Month 3!!!!

I know I say it all the time, but I can't believe how fast Gavin is growing up! This last month has been very eventful for our little family. Gavin continues to grow taller and taller and is even out growing some of his 3-6 month clothes because he's so long in length. He has also been cooing, giggling, and trying to talk a ton. This has definitely made parenting more fun because he is so much more interactive and we can't get enough of how his face lights up when he smiles. Some of his favorite phrases are "ah-goo", "ah-ooo", and "rah". He's pretty hilarious when he says the "oo" sound because he purses his lips so dramatically. I keep saying he's going to be a big talker like his daddy :).

Gavin is also getting quite close to rolling over from his tummy to back as he keeps trying to kick his little legs to the side when he's on his tummy. He has also started to be able to grasp things in his cute little pudgy fingers and has tried putting a few things in his mouth....I know this trend will continue! He also loves standing on our laps and his eyes get so big when he does, he seems so proud of himself! The other day he broke out in an enormous fit of giggles when some water spilled on the coffee table and Tom wiped it up--not sure why it was hilarious to him, but his laughter was contagious for us!

At the beginning of Gavin's third month we made the long trek to Wisconsin to visit Tom's family for Thanksgiving. It's normally a 4 1/2 hor drive but ended up being over 6 hours because we had to feed Gavin twice. But it was really nice to introduce Gavin to the rest of Tom's family as his brothers and Tom's grandma hadn't met Gavin yet. We even got a four generation pic of Gavin, Tom, Tom's dad, and Tom's grandma.

On December 12th Gavin was baptized, a joyous, happy, and quite memorable day for many reasons. We were very proud to welcome Gavin into our church community. The day before the baptism we got one of the biggest blizzards in Minnesota history, about 18 inches of snow! Because of this none of Tom's family made it, but my parents, our faith group at church, and Gavin's wonderful sponsors, Becky and Jeromy Carlson, all made it. And Becky's mom, Susan Weaver, a pastor at our church, baptized Gavin. This was really special as well since she married Tom and I and I have known her since Becky and i became friends 13 years ago! Gavin was a trooper and slept thru most of the baptism, startling awake when the water touched his head but not crying.

This month also brought the very sad end of my maternity leave. I feel like it flew by in a blink of an eye, especially given the multitude of health problems I was dealing with during those 3 months. Tom and I were talking that I think I went to the doctor more post-partum than I did for all my pregnancy visits. But alas, I did end up going back to work which has been going well. The first day was definitely the hardest but it's slowly gotten easier. I had one really tough day when we got a bunch of snow and it took me an hour and 45 minutes to get home from work from Eden Prairie to our home in Eagan and Gavin was already asleep so I didn't get to see him at all. Luckily most days I'm able to get home in time to feed him and rock him to sleep which are moments I treasure.

And speaking of sleep, Gavin continues to be a rock star sleeper. He routinely goes to bed between 6-7 at night and wakes up between 5:30-6:30 in the morning. He's pretty much amazing in my book! I have felt a lot more alive now that I can get a solid 8 hours of sleep! He also sleeps quite a bit better than he used to during the day as well. I've tried to follow a lot of tips I read about in the "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" book which have helped. The book recommends trying to put them down for a nap within 2 hours of when they wake up throughout the day and that tactic really seems to work for him.

Lastly, as far as new events in our little guy's young life was his start at daycare. We bring him to a center very close to our home and really like it so far. The woman who primarily takes care of him is Patty and she's great with him, showing him lots of love, which we love! There are 8 total babies in his class all under a year old and 2 women caring for them. They each have their own crib for naps and tons of toys to entertain them with.

Well that's all for this month. I'm sure we'll have even more to share next month as he explore the world and continue to grow!

So thankful

This evening I was given the opportunity and privilege to address our congregation and share some words surrounding Psalm 139 and the gift of new life. As I'm so thankful for each of you who support Jackie and I throughout this amazing time of transition, I thought it fitting to share the message I shared at Immanuel with you as we give thanks.

Love - Tom

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Our story of the gift of life and the gift of our son, Gavin Denison Getchius, is not one of tremendous overcoming or of extraordinary circumstances. This is a story of the power of God using two ordinary people and blessing them with the gift of new life.

My wife, Jackie, and I had discussions for many months of when we'd like to expand our family beyond two, well, we have a Golden Retriever Marty.

• When would be the right time?
• What will we name him or her?
• Will he or she go to Luther?
• Will we be able to afford college in 20 or so years?
• Are we ready for this life changing event?
• Should we have one last hurrah and take a trip, just the two of us?

If you know anything about my wife and I, we are planful people, Jackie much more than I. Jackie's ideal plan would be to have twin girls in June 2010 so she could have the summer off of work, we'd have two kids, and that would be that. But that was not God's plan, and as many of you know, we had happy and healthy son, Gavin, in September earlier this year. God must've chuckled at how much we tried to plan but threw us a bone; Gavin came 10 days past his due date, at 1:29am. I haven't seen 1:29am since college! We are so thankful that Gavin and Jackie were extremely healthy all throughout the pregnancy.

