T -6 days and counting!

We had our 39 week appointment today and it went pretty well! My blood pressure looks great, his heartbeat was at 130, and my belly measured right on track at 39cm. There has been a bit more progress and the nurse seems to think I won't make my next appointment. The doctor however says that he will see us next Friday for our 40 week, 1 day appointment. I sure hope he is wrong and the nurse is right!

If this little guy is stubborn and we do make our next appointment... we can then choose to be induced on the 9th. I guess it is nice to at least have a date in mind and something to focus on. Hopefully he decides to make an appearance before then though!

Right now I am at at a really good 2cm (basically between 2 and 3cm), still 80% effaced, and he is at -2 station still. We will just have to keep going on those walks and hope that this guy comes when he is ready... and that he will be ready very soon! (Especially as the walk last night was darn right cold at 32 degrees with a wind that gave a windchill of 25 degrees!).

It is looking more and more like he will be a November baby. It is also looking like Mitch and I will get our wish and not have a Halloween baby!

Eviction Notice... Served.

Dear Baby Boy Hofer,

You are hereby officially served your eviction notice. I would love to be pregnant with you for a little bit longer, but it has now gotten to the point where I am having a hard time walking due to some ligament pain in my left leg/groin area. This, to me, is pointless pain and I find myself tired of it. That leaves us with one option and that option is for you to go ahead and make your arrival into the world. If I'm going to be in pain... we might as well make it worth something, right?

Lovingly,
Your Mother.

P.S. Your father is anxious to meet you as well. I think he is growing tired of the nightly foot massages he is currently giving me.

38 Weeks... And Counting.

We had our 38 week doctor appointment today and he looks to be doing just fine still. His heartrate was at 138 beats per minute and my belly measured 38cm (same as last week). Also the same as last week is my dilation and effacement which was a little frustrating for me to hear today. He has dropped a bit lower though, so there was at least some progress since last week.

The doctor explained to us that he predicts he will be seeing us next week... for our 39 week appointment. So what did Mitch and I do this evening? We went for a long walk to maybe convince this little guy that we would love to meet him sooner than later.

I just keep reminding myself that 13 days is really not a lot of time and we actually do have a lot to do before our son arrives. This is also the very last week or two that it is going to just be Mitch and I... and I want to enjoy that to the fullest. Our marriage is very important to us and while we are very excited for our little man to arrive, we are also a bit anxious about all of the changes that come with that.

Ready or not... only 13 days to go until that due date of November 4th.

A Moment of Reflection

It is absolutely amazing how much one learns in 9 months.

9 months ago, Mitch and I were pretty clueless when it came to pregnancy, babies, and everything else that comes with when you are expecting. We thought we knew what we were getting into, but now I know that we really didn't.

I remember back in June when we first walked into Babies-R-Us to start our baby registry. We had no idea what we needed... or what some of the things in there were for! From bedding to furniture and monitors to feeding supplies, we quickly realized that we were in over our heads and didn't have a clue about any of this stuff. I remember at one point I looked over at Mitch and told him that I was amazed that people were able to have babies and know how to take care of them. We quickly found ourselves to be very intimidated by the sheer amount of items in that store that I told Mitch that we needed to just go home and come back with our moms because I didn't know what to do in the store. (Yes, this would qualify for a mini-breakdown.) We went back to Babies-R-Us the very next weekend with both of our moms and they were our guiding light and helped us with our registry. I will never forget asking what a receiving blanket was... and then 5 seconds later asking what a flannel blanket was. (Word to the wise? They are the same darn thing.)

Last weekend, we finished up our registries and finished buying everything that we may want/need right away to help make life a bit easier for our new arrival. We didn't need the assistance of our moms and we actually knew what we were doing. It's truly amazing how much changes and how many things you learn throughout these 9 months of pregnancy.

The truly scary thought is if we've learned this much within the last 9 months... I can't imagine how much we still don't know and will need to learn.

Oh, Baby! 37 Week Update.

My doctor informed us today that we are officially out of the preemie stage and our little guy would be just fine if he made an appearance. The appointment went very well today... my belly measured 38cm today and he had a heartrate of 148 beats per minute (he was moving around and being active today!). My blood pressure is still nice and low (100/60) and let's not talk too much about the weight gain. Let's just say that I'm still within the recommended weight gain of 25-35 lbs, but I'm going to go be going over that 35 number any day now. If only my love for Reeses Peanut Butter Cups wasn't being encouraged by all of this darn Halloween candy that is out!

The past day or so I've been experiencing some low back pain and it looks like it was for a reason! I'm still only at 1cm dilated, but I went from 25% effaced to 80% effaced. I'd say that is a pretty significant change! The doctor says that I will probably make it at least 1 more week, which really put the deer-in-the-headlight looks on our faces. We really have a lot to do and we are starting to feel the stress of getting everything ready for the baby... and also packing and cleaning for the move.

I also really need to get a hospital bag packed.

It's just really difficult to try and get all of this stuff done when I am so exhausted every day. I have also been in a lot of pain for the last few days and it has really been trying to keep up the positive attitude. I'm not quite ready for him to be here yet, but I also have been struggling with the pregnancy lately. It's complicated, I guess. I'm just going to take it 1 day at a time from here on out.

Besides, the countdown is dwindling down. We have 20 days to go until we reach that due date.

36 Week Dr. Appt

Today was the first of my weekly doctor appointments and it went well. He is definitely head down and in a good position for these final weeks until he arrives. His heartbeat is staying pretty consistent with our past visits at 130 beats per minute and my belly is still measuring right on track (so I am assuming 36cm). I had my Group B Strep test today and we will get the results next week at our appointment.

They also did the first internal exam today and I am showing a little bit of progress, not that it actually means anything. You can stay at the same level for weeks... or you could change dramatically within that same day! (They really don't make it easy on us!). Currently, I am at 1cm dilated and 25% effaced. It will be interesting to see what we will be at next week at our next appointment.

I can tell that he has dropped a little bit as when he gets the hiccups, I definitely feel them quite a bit lower than where I used to. Wow... it really is getting close to his birth day. I think Mitch and I have a busy weekend coming up with all of the shopping, cleaning, and getting ready we have to do!

Colds and pregnancy do not mix well together.

After 8 months of pregnancy, the inevitable happened. I became victim to a runny nose, sore throat, sinus pressure, crummy feeling... common cold. I quickly came to the realization that a cold is the last thing that you want in the last month of pregnancy considering that you have limited options in what you can take for relief, you already can't sleep well, and you feel a bit uncomfortable all of the time anyway as is.

Thankfully I am just about over the cold. It really only flares up at night now (surprise, surprise), but during the day I am pretty good now. The cold had a long 4 day run, but somehow my immune system fought back and won.

In other news, I know I still have 4 weeks... but I am fairly convinced he has officially run out of room in there. The past 2 days have been rather painful with his movements and while I am thankful for the constant reassurance that all is well with him, I do believe that he could be a bit gentler. Just sayin'.

We still have quite a bit left to do before his arrival. We need to get the car seat bases installed into our vehicles, get them inspected at the fire department, pack the hospital bag, pack the diaper bag, finish purchasing baby items, and wash all of his clothes and blankets. And clean. And start packing up the house in boxes. And, of course, remembering how to breathe. Oh my.

35 weeks... 35 days.

Today completes 35 weeks and marks the beginning of the last 35 days... until the due date. Meaning, we have no idea how many days are left, but we can safely say that the end of the pregnancy is near! Sometime between now and 7 weeks from now, we are going to have a baby.

Wow.

We officially completed our birth and parenting classes last night were we received a certificate and everything. Not exactly sure what we are going to do with the certificate... other than have it as a memento in the baby book.

