Pumping

First of all, there is just sooooo much to learn!  It seems like every day I could get out something else that I need to figure out.  Or as soon as I think I have things with Rudy figured out, he's already older and now things are different and there is more to learn, read, etc.  

I started pumping about a week ago.  In order to try and increase my supply, I pump after 2-3 feedings each day.  I have been able to get about 2.5 - 4.5 ounces each day (enough for approximately 1 bottle).  Its been going pretty well.  The whole pumping thing is just bizarre.  Talk about feeling like a milk cow hooked up to a machine!  The feeling, noises...just weird.  And its a pain having to clean all the parts every time.  I spend probably 10-15 minutes pumping and 10 minutes cleaning after each of the feedings.  Like everything else so far, I am sure it will get easier.  The point of pumping so soon is to start giving Rudy 1 bottle a day for the next couple weeks and depending on how that goes, about 3-4 times a week until I go back to work.  I am not supposed to be the one to give him the bottle, though.  There is a concern for "nipple confusion," Rudy deciding he would rather have the bottle and not return back to me to nurse, or being selective of who he will take a bottle from.  Over the next couple weeks, LeeAnn or my mom is going to come over to feed him on the days John works.  This will get both of them used to feeding him, Rudy used to taking it from them, and me peace of mind that I can show them how to do it, where everything is, and be around in case Rudy has trouble.  Eventually I am going to have to leave Rudy...I don't even like thinking about it!...but I am trying to be prepared enough for it so I don't freak out when that time comes.  Anyway, John gave him his first bottle today.  They both did great!

At first we gave him 3 ounces.  He sucked that down so we gave him 2 more.  He seemed content after that so we are going to try for 3-5 ounces each feeding...more on days when he goes longer between feedings, less on days when he is close to the 3 hour schedule.  Of course last night he ate every 3 hours and wasn't quick to go back to sleep, but then slept all morning and went 5 hours between.  At least John had gotten home and I was able to take a nap.

Speaking of John getting home...he started back to his regular schedule yesterday.  I did SOO much better this time.  Of course I missed him terribly and wished he could have been home several times during the day, but I wasn't in tears (well...maybe just a couple quick tears).  

Here are some more recent pictures of Rudy...he is getting bigger every day!  He has started to make noises, beyond the grunting, and makes more facial expressions.  I can't wait for him to start smiling at us, not just smiling for reasons we will never know.  When he is awake, he seems to always be squirming around.  He wiggles so much -- kicking his legs, flinging his arms around, moving his head every which way -- can be pretty adorable!  (or annoying if you are trying to hold him -- but mostly cute)

 Rufus is getting better with him...as long as its just us.  Get any visitors around and it all changes.  Some say Rufus is protecting Rudy, others say Rufus is jealous.  I tend to side with the jealousy theory.  I'm sure it will get better...like everything else.

Mommy Support Group

Rudy and I had a solo outing yesterday to go to a "Mommy Support Group" at Memorial Hospital. The group is led by their lactation consultant who is also a nurse. There were several moms and their babies there yesterday. It was pretty unorganized but between Barb (the lactation lady) and the other moms, I was able to get all my questions answered that I had written down. Of course when I got home John said, "did you ask about this? Did you ask about that? Etc"...so I already have a list going for next week!  One huge relief was that Barb said I could feed on Rudy's schedule now that he is over 2 weeks old...basically, just feed when he is hungry.  Even though this could still be every 2 hours, its nice to not have to worry about waking him up - especially at night!

Rudy did really well. I think he likes the stroller and car seat a lot (as long as he's not hungry). He was alert and happy the whole way there and for ab the first 20 min of class. Then he fell asleep the rest of the time.  I was able to weigh him and he was 9 lbs, 5 oz...so almost a whole pound since we went home!  

Rudy has been realllllllly needy lately!  He likes to be held and bounced around when he's awake...and that's about all he will settle for.  And to sleep, we are lucky if he will stay asleep in his bassinet.  He sleeps so much better either laying on John or I's chest or right next to one of us, which makes nap times not so productive!  About half of the time he will stay awake after being fed.  Which is fine except when those awake times are after a night feeding!  John stayed up with him the other night from about 4 am to 7 am before he had to go do tree work with Dad.  But last night he slept 4.5 hours twice...I fed at 8 pm, 12:30 am and then 5 am -- all of which he fell asleep pretty soon after (of course one sleep time was on my chest and the other was next to me).  I was really against the whole co-sleeping thing, but if it gets all of us some sleep and everything I read suggests its "the best"...well its another thing to add to my list I never thought I'd do until lack of sleep thinking took over!  I am going to get out the Moby wrap and see if I can figure that out.  Maybe he will like that and I'll be able to do more while he is being needy.  I'll let you know how it goes!  

Other than that, everything is great!  Rudy is growing and changing so fast.  He is starting to have more distinguished characteristics and I love it.  He is just as cute as can be!  I feel like a broken record, but "I can't believe its been..." almost 3 weeks.

Can you tell what is different???

12 days old and so long umbilical cord!  Rudy was being really fussy when we got home.  Gran tried changing him...again...and that's when she noticed it wasn't there anymore.  For awhile we couldn't find it in his sleeper.  I thought for sure Rufus was going to find it and I was going to have to remove it from his mouth.  We gave up looking and went to put his clothes back on and there it was!  Phew!  My little baby isn't so baby baby anymore...he has a belly button in full view.  

I happened to get this shot right after feeding him when we got home...so content and lots of personality

Then he went right to sleep and has been that way since.  He's so sweet.  

Rudy's first visit to the Fire House

We couldn't stand it any longer...we had to go visit John at work.  Gran and I loaded up Rudy and all his things and off we went.  We took the house a big bag of Dell's Popcorn (I had every intention of baking something but then my needy baby made that impossible) and got to spend some time with John.  I put Rudy in his onesie with a fire truck on it (even though you can't tell in the pictures) and today was his first day wearing pants.  He looked so big!  John gave me a hard time about his black socks.  I thought they matched...apparently John says those are his "business socks" ...so now I know.  Black socks are not Rudy's every day wear.  Another reason I need John at home!

Pacey and other shockers

That's right.  I caved.  I gave Rudy a pacifier.  I was sure I was not giving him one ever and he would not suck his thumb either.  But the time came when I felt I had no other option...hear me out...Rudy can make it 3 hours just about every night through every feeding.  But during the day, when he was alert, he could only make it 1-2.  Not to mention, at those feedings, he was really lazy about them, fell asleep often, and I couldn't be sure that he was even getting anything.  He was fussing like he wanted to eat one morning after I had JUST finished.  In desperation, I called Jannette (my go-to baby guru).  While on the phone she could hear him crying and told me to try sticking my pinky in his month.  He instantly stopped crying.  Yes, she said, he just wants to suck.  I thought, "we need to get to Babies R Us immediately."  Jannette reminded me she had bought Rudy a pacifier...of course she would have!...she's so on top of it.  I really would rather him not suck his thumb.  In my opinion, its a lot easier to break a child of a pacifier than a thumb because a pacifier can be taken away or limited.  I know not everyone has the same opinion, but this is where I get to play the "I'm the Mom" card.  Well, the pacifier works like a charm.  And thankfully, he isn't obsessed with it...meaning, he doesn't always want it.  Which is great because I don't like seeing it in his mouth, but if its just here and there between feedings and it saves me from being attached nonstop, I can deal!

