Wicked!

Scott and I saw Wicked last night at the Civic Center and it was awesome!

I had been wanting to see it ever since my mom and sister when to NYC in 2005 and saw it there. Can you believe I had to wait four years? Des Moines has been advertising it for about two years and I was glad I had the chance to go. I knew I wanted to go but then we put off buying tickets until about a month ago when we sprung for them for our wedding anniversary present to each other.

I'm also glad it worked out so we could squeeze it in before baby arrives! I was worried, but everything was fine. :o) Mom and my sister are going again when they come to see the new baby (hopefully it is here by then!) so that will be fun for them. Mom is taking vacation for two weeks after this weekend so I hope baby arrives so she can some help me!!

Anyway...the show was great. The actress playing Elphaba was fresh off of playing her on Broadway and she was by far the best cast member. And she is also my favorite and sings my favorite songs, so I am a little biased. Also a surprise was that the Wizard was played by the actor who also played Kenny the station manager in "Frasier". (we are huge fans of Frasier and I think we've seen every epidsode...dorky, right?)

It was a great night out! Thanks Scott!

39 weeks!

39 weeks!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

How your life's changing:

At each of your now-weekly visits, your caregiver will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even armed with this information, there's still no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is coming. If you go past your due date, your caregiver will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don't go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you're between one and two weeks overdue — or sooner if there's an indication that the risk of waiting is greater than the risks of delivering your baby without further delay.

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Another week down, another day closer to baby being here. :o) Yesterday I was feeling pretty uncomfortable at school so I was telling people that maybe it would be my last day! Well...today I feel fine! And we have a meeting at 1;30, so I suppose I better head in for that. :o(

At any rate, tomorrow is my last day for sure. I already told my superintendent to make sure my sub would be here starting next Tuesday my due date. And at this rate, I'm pretty sure I won't have a baby by tomorrow.

I've still been feeling pretty good although after the show last night, my ankles had swelled to a greater degree than ever before! I think it was a combination of being in school all day (which they always swell during) and then sitting through a 3 hour show. I put them up during the night and then some more this morning and they are looking much better. I will be sooo glad when I can wear regular shoes again!

In other baby updates, I have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday to check the position of the baby. I feel like it is head down, but it will be fun to see the little baby again. It reminds me of a dream I had months ago where I had gotten another ultrasound and they told me the sex of the baby by accident and I was so mad!! I figured it would never happen because I wouldn't have another ultrasound but now....you never know! My dreams aren't usually prophecies, so I think I will be okay.

Stay tuned! :o)

Nesting

The sun was shining in the windows the other day in the nursery and it was so pretty I just had to take a picture!







Here are all my dresser drawers, ready to go for baby!

I love this picture of Scampy...he honestly thinks this is his room! Today he was like this in the morning when I left for school AND when I came home from school. Do you think he moved at all?

Trees!

We have our very own forest!

Scott and I had 10 evergreen trees planted a few weeks ago and I just think they look so nice! It adds so much more interest to our lot and I think they will be a nice windbreak when they get a little taller in a few years. They are about six feet tall right now and look like little Christmas trees!


The tree guy planted a variety of trees (white pine, black hills spruce, douglas fir) and kind of planted them randomly so it didn't look like a boring straight line of windbreak trees. I really like how it turned out.

We've had our windows open and the fans going and this fall weather feels so awesome to this pregnant lady!

Weekend Recap

It has been a busy weekend!

The weekend started out with a Dave Matthews Band concert at Principal Park in downtown Des Moines. It was a beautiful evening and it was a great concert! We had reserved seating in the stands and no one stood at all the whole concert...which was totally fine by me. I don't think I could have handled anything other than that!

Here is a shot of the whole crew:

This was the first time Dave Matthews had been back in Iowa since he played in Ames in 2004...which was the last time I saw him. I was even 21 then! Eek!



Carter is so funny-he is always just chillin back there and cranking out cool stuff!

(photos from dmregister.com)


Saturday was ISU football vs. Army. It was also a beautiful day and we had a great time tailgating with friends.


Our friend Dave brought a keg a beer (what a friend!) and I made pulled pork and rotel cheese dip (which we are still eating!). Pork butt roasts were on sale for $.99 a pound at Hyvee so I got two 7 lb-ers and cooked them up!



Did I mention it was a beautiful day?