Lately, little man has been enjoying flipping side to side and he switches either every day or every couple of days. He stays head down, but he flips which side he is facing. One day I will have his back on the right side of my belly button and his feet poking out of my left side... and the next day it will be the exact opposite. Which is fine and all, however, it doesn't exactly feel the best as he really is running out of room in there!

Happy 35/35 to us!

First comes marriage, then comes baby... and house?

We are currently in the process of buying a new home... at the exact same time as getting ready for our little man to arrive. So in other words, it is a very exciting, hectic, scary, and overwhelming time in our lives right now!

We are going to be selling our townhome to Mitch's brother, Kyle, which makes it a little bit easier and less stressful (so if it takes us 3 days to actually move, it really isn't that big of a deal). Our closing date is currently set for November 19... so just after little man is going to arrive!

Our nursery is mostly done at this point with the exception of wall decorations. With us moving shortly after our son is born, it really doesn't make sense to decorate the walls. We will wait to decorate until we move into the new house and re-create his nursery at that point.

How about that? He is going to have had 2 nurseries when all is said and done... and all within 1 month of life! Hopefully our family and friends will be able to help us out as I really won't be much help so soon after delivery. It will be difficult, but we really are blessed with so many wonderful people in our lives that I know we will be okay.

Vikings Game!

Baby Hofer just went to his very first Vikings game today... and it was a win! I could tell that he was a bit overwhelmed with all of the noise and when the fireworks would go off? Oh my, he didn't like that one bit. He jumped every single time those fireworks would go off. At least we know that he can hear? It was a lot of fun though and we had a blast. I will say that it was a lot of walking/standing/stairs/etc. for an 8 months pregnant woman to handle, but I like to think I did relatively well. My ankles swelled up a bit, but I've been taking it easy since we got back home with my feet propped up and that seems to be doing the trick.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions. Final score: Vikings- 24, Lions- 10.

34 week Dr. Appt, Baby Shower, and More.

Today was our 34 week appointment and it went well! I received my flu shot today and Mitch is set to get his within the next 2 weeks at work. Little man's heart rate was at 130 today and I measured 34cm... right where everything should be! Next appointment will be for our 36 week check-up and then it will be weekly after that. Wow, we are definitely getting there!

This past weekend I had my last baby shower hosted by my friends Ann and Becky. It was absolutely wonderful and we were blessed with our family and friends showing up and the gifts they gave us to prepare for the arrival of our son. In the next couple of weeks we will start finishing up the registry and getting everything else that we might need/want. We also need to get the carseat installed here one of these weekends into the Escape. It's really starting to come together!

On Wednesday morning, Mitch and I were both heading out to go to work in the morning and as I was backing out of the garage... I definitely crashed the side mirror of the car into the side of the garage. Awesome. Nothing like an 8 months pregnant woman taking out the side mirror of her car... and with all of these emotions I have right now? Let's say that it wasn't a pleasant experience. All in all, a very minor thing that is getting fixed right now as we speak at the Ford dealership. It just didn't seem that minor to my emotional pregnant self at that time.

Speaking of being 8 months pregnant... I feel like he is running out of room! He pushes so hard against my belly that he actually completely distorts my whole belly. He still moves quite a lot, it is just a little different from before. Instead of kicks, he rolls and moves around. Last night he had some really strong hiccups that Mitch was even able to feel. At all times, I can push on my belly and feel him now... which means that when he is awake? Wow, do I know it. This can make sleeping a bit more difficult than I would probably prefer, but at least I know he is doing alright.

We also had our 4th birth and parenting class Wednesday night and it went really well. They actually had a baby doll there that Mitch and I had to hold for the whole 2.5 hour long class. I told Mitch that I was holding our baby, so he could hold the baby doll! It was a great class with a lot of really good information. We even got to meet a pediatrician and ask him a ton of questions after he talked with us for a good while.

Countdown? 5 weeks, 6 days (or a total of 41 days total) until the due date.

Ice Cube Drama.

So, my birth and parenting class instructor? I no longer like her. I mean, I get that I'm going to be in a lot of pain and that labor and delivery is difficult... however... I don't agree with making us pregnant women squeeze a painfully cold ice cube in one hand for a pretend "contraction" so we could use our breathing techniques and comfort measures we have been learning about in class.

Let's just say it doesn't feel the best. And she made us hold that ice cube for a really long time. Twice.

I am starting to freak out a little bit about the whole childbirth experience. Up until now I have had the very realistic, "yeah, it is going to be painful, but there is nothing I can do to change that and it will be worth it in the end." Now? It's more the "Oh emm gee! This is not going to be fun and I'm not really sure I am going to be ready for this for another year or two so if we can just go ahead and undo this whole pregnancy that would be great. Ok, thanks."

Nevermind that I have less than 7 weeks until my due date.

Part of my mind is okay with everything and the other part is a tiny bit overly anxious.

Now, don't get me wrong... I am still very much excited to have our little man here within the next two months and I wouldn't trade my pregnancy for anything. (And that is saying something as I am really starting to get uncomfortable and getting up to use the bathroom 5 times in one night while waking up with leg cramps 3 times in that same night is not my idea of fun.) Every time I look in his nursery or do something to get ready for his arrival... my heart just floods with so much love, wonder, and pride. I'm really looking forward to being a mom and while I am a little bit scared right now, I know that it will all be worth it in the end because it already is now.

Countdown? 6 weeks, 6 days (48 days total left until my due date).

Nursery progress... and our 32 week appointment.

Tuesday night (September 7th) we got a call from Babies-R-Us saying that our crib was finally in. So off we went to get the crib and crib mattress... and of course we put it all together that same night. And by we, I mean Mitch put it together while I sat in the glider drinking sweet tea and taking pictures. I like to think I provided the much needed moral support?

Either way, the crib looks amazing and Mitch really did a great job. Now we just need to try and figure out how we are going to configure so much furniture in such a tiny room. It sure is cramped in there! Once we figure out the configuration, we will get started on the wall decorations and getting everything finished.

Our 32 week appointment was this morning and it went well. I found out that I passed my gestational diabetes test with flying colors (I was at 87) and that all of my blood work came back with no issues. I have been very blessed to not have any issues with my health throughout this pregnancy! His heart rate was 136 beats per minute and he is still head down (which is how he was at 27 weeks). We also were able to set up the remaining doctor appointments (there are 6 left). Every two weeks from now until 36 weeks, then we switch to weekly appointments with the last one scheduled for November 5th (40 weeks, 1 day). It's amazing to think how quickly November is getting here!

In addition- here are some pictures from Labor Day weekend at my dad's house. We purchased a brand new camera (a Nikon) that we really like. We wanted to get a really nice camera before the birth of our baby boy (imagine this... we plan to take tons of pictures of the little man!). So, we decided to go ahead and get it now so that we have time to learn all that we can about the camera ahead of time. We have been really pleased with the camera so far and look forward to it being used quite extensively! The first picture is of Mitch and I and then the second picture is of my dad and I "comparing" bellies. I'm pretty sure I win the biggest belly award... hands down. I really have no idea how my belly is supposed to grow any bigger!

Countdown? 7 weeks, 6 days (or a total of 55 days until the due date).

31 weeks, 3 days belly picture.

So, here I am at 31 weeks, 3 days. It is fun to take the picture in the nursery (and I can only imagine it will be even more fun once we get the crib in and set-up!). I am feeling quite large these days... and my sweet, darling Mitch lovingly tells me that I'm only going to get larger. Thanks, dear. Actually, Mitch has been fantastic and says that our son is just getting bigger and healthier and needs more room. It is still fun to watch his eyes light up when we talk about future plans involving this little man. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Showers, Cribs, Classes and Babies!

