Baby Bump Week #32!!!

More to come later...including a funny story from Dustin : )

Away in a manger no crib for a bed....nope not here folks...we have a crib!

Tis the season...for PANICING : ) We are down to crunch time folks and I am starting to stress a wee bit about our upcoming wee one! I am in full on nesting mode and getting our nursery all put together. We still have a lot to do! Much more than I would prefer...but thats when I have to slow down and remind myself, we still have 9 weeks or so. Hopefully! Last weekend our crib came in and Dustin and I decided to put it together Sunday night. This was somewhat fitting for the evening since Sunday marked two years since we had our first date. I reminded Dustin of the significance of the date and we both commented on how we couldnt think of anything else we would rather do to mark the occassion...than sit in our baby's room, eat gourmet cupcakes that I picked up to note the day, and put together our baby crib. Dustin also took note of just how lucky we were to have this "chore" on our never ending to do list. As he said, not everyone gets to do this, and some would give everything they had to be able to have a baby so we needed to stop and recognize just how lucky we are. And boy are we lucky!! I am blessed beyond words to have the priviledge of being a mother. But I cant help but be the most joyful over my marriage. I have always wanted first and foremost a happy marriage!! Followed by a home, a baby, and a successful career...in pretty much that order. The home and baby would have never been possible without Dustin by my side..not to mention it is a HAPPY home and we both know first hand just how important that is. So on a once again very sappy note..I would like to thank you again Dustin for making all my dreams come true and for being so very, very good to me. You are more than I could have ever hoped for! Being your wife and now the mother of your son is the biggest honor God has ever blessed me with! THANK YOU...and HIM!!

Not much else to report on this week...I am definitely passed the point of being uncomfortable. The back aches, the tight tummy, the swelling, feeling FAT, the whole nine yards are in full effect. Thank goodness though I am in the home stretch. The other not so pleasant side of pregnancy has been my hormones (yet another reason why Dustin is a saint..I have been a peach lately, ha ha) I am not angry or mean or anything like that...more like a class A whiner about how uncomfortable I feel...and I worry about the dumbest things all the time. I worry about liking the baby and him liking us. I worry about how I will cope with the lack of sleep...delivery pains...nursing, taking care of the baby, being a good mom, knowing what to do, adjusting to life with a wee one, and to be honest...how this baby will effect my oh so wonderful marriage. Will it bring us closer, will it be a hinge between us, will we be good parents, will we enjoy being parents. Basically, to quote my Dad..I am fearing the unknown and this is all perfectly normal. Its just so weird to me that life changes FOREVER in a matter of weeks. To all my mommy friends out there reading this, please feel free to comment and tell me I am crazy!! I could use the reassurance!

We have another doc appt on the 17th...then we start going every two weeks! That part is exciting. Thinking about Peanut's "eviction" and the day he joins the world does bring a huge smile to my face and a warm feeling to my heart. And as I look at our tree each night I see Christmases yet to come with bikes, Tonka trucks, and other toys under the tree and I cant help but feel giddy. Christmas is so magical with children! Dustin and I have also been reflecting back on our own childhood Christmas memories and that too makes us that much more anxious to welcome our little one into the world. Merry Christmas all, and Merry Christmas Gage Matthew...we'll see you in no more than 70 days....wow! : )

Oh, enjoy the pics from a few of my baby showers! : ) Thank you all again for all your generosity!

Thanksgiving, Showers, and Thanksmas....Oh My!!!!

It has been a busy last two weeks in the Kelch household!! On Nov 13th two of my friends hosted one AMAZING shower for my closest friends and family. Little Gage and I made out like bandits with strollers, monitors, jumparoos, bouncy seats, pack-n-plays, bedding, and the CUTEST clothes anyone has ever seen. We are truly, truly very spoiled!! That shower was followed by Thanksgiving at our house, and then another shower hosted by my sister in law and 2nd "grammie" Last Saturday we also celebrated "Thanksmas" with Dustin's family. The majority of Dustin's family lives out of town so it was great to get together with everyone and visit and catch up. The shower was that morning and then dinner that evening. Needless to say, maternity pants came in handy that day. If there is one thing Dustin's family can do, its cook! Holy moly, everything tasted DELICIOUS! And the shower was so incredibly cute...pics to come. Not one detail was left undone and I really appreciated all their efforts. I felt so spoiled and so loved. Dustin and I had MUCH to be thankful for these last two years, God has truly, truly blessed us.

I also started a new job...yet again. I know, I know...but this one seems to really be up my alley and I hope to be here for a very long time! Everyone in the office is fantastic, I enjoy the work, and things are good....but busy. But I am LOVING it.

Dustin and I ordered the crib yesterday, and our bedding will be in on Jan 4th..the nursery is REALLY coming together..courtesy of all our loved ones and their overwhelming generosity!!

Above is a pic of our little Peanut's bedding. I really cant thank you all enough...from co-workers, to friends, to family...the gifts were just unreal!! Thank you all soooo very much

Our next doctor's appt is on Dec 17th, and after that we start going every two weeks. Our little Peanut will be here in 11 weeks or less...where has the time gone? At our last appt the doctor said everything looked great...he is just growing, and KICKING, and getting chubbier in there. Other than that everything is developed and he weighs about 3 pounds already.

Baby Bump week #25!

Its getting BIG!! : )

Adventures in babysitting! And our last goblin free Halloween!

Has it really been 2 weeks since my last post? Oh goodness folks...you all are gold for putting up with me. Well let's see...where to start catching you all up. The nursery is DONE..well..done with the painting portion! Dustin and I finished painting the nursery last weekend. It was quite a job. We ended up short changing our paint, having to go back and get more. Got stuck in traffic for an hour due to wrecks and road closures..made it to Lowes to wait in line at the paint desk for 30 minutes. Finally made it home to finish painting after 2 hours away. Goodness...painting one room took us all day! This time last year we painted our entire downstairs in a weekend it seems. We laughed as we brought the nursery painting to an end and said baby #2...hope you like blue or white, because we're never painting again. But of course, we all know thats not true.

Last week a friend of Dustin's needed a babysitter for a couple hours. He went to high school with this girl, and I have grown quite fond of her. She lives in our area and will also be the person that keeps our precious Peanut when I go back to work from maternity leave. Anyways, she has 2 kids of her own, around ages 2 and 1. I offered to watch them for a couple hours last week and boy did Dustin and I have fun. They were great kids, they took it easy on D and I. We must have had that rookie look on our faces. We played with them for an hour after their parents left...that was all under control. I fed the baby while her older brother picked at his fish sticks. Aubri, the one year old was a great eater and I enjoyed spooning tiny bites of squash and mushed bananas into her little mouth. She was so cute. After dinner we played a few more minutes and then it was bath time. Saying that these two got a bath was well...not the most accurate statement. It was more of a dunk...with a whole lot of wiggling, laughing, and playing on their part. I think more water got on D and I...and the floors and walls of the bathroom then on the kiddos...BUT..they had a good time..and they did smell sweet afterwards. I took the baby out first and got her ready for bed, but I couldnt find a towel at first so for a half a second she is just being held in the air dripping wet, while I try and grab the nearest towel LOL. I left Dustin in the bathroom with the 2 year old boy to supervise him and finish "dunking" him. Once I got the baby changed, diaper on, and in her jammies Dustin brought big brother in. He patted him dry and we got ready to put his diaper and jammies on...when all of the suddent the cold air must have been too much for little guys and he started tinkling right there in the middle of the room. My expression must have said it all..Dustin immediately saw what was going on...scooped the lil guy back up and wrapped him in a towel...he panicked and asked me what to do...I had no clue..so he just ran to the bathroom with him and sat him down on the potty. It was hysterical. In the mean time, the little girl had quite a runny nose so I decided to get one of those suction boggie things to help clear her nasal passage. She was very cooperative and didnt fuss or wiggle or anything when I put the little contraption up her nose. I squeezed and she jumped back and laughed. Dustin looked at me and shook his head...he said..you know you are supposed to squeeze that before you stick it up her nose...that way when you release the squeeze it suctions all the congestion out...you my dear, just blew a bunch of air up her nose. OH no!! I felt terrible!! At least the little sweat pea laughed when I did this...again..she must have known to take it easy on me. Shortly thereafter the parents came home to rescue their kids from us LOL...Dustin and I laughed..and once we walked into the door of our own house..we looked at eachother with a smile and said..we have a lot to learn! Boy was that the understatement of the year! I will say this though..I knew it already, but watching Dustin with those two kids warmed my heart through and through. I have no doubt he will be an excellent father and I am so very lucky to have kiddos with this guy. Now..if poor Gage can bear with having Lucille Ball as a mother for just a bit, I promise I will learn all I can and take good care of you little guy.

