39 weeks {big, happy, and scrambling to get things done}

1 week left (give or take a few days).

I still can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone!  We're suddenly a week away from having a baby and I have no idea where the past 39 weeks went!  Whoever says that the last few of weeks go by slow, that definitely hasn't happened for us!  They seem to be speeding by even faster.  Whew!  Hopefully we slow down a little bit to just enjoy ourselves for the next week or so.

We finally crossed off the last few things on our baby "To Do" checklist!  The carseat is installed (thanks to T!), last of the baby essentials bought, the final nursery decorations are up on the wall, freezer meals are made, and the hospital bag stuff just needs to get put IN the bag...

A few quick calls still need to be made to the insurance concerning odds and ends we're not sure of, but other than that, we're good to go!  Or so we think...

Baby Girl is crammed inside this belly of mine and is packing on the pounds.  My legs are starting to retain some water and I've got a little chunkiness going on in my face.  Nothing too terrible (especially compared to many of the other pregnant women out there!).  I'm just hoping that delivery will go just as smoothly.

Still no labor signs as of late besides a few Braxton Hicks here and there.  Our doctor has been out of town for the past week, but is back from her vacation, so we can heave a huge sigh of relief that she'll be there (knock on wood?) for Baby Girl's delivery!

{ready to lose some water weight!}

My last day of work is Friday.  I have mixed emotions about it.  It's certainly best for my students-they deserve to enjoy their last 2 weeks with a sub doing fun activities rather than having a big bloated teacher waddling around doing Field Day with them!

I'll certainly miss teaching, it's something I'm good at and passionate about, but I think the Lord has been preparing me for accepting motherhood a little more by making it so I don't enjoy going to school as much.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE teaching, but I'm exhausted at the end of every day.  This week I've put in long hours attempting to get all of my standards reports, grades, end-of-year gifts/treats, class placements, and testing done.  And don't forget the teacher-evaluation-observation-I-was-kinda-sorta-hoping-my-principal-would-forget-about-until-it-was-too-late.  No such luck.  

Blech.

My students are darling this year and I'm going to miss them dearly!  They're like my own kids- I'm with them more than they're with their own mothers for goodness sake!  It will be hard to say goodbye on Friday.

Beginning at 3:30pm on Friday, Baby Girl can do whatever she wants and send me into labor. T thinks she'll come a couple of days early.  I think she'll either be on time or late.  She just doesn't seem to be in any major hurry to be on her way out yet.  Even with me being on my feet all day and walking up a storm, she seems pretty content to be where she is.

T is loving work and has been a great help with last minute preparations for Baby Girl's arrival.  I couldn't have done any of this without him.  He's a gem of a husband (and soon to be father!).  

We meet our DAUGHTER in the near future!  Hopefully we'll figure the whole parenting thing out and attempt to raise this kiddo to the best of our ability.

We love you, Baby Girl!  

All pregnancy post update ideas via Rachel at herthreadedneedle.blogspot.com

38 weeks {and approximately the size of a small whale. maybe a ship.}

I think I've gained at least 5 pounds since last week.  No joke.  This belllay is getting humungo and we're packing on the pounds!  Suffice it to say that I'm getting ready to have Baby Girl out.

I talk to her every morning on my way into work about how if she really wants to come early, she can only come the weekend before she's due (4 days early).  No earlier.  

I'm only taking two days off before she's officially due and I refuse to make anymore sub plans for my class while I'm gone.  I don't see how other teachers take their full 6 week maternity leave and do sub plans for a sub.  It's been exhausting planning my regular days along with the last 2 weeks for a sub!  

Add in end of year testing, and getting my standards reports in before this kid comes and I get a little grumpy.

And the fact that I have an entire classroom to clean out and pack up as much as I can so I don't have to do too much after Baby Girl comes.  And yes, T and I have decided that I'll take at least a year off of teaching.  I'm officially not going back to teach at Rock Canyon next year.

That fact alone has made the past couple of months a little hard.  It's hard to not feel pushed out of your job or the workplace that you've worked so hard at (especially with the pregnancy emotion rollercoaster going on) when you announce you won't be working the following year.  I'll be the first to admit that this year hasn't been my best teaching year.  I had to accept the fact that my energy levels just weren't up to par, but I don't think my students have suffered for it!  I've made sure of it!  These kiddos are ready for 3rd grade (with the exception of a couple tricky ones).  And that, in itself, is quite the accomplishment for any teacher to be able to say.  Much less one who is pregnant.  

It's a little bittersweet, but definitely for the best.  I'll certainly miss teaching and I wonder what on earth I'll be doing at home that will be productive besides feeling like a cow (yes, yes, I know I'll be feeding our child and raising her, it'll just be an adjustment).  BUT I know that T and I want to be the ones who raise our children.  Not a family member, a friend, or a random daycare stranger.  We decided to bring this baby into the world, so it's kinda our responsibility to make sure she turns out to be a decent person!

Our last prenatal class was last night- a whole 2 hours on breastfeeding.  Interestingly enough, it was interesting!  We both learned a little and T says he's grateful to understand a little bit more about what will be happening with my body.  I am too!   

{yoga pants and comfy shirts are becoming my regular home attire...}

We may have felt some Braxton Hicks contractions lately, but they're pretty mild.  I don't even notice them.  I do feel my belly get tight sometimes during the day, but I always think it's just Baby Girl pushing up against my belly.  So who knows if it's actually contractions?  

No matter what, this kid needs to remember she has to stay in for another 1 1/2 weeks.  T keeps trying to convince her to come earlier.  She's totally going to listen to her mother.  Not her father.

Right, Baby Girl?

Sleeping is a little hard about every 3 nights or so.  It's not that I'm uncomfortable, my body is actually doing pretty well at night!  The silly problem is that I wake up around 4:00 with the wretched "Let It Go" song from Frozen stuck in my head.  My students sing it every. single.  day.  I've come to detest the song because it's keeping me up at night!  I snapped at Tyler the other day when he started singing it as a joke to get me to smile.  Let's just say that song isn't allowed in our house anymore!  I'd ban it from my classroom, but I think I'd have a mutiny on my hands.

