Back to School

We hit our 30 week milestone on Sunday! Woo hoo, all these little milestones seem to make the time go by very quickly. Last night we had our first birthing class with our incredibly knowledgable instructor, Jennifer. She will be coming to our home for 6 weekly sessions. Last night we went over fetal development, nutrition, exercise, and some of the terms that we should become familiar with before we enter the delivery room. She is very honest, yet delivers information in a fun way. The two hours flew by last night and we are looking forward to learning more very soon. Honestly, Jordan and I were wondering how 12 hours of "class" may be filled when it comes to birth, but we also understand that there is a lot to learn. Jennifer will cover everything from natural birth (how I am determined to go) to breast feeding, to car seat safety and a healthy home for baby. We are lucky to have her all to ourselves so all of our questions can be addressed!

We are still preparing for baby by getting other items accomplished around the house aside from the nursery. After deep contemplation and some very rude realtors and potential buyers we decided to take our house off the market. We really love our home and we are very happy here, so we have decided to stay! This may have been very obvious considering the nursery, but if you drive by it might become even more obvious! Jordan and Grandpa Kohn began construction on our front porch this past weekend; they are moving the door from the side to the front of the house to give the house more curb appeal. We also have plans to paint the exterior and replace the roof before Eoin makes his arrival. I could be wrong here, but I think Jordan is nesting quite a bit more than I am!!!

Lately, I have been researching and asking many questions regarding my doctor. I had gone through several doctors in the twin cities before I had an appointment with Dr. Weaver and I really do enjoy her manner and I feel very comfortable with both her and her staff. Unfortunatley, I had heard that Dr. Weaver is notorious for inducing labor around 38 weeks and will be very quick to say that I am failing to progress during labor and order a c-section. I am going to be as strick as I can that I want this to be as natural as possible without inducing labor and no c-section unless absolutely necessary. Jordan has been great and said that he will be there, so nothing will happen that I don't want to . . . he is going to be The Enforcer!

Eoin and I have been feeling great lately; I can feel myself losing some of the energy I had, but other than that, I am functioning as normal as possible. I even walked to class on Thursday and weather permitting, might try it again tomorrow! I have still been getting loads of protein, so I am anxiously awaiting our ultrasound on Tuesday to discover if Eoin's tummy has gotten any bigger . . . I know mine has!

Busy, busy

29 weeks

whoa! I'm not sure I can see my feet
I love him and can't wait to meet him!
dresser w/ his little sailboats!

Jordan painting the accent wall in the nursery

Taking a break to smile for the camera
up the ladder to get those high ceilings
the crib with the new blue wall behind it . . . now just waiting for the bedding
Changing table

29 weeks, can anyone believe it?

The time is flying by and we are finally realizing that Eoin's arrival is right around the corner. His nursery has come a long way with the addition of all of the furniture. This past weekend Jordan finished up painting the accent wall and now we have just been finishing off the window coverings and small items such as the handles to the closet doors. Phew, this preparing for baby is hard work! His bedding has been ordered. We finally decided on the Kasey bedding in navy from Pottery Barn Kids. It should be arriving tomorrow, with the exception of the bumper, which is sadly backordered, but should come in with plenty of time to spare.

Jordan and I had a dr. appointment on Friday morning. We had an ultrasound and, unfortunately, it appears that Baby Eoin's tummy is not quite as developed as it should be at this point. The circumference of his stomach is 1 week and 5 days behind schedule. This is nothing to be super alarmed about (or so we have been told) I just have to make sure that I am packing away loads of protein in order to help him grow. We have another appointment scheduled for April 1st and we will have an ultrsound at this time also, so hopefully we will have fantastic news that he went through a growth spurt and everything is great. In the meantime, I will be eating fish for lunch, snacking on nuts and slurping down a Gladiator smoothie daily (45g of protein!).

Preparation

Daddy working on getting the crib together.
Crib all put together; just needs to be placed correctly

Isn't she a doll! She wants to come visit again soon!

McKaylah chasing Reilly
Jordan assisting McKaylah as she was determined to lift Reilly
Giving Reilly some love
Giving Aspen some love

Pooped and in bed from a long day!

McKaylah trying to pet the caged cats from the Humane Society at the Home Show

McKaylah not liking sitting in the booster to get her hair trimmed
Auntie "rah-rah" trying to hold her and love her to see if that will help getting her hair trimmed
Erin letting McKaylah know it will be okay!