This past weekend we also celebrated Halloween! Dustin and I sat outside with our bowl of candy...and our mini mutt and greeted all the trick or treaters (and good grief were there a lot of them) Day-Z was the perfect pooch not growling or barking at anyone. D and I are growing more and more certain every day that she is going to be a great dog to Gage. We laughed at all the little goblins that came by and talked about how this time last year we were both sitting outside with a cocktail watching all the little kids gather candy. This next Halloween we will be joinnig the ranks of parents tirelessly treking up and down the streets gathering mounds of candy with our very own little goblin. My how things change in one year....and we wouldnt have it any other way!!

In two weeks I have my first shower, and I cannot wait...except..I cannot find anything to wear! I hope to tackle that this weekend and find the perfect, fabulous frock that will hi-lite my little Gage...but still make mommy look like something other than a big bloated person. One thing is for sure...I am SO excited to see some old friends and catch up with family I havent seen in far too long. I am so blessed to have such incredible people in my life! This coming weekend also marks the start of deer season..so...that means...so long Daddy DK...we'll see you after you nab the big one! Dustin spent this past weekend doting on me again. Imagine that. He took me shopping for new clothes and told me to buy everything I loved that fit now, and would have room to grow, practical guy that he is : ) I literally tried on 36 shirts...he calmly, patiently sat on a bench outside the dressing room and didnt grow restless, rush me, or anything. (I think it helped that he had the Texas Tech game going on my phone, which kept him occupied) But still, he happily opened his wallet at the register and kissed me on my cheek and told me how beautiful I was and he hoped I liked my new threads! I dont know what I did to deserve him! Thank you honey!

On a different note, there are so many exciting things coming up...showers, Thanksgiving, Thanksmas, another shower...its exciting times! I will post pics tomorrow evening of my baby bump, which is in full effect, and little G's nursery! Love to you all....

DReeaaaaaammmmm....dream dream dream....

Its official...I have a case of the antsy pants....I cannot wait to meet our tiny little person. Its finally starting to sink in that we are indeed having a baby! I think this sudden "sink in" is being helped along by the fact that we have officially started work on the nursery! This past weekend Dustin and I decided to go get paint samples from Lowes for Gage's room. Dustin being the brains in this duo, mentioned that maybe we should get the curtains before picking out paint, since the curtains might heavily dictate the paint. Well, what a novel idea : ) I told you he was the brains! Except...the brains did not anticipate my next move...dragging him store to store to find said curtains! Ha ha! At one point I said lets run in to Pier One and see if they have anything. Dustin's retort was, I think I am being dooped..this store doesnt even have curtains you just want to go in here. Wrong!! Not only did we find the perfect set, this set was on CLEARANCE! Got to love a good deal, right? So curtains in tow, we were off to find the perfect paint sample. Six, yes six (thank gosh for those little sample sizes) paint samples later we found the perfect shade of blue to adorn our Peanut's walls! I will post pictures soon of phase 1 of Gage's room. Right now the room consists of 6 or 7 paint samples on the wall...the curtains are hung so I could see them in all their glory for comparitive purposes...and Gage's name is painted in a light blue paint, courtesy of his Daddy. The room is completely cleared out and the base boards and ceiling are taped off and ready for us to roll on a coat or two. Now we just need one extra weekend to get it all done. I have our furniture all picked out. Ironically the PERFECT crib for the room was at Target/Wal-mart. Its made by Graco and its called the "Lauren" crib...how funny is that? Picture of it below. I still need to find the bedding...but other than that, we are ready to go. I have the wall pictures picked out as well...but mums the word on those still..pics to come at a later date.

In addition to getting the nursery ready this past weekend, we celebrated my birthday with my family. My god parents hosted a nice dinner at their home, complete with my all time favorite chocolate cake!! And...I got some great gifts. My grandma and papa gave me all kinds of Ghiradelli chocolates to curve those chocolate cravings...as my grandma said on the card, "sweets for her sweet" My Aunt Debbi got us some very cool baby proof gear for the house. Score! My god parents got us our pack and play which will no doubt come in super handy on trips to see our family and show off our new addition. Dustin and I are so blessed, and the influx of baby gear has us even more excited about Gage's arrival. One thing I may mention....while sitting at dinner with my family we all started to recall how different things were when we were growing up. One of the most fascinating recollections for me...was my Grandmother talking about when they had kids (only 50 years ago, not that long really) they would just put the baby in the front seat of the car next to them and drive with one hand on the baby, and one hand on the wheel. No car seats, seat belts, none of that..just a swaddled baby on the seat of the car. My Dad mentioned a strap in the backseat of the old 52' Pontiac that was installed so the kids could stand on the seat and hold on. My, my, how things have changed : ) I also couldnt help but take note that Grandma didnt have an epidural the FOUR times she gave birth...whew...I fell in love with that woman all over again...my heart goes out to people that gave birth before this great new invention. I thought about how they just dont make things like they used to...including women..those were some tough cookies in not so long ago times.

I am also dreaming about our little nugget...which further adds to my antsy pants. Last night I dreamed that it was "D day" aka delivery day. I had no recollection whatsoever of getting my epidural or pushing or anything...? Just one minute Gage wasnt there, the next, there he was. Strange...! However, I find it extremely hilarious that even in my dream I made sure to get that epidural!! The part of the dream I loved most was when they brought my angel to me. He was PERFECT! He looked just like Dustin!! He had dark hair, and Dustin's great skin coloring with one tiny little curl towards the front of his head. All of the doctors kept commenting on how big he was, and how tall. (Guess I will put these big child bearing hips to use afterall LOL) I was so proud of him, he was so perfect, except one little thing. In my dream he had something wrong with his belly button? They had to do surgery to make his belly button look right and it was all bandaged up so I couldnt see it? Other than that, he was the most beautiful little person you had ever laid eyes on..funny belly button and all! I mentioned this belly button situation to my Dad this morning. He laughed at how absurd my dream was and then asked if we needed him to wait in the wing to cut the cord. He said he did good belly buttons, just look at Ashley's (he didnt get to cut my cord) I must admit...that kiddo has one cute belly button (but everything about my sis is adorable) I told Dad to wait in the wing..but I have full faith in DK's cut the cord abilities : )
Sigh...I cannot wait to meet Gage and kiss his sweet skin and hold him close!!

Other than funny belly button dreams and feeling excited things are going great. I continue to feel Gage move around in there and it still brings a smile to my face every time. I can feel that he has gotten considerably bigger from his movements. He takes up a lot of room in there already! I have my next Doctor's appt on Friday at 3pm to see how our Peanut is progressing. I will keep you all posted about what the doctor says. Only 4 1/2 more months to go!! I hope with the approaching holidays it flies by!!

Just a quick update : )

It was a great birthday weekend surrounded by good food, family and friends. My sis cooked a fabulous steak for the family Saturday night, my Dad made Gage and I a really nice dinner complete with a very cute cake..and although it was one of the more melow birthdays I have ever had..it was really nice. Sunday my mom made a really good home cooked, stick to your ribs kind of meal that put both Gage and I in a food coma. Our tummies were happy campers : ) Dustin surprised me with a new fancy smancy Nikon camera for my birthday and I LOVE it! He done good again : )

I continue to feel our little peanut moving around in there. I am starting to get used to his schedule already. He is active about every 3 hours now. Guess I had better sleep while I can. Dustin has been able to feel him moving around. His movements are still really light and you have to be patient to feel him kick externally...but its there!

I thought I would post a quick synopsis of what is going on with Gage right now and how much he has grown...followed by a recent pic of my tummy! This was the 21 week update..I am now at 22 weeks! Happy reading....

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better.

