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!

The Kolbecks Do Europe - Germany

I finally got around to organizing the endless pictures and videos from our Europe trip and I loved reliving some incredible moments.



Here is a montage that I put together for the first half while we were in Germany. It's a bit long so make sure you have 20 minutes or so free to watch and make sure your sound is up! Enjoy!!

What Virtue Are You?

We were out of town this weekend so today's virtue post is not quite ready. Oddly enough, I came across this quiz about virtues that I thought I'd share with you. Not sure how accurate it is, which is why I'd love to hear how you do!

http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_virtue_are_you

The results show your breakdown of the various virtues based on your responses. Those virtues include: Courage, Diligence, Discretion, Flexibility, Generosity, Honor, Humility, and Patience. (Refer to my last post to understand why I scored low on Patience!)

I scored highest on Honor, which came with this description: You show respect for all life and have great respect for your elders. You uphold principles and morals and live by the code. You stand up for what's right no matter what the consequences. You uphold truth and integrity and always keep your word.

I am a rule follower so I think this is pretty spot on. Take the quiz and comment below with your results and why you do (or do not) agree with them!!

Patience is a Virtue

Has anyone ever told you “patience is a virtue”? Have you ever stopped to think about what that really means?

I think I’m pretty patient most of the time, but when it comes to driving, I turn into a totally different person. I used to sit in the infamous LA traffic every single morning and every single evening. It would take me at least an hour to get wherever I was going (no further than 30 miles!) and sometimes two hours. I can understand the frustration in these situations. You just want to get there already! But these days I work from home so my “commute” consists of getting out of bed and turning on the computer. I might get in the car once a day, usually not even that often. So how is that I still turn into a seething ball of aggravation when I get on the road?!

I might be going just a few minutes down the road to the grocery store, get stuck behind a sloooow driver and find myself angrily grumbling about the dangers of driving below the speed limit. What?!?

Or maybe I’m entering the freeway and the lane is merging but the car in front of me hasn’t figured that out yet. “That guy’s clueless!”

How about when you’re behind someone who is brake happy even when there’s no reason to slow down or stop?! I’ve been known to speed up and get myself far away from that type.

And one of my pet peeves…leaving your signal on for decades and not going anywhere. “Hellooooo change lanes already!”

These are all pretty ridiculous (and quite irrational) reactions to very minimal situations. So what gives?

Patience, by definition, is tolerance and acceptance of delay, difficulty and mistakes…here’s the kicker…WITHOUT becoming agitated or upset. It is the quiet hope and trust that things will turn out right.

Think about it: eventually, we will all make it to our destination. And it’s ok that not everyone is as good a driver as me. (I kid.) Now let’s be clear, there’s a wide gap between maniacal road rage and “Sunday driving” and I think we should all aim to be somewhere in between so as to minimize irritation for all.  And now I’m not just talking about on the road…

Our world has become saturated with this idea of “instant gratification”. We want to be rewarded right now and when that doesn’t happen, “road rage” sets in. We are plagued by selfishness and mistrust so we look out for ourselves. And when someone gets in the way of our selfish desires, “road rage” sets in.

Wouldn’t it be nice to slow things down, feel less stressed, exercise better decision making, and develop some empathy and compassion? Yes? Ok, time for us all to practice PATIENCE!! Easier said than done of course, so now I understand why “Patience is a virtue”.

So here’s what I’m going to do next time I get on the road and feel impatience begin to boil inside:

•            Take deep slow breaths and count to 10. This will slow your heart rate and relax your body.
•      Give yourself a pep talk. Remind yourself that everything will be ok and that being impatient won’t speed things along. Do something to distract you from the cause of your impatience. Read the Bible verses below.
•      Settle into the moment. Accept the things you can’t change (we hear this all the time).
•      Think big picture. Will this matter to me later today? Tomorrow? Next month? Next year? Hint: Probably not!
•      Stop demanding perfection of yourself. Oftentimes, we are putting the pressure on ourselves and it’s not necessary.
•      Actively practice patience. (This is the hardest one!) Put yourself into situations that require you to be patient. The next time you go to the grocery store, get in the longest line. Instead of going to the ATM at the bank, go inside.

Bible Verses on Patience: 

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:3

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Romans 8:25

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

“And endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:4

“A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.” Proverbs 15:18

Leading A Virtuous Life

This blog originally started so that I had a fun and simple way to share my life and my adventures with my family and friends…especially if they don’t have Facebook! But it has quickly grown to be a creative outlet for me since I really enjoy writing, as well as a way to reflect on and share various thoughts and topics without being too invasive. I’m sure there aren’t too many followers but simply being able to put my thoughts on paper, look back on how my life has evolved, and hoping maybe I touched a few lives in the process is good enough for me.

Lately I've found myself reflecting on what’s truly important in life and wondering how people define and find happiness in theirs. Maybe it’s because I’m feeling “deep” and “mooshy” today or maybe because I really want to know and to help myself and others achieve that healthy, happy, balanced lifestyle…but I'm excited to say that I've come up with something new to share with you all! A study of virtues!

My goal is to use my life and my surroundings to connect to and contemplate one virtue per week. It will be a challenge not only for me but a call to action for anyone else looking to embody goodness and happiness in their everyday life. Look out for more on Monday!

Do Like the Cavemen Did

Paleo has become a PASSION of mine! And I want to share it with YOU! Eating paleo made me a believer of the impact of food on your body. Never before had I truly understood and appreciated how GREAT you can look and feel if you fuel your body correctly. When I first started eating paleo, I lost 5 POUNDS IN 10 DAYS!! I wasn’t starving, in fact, I was completely satisfied! And I felt great about building a new and better nutrition habit.

After a two week European vacation, it’s been a bit difficult to get back on track. SO…I will be holding a FREE 7 Day Paleo Challenge to get myself back on track AND to bring you with me! For those of you who are curious about how you can benefit from eating Paleo, I urge you to give this a try. You WON’T be sorry!!!  Please comment below or message me directly if you want to join!! Grocery list and meal plan is provided so it’s super easy to follow!!