We are thankful.

Today was Ruby's very first Thanksgiving, and I have to say, we have SO much to be thankful for this year! Ruby has brought so much joy to my life. God has truly blessed us with a healthy, happy miracle.

In addition, Tyler and I are thankful for our own health as well as the health of our family, the roof over our heads, the jobs we love and the friends we have.

God has been good to us, and we extend warm Thanksgiving wishes to all of our followers!

Happy one month birthday, little one!

I didn't have a chance to post yesterday, but November 23 was Ruby's one month birthday! It's amazing everything that has happened over the past month:

• Seeing Ruby for the first time is something I will never forget. The 6-pound baby I was expecting to arrive was placed on my chest at a whopping 8 pounds, 1 ounce! I thought there was no way this could be my baby- she was far too big!
• Enjoying the first couple of days in the hospital with our little girl was a lot of fun. We couldn't get enough of her- all we did was stare at her.
• The whirlwind 24-hour period of getting news that she may have some unexpected health complications: having her moved into the NICU; making the trip home without our little girl in the backseat; the sleepless night; waiting for x-ray results; praying for poop then seeing the most beautiful poop ever; being a bystander in the NICU and seeing how lucky we truly are compared to some other families
• Taking our little pumpkin home- it was a great ride!
• Watching Ruby's funny faces: her pursed lips, scrunched up scowl, pouty lip
• Being so amazed and proud of her ability to hold her head up so well so early- we tummy time!
• Seeing how happy our little baby makes others when they stop by to meet her- thank you to all of our visitors!
• Sleepless nights but very restful days (for Ruby, anyway)- having her days and nights flipped around was a challenge, but something we were able to overcome after a alot of hard work.
• Finding out that Ruby needed to gain weight, then hearing that she gained like a champ and is continuing to grow so well. She's a tall little girl, and we still wonder where that comes from?!
• Listening to Ruby talk to herself in her sleep. I wonder what she's dreaming?!
• My favorite: Ruby's smiles. She begins with the cutest little half-mouth grin that quickly turns into a full wide-mouth giant smile when you make eye contact with her and prompt her to smile. So funny.

It's been a crazy, fun, wild, exhausting, happy month for the Engquist family. We are so blessed to have a happy, healthy child and we are looking forward to the holidays with our little gift from God!

Additional professional photos of Ruby

She is four weeks old today!

Happy 4-week birthday, baby girl!

This girl is a-growin!

We had a nurse come to our house today from the Healthy Start Program through the Anoka-Hennepin School District to check on Ruby. It appears that she is still doing well, and has gained good weight since her doctor appointment last week. She is now a whopping 9 pounds, 3 ounces! It's amazing to see how much she changes each day, both physically and developmentally. She looks nothing like she did when she was born, and looks more and more like her daddy each day.

The most exciting news I have to share is that little Ruby now reciprocates smiles! It is so fun when we make eye contact and Ruby will actually smile back at me when she sees my smile. I love that little toothless grin.

Below are a few photos from her first photo session on November 2nd (the day she peed in my hand).

Weekend in review

This was a fairly laid-back weekend for Ruby- probably the most relaxed one of her life so far! Friday night we just hung out at home until my mom got here. I had to work all day Saturday, so she stayed the weekend with us to help out with baby girl. It was bittersweet to be gone for nine consecutive hours yesterday; I love spending time and Ruby and feel like I could just stare at her all day long, but at the same time, it is quite exhausting to care for her 24/7 for 21 days! It was good to get away and talk to adults for a while. The only time I really missed her was when I showed some photos to my peers- then, I couldn't wait to get back to my little peanut!

Saturday night we planned to go to a birthday party, but decided not to at the last minute since Ty and I were both so tire. We are really working on getting Ruby's sleep schedule reversed, as we are convinced that she is completely flipped- she thinks daytime is when she should sleep and night time is for partying (not for another 18 years, girl!) We do our best to limit her naps to only an hour or so at a time during the day, but it's been a challenge. Last night was good for us, as my mom would stay up with Ruby so we could get a few more hours of sleep.

This morning we went to a pancake breakfast benefit, and although Ruby slept through the entire event, Grandpa Joe enjoyed trolling around, claiming to use Rubes as a "chick magnet". Ruby quickly acquired quite a few fans while we were there.

When we got home this afternoon we watched the Vikings beat the Panthers, and Grandma Therese and Great Aunt Marge stopped by to say hello to Ruby. Ruby also endured another photo shoot this afternoon since it was so nice outside. A couple of those photos are below: Ruby in her Gopher hat (thanks Dawn!)

After I got involved in her photo op, she completely lost interest and got mad

.

Oh well.

Ruby loves bath time!

Ruby is usually a pretty good sport about bath time, but we recently discovered something that makes her especially happy in the bath tub: after we're finish scrubbing her, we put her little duck on her to keep her warm, then we slowly pour warm water on her body. She just lays back and relaxes. I think she'd probably stay in the tub all day if we'd keep doing this!

And what Diva doesn't deserve to be wrapped in a warm towel after her soak in the tub! Ruby's towel is always fresh out of the dryer.

Ruby is 3 weeks old!

These photos were taken on Friday, November 13th- Ruby's 3-week birthday. The first was taken at 11:47 AM; the second was taken Friday evening when we were trying our hardest to keep her awake so that she would sleep at night. Well, that worked- she was sleeping by 9:30, but when she woke up for her 12:30 feeding, she decided to stay up for a while... 5:30 AM, to be exact. This didn't sit well with mom, who had to work all day Saturday or dad, who had plans to get up early for the Gopher game. Little brat.

Our at-home photo shoot

Last night we decided to conduct our very own home photo shoot. Below are some of our favorite images that we captured.

Two-week well baby check

We had Ruby's two-week checkup yesterday, it and went so great! I am so proud of her! She did an awesome job at the doctor's office. I was a little nervous because Tyler couldn't come with us, as he had an appointment for work. I could just imagine a major meltdown occurring in the doctor's office and I'd be by myself and unable to soak in any of the information that was being given to me... Turns out, the baby in the next room had that issue going on, while Ruby was a poster child (until we got into the car to come home- then, it was 12 minutes of screaming her lungs out). Rubes is currently 21 1/2" long (same as her birth length), which puts her at the 85.4%. Where her height comes from, I don't know. She weighs 8 pounds, 12 ounces, placing her in the 58.94% Ruby's head is 14.57" around, which puts her at 70% for melon size- it must mean she's got a lot of brains stuffed in there! I was so happy to find out that the doctor was pleased with her weight- in fact, he said it is rare that babies who are exclusively breasted gain that much weight- I guess all of our hard work has paid off! Because infants are in the high-risk group, the doctor offered my the H1N1 vaccine, and I took it. Tyler is also eligible for the vaccine, so he will be getting his soon, too. What a relief that is! Our next visit isn't for two months, at which time Ruby will receive some of her vaccinations.

Our first walk; fun, not fashion

It was so nice out today! We had to take advantage of the 60 degree day in November, so Ruby and I decided to go on a little walk. A few problems, though:

1. We do not yet own a stroller.

Solution: Baby Bjorn!

2. Ruby does not yet own a jacket (or sweater or sweatshirt) that fits.

Solution: A 0-3 month fleece sleeper put on OVER her outfit for today (which means a long sleeved onesie under a short-sleeve onesie under pants and socks, all under her fleece sleeper- makes her look chubby!)

3. Ruby does not yet fit into any of her hats except for almost fitting into her pumpkin hat.

Solution: make do with what we've got: wear the dang pumpkin hat and keep pulling it up off her face!

End result: a major fashion fopaugh. What can you do... ya can't be cute ALL the time, right?!

Nothin better

Ahhh... Ruby has discovered pure bliss. A full tummy, a fresh diaper, a smooth swing and the acoustic sounds of Jack Johnson. Nothin better.

Ruby's Fan Club

We appreciate all of the love that has been given to little Ruby in her first days of life.

A tribute to you who have shared in her first moments...

Weekend in review

This weekend was another busy one for Little Miss Ruby. Saturday morning while daddy was at the Gopher game, Rubes and mommy drove up to Foley and attended her first craft sale! Ruby enjoyed being doted on by many ladies at the sale. Next, we went to meet her Great Grandma Kaproth for the first time, and I do believe there was a mutual love established between the two of them. While mommy went to a baby shower for her friend, Ruby spent the afternoon napping on her grandpa Kaproth's belly. We drove home Saturday night in time to welcome our friend Janell who traveled from SE Iowa for our baby shower. She spent the night with us, and Ruby loved being cuddled and loved on by Janell, who even got to help give sweet little Rubes a bath this morning! After that experience, I'm afraid we may have scared Janell away from any thought she may have had of even having a child... Today was our baby shower that was put on by Nicole (see previous post), and tonight we received a visit from our friend Tom Holland, who generously brought us all the fixings for several meals of home-cooked spaghetti, including dessert! We are now winding down for the night while Ty and I try to strategize how we might get Ruby to sleep for longer periods and stay awake for shorter periods throughout the night...

Ruby was showered with gifts and a lot of love

Today my friend Nicole hosted a baby shower in honor off Ruby Grace. Several of my closest friends attended and had the opportunity to meet Rubes for the first time. It is so comforting to see all of the love that these lovely ladies have to give to my little girl. Ruby received lots of cute girly clothes (including a pink tutu~ thanks Ali!), fancy sunglasses (Dr. Janell), and even a Maroon and Gold afghan knitted by Steph so that Ruby is set to attend a Gophers game next fall!

Here are some photos from the party (Nicole, Ruby and I; Ali Ross; Drew Julson (I already warned him to keep his paws off my daughter!); Janell Kassel

Ruby is 2 weeks old!

It's hard to believe it's been two whole weeks since Ruby was born! Here's a photo of her at 11:47 this morning.

Too much of a good thing?

While we are still rejoicing about the long-awaited poop from 11 days ago, an incident today begs the question... can there be too much of a "good thing"? Disclaimer: I fully understand that in 14 years Ruby will hate me for posting this. This afternoon Ruby and I were settling down for a feeding when that dreaded sound came from her diaper. This was followed by another dreadful sound, and then a third. Knowing the potential disaster I was likely to uncover, I sprung to action and carried the now screaming Ruby (cuz who wouldn't be distraught under this condition?) swiftly to the changing pad to assess the damage. Folks, what we had here was a multi-wipe casualty that exploded beyond a well-placed diaper and through a onseie and a cute little outfit. We dealt by doing a complete body wipe-down for temporary relief so that we could get on with our feeding, since Ruby had nothing but food on her mind after she had a fresh dipe. We will be having a bath tonight, no doubt. Honestly, how can someone so small and cute produce such a catastrophic disaster? Ah, the joys of parenthood...