McKaylah sneaking under our bed to play with the cat and dog
McKaylah underneath the bed spying out Reilly

This weekend we (okay, I) decided I missed McKaylah so much and wanted her to come for a visit! Jordan and I left after work on Friday and met Kelly, Tim and Lil' Miss in Joliet (the 1/2 way point). She cried at first upon leaving her mama and dada, but after awhile she was laughing and chatting up a storm. She ended up falling asleep in the car for a little while, but once we opened the door to the house and she saw Reilly and Aspen, her little face lit up! "Dat, Dawg!" She filled up Reilly and Aspen's love buckets all weekend! Sometimes they would try to get away for some peace and quiet in their usual spot of underneath our bed, well, I'm not sure they realized that McKaylah was little enough to get under there, until she actually did! They were not safe from her kisses anywhere!

Saturday morning, we went to CJ's for a delicious breakfast. Afterwards we headed back home. While McKaylah took a brief nap, we cleaned as there was going to be a showing of the house. To get out of the way, I awoke McKaylah and took her to visit Erin at hair school to get a trim. She was a hit at hair school, especially with her little "meow," however, she did not want to get her hair cut! Finally, we were able to get this accomplished by her sitting in the chair, sans booster, flicking through pictures on the camera; needless to say we were unable to get any pictures of the actual cut.

After the trip to the beauty school, we made a trip out to the Interstate Center to visit with "Leesa" and walk around the booths of the Home Show. McKaylah was fantastic for the most part! The Humane Society was there with some cats and she had a ball, she didn't like the idea that they were in a cage, however, because they she couldn't play with them! After the Home Show we made a stop at Chuck E. Cheese. McKaylah was very sleepy on our way there, however, once again, tiredness took a backseat to fun as soon as we walked in the door! We spent a while there before we decided to it was time to get home! Shortly after some "num-nums" and right around 6:45pm we started to wind things down so McKaylah could go to bed! Right at 7:00pm she was really ready and so her night ened at that! She was pooped!

After a wonderful night sleep, McKaylah woke up full of energy and chased Reilly and Aspen around the house for a little while longer! She was so cute and even tried lifting Reilly! For those of you who don't know, Reilly is an evil cat. He hisses and bites anyone he is unfamiliar with; this basically means he hates everyone except Jordan and I and also Pat sometimes. We can now include McKaylah in this distinguished list; Reilly was so patient and good with her. This is a big relief for Jordan and I as we were quite worried as to how Rei would react with children. Poor Aspen wanted McKaylah's attention all weekend, but McKaylah was more interested in Reilly; but Aspen still received some love!

After playing, it was time to get dressed and hit the road. Although I suspected McKaylah to fall asleep as soon as we got on the road, she made it most of the way chattering and telling me stories as well as "tweet tweeting" like a bird! She was incredibly excited to see her mama and dada, although I hope she had a blast and wants to visit again soon.

On the baby Eoin side of things, Jordan and I (mostly Jordan, okay all Jordan) made progress on the nursery. With our house on the market, we had decided to wait on putting everything together until last minute, but we changed our mind this weekend and starting getting things done! Our dresser that we ordered came in and I think that is what triggered things; now we have the dresser, the changing table, the crib and purchased curtains last night. Grandma Kohn came over to check out the additions and brought over a book that belonged to Jordan when he was a lil' boy! What a sentimental addition to our little boys room it has made. We have ordered the bedding and things seem to be falling place just fine. We painted the room a neutral color when we put the house up for sale; it will remain this color for Eoin with the exception of one wall, but that will be painted closer to his arrival! With McKaylah's visit and all of the additions to our old spare room we are really starting to prepare for Baby Eoin to arrive and to be parents!

The home stretch

McKaylah Grace sitting pretty at her birthday party; she has the prettiest "seal" eyes
McKaylah and Sydney enjoying some cookies
McKaylah staring down the entire time everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her!
Close up of how she looked, notice the pig-tails have been pulled out and she looks like she is in trouble, but she really isn't!
Kelly jumping to the rescue as McKaylah proceeds to "raspberry" all over the cake while trying to blow out the candle (was supposed to be Dora, but it broke!)

This morning I endured the dreaded glucose test at my dr. appointment. I think It turned out that the sugary drink formula didn't taste any worse than a flat Fanta orange drink. I got to run home afterward for a little bit; we live so close to dr. office I even squeezed in some morning television when I got home and then went back to have my blood drawn. What is it about nurses always telling people that they have great veins? Well, I was told this; however, they must have only looked good because the nurse had to take the blood from my hand. I felt like a human pin cushion for the second time in my life and coincidentally the second time in this pregnancy. Jordan did not join me for this appointment. It is the first one he has missed; we decided that it was a rather uneventful appointment and I didn't want him to have to sit around for an hour. Regardless, it is now over and my next appointment is only a couple of short weeks away as I now begin to go every other week and also get another sonogram at the next appointment. We are now in the home stretch of the third, and final, trimester!