Our friends Steve and Jeynae stopped by and I was bummed I didn't get to chat with them very much but after the game they stopped by again (along with our friends Eric and Jodi) and it was good to talk with them. They are expecting in March and I think they are going to be great parents!



I thought it was a pretty big honor to play Army and I think ISU did a good job of honoring it before and during the game. Pretty cool!



The band sounded great this week and had a cool show-music from Slumdog Millionaire and Up. They even spelled it out and made the little house.

The 2nd picture is how to make sure your group gets noticed at a football game...they were bright!

Baby things

Well...I'm still here! I feel like baby can really come anytime!

We had our last prenatal class last night and little did I know it was going to be a quiz type class on everything we learned so far! I wish I had studied!! But really, I have read so much I think I have a pretty good handle on things.

The hospital tour was very informative and answered lots of my questions. There is room service for food (yay!), except the husband only gets one meal. However, we did notice one of the nurses had Jimmy John's delivered while we were on the tour so that is a helpful tip. Also, maybe this will be a good opportunity for Scott to finally try Big Tomato pizza which is downtown and carry out only. And yes...eating is my number one concern about being in the hospital! lol!

It was pretty slow on the floor when we had our tour, but there were two babies in the nursery. So cute!! It is so hard to imagine that in just a short time that will be ME and MY baby at the hospital. It just seems so unreal.

After the class we headed to Target and Scott bought me a birthing ball to use while we are at home.



We've used them a lot in class and I like sitting and bouncing on it, or leaning over it to stretch out my back. It also makes a pretty nice footrest (for the relaxing on the couch birthing position). It was only $8.99 and we can use it after the birth for abs (what are those?) exercises! I was impressed Scott wanted to buy me something to help with labor!

Also, I just discovered the online nursery where you can look at pictures of all the new babies born at the hospital. It is interesting to see what the babies are wearing!

Here is a link for all you baby gawkers like myself out there!

Gender Neutral Outfits

I went a little crazy today and picked up some more gender neutral outfits in smaller sizes. I really do not have a ton of clothes for the new baby and lots of my stuff is in larger sizes, just because I kind of picked what I liked at garage sales and whatnot.

I got several things in newborn size, and I am keeping the tags on those just in case they are too tiny! But you never know!

I really like these cream colored classic pooh outfits. The one on the right is a little jacket/pants/onesie set. So cute!

I thought these sleepers were cute too, although they looked pretty tiny in newborn size! I like the kitty one...and I think a boy could wear that. Boys like kitties too, right?



I also picked up some socks because I didn't have any! I thought these were too cute to resist!

Warning!

Warning: Do not look at this blog, it will overwhelm you with cuteness!

www.spearmintbaby.com

I was browsing there and I saw this:



I would love to do a daybed like this in my nursery...maybe someday! What a nice little place to catch a nap! :o) I love all those cute pillows too!

38 weeks!

38 weeks!

Another uneventful week has gone by...thankfully!

Here's what babycenter.org has to say:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

How your life's changing:

For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can.

I have been very good about practicing my patience! I honestly do not think the baby is going to come anytime soon...but I could be wrong! I've been adding things to my hospital bag and making lists to make sure we know what we need to take with us to the hospital, just in case. We go on the "real"hospital tour Sunday at our last prenatal class and I'm hoping they can answer some of my questions. Like, how long do you really stay at the hospital? Can Scott go home or does he sleep there too? Will I want Scott to go home and come back? What do we do about food?

We took a baby basics class last night and it was pretty good-even Scott learned some things. We learned how to swaddle a baby, which I had never been able to figure out before! The nurse also pointed out the main points from the book "Happiest Baby on the Block" which I have been reading! So yay! It is just so hard to know what to prepare for....fear of the unknown, I guess.

I picked up a couple books at the library today about breastfeeding, so I am looking forward to reading those. Today I was watching "Bringing Home Baby" on DHC and the new mom tried to breastfeed her baby for like 2 seconds and then said, "okay, get the formula". I was like...what?? That is all you are going to try for? I feel like as soon as babies get used to a bottle and formula, it makes it that much harder for them to breastfeed. I really want it to work out for us, so I am arming myself with knowledge...because knowledge is power, right?

We are gearing up for a big weekend here: Friday night we are going to see Dave Matthews Band downtown at the baseball field and also hosting out of town guests; Saturday we are boating, tailgating, and watching some ISU football; Sunday we have our last prenatal class; Tuesday-we are seeing Wicked!! So I figure after all of this is done...baby K can arrive! Let's hope he or she doesn't have other plans!

