17 Week Update

I just had a Dr Appt last week and it was interesting. I am 17 weeks but I am measuring like I am 20 weeks. I thought that was interesting because I read about it online and they say that it is normal to measure ahead in the 3rd trimester but not the 2nd. My blood pressure was higher than the last 2 appts but still normal. Hopefully that was a fluke. Other than that, everything is gone well. I have been feeling the baby a lot starting with last week and my Dr was surprised with how soon I have been able to feel the baby. I have actually been feeling the baby since around 12 weeks but it was more definite starting last week. Our ultrasound is in 3 weeks so that should be interesting and I am excited for that. I have only gained 2 pounds so far this whole pregnancy. The Dr is not concerned and I will take it because I would rather not gain excess weight. Over all, I have been feeling better but still tired. The "nesting" feeling is definitely kicking in because I really want to get started on the 2 bedroom/nursery while I am still in my second trimester. There is a lot of cleaning, storing, planning, painting and work that needs to happen with that room but I can't really get started until the current occupants are gone (see below).

Here are some 17 week pictures. I am definitely looking pregnant now! Woo hoo!!!

Here are the current occupants of our second bedroom. We have 2 cute rabbits, Pierre and Claudia, that we don't want to have any more when the baby arrives. We are looking to give them away and their cage to someone who wants them this week. Let me know if you are interested.

Grandma's Birthday and Ravinia

We had a surprise birthday party for my Grandma a week ago at my parents house. Here's my dad and Sonja waiting for the guest of honor to arrive.

My Grandma was definitely surprised!
Party on the party deck!!

It started raining so we had to momentarily move the party inside.

Even during the summer my family is cold in my parent's house. Pretty good for no air conditioning!

A week ago on Friday Stacy, Jonny, Annie, Kenny and I went to Ravinia for Steve Miller Band. It was a great time! Ravinia never disappoints.

Don't worry, I am drinking sparkling grape juice.

Do you see how good I am being with the stomach touching!!!

Kenny would not dance with Annie and Stacy would not dance with Jonny so they danced with each other.

Annie and Stacy "Rockin' Me Baby"

AFTERGLOW 2009!!!!!!

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love and look forward to going up to Afterglow with my dad's side of the family for the 4th of July. It is always easy to figure out how many years we have been going because it is one year more than my age so this was our 28th year! It never gets old. This year it was weird to think about the fact that there will be another baby with us at Afterglow next year and even more weird to think that the baby will be ours!!! As you will see, this tradition even has many traditions within it!! What can I say, our family loves traditions. Afterglow did not disappoint as far as being able to relax and get away from every day life. I just wish that next year was not so far away.

Could these girls get any cuter???

At the parade in Phelps, WI. Gwen was stocked with candy for the whole week!

Welcome to the party island!! There was a hole in it at the end of Afterglow last year but thanks to my dad it was fixed and ready to go for this year!!!

Matching shirts :)

Our tradition for one of the nights is to go to Alexander's pizza, followed by ice cream, followed by the candy store and finished off with go-carts. Always a night to look forward to because we have a blast every year!

Gwen gets to go in the bounce castle AND on the go-carts. Lucky girl

This loon was stuck in the lake for a while because the lake was not big/long enough to fly across and then to get high enough to go over the trees. So it would swim to our end, take off, then land at the other end just to swim back again. I think there were around 10 attempts to leave the lake but we didn't mind watching the process over and over again.

In flight. It is amazing how much noise their wings make when they are taking off.

Something we do every morning is have 'breakfast club.' This is something that our dads started to get the kids out of the cabin so that the moms could sleep in. Now it is just nice to start every day having breakfast together outside on the lake.

The beach. There were not too many beach days because it was so windy but we took advantage of the ones we got. The other days were spent on the party island.

We had our second annual bags tournament. We put our names in a hat and pick our teams from there. Even Grandma and Grandpa play!!

That's it for this year!!!!

Gone Fishin and 14 week update

Last weekend Scott and I went out on Lake Michigan to do some salmon fishing with Scott's dad and his wife, Mary. I have to say, the water was rougher than when we went deep sea fishing on the ocean. I was very happy that I didn't get sea sick despite being 13.5 weeks pregnant but I can't say the same for Scott's dad.

Mary, Scott and I

Scott and I with Scott's Dad

One of the fish Scott caught

Here is the salmon I caught. It was the biggest fish we got...that's right. I caught it!

Here is everything we caught....2 trout and 6 salmon.

We had a great day! Thanks Bill and Mary!!!!

I am now 14 weeks along and I am feeling better. I feel like I am slowly gaining my energy back but I don't feel like I have tons of it. I am very happy to be in my 2nd trimester and even think I have felt the baby move a couple times (no it was not gas). It will be nice and fun when feeling the baby move is a more definite feeling and more regular. The bump is slowly coming along as you can see in the picture and I am starting to allow Scott and my friends to put their hands on my stomach without slapping them away. It's a big step for me :) I can still sleep on my stomach but I think that will soon be over which I am not excited about because I sleep on my stomach a lot. Oh well, it is for a good cause and only temporary. So far so good!