Misty and Matt's Blog

Home Waterbirth of Benjamin Carl

2011-11-19T09:42:00.001-08:00

We have anticipated this day for some time now. When I was pregnant with Jeremy, I really wanted to find a Midwife, but at that time, Indiana did not license Midwives to practice home birth legally, so I had the traditional hospital birth. The experience was not what I wanted or had hoped for.

When I became pregnant with Benjamin, I decided if I couldn't use a Midwife, at least maybe I could hire a Doula to attend the hospital birth. That is when I found Believe Midwifery Services. At 20 weeks, we transferred care to CNM's Penny Lane and Holly Hopkins, and that was the best decision we ever could have made. The prenatal care was phenomenal, they cared for my whole well being, coached me through Gestational Diabetes and continue to support me in my breastfeeding woes. I can not say enough good things about them and their assistants.

Around 4 AM on Saturday, November 12, 2011, the contractions began. They were not anything alarming, or strong enough to convince me that today would be the day. They were however, annoying enough that I couldn't fall back asleep. About 5 AM I decided to wake Matt and let him know I think labor may be starting. I had him time the contractions, not that it was useful, but just so we would have some idea of what to tell the Midwife. I believe it was around 6 AM that we called Penny and gave her the update. Things were still quite mild, and irregular, so she said to call back if anything changes. So...I decided to make Banana Bread. I did have 3 ripe bananas, and if I didn't make it now, it was not going to get made at all.

Sometime later, maybe 8:30 ish, the first of the Birth Assistants (Ashley) arrived. By this time, I had been sitting on the birth ball, and the contractions REALLY slowed down. The second Assistant arrived (Gretchen), and not much exciting was happening. If I got up and moved about, the contractions would start up again. So, I tried walking around for awhile. Around 10:30 it was decided they would leave for a bit and get something to eat, then come back in about an hour. While they were gone, I was able to get a little rest in. Contractions were like clockwork 7 minutes apart, and I was able to breathe through them laying down.

They both returned, and found me in the above position. And, we decided I should get up and move around again. But I was so comfortable:) I complied, and moving about got the contractions started once again. I found that I did quite a big of standing and swaying, listening to a little Gungor (maybe one of my new favorite artists) on Matt's computer. The Assistants stayed at the house for about an hour, and then we thought it would be okay for them to go out for awhile and we will call them back when things change. So...they left. And no sooner did they leave, did I vomit, and the real contractions kicked in.

I leaned on the sink.....

I squatted and bounced on the birth ball...

I buried my head in the pillows...

But, none of that really helped. I told Matt he better call Ashley to come back...I want to get in the TUB! When Ashley and Gretchen arrived, they let me get in the tub and told me Penny was on her way. At first the warm water felt delightful. But, it wasn't long until the contractions just forced my body to start pushing.

It is truly amazing, in this setting, I never had to wear a monitor, never had an internal exam, no IV’s or meds. My body was allowed to do what it was created to do…birth a baby. Once it was ready, my body just started pushing with each contraction. There was no way that I could make myself NOT push. No one held my legs….no one instructed me when or how to push…no one counted to 10 for me. My body took over, and did its job. I was able to feel Benjamin’s head emerge and INSTANTLY I had relief and the contraction stopped. It felt like FOREVER until the next contraction came and I was able to pull my beautiful baby boy up onto my chest. There was no suctioning of his nose and lungs. We just rubbed him gently until he took his first breath. Then he let out some cries. He is perfect. Benjamin came so quickly, Penny, the Midwife didn't make it in time. All still turned out well, and I am grateful for the presence of Ashley and Gretchen.

This experience was so empowering. To be able to be in the comforts of my own home and for all intents and purposes, birth and catch my own child. Hold him in the water for some time, then we moved to my bed, where we cut the cord and birthed the placenta. I don’t believe Benjamin left my arms for a good 2 or 3 hours. He was able to nurse before they took him to do his assessment. Should we be blessed to have another child, although right now I am content with 2 perfect little boys, I would chose to do a home birth again in a heartbeat.

Benjamin Carl

8 lb 5 oz 21 1/4 in

11-12-11

2:32 PM

Video Montage of the Birth

It's not long now...

2011-10-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Well...we have hit 35 weeks, so it isn't long until we can expect the arrival of Baby Benjamin! This pregnancy seems to have gone by so fast, even with the bumps in the road. (*That Gestational Diabetes thing is kicking my butt!). I feel much more physically uncomfortable than I ever did with Jeremy, not sure if that has to do with being 3 years older or just a different pregnancy, but man does my back ache!

We have been working diligently on finishing up the nursery. Paint is going on this week! Hopefully, the carpet will be installed next week, and then we can move in!! I confess to having slight anxiety about it being complete before Benny arrives! I'm tired of having boxes of stuff around that have no home! Once the room is complete, I'll post some before and after pictures for everyone to enjoy.

Gestational Diabetes

2011-08-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received the sad news that I have Gestational Diabetes. I confess I am SHOCKED and a bit overwhelmed by this. I had to do the 3 hour GTT when I was pregnant with Jeremy, so I wasn't surprised when I had to do the 3 hour GTT this go around either. But, to get the call and diagnosis of GD is shocking.

So, tomorrow I get to travel down to the Diabetes Center in Indianapolis and do a 2 hour course to learn how to control my sugar levels through diet and how to monitor my glucose levels. I sure hope that the diet isn't complicated, because I am not a measure it out and categorize my food kind of person. And, for the sake of the baby, I have to become one of those kind of people....and FAST!

It's A....

2011-07-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Boy! I will be very outnumbered when Benjamin Carl arrives. Jeremy is very excited to be a big brother. Now, if we could just finish up their room. I'd love to start getting things ready, but there is no place to get things ready yet! Time is flying, so hopefully it will be done!

New Belly Shots

2011-07-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

I am really bad at updating! So far, things have gone GREAT! I "feel" like I'm bigger this time around, but I compared pictures...and it's about the same growth rate. I guess since I'm about 2 months ahead of where I was with Jeremy, it must just be the snug summer tanks that make me less able to hide the bulging bump:) So, here are the latest pics.

Cloth Diapering

2011-06-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

I'm am seriously considering using cloth diapers this time around. I briefly considered it the first time, but really didn't think I could handle the poop in the diaper. Now that I am still trying to train Jeremy not to poop in his underwear, and several times a week (sometimes a day) I am rinsing out superhero underwear in the toilet, I'm thinking it won't be such a big deal. There are SO MANY choices and styles of diapers to chose from though, so how do you know which one to pick? I'm leaning towards an All-in-one style, as that seems so close to being a disposable style, that getting the diaper on won't be a problem. I also have to get over the sticker shock of the initial expense. But, say you spend several hundred dollars upfront, you STILL will save money over the course of your diaper career. I seem to not be able to make many decisions...I blame pregnancy brain. Maybe once we get the nursery done, I'll feel more motivated.

Scracth that 11 weeks + 2 post

2011-05-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

That was a hoax. I had 2 puke free days, but then the mass vomit returned. I am now 14 weeks + 2. I got a new prescription for Reglan. I have to take it 30 minutes prior to eating. Day 1 was good. Felt great after lunch, a little stomach quiver after dinner, but no vomit! Hopefully, it will be a trend. I am so tired of vomiting it isn't even funny. My "pre pregnancy" jeans are beginning to be way to big! I can't but smaller jeans, then go buy maternity jeans later. So...weight loss will hopefully stop here.

