a funny but true conversation

Kim: Brian, I think you have a new habit of sleeping in the middle of the bed.

Brian: No... you are just getting so big that you are moving into the middle of the bed.

I think he might be telling the truth! ha!

catching up

Our trip to Michigan last weekend for my cousins weekend was a nice one. Although the drive was longer than we would have liked, it didn't seem too horrible, and spending time with my family made it worth it. It definitely made me 100 times more excited for my brothers wedding so we can do it all again!! Below are a few pictures...

This past Thursday I had my ultrasound on my gallbladder. The tech did not say anything to me except that it takes 2 days to get results... I should get the results on Monday. I am still trying to eat better, but I still get the pain anytime I eat anything...

In work news, some of you know that I have been patiently waiting for a position on the actuarial department... the rumor is that I will be moving to that new position once I come back from Maternity leave in January... well Friday morning when I got to work I had a meeting invite from the Chief Actuary for a meeting with the actuarial department. I think this is a good sign... I might not have a position yet, but he's starting to include me in their department meetings! He said he wants me to know what is going on within their department since I am a future actuary for the company. It was a little awkward walking in, but everyone pretty much knows and is of course welcoming.

This weekend Brian went on a float trip with my brother for his bachelor party. I realized that this is probably my last weekend completely alone! I cant imagine a time when I will be left alone, without Brian and Leah, over night, anytime in the near future! I tried to enjoy it, but I really love my hubby and prefer that he is here with me! I did spend some time with my sister though last night since I just needed to be around someone and talk to someone. We had a nice time shopping and then went to see The Time Travelers Wife. I hope Leah will have a sister someday... like I have said before, I love my time I spend with her! Its something that is so much more comfortable than hanging out with a friend sometimes.

In baby news, I am 30 weeks!! We are almost down to single digits left until Leah is here!!! Holy Cow! Yesterday I was going thru all of the sample stuff I have received (I think you are given something every time you go anywhere related to pregnancy) and I saw how little new born diapers are! It was so weird to see and hold them and know that my life will be consumed by these in 2 months!! (Yes 2 months, I have a feeling Leah will come early!) Its all starting to hit a little harder!! I cant wait until she is here though!!

because there is nothing new...

*How far along?: 29 Weeks

*Total weight gain: 26lbs

*How big is baby?: I think about 3 lbs... I am not sure... maybe bigger.

*Maternity clothes?: I am quickly running out of clothes that fit! All of my maternity shirts are getting too short, and my pants are getting tighter. I had to cut a slit in one pair so I could breathe. ... Luckily I have an amazing mom who bought me some Ann Taylor maternity clothes for my birthday. They are amazing!

*Sleep?: My sleep is amazing besides the fact that I only have a choice of two positions and my hips hurt most of the night.... I get thru it with alot of pillows. I have definitely been enjoying my time laying down in bed at night as well. Sitting in a chair and on the couch is getting more and more uncomfortable. I also dont know if this will change... but I only get up once per night to use the restroom... I am going to hope it continues and doesnt get to the every two hours that most ladies tell me about.

*Best moment this week?: Anytime she moves around and makes herself known.

*Movement?: I have decided that Leah is much more of a mover than a kicker. She also gets shy whenever I invite someone to come over and feel her move because she always stops!

*Food cravings?: WATERMELON! Its all I want!... except I am too lazy to cut it up myself, so I buy way too expensive pre-cut ones! Oh well! Its too yummy, I will pay for it!

*Labor signs?: no that I am aware of... I am been curious if I will start getting the braxton hick contractions...

*Belly button in or out?: Its still in but very very small and strange looking....

*What I miss: Pumpkin beer, being able to walk quickly, not having a constant burning feeling in my ribs, and sleeping on my stomach

*What I'm looking forward to: Continuing to put the baby room together, and just meeting our little girl!

*Milestone: I am in my third trimester and its all quickly downhill from here! Leah just has to put on weight and decide when she wants to make an appearance! Lets hope she holds off though for atleast 8 more weeks.

Dr. Update

I visited the doctor again today....

I saw Dr. Glass today and he believes it is my gallbladder. I now have an ultrasound scheduled for next Thursday, the 27th at 9:30. I could have scheduled it earlier, but I can't eat for 6 hrs prior, and I insisted it was in the morning. My first option was a 1:00 appointment, meaning I couldnt eat all day... I said no way!

The ultrasound will check for gall stones. If I do have them he will send me to a surgeon. I will be sent to the surgeon mostly to just meet with him. If I have a gallbladder attack before the baby is born, they can remove it, otherwise I will probably get it removed after Leah is born sometime.... if it is gall stones that is causing my discomfort.

The thought of having surgery is scary... not for the fact that I will be put under and have something removed... but because it will most likely happen while I have a newborn to take care of! I dont handle stress very well anyways, and this just spells drama to me!... but hopefully surgery means more paid time off! :)

So from here on out I am still restricted on my fatty, greasy, spicey food.... no fast food, and nothing fried.... This weekend we are headed to Michigan for my cousin's wedding. I am sure I will not be a fun travel partner... not only will I be cranky during the drive from being uncomfortable... I can't' have any of the usual roadtrip foods! ... I will let you know how it goes!

getting tired

This past Sunday was really my first "I am tired of being pregnant" kind of day. I can already tell that 3rd trimester is definitely not going to be easy!

