Week 36 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

I have to make a disclaimer, the pictures that are posted weekly evidently are not relative to what I look like in person. Apparently after a few people have seen me in person they've commented that I'm not as big as my pictures make me look. I'm going to work w/ my photographer (aka Chris) and try to move locations--it may be the issue.

Here's our first attempt at catching the "real" baby bump:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of a Cantaloupe!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 20 lbs maybe?

Maternity Clothes: Honestly most shirts still fit, it's just the pants that are maternity.

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  I think there is an alien in there :)

Sleep: Besides getting up to go to the bathroom, pretty well.

What I miss: Cute spring clothes.

Cravings: Still not super hungry.

 Symptoms: Acid reflux, go figure huh?

Best Moment this week: Hearing the HB at our appt. on Friday.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Nursery Reveal Part 1

Hello Friends & Family--

Without further ado, here is the start of the pictures of Baby Z's partially decorated nursery. I'm going to split it up into a few posts, so that I don't overload it with pictures. Obviously we will need to get a few more wall decor items (okay all of them)!  Let me tell you picking out a glider was near impossible and very expensive. We contemplated starting our own nursery furniture store after we had so many issues.

As you all know we are not too big into kiddie themes, so we opted for a more modern geometrical pattern and a fun boyish orange/brown/blue color scheme to match. It goes excellent with the furniture so we are thrilled! I love the color orange and Chris enlightened me by allowing me to paint the nursery "pumpkin orange" as he refers to it. He's such a good sport and a very handy guy!

Here are some progression shots from the minor remodel :) The color on the pictures are a bit off so bear w/ me.

The room/shelves prior to paint!

Chris adding the accent colors between the shelves!

The window casing started and the finished wall colors!

Another view of the shelves!

The new door trim!

The colors in the bedding!

The crib all set up!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 36

Hello Friends & Family--

First things first, here's an updated link for the maternity pictures. I know a lot of you had trouble getting to the pictures after a certain date. It appears when Jordan moved to Canada he had to make some revisions to the site/link, but it should work now!

Link: http://freshphoto.zenfolio.com/zimmerman
Password: littleone

4 weeks and counting! On Saturday he'll be considered full-term at 37 weeks! Stay tuned for a post on the baby shower on Sunday--need to get the pictures uploaded!

Your Pregnancy: Week 36

Baby should soon descend into your pelvis, which will give your lungs a little room to breathe (literally). The bad news: This puts the brunt of baby's weight on your hips and pelvis, and will make them pretty sore. He hasn't dropped yet, he's still pretty high. Add in your ever-loosening ligaments, and you may soon be taking on that oh-so-adorable pregnancy waddle.

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, her gums are rigid, her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune system are basically good to go. Her lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day she gets a little closer to breathing on her own.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 35 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

I've been asked a lot more lately about when I'm due. For the longest time no one asked, nor even mentioned I was pregnant. I wasn't trying to hide it by any means! I happen to work with all guys and one other female (Yeah for Jenni and I) and I think they now feel it's safe to inquire. I'm past the you "just look fat" stage. After a conversation, one co-worker said his 2nd daughter was 11 lbs 6oz! He immediately wanted to know if we knew Baby Z's approximate size, which we don't. However, I am pretty confident he's not that big though! It's interesting the difference between males and females when it comes to pregnancy :)

Next Friday will mark the start of our weekly appointments. I'm hoping that she'll be able to figure out how he's positioned and give us more information on how big she thinks he is. Chris and I were both around the same size, so let's hope he's in the 7 to 8 lb range! I don't think I could handle an 11 lb baby!

Also, we have friends that are expecting their 2nd child on April 2nd! We'll be praying for a happy and healthy baby for them in the next week or so! Can't wait to find out what the gender is, I think it's a girl!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 35 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of a Cantaloupe!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 18-20 lbs maybe?

Maternity Clothes: Lovin' my maternity jeans!

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  Getting cramped in there, so the movements are over exaggerated.

Sleep: Still sleeping well. Lot's of pillows of course :)

What I miss: Drinking something other than water, it's getting old.

Cravings: Still not super hungry.

 Symptoms: Acid reflux.

Best Moment this week: The shower on Sunday! 

Love,




Chris, Amber & Baby Z

ONE MONTH!

