First Baby Shower - Mom's friends

Today I had my first baby shower!!! Thrown by my mom's friends that she plays "pokeno" with once a month. I call this group "The Real Housewives of Burnsville" hahaha! They are such fun ladies...and so loving and caring. I am so thankful that my mom has such a great group of friends to grow old with :) Here are some pictures...(click on them to view larger)

Lots of clothes...this cute outfit with a tutu and the ducky robe and hooded towels!

A onesie with the baby's "Facebook" status and the mini co-sleeper bassinet!

The rainforest deluxe gym playmat!

And the Boppy! And a fancy forehead swipe thermometer...cool stuff!!

Hostesses with the Mostest - Kathy Brix and Kerry O'Donnel

The Grandma's

Eye Update....February

Just my luck...of course it's still getting worse! For the past 2 weeks my left eye has been sore now too. It doesn't feel swollen (yet), compared to my right eye, but it definitely hurts to touch...only noticeable when I have to touch to wash my face morning and night. So at this point, both eyes are painful. I can no longer take the steroid eye drops so I am just taking Tylenol every 4hrs. It's hard to close them all the way so I have to tape my eye shut at night. I have to lube it up so it doesn't dry out. It's not necessity uncomfortable to sleep with the tape on, but it does hurt to rip it off in the morning. I have fogged out the right side of my glasses lens, so that I don't have to see double all day long. It's been really helpful for driving, sitting on my computer at work all day, and watching TV at night. I sometimes forget how bad my vision really is until I take my glasses off to go to bed. I am sick of wearing them though, because it draws more attention to the fact that my eye has issues...so everyone stares, not people at work anymore, but when I am out running errands, etc. I try to hide out at home as much as possible.

Let's be honest...I am not going to win any beauty contests, but maybe my baby girl will!? She better be damn cute for all that she is taking out of me!! Kidding, this eye disease isn't all her fault. But until she is out, there is nothing we can do about it. Either way it has to run its course. I just hope it doesn't take over my left eye too...I would like to SEE my baby when she is born!

 

Accent Wall FINISHED!!

Bad dog!

Colbie has been having a rough past few weeks. We have been allowing her to roam free of the house when we are at work since she turned 2 in September, and she's been great. Never getting into things, no accidents, just lays on the couch in the porch and sun bathes :) But lately looks like she's been getting bored... She has never been a chewer, well besides sometimes with her toys if we let her. And she really is a smart dog and knows when she does something wrong and feels bad because she's such a pleaser. I don't think its necessarily because baby is coming (because baby's been coming for the last 6 months), so I think its the cold weather, and us never getting outside to run her. Kevin is always in the basement working, and I am in baby's room painting or crafting, and so we aren't spending much time with her. So she is pissed. She is purposely pulling things out to the middle of the living room floor and chewing them to shreds.

First it was 3 days in a row. Thursday - some laser measure thing Kevin borrowed from his work (spendy gadget, oops!) and a screw driver. Friday - my purple ribbon from baby's room, my computer mouse that was on the couch and some cardboard box. Saturday - my hot glue gun and glue sticks that have been sitting out in the study room for over a month, and she just now decided to chew it. She was punished for a day and then I gave her one last chance...but, she ate Kevin's slipper on Monday. Then we started putting her in the laundry room, for about a week, and gave her another try. Before I left for work I looked all around to make sure nothing was in sight at her reach. I had a bag of fabric sitting out on the end table, and saw a spool of ribbon sitting next to it so I made sure to put it inside the bag. When Kevin got home...he found she had got onto the couch, reached her head into the bag, pulled out the ribbon and chewed it all up!! And then went into the study room, stood up to see what was on the desk, pulled off some computer cord and shredded that to pieces as well. Aghhhh! It's like she's pissed at us and trying to make a statement. And yesterday as we left her in the laundry room again...she chewed the trim off the wall. O.M.G. Today she is in her kennel in the garage. No more chances. Sorry pup.

Then over this past weekend, Friday night, she began this cough...I thought she was choking on something, because it sounded like she was trying to hack it out. She was up every hour of the night coughing under our bed. I called the vet right when they opened 8am, explained that she was at Paws & Pals Pet Resort last weekend (when we were at the wedding) and she might have "kennel cough". Sure enough she does. And the vet said they had 4 other dogs in the same day with the same story of being at Paws & Pals. So she's been on a antibiotic now for 3 days and some cough medicine. Its subsided a little, but they said it'll take a whole week for the cough to go away. Poor baby. She's like having a kid already! And here she is looking all cute....as I let her up on the couch to lay with me and baby :)