These past two weeks have also made me realize I have a problem.  An unhealthy addiction actually.  

Ice cream.

It's my downfall.  Ice cream in any form these days is much appreciated.  Waffle cone form with two scoops of ice cream is best.  Though the ice cream sandwiches T brought home yesterday were quite tasty too.  They might be my new favorite.  Ice cream makes me happy.  

And so does a good-looking husband.  Who, bytheway, has exercised almost every weekday morning of this entire pregnancy.  I made him promise he wouldn't gain any sympathy pregnancy weight so he could be my motivation during the summer to lose some baby weight.  He's definitely kept his promise because he looks goooood!

Exhibit A:

Yep, I got lucky with this one!

He even made asian chicken with an asian salad last night.  He's made this pregnancy as easy as possible for me.  Not many women can say their husbands come home after their own long day of work and roll up their sleeves to help make dinner and do the other household chores around the house.

He's a keeper.

37 weeks {I look like I'm hiding a basketball}.

I really do.  This belly is round and up front and the size of a basketball.  

I never thought I'd really struggle get up from the couch or bed, but it's happened.  T and I try not to laugh when he's helping me up from the couch or pushing me up out of bed.  It's ridiculous, yet quite entertaining.  

I'm feeling huge, but awesome.  One of my student's mothers reminded me that this may be the one time in my life that I don't have to care about the quantity of food that I eat (although quality is still pretty important).  It made me feel better about the amount I do eat.  I'm still on an ice cream fix and loving it!  T is fully supportive in my need for an ice cream cone almost every day.  We've gotten pretty good and scooping perfectly round scoops for our cones.

Which have to be waffle cones.  Or it's pointless to even eat them...

{my face is showing size of a little swelling... too much ice cream?}

We have one more prenatal class next Tuesday and then we're done with them!  4 weeks of classes actually went by really fast.  Too fast.  Our instructor has been fabulous and we've learned a few things here and there about what/what not to expect.  We feel a little more informed, but not overwhelmed with every little detail!  

We're loving the stronger kicks and rolls that this girl does all day long.  I love that she already has a fiery spirit and wants us to know she's the center of attention.  She's got a feisty spirit!  It's not unusual to see T with his hand on my belly and a smile on his face.  Baby Girl has quite the connection with her daddy already.  She still moves a whole lot more and kicks when he's poking her.  She really can tell the difference between me and T.  It's mind-blowing.  

Baby Girl's nursery is fully completed, with the exception of a few things to hang on the wall and a changing pad cover.  We're pretty set on clothes, burp rags, and blankets.  We'll have to go out to get more diapers once we know what size this little gal's bum is and a few odds and ends that I'm sure we're forgetting.  But I think we can finally say we can breath for a while and feel a little prepared for a baby.  

It's time to pack the hospital bags and prep some freezer meals.  But really, we're getting so excited for Baby Girl to be here.  The weeks are still flying by (!!!) which is surprising!  My sub plans are slowly getting done for the last two weeks of school and I'm attempting to get my classroom cleaned up as much as possible so the sub won't have to worry too much about end of year clean-up.

Tyler graduates this Friday and will be an official graduate.  Oh how proud I am of this man of mine!  He's worked his cute little tush off the past few semesters and has landed a job that he enjoys and will help him grow until he wants to branch out to new opportunities.

We're having a baby in 21 days (give or take a couple).  This is really happening.

36 weeks {one more month to go!}.

This week really hit hard.  Monday was hard.  Tuesday was hard.  Today is hard.  

I'm tired (and yes, I'm well aware of the fact that I'll still be tired when the baby comes...).

BUT other than being tired and having some stiff leg issues, life is good!  Really truly.  Something I wrote in my personal journal explains a little bit about what I'm really feeling some days:

I've decided the one thing I haven't liked about being pregnant is the pessimism that many people tag onto their comments to pregnant women (which, they probably don't even know they're doing).  I think it's their way of finding a connection to me and the baby so they can be involved.  Which, in their defense, is actually a really nice thing for them to be doing.  They ask me how I'm doing and I'm honest and tell them I'm really actually feeling pretty great- not bad for being 36 weeks prego!  Then they just have to add the "just wait until..." comments.  Just wait until you're up doing 3 am feedings and you'll be wondering what you were doing wanting a baby.  Just wait until she's screaming and you can't handle it anymore.  Just wait, just wait, just wait.

When T and I started trying for a baby, we kinda knew what we were getting into.  I wanted to be up in the mornings with my baby feeding her.  I wanted her to be screaming so I could be the one to calm her down.  I want to be her mother and those are some things that mothers do.  I know several friends who would do anything to experience those moments as a mother.  Friends who have struggled with infertility and would gain 100 pounds and have a baby who wakes up every 30 minutes just in order to have a baby.  And they would be happy about it!  So why on earth would I not be happy to experience those things too?

I'm also just waiting for the peaceful moments, the carefree moments, and the one-on-one time with this little one before any of her siblings arrive.  I'm just waiting to see my adorable husband step into the shoes of fatherhood and rock his little girl to sleep (this is one that I just can't wait for!!).  Motherhood is and can be a beautiful thing and I would only hope that if you're a mother, you're one of the ones who is passing on the good things that come with motherhood.  Yes, I realize it's going to be hard.  I've had my share of moments of terror realizing what T and I have gotten ourselves into, but I also lay in bed with mine and T's hands on my pregnant belly and feel our daughter moving.  I feel excited and happy to meet her.

I want to be a mother who celebrates motherhood with her friends.  Not complains every time I'm with them.  Yes, I want to be able to express my frustrations that I'm sure will come with motherhood, but I want to celebrate the joys and wonder that I'm sure will also come!  

