sorry it has been so long

So it has been a while. We have experienced a lot in the past couple of months. Abraham finished his school (we are so proud of him). But it took him away from Lucas and I a lot in the past couple of months, so things were a little more difficult. It was also very busy for both of us at work getting the kids ready for the holiday season. We both felt horrible like we were neglecting Lucas because we had so much going on. I hope that things calm down and we can work on settling into our normal family routine now.

My little man is now a very big 7 months old!!! He is moving around so much and just developing his own little personality. It is so cute! He is a very laid back baby for the most part, like his daddy, but he has little mood swings every once in a while (I have no idea where that comes from =P). I still find myself having a hard time leaving him when I have to go to work, some days are much more difficult than others, I am dreading going back to work after this long break. It is even harder now because he is much more cuddly, so I miss his hugs all day long.

Lucas finds his way around very quickly now, he does not crawl he scoots his body. He does a very fast backwards crawl and has learned to sit up from laying on his belly. His new feat is he has learned to pull himself up on his little walker toy and move his hands from the toy to the room door. I am starting to think that he may not crawl and might just walk, but we will see what happens.

He is also really funny when he eats now. Lucas loves his meal times and he has learned to open his mouth really wide for each bite like a little bird. He really focuses on his food and is not easily distracted unless Gordy is around. We have given him Cheerios and he loves them but does not pick them up and put them in his mouth he has figured out that it is easier to grab my hand and put it to his mouth with the Cheerio on it. He has two little teeth that he eats with.

We had a lot of fun at Christmas. Lucas like opening his gifts and eating the wrapping paper. He got a toy that uses air to pop balls up and he is really intrigued by that toy. He also received a big Leap Frog riding fire truck with a lot of sound and lights that he really likes. He really just enjoys being the center of attention and rolling around with everyone at all of our family gatherings. We have been truly blessed with a very mellow little guy who brings joy not only in our home, but to all of our family. His little smile and laugh brightens our life each and every day!!!

Where has the time gone?!?

Lucas is 5 months already, and I just sit and think about when he was just born. It is crazy that he has been with us for 5 months and I do not remember my life before him!!! The funny part is I don't want to. He has made me so happy and everyday with him has given me a new found appreciation for Abraham also. I still see the two of them together and my heart just melts, and I absolutely KNOW that I am the LUCKIEST girl in the world, to have to guys that I love so much.

Lucas is sitting up all by himself now. He likes to sit and play and laugh with me. His little belly laughs are so adorable, it is something that I could listen to all day long. He has had a couple of little falls backwards, but for the most part he is doing really well. Lucas is also starting to enjoy peek a boo, he will wait for me to pop out from behind a blanket or my hands and just giggle.

He is getting so big and chunky, we will go to the doctor in a couple of weeks, but i think he is pushing 20 lbs. We are hoping to start him on green beans this weekend, since he already eats two large bowls of cereal a day, and seems like he could do more, but I don't want him to learn to over eat. We have been really amazed at how Lucas has turned out because it is not exactly what we expected. He is a very routine kind of baby (and anyone who knows me knows I am so scatter-brained that routine is really not my thing), he even prefers to sleep in his crib (we have tried putting him in the bed with us but he doesn't like it. He even puts himself back to sleep when he wakes up in the middle of the night =) I just don't know where this came from, maybe Abraham because it wasn't me.

Abraham is going for his surgery on Wednesday and I am going to be left to do everything, this

is going to be really hard, but I know it will be better for our family in the long run. ~Valarie

Busy baby

This beginning of the school year has been very busy for our little family. Abe has been doing so much with school and work, and this year has been a little crazy for me at work to. I make it a little harder on myself though because the way that I see it is, if I am going to give up my time with Lucas to be at work I am going to make it count. We have also had a lot of things going on in our personal lives, so the weekends are full too.

This past weekend we went to Leo's birthday party at the pumpkin farm. Lucas was loving it, he was just watching everything that was goi

ng on, it was like he wanted to get down and run around with the other kids. He went on his very

first hay ride and was picking up hay, he also got his very first pumpkin from grandpa Gordy.

