1/29/13
Tonight was our first baby class...and I'm looking forward to hearing "vagina" another million times next Tuesday night too!!!
There are about 20 couples and a single, young mom in the group ( more on her later). We meet at United Hospital, where we will give birth, for a few hours and learn about the apparent horrors of childbirth and how I can support my amazing wife while simultaneously focusing on not passing out myself. We learned about what signs to look for when labor is starting and what sort of things we can do to prepare for heading to the hospital. We also spent sometime relieving some stress/nerves by writing questions in a small group and having the instructor answer the questions quickly and also telling us she would be going more in depth in the upcoming classes. I was comforted to know that other dads are just as nervous as I am, and are potentially huge wimps with a similar likelihood of passing out as I have!!!
We watched a short video...which she referred to as "the birthing video." This title scares the crap out of me...the last time I watched a video that was referred to in such a tone was in the 4th grade when the boys and girls watched their separate videos in different rooms!!! Needless to say, some colleagues have told me about this video...I don't plan on being down on the business end for my child's birth, so why do I want to see someone else's business?!?! Sorry, but I'll just walk out next week while that part is being shown!!! On a related, and much more of a judgmental note, why does this particular video choose such an unattractive couple to follow through the birthing process!?!? I'm not asking for much, but come on...make it somewhat of a decision for a hesitant guy to want to watch this movie!!!
And of course, a room/classroom full of people isn't complete without having "that guy/girl" in the audience!!! You know who I'm talking about...the one that knows all the answers, asks ridiculous questions, and is never satisfied by the answers they get!!! As if we hadn't realized this chick was already more special than everyone else in the first 2 hours, she had to state that her body temp is 2 degrees lower than others, so if she has a fever at a lower temp than the one described by the instructor, should she call in as directed, or should she wait until her fever reaches the specified temp... Seriously...I thought she already knew all the answers!!!!
Lastly, a few thoughts about the single girl in the group. I know nothing about her, and this may seem judgmental again, but hear me out. Perhaps her boyfriend is overseas or was working, but she was really young...maybe a teen. First, I have a lot of respect for her for just being there and wanting to be a good mom...regardless of where dad is. But I am also scared for her...Laura and I are still really nervous and feel we are not ready for such awesome responsibility that comes with a baby...but she is doing this much younger than us!!! I sincerely wish her and her baby the best I hope it works out for her if the odds are indeed stacked against her.
And with that, I'll wrap up this entry. I hope I have not offended any of my handful of readers with my thoughts and snap judgements tonight. Until the next post, thanks for reading my Daddy Diary and we appreciate your best thoughts/wishes and/or prayers you send our way. Take care!!!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
It takes a village
1/27/13
We truly have some great neighbors! Today, Laura and I had our neighborhood baby shower. A couple of our neighbors told Laura a while back that they wanted to throw us a "couples" shower in celebration of our baby. We definitely showered with gifts from our awesome neighbors! Everything from hand made quilts and blankets to cute MN Wild and UMD Bulldogs gear for our little girl...the neighbors thought of everything!!! My parents were also there, but we were without Laura's parents due to their work schedule (and the long drive!).
I must say...that's the first shower I've ever been to! I think I was fortunate enough to share that experience for the first time with a few other guys that were there!!! The neighbors had some great food for everyone as usual! We were sitting around eating and drinking, and then the games started!!! I had no idea that games were going to be played, so I didn't bring my game face!!! Regardless, the 13 year old neighbor girl got everyone all together for our games. Game #1 was for the guys...6 of us had to see who could drink a few ounces of apple juice out of a bottle the fastest! After clarifying that we couldn't take the nipple off, and that I couldn't poke a hole in the bottom of the bottle with my knife to increase airflow (to try and "shotgun" the juice...something I heard about in college ;) )...we just started trying to suck it down. Thankfully the girls were cheering us on during this embarassing few minutes!!! The next and final game was called, "What did baby Lemke eat?" We had to identify what type of candy bar was melted inside of 6 different diapers!!! Yuck! I'll just say that I never again plan to put my nose that close to a pile of brown stuff in a diaper, nor will I care what the heck is in it!!! It was a fun game, but took a few minutes to overcome everything I've ever known about poopy diapers!!!