I'm not one for drama (as my second graders hear everyday at recess) and I don't even want to entertain the idea of the "Mommy Wars" that happen out there.  Every kid is different, just like every mother is different.  If there's one thing I could apply from teaching to motherhood, it's that every child learns differently, so it's okay for them to be raised differently.  So that's the mindset T and I are going to take and run with it.  Who cares if we make a mistake or two?  We'll learn and move on like everyone else.

So here's to being excited for parenthood!

T and I are incredibly excited to become parents!  We put the stroller and car seat together the other day and pulled out one of Baby Girl's new stuffed animals to practice belting into the carseat.  Hilarious.  Who knew figuring out a carseat would be so much fun?  We were both cracking up and ended up throwing the stuffed animal at each other.  We obviously should probably NOT do that with the real thing...

Our prenatal class last night was quite eventful.  We watched 4 birth videos that were all quite different.  2 of them were completely unrealistic to me due to the fact that the baby popped right out after just a couple of pushes and a couple hours of labor.  I mean, if that happened to me, then awesome!  I'll take it.  But really, I'm going into labor expecting 12-15 hours of labor, at least.  That way, if this Baby Girl decides to come out faster, I'll be a happy camper!

Baby Girl is still moving and grooving.  She's dropping a little (seeing as she's back on my bladder every now and then) and still loves having T talk to her and play with her.  

We had our showers last weekend and we were completely overwhelmed with the amount of generosity that came from people we love and admire.  Beautifully handcrafted blankets, minky blankets, clothes up the wazoo, some much needed practical and essential items, cash, relaxing essentials for this mama, and more were given to us.  One thing is for certain, this girl is going to be decked out in some stylin' clothes when she's a little older.  We're expecting she'll be sportin' simple onesies for quite a while in the beginning!

We just need to pick up a few last items and then we're set.  Hopefully... 

Here's to our Baby Girl- due exactly one month from today!

35 weeks (and a few days...).

Spring Break spoiled me rotten.  I got to sleep when my body told me to, eat when my body told me to, and just plain old relax.

It was good while it lasted.

Now I'm back to having small bags under my eyes when T takes these "bump" pictures in the mornings.  Maybe we need to start taking them at night...

Baby Girl is kicking away!  She's still never been way up into my ribs, but she's definitely more active nowadays!  Whoever said that she's sleeping 90-95% of the time must be crazy.  Or she's just super active in her sleep...

Other than being tired during the day (20 minute power nap around 2:00pm anyone?  I wish my students and their parents would go for that idea...), I'm doing great!  Really truly.  T and I have expressed many grateful thanks to Heavenly Father for making this pregnancy pretty low-key.  That doesn't mean there hasn't been rough moments, but we've definitely been blessed that my body is taking the whole pregnancy thing in stride.

We also started our prenatal class this past week at UVRMC!  Surprisingly, we both stayed pretty interested and our instructor is entertaining and informative.  It was a little weird to be surrounded by other couples who are at the same stage in life, but neat at the same time.

  

My eating habits have kind of gone downhill the past couple of weeks too.  I'm getting in all my fruits and veggies, but man do I love me some ice cream and sweets.  Still not "craving" them to the point that I have to have them, but they would be nice to have!  In fact, we were in the middle of our prenatal class "focusing"on one point in the room and all I could focus on was how good a milkshake sounded.  Suffice it to say, we went out for milkshakes after our class.  My husband is the bomb!

I've also started cleaning up my classroom.  Seeing how I won't be there for the last 2 weeks of school, I'm hoping to make it as easy of a transition for the sub as possible.  Which also means double duty for me at school.  While still planning my regular daily lessons, I have to plan in-depth lessons for a sub and prep all of the materials for the last 2 weeks of school.  Sometimes I wish I'd chosen a career where I could pick up and leave when I go into labor and not have to plan ahead for a sub.  Especially for the last 2 weeks of school where all routine and structure goes out the window anyways.  Read-a-thons and parties for 2 weeks?

Baby showers are this weekend and we couldn't be more excited!  I think we're more excited to hang out with family and friends and celebrate Easter, but we are excited to get some more clothes for Baby Girl and other essentials that we don't have!

Happy Friday!

33/34 weeks.

Whew!  These past couple of weeks have whizzed by!  Baby Girl's nursery is set.  With the exception of a few essentials that we'll pick up in the coming month (or perhaps at our baby showers?).  

We're down to 6 weeks (technically 5 1/2 seeing how late this post is...).

Whoa.

There's also been a whole lot of decision making going on here at the Kussee household.  Decisions that drastically change our future, careers, and our lives really.  Kinda exciting.  Kinda stressful at the same time.

Baby Girl is measuring right where she should be.  Or, at least, my belly is measuring right on schedule with her growth.  She's finally moved up a little and isn't on my bladder all day long anymore.  I can actually plan my schedule without wondering how long it'll be before my bladder takes a beating from the inside!

 {hello tired Jamie!  Can we all just say that I needed Spring Break?}

Still no signs of swelling this week!  Happy day!  Dr. Harrison says that Baby Girl seems to be in a good position for now (she's obviously not settled yet.  This girl is an active one!).  Her heartbeat is still in a good range and Baby Girl is surely getting bigger every day!  Tyler started laughing the other day because of how mobile she was.  There was a rollercoaster of arms and legs going on inside of my stomach and we sat there and just watched and felt her moving.  

Kind of a cool feeling.

Baby Girl also had her first bout of hiccups this week!  Super cute and fun to watch.

{a much happier and well-rested Jamie on Spring Break}

This pregnancy is still going swell, with the exception of a little bit of exhaustion starting to move in around mid-afternoon.  Can I just schedule in a 30-minute nap once school starts up again next week?   I'm sure my active second graders would totally go for that idea.

We're so excited to welcome Baby Girl into the world NEXT MONTH!  And birthing classes start next Tuesday.  Technically we signed up just to see how procedural stuff goes.  Sometimes it's better for me to not know how other things might go.  