Hello Friends & Family--

Well today marks the ONE MONTH countdown! Can you believe that in one month there could be a little Baby Z around? By then we'll have revealed his name and you won't have to call him Baby Z anymore :) Chris' reaction was "that's crazy..." I think he's getting a little anxious too. At this point we are as prepared as we can be. All a baby really needs is love right? Oh and a few essentials too.

We set up the bassinet and stroller last night (Thanks Mom & Aunt Amy). Getting all of those things out of the way so we are not trying to read the directions with a crying baby. The directions are usually hard enough the way it is! We have one more shower, hosted by Chris' Grandma and Aunt Tammy this Sunday. Can you believe how much he's already adored? We truly feel blessed.

I plan to post tomorrow with this week's belly picture and they'll be another update after the shower too! Oh and if I'm on top of things I'll finally reveal the nursery pics! Pregnancy brain is to blame there!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Maternity Pics

Hello Friends & Family--

We took maternity pics this last Saturday (March 19th). Jordan at FRESH Photography (also a friend) graciously accepted his first official maternity photo shoot. He takes beautiful photos (you can see them on his website), but unfortunately he is moving to Canada at the end of this week. Thanks Jordan for squeezing us in!

Saturday happened to be a gorgeous day, both sunny and warm! Unlike the torrential down pours we received on Sunday. We took pictures both inside and out, but being that it was too nice most of our photos were taken outside at a nearby park. I got a few looks for having my bear belly out, or maybe it's because it was so white! Haha.

Jordan has provided a link for you to look at a few of the pictures. Just click on the link and enter in the password. You can leave comments too!

Link: http://freshphotohawaii.zenfolio.com/zimmerman
Password: littleone

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 35

Hello Friends & Family--

5 weeks and counting!

Happy Monday! Hope everyones brackets aren't in complete shambles! I'm doing much better than Chris so that's all that matters (he's entered in my Aunt's and I'm in my work pool). Oh the joys of March Madness! We had a good weekend, getting more things around the house taken care of. Here's where Baby Z is at the 35 week mark...

Your Pregnancy: Week 35

With baby's head pressing squarely on your bladder, you're probably clocking some quality time in the bathroom. On a similar note, if you're finding it tough to poop, load up on the fiber. Whole grains, veggies, and dried fruits (but not all at once!) should loosen things up.

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though he won't get much longer, he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (He's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) His hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches), and if he really is a "he," his testes have probably completed their descent.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Parenting Class: Session 6

Hello Friends & Family--

Today (March 18th) marks the one year anniversary of the day the Earth lost an amazing young man. My Cousin Tyler went to be with the angels after his battle with cancer. If you'd say a little prayer for my family today, especially Mike, Nancy and Riley, I'd really appreciate it! He's missed so much every day, but knowing that he's in a better place is comforting. Team Tyler..."never forgotten, always near."

On Wednesday the 16th we completed the 6th and final session to the Parenting Classes through Meriter. I'd definitely recommend that a first time parent attend this class, I can't speak for other classes though. Yet I'm sure any class would be beneficial! The first two classes were rough (mainly because of the instructor), but the last 4 were very beneficial. We learned a lot and I think we are much more comfortable in being new parents.

At this class we covered the ins and outs of breastfeeding. A lot of the information I had previously read in my parenting books, but a lot was new too. We watched a couple of instructional videos that were helpful as well.

Through out the course of these sessions we've met a few new couples that are due around the same time as us. We exchanged information last night, so it will be nice to have a resource from someone going through the same thing! Everyone needs new friends!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 34 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Today Chris and I are meeting with one of the two doctors (other than my own) that could potentially deliver Baby Z. My Dr. speaks very highly of these individuals so I'm sure they will be just fine. I'll meet the other Dr. in 3 weeks. They both happen to be males (my Dr. is female) so that will be a bit of a change for me. Then after April 1st, I'll start going to the clinic every week for an appointment!

BTW I really don't like having my pic taken for the belly bump pictures. I always look so awkward. I never know where to look or put my arms. Haha. So if these look a little strange that's why. Good thing I'll have more instruction on Saturday otherwise it could be a disaster...or I'll just request that there are no head shots!


Week 34:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of a Cantaloupe!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Around 16-18 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Discovered a lot of my spring t-shirts still fit! Wahoo!

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  He's shy he only moves around for Mom :)

Sleep: Still sleeping well.

What I miss: Having more variety to my wardrobe.

Cravings: Nothing. I'm just not really hungry lately.