My tummy at 21 weeks

I FELT THE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Thats how I feel right now!! Totally, completely, beyond words over the moon EXCITED!! Elated!!! OK, OK the whole story.....last night I went to have dinner with my Dad. Dustin was having dinner with his best friend so Dad and I decided to have a daddy daughter date night. I mentioned to my Dad on the way to the restaurant that the one thing I REALLY wanted for my birthday was to feel the baby move. He was surprised (like many) that I hadnt felt the baby already. I explained to him how nervous I had been about this....most people I know felt the baby at 16-18 weeks...here I was going on week 22 and nothing! I had actually mentioned to Dustin that I was nervous (OK really scared) that something had happened to our lil nugget and thats why I couldnt feel him. Dustin kept assuring me that there was nothing to worry about and Gage would "kick" at the right time.
So at the wee hours this morning my precious princess decided she wanted to get in the bed. Sometimes she and I host covert operations to sneak her in the bed without Dustin knowing. Well, last night she wanted to sleep right next to Dustin's head...which his allergies were having no part of. Not to mention...how can you be stealth when you're butt is parked next to Dad's head. So, we both kicked her out of the bed and I laid there trying to get comfy again when all of the sudden I felt it...It was just like everyone said it would be....a little butterfly feeling. I thought, this is too good to be true and figured it was just gas. I waited a few more minutes and then there it was....no mistaking that! THAT "bam" was definitely the baby! I jumped up in bed and told Dustin, "I felt the baby, I felt the baby!!" He sat up and asked, "do you think I can feel it," I told him I dont know try. So he placed his hand on my tummy and we sat there perfectly still. I was even scared to breathe...I wanted to feel it again so badly. Then all of the sudden..KICK...Dustin felt it too!!! Then the acrobat show really started...we laid there watching my tummy move every which way for about 30 minutes. SOOOOOO AMAZING!! I was so excited I told D I wanted to call everyone right then. I literally wanted to go knock on every one of our neighbor's doors and tell them I felt the baby move!! I started writing this blog in my head before the sun ever thought about coming up. I have never been so excited in my life! This was even cooler than when we found out Gage was going to be a boy...this was amazing, I cant stop saying that! : )

Last year on my 27th birthday, I got a house and an engagement ring from Dustin. We have all razzed him about how he would never top that birthday. This morning we laughed, and I told him somehow he had pulled off the unthinkable...this had definitely surpassed last year!! So DK, what are you going to do for my 29th? : )

This is hands down the most incredible feeling I have ever experienced...BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER!! Big thanks to you all for being such a tremendous part of my life this past year...its been a heck of a year!! And my precious little angel Gage Matthew Kelch...THANK YOU for the best birthday present ever. I couldnt have asked for a more amazing, perfect gift. God is GOOD!

The 50 yard line and the case of the tiny body snatcher!

The half way point of this pregnancy..woo hoo!! A little over a week ago I hit the half way point, the 20 week marker..and goodness was I happy to see this milestone. Not only do I get the satisfaction of knowing I am half way through (is that really possible, where did the time go) this second trimester also brought with it, a much needed sense of normalcy! A little over a month ago I woke up with a serious case of morning sickness...which was odd for me because I normally got sick at night vs the morning. Then that night I felt awful again. The next day was a Saturday and I remember feeling great the entire day and I was so relieved to feel better. Then the next day was another good day, and then the next, and the next and so on..and what do you know...a whole month of feeling good! Its incredibly odd to me that one day the nausea is a double dose of eww...and then the next day, nothing and its gone for good? The last 2 weeks I have felt GREAT! My energy levels are back up, I can sleep at night, Im not getting up 4 times a night to use the restroom...aside from the doctor reassuring us that baby Gage is fine and my pretty constant weight gain, I wouldnt even know I am pregnant...Well, let me take that back. I still have a serious case of food adversions...Gage is very clear still about what he will and will not eat and chicken is still a DEFINITE NO. So, that lets me know our lil Peanut is still very much in charge of momma's body for now, the lil body snatcher : ) But otherwise, we have quite the lil trooper in there. So much so that 2 weeks ago I decided I was up for a girls weekend in San Antonio. I met up with 5 of my closest girlfriends and we headed for the Riverwalk. Gage and I were champs on Friday night. We hung out with the best of them while we sipped on our club soda and lime or just plain old water. The next day we all got up went shopping, had a nice lunch and then laid out by the pool. While my friends were sunbathing Gage and I fell sound asleep in the sun. Im talking full on REM sleep, dreaming, drooling, the whole nine yards. That evening we all went to dinner and I felt brave. Chicken fajitas sounded absolutely fantastic. I went ahead and ordered them and as soon as they made their way to the table I knew I was mistaken. Gage was having no part of those fajitas. I paid my $24 tab and told the waiter he and the waitstaff could have dinner on me..I didnt even touch it. I felt terribly frustrated. I hate wasting food number one, and I hate having extra attention drawn to me...and my refusal to eat that night at dinner I know had all my friends worried and I hated that. After dinner we wrapped up and decided to go to a piano bar. We made our way through the crowds and inside the bar. Unfortunately San Antonio has not joined the rest of the world on the indoor smoking ban. The smoke, coupled with my growling stomach were no combination and I decided this pup had better pack it in and let the big dogs stay out. After assuring my friends I was fine and pleading with them to stay out and have a good time, I relinquished myself to the hotel where I took a hot shower and put on my favorite pair of stretchy pants. I was still hungry so I decided to order room service. This was a very nice hotel so everything was expensive..but hey, this girl had to eat. I accidentally flipped the room service menu to the kids section and there it was....the $10 Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich! I had to have it...right then!! I quickly ordered it on white bread even (I splurged) with a tall side of chocolate milk. The milk alone was $4. After I paid the room delivery charge, and tip, this PB&J with chocolate milk cost me $20...it was the BEST $20 I ever spent. The sandwich was warm but not toasted and the peanut butter and jelly were ooey gooey and oh so delish! Our tummies full, and stretchy pants on...Gage and I were happy campers. We found a good movie on TV and life was perfect! The girls came back around 11pm and we all giggled for a bit before going to sleep. Despite my inability to "hang" and turning in early on a girls night out (a FIRST for me, I am usually the dancing queen) I had a blast just hanging out with my PB&J and baby Gage.



I have had a lot of people ask me how we are doing the nursery so I am posting a pic below. I have a few tricks up my sleeve so I cant reveal everything yet...but..the nursery will look a lot like the pic below. The walls will be blue, the crib white, and I am on a mission to find those chocolate brown and orange curtains. This orange accent color is a huge hit with me right now? I dont know why...maybe its Gage's favorite color and he's subconsciously letting me know? Who knows..but this orange accent color is my new "thing" I am also going to take pictures of hammers and nails and construction type objects and have them printed in sephia print with big white mats. This will give the room a construction theme without it being too "baby-ish"







Dustin and I have been really busy these past few weeks, hence my lack of blogging (which I promise to get better about) but we do plan to spend the next couple weekends painting Gage's room and getting ready for our lil man's arrival. Dustin and I are still so excited!! Dustin sends me emails throughout the day to check in on me and see how I am doing..these emails often start with...how are my babies? I love it : ) I must admit though...it still hasnt really sunk in yet that we are going to be parents...I blame part of this on the fact that I am still not "showing" very much...so the reality of our lil man being in there is still hard to believe. But I know these next few months are going to fly by, especially with the holidays approaching and I know Gage will be here before we know it.



Finally...I hate to end this on a sad note...but I have been thinking and praying about this one little family for quite some time and have to mention them in here. I almost dedicated an entire "reflection" blog to this family but decided I couldnt put in words just how incredibly lucky I feel to be where I am. Before I say more, let me preface this by saying that D and I are blown away by how much our thought process has changed already...about EVERYTHING! For example, I saw a commercial on TV the other night for petfinder.com. The commerical starts with a little girl talking about how she finally got to spend the night in a tent in her backyard, her dad finally said yes...but only because Buddy was with her. The TV then pans over to a 100lb German Shepard...aka Buddy. I laughed, but then I couldnt help but think...oh Gage will never be allowed to sleep in the backyard. Then I laughed at myself..the backyard, really? Should be pretty safe, right? But the thought of my baby in a tent, in the backyard, where anyone could come and get him...I thought I was going to die. Let me also say that I dont leave Daisy in the backyard unattended either. So...I guess you could say I am doomed to be the worst mom ever...poor Gage will be locked in his room with me standing guard so no one can hurt him...EVER! But I am also logical enough to realize...doing things like camping in the backyard are a right of passage, and I have got to learn to let go a little. Im sure I will find the strength...gulp...heavy sigh...somehow..but for now...lets just say I am happy Gage is warm and in my tummy..he will never be safer! OK, so I got off track a bit. In thinking about how to protect your kids, your most precious thing in the world, and just how incredibly lucky I am...I found this blog about this little family. I went to high school with this girl and BOTH of her kids have mitochondrial disease. I wont go in to details but this is an awful, awful disease. Recently, the youngest boy lost his fight to this awful disease and at the age of 4 passed away. My heart breaks for this family. They fought so hard...they went through things no ONE should EVER have to go through. I have always wondered why God takes such little angels...but good things come in little packages and I know he needed a tiny angel and Samuel was just the kiddo. What a remarkable family, an amazing sense of faith, strength and spirit. I dont know what I would do if anything ever happened to my husband, or this tiny life we have created and grown to love (already) more than we ever thought our hearts could love! To make things worse, their older daughter is fighting her own battle with the disease and may not make it either. To lose one is something no parent should ever deal with...to lose both...is just...unimagineable. Or to fight this hard to keep your kids safe. You always think about protecting them from strangers, robbers and the like. But rarely do we think about protecting them from the unknown...and all to often in adults and children alike we take our health for granted until we are sick and then we remember just how valuable it is. Samuel's mother reflects back on his 4th birthday and how all they wanted was a day without needles, without IVs, no hospital visits, no pain....just normal! Having my renewed sense of normalcy back I can definitely appreciate what a gift a day without hospitals must be like. I will wrap this up now, I apologize for the length...BUT...I would like to take this moment to count my blessings (again) I have been blessed beyond words with good fortune, family, friends, health, and of course, you my angel..Gage Matthew Kelch.



