Monday, December 27, 2010

Who Knew? Week 22?

The weeks keep accumulating just like the snow did this weekend. We hope you all had a very safe and Merry Christmas! We sure did and feel blessed to enjoy such a splendid holiday with our loved ones. We're at Week 22 - Baby Ames is the size of a spaghetti squash. I'd never heard of a spaghetti squash until today so the baby is already teaching me new things. 

This week the baby settles into a sleeping pattern where he/she snoozes about 12 to 14 hours a day. I can definitely tell when the baby is up and moving! And right now the little squash is a movin'. 

The baby's face is fully formed too - I wish we could see what he/she looks like! I know it sounds crazy but even by the ultrasound we had last week, I'm convinced the baby looks like Daddy. I guess we'll find out more in just a few months!

We're coming upon 2011 and there's so much to be done in the new year. This next month we are going to get the nursery ready for Baby Ames' arrival. I've been VERY excited for this part of the pregnancy. We have the bulk of the furniture picked out, just a matter of going and getting it! I purchased the bedding and a few accessories last week so we can pick out our paint color for the room. I'm anxious to start packing the baby's dresser with the many cute onesies we've received as gifts. 

I am convinced Shakespeare either is in denial about the baby on the way or maybe just doesn't know that there will soon be a baby brother or sister to look after. He hasn't changed at all - still wants to be by Kurt at all times.

Kurt and I have a big week of football to look forward to - Iowa Hawkeyes vs Missouri Tigers tomorrow night and the Chicago Bears vs Greenbay Packers on Sunday. We have a few Packers fans in the family so we definitely need to win to ensure no taunting. 

We're looking forward to an amazing 2011 but before we look ahead we'd like to thank each and everyone of you for your contributions to making 2010 so great! We are lucky to have you in our lives and relish in all the fantastic memories of this past year. 

Cheers to all of you - And may the best be with us in 2011.

Love,
Tonya + Kurt



Monday, December 20, 2010

Allow Myself To Introduce Myself...

Ok, so I know the curiosity has been killing you as to whom would be the guest writer.....it's me, Dad.  I know everybody is excited now!!  But not as excited as Tonya and me - we had our 21 week visit today and everything is going according to plan.  Well, for the most part.  It seems that our doctor's office had us scheduled for a doctor's visit at 11:30 today but failed to tell us ultrasound was at 10:30am!!!  So we missed the ultrasound. Of course, Tonya's and Baby Ames' health are very important but I was very anxious to watch my son or daughter for an hour!

Long story short, they finally squeezed us in to do the ultrasound as well as the check on Tonya and the baby.  There were several "things" that I had no clue as to what they were, but there were several things that grabbed my attention.  One being the heart beat, it's such a good feeling to see that little thing working like crazy!  Then there is the brain, which we were able to view today.  I already know he/she is going to be smarter than me (in time).  Of course after he/she spends some quality time with Dad and Mom.  

A face that has features already - a mouth opening and closing....I wondered, How does he/she handle swallowing fluid, mom's food, etc so naturally?  There were bones, the spine, legs, a foot, arms and hands that Baby Ames likes to have around the mouth area....again I wondered, is the baby sucking a thumb, shy, active or just getting ready to celebrate by throwing his/her arms in the air after the Bears score tonight?  

Never the less, I'm full of thoughts and anticipation while waiting to meet my son or daughter.  I know if some of my friends read this - they would be shocked!  If you can't tell, we feel very fortunate to have things go as smoothly as they have.  I'm sure a lot of expecting parents get to hear what we continue to hear, "things look good and on schedule" but we truly feel blessed at this point in the pregnancy.  

We are excited to share some new photos of the little one this week with the Lazar's.  I'm excited to spend time with my in-laws but also happy knowing that I'm working on extending the Ames name and evening the playing field (Kurt & son/daughter vs Tonya & the best mother-in-law).

Safe travels to all and happy holidays! 

Love, 
Kurt

Monday, December 13, 2010

We've Gone Bananas For Our Banana!

