baby remke

 9/11/11 - Labor Inducing Cookies

We got the official 'go-ahead' from the Witches to start encouraging this baby to make its debut, so I gave in and made the Labor Inducing Cookie recipe Dan sent to me a couple of weeks ago.  They're basically gingersnaps.  I've had about 5 so far.  No labor pains, but, fortunately, the cookies are delicious so it's not a total loss. ;)

9/1/11 - 38 weeks!!  Look at that belly!  I couldn't believe it when I saw this photo.  I don't feel as big as I look - which I guess is a good thing.     

Should I have them double check to make sure there is only one in there???  ;)

And believe it or not, no back pain.  Hooray for core strengthening exercises! 

I am so thankful that the baby made it to full term and is continuing to develop and grow stronger.   Of course I'm excited and anxious to meet this little one, but I will remain patient, trusting that it will arrive exactly when it's suppose to... 

                       ...though I did tell Dan that if we pass 40 weeks, we can whip up a batch of the Labor Inducing Cookie recipe he found online.  haha.      

8/27/11 - Here's the bump and I showing our fiesty side at our friend's wedding. 

It was a 15 minute walk uphill to get to the wedding site, but it was such a beautiful day, that I refused the car ride to the top, opting to allow the elderly guests to take my spot.  People were seriously worried that I was going to go into labor on that walk. haha.  But I've been keeping in shape this whole pregnancy, so the walk was actually quite enjoyable.  ;)

8/7/11 - 

We did our first "baby laundry load" this weekend!!  It was pretty surreal.  All the clothing seen here is secondhand, either purchased from consignment shops or generously handed-down to us by some good friends.

As the clock begins it's countdown, we felt it wise to go ahead and wash all them to insure that we are prepared for whenever this little one decides to make its debut. (Hopefully sooner than later!)  

7/14/11 - Cousins!!  Baby Seal and Baby Remke meeting each other for the first time!

We were delighted to learn a couple weeks ago that Dan's sister is due with her second child in January.  And thanks to Dan's brother's third child arriving earlier this year, Granny and Pops Remke will have doubled their number of grandchildren from 3 to 6 in less than a year!

Oh, and did you notice the haircut?  I had been dying to cut it for months, but everyone said wanting to cut your hair during pregnancy was just a hormonal thing and to not do it.  Well, I couldn't take it any longer.  10+ inches later, Locks of Love has another hair donation and this momma-to-be is THRILLED with her decision to chop it off! 

And, once again, our dog Pickle is like a Where's Waldo.  She manages to interject herself into every possible photo.  ...It appears she's busy investigating Aunt Kate...  Way to ruin yet another otherwise great photo, Pickle!      

 6/16/11 - Last night, I surprised Dan with an early Father's Day gift.  He had been researching saws for months to make sure he got a good one at a good price.  I told him that we should wait until Father's Day incase it went on sale.  Well, we both checked the ads yesterday and it wasn't going on sale.  Dan was bummed as he thought he should keep waiting for a sale, but I had already decided I'd get it for him even without a sale price.

I practically gave myself a hernia smuggling it into the house and hoisting it up onto his workbench, but it was worth it! (You can see it sitting on his bench in the background.)  Before he finally saw it sitting there, however, he was trying to force me out of the garage because he was worried about the baby and I inhaling the fumes from the staining project he had been working on.  ;)

6/13/11 - Peek-a-boo!  Needless to say, my clothing options continue to dwindle. ;)  Dan thinks it's hilarious every time I discover another item of clothing no longer fits over my belly.  Weight gain to date: about 25 pounds.

4/15/11 -  Approximately 18 weeks.  Is it silly that I still can't believe I'm pregnant?  Especially now when all the nausea and irritations of preganancy have subsided.  Besides getting winded more easily, requiring more effort to get out of bed and the car, and finding just about every food item on the face of the planet desirable and delicious (I currently can't get enough of iced tea, banana peppers, & mustard) it's easy to forget that my body is growing a person.  Now that the bump is protuding more these days, I find myself looking down at my belly and thinking, "Really?  We're really going to have a baby, and it's really in there right now?"  I still just can't believe that in less than 6 months, we're going to have this person to love and care for.  I know it's going to be really hard and a huge adjustment, but I also think it's going to be amazing and a ton of fun.  

And Dan has been the best prenatal Dad.  He tells me I'm beautiful and doesn't judge me when I have ice cream in the middle of the week (the rule in our house for desserts was always 'weekends only'.)  I can't wait to see him with our baby.  I always thought he was cute, but with our baby in his arms, he's going to reach a whole new level that I just know is going to make my heart melt.

And all these pictures are showing me how desperately we need a new camera!  The clarity and colors are downright terrible!

4/8/11 - I'm about 17 weeks here, and I'm finally starting to experience the good times of the second trimester.  I still tire more quickly and have a little bit harder time getting up in the mornings, but I guess I can live with that and cut my body some slack as it is doing double-duty these days.    

And after not eating much last week because of my illness, my body is craving high calories big time to make up for it.  My awful, awful, poor food choice indulgence this week was mini powdered donuts.  Oh, Lord, talk about fake food with no nutritional value.  My poor baby was fed preservatives and junk this week.  I was disgusted with myself with every bite I took.  I would try and satiate my appetite with healthy food, but I just needed those calories.  I finished them off this morning, and my fingers are crossed that I will be able to avoid that type of food from here on out.