36 Days to Go!

Happy 4th Friends and Family! I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday. While I sit here with my feet up, resting before this evening's BBQ, I thought I'd give an update on where we at with Baby K.

We are just about ONE MONTH away from Katelyn's due date! I will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow and have started going to the doctor every two weeks, which will increase to every week very soon.

Here are some more progress pics and notes. I started to get lazy with the weekly pictures after a while but will try to recap as best I can. Enjoy!

April 5, 2015: 22 Weeks

Easter Sunday! Looking back, I highly doubt the baby was as big as this spaghetti squash but that's the veggie I think of when I hear spaghetti squash. Oh well.  

This is about the time I started wearing maternity clothes. Honestly, they are SO comfortable, I'm not sure why I waited so long!! My friend Tara was kind enough to loan me her maternity wardrobe so I have lots of comfy dresses and shirts. I invested in a pair of maternity jeans and some shirts from Old Navy. Every once in a while I'll buy a dress from Target but what I've found is that more often than not, maternity clothes have horizontal stripes and/or bows! What is up with that?! Aren't you supposed to steer clear of stripes even when you aren't pregnant??? My go-to outfit has been a maxi skirt with a long, soft tank top.

April 19, 2015: 24 Weeks

Quick trip to Vista on this weekend!

April 24. 2015: Grandma Joyce's 80th Birthday Celebration

The entire Kolbeck clan got dressed up Great Gatsby style to celebrate Grandma Joyce on the Queen Mary in Long Beach. It was a great night!

Granny with her Grandchildren

Granny with her kids

April 26, 2015: 25 Weeks

I can't locate any great pictures from the last two weeks. :( But here's a doozy for you...

I was supposed to fly to San Francisco on this day but hurt my knee the day before picking up the dog toys, of all things. I was on crutches for several days and it took many weeks for my knee to feel just right. After two trips to the doctor, there wasn't much they could say since an X-ray would not have showed anything and they can't do an MRI on a pregnant woman. Now my knee is pretty close to normal, although I have been having some strange toe pain in my right foot. Oddly enough, my right side is the one that swells more these days (week 35), despite the fact that the "hardware" is in my left ankle. Go figure.

My caretakers

May 3, 2015: 26 Weeks

Here are a few random pictures, but again, none with the chalkboard. Ooops!

From the Cute Fruit App

Headed out to lunch with Krystaaal and the girls

This is about the time I had accumulated enough baby clothes to do my first load of laundry! Apparently you are supposed to wash everything with a special baby detergent before their first wear. Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose, and it gave me an excuse to start organizing the closet in the nursery! Shopping for baby clothes has been my weakness. EVERY time I go to Target, I just happen to find myself in the baby section. The best part is, there are always tons of things on sale so how can you not pick up an outfit for $7 or a cute onesie for $4?!?

May 10, 2015: 27 Weeks

Mother's Day!! We got to see all of our family and celebrate our wonderful mothers...AND everyone made me feel so special even though Baby Katelyn hasn't even arrived yet!

This week was a fun one. We started to get the nursery set up with a crib and dresser, we received the first gift off our registry, my feet were barely visible and I had to take my glucose test which checks for gestational diabetes. Everything came back normal!

May 17, 2015: 28 Weeks

So everyone's definition of the third trimester seems to be a bit different but this is where I considered mine to begin. What an exciting milestone! And, again, no chalkboard picture. Sheesh. 

Bathroom Selfie!

John resting during a break at our childbirth prep class

Getting some practice in with Baby Emma - Born April 9

Celebrating Grandma Kolbeck with the Shull Elementary team

May 24, 2015: 29 Weeks

Memorial Day Weekend! The bump is getting big! This was pretty much our last free weekend until July or August so we decided on an impromptu babymoon in Huntington Beach. It was great to get away and spend some quality time together.

Poolside

Dressed up for dinner

May 31, 2015: 30 Weeks

Auntie Amber's Bachelorette Party in San Diego!!