Jordan and I got to experience a little bit of what our life as parents my hold this past weekend. We went up north on Saturday to visit with my mom and sister and, of course, McKaylah. We spent the night on Saturday so we could be there to help McKaylah celebrate her 2nd birthday. Jordan and I took McKaylah out to dinner with us on Saturday night to give Kelly and Tim a bit of a break and we collectively decided we are not ready for a 2 year old. She is a very determined little girl. Uncle "jo-jo" and Auntie "rah-rah" couldn't love her any more though. We really appreciated the time we spent with her this weekend. She laid directly on top of me on Sunday morning before we were ready to get up for the day and gives the best hugs and kisses. She is also such a girl! She put my make up on and knew that mascara is for eyes and even fixed up her own "eyes." That picture is on my phone, so be sure to ask to see it! She received many baby dolls for her birthday and has already proceeded to name one baby "Eoie." She kisses my belly and rubs it saying "nice Eoie." She is absolutely adorable and we miss her already!

The good, the bad and the ugly!

I feel like a sumo wrestler these days!
Look at that belly! No mistaking this preggo anymore!
Front view, and yes, my face has filled out as much, if not more than, my belly!
Thanks, Jordan! haha

26 weeks! I read that around this time some fatigue with the pregnancy may begin to set in . . . I would be lying if I said this was not true! To more accurately appreciate the symptoms, etc. I decided to formulate a little list entitled, the good, the bad and the ugly . . . reader beware, I am beginning with the ugly!

The Ugly:

• The weight gain: I always told myself that I would not be one of those women who eat and eat and gain a disgusting amount of weight during pregnancy; I simply thought there was no excuse for it. This was very easy for me to believe because, tah dah, I had never been pregnant!!! Weight gain is inevitable and no matter how well you eat or work out, you are going to be tired and sometimes healthy food choices are not appetizing. Needless to say, I have gained more weight than I would have expected by this point and I still have 3 months left!
• The clothing choices: I understand that maternity clothes have come very far from the dark ages of one rack at JC Penney, but let's be serious, how cute can moo moos really be?? Bold, hideous patterns, empire waisted shirts and dresses that tie in the back, and of course the very discreet waist bands on pants (sensing the sarcasm, right?) make me long for the day I can dig into the storage boxes of clothes I have packed away until I can fit into them once again . . . oh they are so painfully cute! I must also admit that it is a very real fear of mine that I will never again be able to sport my smaller attire.

The Bad:

• The nausea: This has subsided and I almost don't even remember it anymore, but I know it was bad!
• The heartburn: Oh Nelly! This hurts! It is bad! Almost ugly, but not quite! Ouch, is all I have to say here, no other form of acid reflux that I have had prior to this has been anywhere near as painful! Milk calms the pain, but I hate milk.
• The leg cramps: I just read yesterday that these are actually a symptom of pregnancy, I thought I was just crazy! I have been waking up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in my calves. The muscle is tightening and cramping and I have to wake up and stretch it to alleviate the pain. I have tried drinking more water, assuming that it is from dehydration, but it still comes! Oh well, it makes me feel as if I have been working out, haha!
• The forgetfulness: I have been incredibly absentminded lately! Yesterday I decided to make some Puppy Chow for a snack and went to the store to pick up the necessary ingredients . . . came home started making the delectable treat and realized I had forgotten one key ingredient, powdered sugar! Unbelievable, but it isn't a one time occurance it happens very often! I find myself second guessing every placement of an item and appointments at work. No major mishaps, but I am hoping people are willing to forgive when the inevitable occurs.
• The decisions: Having a baby is a major, life altering event. No kidding, you are thinking, but the decisions that must be make concerning the little one are very overwhelming. Diapers: cloth or disposable? If disposable, which brand? Which bottles? Which bedding? Which color of walls? and these are only the few that my forgetful mind can think of right now.

The Good:

• Feeling my little man move: Indescribable and hands down the favorite parts of my days . . . I'll be sitting there and all of a sudden, movement! Sometimes it catches me so off guard and I giggle. Jordan has figured out now what the giggle means, but I still get the feeling he thinks it is some sort of inside joke of which he is not a part. (side note: before I began writing this blog, I forgot how to spell "which." It took me several attempts before I gave up and substituted another word. . . obviously I have used it several times throughout the blog now w/o thinking about it, but it is just another example of the forgetful mind of a pregnant woman when an English minor cannot spell "which!")
• When Jordan talks to Eoin: He leans over and talks right to my belly and kisses it! It is the sweetest thing in the world. I can't wait to see Jordan hold him for the first time. He is already a very proud daddy!
• The pampering: C'mon, it isn't too bad getting what you want when you want it! haha My only fear is that I might becoming too used to this!
• The shopping: Although I have been very strict on my purchases thus far (refer to "decisions") window shopping for a baby is so fun!!!!!! There are the cutest little outfits and items for babies!
• Knowing at the end of this I am going to have a little person: Daydreaming about taking him for walks and giving him kisses and watching him sleep could get me through anything. I wonder what/who he is going to look like? what dominant personality traits is he going to inherit?