When Gavin was born, our world completely turned upside down, sideways, and everything in-between. We marveled at his birth of his perfectly formed body, minus a little swelling of the head, all his fingers (he's got long fingers and going to be a piano player, I just know it), beautiful bright eyes like my wife Jackie, cute dimples (also from Jackie), strong legs built for running (Jackie), and all 10 toes (we both have all our toes). We've adjusted to the lack of sleep, the fussy times, the dirty and wet diapers, and the crying where you don't know what's wrong. He's even surprised us by sleeping through the night on his 2-month birthday. And though it hasn't happened since, I eagerly await the consistency!

As many of you know, when God blesses you with children, whether they are adopted or your own, life has new meaning, purpose, and zeal. It's not about us, nor was it ever, it's about family, love and giving thanks. It's about taking the time to reflect on change, new life, new responsibility, and new things to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for...

• my wonderful wife, who is an amazing caretaker, partner, and mother. Without her by my side I would not be half the man I am today.
• my parents, inlaws, brothers, grandparents, and cousins. Their outpouring of love during this transition and transformation has been overwhelmingly wonderful and for that we are thankful.
• this church family and our faith group. Your cards, gifts, notes, meals, prayers, encouragement, smiles, calls, and everything else that I can't think of has been an extension of the hand of God helping a brother and sister in need.
• our friends who have come to clean our house, cook a meal, spend time with Jackie and Gavin during the day has been such an act of service and love.
• our Creator, Redeemer, Father, Friend, and Savior. To God be the glory.

2 months old!

Our baby boy keeps growing and changing everyday, and we love him more and more too! Gavin had his 2 month well baby checkup today and he's doing really great :). Here are his stats:
Weight : 13 pounds, 2 ounces (85th percentile)
Height: 24 inches (90th percentile)
Head circumference: 15 1/2 inches (35th percentile)
So Tom and I have decided he's going to be quite the tall fellow. At least he hasn't seemed to inherit my very large head! He did get 4 total vaccinations today--1 orally and 3 shots. It was really hard seeing him scream with the shots and after the appointment he took a 2 1/2 hour nap. Now I'm giving him some extra cuddle time because I felt bad for him. So he's taking nap #2 in my arms while I write this blog post one handed. See, I have already mastered the art of multitasking!

In other news, this past month since I last blogged has been full of visits. Gavin is quite popular! Tom's mom visited for a weekend, my parents have visited several times (and Gavin continues his trend of sleeping the whole time they are here), we went out to lunch with Tom's coworkers with Gavin, and I brought Gavin to my office to introduce him to my coworkers. Not to mention several visits from our friends and a gathering with our faith group from church where we had all 3 faith group babies present--Gavin, Megan (born 3 weeks after Gavin), and Myah (10 months old). We are quite blessed to have so many people who love Gavin.

Gavin continues to bring us much, much joy. He smiles A TON and these aren't just liitle smirks, these are big, open mouth, show off his dimples, melt our hearts grins :). I love them! He also loves laying on his play mat with toys hanging above him and will wiggle his feet and swing his arms up in the air to swat at the toys. He'll even squeal in delight every now and again.

As far as sleep goes, each day is unpredictable. We have had a couple times where we will bring Gavin on an outing and he'll fall asleep in the car ride home so we just keep him in the car seat when we get home as to not wake him, and he's had a couple times where he has slept 10-12 hours after this! Unfortunately these couple times were normally from 2pm to midnight. BUT 2 nights ago he actually slept the entire night through-6pm to 6am! It was wonderful! Unfortunately since I'm breastfeeding I didn't get to sleep the whole night through, but I'm sure glad both Gavin and Tom could :). At today's pediatrician visit, the doctor recommended that we start trying to teach Gavin to fall asleep on his own rather than having to fall asleep in our arms, which he pretty much almost exclusively does. She suggested leaving him for 3-5 minutes alone and if he's still crying to come soothe him in his crib if possible without picking him up then leaving for another 3-5 minutes. We'll see how this plan goes. I'm not too excited about hearing him cry but I know it'll be for the best in the end.

I have about 2 1/2 weeks of my maternity leave left and I must say I'm really not looking forward to going back to work. It's not that I don't like my job, but I would love to be able to keep caring for Gavin and it'll be really hard to leave him with someone else. On the bright side we do really like the child care center we have found so that should help.

The last thing on my mind at this time are the holidays to come. This week we will go on our first road trip to Wisconsin to visit Tom's family for Thanksgiving. It'll be a chance for Gavin to meet the rest of the Getchi clan as so far Tom's parents are the only ones who have. But I must say I'm really looking forward to Christmas. It is my favorite holiday and it will be even more special this year being a family of three. Tom and I talked about beginning a new family tradition of singing Christmas carols around our piano on Christmas morning. I can't wait! And I just ordered a Santa onesie outfit for Gavin to wear on Christmas so he's just going to be the cutest baby ever. :).

Happy 1 month birthday!

