Stats: Week 28

Hello Friends & Family--

We are onto the THIRD and FINAL trimester! Wahoo! I certainly can't believe that 7 months have past that's for sure! About 3 more months and he'll be here! I'm sure the time will go fast with showers and prepping for the baby's arrival. We will start our classes on Wednesday and they'll run into March. I know Chris is a little relieved that he'll have some expert advice. I'll have to update on that once we've had a few classes under our belts.

The nursery hasn't seen much progress over the last few weeks. The glider we ordered is supposed to deliver this week and then hopefully we can find a rug to match. Rumor has it that with this new storm coming through, I may have Tuesday & Wednesday off so maybe I'll get some quality time to work on the nursery then! Never thought I'd be so eager for 10-20" of snow, haha! For all of you in the Midwest I'm sure you are bracing yourselves for the same storm--STAY WARM!

Here's where we stand at 28 weeks:

Your Pregnancy: Week 28

Sprung a leak? Those thick, yellow drips (called colostrum), are the precursor to breast milk. Try a pair of cotton breast pads and make sure to change them whenever they get damp to avoid the dreaded chafe. Still milk-free? That's normal too -- some women just don't leak.

Baby's now the size of an eggplant!Baby's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, she has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). Her skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

That's a STEAL!

Hello Friends & Family--

Anyone that knows us well, knows that we both LOVE finding deals. I think it actually be the Mingus side of me. Anyway I've been on the lookout for any deal I could find for our little bambino, so I thought I'd share my latest find!

I had done my research on breast pumps and had decided on the Medela Freestyle, however this pump is quite expensive at $380! We put it on our registry, but knowing that it was something that we would probably not receive. Kind of like that big screen TV Chris wanted to register for our wedding :) So I had been looking for deals on eBay and even Craigslist, but hadn't found anything of substantial savings. To my surprise Chris called on Tuesday morning to let me know that a member of his referral group (also expecting) read a blog about a deal at Super Target. Apparently the pump was 75% off, a nearly $300 savings! It only included Super Target, not a regular Target so you had to act fast. They had purchased theirs that way and encouraged  Chris to see if it was still available.




Chris took the next 2 days diligently scouring Super Targets and regular Targets trying to locate a pump, but to no avail. In fact when we went to register he had already been in that particular store 6 times, he was worried they were on the look out for him. Ha! On a whim I decided to head to our local Target on Wednesday night to see if they had any in stock. Sure enough they did! So I bought it for full price (ouch), with the intention of taking it to a Super Target for a return & buy back. I was nervous this wouldn't work (Chris had already attempted at a different store), but for that kind of savings it was well worth another try! I'm happy to say I'm the proud owner of a new Medela Freestyle pump, one that only cost me $94! Now I just hope that I am able to use it! Gotta love deals! Call me cheap I don't care :)

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 27 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

Today I had my lovely Glucose Tolerance test. I had to drink a small bottle of an orange liquid in less than five minutes. Then have my blood drawn at exactly 1 hour from drinking it to test how my body can rid of it from my blood stream. I should have the results later today as to whether I need to have another test to determine if it is Gestational Diabetes, or if I am in the clear. Let's hope I'm good to go. I don't particularly want to drink a larger bottle of that and have the 3 hour test!

Here's my happy face prior to heading for my blood draw :)

Week 27:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 27 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of an Eggplant!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Roughly 7lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Really just maternity pants.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Super active today after that Glucose drink!

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well.

What I miss: Eating a red sauce w/o getting acid reflux.

Cravings: Homemade malts and shakes...especially with pb snickers!

 Symptoms: Acid reflux...grr!

Best Moment this week: Getting the glucose test out of the way :)

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 27

Hello Friends & Family--

It's the last week of the 2nd Trimester! Bring on Trimester number 3! Just one step closer to meeting our little guy! It's becoming a bit more of a reality as we are starting to receive gifts and shower planning is well under way. I haven't had anyone try to touch my belly, nor has anyone asked when I'm due, so until that day comes I think I'm still not really showing. Haha, that's a good justification right!?

Well the boys and I survived our time without Chris just fine. He had a wonderful time skiing in Colorado with the guys. I think this may have just become an annual guys trip. Usually we both go to Breck once a year, but I may have just gotten the boot :) I spent my time cleaning and organizing a few things, didn't get near as much as I had planned though! Oh well I guess.

