We've been busy the past few weeks preparing for Katie's arrival. I had my baby shower on July 31st and received enough stuff to make my house feel tiny! It took a few days to get everything put away. I'm very thankful though to have such wonderful family and friends who are helping us get off to a good start. Nathaniel's co-workers also surprised him with a baby shower a few weeks ago...we're both just tickled at the generosity of everyone around us. They all chipped in and got us the Pack N Play, which will be a godsend the first few months. This past weekend we had a diaper party at our house for Nathaniel's friends...free beer and food with an "admission fee" of a pack of diapers. There's a picture below of all the diapers, I'd guess it's a couple months' worth. Really though, I have no idea. We'll find out soon enough!
Our last childbirth prep class was on Tuesday. We received a certificate of completion, so I guess that means we're officially ready to be parents?? Yesterday I pre-registered for our stay at Missouri Baptist. We took a tour of the labor and delivery area last week so I think we're all set.
Went to the doctor last week and had an ultrasound. He estimated Katie's weight at 5 lbs, 2 oz. She should be on track to weigh 7-8 pounds at birth, assuming she's born around my due date. Our next appointment is Aug 17th. From that point on, we'll visit the doctor weekly until she's born.
On my to-do list this weekend is to buy everything Katie and I will need for the first few weeks at home. I need to take an inventory of her wardrobe and will probably end up buying a few more shirts, pants, onesies, and socks in 0-3 month sizes. Just need the basics until I'm back in the swing of things. At this point though, I honestly have no idea what clothes she has in what sizes. Still also need a diaper changing pad for the nursery and some wipes. Probably also need to stock up on food and snacks that we don't usually keep on hand. I'm so used to running to the grocery store 3-4 times a week and just buying a meal or two at a time. I expect this baby is going to force me to do a better job of planning.
Lately I've been hearing everyone's opinion on whether they think I'm going to deliver earlier or later than my due date. Some people swear that the first baby always comes late, others say I looked like I've already "dropped" (though I personally don't feel that I have). So I put a new poll off to the right, would be interested to see what the masses predict.
I'm due one month from today...hard to believe!!!!
Here are some various pictures from the past few weeks:
Diaper After-Party. 
This is the play yard that Nathaniel's co-workers bought for us. You can see he had some help putting it together. Caleb is the first line supervisor, and Casey is Quality Assurance Manager.
Supervisor Caleb checking Nathaniel's work.
Shower Pics:
The shower cake was ordered from The Cakery. Best buttercream icing ever!! 
Here are some nursery pics. We have a ladybug theme in there. 
This is a gift basket that my mom and grandma put together and gave to me at the shower. It's too pretty to take apart yet, so it's still sitting on Katie's dresser. The changing pad will eventually go in its place. 
Baby Laroche's Progress
So I was waiting to post until I actually had something to write about. This pregnancy has been so uneventful (thank God!) that it's been hard to find things to talk about between doctor's appointments. Nathaniel and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on June 25th. For Valentine's Day he had surprised me with a combination Anniversary/Babymoon package to a B&B in Hermann, MO. We had a wonderful time! My goals were to 1) relax, and 2) have no agenda. Happy to report that I was successful at both.
We had another checkup last week and the doctor said everthing is looking good for a normal delivery. He said that Katie is positioned head down and she'll likely remain stuck that way the remainder of the pregnancy. Now I know that the occasional funky, heavy feeling on my bladder is a baby head. She's probably on track to weigh in the 7-8 pound range based on his measurements. Our appointments are every two weeks now, and then every week once we hit 36 weeks.
Over the July 4th holiday weekend, Nathaniel and I traveled to Kentucky to visit my family. It felt surreal to me that this was our last trip as a twosome. When we visit at Christmas we'll be bringing along some extra luggage! We really enjoyed having the opportunity to spend time with my grandma before the baby comes. Nathaniel asked her if she had any advice for us and she said two things: "Enjoy every minute" and "Don't be too hard on her". Great advice, Mimi!
In other baby news, our nursery furniture should be delivered on Saturday, and we started our childbirth classes earlier this week. We chose to do the six week class, so they'll go until mid-August. The most exciting part for me is that the last 20 minutes of each class is dedicated to practicing our breathing techniques, and the coaches have to provide massages during this time! Hey, I'll take it! Will be sure to post some pictures of the nursery once the furniture's set up.
With under 10 weeks to go until the due date, Katie's arrival is starting to feel more imminent. Nathaniel told me tonight that he's ready for Katie to come, so I know he's getting excited too! The anticipation is totally worth the backaches and lost sleep...can't wait to meet our daughter!!