June 7, 2015: 31 Weeks

Hard to believe I'm carrying something the size of a pineapple! John likes to say it looks like I'm smuggling a basketball. Hahaha!! 

Auntie Camille graduated on June 4th so Auntie Kylie was in town and the whole Bassett gang was together. We also took a baby basics class which covered things to know once baby arrives (bathing, feeding, swaddling, etc.). John was the super swaddler extraordinaire! At this point I stopped being able to see my feet and started feeling a serious urge to nest and stock up on random things (deodorant, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc).

June 14, 2015: 32 Weeks

Baby Shower Day!! What a beautiful celebration of Katelyn. I always love getting my favorite people together in one place. Looking back one month later, I'm glad we did the shower a bit earlier because now I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable...every little thing seems difficult. And it's just SO hot!

June 21, 2015: 33 Weeks

Celebrated Father's Day! And took maternity pics with Meghan Wiesman Photography. I cannot wait to see the rest!

June 28, 2015: 34 Weeks

Uncle Joe and Auntie Amber got married on June 27th! It was a beautiful weekend in Laguna Beach. Katelyn Rose was the honorary flower girl and John and I got to walk down the aisle together. What a special moment!

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day!

It was after this weekend that I started to feel very swollen all the time. There is a clear change in how my body looks and feels when I'm on my feet too much or haven't drank enough water. I now understand why people say they are "just ready for baby" towards the end and I'm sure I'll feel like that very soon!

On June 30, we had our third trimester ultrasound, where Katelyn was estimated to be 5lbs 8oz. This means that she could gain up to 3 pounds from now until her due date! Whoa! Crazy to think since I was 5lbs 14oz AT BIRTH. This is just an estimate and I've heard they can be off by as much as a pound either way so I guess at this point, it's a crapshoot. We do know that she is head down, which is a good sign!

Weeks 35 and after coming soon!!! As Grandpa Chuck said, it is so weird to think that there are fewer days left than there were weeks we when we started this whole process. We are so excited! When do you think Baby Katelyn will make her arrival???

Baby Progress and Countdown

Hope everyone had a very happy Easter! How blessed are we that Jesus died for our sins?! In cousin Ben's words...thank you Jesus for throwing out our sins! I have lots of pictures and fun stories to share but will save those for another day. I've been playing around with different pregnancy countdowns and thought I'd share a few fun ones. This way you (and I) can refer back to this post any time we are curious exactly what size the baby is, how much progress has been made or what the fetal development is like. Cool huh?!

Halfway to Baby K!

It has been a loooong while since I've posted and we've been quite busy over the last several months. We are expecting our first child...a baby GIRL! Due on August 9, 2015!! We could not be more excited and cannot wait to meet our little girl.

In fact, as I write this, I am already halfway through my 40 weeks of pregnancy! This is such a strange thought since I was just getting used to the idea of being pregnant. I wanted to share a recap of my pregnancy (and the other things going on in our lives) over the past 20 weeks...

One of the fun things I've seen many moms-to-be do is document their pregnancy week by week so they look back on their progress, size, thoughts, etc. Many do this on cute chalkboards. So a chalkboard for our home was on my list of projects before we even had any news to share.

Here is me on November 16, 2014 in front of the wall where the chalkboard would go. NOT YET PREGNANT but had to test the photo taking angle. :)

Here are my starting materials: A piece of plywood measured to fit the wall we had in mind, primer, black chalkboard paint and strong wood glue.

After a coat of primer.

Once the chalkboard was painted, I wanted to also add a space to hang other pictures and notes by way of a cork board. I save all of our wine corks and try to note the date and event on each so I thought using the corks would be the perfect way to personalize the top of the chalkboard. Organizing the corks by size proved to be a chore!

Chalkboard up before I started the cork board.

Finished chalkboard and cork board!