Our new "normal"

I started this posting on Monday... how funny how it's impossible to finish anything in a timely manner with an infant in the house!

It's been a busy week with just Ruby and mommy home alone! Our days consist mostly of feedings, naps and diaper changes, but we try to get in lots of storytime whenever we can. Also, Ruby is doing really well with tummy time. Her neck seems to be very strong and she likes to show off that skill whever she can. She especially likes to rub her taggies blankie on her face during tummy time (thanks auntie Amanda!)

Here's a picture of the talented Ruby holding up her head during tummy time.

On Monday we took Ruby for her first photo session. She slept the entire way there, but as soon as we took her out of her car seat she was wide awake and hungry. Bummer, since we were hoping to capture some photos of her sleeping (Anne Geddes style). Instead, we spent a lot of time trying to get a cold, naked baby to appear happy. She got backk at her mom and dad in her own way when we were doing a family pose and we were both holding naked Ruby and she peed on us. You know you're a mother when... you try your darndest to catch pee in your hand. Ty left with a wet shoe. Ah, the joys of parenthood! Another monumental event occured at the photo shoot, too- Ruby's cord fell off!

We expect to have the photos later this week and I will be sure to post some.

Tuesday, Ruby and mommy went down to daddy's office for a little while and then went out for lunch. We also had an outing to Target still in search of a dress for her for Sunday's shower, but no luck. Everything is just too big for her. I think tomorrow we will make a stop at Baby Gap after we have lunch with Baby Alivia Strommer and her mommy, Amanda.

Last night, Ruby had her first babysitter while mommy and daddy went to a Counselor Appreciation dinner. We dropped Ruby off with Adam and Steph for a couple of hours, since they live right around the corner from where were, and she was a perfect angel for them and slept the entire time! Not even a poopy diaper to spice things up a little!

Today Ruby and I are going to have lunch with Baby Alivia Strommer and her mommy Amanda. Alivia is a week older than Ruby and this will be the girls' first time meeting, so it should fun.

A very busy weekend creates a very sleepy baby

We had a wonderful first weekend home with Miss Ruby. We were so busy that our little gem has been sleeping a lot from all of the excitement. Last night she slept from 11 to 4:30 then again from 5:30 to 9:30! I'll take six more nights like that this week, please!

Friday night we were visited by Brian and Emily Simon along with Baby Simon who is expected to arrive in December.

Saturday we ran some errands before going to the DePhillips' house for a Halloween celebration. Ruby got to try out her new puppies on her car seat to keep the straps from cutting into her neck. She looked so squished in there- I'm not sure if this was a better option for her or not!

The Halloween celebration was both fun and traumatic all at the same time for Baby Ruby. First, we put her in her "costume", which probably wasn't the most comfy selection we could have made. She was the cutest little gift basket in America!

We also placed Ruby in a pumpkin, cuz of course, she's our little pumkin!

When we got home, Uncle Jeff, Auntie Jean and Wyatt were here, so Ruby got to meet her only boy cousin for the first time! They spent the night here, then Grandma and Grandpa Kaproth came over today to celebrate Grandma's birthday.

Ruby was also paid a visit by her "auntie" Nicole and Paul Hydukovich. She got lots of love and hugs from them, which she loves. We cheered on the Vikings to beat the Packers, and I think Ruby's cheers won. Also of note- the Gophers beat Michigan State on Saturday night; daddy and uncle Jeff were at the game, so mommy had to teach Ruby the MN Rouser and the signal for "touchdown"- cuz there were a lot of them that night!

After all of this excitement, Ruby is tuckered out and is enjoying quiet alone time in her bouncy seat and mommy and daddy are hoping for another restful night.

Daddy goes back to work tomorrow, so it'll just be mommy and Ruby alone all day. We plan to go shopping for a party dress for Ruby's shower at Nicole's on Sunday.

Ruby's Fan Club

In her first nine days of life, many people have visited little Miss Ruby. Her parents appreciate all of the love these people have given their little gem. Here's the start of a video of some of Ruby's biggest fans.

Happy one week birthday, little girl!

I can't believe my baby is already a week old! At 11:47 this morning we had a moment, recalling how life has changed so much in just 7 days. Even with severe sleep deprivation, life is so much better now!

Here's a photo of Ruby at 11:47 this AM- exactly 1 week old.

Last night was a bit more sleepless than previous nights. Poor little girl got a serious case of the hiccups at about 1:30 after she ate, which caused her to be wide awake until 4:00. She then woke up again at 6:30 and 7:30. Hopefully tonight will be a little better!

Twice today Ruby tricked her parents with diaper incidents. This afternoon I had just changed her, then sat down to feed her when I heard some business happen in her diaper. Sure enough, we assessed the situation and had to change again. This evening, Ty changed her, then sat down on the couch. Ruby gave him a funny look, then that dreaded sound came from her rump, followed by this look, as if to say, "oh yes I did." Gross, but still oh-so-cute!

Finally, because I can't get enough of those cute lil curls, here's another photo after her bath this afternoon.

Fun stuff

Last night brought us much more sleep than our first two nights at home. Perhaps it was due to the fact that we received such positive news at the doctor yesterday morning, but also because now that we don't need to be so strict on the 3-hour feeding schedule, we were able to sleep for longer stretches of time. We woke up when Ruby woke us up, which gave us a total of about six hours of sleep last night- not bad for only our 3rd night home!

We spent all day just hanging out in the living room staring at Ruby. She probably thinks her parents are psycho stalkers since that's all we want to do. It's just so much fun to watch her facial expressions and mannerisms! We plan to video tape some of these moments so that we never forget them, as we know that our little girl is going to grow up too fast!

Photos of the day: 'Where's Ruby?'

There she is!

Ruby's clean bill of health!

We had Ruby's follow-up appointment this morning to assess her weight and bilirubin and...

SHE IS A HEALTHY LITTLE GIRL!

The doctor was pleased with the progress that she has made over the last couple of days. She now weighs 7 pounds, 13 ounces and her color is very good- just a trace of yellow. But, she continues to poop like a champ, so before long she should be pretty pink with bright white eyeballs. I was surprised with how well she did at her appointment. She didn't wimper even once for the doc! She is such a happy little girl and really only cries when she's hungry or has a dirty diaper- both completely acceptable reasons to be upset.

The doctor gave us clearance to let up on the feedings now that Ruby's weight is good. We now only need to feed when she tells us she's hungry. Our plan is to continue with a 3-hour feeding schedule during the day and only get up when she cries at night. Hopefully that will help mommy and daddy to get more than 3-4 hours of sleep per night.

Below is a photo of Ruby getting weighed this morning. I'm such a proud mommy!

Uncle Jeff and Auntie Jean came to the hospital to visit Ruby on Sunday right before we received the news that she wouldn't be coming home. The brought her a fun gift, including the book, "Everyone Poops". At the time, we thought the irony was pretty funny- yes, everyone poops except Ruby! Now we are happy to celebrate the fact that YES, EVERYONE POOPS- EVEN RUBY!!!

Her first full day at home

Ruby loves being home! Today has been quite an exciting day for this little girl, so I wanted to share with you some of the highlights:

She spent the first night in her own bed, and her little crib looks HUGE with her little body being the only occupant!

She tried on one of her new accessories from daddy

She had a bath- check out those curls!

She put on her Brewers shirt and sassy leg warmers for daddy

She cuddled with mommy

Ruby has company coming tonight, too. Grandpa and Grandma Kaproth are coming to give her a little TLC.

Once again, we thank you for your prayers in helping to bring our little one home and make her healthy! A special thank-you to our siblings, Jeff and Amanda for getting prayer chains started worldwide. The power of prayer is an amazing thing.

What a difference a day makes

Wow. It has been a little over 24 hours since baby Ruby was discharged from the NICU, and she has made huge strides. Her hospital discharge orders indicated that she needed to poop, gain weight and improve in color. She has given us six healthy poops (including a nice blowout this afternoon), which is likely what is causing her to appear more pink and less yellow (even her cute little eyeballs, which at this time yesterday were pretty yellow). The hospital nurse just left, and she weighed Ruby. When we left the hospital, her weight was 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Today, she tips the scale at a whopping 7 pounds, 12 ounces! That's my girl!!! We can probably attribute the tremendous weight gain to the fact that we are sort of force feeding our little doll. We are on a 3- hour feeding schedule around the clock. She feeds for about a half an hour, and I've been pumping to supplement additional quantities for her to have after each feeding. We have been really diligent about getting her to eat as much as she will take in our attempt to chub her up, and... success! We are looking forward to our doctor appointment tomorrow morning at 7:45 to check on those concerns after her hospital release. We are confident that Miss Ruby will earn a clean bill of health and we can continue to love her up without the concerns we were presented with two days ago!

Photos of the Babe

A photo of the time that we hope we to soon forget...

Tyler is smitten... already. The most beautiful poop I ever did seeWe stopped at Target today and found these cute headbands. When contemplating which set of colors we should buy for lil Ruby, Tyler chose... both. Uh-oh. We're in trouble.Ruby says good-bye to her biggest fans in the NICU. They get excited to send now-healthy babies home, and today was no exception. We had plethora of people sharing their true happiness that we got to take our little one home today! Her grand entrance into her homeRuby's life is so so tough

PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!!!