 Symptoms: Acid reflux.

Best Moment this week: Hearing the HB again today and taking pictures on Saturday! Can't forget the warm weather--just hope this isn't jinxing us for a big snow storm though!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Daycare vs. Staying Home

Hello Friends & Family--

Time for a serious topic and some random thoughts that I need to get out of my head.

This topic already gets me teary eyed. No it's not because I'm hormonal either! It's just a very touchy subject for me at this point. Most of you know that  I definitely have a strong desire to stay home. And those desires are quite warranted in my opinion. There are some women out there that can't fathom spending their days only caring for their child and have a strong urge to go back to work as soon as possible. I don't need a career to define who I am. I believe firmly that being a Mom is the hardest and most rewarding jobs of all! Then there are the Mom's that would like to stay home, but cannot because of financial reasons. I'll point out that I personally attended day care. I know what it's like from a first hand experience. I'm praying that things fall into place and I can stay at home to be able to care for my child on a 24-7 basis.

I think every mother goes through that fear of leaving their child in the care of someone else. Can you really trust them to give them the love and care you know only you are capable of? Knowing that someone else is going to see all their "firsts" before you do. Perhaps, it's the first smile, laugh, step or word. It's heart wrenching. I realize that some of these firsts can still happen under your watch, but with very little time spent with them the chances go down :( Don't even get me started on the fear that they'll be more attached to their provider. Having my son in someone else's care for 8 hours (maybe even longer) a day sends shivers down my spine. I've heard many horror stories about care providers (and plenty of good stories too), but obviously those negative stories stick out to me more. I also want to assure you that I'm not lazy nor do I think that I need to stay at home because I don't want to work. The simple truth is if I could work from home and still take care of him I'd do it in a heartbeat. It's just not a feasible option at my current job.

We are actually behind in looking for daycare options. Most people start researching right away. Most places that I'm looking into are full and require non-refundable checks to just send in an enrollment form. Not even knowing if you'll get in! I don't really want to pay $40 to be on a waiting list only to find out he'll never get in! Plus, I'm still trying to get a straight answer out of my work on what my maternity leave will look like (we are too small to be enrolled in FMLA). They've been avoiding it because I'm the first to ever request it. With less than 6 weeks left they are running out of time!

Obviously all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn't want to get too deep on here, nor did I want to write a novel--believe me I think I could! Please pray that a clear option will come to light!

On a much happier note, I'm taking maternity pictures this weekend! The sun has finally come out and it's warm! I'm very excited, these are mementos I'll treasure forever! I plan to use at least one to hang up in his nursery.

Go Badgers!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 34

Hello Friends & Family--

6 weeks and counting! In 3 short weeks he'll be considered full-term!

This past weekend my good friends Katie & Dona hosted a WONDERFUL shower in honor of Baby Z! Thank you so much, and thank you to everyone that came! We played some fun games including a game where someone had to feed their partner ("baby") a jar of baby food the fastest! Wow, is all I can say! Lot's of laughs and gagging! We also had lots of food and yummy cupcakes from Katie's Mom! I've said it a million times, but we truly are blessed with all of the generosity shown to our little family! Looks like I'll be spending some more time organizing all of his new gifts! I'll get the pictures uploaded soon. Again, THANK YOU!!

This may be hard to believe, but I haven't purchased a single item for Baby Z (other than the furniture, bedding, curtains, etc...). Not ONE impulse buy! I'm shocked that's even coming out of my mouth! Chris bought him a little Breckenridge sweatshirt when he took his guy's trip, so even he has me beat! Maybe I'll put an end to this streak soon!

Here's how our lil guy stands this week:

Your Pregnancy: Week 34

No, it's not (just) the lack of sleep that's making your vision fuzzy. Pregnancy hormones and fluid buildup can affect your eyes' curvature and tear production, making them extra-itchy and sensitive. No matter what your vision's like, take a look toward the light -- less than two months to go!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Good thing both Chris and I are not good singers. We better get to practicing. Less cute news: She now urinates about one pint per day. Get the diapers ready!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 33 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

My lovely sister let me know that my last week's pic was a big change, she politely said I was "huge". I'd have to agree that I'm feeling on the large side lately. And by Chris' reactions I'd say he thinks the same thing. Apparently it's like a train wreck, you just can't look away. Haha.Yet I'm still comfortable, so until I'm at that stage I think I'm doing just fine. You all can look forward to 6 more weeks of "huge" pictures of me :)

I'm going to start thinking about packing our bag for the hospital in the next few weeks. If you know me well you'll know that I'm a planner and I get anxious if I don't have things ready. So if there are any Mothers out there want to give me your suggestions on what is a must? Email me or leave a comment! I have the list from the hospital (and a few baby sites), but it doesn't hurt to hear some more personal advice!

