Thursday, April 9, 2009

Just waiting patiently...

I love how life teaches you to be patient. We are so excited to see Jackson but we are learning to be patient through it all. We have all of this baby stuff around and no baby but soon enough he will arrive. I am trying to enjoy relaxing (when I can get comfortable) and just enjoying my last few days.

Jackson is moving around and letting me know that he is a little cramped on space. My chiropractor reminded me that if it didn't get a little uncomfortable at the end we would want to be pregnant forever.

The doctor said everything is looking great and is right on target. We are thankful that I have had a healthy pregnancy and have a healthy baby.

Hopefully soon we will have our little bundle of joy and can't wait to introduce him to everyone. I will keep the blog updated and maybe there will be an arrival soon!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Ready and Waiting...

Everything is ready to go...now we just need a baby! We had our final baby shower with the Olson family and friends. We are so appreciative of everyone's generosity. This past weekend we finished putting the nursery together and getting everything in the right place. Now we are just waiting for the big arrival. I told Jason this weekend that I just needed to dust and then we would be ready to go. I thought I would be better at being patient but it's hard because we are so excited. Of course I am also ready because I have been getting pretty uncomfortable when I sleep and move and do pretty much anything. I think the nesting part of your pregnancy should be more towards the beginning when you can actually do stuff and not get so tired. Sleep is quite the commodity these days...this is great preparation for the weeks and months ahead. I am going to the doctor every week now so hopefully we will get some exciting news soon!

We have started a website for our photos and there are a few pregnancy pictures on there and now some pictures of the nursery. When Jackson is born we will do our best to update the website every month. My sisters use this for their pictures, and it is always fun to see how the kids grow so much in a short amount of time. I will send out an email when I post pictures. We can't wait to share them with you.

Here is the website:
www.olsonfamily1.myphotoalbum.com

Have a great weekend!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Week 35

Everything is going great this week. We had a little scare last week where I was having some cramping and contractions but after a short stay in the hospital everything is fine. I am trying to limit my activities but you know me, I can't stay put for long.

Last weekend my family from Davenport threw me a baby shower. It was great to see all of my family and everyone was so generous. We received our crib bedding set so we have that all ready to go as well as some decorations for the walls. I am hoping to post some pictures of the nursery when it is complete for everyone to see. I am hoping Jack will love it.

Our doctor's appointment this week went very well. Everything is right on schedule. Now we are getting pretty anxious but still working to get everything ready. I'm not sure it is possible to have everything ready but we will give it our best shot. Little by little we are checking off our list.

Enjoy your weekend! I am looking forward to some Spring weather coming our way sometime soon!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Another Week Down...


Another week down, time is flying by so quickly! We are now approaching 33 weeks, which means 51 days to go (not that I am counting). Jackson is definitely making an appearance these days. He is growing like crazy. We went to the doctor on Monday and everything is looking great. Sometimes I wonder with the size of my belly..."Are you sure there isn't two in there???". He is starting to give me less space and I can tell because I always feel like I am short of breath. I am sure he feels like I am not giving him enough space. I suppose he just wants to make sure that I know he is there. My niece, Anna, asked me the other day if that was his foot sticking out through my belly button.

A big thank you goes out to my friends who threw me a baby shower this past weekend. We got a lot of great things that will be put to great use! Jackson is one lucky little boy to have such great family and friends surrounding him. I have another shower with my side of the family this weekend. So we will be going to Davenport to see our family. It will be great to see everyone.

Until next week, enjoy the nice weather today!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Electronics


Electronics...the love of my husband. With a new baby comes a lot of new things...diapers, clothes, nursery furniture, and of course electronics and it seems that with one new thing comes another. First you need a new camera just to make sure that the pictures are perfect of your new little one, then you need a video camera so you can catch every single moment on tape only to embarass your family and friends at a later date, lastly you need a new computer so you can properly upload all of the pictures and videos that you have to share with everyone.


Seems never ending but if you know Jason at all you know he loves electronics. I have definitely put a limit on what he can video tape in the delivery room. I feel certain things just shouldn't be available for a later viewing and at that moment I know I will be the one making the decisions.