6, 9 and 14 Week Belly Shots

2011-05-16T08:11:00.001-07:00

Looking closely, it appears that my original fat bump is getting smaller. I guess that is a result of all the vomiting:(

11 Weeks + 2

2011-04-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ah!! Finally today I was hungry for dinner, and at two plates full! (Fortunately, it was a salad and dessert carry-in, and I only had 1/2 a piece of desert). And, I didn't end up puking! Is this a sign that the morning sickness will pass? I sure hope so! I had to wear maternity pants today. Not because my normal pants don't fit, but because we are so far behind in our laundry, maternity pants are the only clean pants in my house! I'm looking forward to getting back into the groove of things. Getting my house cleaned up. Matt has been trying...but his level of clean and my level of clean do not match. But, I do appreciate his help.

I had a Dr. Appointment this week. All is well, except I've lost 5 pounds. I heard Button's heartbeat, and it was good and strong! We have the "BIG" ultrasound on June 27, then I can seriously hit the garage sales!

All Day Sickness

2011-04-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I was hoping that I would get a pass on the All Day Sickness since I puked the ENTIRE pregnancy with Jeremy. No such luck. Since just after 6 weeks I've been a vomit machine:( This is definitely the most undesirable part of pregnancy for me. Let's just hope this time it will pass with the first trimester!

So, we had a Birthday a couple months ago...

2011-03-21T14:11:00.001-07:00

Jeremy turned 3 years old in January! I am so slow at getting things posted onto the blog. I just got the photos off my camera!

We had a small party at our house. I totally forgot to take a picture of the cake! So, the best we get is Jeremy blowing out the candles on his Thomas the Tank Engine Cake. The party theme was Thomas. Jeremy picked it out.

Overall he had a great day, and made out like a bandit! He is so spoiled:) I love it! I can't believe 3 years has passed by already. My baby boy isn't a baby anymore.

Jeremy really loves balloons! He had a great time just playing with his bouquet of balloons that we made for him.

And 3 became 4

2011-03-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, after ALL our struggles trying to conceive baby #2, I'm so happy to announce that we are expecting a baby mid-November!

After receiving the devastating news in January that our best option would be IVF, we really thought we would forever be a family of three. Much to my surprise, this past Thursday, since the old hag was nowhere to be found, I thought to myself "self, I have some home pregnancy tests sitting in the drawer, I might as well use one". I about fell out of my chair when it came up and said "YES+"!! I never thought in my life that I would get to surprise Matt with a pregnancy announcement. having your cycles closely monitored and doing fertility treatments really eliminates all elements of surprise.

So, Friday, Matt and I snuck away from Dad at the Heart Center to have a blood test to confirm the home test. Everything came back great. My HCG numbers are super high for where I am (over 6000) and progesterone is rocking! So, all looks to be well. Baby Button is firmly planted:)

We get to have our first Ultrasound on the 29th. We'll see a little gestational sac, and maybe the heartbeat of one (or TWO) babes. I will be 6 weeks tomorrow and I have NO Symptoms as of yet. Guess I'll have to start the Belly Shot gallery again!

Lungs and Hearts are Very Important

2011-03-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

What a whirlwind of a time I have had! On Friday, March 11, 2011, my Mom finally got the call she's been waiting for. They had a match for her, and she would be receiving a brand new set of lungs!! I had prayed for a long time it the call would NOT come March10-13th because I was on team for the Kokomo Great Banquet #81, and Aunt Nan was a guest. But, wouldn't you know, Friday morning, before Talk 1 even started, my breast starts vibrating like crazy. (*yes, I keep my phone in my Over-The-Shoulder-Cell-Phone-Holder). I rode down to Methodist Hospital with Mom and Dad. I thought we would be rushed right through, and into surgery. But, we got there and waited for about 8 hours before they took her back for surgery at 6:30 PM. They did their first cut at 8:30 PM and placed the last staple at 3:30 AM Saturday morning. We got to file into ICU and see her briefly, then I returned to the Banquet, not getting any sleep until 12:30 AM on Sunday morning. I was tired!! She is doing well breathing with her new lungs, no rejection issues and no infection. She is having issues swallowing food into her lungs. So she will be on a feeding tube for awhile. AND, the drugs make her hallucinate terribly. We really can't convince her that what she is seeing isn't really happening.

Just to keep things exciting, Thursday night, the 17th, I received a call from my Dad saying he wasn't feeling well. He sounded really bad and indicated his throat was hurting. So, I offered to come up and drive him to the clinic. In route to his house, I thought I should call and check on him, and he said he was having really bad chest pains. So, I called 911 from the road. I thought he was having a heart attack! He ended up being life-lined from Dukes in Peru down to The Heart Center in Indy. After a LONG night (again) they did a cardio conversion (shocked him) and he is back in rhythm. He's had a history of Arrhythmia, and just had a bad episode. Dad is home now. Well, he's at OUR home with us for a couple days.

More craziness to come later!

Media Coordinator

2011-02-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

Media Coordinator. That is my new title. I am starting a part-time job this week. Part-time meaning 10 hours per week. The job is at my church, coordinating Media (of course!). I'm excited to have a little extra income, as our budget needed some serious breathing room. I'm excited to learn new things. I learned Media Shout today with Lloyd. I have to learn about Web Pages as well, so I can update ours. It will be fun, and add a little bit of spice to my normally routine days. I've been praying for something that I could do to earn a little income without actually actually working regularly, as taking care of Jeremy is my first priority. So, this opportunity certainly fits the bill, and came at just the right time!

We love Dr. Not-so-Doom-and-Gloom

2011-02-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

Matt and I met with the Doctor yesterday, and we got good news. Although he would do the IVF right now if we wanted, he did suggest a few things we could do to increase our chances with another IUI. So, Matt is on a a nice vitamin and med routine, then we will reassess the situation in a few months. Prayers that the new routine will completely take away our fertility problem, and and we don't even have to make a decision about IVF in the future.

Struggles

2011-01-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

I struggle. Big decisions make me decide, rethink, reconsider, stay up late at night thinking...or blogging. It is just so hard to know what to do.

In the past 36 hours, I've conceived (pun intended) all kinds of ways to not accept that we won't have more children.

1) First thought, try IUI again, just see if we can save up some "deposits" and add them together:) Makes sense to me. I think we will suggest that to the Doctor.

2) Save, for several years. The fear being, we will have to put A LOT of other things on hold to save that much money. But, if it works, it would so be worth it. If it doesn't, we just put A LOT of other things on hold to chase a dream.

3) Theoretically, we have access to about half of what we need on our own....could we do Fundraisers? My parents are willing to help. My mom is even willing to sell her sports car. If I gave her another grandchild, she wouldn't even miss the car. But, this is putting all our eggs (literally) in one basket. We could be left with no money, no car, and no baby.

4) Pull a Brothers and Sisters move and have Matt's 6 brothers all make a deposit together, then cheer on those Hartke swimmers! Okay, not serious about that one........well....it's not a terrible idea, is it? However, it didn't end well on Brothers and Sisters when they had to determine who was ACTUALLY the biological father.

