by name to get used to it and see what we think...and we both think it sounds pretty darn good. But you'll all have to wait til she's born cause we aren't telling anyone (sorry, not even you mom).

Welcome Baby Beau!

Our friends Abby and Ryan had their baby boy, Beau William Smith, on May 15th at 4:07 p.m. His due date was the 14th but they induced Abby the morning of the 15th cause they knew he was going to be a big boy...and they were right. Beau weighed in at 9 lbs. 12 oz.'s and is 21 inches long! Abby's a champ! Both Abby and Beau are doing good. Brad and I spent a few hours at the hospital last night visiting with them. I was so excited to see Beau. He's a cutie! He's got the cheeks that you just want to kiss or squeeze or something. Here's a few pictures.

Here's Brad (can't tell cause I cut him off) holding Beau, who is wide awake and looking around.

The proud daddy and his son. I love this picture...I told Abby I would put it on here so she could have it too.

Ryan, Abby, and Beau
Congratulations guys, we are so happy for you!

My Parents in Indy!

My parents flew in on Thursday and stayed through Tuesday. It was so wonderful to have them down here!!! It was their first time down here without any kids with them. It was great for the four of us to be able to spend some time together. Although 99% of the time it was working. My dad and Brad worked on building a screened in porch for us for 4 days straight, from the morning til dark. They worked so hard and got so much done! The weather was great for them - 70's all weekend. My mom also worked really hard. She painted our dining room for us and our nursery! Both rooms look so nice. My mom and I also found time to get lots of shopping in...surprise, surprise. We are great shopping partners and we found a lot of good deals. Brad and I really appreciate all of their help and we had a great time with them. It was hard for me to see them leave. I wish they could've stayed another week and relaxed with us on our new screened in porch! Brad and I love it and will spend many, many hours out there. Here's some pictures of them working hard.

Here they are on their last night, still working hard, using every last minute of daylight to finish up what they could.

And then here they are with a look of accomplishment after they were finished. Good job guys!

My mom, smiling big, after painting 2 coats of pink in the nursery.

And she did a great job in the dining room too!

Looks like we hired a professional!

Unfortunately, my parents didn't get to stick around and enjoy the finished porch. We sure do love it! It looks so nice from across the pond. So many people in our neighborhood have come up to us and made comments on how nice it is. And they couldn't believe how fast the guys built it!

They never got to see it with the furniture in it, so here's some pictures for everyone to see.

Here's a beautiful sunset picture we took from our porch. We're looking forward to watching many more pretty sunsets from our porch!

24 Weeks

Sorry I am posting this so late. Our computer crashed and it took awhile for us to get a new one up and running. It sure was hard to go 2 weeks without a computer! A few people have called me and were wondering why I haven't posted the 24 week pictures. So here they are and sorry about the delay.



As you can see, I have grown a lot in the last 4 weeks, and so has Baby Spins. According to the updates I get from baby center, she is almost 12 inches long now. The Dr. took my measurements at our 24 week appointment and said the measurements looks right on. She is so much more active now too. I feel her moving around at all times of the day (and the night). I love it!

Connor Robert Nelson

Our friends Kelly and JJ had their baby boy on April 9th. Connor was 3 days early and weighed in at 6 lbs. and 5 ozs. and was 20 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well. We stopped in at the hospital (the same hospital we will deliver at) last night to see Connor and the proud parents. He is so tiny! When I held him I couldn't believe how light he was. When we first got there he was wide awake but then he fell asleep in my arms. So I didn't get any pictures of him awake but I did take a few while he was sleeping.

JJ, Kelly, and Connor

Easter Weekend

Even though the temperatures were way below normal for this time of year, it did not stop us from having a great Easter weekend with family. Brad's parents made it in late Thursday night. Brad and I worked Friday, and then my Mom, Grandma Sally, and Bailey got down here Friday after work (after driving 11 hours and going through a huge blizzard in the UP). It was my Grandma's first time down here and she was so excited to see us and our house. We are so glad that they were able to make it down here for the weekend. Friday night we all just visited with each other and oohed and ahhed over all the cute baby stuff my mom brought with her (she's already spoiling this baby...surpise, surprise). Saturday us girls went shopping all day while the boys stayed home and watched golf. We went to Babies R Us and we ordered our crib and dresser/changing table. My parents bought us our crib which was extremely nice of them and a huge help for us. My mom also bought a little crib and changing table for their house in Marqutte. We went to a few other stores and I found some good deals on maternity clothes which I desperately needed. Shopping with the girls was a lot of fun and very successful! Saturday night we made lasagna and had a big Italian dinner with everyone. Brad's parents left really early Sunday morning so we said bye to them Saturday night. Sunday morning the Easter bunny came and left baskets for Brad, Bailey, and I. Just what I need, a basket full of chocolate! I have 12 of the Reese's egg peanut butter cups to eat...their my favorite! We also had a big ham for brunch after church. Let's just say I didn't go hungry this weekend.

Monday afternoon we had a Dr.'s appointment scheduled and my mom got to come with us. She got to see Baby Spins moving all around. Everything looked good, she had a strong heartbeat again, 150 bpm. They only took a few pictures this time but our ultrasound tech was really nice and gave my mom and Brad and I a set of pictures. I've included two of our favorites below. Tuesday morning my family left and made the long hike back to the U.P. At least this time they drove home with the sun shining instead of the snow blowing everywhere. It sure was great having them down here!

Our Little Gymnast: She is in the pike position. You can see her little feet and her hands reaching for her toes.

Say cheese! Doesn't it kind of look like she is smiling for the camera?