3 Months Old

Allyson turned 3 months old yesterday! She is getting so big and has learned lots of new things this last month including how to grab toys (and clothes and hair) and put things in her mouth. She loves to play on the floor with her toys but still prefers laying on her back to her tummy. She has not yet rolled over but we expect that to come soon, she can get herself rocking pretty well now and is starting to use her arms a little. She is still very awake and active during the day and sleeps between 6 and 8 hours at night. I have been trying to get a bedtime routine together with her but it hasn't really been very effective yet. I haven't been able to just put her to bed when she is awake which is something I need to work on. She normally falls asleep after a feeding between 11 and 12 but I am really hoping we can move things up. Ive been trying to take her into her room for some quiet time and feeding a little earlier each night but the holidays have kind of put a kink in that. I start work on Monday so I hope it wont be too hard to adjust the schedule now that she will have to wake up earlier to allow me time to feed her, dress her, get her to daycare and myself to work by 8am.

This month included another trip to Wisconsin for Ally to celebrate her first Christmas as well as a few other holiday parties in town. She saw her first snow and her set up her first Christmas tree too. She has been keeping busy on her wiggle worm play mat and enjoys going to women's basketball games to cheer on the Boilers and watching Purdue men's basketball on TV at home. She doesn't have her next doctors appointment until next month but we are sure she is growing like crazy. She is almost out of her 3 month size clothes and is moving on to the 3-6 size, which has now been rotated into her closet and drawers. Here are some of our favorite photos from this last month. Enjoy!

A Baby's First Christmas

Thanks to some cooperative weather, we were able to get home to my parents for Christmas day celebrations. We left early on Christmas Eve and went to my dads for the annual "Christmas Eve ham" with my grandparents. Allyson is great in the car and slept almost the whole way. We were concerned about the weather but we left early in the morning and the threat of bad weather must have kept everyone off the roads because there was no traffic and it ended up being one of the quickest drives ever. Our Christmas eve tradition also includes watching Christmas Vacation but Ally missed out on most of that as she was tired out from playing with my dad and grandparents. On Christmas Day, we got up and opened presents with dad before heading over to mom's for the big family event. Ally had gotten so many Christmas outfits when she was born, it was hard to decide what she was going to wear first! She had a few outfit changes on Christmas Eve but managed to stay in her red and pink party dress for most of Christmas day. She was able to meet my aunt, uncle and cousins that she wasn't able to see last time we were home and spend some quality time with grandma Marilyn in the rocking chair. Of course she missed out on all of the delicious food and slept through the presents but she had fun playing and was exhausted at night. Santa brought Ally lots of great toys and cute clothes at both of my parents houses...she is such a lucky girl! We came back home on Sunday to have another Christmas with her other grandparents. The car was packed so full we barely fit but the weather cooperated again for the most part and we came home to a slippery highway and lots of snow. Ally again slept through the presents and we couldn't fit them in the car so she still doesn't know what kind of goodies she got. Ella stayed with Karl's parents and spent Christmas playing with Bob and getting lots of attention and love. She is now back to her depressed self at home but has lots of new toys and treats to enjoy. We had a great time celebrating the Holidays as a family and are very thankful for all of the gifts we received!

For the first time, I decided our house needed some holiday decor so I surprised Karl with a tree. Ally and I decorated it with some lights and ornaments, nothing too crazy but enough for us. We also got new stockings and hung them up by the fireplace. Over the years we have received a few ornaments for special occasions but we never displayed them until now. Honestly, I was surprised I even remembered where we put them. I am looking forward to doing this with Ally each year and adding new ornaments to the tree. She loved the lights and colored balls already so it will only get better!

Holiday Cheer

Happy Holidays!

Love: Karl, Erin, Ally & Ella

Big Girl

Now that Ally can hold her head up well, we decided to test out the Bumpo seat. She didn't hate it but she certainly wasn't too excited about it. She really likes to hold her head up and look around and can sit up when someone is holding her but she didn't really know what to think of doing it alone. Ella was very interested in what was going on as you can see.

I just thought this shirt was so cute! Ally looked so grown up wearing jeans- if only they weren't so hard to get on and off when its time for a diaper change. She was pretty happy playing on the floor the other day so I tried to capture a smile but the camera just doesn't seem to take the picture fast enough to get it.

Visiting Corey

This past weekend we took a trip to Bloomington, IL to visit Corey. He had to work on Saturday night so we had lunch with him then went to the ISU basketball game. Ally enjoyed the atmosphere much better there since it wasn't nearly as loud as Mackey Arena. The Redbirds won the game and we got to see Corey in all of his "ticket office staff" glory. Mom and Dew also made the trip so it was a fun weekend. Ally loves her uncle Corey!