There is it.  It is attached to that frog, which Rudy seems to really like.  He holds on to the frog tight while sucking away.  

We knew we would need more, though so we had our first trip out of the house (well besides going to the doctor) that afternoon.  I was going stir-crazy sitting in the house for days and wanted to get out.  We went to Babies R Us for the pacifiers and to look for a Cubs outfit.  That's right...Shocker #2.  We have a Cubs-Cardinals party to go to on Saturday.  Even though John and I have grown up Cardinals fans, it just didn't seem right to put Grandpa Rudy's great-grandson, who is named after him to make it worse, in a Cardinals outfit.  I asked John how he would feel if he had a great-grandson named after him and their parents dressed him in a Jets outfit...point taken, he said.  We'll let Rudy decide for himself when he's older, but when the responsibility is on us, Cubs it is.  

And Shocker #3...

Now this may not be a shocker to anyone else because it is completely normal and I just didn't know it...but I was not expecting Rudy, at 11 days old, to be this close to rolling over on his own!  I am going to get out my What to Expect book today (I'm really behind on that) and see what it says.  But we were pretty surprised!

An eventful morning and its only 7 am

The day I've been dreading has made its way here.  John's first day back at work.  I've been crying about it nonstop.  I'm ok with the idea of taking care of Rudy for a whole day (especially because Gran is coming over to help out for the day, thankfully!), but I'm so sad for Rudy.  He is going to miss his dad so much.  John has been great at calming him down when he is fussy and putting him to sleep.  Rudy loves laying on his chest.  He looks like a little tree frog hanging on him.  His little legs are bunched up and his arms are straight out on either side.  He sleeps well like that on me, too but its not the same.  He immediately gets calm and falls asleep with John.  So it makes me sad Rudy won't have that all day.  And on the other side, it makes me so sad for John.  I can't imagine how hard it will be for him to spend 24 hours without his baby.  And I'm sad for me.  I miss John already.

Rudy and I woke up with John about 5:30 to eat.  John was able to snuggle him a little before he had to leave (with me nearly sobbing (these hormones have got to get straightened out!) and Rudy bright-eyed).  This is where the fun started.  I was in the middle of changing Rudy's diaper when he began peeing.  It went straight up into the air, and back down right onto Rudy's face.  Pee streaming right on him made him start to squirm, which basically made a water hose of pee all over his head...completely soaking it.  I get out a blanket to wrap him in because his clothes were not going back on obviously.  Rufus, smelling pee, is trying adamantly to "clean" his head. So down we go for a bath...at 6:20 am.  Mid-bath he pees again!  But we made it through and now he is squeaky clean and asleep in his chair.  I have a hot cup of coffee, thanks to John, and am blogging.  Deep breaths.  

Meet Bumper

Bumper was a gift given to Rudy by Tom and Nicole St. Jules.  John and I are big fans of the rabbit and are going to try and push Rudy into loving him, too (which shouldn't be hard -- he is so soft and snuggly).  Isabela came over to visit the night we brought Rudy home.  John explained to her that we had this rabbit for Rudy, but he didn't have a name yet.  We asked if she could be any help.  She responded very energetically, "Sure, let's go get him!"  John and her came back downstairs and Isabela had already decided on Bumper... we agreed it was a perfect name so Bumper it is!  We hope Rudy loves Bumper as much as we do and we think they already look great together

One week down, a lifetime to go

Well we have made it one week.  Its pretty unbelievable that this time last week we were just meeting Rudy for the first time.  It has been one heck of a week...so much work, worry, and sleeplessness.  Having said that, it has been the best week of my life.  Better than I could have ever imagined.  One week ago I received the most precious gift.  As awful and hard as the labor and delivery were, the second he was in my arms, that all went away.  I would do it again in a heartbeat with this being the reward.  Giving birth to Rudy was the most incredible thing I have ever done.  I know women do it every day, but I am so proud of myself for making it through that entire experience, especially under our circumstances.  And I am so proud of John for the way he handled everything and how strong and amazing he was for me.  I will never forget the day Rudy was born.  He has changed our lives forever.

Rudy's likes and dislikes (so far)

Rudy likes...
1.  To eat.  "Normal" is to eat every 3 hours.  Rudy eats every 1-2 hours.  I have gotten lucky the last couple nights and he has had a couple rounds of waiting 3 hours (which is great because it gives me about 2 hours of sleep in a row).  And every time he nurses, he eats for about 40-60 minutes.  I don't mind, though.  It is nice to have that time with him and it relaxes me too.  And he makes the funniest faces when he is just done eating.  He cracks me up.
2.  His vibrating chair.  That chair is a miracle worker.  Rudy can sit in it forever.  He can sit in it wide-eyed and so relaxed or to fall asleep.  Not to mention how easy it is for us to carry around.  When we are eating dinner, we sit it on the table with us.  When we are upstairs, we put in between us in the bed.  When we are in the living room, it sits on the ottoman.  It's great for when he isn't all the way sleepy to be put in his bassinet, but we want to be able to do other stuff (like update this blog!)

3.  His dad.  See earlier post.
4.  Company.  Rudy doesn't like to miss out on anything already!  It seems like whenever we have a lot of company over, he doesn't like to sleep through any of it.  He will eventually, of course, but he holds out as long as possible.  He likes people.  He does really well with others holding him and getting tossed around.  Which is all very good because with families like ours, he had better get used to it!
5.  Being read to.

Rudy dislikes...
1.  Having to wait more than 2 seconds to eat.  When he wants it, he wants it immediately!
2.  Baths.  But you can't blame him.  Its so cold!  Speaking of, here is a picture of his bath at home...not a very happy looking face!

Not so sure about...
1.  Rufus.  Rufus has been doing better with Rudy each day.  At first he wanted to jump at him any chance he got.  Any time he came around him, his tail started wagging and he got really worked up/excited.  Now he knows he can come around, but doesn't try and jump.  He does try to lick him all the time.  Rudy isn't sure about that.  One of these days those boys are going to be best friends, but we are still warming them up to each other.

Cry me a river

I think I could do just that.  I heard about postpartum hormones and the tears they can bring on, but wow.  I cry at everything!  I thought I was bad when I was pregnant...but that's nothing compared to this.  I cry sometimes just looking at Rudy.  I cry seeing John with Rudy...like the other night I got up to get ready for bed and came back to our room to see this...

John is so good to him.  And me.  He has been cleaning the house, doing laundry, the dishes -- basically everything that needs done around here.  I can really tell Rudy loves his dad, too.  When John talks to him, he perks up and looks for him or calms down if he's fussing.  It is the sweetest thing ever.  (And I'm crying again just typing this!)

