28 Weeks

Hiking

I went hiking at Starved Rock with my family today and gave Dave some quality time with his Camaro. It was actually a pretty nice day, not too hot and there was a nice breeze when we were walking around on the trails. We actually got to see a deer really close to where we were walking on our way back to the car....it seemed to hear us, but kept eating and checking on us, to make sure we weren't getting too close!

Here are some pictures...(no, I'm not that much taller than my Dad, it was the area I was standing on, which made me look taller). :-)

How do we look?

The last weekend in June Dave and I had to head up to Wisconsin for my cousin's graduation party and on the way we stopped at one of my High School friend's house to visit and see her daughter. Her daughter is 10 months old and is so cute! Of course, we took a few pictures together and I think Dave and I look pretty good with a kid! Before we know it, it will be out little one we're holding in between us!!

New Camaro Gas Tank

I've decided that since this blog is "The Hickman Blog" I probably shouldn't monopolize the stories about what is going on in just my life. So, a dedication to my wonderful husband...a story about his "baby" (for now)...the Camaro. Dave worked diligently last weekend to get his countertops and cabinets up in the garage so he could finally do some work on his car and I must say that the garage definitely is a man's dream...if you like to work on cars. As you can tell by the picture, he also managed to fit his old stereo system for some jammin' background noise. How perfect when he put the cabinets up and the stereo was a second thought to him and it managed to fit perfectly in between!!

Last night he spent the night changing out his gas tank. I decided to take a picture, because it captures all the work he did last weekend and it proves that he was working on his Camaro finally! I think Baby and I will now have to fight for quality time with Dave from the neighbors. At least 2 neighbors stopped by to chat and watch Dave work on the car (and compliment the garage floor). Oh well, it's great that we have friendly neighbors here.

26 Weeks

Baby's Room Started

We started the Baby's room this weekend and I was so excited!! Dave painted on Saturday and he offered to put together the crib tonight! What a great Daddy he'll be, I'm so lucky to have a great guy. Here is the crib all put together and we decorated with the few turtle things we have so far. We still have to go pick up the other two pieces of the furniture set this week and then the room will be complete for a while.

The "Oops" Month

So, according to the nurse today, the "oops month" is a common expression for women in their pregnancy and although I'll take her word for it, it doesn't make me feel any better! Yes, I am talking about that scary topic of 'weigh-in' at each appointment that I so fear! Does anyone remember on a previous blog when I mentioned that I'm supposed to gain an average of 1 lb/week?? Let's just say that I gave double the effort this past month! Yes, that's right, I've gained 8 lbs. in the last 4 weeks. Now, everyone keeps telling me that I'm "all baby" so let's hope this doesn't correlate to our child coming out weighing in at say 10lbs. or something!! Kind of funny that as soon as we got back from the appointment tonight, Dave went to the gym and I went for a half-hour walk!! I had been doing so well with 2 walks a night; one with Sasha and one with just me or with Dave. I guess I need to get my schedule back and get to work! So, there's the most shocking news I had all day!! On to the other items of interest from the appointment, the baby was so active today while I was at work and this continued at the appointment. The nurse had to try 3 different times to keep a steady heartbeat because the baby kept moving around so she couldn't hold a steady count! In the end, it was 156, so definitely on the higher side compared to past appointments! When the doctor came in, he asked if Dave had been able to feel the baby and he told him that he's been able to feel for about a month now and the doctor was impressed and said we have a "strong" kid....definitely strong like daddy, maybe we ARE having a boy! I also got my belly measured again and it's right on where it should be, so that's another good sign.

Not much else to tell, I have another blood test to take in a week or so to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes and to check a few other things. Other than that, it's an appointment in another 4 weeks and then after that, I'll start going every 2 weeks.

Started to Register!