Here's where we stand this week...

you're 27 weeks pregnant!

Got a sudden pain in your rear? That's just baby, settling into place for his upcoming debut. His head might be pressing on your sciatic nerve, which can cause pain and numbness down the backs of your legs. Don't worry -- it'll ease up soon after labor. For now, your aching back deserves a pat. You've reached trimester three!

Baby's now the size of an eggplant!
Baby's lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means he's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress.




Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 26 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

I'm posting the belly pic a day early because Chris is leaving me for the great state of Colorado with some good friends. I'm certainly jealous, but I encouraged him to take a guys weekend skiing before Baby Z arrived. Who knows when the next time he'll be able to get away with just the boys will be! I'll be having a nice quiet weekend at home w/ the pets. I'm looking forward to having some time to myself and getting some of my "nesting" out of the way. I feel like there is a lot of organizing to get done!

Plus I can't wait to fumble around with our new camera! We purchased a Canon T2i from the recommendation of all of our photographer friends and I think it's a perfect fit! I'm definitely more familiar with Nikon, but I'm finding this to be fairly easy to operate. We will also be getting an upgraded lens because the kit lens is a bit too basic. I love photography and I can't wait to dive in head first learning the ends and outs of this new camera! My new models (Coop, Hurley & Bo) are not too happy with the constant paparazzi flash and lens in their face though!

Week 26:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of an Eggplant!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Roughly 7lbs.

Maternity Clothes: My t-shirts for the gym are no longer fitting properly :)

Gender: BOY!

Movement: He's really active at night and right when I get to work.

Sleep: Waking up more throughout the night to go to the bathroom.

What I miss: Eating a red sauce w/o getting acid reflux.

Cravings: Fruit smoothies!

 Symptoms: Acid reflux...grr!

Best Moment this week: Getting the crib put together, bedding and all!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 26

Hello Friends & Family--

Our dr.'s appt. on Friday went very well. The heartbeat is down to 135, which apparently is normal as their heart develops it slows down a bit. Plus he was not active whatsoever at the appointment. We scheduled my glucose test, I only have to fast for 1 hour so I'm thankful for that. I scheduled it for early in the morning so I shouldn't be too bothered. After our next appt. we start going in every 2 weeks instead of 4. Can you believe it's that time already--3rd trimester is almost here!

Nursery Update: The trim is now up in the nursery! Chris painted the pre-existing shelves to give the dingy white an update (they are still white). The bedding should arrive today, as long as the weather cooperates (it's already 2 days delayed b/c of adverse weather conditions elsewhere). We are only getting 3-5 inches today, but things are pretty nasty out there! As soon as we move the crib & dresser upstairs I'll take a picture for the blog.

We had a pretty busy weekend, as we also registered the little bambino at Babies R Us (we will also register at Target). This was soooo overwhelming! It took nearly 4 hours and it was clear we NEED a lot of stuff! Thankfully they gave us a semi guide to go off of too! One more thing to check off the list though!

you're 26 weeks pregnant!





Don't panic if your uterus suddenly starts tightening and relaxing -- Braxton Hicks contractions often begin around this time. They're simply your body's way of practicing and preparing for labor. (If the contractions are regular or particularly painful, call your doc just to be sure it's not the real thing.)





Baby's now the size of an eggplant! (again)
Baby's soaking up your antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 25 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

Yep 2 posts in one day, I'm on a roll!

My, my have things changed. At one point I was practically begging to 'show' and now I'm definitely unable to hide it! I won't say I'm huge by any means, but it's interesting trying to put together an outfit these days :) Hence my "Grimace Outfit" as Chris so lovingly called it. I wish I had a picture so I could get everyone else's opinion--he claims he was only kidding. Oh and a very special thank you to Kristin and her Mom Toni & Sister Leigh for letting me borrow some maternity clothes--it's expensive to buy a new wardrobe and I'm so thankful to them! Plus the clothes are super cute! I'm trying on a shirt/jeans in the photo :) If I had permission I'd post a pic of Leigh's little boy, he's ADORABLE!!

While everywhere else around us is getting pelted with snow (haha, Nebraska!), we are sitting tight with just a mere 2.5" of snow for the last storm. Our winter has been rather mild thus far, but I'm sure it's coming. I'd rather it stay this way, it makes a paranoid pregnant driver a little bit calmer. Plus, I'd like to avoid falling on my butt on the snow/ice too! The dogs certainly enjoy the snow though!