1 month-holy moly! All at one time that feels like a really long time and just a second of time on the other hand. It's been so fun to get to know him more everyday and see all the cute things he does that make us fall more in love with him daily. Tom and I both agree that he makes some of the best faces, everything from gassy smiles showing off his dimples (inherited from his Denison genes!) to puzzled expressions to cute yawns to curious glances with his big blue eyes. He also loves to look at people's faces, swinging in his swing, staring at his mobile in his crib, and kicking his feet while laying on his play mat. He's also getting quite the strong neck since we try to have daily tummy time too. He's not quite sold on the bath thing yet, though. He doesn't cry during baths, but has a generally freaked out look on his face during them, so we try to make them brief. I'm sure he'l grow to love them eventually. I feel like he's growing so much everyday and it makes me glad that he has a healthy appetite. He's even starting to grow out of some of his newborn clothes. He doesn't have another pediatrician appointment until he's 2 months old so we'll have to wait until then to know how much he weighs, though. As for sleep, things are gradually improving in that area. We still struggle to get him to take naps, but car rides seem to be a sure bet to get him to fall asleep. Night time feedings are overall getting better too, as he'll eat every 3-4 hours and typically fall right back to sleep after he's done eating. We hope this trend continues! We've also continued to be blessed with so many people bringing us meals-such an enormous help! And my parents came over this past Sunday and watched Gavin for a bit while Tom and I went on our first outing together without him to Starbucks. It was a nice break for both of us and were glad that Gavin slept the whole time we were gone (must have been showing off for the grandparents!). Overall I'd say things are getting a little easier everyday and we sure love our little man a whole lot!

2 week old Gavin

It's hard to believe that we've had baby Gavin now for two whole weeks! In some ways that feels like a long time and in other ways it's flown by. One thing is for sure that it's been a roller coaster so far. We've had many, many joys and some tears too, but couldn't be happier that he's here. Since Tom last posted Gavin has been growing and flourishing. His jaundice is now completely gone with no remaining yellow tint to his skin. With that he hasn't been quite as sleepy which makes for much easier feedings as before he fell asleep constantly when I tried to nurse. He also had his second pediatrician visit today which went really well. The doctor said he's in great health. As for his stats at this point, he weighs 8 pounds, 8 ounces putting him in the 50th percentile. He's 21.5 inches long, putting him in the 80th percentile. And his head circumference is in the 50th percentile as well. He does have a bit of an eye infection we're treating with antibiotic eye drops, but other than that, he's in tip top shape. Some little tid bits about Gavin... He loves to have his hands free and they can almost always be found by his face. He also makes some pretty funny faces. Everything from big grimaces to gassy smiles to big open eyes showing his wrinkly forehead to puzzled expressions. He is definitely very expressive. He also likes to grunt a lot which the pediatrician said is just his way of being vocal as he definitely has no problems in the diaper department if you catchnmy drift! We both love when he has his big steely blue eyes open because he really seems to take in a lot when he does.

As for me, my recovery has been frustratingly slow and difficult. As Tom talked about, I developed three separate infections after labor and am on my second round of antibiotics now to try to combat this. Luckily I am definitely doing a lot better now than I was even a week ago, but I've been ordered to do absolutely no exercise for at least another week to let my body try to heal. This has been pretty tough, because for those who know me, I love to stay active and have been looking forward to working my way back up to running again since I took a hiatus from this while pregnant. But I'm trying to be patient and take things one day at a time. Tom has been an enormous help to me these past 2 weeks, and I truly couldn't have made it through without him. He's been doing lots of diaper duty, laundry, dishes, and taking care of Marty so I can rest and feed Gavin. The other piece that has been so helpful has been the support of our family and friends. My parents made us over 5 meals and we've had multiple friends make us meals as well. I never realized what an immense help it is to not have to worry about what to make for mealtime. This past Saturday night we had some friends over (the WOWZAs and MANZAs as we refer to them) and they prepared and even cleaned up a wonderful meal for Tom and I. This was extra special because since neither Tom or I have any sisters, my WOWZAs have become Gavin's faux aunties. These wonderful ladies even gave me a fabulous gift when they visited--super soft and comfy pajamas which will definitely come in handy in the weeks to come.

Well that's the latest in the life of our family of three. We'll be trying to add new posts every now and then, but it likely won't be quite as regular as during the pregnancy as things are busier now. Thanks for all of your support though!

Baby G's name revealed: Gavin Denison Getchius

At long last, I have time to write this post. However, it's coming from Dad, not Mom. Let me share with you a few updates about Gavin Denison Getchius and Mom.

Jackie was induced on Saturday, September 18th at 4pm CDT. She delivered Gavin at 1:29am CDT on Monday, September 20. That's right, over 30 hours of labor. You'll probably guess correctly that this picture was taken before any of the medicine, walking, and contractions started. We wanted to document our excitement for meeting our Baby Boy!