So...still praying. Praying for guidance. Praying for clear answers. If it is meant to be, praying that God will provide the money. If not, praying for contentment. I did feel content tonight, as I watch Jeremy wrestle with his grandpa. I love that little boy.

Heartbreak

2011-01-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

We got the news today. Our only option to conceive a child is through IVF with ICSI. Without insurance coverage, and hefty price tag of $12,000-$15,000, it simply is not an option for us. I spent my morning hours just crying. Crying tears of anger, tears of heartache, tears for Jeremy. All my dreams of having a big family, crushed.

I'm trying to see the bright side. I'm praying that God with grant me peace of mind, and a feeling of contentment with our first Miracle child. Our wonderfully perfect little boy. I pray that he feels content being an only child, and never feels slighted not having a built in playmate.

For those that do pray, my request to you as that you pray for our family. That God grants us a feeling a peace. That God filters out the people who like to say "Isn't it about time you expand your family???" because my patience is thin. That God will reveal to us the benefits of having only one child, so we can rejoice in our situation, and relish the rest of our life as a family of three.

Pictures:)

2011-01-22T11:55:00.001-08:00

We haven't posted any pictures recently on the blog, so I thought maybe I should add a few:)

These are all from October 2010. As tradition dictates, we went to the pumpkin patch and picked some pumpkins again. This year, Jeremy was a BIG help in the carving process. He stuck his hand in and pulled out all the goo so I could carve the pumpkin. Last year, he would not put his hand in the pumpkin for anything! Unfortunately, the squirrels ate the pumpkin as soon as it went on the porch. Thomas the Tank Engine is a big hit at our house these days. So, we went to the store to get a Batman Costume (which Jeremy said he wanted), but saw Thomas there and of course changed our mind. He was a great Thomas! Even if trick-or-treating only lasted about 3 houses. People dress up WAY to scary to hand candy out to little kids. Halloween is not our thing.

It Wasn't Meant To Be...

2010-12-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

I. Hate. Infertility. I know hate is a strong word, but in this case, it is truly appropriate. I am starring you down Infertility, and I HATE you!

We just completed round 3 of IUI's. We have not told many people about our attempts, just a very select few, and of course, those of you who actually do read my blog.

We took a pregnancy test at 4 weeks, and as I suspected, it was negative. We were dissappointed, but, okay with that. However, a week later, I still hadn't gotten that dreaded monthly visitor, affectionately known as Flo. So, without Matt knowing, I took another test. That test was inconclusive, because if you held it in just the right light, and squinted, you could see a very faint line. That's what I get for buying the CHEAPEST tests I could find. So, I went in for the blood test, and got a Digital test on the way home. The digital report was : YES+

OH, I was so excited! Now I get to surprise Matt! We get to surprise our family for Christmas! I texted Matt the cutest picture of Jeremy holding an "I'm a Big Brother" sign. We plotted how we were going to have our parents open a gift with an ultrasound picture (yes, one bonus to infertility is the slew of early ultrasounds).

Then the nurse called. The blood work wasn't good. MY HCG (pregnancy hormone) was very low for 5 weeks, and I should prepare myself for miscarriage. Four hours of extremely happy to a crash. Two days later, I officially miscarried. Next step is giving my body a break. Conducting a few more tests to see what's happening. Waiting.

Did I mention how much I HATE infertility?

Dissappointment

2010-10-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

I hate the feeling of dissappointment. One would think, that having been through all I've been through over the last several years, I would learn God has a plan for me. I do know that. But, I can't help but not get those pesky feelings of dissappointment out of the way.

Most recently, we had our first attempt with the fertility doctor at giving Jeremy a sibling. It didn't work. Dissappointment. God has a plan for us.

Insurance rant...Grr....

2010-09-16T18:34:00.001-07:00

So, if you have read our blog at all, you know that we had issues becoming pregnant and resorted to fertility treatments to get Jeremy. I felt very blessed because we had great insurance that covered our treatments. In 2009, our church insurance changed, and we were concerned about the fertility coverage. Everything checked out, coverage changed slightly, but still there.

Now that we are looking into treatments again, we just found out that this January our insurance dropped all fertility coverage! This makes me very sad. Being a single income household on a church worker salary, fertility expenses can add up really quickly.

$130 meds, $489procedure, hope for a new baby: PRICELESS

GeoCache, anyone?

2010-09-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

GeoCaching is my new addiction! I heard of GeoCaching quite some time ago, but did not have a GPS. We got a car GPS for Christmas, but, it isn't designed for off road use, and gets mad at me if I leave a roadway, so, it wasn't right for GeoCaching. However, a couple weeks ago I got a Garmin eTrex at a garage sale for 5 bucks! I've been out caching ever since!

I've found some fairly easy hides, fallen down an embankment and scraped up my arm, bushwacked my way here and there, and several times couldn't find a darn thing. I've taken Jeremy out hunting in the park and some local cemeteries. Matt even has been out looking as well. He's not as good as I am at finding things. He can't even find the ketchup in the pantry. :)

Anyone else out there GeoCache? My username is Theshows. Look me up!

Parent Orientation ???

2010-08-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am very excited that Jeremy will be attending preschool this year. It is only one morning each week, but it will be great for him to play with other children his age. He will be going to Little School, which is the preschool program at our church. It is a very well respected program within the community.

So, last night was parent orientation. As the Director was going over the handbook, a mom raised her hand to ask a question. She voiced concerns about the curriculum, stating she doesn't want religion pounded into her child's head.

Uh.....you do realize that this is a Christian Preschool....right??? OF COURSE they will talk about Jesus and pray, learn bible stories and songs. The world gets dumber every day. I often wonder what our kids future will look like at this rate of increasing stupidity. **sigh**

Number 2?

2010-08-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

My college girlfriends will tell you, that I always said I wanted 10 kids. Yes, 10. Granted, getting a later start on marriage, dealing with infertility, I think 10 is most definitely NOT in my future. Matt and I did pare down the 10 to just 4 when we were first married, but, given the same above circumstances, unless I have some multiples, 4 probably won't happen either.

The dilemma: when you have one absolutely perfect child, how do you take the plunge to add another. What are the chances that kid number 2 will be as equally good of a child? My reasoning, chances aren't good and we are treading on thin ice. Our number 2 would likely be a wild child, rocking the peaceful little boat we are so happily floating on. But, we do have that desire for more children.

I guess you just have to take the plunge.

Summer

2010-08-07T14:36:00.001-07:00

This has been most certainly the best summer of recent years. I love it HOT, and it has been HOT! I love spending time at the lake, and we've done quite a lot of that. Although, not enough. I would go every weekend if it were up to me. Unfortunately, Matt works on Sunday and he has had a lot of stuff happening this summer. Here are a few pictures of our summer, as it quickly is approaching it's end.

This was our first swim of the season. Memorial Day weekend. It has literally been YEARS, possible even a DECADE since I have entered the lake on Memorial Day. It has always been too cold. It was a wonderful weekend. Jeremy became acquainted with his favorite floatation device from last year. He is PRO at stearing and kicking himself around in this little boat.Jeremy was posing for a lot of pictures in Mommy's sun hat. Everyone needs a little sun protection! Jeremy is a big fan of driving the "Water Airplane". At first, he didn't mind going fast. Uncle David did a fast turn and got him wet, so now we must drive slow.