Karl carrying Ally into the game in the Bjorn

Ally sporting her winter hat

Uncle Corey with Ally in her red and white Redbirds gear (its the only red she owns!)

Home Videos Take 1

Just before Ally was born, Karl bought one of the new HD Flip video cameras. Its a super small digital video camera we can use to record and document things then plug right into the computer to make movies. Its really easy to use and here are my first attempts: Ally enjoying some tummy time followed by Ella stealing her toy. As I learn more about it, I hope to get more advanced with my movie making.

2 Month Check-Up

Today Ally had her two month check up with our pediatrician, Dr. Ho. She checked out perfectly weighing in at 11.5 pounds and 22.25 inches in length. She really has grown so much! This puts her in the 65% for weight and the 55% for height but this will change as she grows. Today she also got her first round of shots- 2 in the left leg, 1 in the right leg and one given orally. She took them like a champ and only cried for a brief second. We go back for our next visit in another two months.

2 Months Old

While we were in Oshkosh, Ally celebrated her two month birthday. She has really changed a lot since week 6 and seems noticeably bigger in size, more expressive and much more talkative. She can hold her head up very well when sitting and is still working to push herself up with her hands when she is on her tummy. She makes all kinds of noises and even smiles at you when she is happy or you do something she likes. She has her two month check-up and gets her first round of shots tomorrow so I will have her stats to report then. Here are some of the things that I have learned in the first two months of her life (in no particular order):

- No two brands of diapers and wipes are the same. Newborn huggies are bigger than newborn pampers and huggies wipes are terrible! We just graduated to size 1 diapers last week and our current favorite is Pampers.
- Ally hates to have a wet diaper. If she seems to start crying for no reason, its a safe bet that she is in need of a new diaper. On the same subject- don't jump the gun or she will pee mid change then you have to start all over and include a change of clothes.
- The swing is awesome! She is now starting to enjoy it so I don't feel bad putting her in it so I can get some things done. Sometimes she falls asleep but most of the time she just looks at things.
- Managing a dog and a baby is not easy, I don't know how people with multiple kids handle it if I can barely get the dog outside while Ally is awake.
- Having family around is priceless. Its hard not being near my family all the time but its awesome to see everyone interact with Ally when we do get to see them. Even with Karl's parents in town we don't see them that much so the time she does spend with everyone is even more special. She is a lucky girl!
- I enjoy being home with Ally during the day but I miss work. Not actually doing work but I really miss being in the loop and going to events.
- Driving with a screaming child in the back stresses me out, I hate it but hopefully I get over it because there is usually nothing I can do about it.
- Taking a shower is one of the highlights of my day. I have always used showers as my "thinking time" but now it really is my only time to myself so I like it even more. There is no way I could survive without a daily shower.
- Its hard to love a new baby, a dog and a husband equally- someone is always feeling left out or attention deprived. Its a work in progress to ensure that Karl and I aren't always the last ones to have their needs met.
- Nursing is a much harder undertaking than I ever expected but I am proud of myself for sticking it out and continuing to improve every week. Seems like any idiot can do it but that is not true!
- Baby girl clothes are so cute and even though we usually aren't going anywhere where anyone will see what she has on, I still feel the need to think carefully about what she is going to wear each day. I know it won't last long and I know she doesn't care but I try to switch up colors and styles each day.
- Sleep sacks are a great invention as is the bundle me for the car seat. A warm baby is a happy baby.
- I can run on much less sleep than I ever thought possible and I can now fall asleep instantly anywhere/anytime.

Here are some of my favorite photos from month two with Allyson:

Happy Thanksgiving

To celebrate Allyson's first Thanksgiving we packed up everyone (baby, dog and injured Karl) and headed to Oshkosh. Karl's parents went on a cruise over the holiday so we went to visit my family and spend some time there. It was quite the chore to get everything packed and the car loaded but once we finally got on the road, everything went fairly well. Both Ally and Ella slept almost the whole way- Ella riding shotgun and me and Ally in the back. We enjoyed our first Thanksgiving meal of the day with Grandma Sandy, Grandpa Paul, Aunt Judy, dad and Patty then we headed over to Aunt Kelly's for Thanksgiving meal #2 with the other side of the family. Ally was loved by everyone and Ella got to spend time running around with Jake in a big fenced in yard at Kelly's. Karl was able to get a walking boot right before we left and has learned how to use it enough so he doesn't have to use the walker. He is still in some pain and his staples look pretty nasty but its healing well and he was able to get around easily while we were away. We were able to spend almost a week there so Ally could have lots of time with the family to show off how much she has grown. We visited the outlet mall, went to brunch at Robbins (were Ally decided to fill her entire diaper and outfit with poop, requiring an immediate wardrobe change and lots of laundry when we got back to dad's house) and just relaxed. Ally was given this bib as a gift to celebrate her first Thanksgiving so we had to show it off during dinner.

