Week 36

Well, HELLO to the start of our 9TH MONTH!  Even as I type those words I can't believe it...my jaw is just sitting on the floor.  The last month of our pregnancy?!?  Wow, this has just flown by, but it sure has been wonderful and enjoyable!  Junebug Too is active as ever - I'll tell you, I think this little one is already training to win the gold medal in the 2028 Summer Olympic gymnastics competition!  And we're talking some intense practices every single day with hardly any breaks!  However, this is kind of funny, during our non-stress test this past Monday, baby decided to take an extended break and not give us many movements which meant that our usual 20 minute test took over an hour.  I couldn't believe this little bugger!  In the end we got some decent movements and the test results were great, once again - praise the Lord!  The test was followed up with an internal exam and I'm happy to report that I'm not at all dilated or effaced and baby is at a -3 station (as in, there's absolutely nothing going on and we're still chugging along with an expected due date of June 22nd)!

One exciting thing we did this week was to purchase Junebug Too's homecoming outfits!  Below is a picture of what baby will be wearing if we're blessed with a little boy... 

And of course this is what baby will be wearing if we're blessed with a little girl...

Kevan and I definitely think we'll be returning the blue outfit, but we'll see in just a few weeks what God has decided as far as what addition is needed to the Krestel family!

Week 35 Ultrasound Pictures

On May 18, 2011 we had another opportunity to see our sweet little blessing from the Lord.  Baby is getting bigger, so the ultrasound pictures weren't quite as clear.  With Junebug Too taking up much more than the tv screen allows us to see, I think that's why Nathan got a bit confused.  When baby first appeared on the screen he yelled, "Baby!" but then throughout the ultrasound he went on to call his little brother or sister "Titty" which is his word for kitty and "Aff Oof" which is his word for dog.  Honest mistake, right!?!

Ok, so below we have a shot of Junebug Too's face looking straight on at us.  Baby's left hand is in front of his or her mouth but you can make out the nose and eyes pretty clearly.  I think Junebug Too looks just like a little baby doll...

Here's another shot of Junebug Too's face without the hand in front of the mouth.  You can make out the mouth, nose and right eye pretty clearly...

Lastly, we have a profile shot of Junebug Too's face.  I think this is really hard to make out but you can kind of see the forehead, nose and mouth if you strain really hard...

To share the stats, the ultrasound tech estimated Junebug Too to weigh in at 4 lbs. 12 oz. which puts baby in the 10th percentile for growth...teetering on the brink of "the red zone" but good enough for our doc, especially given that my amniotic fluid levels are still looking good and since baby's heart rate and breathing looked very strong and baby's movements looked normal and healthy.  We're continuing to pray that Junebug Too's Creator will keep growing this little miracle at just the right pace so baby is born at a healthy weight (and believe me, Mommy is just fine having a small baby as long as all is healthy)!

Week 35

Whoa baby!  You may be thinking that my belly looks a bit lower than it did last week and you are right!  We started out week 35 with a visit to the doctor where Nathan and I got to hear Junebug Too's heartbeat for about 20 minutes during the non-stress test.  As always, it was pure music to my ears!  As far as Nathan, he was busy looking through books and playing with some toys, but every now and then he would lift his head, point to the machine and say "heartbeat!"  After the test we met with the doctor and she said that the test results were excellent, so praise God for that!  She then confirmed that baby has dropped - and not only that - Junebug Too is extremely low!  She couldn't believe that I haven't had any contractions yet, but thankfully, after the internal exam, she confirmed that my cervix is still completely closed.  I have had a lot of pressure though so she told me to really take it easy and try to keep my feet up as much as possible - obviously easier said than done with an almost 2-year old!  But, I'm trying to be a good patient since I know the best place for Junebug Too right now is in the womb! 

I don't think I've mentioned this in my past few posts, but I've been going to a chiropractor for three weeks now in hopes of getting my pelvis and everything else in-line so that Junebug Too's labor won't last anywhere near big brother Nathan's 30.5 hour labor!  I'm praying that this baby will just shoot right out of me - HA!  Speaking of the delivery, this week we booked Mamoo's ticket to come out for Junebug Too's birth.  If you recall, the due date is June 22nd (same as Nathan's and he was 2 days early) but I have a really strong feeling that this baby is determined to come much earlier.  It was a gamble, but we booked her flight to get her in on the 17th and she'll be staying with us until the 27th.  We're praying that she arrives before Junebug Too but not too far in advance because we want her to be able to get a good visit in with baby!

We ended week 35 with another ultrasound so as soon as we can get those pictures scanned I'll be sure to update the blog with pictures of our little darling and details from the appointment.  Stay tuned!