Aunt Nan brought her Kayak up one weekend. Jeremy really enjoyed this ride! I would too if I could have just sat in front and not paddle!He also loves swimming. Here he sits, waiting patiently, until we are ready to get in.

Last, but not least, we must look for fish. We bought a Jr. fishing pole this year, but unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of him actually using it! So, he lays on the pier, with anyone he can sucker into laying with him, to look for the fish.

Facebook made me a bad blogger

2010-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Matt and I used to do a good job updating our blog. Then, Laura (my sister-in-law) introduced me to this lovely thing called Facebook. Facebook has led to our lack in blogging since we can instantly post pictures from our phone and post status updates whenever something interesting (or not so interesting) happens. It's faster and easier, plain and simple.

I miss blogging though. Blogging let's me write as much or as little as I want. People make fun of me when I do a status update that is a paragraph. So, I'm setting a goal. I will add to my blog at least once a week. There is always something new to post about since Jeremy is now 2.5, and doing many fun and silly things. So, blog followers, I'll do my best to keep it up!

Extreme Home Makeover: Bunker Hill

2009-10-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I had the opportunity to go to the site of Extreme Home Makeover: Bunker Hill today. He got a little bored while waiting. We did a lot of waiting. But, once those tractors started tearing down the house, he was glued! He keeps saying "House, Boom!" now. It's pretty funny.

Jeremy's Dictionary

2009-08-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is really beginning to say a lot. Matt and I get a huge chuckle out of some of his words. And, we love that because we are his parents, we understand much more than the general population:)

Shish=fish, or if he is pointing at the TV, he wants to watch Finding Nemo He LOVES that movie!

Lock=Shrek, another movie he seems to like. He also has two stuffed Shrek's he carries around.

Nilk=Milk

PoopTarts=PopTarts

Nea=Tea, or anything in a cup with a straw (Daddy and Mommy are addicted to tea, half sweet, half unsweet, easy on the ice)

Ice=Water with ice in his sippy cup

Noc or Nanox=Sonic (Our pet hedgehog)

hissing sound= Cat

Roars or roar roar=animal crackers

That is all I can think of right now. My son is so stinking cute!

CAR WASH!

2009-07-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

Something that Daddy and Who like to do together is wash Mommy's car. He was unsure about it the first week...but as you will see, he is ALL about helping now. Here is a picture and a video for you to laugh with.

When mommy asked him about how he was helping...this was his response:

Obviously, you don't want to interupt Who when he is working.

Jeremy and his Fish

2009-07-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

Jeremy loves to fish. Not only fish...but fish with Grandpa. Here are some GREAT pictures of them fishing.

When Jeremy isn't fishing, he HAS to be watching fish. Right now...all he wants to watch is Finding Nemo. At the lake this weekend, he watched it EVERY time he was inside. Here he is watching it with Grandma.

Summer Vacation Week 1

2009-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

This was our first week of vacation where we went to Ohio for Uncle Jon's wedding and to see everyone from Matt's side of the family for the first time in a LONG time. Here were the highlights of the week...mostly the pictures we took from the Great Wolf Lodge.

Jeremy took a nap after sleeping at the water park at the Great Wolf Lodge and was a little groggy. He woke up to Uncle Andy holding him...and Jeremy was looking for milk. It made all of us ROFL!

After Jeremy was done swimming, we all went back to our rooms to shower before dinner...or in Who's case BATHE IN THE SINK!!!

In the game room, Jeremy found a Sesame Street car!! He loved it...for about a minute and then was screaming for mommy.

Here is all the cousin's together after a long day of swimming. In this picture you will see everyone smiling except for Who. He really does love his family...he was just tired.

When you get all the Hartke's together, WIFFLEBALL must be played. This was Jeremy's first experience with Wiffleball, and he picked up a bat and was swinging like a pro on his own. He made daddy smile BIG.

Summer Vacation Week 2

2009-07-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

This was summer vacation week 2 with our soul mate family from Texas. This week was a BLAST and here are some of the highlights:

This is Julie corrupting my son with Micah's favorite drink, the ICEE:

This is all of us at the Miami 4H fair. Let me just say, Jay and Misty don't sweat. Matt and Julie were sweating in places that cannot be mentioned here. I don't know how they do it, but it makes me mad.

On the night that we didn't want to give Jeremy a bath in the lake, we made do with what we had and Jeremy had a bath in the cooler. YES...we are that ghetto.

This was Jay in his CALMEST moment on the wave runner. I have to say...every DROP of gas that we had at the lake was consumed by Jay's thirst for pulling off tricks on the wave runner. I think the wave runner has now officially been broken in.

This is Jay in the water with Micah and Makenna during the times that Jay couldn't be contributing to the hoax of global warming. It was so crazy hot the majority of the time we were there that week that this is what we all did.

This is our Indiana family picture. This is Pat and Carl (Misty's parents) with Matt, Misty and Who.

This is Jay and Juju (we REALLY miss you guys...i mean ya'll).

AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK...this is Micah giving in to what it REALLY means to be a lake kid and taking a bath in the lake. BUT, he didn't stop there...HE HELPED GIVE MISTY A BATH!!!

See you all next year...we are counting down the days.

Our new FAVORITE Jeremy pic

2009-07-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

We were at the Ski Club here in Kokomo for the Summer Lake Retreat the first weekend of June. While we were there, THIS became our favorite picture of Jeremy this year.

This was a first for Jeremy too...Kayaking with mommy! And yes...he really was enjoying it.

Jeremy Hunts for Eggs and Crashes HARD

2009-04-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

These were some of the great pics from Easter. He had not 1...not 2...but THREE egg hunts. Yes, he thoroughly enjoyed the fact that he could hunt for the BABALLS (the eggs). The major story of one of the hunts was the fact that he found out that if you suck on a 3 Musketeers wrapper long enough that there will be some chocolate that leaks out. KNOWING THIS INFO, he ended up going for the individually wrapped chocolates instead of the eggs. Man...our Who is so smart.

This was Who at church checking out the flowers at the front

This was who taking time to smell the flowers

This was Who getting his Easter Basket from the Bunny who left JUST prior to getting back from church. *SHOCKER*

This was Jeremy getting some eggs

Still hunting...

And after a hard day of Easter...he passes out at the dinner table.

The One Year Family Pictures

2009-03-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Of course with the first Birthday comes the trip to the photo studio. Here are our favorite pics...

Jeremy playing Mario Kart

2009-03-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

This one slays daddy as we were playing Mario Kart together.

Christmas 2008

2009-03-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry this is so late in getting posted but it was just one of those things that kept getting pushed back. Well...below you will find pictures of Jeremy's first Christmas!

This is Who excited about getting to open presents BEFORE Christmas morning.

This is Who having his Christmas morning breakfast, Biscuits and Gravy. He loved it!

Who wasn't really sure what to do with the boxes...so he danced with them.

Then he took about 30 minutes per box opening the presents and handing the TINY pieces of paper to mommy and daddy.

By about noon...this was Who and daddy. We were tired.