One week check-up

We had our one week check-up yesterday afternoon with Doctor Soler.  So far I really like her.  She is this sweet, little older lady with an English accent...who wouldn't trust their child to a doctor with an English accent?!  Anyway, Rudy had a great report.  He is already back up to his birth weight.  The doctor said that normally takes about a week to ten days so "he must be a good little eater!"  That's no understatement.  This child of ours LOVES to eat.  He only really fusses if he has a dirty diaper or wants to eat, otherwise he is a happy baby...so I'll take it!  His chest and heart all sounded great, too.  Dr. Soler laughed at how much Desitin we were using.  We have already been through about 3 tubes since we've been home.  Turns out you only need like a dime/quarter size at most...we had been squeezing in about a 3-4 inch line of it.  I thought yesterday, "why does this stuff come in such small tubes??  It needs to be in a pump as much as you have to use of it!"  It all makes sense now.  His circumcision was all healed.  That's a big relief because we no longer have to use the gauze and vaseline on it when we change him.  Makes for a much quicker and easier diaper change!  What else?  Oh he was alert while we were there and she said it looks like he is really focusing on us which isn't common at such a young age, so that was nice to hear.  And his cross-eyed-ness is normal.  Until newborns get better control of their eyes and vision, they can get crazy eyes.  And Rudy definitely gets some crazy eyes going!  I think that about sums it up...next appointment is at one month.  I'm sure it will be here before we know it!

Photo Shoot #1

John went to help the Sundquists do some work on their new house this morning so Mom, Tony, Kate and Dawn came over to help me out with Rudy.  He has been so alert this morning and not slept since they've been here.  We did a little photo shoot...takes a lot more time and effort than Rufus!  We were able to get a couple shots, but no way could we tackle all the ideas we had for him... so more to come (is anyone surprised??)

The first couple days...

For the first couple days we were in the hospital.  We had several visitors, which was great.  John gave Rudy his first bath, read to him, and has been a master diaper changer.  Rudy has peed on him twice though during mid-change...hilarious to me of course!

I kept busy feeding him.  He sure likes to eat!!  I am supposed to feed him every 3 hours (from the start of one feeding to the next), even if that means waking him up to do so.  I've had to wake him up maybe twice.  While we were in the hospital, he was eating every 1-2 hours.

We stayed in the hospital until about noon on Tuesday.  All things considered, I was feeling really good and Rudy was doing great.  It was nice having all the help there from the nurses and the comfort of having them right there, but we were ready to get home and start our routine here.  Here is Rudy all buckled up in his car seat, ready to make the trip home.

We did it!

Rudy finally made his appearance Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 12:10 pm.  He weighed 8 lbs, 9.5 oz and was 21 inches long.  But let me back up a bit...

Saturday started out as a pretty normal day, considering our anticipation was growing for our Monday evening appointment to get induced.  I scheduled a hair appointment (because why not?) and John went to work on a tree job with my dad.  It had rained that morning a little and was cloudy and overcast.  The temperature had dropped from the highs we had been having.  I finished my hair appointment about 1:00.  I wasn't feeling great, but that wasn't particularly uncommon.  About 3:00 I started having small contractions that were not regular.  By this point, I was so used to having pains come and go that I didn't really get too concerned or excited...I just had it in my head that we weren't meeting Rudy until Tuesday.

As the night went on, I still wasn't feeling great and the contractions got worse and more regular.  About 7:00 I started timing them.  By about 10:30, they were 45-60 seconds long and 3-5 minutes apart.  I was in a good amount of pain when they hit...not unbearable, but enough that I couldn't talk/walk when I was having one.  So John and I loaded up the car and off we went to the hospital.  John even ran a red light to get there!  I was taken up to the maternity suites and put in a room to be monitored and checked.  When the nurse checked me about 11:30, I was only 1 cm dilated but effaced 100%.  The contractions were showing up regularly on the monitor and Rudy's heart rate was great.  But until I showed that I was in active labor (ie the contractions were dilating me), I could not be admitted.  The nurse said if I was in active labor, I should dilate 1-2 cm every 2 hours so she would be back in at 2:00 am to check me again.  That was a very long 2 hours!  John was such a great help.  He rubbed my back and helped me switch positions to get as comfortable as was possible.  The contractions were pretty intense and because of Rudy's position, they were in my back too.  We were so worried she would come back and tell us that we had to go home.  Thankfully, at 2:00 am I was dilated to 2 cm.  By 3:30 am I was admitted, had IV's in and was getting the epidural.  From there, we were able to sleep/relax and just wait.  At 5:30 am I was dilated to 5 cm.  Things were progressing great.  The epidural was amazing.  I didn't feel a thing and I was so relaxed and comfortable.  I felt better than I had in weeks!  I remember thinking, "this labor thing is going to be a breeze!"

Then things went down hill... about 6:30 my pain started coming back.  I was able to feel all the contractions again.  The anesthesiologists came back and gave me a higher dose of something through the epidural tube.  It seemed to work for about 30-45 minutes.  He came back about an hour later and gave me more.  This time it didn't work at all.  I was in so much pain they decided to try doing the epidural over.  Sitting through that was so scary.  Trying to be still and have contractions was nearly impossible.  I was asking, "so if this doesn't work then what are the options?"  Unfortunately, there were no other options.  I was a wreck.  The contractions and back pain were so intense.  This might have been the point when I told John I was never doing this again so he better like Rudy.  The second epidural worked only on my left side and it was completely numb.  They explained that for a small percentage of people, epidurals just don't take.  But that it can be different for every pregnancy...so I have hope that it will work for the next one!  (And yes, as soon as they gave me Rudy, I told John we could have more)

Things started speeding up and I went from 7 cm to 10 cm in no time.  So quick that I was ready to push and the doctor wasn't there.  Since the pain meds weren't working, they also gave me some other medicine that was supposed to "take the edge off" and "make me feel drunk."  It did do that, but I'm sure everyone in the room wished I hadn't had it.  I had no filter for what I was feeling and I wasn't feeling good.  I'm embarrassed by some of the things I yelled at people!  John was so great, though.  He helped me through every contraction and was by my side every second.  I could not have made it through without him.  The nurses tried to stall as much as possible for the doctor to get there.  They decided to let me start pushing since it normally takes first time moms awhile.  Didn't work out as they had planned.  As much pain as I was in, I gave it all I had with every push.  I think I yelled at the nurse, "Are you ready to deliver this baby?!"  The doctor finally got there (what felt like forever to me, but was probably 10-15 minutes).  He came in in high spirits, making light-hearted comments..everyone was smiling at him..which is about when I snapped, "NO JOKES...STOP LAUGHING...GET HIM OUT!!"  All in all, I only pushed for 40 minutes.  Apparently that's pretty impressive for a first-timer.  It still felt like a long time to me.

When Rudy was born he wasn't breathing.  I was out of it from that weird medicine that I didn't know what was going on.  I knew they would have to be doing things to Rudy and checking him out, so I assumed that's all that was going on.  But I could tell from John's face that things were not ok.  I've never seen him look so upset.  They had to bag Rudy and use a pump/face mask thing to breathe for him.  He did start breathing on his own and they let me hold him before they took him away to be monitored.  They had to keep him for an hour because of the breathing problem.  But thank God, nothing was wrong.  They said that happens in a small percentage of newborns, but everything is ok and Rudy is perfect...just gave us a scare.  We sure beat the odds that day...

Mom, Dad, Tony, Ray and LeeAnn were all there in the waiting room when Rudy was born.  We all fell in love with him immediately...and with a face like this one, who wouldn't?!

