29 Weeks 3 Days - Energy at an all time low

Wow, I have finally hit a wall. This is really the only time during my pregnancy where I have felt completely exhausted. Work has been pretty stressful the past 2 weeks, so I am sure that has something to do with it as well. For some reason lately, I have not been able to sleep well at night and I can't figure out why. I am comfortable in bed but I keep waking up every 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Sometimes it's to go to the bathroom, sometimes it because of heart burn and sometimes I have no idea why. Who knows, maybe Ava is trying to get me prepared for those long nights ahead. I have definitely hit a wall now though. I was going to go to Tate's game tonight, but I think this mommy-to-be needs to rent a couple of movies and stay home with Bailey. I am pretty sure my body is just telling me I need to slow down and get some rest. Of course, I will probably get home and find things to do, like making some more banana bread for Tater and Jenna and cleaning (wow, I am really starting to sound like a mom now). lol. Other than being really tired today, everything else has been going great with Ava. She is pushing my stomach out more and more each day. I am really looking forward to next week and the 4th of July. It will be a great time to catch up on some R&R at my parents house with the family. Less than a week away. :) I might just have to let my Mom and Dad pamper their youngest daughter when I am home. They are always willing to and still do a great job of that. I will be more than willing to oblige them this time. :)

29 Weeks 1 Day - Daddy is so Sneaky!!!

I woke up this morning and noticed that Tate was no longer sleeping next to me. I opened the door and noticed that he was on the couch. When he got up, I asked him why he moved to the couch and he said he couldn't sleep. I didn't think too much about it after that. But as I was getting ready Tate told me that I needed to go look in Ava's room. I asked him why and he said he screwed up and accidentally left the window open last night and some kids threw stuff at the window. Of course, his story caught my attention immediately and I dropped everything to head downstairs and check it out. As I opened the door, I didn't notice anything at first. That is until I turned to the left...Tate had decided to start painting Ava's room and finished one wall. That little stinker completely fooled me. I bought his story hook, line and sinker. :) He only did one wall because he wanted to know what I thought of the color. I am 98 % sure that I love it, but there is 2% of me that isn't sure because one wall is "chewy caramel" and the other 3 are blue. :) Plus, I have been really indecisive lately and can't make up my mind on a lot of things. But, the important thing here is that Ava's nursery transformation has finally begun. Now, I just need to get Tate to find time to paint the rest of it. I know I am only going to be able to hold out for so long and then I can see myself grabbing a paint brush and trying to do it on my own (not a great idea). :) I think it's part of the nesting phase that I am going through. We will be picking up the dresser/changing table combo on Sunday so it would be nice to have it painted by then, but we will see. It's just nice to finally see another color in the room besides BLUE. :)

29 Weeks - Last week in the 20's

It just dawned on me today that this will be my last full week in the 20's. It still amazes me how quickly the time has passed (at least for now). Tate and I still have a lot of work to do in the nursery, but we have made progress. We finally bought the paint for the bedroom this past weekend and we will be able to pick up our changing table/dresser combo this Sunday. Once we have the room painted and get the changing table and dresser set up, I have a feeling it will truly start to look like Ava's room. I still need to get blinds for the window and we will need to get some sort of end table but other than that, we should be good to go. It will be nice to finally start going through all of Ava's clothes and getting them washed and packed away for her. I think I have officially started my "nesting" phase as I can not wait to get everything organized and ready for her arrival.

28 Weeks 6 Days - Complete Amazement

After seeing my little nephew this weekend and holding him in my arms, I was overcome with complete happiness for Jenna and Adam. I also found myself smiling constantly knowing that in 11 short weeks, I will be able to hold my little girl in my arms as well. It just amazes me how LJ was just inside Jenna's tummy and now he is out in the world, breathing air and surviving. It is such a beautiful miracle. Yesterday while Tate was taking a long-overdue nap, I started watching a TV show on the birth of sextuplets. I sat there, completely amazed at how one mom could be carrying 6 babies inside of her and here I am just carrying 1. I started to cry when they were delivering the babies partly because I was scared for their health and partly because I was so happy for their family. I was able to see what all of the babies looked like as soon as they were delivered. All of her babies weighed between 2-3 lbs. It all of a sudden hit me, OMG, that is what little Ava looks like right now. It made everything seem so much more real and it really made me feel so blessed to be carrying her in my tummy. She continues to be really active and her kicks/punches are much more frequent and intense. It's just an amazing feeling and truly the best part about being pregnant. I know I sound really sappy today, but we have had such a big weekend with the birth of LJ and knowing that I will be in delivering our little girl in 11 weeks. I can not wait to become a mother ! :)

Welcome Lincoln Joseph Hoffman!!!!!