Last night I went to Babies R Us with a friend and started to register. Oh my, what an overwhelming task!! Between the number of different types of bottles and the variety of strollers, swings and portable cribs, I was exhausted after the 2 hours and decided I'd come back a second day to do more. Let me tell you, after going to register, I did see how knowing the sex of the baby might be helpful, as there is only so much yellow and green I can handle...I was amazed at the complexity of even picking out a bib for the baby not knowing the sex, but I found a few cute neutral ones to add to the list. I think I did pretty good at getting most of the basics covered, but I definitely need to go back one more time. At least I've gotten this task started and I think I'll take Dave along with me next time for support. I also got to look at our furniture when I went in yesterday and we hope to pick it up this week (they make you look at the furniture after it comes in to make sure there are no defects, which is nice). The only piece Dave has to put together is the crib, because the two dresser pieces are already together. We finally picked a paint color for the bedroom also, it's a very light green, called Celery Spice or something like that. So, we'll do that Friday evening!! Ugh, do I really have to wait 3 1/2 more months for our baby to get here!!

24 Weeks - Pre Father's Day

Baby Update at 24 Weeks:

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes for a pretty lean figure, but her body's filling out proportionally. Your baby's brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds may be working now. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. Your baby can hear more now, and you may even notice her startle at loud, sudden noises. But she's probably getting used to the regular noises she hears around the house, such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner.

Dave and I had a great Father's Day Weekend. We celebrated with the Hickman side on Friday evening with dinner and ice cream...mmmm! Saturday was a busy day, as we had our annual Hickman Party with about 40 people that showed up. Quite the party animal I was, being able to stay up until 1a.m. (after getting up at 6am that morning to start making food). Sunday, we had a nice breakfast with my Dad and hung out for a few hours. Of course Dave was wished a Happy Father's Day also!!

Good news, I believe we'll be painting the Baby's room this next weekend, since our furniture got in already! So much for waiting 1-2 weeks, it only took 3 business days! We still haven't picked up the furniture, but hopefully we'll get it in the next week! My next doctor's appointment is Thursday, so we'll see how that goes!

Baby Accessories

Kind of silly I know, but I took pictures of all the little things we've gotten for the Baby so far, because I think this stuff is so cute!! Yesterday, I was excited to come home to the Wall hanging set and little pillows that match the bedding we registered for. I decided to go ahead and order this stuff through JCPenney because I thought it was adorable! I also purchased a picture frame last week from Kohl's that is ready and waiting for a picture of the little one. And, last but DEFINITELY not least, we were given the gift of a baby book to track all the information for Baby Hickman from birth through high school from my friend Rachel. Like a diligent mom-to-be, I've already started to keep track of the family tree information (although I'll definitely need help from the grandparents-to-be) and tracking all the information about my appointments etc.

Baby Room Decisions

This past week Dave and I finally decided on a theme for Baby's room, it's going to be Turtles! We found the cutest little bedding at Babies R Us!! We also went and ordered the furniture last Thursday night and we only have to wait 1-2 weeks for it to come in. So, hopefully sometime this month we can get the room painted and then start getting the room all set up. I'm wanting to do something creative with the painting with the turtle theme, but we'll have to see what we can come up with. I believe next week I'm going with a friend to register for the rest of the stuff at Babies R Us; I figure bringing a Mom with kids will be helpful to tell me what I do and don't need to have.

This past weekend was again an eventful one. Saturday Dave and his friend started the electrical work in the garage and then we went to dinner with a group of friend's to celebrate a birthday! Sunday we spent all day in Joliet at the Top Fuel drag races. I think that our baby will sleep through anything, because I didn't really have much movement until the very end, which I was a bit worried about. Every time a car went down the track, I put both arms around my tummy like I was hugging myself to hopefully provide more of a sound barrier.

22 Weeks

Another two weeks has passed by, so I figured some are anxious to see another picture. Don't mind my casual outfit and hair...it's a weekend! Not much new to report, still feeling GREAT! We still have another 2 1/2 weeks before our next appointment, so just a waiting game on that. The baby has been moving a lot more this past week and I even think Baby had hiccups a couple days ago. I felt a constant movement every few seconds, which is I guess what it feels like.