If you are reading this, please do me a favor and pray for not only this tiny fallen angel..but for the peace and healing for his family, and to count your own blessings. Each day truly is a gift. Samuel Knight you are a hero and I thank you for putting up a good fight. May this blog be dedicated to you and your spirit, humor, and strength! God speed little one...may you finally find peace!!!

(To read more about this amazing family, click here http://www.missyknight.blogspot.com/)



Finally, I just want to say thank you..for each and every one of my many blessings...and thank you God, for our angel..may he always be happy and safe and trust in you.

September 21st....a day I will remember always

Well, most of you have heard the news already...but here is the story of how Peanut came to be, Gage Matthew Kelch. I got to work early that morning since I would be leaving early to go to the doctor. The minutes literally crawled by waiting for 1:30pm to come around when D would come pick me up and we would head to the docs office together. At times throughout the day I literally had to stop and take deep breaths to keep my heart from jumping out of my chest. I dont think I have ever had such anticipation in my life! Finally...the time came and D and I rode over to "our future" ha ha. The imaging center took me back first to take a look at Peanut's measurements. They wanted to make sure all the baby's bones looked good and were measuing correctly, heart was of normal size, brain developing well, etc. They asked me while taking all these measurements if I wanted my husband with me when they announced the sex of our Peanut. I said YES! So a few minutes passed and they left to go get Dustin from the waiting room. D came back into the room with me and asked if I already knew...I said no I was waiting for you. He held my hand and I could feel him shaking. I asked him if he was nervous and he said no just REALLY excited. The doctor came back a few minutes later and reviewed all the pictures with us....thats when she said, and there are his little boy parts. Dustin squeezed my hand, I cried (imagine that) and told him he had made all my wildest dreams come true. I still cant believe we have beeen this blessed! We left the doctor's office with 20 something pictures of Gage Matthew and headed over to a great dinner with family. We all met at Maggianos and my sister got there first, before us even..and she was over an hour early : ) Can you say excited? Ha ha! Not only did she get there early, I had 2 DOZEN roses waiting on me with a a huge gift basket as well. Inside the basket were all the essentials for a mommy...no baby stuff, Ashley said..that would all come later. For now, she was taking care of me and had all kinds of mommy stuff in it...including some amazing candles, lotions, my favorite lotion infused socks that smelled like lavendar and the best book I have ever read...its all about babies : ) I LOVED this gift basket. We told Ashley as soon as we got there that Peanut was going to be a boy and she immediately started crying. Later at dinner we also mentioned to her that we would like for her to be Gage's godmother and she broke down again. Dustin's family does not follow this tradition...but we have always had godparents in ours and Ashley and I are both blessed to have some of the best godparents in the world! I know Ashley will carry on this tradition well and I was so happy to see her so touched with her new title. She is definitely excited about this baby and she has really made me feel special during this time. Actually everyone has made D and I feel special during this time. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people, and Jolene and Steph...I cant thank you two enough for helping me register this weekend. I enjoyed the heck out of it, and I feel so much more prepared for our angel now.
Dustin and I drove home in pretty much silence...I laughed and said are you OK babe. He looked at me and said I still cant believe we're havign a kid...more or less that its a boy! Ha ah! This whole concept still hasnt completely sunk in yet for either of us..but I know it will. So Gage Matthew...welcome sweet baby! We are sooo happy to meet you and give you a name now. Even though we all still call you Peanut here and there : ) Oh and those deep voices you keep hearing around 6pm every night. Thats your dad's voice. Every day when he gets home he tells us both how much he loves us and how much he missed us, and he cant wait to meet you. You are going to be one spoiled kiddo and we cant wait. I love you our angel...


Below are some pics from the ultrasound, as well as my growing belly. Gage Matthew is really starting to make his presence known...its like my tummy grew overnight!

Here's my big belly!

Here are my boy parts!

Here is my thumb's up sign : )

Letters to Peanut....

Well today is the day...this is not a drill...in just a few short hours we will know if our baby will be Karleigh Marie or Gage Matthew. I recieved this letter from my Dad this morning, this was written to Peanut. I read it and cried : ) I love this letter and plan to put it in Peanut's baby book one day. But for now, I will post it to the blog for all to see. I love you Dad, I know Peanut will love this letter one day too. I will keep you all posted on pink or blue today!! So without further ado..here is the letter from my Dad to our baby : )

Good morning Peanut!
How do you feel today? Are you one excited little person? I sure hope so……you have the whole family excited! This will be your last day to be a an anonymous tiny mystery.
You will earn a real name and no longer be just a little goober hiding deep inside your Mommy’s innards! We can start calling you Gage or Karleigh after your visit to the doctor today! How special is that?? What? Did you say something? Speak a little louder….you know Gramps can’t hear worth beans. You hope your name is Gage? Any special reason why you want that name? Do you want to be a little boy? You say that does not matter that much as long as the people around you accept and love you? I promise you that will not be a problem – you are already very deeply loved and no one has even seen your little face yet!! Oh, because it will be easier to spell when you start school….! That is a very sensible observation for such a teeny tiny head on your shoulders. But I will just bet if you want to start by writing Karli instead of Karleigh your Mommy won’t get upset with you. She is a very sweet lady in case you have not figured that out yet. But I’ll bet you know that already because you have seen how she is taking very good care of you. So don’t you worry about things like how to spell yet. That will come along in time and I know you will be able to handle anything you set your mind to. See? I have a lot of faith in you! You are one extraordinary baby! And this old man is really looking forward to meeting you and spending as much time as I am allowed to share in your little life. And it does not matter to me which name you choose today. I promise I will spend time playing with you and taking you places and teaching you a whole lot of things. Your Mommy knows that you don’t have to be a boy to enjoy being outdoors and going fishing and hunting and riding around in a truck in the mud. So you just keep cozy inside Mommy until you are ready to join the rest of the family. And then we will all have a wonderful time watching you grow up and share in the joys of the world again because we will get to see them anew through your little eyes. We will be so happy to know today which name you will be taking so we can plan ahead for the big day when you join us in this big wide world……and welcome you with hugs and kisses.
So you just take it easy for a few more months and enjoy the comfort your Momma is providing. Don’t you sweat the petty things right now, and don’t you pet the sweaty things later. See? Grampa has lots of important things to teach you……!

I look forward to seeing you later and we can eat some pasta! I will be able to call you a new and much nicer name than Peanut when I do…..What? You say you like that nickname? You can keep it! See I am easy! You are gonna like me, I promise!
OK?? Now who wants ice cream? Oh, you would like an Italian gelato instead? An exceptionally bright child….!! I knew it!! How many scoops? 3 or 4?
J
I love you my little grandbaby.

Can you hear something in there?

Well...most everyone knows now that we did not find out at our last ultrasound what our lil Peanut was going to be. But...we did schedule our big ultrasound and our 4D pictures for Sept 21st at 2pm...so..we will for sure know then whether we are having a prince or princess. In the mean time D and I are on pins and needles wondering boy or girl...we cant wait.



Not much else to report out on. I am still not feeling all that great. BUT..I did have 2 whole nausea free days over the weekend, it was BLISS. I dont know if I am crossing a milestone or if I just got lucky. So far...no nausea today either...so...maybe a corner has been turned. Think happy thoughts that it has : )



I did want to share a sweet (well I thought it was sweet) picture of my princess. This picture was taken this past Saturday afternoon while Miss Daisy and I lounged on the couch. She sleeps in this position often, but this is the first time I was able to capture her on camera. I swear she is listening to the baby's heartbeat...but most of the time this is how she cuddles up with me anymore...with her head on my tummy and her ear to the belly : ) I think she loves Peanut as much as we do!



