July 7th........countdown

That's right, I have started a countdown!!!! Only 62 more days until our sweet girl's duedate! The exciting thought is she could be here even sooner than that.........I love thinking about her being here!! <3 <3 <3

The days are ticking away.....

Hospital Tour!

Yesterday, Sam and I took our prenatal hospital tour! It was a lot of fun, and very informative and comforting. I didn't know what to expect, but the facility is actually a lot nicer than I was expecting, and most all of my questions were answered.

The laboring rooms are hooked up! Each room (which are all private/never have to share a room) has a jacuzzi bathtub, CD player, refrigerator, microwave, manual thermostat(I am loving this, so I can control the temp. of the room!) and a lot of other stuff. Most of the hospital stuff is actually out of sight - they just slide a picture frame to the side, and all stuff is hidden behind it! And whenever a baby is born, a little song is played throughout the entire hospital - I can't wait to hear ours!!!!

The biggest plus is that after the baby is born, they stay in the room with us the entire time, until discharge. I asked the tour guide if we could see the nursery and she said there isn't one! Everything is done right there in the room with us present...unless of course the baby needs to be moved to NICU. However, it was comforting to know that our hospital's NICU is a level 3, which is the highest rating, and that means that any size baby can be treated there(wouldn't have to be transferred out in case of emergency). Their website says that they have already cared for babies as small as 460 grams, 25 weeks gestation and as young as 24 weeks gestation and weighing 700 grams......now that's impressive!!! Here is a picture of baby Jessica at 23 weeks.



She survived, as do many other preemies. It is heartbreaking to know that people are aborting babies this same size, and even older...

Overall, I am feeling very good about our experience with this hospital. Hospitals can be scary, smelly, frightening, and just plain no fun. However, everything right down to the decor and lighting, made this place seem ALMOST inviting. I am praying that everything with our time there goes as smoothly as possible.

We love you little baby!!!!

Baby Kicks

Oh, Baby!! Our little girl must be running out of room because here movements are much more pronounced, and my belly seems to be growing every day now! Actually for the last week or so, she kind of didn't move as much, and if she did, it was just a small movement here and there. I didn't really get worried though, and since yesterday, she has been moving around like crazy! It's not just kicks that I feel anymore; I can feel most all of her movements and twists. Yesterday morning during church we had Kid's Choir, and she really hadn't moved all morning, but when they started singing, she gave about 6 strong kicks right in a row(fast too). I told Sam, but she was already done by the time he put his hand on her to feel. He said, "She probably wants to be up there singing too!" :)

Last night at Denny's, we were just sitting and talking after eating our food, and I felt her push out really hard in one spot. So I started pushing back / tapping and she shifted her whole position and then gave a kick - she probably wanted me to leave her alone! LOL

This morning, I was making my breakfast at work, and she just totally made my stomach move back and forth 3 times.....I just stopped and looked for a second, kind of in shock that she could make my stomach move so much - yep, she's getting bigger!!! <3

Cravings......

Lately everyone has been asking me if I am having any cravings. For the most part, my answer is I don't really crave any certain thing all the time, just food in general! Except for......watermelon.

Watermelon has been the one thing that I have craved since the very beginning of my pregnancy. When I was really sick the first 3 months, all I wanted was watermelon. But because this was in the late fall, watermelon wasn't in season, so I kept splurging on a little cup of watermelon cubes for $3.50......I didn't care though! Fresh sweet fruit was all I wanted.

Now that summer is here, I have made sure that I always have watermelon at home ( I think I have bought 3 so far). My parents even gave me a watermelon for my birthday!!!! :)

So if you want to make my day, show up at my doorstep with a big bowl of WATERMELON! :)

.......this is going to sound weird, but this morning I am really wanting some fried mushrooms (my husband would gag)!!!! LOL I used to eat them all the time at a little deli in Iowa with my parents.......ahhh this little baby is getting her nutrients! LOL!!!

30 Weeks!!!!!

Wow, I am so so excited to reach 30 weeks with this little one - she is such a joy already! Only 10 more weeks(maybe less?) to go before we get to see her lovely face. Sam and I always talk about what we think she will look like.....will she have curly or straight hair, no hair at all....... :) Any way she comes will be just perfect! I can't wait to hold her and take care of her.

I keep looking at my calendar and all the things I have planned up until the baby comes. There really aren't that many weekends left! :) We have already rearranged our bedroom and closets to make room for the stuff that she has already accumulated from everyone's generosity. We have the beautiful crib(still in box) in the front room waiting to be set up. We moved out a chair and coffee table to make room, and have started getting rid of stuff that we don't need to make more room.