And then there were the gifts...like I said earlier, we received a few different hand made quilts/blankets, a variety of cute onesies and PJs, a few outfits, a MN Wild shirt and bib, a UMD Bulldogs shirt and shoes/socks/booty things, some bottles, a few boxes of diapers and of course a couple of great gifts from our parents!!! My parents gave us the awesome stroller we registered for (a nice, 3-wheeled stroller that has a bunch of compartments and huge wheels which will allow us to take baby on the gravel roads and in the yards in ND and up at the lake...a huge perk for us as we plan to continue to be active with baby when she arrives!) and Laura's parents gave us the bedding we registered for, which includes sheets, a cushy liner thing that goes inside the crib and a bunch of other things that have cute animal prints that will go in her crib!
During this fun gathering with our neighbors Laura and I realized how lucky we are to live on a street surrounded by great people that will do anything to help anyone out! We have several seasonal gatherings throughout the year where we catch up as a large group and enjoy each other's company and share laughs. I never imagined we'd find such a great place to live, let alone how a bunch of people can help make a new couple feel so welcomed and loved in a neighborhood! It was after we left that I realized that it truly does take a village to raise a child. Our small village, in a tiny corner of South St. Paul, is truly a special place to raise our child! I know the same people that snowblow my driveway before doing their own will be there to help us with anything we may need when we bring baby home. I also know that those people that share their stories and funny tales during our gatherings will be looking forward to hearing about our baby's milestones at our next gatherings! I only hope that Laura and I have been able to bring such positive contributions and memories to their lives in the short time that they've been able to do just that for us! So it's the least I can do to give them all some recognition for their thoughtfulness and generosity to us today and all they've done for us in the past! Thanks to the Lewis Family, Tom and Jane, Edwin, Madge and her girls, Lenny and Pam, Tim and Lisa, and Dena and Greg for all you've done for us, and for being the great neighbors that you are! We appreciate you all!!!
And with that, I'll end this entry of my Daddy Diary. Thanks again for reading my Daddy Diary. My next entry will be coming early this week; Laura and I have our first childbirth/baby class Tuesday night! Until next time, thanks again for reading this and for sending your thoughts/best wishes and/or prayers...they're greatly appreciated by Laura, Lexi, baby, and I!!!
We truly have some great neighbors! Today, Laura and I had our neighborhood baby shower. A couple of our neighbors told Laura a while back that they wanted to throw us a "couples" shower in celebration of our baby. We definitely showered with gifts from our awesome neighbors! Everything from hand made quilts and blankets to cute MN Wild and UMD Bulldogs gear for our little girl...the neighbors thought of everything!!! My parents were also there, but we were without Laura's parents due to their work schedule (and the long drive!).
I must say...that's the first shower I've ever been to! I think I was fortunate enough to share that experience for the first time with a few other guys that were there!!! The neighbors had some great food for everyone as usual! We were sitting around eating and drinking, and then the games started!!! I had no idea that games were going to be played, so I didn't bring my game face!!! Regardless, the 13 year old neighbor girl got everyone all together for our games. Game #1 was for the guys...6 of us had to see who could drink a few ounces of apple juice out of a bottle the fastest! After clarifying that we couldn't take the nipple off, and that I couldn't poke a hole in the bottom of the bottle with my knife to increase airflow (to try and "shotgun" the juice...something I heard about in college ;) )...we just started trying to suck it down. Thankfully the girls were cheering us on during this embarassing few minutes!!! The next and final game was called, "What did baby Lemke eat?" We had to identify what type of candy bar was melted inside of 6 different diapers!!! Yuck! I'll just say that I never again plan to put my nose that close to a pile of brown stuff in a diaper, nor will I care what the heck is in it!!! It was a fun game, but took a few minutes to overcome everything I've ever known about poopy diapers!!!