It's officially "half-time" of our pregnancy. We are at Week 20 and a full-term is 40 weeks. Kurt's giving the baby a pep-talk, getting him/her geared up for the second half. Wow, the time has really flown! I cannot believe we've already reached this milestone.


Currently our baby (from head to toe) is the length of a banana, however, I'm convinced he/she is the length of a plantain. We've reached a banana split in regards to what sex the baby will be. Any takers? Should we start the wagers? I am getting 50% girl and 50% boy from friends and colleagues. 


This baby is going bananas, literally - It's quite active. Definitely doesn't like to sit still and the power that he/she has is ridiculous. It's pretty embarrassing being on the train and getting a huge jolt from a leg, I instantly jerk. I'm sure I look ridiculous to those who don't know I'm pregnant. 


Generally at Week 20 you do the big ultrasound however, our doctor is on vacation this week so it's pushed back until next week. Most people find out the sex of the baby at this point in the pregnancy but since we're waiting until delivery, we're in no hurry to see the doctor this week. But we are excited to see how our little nugget has developed since the last time we saw him/her.


Expect a guest writer next week - I'll be taking the week off! Until then, please join us in going bananas for our little banana! 


Lots of love,
Kurt + Tonya

Monday, December 6, 2010

Mango Madness

19 weeks and counting as of today! Just two weeks until we do the big ultrasound, where we get to spend an hour or so peeking in at our baby. We cannot believe how quickly things are moving and feel so blessed that the pregnancy has been fairly smooth. (KNOCK ON WOOD)


Daddy made BLTs for dinner and Baby Ames must really love his cooking bc he was kicking up a storm during dinner! The baby's kicks crack me up - Partially bc they kind of tickle and partially bc this child has some major power for being just 19 weeks old. 


Our little kicker is the size of either an heirloom tomato or mango - Take your pick! Either one is super yummy and enjoyable so you really cannot go wrong.


We've noticed now that we're pregnant, we get up A LOT earlier on the weekends. Which is nice bc we can get our errands and other things done earlier than we used to! Our tree is up, presents are wrapped and we've even enjoyed one viewing of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (so far). We are 95% ready for the holiday! Bring it, Santa!!


We're still Shakespeareless as he's with Grandma and Grandpa Lazar. I'm curious how he'll be when he sees that his mommy has more to her tummy next time we reunite. I've heard that dogs can sense when their mommy is carrying a baby and can actually even hear things that we cannot hear. Who knows if that's true and knowing our dog, he'll go straight for his toys and not even acknowledge that we are in petting distance from him.


Well, no news besides me blabbering! Sorry I wish I had more to talk about but this little bundle of joy doesn't demand too much attention. I am confident that will change a bit in four months!


Have a great week! We love you all!


Kurt + Tonya

Monday, November 29, 2010

Just Kickin' It With Mommy

We're now at 18 weeks and the baby is the size of a sweet potato. How fitting as we've just enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner with our loved ones! Hopefully you were able to share a delicious meal with friends and family, sweet potatoes and all. This week they say the baby can hear things from outside the womb. I'm convinced this baby wants to listen to Christmas tunes so I've made a "Christmas Mix" on my iPod for our "sweet potato" to enjoy through the holidays.


We've hit a milestone as of Saturday! I felt the baby kick - He/she kicked twice on Saturday and then I think he/she elbowed me on Sunday. It's really exciting to feel the baby move. It actually makes me chuckle, I think it's giddiness. I love that the baby is so active right now. I'm convinced this baby is going to be a field goal kicker or a Rockette!


I caught a cold over the weekend and am slowly nursing myself back to health. It's tough that I cannot take any cold medicine so I really can only rely on baths, tea and Tylenol. Which I think is part of what delays the healing process. It didn't help that our furnace was broken when we returned on Saturday from our Thanksgiving travels. Needless to say, I'm home today taking it easy as I don't want to over-do it while carrying our baby.


This week our tree is going up, I'm really looking forward to getting our house in order for Christmas as it's my favorite time of the year. Bring on the fire in the fireplace, the tree sparkling in the window at night and enjoying my favorite movie, It's A Wonderful Life.