So Many Faces

Surgery Update

Karl had surgery to repair his ruptured achilles tendon on Tuesday. All went well and after an overnight stay in the hospital, he was able to come home. They gave him a regional nerve block which is a small pump behind his knee that delivers medication just to the leg in addition to the general anesthesia for surgery. He was able to keep the nerve block in until Friday to help with the pain. The surgery took a little longer than expected because the tendon had rolled up into his calf muscle so he will have a nice long scar up the back of his leg to show off. He is in a hard cast up to his knee for now and cannot put any weight on it at all. He gets around pretty well using a rolling walker (complete with tennis balls) but he is hoping to exchange the cast for a walking boot at his appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday. Karl spends a lot of time moving between the couch and the recliner but as the pain improves, he is able to move around more. He won't be able to do much with Ally other than hold her for a while yet but so far his recovery is going well. It will be a long road but hopefully he will be walking around soon.

Injured Reserve

Bad news: Karl is officially on the injured reserve list. He was finishing up his last day of paternity leave and getting ready to head back to work on Thursday when he ruptured his left achilles playing basketball Wednesday night. He didn't get hit or land on it wrong, he went to make a cut to get open and it popped. I was too far away to hear it pop but he knew right away exactly what happened. We were in Mackey Arena and because of the construction, his only way out was to go up the stairs to the car. His parents came to help get him to the emergency room and it was a good thing because Ally and I got kicked out before we even got in the door. The flu pandemic is so crazy that no one under 18 can even be in the hospital! He had to wait for some of the swelling to go down and was able to meet with the surgeon this morning. He will have surgery to repair the tendon on Tuesday and will be out of commission for a few weeks. Yes he was not happy about going back to work, but this certainly wasn't the best way to get to stay home with us longer! We aren't sure on all of the recovery details yet but he will need some serious rehab and about 6 months time before he will hopefully be back to normal. He is doing well with his leg in a splint for now and can get around our house without much of a problem. Stay tuned for more on this story but we hope to only have positive progress to share.

Surprise from Grandma

I have the most crafty grandma and this is a giant quilt that she made for me. One side of the quilt was made from several of my old t-shirts from my youth and includes basketball team shirts, volleyball team shirts, softball team shirts, high school spirit shirts, shirts from my job as a youth baseball coach, and tons of shirts from the dance studio. I cant believe my dad knew where all these were! Some have just fronts, some are just backs and some have both and it easily fits over our queen sized bed. I had no idea that she was making this so it was an awesome surprise. Now that I have this one, I gave her all of my old Purdue band/Golden Girl shirts to make another one. This is a great way to save all of the things you want to keep but don't want them taking up space and aren't sure what to do with... now we just need a house with more beds so I can keep it out all year. I keep telling grandma to go into busness or start selling on ebay because she can make anything and everything. Thank you!

6 Weeks

Allyson is six weeks old and seems like she has grown so much. She now makes lots of faces and started making some new noises this week. She still eats about every 2-3 hours during the day but has been sleeping great at night. Lately she has been eating around 10, falling asleep between 11 and midnight and sleeping in her crib until 5 or 6am. We can really tell she is growing because she has almost grown out of all her newborn size clothes. She has big round cheeks to match her big round belly. We have been given so may cute outfits in the 0-3 month size so I can't wait for her to finally get to wear them! She still has a ton of hair and its starting to get more curly, especially when its wet. Ally likes to be on the move and to look around at everything- especially ceiling fans and people. Ella is becoming more fond of her now too, she likes to give kisses on her hand and doesn't hide in the guest room all of the time anymore. Here she is sporting one of her many cute outfits.

First Flight

Last weekend Ally took her first trip on an airplane when we went to Tampa for my friend Andrea's beach wedding. We decided right before Ally was born that we would do our best to make the trip with her since its a direct and short flight from Indy to Tampa and we would only be able to stay for 2 days. We were nervous about everything- packing, security, flight, hotel but Ally surprised us and did really great. We ended up traveling during her normal nap times so she fell asleep right before we boarded the plane and slept the whole ride both times. We didn't have a lot of time to do much while we were there but the wedding was beautiful and Ally seemed to enjoy the warm weather and sun for the short time we were there. I think she enjoyed not having to wear socks, pants, a winter hat and blankets outside. This was a good test run for us and the Indianapolis airport is very family friendly so that helps. They have separate lines for families so you don't have to feel like you are "those people" holding everyone up with the car seats, stroller, 10 bags and a screaming child. Granted, Ally wasn't screaming and barely even cried at all in either airport but its hard to ignore the stares from other people that say "I better not be sitting by that kid on the flight". As long as she rides in our laps she is free to travel and strollers and car seats are free to check so that was nice, especially now that everyone charges for bags. We hope that this was just one of many trips we will get to take as a family.