Like, for example, labor...  

32 weeks. registered and getting Baby Girl's nursery underway.

We're down to 2 months, people.  2 months!  8 weeks left until we meet Baby Girl for the first time.

This whole becoming parents thing is starting to become more real these days.  Especially since Tyler's brother and his cute wife had their baby girl over the weekend.  Who is the cutest little thing you ever did see.  We're so excited that they had a smooth delivery and finally have little Dylin Rachel here!  We might be a little jealous...

T is a little antsy to have Baby Girl get here now.  Me?  I'm kinda okay with her staying put for a little while longer.  I'm in no way prepared for her yet!

Though we have finally started setting up the nursery.  For realsies.  T finished spray painting Baby Girl's dresser, made her a blanket ladder and painted it, AND modified the armchair we bought at IKEA into the rocker I really wanted (I really didn't want a squeaky glider or a wooden rocker.  If we have to get up in the middle of the night, it better mean that my tush sits on something soft and I get to be comfy).  And the armchair we bought was actually pretty cheap and so was the base we used to convert it into a rocker.  Pretty much the same price that we would've spent on a nice glider/rocker at another store.   

I mean, really though, T is amazing.  And pretty darn attractive with a tape measure and sawdust all over him.  Nothing quite catches my fancy as a man who smells like wood.  That might be the only thing I miss from when T worked at Home Depot when we were dating and first married.  That incredible woodsman smell.

T did some fabulous work.  Baby Girl is lucky to have such a talented Daddy.

I may have worked him a little too hard seeing how he went to bed and was asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow.  Sometimes I don't think wives quite give their husbands enough credit.  He never complained when I kept bringing up more and more projects.  Especially since many of the projects I wasn't much of a help with... we didn't want to get Baby Girl high on paint fumes or sawdust! 

{and this mama got a haircut last weekend.  Oh sweet relief.  My long hair was fun when I'd actually get up and do it... but shorter length hair is so much better for my super fine and thin hair.  So much better.}

We got everything moved into the nursery (thanks to Brain and the Toad!) and set up the crib (!!!).  The room is looking goooood.  We just need to find a rug and we'll be set with furniture and baby room basics.  Then it's onto the fun part of decorating and putting the finishing touches on it.

We finally signed up for a birthing class at the hospital.  Which we'll finish 2 weeks before baby girl actually gets here... procrastinators?  Yep.  We really only signed up so we could know the procedural side of things when we're actually in labor at the hospital.  We've already pre-registered with the hospital, so check-in shouldn't be too bad when we go into labor.

Maybe.

We also got registered a couple of weeks ago at Target and Babies 'R Us and we're crossing our fingers that we get some of the stuff on our registry.  Or enough cash to buy some of it... The last big purchases we have are the stroller/carseat combo (which, hello!  Strollers and carseats are kinda fun these days!  We had so much fun cruisin' around the store and seeing if we could actually figure them out), the crib mattress, the Ergo baby carrier we kinda sorta really want, a rug for the nursery, and the changing pad for the dresser.  Oh!  And a diaper bag.  We can't forget the diaper bag.  And thanks to dear Jana, we may have found the perfect one that will actually last all of our kiddos AND that T won't mind packing around too if he need to.  

Other than that, the other things we'll need are smaller scale purchases if we don't get them from our showers (diapers, binkies, clothes, baby wash products, blankets, etc.).  

We've had a few gifts from generous people brought over in forms of hand me down clothes and some new baby clothes (most of which are brand-new!), new binkies, beautiful crocheted and handmade blankets, and Baby Girl's first toys and books.  

We're in no way completely ready for Baby Girl, but we're getting there!  And we're getting so excited (or maybe I should say even more excited?!). 

31 weeks.

We're down to the single digits of weeks left!  

It freaks me out a little.  Because lets be honest, I've never birthed a child before and I'm a little terrified.  Last week at our doctor's appointment, Dr. Harrison wanted to talk pain management during labor.  

T and I almost simultaneously said, "Drugs."  My pain tolerance is not very high.  At all.  T knows that.  And I definitely know it.  So more power to the women who feel that they feel more empowered and that they're a better mother for going through the pain of natural childbirth and birthing their baby at home.

Seriously, props to you.

However, that will not be me.  I will be happy as a clam with an epidural surrounded by medical personnel in the event that something might happen and Baby Girl needs immediate medical attention.  No, I do not want any advice on the effects of drugs or how good you felt going through natural labor.  No, I don't want to hear your horror stories of the hospital.  I trust my doctor and this is a decision that I think should be between you and your spouse and your doctor.

As long as Baby Girl gets here safe and sound then I'm pretty sure T and I will be "Happy, happy, happy (Duck Dynasty reference, anyone?)!

End rant.

Remember this post?  It hasn't happened again, yet.  Smaller meals are definitely helping, but you can rest assured we have the drugs needed to nip heartburn in the bud.  That was not a fun experience.

Other than that, we are doing goooood!  Baby Girl is kicking up a storm these day.  All day every day.  It's reassuring to know she's in there.  It used to freak me out when she wouldn't be moving for a while.  She loves all foods again- except white bread.  Still a no go with white bread.  Sweets are the most enticing, but food overall is just delicious!  

No hand or feet swelling yet, which is a definite surprise seeing how I'm up and moving around my classroom all day.  Definite blessing.

The doctor always says that I look like I'm measuring small, until she actually takes my measurements.  Every time she says we're measuring right on track.  Apparently I'm just all freakin' basketball belly. 

Baby Girl is still getting spoiled by her daddy with bedtime stories.  Whether it's the scriptures or a picture book, she gets her story every night.  I always get a kick out of watching Baby Girl start squirming all around once T starts reading.  This baby of ours definitely knows her parents voices already.  It's kind of adorable.  This whole process of making-a-baby is pretty cool.  I honestly had no idea if I'd like being pregnant or not.  So far, its been pretty neat to see it in action.