That was Christmas morning. But the kicker of all of it was when daddy got a Wii. Not only did daddy like to play, but Who decided it would be fun too! Who likes to play in his own way and with his own contoller (THANKS UNCLE JEREMY!).

2008-12-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

This will make you ROFL...says Matt.

Christmas Tree Hunting

2008-12-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of Jeremy's first Christmas tree hunt. This one is him telling us he is ready to go:

and him all bundled up and looking adroable as always...

At first he thought it would be good to get a Jeremy sized tree:

He THEN found the PERFECT tree for us!

Then he thought it should be his job to supervise the removal of the tree...

Jeremy telling daddy to grab the tree so we can get it home...

The morning ended in Jeremy helping pick out the PERFECT decorations.

All in all...the PERFECT first Christmas Tree Hunting day. It then all ended in a big nap (for Jeremy that is).

Merry Christmas Tree Hunting Day!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

Jeremy had a great time celebrating his first halloween. We went to Grandma and Grandpa's house and helped pass out some candy! Jeremy even got his first taste of candy, sort of....I wouldn't take the wrapper off!

At the Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin patch...and again, he is too cute not to share with all of you.

Just Because He Is Cute

2008-09-19T21:12:00.001-07:00

Here are some cute shots. I just can't get enough of this little man!

Here are

I can feed myself!

2008-09-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

Jeremy is getting so independent. We been working on eating solids, but he is no fan of Mom putting a spoonful of goop into his mouth. However, if we give him the spoon, he sure has fun trying to get it there himself!

His favorite foods so far: Cheerios, Apples and Peas (the real stuff...not the pureed crap!)

This will make you ROFL

2008-08-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

nuff said...

Who's TV Addiction

2008-08-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

One of Who's many favorite things to do NOW INCLUDES...watching TV.

His morning TV favorites include: Doodlebops, Baby Einsteins, The Wiggles (yes...i didn't know there was going to be anything WORSE than Barney as far as kid shows go), and Mickey's Club House.

His afternoon shows...well...i have no idea as I am not here in the afternoons, but I fully assume that he is watching mommy's shows with her. For better or worse.

His evening TV, well...he LOVES American Idol. Outside of that, I don't think it matters. To go to bed, he loves watching TV with mommy which includes epic TV mini-series and the Food Network.

I really think he is going to be as bald as daddy as we all know that watching TV leads to male pattern baldness.

Our Texas Vacation Pics

2008-08-30T09:51:00.001-07:00

Mommy and Linda

Juju and Who

The Texas Zoo Family Pic

Tell me you wouldn't post this picture...

Daddy and Who

We went down to see our family (yes, we consider them family) in Texas at the end of July. Here are some of our pictures...and Jeremy's favorite place, the pool.

Early Morning Bouncy

2008-08-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Jeremy has had some issues with waking up EARLIER than normal this week. On this day, he wanted to get into his bouncy seat and wore himself out.

No, I didn't let him sleep out there. His legs were cold, so he got out and napped with daddy.

The Mommy Game (the sequel)

2008-07-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, we know the results of the first mommy game. I just saw this video today and thought that we should update you that mommy is still his favorite thing in the world.

This video has the now famous bouncy seat that Jeremy can't get enough of AND combined with mommy...Who has no option but to go crazy.

WE CAN'T WAIT FOR TEXAS!

2008-07-08T13:44:00.001-07:00

We are going on vacation at the end of July to see all of his adopted family in Texas. As you can see from the picture above...Jeremy has no idea who these people are, but he likes them already!

Jeremy is a fish

2008-07-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yup...here was the first swim of the summer. He is a natural fish. When we are around water, it can be bath time or the gutter display at the fair, he is ready to go.

Jeremy is rolling!

2008-05-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

You will all be glad to know...at our small group meeting on Monday, Jeremy hit a huge milestone. HE ROLLED OVER!!!

We are convinced that he did it to show off. Yup, he is a stud.

(Mommy and Daddy are proud)

(**of course...it is still crazy to know that we ARE mommy and daddy**)

MOTHER'S DAY!!!

2008-05-15T16:32:00.001-07:00

You will all be happy to know that for MOTHER'S DAY, Jeremy HOOKED MOMMY UP with a Vera Bradley bag. Yup...daddy and Jeremy know nothing about purses. But, what we did know is that is what all the cool mommy's are sporting these days.

Here is mommy posing with her new bag and her favorite baby boy in the world.

Jeremy has good taste.

Seriously...the first thing that went into the purse? Diapers and wipes.

Favorite Parent Game

2008-04-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

So...let's be honest. Jeremy knows who his mommy and daddy is. But ever since he was born, it has been obvious who he likes the most. While mommy is by and far Jeremy's favorite person/thing/place/etc that has ever existed, daddy likes to think that he is up there as well. The movie proves what that is all about.

I am going to go to my emotional safe house and crawl up in the fetal position for a while as I sob my emotional state back to a level of happiness.

Try not to smile at this clip. :)

Park Day

2008-04-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

So if this was a MYSPACE or EHARMONY, the following would say:
NAME: Jeremy Hartke
AGE: >1 year (but mommy is older than daddy...so age doesn't matter)
INTERESTS: Mommy, Milka (mommy's only), hearing my own voice, Mommy, my sunglasses, Mommy, and Daddy in that order.
HOBBIES: Milka, Mommy, walks in the park, and "urping on myself and mommy as we walk in the park and I pick up chicks".

We spent the afternoon having a family walk in the park. All the ladies in the park couldn't stop talking about how cute he is. To end the day...

yup...

Jeremy was out.

He had a tough day, and an early night.

Snowball loves Jeremy

2008-03-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

The funny thing about Snowball is, LATELY whenever Jeremy cries, she has to come and see what is going on. I was looking through the different videos I found this one. She has now adopted Jeremy and wants him to know that she is there for him. When he cries, she will lick his face to tell him it is ok. When she sees something of his, she will make sure that she rubs on it to let him know she is there when he needs it.

As long as she doesn't try to feed him...we are ok!

(and don't try to pet her when she is rolling on Jeremy's blanket)

Jeremy makes his first political statement

2008-03-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

So, officially yesterday Jeremy was able to make his first political statement by joining the party of BALD IS BEAUTIFUL. Yup...I have told him since he was born that chicks dig the bald guys. With the Hartke family hairline, I am proud as a father that he has embraced his future.

Rock on Jeremy...rock on.

Jeremy says HI!

2008-03-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

Jeremy was in a one of his talkative moods while mommy was in school, so we thought that we would record a message for everyone. Now...Jeremy has gotten to the point where he is talking (only in language that mommy and daddy understand), but he sometimes gets camera shy as you will see.

So, HEY from all of us!

NINJA JEREMY!

2008-03-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

Ok...it has been a while and I (Matt) have been catching flak for not updating this. Sorry...things have been busy. BUT you will be happy to know that Jeremy's favorite thing to do in daddy time is to play Ninja Jeremy. It is fast becoming a requested game by those students in the Youth Ministry as Jeremy displays mad punching power as well as a ridiculous amount of stealth as he can sneak in through unlimited cuteness to attack his prey without being seen as a threat. He is already a champion as you can see by his gloves. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

He's too cute not to share!