Lucas is growing big! He is doing good with his cereal, bu

t we are not sure at point we should move him to twice a d

ay (we will figure it out). I am nerv

ous to give him any other food because it makes me feel like he is growing to fast. He is also loving his bouncy toy, he is already jumping so high. Lucas is sitting in a tripod position, it will be no time at all until he is ready to sit up all by himself. It is funny to watch him when he is on his belly because he is getting his legs under himself and doing giant pushes forward, he just needs to figure out how to get his arms into the right position and he will be ready to crawl. All in all, I just love him so much and I am enjoying watc

hing him grow so big!!! ~Valarie

lovin' life

So my little big man is really getting big. Last thursday we took Lucas to the doctor and he already weighs 17lbs 5oz!!!! and is 24 3/4 inches. We bought him one of those stand up bouncer toys and he loves it, he just bounces and coos and laughs, it is GREAT!

He is starting to develop such an awesome personality. He loves to "talk" to people and is very cheerful in the mornings. Last week was a little har

d because he did not want to sleep, but this week he is sleeping great.

We gave him cereal two weeks ago, the first couple of bites he made the mr. yuck face but then cried b/c I wasnt giving it to him fast enough. He has also really developed his ability to hold his head up when he is laying on his belly.

Lucas has also made me really just LOVE my life!!! If I put my hands in front of him he reaches for me and makes my heart just melt. I'll even admit I already want another one =) Abe says absolutely not. Lucas has been the grea

test thing that has ever happened to me and I would love for this feeling to continue for the rest of my life. ~Valarie

two weeks down

Okay...so Abe and I have been back at work and it has been nuts!!! The first day that I left my little man was soooooooo hard. Even though I knew he was in great hands I couldn't help but feel like I was being a bad mommy by leaving him. I went to work and cried hysterically all morning. We had a staff meeting in the morning and I sat in back crying the whole time, part of the meeting was to introduce ourselves and say what we did over the summer, I couldn't even talk I was crying so hard missing him. It was a little help that there was another mommy sitting right by me feeling the same way (Sandy and I tried to help each other). The next day I only cried a little in the morning and each day got a little better. I was very fortunate because my very good friend, Mayda, watched him for me and she brought him to me at lunch so I could feed him =) (I am loving breastfeeding because I feel like it is bonding time with Lucas that is built in throughout the day). I had another melt down this past tuesday when I went back to work after a 3 day weekend, I had to leave him all over again. I got to work and a lot of my students were having separation issues with their parents which made it a little harder for me, it was cool because Elena brought him to me so I could feed him ( Yes Elena is the one that is watching him now). The rest of the week I did much better.

These past two weeks have afforded me the opportunity to really appreciate my son. Each day I got home and I was absolutely ecstatic to see my baby. It made me even more excited to watch Abe's face glow when he got home and saw Lucas, it made my heart melt. What has been even better about the situation is that each day Lucas shares a moment with me in the morning where he lets out a big belly laugh so I know he is okay.

Lucas is getting so big! He is now able to get his knees under himself, so we know he will be crawling in no time at all. He laughs and smiles all of the time, he is really a happy baby (he hope he stays like that). He also has started sleeping through the night, last night he slept from 8:45 to 6:30 so we have really gotten some good sleep. I am so excited to see him continue to grow and develop. ~ Valarie

missing him

His big brown eyes looking up at me, his little smile stretching from ear to ear, and his silly little laugh is what I am going to miss. I find myself missing my little guy before I'm even gone. The anticipation of having to look at him and say good bye tomorrow morning is absolutely killing me. I can' stop thinking about it and I cry each time because I know how much my heart will ache throughout the day when I am not with him.

It has come so quickly

I am so sad, so much so that I actually cried myself to sleep the other night. I tear up each time I think about it, I am so scared. In a few days I am going to have to leave the love of my life to go back to work. This transition has gotten even worse because the lady that we had set to care for Lucas called on Saturday and told us that she is not going to be able to watch him. I was so crushed. I was really excited for her to watch him. She speaks Spanish and could help encourage Lucas to learn, she lives close enough to my school that I could visit at lunch time (I really was excited about being able to go and feed him and continue the bonding that we have established in these first three months), also he would get to spend a lot of time with his cousin Leo. At this point I just do not know what we are going to do. I want him close to me, but I want him to be in a place that I know he is going to be loved and cared for. This has been so much harder than I could have ever imagined.