Because my body was going through so many subtle changes, I had a feeling I was pregnant before we took a test. It started with lots of strange dreams (and I never dream!) and I always felt very warm (come to find out that when you are pregnant, your temperature goes up just a bit and stays up throughout your pregnancy). At one point, John asked how sure I was about being pregnant and my response was 90%...

December 3, 2014: Home Pregnancy Test was positive!! It was a weird, exciting time full of anticipation, fear, uncertainty and of course, hope. We wanted to do this together but had been busy all day and John was studying for a big test so we ended up at the store around 9:30p or 10p to buy the HPT...something we had no clue about. At home, I peed on the stick and we walked away for the recommended three minutes. We ran back into the bathroom, flipped the stick over and saw two pink lines!!! I think I shrieked and jumped up and down and John had a shocked/excited look on his face...probably thinking, "this is really happening."

HPT Positive!!

Dad to be having a celebratory drink

And of course we had to get big sister Lexi in on the fun!

If you know anything about being pregnant (and I sure didn't know much before this!), once you take an HPT, you are already about FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS pregnant. This is because the 40 week countdown begins on the first day of your last period. Apparently this is the most accurate way to track progress and due date. I called my doctor as soon as we found out and they said to come in around 6-8 weeks. What the heck?! I thought for sure that regular protocol was to go in ASAP to have the pregnancy confirmed. Nope, they trusted our HPT and said see ya in a few weeks. Until then, the idea of being pregnant, seemed just that...an idea...

Thus begins our weekly photos and updates...

December 7, 2014: 5 Weeks
I have a bunch of cool apps on my phone which tell me how big the baby is each week. It is very helpful to have something to visualize. Remember that she started here as the size of an apple seed and take a guess at where she's at now...

December 14, 2014: 6 Weeks
My first trimester (and entire pregnancy) has been incredibly smooth and easy. Not one bout of morning sickness...although there were definitely sudden moments of nausea. The biggest challenge was being super tired...more tired than is possible to describe. Luckily, I work from home and could take naps whenever it made sense.

December 21, 2014: 7 Weeks
Let me tell you...the holidays is a tough time to keep a secret...especially when I wasn't enjoying a cocktail here and there at various Christmas parties and gatherings! This is right around when we started to share our good news with family and friends. We were soooo excited to give everyone a Christmas surprise! During this week, we had our first doctor's appointment, which made it seem even more real. The doctor went through all of the usual tips and medical recommendations...what not to eat, the things my body might experience, etc. We also had our first ultrasound. The baby was not much more than a round dot BUT we could actually SEE the heartbeat on the screen!

December 28, 2014: 8 Weeks
To be honest, I can't remember if I even took an 8 week photo. This was right after Christmas and I know we were in San Diego for the holiday bowl during this time. Either way, not much to report. :)

January 1, 2015: THE BIG REVEAL!!
Everyone does this part differently. Some people tell the whole wide world the moment they take a pregnancy test. Others are more cautious and wait until the end of the first trimester. We knew we wanted to do something cute and creative so decided to use this as an opportunity for the best new year resolution ever. When John and I were dating, on NYE 2010/2011 we made a resolution to get engaged. And sure enough, on August 15, 2011, he proposed. The next year our resolution was, of course, to get married. Then to get a dog and so on. Until...

January 4, 2015: 9 Weeks
By this time, baby had grown significantly in size and it was no wonder I felt so tired.

January 11, 2015: 10 Weeks
From a grape to a kumquat in one week seems like a lot of growth. Right around 10 weeks is when I noticed my clothes becoming tighter. I was stuck "in between" looking skinny and looking pregnant for what seemed like forever. At this point, I was just starting to feel bloated and chubby. The main food aversion that I can remember was ground turkey/beef. I could not smell it or cook it but I could eat it...depending on the day. This is still a small issue at 20 weeks. I just never know when I'll get grossed out! Luckily John is a master at cooking ground turkey so I have been able to leave the kitchen until dinner's ready. :)

Can't forget Broncos' game day!