Best Friends

Here is Alexis Conner at 10 weeks with Allyson at 5 weeks. We tried to get a picture of both girls when they were awake and content so this was our best effort. As you can see, pink and brown is very in for babies this fall. Katie and Nick brought the girls up for a visit the other night so it was quite entertaining to have 3 little ones in the house. I don't think Ella enjoyed it very much considering that we had all three crying at one point. Paige is still afraid of Karl but he gave her the monster movie (Monsters Inc) to borrow for the ride home so he might now be her new best friend. We can't wait to see how these little girls grow up! Purdue class of 2032?

Happy Halloween

Allyson enjoyed her first holiday in Oshkosh. The weather was so cold and windy that we stayed inside along with most of the other kids in town. Ally was a glow in the dark skeleton by day and a sleepy pumpkin by night.

1 Month

Ally celebrated her one month birthday on Friday while we were visiting family and friends in Oshkosh. It has been a big adjustment for our family over the past month but it has gone by quickly. She is growing and changing every day, she now makes lots of faces and can focus on people and objects. Eating and sleeping is starting to become more routine and as of this week she has been sleeping in two three or four hour stretches at night which is great. We aren't so afraid to take her out in public and she has done pretty well with all of the places she has been. Karl and I are getting good at holding her with one hand and eating with the other. While in Oshkosh she met a lot of new people and spent a lot of time outside of the house. She did great on the drive and slept the whole way there and almost the whole way back. Ally loves her grandmas and was able to spend most of her time being rocked or held by someone. We even got sent away for dinner two of the nights so Ally could spend some more time with grandma and grandpa. Karl and Dew went to the purdue-wisconsin game on Saturday and the girls stayed home and visited with more friends and family. The game was so disappointing but at least we got to have grandmas delicious chili! Ally slept well in the pack and play while we were there and she didn't seem to mind all of the new surroundings and people. Thanks to everyone that stopped by to visit, especially Aunt Judy, Josh& Stef and Sara & Kevin for making the trip from Madison. We weren't sure how Ally would handle being away from home and the long drive, but the trip went very well and we are looking forward to her first airplane ride this weekend!

Places Ally went: Grandma Julie's house, Grandpa Joel's house, Great Grandma Sandy's house, the outlet mall, Robbins for bunch

People Ally met: Great Grandma Sandy, Great Grandpa Paul, Great Aunt Judy, Great Uncle Luke, Patty, Andrea, Robbie, Laura, Josh, Stefanie, Sara, Kevin, Shelli, Cathie.

Here are some of my favorites from our first month with Allyson:

Bath Time

Every family needs the commemorative first bath photos! Ally's umbilical cord stump came off when she turned 3 weeks so that meant it was time for a real bath. She usually really likes getting her hair washed but she wasn't so thrilled about being totally naked and wet this time. Another work in progress but at least she is clean....

3 Weeks Old

In some ways it feels like Allyson has always been a part of our family but in others it is hard to believe she is 3 weeks old already. It has been a very busy first few weeks full of visitors, doctors appointments, feeding, changing, adjusting to a new schedule, etc... Karl started his leave from work this week so its been a little easier to manage both Ella and Ally with an extra set of hands. We are getting used to a new sleep schedule and are still trying to figure out how to balance Ally's needs with ours. She is growing and changing like crazy and she now looks more like a baby rather than a newborn. At her doctors appointment last week she weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and grew a quarter inch in length. She still only fits into her newborn size clothes but her cheeks are getting a little chubbier and she is starting to get some baby fat on her skinny little bones. We have been advised that Ally will hit her 3 week growth spurt this week that will include more crying, less sleep and more eating. Right now her appetite s crazy and she wants to eat almost every hour! She only takes one long nap in the afternoon but at night she sleeps in 3-4 hour stretches that get a little longer each day. I struggle with getting her back to sleep at night after she eats but its a work in progress. We hate to hear her cry but we aren't yet to the point where we know exactly what she needs at all times so its been trial and error for now. I have been bad about taking pictures so I really want to try hard to do a better job of documenting the things she does. We are starting to get a little more adventurous and have taken her a few places. We both have this fear of having her freak out in public so we have been pretty limited in our outings and try to do them when she is sleeping. Once we get a better handle on the feeding schedule, we hope to get out more while she is awake and alert.