We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and we thank God for working miracles! We are home WITH RUBY from the hospital, and feel so incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful network of prayer warriors on our side. We believe prayer made it possible for us to now be at home holding our little gem... Yesterday was the longest day of our lives... As Tyler put it on our way home today: As adults, we are able to control much of what happens to us on a daily basis. If we don't like something, we create change to make it better. When you receive news that your once-thought perfectly healthy baby is going to be moved into the NICU, all control is taken from you. We were instantly moved into a state of unknown territory and had to turn over all control to the hands of the doctors. We were taken to a place that we never hope to be again- ever. We met with the neonatologist from Children's hospital this morning after Ruby's 5:00 x-ray: The intestinal issue that was detected in the first x-ray was resolved, likely as the result of Ruby's big poop that she took last night (yes, we took photos of it- see below if you can stomach it!) We have never prayed so hard for poop, and seeing poop has never made me cry. But last night when we were with our babe in the NICU, Ty checked her diaper and there was the most beautiful black, sticky poop we have ever seen. It brought tears to our eyes. the lung problem miraculously fixed itself overnight. Apparently, if babies' lungs collapse at birth, there are oftentimes tiny tears in them that allow air to escape from the lungs. Ruby did have some small tears in each lung, but between last night and this morning, her lungs have healed themselves and she will not have lasting effects. I didn't mention in last night's blog that her bladder was also a concern. It appeared in yesterday's x-ray to be enlarged. Therefore, they gave her a catheter last night, but nothing came out. It was determined after this morning's x-ray that it is likely her bladder was just very full during her first x-ray, causing it to be enlarged. It's fine. Prayers are still needed... We still need to watch her pooping issue, but since the time I sat down to begin writing this entry four hours ago (it takes that long to get things done these days), she has had two beautiful BM's! Way to go, sista! Because she hasn't pooped "normally", Ruby's bilirubin is still a little high. Not officially designated as jaundice, but we're keeping an eye on it. Ruby's body weight has dropped 9% since her birth. A little weight loss is normal, but when it gets to 10%, it's a risk. We are feeding her on a very strict 3-hour schedule and giving her every option to chup up; we breastfeed, then offer breastmilk from a bottle and if she's still hungry we will offer formula. So far, she's taken only a healthy amount of breastmilk from both me and a bottle. We think she must LOVE being home... since we've been here she's presented us with two big poops and a great feeding session! We will add more photos later tonight. Again, we thank you SO much for your continued prayers. God is SO SO good!

Additional information on little Ruby

Thank you for sending your prayers our way. Before I go into detail, I have to mention how crazy it is that a person can love someone so much in just a couple of days. We love everything about Ruby: her pouty lip, her squeaky Diva attitude, her crazy curls and her love of cuddling. We love her healthy heart, her good reflexes, strong muscles and healthy eating habits. What we're struggling with is two-fold: First, Ruby has not yet pooped. Term babies should produce a nice healthy diaper within 24 hours of birth. We are going on 60 hours, and still, she's not squeezing one out. Nurses and doctors have attempted to stimulate her rectum, and this morning she produced a small amount of meconium, but not enough to really speak of. Becuase of this, the pediatrician ordered an x-ray to rule out any issues with her intestines. A neonatologist at Children's read the x-ray and determined the following: 1. There appears to be a small part of Ruby's intestine that may not be fully functional, but it is not an issue that is an immediate emergency. A second x-ray has been ordered for 5:00 tomorrow morning to get further information about this. In the meantime, we are PRAYING FOR POOP! The nurse gave Ruby a suppository this evening to hopefully produce something. The odd part of this is that she is passing gas very well. Also, she is eating SO good and doesn't appear to be agitated by the fact that her tummy must be very full. She seems to be very happy, and by looking at her, you'd never know that she's in the NICU. 2. During the x-ray scan, the neonatologist also found some issues with Ruby's lungs. Apparently, during or soon after delivery, her lungs collapsed unbenounced to anyone. She never appeared to be in respiratory distress, and by the sounds of her cries, you'd never guess there's anything wrong with those puppies! Also, a small leak was detected in each of her little lungs. The lung issue will also be re-evaluated with the 5:00 AM x-ray. We hope to learn good news from the doctor tomorrow morning when we meet with him at 6:00. Our goal is to bring Ruby home in the morning, as it was SO tough to walk into our house for a short time this evening to collect some things without Ruby in tow. It will be even more difficult to go home tonight and crawl into bed knowing that our little family is not yet under one roof. Again, Tyler and I thank you SO much for saying a prayer for our little girl, and a special thanks to those of you who have spread the word to your prayer chains so quickly. We are already feeling God's work in progress. We will keep you posted as we learn more.

All prayers are welcome

Jill and Tyler ask for your prayers as little Ruby is still hospitalized with a few complications. More information in the future, but all the thoughts, prayers and well wishes that you can send will be very uplifting.

Ruby's first full day of life

We celebrated Ruby's 1-day-old birthday today!

It was a nice day for our little family at the hospital. Because I had Group B Strep and the 2nd dose of the vaccine were not able to be given through IV yesterday (because I ended up delivery so quickly), that are requiring us to stay in the hospital a full 48 hours post-birth. While we were a little disappointed to hear this, it's okay so we could have some time to bond with our little girl and figure out some things that we needed to know before we go home. We mostly just spent the day away staring at Ruby, feeding and giggling at her little mannerisms.

One thing we are looking forward to is Ruby's first poopy diaper. She's only had two wet ones since birth, and while she is a champ at eating, we are still anticipating the myconium to come out of her little belly. Because of this, she is testing in the high concern level for jaundice. She's not at a level yet that she needs to be under a light or anything, but she will be tested again at 3:00 tomorrow morning and if she's high she may need the light and/or a formula supplement to help her poop.

Our little girl has been poked and prodded so many times in her short little almost-36-hour life! it makes me so sad to see all of her injection/ poke sites. Both feet have received a stick, as well as both thighs and her pretty little hand. Tonight when she came back from getting her bilirubin checked her cheeks were bright red, and it almost looks like she broke a couple blood vessels form crying so hard. Poor little thing. Still, she's the most beautiful thing we have ever seen.

Below are a couple photos from Ruby's first day.

A prayer for Ruby

"Loving God, thank you for the gift of Ruby Grace into our lives. Thank you especially for such a safe delivery, family support, the kindness and good work of the doctors and nurses and especially for the good health you've given to Ruby. You know how eagerly we anticipated Ruby. Rejoice with us, as we welcome her and guide her to grow strong, healthy, and beautiful in Your name. Amen."

Baby E has finally arrived!

We are truly blessed... Here's our labor and delivery story.

We arrived at the hospital a little before 7:30 on Thursday night (10/22) and were told that we were not scheduled to be admitted. Immediately, I went into combat mode and when the check-in nurse kindly said that they "would at least check me since I'm here", I informed her that "oh no, I am NOT going home" (Tyler's impression of me saying this incorporates 'snapping a Z' and a little neck action for effect). She said that if there aren't enough nurses on that we would have to go home. "Nope, I'm staying here tonight". End of story.

Next fiasco was related to the H1N1 issue. When we arrived at the hospital, we saw several patients wandering around with protective masks on, and Ty declared that he would be having his photo taken with a mask on- just for fun. Well, at the check-in desk, they had a box of masks available, so Tyler was about to take advantage when the nurse said very urgently, "do you have a cold?!" Ty explained that he did not have a cold and was in fact just joking about wanting a mask. The nurse coldly scolded Tyler for joking about such a thing: "this is no place for jokes about that. I've got many people who should be wearing these and are not, so a joke like that is not funny". O-kay then!

We were settled into our room about a half an hour later, and after being checked for dilation learned that I was still barely a 1- same as I was on Tuesday. Already, I was feeling slightly discouraged. The nurse administered the first dose of the softening agent at about 9:00. Ty ended up going home for the night to get some sleep in our own bed, rather than trying to catch some zzz's on the small hard chair in our room. I was able to sleep from about midnight to 1:00 when my second dose came. That's when I learned that I was still only a 1. Imagine my concern. At this point, I began having serious cramps and was unable to sleep. At all. Dose #3 came at 5:00, at which point I was in so much crampage pain that I would have paid the nurse any amount of money to allow me to just throw in the towel. Instead, I tried to move as much as possible on the stability ball, standing, etc. Ty arrived at the hospital around 7:00 AM and was a total lifesaver. He reminded me to breathe through my cramps (which we later learned were contractions) and rubbed my back and tailbone through each one. With all this pain4fr3ed, I was so glad to have him on my team to get through this.

My doctor arrived in our room at 9:05, at which time we had planned to administer pitocin to really get things going. Instead, because I had now progressed to a 3, she decided to break my water to see what would happen. I got back on the stability ball and moved around a lot to move the baby lower into the birthing canal. Low and behold- an hour later, I was almost completely effaced and fully dilated.

They offered me an epidural, and I took advantage. If for no other reason than to get some sleep before I had to begin pushing. This was administered at 10:30. The plan was for me to get some rest for a few hours and begin pushing around 2:30. Ty went downstairs to make some phone calls and I rolled onto my side to fall asleep. At 11:00, the nurse came into my room and asked me to roll onto my other side, because it appeared that the baby's heart rate had dropped and we needed to try to bring it back up. Rolling over didn't do the trick. The nurse (very speedily, may I add) inserted an internal heart rate monitor, which picked up the heart rate immediately- thank God! She called the doctor, who said that she had a C-section scheduled for someone else at noon, so perhaps we could try to get our baby out before that. I called Tyler and told him to hustle back up because it was time to push! After a fiasco with the elevator and some obstacles with H1N1 admission barriers, he finally made it back to the room to find me already in stirrups ready to push. He received instruction and began coaching at 11:20. It was shockingly easy to push even with the epidural, and Ruby was born at 11:47 AM at 8 pounds, 1 oz, 21" long. Her head measured at 141/4" and her chest was 16". A far cry from the expected 6-pound baby we thought we'd be bringing home!

As Dr. Schoel delivered the baby, she did find that the cord was wrapped around Ruby's neck, which is likely the reason that her heart rate had dropped. There were/are no issues as a result of this, though. She's a spunky little girl with lots of dark, curly hair, chunky legs and a great pouty lip.

We instantly fell in love.

Since the delivery, we have received visits from Grandma Therese, Grandma and Grandpa Kaproth, Grandpa Bob and Grandma Susan. "Uncle" Adam also stopped by last night, but unfortunately, visiting hours were over so he was not allowed in. Ty was able to run downstairs to say hello for a short time. Thank you all for visiting us making Ruby's Birth Day special!

Hospital Admission Day

Well at least we know we're getting CLOSE(er)!

Ty just called and he's on his way home to "get ready for the hospital". I asked him what he has to get ready- is he going to do his hair or what?! Who knows. I think the excitement of what's to come is deep in both of us, along with the reality that we'll have a child not too long from now... oh, crap!

I was home from work again today due to my back issue, which I'm not happy about. I'd much rather be working that sitting at the house doing nothing but ruminating about the inevitable.