The past couple of days I have been helping Abe to set up his classroom and it has hit me even harder because I know that we are going back. The first day that we went we did not accomplish anything because the baby needed us. The second day we decided to leave him with my aunt, we got a lot done but I missed him so much!!! I just wanted to go pick him up so bad. When we got there I woke him up because I wanted to hold him and feed him. Today we took him with us and he slept the majority of the time. In these days I did realize the difference that it is for me compared to Abe. I think this transition back to work is going to be much easier for him because he has had other things going on these past few months with school, my time has been devoted to the baby and now I just have to leave him. I just don't know what I am going to do, I have never felt so lost before... ~Valarie

Gaining control

So our little Lucas is almost 3 1/2 months old and he is growing so fast. In the past couple of weeks his motor skills have really developed. He has learned to grab his foot and put things into his mouth. The other night we video taped him while he was having his tummy time and he was able to get his knees under his body and push forward. Lucas rolls over with no problem now, we have to be careful so he doesn't roll off of anything. He is sleeping longer stretches at night, but he still gets up one time. The one thing that I know we need to do is get him to bed earlier, he has been going to sleep at about 11:30 every night and that is going to be really hard once school starts.

So this weekend we went to Sheboygan for Elena and Angel's wedding. Abe and I went up on friday to just get away for a little while before we have to go back to work. It ended up being a lot of fun. Friday it was gloomy outside so we just hung around the hotel most of the day. On Saturday we had the wedding. Lucas was sooo cranky on Saturday, it made it really difficult to get ready. That day was the first time that I think I got overwhelmed with everything. I felt myself on edge and so was Abe. We were getting snippy with eachother, and I was even getting snippy with people at the wedding. Saturday was the first time that I got so frustrated with people telling me what to do with Lucas and trying to take him from me. I feel like I really try to let the baby go with who ever when we are at functions because I know that everyone wants to hold the baby, but Saturday I knew he was fussy and over tired and just wanted to get some rest. I felt myself trying to protect him, and the only way I knew to do this was to hold him myself. How do you balance, as a mom, encouraging your child to be social and go with anyone and putting your foot down when you feel that they should be with you? I still feel like I am going to need to learn more about this balance.

On Sunday we were all much better and had a great day at the Sheboygan lakefront, which is much better than milwaukee. It was gorgeous and it didn't stink and the dogs loved it.

Well, I'm going to have to continue learning how to create a balanced life for Lucas, while maintaining a balanced life for our whole family. ~Valarie

fun times!

This summer has been one of the best summers I have ever had! I got to spend time learning to be a mommy, learning about my son, and learning more about Abe. Abe and I talked before Lucas was born and we decided that once the baby was born we were going to try and go out and do more. I spent so much of my pregnancy being a hermit, I really didn't see much of anyone (not even my family). Now I feel like I have to make up for lost time, and I am excited to share the world with my little Lucas. I believe that Lucas is making Abe and I better people. I think I used to spend so much time focusing on what other people were doing, and now I just don't care, I just want to be better for Lucas.

Part of being a better person, for me, is to just get out more. This summer we have spent so much time out of the house, it has been great. We have gone to the lake, park, zoo, fairs, clubs, sporting events, my mom's, and my aunt's. I am loving just spending time with friends and family and creating a little group of people for Lucas to be around and count on. I hope that once Abe and I go back to work we are able to continue this type of life for our little family.

I'm excited to go to Sheboygan this weekend to explore the area and celebrate Angel and Elena's wedding!!! ~Valarie (I know I probably don't need to do this anymore b/c Abe doesn't write on here, but it is habit)

starting to move

Aaaa! The past few days when Abe and I have gone into Lucas' bedroom in the morning he is laying on his belly, and when we put him down at night he is on his back. We are starting to see signs that our little guy is going to be a very active boy...I can't wait!!! ~Valarie

Panic

Wow! This mommy thing is so hard. I went into this new role thinking I was going to be so tough, and that I wanted to be laid back and just go with the flow. I am finding that it is so much easier said than done. I feel like I have done a good job of being pretty open with what goes on with Lucas. I know that overall he is a very good baby, he has his moments that he is fussy but it is for a reason, so I know that he will be okay with almost anyone. I guess it helps that we have mainly been around people that I trust very much, and I know that they are only going to do what is best for Lucas. This past weekend was very hard though! It was my aunts bridal shower and bachelorette party. During the bridal shower I was okay, everyone was holding him and he was doing great just being with everyone. But as the day progressed I could feel myself going into panic mode. The thought that I would have to leave him was driving me nuts. Logically I know this was crazy because he was going to be with my mom! He sees my mom and Gordy almost everyday and loves being with them (they talk to him and make him so happy). Abe and I agreed to leave him there that night because that was the only place we felt comfortable leaving him, otherwise one of us would have stayed home. But in my heart I felt horrible leaving him =( When it was finally time to go I had such a melt down and started to cry and I just held him close and did not want to let go. I did end up letting go, and everything was fine, but I cried almost the whole car ride. I made sure to wake up early so I could see him right away. Now I think about having to leave my baby with a sitter and I just know I am going to be a mess the first few days!!! How do all you moms do it? I hope I have the strength! ~Valarie