Week 34

How sweet is this!?!?!?  We decided to involve big brother Nathan in this week's belly picture and he had a ball kissing baby!  He would pucker up, make a big kissing sound, plant a smackeroo on my belly and then fall to his knees laughing.  He must have repeated this at least 20 times - it was hysterical!  Speaking of my belly, I was just comparing week 34 pictures from Nathan's pregnancy to Junebug Too's pregnancy and I can't get over how much lower I appear to be carrying this time around (that or my belly is just sagging - ha!).  As far as making strides in getting ready for Junebug Too, we're officially set on a boy's name and we think we've narrowed down a girl's name to two - which makes me think even more so that we're having a girl because last time around we were set on a girl's name and unsure of a boy's name.  Also this week, I picked up a bassinet for Junebug Too that we're borrowing from my friend Alicia.  It's really cute (and bigger than I expected) and she included mattress covers in green, yellow, blue and pink so we're all set on that end! We're really excited to see if we'll be pulling out the blue or pink cover NEXT MONTH!!!!!!

Week 33 Ultrasound Pictures

On May 4, 2011 we had a follow up ultrasound and Junebug Too passed with flying colors!  They tested my amniotic fluid level which was still good and high and they checked to make sure baby was breathing well, that the heartbeat was good and strong, that baby did at least two body rolls and that baby had some good gross movements (moving an arm or leg).  We are praising God for this wonderful news!  We took Nathan with us again and he seemed just as excited as we were to see Junebug Too...as soon as the tech pulled baby up on the tv screen he started screaming with excitement, "Baby!" 

Here's a sweet shot of Junebug Too's face looking straight on.  What a great shot of baby's eyes, nose and mouth.  Looks like Junebug Too may have some chubby cheeks like big brother Nathan...

While looking at baby it appeared that he or she was a baldy so I asked the tech if we would be able to see hair on this ultrasound or if we would need a 3-D shot.  She said we could make it out with this ultrasound so she got a good look at it and printed the below picture for us.  You can see the arrow below pointing to what looks like stubble.  The tech said that we can definitely see hair follicles but she can't verify if it's a luscious head of hair like Nathan had when he was born (and still does) or if it's just peach fuzz.  We'll just wait and be surprised...

Week 33

I'm assuming the background of this picture is throwing you a bit.  Well, as I shared in the April Antics blog posting, the sale of our house fell through at the last minute but we got the house right back up on the market.  Showings were getting a bit tough for me - with having to get all of Nathan's big toys, dining chair and gate down to the basement, carrying our 20+ pound cat down to his crate, helping our 100+ pound dog with a bum hip into the back of our Jeep and running around like a maniac cleaning up (especially for those beloved 15-minute warning calls or the even more beloved calls that a potential buyer was sitting out front of our house and would like to come in asap to see our house).  So, we decided to move in with Kevan's mom and dad for a few weeks so our house would be in spic and span, 24/7 show-ready condition.  So, here's our week 33 picture in front of their fireplace!

Things are going great here and as long as I've got my trusty body pillow, baby and I are comfortable sleeping anywhere!  Now, one really convenient thing about living here is that our childbirth instructor is under the same roof!  So, this week she gave us our refresher course and now we're feeling a bit more prepared for Junebug Too's arrival.  I truly had forgotten some of the natural childbirth techniques but as Cathy said they would, they came back to me pretty quickly!  We've been practicing our breathing every night (when I'm giving myself my blood thinner shot is always a perfect opportunity) so now we just need to re-read our booklet from class.  I just have a feeling that this little one is going to come early so we really need to get going with our reading! 

Week 32 Ultrasound Pictures

You may recall from our week 28 ultrasound that there was some concern regarding Junebug Too's growth and so our doctor wanted to do a repeat ultrasound one month later. Well, on April 27, 2011 we had our follow up ultrasound.  Baby's growth has dropped from the 15th percentile to the 11th percentile so our doctor wants to monitor baby on a weekly basis.  We'll start with another ultrasound next week and then go to non-stress tests every other week with ultrasounds in-between.  Her gut feeling is that I'm just prone to having small babies, but she wants to be cautious in case she's wrong.  She said the 10th percentile is the "red zone" where things can get dicey (as in, there can be talk about taking the baby early) but she's not jumping the gun - just closely monitoring things.  Kevan and I think her gut is right on so we're really not concerned but we welcome the extra ultrasounds and any chance we get to see our little miracle!  We're just continuing to pray that God is knitting this little one together perfectly in my womb, that baby will grow sufficiently so there aren't any concerns, that all organs will develop and function perfectly and that this pregnancy will go full term!  Oh, and to share the stats, baby is weighing in at 3 lbs. 10 oz!

Now for the fun part - below are some pictures of our little Junebug Too.  Baby is head down and gearing up for landing!  Here is a side profile - hopefully you can make out the sweet little forehead, nose and hands...

Another similar shot of the side profile but you can see the kissable little lips a bit clearer here...

And one more.  I may be off, but it looks like you can see baby's left ear in this picture...

After the ultrasound we went up to see our doctor and it appeared that the ultrasound lab didn't run a particular test that my doctor requested so they hooked me up for a non-stress test.  I had Nathan with me and what a surreal feeling because I sat there staring at him in his stroller thinking to myself that the last time I was hooked up for one of these tests, it was his little heartbeat I sat listening to.  Now, here he was, sitting right before me, almost 2 years old and together we were listening to his baby brother or sister's heartbeat.  I just couldn't stop praising God for this sweet moment!  Plus, Nathan always makes it sweeter because when he hears baby's heartbeat he yells out "heartbeat!" with such joy and excitement!