Last Saturday I had my very first baby shower in Sioux Falls, South Dakota hosted by my wonderful mother-in-law. It was fantastic... and I wish I had pictures, but I will have to get them from my mother-in-law as I completely forgot to bring my camera. (This is becoming a recurring theme for me!). The shower went great and our little man received many wonderful presents. Of all of the gifts, I do have 3 favorites. 1. A blue and green handmade afghan by our little man's great grandmother, Dorothy Olson. 2. The glider that my mom and Da-Da got us. 3. A double picture frame with one blank side and the other a picture of Mitch in a Winnie-the-Pooh outfit... along with the outfit that Mitch wore 27 years ago.

Truly, truly blessed.

The only difficult part of the shower was the drive home. I was quite uncomfortable on the ride back and was having some cramping and tightening of the belly that I can only assume are those pesky Braxton Hicks contractions. There was no pattern to them, but they sure made for a long trip back home. Note to self? Don't go on long distance car trips in late pregnancy!

In other news, my good friend Michelle is not going to be able to make it to my local baby shower on September 18th. So, we met up on Monday to go get our dessert at Broadway Pizza (they make the BEST deep dish chocolate chip cookie sundae) and afterwards went back to my place as she had gifts for our little man. She was way too generous and got him way too many things... and we couldn't love the gifts any less. My favorite by far is the handmade quilt that Michelle made. Now that is something that he (and his parents) will cherish forever.

The shower definitely helped move the nursery along. One of the gifts from Mitch's parents was the crib bedding set... and of course that meant that we needed to go out and get the crib! So on Sunday we went to go get the crib, crib mattress, and changing table... and of course they only had the changing table in stock. We are still waiting for the crib and crib mattress to arrive at the store so we can go pick them up. Once we get the crib set up in the nursery we will be able to figure out how we want to arrange the furniture and then begin decorating the walls. It's really starting to come together!

Wednesday was our very first childbirth class and it went very well. It was very basic, but we had anticipated the first class being that way so it wasn't much of a shock to us. There was still some useful information and I'm glad we are doing this. We have 4 more classes to go (and I'm excited that the next one involves massage!). Mitch stands by the fact that these classes are an elaborate ploy to just get free massages from husbands. I'm pleading the fifth.

Well, you know how I have been pregnant with 2 of my friends Ashley and Becky? That is no longer the case as Ashley gave birth to her baby girl (name unknown as of right now) last Saturday and Becky is going to be induced sometime today. So in just a day or so, I will be flying solo in pregnancy. It was so much fun to see and hold Ashley's little girl and I can only imagine how much fun it will be to do the same with Becky's little boy. It definitely made me anxious to be holding our little man, but trust me... I can still wait. Yes, I do feel like I have been pregnant forever and yes, I am tired of the aches and pains and all of those pesky negative aspects of pregnancy. However, I know that he isn't ready for the outside world yet... and I think I still need some time to just enjoy spending time with my husband. I really don't want to rush through things just to rush through them. I'm currently enjoying getting his nursery put together with Mitch (okay, so watching Mitch put the nursery together as I sit in the glider drinking my sweet tea.... same thing right?). I'll have to put pictures up here of those events also... I'll try to do that with a new belly picture (as it is that time again).

Countdown: 8 weeks, 6 days (or 62 days total) until our due date!

30 weeks!

Alright. Here I am at 30 weeks pregnant with our son looking at the remaining 1/4 of pregnancy... and getting very anxious. I feel as if there is still so much to do before we welcome his arrival and that somehow 10 weeks is just not going to be enough time. On the other hand... 10 weeks is a long time to go! How can the same time frame seem so far away and so near all at the same time?

Pregnancy wise, things are going well. I'm still feeling relatively well and hey, I can still bend over and pick things up off of the floor. I consider that a win. I haven't seen any new stretch marks (knock on wood), my weight gain is about 23 lbs, my belly button is an outie now, I'm still craving the sweets, and I miss the days of the cute kicks my baby used to give me. I am now getting the painful my-baby-is-over-3-lbs-and-wants-to-move-around-in-a-tiny-space movements that can really downright hurt sometimes. However, don't get me wrong. I will take those painful movements 100 times over not being able to feel him move. It's a reassurance thing that tells me my little man is doing alright and growing like he should. So bring on the pain? Pregnancy IS weird.

Also, my first baby shower is this Saturday! I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to see what we will be getting for our little man. I told Mitch that we will definitely be spending Sunday in the nursery to go through all of the gifts and put them where they belong. We are so blessed to have such loving family and friends... our son is going to be completely taken care of and that fills me with so much joy that I can't even begin to describe.

Countdown: 10 weeks, or 70 days, left until our due date!

Announcement: I have a GLIDER!

Alright, so back in June when my grandpa (Da-Da) had his health scare and we all rushed down to Tennessee, I discovered a new item of furniture at his house. A glider. Now, I had wanted a glider for the nursery before this point, but holy buckets did this seal the deal. I was absolutely in love and heaven help anyone that sat in my glider while I was at Da-Da's house in Tennessee. (My cousin Katie has a story about this...).

Fast forward to yesterday. Yesterday my mom called me wanting the garage door code because she had to drop off a delivery. A BIG box of a delivery.

My wonderful, loving... and very astute Da-Da and mother got me a glider for the nursery. How wonderful is that? Mitch put it together for me last night and I am currently gliding away in the glider as I write this. To say that I love it would be an understatement.

So, in honor of my newly acquired glider... I present a picture of the nursery thus far. The walls are painted (moonlit yellow), the carpet has been steamcleaned, and we have a dresser and a glider at the moment. And of course Brady, the dog, who looks a bit less than thrilled that mom made him sit there for the picture. The nursery is definitely starting to come together... and I couldn't be more thrilled.

28 week Dr. appointment, a wedding, and a baby bump picture.

Today's baby bump picture was actually taken in the nursery! The walls are painted and the carpet has been cleaned and we are ready to start putting things in his room. Right now we only have a dresser, but in just under 2 weeks, I have a feeling we will have a few more items to put in there. It's hard to believe there is less than 2 weeks until my first baby shower! It is nice to be able to take the baby bump picture in his nursery though... it is quickly becoming one of my favorite rooms in the house. There is just something about going in there and imagining him being there in the near future that is so relaxing and peaceful.

Last Thursday we had our 28 week appointment... which included the infamous glucose test for gestational diabetes. Honestly, the drink wasn't bad at all. It tasted like orange syrup and was very easy to drink. I got a little jittery afterwards and then started to feel a bit nauseous, but nothing too bad. It was the crash that followed that was so hard for me. It took all I had to make it through the rest of the day (I worked until 9pm because of the appointment being in the morning). I haven't heard anything about the glucose test, so I'm assuming no news is good news and that I do not have gestational diabetes. Therefore, I've been continuing to feed that uncontrollable sweet tooth that appeared out of nowhere... and crossing my fingers that it doesn't come around to haunt me in the way of stretch marks and out-of-control weight gain.

Which, speaking of stretch marks, I cried the other day. At 27 weeks, I found my first stretch marks... and they are on the back of my right thigh. Yes, I know that they are a "badge of honor" and all of that, but I really had hoped to skate through pregnancy without any. So, now I am hoping that the worst is over and that I'm done with getting stretch marks.

Back to the 28 week doctor appointment. He is measuring on track and his heartbeat was at 133 beats per minute (he was resting at the time) and it sounded really good. I also got my RhoGAM shot on Thursday due to me being RH negative as well as an ID card I got to put in my wallet. Our next appointment will be on September 10 at 32 weeks and then I will be seen every other week.