I woke up Sunday just feeling sore... I can tell Leah,(and me) are growing tons... my stomach was just feeling stretched.

I then went grocery shopping with out Brian. Just from walking around the store I was getting cramps in my side... they were the kind of cramps you get from running and not breathing properly... but I was just walking slowly around the store!

Then while walking past the alcohol section a case of Octoberfest beer caught my eye! I LOVED pumpkin beer last year! Brian and I tired every kind we possibly could find. See this of course got me feeling a little bummed. By the time I am able to enjoy this beer, it might no longer be in stores! I called Brian to tell him how bummed I was... and his response was "Oh how much? Will you get me a case?" What a meanie! I am officially requesting that he buys me a case before Leah comes and saves it for me! Last night he enjoyed a bottle... I kept grabbing it and smelling the goodness! Only 3 more months!

When I got home from shopping I thought I would be a great wife and make Brian lunch. I made him a turkey and ranch sandwich, pretzels, and got out a bag of fruit snacks to take him lunch downstairs to eat while he was playing video games... well as I was about to take him his lunch, he came up stairs... I said "I made you lunch!" at the same time as he said "I was coming up to make a tuna fish sandwich." This immediately made me cry... and it wasnt just small tears, it was the "I can't stop crying" hard tears!

I love being pregnant and having Leah moving around with my all day, but I am definitely looking forward to the day that I have my body and control of my emotions back!

staying busy!

Before I get to the fun stuff... I did receive my medicine yesterday... I can't tell if its working or not. I still have the pain, but it feels muted... but maybe its just not flaring up today either... we will see how the week goes and what the doctor says Wednesday.

In more happy news... last weekend was busy with shower's for my brother's fiance Sarah! I am so lucky to be getting yet another amazing sister n law! Their wedding is only 5 weeks away! :)

Looking at the picture of the 4 Kozlen ladies, it makes me even more excited to be having a girl! I really LOVE the time I get to spend with my mom and sister, and Sarah too when she is in town, and I can't wait to include Leah in this girl time!



We have made alot more progress on the baby room! We received another piece of furniture, hung curtains, and painted. Its look cuter and cuter by the day! It just needs a glider, the bookshelf I want, a cute lamp, and some wall decor! ... and then it will just be missing baby Leah!

Last weekend I also bought a Hot Sling baby carrier. At most stores they are around 45-60 dollars.. but I found one at Marshals for only 20! I had to buy it! I then had to test it out... they come in different sizes and I wanted to make sure it wasnt too big. We dont want Leah falling out of it... so of course I had to try it out carrying Jaxs around. He is about the size of a new born... and he loved it! I also loved it! I cant wait to carry our little girl around the house. While she is still little, I plan to be able to keep her close to me, curled up tightly while she sleeps, and hopefully I can get house work done (dishes, laundry, etc...).





And one last picture... Its Leah's Mizzou outfit. She will be wearing it this winter while watching some games with her daddy! I can't wait to see her in it... and I can't wait to see her spending time with Brian!

Eeks!

In a previous post I mentioned a burning sensation in my upper abdomen that my doctor said maybe an ulcer and to call if it got worse. .... well yesterday, it got worse.

The pain seemed to have moved from my front, straight to my back... it felt like I had a spear going right though me. After 4 hours of this pain, I called the doctor...I was sent to St. John's Womens Evaluation unit (emergency room for pregnant ladies) to get it checked out. Of course I was way wrong when I thought this would be a short trip....

I arrive around 5:15 and was immediately told to put a gown on and was hooked up to crazy machines to monitor the baby. Leah was of course fine! Her heart beat was normal and you could hear her jumping all over the place.

Me on the other hand.... had my blood taken once, waited for over an hour and a half for the results, was told by a nurse that the results looked ok and that I would be leaving soon, but then 30 minutes later was visited by the lady to take my blood a second time. An hour later the doctor came in stating that all of my lab works looks fine, but they think I might be in the beginning phases of gallbladder problems! My symptoms I explained match it perfectly, but it has yet to effect the rest of my body... 4 hours after arriving and two needle holes, I was sent home...

Supposedly gallbladder problems are somewhat common with pregnancy.... something with the extra hormones in my body throws the gallbladder out of whack.

I was given a presciption that is supposed to help indigestion to see if that helps at all, (if it does, than its not my gallbladder) but when I tried to get it filled this morning, my insurance is not covering it... My doctor has to fax the insurance company a request and blah blah blah... I might pay the 124.99 to get the medicine without insurance, but what if it doesn't help? I have an appointment to see my doctor on the 19th...

So I am officially banned from fried, fatty, and greasy food.... knowing this is of course making me crazy pizza, Chinese, hot wings, and everything else that is bad for me! ... but I am trying to think that this could be ok in the long run.... This could make me eat right! And I if I can't have something...neither will Brian! :)

The pain is not unbearable... just annoying....and not effecting Leah at all... so no need to worry!