Tyler and I are planning our last "pre-baby date night" tonight before we head to the hospital. We'll just go out to a nice dinner and enjoy the peace and quiet- something that our household will likely be lacking for oh, the next 18 years or so. After dinner, we'll go to Mercy for our scheduled admission at 7:30. I'm hoping we'll be settled and they begin the procedure prior to 8:00 so we're able to watch Grey's Anatomy!

Below are two photos of projects Ty and I took care of last night.

These dots will be hung on the branches of the tree in

the baby's bedroom. Each dot will have the baby photo of one of our family members as a baby. I have painted the dots to coordinate with the bedding and am working on decopaging the photos onto the dots. Something I should've done a lot time ago...

My, how things change... we now have a bottle drying rack that has made it's home on our counter. Ty washed and dried all of the bottles last night- they're ready and waiting for baby, just like us!

No-Baby Update: The Self-Pity Edition

40 weeks and 4 days, and all we want is the freaking baby to come out!!! "My name is Jill and I feel sorry for myself". I woke up early this morning, unable to get out of bed on my own due to my ferocious back pain. After Tyler helped me, I iced my back and Tyler rubbed it for a while before we were able to get back to sleep for a few hours. As a result, I did not go to work today and instead went back to the chiropractor for an adjustment which helped, but it's still difficult to walk or really do anything standing up. This is so frustrating to me, since I'm not good with just sitting at home doing nothing. If I have to be here, I want to be cleaning and getting ready for baby! This is NOT how I envisioned my last days of pre-baby life. I did anticipate that I'd be shuffling around the house wincing in pain, but I thought the winces would be due to painful contractions; not a bad back. It sucks! Many people have suggested that perhaps this pain in my back is the start of labor (as in, "back labor"). I'm not disregarding this idea, but it seems that if that were the case, I'd have some other symptoms, which I'm not. It's solely back pain. It's odd to think that tonight is the last night that Tyler and I will spend at home~ just the two of us~ without a child. We're so excited for what this new adventure will bring and we will soon find out! For our blog readers who hope to visit us soon after the baby arrives, please note the following new visitor policy that has been established by Mercy Hospital due to H1N1. We ask that you please call before coming to the hospital so we are able to keep somewhat of a schedule of visitors both at the hospital and after we arrive home.

• Visiting hours are 11-8
• You must sign in and be screened prior to coming to our room
• No visitors under the age of 5 will be allowed
• Non-immediate family visitors must be above the age of 16
• Maximum of three visitors per patient at a time
• Visitors must follow strict hand-hygiene procedures; foam in and foam out prior to entering or exiting the hospital room (and prior to holding my baby, darn it!)

Doctor appointment update- 40 weeks and 3 (long) days

Let me begin wtih the positive: I still feel great, pregnancy-wise. I really couldn't have asked for an easier pregnancy and I will be forever grateful to the good Lord for giving me a good, fun 9 months. "And then there's that..." We had another doctor appointment this AM, and my bod still isn't interested in getting this baby out on it's own. I am just barely dilated, but am effaced, but certainly not enough to mean this baby is going to be joining the party in the next couple of days. I will be admitted to the hospital on Thursday night, when they will do a "cervical ripening" to get things started. Friday morning, my doctor will induce labor and she says we should have a baby by late Friday afternoon or evening if everything goes as planned. Because I wanted to avoid induction, I am trying to focus on the positive. My blood pressure is good, the baby's heart rate is good and movement indicates that Baby E is getting proper nutrition and oxygen. When asked why we need to do induction this week, Dr. Schoel said that waiting over a week increases the chances for stillbirth. After hearing that, I say, "game on!" One wrench in the situation occured on Sunday. Trying to get labor going, I did some work outside pulling weeds, cleaning out pots, etc. As soon as I got inside, I knew I had overdone it, and my back has been in excruciating pain ever since. I had an adjustment at the Chiropractor yesterday which helped, and have been applying ice and using Tyler's old stim machine to loosen the muscles. I'm hoping it feels normal by Friday when it's time to push! Until then, it's difficult to be relatively stationary when I'd like to be out walking or doing any physical activity. Again, I'm trying to focus on the positive... Please keep our family in your prayers this week as we are still hoping for labor to begin naturally. If it does not, we pray that God works through the hands of the doctor to give us a somewhat fast delivery without complication. We will keep you posted through this site on any new developments!

Here we are... 10/17!

October 17th has arrived, and no baby yet. I realized that this IS Tyler's child, and therefore, is likely to make a fashionably late entrance into this world.

It's amazing how quickly time flies and moves so slowly at the same time. Nine months ago, today's date was imprinted in our minds as THE most exciting date. Something to really look forward to, and it seemed SO far off. We couldn't wait for it to arrive. Now, looking back, it seems like just yesterday that I took the pregnancy test and ran into our bedroom to share the news with Tyler. I thought today would be a good day to revisit the very first blog entry I made to this site.

How we found out... February 13, 2009- I was convinced that I was NOT pregnant, and therefore saw no reason to take an at-home test. Tyler, on the other hand, knew (his first parental instinct, perhaps?) and bought a pregnancy test for me to take. The morning of February 13th, I woke up in anticipation of the test (I've never been great at tests), and was thrilled to see the result! I crawled back into bed and told Tyler, "Ty... we're pregnant". He rolled over and responded, "What? For real? You're not bullshitting me?!" I wasn't. A miracle has taken place, and we couldn't be more excited! Note: the following day, I took a second test, just to confirm. You can never be too sure.

Eight months and four days later, instead of cuddling our little baby at the hospital, we curled up on the couch to watch some football, hoping that the excitement of the Gopher game and/or the Irish game will be enough to induce labor. We also hoped the incredibly spicy chili I ingested might do the trick. Playing with our favorite little neices didn't even get things rollin!

Oh well. We know it'll be worth the wait...

Doctor appointment update- 39 weeks and 5 days

Bad news, folks: At our appointment this afternoon, we learned that we will NOT be bringing a baby into this world anytime soon. While my due date is this Saturday, the 17th (as in TWO days from now), my bod shows no interest in delivering a child within the next several days. I am not dilated at all, and have not effaced any more than I was two weeks ago. Dr. Schoel had planned to strip the membranes today, but because no dilation has occurred, she was unable to do that. Therefore, there's nothing we can do to get things moving any faster. I will have another appointment on Tuesday morning to check for progression, and if nothing has happened we will schedule an appointment for Thursday to apply a softening agent and then induction for Friday. While this is disappointing news for us, we are still counting our blessings. We want our baby to be born not because I'm uncomfortable, but because we just want our baby! This pregnancy has been a dream; a dream come true but also extremely easy for me. I can't complain that I will be pregnant a little longer than I had hoped because the past nine+ months have been filled with so much joy and excitement; no sickness or pain. We're not giving up yet, though... spicy foods will continue to be ingested and walks will be had. Anything I can do to encourage this baby out will be attempted... even if it's all for not. To be continued...

10/14 has come and gone...

...and no baby. Darn! I was hoping that I'd be spending today cuddling my little gem. Instead, I'm sitting in the home office watching snow fall outside, praying that contractions will begin soon.

We have a doctor appointment today and we look forward to finding out if we're progressing toward a birth day at all. Please say some prayers!!!

I've been doing everything I can to get this "show on the road". Spicy food for lunch, brisk walks, bouncing on my stability ball (which I think Baby thinks means play time, not come out time).

Last night we visited Alivia Eloise Strommer, born on 10/10 to Aaron and Amanda. She is precious with lots of dark hair that screams for a bow, and long skinny legs. She's a good baby and I can't wait for Baby E and Alivia to become close friends like their parents.

Stay tuned for a post- doctor appointment update!

Doctor appointment update- 38 weeks and 5 days

This week's appointment brought some slightly disappointing news... it's unlikely that Baby E will arrive on my so-planned date of 10/14. Shocking.

I am NOT dilated at all, so Dr. Schoel thinks it could be another two weeks. Baby E will not come into the world until at least my due date, but 10/24 at the latest. If no progress happens prior to next Thursday, she will "strip the membranes" to get things going. Right now, the doctor is guessing that the baby weighs a little over 6 lbs.

I still feel good, although this belly is getting HEAVY! Especially at night. It's difficult to get things done around the house with this extra weight hanging off my front end.

Below are some lovely photos that Tyler took of my on Wednesday, 10/7. Check out that belly!

SFHS Baby Shower

My fellow counselors at SFHS hosted a shower for me last week, and many of the ladies I work with were so kind to attend. We enjoyed cake and punch, and they shoewered me with many gifts and lots of love. It has been a ton of fun to be pregnant among these women; they are genuinely excited about the upcoming birth, and now that we are getting closer to my due date, I have begun hearing "oh, you're here today, huh?" on a daily basis. Below are some photos from the shower.

The Final Countdown

Although my official medical due date is 12 days from now, my planned date of arrival for Baby E is just NINE days from today! Again, my plan is to begin having contractions at work on the 14th, then I'll go home to relax (meaning a jacuzzi bath and nap) until about 5:30, when my water will break. We will then go to the hospital where I will deliver around 7:00 PM. Baby and I have been discussing this game plan, so hopefully it all goes well... what do you think?! :-) Please begin sending prayers our way as the birth of our little one nears. Our prayer is that the labor and delivery go smoothly and most importantly, that our little gem is healthy.

The nursery is {almost} ready!

My parents delivered the baby furniture tonight, and we love it. It is even better than we expected, and now it seems that things are really falling into place. My mom and dad put many hours into the furniture to make it perfect for our little one. Check out the photos below!

Tyler's dad and step mom purchased the polka dot baby bedding to set the dot/circle theme for the room, and Tyler's sister painted the tree on the wall. I am going to paint coordinating dots to hang on the branches. Then, I'm going to decopage black and white baby photos of each of our family members on each dot... a family tree!!! Get it?

Doctor appointment update- 37 weeks and 3 days

I had another appointment today, and shockingly, I am now measuring AHEAD of schedule! I'm convinced it was the enchiladas I had for lunch today and has nothing to do with the size of the baby in my belly. I confirmed the hospital admission plan with the doctor for D-day: we just need to call the hospital when I think I think we may be heading in that direction so they can have my room ready when we get there. Then we simply go to the Family Birthing Center, pop out the kid, and we're good to go!