2008-01-31T07:10:00.001-08:00

Jeremy has gained a COLOSSAL 1.5 pounds and has grown a full inch over the last week! As you can see from the pictures...it is quite possible that he broke the cuteness scale when weighed.

After much anticipation and the plethora of questions about when Jeremy will make his public debute in cold Indiana, the date has been set! Jeremy will be baptized on February 10th after the 10:45 service (and Grandpa can do it!). The countdown is on...and now it is time for a diaper change.

Much love!

M&M&J

CLEAN!

2008-01-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

Today was the big day...BATH DAY!!! After a good breakfast, Jeremy didn't know what to think about his new bathing experience. So what did he do? He had to think about it. Jeremy didn't cry ONE TIME. The trick to this new miraculous method of parenting perfection you ask?

A SPACE HEATER!!!

(Mommy had to strike the Jeremy pose after it was all done)

Thumb sucking and the first night...

2008-01-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

Not real sure what to make of this...but, apparently Jeremy is part of the whole NEW AGE thumb sucking techniques. I (Matt) have learned that I am old. Where are the days of the "ball up your fist and stick the thumb in your mouth" method gone? Apparently, I have a lot to catch on to.

First at home night in the books. Was restless for the first half of the night. He didn't want to sleep in the cradle, so Misty took him to the family room where he slept on mommy for a couple hours. When Matt WOKE UP (fell asleep at the first feeding) and took Jeremy to the family room, he went to sleep for about 4 hours (after screaming for the first 30 minutes...but that was a test of will. Jeremy is already playing games with my emotions).

So...any advice out there on what Matt is supposed to do other than falling asleep on Misty as she feeds Jeremy? Problem is, after i fall asleep...i don't hear Jeremy scream for a couple hours unless I am holding him. Any dad (or CONSTRUCTIVE *aka* "not make fun of Matt because he snores"...chick) advice out there? Hook a brother up...

(Jeremy is still ridiculously cute)

Homecoming and siblings

2008-01-17T06:35:00.001-08:00

We FINALLY were sent home on Wednesday (at about 4:30 in the PM). After much anticipation, Jeremy was introduced to his brother and sister. Tiger was curious, but not curious enough to care(still doesn't). Snowball...well...she wasn't all that excited about the whole screaming, attention grabbing, bundle of something smaller than her. She wasn't impressed.

Later on, Matt was able to hold Jeremy for a while. When Snowball saw this, she made her statement as to WHO was daddy's favorite. I haven't had the chance to talk to her yet...so that conversation will have to wait with Snowball.

(Snowball says hi Alli)

JEREMY!

2008-01-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

Jeremy Wade Hartke made his appearance on Monday, January 14th at 2:09am weighing in a 6 pounds, 15 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches. He is very strong (doc said so...but Matt was standing behind him so could have been due to intimidation) and is CUTE! Yup...we were worried about having the "not-so-cute" baby. But we didn't...he is officially cute!

Mom is doing well. In some pain, BUT she is one to stay on the legal drugs WAY before the pain hits. Jeremy and mommy had a rough night of getting used to the feeding frenzy...and the father figure slept through most of it (*edit...Misty says snoring) (**edit...Matt wants proof) (***edit...Jeremy has no comment)

Thanks for the prayers and love!

M&M (+J)

38 Weeks!

2008-01-10T17:43:00.000-08:00

38 Weeks today! Due date is only 14 days away, so really...we just wait! I started feeling significantly larger a few days ago, and now comparing this picture with last weeks picture, I think my shape has definitely changed about. I don't feel like Jeremy has dropped though, but something sure is different!

37 Week Belly Shot

2008-01-04T17:31:00.001-08:00

Here is 37 weeks exactly!! I don't have anything exciting to add to this post, as I just posted the nursery pictures. Sorry.

Nursery Pictures

2008-01-04T17:22:00.001-08:00

The nursery is complete! Here are some pictures I took to share. As you can see...Winnie the Pooh is the theme.

I'm not sure of the style we are achieving as we have light brown, medium brown, dark brown and white furniture. But, we used what we had and the crib was given to us by a friend. That sure helps on the cost of things!

Matt and I bought the glider last night using money that people have been giving us. The box wouldn't fit in my car though, so we had to stand out in the parking lot in the freezing cold, opening the box and putting all the separate parts in my car. It was pretty funny.

Today we also undertook the task of installing the car seat. To our dismay, the convertible car seat will not fit in my car in the rear facing position. Matt and I are too tall and have to have our seats back, and that didn't allow for the baby seat to recline to the proper position. So, well use it when it's time to face forward. So we went back to the store today and got a car seat with a base and installed it instead. My bags are packed for the hospital, so I guess all we need now is our baby!

Someone is going to be jealous!

2007-12-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

I think that Snowball is going to have a rough adjustment when Jeremy arrives. Matt is hers. She owns him. She does not share him with anyone or anything. This is one of her favorite spots to lay. I think Matt and I just need to come to an understanding...I hold Jeremy, he holds snowball.

35 Week Belly Shot

2007-12-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

Here is 35 weeks exactly! From the side it looks like my Belly Button is popped out. It isn't, that little bump is just the top flap sticking out a little bit.

We had a Dr. Appointment today. All is well. I've gained 4 lbs, but, I think that it is at least 2 pounds of water. If you look at my feet....they are nice! The top picture is "normal" feet. The bottom picture is my "cankles", as Matt likes to call them.

I can't believe that my countdown to the due date will be in DAYS, not Months very soon! It doesn't seem
time should be going so fast!

Baking at the Hartke House

2007-12-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

This year, I decided to go domestic, and bake! I thought since we are on a tight budget, it would be nice to make some little treat baskets to share with out friends. So, today Matt baked his world famous Chocolate Chip Cookies, but they came out a little flat. He blames the butter. I baked 4 dozen Gingersnaps, but the shortening was bad and they tasted HORRIBLE (and smelled bad too). So, I made 4 dozen more with a new recipe that used butter instead of shortening, and they are quite yummy! I also made 4 dozen Snickerdoodles, two batches of chocolate fudge, two batches of chex mix (I had accidentally turned the oven off on the first batch, so it was a little soggy). As a special request from Matt, I also made some Peanut Brittle. Surprisingly, it's pretty good...even though I had to heat it to 290 degrees when my candy thermometer only goes to 22o...I had to guess.

I finally got tired of baking for the day, so all that's left tomorrow is caramels, and maybe some peanut butter fudge.

Next year, I might start baking sooner. It's been a long day.

33 Week Belly Shot and some thoughts

2007-12-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

The time is flying by!! Here is 33 weeks. I can't believe that I will be "full term" in 4 weeks and due in just 7! Jeremy will be here in no time flat! I am taking some heartburn medicine now, and I feel SO MUCH BETTER! I've been on it since my last Doctor visit, about 2 weeks ago, and haven't had a single bought of heartburn since! I think that has helped me to gain a few pounds too, as it is easier to eat when your esophagus isn't on fire!

Jeremy just started having hiccups a few days ago. Hiccup movement is somewhat annoying, since it happens every 3 seconds! But, Matt thinks it is funny to watch my belly jump. He still moves around a lot, and now you can even see it right through my shirt. I am just so excited to see him move around in our arms!