In other news, my youngest brother, Andrew, got married this past weekend (Aug. 14) to Aimee. We have another Bridge in the family now... and I wish them only the very best. It was a beautiful wedding ceremony and they both looked so happy. It is so weird for me to think that my baby brother has a wife and a daughter, as well as three stepsons. I wish I had some pictures, but of course I forgot to bring my camera so I am going to have to rely on my mom and dad for pictures. I will say that while in the 7th month of pregnancy... dancing the night away is not the best idea. While it was a blast being out there dancing with Mitch, my dad, my cousin Katie, etc., I sure felt it by the end of the night... and the next day.

I don't know if I have mentioned this as of yet, but Mitch and I are pretty settled on a name at this point for our little man. We call him by his name at home or when it is just us and it really makes me feel closer to our son. The only downfall is that we sometimes catch ourselves about to say his name when talking about him to others! I will say that the parents really have been understanding in our want to keep the name to ourselves which is wonderful. I have also noticed that since reaching the 3rd trimester, my fatigue has skyrocketed. It seems that all I want to do now is sleep!

Countdown? We're down to 10 weeks, 3 days.

A mini Mitch? I think so!

Let me just start by saying that I am so glad we decided to do the 4D ultrasound. I really feel (and Mitch agrees with me) that we would have regretted not doing this after it was all said and done. It was a wonderful experience for not only us, but for all of his grandparents as well. Mitch's parents as well as mine all were there with us and what a great time!

It was really fun to get to know his positioning and what I'm feeling when he moves. He sure does like to move and he continued to show us that side of him. We also discovered that my placenta is on the right hand side of my body, which is where he loves to hang out. He cuddles on up next to the placenta right next to the main blood supply that has my pulse with it. He still loves to have his hands right next to his face and it looks as though we will probably have a thumb sucker on our hands. I guess that makes sense as I was a thumb sucker until I was about 8 years old!

We also caught him mid-yawn and oh boy was that a big yawn. He stretched his whole body for that yawn and we got pictures of both the yawn and the stretch. The ultrasound also made me certain of one thing... our little boy is going to look just like his dad. I can hardly wait! He was just so precious to watch on that huge screen and I can't help but love looking at those pictures we have over and over and over again.

With the ultrasound we were treated to about an hour of viewing pleasure and we were given a DVD of the whole ultrasound as well as a CD with 35 high-resolution photos. We also got a goodies bag that has a couple of useful things in it (such as a bottle cooler with re-usable ice packs).

All in all, I couldn't be happier and I know that Mitch feels the same way. All of the soon-to-be grandparents loved the experience also and that means the world to me. This little man of ours is already loved by so many people... and he just looks so precious. Seeing him today makes me anxious to meet him in 12 weeks give or take.

Why, hello 3rd trimester.

It's official. I am now in the third trimester and we are down to only 13 weeks left until my estimated due date of November 4th.

Not to mention only 2 more days until our 3D/4D ultrasound where we will get to see our little man again... and the grandparents-to-be will get to tag along. I know I am excited and it sounds like everyone else is also.

As far as the pregnancy goes... I really can't complain. I can tell that he is getting bigger and stronger as his movements, kicks, and stretches have become more and more forceful with each passing day. There are times where he honestly takes my breath away! Mitch and I both love to feel and watch him move around in there (even when he does decide to be difficult and move for mom, but not for dad). I have some aches and pains... and it is hard to get comfortable at night, but overall it hasn't been bad. What has been bad is my ever growing sweet tooth. I honestly can't get enough chocolate now and somehow I really don't think that is what our little man needs (or what his mom's thighs need). Hopefully this particular sweet tooth phase will disappear soon!

The status of the nursery is well... slowly, but surely getting there? We have the room emptied out and tonight we went out and bought the paint. We went with "moonlit yellow" and I'm very optimistic with how it is going to turn out. Mitch, Aimee, and Darwin are going to be the painting crew this Sunday and I am looking forward to being able to check another item off of our checklist.

Tomorrow I need to really get on top of daycare interviews/tours. Time is starting to feel a bit tight!

Double Digits!

It's hard to believe that there are only 99 days left until November 4th. At the same time, it is also hard to believe that there are still 99 days left to go.

Apparently you just can't please a pregnant woman. Time goes by both too quickly and too slowly. Where is Goldilocks when you need her?

Either way... it's a milestone nonetheless. Happy Double Digit Day!

25 weeks, 3 days baby bump.

Looking at this picture, I guess it really isn't a surprise that I get comments almost every time I go somewhere now about my pregnancy. I sure have popped from the picture 3 weeks ago! Things are going wonderfully with the pregnancy and it is hard to believe that my due date is 14 weeks, 4 days away. I have a feeling that our baby boy will be here before we know it... those 14 weeks are going to go by so incredibly fast.

A Guardian Angel.

On Friday, July 23, 2010 at 7:45pm, Grandpa Marvin Holter passed away. Grandpa Holter was Mark's dad (so my stepdad's dad) and he was an absolutely wonderful, loving man that we will all miss dearly.

I've heard it said somewhere that for every death, there is a birth. And that the next birth in the family has a guardian angel from that death. Therefore, our son already has a guardian angel looking over him: Marvin Holter. I like to think that this is true and I consider it a blessing from above.

Rest in peace, Grandpa Holter... and take good watch over our little boy.

24 Week Dr. Appointment.

Our 24 week appointment was today and it went very well! My fundal height is right on track at 24cm for 24 weeks. So this means that he looks to be growing as he should. My weight gain is also looking good at 18 lbs. It's always reassuring to be told that you are on track with what the doctors are looking for. His heartbeat was at 130 at rest and then sped up whenever he moved... which was often! It did sound nice and strong and, as always, was a wonderful sound. Another piece of good news is that my blood pressure is still nice and normal at 90/60. I was a bit worried as the last appointment my blood pressure was 120/80 which is normal for everyone... but a bit on the high side for me. Thankfully, it is back to normal which makes for a very happy Lindsay.

We also set up our 28 week appointment today that included the glucose screening test and my RhoGAM shot. Basically, we will have to show up about 30 minutes before our appointment and go down to the lab to drink the glucose sugar drink. After drinking that, we will head up to see Dr. Cheng for our 28 week appointment and then it is back down to the lab we go. 1 hour after I finish drinking the glucose sugar drink they will draw my blood... and then it is back up to the Ob/Gyn desk so I can see a nurse to get my RhoGAM shot. Again, the RhoGAM shot is because I'm RH-Negative and need that to make sure my baby boy doesn't have any issues from this. So, all-in-all, we will be there for over an hour next month.

We were also told that we only have 2 more monthly appointments until we go on a new appointment schedule. So that will be the 28 week and 32 week appointments. After that, we will be going to appointments every 2 weeks until the last month as then it will be every week. Our appointments (should) go as follows: 28 week, 32 week, 34 week, 36 week, 37 week, 38 week, 39 week, and 40 week.

On the home front, our office is about ready to be an empty room (probably by next week) which is good news as it means we can start getting the nursery ready. Paint the walls, shampoo the carpets, and all of that good stuff.

Kicks, viability, and upcoming appointments.

... my oh my. What a strong little man I have! I'm slowly getting used to my belly randomly moving around all over the place, but I'm still amazed every time I feel him move and kick around in there. It's such an amazing feeling and I love how he is constantly reminding me of his presence. It's reassuring and puts me at ease knowing that he's doing alright.

I'm only 3 days away from 24 weeks... which also marks the point of viability! This is a wonderful milestone as it means if I was to go into labor, baby boy Hofer would have a 50-70% chance of survival. At 26 weeks, that statistic jumps up to approximately 90%.

Our next doctor appointment is this Friday. It should be a short visit... check my weight, blood pressure, measure my belly, and listen to the heartbeat. It's the 28 week visit that will be the long one... the infamous glucose test.