Last weekend we both took Friday off (T had Spring Break and I got it off) in lieu of our anniversary coming up.  We ended up just doing baby stuff... We finally got registered at Target and Babies 'R Us (we finally decided on a carseat and stroller!), picked up Baby Girl's dresser, went to IKEA and grabbed a few items for the nursery, put up some curtains in our bedroom and figured out a sweet set-up for some more storage so we can actually have a closet for Baby Girl's stuff, and did our taxes!  The only anniversary-ish thing we did was go buy T some new sneakers for his anniversary gift (super romantic, right?).  His other ones were getting pretty trashed.

All in all, it was a successful day off.  We actually had quite a bit of fun with each other.  

It's pretty great being married to your best friend.

30 weeks.

We're down to 10 weeks until this baby girl comes (give or take a couple of weeks)!  

That's kinda soon.  

T and I picked up Baby Girl's first piece of furniture yesterday.  It's the most adorable little dresser that we plan on using as a changing station too.  I'm a little excited.  And the fact that it was a decent price on KSL makes it even better.

We'll also paint the crib this weekend and make an IKEA run for a few other items we've had our eyes on to complete the nursery.  We still plan on keeping it super simple and clean.  We're all about not cluttering up a space before this little girl gets here to do it herself!

  

Baby Girl is definitely growing bigger everyday and is back to sitting on her mama's bladder during the day.  It's not unusual anymore to see me walking down the hall to the faculty bathrooms for the 4th or 5th time during the day.  

A colleague of mine mentioned the other day that I've been a pretty laid back pregnant lady without any complaints.  It made me smile.  The only one who really hears about those complaints is poor Tyler (who also gets the brunt of the emotional and hormonal side of this pregnancy).  But I really don't have much to complain about to anyone.  I'd love some more sleep (but who wouldn't?  It's daylight savings!) and there are certain pregnancy problems I'd rather not deal with.  I tell T all the time how blessed I feel that we've been throughout this pregnancy though.  I haven't had to miss work (unless you count getting the 24-hour flu last week where I felt more miserable than I have during this entire pregnancy), I've been healthy despite the fact that eating healthy and exercising get a little hard, and I've had enough energy to stay up with 26 eight-year-olds.  I honestly forget I'm pregnant sometimes until I look down and see this belly of mine.

Not too shabby.

We've been attempting to get a list together for a baby registry.  The one thing we're still figuring out is what stroller/carseat to get.  We've got our eyes on a couple, we just need to choose which one for sure that we want and which will fit our lifestyle the best.  

Plans for our future careers are still up in the air and which is both terrifying and exciting!  We both have a few different opportunities and avenues we could go in the future and it's definitely a faith-promoting experience to rely on the Lord and see where He takes us.

T and I have also made the goal to read the entire Book of Mormon on our own before Baby Girl gets here.  He's been doing awesome on his goal and I'm working my way on catching back up to him!  We're determined to finish it and meet our goal.  It's going happen.

On a sidenote: We spent about an hour with a couple of friends last night who found out they are moving next month.  We have mixed feelings.  It's great news for them, but we're going to miss them quite a bit.  It's one of those friendships that you think you've finally figured the whole friendship thing out and then they've gotta move.  To another state, no less.  I may or may not have cried (what's new these days?).  Sometimes I just really hate change, especially when it comes to good people leaving your life.  Especially when those people have really great taste and buy you your favorite pair of mint jeans and has the same taste in books.

Thank goodness for social media and modern technology.  At least it won't seem like they've fallen off of the face of the earth...

29 weeks. shots, shots, and did I mention shots?

29 weeks has us sitting pretty.  My body has finally figured out this whole pregnancy thing (at least, for this week) and I don't have to take Unisom anymore or wake up with lower back pain.  Hoorah!  

I find myself accomplishing a lot during the day and getting a lot done at work and at home.  I'm staying on top of lesson plans and activities at school and the house is staying clean (props to the hubs for being supportive in helping it stay that way-thank goodness I married a man who likes a clean house and isn't a slob) AND planning and making healthy dinners.  We're pretty much rockstars down here in Apartment 5.

We also had our 28 week appointment last week!  All appointments from here on out will be in 2 week increments.  Gulp.

Baby Girl has a heart rate of 152 bpm and this belly of mine is measuring right on where it's supposed to.  I also got an updated Tdap shot at our last appointment.  T got off the hook again because his last Tdap booster shot was before his mission.  He's still got a few years before he has to get it updated.  Lucky duck.  

We also headed over to the hospital Outpatient clinic to get my blood drawn so they could give me my Rhogam shot 72 hours later.  Good news is- they didn't have to put it in my little tushie! Rather,  I got it in my shoulder muscle (apparently now you can choose which injection site you want).  So now, my right arm is sore from the Tdap shot and my left arm is sore from the Rhogam shot.  Even better news?  The nurse giving it to me was the B-E-S-T.  We were laughing like best friends when I left and she gave me a Bugs Bunny bandaid.  I do love the awesome bandaids I get after getting a shot.  Last time, I got a pink camo one.  

I am getting a little sick of getting poked and getting shots left and right.  No, I'm not complaining that we're pregnant.  I actually find myself very lucky and blessed to be carrying this Baby Girl of ours.  We have many friends who we love dearly and who we're closer than close to that have had a hard time conceiving a child.  Heck, that was our fear when we first started trying for a baby and nothing happened as fast as we wanted it to.  I wouldn't trade being pregnant for anything.  No sirreeee. 

But I will say that this pregnancy has made me face my biggest fears almost every 4 weeks- needles and doctors.  

I think I'm slowly getting over those fears.  Needles don't bother me too much anymore, I just stick out my arm and let them have at it and I love my doctor and her nurses.

Knock on wood.

Pregnancy has also brought about a few changes to our marriage.  I love seeing the father side of T's personality start to kick in and he's definitely got the whole "protective father and husband" thing down.  I don't think I could be treated any better than how he treats me (and how he always has treated me!).  He's the ever attentive husband, but gives me my space to still do things.  