Only 8 more days til we know for sure what our love bug is!

Well Little Peanut...this is my letter to you.

I wanted to write you a quick note and tell you how much we are thinking about you. Tomorrow marks your 16 week "baking" period. We have a doctor's appt today and we are hoping like heck you and the doctor both cooperate and decide to go ahead and tell us if you will be a boy or a girl. I will be honest here Peanut...in the beginning, we both wanted a boy pretty badly. Now, all I want to do is hold you in my arms and smell your sweet smell. Your daddy and I woke up this morning talking about the day you will one day come into this world and how we knew it would be the best day of our lives so far...aside from the day we married one another : )

Your name lil one has already been determined...so now all we need is for you to tell us which one you prefer. If you are a girl your name will be Karleigh Marie Kelch...your Daddy came up with this name and your mom thinks its the best name ever! It sounds like pig tails and BIG bows, and until you are old enough to protest...well, that's what is going to be in your hair (which I am certain you have because the book says heartburn=hair..and well love bug...you have been giving mom a lot of heart burn) Some people have asked us if your "girl" name is a family name...and to be honest Peanut the answer to that is yes...and no. None of your human family has ever held the name Karleigh, or Marie. But, your furry friend, who I know you are going to love is Daisy MARIE Kelch...so in some form you will hold a family name. And dont be upset Peanut that you and the dog share the same name. At one point I thought I couldnt possible love that pooch any more...then I found out you were coming into my life. This pooch is more than a pooch...you have both held my heart at different points in time :)

And if you are a boy Peanut...your name will be Gage Matthew Kelch, as your dad jokingly says..this name is "strong like bull" Yes, you can tease him one day for saying that : ) I do! Truth is Peanut, we dont really know how we came up with this name either. But from the day we started building the house you will come home from the hospital to, we have called you Gage, and even dubbed your room Gage's room way back before the room was even built and the house was just a concrete foundation. As you can see Peanut, we have dreamed about you for quite some time. You have always been a dream, and now you will be a dream come true and we consider ourselves incredibly lucky for that. You decided to come earlier than we expected (see blog #1) but we know God has placed you here NOW for a reason and looking back we wouldnt have it any other way.

So in just a few hours we will know how our lives will be mapped out. Whether we start saving for the Princess wedding you always wanted...or the hot rod car/truck I KNOW your Dad is going to buy you one day (he cant help himself, you will learn to love this about him as you grow up..he spoils ALL of us rotten) Your Dad is amazing and beside himself with joy over your upcoming arrival. I want you to know that you and Daddy are the 2 best things to ever happen to me. If ever you have doubts about how much we adore you, I want you to always look back at this letter and know how VERY much your dad and I love you...even though we have never seen, held, or met you! You are our angel, our souls, our everything...now bake away for 5 more months and we will meet you then. We love you our precious baby...see you (via ultrasound) in a couple hours. Say cheese!

Love - Mom, Dad, and Daisy!

Proper Potty Lighting

This week's blog is another "awww" moment brought to you by DK. If you know Dustin you know he LOVES projects and fixing things...and you also know he will drive you absolutely batty until he finds a project to work on. This poor daddy-to-be has been super anxious about getting the nursery painted and maybe even building something in there for our lil person. But, since we dont know for sure what our lil bundle of joy will be...Dustin had to settle for just a small project here and there. In a desperate attempt to find something for him to "fix" I asked him last weekend to please install a dimming switch in the nursery so that when I/we got up with Peanut in the middle of the night we wouldnt have such a bright light shining down on us...better for Peanut and better for sleep deprived moms and dads. Before I knew it we were off to Lowes and one hour later, viola...we had a dimming switch in the nursery (GOT TO LOVE THAT GUY) That is one heck of a husband and a daddy to be! I thought maybe that little project would buy me some time...at least until this weekend. Nope...last night I was laying on the couch and I hear a "come here" from the master bathroom. Thinking...this is odd...and do I really want to go in there...I entered at my own risk. Dustin was in the water closet and said "come here, all the way inside I have a suprise for you" Even more neverous now...I stepped inside and D closed the door. He then turned the light off and then back on. The light that came back on was a cozy, low lit, barely even there light....perfect for moms-to-be that get up in the middle of the night to go potty no less than 18 times. Dustin them exclaimed, "now this is proper potty lighting" I died laughing. How in the world did I ever, ever get so incredibly lucky. He then proceeded to tell me he thought it only fair that if Peanut had a dimming switch then we should have one too and he thought a low light might be better for me in the middle of the night when I got up to use the restroom. I was elated!!! I didnt think I could be so excited about a dimming switch. This had to be one of the most thoughtful acts of kindness anyone had ever done for me. They say its the small things that count and boy were they right! At 2am when I got up the first time...I flicked on the bathroom switch and wouldnt you know it...that boy was right...it WAS the perfect, proper, midnight potty lighting. I love you my precious Daddy DK...thank you for being so wonderful to me, Peanut, and even D-Marie! We would all be lost without you my love!

Meet our baby....

My mom sent me a link this morning of a website that took pictures of the parents and morphed them into an image of your baby...the results are not fantastic, but it was comical all the same.

I thought I would post the results below.

In other news, everything is coming along fine. I am dreaming about our Peanut every night and wondering constantly what our baby might be. I actually dreamed 2 nights ago that Peanut was a girl and Dustin wouldnt talk to me...crazy I know, but that was the dream. I am counting down the days until my next doctor's appt when they will hopefully shed some light on this baby's "parts" and I can paint the nursery. Dustin and I are chomping at the bit to start working on the nursery. Dustin wants to build something in there really neat for the baby. We dont know what that mught be yet....but something special. I am kind of thinking built in book cases or a custom toy box...but we'll see. The nausea seems to have lifted a wee bit, which has been GLORIOUS!! I definitely have more energy again too...but I attribute much of that to not feeling so green. Either way, relief has been so nice. I can feel the baby "move" around in there a bit. I cant feel kicking or anything like that...it feels more like when you drink a lot of water and then you can hear/feel the water moving around in your tummy. Thats what it feels like. I am anxious for the time when I can feel kicking and moving...but I know one day I will miss this early phase in the pregnancy too...so I am doing my best to cherish every minute. My belly is starting to pooch too. Most people still dont notice, but those looking for it can tell...and my pants are for the most part not fitting at all. Its neat to see the progress, but I know I will miss pre-maternity clothes in no time..

Oh, Dustin bought me an iphone last week so at our next ultrasound I can video record the baby moving around inside my tummy in addition to the still life photos. I will upload the videos to the blog as soon as I leave the next doc appt on the 27th.

Anyways, thats about all for now. Things are still going great and I will continue to keep you all updated.

Wake up sleepy head!

Good Morning All...well...everyone except Peanut. This morning we had our Down's Syndrome testing. We wont know the results for another 2 weeks, but we went ahead and did the test. The test is completely optional, its not required. And we know no matter what the results, we are going to love this baby more than we ever thought possible. But, we wanted to know ahead of time what we were up against, because if our baby does have special needs, mommy will not be returning to work, and we need to make some concessions accordingly. So...for 2 weeks we're going to wait to hear back, and in the mean time just pray our Peanut is A-OK : )

In order to do the test they measure the amount of tissue behind the baby's neck, and they also do blood work. The ultrasound tech was trying to get Peanut to roll over so she could get a good pic of his neck and he was not having it. She pushed and pushed on my tummy to get him to wake up to no avail. The only time he really moved was when I laughed. He seems to respond to that really well. At one point she pushed pretty hard and we could see his little hand actually push back against my tummy. It was the cutest thing! I got to see Peanut's lil legs, arms, and hands too. 5 fingers in the picture...TINY little hands. I also got to see the spine, ribs, and his lil heart beat flicker. The heart rate was at 160 beats per minute this morning. The tech said that was normal : ) Poor Dad came to the doctor with me, but didnt get to partake in any of the fun. They wouldnt let Dad's back in the ultrasound room for some reason : ( But I do so appreciate Daddy DK taking the time out of his day to accopmany me. Dustin, you are the BEST!

So...aside from being an uncooperative sleepy head, our Peanut looked good this morning. My next appt with the doctor is Aug 27th and I will be between 16-17 weeks by then. We are hoping like heck they will tell us FOR SURE what Peanut will really be. I still think its a boy...but...I have been eye balling some really cute girl nurseries here lately! : ) So I guess we will see. Here's a pic of our Peanut today.

Today's craving???