UPDATE: 28 WEEKS

How Far Along: 28 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 22lbs (weighing in at 120lbs)
Belly Circumference: 35" - I feel like my belly growth has slowed down.
Nausea: None.
Mood Swings: Pretty happy lately with all the progress on baby's room & the basement!!
Food Cravings: Funfetti Cake
Other Symptoms: Pressure on my bladder, constantly running to the bathroom to pee, and then barely going. Feels like a bladder infection, but its not. My hips are still widening, so I can't sit or lay in the same position for long periods of time. I am really fidgety. I don't think I have any stretch marks yet, besides the ones on my hips that I have had since high school, and I know they are heredity (and my mom had them bad...so thanks mom, although she thinks I have my dads skin, so we'll see) but I am still loading on the coconut oil and vitamin E :) No weight gain in my face or arms...my wedding ring still fits. And my legs and feet aren't swollen yet! Well, maybe a little if I am on my feet all day. So far so good. Baby kicks a lot! Sometimes on my belly button, which is a bit painful.
Miss Anything: Of course, just want my body back and to be able to see again.
Sleep Time: 10pm
My Exercises: Still doing Shiatsu once a week and a massage at Massage Envy once a month.
Fun Moment Since Last Update: Seeing baby in 3D!! She already looks like me :)
Gender Idea: Girl
Maternity Clothes: How would I be living with out them??
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks - I felt them a couple times in the past few weeks, where my belly just tightens, sort of feels like period cramps but they aren't in that area. Guess my uterus is preparing for the real contractions....which I hear are the worst part of deliver. So scared...
Looking Forward To: My first shower being thrown by my mom's friends on Feb 23. I call them the "Real Housewives of Burnsville" hehehe! They are fun ladies :) Then my friends shower on March 3, and then to be in some warm weather - we go to Florida March 5-10!!

Smith's Baby Shower

Our friends Andy & Lisa Smith are having a baby boy due March 9. For their shower. I made them a baby tie blanket, lime green and teal "I love my mommy and daddy" fleece with polka dots on the other side. It turned out super cute!! And a minky dot changing cover pad to match their nursey. And then tried this cute little caterpillar onesie I saw on Pinterest made with simple buttons. So fun!

Carrie had Cole in Dec...now Lisa in March, Megan in April & me in May :)

The guys...Andy, Kevin, Craig, Chris, Andy, Greg, Kyle, Alex & Justin

I gotta pee...wait, I just went

For the past week I have been having some pain down there...tingly, burning, pressure, like I have a bladder infection, although it doesn't burn when I actually pee. TMI, I know, but really!! She is so far down, that she is pushing on everything and my bladder has absolutely no room. It feels full all the time and then I am running to the bathroom and only a drop comes out. Ughh! It's so uncomfortable. I definitely cant walk/be on my feet for long periods of time. It even hurts as I sit here. The only thing that makes it go away for a little while is laying down, fully horizontal. I sware, if my water were to break right now, a hand or foot would come shooting out! Last night I contemplated doing a headstand, in thinking gravity would pull her the other direction (not that I want her in my rib cage either, but she needs to even out in there). But, I couldn't stand the thought of being dizzy, so I didn't try it. I hear this pressure only gets worse... HELLO, 3RD TRIMESTER :)

Doctor visit Wed Feb 6:
Today I called the nurses line just to inform them of all the painful pressure I have been feeling, because I didn't know if it would make me go into early labor, cause my water to break or make me dilate...so she said to come in to make sure it's not a bladder infection. Which it isn't. And I am not dilating. It just is what it is. My hips are widening, tendons aer pulling, and she is pushing on my bladder and probably some nerves, making me feel the pain. Dr said hopefully as baby grows, she will re-adjust herself in a different position...let's hope.

Winter Wedding

This weekend was my college friends Liz & Paul's wedding. It was held at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Plymouth, and then the reception was at the U of M McNamara Alumni Center. It was just beautiful!!! Liz was gorgeous, of course, and the live band they had, Pop Rocks, was awesome! It definitely got a bit PG-13 with their "I'm Sexy And I Know It" dance, but it was hilarious! Kevin and I had a really great time. I was happy my eye cooperated for some pictures - thanks to all the bridesmaids coaching me...as you can see I had to make sure I was always showing my left side, with my head turned, chin down and bad eye squinted :) It was definitely sore by the end of the night, but well worth it for a fun day. And congratulations again to Mr & Mrs Solberg!!

Kelsey, Jenna and I getting ready at the hotel.

The bride with all her matching bridesmaids.

                 Mama Stacy & I                                                                                  The stunning bride!!

                 Me & Kev                                                               Maile and I bumpin' bellies - May babies