And then there were the gifts...like I said earlier, we received a few different hand made quilts/blankets, a variety of cute onesies and PJs, a few outfits, a MN Wild shirt and bib, a UMD Bulldogs shirt and shoes/socks/booty things, some bottles, a few boxes of diapers and of course a couple of great gifts from our parents!!! My parents gave us the awesome stroller we registered for (a nice, 3-wheeled stroller that has a bunch of compartments and huge wheels which will allow us to take baby on the gravel roads and in the yards in ND and up at the lake...a huge perk for us as we plan to continue to be active with baby when she arrives!) and Laura's parents gave us the bedding we registered for, which includes sheets, a cushy liner thing that goes inside the crib and a bunch of other things that have cute animal prints that will go in her crib!
During this fun gathering with our neighbors Laura and I realized how lucky we are to live on a street surrounded by great people that will do anything to help anyone out! We have several seasonal gatherings throughout the year where we catch up as a large group and enjoy each other's company and share laughs. I never imagined we'd find such a great place to live, let alone how a bunch of people can help make a new couple feel so welcomed and loved in a neighborhood! It was after we left that I realized that it truly does take a village to raise a child. Our small village, in a tiny corner of South St. Paul, is truly a special place to raise our child! I know the same people that snowblow my driveway before doing their own will be there to help us with anything we may need when we bring baby home. I also know that those people that share their stories and funny tales during our gatherings will be looking forward to hearing about our baby's milestones at our next gatherings! I only hope that Laura and I have been able to bring such positive contributions and memories to their lives in the short time that they've been able to do just that for us! So it's the least I can do to give them all some recognition for their thoughtfulness and generosity to us today and all they've done for us in the past! Thanks to the Lewis Family, Tom and Jane, Edwin, Madge and her girls, Lenny and Pam, Tim and Lisa, and Dena and Greg for all you've done for us, and for being the great neighbors that you are! We appreciate you all!!!
And with that, I'll end this entry of my Daddy Diary. Thanks again for reading my Daddy Diary. My next entry will be coming early this week; Laura and I have our first childbirth/baby class Tuesday night! Until next time, thanks again for reading this and for sending your thoughts/best wishes and/or prayers...they're greatly appreciated by Laura, Lexi, baby, and I!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Soon to be...regulars!!! (and a pic of the crib!)
1/24/13
Good evening everyone! We just got back from the doctor and we're happy to say that all is well...again! It's making me feel very fortunate that everything has gone really well for us so far. As many of you know through conversations with me, Laura has had some aches and pains with long bouts of discomfort (I know, and she knows too, we have a "long ways to go" so the discomfort will not get any better soon!). Having said all that, mom and baby are doing great! Laura's blood pressure, measurements and everything else is looking really go and everything is right where it needs to be! And the heart rate, which is still the coolest sound in the world, is sounding great as well!!! I'm definitely grateful that Laura is doing great, and the baby is doing great as well!!!
In regards to the title of this entry, we'll soon be regulars at the doctor's office. For the next month, our normal/routine appointments will occur every two weeks. These are normal appointments and as we get closer to the due date, our appointments will eventually be each week...so please (grandmas!!!), don't worry if it seems like we're going for checkups more often!!!
Last weekend, Laura took friday off of work and we headed to North Dakota for a long weekend...I didn't have school friday nor monday!!! On our way through Fargo, we stopped at my 2nd favorite store (Cabelas is #1), Scheels. It's a huge sporting goods store with everything from tennis to kayaking to college sports to hunting...and a ferris wheel! While at the store, I made my first purchase for my baby girl (not counting the crib and other small things we've accumulated lately)...I bought an adorable little camo onesies with pink around the collar and ends of the sleeves and legs!!! It even has cute little footies!!! I'm such a sap suddenly! I now have a new appreciation for pink camo...and will search for it whenever possible! Hell, Laura told me long ago that she won't wear it, so I have lots of making up to do!!! Fortunately for my little girl and myself, she won't be able to fit into it until she's about 3 years old, so I can enjoy looking at it for a while before she fits into it!!! (How the hell am I supposed to know what the size "5T" means on the tag?!?!)
In a recent blog, I was telling you about the new crib we purchased and I wasn't able to upload a picture at the time...now, Google appears to be cooperating, so I wanted you to check it out. Since then, my parents have added a matching dresser to the room that sits just to the left of the crib and is right in the door way when entering the room, with enough room between the two to grab the baby.