Carrots with gobs and gobs of ranch! But I only want to smell the ranch, not eat it? Baby K...you puzzle me sometimes. Last night, it was chocolate cupcakes with 4 inches of icing!! I didnt eat it, because I didnt feel wel enough to bake the cupcakes, but you wanted them nonetheless : )

The other thing I am puzzled about...why in the world am I still feeling nausea like its week 6? The nausea didnt kick in full force until week 8 or so...but my goodness, does it ever end? I hopped on the internet and joined a group of girls that are all expecting in Feb 2011. Seems like a handful of them are still feeling green...but most people had their symptoms go away at week 10? Not fair! : ) Well, Mr Peanut...I have no choice but to hang in there, but just know this is getting old...and mommies never forget anything! So when you're a teenager and you are wanting to stay out later or get out of trouble for something...I will think back to all those weeks you made me feel like poo and will have no trouble dishing out chores to do! So you keep that in mind Peanut.

More later, but I wanted to fill anyone interested in on the craving-o-the-day!

Then and Now...a lot changes in just 2 weeks!

I promise not to paint walls...YET! : )

I want to start this blog with a quick snip to say jut how incredibly happy I am with life right now. I went back to work at Continental this week and I could not be more content. Yes, the money is awful...but I am loving being back at work, and I really appreciate D standing by my side and allowing me to take this job over a higher paying one. Aside from that, I get more excited every day about welcoming a lil person into the world. I see toddlers at the store or even babies and I cannot wait to have our very own. And lord knows there is no better partner in the world to have a kiddo with. I have never been more at peace or content in all my life, and I just wanted to share that really quickly.

So it just occurred to me that I have been a horrible mother and havent updated the blog since my last doctor's appointment. So, for those of you that have not already heard the news...here goes. I met with my doctor last Friday for her to check on our precious cargo. She couldnt find the heartbeat still with her stethoscope so she had to do another ultrasound. (YEAH) While she was doing the ultrasound she was surprised at how much the baby was moving around in my tummy. Although it is still too early for me to feel "him" moving he was no kidding doing somersaults in there. The lil acrobat!! She said babies dont tend to do somersaults until about 12 weeks...so she was thinking that I was actually at 12 weeks instead of 11. Which would put this coming Saturday, 8/7/2010 as week #13 and not week #12. So yeah!!!!!!! It is officially safe to say that we are pretty much in the clear for miscarriage!! Woo-hoo Peanut, make momma fat!! In addition to witnessing Peanut's gymnastic aptitude the doctor also said..."Oh!" To which I replied...oh..is that good? She then said, OK..if you promise not to paint walls in the nursery, or count this as a definite answer, I will tell you what the baby's sex looks like right now. She then turned the monitor towards me and waited for Peanut to spread open his lil legs and show us the goods...drum roll....not 20 seconds later that lil toot gave us a full monty and there it was...a tiny lil TT!!! So, even though its early, it looks like our Peanut may indeed have a Pea-nis!! (haha)
My next dr appt is on August 27th...and we should know by then what this lil toot is going to be!

In the mean time...Daddy DK asked me to write a quick synopsis of what foods I am craving so we can look back at this. So..here goes. My current cravings

VENISON or beef please! Absolutely NO chicken or fish...in fact, I cant even talk about them. However, sushi sounds amazing?? WHAT? I think this stems more from my craving of salty foods and I want the soy sauce on the sushi and not so much the sushi

Chinese food..which I didnt even eat until I met DK. But I love chinese food right now, and aside from Chikfila chciken sandwiches, this is the only way I will eat chicken right now. Brnig on the General Tso's

KETCHUP!! Especially Whataburger ketchup! Again, I think this is something with the salt or the vinegar? We went to Wal-Mart the other day and a bottle of vinegar had spilled on the floor..it was the most heavently aroma I have smelled in 3 months! : )

FRUIT..apples more specifically..in any form, sliced, baked, apple sauce, pie....but my favorite is sliced with a dollop of peanut butter and a glass of milk on the side. YUM!

Finally..WAFFLES!! This one craving for whatever reason is not going away? I have eaten 2 waffles every morning for breakfast for the last month..and although its not the healthiest meal I could eat..its not the worst, and boy does it make my tummy happy in the morning! I cant believe I am not tired of this yet though?

I think that about wraps it up. Other than to say that every day I am more thankful for the amazing man I have by my side. I have really felt green the last few weeks and I dont know what I would do without Dustin! He is by far the most amazing, thoughtful, considerate man I have ever come across! I love you D, I cant tell you enough...and I cannot wait to have this tiny person with you. Cheers to today, tomorrow, and forever my love! You are my EVERYTHING

To Peanut, one day when you read this, I hope you can tell how much your mommy and daddy love you already! We wanted you, and God blessed us and we could not be any more thrilled about your arrival. Your daddy hugs you every night, and I think about you constantly and cannot wait to hold you in my arms. We love you our precious baby!

The Emperor's New Clothes

Peanut has yet another new nick name this week..the emperor or the tiny dictator...this lil person is ruling the roost right now...dictating every little detail of our lives already, and the lil peanut is not even here...how does that happen? : ) Peanut has been full force this week with the nausea, so mom is not feeling well at all. Thank goodness I usually feel worse at night...so I am able to accomplish a tiny bit in the mornings after my daily dose of Eggo waffles...but after around 11am its downhill from there. I hear this will pass soon...so I am going to keep my fingers crossed that as this first trimester comes to a close, so will my sense of feeling green constantly : )

I am 10 1/2 weeks now...I know, where did the time go? Only 2 more weeks and I am past our first trimester! Woo-hoo...we are also pretty much in the clear at that time for miscarriage...so come on 2nd trimester!! I have my next doctor's appointment tomorrow, and I am anxious to see what the doc says about Peanut's growth and progression. I will report out once I hear. We also have Dustin's 10 year high school reunion this coming weekend and D is especially excited to go back and see some old friends.

D and I have been pretty diligent about walking every night, and on one of our walks the other night one of the neighbors, who has quickly become one of my all time fav girls in the whole world stopped to chat with us. D and I have been very lucky in finding this neighborhood to start our family. Seems like almost everyone is our age, and all but one couple on our street is currently expecting...so dont drink the water : ) But this one particular neighbor and I seemed to hit it off, and I really love this girl. She is a great person through and through..and although I have only known her for a short time, I hope to remain friends with her for years to come. She mentioned to us that she found a gift for our lil person and presented us with a really cute gift bag. Inside was hands down my all time favorite Peanut gift so far...so without further ado...below is a pic of Peanut's new threads. I dont think any gift could have been any more perfect..and I know I will cherish this forever. I see this onesie being packed away in baby trunk one day, it will no doubt be one of those baby items I will never be able to part with. Thanks Mel for the truly spectacular gift. It truly meant a lot to Dustin and I, we love it, and so will Peanut : )

Feeling Faint?....Bathe in JUICE!

If I havent made it clear to everyone by now that I think Dustin absolutely, positively hung the moon...well, I am failing miserably. I love this man more than you could ever imagine! More than I even thought possible. I didnt know my heart could hold this much love for someone. And why wouldnt I love this guy, he dotes on me constantly, and always makes sure Peanut and I have everything we need to be comfortable, even though sometimes that goal is just not obtainable : )
Having said that, sometimes D has the BEST of intentions, but things dont always go as planned. If you have ever heard his proposal story, you will think otherwise, now that was a well planned, extraordinarily carried out plan...but sometimes, the little things.... well...