    
It is unreal how much love we have for Rudy.  It is impossible to explain the feeling, but it is the best feeling imaginable.  And sharing this experience with John has made our love for each other even stronger...which I wouldn't have thought was even possible.  (Sorry for the corniness.  I'll keep that to a minimum, but just had to say it!)  

40+ Weeks of Change

Before the blog began, I sent emails to my closest family and friends of my progress and updates.  I decided to share them here, mostly because I love looking back through them... enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent January 23, 2010:

Subject:  One trimester down, two more to go...

Hi everyone!  

I attached my first profile picture... 13 weeks already!  I don't know how often I will take them (or have John take them), but I will keep sending updates.  Things are going good.  I've been feeling much better the last couple weeks.  Still tired a lot, but only nauseous here and there...much better than all day, every day.  "They" all say the second trimester gets better, so I am really looking forward to that!  I just had a doctor's appointment a couple weeks ago and everything there is great.  No problems, everything normal.  I have another one February 4 and hopefully at that appointment we will schedule the appointment that we are all so anxious for - 20 weeks can't come soon enough!!  

Keep us in your prayers for a healthy, happy baby!

Jen

P.S.  I decided not to post these on facebook so that's mostly why I am sending the email (and not everyone will fall into the pressure and just get a facebook account already!).  It seems like my "distribution list" (as mom would call it) is pretty long already and I didn't want to get too obnoxious with it, but feel free to pass along if there is anyone I left out that would be interested...I can always add more the next time :) 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent February 13, 2010:

Subject:  16 weeks and counting

Hello again - 

 

I just reached the 16 week point and everything is going great!  My energy has been coming back (along with a big appetite) and the nausea has gone away for the most part.  I had an appointment on Wednesday and everything was good and normal.  The heart beat was 140.  At this point in the pregnancy 120-160 is "normal."  It is so cool listening to the heart beat.  Our next appointment is scheduled for March 15.  At that appointment we will have a sonogram to figure out whether there is a little boy or girl swimming around in there - as long as the baby is cooperating and doesn't have his/her legs crossed of course. 

 

We have tentatively planned the baby shower for Sunday, July 3 (Monday is the holiday) - so mark your calendars!  We are planning to have it at our house and have a little "open house" party that night.  By then, we should have a master bathroom, doors, finished basement, and nursery :)  John is going to be busy!

 

Some other exciting news...John graduated this week from the Fire Fighters Academy on Tuesday night.  I attached some pictures for you from that, too.  They had a nice ceremony at the Fire Fighters Lake Club and Mom, Dad, LeeAnn, Ray, Jennifer, Kevin, Isabela and I were all able to attend.  He has two weeks of clinicals (basically 8-5 Monday-Friday on either an ambulance or in the hospital) before he starts shift on March 1.  From then on, he will be at Station 1 (downtown) for 24 hours on, 48 hours off.  He is very excited, but nervous and overwhelmed, too.  I think he will do great. 

 

Well that's it for now.  I'll email again after the next appointment with hopefully some exciting news and baby pictures!  And again, keep us in your prayers for a healthy, happy baby :)

 

Love,

Jen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent March 15, 2011

Subject:  It's a...

I'm pretty sure you all know by now, but we are going to be having a little boy!  His name will be Rudolpho 'Rudy' Anthony Cicci.  We had the sonogram today and everything looks "perfect" according to the doctor.  His heart beat was 142 and he weighs 15 ounces.  Not much else to report.  The last 5 weeks have seemed to drag on forever, but pregnancy-wise, I have been feeling great.  My belly is growing, that's for sure (and yes, Jamie, I wore the same outfit again).  We have been working on putting together the nursery.  The rest of the furniture should be here this week and I hope to finish painting this weekend.  I will send pictures when we get it more complete.  John and Ray have been busy working on our house.  We are really close to having doors and our master bathroom is almost done, too.  It's all looking great!  Today has been an amazing day - we are so excited and can't stop smiling.  Rudy is going to be very loved :)  

Oh and a little description of the sonogram pictures might help - the first one is Rudy looking straight on with his eyes closed, the second one is Rudy looking straight on with his eyes open (you can really see his eye - pretty neat), the third is his foot (5 toes - we counted), the fourth is his profile, the fifth is the undeniable proof that he is in fact a boy (he's sitting indian style so you can see both legs, too), and the sixth one is another profile.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent April 3, 2011:

Subject:  23 weeks down, 17 more to go

Well not much has changed since the last email - except for the size of my belly.  For all of those who say I "torture" Rufus with his photo shoots - I left in Rufus at the bottom of my picture this week.  He can't stay away from that camera when its out - even if it isn't him getting his pictures taken!  

We have been working more on putting the finishing touches on the nursery (adding all the blue) and doing some (I like to think of it as "some" - others might not agree with that) shopping for clothes.  They are all lined up in the guest bedroom for now.  The washer and dryer are still in the nursery closet until the basement gets more done.  I attached some pictures of the nursery so far.  I did the painting on the wall, my mom and I painted the blue rocker and table (some might remember them as white and black), and my mom also made the seat for the rocking chair and Rufus' bed.  I'm willing to bet he will want to be in there with us every night.  You might also notice a door in there... pretty unbelievable, huh?!  John and Ray have been busy!  We have all the bedroom and bathroom doors now.  It's like a completely different house.  They turned out great and were worth the wait!  

John and I also did our baby registry.  That was interesting, to say the least.  Babies need a lot of stuff!  We didn't realize how much stuff until we went through every aisle of Babies R Us.  And I am sure there are things we forgot or don't even know we need yet.  We have been getting some input from people with suggestions for additions or revisions to our registry - so that's been helpful!  John is a little overwhelmed with where we are going to put all this stuff...he likes things very neat and in their "place."  He is just going to have to adjust haha

Rudy has been moving around quite a bit.  He gets going at times and John was able to feel him, too.  I was at work the other day and could even see him punching or kicking me - it was so cool and very distracting.  I just wanted to watch and wait for him to move again.  It isn't painful or bothersome yet, just really exciting.  I look forward to feeling him every day.  

We have another doctor's appointment in about a week or so.  We get to have another sonogram because the nurse couldn't get a clear shot of where the umbilical chord attached to Rudy.  Apparently that's important to see but we are glad because we will get to see him again.  Unless something odd comes up, it will be the last time until we see him in person.  Hard to believe it is only 17 more weeks away!    

Pregnancy-wise, I've been feeling great.  I am very anxious to get outside and take walks on a regular basis with Rufus.  My tax job is about done and the weather is starting to get nicer so that should be sooner than later.  I am feeling very large and some exercise I'm hoping will make me feel better.  I also signed up for a pregnancy yoga class that starts at the end of April.  Its just once a week for 6 weeks and through the hospital.  A friend of mine and her sister-in-law are also pregnant and taking it, too.  I'm looking forward to it.  

Well I guess that's it for now - hope you all enjoy the pictures!  I'll send more sonogram pictures when we get those.  As usual, keep us in your prayers for a healthy, happy Rudy.  

Love,

Jen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent April 26, 2011:

Subject:  Third trimester...here we come!