In other news, we are still deciding on a name(much to our families dismay LOL just kidding). There are so many beautiful names out there, and we just want to pick the one that fits her. My wonderful Mom always has a new name suggestion for us too. The latest one is Diana....I think this is in part because the late Princess Diana's son William is getting married this week. :)

I also had a birthday last week YAAAA!!!! I turned 24, but still don't feel old! LOL Maybe that's because Sam and I are both the 'babies' of the family, so all the other siblings are quite a bit older than us. I love being 24!!! I just can't believe that it has already been 6  YEARS since I graduated high school.......and 2 years since I got married.......time really does fly. Anywho, I got some great loot for my birthday, like a shirt, 2 purses, shoes, camelbak(from my AWESOME husband) and cupcake stuff which I ADORE!!!!(also from my amazing husband!!!) Then our little girl got 2 new outfits, a bouncy chair thing, and I think something else for my birthday too - she is making out like a bandit!!!! :) My wish when I blew out my candles - a healthy and safe labor and delivery, either right on time or early. I am still holding out for July 4th!

I had my 30 week glucose test and O.B. appointment today, which all went smooth. She measured my belly and said everything looked great. Again we listened to the heartbeat, and she started out pretty fast(170), then dropped to about 160 and then to 148. The doctor said that is all normal, and I later read that they like to see a variation in heartrate because it means that they are active/turning/moving around. She always passes with flying colors!!! I found out that in about a month, we will have another ultrasound - YAAA!!!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

We love you, littlest love!!! <3

29 Weeks!!!

Ahhh, I'm so excited!!! I can't believe that our little baby girl will be here so soon(11 weeks away). Daddy and I are really starting to amp up our cleaning and sorting of our stuff to make room for her. I have been plotting out how we are going to make everything fit, and I think we have come up with solution! LOL It's going to be tight, but we can definitely manage, and are so thankful for such a wonderful place to live.

Last night we tackled the task of cleaning our our bedroom/closets. It was a big job to say the least. We had a huge pile of stuff to give to our church garage sale and threw away a bunch of junk that I don't know why we were holding onto. Some stuff was hard to let go of(LOL) but I know we need the space more, and just knowing that we are clutter free feels SOOOOO GOOD!!!! We have a little closet space for our daughter, and it looks so cute with some little clothes and shoes already stored there........SIGH!!! :) :) God is so good.

Speaking of our daughter, she has been very active the last couple weeks. She is definitely growing bigger every day, as I feel every movement, not just kicks anymore. When she moves, my tummy moves everywhere with her, and Sam loves to watch and feel her movements! The other night, I was sitting on the couch, and all of a sudden, my stomach got really hard to the right/middle and she didn't move from that positon for a long time - we even pushed on it, and she didn't budge. We couldn't figure out what part of her it was, but it was so cool how she just kept pushing out for so long, and SO HARD! :) I can't wait to see what kind of personality she is going to have.

Things are really starting to fall into place for this little one. We have a hospital tour coming up, then a 3 night prenatal birthing class at the hospital, which I think will give us both a lot of good perspective. Sam's parents have graciously bought us a crib(which is already here) and are going to give us the crib bedding as well. We picked it out last week and it is JUST PERFECT! We have searched and searched, but we couldn't really agree on which one we liked. Then we saw this one, with baby birds, owls, and a little tree and flowers all over. It is quilted and fits her so perfectly.....everyone knows I am in love with baby owls!!! I already have a copy of "Owl Babies" (one of my favorite children's books) to read to the baby.

As far as weight gain goes, well it's going - up! LOL I don't have too many strong cravings, except for my love of watermelon, which is all the time, and general love of pickles. I am also very excited because of Easter candy season, which mean Starburst jellybeans!!!!! They only come out this time of year, and they are the best tasting jellybeans in my opinion. Sam bought me a bag yesterday, and I put a HUGE dent in it already. :) I think the big sugar rush is what triggered the baby to start moving a lot last night - she loves jellybeans too. :) Awww, my little jellybean!

What's Developing: Baby's now the size of a squash!Baby's energy is surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath her skin. And since she's growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), things are getting kind of cramped in the womb. What all this means for you: Get ready for some more kicks and jabs to the ribs!

6 Months!!!!

Wow, our little girl is growing so fast.....only 14 more weeks to go!

I have not had a chance to keep posting here regularly, as there always seems to be something to keep my mind side-tracked (as in scanning websites for names, baby bedding, essentials, etc). I have a definite 'baby bump' now, and it is so fun for random people in the public to notice it and congragulate me (I work in a library with a lot of moms around).