Lack of Sleep

These past couple of days have been really interesting...Lucas has been kind of a monster when it comes to taking naps. He didn't really nap for 2 days, he only slept at night, but he was over tired and a little fussy. Now today, he fell asleep at 4:30pm and woke up at 9:15pm, ate and went right back to sleep. It is so nuts cause once I think that I am figuring him out, he changes things up (I guess he is trying to keep me on my toes).

I am starting to get more and more nervous about going back to work =( Today I had a conversation with my aunt and I was telling her how am feeling. I so thought I would be excited to go back to work but I'm not, I don't want to leave Lucas. I know that I have it lucky compared to so many women who have to go back after 4 or 6 weeks (I had 3.5 months). I just still know I am going to miss him so much (I know I have probably already written about this, but I just can't help it b/c that is all that is on my mind lately).

On top of being anxious about leaving him, I am worried that his sleep pattern, or lack of one, will be an issue once I go back to work. Right now it is not that big of a deal b/c I can sleep when he naps, but during the school year that is not possible. I guess I just have to think positive, and hope that everything turns out ok. ~ Valarie

Blessed

I am beginning to realize that God has blessed me in so many ways. Not only do I have a beautiful son, but a man that loves me and takes care of me. Tonight I sat at my mom's house with Aileen and Eileen and all of us were talking. The topic of what is done around the house came up and I realized how much Abraham does for Lucas and I every single day. I could not ask for a better father for my son or a partner to be with me for the rest of my life. I hope that Lucas knows and learns as he gets bigger what a wonderful father he has. Abraham loves both of us soo much and he both shows us and tells us each day, and I am learning that I need to do it much more often in return. I love to see him hold Lucas and just rock him to sleep because I know that he does it with all of the love that he has in his heart. And he is there for me whenever I need him, which is a lot =)

I am so happy to have to have the two best guys in my life ~Valarie

Wide Awake

So it is 11:00pm right now and I am wide awake. I put my little guy to bed in his crib for the first time tonight. I find myself sitting here waiting for him to wake up, rather than trying to rest myself. It is funny to me because before I had Lucas I used to make comments about people who did not put their babies to sleep in their cribs, now I am that person and I completely understand how they feel. I feel like he is so far away and that something might happen and I would never even know (even though his monitor is right next to me). It is kind of sad too because usually he needs to be by me to sleep, I feel like he is getting big already =( What is worse is that Abe is not here, he is playing soccer, so I am here to worry all by myself. Hopefully this will just get easier as time goes on! ~Valarie

little big guy

I look into his big brown eyes and get absolutely lost...My little big guy already has me wrapped around his tiny little finger. I find myself just watching him sleep, hoping that he will wake up so I can see him smile. And I'm starting to get nervous about leaving him once I have to go back to work =(

When we went to the doctor the baby weighed 12lbs. that puts him in the 65%, so he is not growing to be as big as we thought he would be, but the doctor says he is growing well. We did find out he has acid reflux and he has to take medicine, he is doing much better. He is sleeping much better, and is gradually getting a little less fussy.

Bella and Austin have been great with him, they both want to change his diapers and hold him. He really likes when they talk to him. Lucas loves being with my mom, he is so calm with her compared to everyone else and Gordy keeps him entertained =)

I can't wait to see what the rest of this week has in store for our little family ~ Valarie

Summer Love

Wow! I never thought that someone could enter my life and that I would instantly fall head over heals in LOVE with them. I was afraid, before Lucas was born, that I would not be able to bond with him (boy was I wrong). He is here and I find myself happier than I have ever been.