More Basement Updates and Nesting

I think we are getting closer to having this puppy done!

This weekend our handy man was here and installed the crown molding on the cabinets in the kitchen downstairs. I think it looks pretty nice and gives it a more finished look. It's pretty hefty crown molding...not sure what I was on when I picked that out. It must have been the 1st trimester zombies!

I like the middle cabinet that goes all the way up to ceiling. It is really nice because it fills the space, but we can't even hardly open the doors without a step-stool! We'll have to have one down there to keep handy.

He also finished putting up most of the baseboard trim and it looks really nice as a total package. This room is totally done! Now all we have to do is wait for flooring which Scott assures me can be done anytime. Scott has about 12 doors to stain (I know...what were we thinking?) so I think he wants to wait with the flooring until he has those done.

This room below is my favorite, and I think it will probably become a playroom! That way we can cram all the kid junk in there and shut the door! (wishful thinking!)

Scott has also been doing some nesting himself...he started this big DVD organizing project. I'm not sure what prompted it, but he even went out and bought containers to store the DVD's in (organized by genre, then alphabetical). He is also in the process of ripping all the DVD's to our home server PC so eventually we can just grab them off there instead of digging for the actual DVD...unless of course we want the best quality possible, then we get the DVD to watch. Yeesh! Any other husbands out there media-philes? It is actually pretty nice becuae I am pretty sloppy when it comes to those things. I think Scott is still miffed about the time I bought him Wedding Crashers in non-wide screen version. The horror! :o)

Whiny post follow up

This is a follow up to my post earlier this week which consisted of me whining my head off...

I am happy to report that I am feeling much better about things. I have been thinking and praying a lot about things at school and everything went really smoothly on Thursday. I'm just trying to see the positive in my students and to be a positive person in their lives. I had an excellent rehearsal planned for the 6th graders and it went well and the 2nd day of group lessons went well with the 5th graders also.

We had our open house night last night too and while it was a very long day for me, it was nice to connect with some parents and make sure everyone is on the same page. I also got lots of sympathy from parents so that makes me feel better they don't think I'm doing bad of a job!

I went in early yesterday and got lots of planning work done so I feel one step closer to being ready to turn it over to a sub. I still have lots more to do before I feel ready, but I think if I go in an hour early for my next 4 days I am there I should be able to get the job done. I even got some posters hung up in my room which just makes me feel better all around! It really is the little things.

The students also received their laptops last night as part of our 1:1 student:laptop project. I have some super cool software that goes with our lesson books that the kids can put on their laptops and practice with at home. I think it is going to be really awesome.

I also went today for my 2nd appointment at the chiropractor and I am feeling sooooo much better. It is really amazing! I'm really glad I decided to go because I thought I could just suck it up and deal with for a few more weeks but really a few more weeks is a long time! I think it has helped with my attitude as well....when you don't feel good, you don't feel good!

I have also enjoyed hearing my chiropractor's take on pregnancy and the birthing experience. I could talk with her for hours because she just has such a neat perspective on things-it is really refreshing. She had both her girls at home....amazing! She also encouraged me to look into some different things like La Leche Leage for breastfeeding and gave me a number for her midwife's lending library. I feel like usually these things are only reserved for "hippies", but really she is very down to earth and it is nice to have the encouragement. I have run into her several times throughout the course of the year and just now I have gone in to see her and it has been such a blessing! Sometimes God has a funny way of working. :o)

Post-partum Meals

Well.... I did it!! I finished my marathon cooking day!

Wow...it was a doozy. In fact, I just woke up from a long two hour nap to finish up the cleaning before Scott gets home!

Here is the finished product (please ignore the messy kitchen!):



I ended up with 14 meals, plus two big bags of cooked chicken breasts I can pull out when I need to warm one up for a salad or sandwich or something along those lines.

The recipes were fairly easy to follow, but I must admit I fudged a lot of the measuring. I figured for most of the stuff I was making it didn't really matter if I was too exact.

The most time consuming part was cooking all the chicken breast (10 lbs!), ground beef (6 lbs!) and chopping up the beef and veggies. Otherwise it went pretty smoothly and quickly. I would say it was about 3 hours total with prepping and clean up time.