Doctor appointment update- 36 weeks and 6 days

We had another doctor appointment on Friday (we will have them every week now, which means we're getting close to D-Day). There's not a lot to report from the appointment, other than that I measuered between 35 1/2 and 36 weeks, which means I'm about a week smaller than I should be. DARN! The odds of my plan working out for delivering on 10/14 is not looking good. While this was a bit disappointing, we know that it won't be long until we get to meet our little one. My lovely coworkers are hosting a baby shower for me at school on Wednesday, so I'm really looking forward to that! My friend Nicole will also be hosting a friends shower after the baby is born, so that too will be fun and will give some of my far-away friends to meet Baby E. On the homefront... we hope to get the baby furniture next weekend, as my parents are planning to finish it this week. Tyler is a bit more at ease for the birth to take place now that his grass is growing. Yes, he has been having some anxiety that his newly seeded lawn wasn't going to be looking good prior to Birth Day, but no need to worry- it is looking very nice for the arrival of Baby (as if Baby will be able to play in or see the grass). We all have different needs and concerns, right?! Other than that, Baby E has been moving like crazy! It's fun to imagine what he/she is doing in there at times, as it feels like a tornado is going through my belly. Sadly, Baby also has the hiccups at least once a day. The doctor says hiccups don't bother babies, but I still feel sad for him/her every time they occur. Next appointment: Tuesday.

Cousins!

We were able to see Baby Wyatt today and captured the photo of cousins below:

Q: "Are you ready?" A: "Nope."

The question, "are you ready?" seems to be the question most commonly directed toward me these days. It's sort of a confusing question at times, because I oftentimes don't know if people are referring to my physical state or our state of preparedness. I thought I'd take a moment to outline our level of "unreadiness" for you tonight.

Physically, I still (thank God) feel great. While my belly has gone into high-speed these last couple of weeks in terms of growing, that is really still the only symptom of pregnancy I am experiencing. Occasionally I suffer from sore feet and a sore back (which has been a part of my life for over ten years anyway), but there is nothing extraordinary physically that makes me feel like I want this period of my life to be over. As far as I'm concerned, if I still feel half this good on my due date just four weeks from now, I still won't feel the real need to get this baby out! I get funny looks from other moms when I tell them that I usually forget I'm even pregnant, but it's true; I even run into stationary objects with my belly quite frequently by accident, since I feel so "normal".

Now, the preparedness issue. Oh my, where to begin? I guess you could say we are prepared enough to bring a baby into our home and ensure it's safety. We have a car seat (which Tyler installed into our cars tonight- see pics below), blankets, clothing, books, and a roof to put over Baby E's head. However, there is a lot to be done, my friends. We do not have names picked out yet; not for a boy, not for a girl and no middle names. None. It's not that we argue over names at all. We just simply can't find any names that we think are worthy of our little peanut... "to be continued" on that.

My parents are building the nursery furniture, which is nearing completion. It is built, but has yet to be stained, finished, delivered and assembled. It looks great so far, but until it is set up in the nursery, we won't feel "prepared".

The final- and possibly biggest issue we are working on- is that we have a leaky window in our living room that we think may have caused mold to make its way into our home. Therefore, we really hope to get that fixed prior to Baby E's big debut at 2519 153rd Lane NW.

Am I ready physically? No. Are we prepared? No.

But, we have a lot of love to give to our little Baby E in just four- or more- weeks. We are so excited to meet this little person!

Take THAT!

Daddy has discovered a new "game" which mommy doesn't approve of. The other night, Tyler was feeling the baby move, and decided to give it a "zerbert" (or "rasberry kiss"). As soon as he did it, Baby gave a good hard kick out. It was hilarious. So, Tyler did it again. Once again, Baby E gave daddy (and mommy, I guess) a hard kick. I felt bad for allowing daddy to keep buggin Baby, so that was enough of that. Last night, Tyler tricked me. He wanted to "give Baby a kiss goodnight", but instead of kissing my belly, he once again gave a zerbert. Baby gave a full body blow this time in dismay of daddy's actions. NO MORE ZERBERTS, DADDY!

Future Husky

It was a perfect night for high school football, so we decided to catch the second half of the Andover Husky game. As soon as we got there, Baby E began kicking and squirming nonstop until we left the game. Can you blame him/her? The sights, sounds and smells of high school football under the lights... there's nothing like it! Now here's the question: Was Baby wanting to get out onto the field for some PT, or perhaps jump into line with the Dance Team or cheerleaders??? By the way- our local Huskies beat the Osseo Orioles in front of a packed house. Go Huskies!

A message from Baby E...

Baby E says, "Hello to my first BOY cousin, Wyatt Kenneth Kaproth, born on 9-10-09 at 7:07 AM. You're a big boy, weighing in at almost 9 pounds! I can't wait to meet you tonight, but see you for real in about a month. Hey, Wyatt- GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!" Love, Baby E

34 weeks + 3 days

We had doctor appointment today and received the following information:

• I have gained the appropriate amount of weight for my height/frame (even though it's a bit difficult to see that number getting so big on the scale!)
• My blood pressure is good (which is remarkable, since this was the first day of school, which equates to a very hectic day)
• If I should go into labor tonight, there will be no attempts made to stop it (this is the moment that I asked the doctor to re-check my blood pressure)
• Mercy Hospital has an astonishingly low rate for C-section, at only 14% (they pride themselves on this, as the national average is around 30%, which means that the team of doctors at Mercy only do C- sections when it's absolutely necessary for the health and well-being of the baby and/or mother)
• Baby's heart rate was 140 (hmmm.... low again. Does this mean Baby E is a boy?)
• Baby E will likely be a small baby, as he/she is probably only a little over 4 pounds right now and Dr. Schoel thinks it'll be a little one (which has sent Tyler into a slight depression, as he doesn't want his child to be the one always standing in the front row for class photos, etc. Let me remind everyone of our family genes. It's unlikely our child will be a center on the basketball team)
• The amount of Baby E's movement indicates that he/she is good n healthy and getting plenty of oxygen (wish I could say the same for mommy- she's having trouble getting a deep breath due to the large mass that has affixed itself on my lungs)
• Baby E is head-down (which means it has been giving mommy some pretty swift kicks in the ribs which I previously thought must've been it's noggin. Maybe Baby E will be a punter like it's "uncle" Tyson?)

As we count down the minutes to the birth of Baby E's cousin (affectionately known as "BK" (baby Kaproth), it is exciting to think about all of the changes that lie ahead for our family. When I spoke with my brother a few minutes ago, I reminded him that there are only about 9 hours left that the Jeff & Jean Kaproth household is made up of just two people. Next time they go home after tomorrow, they will be toting their new little bundle. Soon, it'll be our turn, and we're so excited, but also a bit nervous.

What the heck are we going to do with this thing when we get it home?!

Daddy's gettin Baby E's toys ready!

Tyler assembled Baby E's bouncy seat today! What a cute little lamby.

Weird? Yep, definitely. Cool? Uh-huh.

This will likely be the oddest posting that will ever find its way onto the Baby Engquist Blog. Weird? You bet. However, this is something that is likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I jumped on it. A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting a web site called Moms Like Me (www.momslikeme.com) and found an offer from a company who is trying to grow and market their services to expecting mothers. Casting Keepsakes does belly casting. Their offer was to come to our house to do a free cast of my baby belly. Mary came and did my casting on Monday night. It was the oddest experience, but I'm hoping it will be a treasure that we will perhaps display and share with our little nugget for years to come. I will post a photo of the cast once we get it back, which should be any day. Mary took it back to her shop so she could sand it and apply a hardening agent, which will help make it last forever. It will be returned to us as just a plain white cast, and we will be given paint to add our own touches to it. When we were comtemplating what we should do to it, Tyler came up with a good idea. We are going to paint a Bible verse on it and hang it on the wall in the nursery. We will also probably take the cast with us when we have newborn photos taken- sort of a "before" and "after" kind of deal. So... is it weird? Yep. But we don't care!

He/ She is enrolled!

I had the day off today, so I bit the bullet and registered Baby E to begin school on January 4th, 2010 at Foundation Hill Montessori School (http://www.foundationhill.com/).

This is something that we've been dreading, as the cost of daycare is SO expensive in our area. However, we feel really good about sending our little gem to FH, so even though we may need to skip a few meals to pay tuition, we know it'll be a great fit and Baby E will undoubtedly be a genious in no time!

A little hiccup in the situation

The other night when I was laying in bed, I thought Baby E was repeatedly kicking me in the same place nonstop. Tyler felt it, too, but after a few minutes I realized Baby E wasn't kicking at all... Baby E had the hiccups! This was the first time I felt the little bugger hiccupping, and it was kind of fun. I felt bad though, that I couldn't recommend a sip of water upside down and I certainly wasn't going to try to scare it out of him/her!

Baby Shower Fun!

We had my baby shower today, hosted by Tyler's aunts and cousins. What a great time! Thank you to the readers who attended the event.

Things seem very real now. As Tyler and I were looking at the gifts we received, we realized how soon we'll actually be using those wipes and reading those books to our little one. We're so excited.

This evening we went to Babies R Us and Target to get some of the biggest necessities that we'll need when Baby E arrives. We picked up the car seat, changing table cushion, and Tyler's favorite... his manly diaper bag. Below are a few photos from our shopping trip.

Tyler LOVES his new man {diaper} bag!

Loading the goods in the trunk. Shopping trips look a little different these days...

A photo from my baby shoewr- Baby K and Baby E getting to know each other

- by the way, if any of the shower-goers have some photos from the party, please send them to me electronically! jill_engquist@yahoo.com. Thanks!-

Wierd malformations of my belly

I read about this in a few books, but never realized it until last night... Apparently when you are pregnant, your ab muscles separate to allow for the baby bump to make itself at home. Well, last night I was laying on my bed and had my shirt pulled up so I could watch Baby E moving. I sat up using (what's left of) my ab muscles and saw my belly take on this freakish pyramid shape. It was astounding! Because my abs are separated, a point actually forms in the middle when my tummy is flexed. Odd, the things that happen when one is preggers!

Girl or Boy? Tough call.