This weekend Dave finished the Camaro stall with the epoxy flooring, so luckily that's over. I believe next weekend will finally be dedicated to shopping for Baby's bedroom furniture! Yipee!! Dave and I went on a dinner date on Saturday, which was nice. We went to Key Wester and had a great meal. We were going to try for a movie as well, but we didn't want to sit through the 3 hour long Pirates of the Caribbean movie starting at 8:30 (although, not sure I could've stayed awake that long either).

Dave's Garage

Dave worked diligently this weekend on putting down the epoxy covering on the 2/3 of the garage. He did the 2-door section for now and he'll do the Camaro stall next weekend probably. It's a three-step process with different drying times, so he started on Friday and finished yesterday, but now we have to wait a couple days before we can move stuff on the floor or pull the cars in. It does look really nice when it's all finished! Now Dave just needs to set up the garage and he can be a true 'home mechanic' to all our cars! I do have to say that he was pretty anal about the whole process...I was laughing at him because he even took the little color chips out to measure so each part of the garage would have the same amount of chips! (see below picture for proof of his measuring) So, next time you come over, you definitely have to give him a hard time about whether the chips are evenly coated or not!

It's a.....

Just kiddin', we didn't find out! Although, I have to tell you that Dave changed the gameplan on me last minute, and really did want to find out what we were having. I think it's the whole fact that he really thought we were having a girl and then he had a dream we had a boy a couple of days ago. So, I think he's doubting his psychic powers. But, he respected my wishes not to find out and we went on with the appointment.

There were three key measurements they did on the baby. They measured the head, abdomen and femur bone. We watched the first two measurements, but we were told to look away when they did the femur bone measurement because the baby had spread open legs (as if to say "Mommy, Daddy, find out what I am"). We got to see the feet, arms, spinal cord, head, stomach and lots of movement. After they finish the ultrasound, they do calculations from the measurements to tell you when they think your due date is and they calculated out my exact due date, so that is PERFECT! Let's just hope Baby decides to come out on time!

Here are pics from the appointment. Daddy even asked for his own picture for work, so he got an extra copy for himself, how cute! The one on the left is the baby looking directly at you, you can see the face real well! The one on the right is a side profile and you can just barely make out little fingers on the top of the picture and we saw the little heart beating! There was another side-profile shot, but it's blurry, so I copied in the best ones!

5 Month Appointment

Just got home from my appointment and I think these days just put me in a good mood! I saw a new doctor this time, from now on I will see a new one each time so I can meet them all. The doctor was VERY nice! Everything checked out great he said, so I'm very happy about that. I gained 3 1/2 pounds in the past month, which is right on track. They started measuring my belly this time and the measurment should be the same as the number of weeks I am along and it was right at 20, so perfect! The baby's heartbeat was 146 this time, I guess they look for a range between 120 and 160, so we're right in the middle. That sound never does get old; it always brings a smile to my face!

Now it's the 24 hour wait for the ultrasound tomorrow afternoon! The technician will show us the baby and tell us the sex (if we want to know it....WHICH WE DON'T) but they don't really tell us much more than that. I guess they send the results to the doctor's office and then the doctor will call and give us all the details on whether things look okay and the measurments etc. Either way, I just think it's going to be amazing to see the little one squirming around inside. This past week the baby has really started to move a lot more!! I still look at the picture of our 8 week ultrasound on the fridge and see the little kidney bean and just know the changes that we'll see tomorrow will be amazing!!

Oh yes and something additional to share...my Dad's new name for me is "tubby" and Dave officially told me the other day that I'm going to be "huge" at the end. Ahh, the men in my life are so supportive! ha ha ha. No really, it's all in fun. I get a kick out of Dave because he really can't get over the "baby bump" I'm growing. I can roll with the punches now, but we'll see when I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant and someone wants to tell me how big I am...watch out for one hormonal woman!

20 weeks - halfway

Just a picture for now, more updates this week after my appointment and the ultrasound!