She is kicking up a storm, and getting stronger everyday! If I eat something sweet, she rewards me with her acrobatics. :) This last Monday (March 14th) we hit another fun little milestone. Up until now, her movements could only be felt by a hand on my tummy. But Monday night, Sam and I saw my tummy moving with her every move - it was amazing!!! Of course, she only moves when she wants to, as whenever I try to show someone else (so far) she will never move. Sigh.....I love her soooo much!!!!

Oh, milestone #2: I have officially gained 10 pounds!!!!!!! This may sound weird, but I am actually excited about this - I love having a tummy for the whole world to see, and I feel great. I have another doctor appointment next Friday, and I am anxiously compiling my list of questions about labor and delivery. I feel an urgency to really start reading up and gaining knowledge about this process, for both Daddy and I. There is SOOO much to know and remember, but I already feel like I am building up a pretty solid base of information.

Oh, and I PROMISE to add some pictures very soon, and show off our ever-growing little one!!!

Your Baby in Week 24 of Pregnancy:

Your baby is about eight and a half inches long and weighs one and a half pounds, gaining steadily at a rate of six ounces per week. Much of that weight comes from accumulating baby fat, as well as from growing organs, bones, and muscle. Those little ears of hers are getting sharper and can hear very loud sounds, from a yapping dog to a jackhammer. Also by now, that fabulous face is almost fully formed, complete with eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair. Is your baby a brunette, a blonde, or a redhead? Actually, right now her locks are white since there's no pigment yet.

We love our little princess!!!!

Another Milestone

On Saturday, 2/12/11 Sam felt our little kick!!!! This is the first time anyone besides myself has felt our little gymnast moving. We woke up, and I told Sam that she was moving around right then. He put his hand on my stomach and in a couple seconds, she kicked his hand!! :) :) We were so excited.

It's all these little things that make each day with our new baby girl so much fun. I can't wait until she is here!

In other news, Sam's birthday is coming up!!! YAY!!!! The big 2-7. Oh and it's...

VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!! Sam took me(of course LOL) to our church Valentine's Banquet last night. He also gave me a BEAUTIFUL red and white rose wrist corsage to wear - MY FAVORITE! :) I told Sam that this is the first year he got to take 2 girls to the banquet. :) He was very pleased to say the least!

We love you, little sweetie!!!!!!!!!

It's a....

beautiful, precious, adorable, sweet, cuddly and cute GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!




We are beyond happy, and I just can't believe how good God is! <3 This little girl has already captured all of our hearts, and I can't wait to see her soon!!!!

Love,

2 VERY PROUD PARENTS

WOW! 19 Weeks!!!!

Wow, time is really flying by - our little one has been a little blessing for 19 weeks already!! It's been so wonderful....everyday we are just more and more amazed at the miracle of life.....our God is a BIG God!!! :)

We passed a huge milestone last Monday, January 31st around 8:30pm - I felt our baby move/kick!

It is the most amazing feeling - a little person is actually in there letting me know that they are alive and well, ready for action! LOL Since then I constantly feel little kicks/punches. At first I only felt them when I was completely still, but now it is more frequent. If I lay on my stomache, the baby's constant and stronger movements can be felt too. I can't wait until the baby is even bigger and Sam can feel the movement too!! (Baby is moving around right now as I type!!!)
Speaking of Daddy Karlson, I couldn't ask for a more tender-loving affectionate Daddy for our little one. He is constantly letting me know that he 'loves his babies' and he is constantly wanting to talk to the baby or put a hand on the tummy to see if any movement is noticeable. He keeps telling the baby that he can't wait to hold it and kiss and cuddle it. Is he the best or what?!

ANOTHER MILESTONE: Today at 2:15pm I have my ultrasound appt. to find out the gender of the baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone has their guesses, but I can honestly say that I don't have a clue. :) Not that we care either way - we will be OUT OF THIS WORLD THRILLED with either a girl or boy. But just knowing is going to be AWESOME!!!!

MILESTONE #3: I'm gaining weight!!!!! LOL!!!! :) Not a whole lot yet, but I have plenty of time to put on the poundage, as I keep letting everyone know. I am pretty much outgrowing all my skirts, and maternity shirts are much more comfortable now.

Sigh. The joys of pregnancy are too many to count!!!

Week 19: What's Developing!

Our baby is officially the size of a mango! Baby's legs are now in proper proportion to their body.  They are swimming around and practicing acrobatics in the amniotic fluid.  Mommy can feel that exercise!

The baby's heart is growing stronger and can now be detected with a stethoscope.

Our baby looks much like a tiny newborn.  They can even do some things like put their thumb in their mouth and practice sucking it! Winking and hiccups are also starting to become an occurance!!

We love you little mango!