Genius!!

How come I have never learned how to do this?? My life and linen closet will forever be changed!

Panic Friday

Yesterday I had my 34 week OB appointment and my blood pressure was a little high. They had me lie down on my left side and left me alone in the room for what seemed like hours for me to calm down so they could retake it. Or instead of calming down...googling high blood pressure in pregnancy on my iphone and freaking out!! I was very, very worked up. The nurse came in and took it again and it was lower, but still borderline. So, they checked my urine sample and that was fine and then they took a blood sample and sent me on the way and told me I would hear the results that day.

So, while I was waiting for the results I proceeded to panic and stopped at babies r us and target and picked up everything I could think of that I still needed to get to be ready for the baby to arrive. The worst case scenerios were running through my head: bed rest, or early induction, etc. I was a mess!

Luckily, once I got home I got the call that my bloodwork came back fine and they just think my blood pressure was a little elevated that morning. I have to go back next Friday as well as weekly now on until the end of my pregnancy to make sure everything is fine. I feel like I am in the safe zone for now, but still it makes me worried. My current project is packing my hospital bag and making sure everything here at home is ready to go, just in case!

In all honesty though, I really have been feeling worse since starting school and I don't know if it is unrelated or not. But, it is a little stressful trying to do my job when I am only at school 10 hours a week and plus after rehearsal I am just drenched in sweat because it is so hot in my room. I'm talking dripping face, wet hair sweat. It's gross. Hopefully this next week will be smoother and everything will still be fine at my next appointment.

In other news...I set up the newborn napper on my pack and play and it is just so darling! I couldn't resist a picture!


It even has a little thing you hook up to it for vibration! I hope our little baby likes snuggling up in this when he or she comes home!

Sewing a Tag Blanket

I saw this cute minky dot fabric at Hobby Lobby the other day, so I thought I would make a tag blanket for a friend of mine's shower. It was really fun, and I can't believe how cute it turned out!


I got the information on how to make one from this source:
http://www.chicaandjo.com/
(although I think mine is much cuter!)



I also decided to make her a couple of matching burp cloths with the extra fabric I had. I think it just makes those gerber cloth diapers look so much cuter!

And here is her finished gift-so fun to put together! It is a little changing carrier with a changing pad, wipes, diaper cream, baby powder, and diaper bags/dispenser. I think it turned out pretty cute! I hope she likes it!

I got so hyped up after my successful sewing project that I went out and bought more material to make a boppy cover with. Results: big fail! Stay tuned for my second try on that one!

34 Weeks!

This week marks number 34....can you believe it?

I am a little in shock myself that this baby could be here in 6 weeks. Or maybe less, hopefully not too much more. :o) At our prenatal class they did say that most women do deliver around 41 weeks, so I am trying not to get my hopes up about anything happening anytime soon. We want this babe to cook as long as possible!!

And as always...from babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

How your life's changing:

By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.

Ditto, Ditto, Ditto on the fatigue! I have definitely been feeling more tired than I have been in the last few months. It is not as bad as first trimester, but a little unexpected after feeling so great for so long! Luckily with my new schedule at school, I no longer have to wake up early and I've been getting up around 8 every day. Yes, I know you hate me....but I am paying the price dearly by having a severely reduced paycheck and lots of feelings of low self worth. That is a whole different story in itself though! I always hear ladies say how you should sleep now because it won't be the same when baby comes, so that is exactly what I am doing! And also, with all this extra time at home...my house has never been cleaner! I even did a load of laundry today "for fun". What the heck is wrong with me??

Besides feeling extra tired, I have been feeling very much like there is a little baby inside me. I can feel it up in my ribs when I am slouching in my chair or curled up in bed, but otherwise it is not too comfortable. Also, the baby is still moving lots! I was a little worried the other night when I thought it wasn't moving as much so I thought I would do my kick counts. Well, I had ten in about 2 minutes! Silly baby. :o)

We did instrument tryouts the past two times I've been at school. The last tryouts involved kids trying the trombone with the bell pointed right at my tummy. The other teacher in the room said, "Does your baby like these sounds? Is it moving around alot?" ha! Poor baby will probably have a lifetime complex about brass instruments developed from in the womb.! Who knows?

Lazy weekend

This weekend was a rare one at our house: nothing going on! It has been great!

We even watched two movies! First of all, I would just like to profess my love for James Franco, as seen in Milk.

He is just so darn cute!! I spent the whole movie relaying exactly what he was doing the whole movie to my husband in the other room (which I am sure he appreciated). I had to stop halfway through because Sean Penn as Harvey Milk broke up with James Franco and I was pretty devastated.

I never really like James Franco until this summer when I watched Freaks and Geeks on netflix. He is so dreamy! I also really like Jason Segel in the series too...he just seems like such a regular guy. I thought it was funny how his F&G's character is very similar to his character in I love you, man. How many things do you see that feature drummers who love Rush?