For example, he doesn't treat me like an invalid.  Yes, he does expect me to take it easy when lifting and doing certain things, but he doesn't aggravate me and tell me I can't do something just because I'm pregnant.  I think it's my "I-Can-Do-Anything" Madsen genes kicking in when people tell me I can't do something.  Obviously I'm not stupid enough to endanger my own child by doing something the doctor has told me not to do while pregnant, but it's also not going to kill me or harm Baby Girl if I lift a gallon of milk or mop the kitchen floor.  I'm not usually one to sit back and "take it easy."  Even if pregnancy is an awesome excuse to use.  

Thank goodness this pregnancy is pretty healthy so far.  I'm not so sure a bedridden pregnancy would exactly be my cup of tea...

There have also been quite a few changes mentally, emotionally, and physically in our marriage.  Being the pregnant wife, I've gotta hand it to my husband.  He's one patient man.  He always has been, but I think I've really been testing his patience during some days of this pregnancy.  I'm sure it's gotta be hard to see your wife in tears over nothing and be able to smooth things over.  He's quite the catch and I'm ever so grateful that he's all mine.  

Baby Girl is pretty lucky to have such a cool daddy already. 

Even though I thought it wasn't possible, we're even more in love today than ever.  My love for this man is ever increasing at the end of every day.  

27/28 weeks. happy 3rd trimester to us!

3rd Trimester?  Uh-oh.  I don't see how other pregnant women say that time goes by so slow for them when they're pregnant.  Because time is flying by during this pregnancy of ours.  

So fast that I can hardly breathe and when I do breathe I start hyperventilating because we only have 12 more weeks until this kiddo is born and somehow has to get out of my body.

Gulp.

3rd trimester has brought on only one uncomfortable phase so far.  Not sleeping (and maybe some minimal back pain...).  Due to a visit to the bathroom every 2 hours at night and then a racing mind that can't go back to sleep, my sleeping schedule is waaaay off and I kinda get ornery during the day because of my lack of sleep.

Enter blissful Unisom sleep tablets.  Completely safe for pregnancy and help this body of mine get some much needed rest.  Usually I hate medications- they do weird things to my body.  Tylenol is the strongest medication I've ever usually taken for anything during my life.  

Needless to say, I'm sleeping much better.  As long as I'm in my own bed, with my own pillow, and the bathroom only a door away from the bedroom, then I'm a happy camper at night (and so is T...).  

We hit our 28 week mark tomorrow and go in for our doctor's appointment on Friday.  We're due for our Rhogam shot and then we start making doctor appointments for every 2 weeks.  And I may have eaten a little too much cereal this week.  I can honestly say I've never had any problem not drinking caffeine, but once you set a box of cereal in front of me, I'm a goner.  

Baby Girl is moving and grooving throughout the day now.  She definitely doesn't like anything on my belly and will kick at whatever's there (or maybe she wants to try to figure out what it is?).  We still have fun poking around my stomach and seeing how she'll respond.  She's definitely a feisty little gal.  

My regular pants are still fitting nicely, but there are some shirts that this mama cannot wear in public anymore.  My acne is slowly letting up, but man oh man is it annoying!  Seriously.  I feel like I'm 12 all over again with an acne minefield all over my face.

Also, it's Dr. Seuss' birthday this Sunday.  Which means Target has AWESOME deals on Dr. Seuss books this week.  I picked up a bunch yesterday on the cheap.  $3.50 for all Dr. Seuss board books (those are usually at least 7 buckaroos!) and $5 for all the other hardcover books.  One of T's favorites is "Are You My Mother?"  I just about squealed when I saw it in itty-bitty board book size.  I may have gone just a teensy bit overboard on buying Dr. Seuss books.

Byetheway, exercise?  Pretty much nonexistent in my life right now.  Unless you count standing and teaching all day, walking and pushing a grocery cart, and every so often doing some of those random pregnancy workouts posted on Pinterest during my lunch break with my classroom door locked.  Pretty pathetic.

Baby girl still loves her some chocolate (so does her mama) and fruit is always a big plus to the both of us.  Can you say hello to the 6 cartons of berries sitting in my fridge right now?  Now put chocolate and fruit together and Baby Girl and I are haaaaappy!

T and I think we've finally decided on a nursery color scheme and what furniture we do/don't want.  We've also narrowed down our choices of carseats/strollers (kinda) and we'll get our baby registry going in a few weeks.  Things are starting to come together and we're slowly (but surely!) prepping the physical things for Baby Girl's arrival.  

26 WEEKS. Baby Girl gets a nickname.

The weeks are really starting to fly by!  I'm actually pretty grateful to have a job and teaching while I'm pregnant.  I think I'd go stir-crazy at home just waiting for Baby Girl to be born.  

I also feel like I can't complain as often as I might if I didn't have a job.  Who has time to complain about aches and pains when you're having fun teaching 25 eight-year-olds all day?

Though, Tyler does get an earful about those when I get home.  Poor guy.  He's the greatest.  I get a lovely back massage every single night from that man of mine.  

26 weeks has been good to us.  We're coming up on our 3rd trimester (?!?!) and so far my body is doing great!  Other than the occasional sore back or feet and the annoying acne every so often, oh and the protruding belly that I forget being there, the body is gooood.  

Baby Girl is moving a lot more, but not uncomfortably so.  Every once in a while she'll be in a position that is annoying, but she's pretty obedient when I tell her to knock it off and make mama a little more comfortable.  She still loves and responds to T's voice and always moves towards his hand when he puts it on my belly.  

The only nickname we have for Baby Girl is, Baby Girl.  She's not our little peanut, gummy bear, or whatever other nicknames others have come up with.  She's just our Baby Girl.  Nothing else has really stuck or feels normal to call her.  And T says, "Baby Girl" in an adorable voice.  Baby Girl already has him wrapped around her little finger!

