Ultrasound Pictures

I was looking at my fridge today, and I realized that my ultrasound pictures were still hanging there. I had the intentions of scanning them a long time ago and posting some of them on my blog. Needless to say, that didn't happen. Until today.

So, the pictures aren't perfect, they are sideways and some are kind of cut off. The top two pictures are from when I was 12 weeks pregnant, way back in December. 

The second two pictures are from when I was 22 weeks pregnant, back on Leap Day. 

We are so excited to meet this little munchkin :)

Nursery

This past weekend my parents came to town to visit. The first thing we did was go shopping for a glider for our nursery, and we found one on our second stop.

We went to Babies-R-Us, and found a really nice glider, and best of all it was 50% off. It was the last one they had too. It was one of those situations where it was buy it now, or not at all.

So we bought it.

We pretty much have a complete nursery. Now, we just need to fill it up with some of the littler stuff from our baby shower coming up in May. July is getting so close!

Garage Sales!

This weekend there were a ton of garage sales going on in town, so I decided to check some of them out. I had a lot of good luck and bought a ton of baby girl clothes. It was really fun! I got a lot of the clothes for only a quarter a piece, that's my kind of shopping!!! Oh, and the weather is beautiful as well.

My parents are heading to town soon to visit, so I better get some odds and ends done. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

My Pregnancy

Well here I am, 29 weeks pregnant. I can't believe I am already this far along. Our little girl will be here before we know it!

This is my first pregnancy, and aside from what I learned in nursing school, I didn't really know exactly what to expect. While it has been a great experience so far, there are definitely some things about pregnancy I will not miss once I deliver.

I have decided to share with you my lists or favorite and least favorite things about pregnancy. Sorry if some of it seems like over-sharing, but a pregnant lady doesn't have much for modesty.

My 5 Favorite Things About Being Pregnant:

1. Feeling my baby girl kick and move around inside my uterus. I don't think I have ever experienced something as special as being able to feel her moving around inside of me. It is especially meaningful when I can share those moments with my husband. She has been moving around like crazy lately, and it reminds me that soon we will have a newborn in our house!

2. Being proud of my belly. Unfortunately we live in a society that is really concerned about outward appearances, especially for women. It is a relief to be able to wear clothes that accent my growing baby bump. When I look at my pregnant belly, all I see is my baby and my excitement grows!

3. Pregnancy glow. I don't know how much of a glow I actually have, but I feel like I have one. My skin feels softer, my hair feels silkier, and I can just feel a difference in my body from before I was pregnant.

4. Reading my pregnancy literature. I have 2-3 books that I am reading that have a week-by-week account of what is going on with both me and baby. I love reading about how our baby girl is growing and developing in the womb and also about the changes going on with me and my body.

5. People are nicer. People are always nicer to pregnant ladies. At work, my co-workers will take certain patients or push carts for me sometimes, just to give me a break (don't get the wrong idea here, I usually do all my own work, but everyone once in a while they will do something for me). At home, John helps me out a little more with housework than he did before my pregnancy days. And people smile at me more, and of course ask about my pregnancy!

My 5 Least Favorite Things About Pregnancy:

1. My boobs. Most people love that pregnancy makes them go up a full cup size (or two), but I already have a pretty big chest, so watching it grow bigger throughout pregnancy is not the greatest thing to me. Also, it involves having to buy new bras, which of course is expensive. I realize my breasts are expanding for a good reason, but I still don't like it.

2. Swelling. I haven't had too big a problem with this one yet. But on a couple of those warmer days back in March, my fingers sure swelled up, so I can't wait until summer time! Related to swelling, is having to wear support hose to work so my feet do not kill me at the end of the work day.

3. Gas. I know, gross right? But oh my god, I have never experience so much gas in my life. My poor husband. It of course depends somewhat on what I eat, but overall there is just a lot of gas experienced by pregnant women. Out body is doing a lot, and this is just one of the side effects we get. So fun.

4. Stretch marks. Thanks to applying Palmer's Cocoa Butter constantly, I don't have this problem...yet. But, being that I am now in the third trimester, in which I will expand the most, I am sure they are right around the corner. It doesn't seem fair that we get permanent marks on our body for growing a baby, but it is definitely for a good cause :)

5. Not sleeping well at night. I am a back sleeper, and they recommend that you sleep on your side during pregnancy because it is the best position for optimal blood flow for mom and baby. Also, my baby likes to kick the most at night, so of course that keeps me awake at night. I just look forward to the day when I can sleep at night without having to worry about which position I am sleeping in. But I guess it gives me good practice for all the sleepless night to come!

So there it is, more than you ever wanted to know about my pregnancy. I love being pregnant, but I am really excited to meet my little girl and having more control over my body again.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone!

John and I spent today at his parent's farm with all sorts of relatives from his mom's side. There were around 30 people inside a pretty small house, so it was nice and cozy.

The weather was pretty nice today, about 65 degrees and a little breezy. After eating lunch, we all gathered outside to visit and see all the greenhouses.

It was a good holiday spent with family, and we got to meet some members of the distant family. There were also about 6 kids under the age of 7 who had a ton of fun with an Easter Egg Hunt.

I baked 4 dozen cupcakes for dessert. I also found a cute recipe where you bake a bunny out of bread and then put dip in the middle and it's a veggie tray. Here are some pics of my Easter Baking.

Grandma's 80th Birthday

This last weekend I headed to Minnesota for the first time since Christmas. John had to teach a photography class all day on Saturday, so I headed to Minnesota without him.

On Saturday I basically hung out around home with my mom during the day. We also went over to Joe's farm site (which shortly will be Ryan's farm site) to see all the work they have done over there. They sawed down all the trees in the front yard and have been cleaning out the house for the last couple weeks. Also, they will begin building the new shop shortly. The farm place really looks a lot different.

My mom also saved some baby clothes that Rachel and I used to wear when we were babies. So, I went through the clothes and took the things I would possibly put on my baby girl (some of it was very 80s...haha). I also took some baby blankets from when we were little. 

In the evening, Dad's side of the family came over to have a grill-out. It was supposed to be sunny and 75 degrees, but it was cold, windy, and cloudy so we all ate and hung out inside. It was nice to see everyone and visit with them since it had been so long since I had been home. Also, Janel gave me some of Jenna's old clothes, which will be really fun to use for our baby girl.We then played some games and socialized for the rest of the evening.

Sunday, we went to Gaylord for my Grandma Mary's 80th Birthday Celebration. We went to church at the Catholic Church in Gaylord, which was kinda crazy. I was completely lost during the service, but we tried to follow along the best we could. Then we ate out at the Prairie House with mom's side of the family.

From 1-3pm we had a cake and ice cream social for the public at the church to celebrate Grandma's Birthday. Afterwards, I made my journey back to Sioux Falls. It was a nice weekend back at my parent's home, and I got to see both sides of the extended family.