WELCOME LINCOLN JOSEPH!!!!!

Our little nephew, Lincoln has finally arrived today, 6/21/08. He came into this world around 7:30 PM and weighed in at 8 lbs, 2 oz. He measured out at 20 1/2 inches. Mommy Jenna did great and both her and LJ are recovering wonderfully. Tate and I were able to see the new parents and LJ tonight and it was so great! I could not believe how tiny he was and of course how adorable he is. Holding him in my arms felt so great and I am now even more excited for Ava to make her big entrance in September. I have a big feeling that she and her cousin LJ will be very close. :) We could not be happier for Jenna and Adam! This is truly a very special day. Welcome Lincoln Joseph, your Auntie and Uncle already love you so much!

28 Weeks 3 Days - Ultrasound

Today was a big day for us as we had our level 3 ultrasound at the Perinatal clinic. Every time I go into the doctor's office, I always have tears in my eyes because I get so worried about how our little girl is doing. It's hard not to worry about this little peanut because I just want her to have the best. As we went into the ultrasound room today, I found myself taking a deep breath as the doctor placed the warm gel on my tummy. Once I was able to see Ava on the screen, I felt so relieved. Of course, I still needed to hear from the doctor that she was measuring out okay and that everything looked good but my fears were soon put to rest. All of the pictures we took of Ava turned out great and the doctor told me she is measuring perfectly at 28 weeks and 3 days. So, that means we are still on target for a 9/9/08 due date and my Grandma Kaufenberg is most likely up in heaven making sure that still happens since it was her birthday as well. :) We have also re-confirmed that we are still having a GIRL! I made them double, actually triple check because people kept telling me stories of how they were told they had a girl and then when the baby was born, he ended up being a boy. I can confidently say that there is no doubt now that we are having a girl (I will leave the details out). :) The doctor also told us that Ava weighs 2 lbs 14 oz, which is basically 3 lbs since there is 16 oz in a pound (I had to have Tate and my Dad confirm that for me). It just proves that she is very healthy and doing great. I am such a proud Momma today and I feel so much better knowing that she is on the right path. Mommy is able to breathe a big sigh of relief. :)

28 Weeks 2 Days - Frequent Trips to the Bathroom

Wow! I have finally hit the point in my pregnancy where I find myself running to the bathroom every hour or so. I have been drinking a lot of water lately, but I did not expect to have to run to the bathroom all the time. It just goes to show that little Ava is growing and I think she is currently resting on mommy's bladder. :) I can't complain too much because I am just happy knowing she is growing and heck, it gives me a chance to get some more walking in. :) Tate comes home from his trip to Omaha tonight so I plan on dragging him along when Bailey and I head out for our daily walk. :)

28 Weeks 1 Day - 3rd Trimester has definitely made an impact

I have heard everyone tell me how difficult the 3rd trimester can be and believe me, I understand what they are saying now. I have had the hardest time waking up in the morning lately. It feels like I haven't slept at all. Last night on my walk with Bailey I had a hard time keeping up to him. Lol. But, I did manage to get my 45 minute walk in which always seems to make me feel better. I just can't believe how tired I was this morning. This is just the beginning of the 3rd trimester so we will see if I am able to get any energy back. I find myself looking forward to the weekend because I know that I will be able to sleep whenever I want. :) On a positive note, I am still able to sleep very comfortably and I haven't needed to use the body pillow Tate bought for me. We shall see how long that lasts. :)

28 Weeks - Welcome to the 3rd and Last Trimester

Today I say goodbye to my 2nd trimester and welcome the 3rd and final trimester. I have really noticed a change in my tummy this week. I feel like I have really popped now and my stomach has become really hard. According to whattoexpect.com, little Ava measures somewhere between 16-18 inches long from head to toe and weighs around 2 1/2 lbs. I am still amazed by those statistics. I look down at my growing tummy and wonder how she is finding room in there. The 3rd trimester is known for being one of the hardest because of the decrease in energy level and because of the weight gain of the baby. Hopefully it won't be that bad for me. I am still taking Bailey on walks every day and I just signed up for a fitness and wellness program here at work. They give us a pedometer and a goal of reaching 10,000 steps every day. It will be kind of fun to see where I end up. The contest will last for 40 days so I am hoping I will be close to reaching my own personal goal. Starting June 23rd I will be counting my steps. :) Thankfully, I have been feeling great and walking has been a great part of my every day activity. Let's just hope that my energy doesn't fade away too fast.