Over the course of this weekend, I randomly had four individuals tell me the sex of Baby E. Our niece, Erin, unsolicited, pointed to my belly and said, "there's a baby girl in there!" After confirming with Erin that she indeed said that she thinks Baby E is a girl, I decided to check with little Brita. Brita also said that I will be having a girl. Today at Tyler's baseball game, his Grandma Carol said that she thinks based on the way I'm carrying (out in front), Baby E is definitely a boy. Uncle Skip was standing with us when she shared her well-practiced knowledge (after having four of each kind of baby), and he too said that he thinks it's a boy (he's got three boys). Oh, who knows??? Only 7-12 weeks until we find out for sure!

Doctor appointment update- 30 weeks and 2 days

We had another doctor appointment this week, and reality has officially set in: the nurse reminded us that in 8 (very short) weeks, we could have a perfectly healthy baby in our possession. EIGHT WEEKS?!!?!!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

SO much to do:

- name

- crib

- paint the nursery

- school

- baby proofing

- unthinkables

I need to start nesting.

Today's appointment was a busy one. I had my blood glucose screening to rule out gestational diabetes (which I passed, thank God!). Below is a photo of me preparing to enjoy my orange-flavored sugar drink. I thought it was going to taste disgusting (the taste of Airborne is what I expected), but it tasted a lot like McDonald's orange drink that you get for free at sports functions and other large gatherings. Not bad. Bottom's up!

After downing my 6 oz, we met with the doctor, who declared that I am right on track for everything- weight, growth, etc. I am measuring right at 30-31 weeks. She reminded me that exercise is important throughout pregnancy so that I have the stamina to push this baby out quickly. As not only my doctor, but also a new mom, she said it's difficult to push every 1 to 3 minutes for 2 to 3 hours. I kindly let her know that I plan to get the baby out in 30 minutes or less. Nevertheless, because I haven't been very diligent about my exercise routine lately, this is something I needed to hear. I do need to get my butt moving a little more. I'm now researching pregnancy yoga and possibly pregnancy water aerobics. It'll be a good way to meet other expecting mommas in my neighborhood, too. Maybe I'll see them at the Momma and Me yoga classes at the Y!

After meeting with the doctor, we had to go to the waiting room while the sugar drink worked it's magic, before having my blood drawn to get the results. Below, you can see how nervous I was- not only for the blood draw (my veins are never very needle-friendly), but also to learn of the result.

After the lab tech told me my result was good, I took a deep sigh of relief, but then remembered what was about to happen next: the Rh- shot.

Because my blood is Rh negative, I am required to have a shot during each pregnancy and again after delivery. This shot is given in the butt, and it stung! Not like a shot stings, but a shot sting PLUS burning of the medicine as it was going in. Tyler kindly documented the whole process on camera, and afterward, stated, "you did well, Jill". He is no longer invited to appointments.

After the shot, I was free to leave. I expected to get a sucker or something for enduring so many pokes and sticks today, but nothing. Good thing I had a granola bar in my purse.

Next appointment: September 10.

WARNING: Big, naked belly photos below!!!

Some of our followers may not know that 10 weeks ago, Tyler and I started a video of my changing belly. Each week, I put on the same outfit and stand in front of the same empty wall in our house and do a 360 degree turn in front of the video camera so we can have documentation of how much my belly grows each week.

Last night, after we wrapped our 30-week film, we realized that we haven't been very good about taking still shots of me and my belly, so we decided now was as good a time as any.

WARNING:

Content may not be suitable for some audiences. Use discretion if huge bellies gross you out!

Baby E with friends and fam

Baby E has already spent some time with some very special other babies (who are not yet born), and who will without a doubt be some of his or her best friends. Baby Strommer (son or daughter of Aaron and Amanda Strommer) will arrive in early October. They live in Hugo, MN, which is about 30 minutes from Andover, so hopefully Baby E and Baby S will get some good play time together while their mommies are home on maternity leave! Baby Simon (son or daughter of Brian and Emily Simon) is expected to arrive on 1.1.10! Although the Simon family lives far away in Albany, Baby E will definitely get to know and love Baby Simon. Baby E with Daddy at auntie Nicole's wedding (7.25.09).

Baby E with cousin Baby Kaproth, to be born in early September, 2009. Though Baby K lives in Cloquet, we are so excited that these two little first cousins will be so close in age and will grow up "together"!!!

Lets make things interesting...

If you are interested in participating in a wager for the upcoming birth of Baby E, please email me at jileng@stfrancis.k12.mn.us. I will email you the rules and registration form!

Are we "those people"???

We have found that the shock of preparing to welcome a newcomer into the family is ongoing. With everything one must consider in the nine months leading up to that little 7-10 pound bundle of joy coming home (choosing a name (or two, if you don't know if it's a boy or a girl), finding a school, preparing the nursery, deciding on all of the "extra stuff"), it is a daunting task that takes a whole lot of time and energy . Yesterday, Tyler and I spent the better part of our evening finalizing our gift registries. When we got to Babies R Us, Ty pulled into a parking place with a sign, "parking for expectant mothers only". I instantly said, "What are you doing?! We don't need to park here! I'm not like "one of them"!" He insisted that, yes indeed, I AM "one of them". We proceeded to get out of the car and began walking into the store, when "one of them" got out of HER car (more appropriately parked in the expectant mothers space). Ty and I looked at each other and began laughing as we both realized that while I AM 6 1/2 months pregnant, I am NOT ready to pop, I do NOT have a belly so big that my shirt doesn't come even close to covering it in it's entirety, and I do NOT (yet) waddle when I walk. Still, this IS really happening, and my day too will come.

Baby E is on the move!

While we are happy to be home, the Engquist Family had a great time in Europe. Thankfully, Baby E didn't hold momma up at all- I was able to truck along with everyone else (minus, of course, staying out at the bars drinking German bier until early morning hours). Below are photos from our climb to the top of St. Stephen's Cathedral in downtown Vienna. 394 steps in a dark, narrow stone stairwell was nothin for us!

Baby E is moving and shaking ALL THE TIME! I'm trying to figure out if this baby ever sleeps! It's been a lot of fun to feel all the movement, but now it's amazing to watch the movement in my belly, too. It provided great entertainment on our plane ride home on Monday!

We received a call that our latest ultrasound looked good and there are no concerns about the health of Baby E. That's what we like to hear. Our next appointment is on August 10th, when I will have the glucose test and my RH shot.

Ultrasound results- round 3

We had another doctor appointment and ultrasound yesterday...

First, we met with the doctor. This was the last time I'll have a substitute doctor, as mine is on maternity leave through July. I look forward to seeing her again in August! Nonetheless, everything was good; heartbeat was strong at 145 bpm and measured right on track.

Next, we had to go to the hospital for our ultrasound. This was a little different; apprently there was a scheduling error for the radiologists at the clinic, so we were booted over to Mercy. We ended up waiting over a half hour past our scheduled time for our ultrasound, so when the radiology tech came to get us, she generously gave us two free meal tickets for the hospital cafeteria. Knowing how delicious hospital food typicllay is, we can't wait to use those!

This tech was very nice, but was a bit stingy on giving us photo printouts- we only got THREE, and they weren't all that great!

Baby E was very stubborn again, and wouldn't give us a nice shot of it's facial profile. The radiology tech feels like she got a good enough shot to ensure that everything looks good, but still, I was really hoping for the "money shot". Oh well.

Below are a few photos: #1 is the best printout of Baby's profile that we got;

#2 and #3 are Baby waving to us. It was pretty funny because it actually looked like Baby was waving to us!

#4 is mommy watching Baby move on the ultrasound screen.

It was fun to be able to see baby moving. Because I can feel it so distinctly, it was neat to see which of Baby's body part it was that was moving. At one point, Baby was punching me. Brat.

Current Happenings in the pre-life of Baby E

Baby has been moving nonstop lately. We learned in a recent pregnancy class that the times at which the baby moves the most is when we can expect to be feeding. You can expect to see blog entries at 11:00 PM, 3:00 AM and 7:30 AM beginning mid-October... We have another ultrasound tomorrow, and we're so excited to see Baby again! I hope Baby is on the move, but I also hope it stays still long enough to get a good photo of it's profile. Tyler and I have been working on our baby registries. Because we'll be on vacation next week, and the remainder of July is pretty booked after we get home, we are trying to cross things off of our to-do list. One of the biggest issues we are facing is still with choosing a school for our little one. We were temporarily hopeful that the St. Francis School District was going to offer childcare for employees, but I received a letter today that stated that that is no longer a possibility for next year. So... back to the drawing board. We are now examining both in-home daycares and childcare centers. I still really like what I saw at both the Montessori and Kindercare, which are both just a few miles from home, so they will provide a good comparison for when we do more pop-in visits. Another hurdle that we've been dealing with is choosing the perfect name for Baby E. I am happy to report that we have narrowed our list. Somewhat. We probably will not have definite for-sure names picked out before the baby is born, but I'd be more at ease if we had just a couple for each gender. We'll get there.

Baby bump

I haven't taken any photos yet of my emerging baby belly, so I thought it's probably time to start that... Some days I appear to be bigger than others, but I do seem to be in an "in-between" stage- most of the maternity clothes I have are too big, but I haven't been able to zip up my own pants for quite some time... thank goodness for sundreses!

Ultrasound results

The doctor called on Friday to confirm that the ultrasound looked fine- no concerns at all. We are planning to have one more ultrasound, however, on July 2nd to try to get the photo of baby's profile. I also have my normal 24-week appointment that day. Baby is still kicking like a soccer player. We'll need to set him/her straight on that (wrong kind of futbol/ football).

"Wassup, Mom & Dad?! Wham! I'm here!"

So yesterday Tyler and I were sitting on the couch at home. I was reviewing some resumes, Ty was watching Sportscenter- nothing out of the ordinary. Baby E began moving and I casually mentioned it to Tyler, when all of a sudden, WHAM! The baby kicked so hard that we actually SAW it! We find it quite amazing that at only about 13 oz, there could be enough force behind a kick already for it to be so visible. Of course, after that kick, we were waiting for another one, so Ty and I were both staring at my belly waiting for it. The tough part is that I was wearing a dress with skinny horizontal stripes, and we were staring for so long that we started getting dizzy! Not another kick like that was had for the rest of the night, but it was fun to be able to see it together!