Gavin greeted the world calmly. The physicians thought there might be something wrong with his airway as he was rapidly taking shallow breaths. However, after sucking the fluid out of his lungs, he turned out to be just fine. He weighed in at 7lbs 13oz, measuring a long 20". Jackie and I were so relieved for the pushing and the labor process to be over.

Gavin, Jackie and I came home Tuesday evening and were relieved, scared, and happy all at the same time. Relieved that we wouldn't be walked in on by another nurse to check on Jackie or Gavin, scared to care for this new tiny human being, and happy that he's here and mostly healthy (he had a little bit of jaundice, which has since passed).

Yesterday was Gavin's first appointment with his pediatrician. He is doing remarkably well, almost completely jaundice free and regaining all his weight since birth. Jackie however has been a little stricken with the aftershock of the birth. We went to see her physician and found that Jackie has developed a bladder infection and mastitis. On top of that, last night she fought off a 102.1 fever and got no sleep.

But today is a new day. Jackie fed him at 9am, got some rest from 10-Noon while Gavin and I had some tummy time, and all have eaten lunch at 12:30.

Parenting is certainly a roller coaster. At times you are so in love with your baby and your spouse, other times you wonder if you have the strength to carry on, and others you push through and pull deep within you to make it happen.

I can't close this post without thanking Jackie's physician that helped us through the entire pregnancy and aftercare. Without her wisdom, training, guidance, and expertise, we would be muddling though this.

Thank you to the nurses that helped Jackie through the delivery and the pushing to greet Gavin. Their passion for treating their patients and their unbelievable motivation to keep going through the pain is awe inspiring.

Thank you to both of our parents. To mine for the prayers, support, gifts, calls, and everything else that comes to mind. To Jackie's for their meals, taking Marty, the pictures, and the love that they show both of us.

Thank you to our Immanuel church family for prayers, advice, comfort, and helping hands. A special thanks to Pastor Paul for providing a blessing to Gavin in the hospital and to Pastor Susan for her wisdom, prayers, and love for our family.

And finally a huge thank you to our friends. Your laughter, crying, joy, meals, movies, visits, and love mean so much to us. We appreciate everything you are to us in this transition.

Love,

Tom, Jackie, and Gavin (and Marty)

First time in the car seat

Proud Papa!

Loving Mama!

A very happy family :)

Week 40: We made it!

Today is September 10th, the official due date for Baby G! I can't believe the 40 weeks have come to pass now and that it could be any day till we meet our baby boy. Though we don't know when he'll make his appearance I think Tom and I are doing a pretty good job at this point in being patient waiting for him to decide when the right time is. I'll admit I'd prefer it to be sooner than later because I'm REALLY ready to not be pregnant anymore. But I've made it 40 weeks so a few more days isn't so bad.

We had yet another prenatal appointment this week and there really wasn't any sort of progress to report. I did get a 30 minute non-stress test where they hooked me up to a machine that measures the baby's heartbeat and any contraction activity. They did this test to see if there were any contractions going on, even mild, and to see how my placenta is helping the baby at this point. If his heartbeat looks good then that apparently indicates that my placenta is still supplying enough oxygen, blood, and nutrients to him. My doctor said that placentas can get a bit worn out at the end of pregnancy so it's good to check it out. So anyway, his heartbeat looked great but I wasn't having any sort of contractions at all. The plan at this point is that I'm going to have another prenatal appointment on the 17th when I'll be exactly 1 week overdue. At that point they'll do another non-stress test and see if I've made any progress yet. If not then we'll discuss induction options. Tom and I also agreed that the 17th will be my official last day of work as well. I'm really glad to have an official end date in sight as far as work goes as it's been more challenging to focus there with the baby on my mind so much. Of course, we hope that the baby will decide to come out before the 17th but I'm happy with our back up plan just in case he doesn't!

As for Baby G, this week he has enough fat on his body to be able to regulate his own body temperature out in the world. It'll be so neat to not only see his face, but to also see how much he'll end up weighing and how long he'll be since at this point there's quite a variance to those things. So, who knows, our next post could be an announcement of the baby's birth (fingers crossed)!!

Week 39: Getting Closer and Closer and Closer

I'm starting the writing of this post on September 1st which is a big turning point-the month I'll have the baby and only 9 days from the due date. It's crazy to be in the single digits for the due date countdown, but boy are we excited about it! I'll admit that it's getting harder and harder to be patient waiting for his arrival. We had a doctor appointment this week and the baby is now estimated at about 7 pounds. Unfortunately there really hasn't been any progress as far as getting closer to birth time. I did have some Braxton Hicks contractions on one afternoon this week which were the first I've felt the whole pregnancy. They weren't really painful just uncomfortable, but only lasted a few hours so it wasn't that bad. Also at the doctor appointment they once again confirmed that he's still head down so that's good news.

This week I've been ever more uncomfortable. My hips and back are super achy and I've had more leg cramps too. But I've been taking nice long baths and Tom has given me back and foot rubs to help too. As for Baby G this week his skin has changed from pink to white due to a thicker fat layer now covering his blood vessels. Here's another interesting baby tidbit: the tear ducts in babies' eyes don't produce tears until they're about a month old. So all that crying will be dry crying for awhile.