Hard to believe I am just passed the 26 week mark and on to the third trimester.  I hear this one seems to be the longest, though.  Things are still going good.  We had another doctor's appointment last week and we finished the sonogram (I attached some more pictures).  These will be the last pictures (well hopefully).  As long as the doctors don't suspect anything wrong, we won't have any more sonograms.  Rudy is getting bigger, that's for sure!  His heart rate was still normal and all my vitals are normal.  I had to take the glucose tolerance test to see if I had any signs of pregnancy diabetes.  I was pretty nervous about it considering how much sugar I've been eatting.  I can't seem to get enough sweets!!  But luckily, I passed!  So I celebrated with some cake.. and brownies.. and what else??  We have another appointment scheduled in May (4 weeks after the last one) and then we will start going every 2 weeks.  

 

"They" say early symptoms can start coming back now, too.  I have been feeling ok, except my fatigue is definitely back!  I fell asleep about 7:30 last night.  It wasn't even dark yet.  But taxes are done and after my jewelry party May 19, I am going to be pretty much done with jewelry too.  So I will have more time at home to relax and boss John around while he works on the basement.  And with the weather getting nicer, I'll have to be treating Rufus to more walks...he will be happy!  Speaking of the house, it is coming right along.  The master bath is done for the most part, just have to put it together (hang mirrors, shower curtain, towel rods).  The rest of the doors are cut and waiting to be painted and then hanging those will be a breeze (maybe on the next update I'll have pictures).  John says the basement won't take long.  I hope he is right!  

 

I also attached my 26-week picture.  If you didn't notice, my hair is a bit shorter!  I had a hair appointment last week to get some color done, and impulsively got it all cut off.  It was a hot day and I had had it with all that hair.  Of course it is shorter than I expected (hair dressers definitions are always shorter than mine!) but with all these hormones and prenatal vitamins I've got going, it will grow fast.  

 

Hope you enjoy the pictures!  Sorry I didn't have much to report on.  I'll keep everyone updated as I get through the next 13 weeks!  Crazy that Rudy will be here then.  And as always, keep us in your prayers for a healthy, happy baby boy :) 

 

Jen

 

And a little description of the pictures:

• Rudy's profile with what looks like a bubble, but is actually his toes.  He was sleeping with his legs crossed and bent up by his head.  And even though he was asleep, he was moving his mouth open and closed.  It was really cool to see him "talking" in his sleep.  John said he was probably dreaming about cake.  
• Same picture, but face on.  His foot by his little cheek is more clear in this one and you can see where his eyes are, too.
• A big foot
• His legs, crossed
• Another foot, with a tiny hand in the upper right corner. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent May 24, 2011

Subject:  Week 30 has come and passed...

We had another doctor’s appointment last Friday, on May 13th.  Everything was still looking good.  I measured about one week bigger than I was.  But that doesn’t mean anything except that I am basically right on track.  Rudy’s heart rate was about 130 – still normal.  Blood pressure, etc. all good.  Our next appointment is only 3 weeks apart this time.  It will just be another check up. 

I have been feeling pretty good.  I've been having some issues with my back, sciatic nerve, and/or hip joints (or a combination).  The back pain was pretty intense one week so when I couldn’t stand it any longer, I called the nurse line on a Saturday morning to see if I should go to prompt care to make sure I didn’t have a bladder infection or something.  She asked so many questions and completely freaked me out.  Long story, short, mom had to take me to Labor and Delivery at Memorial to get things checked out.  All good except the swelling around some of my back muscles that was making it hurt to the touch even.  I was given some muscle relaxers, told to take Tylenol (my new best friend), and get a pregnancy massage.  All of which I did and my back seems to be doing better.  And also orders to not lift anything heavier than a gallon on milk (I had to switch purses), no vacuuming (sorry, John), etc for the rest of the pregnancy.  My hip is still pretty uncomfortable at times.  The doctor said its normal – my joint ligaments are just stretching out.  It makes me walk with a limp, or what looks like a “pregnancy waddle,” but its doing better than it has been...or I’m getting used to it.  Either way, I’m glad.  John tried using a tennis ball to rub my back with (I was told using that kind of pressure on it would help with the pain).  Didn’t really work out for us.  Rufus was jumping all over me trying to get the ball.  He would of course get it, run away, come back jumping on me to play, and this was back and forth before I had enough and we haven’t gotten the tennis balls back out since.  The yoga class seems to be helping quite a bit too, mostly the stretching.  Well, that's really all that class is.  I don't know if it can really qualify as "yoga."  We spend the first 10 minutes meeting someone new, talking about how far along we are, what we are having and a random topic (what's your favorite/least favorite thing about being pregnant, what's scaring you the most, etc.).  It's nice though to meet some other moms-to-be that will be deliverying about the same time and probably in my mommy support groups, too.  We spend some time relaxing every muscle in our bodies, then we do an exercise where we put one hand on our heart and one hand on our baby and think about and recognize that "your breath is your babies breath..." And then we get to doing various stretches that help our backs, leg cramps, carpel tunnel, ways to try and get the baby to move positions, etc.  All pretty helpful.  If anyone were to sit-in, it would be comical, but the forced relaxation, good stretching techniques, and contacts are all good to me :) 

The hospital trip was pretty memorable though.  The room I was in was a 2 person room – it’s for “holding” patients before getting admitted, basically just to do monitoring, etc before going through the admission process if that ends up not being necessary.  Right after I get situated and get the monitors on and can hear Rudy’s heat beating (which was just a huge sigh of relief after that morning), in comes a girl in labor.  O.M.G.  I think my eyes were bulging the rest of the visit, while mom chuckled quietly.  This poor girl was screaming, screeching, yelling at everyone...they asked how tall she was “I DON’T KNOW,” the father’s phone number “I DON’T KNOW.”  The doctor FINALLY came in (it had been maybe 15 minutes) to check to see if she was dilated enough and that her contractions were regular (and therefore indicative of being in actual labor - mom and I were crossing our fingers for her at this point!).  When they were checking her she yelled, “OK STOP!  I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE”...needless to say I’ve been having nightmares ever since...

I have been getting a lot more comments these days from co-workers, strangers, friends, family... it's always great to hear the "you look great," "pregnancy suits you well," "boy, you sure are blossoming," "you're glowing," but here are some more memorable ones I thought I would share... 

When I called Grandma to tell her that we were having a boy...

Grandma:  I knew you were having a boy because you are carrying it all in your butt.  That’s just an old wives tale, but you know, because your butt is so big.  (I’m pretty sure my butt has been big for 26 years.  Maybe I’ll be having all boys.) 

The Monday morning after my birthday...

Manager:  Well you must have eaten a lot of cake this weekend!  You sure are showing now!

(Thaaaaaanks...??)

At a meeting in April (with approximately 6 other people in the room, so 8 total)...

Auditee (who I hadn’t seen since November/December):  Whoa!  You’re huge!  How much longer do you have to go?!

Me:  16 weeks.

Auditee:  You’re kidding??  Are you sure you don’t have multiples in there??

Me:  No, I’m sure.  We did find out we are having a boy, though and we are really excited (trying to change the subject from how "huge" I was).

Auditee:  Sure... But wow (...shaking his head)

In an elevator...

Lady to her friend:  Look at her.  She looks cute pregnant.  I always looked so huge.