Last night we had our final tour of the hospital as far as where and when to check in...the types of rooms they have (hospital rooms have definitely come a long way), and other various things. They also explained why you have two seperate rooms which I didn't know for sure. I guess when they do the labor, delivery and postpartum in one room then they have to limit the visiting hours due to other moms in labor. But when you move to a seperate postpartum room...you can have visitors 24-Hours a day! So feel free to stop in and see us in the middle of the night. :) We learned a lot from our class but are thankful that it has come to an end.


We are definitely getting more excited by the day...we are at week 32 out of an estimated 40 weeks so not too much longer. I am so much of a planner that it will be hard for me to not know when it is going to happen. I always like to have things on my calendar at least a couple of weeks in advance but I guess this one will have to be on Jack's schedule.


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Preparations




We are busy making preparations. Only one more baby class to go...then we are certified parents. :) Just kidding! Next week we get to tour the hospital, go through the check-in procedure, and do a dress rehearsal for our delivery. This class has definitely been informative and we have learned a lot but it will be nice to be done so that we don't have another night booked with something to do.




This week we start our doctor's appointments every other week. Jackson is growing and I can feel his movements quite a bit stronger now. According to the baby websites, he is about 15 inches long and about 3 pounds. Each week we get more excited for his arrival. I have decided to go without drugs for the delivery (or at least try) so we will be busy preparing for the labor and delivery. I am not opposed to having an epidural if the situation comes to that but I feel confident that I would like to try it on my own first, just so I can say that I tried. I know non-medicated delivery isn't for everyone but I am going to give it my best shot. At least that decision is made.




Sleepless nights have begun to be more frequent with bathroom breaks, baby movement, and discomfort as I switch positions. I heard this is suppose to prepare you for parenthood but I am wondering when Jason learns about not sleeping through the night...he seems to be able to sleep through it all.




Lastly, I am looking for recipes of make ahead meals so we can prepare a few of them before the big day. If you have any good make and freeze recipes, let me know. I would love any suggestions! Or if you just want to make food for us that works too! Last night our childbirth teacher suggested to make a list of things that need to be done around the house and then people can sign up for what they want to help with in the first few weeks. Sounds like that is a little out there but maybe we should just give it a try in the last few weeks of pregnancy. If anyone wants to sign up to do our laundry, grocery shopping, household chores, etc. I can sign you up!!!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Baby...Balance...

So many b-words. I am very excited about the first b-word "baby". We had our doctor's appointment this week and everything is looking good. The heartbeat was strong and I am measuring right on target. Our prenatal class is going well. We learn a lot each week and there is always a lot of great discussion topics. We have a smaller class of only about 7 couples so we are able to ask lots of questions. We have been learning about breathing techniques, relaxation methods, and things that will happen at the hospital. This past week we talked about pain medication and it made me even more uncertain about what I will do. But I know when the time comes I will have the decision I need.


Certain aches and pains come and go each week. I guess that's just part of the process...it is pretty amazing that your body can create a baby in 9 months. So many things happen in such a short amount of time and there is such a blessing at the end. I have been having a lot of pelvic pressure which I found out is called "pelvic girdle pain". I have trouble putting my clothes on, my shoes on (anything that bears weight down on one leg) and I can barely turn over in bed without a screech as if I am not going to make it. My chiropractor is helping to relieve a lot of the pressure and I guess it is more common in pregnant women than I knew. It normally goes away after delivery so at least I know the discomfort is just for a short time.


The next b-word is a little more complicated...how do you find that balance??? With family, school (which will be over soon), work, my jewelry business, and all of the other things that come our way it almost seems impossible to find that balance. Then when we add baby to balance...we will have to attempt to find that all over again. I am trying to focus this year on putting the most important things first and trusting that the other things will fall into place.


I got a really great email this week about a child who asks his father how much money he makes an hour. The dad gets upset because he doesn't think it is necessary for the boy to ask such questions, finally the dad gives in and tells the boy $50 an hour. The boy then proceeds to ask the dad if he could borrow $25. The dad is once again upset that the boy is so concerned with money. He sends him to his room. After spending some time very upset...he decides maybe the boy really does need the money for something. He goes to give the boy the $25 only to find he already has $25. Once again the dad is upset until the boy puts the money together and asks if his dad can come home one hour early from work tomorrow because he would like to buy an hour of his time.


So in every area of our life, remember to take time for the important things. They are what make life worth while.