Anyways, I think that's it for this post. Until the next post, I thank you for reading my Daddy Diary, and Laura, baby, Lexi and myself appreciate your continued best thoughts/well wishes and/or prayers you send our way...they're definitely helping us have a smooth and healthy pregnancy!!! Take care!
Good evening everyone! We just got back from the doctor and we're happy to say that all is well...again! It's making me feel very fortunate that everything has gone really well for us so far. As many of you know through conversations with me, Laura has had some aches and pains with long bouts of discomfort (I know, and she knows too, we have a "long ways to go" so the discomfort will not get any better soon!). Having said all that, mom and baby are doing great! Laura's blood pressure, measurements and everything else is looking really go and everything is right where it needs to be! And the heart rate, which is still the coolest sound in the world, is sounding great as well!!! I'm definitely grateful that Laura is doing great, and the baby is doing great as well!!!
In regards to the title of this entry, we'll soon be regulars at the doctor's office. For the next month, our normal/routine appointments will occur every two weeks. These are normal appointments and as we get closer to the due date, our appointments will eventually be each week...so please (grandmas!!!), don't worry if it seems like we're going for checkups more often!!!
Last weekend, Laura took friday off of work and we headed to North Dakota for a long weekend...I didn't have school friday nor monday!!! On our way through Fargo, we stopped at my 2nd favorite store (Cabelas is #1), Scheels. It's a huge sporting goods store with everything from tennis to kayaking to college sports to hunting...and a ferris wheel! While at the store, I made my first purchase for my baby girl (not counting the crib and other small things we've accumulated lately)...I bought an adorable little camo onesies with pink around the collar and ends of the sleeves and legs!!! It even has cute little footies!!! I'm such a sap suddenly! I now have a new appreciation for pink camo...and will search for it whenever possible! Hell, Laura told me long ago that she won't wear it, so I have lots of making up to do!!! Fortunately for my little girl and myself, she won't be able to fit into it until she's about 3 years old, so I can enjoy looking at it for a while before she fits into it!!! (How the hell am I supposed to know what the size "5T" means on the tag?!?!)
In a recent blog, I was telling you about the new crib we purchased and I wasn't able to upload a picture at the time...now, Google appears to be cooperating, so I wanted you to check it out. Since then, my parents have added a matching dresser to the room that sits just to the left of the crib and is right in the door way when entering the room, with enough room between the two to grab the baby.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Ultrasound #2
1/15/13
It's a girl!!!! ...so, I hope you understand my special font selection for this special entry!!!
Last week, our doctor order another ultrasound for us because she couldn't feel baby's head during Laura's exam. We weren't too worried because we had seen the profile picture from our first ultrasound, and it had the cutest nose, and thus, a head as well!!! During our exam tonight, the ultrasound tech quickly identified our baby as a girl, and quickly confirmed that the baby does indeed have a head as well!!!
During the ultrasound the tech also confirmed that everything was looking really good and that all is normal! That was the most important thing of the visit, and had we not been able to find out what our baby was, again, I wouldn't have been upset. It's interesting to see how much my perspective has already changed; even though our little girl is still 3 months away from meeting us! I know longer care about what I, or we, want...Laura's and baby's health is the most important thing in life right now!!!
Our ultrasound this afternoon was the second time Laura had to be in the doctor's office today. She spent her entire morning in the lab undergoing the pokes of the glucose test. If you saw her post to my last entry, she had to drink a sugar drink and then get her blood drawn over the course of 3 hours to measure her sugar levels. This test came out great and we have no worries with her glucose levels either!!! Overall, today was a great day in the doctor's office...and it's always great to leave there with good news about the health of a loved one!
A couple of nights ago, however, Laura was sick during the night. We're not sure if it was something she ate or if she had a small bug. Needless to say, when I awoke to her shouting to me from the other room when she was sick, my heart skipped a few beats!!! After some tense moments trying to determine if the severe cramping in her stomach were contractions or just stomach gramps, we were able to make our way back to bed for another couple hours of tossing and turning. It's amazing how worthless I felt not being able to make Laura feel better. I also understand this feeling will be multiplied many times over once our little girl arrives later this spring...and those feelings will be with me for the rest of my life!!!