Happy Turkey Day! (and 31 week belly shot)

2007-11-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Turkey Day everyone! At the request of Julie, we decided to have a little fun with our 31 week Belly Shot! We hope you all have a Happy Holiday and don't eat too much turkey! We wish we could be with all our far away family and friends today.

29 Week Belly....for Linda

2007-11-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, here is 29 weeks! I thought I'd add a front shott too...so you can see my little brown line. AND, my belly button is still IN! Even though it isn't as deep as it used to be :) I have gained 8 pounds so far. The Dr. thought that was a little low, but nothing to be concerned about. I might need to put my head on there sometime, but my head isn't as cute as my belly :)

3-hour test...PASSED!

2007-11-07T06:06:00.000-08:00

(The little guy is supposed to say A+)

I passed the 3-hour GTT test! No problems at all. I'm quite releived about this. I was worried as I read up more and more on Gestational Diabetes. It doesn't sound like fun at all. Hopefully the rest of the pregnancy will continue to be smooth sailing, and before we know it, Jeremy will be here!

GTT test...FAILED!

2007-10-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

So, Monday I went for my GTT test (Glucose Tolerance Test) to check for Gestational Diabetes. Those of you who have been pregnant before, I'm sure you are familiar with this test. Those who haven't, you basically have to drink this super sugared drink (mine was like Hawaiian Punch) then have a blood test an hour later to check your sugar levels.

The Doctor called yesterday and told Matt that my sugar level was "extrememly high", so now I have to go do another 3 hour test today. That is 3 hours of sitting in a Doctor's office! Not my idea of fun for the day. Hopefully I studied better this time and pass the test!

The Nursery is painted

2007-10-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

My Grandparents came over today and we painted our nursery. It looks FANTASTIC! We haven't got the furniture arranged yet, but we still have time for that.

This border is actually my 2nd choice of border, but, it cost 1/2 as much as my 1st choice. It prepasted and you just pull the back off and stick it on. The first roll worked out quite well. The second roll was defective, so we had to return it and get another, which also turned out to be defective. There was only ONE roll left at the store, so we prayed that it would work, and it did.

I'm excited to start getting the rest of the nursery pulled together and have a baby to go in it!

25 Week Belly

2007-10-12T08:33:00.001-07:00

Because Linda is such a belly nut...here is 25 weeks! I love watching my belly change! It's really strange when I stand up and it starts stretching further and further out b/c Jeremy is moving. How crazy! Occassionaly I can feel what I beleive to be a butt poking out. He's got a tiny little butt--hehe.

He still likes to hang out nice and low. I'm getting concerned that I'll be like one of those pregnant ladies who literally looks like a basketball is hiding under her shirt! So far, no stretch marks!! My mom doesn't have any, so maybe I have good genes :)

We are heading out to Matt's brother's wedding. Hopefully I can post some pictures from that (yes, with my head on them Julie T.!)

Tums are my friend

2007-10-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

Everyone, take stock in Tums! The heartburn has majorly kicked in. Now, I have never been a heartburn sufferer. And, as I am now finding out, it stinks! I woke up in the middle of the night last night, and was in some major discomfort. But, alas, my mother was thinking ahead and bought me some Tums. Ahhhhh....the relief. I love Tums. I think I might marry them :) They even taste pretty good going down.

23 Week Belly Shot

2007-09-29T08:36:00.001-07:00

Here is 23 weeks! Jeremy is growing like a little basketball! He's hanging out nice and low, jumping around on my bladder. I am waiting for the time that I pee my pants!

Overall I am feeling GREAT! I am a little tired, but, I think that is more due to having an extremely busy schedule than being pregnant. Jeremy wiggles around alot, and my favorite thing is to have my hands on my belly and feel the kicks inside and out! He rarely cooperates and moves when other people are around. Maybe he is a little shy.

21 Week Belly Shot

2007-09-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here it is. 21 weeks with a 22 week baby :) I forgot to weight myself this morning. I'll add the weight gain tomorrow.

I'm feeling more movements. My belly button hurts frequently. Still wearing my regular pants, they fall down, but the maternity ones REALLY fall down. Belts aren't comfortable when I sit, so I guess I should invest in some suspenders :) That would be fashionable.

It's a....

2007-09-12T07:18:00.001-07:00

Today was the BIG ultrasound!

The top picture is our beautiful baby, with a hand up by the mouth.

The second picture is the babies profile.

And the third picture is the money shot!! We are having a bounching baby BOY!!

We had already decided on names, so Jeremy Wade Hartke it will be! However, I don't feel that Jeremy is suitable for a baby, more a teenager, so I'm thinking J.J. for short. (Because the ORIGINAL Jeremy wants to call him Junior, so Jeremy Junior=J.J. Even though, technically, he isn't a Jr. But, we

don't care)

He is measuring a full week ahead :O! And he is very long. But,

that was too be expected as Matt and I are not small people. So, we will be pulling out all the sporting equipment early and training our kid so he can support us into our elderly years! :)

Matt felt the baby move!

2007-09-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

Last night when I got into bed, Baby was moving quite a bit. I usually put my hand on my belly so I would know when you could start feeling it from the outside. I felt the kick! So, I called Matt and he came and had his hand on my belly when the baby kicked again! Matt kinda freaked, he thought it was SO amazing!! It is only detectable from the outside right now when it is a big kick, so I can't wait until it is more obvious. Matt hasn't got to experience too much yet except watch me puke (well, not anymore) and hear the heartbeat when we go to the doctor. By the way, Matt has NEVER felt a baby move. When our friends were pregnant, he would tell them that the first baby he wants to feel move will be his. That's kinda cute.

Round Ligament Pain

2007-09-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well, pregnancy sure has a lot of surprises for my body! I made it through the morning sickeness, and now moving on to ailment number 2, round ligament pain. It started Friday morning where it hurt to stand up and walk, and I had to hunch over while walking. Then again last night on our way out to dinner. It feels like a muscular type pain in my lower left abdomen. Supposedly it's normal and not much can be done about it but to try not to change positions too fast. Now it makes me nervous to stand up! But, I still love being pregnant :)

19 week Belly Shot

2007-08-30T06:28:00.001-07:00

Here it is! 19 weeks and growing!! I weighed myself this morning, I am not back up to my pre-pregnancy weight! I am guessing weight will now go up and up and up since I can eat now without puking!!

Busy Busy Busy (Us and Baby)

2007-08-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we are in the end stages of our move! I am living in a room full of boxes. I get them unpacked, then go back and fill them again! I hate moving!!! We have everything from our old house now, but our new apartment is MUCH smaller and I just can't seem to find the space for everything. We are having a BIG yard sale on Saturday, that will surely clear things out and bring in some money to buy more stuff :)

We had a Dr. appointment last week. Things are going well. Baby is very active, and the Doctor confirmed what I am feeling is most definately baby movement. I like to poke Matt when the baby pokes me. It is really an amazing feeling to know that there is another human hiding in my uterus and that it is moving all around! We find on on September 12th if it is a boy or a girl. I'm very excited for that appointment. We will have a 3-D u/s too, so hopefully we can get a good peek at our perfect little one.

I'll be updating with a new belly shot when I get my house in better order. I don't want everyone to see my mess!

Feeling Movement?