Can that really be her?

I was completely surprised today when I felt this aching pain in my ribcage. I started pushing on my tummy, thinking it was a cramp and to my amazement I felt Ava pushing back at me. I could not believe that my little girl had positioned herself in my ribcage and actually responded to me when I tried moving her down. It was the coolest thing ever. I then felt this strong pressure on the front of my tummy and when I pushed on it, I felt her again (it felt like her butt, but that is just a complete guess). She moved once I started rubbing it and all of a sudden I no longer felt that same pressure. It just made me realize how big our little girl is getting. I have carried her with me for so long and to actually be able to physically feel her through my tummy is such a beautiful thing.

27 Weeks 6 Days - Last Day in 2nd Trimester

Today marks the last day in Trimester 2! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. Tate and I were able to make some progress this weekend in the Ava's room by taking down the double bed and moving it to the garage. We are trying to get things re-arranged so it will be easier for us to paint. I still haven't figured out what color to paint the walls with yet, but I think I am just going to bring in the bedding to the paint store and see what looks best with it. :) At least that is the plan for now. I also called BabiesRUS today because I had not heard back from them regarding our dresser/changing table combo. Good thing I did because they had misplaced our order. The table is no longer on back order so I was able to pay for it today and it should be here within the next week or two! I can't wait! I will finally have a place to put all of Ava's clothes and baby products. The nursery is definitely coming together....slowly...but surely. :) Yesterday was Father's day and Tate and I spent the morning together on the boat before he had to take off for a VFW trip to Omaha, NE. I can't wait until next Father's day when Ava will be here. It is truly going to be a very special day for us all.

27 Weeks 2 Days - Doctor Visit - GD Test

I went to the doctor on Tuesday and found out that I not only still have bronchitis, but now I have a double ear infection which includes a temp. :( I have been doing my best to take care of myself and try to get rest, but I can't seem to shake this stuff. I had to go on antibiotics for the ear infection and I have been having a really hard time taking the medication because I am worried about the effects it will have on Ava. My doctor has reassured me many, many times that it is perfectly safe for Ava, but I just feel so guilty. I just want Ava to have the best and I worry when I feel like I am not able to give her that. I have been coughing for over 2 weeks now and I know that is not good for her either, so I have decided to keep taking the medication for the both of us. On a good note, I found out that I am measuring perfect and the doctor has already predicted Ava will be somewhere around 7 lbs. We will see if that is actually the case though. You never can tell how babies will grow in the last few months. At the clinic the other day I had to take my gestational diabetes test which included me drinking a very sugary drink (which gave me heart burn of course) and then waiting around an hour to have them take my blood. I asked the lab technician when I could find out the results and she told me to call my nurse the next day. So, yesterday I called in and found out that.....I do NOT have GD! Yippee! That means I can still eat sugar and carbs. I have been pretty good about my diet, but you never know what your body is going to do when you are pregnant. It's another great sign that Ava is in a good place within my tummy. :) My next appointment is in 3 weeks and after that appointment, my doctor wants to see me every 2 weeks from here on out. They want to keep their eye on me and hey, I can't complain with that. :) I know Ava and I are in good hands.

27 Weeks 1 Day - Pictures of the Crib

I decided to take a bunch of pictures of the crib last night because I am so excited about it finally having the bedding in it. I was able to add Ava's first stuffed animals and a princess doll (thanks to Gramma Cummins) and I couldn't resist taking pictures of it. You will notice that we have yet to paint the blue walls, but I promise that will be done before Ava makes her arrival this September. Tate and I hope to pick out paint this weekend. That is at least step 1 in the process. The next step will be to remove the double bed and dresser that is currently in the room and move our recliner downstairs. It will be nice to see the room without all of the clutter that is currently in there. The changing table is still on back order, but I am hoping to have that by the end of July. I guess we are going to have to take this just one step at a time. :)

27 Weeks - First Baby Shower! :)

I took the day off from work yesterday to attend my very first baby shower. Tate's work hosted a baby shower for myself and 3 other ladies who are all due this summer. I drove to Medford to attend the shower and it was so much fun. Tate was there with me and I was completely amazed at all of the gifts everyone had for us. They were so generous and so sweet. I received many "firsts" yesterday and I loved opening up every gift. Little Ava is going to be one stylish girl. She received so many cute "pink" clothes. Tate just sat there and smiled. I had him write down all of the gifts and who gave them to us so I could make sure to get my "thank-you's" sent off right away. It was such a great day and so much fun hanging out with everyone. I also finished putting the crib together yesterday. I can not believe how beautiful it is. I will take a picture of it and post it later for you all to see. Yesterday was such a great day and the best part was that I got to spend the entire day with my husband. :)