After a busy evening of texting and calling our friends and family...we were surprised to hear how many of our friends had premonitions of our child being a girl!!! I don't know if I've mentioned this in earlier posts or not, but prior to finding out we would be having a baby back in July, but I had occassional baby dreams for the year prior. Every dream, except for one, was a girl! So I've been anticipating a girl for months, and would've been pleasantly surprised if it was a boy tonight. With that being said, many friends also confirmed that my little baby girl already has me wrapped around her finger!!! Lexi has taught me over the past 6 months that I'm very open to a daddy's girl...I can only imagine what our little girl will be able to sweet talk out of me over the course of her life!!! This is somehow a sensitive subject in the news lately, but I'm going to need to go shopping for an "assault" rifle (I hate that term, but that's a whole different conversation!!!) soon so I'll be able to fend off the boys when they start showing up for my little girl!!! Although I'm happy to say, my little girl will not be dating until she is 30!!!
...and on that note, I'll wrap up this post. Thank you so much for reading my Daddy Diary on our special day today!!! We appreciate your best thoughts/wishes/prayers as we await the arrival of our little girl!!! Take care!
It's a girl!!!! ...so, I hope you understand my special font selection for this special entry!!!
Last week, our doctor order another ultrasound for us because she couldn't feel baby's head during Laura's exam. We weren't too worried because we had seen the profile picture from our first ultrasound, and it had the cutest nose, and thus, a head as well!!! During our exam tonight, the ultrasound tech quickly identified our baby as a girl, and quickly confirmed that the baby does indeed have a head as well!!!
During the ultrasound the tech also confirmed that everything was looking really good and that all is normal! That was the most important thing of the visit, and had we not been able to find out what our baby was, again, I wouldn't have been upset. It's interesting to see how much my perspective has already changed; even though our little girl is still 3 months away from meeting us! I know longer care about what I, or we, want...Laura's and baby's health is the most important thing in life right now!!!
Our ultrasound this afternoon was the second time Laura had to be in the doctor's office today. She spent her entire morning in the lab undergoing the pokes of the glucose test. If you saw her post to my last entry, she had to drink a sugar drink and then get her blood drawn over the course of 3 hours to measure her sugar levels. This test came out great and we have no worries with her glucose levels either!!! Overall, today was a great day in the doctor's office...and it's always great to leave there with good news about the health of a loved one!
A couple of nights ago, however, Laura was sick during the night. We're not sure if it was something she ate or if she had a small bug. Needless to say, when I awoke to her shouting to me from the other room when she was sick, my heart skipped a few beats!!! After some tense moments trying to determine if the severe cramping in her stomach were contractions or just stomach gramps, we were able to make our way back to bed for another couple hours of tossing and turning. It's amazing how worthless I felt not being able to make Laura feel better. I also understand this feeling will be multiplied many times over once our little girl arrives later this spring...and those feelings will be with me for the rest of my life!!!
After a busy evening of texting and calling our friends and family...we were surprised to hear how many of our friends had premonitions of our child being a girl!!! I don't know if I've mentioned this in earlier posts or not, but prior to finding out we would be having a baby back in July, but I had occassional baby dreams for the year prior. Every dream, except for one, was a girl! So I've been anticipating a girl for months, and would've been pleasantly surprised if it was a boy tonight. With that being said, many friends also confirmed that my little baby girl already has me wrapped around her finger!!! Lexi has taught me over the past 6 months that I'm very open to a daddy's girl...I can only imagine what our little girl will be able to sweet talk out of me over the course of her life!!! This is somehow a sensitive subject in the news lately, but I'm going to need to go shopping for an "assault" rifle (I hate that term, but that's a whole different conversation!!!) soon so I'll be able to fend off the boys when they start showing up for my little girl!!! Although I'm happy to say, my little girl will not be dating until she is 30!!!
...and on that note, I'll wrap up this post. Thank you so much for reading my Daddy Diary on our special day today!!! We appreciate your best thoughts/wishes/prayers as we await the arrival of our little girl!!! Take care!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
An evening with the doctor
1/10/13
We love going to the doctor's so much, we decided to spend over 2 hours there tonight, and scheduled another 5 hours worth of appointments for next week too!!! Yuck!!!