Saturday morning I was doddling around, or as my Dad says, fiddle farting. I wasnt really doing anything...I just wasnt hungry yet and hadnt had my daily dose of Eggo waffles. Which by the way, if you havent heard yet, is by far my strongest and longest running food craving! So, I hadnt eaten breakfast yet, we were preparing it, when all the sudden I felt like I was 2 seconds away from passing out. The feeling was overwhelming and I thought I had better sit down right there in the middle of the floor before I fall. Dustin was standing right next to me as I sat down on the floor and he immediately jumped into action asking me what I needed. I asked him to please get me some apple juice. So I am now laying in the middle of the kitchen floor, Day-Z Marie is all in my face, she senses something is wrong..and here comes D with the juice. I like to drink juice out of those juice boxes, so poor D is fumbling with trying to insert the straw and keep Miss D-marie out of my face. D gets the straw inserted into the juice box and is now focused on pushing the pooch away....what he doesnt realize evidently is that he is squeezing the juice box rather tightly and it is gushing onto my face .....I immediately burst into laughter and then D looks down to see me drowning in apple juice. The dog starts licking up the overspill from the floor, and my face and all in all this is a mess....but a glorious mess, and some much needed comic relief. They say laughter is the best medicine, and boy were they right. I was already feeling better...I dont know if that was the laughter, or maybe taking in juice from the ear and eyes is a much faster way to feel the effects??? Either way, I appreciate the juice bath more than you know DK...and every time I turned my head on Saturday and smelled apple juice in my hair I couldnt help but smile. Maybe this was a prep for whats to come? With a toddler around, Im sure I will one day be happy to only have juice in my hair : )

In addition to my juice bath that morning we had an absolutely perfect day on Saturday. We got together with my Aunt, Godparents, Grandparents, sis, Lynne, and Dad for a mini "Peanut" celebration. Upon arrival at my grandma's house my Aunt Debbi had fixed up the table soooo cute. She had blue and pink napkins, silverware, and tablecloth...and then she had little baby things scattered around as decoration. and the cutest card I have ever seen! I am framing it for Peanut's room. I now have my first package of diapers, butt paste, and even teething rings, thanks Aunt Debbi. My Aunt Betty fixed my favorite chocolate cake, and the top of the cake had a heart on it made out of PEANUTS..I LOVED it. We had such a good time visiting with everyone. My Dad burned some hot dogs and burgers, and no party is complete without queso!! We really had a blast and I appreciate so much all that everyone did to make Peanut feel special. I know I truly felt blessed! Thanks to all of you for making it such a truly memorable day.

Towards the end of the party Aunt Betty needed to take a shot for her diabetes...she was likely running high since we had eaten so much all day. I couldnt help but laugh as I heard Dustin tell her..."Oh are you feeling faint, I'll go get some juice and pour it on you" Sigh..I love that guy!!

This week in Baby K world...
Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Peanut Picture

Peanut's furry friend.....

No, no..I am not talking about me..yet...although I know my growing belly will lead to some trouble shaving my legs down the road...for now..I am keeping up with it : ) But...no blog about our life would be complete without mention of Peanut's furry friend...none other, than Miss D-Marie herself. I must admit behind the financial freak out of losing your job and hunting like a mad woman to find another, I have actually enjoyed to some extent being home. One of the benefits to being home, is spending lots of time with one of my first true loves...my hairy munchkin lil mutt, Daisy. And I think she has enjoyed having me home as well. When D and I were both working D-marie would spend her days in bed in our room just lounging. Now that I am home she looks out the front window watching for yard guys, trash pick-up, new moms out walking with their babies trying to get back in shape...she looks and watches all day long. In fact, as I sit here typing I can look down at her and see her looking out the window. Now, Miss D and I have long been buds..in fact I will have had her for 8 years come this Feb. But I think Miss D knows a new lil person is on the way. They say that dogs sense things like that...like how they sense when a storm is about to roll in...a storm is about to roll in...a perfect baby K storm : )

Every day when I come home, D-marie and I have a tradition of "hug" time. She greets me at the door, stretches her front legs up on my tummy and just stands there while I rub her from head to tail. Since about 2 weeks before I found out I was pregnant she stopped "hugging" me...like she knew such a hard pounce on such a tiny developing person would hurt our Peanut. Her new thing is when I lay on the couch at night, she lays with her head on my tummy ...just sitting there, calmly and sweet. Dustin and I wonder if she can maybe hear the baby's heart beat? I know welcoming this baby into our world will no doubt be a change for her as well. They say your dog just becomes a dog when you have a baby. That is so hard for me to imagine. I hope I am able to convey to her just how important she is to me..and that I still love her, even though my attention right now may be focused in a new direction. I had a dream last night that the baby was here already and D-marie moved her normal sleeping quarters from our bedroom closet (the warmest room in the house) to Peanut's room upstairs. All I could see was a large crib with a baby sound asleep..and D-marie asleep on the rug below. : )

I thought it might be fun to tell you all too what is going on in Baby K world this week too..so read below to what Peanut is up to.
New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

Catching Up..Week #8

Wow..so much to catch up on. So much has happened in the last few weeks. D and I went to California and had an absolute blast, more on that in a minute. We came back to texas only to find that I was laid off...welcome home : ) Since then things have been a whirlwind followed by the 4th of July. But, between us getting back from CA and going back to work before the lay off we were able to get in to see the doctor..and let me just say..oh my goodness!! On our first meeting with the doctor I was able to get some answers to all those questions I had in the beginning. Not only that, but we were able to see and hear the baby inside my tummy! It is absolutely amazing!!! Seriously, this may have been one of the coolest moments in my entire life. Up until that point I hadnt even felt pregnant. I didnt feel sick, tired, too hormonal or even sore..I just had a test that said yes. Upon meeting the doctor though we were able to see our lil Peanut..."he" looks like a thumb in a really big black hole (thats what those cramps were, I was creating his home ) And let me tell you..our Peanut..thumblike as he may be...is the cutest lil smudge on an ultrasound you have ever seen! :) No biased opinions here folks. Not only that, but then we got to hear his little heartbeat...amazing...just amazing!! The lil ticker is going strong!!!
The doctor was pleased with everything. Said his heart rate sounded good, she liked his placement in the big black hole, and thought everything was progressing really well. As I mentioned I am now 2 months along, whoa how did that happen, LOL...so only 3 1/2 more weeks and we are in the clear pretty much..at least for miscarriage. What has been really nice though...knock on wood here...D and I have really been at peace about this lil nugget. I worried quite a bit the first few weeks that I would lose our tiny blessing. But since then..no worry..just an overwhleming excitement about meeting our lil angel.
As far as the whole note feeling pregnant...well let me tell you, that passed. I feel pregnant now. I swear I have a phantom tummy. Sometimes when D and I go for a walk at night, I swear I can feel my tummy 3 feet out in front of me..and I feel like Im waddling already...even though D swears I am not : ) And trips to the grocery store...TORTURE!! Seriously..the smells, the sights, the meat section...oh lordy the meat section..dont get me started....that is the worst. Peanut is still on his regular "kick" with all things spicy. Enchiladas are a constant fave. Pizza, and anything overly greasy or fish of any kind are out of the question. Fish sounds like pickles and eggs to me right now...grotesque!! So far the trend of not liking sweets is still the same. Im telling you..this is not my baby : ) With one slight exception...last Saturday Peanut was giving me a fit. I knew I needed to eat, but for the life of me I could not figure out what it was I wanted to eat. I finally settled on a sandwich, followed by a handful of Doritos...not the healthiest I know..but it did the job. About ten minutes later I had a craving like I have never experienced before. It was just like the movies where the pregnant lady has a craving and has to have it that second. I wanted 2 scoops of ice cream in a real waffle cone...STAT! So off we went...D and I loaded up in the truck and off to cold stone we went. Not only did Peanut know he wanted ice cream..but true to form..he wanted ice cream that I dont like. I wanted a waffle cone full of mint chocolate chip and rocky road..both of which I normally despise. Knowing my tummy/vessel better than Peanut I decided to go with something that complimented one another better...just to see if it could get the job done. I ended up with one scoop of vanilla cake batter and one scoop of chocolate. It did the job!! But I left feeling like I could have eaten about 5 more scoops : ) Saturday morning I woke up with another craving for breakfast...waffles!! So off went my amazing husband to the store to get waffles. But Peanut must have known that out of all the small kitchen appliances we have..a toaster was not included on this list. So not only did Daddy DK go out for waffles, but he came back with a toaster, butter, and syrup as well...now if he didnt look like a guy with a pregnant wife with a craving in line..I dont know who did : )

And I will wrap this up with a tiny tidbit/insight into our trip to CA. As I mentioned we had a phenomenal time and were lucky to partake in the amazing host/hostess that is my Aunt Boopy's house. My Aunt and Uncle are the absolute best. We had a cooler packed for us every day with artisan cheeses, juice, nuts, cookies, and crackers. She was the essential tour guide heading us away from the tourist traps and towards the must see places in CA. And to top it all off, one morning she made Dustin homemade blueberry pancakes, complete with blueberries from her own backyard. My Aunt and Uncle are amazing. But something significant happened on that trip. While sitting at the dinner table one night I actually shut up! : ) For whatever reason D was being especially chatty that evening and I was listening to him talk to my Aunt and Uncle. At one point my Aunt asked D to eleborate on his career and what he did for a living. D is usually so modest I end up filling in for him on his greatness and just how amazing he is. But this time, he gave a really accurate description of what he does. I know what this guy does...heck thats how we met...I didnt need to hear the run down of his daily tasks yet again..but there was something different this time. Sitting there at the table that night I was so overwhelmed with pride. There sat my husband.... such charisma, such charm, poise, confidence, compassion, honesty, and handsome to boot..and that smile...anyone that knows D knows he has that ever so adorable, yet often mischevious smile. It was at that moment I told myself I am ONE LUCKY GIRL. I remember thinking in the shower that night just how amazing my husband was. And I promisedto blog about it when I got home..so there it is...thank you Aunt Boopy for your overwhelming hospitality...and for letting me see once more just how incredibly amazing this husband of mine is.