(At this point, I wasn’t sure if I should thank her since she wasn’t talking to me (and did that make me an eavesdropper?) but she was clearing talking about me...this kind of thing seems to happen a lot...people talking about me and my pregnancy when I can clearly hear, but yet they aren't talking to me.  I usually just smile -- I'm sure awkwardly)

At pregnancy yoga...

Me:  Hi, I’m Jen.  I’m about 28 weeks.

Girl I just met:  You’re kidding??  You haven’t gained anything!  You’re just all baby! 

(Interesting because she just met me... how does she know how much I have or have not gained?)

And my favorite...

Every day...

John:  You’re beautiful

People are funny. 

Well this was quite a long update!  Hope you enjoyed :)  As always, keep us in your prayers for a healthy, happy baby!

Love,

Jen

P.S.  House update - John has been very busy working on our house.  I will take some pictures for the next update - with hopefully some completion pictures.  The bathroom is so close to being done, as are the doors.  He started on the basement and it is moving right along.  Thanks to all the help from everyone, we should be done before Rudy gets here!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent June 21, 2011

Subject:  So long Week 34

Not too much has changed since I wrote last.  We had an appointment June 3 and another one today, June 21.  Our next one is a week from Friday, July 1.  Then from there we will start going every week.  At both of the last appointments all was good.  My blood pressure has been "picture perfect" and Rudy's heart rate has been about 140...right in the normal range.  And at both appointments I'm still measuring about 1 week bigger.  At one of the appointments the doctor joked, "you might have a 10 pound baby in there!"  I took it as a joke, at least.  But that's about all that gets checked at these appointments right now.  The doctor did feel for his position today and he is head down, so that's good.  And he let me feel his head... pretty surreal.    

The heat has been getting to me and I keep getting told that it is only going to get worse.  I swell up pretty fast with all the humidity we have been having.  The good thing is that it does go down once I get back inside or cool off.  At least its not constant.  I feel huge and have a hard time believing I can get much bigger...but the next weeks are baby growing time.  Rudy is pretty much completely developed, he will just start accumulating fat at this point.  And he gets moving!  I can watch him bounce around (well probably kicking, nudging, poking) from the outside.  My stomach looks so crazy when he gets going.  Sometimes it looks like and feels like he sticks his butt or back out, but I learned today that that could actually be a "practice" contraction and is actually my stomach tightening around him.  Pretty crazy.  Or sometimes it could just be that he is sticking out on me.  The doctor said I will have been having and continue to have contractions and that I'd probably be surprised if they hooked me up to a monitor and saw how often I am having them.  

Work had a shower for me during lunch hour about a week ago.  It was nice of them to do and we got several items from our registry - much more than I would have expected from the office!  I attached some pictures from that of the cake they ordered and a super cute diaper cake a couple girls made for us.  It got me even more excited for our shower in July!    

We have gone to two maternity classes: "Breastfeeding" (only about a couple hours one morning) and "Birth and Beyond" (an all day class at the hospital).  The breastfeeding class was very overwhelming, at least for me.  John seems to think its going to be a piece of cake and looks simple enough.  I am still reading the book they suggested we all read.  I can only read a few pages at a time - lots of information to absorb!  But the more I read and learn, the less nervous I get.  I'm ready to give it a try already!  The all day class was great.  We learned a lot and saw a lot, without it getting scary or overwhelming.  It actually made us more excited (as if that were possible) for D-Day!  They walked us through the whole labor - from the start of contractions to after delivery - along with a tour of the floor and room I will be in.  A boy and a girl newborn were brought down and we were able to watch the nurses give them baths, too.  Of course I am still nervous about the whole thing, but I am more excited, anxious and ready (well, mentally) for Rudy to be here. 

Speaking of being ready...John has been very busy doing work on our house.  The bathroom looks amazing.  He did a great job and had great help.  The doors are all hung and they look great, too (I'll send pictures in another email - i reached the size limit for this email).  The basement is the big project right now and it is a big project.  My mom, dad, Ray and LeeAnn are all over tonight helping to finish up painting the walls and cleaning the floors to get them ready to be painted (some pictures are attached).  We have had some hiccups along the way with the basement...but in good timing.  We ended up getting some water down there from all the rain we have had.  Not much, but enough that we decided to not put down any carpet for now.  We are anxious to get the basement done so we can rearrange a lot of our furniture to make room for Rudy and all the stuff that comes along with him.  Hopefully we will be close to that by the shower on July 3 (which, by the way, we are really looking forward to and seeing everyone that is able to come that weekend!!).  I also have our hospital bags about packed.  Not that I think I'll be running out the door any time soon, but I'm glad I did it when I did.  It took a lot more energy and work to get everything together than I had anticipated.  Who knows how I will feel in the coming weeks, so it makes me feel good to have it about done!  

Well for starting out that not much has changed, I guess I had a lot more to say than I thought I would!  Enjoy the pictures and really looking forward to seeing everyone at the shower!!  

Keep praying for Rudy - we want him healthy and happy :)

Love,

Jen  

One more thing -- For the boys coming that weekend (or already in town), John has some tee times at Piper Glen for anyone who would like to play golf the morning of July 3rd.  They all start around 8 so you'll get done towards the end of the shower.  If you would like to play, let us know and bring your clubs!  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent June 21, 2011:

Subject:  Some more house pictures

If you can't tell, there are a couple of the bedroom and bathroom doors upstairs, our closet doors, and two angles of the bathroom.  When I was taking the pictures of our closet, Rufus was on the bed looking at the camera, so I had to include him.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent July 11, 2011

Subject:  Three more short (or long) weeks to go...

Sometimes it seriously feels like time is standing still and Rudy will never be here and then other times, I blink and Rudy is going to be here in 3 weeks...how did that happen?! 

We are going to the doctor every week now.  We went July 1 and July 8.  Everything is still really good and normal.  Rudy's heart beat has been a strong 140 both times, my blood pressure it still right where it should be, and I have not had swelling.  I also tested negative for this bacteria (can't remember the exact name) that is fairly common.  Had it been positive, I would have just had to have an iv of antibiotics during delivery.  But the less of that the better so that was good news.  I am still consistently measuring about 1-2 weeks ahead.  I'm anxious to see if he will be big or early... anxious is how I've been feeling a lot lately! 

The shower was great -- better than I could have imagined!  Lots of people and lots of stuff.  John and I are still trying to get through it all.  I spent all weekend doing laundry and sorting and organizing in his room.  We still need to put together some things and figure out how we are going to rearrange all our furniture to make room for his stuff.  Needless to say, I've been "nesting" quite a bit!

We got done with the majority of the basement.  Enough to move stuff downstairs and focus more on Rudy's stuff.  The basement looks great and John will have more time soon to put all the finishing touches together.  

I attached my 37 week picture.  I'm huge.  I really didn't think I could get much bigger from the one at 34, but guess so!  The outfit is getting pretty comical.  Definitely couldn't wear it out of the house.  The tanks used to fit like dresses, yesterday I had a hard time getting them to cover my belly -- you can't tell in the picture, but they don't cover the maternity panel of those pants.  I live in pajama pants and tank tops when I'm at home and keep the air at 68 (which is still hot to me most of the time).  John teases me a lot lately because my belly will stick out from under my tank top and I have no idea because I can't see it.  