No worries, mom and baby are doing fine!!! Our appointment tonight was for the preliminary glucose test. We had to arrive an hour early in order for Laura to drink some tasty stuff, prior to giving blood. While waiting, we had an exam from the doctor, which neither of us anticipated. During this exam, we were again assured that all is going well and that Laura is a rare patient who is experiencing a "low risk" pregnancy!!! However, we also discovered that the doctor couldn't feel the baby's head, so she ordered another ultrasound for us. Based on Laura's feelings over the past week, and the doctor's thoughts, the baby may not be sitting in there just right, so we just need to check it out to see what the little dude/dudette is up to. Earlier in the week, Laura said it moved and it felt like the arms and legs outstretched in the opposite directions at the same time...much to the delight of her stomach wall!!! On a positive note to all of this extra ultrasound stuff, we will soon find out the gender of our baby!!! After confirming 9 weeks ago that the baby is indeed ours because of its stubbornness, we'll soon see if there'll be another Mr. Lemke coming along to spread a crazy sense of humor to the rest of the world!!!
The glucose test, on the other hand, gave us a result that requires us to have a more extensive test beyond this preliminary one. The level came back a little high (which is a common thing for women), so we'll have another test to check for gestational/pregnancy diabetes. This one will be really fun...I think Laura has to drink another delicious cocktail followed by a serious of blood draws over the course of a 4 hour time period. I think she's least excited about fasting prior to the test...luckily for her (and the rest of the world), she will not need to be out in public while fasting because she has an early morning appointment!!! Unfortunately, with her commute and an available ultrasound time slot, she'll have to take a day off of work next Tuesday for a morning of needles and boredom and then return for a late afternoon ultrasound.
We were also told that we need to start monitoring the baby's movement and tracking it. We were told to count the kicks for 1 hour a day through the end of the pregnancy to ensure the baby is doing fine. We should be able to feel 10 kicks an hour; if not, we need to call the hospital. We were also warned that if she begins having contractions and she has more than 8 an hour, we will also need to call the hospital. So...it's fun to know that the baby is developing and becoming more active inside, but now also nerve racking that we need to be very focused on these things to ensure our child is doing ok. I don't know if it's totally hit me yet, but I think tonight is the first night that I've worried about our baby. The tests were fine, but we need more...something no one wants to hear. And that we should be keeping track of a finite number of movements and need to call the hospital if those aren't felt...definitely kind of a stressful thing to hear as well. To go beyond worry about the baby, now I'll be making sure that Laura is being fed extra healthy meals by her chef!!! Finally, we will now be having doctor visits every 2 weeks until the final month or so when we'll be visiting each week!!! Wow...all these trips to the doctor's office makes me thankful that my life up to this point has been very healthy, and makes me appreciate our health much more...well, not including all those ER trips when I was younger...
However...to mark the end of a long night and some disappointment in having more doctor visits to come, we were greeted by an ecstatic Lexi when we let her out of the kennel! She was jumping all over us and her legs were flying in the air during her belly scratches! Now that our late dinner of Burger King is through, I need to go and spend some time with my girls...one is slobbery and the other whiney...I'll let you figure out which is which!!!
Until next time, thanks again so much for reading my Daddy Diary. For some reason this thing isn't letting me upload pictures. I have a picture of the crib I want to upload, but it's not letting me...that better change because our new, matching dresser is now in and will be picked up tomorrow after school...so much for my lazy weekend!!! Thanks again for your continued thoughts/prayers and best wishes!!! Take care!
We love going to the doctor's so much, we decided to spend over 2 hours there tonight, and scheduled another 5 hours worth of appointments for next week too!!! Yuck!!!