There are many exciting things to look forward to as we embark upon December! Hopefully you're enjoying this special time and remembering all things that are merry! 


Cheers to you all - As we raise our glasses of egg nog (mine isn't spiked, but Kurt's is).


Lots of love,
Kurt + Tonya

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thankful for Thanksgiving

I feel like this blog is getting kind of boring bc we really don't have a lot of new news to report. We're at 17 weeks and I feel great (still). In lieu of Thanksgiving, I feel like my stomach is kind of like the little thing that pops out of the turkey when it's done. My stomach has officially popped out, I now feel pregnant. I am still anxiously awaiting to feel the baby kick. They say any day now - but come on Baby Ames! I'm ready for your kick!!


Our "little chicken" is the size of an onion right now! I'll blame my tears on the "onion" not my hormones. I caught myself crying at least twice in the car this weekend listening to music!


I'm really looking forward to the turkey and oh so delicious sides this week! What am I thankful for, you ask? Jeans that have elastic waists! Bring on the food!! In all actuality, there is so much to be thankful for; we are so blessed to have a little miracle growing and developing each day. It's truly a gift. A gift we cannot wait to share with the rest of the world very soon!


We're also thankful to be able to do the things we do - This weekend I was thankful that we got to go to the Hawkeye game in Iowa City. Not everyone gets to do the things that we do, I don't take any of those memories for granted.


Please join us in being thankful for all the things we do and the love we have around us! And regarding the turkey about to be eaten, take a little extra this year - and that's an order!


Lots of love to all,
Kurt + Tonya

Monday, November 15, 2010

Sweet Sixteen

We've reached 16 Weeks today and Baby Ames is the size of an avocado. Phew, we're finally comparing our bambino to something less sweet than fruit! We met with the doctor today and the baby and mommy are VERY healthy. The baby's heartbeat was 145 beats per minute and got to listen to the little heart go pitter patter. 


I've officially succumbed to maternity jeans - I cannot fit into my old jeans, even the ones that were a little big for me when I first got pregnant. As many of you already know, I don't have a butt and wearing maternity pants makes it even worse. I've officially graduated to "mom butt" status. I've gained seven pounds since we've gotten pregnant. The doctor said I'm gaining weight as I should be!


We also have done some further screening on our baby's genetics and everything has come back healthy! Yay! We are heading in the healthy direction, we've hoped for! Thank you, Lord!


Kurt drove me back to work after our doctor's appointment today and as we were turning onto Michigan Avenue, I looked over and recognized someone. I said, "that guy looks a lot like Ryne Sandberg" and Kurt quickly confirmed it was. For those of you who don't know who Ryne Sandberg is, he's a Hall of Fame baseball player for the Chicago Cubs - A hero to many! He played Second Base in the 80's and 90's. If that's not a sign that we're having a 2nd Baseman (professional baseball, of course), we're not sure what is!


We're off to Iowa City this weekend to cheer our Hawkeyes onto a much needed victory! We are looking forward to spending some time with Grandma and Grandpa Lazar!!


It's crazy to believe we're four months pregnant - The time has been quite enjoyable so far. We truly are enjoying a Sweet Sixteen this week!


Thanks everyone for your continued support - We're super lucky to have you in our lives!


With love,
Kurt + Tonya

Monday, November 8, 2010

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana

Baby Ames is officially the size of an orange this week! It's crazy to read how the baby is developing each week. This week, he/she is forming taste buds but apparently cannot taste anything quite yet. What am I tasting you ask - in terms of cravings? I've added fruit to my grocery list. I cannot get enough apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, bananas - oops, I said banana!  


Apparently our baby is moving like a machine but I'm yet to feel it. It could be as early as next week or as late as week 20 until I feel something. I'm looking fwd to the first kick! I hope I'm home when I feel it vs at work so I can share the experience with Kurt.


We're at Week 15 and at brunch yesterday my girlfriend said I'm almost half-way there. GULP! We have SO MUCH to do yet! I woke up tossing and turning last night a little overwhelmed on what we need to do. No pun intended but baby steps, right?