Also, we watched Gran Torino last night. I know-this is not new but we were just getting around to it on our list. So. Good.



I also thought it was interesting because we just watched it last night and this morning in church the pastor played two clips of it during his sermon. How is that for timely? Also, the majority of the sermon was about some very controversial issues going on in the Lutheran church-which was what Milk was about also. Pretty weird, huh?

I'll have to get the scoop on next week's sermon so I can plan my movie watching accordinly! :o)

How my garden grows...

I love this time of year!

Scott was out mowing last night and he said, "Why don't you come out and work in the yard too?" And by working in the yard, I'm almost positive he meant taking pictures of all my plants! :o)

They have been doing relatively well despite my neglect that comes from not being able to bend over anymore!

Here are my beautiful purple fountain grasses-so pretty in the sunlight!

I love this view from the retaining walls-it is what greets me when I am coming home from the east. So many beautiful colors!



I went a little overboard on the wave petunias this year. But, I had a hard time finding them and so when I did, I just bought a ton! They did so well and grew so much. And they have an added bonus...they smell wonderful!!

Here are some before and afters:

Before:

After:



Wowzers!

Before:

After:

I love that freakishly huge sweet potato on the right. It is a monster!!!

Before:

After:



Also, huge freakish monster! But, I like it. :o)

And how beautiful is that corn in the background? Such a pretty time of year for living out in the country! I will be so sad when I see that combine rolling around in the near future!

Baby shower recap

As I mentioned earlier, this past weekend was my big baby shower!
(which reminds me...I should probably be doing thank you notes as we speak! eek!)

It was a great time and lots of wonderful friends and family came to help me celebrate the arrival of the new baby. Everyone was so generous and I am so excited at all the new baby things we have!
(which reminds me...I should probably get busy on organizing the nursery!)



I am super excited about our pack and play in this fun pattern. I think we will use it a ton!

Also in the same matching pattern is our travel system, which now allows me to stop having nightmares about leaving for the hospital and not having our carseat yet! We've had tons of fun pushing it around the house already.

My grandma gave me this rocker which she used to rock my mom and her siblings. She re-caned the seat for me and re-varnished it. It is so beautiful and I can't believe how well it fits in my home! It will be a treasured piece for a lifetime.



Also...notice my cat investigating everything which he thinks is his job. Everything that is just the right size for a baby is also just the right size for a kitty!

Notice there are no pictures of me...hopefully I will post some soon when the hostesses email them to me! :o)

It was a great day!

33 weeks

Another week is going by quickly! I can't believe how fast the past two have gone...I have a feeling this baby will be here before I know it! I have been so busy with starting school that it really helps the time fly by. The worst part is I feel like every day I go to school I have to take extra time to recover because I am so worn out! I definitely feel it when I overdo it at school, but I have to get my work done!

The new schedule is going to take some getting used to. After being at school for a day, I am all geared up with a big list of things to do for the next day-but the next day isn't until Tuesday! Ugh. I have a feeling this year is going to get off to a very slow start. Hopefully the kids will be at a place where I can leave them when October rolls around.

That's enough about school!!

Here's from thebump.com:

Baby is the size of a Honeydew melon!

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

It looks like I better brush up on my singing! Or all this baby is going to know is beginning band tunes played by my students! :o)

One thing I have noticed a lot just recently is lots of big movements. It feels like the baby is beating me up from the inside and pushing on my stomach-almost to the point where it is uncomfortable. And it definitely feels like a little baby in there....I can tell when it is a butt or a back or legs or arms. Weird. I always wondered early on in my pregnancy if I would ever feel like there was a little baby inside or just feel like I had a big tummy and well..I guess I have my answer!

We are getting very excited to meet our little one and I am curious to see how our life changes when they are here! :o)

Nursery Progress

Here it is...the moment you've been waiting for!!

Rocker my mom and I recovered with fabric from hobby lobby. We still have a queen bed in the room, that is why the rocker is kind of squished in the corner!

Circle decals from dalidecals.com

Wall color is "Mexican Sand" from Sherwin Williams.

Crib is Million Dollar Baby, bumper and crib skirt from Target

Moses basket that my mom made me out of leftover rocker fabric

Now...all we have to do is wait for a little baby to arrive! :o)

Weekend Recap

We had a busy weekend here at our house!

Scott's family was here to help celebrate baby Kundel with a baby shower but we also had lots of time to spend with each other. Here are some of the highlights!




Scampy got lots of attention this weekend. In fact, he hid all of Sunday afternoon after everyone left to recover. Finally today he seems to be back to his old self. I think it was a shock for him to be around so many kids!



Also popular this weekend was Scott's new game: Wii Sports Resort. I think his niece and nephew are lucky to have such a nice uncle! :o) They didn't want to leave because they were having so much fun playing the new game!