We're glad we've been able to share updates every week with you all and look forward to introducing you to our baby soon!

Week 38: Not long now!

This week we met with our Faith Group from church which includes 4 other married couples who have become dear friends to us. It was great to see them especially because one of the couples has a baby almost 8 months old and another couple is expecting their first baby just over a month after Tom and I. It's been really great to share and swap stories with them and just have someone else who "gets it" and knows what you're going through. The group also gave us a really sweet gift including a child's Bible. We look forward to many nights reading from it!

Also this week Baby G is approaching 7 pounds and 20 inches long! He's producing more of something called surfactant which is a substance that prevents air sacs in his lungs from sticking to one another when he starts to breathe-I like the sound of that :)

This week the nesting instinct continues as we have been stocking up on items like shampoo, paper towels, etc. so we won't have to go shopping for those things for awhile.

At our weekly doctor appointment the nurse practitioner we see alternately with my doctor gave us great reassurance that Baby G is still dropping lower in my stomach even though I'm not dilated at all. I'm not anticipating him coming early, but I won't lie in saying that it sure would be nice if he did! I'm ever more uncomfortable walking around and sleeping is more and more difficult as my hips pretty much ache constantly while I sleep. But complaining aside, it's so nice to know we're almost to the end of the pregnancy road and can start enjoying our next road as parents!

We also celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary this week! It kind of snuck up on us this year as we've been so preoccupied getting things ready for the baby. But regardless of that we went out for a lovely dinner and celebrated 4 wonderful years. I know I am definitely blessed with the best husband I could ever ask for :)

Here's the baby bump pic from week 38:

Week 37: He's Full Term!

It's hard to believe but this week Baby G is considered full term. It definitely feels like a milestone to have gotten this far. We had a doctor appointment again this week and my doctor said she thinks it'll still be a couple weeks still until he makes his appearance. She did guesstimate by measuring and feeling my stomach that the baby is about 6 pounds this week so if he continues to gain the average 1/2 pound a week he'll be about 7 1/2 pounds at birth. This makes me happy because I certainly don't want to have to push out a 10 pound baby! He's also dropped lower in my belly which I'm definitely feeling, but happy he's moving in the right direction. He remains head down which is also great news.

This week Tom also left for his last work trip before Baby G arrives. He's gone 3 nights to Los Angelas and I felt a lot better about it after having this doctor appointment, because I was slightly worried that I'd go into labor without him here. But luckily we seem to be in the clear for that.

My parents have come over a couple times as well to help us with some house projects and mowed our lawn for us since Tom is still recuperating from surgery and it's been much too hot for me to broach the task of mowing the lawn. That has been a huge help! It's also nice because I notice that I get wiped out and exhausted very easily lately and have to make sure to take breaks periodically or I pay for it later with back and foot pain. Tom is great at reminding me to slow it down because I typically like to be a busy body on the move a lot. This week we also put the finishing touches on our nursery (which is completely done now!) by putting together our glider and ottoman.

It's hard to believe the countdown to the end is getting so close but I think Tom and I are both ready and definitely excited for the next phase in the adventure: parenthood!

Week 36: Feeling hot hot hot!

Well here in Minnesota we're having a HEAT WAVE! No I'm not kidding, it is possible in this normally chilly state. All week long it's been in the 90's with heat indexes near 100. Needless to say, this extremely pregnant lady is feeling the effects of the heat. I basically feel like a big puffy ball with how swollen the heat is making my feet, hands, face, etc. The good news, though, is air conditioning! We have been cranking ours and thank goodness for it. Because of the heat intolerance I've found with pregnancy, I really don't feel like I've been able to enjoy summer as much as I normally do. Ordinarily, I LOVE the heat and am really tolerant of it, even going for runs on days like this. But lately I've been doing a lot of hibernating so I'm looking forward to Fall, which will be doubly fun as we'll have a baby and cooler weather!

This week for Baby Boy G he's about SIX POUNDS-wow! And 20 inches in length. His bones and cartilage are still soft to help make his exit into the world a smoother one. Today we started our now weekly prenatal doctor visits and this was an eventful one. First, they did a Strep B test which is routine for all pregnant ladies as if you do have Strep B you have to get antibiotics during labor to prevent passing it to baby. I'll find out next visit the results of this. Second, they do an exam to see how things are progressing. What they found was that I'm not dilated at all but Baby G is falling lower in my pelvis than he has been. We also had another ultrasound to make sure he's head down and hooray, he is! We were told that it's unlikely he would turn now as it's getting pretty tight in there for him. And they said that if he did move, I would almost positively notice it because it would be quite the disruption in my stomach if he flipped that much. But he does continue to kick like crazy and I can often see my belly move when he kicks.

This week Tom and I also took a CPR class. We figured it wouldn't hurt to get certified as it's obviously something you want to know if you need it but hope you never need it. So we both feel good now, knowing not only how to do CPR and help someone who's choking on adults but also on infants.