Oh and I almost forgot to mention -- I broke my toe last week...the one next to my big toe on my right foot.  I was coming back from the bathroom (which I get up to do about every 2-3 hours) about midnight last Tuesday night and walked right into the trunk that sits in front of our bed.  I was in tears.  For a long time.  I took some Tylenol and put ice on it through the night and in the morning when it was still hurting and swollen, I called my mom and she took me to prompt care.  John was lucky he had to work.  They took x-rays (which I was surprised they could do) and it was broke :(  So for 4-6 weeks (which if you do the math is likey when I will be delivering), I have to wear an ugly boot.  As if I wasn't walking funny enough!  Oh well -- things have been going so well, its could be worse.     

On Friday we took professional "pregnancy" photos with Kimberly Smoot.  John got in a few, but I was photographed a lot.  It was not something I would seek out myself, although I had thought about it and how it would be neat to have, I wouldn't have wanted to pay for it or contact people, etc.  But while I was working at the Studio on 6th Street a couple weeks ago, Kimberly came in to shop and asked if she could photograph me.  She had some poses and a location that she had been wanting to do pregnancy photos with but didn't have a pregnant lady.  She offered to do it all for free and even give me some free prints -- so what did I have to lose??  I've only seen a few that she put on facebook (I think you have to be friends with her in order to see them - so friend request her if you are interested), but she is going to put together a "gallery" on her website eventually so I can see the rest and pick out my favorites.  

It's been a busy few weeks since my last email!  John and I are hoping to finish getting things ready and be able to spend some time relaxing in these next few.  

Have a great day and keep us in your prayers :)

Jen  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent July 21, 2011

Subject:  Ok Rudy, you can come out now

Well it's almost that time.  Not many more pregnancy updates will be coming through anymore.  I've enjoyed sharing this experience with you all and I appreciate all the comments and responses.  It's so comforting knowing we have such an amazing support group behind us.  I thought I'd come up with a list of pros and cons for these past 9 (technically 10) months to share with you all.  So here goes:

Pros:

• Feeling the baby move...His jabs, kicks, rolls, wiggles, hiccups...priceless
• All the anticipation...Finding out we were pregnant, getting to tell our family and friends the news, finding out whether our baby was a boy or a girl, every doctor’s appointment, showers, the baby’s arrival
• Setting up the nursery and imagining our baby in everything we put together (almost makes me cry just thinking about it now)
• Most people are extremely nice to me.  I get at least one compliment a day (whether its an honest compliment or just something people say to all pregnant women, doesn't matter, it's still nice) and a stranger carried my groceries and loaded them in my car even
• Eating for two.  I’m supposed to be eating carefully and healthily for two.  But when I reach for that second helping of ice cream or order the large size of fries, those are the words that pop into my head.  Fat is good for fetal brain development, right?
• The pregnancy card comes in handy for all sorts of unexpected things.  Messy house?  Sick day?  Pregnant.  Late movie rental?  Bad outfit?  Feel like sitting and doing nothing?  Pregnant.  Not that I would use my condition in such a way
• Sudden bursts of energy that make me feel like Superwoman when I realize how much I got done
• Shopping for adorable baby clothes
• The fact that it is completely and totally acceptable (and even expected) to wear elastic waist band pants
• Having John with me through it all and seeing the changes in him as he prepares for our baby
• And at the end of this, I get to be a mom

Cons:

• First trimester issues...nausea, soreness, puke, food aversions
• No wine with dinner, beer by the pool, margarita with Mexican...
• Being tired almost all the time (except for the occasional burst – see Pro above)
• Looking bloated
• Feeling bloated
• Sudden bloody noses
• Carrying around the extra weight.  It’s worse in the beginning.  Once I “looked” pregnant, who cares?  But leading up to that, I just felt fat.
• Leg cramps and pains.  My legs always feel like I just ran a marathon.  They are tight and heavy like they need a good stretching
• Backaches.  Any position I get comfortable in becomes uncomfortable in no time, usually accompanied by back pain
• Crying at everything.  From the nice things John does for me (legitimate tears) to TV commercials (not so legitimate)
• I am way more likely to pee in my pants (by just sneezing or laughing)
• All the drugs I’m allowed to take are worthless.  I’d have better luck using a voodoo doll on myself
• Random people walk up to me on the street and tell me that my baby is dropping, I’m having twins, that I am going to have “that baby” any minute, or (a new one this week) that they would take the baby if I didn’t want it
• Pregnancy brain.  I swear it is real.  I feel like I am not operating at full capacity in that department 90% of the time
• The fears.  Is the baby ok?  Am I ok?  Am I going to be a good mom?  How am I going to protect this person from every bad thing possible for the rest of his life? (I realize that's not possible, but I will strive for that)  Plus a million others...
• Labor.  Period.  I don't think I need to extend on that.

Of course the pros outweight the cons by a million percent.  I'd take every one of the cons every day to get the pros.  And, granted I haven't been through the labor part yet, I still want to do this again. 

As for the latest update, we had another doctor's appointment July 18th.  Things were still looking good.  I did a non-stress test because I didn't think I was feeling Rudy move much.  I was hooked up to a monitor for over an hour.  At first he wasn't moving, but eventually he got going so we were good to go.  I was told to count 10 movements in a one-two hour period, two times a day.  The doctor also checked me for the first time.  I was really looking forward to this.  A lot of girls I've talked to who have been pregnant recently got checked every week starting at 36 weeks.  So waiting until 38, I was hopeful I would be dilated to 5 cm (not really, but wouldn't that have been nice?).  Unfortunately, I wasn't dilated at all.  However, the doctor said at my next appointment (scheduled for Monday, July 25 at 8:30) if I show any signs of progress, he will induce me on Tuesday.  I had to ask him to repeat that and break it down for me..."like next Monday?  And then that next day, Tuesday?  As in one week early, Tuesday?"  It sounded too good to be true.  Of course John checks his calendar and works that Tuesday and said to the doctor, " any way we could wait until Wednesday if that's the case?"  The doctor laughed and told him that if I could have him on Tuesday, he's pretty sure it would be on Tuesday, whether he wanted to show up or not!  We will see what happens on Monday, though.  Fingers crossed Rudy comes on his own before Monday!  John can't believe the doctor would even put that hope in my head.  How disappointing is it going to be if I haven't shown any signs of progress?!?  I'm much more uncomfortable, sore, achy, tired, hot, swollen, etc. so any chance at Rudy being here early is very exciting!    

So needless to say, I looked up all kinds of ways to make yourself go into labor (or at least start having contractions to move along the "progress") as soon as I got back to work (oh yea, it's really hard to stay focused on work all day).  Most of the tricks I had heard of before, but one particular tip was new...it said:

 "Talk to your baby and assure him/her that you are ready to welcome him/her into this world.  Tell the baby about the room you have set up for him/her and what you've been doing to prepare.  Assure him/her that you are ready for his/her arrival and he is welcome to come any time.  Even if this does not work, it will give you a good bonding experience with your baby." 

I mean, seriously??  I told John about this one and he did the honors of telling Rudy we are ready and he can come out now.  And all about his room and toys he has.  I don't know about the bonding (or any labor induction) but it gave me a REALLY GOOD laugh! 