Also to help elevate his cool uncle status, Scott took the boat out two times this weekend! I went out on Sunday morning and we got some tubing in before it started to rain again. I think Lauren and Andy were kind of scared to go tubing at first but afterwards they said it was "awesome!!".

Even Ellie had a great time on the boat! Susan even took a turn on the tube...even though we had to "geriatric speed".

It was a great weekend spent with our nieces and nephew!

Fair Time!

Hey Everyone!

It has been busy around here lately!

Last week my sister was at the state fair from Tuesday-Saturday and I had a chance to see her in action. I headed out to the state fairgrounds on Thursday night after a full day of inservice and got there just in time to chat with her a bit backstage. Here she is:

While we were backstage, we saw my two favorite celebrities: Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas!!!

aka: Dancing with the Stars winners!!! I was pretty excited. :o)

Denise did a great job at her introduction, even after waiting for 100 other girls to go before her. She sounded very excited and was very poised! And she looked great!

After that, I was hot and tired so I got some food on a stick and went to retrieve my car from the east sider's backyard I had parked in.

Great job, Denise!

32 Weeks

32 Weeks Pregnant!

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

How your life's changing:

To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.

You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor.

Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.
(from babycenter.com)

I agree! I have been feeling much more pregnant just recently (maybe something to do with having school start and being in a chair all day?). I have recently noticed some rib pain when I am sitting and slouching which really stinks! Baby's movements are also becoming really big-like I can feel it when a little butt is shifting across the top of tummy. The OB said it felt the baby was head down and should stay that way until it is born so that is great news! Now all I have to do is patiently wait. Easy, right?

VIDEO: Woodbury Co. Fair royalty crowned

Here is a video of the ceremony for your viewing pleasure:

VIDEO: Woodbury Co. Fair royalty crowned

Shared via AddThis

Fair Queens

My baby sister was crowned the Woodbury County Fair Queen this past week at our county fair. I was very proud of her, especially since I was the 2002 Woodbury County Fair Queen. So long ago!!

Here is a great article from the local paper about it (check out the sweet nod to me!):

Classmates earn royalty honors at Woodbury Fair

By Tim Gallagher | Posted: Thursday, August 06, 2009 MOVILLE, Iowa -- Two Woodbury Central High School juniors were crowned king and queen Wednesday at the Woodbury County Fair in Moville.

Dylan Bechen, son of Steve and Amy Bechen of rural Moville, earned the king accolade while his classmate, Denise Rumohr, daughter of Dennis and Julie Rumohr of rural Moville, won the queen's crown.

Rumohr is the second Woodbury County Fair queen in her family as her sister Rose won the title seven years ago. Rose's trophy stands in the Rumohr home amid an assortment of trophies family members have earned for showing hogs, competing in tractor pulls and wrestling.

They'll make room for the 2009 hardware.

Rumohr is active as a cheerleader at Woodbury Central. She also takes part in student council, band, choir and drill team. She's a member of the Arlington Future Farmers' 4-H Club.

That's the same club in which Bechen participates. He's a member of the Wildcat football, baseball and basketball teams. He's a member of the school band, the quiz bowl team and has participated in drama.

Both will receive $1,000 scholarships.

During the question-and-answer session, Rumohr fielded a query about her favorite county fair activity. She said she enjoys Share the Fun most because it allows her the chance to perform and spread some fun.

Bechen was asked to name a role model. "I'd say it's my dad because he's given me a great work ethic," he said.

That work ethic is being tested this week. Bechen will show hogs this morning, sheep this afternoon and then dash to football camp before returning to the fair for his duties as king.

Rumohr, for her part, will also show hogs this morning before handing out trophies as the new queen.

Other award winners named at the coronation:

Andrea Bernard of Correctionville was first princess and miss congeniality. Jessica Koenig of Sloan was second princess. Other members of the queen's court are Lauren Eckert of Sioux City, Megan Logan of Sioux City, Avery Nepper of Oto, Shelby Perez of Moville and Kayla Sands of Moville.

Tony Hansen of Hornick was named first prince, while Mark Nelson of Moville secured the second prince honor. Moville's Alex Ralson was named Mr. personality. Other members of the king's court include Matt Lord of Sioux City and Ethan Todd of Cushing.

Here is the article

I was also able to make it home for a couple days to see her in action.

Here she is handing out samples during a beef cookoff:

And here she is auctioning off her pie at the pie auction:

Mom was pretty worried that dad would have to buy it, but luckily the fair board bought it for $400. When I was the fair queen, the store manager at the HyVee I worked at bought my pie...and for quite a bit of money I think! That was very nice of him, considering I quit like the next week to go back to ISU.

Also at the fair were these geese:



I am totally getting them to come to our baby's 1st birthday party October 2010!

And just so you are not hanging...here is my photo of when I was fair queen back in the olden days!



Taken on my mom's brand spanking new 1st ever digital camera! How's that for a flash back??