Its definitely hard to find time to get the daily things done like laundry, dishes, check email, facebook, answer the phone, etc... so I apologize if you have tried to call or emailed and haven't gotten an answer. It seems like the phone only rings when I sit down to feed Ally and when she naps and I go to grab the phone, she wakes up right away. I will get better at this, I promise! We are taking Ally for her first road trip next week to visit family and friends in Oshkosh so lots more pictures to come. Thanks to everyone that has sent cards, clothes and gift cards for Ally! For someone that had zero clothes before she was born, we could now open our own Carter's store. Karl is thankful for the closet doors that hide the massive amounts of PINK from view! Ally is a lucky girl to have so many people that love her already.

Places we went: mom/dad's work, Tippecanoe Mall, Purdue vs Iowa volleyball game, Nine Irish Brothers
People Ally met: Mom's work friends, Dad's work friends, Great Aunt Kelly, Great Uncle Mark, Great Aunt Chris, Cousin Grady, Lauren Coros

Week 1 With Ally

It's hard to believe that Allyson is already a week old! We got home from the hospital on Friday evening and have been getting used to life with a baby. Ella hasn't really seemed all that interested in her yet but we are sure that will change once the visitors clear out and she gets back to a normal routine. We have had so much support from friends and family and Ally has hardly been put down! My mom was here for a full week, followed by my grandparents and of course Karl's parents have been over to help with everything from cooking and cleaning to holding their granddaughter so I can take a quick nap or shower. This weekend we will have more visitors from Oshkosh to meet Ally. I am so happy that so many people can adjust their schedules to make the trip here- we are so lucky! Ally has been a great baby so far and is showing us new things every day. It was a busy start to the week with doctors appointments for both of us. She met her pediatrician, Dr. Ho and checked out great and I had my staples removed and checked out great as well. She wasn't really a big fan of nursing and was having a really hard time so on Tuesday we met with the nurse at the hospital to get some help there. Now she is nursing like a champ, eating as much as often as she can. Ally is very strong and already moves her head all over the place and has very active hands. She loves to sleep and is very happy to be snuggled up tight with a blanket. Nights are still a work in progress but now that the nursing is improving, she is getting into a good routine. We are looking forward to more firsts and many more visitors over the next several weeks. Below are some photos that we have taken so far of Allyson!

Places we went: Great Aunt Sue's house, Scotty's Brewhouse, Doctors Office

People that Ally met: Grandma Julie, Uncle Corey, Grandpa Joel, Grandpa Dew, Grandma Sharon, Grandpa Henry, Great Aunt Sue, Great Grandma Marilyn, Great Grandpa Jack, Dr. Ho, Katie, Nick Paige and Alexis Conner

Allyson Jeanne is Here

Allyson Jeanne was born at 12:55am on Wednesday, September 30, 2009. I began to feel contractions every hour or so starting on Sunday evening and after the long weekend of events, I was super tired and didn't go in to work on Monday. I stayed home and slept most of the day- a few contractions here and there but nothing really consistent or measurable. We went to Scotty's for dinner and came back home and laid around some more just watching football. At about 12:30 I felt a few strong enough to make me look at the clock and take notice so I started paying closer attention and they were getting closer and definitely stronger. By 4 am I was having a hard time laying in bed so I started moving around and semi-freaking out. I woke Karl up and told him I was pretty sure this was it and was going to call when they doctor had said, 5 minutes apart for an hour which by this point meant just waiting the hour. I called a little after 5am and they told us to come in to the hospital and get checked in. Karl and I showered, finished up the bag, fed the dog and headed in. I was set up in a room by 6:15 and was having contractions about every 2-3 minutes. Not a whole lot of progress but we knew it was real and going to happen today (or we thought).

Everything was pretty consistent and moving along and I asked for the epidural once Dr. Penman, my favorite of the three docs, said he was going to break my water. I knew the contractions would come faster and harder then so I got the epidural at 11:30 and he broke my water by 12:30. I was feeling great then! My mom arrived shortly after and thought I already had the baby because I looked so relaxed. Karl was in and out as were his parents and my mom, staring at me laying in a bed really could not have been very exciting but at around 5 I started to feel the contractions. Not only did the epi somehow come out but we learned that baby was turned sideways and causing back labor. I thought I was going to die for a few hours until they were able to get the epi redone, also not fun at all but way better than the back labor that drove me to tears so I'm not going to complain. By this point, I was stuck at 6-7cm and Dr. Penman thought she would have already been here by this time. The hospital was really busy with lots of c-sections and deliveries so at 10:30pm he decided to try some pitocin to see if that would help and if she would turn on her own. An hour later- nothing and still not quite right so we decided together that a c-section would be best. The decision was made at around 11:15 and by 12:15 I was on my way. Karl's parents and my mom waited in the waiting room and I was wheeled off to surgery. It wasn't an emergency so it was actually relaxed and very upbeat with all the nurses and doctors giving their last guesses on gender and weight before they started. We now for sure knew she wasn't sharing a birthday with grandma Sharon anymore but with great grandma Marilyn and when they got her out, it was so exciting to hear everyone tell us it was a girl! Karl was able to go with her right away and take all the good pictures while I froze to death and got stitched up. I was alert and kept informed of what was going on at all times, it was all very surreal and exciting. She checked out perfectly and didn't really fuss or cry too much at all. We had a few names chosen and when she was all wrapped up we asked her which she liked, happily squawking at Allyson so that's what stuck. We wanted an original first name but the middle name to be a family name so Jeanne comes from Karl's grandma Jeanne Leffler. She and Karl went to meet the family while I went into recovery and we met up in a new room about an hour later. Ally was so happy and wide awake so we took some more photos and finally put her to rest in the nursery at about 5:30am. It was a very, very long day but so worth it!