This summer has been GREAT so far! This past week Bella and Austin spent some time with me, Abe and Lucas. It has been wonderful, I didn't really realize how much I missed spending time with them until they were here. We went to the lake front two days to play on the playground and go skating (skate board and scooter). We ate lunch down there too. Both of the kids have been super helpful, they want to help me do everything for Lucas (even change his diapers). They have also spent a lot of time asking to hold him and making him laugh and smile. Both Bella and Austin have been very patient also, they seem to understand that I have to feed the baby and that it takes a long time. We have also played with the hose and water balloons and gone grocery shopping.

On thursday we took Lucas to the zoo for the first time. We went with mom, gordy, bella, and austin. It was fun to just take in the sights, spend time with the family, and show Lucas something he has never seen before (even though he will not remember it).

We can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store! ~ Valarie

Right now I am feeding Lucas, that seems to be what I am always doing these days.   Things have been awesome lately.  I am so in love with my baby boy and could not imagine my life without him.  Abe and I have been relaxing so far this summer, just getting used to be being a mommy and daddy.  We know that we need to start getting some things accomplished around the house but it is so wonderful to spend with our little big guy.  Hopefully soon we can find someone to re-do our bathroom and we can do some of the yard work we have been wanting to accomplish.

Lucas has a doctor appointment in a week, so we will get to see how much he weighs and make sure that everything is okay. (On a side note Lucas is sitting looking up at me and smiling and cooing right now).  he is becoming such a character now.  He definitely lets us know what he wants and loves when we sit and talk to him.

We will check in soon.  ~Valarie

way too happy!

It has been a really long time since we updated the blog and so much has changed for us.  Our little man was born on May 14th at 8:27am, he was 10lbs 5 oz.  The beginning was a little rough because he had jaundice and we had to stay in the hospital a day longer than I would have liked, when we got home we had to put this light machine on him and take him for three days to have blood drawn.  He also lost a lot of weight in the beginning and I had to supplement his feedings with formula.  That was really hard for me because a few people at the hospital made me feel like I was not doing anything right.  The feedings got much better once we got home and could feel comfortable in our own environment.

It has been great having Lucas at home with us.  For the most part he sleeps better than we expected.  He sometimes goes for 5 or 6 hours, but there are nights he is up every hour.  He has just recently (now that he is 6weeks old) started smiling when we talk to him...not just because he has gas.  He also showed us that he does not like tummy time, he rolls over right away.  I love just watching him lay so innocently and I wonder what he will be like as he grows.  I also love to watch Abe sit with him curled in a little ball on his chest.  Abe loves him so much and want to take care of him all of the time, and he wants to take care of me also.  I know I have a wonderful man in my life and having Lucas has just reaffirmed that thought even more.

Lucas attended his very first wedding, Mayda and Jason.  Everyone wanted to hold him and said how cute he is.  The main comment that we get about Lucas is "OMG! look at that hair!"  It is funny because to me his hair is normal.  We stayed at the wedding pretty long and he did a great job.  We did end of leaving because we thought he was getting tired, and so were we.

It has been awesome bringing a new baby into the family and seeing all of the love that everyone has for him.  The kids have even been great with him and been very interested, especially his cousin Leo (who calls him cucas...we think it is adorable).  So many people  have been so willing to help us with the baby, especially my mom and Gordy who took him overnight while I was in the ER with a kidney infection.

I feel like my heart is overflowing with love and happiness for my little man and my big one too =)  ~Valarie

Still waiting...

Well on thursday we had our doctor's appointment and ultrasound. At this point they are estimating that the baby weighs in at 10lbs 13oz, I did ask how accurate that is and they say it could be plus or minus 1lb (we are hoping for minus). So it is looking like I am going to start my maternity leave on wed. because I have enough time built up...that way I can have a little time to relax. We bought a video camera yesterday so we can document our lives from this point forward, we will see how well that goes.

Abe made me breakfast this morning (eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage, and a cheese danish), he also got me beautiful flowers and a card for a mother's day even though the baby is not here yet surprise. The unfortunate part of today is that I spent it in pain. I had a horrible headache that was so bad I felt like I had to vomit and it was making my eyes water. I took a tylenol and tried to sleep it off but that did not work. I called my mom and she told me I had to take 2 tylenols...so I did and went back to sleep. After nearly 12hours of pain I started feeling better.