January 13, 2015: Blood Test Complete - This is the test that would tell us whether Baby Kolbeck is a boy or girl!! Results came in two weeks.

January 18, 2015: 11 Weeks
One of the most surreal things up to this point was hearing the baby's heartbeat. This is something they do at every appointment, starting this week, when they don't do an ultrasound. Another thing I've learned...ultrasounds are expensive and you actually only do a handful throughout your entire pregnancy. Anyways, they put a little wand over your belly and find the baby's heartbeat and check the heart rate to make sure it's healthy. It was amazing! Another milestone and another moment that made this whole seem REAL. I believe the heart rate was 142 (or was it 146??) this week.

January 25, 2014: 12 Weeks
There's all sorts of literature out there on when your 2nd trimester starts. It seems like everyone does it differently so it gets quite confusing. 12 weeks is the end of 3 months so that seems as logical as any time. Regardless of the official trimester, I was starting to feel much better around this time. Less nausea and more energy. Now you can see my belly start to protrude a bit.

January 30, 2015: Picked up blood test results! 

Baby's gender is in the envelope. But we didn't peek. Instead we took it straight to a bakery to order gender reveal cupcakes. Look at all that pink I'm sporting! ;) 

February 1, 2015: 13 Weeks

They say when you're expecting a girl, you crave sweets and citrus. (One of MANY wives' tales!) I wouldn't say I've had specific cravings, especially because I always have a sweet tooth, but I did notice myself drinking more juice, and really enjoying fresh squeezed juice from the oranges on our tree. I just assumed this was because my beverage options are limited, but...

February 6, 2015: Gender Reveal

It's a GIRL!!!

February 8, 2015: 14 Weeks

I think this picture starts to show you how much better I was feeling around this time. I noticed my skin starting to clear up (although breakouts still come and go randomly). An orange?! She is getting big!

February 15, 2015: 15 Weeks

At this point I guess I started to get lazy with my documentation. I can't even find pictures of my chalkboard! Tear. Baby was the size of an avocado.

February 22, 2015: 16 Weeks

Again, no picture. Can you say prego brain?!? 

March 1, 2015: 17 Weeks

Ok, I know what happened on this week! I wrote on the chalkboard but did not want to take a picture. During this week, I started to notice more significant weight gain and a baby belly that looked more like a beer belly all of a sudden appeared! I also got to hear the heartbeat again AND I'm pretty sure I felt her move. It felt like a little tickle or flutter and I didn't think anything of it at first but it happened again a few days later and again so I'm pretty sure that's her doing flips in there. :) 

March 8, 2015: 18 Weeks
Now there is a noticeable bump so I decided to embrace it! I'm pretty sure I'll be living in maxi skirts and tank tops or long dresses since it's already starting to get hot and this type of free flowing, cotton clothing is so much more comfortable. Fun fact - right around this time, the baby starts to hear so lots of reading and singing for us. :)

March 15, 2015: 19 Weeks
I tried to frame my tummy with my arms but it just looks funny. I'm not quite sure how to do this so that it looks cute and highlights my growing belly. I'll have to practice in the coming weeks. Cool baby development note - her senses are developing!!!

March 22, 2015: 20 Weeks
HALFWAY there!! How did that happen?! My belly is definitely out and I've gained a good amount of weight. I'm trying to get back into a good exercise routine, which has been tough and I always feel hungry! The movements have changed from a flutter to more of a flicker and it's an incredible feeling! Sometimes I am still not sure if I'm feeling the baby move or it's something else but then I sit still and wait and it becomes more obvious that there's a whole lot of activity going on in there!

We've started a baby registry and we painted the nursery so we are slowly but surely starting to get ready for August 9 (or around there). Next up...another ultrasound this week. I'm thinking this one will be incredible since she's as long as a banana and the size of an artichoke! We are looking forward to lots and lots of fun activities with family and friends over the next FOUR-ish months...that's all we have left! WOW!