Its A.... GIRL

We came to the hospital on 9/29 at 6:15am and Allyson Jeanne Kraebber was born at 12:55am on Wednesday, September 30. Labor began at about 4:15 am but she just wasnt getting into the correct position so she came into the world via c-section after many, many hours of laboring both comfortably and uncomfortably. We are both doing well and will get some details and more pictures posted when we can. Thanks for all of the support and prayers during the last few days, we really appreciate it!

39 Week Update

We are down to single digits and we have progress! At my appointment on Wednesday I was finally showing some signs of an approaching labor. Baby has moved down to almost a full hands width below my rib cage and seems to be facing the right direction. I am 1-2 cm dilated and 50% effaced which is a dramatic change from last week! Doctor's gut feeling was that little Ringo would make his/her debut early next week if not right on the actual due date. For those of you that have chosen dates this weekend in the baby pool, don't lose hope yet as it still could happen at any time or I could be stuck at 2cm for the next week. Maybe if the Notre Dame game gets really intense and exciting, it will happen right on the field like several of my coworkers are predicting. Either way, we are very excited and hope to be able to announce a new member of the family by this time next week! We will continue to update the blog and facebook as much as we can so stay tuned.

38 Week Update

Well... baby is still happy and healthy in its little home so not much to report at all. I have now entered the "you might explode at any moment" stage but based on yesterday's appointment Ringo is still sitting quite high. I do feel different so I think things might be moving a tiny bit but not enough to be considered any sort of progress. I went from feeling fine to quite uncomfortable almost over night and it now seems like no sleeping position works and I would be happier standing all day instead of sitting at my desk. Although I am not nearly as large as the majority of the ladies I saw at the doctors office yesterday I honestly feel like I'm the size of a house! I do know that something is going to happen sometime between now and October 7 which is the 41 week mark and as far as they will let anyone go. I am hoping baby will drop on its own before then so keep your fingers crossed.

Baby or no baby, we have a busy weekend ahead with soccer, volleyball and football. I will be working all of the events and Karl will be tailgating and enjoying them from the stands. The weather is supposed to be beautiful all weekend and the Benders are coming to visit so that is exciting. Looking forward to a Boilermaker football victory after we decided to let Oregon take last weeks game!

Code Words

As we approach "D-Day" we have been talking more about some of the basics of getting to the hospital. It's a pretty common joke these days around the office and home that I am going into labor while at work on either the football field or the volleyball court but regardless of if that happens or not, we still need to have some plans. Obviously if its during work hours on a week day, Karl is already at the hospital so its a matter of getting me where I need to be depending on how quickly I need to be there. As I mentioned, the facilities guys at work gave me a code word to use if something happens at an event and I need their help so we started talking about it at home. Karl has a couple of important meetings at work and various projects he will be leading over the next few weeks so he said he hoped nothing happened on those dates while he's at work. Of course, my next question was-what if it does? I asked how I should notify him that its important and something is happening if he is in a meeting or place where he can't take calls. His response: boom goes the dynamite. If I text or message him on his phone with those words he will know to excuse himself and call me back immediately. I said sounds good but if things are really moving fast and I feel like its too long to type all that, I'm just going to say TNT BOOM and he better get out of there. We know the odds of all of this happening during the work day are pretty small but its still good to be prepared!

Flag Football

Karl is back to coaching in the West Lafayette Flag Football league with his friend (and soon to be our pediatrician) Chester Ho. This is their third year together in the league and he is back to having kindergarten through 2nd graders. They have always coached the age group that Dr. Ho's son was in so the first year they did k-2, then last year 3rd-5th but now that Charlie is big enough to play tackle they decided that the little ones were much more fun. The team has had two practices and last night was their second game. It's so entertaining to watch! As someone that started coaching and teaching little kids when I was 13, its really fun to watch from the sides and see how little boys deal with grown up men as coaches. It's a very different dynamic and more like watching a circus than a football game but the kids are just so funny that you cant help but laugh when you watch. There are some that are really good and you can tell they have older siblings or parents that are very involved with their athletic development, some that have never touched a ball or seen football in their life but are interested in running around, and some that have no interest and are just there to pull grass and do handstands on the field. I know a few of the kids on the team since I work with their dads but most of them are new. A few good quotes from yesterday:
Dad to son Henry while Karl was explaining what to do in the huddle: "Henry, pay attention!" Henry, who is no where near the huddle: " Dad, I don't have to. He's not talking to me!"
Quinn, from the sideline to another kid on the team that wasn't paying attention while on offense: "Quit messing around, this isn't a dance floor!"