In other news, our dresser is coming in Saturday and then I will have nursery pictures to put up! :)

Whoo, big baby!

I had another doctors appointment today... Entering my third trimester makes my appointments a little more informational!

Points of interest:

• I drank the disgusting sugar drink to test for diabetes and had my blood drawn... I will receive a phone call in a week if I fail it...
• I have gained a total of 26 lbs.... it is a frightening #, but according to the doctor, as long as my weight gain is equal to, or less than the # of weeks I am, then I am A-Okay. The doctor is expecting me to gain 40-45 lbs by the time the baby comes though... the reasons are listed below...
• According to our ultrasound results from last Monday, Leah is coming in at the 75th percentile.
• Leah also is surrounded by alot of fluids. The doctor then told me "She pees alot, so make sure you buy alot of diapers!" ... Yes babies go to the bathroom while in there... they practice swallowing by drinking the fluid and then their body practices functioning. ... gross, but whatever, we all did it! ha!
• My blood pressure went up to 138/70 rather than my usual 120/80. Hopefully it does not continue to change. My mom had high blood pressure when she was pregnant and I donot want any threat of bed rest... I want to spend my maternity leave with my baby... not without! It would be such a waste!
• My body is measuring almost 4 weeks ahead of schedule (around 31 weeks), rather than my 27 weeks that I actually am. The doctor is still trusting my due date of Nov 15th... lets hope she stays in until then... I have things to get done before she comes!!! (Test = Nov 3)
• I have been having a burning sensation in my upper/right side, right under my ribs.... The doctor stated that it could either be a muscle pain, or an ulcer! I am supposed to try to keep track of when I feel this pain... I already know it is most often after I eat... and to call if it gets worse or anything so that I can have another ultrasound (this one would not be for the baby). I would not be surprised if it was an ulcer.... my body does have a history of being mean to itself... We will see how it goes though...

In general though... everything is great! Only 10 more weeks until I am officially full term and baby Leah can make her appearance if she wishes.... but lets hope she holds off until after the 3rd!! It would be beneficial to both me, and her.... in the long run!

appreciation

This morning I was going thru some old picture... mostly picture from last year or two.... I decided that pregnancy and all of the changes to my body, has definitely made me appreciate the body I used to have. Just look at the comparison below... of 5 weeks pregnant to 26 weeks pregnant.

100

Its officially 100 days until my due date!!!

Only 100 days until we get to meet baby Leah!!! I can't wait to see what she will look like! I am sure she will be beautiful though! I need to gather a baby picture of Brian and I so we can compare and try to predict what she will look like when she is born!

Last night we were playing a nice little game... she would kick me, I would poke back, and she would return it with a kick! We did this for a good 30 minutes... but every time I would yell for Brian to come see, she would stop! She is either very shy, ... or as I would like to think, she calms down when Brian or I talk. I rarely feel her kicking while I am talking, only when I am quiet. Brian did feel her just move in my stomach though... it felt more like a twist to me, and Brian said he felt it faintly. I just want Brian to enjoy her as much as I am right now!

Other fun facts about this little girl....

She is 2 lbs now according to the ultrasound this past Monday. This the normal size, so I guess her weight gain has slowed down. And her heart rate dropped to 148.

We also have decided on a daycare for Feb-June. She will be attending Little Learners Academy. This is one of the three we initially visited, and I liked. Grandpa Larry, I guess you are now off the hook... I am doing by today to pay my 40 dollar fee to hold her spot. (Goddard's was 500! ha!)

90% sure

ITS A GIRL!

The ultrasound today showed the three lines, and lack of any boy parts, but because her legs were still so close together, the tech did not want to give us a 100% answer... but we are all pretty confident!

I am now excited for our little Leah to get here! Its weird to actually know now!

Brian and I haven't gotten to talk much since finding out, we both had to run off to work, and I have been super busy, but I hope he is as excited as me! I know with him being a boy, he wanted a boy.... but I know he will be great with a little girl. I can just picture a little daddy's girl that will watch the baseball games with him, love Mizzou, and play catch.

Now to work.... sort of.... I just keep daydreaming of our little Leah! :)

Registering

Brian and I had our first experience registering today... it was hard!

After an hour and a half, we only were able to register for a very small percent of everything we will be needing. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into!

We would stand in each section and just stare blankly at everything. We have no idea what kind of bottles we need, what to look for in a car seat and stroller, the different between swings and playpens, not to mention the various bathing, care, and cleaning supplies we will need. Plus not knowing the sex makes things even harder when we finally decided on something and then we had to pick something neutral! (I do not have high hopes to find out tomorrow. I just feel destined to wait until delivery!)

Brian also does not have the patients for me to sit and compare everything, (something I tend to do at stores), so I will be heading back, hopefully with someone that is patient and knows a thing or two about what we really need, to finish up the list!!

So all you mothers out there.... PLEASE look at our registry (http://www.babiesrus.com/) and give me any ideas on what we are missing, or even things we registered for but wont be needing!