I'm also quite excited that we officially have a 3D ultrasound appointment set up now! We have it scheduled for 27 weeks, 2 days... so August 7th. Our parents will be coming with us so that they can meet their grandson. I'm excited to see what our little man looks like... and who he looks like!

22 weeks, 3 days.

It's amazing to think that I am 14 and a half weeks away from being considered full term and 17 and a half weeks away from my estimated due date. Baby boy Hofer continues to let me know he is there with all of the kicks and nudges as he moves around in there. We even have a "game" in which I will press and wiggle on one spot on my stomach for a few seconds and then wait for him to respond with a kick back. With less than 4 months to get everything ready, Mitch and I are starting to feel the pressure to get everything done... and soon!

Ahoy Mate!

So in celebration of Independence Day... here is the nursery bedding that we picked out a couple of weeks ago.

And yes, I realize that there is no correlation between the two, but I'm pregnant and what I say goes. So there.

Back to the nursery bedding. We had previously chosen a nautica bedding set, but lo and behold... that particular set was discontinued. So it was back to the drawing board for us as the other nursery bedding set we had previously picked out was for the girl option which most definitely no longer applies. We still didn't want to do the safari (which apparently is all the rage right now), so we were trying to decide between nautica, sports, and teddy bear... and ultimately decided on nautica with the help of the grandmas-to-be.

The bedding set is called "Ahoy Mate" and we are having a ton of fun with the boats, whales... and even the monkey. Though I stand by how I don't get the monkey... and Mitch is having entirely too much fun with that fact. So, with the explosion of blue that the bedding set gives, we are going to paint the walls a pale yellow with the nursery furniture being white. It's fun to be able to begin to envision the nursery... and I know it will not even compare to when we have the nursery all set to go in just a few months.

Where is the time going?

Level II Ultrasound.

Today was the day of the level II ultrasound to take that closer look on the heart regarding the echogenic intracardiac focus. Good news is that, although the bright spot is still there, there are no other indicators of any other issues. Therefore, the high risk perinatal doctor stated that we will not be high risk and that we have nothing to worry about. Overall, we are breathing a bit easier and feel a lot better about everything.

Plus, it was quite reassuring (and fun!) to see the little man moving all over the place. It was also a neat experience to both see and feel him kick and move around. He kicked so hard near the beginning at the ultrasound wand that the technician actually felt him! The technician and the doctor both also stated that yes, it is most definitely a boy that we have in there.

He currently is weighing in at 1 lb, 1 oz and his heart rate was a strong 148 beats per minute. They said that he is right on schedule with our due date and that everything looks good! He likes to have his hand on his nose a lot (which was also true at the 2nd trimester ultrasound 3 weeks ago).

...Alright, so baby was just kicking a lot so Mitch came over to the couch just now and put his hand on my belly and, sure enough, he felt the baby kick! Not bad at 22 weeks. He's definitely a strong boy... and it's so much fun to get to know him a little bit more everyday.

What a perfect way to end such a wonderful day for the Hofer's.

Why, hello there baby.

Gone are the days where I thought I might have felt baby boy Hofer. Ever since this past weekend, I have been feeling him move around as well as his kicks and it is such a wonderful feeling! In fact, on Sunday I was reading on the couch and I may have been using my stomach as a book holder.

Next thing I know, baby boy gave a kick so hard right where my left hand was that the kick actually moved my hand.

Note to self... don't use the baby bump as a book shelf. Got it.

In other news, Mitch and I went to the Twins game last night at the new Target Field. While it wasn't Mitch's first time to the stadium, it was mine... and the baby's first also! I will say that Target Field is absolutely amazing and the weather was just perfect. Unfortunately we didn't win, but we are going back on Friday so we have another chance to see a Twins victory. Besides, baby boy is a Hofer... therefore he's going to be a huge MN Twins fan (I mean, we already have a Twins newborn onesie for him!).

Tennessee, Appointments, and Nesting... Oh My!

What a busy week! It was so busy, that I didn't even post my 20 week belly picture... so here is the 20 week belly picture. In other words, this is what I looked like 1.5 weeks ago? There is definitely no mistaking that I have a belly now... which is wonderful as it means baby boy is growing by leaps and bounds in there.

Back to that busy week. So, the day after we found out about having to go in for a level II ultrasound I got a phone call at work from my mom saying that Da-Da (her dad, my grandpa) was in the hospital and that the doctors were saying family needed to come now and that they were asking about a living will.

So, I called Mitch and we both left work and met up at home to pack. We couldn't get on a flight that night (they were all overbooked), so we hopped in the car and picked up my brother Andrew, his fiance Aimee, and my niece Kirstin and all 5 of us made the 13 hour roadtrip to Tennessee.

Thankfully, Da-Da is stubborn and apparently it just wasn't his time. Although he came in with zero blood pressure and zero oxygen while in congestive heart failure... he somehow came completely full circle and was released from the hospital by Sunday afternoon. He's a bit weak, but that is to be expected! I'm just very thankful that the trip ended the way it did instead of how it could have ended. This picture is from Sunday evening at Da-Da's house after he got released from the hospital.

So, after spending 3 days in the hospital, I treated Mitch to a father-to-be father's day dinner at Boyette's on Reelfoot Lake. When we first got there, we went over to see the eagles, hawk, and owl that they have (previously injured and unable to return to wildlife for their protection). We then took a walk on a trail that took us just over the edge of Reelfoot Lake (including some sights of turtles, snakes, and a beaver dam). Afterwards, we went to Boyette's and ate more than our share's worth of catfish, onion rings, fries, white beans, coleslaw, and hushpuppies. Yum! Of course, I did get in trouble afterwards by Da-Da for not having invited him (even though he had just been released from the hospital). I guess that just means that next time... he's getting invited!

On Monday morning, Mitch and I had to leave to get back to Minnesota so we could be back at work by Tuesday. The ride home was just fine until we hit Iowa... and the storms! We went through some really bad weather, and found out that 20 minutes after we had left a town, a tornado had touched down! Thankfully we were able to get home without any further incidents and we were able to schedule our level II ultrasound for Wednesday, June 30th... so this upcoming Wednesday (3 days away). We're still a bit anxious about this, but I think we both feel better as we've continued to do research and come to grips with the possibilities of what the echogenic intracardial focus might mean. What will be, will be.

Now, off to do more nesting (aka cleaning and organizing the house).

Echogenic Intracardiac Focus

Mitch and I headed to the doctor today for the 20 week appointment and the follow up to the ultrasound that we had just this past Friday. Baby boy's heartbeat sounded good and strong at 153 beats per minute. He also talked to us about the ultrasound results. He said that everything looks fine, except there is a bright spot on a ventricle of our baby boy's heart. This is called an echogenic intracardiac focus and the doctor is going to send us to a perinatal specialist for a level II ultrasound to take a closer look. Echogenic intracardiac focus is a marker for potential birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 18 or trisomy 21 (down's syndrome).

While this isn't a normal abnormality to find on a 2nd trimester ultrasound, it has very good odds of not meaning anything and having no effect on our baby. The doctor said that around 95% of the time, it doesn't mean anything and the baby is born healthy. It is just something that the ultrasound technician saw and made note of and they just want to take a closer look at.

So, the hospital that they are sending me to will be calling within the next 2-3 days to set up an appointment for the level II ultrasound. And while I know the odds are most definitely in our favor for having a healthy baby... I can't help but feel all out of sorts. I'm very anxious for the level II ultrasound and to know more information. I know that it is all out of my hands and that there is nothing that I can do, but I feel like I should be able to do something. As much as people tell me not to worry and that there is most likely nothing wrong with our son... how can I not worry? There is still a possibility and that is what hurts right now.