And now some more advice questions...Chris and I are looking to purchase a D-SLR camera prior to Baby Z's arrival. We've done a little research and it appears the main contenders are: Nikon, Canon and Sony. We've probably eliminated Sony, but does anyone have any info they could share about Nikon or Canon? Or currently use one that they can recommend? This is a big purchase and we want to make sure we get what's best for us. Thanks!

25 Weeks:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of an Eggplant

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'll find out on Friday at my appt.

Maternity Clothes: I'm really only wearing maternity bottoms.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: I can now see it and not just feel it :)

Sleep: I'm now an early riser, 5:45am. Hmm.

What I miss: I could use a nice cup of joe.

Cravings: Gummy Worms!

 Symptoms: Acid reflux...grr!

Best Moment this week: Since our appt. was cancelled last week we look forward to hearing his HB on Friday!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

The great diaper debate

Hello Friends & Family--

This may not be an exciting topic for all of my readers, so bear with me. Chris and I have recently started making some important decisions regarding our little man. There's always the topics of: breast feeding vs formula, organic or not, etc. The most recent being whether or not we choose the standard diaper versus the modern cloth diapers. Between the two of us we really had no knowledge of cloth diapers, other then it really appeared to be a hassle more then anything. So when we went into a local store we had the opportunity to have a nice woman teach us everything we could want to know about today's cloth diapers systems.

    

Let me tell you they have come a long way from the cloth and pin options! These new fancy pants come in velcro or snaps that have the option to grow with the baby. That means ONE diaper cover for the duration of the child's diapering stage! Wowzers! Then there's the option of a hybrid cloth diaper, meaning it has an insert along w/ a disposable liner. Or you always have the more standard option of just the washable insert. This gives you the opportunity to go out in public and not have to carry around a soiled insert (granted they do have some pretty cool bags for that purpose). You can just toss the disposable insert and be on your way just like a normal diaper. This was a big concern of mine with cloth diapers, I felt it really could hinder your outings. Boy was I wrong!

I think one thing that intrigues the Hubby the most is the cost savings :) And saving the environment of course, haha.We all know Chris is a sucker for a good deal or anyway he can save a penny--not that I'm complaining! A cloth diaper starting system is around $200, this gets you through around 3-4 days before you have to wash the inserts. Not bad. So if you add a few more inserts/covers to the series you could have a 5-6 day supply and you are really only doing the laundry (for diapers) once a week. Not saying the extra laundering will be fun though (hoping if Chris wants to save a buck, he'll be helping out w/ it). I know I'll be doing laundry on a daily basis anyway, what's one more load? Haha I'm sure I'll eat those words too!

Needless to say we are very much leaning towards cloth diapers. I'm not overly organic, but I do see the benefits to cloth diapering and right now they outweigh those of standard diapers. So any friends and family out there that have used them and have any advice for us PLEASE share! We'd love to hear your opinions either way. We are both new to this ballgame so we are all ears (on most topics) :) !

Here are a few links for the systems I'm talking about if you want to check them out!

http://www.bumgenius.com/

http://www.fuzzibunz.com/

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 25

Hello Friends & Family--

My appointment for last Friday was cancelled b/c my Dr. was ill. I thought Dr.'s were supposed to be invincible? They rescheduled me for this Friday. We also started really working on the nursery this weekend! Yippee! We (and I say "we" loosely) picked out trim and started to paint. I'm not going to hint at the color just yet, the bedding hasn't been ordered and I may change my mind before that! I'm relieved that it's finally coming a long!


25 Weeks:


Got a dark line running down your belly? That's your linea nigra, and it's totally normal. Pregnancy hormones might also be making your complexion a little spotty. Switching to oil-free, water-based, noncomedogenic makeup should help clear things up. No dark line for me, and truthfully there are no stretch marks as of yet. Not saying either isn't coming, but I still look pretty normal I think. After Chris' comment of calling me Grimace (the big purple guy from McDonald's) this morning after seeing what I was wearing I may be changing my opinion. 

Baby's now the size of an eggplant!
That oh-so-handy sense of equilibrium is kicking in, and baby's learning to distinguish right side up from upside down. We've upgraded into the veggies!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 24 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

Here's the 24 week picture! You can definitely see the protruding baby bump, it's getting bigger and bigger every day! I read in one of my pregnancy books that in the 3rd Trimester you can gain up to a pound a week. Lovely, I have a lot to look forward to in a couple weeks! As long as I can still get my snow pants on to go ice fishing I'll be a happy camper--Yes, I love ice fishing!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 24 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of an Papaya!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'll find out on Friday at my appt.