Reminder to keep voting on the bottom of the blog! To the person that said he's going to make his debut after his due date...I may be coming after you  :) Just kidding, but I'd prefer not to go over 40 weeks. Good thing babies have their own plan and I'm sure I can throw mine out the window. I'll learn to let the planning side of me go--eventually.


Here's week 33, lucky you there are TWO pictures!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of a Cantaloupe!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Around 16 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Definitely wearing more shirts now!

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  He likes to move to certain music/artists.

Sleep: Still sleeping well.

What I miss: My shoes. I've limited myself to just a few pairs :(

Cravings: Cereal and pineapple.

 Symptoms: Lack of energy.

Best Moment this week: Another baby shower in honor of Baby Z on Saturday with good friends! Thanks to the wonderful Katie & Dona!

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Parenting Class: Session 5

Hello Friends & Family--

Just a quick update on class #5...

Can I say that I LOVE this instructor! She's perfect for this job and you can really tell she enjoys it too! She's been very helpful. Last night we went over how to swaddle a baby correctly. We used an actual blanket instead of those handy-dandy swaddling blankets. I'm sure we'll get good use out of both, but it's good to know how to use the real thing! Chris thinks he's a pro, so we'll see how he does when it's a squirmy baby.

Child safety was also on the agenda. We were allowed to bring in our car seats to learn how to use them properly. We don't have ours yet, so we just used one of the class offered ones. Chris tried to put the doll's legs through the chest restraints, looks like he'll need some more practice :)

There was a brief presentation by a local pediatrician. He went over signs on when to call the doctor. I'm pretty sure all of our clinic/doctor's numbers will be on speed dial! Again another successful night of learning. We even met another couple from Iowa (Cedar Rapids) who happened to attend Iowa Univ. BOO! He was very nice though regardless of where his alliances lies!

Next week, our final class (and Chris' birthday) will be spent going over breastfeeding.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Parenting Class: Session 4

Hello Friends & Family--

Only 2 more classes to go! I'm happy to report that this class was so much better then the first few! The class was taught by an RN and she was definitely very educated and even better experienced--thank you! We spent the class discussing what it's going to be like right after the baby is born (specific to my hospital). We also discussed diaper changing and feedings. Plus a lot of other things (SIDS, sleep techniques, testing, etc...) And Chris was able to get a little practice changing a doll with both a disposable and a cloth diaper--swaddling comes next week.

We also learned that at Meriter they put the baby in a cloth diaper unless you request otherwise. I like that a lot! They also provide you with a few other fun items, including one of those kind of spendy swaddling blankets (they run like $30+ in the stores). I'm very confident that Meriter will be a good option for us.

This is an example, not the exact one.

Our instructor was playing a soundtrack of baby noises during our breaks and we learned it was actually a cd created for introducing a baby to pets! The cd is called "Preparing Fido" and I think we'll be downloading or purchasing it for the boys. Hope they like crying babies!

Overall, I'd say we learned a TON more at this class. I'm looking forward to the next two sessions. Oh and for those that are curious to what beverages we brought...water and Gatorade. Creative, huh? Chris picked out all of the purple (his favorite) and left the other flavors. Apparently he doesn't share well :)

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Stats: Week 33

Hello Friends & Family--

7 Weeks and counting!

We had our 32 week appt. last Friday. Everything went great! In fact, my Doctor had just delivered a baby right before my appt., so I'm pretty confident she has some recent experience now! Baby Z is still head down, but she wasn't able to tell whether he's face forward or backwards at this point--still a little small. His HB was at 140 and I was measuring 31 1/2. All good news! We scheduled the rest of my appts., last one being on April 22nd. (That is if he cooperates and doesn't come late!) I'll be meeting with the other 2 doctors that may potentially do the delivery, so that will be nice.

Chris and I spent our weekend organizing the basement. What a task! Thankfully, it's mostly done and we shouldn't need to do much to it before the baby arrives--one more thing of the checklist! He finished our bedroom window and I got the nursery organized. There are just a few more touches that we need to do before I take pictures of it though! Overall we had a really productive weekend getting the house ready for Baby Z. Nesting is setting in I think!