One Year Anniversary.

Today marks our one year wedding anniversary. So we started the day with wedding cake and sparkling cider for breakfast (because we figured cake makes for an excellent wedding anniversary breakfast). It's hard to believe that it was only a year ago that we were married. On one hand, it feels as though we have been married forever while on the other hand it feels as though our wedding day was just yesterday.


A lot has changed in the past year, but all for the better. It is weird to think that this is our first anniversary as a married couple, but our last anniversary where our family will be just the two of us. Next year we will have a 7 month old son to add to our family. It's also strange to say that I am even more in love with my husband today than I was a year ago... considering that a year ago I didn't think that was even possible!

I definitely consider myself one lucky woman.

Baby Boy Hofer!

Okay. So Mitch and I should just hang up our hats and never go into the psychic reading business. Because we failed at guessing the gender of our precious baby BOY!

We are beyond excited... we really would have loved a baby boy or girl and now that we know our baby is a little boy, we are beyond ecstatic. So now we can go ahead and start planning and putting together our son's nursery, start the registry process, and stop referring to him as an "it" or "the little one", etc.

The ultrasound showed a very active, healthy baby boy. We were able to see the brain, heart, diaphragm, kidneys, stomach, bladder, spine, face, etc. The ultrasound technician said that he looked very healthy... and that we are going to have our hands full as he is loves to move around. I haven't felt any movement since that one time (over a week ago) and the technician said that was probably a good thing as our baby boy was kicking away at my bladder. (Hopefully he grows tired of that particular phase before I can really feel him...) He weighed in at approximately 11 ounces (so a big boy at that!) and his heartbeat was at 145 beats per minute.

We were given 8 photos in total and I absolutely love every single one of them. It's amazing to see him and all of the details were just beyond imagination. At one point it even looked as if he was waving to Mitch and I! It was just very reassuring to see him and hear that everything looks good and that he is growing in leaps and bounds and moving along right on schedule. All of the grandparents are thrilled to hear that everything looks good and while I know that they can't wait to meet our little boy... I'm sure it is nowhere near what Mitch and I are feeling right now.

I am one proud mama... and I know Mitch is one proud papa.

Prediction Time.

18 weeks, 1 day. Overall weight gain? About 10 lbs... give or take (usually more give than take...). Aches and pains all over the place. Severe lack of clothes crisis going on.

And 3 marvelous kicks.

That's right. I finally felt Baby H for the very first time around 3:50am Wednesday morning (so June 2, 2010). And of course, I haven't felt any movement since, but my goodness. When they say that you will know what baby movement feels like when you feel it, they aren't kidding around! It brought a HUGE smile to my face and then I nerdishly (yes, nerdishly) laid in bed for the next 5 or so minutes going, "Do it again. Come on baby. Do it again for mom." I'm optimistic though and predict I will feel our little one move again really soon.

Speaking of predictions... the BIG anatomy ultrasound is in exactly 1 week. So, what do we think we are going to be having?

From about 7 weeks to 11 weeks along I was really feeling boy. Then from weeks 11 to 14 I really wasn't feeling boy or girl. From about week 14/15 until now though? I've really been feeling girl. Mitch also has been feeling girl, but he claims that is because the only baby he has ever really been around is our niece Kirstin.

So sex prediction of Baby H? We are both saying girl.

One more week!

17 Week Update.

I can hardly believe that in just 2 weeks Mitch and I will be seeing our little one again... and hopefully find out that our baby is healthy as can be along with the sex.

Also, a couple of weeks ago Mitch and I noticed a new milestone. I officially have the linea nigra- the dark line on my belly. It's weird... but hey. Most of what happens during pregnancy is weird so I'm beginning to get used to all of this.

Today marks 17 weeks, 1 day of pregnancy and I must admit. I still love being pregnant. There are definitely some less-than-ideal side effects to pregnancy, but just knowing that I am growing our baby is beyond amazing. I wouldn't have it any other way.

It looks like there is still the possibility of us moving into a bigger house late this summer which is wonderful... and frustrating all at the same time. I'm starting to feel this strong urge to get a room all ready for Baby H and start buying a few things, but we really don't have room for that here. If we do end up staying in the townhome, we will have to move the majority of the office into a storage facility until we do have the ability to move into a bigger place.

So far the only thing we have bought for the baby is the baby book (which I still love even though it sits on the tv stand staring at me with a judging stare saying "Come update me...."). I can't wait to start a registry... it is just looking like we probably won't have a free weekend to do that until July around the 23 weeks mark. We'll see how it goes... things have a way of happening when they do around our household... regardless of planning.

I have a hole in my belly...

Yesterday I felt like I lost a bit of my youth. I had my belly button piercing removed and am now left with a hole above my actual belly button.

And I must say that I really miss my belly button ring.

So. I went online and ordered 2 pregnancy belly button rings. That's right. Pregnancy belly button rings. I think it is somewhat amazing.

So I ordered both a pink one and a blue one so that when we do find out the gender I can coordinate the color scheme to match the gender of our little one. Mostly cute and only somewhat silly in my book. And my book is the one we are going with right now.

It does feel weird not having my belly button piercing though.

3rd Dr. Appt... and future appointments!

Okay, so check up #3 was today for our 16 week appointment and it went really well... and really quickly! I think we were seen for about 4-5 minutes tops before we were sent on our way. Which I guess is a good thing as it means that everything is progressing on schedule! I've gained a total of 9 lbs so far which is right on track with where I should be in regards to weight gain. She also measured my belly and said that I'm right on schedule and then she busted out that doppler and we were able to hear the heartbeat again. (Which makes for a very happy Lindsay).

The sound of our baby's heartbeat just brings a huge smile to my face. It is absolutely amazing to hear that heartbeat and to also hear whenever the baby moves. And we heard it move quite a bit... I just can't feel movement quite yet. That should be soon... typically around the 19 week point (though some feel it earlier) although Mitch won't be able to feel any movement until about 24 weeks or so.

Back to the appointment though, the heartbeat was at 152 beats per minute and sounded nice and healthy. So after the appointment we got to schedule our anatomy ultrasound and it is scheduled for 3 weeks from today on June 11th... 2 days before our 1 year wedding anniversary! So that is the ultrasound in which we will be finding out if we are having a baby girl or baby boy- as long as the baby cooperates with the ultrasound. We will get to make sure that there are 10 fingers and 10 toes and see how much our little one has grown. Can you tell that I can hardly wait? We'll then meet with the doctor 5 days later on the 16th to go over the results.

Time is just starting to fly.

Baby Bump: 15 weeks, 3 days

Two posts in one day? Yes, indeed. Here is my 15 weeks, 3 days picture of my growing belly. In all honesty, it doesn't seem much different from my 12 weeks, 3 days picture which is confusing as people at work insist that I "popped" around the 14 week mark. Either way, I find it very interesting to document all of the changes that are going on throughout this exciting journey. And also... who doesn't want to see that belly grow throughout the pregnancy?!

Also? 16 week doctor appointment is on FRIDAY which means that we will get to hear the heartbeat again. It also marks how close the big gender/anatomy ultrasound is getting!

Sailboats and Rabbits

Yesterday, Mitch and I went to Babies 'R' Us just to look around and get some ideas for what we might want or not want. We don't necessarily want to start a registry yet as we feel it is a bit too early for that. Probably in about a month we will start putting our registry together (around the 20 week mark). We want to have both of our moms go with us and with Mitch's mom's recent surgery, it makes even more sense to wait. Besides, I'm sure the shower(s) will not be until mid to late September so we have plenty of time.