No worries, mom and baby are doing fine!!! Our appointment tonight was for the preliminary glucose test. We had to arrive an hour early in order for Laura to drink some tasty stuff, prior to giving blood. While waiting, we had an exam from the doctor, which neither of us anticipated. During this exam, we were again assured that all is going well and that Laura is a rare patient who is experiencing a "low risk" pregnancy!!! However, we also discovered that the doctor couldn't feel the baby's head, so she ordered another ultrasound for us. Based on Laura's feelings over the past week, and the doctor's thoughts, the baby may not be sitting in there just right, so we just need to check it out to see what the little dude/dudette is up to. Earlier in the week, Laura said it moved and it felt like the arms and legs outstretched in the opposite directions at the same time...much to the delight of her stomach wall!!! On a positive note to all of this extra ultrasound stuff, we will soon find out the gender of our baby!!! After confirming 9 weeks ago that the baby is indeed ours because of its stubbornness, we'll soon see if there'll be another Mr. Lemke coming along to spread a crazy sense of humor to the rest of the world!!!
The glucose test, on the other hand, gave us a result that requires us to have a more extensive test beyond this preliminary one. The level came back a little high (which is a common thing for women), so we'll have another test to check for gestational/pregnancy diabetes. This one will be really fun...I think Laura has to drink another delicious cocktail followed by a serious of blood draws over the course of a 4 hour time period. I think she's least excited about fasting prior to the test...luckily for her (and the rest of the world), she will not need to be out in public while fasting because she has an early morning appointment!!! Unfortunately, with her commute and an available ultrasound time slot, she'll have to take a day off of work next Tuesday for a morning of needles and boredom and then return for a late afternoon ultrasound.
We were also told that we need to start monitoring the baby's movement and tracking it. We were told to count the kicks for 1 hour a day through the end of the pregnancy to ensure the baby is doing fine. We should be able to feel 10 kicks an hour; if not, we need to call the hospital. We were also warned that if she begins having contractions and she has more than 8 an hour, we will also need to call the hospital. So...it's fun to know that the baby is developing and becoming more active inside, but now also nerve racking that we need to be very focused on these things to ensure our child is doing ok. I don't know if it's totally hit me yet, but I think tonight is the first night that I've worried about our baby. The tests were fine, but we need more...something no one wants to hear. And that we should be keeping track of a finite number of movements and need to call the hospital if those aren't felt...definitely kind of a stressful thing to hear as well. To go beyond worry about the baby, now I'll be making sure that Laura is being fed extra healthy meals by her chef!!! Finally, we will now be having doctor visits every 2 weeks until the final month or so when we'll be visiting each week!!! Wow...all these trips to the doctor's office makes me thankful that my life up to this point has been very healthy, and makes me appreciate our health much more...well, not including all those ER trips when I was younger...
However...to mark the end of a long night and some disappointment in having more doctor visits to come, we were greeted by an ecstatic Lexi when we let her out of the kennel! She was jumping all over us and her legs were flying in the air during her belly scratches! Now that our late dinner of Burger King is through, I need to go and spend some time with my girls...one is slobbery and the other whiney...I'll let you figure out which is which!!!
Until next time, thanks again so much for reading my Daddy Diary. For some reason this thing isn't letting me upload pictures. I have a picture of the crib I want to upload, but it's not letting me...that better change because our new, matching dresser is now in and will be picked up tomorrow after school...so much for my lazy weekend!!! Thanks again for your continued thoughts/prayers and best wishes!!! Take care!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Tri 3 and a crib
1/6/13
Happy New Year!!! January 1st meant exciting news for us...we've officially started our 3rd trimester!!! So now, the clock is ticking! Laura has been doing pretty good lately. An occassional back ache, and some general discomfort, but she's feeling good. Baby is becoming very active with lots of kicking and movement, and it's kicks are very noticeable with a hand on her tummy. Of course, as soon as she tells me it's moving, it stops when I put my hand on her tummy!
Throughout the pregnancy, we've had Lexi. It's funny to observe her around Laura. Call it animal instinct, but I think Lexi knows that Laura is pregnant. She used to jump on Laura when she came home from work, but not anymore. She used to barrel down the stairs to greet her, but now she waits at the top. Yes, she is becoming more trained, but I think she knows something's up, and her behavior is much different around her than it used to be...she's almost more cautious/gentler around Laura. At night, while she's laying between us in bed, her head will sometimes rest on Laura's belly...until the baby kicks it off. She has a look on her face like, "What the hell just happened?!? Either you at something weird, mom, or something just kicked me!!!"