26 Weeks 1 day 6 1/2 Month Marker. :)

I did not get a chance to write yesterday which was my 6 1/2 month marker. I can not believe how quickly the time is passing by. My sister-in-law Jenna is due any day now and it is so exciting. It will be weird to be the only one still pregnant after little LJ is born. His little cousin Ava will still be growing inside of mommy's tummy. It is going to be so nice having cousins so close in age. I have a big feeling that they will be really close. I have always been close to my cousin Neil who is 3 months younger than me and I have always cherished that relationship. I am hoping Ava and LJ will have the same kind of bond. I have to admit, I broke down and bought a few more maternity clothes this weekend. I just started realizing that I was wearing the same shirt in a lot of different pictures so I took that as a sign to go shopping. :) I am sure all of you ladies out there would agree with me as well. :) Besides, a pregnant girl has to look cute too right? I am still fighting bronchitis, but it seems to slowly be getting a little bit better. I am hoping this weekend turns out to be nice so Tate and I can take the boat out on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. I need to catch a bunch of fish for Grandpa Frankie who is watching from above. :)

25 Weeks 6 Days - Countdown is now in the Double Digits!!!!

I feel like I have reached a HUGE milestone today. I am officially in the double digits countdown. 99 days left to go until I get to hold this little angel of ours. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed by. It feels like just yesterday when I first found out I was pregnant. This is actually a great time to tell you about when I found out I was pregnant. It was back in December and I was having a very hard time waiting to take a pregnancy test. I thought I had all of the days counted correctly, so I took a few tests earlier than I probably should have. I was absolutely heart-broken when I went to the bathroom and saw that the test showed negative. I instantly had tears in my eyes and I went and found Tate. I was so disappointed and I feared that maybe something was wrong with me. Being the saver I am, I never ended up throwing my test results away. I went into the bathroom later on that day and stared at the test again, hoping that maybe, just maybe it changed. Guess what?? This time when I looked at the test, I noticed that there was a second very faint pink line. I had to keep staring at it to make sure I was not making it up in my mind and finally I called for Tate to help determine if it was actually there. He looked at it and also said that he saw a faint line. All of a sudden, I was filled with this wonderful feeling that I might actually be pregnant. I waited a couple of days later to look take another test (December 31st) and this time, the test was very obvious....I was definitely pregnant. I told Tate at midnight on December 31st and we started off our new year knowing that in 2008 we would have a new addition to our family and that our dreams had finally come true. Little Ava is already loved more than I can describe and I am so excited for the day I get to hold her in my arms. She is definitely a dream come true and mommy and daddy can't wait to meet her.

25 Weeks 5 Days - Bronchitis

Yesterday morning before I headed off to see my cousin, Brad I spent a good 2 hours in Urgent Care. I started coughing on Friday and by the time I woke up on Saturday, my cough became much worse and I feared I may be coming down with pneumonia again. I was not about to take any chances so I headed off to the doctor. They gave me an nebulizer treatment (a machine that vaporizes medicine in a tube so I can inhale it), hoping that would work. The doctor asked if I have ever suffered from asthma and I told him no. So, they ordered me to the lab for some blood work. I waited at the doctor's office for the results of the blood work and Good News.....no pneumonia! However, I do have a viral infection which has lodged itself in my chest. Unfortunately, there isn't any medication I can take since this is a viral infection, so I just need to wait it out. The doctor gave me an inhaler along with cough syrup (which is 100% safe for little Ava, I made sure of it) and told me to take it easy. He said this infection could last anywhere from 3-7 days. After visiting my cousin Brad, I came home and tried to rest. I never realized how much a viral infection can take out of you. I guess I have always thought that if I don't have a fever, I'm healthy and I can do anything. Not true! This infection has definitely taken it's toll on me and my chest. I have been trying to take it easy, but it's not an easy task when it is gorgeous outside and when Bailey is staring at me with his sad look just waiting for me to take him for a long walk. Thankfully for Bailey, I had enough energy to take him for a walk this afternoon. I have promised Tate to take it easy the rest of the night. Chicken noodle soup and a movie are all I have left on my to-do list. :)