Maternity Clothes: I'm really only wearing maternity bottoms.

Gender: BOY!

Movement: He's definitely active!

Sleep: I'm now an early riser, 5:45am. Hmm.

What I miss: My balance, I'm definitely a bit front heavy.

Cravings: VANILLA MALTS--and now I make my own!

 Symptoms: Acid reflux...grr!

Best Moment this week: I'm sure it will be hearing Baby Z's heartbeat at the appt. tomorrow!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 24

Hello Friends & Family--

6 MONTHS! Can you believe that? I certainly can't! That means there are 4 months left (It's based on a 10 month period)! Reality is finally sinking in for the both of us that time is slowly running out, this definitely took awhile for Chris :). I still feel wonderful and am very thankful for that! I know there are many women that are not that fortunate. I still haven't put on too much weight, but I'll find out for sure at my check-up on Friday. It's just the basic appointment to measure my growth and hear Baby Z's heartbeat. The next one will be the lovely glucose text at 28 weeks.

** I forgot the Highlights for week 23's picture so I'm including them here!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 23 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of an Papaya!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: ??? I need to weigh myself ???

Maternity Clothes: I now have a pair of maternity jeans & cords! I love them! Oh and I purchased a few pairs of leggings and shirts too!

Gender: BOY!

Movement: He's definitely active!

Sleep: Chris' snoring keeps me awake, but other then that I'm sleeping well.

What I miss: Nothing really this week.

Cravings: VANILLA MALTS (especially from Culver's!)

 Symptoms: Acid reflux...grr!

Best Moment this week: Seeing all of my family over the Holidays!

Week 24 Stats:

As much as we love your company, take a break from the computer if your fingers feel numb or tingly. It's probably carpal tunnel syndrome, often brought on by pregnancy. Stretch your hands frequently to loosen them up. For significant symptoms, try wrist braces or splints at nighttime.





Baby's now the size of a papaya!
Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow. Told you! Maybe they ran out of fruit ideas :)

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 23 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

This picture was taken after the unfortunate Badger loss in the Rose Bowl. Hats off to TCU. Not a good year for bowl games with any of my teams, the Huskers had a heartbreaking loss in the Holiday Bowl as well. Oh well there's always the excitement of having both teams in the Big Ten for 2011! Needless to say this isn't my best picture... Speaking of that Baby Z received his first sports gear for Nebraska! I told Chris at least it's red :) I'm sure ISU and WI gear will be following soon! He is definitely already spoiled, lots of clothes and a few toys including a cute little ark/barn! :)

And an update on the nursery, Chris very diligently cleared out that room. It's now free of clutter and the dog kennels! Poor dogs are going to be confused for awhile. They went from being spoiled rotten with their own room (don't worry they still are), to sharing the room with the guest bedroom furniture. Now we are working on picking out bedding and a paint color. It's a lot harder then one would think. He won't really be having a themed nursery, but a color instead. I'm not going to announce just yet for fear that I change my mind! Hopefully by this weekend we'll have something decided and ordered! Oh and a lot of people have asked about how the dogs will do once Baby Z arrives, and my best response without knowing the outcome is they'll do just fine. Cooper loves kids, love may be an understatement. Whenever he can he'll try to "play" with kids when we are on walks. He really just wants to lick them--must be all the PBJ sandwich remnants!Hurley is more of an observer so he'll gladly just watch from a distance until he's sure they won't "get" him.I have no doubt that they'll do great, but I'm sure it will be a major adjustment to no longer being number 1 in the household.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 23

Hello Friends & Family--

This is from last week, so it's a bit behind. We had a wonderful Christmas & New Year's, and I hope you all did as well! I most certainly gained some weight--probably just from all of the food I ate! Got to love the holidays! I'm working on catching up the blog, so bear with me!

Week 23:




Swollen from head to toe? Increased blood flow, by now an old friend, is to blame. Consider a trip to the shoe store because loosening ligaments will cause your feet to expand even more in the weeks to come.





Baby's now the size of a papaya!
Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples! It appears that he's going to be the size of a papaya for awhile :) 



Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z