Obviously, the good outweigh both the bad and the ugly by a landslide. Can you believe there are only 100 days until the due date???? Crazy to think when it is put into days!

In other news, my Papa Horner passed away last Monday night. He died peacefully in his sleep and will now get to join my grandma. My mom left for Ireland on Tuesday for his funeral and will return today. I desperately wanted to join her, but due to the pregnancy we decided it was best that I didn't travel abroad. I have a lifetime of memories of my Papa and pray that my children will be as lucky to have such a wonderful person in their lives.

McKaylah also hit the big "2!" She is such a little bundle of energy and although I don't get to see her as much as I would like to, we have many conversations on the phone! She is absolutely hilarious and definitely gives Jordan and I the giggles on a daily basis especially when she blames us for incidents that we could never have been involved (she recently said that I dumped her milk all over her crib). Happy Birthday to the greatest neice I could ever ask for!

"If mom says no, ask grandma"

All the cute little clothes from Auntie Erin
and of course cousin Grizzly Fifer all wrapped up in his little sleeping bag (he's getting lots of love now because he knows that things are gonna change!)

25 weeks and 1 day . . . Little boy is constantly moving and kicking and it is the best feeling in the world. Prior to Saturday morning, Jordan had only got to feel him move once, but Saturday morning little boy was kicking around and showing off for daddy! Jordan was astounded that some of the movement did not hurt me it was so strong; it doesn't by the way, it feels wonderful. Auntie Erin has been really patient holding her hand on the bump for long periods of time, but he is being very stubborn and not letting her feel him . . . even though she was so sweet to buy him what will be some of his first outfits which are so cute and pictured above . . . we are going to have a little chat and make sure hat she gets to feel him move soon. If you look closely you can read that the little white and green onesie says "if mom says no, ask grandma!"

Speaking of little chats, we talk to our little man all the time now . . . I think he can hear Jordan and I, and he may even be responding to his name because he began kicking when I said it yesterday. I can't wait to meet him and hold him and snuggle him . . .

The pregnancy is going pretty well now too . . . you can definitely tell I am pregnant! The baby bump is out in full force! The only complaints I would have is that it is definitely difficult trying to get comfortable to fall asleep; I am getting less sleep as I wake up to go to the bathroom, because one or both of my arms have fallen asleep or due to a headache or heartburn! I could sleep through an earthquake and quite literally a fire alarm prior to my pregnancy, but my sleeping is becoming significantly lighter . . . could it be practice?? My heartburn has been so strong that I have resorted to drinking milk; this is quite a defeat as I HATE milk (except of course with cereal). Oh well, it is good for me and little boy and makes the heartburn disappear for awhile, so I choke it down. Otherwise things are still processing nicely!

SuperBoy

Front view. This is me and my belly at 23 weeks! I had to wear some Chicago Bears attire b/c it was SuperBowl Sunday and I am still in mourning over last years loss . . . sad but true! Maybe my little boy can take them all the way in 25 years. . . hmmm dreaming!
Large and in charge!!!
Jordan must not have been able to use the flash on two of these pictures!

This is Aspen showing off her belly too! Actually she was fast asleep and I couldn't help but take a picture of her, check out her snaggle tooth!!!

23 weeks, 3 days and the countdown is still on in the form of days . . .

Jordan and enjoyed watching the SuperBowl and all the commercials at Pat's new apartment. Since I love football but didn't really have a team to root for in this years game, I was more excited about the food that we had planned more than anything else. It turns out we had an exciting game (at the end, the rest was rather uneventful and low-scoring) and some hilarious commercials. Little boy obviously did not know what was going on outside his warm nesting area, but decided to go crazy in the last few minutes of the game . . . I'm thinking we may have another SuperFan on our hands, or quite possibly the MVP of SuperBowl XXXVII???? A mother can dream, right?

Yesterday we had another appointment with Dr. Weaver and got another sonogram to see our little man. He was not quite as cooperative this time around and would only give us a glimpse of his little face. We get to see him again in 6 weeks, so hopefully he is not quite as stubborn (uh oh, he is sounding like a Brown) as this time and we get lots more pictures. Whitney, our ultrasound tech. looked a little puzzled at one point during the time she was taking measurements to discover his weight (oh, and yes, he is still a boy!). She asked Jordan and I, who are obviously of average height, who happens to be tall in our family? Well, Grandpa Kohn is rather tall, so we answered that there is some height in the family and she said that made sense since our little boy has very long legs and is measuring much later than his 23 weeks in height. Later in the evening, upon sharing our revelation with our mothers, we discovered that both of our great-grandfathers are very tall. . .we'll just have to wait and see. At my next appointment I will take the dreaded glucose test and then after that we go to appointments every 2 weeks! Everything is going by so quickly . . .