Baby E: Stubborn, just like daddy

Our appointment yesterday went well. The baby is measuring to be the appropriate size for 20 weeks, 3 days, and all of the anatomy and other "scientific stuff" looked great. We were able to see the four chambers of the heart, the three ventricles in the umbilical cord, both sides of the brain, ten fingers, ten toes and a big 4.5 cm head. Baby E appears to be strong and healthy, as well as active (in fact he/she must know I'm writing about him/her right now, cuz it just gave me a couple of swift kicks, as if to say "hello"). The down side to yesterday's appointment: Baby E is stubborn! Even after a discussion I had with baby on the way to our appointment about needing to cooperate, baby refused to show his/her face. Because of this, we will have another ultrasound in four weeks- simply to get the "money shot". The ultrasound tech said everything appears to be fine physically, but she'd write up an order to have another appointment so we can try to see baby's face. Hey- as long as it's covered by insurance, we'll take any chance we get to see our little one! I will post the photos we do have of baby as soon as I get them onto my computer. I didn't really feel the need to rush out and do it right away this time, since really none of the photos were brag-book worthy.

Another photo op

We have our second ultrasound tonight, and we're so excited to see our baby again! Because we are at 20 weeks, we have the chance to find out what kind of a baby this is- boy or girl. I've been trying to talk Tyler into agreeing to find out, but... no luck. Unless Baby E is in a position that makes it ridiculously obvious, we will not be finding out. Tyler hopes the baby is giving us the finger... then he'll know it's his. :-) I will be sure to post updated photos of our little one as soon as I can!

Everything we ever needed to know and more

On Saturday, Tyler and I attended our Birth and Parenting class at the hospital. It was a full-day deal from 9-5, where we learned everything we need to know about the birthing process. Cleansing breath ~ He He He Who He He He Who He He He Who ~ Cleansing breath It was good to see the actual rooms at Mercy so we know what to expect, and we also got a lot of answers to the "what ifs". Along with quite a bit of general knowledge of giving birth, we had to consider many options. We decided that it would probably not be in Tyler's best interest to be right in my face telling me what a great job I'm doing during delivery; we learned to try to stay home until contractions are 5 minutes apart; and we learned to never wake a sleeping baby (uh, no kidding- we plan to take full advantage of getting our own sleep when the baby is zonked). To epidural or not; that is the question. Prior to this weekend, I thought I would absolutely get one (if I am able to after the doctors get a better look at my x-rays from my back injury), but now I'm not so sure. I may try to tough it out. I have a lot to consider, and hope I make a final decision prior to D-day!

"Hello, I am your baby, and I do acrobatics!"

Oh my word. The moving and the kicking has started and doesn't stop! Prior to this past weekend, I have occasionally felt the baby move (I believe we call them "flutters"), but it wasn't until Friday that I actually felt real movement and what I believe are kicks in my tummy. I emailed Ty on Friday and told him, "the baby is dancing". He was quick to respond, "No, the baby is doing plyometrics". Whatever we call it, there is very active movement taking place, which is fun- until around 10:00 PM on a school night when I really need my rest... Last night (Sunday), I went to bed around 9:30 and was watching TV for a little while, but there was no hope of falling asleep anytime soon, as the baby was moving so much. I adjusted my position a few times, but nothing helped. Around 10:30, Tyler got home from baseball, so I went downstairs to talk with him for a little while and tried to sort of bounce and rock, hoping the baby would fall asleep, like a good little child should do at night. Finally, around 11:30, I think the little beaner fell asleep, and so did mommy. I hope the acrobatics calm down before the baby gets TOO big, or I will not have another restful night for the remainder of my life!

Baby E = World Traveler!

We are attempting to bring Baby E into this world as a natural-born explorer! At the ripe age of 20 weeks B.B (before birth), Baby has already traveled cross-country to Anchorage, Alaska and now Boston, Massachusetts, and has not held mommy up too much! While we were in Alaska, I was early in my first trimester, so I was dealing with extreme fatigue. Other than needing a nap in a very fierce way each day, the pregnancy was not causing me to be sick or put a damper on fun in any way. In Boston, while I did try to take advantage of a daily nap (probably due more to walking many miles while sightseeing each day), I felt energized and great the entire time- plane ride out to plane ride home! Baby E is primed and ready to go... Austria, here we come (July 6-July 14)! If we plan to take the baby with us when we go to Hawaii next April, I will have no reservations about taking the baby on a plane- after all, he/she is already racking up frequent flyer miles! Note: I am NOT naive. Ask me again in 11 months if we are going to take a newborn with us to Hawaii. Ha!

The "Nothing" update

I don't have much news to report! As they say, "No news is good news", so I guess this is a good thing in my situation. Baby E will be taking its first flight on Friday morning, when we meet daddy in Boston for a long weekend. I am really looking forward to it, though I hope I do okay with all of the walking that one must do to really appreciate Boston. As of late, my back and feet have been hurting. I hope to be a trooper though! Perhaps the reason I've had these aches and pains is due to my waistline. You see, it has simply become nonexistent. I truly appreciate the comfort I have found in maternity pants; in fact, I may never go back to regular jeans! After a regular waistband poking into my "baby bump" for so long, the joy I find in the stretchy waist on maternity pants is indescribable. We continue to look forward to our 20 week ultrasound on June 2nd and pray that everything looks perfect.

HATERS!!!

While updating the blog, I noticed the results of the due date poll... So, ya'll don't think October 14th is the date, huh?! Baby and I have been having discussions about the importance of arriving on 10/14/09. The plan is for him/her to enter the world around 7:00 PM after a short labor (because, of course, I cannot go into labor until after work at 3:00). This is a good baby- it's gonna listen to it's Mama! HATERS!

Baby E is good at tests!

The GenScreen is a test that checks for abnormalities in the baby, such as Downs Syndrome and Spina Bifida. If this preliminary screening comes back "abnormal", an amniocentisis is done for further testing. Because the outcome of the amnio would make no difference to us in the outcome of our pregnancy, we opted out of the GenScreen entirely. Besides, there are serious risks that happen with amniocentisis, and we don't like risks. We then had the option to have a QuadScreen done at our more recent appointment. Again, this checks for abnormalities such as Downs and Spina Bifida. We decided that we would like to know if we are going to be facing the challenge of raising a child with a disability so that we could get a quick education on it. There is no risk with the QuadScreen- it's administered simply with a blood test, and the follow-up with an abnormal test is a level 2 ultrasound. Though I'm not a fan to providing my blood to the takers, I offered up a couple more vials. I am happy (and a proud parent) to report that Baby E is good at tests, and passed the QuadScreen just fine! Everything appears to be completely normal with Baby E... though it would've been fun to get a 3D ultrasound! No need to worry about raising a child with Down's or SB- from the looks of the ultrasound, finding out about the ADHD is a whole different issue...

Daddy's Been Shoppin!

There is no doubt that this child is going to be a State Farm Baby. See for yourself.

Daddy came home with a State Farm onesie, Good Neighbear and bib.

Hmmm... now that that's done, maybe we can choose some names!

Baby's New Digs

We have been trying to find the perfect bedding for our little one's new dwelling, and it's been pretty difficult to find something we like. We're not really into characters or creatures; not a fan of cutesy stuff either. While I had the perfect idea for a baby nursery (cowboy/girl), I got disgusting looks when I shared my vision with others, including my baby daddy. Ty ended up taking the leap on this one, and went shopping online for baby bedding (probably to avert the crisis of having a bandana valance and cowboy boots hanging on the walls), and we found something that we both agree will suit baby. I found it at landofnod.com, which is a branch of Crate and Barrel (for you expecting parents, this is a great web site with lots of cute, creative kid stuff), but ended up finding it cheaper at babysupermall.com. We will likely accessorize the room with bright-colored circles hanging on the walls and as rugs. As for paint, I plan to paint the bottom half of the room chocolate brown and the top half either ice blue or a VERY pale gray/lavender to match the bedding. I have posted a photo from the web site of the bedding, but do not have a photo available yet of the furniture, as my dad has generously offered to build it for Baby E! We look forward to seeing some progress of that soon (after he finished our new dining set)! I think Junior will look "money", all decked out in his/her new digs!

I Found It!!!

ADDENDUM TO THE POSTING FROM 4/30/09: In a recent posting, I mentioned that I was searching for "positives" about being pregnant during the summer, and I'm happy to report that I FOUND IT! I was at a conference this weekend, and a fellow counselor shared with me that she was very pregnant last summer, so I took advantage. After inquiring about how she survived the months of June, July and August, I learned that there are several advantages:

• Summer provides the opportunity to enjoy summer BBQs guilt-free without having to "suck in" afterward. The baby belly will act as a disguise to the overindulging you've done to yourself.
• Summer clothing tends to be light and airy, allowing one to avoid constricting clothing, instead sporting dresses and such that celebrate the fact that you're sweating like a wool sock suit!
• Swollen ankles are not a woman's best friend, and when one is pregnant, "cankels" are almost inevitable. No matter how closely you monitor your sodium intake, you're likely to lose the separation between your calves and ankles. Summer pregnancy allows you to enjoy sandals; therefore, no matter how fat and swollen your feet are, there is always a plethora of shoe options that will not cut off the circulation in your feet!
• Swimming is typically not a sport that pregnant women are likely to be too excited about for the simple fact that swimming (usually) requires a swimming suit. I've already accepted the fact that I will be purchasing a (gag) "maternity suit" (unless of course I am blessed with a svelte pregnancy bod much like that of Demi Moore on the cover of Vanity Fair, in which case I will be sporting nothing but bikinis all summer), and I learned that there is absolutely no better feeling than to avoid the heat than by stepping into a cool pool to be completely weightless!

Sun + Water + Cool beverage= Perfect summer (who ever said the cool beverage needs to have rum in it?!)

Wiggly lil monster

We had another doctor appointment today, and it went very well. Apparently I am gaining the appropriate amount of weight (even though I claimed that the extra weight was from the roast beef sandwich I devoured for lunch), and she was very happy with the heartbeat, at a strong 152 beats per minute. Once again, it was fun to listen to the heartbeat, however the baby seemed to be very active again, and kept wiggling around while she was trying to listen to the heartbeat! She'd just barely pick up the sound, then we'd hear a big "thunk", and she'd have to move the doppler to find the beat somehwere else. It's as if the child is already being defiant. I think the baby takes after it's father, but I digress... I gave more of my blood today on behalf of this pregnancy, which is always fun, then we scheduled our next ultrasound (at 20 weeks) for June 2nd. Things are going well, so prayers are working! God is good.

Baby E is getting older!