Last weekend while Tom continued to recuperate after his gallbladder surgery, I did a little bit of shopping for some of the final things we still wanted for our nursery. So we got a diaper genie (a very nice to have item I've heard) and a glider and ottoman for what will inevitably be many nights up rocking Baby G to sleep. Tom and I have a little diapering station set up in the nursery and one night this week we decided to do a "run through" so we diapered an elephant stuffed animal to practice how it'll work with a real baby :)

Here are also a couple of sneak peaks at the photos from our pregnancy photo shoot and a look at our ultrasound to check Baby G's positioning. Thanks Alison Geier for your great work!

And here's our actual week 36 baby belly pic:

Week 35: A Roller Coaster Week

Well week 35 was a mixed bag for our household. Starting the week off we had a pregnancy photo shoot with photographer, Alison Geier. Check out her blog at http://www.alisonleaphotography.com/blog/, she's very talented! We got some really fun photos both outside and inside her studio and are excited to see how the photos turned out.

So that was the high point of the week and come this previous Sunday it went downhill pretty quickly. Tom got very ill and ended up needing emergency gallbladder surgery on Tuesday, August 3rd. Click on this link as Tom made a little video about the whole process. Luckily he's on the mend now and in significantly less pain which makes for a significantly less worried wife! Here's a pic of Tom's war wounds and really nice get well gifts he got while in the hospital:

On the brighter side, Baby G is now 5 1/2 pounds and about 20 inches long. I'm guessing that he's easing into the head down position because I feel almost all of his movement and kicks up by my ribs. I've also had a couple people comment that my belly is looking lower so hopefully he's getting into position and ready to come out in a couple weeks! It's pretty amazing to now be able to say that next month we'll have a baby!

Here's week 35's belly pic:

Week 34: Five Pounder!

Yay for Baby G packing on the pounds. This week he's supposed to be about 5 pounds and 20 inches long! Another interesting tidbit is that his fingernails have reached the ends of his fingertips and may need a trimming at birth. Neato! Kind of gross sounding is that the "vernix" or white coating that protects Baby G's skin is thickening. At least he'll be nice and warm and insulated with it.

This week we also took a little "baby moon" to Decorah, Iowa, where Tom and I both went to (and met at) Luther College. It was a great mini-getaway. There was beautiful weather which allowed us to walk around campus and reminisce about when we first met. We also got to attend Nordic Fest and see some friends from college there too. Here are some pics from the trip including a couple pictures from a trip to Dunning Springs and campus. As you can see Marty enjoyed the baby moon too :)

This week my back pain reached peak awful-ness so I treated myself to a pregnancy massage. It was heavenly! I went to Sanctuary Salon Spa in Eden Prairie (a suburb in the Twin Cities for you out-of-towners) and got pampered. It was fabulous because they had a cut-out in the table that allowed me to be able to lay on my stomach for part of the massage and for the massage therapist to really work over my back. I felt so much better afterwards so I'm really glad I got it done.

We also finished our 3 week child birth class series this week. Tom and I were really impressed with the classes and how informative they were. This final class discussed a lot about more "unexpected" birth options, including c-sections and the many potential reasons for one. I will admit that leaving these classes has filled me with quite a bit of anxiety as I can only anticipate the level of pain I'm about to go through in the next few weeks. I've told friends that the part I struggle with the most is just not having any similar experience to compare the level of pain too. I've run a marathon and could do my training long runs to get a flavor of the level of pain and mental exhaustion I'd experience during the marathon itself. But childbirth isn't quite the same since I've never felt a contraction and have no frame of reference for that type of pain. But like many things with pregnancy, I'll just have to wait and see what it'll be like. I'm lucky to have a great supportive spouse who will help me through it!

Here is also week 34's belly pic:

Week 33: Becoming More Immune

Week 33 brought 2 more showers for Baby G! We are feeling very lucky to have so many people "shower" us (ha ha :) ) with celebration and gifts for the baby. First, Tom's parents threw us a shower in Wisconsin where many of his relatives and friends from the church he grew up in were able to come to. My parents also came for it so that was fun to have all four of the grandparents-to-be together! Tom's favorite gift from that shower had to be the Packers onesie and matching Packers stocking cap we got. I'm sure Baby G will get lots of use wearing it this football season! Here's a photo of the Denisons and Getchius's at the shower:

Then in the middle of the week Tom's coworkers threw a shower for the both of us. It was very sweet that they invited me along too. We played a game there where we had to guess the costs for a bunch of typical baby items--diapers, bottles, nooks, formula, etc. We're still newbies at buying for most baby items so it was a good reality check to get an idea of how much each of them cost. For some we overbid, others we under bid, so it was educational. Tom's boss's wife knit a blanket for us, so we've definitely gotten lots of really thoughtful gifts from these showers! With the three showers in a row the nursery has really come together. Really the only other things we need are a rocking chair and a changing pad to change his diapers on, then the room will basically be complete. Yay!