This weekend we have a very fun weekend planned! We have a couple friends in town for the Iowa vs Northwestern Football game! A whole crew of college friends have tickets and will be tailgating. Bring on the tailgate food!! 


Looking forward to yet another great week with my husband, baby and puppy. Life really couldn't be any better right now!


Hope you're all feeling the same way about your loved ones! Speak to you next week.


Lots of love,
Kurt + Tonya

Monday, November 1, 2010

When life gives you lemons, it's a blessing!

So we've made it to Week 14 and Baby Ames is the size of a lemon! I think the bump has finally decided to make his appearance as of this past weekend. There's no hiding it now. I bought my first maternity pair of jeans this weekend, which is exciting (it's the little things in life, right?). 


Baby Ames and Daddy had their first long weekend apart as I spent a long weekend in Wisconsin with Grandma Lazar and Cousin Schyler! We had a girls weekend to remember! We toured Door County, shopped until we dropped, stayed up as late as we could and ate all the candy our stomach would allow - it was a BLAST!


According to my online weekly update on what's going on with my body, our baby is now able to suck his/her thumb in the womb. When we looked at the 3D ultrasound pics from last week, he/she was already sucking his/her thumb! Looks like our little lemon is developing quicker than the average lemon. 


Looking forward to a great week (per usual) and we have lots to celebrate as of tomorrow - NO MORE NEGATIVE POLITICAL ADS.  Hip, hip, hooray!


Lots of love to all,
Tonya + Kurt

Monday, October 25, 2010

Everything Is Just Peachy!

So we went to our 13 week appointment this afternoon and our baby is very healthy - We couldn't be happier!! The baby is the size of a peach this week - He/she is growing like a weed! I was told this week starts the Second Trimester. Where did the time go? It's just crazy!


We had our second ultrasound today. The baby was waving at us! And at one point he/she flipped onto his/her side - Definitely a very active little peach. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat - It was amazing! The heart beat is 154 beats per minute - which is very normal. We really enjoy that word right now, NORMAL. 


We also did a 3D Ultrasound where you can see the true shape of the baby, it's pretty cool. It looked like he/she was sucking his/her thumb and rubbing an eye. Quite the multi-tasker, we have on our hands! 


No new developments in terms of how I look, well I take that back. I think I'm going to go as a teenager for Halloween. I have so many hormonal zits right now, it's crazy! Thank god for concealer, I can hide some of the temporary imperfections on my face. However, I know these are all worth it in the end and I gladly will take these "war wounds" for our end result.


So yes, our little peach is doing peachy and we're happy to report this! 
This week I head up to Wisconsin to spend sometime with Schyler and Grandma Lazar. Should be a fun week/weekend with the girls! 


Have the best week - I am positive we've started ours off with a fantastic bang!


Love to all,
Tonya + Kurt

Monday, October 18, 2010

Happy as a Plum, Er I Mean, Clam

So today the baby is officially the size of a Plum! I've been trying to come up with clever titles all day, I thought of doing something with the game Clue and Professor Plum. Then I thought, "Duh, happy has a plum." Well I guess it's official, I have pregnancy brain! It's happy as a clam! Oops!! Although I hate to admit it, I have always had pregnancy brain since I was little. But now I might as well take advantage of an excuse!


Today is my birthday so we have two reasons to celebrate! I came home to pumpkin cheesecake from the husband and three birthday cards! I opened the first - It was from Shakespeare! The second was a VERY sweet card from Kurt. The third, from our future baby telling me I'm the best mom. Wow! I'm still smiling at the thought!


We truly are happy as a plum AND a clam right now! We're at 12 weeks - We are just about one third of the way through our pregnancy. We are both excited and nervous! In just 24-28 weeks we'll be in charge of another life. It's super thrilling and I am confident from our upbringings that we too will be great parents but it's still a bit nerve-wracking!


Thank you to all for the birthday wishes - I really appreciate the love you've sent my way!