Today marks week 16 for Baby E! We wish we were at week 20 so we can have another ultrasound, but we'll try to be patient. For the next one, we hope to bring the video camera just in case the baby is acting all wild and crazy again. If that's the case, I will post the video on here so you too can see the little monster. I have another doctor appointment on Tuesday. We look forward to hearing the heartbeat again!

Questions Answered

I have learned that there is a common list of questions that people ask when they find out that one is pregnant. While I enjoy talking about our new addition, I thought it might be easy to go ahead and answer these questions blog-style for our far-away friends... Q: "How are you feeling?" A: Great! I have not had a minute of sickness for my entire pregnancy. In fact, I haven't really felt pregnant yet, besides what seems to be a "spare tire" slowing forming around my middle! I feel very lucky to have had it so easy this far. Even more exciting news on this topic: I am able to eat some foods that I've been previously unable to consume! I had heard that this sometimes happens during pregnancy, so I thought I'd try it out. So far, I have had no reactions to bananas, pineapple or canteloupe, as I have previously had problems with. Every morning's a party when I get to have sliced bananas with my cheerios! On the subject of food... Q: "Have you had any cravings?" A: Not really. I do crave fruit, but I think that's just because I have just recently been able to eat it again. I have craved Elvis sandwiches (peanut butter with bananas). In general, I don't have cravings, but when I'm hungry, I am violoently hungry and need to eat N.O.W!!!! Q: "Are you going to find out what you're having?" A: No. I want to; Tyler doesn't. Tyler wins. Fine- I guess "it's one of the few real surprises in life". Whatever. Q: "Do you have names picked out?" A: No. Like most couples, we've had onging lists in our minds forever, but now that this baby thing is a reality, those names have gone out the window. We have some ideas, but as of now, we are not in love with any one name for a boy OR a girl. I guess you could say there are just no names worthy of our little bundle of joy! :-) Just kidding. We'll figure it out... eventually, I hope. Q: "Where are you planning to deliver?" A: Our baby will be born at Mercy Hospital. Q: "How much time are you going to take off work?" A: Because I plan to deliver on October 14th, I will be off 10/15- December. I plan to go back to work after Christmas break. At that point, it is likely that the little one will begin school; the other option (which Tyler is pushing for) is for Tyler to stay home with the baby. Maybe we'll end up doing school just three days a week and have Ty stay home two days a week. Hey... Ty! Wake up! You're dreamin, babe! If anyone gets to stay home, it's ME!!! Other noteworthy items: - We are signed up for several classes through our hospital to prepare for this big ordeal. In fact, Ty has already completed his Expectant Father class, where he learned to never shake a baby. - We do know which bedroom will belong to the baby, but we haven't figured out how we'll decorate it quite yet. - Pregnancy must be contagious. Not only is my neice or nephew Kaproth due just six weeks before our baby (and they're the first two babies on my side of the family), but our close friends, the Strommers, are due 9 days before us! Also, at my school, there are NINE teachers also due next fall between September and November! There are certainly a lot of hormones raging through the halls of SFHS! - Summer pregnancy. Two words that should never be in the same sentence. While I am dreading not being able to go boating or have a cocktail around a bonfire this summer, I am also concerned about the general heat factor. I'm generally a person who enjoys warmth over cold, but really?! Sitting at baseball games or attending fairs and festivals while toting around an extra 20 pounds!? Yuck. I am trying to look on the bright side... and I'll get back to you when I figure out what the "bright side" of summer pregnancy is. Stay tuned for more updates... I suspect I will soon be posting some photos!

Is that... do I have... what did I eat?

I was warned, I'll admit it. But the first time you feel that feeling as an expectant mom, you must stop yourself and wonder: What did I eat... Do I have a little bit of... Do I need to... Maybe it's just... Hmmm... Ah. Yes. It's the "butterfly movements". A small feeling of movement in the tummy; hardly detectable, but there nonetheless. I've experienced this just a few times so far, and each time I must stop what I'm doing and run through this list of questions in my mind, only to come to the conclusion that though they're hardly detectable, the feeling is incredibly wonderful.

Are we REALLY ready for this?!?!

Yesterday (Sunday) Tyler and I set out to find some ideas for decorating the baby's room. Because we're not finding out the sex of the baby, it must be something gender-neutral, but we don't want anything too "cutesy", either. We're thinking something loud and colorful. We stopped at Babies R Us, and while walking to the baby bedding, decided to stop and check out car seats. We found one that we wanted to take a closer look at, so I attempted to remove the seat from it's "cradle" (the part that gets buckled onto the seat). I lifted the lever, but couldn't get it to budge, so Tyler tried. Picture this, if you will: Tyler yanked on it, wiggled it and tried different strategies to get the darned thing apart, but no luck. He then took the entire contraption off the shelf onto the floor, and bent over (his drawers haning out of his pants), and proceeded to push, pull, kick, hit and curse the seat, trying to remove it from it's base. Still, nothing. I'm laughing hysterically, to the point of tears, as people are coming out of nowhere to find out what the commotion is... Finally, Tyler lifted it off the ground and sort of dropped/ threw it onto the floor. The base finally fell off. We were then asked to leave the store. Lesson learned: If we MUST remove the baby from the carseat, we WILL run the risk of being reported for child abuse. Are we REALLY ready for this??? Note: the part about being asked to leave the store is a fallicy, but with Tyler being so beligerant toward the car seat, it would not have been a shocker!

Finding a school (daycare) will be an education!

Ugh. I had the day off work today, so I took some time to make impromptu visits to some local daycare centers. Baby E will be starting daycare in January (if all goes well), and from what we've been told (by friends and even the providers I met with today), it is NOT too early to begin our search if we want our little one to get into a good school! My first stop was at a Montessori school, which of course, I love... but the tuition is approximately one arm, two legs and our entire life savings, per month. My second stop was a less-expensive center that smelled like poo (seriously- the whole place smelled like it; not just the infant room). I can't subject my little one to that every day. My third stop was at a center that was CLOSED today! WHAT?!?!? It's not a holiday! Fourth- a church, but they only take potty-trained kiddos (as much as I'd like to think so, I don't think Junior will be THAT advanced.) Lastly, I stopped at a place that looks very nice from the outside, but I rang the security bell several times, but no one came to let me in, and I saw no movement inside. I think this was probably because it was around the noon hour though, so I will be paying another visit there this afternoon. The search continues, folks! It is important to us that Baby E attend a school that will indeed provide an education (baby sign language and sensory exploration right from the start, then Spanish and academic skills later on). After all, we want to foster our little one's undoubted giftedness! :-)

Doctor's good news

April 8, 2009- Dr. Shoel called to tell me she had looked at the ultrasound photos and that "the baby is so cute! It's going to have a cute little nose!" More importantly, she said that everything looks great- the baby is healthy, and the fact that baby was flipping and jumping means that the baby is well-nourished. That made me feel good, as I've been concerned about all of my food allergies having a negative impact on the baby. Everything appears to be good, and the due date is still 10/17/09- just 6 weeks after baby Kaproth, 11 days after baby Strommer and a few weeks before baby Hauge! Baby E will definitely have lots of good friends the same age!

Baby's First Photos

April 8, 2009- We had our first OB appointment and ultrasound, and it was amazing! First, we heard the baby's heartbeat on the doppler. I was freaking out momentarily when it took the doctor about 90 seconds to find the heartbeat (even after she volunteered that it would take a moment to find it), but once she located little baby's heartbeat, we couldn't get enough of it! After by OB appointment, we went to get our first ultrasound- the first of many photos of Baby E, I'm sure! We were shocked at what we saw. We have a jumper! Baby was jumping, spinning, flipping and boinging all over the place! It would extend it's legs as if to "push off", then flail it's arms in the air and flip. Unbelievable. At that moment, we knew we have an athlete on our hands. It was so much fun to watch baby moving around so much, putting on a show for mommy and daddy. The lady doing our ultrasound was having a good time, too. In fact, she gave us an extended "viewing", since baby was so active. When we left, she said, "I hope I get you guys again at your 20 week ultrasound, because I know this is going to be a fun baby to watch". Mommy just hopes baby calms down slightly by the time movements can be felt! What a crazy little monster!

Sharing our news

Besides myself and Tyler, the first person to find out the news: the bridesmaid dress consultant at the Wedding Shoppe in St. Paul! I HAD to order my bridesmaid dress for Nicole's wedding the same day we found out we were expecting, so it was imperative that I shared this information with the gal who was helping me, since it's inevitable that I will be the size of a house at the end of July, when I'm blessed to be a part of Nicole's day. The lady was very kind, and assisted me in choosing a larger size dress, and also encouraged me to order extra (enter deep sigh here) FABRIC PANELS for my dress. Nonetheless, I'm sure baby and I will look dashing on July 25th (but not better than the bride, of course). The next day, Ty and I stopped at Borders Books to pick up a baby names book. A complete stranger who happened to be shopping in the same aise (for a book on obstinent children, I believe) felt it was her business to ask us if we are expecting. This led to a conversation between Tyler and this strange woman about baby names, due dates, etc. 1st to find out: Jill 2nd to find out: Ty 3rd to find out: Bridesmaid Dress Lady 4th to find out: Strange lady at bookstore Tyler and I had no choice but to share our news with our good friends Tyson and Janell when we visited them in Alaska in early March. After all, 10 days with friends and no cocktails for Jill would be a bit out-of-the-ordinary, so they would've figured it out, anyway. It was fun to share our news with them, and we are lucky to have friends who share in our excitement. The week of March 29 was the week of sharing our news with most everyone- we got to tell our parents, siblings and many of our closest friends. Tears were shed and stories were shared, but most of all, we were reminded that our baby will be brought into this world surrounded by so many wonderful people who love and care for it (along with a strange lady in Coon Rapids who knows most everything about us). God is good!

How we found out...

February 13, 2009- I was convinced that I was NOT pregnant, and therefore saw no reason to take an at-home test. Tyler, on the other hand, knew (his first parental instinct, perhaps?) and bought a pregnancy test for me to take. The morning of February 13th, I woke up in anticipation of the test (I've never been great at tests), and was thrilled to see the result! I crawled back into bed and told Tyler, "Ty... we're pregnant". He rolled over and responded, "What? For real? You're not bullshitting me?!" I wasn't. A miracle has taken place, and we couldn't be more excited! Note: the following day, I took a second test, just to confirm. You can never be too sure.