This week we also had a prenatal appointment with our nurse practitioner. Baby G is measuring right on target. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but up to week 36 they measure the height of your uterus in your stomach and for every week it measures 1 centimeter. So this week it's 33 centimeters high. I guess after week 36 a lot of babies start to drop lower so it's less accurate after that. But regardless, I think it's pretty neat that the measurements work like that. We also learned this week that at my doctor's office the latest they let women go overdue is 1 full week overdue. So it's nice to know that the longest I'll be pregnant is a full 41 weeks-whew!

As for baby, this week he has maxed out the amount of amniotic fluid that there will be till his due date. With this, his kicks and punches feel a bit more pronounced--and that's true! Also pretty neat: I'm passing antibodies to him to help build his immune system.

This week I was hit with significantly worsening back pain. This is really frustrating for many reasons as I really like to be active and it's been difficult not feeling up to moving around as much. Tom has been a trooper giving me extra back rubs and our heating pad has been getting a lot of use too. I've also been doing more of my workouts in the pool at the gym we go to which helps to take some of the pressure off. An old coworker of mine recommended a place for pregnancy massages that I'm going to check out next week. They evidentally have tables that allow you to be able to lay on your stomach so I'm really looking forward to that.

Finally, here's week 33's baby bump:

Week 32: 4 Pounds!

Baby G has now (most likely based on averages) crossed into the 4 pound mark and is approximately 19 inches long! As more fat collects Baby G is looking less transparent and more opaque. That's good, because a see-through baby might be a little alarming :) It's crazy to think he's approaching actual full term baby size. It makes it seem all the more real and makes me all the more excited for his arrival!

This week was a fabulous week. We had our first baby shower thrown by my wonderful girlfriends. We call each other the WOWZAs which stands for Women of Wild Zany Adventures. We get a kick out of referring to ourselves using this acronym and we even refer to the husbands of the WOWZA women as the MANZAs. Our group started with friends from college and has grown to expand some additional friends we've met and gotten close to since college. We get together as much as we can since we all live spread out over the midwest, but manage to be able to make time for get-togethers every couple of months. I love them each dearly and they did one heck of a job on throwing a fabulous shower. The shower included craft time where we all decorated one-sies with iron on sayings and pictures. They turned out just darling. Then we played a baby shower themed version of the game Cranium which was also a riot. I was overwhelmed by the amazing gifts Baby G got at the shower and I must say I'm feeling much more prepared now for his arrival. We got tons of adorable baby outfits, blankets, bath items, items for his car rides, you name it! Thank you to each of you who came, it meant a lot to me! Here are some pictures from the shower:

First, me and the grandmothers-to-be:
Me with the WOWZAs!
All of the lovely women at the shower (minus Sue, Kate, and Katy)
The super fun one-sie craft!
Showing off the name tag they made for the baby entitled, "Baby G fetus":
Also this week we began our first child birth class. It's a 3 week series put on by the same organization that we went to for our Breastfeeding class a couple weeks ago. The class is really informative and it's just really nice to be around couples who are all due around when we are. It's also nice to learn more about when to go to the hospital. Everyone in the class is delivering at Methodist Hospital and they taught us the 5-1-1 guideline. Basically when my contractions are every 5 minutes apart, last for 1 minute, and this pattern lasts for 1 hour is when we should go to the hospital. There are obviously other reasons why you'd want to go to the hospital but this is the main guideline they have us follow. For some reason I always felt like you went to the hospital the second contractions start, but I was obviously wrong!

Last but not least is week 32's baby belly pic:

Week 31: Big Brain Growth!

Week 31 brings some important growth: more growth with regards to the connections in little Baby G's brain! He's now able to use all 5 of his senses, including being able to track light and process information he hears from the outside of the womb. He's also having longer stretches of sleep (hopefully learning this technique quickly to help us after his birth!!) and I have noticed there are more defined patterns of his movement and his resting periods. In terms of his size, he is a little over 18 inches long and over 3 pounds, with a projected 3-5 more pounds to gain till his B-day (birth day :) ).

As for the mom-to-be, I'm noticing things getting a bit more cramped as far as room in the belly goes. When I work out I notice that there's less space to take real deep breaths but I will say I've been dedicated to working out regularly which has really helped me feel like my muscles are staying loose. The other not so fun symptom lately has been major leg cramps, though. For some reason they always strike in the middle of the night and cause stabbing pain in my calves and hamstrings. Poor Tom must think I'm being attacked since I wake up a little less than quiet from the pain!

I'm feeling both a mixture of great anticipation and excitement to meet our little guy and also a big amount of anxiety about not feeling ready yet. I can't wait to see if he has hair on his head, what his personality and temperament is like, and of course lots of cuddling to do. But I haven't packed my hospital bag, we have no diapers, we have no car seat, etc. So luckily nothing thus far has shown any indication that he's going to come early so that gives us plenty of time to "nest" and prepare for his arrival! I know it'll all get done but anyone who knows me knows that I love to prepare things WAY in advance, so I'm working on balancing that with reality.

Below you'll see the last 3 weeks belly pics. Thanks for following along with the blog everyone!