So here are the goods:

Baked Ziti & Chili

Beef Stroganoff & Beef Stew

Mexican Cornbread Casserole & White Chicken Chili

Chicken and Chillies Casserole



Here is the link to all the recipes in one spot, in case you don't feel like doing all those clickies.

Also in my freezer I have:

2 bags of Corn Chowder (from Cooking Light) + french bread
5 lb pork loin for grilling
3 lb pork shoulder roast for BBQ sandwiches + rolls
4 pans cinnamon rolls
2 frozen pizzas
2 packages brats + buns
frozen vegs for sides

Well baby...we are one step closer to you arriving! We'll probably be sleep deprived and neurotic, but at least we won't be hungry!

The Pantry is Stocked!

Wahoo!



On Monday I completed a marathon grocery shopping day to get ready for my marathon cooking day which is today. I am making a total of 14 meals to have ready for when the baby comes as well as some other things I already have been throwing in the freezer in the last couple of weeks. Lets hope this isn't a bust!

Here is the great link I am using for my recipes.

37 Weeks!

37 Weeks!

from babycenter.org:

How your baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

How your life's changing:

Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable.
It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. If you can, take it easy through the day — this may be your last chance to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too, and let your caregiver know immediately if you notice a decrease. Though her quarters are getting cozy, she should still be as active as before.

While you're sleeping, you're likely to have some intense dreams. Anxiety both about labor and about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange flights of unconscious fancy.

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This is all so so true. I have really been struggling lately, especially just the last couple of days. I have been up at least 4 times a night and have not been able to go back to sleep. Just last night I woke up and had a weird stomachache that felt like indigestion, but then I freaked myself out because I know sometimes early labor can be disguised as tummy troubles. So I laid awake for about an hour thinking I was in labor....when really, I was fine. Why am I being such a nutjob??

I also saw the chiropractor yesterday for my pelvis pain and I'm going back on Friday as well. I would say I feel about the same, no better or no worse. She did crack my neck though, which felt great!

I have also been struggling at school lately. I think it is just my lack of energy combined with the few short hours I am there each week, but I just don't feel like I am doing a very good job. It is really hard, and I'm hoping the sub has an okay time when I am gone. My expectations are very low...I really just want someone to show up and be there! I'm hoping I will be magically rejuvenated after maternity leave and the holidays and be ready for a great second semester. But at the same time, I am wondering if I should look for a new job at the end of the year and go back to working full time. Scott has been telling me the year has just started and we still have a long ways to go to see how it is going to work out, so I should freak out about it now. So...I will try that. :o)

Thanks for listening to my whining!

ISU vs. Iowa

Wells kids, it's that time of year again: ISU vs. Iowa...one of the great in-state college football rivalries!

Kickoff on Saturday was at 11 a.m., which required us to be at the tailgating lots at dawn! I was up at 4:45 and we left the house around 5:30...and still got the very last grass spot on our lot. Yikes!


We had a great morning tailgate and spirits were high as we were all still hopeful about the game. Here is our regular tailgating crew, but we also had lots of extra visitors stop by which was fun! Lots of good food and early morning beverages (none of which I was able to participate in, unfortunately). I think everyone needs and excuse to drink a beer before 7 a.m. on occasion!



It was a beautiful morning!

As we were headed into the game we stopped to watch the football team headed out to warmup. We also saw our bball coach Greg McDermott and hopeful ISU recruit Harrison Barnes. He came right over the gate where we were standing and I told Scott to slip him some cash and tell him to come to ISU, but Scott didn't think that was such a great idea. I know it is illegal, but I think it happens!

The Hawks brought their band to the big game in Ames and it is always fun to see them perform. However, the only time people actually cheer for OUR band is after the Hawks play...it's weird. Usually no one is even in the stands for pregame!

Here is the famous "floating ISU".

Also, I really enjoy having the Hawk band here because the sat right across the stands from us and 1. they actually played songs during the game and 2. I could actually hear them. I think the ISU band has been weird this year...hardly playing any cheers or anything. And they are also not that loud. At halftime they turned around and faced our side of the stadium and I thought, "this will be great, I will actually be able to hear them!" but no...it wasn't even that much louder. Maybe it is just pregnancy induced deafness? Who knows. Anyway...my rant against the band is over.
And I can do these things because we were better and cooler when I was in it. :o) Even if it was ages ago!

The outcome of the game wasn't what we expected, but we had a great morning anyway! Maybe next year we'll get those Hawks!