2007-08-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

How exciting it is getting! I'm starting to feel things that **might** be the baby!! For awhile now, on occasion, I would get little quivers in my abdomen. I couldn't quite decipher if it is just muscles or baby. Tonight I was sitting at the computer with my feet up, and twice I felt a poke. Still not sure if it's baby or something else. I am anxiously awaiting the OBVIOUS movement of my little one :)

17 Week Belly Shot

2007-08-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

17 Weeks today!! I think I finally 'popped'. Now, the growing will surely begin more rapidly! Weight is still down 2 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Morning Sickness has really slowed down, so I imagine weight will being pouring on too!

15 Week Belly Shot

2007-08-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

Here is 15 weeks on the nose! As of Tuesday, I was down 5lbs. from what I was at 4 weeks. All my old clothing still fits, just the same. I admit, I did get some Maternity shorts, and they are just way more comfy than regular clothes, pregnant or not! I might just keeping buying Maternity clothes from now on :)

One week free of MORNING SICNESS!

2007-07-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, just a quick praise note here. I HAVEN'T PUKED IN A WHOLE WEEK!!

I have actually been feeling really well and my appetite is back to normal! Is it a fluke, or have we left the morning sickness with the first trimester! I am so thankful to at least be pregnant and have had the opportunity to experience all the glorius vomitting to go along with it, but, enough is enough and I'm glad that it is seemingly gone!

13 Week Belly Shot

2007-07-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

Here it is! 13 weeks! (I apologize for the yellow undies hanging out!) I have lost 5 pounds! I didn't realize pregnancy was supposed to be a diet! I got in trouble for being dehydrated, so Matt is the water nazi now. I drink plenty, but, I also puke plenty so it cancels itself out.

We had a dr. appointment yesterday. She prescribed some meds for me to stop vomiting (Phinigrin). The problem is that I took half a pill, and was OUT cold! So, it isn't something I'll be able to take when I have to go to work. We heard the heartbeat, it's still good and strong.
I love hearing the heartbeat. It makes it really "real" that there is something in there. Other than that and vomiting, nothing is different, yet.

10 Week Belly Shot

2007-06-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here it is, 10 weeks. I think things are starting to grow!

Just for statistical purposes:

Girth: 35 inches at belly button

Weight: +1 lb. (after lunch)

(I came back the next day, I think most the belly yesterday was bloat.....)

Baby's First Picture

2007-06-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

Our first picture of the newest baby Hartke. For those of you who need help, the head is the round circle on the right :) It was SO amazing to see on the U/S machine, as it was so much more clear. Right away you could see a tiny white spot in the middle of the lower circle, just beating away! We got to hear the heartbeat, and it was so strong! I saw the arms, but you can't see them quite as well in the photo. I feel like a heavy weight has been lifted off my heart after seeing the baby. All is well, and we pray things continue to go so smoothly for us. We are so blessed.

Oh, this is 9 weeks, 4 days.

8 Week 2 Days Belly Shot

2007-06-18T04:57:00.001-07:00

Here it is! I still think it's just my usual fat that is hanging out there. I should have been measuring my belly. Maybe I'll start doing that now.

I went up 4 pounds, morning sickness hit and I lost 4 pounds, now I am back up 4 pounds. Maybe I'll just keep losing and dropping those same four pounds!

Morning Sickness begins

2007-06-03T18:14:00.001-07:00

Today Morning Sickness kicked in full force. I got up and ate breakfast, as usual. Went about my business of getting ready for church. Just as we were walking out the door, it hit me. I threw up in the grass.

This evening after we ate dinner and came home, hello again. I'm realizing, it comes on not too long after I eat. That's not good. A girl has to eat.

Fortunately for me, and Matt, I've never really minded puking. I just do it and get on with it. So, I won't complain too much. I've been waiting two years to feel this way, so, I'll do my best to enjoy it.

6 Week Belly Shot

2007-05-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here is 6 weeks. I don't think it's baby yet, still just fat.

First UltraSound~ Viability Scan

2007-05-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

We had our viability scan today. And all was well. The baby was measuring at 5 weeks, 3 days. Ovulation calculations put us at 6 weeks. The Dr. said as long as baby measures within a week on either side, it's okay. We didn't get to keep the picture today, but we go back June 25th. Hopefully we can keep that one!

What I learned today:

2007-05-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

I learned that pregnant women should NOT clean out the refridgerator. Matt offered to do it, after I was gagging over the trash can.

Bloodwork is very Positive

2007-05-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

I had my first bloodwork done on Thursday, after we got a positive HPT. The checked my progesterone levels (which I did not get results from) and quantitative HCG. The HCG level was 158. That's pregnant!

I was scheduled for another one for Saturday (about 48 hours later). Just as a precaution, they do the second one to see that your numbers are going up. They should double every 48 hours. I was VERY nervous about this. I just kept thinking they would say, "we're sorry, but your level is only 50", which would be indicitive of miscarriage. I had this overwhelming sense of dread all day. However, I got my results and it was 338! That's GREAT news! Now, if I can just relax, and trust that God will care for the tiny baby. Not an easy task sometimes, but, I'll pray about it and we'll get through.

Okay, here it is, the REFERENCE photo

2007-05-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is the very first belly photo for you. That little bump, that's fat. Not baby. This is 4 weeks, 1 day. If I remember, I'll try to post a new picture every week. Any bets on when I start showing baby, not just fat?

WE'RE PREGNANT!!

2007-05-18T16:29:00.001-07:00

Well, here it is. After praying so hard for so long, our prayers have been answered. We are still in SHOCK! I never thought that our first IUI would work. But, as you can see, it did!

The Doctor told us we could test on May 17th, but, I was going to hold out a little longer. I cracked, and POAS (that's Peed On A Stick) and thought I saw a faint line, so I decided I better try a different test. It was DEFINATELY a nice pink line. So, of course, we just had to have MORE proof, so we took the pretty digital that you see here. And, expected it to say, "not pregnant". When we turned it over and looked, we were just in shock and awe. WE are finally pregnant.

Now, going through the infertility journey we have, I know alot can go wrong. I pray so hard that this baby (or babies) stick and grow big and strong. Thank you God for answering our prayers!

IUI #1

2007-05-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

We had our first IUI last Thursday. It has been quite a journey for us and the day came with much anxiety and excitement. On Tuesday before the IUI, we had an ultrasound to verify that my ovaries did their job (with the help of a friendly drug called Femara) and made some eggs. We had two very nice eggs, one on each ovary. They measured 22mm and 24mm.

That night, my Grandpa gave me a shot of HCG to trigger the release of my two mature eggs. (Matt was at a meeting, Grandma and Mom were chicken, so Grandpa got the honor of giving the shot in the butt!) The shot wasn't bad at all, I barely felt it.

Thursday morning, bright and early we went in for our insemination. It was not bad. Similiar to an annual exam. I had to remain laying on the table for 30 minutes, and the nurse set a little kitchen timer. The timers dial had a sperm on it! It was somewhat humorous.

So, now we wait. And wait. And wait some more. The waiting is already very hard, and it has only been 6 days!

We are sending up much prayer that at least one egg fertilized and implanted. I'm getting very impatient as we have just crossed our 2 years mark of trying.