34 Weeks +

Sloane and I had a doctors appointment this past Friday. All was well. Dr Sree says that due to where she was picking up Sloane's heartbeat she is turned head down and will likely stay there now until the big day. Heartbeat was strong and my belly is still measuring right on. My blood pressure was slightly elevated from MY normal, but overall is still well within a normal range.

Dr Sree did drop a slight bomb on us at this past appointment though. She is taking a trip back to India to visit her family. She will be leaving soon and returning by my 37th week. Hopefully Sloane doesn't decide to come early and we'll have nothing to worry about. Although honestly, I have a feeling when her day does arrive I won't care who's there to catch her just as long as she comes out safely!

Now on to what I like to call, the ugly truth. This is for all the other expectant mothers, or women thinking about getting pregnant, or women thinking of babies in the future. No matter what you do, how long you do it or how much time you spend lotioning or oiling your belly, it doesn't mean a darn thing, stretch marks are genetic. So ask your mom, did she have them? If so, they will come whether you like it or not and your belly will end up looking something like this....

Yup, nice and beautiful stretch marks. I'd like to thank you in advance Sloane for this wonderful little gift you've given me. I started stretch mark creams/lotions/oils everyday when we started trying and I've continue through the whole pregnancy. Doesn't matter.  On the other hand, you may be one of the lucky who don't get any stretch marks. Count your lucky stars and be grateful!

Lastly, I am now currently experiencing pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. The water retention swells the carpel tunnel pitching the nerves to my first three fingers. Happy day! That means I get to wear beautiful wrist braces at night on both wrists when the numbness is at it's worst. I also have started the need to wear my right brace at work as using the mouse for AutoCAD is becoming tough. Writing a lot, like in a journal, and holding a folk or spoon to eat becomes tough as well. And if you want me to open a jar or say a bottle of nail polish by myself with no one around, you can forget it. Trust me, I've tried! Turns out carpal tunnel during pregnancy is fairly normal and should go away after delivery.  Here's to waiting for that day!

My Papa

Like I last mentioned in a past post my grandfather passed away March 14th of renal failure.  I thought I'd share a few of my fun memories of my time with Papa. 

One of my favorites was when I was real young and my papa still worked for the railroad. I'd spend nights with my Nana every now and then and we'd go to "visit" my papa at work. What that meant was standing on a bridge near Hansen Park in Milwaukee and wave as papa slowed the train down and hung out the wave back. 

I believe this was Christmas 2005

The smile in the picture above was pretty much the standard for Papa, and if you asked him to smile nicer... below is usually the smart ass response you got....

The next one is my graduation from college. Again, pretty typical loving and proud Papa.

Another great memory I have is from shortly after I took lessons to learn how to golf. My papa and I went golfing together on one of Milwaukee's small Par 3 courses. It was the last hole of the day and I hit my tee shot on to the green in one shot for the first time, but the fun didn't stop there. As my ball kept rolling, my Papa started freaking out, I wasn't sure why though. Not until a while later did I realize how close I had become to having a hole-in-one. Sadly, it wasn't, but the memory of his face and reaction to my tee shot will always be a great one.

Papa and Jan with my brother and me for my wedding rehearsal dinner.

The last of my pics are from  this past Christmas. I'm so glad this year worked out for Chris and I to be with my extended family. It was truly a blessing to have this one last holiday with him in person. You can see my belly was poking out a little bit under my Packer sweatshirt, it was a game day :)

33 Weeks + Baby Shower #2

My Papa passed away this past Wednesday.  It's definitely bittersweet. Hard to believe he's gone, but so thankful he is no longer in pain and at peace now. I'm working on an additional post with many of the great memories my family and I have shared over the years.

This past weekend though was Baby Shower #2 with the Casey family. They put on such a wonderful, beautiful and fun baby shower. We were again blessed and surrounded with such love from our friends and family. Here are some pictures of all the cuteness, picture overload, because there was a lot of cuteness!

The fabulous ladies throwing the shower

 

The Fun decor and sweets! These tissue balls are going to be making another appearance when the nursery is complete!

 

Then there were these cuties, all of the blow pops, popcorn and cake pops were a big hit with them! Have you caught the theme yet? 

Last but certainly not least are the friends and family that traveled to Plover to shower baby Sloane and I with love. I received plenty of help opening my gifts from Miss Annessa who was sitting in the front row. She got Sloane a pair of butterfly wings and pink tutu so they can play dress up together. So cute!