So we checked out practically everything in that darn store. We checked out baby monitors, breast pumps, bathtubs, cribs, bassinets, travel cribs, travel systems, entertainers, so on and so on. It was a great experience though! We were able to play around with the Chicco Keyfit 30 Cortina travel system in Miro and guess what. We love it. So that one is pretty much decided on... as is the swing and bassinet for that matter.

We also have decided on gender specific nursery themes for our little one and they fit perfectly with us. And even better? They both work with my pale yellow painted nursery walls. For a boy? Blue/sailboats. For a girl? Pink/rabbits. And I'm thinking white furniture for both with the pale yellow walls.

Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited for all of this?

Travel Systems and More Updates.

I have found a travel system (so stroller and car seat) that I absolutely adore. The safety ratings are fantastic and for icing? It has yellow in it (to follow my "I want a happy baby" theme of crazyness). Mitch and I both agree that this one looks to be a good fit based off of the demos that we watched online and from review after review after review that we have read. Next thing to do is to go to a store that has this travel system and push it around and play with it to make sure it is the one for us.

This is exciting news because I was feeling overwhelmed from all of the car seat and stroller options there were out there and I feel as though some weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. We researched like crazy and feel confident that we can make informed decisions on car seats/strollers at this point which is a complete relief!

In other news, Mitch's mom had surgery yesterday to take out a cancerous tumor and remove possibly infected areas for further safety. They took out a bit of her stomach, pancreas, small intestine, and the tumor on the bile duct which meant that they had to completely reconstruct her bile duct. Major surgery, but she got through it just fine and we are hoping for a speedy and safe recovery. This is a huge relief for all, but especially for Mitch. I only wish I could have been there more for him yesterday (instead I was writing a research paper and then taking my second to last final before graduation). I did manage to make it up to the hospital and see Becky post-operation and she looked good.

As for the pregnancy, things are going pretty well. We are 2 weeks away from our 16 week appointment today which is amazing to think about. The time seems to be going so slowly, yet incredibly fast all at the same time.

With that said, I will go ahead and post a picture from April 25, 2010 that is my belly picture at 12 weeks, 3 days according to the new due date of November 4, 2010. It's weird to think that this picture is almost 2 weeks old at this point... guess that means it is about time to take a new picture as we continue to document this journey.

"I want a happy baby."

So, today Mitch and I started discussing possible nursery themes and I came to a conclusion. Our walls need to be pale yellow because I want a happy baby. And apparently there is no use in trying to persuade me regardless of how illogical this concept is.

We also discovered that you can have a turtle theme. Enough said.

Overall, right now we are seriously looking at the following themes: alphabet, Dr. Seuss books, teddy bear, and bookworm. Currently we are thinking we want to stay pretty gender neutral on the theme as I'm sure our little boy or girl will have plenty of pink/blue things as is!

Oh. And happy 2nd trimester... again.

2nd Doctor Appointment

Today was our second doctor appointment and we heard a beautiful sound today. Our little one's heartbeat! It was beating at 160 beats per minute and sounded strong and healthy. Every now and then we could hear the baby move... which was another good sign and made both of us smile.

It was a very quick appointment as I am pretty sure we were only in there for about 15 minutes... if that. I've gained a total of 6 lbs (which he said was very good and right where I should be) and that all of my lab results came back as normal. The only thing that could potentially cause problems is that I am Rh- which just means I need to call them right away if I have any bleeding as they will need to give me a shot. I join about 20-25% of the population with being Rh-, so it is just something I have to be aware of right now.

I did ask about my low back/pelvic area pain that I have been having and we were told that it is my sciatic nerve and that hopefully as the uterus moves up and out of the pelvic area the pain should lessen, if not go away. He then went on to add that later on in the pregnancy the pain will most likely return and could be worse than what it is now. Oh joy.

The doctor also officially moved our due date from Oct. 27th to Nov. 4th. So that means we will be going through week 13 again starting on Thursday, April 29th. Upcoming appointments will be the 16 week appointment with the nurse practitioner that will be just like today's appointment. Then we will have our 19 week anatomy ultrasound (and hopefully find out the gender!) and then on to our 20 week appointment with the doctor again. So we have 3 appointments coming up in the next 2 months! Busy, busy, busy!

Why, hello 2nd trimester.

13 weeks came and passed on Wednesday... and the sweetest thing happened. Mitch kissed my belly for the first time. And yes, I most definitely have a belly. And yes, I am still promising to get better at taking pictures because I don't want to regret not taking enough pictures.

Technically, I think that the official transition from 1st trimester to 2nd trimester is 13 weeks, 3 days... but either way I'm going to go ahead and say 2nd trimester. (Besides, that would just mean tomorrow and I'm not going to be that picky...)

Yesterday, my friend Becky found out that her and Eric are having a baby boy. My other friend, Ashley, is going to be having a girl (she found out a couple of weeks ago). As for me? Who knows... between 8-11 weeks I was feeling boy, but now I am not feeling one way or the other. Honestly? I would be happy with either boy or girl! I mean, it is our first child and we do plan on having at least one more if not two. Now if we already had 2 boys... yeah, I'd be rooting for a girl, but that isn't the case here. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. That ultrasound isn't until the 20 week mark and that appointment won't be for about another 8 weeeks or so based on our appointment scheduling so far.

Speaking of appointments... Monday is our 2nd doctor appointment! At this appointment we are not going to get to see our little one (that won't be until the 20 week ultrasound), but we WILL get to hear the heartbeat on the doppler as well as make sure all of my vitals look good. I'll also get to ask the doctor about what is up with my low back/pelvis pain that I'm having. I might have to go out shopping this weekend for a recordable stuffed animal or picture frame to take with us to the appointment. I would love to be able to record the sound of the heartbeat that way we can share with all of our family and friends... and also so Mitch and I can listen to it whenever we want.

This past weekend we picked up a baby book! I really like it and think that it will be a wonderful thing to have. I can already tell it is going to be a real headache though trying to remember to keep it updated and filling in all of the blanks... but it will definitely be worth it in the end. This also marks the first item that we have purchased for our little one! After our 2nd doctor appointment we are going to most likely go public on facebook and perhaps even start our baby registry! We're going to need some help on what to register for as this is brand new to the both of us! It should be very interesting... and I am very excited about all of this.

Nearing the end of the 1st trimester.... woohoo!

12 weeks!

I need to upload pictures. I've taken 2 profile pictures and just need to get them uploaded. Maybe that will be a project for later on today (along with a third picture).

In other news, I have started exercising and holy buckets am I out of shape! I've never been overweight and have stayed in relatively good shape (or so I thought), but after working out on Sunday? Yikes, I could barely walk on Monday. So therefore, I worked out again today and can already tell that I'm going to barely be able to walk again tomorrow. It feels good though to work out and I think it will help me with my goal of staying healthy and in shape throughout this pregnancy. Which obviously is a huge plus!

Also, I am 1 week closer to an amazing milestone: 2nd trimester! Getting past the 1st trimester is the scariest part of pregnancy as it is the trimester where a lot of miscarriages can occur. So here is to 1 more healthy week of the 1st trimester and HELLO 2nd trimester!

Baby bump?

The day before Easter (so Saturday, April 3) Mitch and I went over to my mom's house for Easter lunch. I woke up and thought, "Ugh, I'm starting out the day as a bloat/fat day." Well. Let's just say that my "bloat/fat day" hasn't gone away yet. That's right. I'm sporting the beginning of my baby bump! It is something that I have very mixed emotions on. On one hand, it is very exciting because it is a wonderful milestone to reach in pregnancy. On the other hand, it means my "skinny" days are gone for awhile and my pre-pregnancy body is gone. I don't think either emotion is bad... it's just the way it is. So I'm just taking it at face value and moving on.

