Luke is almost here!

Greetings family, friends, and blog-stalkers,

Kim is currently in the hospital awaiting young Luke's arrival. She was admitted yesterday after having some contractions and mildly elevated blood pressure. As a result, her OB/GYN began to induce her this morning. Unfortunately her body wasn't quite ready (her cervix is only dilated 1 cm) and she is awaiting the next move. She is still having some mild contractions, but is feeling well and in good spirits.

After hearing my wife say hundreds of times, "I just want him to come out now," I finally asked her why she seemed so impatient? Her answer was simple, "I'm ready to meet him." It wasn't that she was tired of this pregnancy crap, but just that she was yearning to hold our baby.

The last 38 weeks and 5 days have been fantastic, and Kim has moved through them better than anyone could have expected. She looks fantastic (from behind you wouldn't even know she was pregnant) and she has felt well throughout. I am so proud of how well she has done! Her tremendous faith in the Lord's strong hands have carried her to this point.

Please pray in these last hours to days that Kim and Luke would continue to be safe and healthy, and that the Lord would be glorified in this birthing process. Thanks for all of your support and prayers! Stay tuned because we will be posting pictures of our son any day now!

Michael

4:39 am?

I wish I could say a crying, hungry baby woke me up at this hour but no. Just indigestion, the urge to pee for the forth time tonight, the need to rotate all five or my pillow fortress pillows so I can lay on my right side, and a snoring husband did. Oh that shirt I saw last night in the Pea in the Pod window that said "Pregnant is the new sexy" is even funnier at this hour.

Luke's still comfy in my tummy though and I can tell he's growing bigger by the day. I have been having some mild contractions and discomforts that make me feel like we're making progress, but as of my last appointment "the gate" is still closed.

I'll keep you posted.

Still cookin...

We've officially made it to full term and we're still cookin! Well, is 36 or 37 weeks considered full term? I've heard both, but either way we made it. I went to the doctor on Wednesday hoping she'd say we've made some forward progress but no such luck. Still closed, but she did say it looks like he's already dropped and asked if I've been having to go to the bathroom alot and boy have I ever. (Sorry for all of the details, you may be wishing I was a little more modest.)

I'm still working, although I'm definitely taking it easy. My feet have started to swell a little, which is something I was hoping to miss out on. This last month really does feel like it's own trimester.

We're taking bets on the estimated date of arrival. Let us know if you want in! :) I started feeling a little weird after lunch today and my mom is conviced he's coming soon! I can only hope she's right.

Michael just started his pediatrics rotation and will be at Hermann (where I will be delievering) for the next month. He will also spend a few days doing newborn well baby check-ups which will be fun for him I know! I want to hold those babies too. Soon enough we'll have our own!

I'll keep you posted.

Head's DOWN!

I can't believe we have already made it 35 weeks with this little "bun" in my oven. The last couple have seemed a little slower, I think because I am starting to feel pretty uncomfortable. Sleeping, and eating, and breathing are all getting a little harder. I know the next couple of weeks are going to fly though. Michael and I celebrated our anniversary last night because the 23rd we are celebrating his dad's 50th birthday, and we were both saying how crazy it is that Luke is going to be here so soon!!!

We had an ultrasound yesterday to check on all of Luke's measurements since I was measuring a little small, and everything looks fantastic. He is head down (thank you Jesus), weighs approximately 5 1/2 pounds, and even has a tiny bit of hair. :) I'm thinking it's brown but who knows. I can't even tell you how relieved I am that he is head down. After they said I was measuring small I was worried that he was laying sideways since that can make your fundal height measure short, but praise Jesus the first thing we saw was a big ole noggin when she placed the wand on my belly!

We are headed to celebrate Christmas with Michael's family. My family's off to Telluride to hit the slopes. My big ole belly wouldn't make it there this year. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus!

lemonade by paula warren...

I got the neatest gift from one of Michael's best friend's moms for the shower and I have been meaning to post some pictures of it. Paula Warren is an interior decorator and has quite a knack for creatively painting things. She recently started a home design and finishing business. I'll let the chair speak for itself but she paints all sorts of things (chairs, lamps, tables, book shelves, paper towel and napkin holders, coat racks, etc). For our wedding present we got the coolest broom (and because of it I love to sweep). Her website is "currently under construction" but has the essential information to get in touch with her.

http://www.makelemonade.biz/

Lemonade.Paula@gmail.com

Playing "House"

I got the stroller that matches Luke's car seat this weekend and after wrestling with it and Michael not reading the directions we figured out how to snap the car seat in. The rest of the night I wouldn't sit still because I was too busy strolling around with my "baby." I told Michael this is what little girls dream of when they are playing "house." He laughed but he too will learn one day if a little girl is in the plan for us. :)

I had another appointment today. It seems like I'm always in that office these days. I have another one in two weeks and then we start going every week until little Lukester is here! :) She scheduled me to have one more ultrasound in the next week or so!! I wonder how big he's gotten? We will see. I am measuring a little small so the doctor said he may already be dropping! This is all becoming quite the reality.

Really we couldn't be more ready. The nursery is almost 100% complete, and boy are our hearts ready to love on this baby! I asked Michael the other night if he missed Luke when I was away from him. He kind of brushed it off, but I know he does.

Showered with Love...

I had been looking forward to Sunday for so long and now it's already come and gone. Ten wonderful women from the Woodlands (both my friend's moms and Michael's) gave the sweetest baby shower for me and Luke (well Michael too although he wasn't really invited). I was excited about all of the gear but more than that it was just so sweet how many friends of mine, my mom's, and Kellie's that came to love on us. I don't think we are going to be needing much of anything else! :)

I didn't get emotional at the shower (although my eyes do look a little red in all of the pictures), but the Lord has certainly been doing a work on my heart lately. I feel as though I could just burst with love at any minute. I have always considered myself a sensitive and emotional girl (not ready to call myself a woman just yet) but this baby making thing brings on a whole new meaning to those words. I just feel so honored that the Lord has chosen Michael and me to raise one of His precious children. I just can't wait to meet him.



Our apartment looks like we had a baby gear explosion. Now I'm in even more serious nesting mode. I'm trying to take it easy because I have been alot more physically tired but there's just so much I want to do. I will put up a picuture of the finished nursery hopefully after this weekend. For now, look at the explosion that occured.


The swing was one of my favorite presents. I can't hardly stand waiting to have little Luke sit in it. For the time being I have a stand-in. :) I want his name to be Lovey. Another sweet thing the hostesses did was ask everyone to bring a book to start Luke's library. I loved that!