Week 30--that's right the 30's!

I can't believe we're in the home stretch already. Baby Boy G is over 3 pounds in weight and will gain approximately half a pound a week for the next 7 weeks when his weight will taper off. Two other big changes this week....One, his brain is getting all sorts of grooves and wrinkles in preparation for being a smarty pants :) Two, now that he can regulate his own body temperature he's shedding the lanugo (the downy fuzzyness) that's been covering his body.

Also this week we took a hospital tour at Methodist Hospital where I'll be delivering. It was really great to have a "dress rehearsal" and be able to visualize the space that it'll all take place. It's nice because everything the baby may need is all in the same wing on the same floor of the hospital...the triage area, the labor and delivery rooms, the post-partum rooms, the nursery, and the NICU. It's also nice that there are no visiting hours in the birthing center so we can have visitors come meet Baby G whenever he arrives!

Right after our hospital tour we also had a Breastfeeding and Child Care Basics class where we met another couple due on our exact due date who is also having a boy. That sure was neat to meet someone right at the same stage we are and perhaps we'll see them again at the hospital! The class itself was super informative and gave great education about lots of things, including diapering, bathing, temperature taking, and swaddling.

Again, we'll have to wait to add pictures till a bit later. This week Tom, Marty, and I are staying at my parents' house. We're getting hardwood floors installed in our kitchen to match the rest of the white oak floors in the rest of our house. Because of the fumes from the poly they use it's not safe to stay there while they're working, so we've had to pack up everything for the week. I'm glad we're having the floors done before the baby comes because packing up a baby would be a whole lot more work!

Thanks to all who have been following our blog!

Week 29: 75% of the way there!

This week Baby Boy G is 17 inches long and 3 pounds!! Though he won't get much longer he will pack on the pounds in the coming weeks.

We also had a prenatal doctor appointment this week which Tom and I always enjoy. It's so great to get to hear baby's heartbeat and like literally every other time we've heard his heart beat it's running in the 140's. He is consistent! He's also measuring right on target which is great as well. We talked to my doctor about the fact that Tom has a work trip just over 2 weeks before my due date and we're planning a doctor appointment right before he leaves so my doctor can check my progress at that point. If it looks like it's nearing then Tom won't go. But what we did learn was that statistically first born boys typically are born the furthest after their due date compared with other births. So with that, the likelihood is that Tom will get the green light to go on his trip. I'll just be crossing my fingers that he doesn't miss the big show!

This week I felt the biggest kick yet while at work. I was sitting at my desk and looked down at my belly and saw it move and a HUGE kick. It felt like he did a somersault right in my belly. I have enjoyed feeling all the little kicks which are getting stronger and stronger.

We'll be adding pictures later so stay tuned!

Week 28 - last week of month 7

This week our post is written by Tom. I’ve seen lots of amazing developments in Jackie and in Baby G this week. Our last visit to the OB office provided us with yet another opportunity to listen to his heartbeat. He’s been quite consistent and been over 140 beats per minute. I guess the tales of a high heartbeat indicating that it’s a girl are just that—tales. I’ve also seen, and felt, that Jackie’s stomach is quite hard. We try and sing to Baby G a few nights each week before bed. I’ve actually made smooth sweeping motions over her belly for legato (smooth) phrases, and short and detached pokes for staccato phrases. Baby G responds almost always with a kick or two, or three. And, the kicks like lightning, never striking the same spot twice.

Jackie and I took advantage of some of the good weather this past weekend and ventured out into the wilderness and camped, with Marty! We drove down to Lanesboro, MN, and camped at Eagle Cliff Campground, IN A TENT! I'd highly recommend the campground. It was very clean, had hot water, port-a-potty's, shared indoor plumbing, and quite reasonably priced. If you know me, you know that my idea of a wilderness experience is staying at the Super 8. However, we made the best of the weekend and schlepped out my Christmas presents, a new tent and queen size air mattress. It was a tight squeeze in the tent, leaving only a 3'x1' space for Marty. He stretched like I've never seen him stretch when I took him out to go to the bathroom in the morning. Jackie also stretched too, in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Overall, we had a successful, enjoyable, and mostly dry weekend.

Please enjoy some of our pictures below. We had a great time with our friends Matt and Bethany from college.

Marty spent a majority of the time camped out on the grass

Jackie and I taking in the scenery

Marty posing for his portrait

Left to right (Tom, Jackie, Bethany, Matt)

Looking beautiful as ever in week 28

Finally, we can't let you go without spoonfeeding you some physical developments of Baby G in week 28. What to Expect When You're Expecting says that Baby G is roughly the size of a head of cauliflower. I'm also going out on a limb and guessing He's white :) Baby G is starting to dream. If we were to measure his brain wave activity, it would show his sleep cycles including rapid eye movement (when dreams occur). Other talents include better breathing and blinking. Maybe this week we'll shine the flashlight on Baby G. Although, given that I have poor eyes, I don't want him to be blinded in the womb.

Have a wonderful week!