And cravings?  Still no sign of them.  Though chocolate and sweets are making a huge comeback these days.  One of the sweet room mothers left me the extra sugar cookies from our class Valentine's party last week and I ate 5 of them that very day (there's still 2 left in my desk waiting for my break today...).  And Oreos.  Oh my.  Let's just say no one should give me anything sweet.  As long as they aren't around I can stick to my fruit, nuts, and yogurt snacks.  But once you put something sugary and sweet in front of me, everything else gets shoved to the side.

But hey, I've still only gained a healthy 13 pounds of pregnancy weight (knock on wood?).  We're just waiting for 3rd trimester to hit and I end up regretting my food choices. 

Whatever.

After our little baby bump shoot this week, T and I took a few pictures together.  Between work, school, moving, and other odds and ends this past month, we haven't had a ton of time to take pictures of our happenings.  And I was sick of not having T in pictures.

So we took a minute and had way too much fun taking some selfies together.

Some of them turned out decent...

A few of them turned out awesomely fun, but probably embarrassing for Baby Girl if she could see it.  One day, she'll understand just how cool her parents are.

But really, most of them turned out like this...

with double-chinned husbands and tons of laughter.

At one point we attempted a timer picture which turned out terrible, awkward, and hilarious all at the same time.  

I almost deleted this picture just so we'd never have to look at it again.  But, then I realized we needed to document our awkward candid moments along with our almost perfect moments.

So happy 26 (almost 27, since this post is so late) weeks to us.  Way to survive your parents already, Baby Girl.

25 WEEKS (yeah, 24 got skipped over. whatev.)

T and I had a little wake up moment this week.  We just realized that this kid is going to be born in 15 weeks and we have pretty much nothing done for Baby Girl yet.

Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.

Except for the bunches of baby books I've stocked up on using my bonus points on scholastic (hello perk of being a teacher!), a few binkies, some vintage stuffed animals ("vintage" really being old stuffed animals that we slobbered over as kids), a few blankets, a crib that needs painting, and a blessing gown (props to my mom for saving mine from when I was a baby AND picking one out in the '90's that was actually pretty!).  

But, hey, this little gal isn't going to need a ton during her first few months here!  As long as she's got food, dry diapers, and a place to lay her head (and maybe a few cute bows to put on that head), I think we're actually pretty prepared...

Add to the fact that we somehow did all of the following in the month of January:

-found out we wanted/needed to move

-found a new apartment to move into a few days later

-packed and moved a week later

-unpacked and attempted to make the apartment livable for awhile

-went to 2 doctor appointments

-went to 2 dentist appointments (no cavities!)

-prepped, prepared, and made it through a week of S.E.P's

-T took a couple of midterms

-T got new responsibilities at work which has made for some long days

-J studied for and took a teaching relicensing exam (thank goodness for her study buddy, Rochelle!)

I'd say we did plenty during January.  We've been looking forward to February, though we're grateful for everything that happened during January.  We've needed a bit of a breather and it's been fun to concentrate a little more on Baby Girl the past few days.  

T's new found activity is to poke around my stomach and wait for Baby Girl to punch/kick back.  It's actually pretty hilarious.  She definitely is going to be a firecracker and not let any boys beat up on her.  I wouldn't necessarily say I have "cravings," but there are certain things that sound good.  Like cereal.  I mean, I've always been a cereal-aholic, but oh how I love to even just snack on the stuff now.  Apparently I'm still eating the other "good" stuff for my body too though.  No iron or other supplements and weight gain is slowly increasing.  We've gone up 12 pounds since finding out we were pregnant.  I'd say we're right on track to keeping this little one healthy and happy (with plenty of cereal...).  

We're patiently waiting for Baby Girl's due date to get here.  We're definitely not in any rush to have her get here anytime soon!  She can keep cooking as long as she wants... Mama and Daddy still have plenty they need to do before her arrival!

Oh!  And no.  We don't have any names yet.  A list?  Maybe.  But we're still pretty set on not giving this little one a name until we see her.  At least, that's still the decision for now.  :)

23 WEEKS. Gender Reveal.

It happened this week.

This kid let us know its gender (3rd time's a charm, right?). 

Our technician saw it right off the bat and declared that we are having a...

GIRL!

Oh happy day!  We obviously would have been fine with either gender and we're stoked for a baby girl.  Our brother and sister-in-law are having a girl just a few months before us-which means cousins that get to be the same age and play together!  Even better.

We also got all moved this weekend!  We're officially in our new apartment-which feels like a mansion to us!  It's perfect for a growing family of 3 and we finally have closets in our bedrooms that will fit more than a small amount of our clothes!  The kitchen is huge, along with the living room.  At least double the size of our last apartment.  After living in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment for nearly 4 years, we were about due for a change.

We had lots of family and friends help us move (which we were and are so grateful for!) and we were moved in less than 2 hours (say what?!).  We got the kitchen, living room, and bedroom set up and then shoved the rest of our junk in the extra room (baby room!) for sorting out this coming week.  

We told my parents the night after we moved into our new place.  They brought Chinese food from the Lotus Garden to help us celebrate the new move, we supplied pink juice, pink milk, and pink Sobe's with pink straws.  They caught onto the gender pretty quickly after being surrounded by pink fluids.  They're pretty excited!

We can officially start buying things for baby girl (!!!) and planning and decorating.  We really couldn't be more excited.  We're having a baby girl.  We're about to become parents.  It's an exciting chapter of our lives that has been a long time coming.  We feel extremely blessed and loved by our Heavenly Father and humbled that he trusts us to bring a little soul into this world.

So... coming soon- Baby Girl Kussee!

I'm sure we'll have plenty of things to keep us busy the next few months!

P.s. We HAVE still kept up the blog since last October, we just haven't published any of the posts!  So for those of you brave enough... enjoy the next 20+ posts we just posted about the baby (along with bump pictures!), moving, and life.  For those of you who could care less... you're pretty much caught up- We're having a baby!  