Chair rail Up!

Dave and I worked all weekend around the house. We finished all the chair rail in the dining room and library and it looks great! It's also great to have the rooms put back in order! Next weekend Dave will be working in the garage and I hope to get my garden going, I hope it's nice out! Enjoy pics of the chair rail.

Miscellaneous...

First of all, I was motivated to write this blog because of a horrible parenting dream I had two nights ago. I had a dream that I forgot to change the Baby's diaper for a full week after we were home. I was SO MAD at myself that I forgot to do such a simple task. But, once I realized my mistake, I went about correcting the situation and Baby was very understanding. I was so disturbed by the dream that I sat awake at 3a.m. and thought about the fact that I needed to come up with a schedule of what to do with the baby. Obviously I won't ever make the mistake in my dream, but it definitely got me thinking! Are these dreams normal??

Secondly, I must show a picture of our recently purchased plush mattress. Being pregnant, I have to sleep on my side now and let me tell you, it's not a friendly position for my hips to sleep that way ALL NIGHT! Plus, I recently noticed that there were deep craters our old mattress, where Dave and I slept each night, which probably wasn't exactly the greatest support for me. So, last weekend Dave and I went out and purchased a new mattress for the bed, which was delivered Tuesday and it is HEAVENLY!! The one thing I get a kick out of is how high it sits on our bed frame. I think we're living like King and Queen now! Once I'm about 7 or 8 months pregnant, I think I'm going to need a step ladder to get up on this monster of a bed!

In other news, Dave is STILL sick! Last night I made him get a listing of doctors covered under his insurance plan so he could make an appointment ASAP! He came home last night telling me he could hear liquid in his head when he shook it - that's a lovely thought! Then, he scares the crap out of me in the middle of the night when he jumps out of bed at 2a.m. and all I could think of was something was wrong with his brain! Turns out it was a charlie-horse, but let me tell you he scared me to death! So, after more pestering this morning, he finally did go see a doctor and it's a sinus infection!! I swear the man thinks he never needs a doctor. I keep telling him that's why we pay for medical insurance....MEN!

19 Weeks - "Pre" Mother's Day

Baby Update:

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. The hair on his scalp is sprouting. If your baby is a girl, she already has 6 million eggs in her ovaries. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. He may be able to hear you as you talk. Research shows that he's learning to distinguish your voice from others, and he'll soon show a preference for it. Let Dad get into the act, too — encourage him to talk to your baby.

Oh and Dave was able to feel the baby yesterday! I was sitting on the couch before I left for Wisconsin and I felt the baby...I had him come touch my belly and he felt a movement right after he put his hand there...after that the baby was done, but at least he felt one move. He kept moving my belly to make the baby move again. Baby was being stubborn and said "you felt me once, now leave me alone for now". :)

What a busy Mother's Day Weekend for us. We met an old H.S. friend of mine for lunch and spent the rest of Saturday with the Hickman Mom to celebrate Mother's Day. Sunday I went to my Grandma's in WI to celebrate with my Mom. Dave has been sick for almost a week with a pretty bad cold, so I let him stay back and sleep while I was gone. Dave called yesterday my "Pre" Mother's Day. How exciting to think that this time next year I'll truly be a Mommy to a little one. I think I should put my requests in to Dave now for breakfast in bed and the works of pampering! ha ha ha

This coming weekend is the halfway point - 20 weeks. Yipee!! Next week we have our 5 month appointment and ultrasound to go to, so very exciting. Now is when I start worrying about whether I've gained too much over the last 4 weeks! For the ultrasound, we're still pretty sure we aren't going to find out the sex, but again, it might depend on the mood that day. I also think we're going to shop for furniture after the ultrasound. I figured we'd be in a very excited mood after seeing the baby again for the first time since my 8 week appointment, and a good way to celebrate would be to look at furniture!! After all, the baby's room is all cleared out now, we definitely need to start painting and filling it up with furniture!!

18 Weeks