Sooo behind in posting, but trying to catch up!

The few free moments I've had lately I have been doing just about everything, but posting. This update is a sad excuse for a post (that should be making up for not posting for over 3 weeks) but since I've had the pictures uploaded since last Monday, I need to complete it so I can get back on track again!

Elle and Grampy in a fun fort built by Jonathan - "the fort master"

Elle on the toilet hiding behind the shower curtain.

Here she is at a school playground in Wausau!

Elle and her new Hula-hoop that we made with the Cary Mom's Group! Between the 3 of us in our little family, no one can actually hula-hoop...Elle is still learning (I swing it around her to pretend), Jonathan just plain can't do it, and I would be able to do it, if my big belly wasn't in the way!

Our friends Jackson and his mommy Jen at Jackson's awesome 1st B-day party

A group shot of all the kidos at the party wearing their party favor, firefighter hats! (Elle is front and center next to the birthday boy).


My friend/college roommate/soccer teammate/prego buddy, and I doing a belly bump! Jenny is 2+ weeks ahead of me.

We are so excited to be having our baby's around the same time. It will be fun to see who has theirs first!

Me at 34 weeks!

At this point, I'm finding it hard to fit into anything. I always laughed at the "moo moo" shirt style but I'm getting worried that I may not have many other options if my belly gets any bigger!

My doctor appointments have been right on lately... at 32 weeks, I measured 32 cm and the baby's heart beat has held steady in the low 140's. At my 34 week appointment, I measured 34 cm and the baby's heart beat, again, in the 140's.

I had a small hiccup in my pregnancy at 34 1/2 weeks; I thought my water broke (I felt a small trickle of something come out, 1-2 oz of fluid, - the same feeling/amount when my water broke with Elle) while shopping at Target with Elle. I will try to make a long story short... my doctor's ran 3 tests to check if my water did indeed break - the first one was slightly positive, the second was negative, and the 3rd was slightly positive (but like a pregnancy test, you can get a false negative, but not a false positive). Everyone was confused. I was checked internally and learned that I was 2-3 cm dialated 70% effaced! I was admitted to the hospital and put on an IV along with the contraction monitor and baby heart beat monitor strapped around me. I had 2 ultra sounds done. The first showed that the fluid around the baby was normal/low, which was a slight concern. After being pumped with fluid and monitored for 24 hours, everything was looking good - meaning the baby was staying in and was happy (healthy/steady heart rate)! Even though I had been having contractions, they were sporadic -about 10-15 min. apart. The 2nd ultra sound showed the fluid around the baby was where it needed to be and there had been no other occurrences of leaking fluid. After my doctor had gone back and forth on whether I should stay at the hospital until the baby came, or release me, I was released! Thankfully!

Jonathan and I were relieved to know our baby was healthy, and staying in me to "cook" a little longer, also extremely happy I didn't have to stay in the hospital until the baby came - it could be weeks! I was given a few rules/restrictions to follow until the baby arrives: push fluids, see the doctor 2x a week, and NO baths, pools, lakes, rivers etc. - to avoid possible infection if my water truly did break. Other than that, I need to pay close attention to my body/the baby, which I already have been doing. I am NOT on bed-rest, in fact, I continue to do my daily activities, even exercise.

Ellison and Me at 35 weeks

36 weeks pregnant with Elle (I don't have a 35 week comparison pic)
Current picture, bare belly - 35 weeks

Pregnant with Elle, bare belly - 36 weeks

Our little artist, overnight perm, and new pool!

Ellison painting with her new paint set! She just recently started making faces (thanks to a "make a face" sticker book from my Aunt Julie, which Elle absolutely loves), this was the first picture out of 6 that she produced in a short period of time. Apparently her favorite paint color is black since it is almost gone!

This was what her hair looked like that same morning! Jonathan and I got a kick out of it, like she got a perm during the night! - Nice face!

Another good look!

Here's her new alligator/crocodile pool! I asked her to show me how big the pool was, this was her reaction! We talked with her about how this is a pool for a big sister and that the baby would get to play in the Hippo pool (she was a little confussed why we were putting away the Hippo pool). Her favorite thing is going in and out, in and out. I'm not sure what her plan is, but she likes to be on the move...I don't think she has/or will sit down and play in it ever.
I had to get a picture of her watching the water drip from her suit/swim diaper. She would be squatting, then notice some water dripping, and then watch it for a while. Once she lost her balance and went down head first in the water - she wasn't too happy about that.


The pool also has a little built in sprinkler that she was fascinated with, plus she also liked climbing all around the pool! I'm 32 weeks now and have doctor appointment this week...stay tuned for the update on jr./my pregnancy.

Flash-backs of all shapes and sizes

I'm 30 weeks along now and jr. has really been working me over. I don't remember feeling this big and having this much trouble doing simple tasks like bending over and getting up off of the floor when I was pregnant with Elle. Although my life is very different during this pregnancy then it was when I was pregnant with Elle, I still feel that the difficulties I have had recently are because I am bigger/the baby is bigger. My exercise routine still consists of 4-5 days a week of cardio (walking outside and/or on the treadmill doing hills with 2 lb hand weights on each hand) and strength training 1-2 times a week.

I had my 30 week appointment the other night and measured 29 cm, and have gained 25 lbs. The baby's heartbeat was in the 140's. Just like every other appointment, the babe was moving around while the doc listened to the heartbeat making extra thumping sounds. So, at 30 weeks I have gained 25 lbs. Looking back, I gained 23 lbs with Elle and that weight was taken only days before I gave birth (at 37 1/2 weeks). Anyway here are the pics...

30 weeks (present)

30 weeks (pregnant with Elle)30 weeks bare belly (present)

30 weeks bare belly (pregnant with Elle)
*Make sure to get your guess in the baby pool (upper right)*

Here are some pictures of Elle playing in her Hippo pool. The nose of the Hippo is pretty much in the way now that Elle is taller, and there isn't much room for her to stand and play. Needless to say this pool will be perfect for the baby next summer and Elle will probably be getting a new one.

She loves to give out kisses to all of her toys/stuffed animals - but, the one who gets the most kisses is her daddy

She loves being in control of the hose

Here she is, belting out a made-up song (sorry, I'm not able to translate this time). She is holding a single blade of grass in her right hand, which is possibly being used as either a wand or microphone.

Flash-back of last summer

Memorial Day weekend in Wausau on the WI River.

Elle found a BIG stick to play with at the sand bar. This shallow water area became a favorite destination as it was a perfect place for Elle to run around and play.
Grampy and Elle fishing with her new Mickey Mouse fishing pole that he got for her. We would cast for her and she would real it in. Grampy also had a big bobber set up on the line and 2 dozen night crawlers as bait!

Well, after many casts, she caught a whooper, or as Elle says it "I caught a woffer"!

The fish was the tiniest fish ever! It was not doing well after we got it off of the hook. We put it in Elle's bucket so she could get a closer look, and without hesitation, she reached in and grabbed it.

Her first fish!

(This was the only fish we caught in the 3 days of fishing)

Grammy and Elle

Our Fam

Ellison helping Grampy drive the boat

Elle and her daddy

Flash-back of last summer on the boat

I had to add this picture in. Elle was helping Grammy water the plants. She LOVES to water plants and has had a lot of practice from helping me. So we kept her watering can full and she went to town!

Memorial Day weekend was absolutely beautiful, it was 80 some degrees every day and pure sun. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather. I'd also like to note that Elle never even got a spot of pink, let a lone a sun-burn, the whole time. She was covered in 50 SPF from the top of her head to her toes!