This does create a bit of an issue with clothing choices now. I've told HR and my boss at work, but that is it. (Other than 3 females who I had told right away: Brenda, Kalli, and Janet... but that was more because I needed someone to talk to at work about this and I trust them.) So this means that the majority of the employees there, including my team that I supervise over, do not know and I'm trying to stretch that out as long as possible. We'll see how much longer I can be creative with my wardrobe before I just cave in!

Other than that, things are still going really well! I'm still very tired and enjoy sitting and relaxing rather than being motivated and going for walks, doing homework, exercising, shopping, etc. I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks that will change a bit and I'll have a bit more energy as I enter the second trimester. I guess time will tell. Right now I am 11 weeks, 2 days pregnant and Baby Hofer is approximately the size of a lime.

Which just makes me miss corona beer. With a lime.

Happy Birthday... to me!

Today is my 26th birthday and it hasn't been all that bad. Fatigue has decided to stick around for awhile and it is getting harder and harder to get up in the mornings... let alone stay up all day long! It makes the work and school schedule I've got going on a bit difficult.

I also found out yesterday that my short term disability request was denied based off of information found on my medical record. I am beyond furious! I will be calling to get more information and trying to appeal their decision. That is money that we are going to need with this pregnancy! I'm hoping that there was some erroneous information on my medical record that I can get updated and go for an appeal that way. It's just frustrating because it is extra work that I have to do and potential not-so-good news.

In good news... everything seems to still be going well with the pregnancy. We have started telling friends, but it is so hard to do in person with some people. I'm thinking I might have to break down and call them to tell them over the phone. It hasn't leaked on facebook yet, but I have a feeling it is just a matter of time. I still have no morning sickness... and that makes me one happy girl.

Well, after working for 1/2 a day, I now need to go write two papers before class tonight from 6-9pm. Ugh. Happy birthday?

P.S. My birthday gifts? A baby (hehe) and tickets to see the Wizard of Oz at the Orpheum. How sweet is that?

First (of many) doctor appointments!

So today was our first doctor appointment and it was full of family history and social environment questions. It sounds like we shouldn't (knock on wood) have much to worry about! We were informed that today we would have an ultrasound and that we will only have one more ultrasound throughout the pregnancy which will be between 18-20 weeks.

In our ultrasound we were able to see our baby. It kind of looks like a blob shape, but Mitch swears that if you look closely you can see the head and the arm and leg buds. We were also able to see the heart beating... just fluttering away. It was very exciting to see and it really made everything seem a bit more real.

We had a small scare during the ultrasound in which our nurse practitioner thought that she saw two heartbeats in the same sac. This is not a good thing as yes, it does mean twins, but it means that they are having to share nutrients and that typically one of them will not make it. So, she had Mitch take over the ultrasound while she went to go get an ultrasound technician to take a closer look. Thankfully, it was found that it is not another heartbeat, but the umblical cord pulsating with my heartbeat. We were very much relieved! (And now Mitch has a new skill to add to his resume-- ultrasound technician.)

When our nurse practitioner was doing the ultrasound she also measured the size of everything to give us a better idea of what age our baby is and it looks like it might be about a week behind what we were going off of. Instead of being 8 weeks, 2 days our baby is measuring at 7 weeks, 1 day. This would push our estimated delivery date to Nov. 4 instead of Oct. 27. However, it will not be changed officially until the 18-20 week ultrasound by actual radiology technicians that specialize in reading ultrasounds. Because we are measuring a week later, we changed our next appointment. Instead of going in on Apr. 16, we will be meeting with Dr. Cheng on Apr. 30 (where I will be 13-14 weeks along). At that appointment we will be able to actually hear the heartbeat (but not see our little one). Needless to say... we are quite excited!

So we have begun the process of informing extended family. Due to the technology era that we find ourselves in, we will probably be telling our friends sooner than we had previously planned. We are worried that a well-intentioned family member will post something on facebook and the news will be out before we have let our friends know. Obviously we would prefer to be the ones to tell them in our own way and we want to avoid any hurt feelings. When? We haven't quite gotten that one figured out, but probably within the next week.

Lutsen, MN

Apparently I experienced pregnancy brain on my last post as I completely forgot to mention my wonderfully relaxing mini-vacation to Lutsen, MN last weekend! It was breathtakingly beautiful and just what we needed.

The North Shore is a sight to see. It was my first time up there and I couldn't believe the scenary and the view of Lake Superior along the whole North Shore drive (about a two hour drive from Duluth to Lutsen). Once we got to our destination, Lutsen Resort, we checked in at the main lodge and then drove on over to our cabin where we were staying. Right behind our cabin was the Poplar River that flowed into Lake Superior which we could see from our cabin as well. The room had a huge king size bed with a fireplace right there. There is nothing more relaxing than falling asleep with the gas fireplace flickering away. Though we found the perfect temperature for ideal sleeping was to have the heat on low, fan on, one window open, and the fireplace going. Talk about something you would never do at home!

The massage was very relaxing for the both of us also. We were in the same room and it was a well-spent 90 minutes of massage. Afterwards we got to sit in a room together that overlooked Lake Superior.

The food there was fantastic. Expensive, but delicious as can be. I was also relatively able to make sure I was getting my fruits, vegetables, water, and milk intake each day also! However, I will say that there is nothing odder than to have your husband order a classic martini and then order chocolate milk for yourself!

All in all, the weekend came to a close much too quickly for us. On the drive back to the Twin Cities, we stopped in Two Harbors at Split Rock Lighthouse to see the sights and visit the museum. And I will say this about vacations: vacations are great, but it is also sure nice to get home also.

McNugget, McNugget what?

Well, I am 7 weeks pregnant today.

And still very, very excited about this new chapter in my life! Apparently Baby H. is now the size of a blueberry (yes, I do get those weekly emails) and growing in leaps and bounds. Luckily for me, pregnancy has been very easy as of yet. I haven't had any nausea and while I have been tired (more so this week then before), it hasn't been too invasive into my life so far. These are all good things to not experience!

What I have had are food aversions and cravings. My food aversions right now include sweets and candies... particularly chocolate. For some reason it doesn't taste good and I want nothing to do with sweets right now. I guess this is a healthy food aversion that will help me in the long run to not gain too much non-baby weight. Cravings though? We're talking bell peppers, savory foods, and... chicken mcnuggets. Yes, that is right. Chicken. McNuggets. From McDonalds. Seriously?

So Mitch enjoys singing the McNugget song to me. It goes something like this:

I'm into nuggets ya'll, I'm into nuggets ya'll
McNugget, McNugget what? McNugget, McNugget what?
Ketchup and Mayo, Ketchup and Mayo

Complete with hand motions also. I have a feeling that I am never going to live that craving down!

All in all though... it has been a fantastic pregnancy. I'm really looking forward to our first appointment at the doctors office in just 9 days. We'll be able to get an ultrasound and be able to see and hear our baby which I'm sure will be just absolutely amazing. We haven't quite decided the timelines of when we are going to let a lot of people know of our news, but I think after the first appointment we will be letting extended family know. We will probably wait to tell our friends until after the 2nd appointment when the 1st trimester is almost over. I will say that it is getting more and more difficult to keep such a wonderful thing a secret!

**Added note on 3/11/2010. So last night (on 3-10) I had a huge craving for Ro-Tel Cheese dip and Fritos. So today Mitch went and got ro-tel cheese dip for me and Fritos... except he got the itty bitty Frito chips instead of the scoops. So what did my hormonal pregnant self do? I had him run out to Cub to get the right Fritos. My-oh-my... hormones are weird. Of course I told him how much I loved him and how much I appreciate everything... and how I knew that I was being hormonal. How I do love that man.