22 weeks.

T is feeling this little one kick and squirm all over the place these days!  He truly loves it- I can't wait to see him in the role of a father.  He's already so good with kids, I want to see him interact with one of his own!

This week has been quite the rollercoaster ride for us.  Moving is taking it's toll on my teaching and sleeping.  Not to mention my eating habits.  I sleep (try to), teach, drive home, pack, and somewhere in there try to eat my healthy foods.  Dinner is always the hardest.  I never want to stop packing, cleaning, or dejunking long enough to make dinner.  BUT, even though it's hard, we do make dinner.  We're that dedicated.

We go in for round #3 of ultrasounds to find out this baby's gender.  I think it's going to happen this week.  At least, we really want it to!

I'm still amazed at how my body is changing.  I pack boxes and don't even think about my belly being in the way and I forget I'm not supposed to pick up the super heavy boxes.  I really don't feel pregnant until T takes these weekly photos.  Then I back up and think, "Whoa! Holy pregnant woman!"  

Despite the fact that I have to visit the bathroom every couple of hours and we feel the baby's kicks pretty low in my abdomen, I can still button my regular pants!  Go figure. 

I'm also super congested.  Granted, I may be getting sick, but they say it's also a pregnancy symptom?  I just want my clear nasal passages back.  I also get these weird leg cramps in the middle of the night.  It's only happened 3-4 times, but man they hurt!  I wake up having to massage them out and end up shedding some tears over how painful they get.  It's like a charlie horse- my leg gets all tense and my muscles bunch up.  Weird.  

We move this weekend.  We find out the baby's gender this weekend (fingers crossed-but NOT legs!).  And I'm supposed to figure out a time to plan a relief society lesson.  I may or may not be freaking out about everything right about now.

But freaking out just means I'll prepare that much more.  

We'll be fine...

21 WEEKS.

This baby stubbornly demands to hang out low low low.

One word.  Bladder.

And this belly is finally becoming noticeable to everyone.  I no longer just look faaaat.  Hallelujah!

Food is delicious.  Oh so good.  So good, in fact, that I'm eating every few hours or so.  My lunchbox is packed full with snackaroos.  Which, is actually great!  I'm getting in all of my veggies and fruits, which are always the hardest to get enough servings during the day.

T hasn't been able to feel anymore kicks the past couple of weeks, this little one sure is picky about when it kicks and who gets to feel it!  

Beyond the fact that my belly has grown out two inches and visiting the bathroom often (and a mood swing here and there), I hardly feel pregnant.  I'm feeling more and more like my normal self with super energy!  Which, is a good thing.  I take a large teaching exam required for my teaching re-licensure in less than a month and it's a lot of info to study.  Like, if I dwell on it too long, I panic a little.  I will pass this.  I will.  My reward for taking it is being able to begin prepping the baby room.

Over halfway!  

20 WEEKS.

Well it's official.  

We have a stubborn child already.

Baby Kussee was in breech position, with it's legs crossed, and umbilical cord hanging just right during the entire ultrasound so we couldn't see this baby's gender.  Or get the heart, brain, and lower extremities measurements that the technician needed to get.  And yes, I did drink my orange juice and eat something sugary before we went- so before you give this pregnant woman any advice on how to get the kid moving during an ultrasound, I'd think very carefully if I were you (insert ornery pregnant woman here).  Can you tell we've had numerous people already suggest how to get this kid moving? 

I'll be honest, I was a little upset and irritated.  I mean, really?!  We've been in for 2 ultrasounds and this kid just won't budge.  Oh well.  We'll try again in 2 1/2 weeks when they take measurements again.  

Our doctor also told us that we're measuring 13 days behind where we should be.  If it were 14+ days, she'd move our due date back a week or two.  But, since it's 13 days, she'll just watch us and see how we progress.  We may just have a June 2nd baby instead of a May 21st baby (Pro: I don't have to write sub plans if that happens and I don't miss the last week of school.  Con: This baby stays in 2 weeks longer than we thought and I don't miss the last week of school).

As we've gone through our ultrasounds, my guess at this baby's gender has changed... I'm thinking more along the lines that it's a girl.  Oddly enough, so is Tyler!  So boy or girl, we'll be happy with either one!

We also chatted with the doctor about my blood type.  The results came from the lab to say that I have A- blood, but my birth records show A+, so we were a little concerned. They took my blood again to be retested and we get the results back in a couple of days.  I've been quite proud of myself these days with getting blood drawn.  I don't get super anxious over it anymore and I've decided it's actually more painful to pop a zit than it is to have blood drawn (TMI?).  

This belly is poking out more this week!  It's hardening and this baby is kicking (more like strong flutters still) a little harder.  The repetitive need to use the bathroom during the day (and the night, for that matter) is back and I've started a leg cramp here and there in the middle of the night.  No swollen hands or feet though!  In fact, my wedding ring keeps slipping around on my finger.  Besides a mood swing here and there (sorry, T!), it's been a pleasant 2nd trimester already.

Bytheway, since I can finally eat mostly everything and cook real food again (chicken!  meat!  veggies!) our dinners and lunches have gotten so much better.  We no longer live off of oatmeal, toast, and fruit.  Which means healthy options are back on the menu!

So I took a picture of my lunch yesterday just to prove that I am, in fact, eating real food again for lunch.

{Grilled chicken, string beans w/garlic, and a tomato.  Oh!  And don't forget to look at the really cool Camelback water bottle T got me for Christmas.  It's kinda awesome.}

I also get hungry more often throughout the day.  I usually eat a yogurt midmorning (2nd breakfast, anyone?), and have some fruit with nuts, veggies, or fruit snacks in the afternoon after school gets out.  And maybe sneak in a cookie or cake from the faculty workroom every so often (hey, you can't cut out all of the sweets.  I need my chocolate, people).

So, 20 weeks, we welcome you with open arms!  You've been good to us already!