Our next dr appt is July 30th...but I promise to put up pictures and blog much more now that I am back in the saddle.

Houston..we have a due date! Sort of....

So...last night I slept like a rock...probably some of the best sleep I have ever had! It was so good I could almost compare it to the kind of sleep you get when you have surgery..that lovely anesthesia induced coma...it was that good last night! As I mentioned in our last blog, we are leaving for CA tomorrow morning. My first doctor's appointment is on Tuesday at 2pm..and I honestly dont know which one I am more excited about..the vacation or my first appointment! I never thought I would be so excited to get poked and prodded! But I am!! : )
My sis-in-law who had a baby 12 weeks ago told me to check out http://www.babycenter.com/. So I decided to do that and sit back and relax until the appt. OH MY GOODNESS! Its a mommy-to-be's dream website. How on earth did our mothers survive without the internet? I really dont know!
This website is the best thing since PB&J..which is my new craving evidently! On the website they have clubs you can join for moms that are expecting around the same time you are. They have an extensive list of Q&As and you can list your own question to members and they write you back! Its so cool! Thank you Steph for that tip, its awesome!

One of the other features they have is a due date calculator..which also helped explain to me how the nurse at the doctor's office determined I was 4 weeks already? I didnt get that math..now I do. Anyways...I plugged in the numbers it asked me for..and viola..we got a TENTATIVE due date! So..without further ado...drum roll please...our due date is none other than OUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! FEBRUARY 20TH!! So, I guess we will see if Peanut makes "his" appearance then or not. The sooner the better. But not until "he" is healthy! D and I were talking last night..we just dont know how we're going to make it 9 more months...we're so excited..we're ready for Peanut to come already. BUT we're also reminded of how broke we will be once Peanut comes (who knew insurance on Peanut alone would cost us an additional $300 a month, plus day-care, diapers, and baby STUFF) and we still have so much to do before Peanut comes, and then the 9 months of pregnancy just doesnt seem so long anymore. How does that country song go..."You're gonna miss this" ...so I keep telling myself to cherish every moment about this journey and not try to rush to the delivery date. And Im sure the song is right..one day I will miss this part and want it back...

Oh and trust me..I made sure to remind D..if Peanut comes on our wedding anniversary, that will be QUITE a gift...but Peanut's birthday and our anniversary are 2 separate things..so no skimping on anniversary gifts, LOL! Just kidding, not really : ) I know having a baby will be the greatest gift ever, but I do not want to lose sight of what a tremendous accomplishment one more year of marriage is each year. So many couples just dont make the cut these days. Trust us, we know : ) So I want to cherish every year I have with this amazing man. D, may you continue to put up with me..and my antics! Cheers my love..have one for me : )

Are we lucky or what? : )

This week Peanut (thats what D and I have started calling Baby K) is going to be a traveling peanut! In just a few short days we will set off for the great state of California. Last year, pre-peanut, we went to Cabo and flew Continental Airlines. They asked us to take a later flight, which we obliged, and they gave us vouchers for $200 a person that were good for a year. So this year when I asked D where he would like to go he said he had always wanted to go to CA and drive up and down the coast. So..we booked our flight for arrivial in Sacramento and figured we would take advantage of casa de la Aunt Boopy and Uncle Fred's hospitality. So...here we are..diligently planning our vacation. Originally we had planned to spend a couple days in Sacramento, a couple days in San Fran, and maybe a day trip to Lake Tahoe south. Well..since it wasnt ski season we decided to nix Lake Tahoe. Tuesday June 8th D comes home grinning ear to ear. I finally get it out of him what he is so excited about..and he tells me he has booked a trip to NAPA for me while we are in CA! I am BEYOND elated...next to Dustin and family, and a good choc milkshake...wine may be my very favorite thing in the world. He not only booked the trip, but enlisted the help of my Aunt for the very best places to go while there in Napa. She told him to take me to a winery in an old castle, as well as one in a cave. I am so excited I can barely sit still. Then..just 4 days later we find out Peanut is on his way! LOL!!! What a mess. The trip of a lifetime and well..the news of a lifetime : ) "He" is worth it. Dustin tells me he will buy me a bottle of all the wine I think I might like and we'll bring it home and drink it in a year..now doesnt that sound awesome..a year...really : ) Good thing wine gets better with age.
Well with Napa having a sligth bummer..we decide to focus a lot of our attention on the San Fran leg of our trip. Dustin's work schedule is really hectic right now so he delgates this portion of the trip to me. I gladly take it on and hope we can book some fun things to do and places to stay. As I start booking our vacation I soon discover that many of the hotels are already booked. What the heck? I finally find a great hotel and book it and decide to inquire, while I have a body on the phone, as to why everything is so booked. The guy proudly fills me in on the fact that this is San Fran's greatest weekend. It is none other than GAY PRIDE weekend in the gay capitol of the world. Seriously?? I mean..who does this happen to? Napa trip and you cant drink...San Fran trip and its gay pride weekend. I quickly fill Dustin in and ask him if he wants to rethink this whole Lake Tahoe thing...and to my surprise he is still game for San Fran!! I am actually really excited to make it back there...SF has been a long time top pick on my list of fav cities. And maybe the parade will keep a lot of people away from Alcatraz AND the Ghiradelli chocolate factory...because I plan to spend quite a bit of time in there. I hope Peanut allows it. So far he has had nothing to do with sweets still. The lil dictator! : ) So Peanut..we promised to be good parents and like my mom did with me...expose you to culture and art...so..we are keeping up our end of the bargain! We love you Peanut...may you enjoy your weekend in SF..and more importantly..please let mom enjoy this weekend without showing my lunch and ruining everyone's parade : )

Oh Mr Sandman..bring me a dream..and for pete's sake will someone get D a stroller : )

Before I dive off into the latest with Baby K..I thought I would mention a couple little side notes. First off...I can eat EVERYTHING right now. Lil Nugget is a hungry, hungry little person and mom just cannot bring it in fast enough. However...I have lost 6 pounds!! Talk about relishing something..this has been the best week of my life! Baby K also has a taste for anything and everything spicy..and foods I dont like..I cannot stand sausage or pepperoni. And peanut butter has never been one of my favs either. Here lately, if it is spicy, pepperoni, or peanunt butter, its gone! And if you know me, you know I cannot say no to any sweets. Brownies, cake, milkshakes, anything sweet used to be my best friend. I havent wanted anything sweet in a week now. Actually the thought of it kind of repulses me. The only sweet that sounds good is chocolate milk.
I am starting to wonder if this baby is mine? No brownies? Surely we are not related : )

My husband has had a long time history of talking in his sleep. One infamous story of this "talent" of his occurred when he was much younger and spending the night at his best friend Cory's house. Dustin, sound asleep sits up, looks over at Cory, eyes still closed, and says as loud as he can.."Its ALL GOOOOOODD!" What a nerd! : ) Last night our Peanut had me up for a few hours. During the time of misery and excitement I laid in the bed looking up at the ceiling and thinking how incredibly lucky I am. I was half way wondering what must be going through his mind when all of the sudden he let me know. Out of nowhere D evidently starts talking about work? I look over thinking my tossing and turning has woken him up and he's talking to me...nope...I look over and he is sound asleep. And when he talks in his sleep its not the mumbo jumbo cant really understand what you're saying babble. Oh no...my guy, true to form, as confident and articulate asleep as he is awake!! In perfect annunciation D says, "No the stucco needs to protrude out, not be flush with the wall"
He then evidently wanders over to the OTHER part of his life...me..and peanut : ) Again in perfect form he says, "No I think we should get this stroller. I like the way it looks better and it will fit in your car much easier" Again with the stroller my love? Really?? This boy...never ceases to put a smile on my face. I couldnt help but crack up as I lay there in bed. So Mr. Sandman...although I do enjoy these cramps because I know they are making room for our Peanut...I would appreciate the occasional dream sleep (while I still can) And will someone please buy my husband a stroller...it is evidently weighing heavily on his mind : )

This weekend we are going to enjoy the QUIET in our house that is no doubt a temporary fixture. Tonight we are going to watch a movie and laugh at what a difference a week can make in our lives : ) Tomorrow...I guess we will go buy a stroller. Wishing the best to all of you...have a great weekend