I am feeling very anxious for the baby to come. I am really excited to find out if it is a boy or a girl and to see if he/she looks like me or Abe. Not to mention that I am ready to be done carrying around all of this weight, it is getting a little unbearable at this point. I guess all we can do is wait. Abe and I have been just sitting and talking a lot lately about how our lives are about to change and how excited we are to begin our family together... ~Valarie

AAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW

Well, I am almost 38 weeks (so much for going in early). The biggest thing that has been going on lately is that I am super exhausted. I feel like all I am doing right now is working and sleeping. I get home and I just can't keep my eyes open, this baby is using up all of my energy. It is kind of hard right now because I am trying to get a lot done at work so that the sub will not have to do it (and do it wrong) and my partner teacher will not get stuck with everything (cause that would suck). I have all of my student assessments done, but I would like to enter them into the computer, and now I have to be concerned that they are going to close the school because of the "swine flu". I find it weird that the national statistics have not listed Wisconsin as having any confirmed cases, yet milwaukee is closing everything.

The baby is still moving a lot and getting very big! I went to the doctor and there is absolutely no progress!!! I thought for sure there would be something with all of the pain I have been experiencing (but still no contractions). Sleeping is horrible right now because I can't roll over without help or leverage, I feel really helpless. I have another doctor appointment on thursday, which includes an ultrasound...I am curious to see what they estimate the baby's weight to be now.

Abe has really been taking care of me lately. I see a nervous excitement in him and it is wonderful to watch. He gets very sentimental sometimes (look at his last post which made me tear up a little) and he just starts telling me everything that he is thinking. I know he is going to be a wonderful father, and that is a very comforting feeling to have at this point. What is even better is that I know that he is very patient (with everything that I have been throwing his way lately). I don't think that I could have asked for anyone better...even though that may not be what I express to him on a daily basis =) ~Valarie

tick tock

"Last night I saw you in my dreams, now I can't wait to go to sleep"

So with the realization that the baby is coming, he'she has been on my brain 24/7, so much so that last night i had a dream about her (I'm convinced that it's a girl)... i saw her so clearly black hair, brown eyes, big cheeks, Val's complexion, and cuter than a bugs ear.I picture her as a perfect mix of both me and Val. I woke up feeling excited but also feeling this incredible pressure. I'm not sure if I can be the man I have to be for my baby, but then again what choice do I have. Man i just hope both Val and the baby get through it okay, and I'm hoping to do everything I possibly can to help make that happen.
Even though my hormones aren't raging I still feel this crazy excitement coupled with anxiety topped with nervousness, and sprinkled with serenity...it's weird. Thanks for reading my concoction of random thoughts, i know I'm not the best writer, and i can be painful to read grammar mistake ridden mess. The clock is ticking...Well I cant wait to see my baby, and for right now that means holding her in my dreams. so I'm off to bed. good night peoples.~Abraham

OMG!!!

So...last thursday I went to the doctor and almost had a heart attack! I had an ultrasound b/c we are still monitoring the growth of the baby, well to my surprise the ultrasound tech tells me that the baby is 7lbs. 12oz.! The only thing that I could say was okay. My though was one month ago the baby was 4lbs. 10oz. and I still have six more weeks to grow. The doctor told me that if I go full term there is no way the baby will be under 10lbs (OMG). So it is starting to be pretty clear that I am going to have a c-section...I am very scared about this. I guess I always had it in my head that I would have a natural birth, so this is not something that I have thought about too much. Abe and I have talked about it a lot in the past couple of days and my thought right now is I just want whatever is safest for the baby.

I have definitely become a little cranky the past few days. I feel like I am getting so big and everything is such a chore to do now...even putting on socks. I am even having a hard time rolling from one side to the other. I feel like I am not ready for the baby to come but at the same I think it may be a little easier if the baby was out already.

I don't know, I guess we have to just wait and see what is to come. ~ Valarie

I'm a whale...

Sorry for the delay...my naps have been preventing me from updating the blog. Last week was my shower at work. It was a lot of fun. My partner teacher, Marielle, took a lot of time to make invitations and set everything up (the invitations were really cute!). I was cracking up the whole time because my co-workers told me their pregnancy horror stories, I even had to stop opening gifts because I was laughing so hard. We received a lot of essentials: diapers, wipes, butt paste, lotion...