Week 32

Whoa - here we are at week 32 which means we're entering the 8th month of our pregnancy!  I know I've said this so many times, but this pregnancy is really flying by!  You may notice that my belly button looks a bit odd - and you're right!  Not only is it not herniated this time around but it's kind of indented with a sunken in perimeter - it looks kind of strange and definitely different from last time!  I'm still feeling great and baby is active as ever - I cherish all the movements I feel even though some of them hurt - I think we may have a boxer or kickboxer on our hands!

Week 31

It may not look like it, but I've got some serious "abs of steel!"  Well, okay, more like a tummy of steel...it is so incredibly hard it's amazing! This week, on April 16th,  baby got to enjoy his or her 2nd concert as we joined a bunch of friends from church to see Mercy Me along with Natalie Grant and Brandon Heath.  It was a great show and Junebug Too was rockin' right along with us.

Above is the bear we made Junebug Too this week at Build A Bear.  Of course we took Nathan with us to the mall and he took part in making the bear for his little brother or sister...we had him kiss a little silk red heart and put it in the bear - it was so cute!  Just like with Nathan's bear, we put the recording of Junebug Too's heartbeat in one of the bear's paws.  It's music to my ears to play that sweet little sound!  You can bet we'll be doing weekly pictures with baby next to his or her bear to track growth just like we did with Nathan! 

April Antics

April showers bring...an interesting appetite for our almost 2-year old.  Here's a picture of Nathan chowing down on one of his favorite treats - a big dill pickle!  He's also a fan of sundried tomatoes and capers.  Quite the advanced palate for such a little guy.  Oh, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that he also gave Play Doh a try while we were at a Parents as Teachers playtime - but thankfully, he wasn't a fan...

However, he can often be found eating a bowl full of frozen veggies (preferably carrots, corn and peas).  I promise this is not child neglect - he will not eat veggies if they're cooked - he only likes them straight out of the freezer...

Here's one of my favorite pictures as of late!  I just love little boys in these one piece outfits - such a cutie..

Playing with his "aff-oof" in the backyard...

Oops!  We spent an afternoon at Grandma and Pa Pa's and had a little mishap on their back patio.  We had to document it because I believe this was his first real knee scrape, deserving of a band aid and everything...

I often confuse my stapler for my phone - anyone else?

Now this is a real man's workout!  Daddy carried Nathan around in his arms the entire time he mowed the backyard.  Nathan was loving it and almost conked out a time or two...

Here's the birthday boy on his 22nd month birthday (celebrating with some frozen veggies fresh from the freezer)...

Towards the end of the month Nathan got a much needed haircut and for the first time, he didn't sit on Mommy's lap but sat all by himself in a big boy booster chair.  Aunt Hanna got a little crazy and spiked his hair with some gel...

Nathan developed a very strange habit this month - he thoroughly enjoys sitting and picking his toes.  As he discovers the ever famous "toe jam" he picks it out and says "Yucky!"  I'm curious if this is an almost-2-year-old thing or just a boy thing...

Happy Resurrection Sunday!  Here's Nathan with his two favorite girls - the Ross girls.  We've got Madi on the left and Sarah on the right.  He just needs to decide if he likes younger blondes or older brunettes...

Whoa - looks like Sarah is trying to convince him that Brunettes have more fun but he's not quite ready to move so fast...

Our newest family photo... 

After church we spent the afternoon at Grandma and Pa Pa's...

And enjoyed a visit from some of our Columbus, OH family - Uncle Jeff, Aunt Jenny and cousin baby Lauren... 

Nathan was very reluctant to share Grandma...

Grandma and Pa Pa with their two youngest grandkids...

One of the cute stories from this past month was while we were at the Parents as Teachers playtime, he found a little baby doll and put it up to my belly and said "Baby!"  Looks like he's really grasping the idea of what's in Mommy's belly.  Just hope he's as excited about baby being out of my belly!

In addition to finding his advanced palate this month, Nathan also found his range of octaves.  He screams at the top of his lungs and boy oh boy can he get HIGH!  It's sometimes when he's angry or frustrated and other times when he's happy or excited.

Now, just some deep thoughts from Mommy.  It was back on April 10th and I was sitting with Nathan on my lap, just loving on him, looking at him (you know, the kind of looking at someone where you're just taking in every little nuance of their being) and thinking what an AMAZING MIRACLE OF GOD he is!!!!  Then I got to thinking about all of our miscarriages and the 2 years from the time of our last miscarriage until we were blessed with Nathan and how it was so worth the wait because I couldn't imagine having any other creation as my son!  Thank you Lord for entrusting us with such a precious gift!

Lastly, just wanted to share that our house sale fell through in April but we got it right back on the market and are trusting that God will bring that right buyer in His perfect time!