Your Pregnancy: Week 33

You are one hot mama -- literally. A 20 percent metabolic rate increase throughout pregnancy can leave you begging for a cool breeze no matter what the weather is like. Distract yourself with an exercise in blind identification. Try to distinguish between baby's feet, fists, knees, and elbows -- all doing some major pushing and nudging inside of you. At times I can tell if it's a heal or not, but I think this should become more apparent as the weeks go on.

Baby's now the size of a honeydew! Time for a new fruit! Only a watermelon left!
Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Week 32 Belly Pic

Hello Friends & Family--

Not much new this week, just the same old stuff. This last weekend our good friends Nick & Dona entered a Lady Gaga look-a-like contest and we were there to support them. Dona actually won the women's contest too! Nick, who was last year's reigning Larry Gaga had some stiff competition. Anyways here's a picture of the adorable shirt Dona made for Baby Z to wear during the show! Hope that isn't a premonition that he's actually going to be a little monster!

I'll be posting soon about Class #4!

Week 32:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Z is the size of a Squash!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm guessing around15 pounds, find out for sure on Friday.

Maternity Clothes: It better warm up, I'm running out of coats!

Gender: BOY!

Movement:  Punching my ribs & bladder are a favorite past-time for him.

Sleep: Sleeping well this week!

What I miss: Bending over. 

Cravings: I've been digging pears lately. I'm starting to think Chris is having pregnancy cravings too...he's made a new Thai dish every other night!

 Symptoms: Lack of energy.

Best Moment this week: Chris finally having the patience to feel the attacks on my innards :) He thinks I should kick him back, haha. Andour 32 week appt on Friday! 

Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z

Pain Options

Hello Friends & Family--

Disclaimer before I begin, I am no expert on pain intervention by any means. Nor do I think my choices are right for everyone. All of what I either am stating are facts that I've learned through my books & classes or is solely my opinion. Please don't take any of this as "what you should do" as we all know each pregnancy and woman's pain tolerance is different!

So now that that's clear, let me dive into in why I don't want to have an epidural if I can avoid it. I've done a bit of reading on my own that state both the negative and positives to having some sort of pain intervention during labor. Most of my friends and other people I know have all opted to go for the pain intervention routes, so I'm kind of walking solo with this one.

Narcotics that are given through an IV are an option throughout most of labor. I know that any kind of narcotics are probably not for me b/c of the effect of sedation and drowsiness. Plus these options do transfer to the baby, which I hate the thought of. I personally want to be present in the birth and not in some drug la la land. Granted that's not the case for every woman, but I don't want to risk it. Nor do I want to risk the baby feeling any of those side effects. Unless they offer something that I know I've had no symptoms from in prior instances and they can assure me the baby won't feel the effects, these narcotics are probably out.

This is an example of the actual epidural needle. There is another needle (thinner) that is used to give the local anesthetic.

As far as an actual epidural, I think my biggest complaint is that once you've received one you are then confined to the birthing bed. They don't want to risk you potentially falling, which is completely understandable. The walking epidural is not an option at Meriter either. I just know on a personal level I'd like to be able to walk and stand as needed. Obviously, the need to change positions and be out of the bed comes from comfort levels, which if you had an epidural you'd be near pain free. And unable to feel your legs and move positions on your own. I feel very strongly that since this pain comes and goes, there is a relief period that would break through for at least a small amount of time! There are many risks involved with an epidural: spinal headache, spinal block issues, entering the spinal sac, etc... The plus side to an epidural is that the numbing effects do not transfer to the baby. There's a lot more to this than what I have listed, but I feel like this is already very lengthy :) Look at me talking like I've had a baby before. I'm sure when I'm in the situation my thoughts may be much different. I guess we'll find out.

I think I should also state that if I cannot bear the pain you better believe I'll be asking for an epidural! I am in no means willing to deny myself something if I know I need it just to be tough. That's not my intention whatsoever. I think it's good for everyone to have a basic game plan when it comes to pain options and be well educated. But it's equally important to be willing to throw that game plan out the window if things don't go as intended! Having a baby is about going with the flow right?

Do any of my ramblings make sense? This is a hard one to lay out there b/c a lot of it is just a personal preference.


Love,

Chris, Amber & Baby Z