Looking forward to another great week and we hope the same for all of you.


Lots of Love,
Tonya + Kurt

Monday, October 11, 2010

Feels Like Heaven at Week Eleven

So we're at week 11 as of today! It's crazy how quickly the time is passing. In just a couple weeks, we'll be embarking upon the second trimester. Apparently time flies when you're having fun!


Baby Ames is the size of a lime - I'm an expert on the lime as my favorite summer beverage Corona with a lime! However, I really prefer this lime now, this one is a special little lime.


I feel like I have a large amount of energy especially during the week but on the weekends I have been crashing. My friends have told me to not feel guilty napping and relaxing when I can, so I will gladly take their advice. Although I have to say, my weekends have been extremely productive minus the afternoon catnaps. 


I'm getting anxious to get the nursery ready but we're going to wait until after the new year. I think I found a crib though today, which I'm excited about. I've been doing a ton of reading as to what's safe and recommended by the experts. We're dealing with some precious cargo so we want to make sure we're getting what's best for our little one.


 Our next doctors appointment and ultrasound is Monday, October 25th!! We are really looking forward to seeing the baby again! 


Stay tuned for next week - I'll have to come up with a word that rhymes with twelve? That should keep me busy this week!!


Lots of love,
Tonya + Kurt

Monday, October 4, 2010

Salty About Sweets

Last night I came to a realization: I am newly addicted to sugar. I was in bed watching TV, scouring the pantry in my head as to what we had for a treat. We had NOTHING! I started sweating, getting the shakes and immediately I felt uncomfortable. I wasn't sure I'd make it through the night without a sweet treat. I then thought of the baking goods shelf - a light bulb went off inside my head: instant pudding! Furiously whipping up the mix and milk, Kurt walked in the kitchen and caught me! I was ashamed to show the lack of will power I had at that moment. I never liked sweets - I used to prefer a bag of chips not a bag of sugar. I'm blaming all of this on Baby Ames; apparently this little peanut likes his/her sugar! I'll have to perfect my baking skills for birthdays, holidays, sleep-overs and more.


We're at ten weeks today and Baby Ames is the size of a prune. I'm sorry but why do the baby websites have to always equate the size of the baby to something sweet? It's torture for me! 


I'm still feeling great! A bit more hormonal, but even before the baby I would cry at the littlest things - including someone getting kicked of The Apprentice. 


I'm starting to get the "nesting bug." I cleaned out our closet yesterday and it felt amazing. Next week, I'll be focusing on the guest bedroom closet. Speaking of guest bedroom, I'm starting to put together ideas for the nursery! I'll share my ideas once I get a more cohesive plan together!


Also, I know I can be boring so I'm going to have guest writers on here too! Be prepared to read from other view points. And if any of you would like to contribute, please let me know!! The more the merrier, right?


Stay tuned for next week - in the meantime, I'll be enjoying my donuts and cupcakes!

Monday, September 27, 2010

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage...Then Comes Baby in the Baby Carriage

We're officially nine weeks as of today and the baby is the size of a grape! He's growing like a weed!! I'm starting to think the baby is going to be like his daddy. He doesn't really demand a lot of attention, he likes to sleep, and loves a good meal - including dessert.


I'm feeling great - I'm not too terribly tired and I'm eating like a teenage boy! I continue to run to garner energy! The doctor approved three miles - twice a week. Once winter comes, I have a feeling it will be long walks vs runs.


Shakespeare has been on code red alert as the "Big Brother" and continues to stick to me like glue. We think he knows something is up with the new addition to our family. 


We shared the good news with Schyler on Friday night and she thinks we should have a girl. She came up with the name Isabel and it's now added to the list of names to consider! I will be interviewing her come end of October (I'll be visiting her) to see if she's up for the role of babysitter. She will be providing references so beware if I reach out to you (provided that she gives me your name and number).


Both Kurt and I look forward to May 2nd - If not sooner (but not too soon) to meet our little peanut! Stay tuned for more stories throughout our journey!


Lots of love,
Tonya + Kurt