Yesterday was a big day for the baby's room...I put the crib together. It's a beast! It has the crib attached to a small changing table with some drawers and shelves underneath it. The whole thing can later convert to a variety of bed sizes and needs (with the purchase of different parts), but we won't have to purchase additional beds for our kid, only pieces to adapt it to different sizes! My fear was the crib would be a pain in the butt to build, but luckily the directions were more efficient than Ikea's crap!!! After some choice words and drilling different holes, the crib went together pretty well once the drawers were put together. And now...the crib sits empty, awaiting the bundle of joy like the rest of us in the Lemke house!!!
A couple of nights ago, we had a double date with some friends to one of our favorite restaurants, Boca Chica. While at dinner, we chatted and shared questions and concerns about sharing a nanny with our babies (our friends, Andy and Jen are expecting a little girl at the end of this month). A co-worker of Jen and I has a daughter that will be starting grad school next fall and is wanting a job during the day. She has previously nannied for a few families, and this would be sooooo awesome if it works out. Right now, we're waiting to see if she is accepted into grad school before we start meeting with her to finalize details. If all goes well, she would come to our house and nanny for both babies here while we work during the day. So, until the end of next month when she finds out if she's accepted, we'll cross our fingers and hope for the best!!!
We have a doctor appointment this week. This is a long appointment for our glucose testing. Apparently she has to drink something, and then we have to wait an hour before getting some blood work done...so it should be pretty fun experience!!!
Until the next time...I appreciate you reading my Daddy Diary and we continue to be grateful for your prayers/thoughts/well wishes you send our way. Take care!!!
Happy New Year!!! January 1st meant exciting news for us...we've officially started our 3rd trimester!!! So now, the clock is ticking! Laura has been doing pretty good lately. An occassional back ache, and some general discomfort, but she's feeling good. Baby is becoming very active with lots of kicking and movement, and it's kicks are very noticeable with a hand on her tummy. Of course, as soon as she tells me it's moving, it stops when I put my hand on her tummy!
Throughout the pregnancy, we've had Lexi. It's funny to observe her around Laura. Call it animal instinct, but I think Lexi knows that Laura is pregnant. She used to jump on Laura when she came home from work, but not anymore. She used to barrel down the stairs to greet her, but now she waits at the top. Yes, she is becoming more trained, but I think she knows something's up, and her behavior is much different around her than it used to be...she's almost more cautious/gentler around Laura. At night, while she's laying between us in bed, her head will sometimes rest on Laura's belly...until the baby kicks it off. She has a look on her face like, "What the hell just happened?!? Either you at something weird, mom, or something just kicked me!!!"
Yesterday was a big day for the baby's room...I put the crib together. It's a beast! It has the crib attached to a small changing table with some drawers and shelves underneath it. The whole thing can later convert to a variety of bed sizes and needs (with the purchase of different parts), but we won't have to purchase additional beds for our kid, only pieces to adapt it to different sizes! My fear was the crib would be a pain in the butt to build, but luckily the directions were more efficient than Ikea's crap!!! After some choice words and drilling different holes, the crib went together pretty well once the drawers were put together. And now...the crib sits empty, awaiting the bundle of joy like the rest of us in the Lemke house!!!
A couple of nights ago, we had a double date with some friends to one of our favorite restaurants, Boca Chica. While at dinner, we chatted and shared questions and concerns about sharing a nanny with our babies (our friends, Andy and Jen are expecting a little girl at the end of this month). A co-worker of Jen and I has a daughter that will be starting grad school next fall and is wanting a job during the day. She has previously nannied for a few families, and this would be sooooo awesome if it works out. Right now, we're waiting to see if she is accepted into grad school before we start meeting with her to finalize details. If all goes well, she would come to our house and nanny for both babies here while we work during the day. So, until the end of next month when she finds out if she's accepted, we'll cross our fingers and hope for the best!!!
We have a doctor appointment this week. This is a long appointment for our glucose testing. Apparently she has to drink something, and then we have to wait an hour before getting some blood work done...so it should be pretty fun experience!!!
Until the next time...I appreciate you reading my Daddy Diary and we continue to be grateful for your prayers/thoughts/well wishes you send our way. Take care!!!
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