For real this time, lastly, my 33 week bump picture! Keep baking Sloane, Mom and Dad are not quite ready for you yet! We need to get all these wonderful gifts, outfits and shoes organized!

32 Weeks + Baby Shower #1

I feel like I'm always saying "so much happened this week" but seriously, so much happened this week. I'm going to try my best to keep it short. I promise.

I mentioned last week that we received an offer on the house, to follow up with that we countered a few times back and forth and on Thursday it ended with the buyers rejecting our final offer. They were really trying to cut the price down and get a whole lot for a whole lot of nothing. We weren't having it. Fast forward four days and guess who came crawling back! The same couple came back and accepted our last offer as is. Happy happy day! So now we sit with an accepted offer, but it's contingent on the sale of their home. So really only time will tell. We're excited but it's still nothing to get too excited over.

An update on my Papa. After leaving the hospital he went to a rehabilitation center for therapy and dialysis. There were a lot of ups and downs for about a week or so. Therapy did not end up going so great and my Papa decided not to continue. With that he was moved to a hospice near my parents home. I was lucky enough to get in to see him on Friday while I was back in Waukesha. He was in great spirits and was telling me of all the things he wanted to eat now that his food restrictions were gone. Spaghetti and meatballs with Mama Mia's garlic bread, octopus salad from Glorioso's and ribs from Famous Daves. I joked he shouldn't talk about food in front of a very pregnant woman! I also knew he really wanted to feel Sloane kick and I tried everything I could but our little lady wasn't having it. I felt bad I couldn't get her to kick for him.

On a lighter note, Saturday was my first baby shower in Waukesha. It was great to see so many of my friends and family all in one place. My mom and Jacki put on a wonderful shower and Chris and I were overwhelmed with the love everyone shared with us. Here are a few pictures from the big day.

Lastly, I had many people tell me, at the shower, that I looked bigger than I do in my weekly photos. The only answer I have for that is I always take those pictures first thing in the morning before I've eaten anything, therefore smaller stomach. This week was taken Sunday afternoon after basically three meals and some swelling from driving home... little different ;)

Okay, I lied, not done! Chris and I broke down and are putting the nursery together. Of course just as we thought the accepted offer on the house came just a day after Chris started building. That's the way it goes! After a couple curse words the changing table/dresser combo was built and in my opinion the crib went much smoother, as you can tell in the picture below.

Now I'm done, so much for keeping it short. Next week, baby shower #2 in Plover!

31 Weeks +

Wow...what a week.... (I apologize a head of time to Steph who has already heard me stress and vent about all of this probably three times and then some! You can stop reading now!)

Monday -Wednesday: Monday Chris left town for a 10 day trip and my stress level at work was through the roof.

Tuesday Night: 3 inches of slushy snow,  then late to pick the dog up from daycare and have to bring her back to work. Before bed I hysterically break down about EVERYTHING on the phone with Chris while I cry myself to sleep

Wednesday Night: Chris still gone...find out after a very slow month of showings on the house we have a showing for Thursday afternoon, Saturday afternoon and Open House on Sunday. The joy of getting to clean the entire house while you can barely keep your eyes open and have sausage feet the size of a small country

Thursday Afternoon: Come home to find out I've been locked out of my house after the realtor locked my inside garage door, awesome!

Thursday Night: Woken up by Lola barking her head off at the bedroom door. Contemplate my death, call Chris, freak out for a bit and swear he is never allowed to leave again.

Friday: 6 inches of heavy wet snow, Chris still gone.  Call the neighbor to 'rent her husband' to help with the driveway. Steph arrives for dinner and fun. :)

Saturday Morning: This is where my week turned around....only took all week to get here! Started the day with facials and massages. Sloane was kicking me through both services, as to say, you may never relax ever again Mom!

Saturday Afternoon: Got done with those services to find a voicemail from our realtor, the Thursday showing produced an offer! It's contingent on a home sale, so nothing to get too excited about just yet, but definitely progress! Then Steph found the shoes we had been searching for, for Sloane, all day long on her way back to Plover. So excited!! 

Sunday: Chris is still gone, so I may go find a new pretty purse for myself. It happens!

Oh by the way... Happy March! Check out the sausage fingers! Hoping it's not my last photo with my wedding ring on!