I am 33 weeks and I feel really huge right now. At work I usually sit on the carpet with the kids and on the kid chairs, but lately it has been really hard to get up. I have had the "early contractions" this past week. I feel like I am going about my normal routine and all of a sudden I feel a bad pain in my lower stomach. The baby is moving so much, it is really funny b/c Abe and I sit and watch my stomach shift back and forth. Sometimes the baby moves when I'm at work and I start laughing while I'm teaching, so I just tell the kids that my baby is dancing and they laugh too.

We went to a breastfeeding class last weekend, Abe learned a lot! We got to see a lot of different storage ideas, and different pumps. It made me contemplate how long I want to breastfeed for...I think it would be nice to not have to buy formula but I'm really going to have to figure out the logistics of pumping at work (which really shouldn't be too bad cause I have a partner teacher). Our next class is on tuesday, baby basics, we have the labor and birth class on the 17th.

I am really worried that we are not ready for the baby to arrive, but I keep telling myself that he or she is going to come whether we are ready or not! ~ Valarie

Big baby!!!

Hey everyone!
So to follow up on Abe's post, I want to thank my mom, Abe's mom, and Geraldine for putting so much time and effort into planning our shower. Abe and I were amazed at how generous everyone was and we are excited to bring our baby into our families. Thank you!!!
I am now 30 weeks and just had a doctor appointment today. We had an ultrasound to check the baby's growth, and contrary to what the doctor thought, the baby is growing rapidly. We found out that the baby is about 4lbs. 10oz, and I still have 10 weeks to go (everyone says that is when the baby grows the most). The doctor did explain that if the baby continues growing like this the chances for me needing a c-section go up. I am super nervous about this because I do not want to have surgery. I try and just think about the fact that I want the baby to be healthy, no matter which way he or she is born.
One thing has definitely been funny lately...everyone seems to have an opinion of whether the baby is a girl or a boy! What is even better is that it is very split, half say girl the other half say boy. Abe is convinced that it is a girl, but I still don't have a real strong feeling one way or the other.
I feel like I am growing really fast. Unfortunately I've started to see stretch marks on my belly this week (I have been putting oil and lotion...it is not working). I also feel like I'm walking like a penguin and I can't get up from sitting on the carpet with the kids at work anymore =(
Until next time ~ Valarie

Thank you!

Well first off let me apologize for not updating this on my end more often. Running the rat race is keeping me pretty busy. It seems like all me and Val do is sleep and work, and it's starting to get trying especially with trying to prep for the baby, but we'll get it.
Anyway I just wanted to say thank you to Teresa, my mom, and Geraldine for putting together the weirdest most awkward baby shower ever j/k. Honestly both me and Val felt overwhelmed with emotion after really thinking about how many people love us and our soon to be here baby. I really want to thank everyone for their gifts, but mostly for just taking the time out of your day to spend it with us and celebrate our baby. We love all of you!!
Just a quick update on the baby...This Wednesday the baby will reach 7 1/2 months (good god this is moving FAST!!!), and on Thursday we go to the doctor to make Val drink some weird juice to test her blood sugar, and more importantly to check on the baby's growth. There was some concern about the baby's growth since Val has high blood pressure, but it was some what alleviated since the baby was growing at a normal rate last ultrasound, we can only hope that he/she has continued to do so. I'm also super excited cause I get to tag along to this visit, since i dont have work, I get to tag along!!! I can't wait to watch my baby hop around that screen, and wiggle his/her little hands and feet. I get chills just thinking about it...
Here at home things are starting to come together slowly, but surely. The baby's room is painted, and most things are sorted and put away, or ready to be put away. I installed (yes I installed it, and it looks great too!) a shelf in the closet to add more space. i think now we're just going to try and add some square racks to complete our baby closet. Im actually trying to hold out on cleaning until Valarie goes into "nesting" mode and cleans the house herself LOL! j/k
This week I hope to get more done to the babys room, and since I have a bit of free time on Friday I hope to to update the blog again with the resutls from the doctors visits and pics from the baby shower/ultrasound so stay tuned!!
thanks again everyone, we love you!! ~ Abraham

Getting big

Hey everyone!
So I am now 6.5months and I feel like time is just flying. Last week I went to my doctor's appointment and had an ultrasound. It was the first doctor's appointment without Abe, it was weird not having him there because he gets so excited that it makes me excited. I did find out that at this point in the pregnancy our baby is in the 93rd percentile. I made sure to clarify with the doctor what that meant, she explained that out of 100 babies our baby is bigger than 93 of them. I was not so concerned about the delivery, until I heard that (ouch!!!). But I was happy to hear that our baby is growing well because with the high blood pressure the biggest concern is that the baby will not grow at a normal pace. Other than that everything looks good and I will go for my next doctor's appointment and ultrasound in 4 weeks.