Karl is still very competitive and draws up all kinds of plays for the kids but he's pretty patient and enjoys teaching them the basics too. Every once in a while he forgets they are only 5 and guns a ball at them or forgets to tell a kid he had a nice run even when it was 40 yards in the wrong direction, but its a learning experience for him too! I love watching from the sidelines and cant wait until I'm not just the supportive coaches wife but a parent too. Here are a few pictures I took with my phone yesterday: Karl giving the play to the offense in the huddle and Karl putting the kids in place ready to surprise the defense.

Its Football Season

Friday was the annual Gold & Black dinner on the football field, which always means the season is just a few hours away. I'm tired of posting pictures of just me and my big belly so here is the family shot from the press box. I have gotten many (unsolicited) comments from donors I work with , co-workers, random game day staff people, drunk fans, etc... and I think quite a few of them were afraid the baby was going to come out right on the field. I assured everyone over and over that I was fine but I am c0nvinced that if something were to happen, being on the field surrounded by doctors, trainers, EMTs and an ambulance might not be the worst thing. This week did all my usual responsibilities and didn't really have any issues other than a very sore back and some swelling from the heat. Hopefully by the next game I will need to have a more limited role on game days because that will mean this baby will be on the move! The weather was perfect on Saturday and we won so all in all, a great start to the Boilermaker football season!

36 Week Update

36 weeks and growing! Today I started the first of a series of weekly visits to the OB until baby decides to come. I measured right on as usual- 36 cm and baby's heart rate was a steady 146 bpm. Ringo appears to be very happy and comfortable in it's tight quarters as the doctor really wasn't able to get a good feel on his/her position. Baby is still up very high so it was difficult to tell much of anything. We may have the most predictable baby since every time we have been to the doctor the heartbeat as been almost exactly the same and I have measured exactly on- which is apparently pretty rare. We will see what happens over the next few weeks but we should be expecting baby to start to drop down soon. I am really starting to feel huge and the additional weight and discomfort is to be expected, along with the lack of sleep. Preparation for whats to come I suppose! I have started to prepare a bag for the hospital as well as put an emergency bag to keep in the car should something happen at work. Co-workers and coaches are starting to look at me like I'm going to explode any minute. As long as I am feeling well, I still plan to work up until baby decides its time but my roles on game days will be more limited now that football is about to start. I am usually running around like crazy on the field doing a million things at once- including holding back the team and making them wait until the exact moment they can take the field and then jumping out of the way to avoid being run over by 100 giant boys in pads. Obviously not a good job for someone that's 9 months pregnant so this weekend I will be handing over the duty to someone else and playing more of a "supervisory" role. We will see how it goes... I'm a control freak!

Either way, its the start of college football so a lot of exciting things are happening here. More to come soon!

Less Than a Month

The ticker finally says 30 days and counting down! Its a very strange feeling to know that "Ringo" will be a real part of our family anytime between now and 5 weeks from now. Doctors wont let me go past the first week in October so at least I know that much! It is starting to feel like I have been pregnant forever and on one hand I am ready to be done but on the other there is a fear of whats to come. As you may or may not know, I have a very low pain tolerance and a general fear of all things doctor/hospital related so the whole labor and delivery process seems very scary. We think we have a handle on the things we will need to bring baby home and the room is set up and stocked for now. I washed and folded all of the onesies, blankets, towels, washcloths, etc.. and am putting them into their place in the dresser and closets. Without knowing the gender of the baby, the entire load of items looked like a giant ball of green and yellow... pretty funny actually. I have my 36 week appointment this Thursday which will be the first of my weekly visits until baby decides its time to get this process started.
This past weekend Karl took a trip to LA for his friends wedding but because of work and my "unsafe condition" I wasn't able to go along. He had a great time at all of the wedding festivities and was able to experience a whole lot of the Indian culture. He didn't take a camera so we don't have any pictures yet but maybe some friends will have some so we can post them. Purdue volleyball opened the season on Friday with a two-day tournament so I had a new crew of interns and staff to train. It's certainly a lot harder to work long days in a hot gym with this extra weight! The weekend actually worked out very well because I was able to visit Katie and the new addition to their family after taking Karl to the airport on Thursday and picking him up last night. Alexis Kate was born early Wednesday morning via c-section and big sister Paige could not be more excited about it. She was sleeping most of the time I spent with her both in the hospital and at their house but she is so cute and I can't wait for our babies to grow up together. Good planning on their part to have the baby in between events for me so thanks Katie and Nick!