We have been busy getting the rest of Rudy's stuff and the house ready for him to be here.  We are pretty much done.  And everything that HAS to be done, is.  So that is very reassuring.  Last Friday my mom and Tony were over in the morning helping do some things while John was at a work golf outing.  Tony and I were painting the nursing stools and mom was cleaning out the inside of my car to install the car seat, mirrors, shades, put in the stroller, etc.  We started by putting the stroller in the trunk.  Problem #1: It was a VERY tight squeeze and nothing else was going back there.  But not a major problem.  So then we discussed for awhile which side to put the car seat in -- driver or passenger.  After much debate, we decided on driver side.  Base goes in.  Problem #2:  It hung half way off the seat because the seat was so small.  Didn't seem right, but ok let's keep moving.  Attach the carrier.  Problem #3: It doesn't fit.  Move the base to the passenger side and try it there.  Works except the passenger seat has to be pushed all the way up (which means no passenger would be riding along).  Ok, fine, I guess.  Then Problem #4: Because the base hung off so much, it was top heavy.  It didn't stay secured to the seat and tilted forward very easily.  Then a minor panic attack came on.  I called John and frantically explained the situation.  He said, "It'll be fine.  Let's go car shopping tomorrow."  I asked if he was drunk.  We have talked about getting a new car and what we would want, what kind, what features, etc, but I wasn't expecting to make that purchase for awhile.  John takes a long time to make any purchase... he was just at Scheels for 2 hours the day before to pick out some new socks.  No joke.  So we went on Saturday with John saying, "We are not buying a car today, so get that out of your head.  We are just looking."  Fine.  Looking is a step.  Well...several hours later and lots of research and discussion, we drove home our new car!  We found just what we were looking for and got a deal we couldn't walk away from.  It's a 2007, white Dodge Durango that fits 7 (picture attached).  I'm one more step closer to being a "soccer mom."  Tony was in the right place at the right time, too.  We ended up trading in his car and he was very happy to get my Saturn.

Rufus also got an upgrade, lucky dog.  In arranging our furniture to fit Rudy's stuff, we don't have room for his crate anymore.  Thanks to a couple baby gates, Rufus gets full reign over the kitchen while we are gone now instead of his crate.  LeeAnn should be able to sleep better now.  She hated putting him in that crate!  John said he was "freaking out" when he took the crate down.  We aren't sure if it was in excitement, or fear of where he was going, but he will figure it out soon enough that that was a really good thing for him!    

In other news, I also got a promotion last week.  I am now an Audit Manager.  I've been a supervisor for just less than 2 years and usually people stay a supervisor for at least 5 before becoming a manager.  It was very unexpected, to say the least.  I can't imagine what my face looked like when my director came in my office and told me...had to be a deer in the headlights look.  It's a lot of responsibility and my first instinct was to throw up.  We have had some management turnover in the last several months, and so I guess I was in the right place at the right time, too.  Timing is everything, they say.  And what great timing to get it 2 weeks (or hopefully less) before I go on leave for 3 months!  And my part-time schedule will still be the same when I return.  

And to share someone else's news, but makes me incredibly happy too, our friends Robyn and Jonny Sunquist bought a house about 5 doors away from us last week!  They close July 29, going to do some renovations, and plan to move in some time in October.  I am ecstatic to have one of my best friends living so close.  There will be lots of walks with strollers in our futures since she is due December 19.

What a crazy, exciting, great week it has been!  Now if Rudy would decide to make his appearance, that would really be the cherry on top :)  

Keep us in your prayers for a healthy, happy baby and smooth delivery.  Hopefully the next time you hear from me it will be to tell you Rudy is scheduled, on his way, or here!

Love,

Jen

P.S.  Thanks a million for all your prayers up to this point.  They must be working because things have been going great.  We appreciate all that everyone has done for us throughout this whole experience...all the help, kind words, generosity, etc.  We are incredibly blessed and so is Rudy.  We are really looking forward to welcoming him into our family and learning how to be parents to our little baby boy.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent July 25, 2011

Subject:  So the wait continues...

We had the doctor's appointment this morning and unfortunately (and sadly) nothing has changed from last week.  My blood pressure is still great and Rudy's heart beat was strong.  But no Rudy scheduled for tomorrow :(  I go back on Friday to get checked again.  If there is still no change, the doctor is going to schedule a sonogram for next week to make sure everything is ok.  Patience is a virtue... one I wish I had!  

I'll keep everyone posted -- Keep the prayers coming our way

Love, 

Jen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally sent August 2, 2011:

Subject:  40 weeks and still pregnant

...ugh!! 

Over the weekend I was having a lot of different pains and weird things going on, so I went in to the doctor's office Monday morning to get checked (hoping I had dilated and wouldn't have to keep the Tuesday sonogram appointment).  I had slightly dilated.  Enough that the doctor was able to "strip my membranes," but not enough to be induced.  The stripping was pretty uncomfortable, but it apparently can really speed up labor.  I was in a lot of pain afterwards.  Lots of back ache, soreness, just overall discomfort.  Then Monday night my mom and I went shopping to try and walk the baby out.  "They" also say lots of walking can speed things up.  With it being so hot, going outside to walk wasn't an option!  I was having the weird pains I was having over the weekend again on Monday night, one particular one that made me change my mind about wanting it to happen last night!  We thought for sure it must be the start of the "real" contractions.  No such luck.  Tuesday morning comes and still no baby.  I went to work this morning and was very uncomfortable sitting at my desk and spent the most of my time talking to every person that comes by to say, "You're still here??"  "When is that baby ever going to come??"  "With my pregnancy...blah, blah, blah" - needless to say I don't get much done!  

This afternoon John and I went back to the doctor's office for the sonogram appointment.  We were looking forward to seeing him - we figured a full term sonogram must be pretty clear.  We were wrong!  Rudy is so crammed in and big that it was nearly impossible to make anything out.  His profile shot was a completely smooshed down face.  There was no distinguishing any arm, leg, etc because they are all tangled up.  She was able to get part of his face (I attached the picture) and we could see his little cheek...or not so little.  It looks like there is going to be some chub on those cheeks! :)  And she found his hand giving us the peace sign.  Rudy is going to be a mini John and we are going to have our hands full!  "Peace, mom and dad, things are cool in here"  (that picture is also attached)  He is head down and face down too so that's good.  We met with the doctor afterwards and he said the fluid levels were still normal, but on the low side of normal.  His heart beat and movements were both good, though.  He checked me again and no change from yesterday.  He even said he was thinking he would see me last night.  Rudy is being really stubborn!  So we have another sonogram scheduled for Friday to keep an eye on the fluid level.  The doctor also said that if I make it until Monday, he will induce either Monday night or Tuesday morning.  So by this time next week, whether Rudy likes it or not, he is going to come out!  Fingers crossed he comes on his own before then, though!  

I also attached the screen shot from my "what to expect" app.  Last week Rudy was a "watermelon" -- I've never heard of babies being compared to anything bigger.  But now I have...a pumpkin!  Yikes!  

Keep us in your prayers for a quick and smooth delivery and a happy, healthy baby -- we can't wait to meet our little  "peace baby"

Love,

Jen

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 13

Week 16

Week 20

Week 23

Week 26

Week 30

Week 34

Week 37

Week 38.5

Week 40