We have found that baby registries are a little tricky...I keep getting emails that things that we registered for are discontinued, so we have had to go back and pick new things (I was already overwhelmed the first time we registered).

The baby's room is coming along slowly. Abe is doing a great job! It is painted, and he painted the closet so it is not sparkly yellow paint anymore. We bought some shelves to put up in the closet, but we will have to do that this weekend. Abe bought a poster (we have not decided if we are going to put it up yet...he,he) of kermit the frog. We have bought some things for the baby and a co-worker has given me some things, so I am feeling okay with our progress.

I am feeling very excited to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl (Abe says we are taking bets if anyone is interested), I also really want to see what he or she looks like. He/she has been moving around a lot lately and Abe is able to feel the kicks now when he touches my belly (it is awesome to watch his face light up every time he experiences that). Thank you to everyone who has been leaving comments! ~Valarie

Overwhelmed...

Hey everyone! So I am now 6 months, and I feel big (even though some people tell me I don't look big). We are on our way getting ready for our little baby to join our lives. Abe finished painting the baby's room, it is a very pale, minty green. We have bought a few more things, like boxes of wipes. We still have a long way to go. Yesterday we went and did the baby registry...oh my goodness was that overwhelming. We took Geraldine with us, I think we would have spent all day there if she didn't come (we were there for 4 hours, and by the end I was hungry and cranky). I guess I have always seen everyone with all of their baby stuff, but I see it in the house being used. Having to go and think about what we are going to use, and whether it is safe, practical, or if the baby will like it...that is a lot to think about. We did decide on bedding! We are going with a brown and white swirl bedding from Babies R' US...that is another thing, it is hard picking stuff out if you are not planning to find out if it is a boy or a girl.

Abe started his new job this past week. He got a little surprise, he thought he was being placed in a third grade classroom but he was placed in a k-3 classroom. I am kind of excited because he will be forced to learn discipline techniques (which we all know he is not very good at). I really think it is going to be great practice for when the baby comes. Even if he is nervous and anxious I know he will do a great job because he is so committed to anything he does.

All in all things are moving fast, and we need to get our butts in gear. ~ Valarie

Time passing...

So I'm well into my 5th month and time is passing quickly. I can't believe that we are over the half way point and that soon we will have a baby here with us.
We went to the doctor on thursday and things are looking good. We did find out that I am going to have to go in for an ultrasound once a month for the rest of the pregnancy to make sure that the baby continues to grow "normally". As most of you know I have high bloodpressure, so we have had to go for a few more doctor's appointment than the average pregnant woman. Things have been going really well though. It is going so good that I have been able to get off of my medication, and I'm feeling great. One thing that does make me nervous is Abe is not going to be able to go to all of my appointments with me anymore =(
Abe and I are going to through a big change right now because he is starting a new job and he is back in school. Him being gone at school has been a real eye opener for me...I get to see all that he does for me, and I miss every second of it. But, I know that this is for the best and it is only going to help our family.
Other than that things are pretty good right now. I am growing, the baby is moving (it seems to move most when Isabella is around), and we even bought our first pack of diapers! So do you think it is a boy or a girl? ~Valarie

Changes

5 1/2 months...
Tomorrow Val will be 5 1/2 months into her pregnancy. From what I read this means the baby is at or around 1lb, and from this point on the baby is only going to get bigger! One of the what to expect emails Val forwarded to me tells me that the baby is starting to get hair on his/her head as well :) Wow. All these changes are coming quick, Val was 2 weeks when we found out she was pregnant and at our first doctors visit the baby was the size of a grape. Time is flying!!
We're heading to the doctor on Thursday as well; it's going to be kind of a bitter sweet visit. I start a new job on Jan 23rd so this means that this Thursday’s appointment will probably be the last time I get to tag along to see the baby's progress :( like I said bittersweet.
Looks like 09 is going to be a big year for me and Val, new job, new baby and all the responsibilities that come with both. In any case I’m excited and ready to take on the year and everything that comes with it. More to come thursday after the visit to see la doctora.
Shout out to Gordy for coming to fix our furnace! Thanks!! lol~Abraham