This week is busy as usual with the first home football game and Karl's 10 year class reunion. I should have more to post following my visit with the OB on Thursday but I had to make a note of the one month (give or take) to go milestone! I will also add some pictures of this gigantic baby belly at 36 weeks then. Stay tuned....

34 Week Update

Not much new to report other than the fact that I feel as though I am growing by the minute! Baby is still as active as ever and weighs about as much as a cantaloupe. According to babycenter.com he/she should be gaining about a half-pound each week and has almost reached its full length. I've been noticing a lot harder movements now that the baby is so much bigger, I even tend to get little feet stuck under my ribs. Sleeping has become quite the chore but apparently that's called preparation for when he/she actually arrives. Now that events have started for me, I am absolutely exhausted by the time I get home and spend most of my free time on the couch relaxing or napping. Karl had his first flag football practice tonight so his schedule is getting busier as well. We completed our baby class last week at the hospital and a lot of the big things we were worried about doing have been done so let the waiting game continue. We still have some things going on over the next few weeks including a trip to LA for Karl for his friend's wedding, the start of Purdue volleyball and football for me, Karl's 10 year class reunion, and weekly doctor visits to keep little Ringo in check. We are doing our best to enjoy the time we have left until baby makes 3.

Baby Kraebber's Room

We think the room is ready to go! A few things left to do but it's baby ready for the most part. We ordered a rocker and it should be here by the end of the month and we still need a cover for the changing pad but other than that, we think we are in good shape. We both wanted to have this finished before school started and our schedules really got busy so we are happy with the progress we made and how it turned out (with a week to spare). The room is neutral for the most part and really matches the rest of the house too which is kind of nice. We have lots for baby to look at and hope he/she will appreciate all of the jungle animals he/she will get to sleep with every night. We have gotten a lot of great gifts for baby too so we are still in the process of washing, hanging and putting together many things. There is plenty of room for family photos to be added as well as clothes once we know if we are in need of he or she clothes. Enjoy the photos and more to come!

Baby Shower #2

Yesterday Karl's family and friends hosted our second and final baby shower. The girls part of the shower was at Karl's aunts and included lots of delicious food, punch and margaritas for the non-pregnant ones while the guys gathered at Karl's parents for steak, beer and cards. They were both small gatherings but still lots of fun. We now have a room full of great stuff to help us get ready for the baby's arrival: diapers, wipes, books, toys, clothes and more diapers! The room is almost ready and it looks like we might have enough stuff to survive a week with a newborn right now. We still have a few important items that we are missing so this week the project is to put all the gifts in their place and go through our checklist and find out what necessities we need to purchase. I'm sure we will never truly be "prepared" but our goal is to do the best we can before Ringo decides to join our family. Thanks to all of our friends and family for helping us get ready to bring baby home. He/she is certainly loved by many already! Here are a few photos from the shower.

Happy Grandma-to-be!

Katie and baby girl at 35 weeks and Erin and baby ? at 31 weeks

31 Week Update

It's been a few weeks since I posted a true profile shot so here it is (not sure why its fuzzy). I have now met all of the doctors in the new practice we switched to and I am happy with all of them. The last one, Dr. Penman was my favorite and if I got to choose who would be there to deliver it would definitely be him. He was great to meet with and offered up a lot of information without me having to ask a million questions. He gave us a run down of what to expect over the next few weeks and then took all the important measurements. The baby belly has exploded to 31 cm which is exactly on target and the heartbeat sounded great. Based on where I have been getting kicked and jabbed and Dr. Penman's assessment, Ringo is head down with his/her shoulders, elbows and rear end doing most of the damage. He/she moves constantly to the point where I have to stop whatever I am doing and try to talk him/her into settling down so I can get stuff done or try to sleep. Its been especially bad when I am in the car which has made for some long road trips recently. I swear I should be bruised! Ringo is currently weighing in at about 3.5 lbs and should be around 16 inches long so based on that, Dr. said if I go the full 40 weeks we should be looking at a nice healthy 7lb baby. Sorry, no changing your guesses now! We have made a lot of progress on the room and after this weekend, we will have a better idea of what we are missing and what else we need to be ready in terms of supplies. Hard to believe that our little baby will be here in less than 2 months! Since I am going to grow at a crazy fast pace for the next few weeks I will do better at posting photos and details. We will still visit the doctor every 2 weeks in August but after the last week in August we will be going every week until D-Day arrives. And yes... to those of you that said not to worry about gaining weight right away and that it will come eventually- you were right!