I'm 27 weeks today, and 13 more to go! Depending on how I think about it, 13 weeks feels like forever, or it seems like nothing at all. When I think of all the preparation that still has to be done - completing the nursery, making sure we have adequate baby gear and clothing, taking childbirth classes, arranging my LOA from work - it gets really dizzying and I don't like to think about everything that still needs to be done in the short amount of time. But then I look at my belly in the mirror and see how big I already am, and I add 13 more weeks to that, that's when 13 weeks feels like forever! I can't even imagine how huge I'll get before this is over. Since the last trimester is when Katie will do her bulking up, I'm hoping she'll take most of the pregnancy weight with her when she checks out of my uterine hotel in a few months.
No pregnancy complications to speak of, and for that we feel blessed. I passed my glucose tolerance test with flying colors, so no gestational diabetes. And going to the bathroom two or three times a night isn't considered a complication, just an annoyance! No stretch marks (yet), no outie belly button (yet), no heartburn (yet). I have noticed new areas of spider veins forming in my legs though....ugh.
Next doctor's appointment is July 1st. We'll start going every two weeks at that point. Katie is officially enrolled in daycare now, she's scheduled to start in January. I'm dreading that day already, but Nathaniel and I love this place and feel comfortable leaving her in their care.
Not much else to report....our fifth wedding anniversary/Babymoon getaway is coming up in a couple weeks. Can't wait!
Today I'm halfway through my 25th week, with only 15 more to go! I took my glucose tolerance test this morning to screen for gestational diabetes. Had to drink the orange cola, which wouldn't be so bad, but it made my throat burn and I was really nauseous for about 10 minutes afterwards. Should find out the results of my bloodwork next week during my routine checkup. I hadn't eaten for 12 hours before the test, so I stopped by McDonald's for breakfast on my way into work. I figured that if I do test positive for gestational diabetes, I won't be seeing another Sausage Biscuit anytime soon, so I really enjoyed this one just in case!
With Memorial Day coming up, Nathaniel and I decided to extend our holiday weekend by taking a vacation day on Friday, so it will be a four day weekend for us! Our original plan was to have a relaxing day off with no plans, but I've since scheduled visits with a pediatrician (Nathaniel's when he was younger), and two potential daycare centers. Since I'm planning to go back to work full time, we need to reserve a spot for Katie somewhere.
The nursery furniture is on order, our spot in childbirth class is reserved....I think I have all of the major stuff covered, but sometimes I wonder if there's anything I'm forgetting. I panicked today because I just remembered that we needed to get the pediatrician lined up. Between daycares, scheduling my LOA from work, getting the nursery ready, etc., I have a weird feeling that something is going to slip through the cracks. Sometimes I feel like the mom in 'Home Alone' when she realized they left their kid behind. I guess it comes with the territory :)
We found out during our appointment on Tuesday that we're expecting a little girl! We had a name picked out for each gender, so she'll be Katie Michelle Laroche. I'm officially due on September 13th. Everything looked great, she appears perfectly healthy which is the only thing we could ask for. As of our appointment date, she weighed 10 oz. We got a great shot of her little feet, and I could even count those tiny toes on the monitor! You can see them pretty well in the picture. I have a follow-up appointment on May 4th. I'm 21 weeks now, so we're past the halfway point and time is flying by! I'm planning her nursery theme now, and we'll probably order the furniture sometime in May.
Went to the doctor again today and everything looks great! I was hoping to find out the sex of the baby, but it's still too early to tell. Should find out in April. We did see a healthy baby squirming around though! It's amazing how much they can do at just 16 weeks....the neatest part for me was watching the baby stretch out and then curl back up. The doctor thought he or she was probably just waking up from a nap at that point :) I'm so fascinated by it all, I could watch that baby all day long if they'd let me. Today I also had my quad screen bloodwork done to check for any genetic abnormalities. Results should take about four days and I'll only hear something if there's a concern. So I'm praying for quiet. Here are a couple of pics. I was going to post just one, but Nathaniel thought the one showing the spine and ribs was "cool"!
Here's a pic from Week 15. I probably feel more pregnant than I look...I already feel huge, so I can't even imagine how uncomfortable I'll be in weeks 30-40! Everything is still going well though. My big project at work these days is trying to obtain an elevator pass. Our only elevator is in a secure part of the building that requires a secret clearance for access, which I don't have. However, pregnancy may qualify as a medical exemption under ADA compliance rules, so I have to get a doctor's note and fax it to the Medical Dept for review and then I have to get my management's concurrence. The joys of working for a large corporation! Hey, it beats walking up 58 stairs each morning which is what I do now. Come summer, the elevator will be a godsend. Will publish another update after next Tuesday's checkup.
No exciting news to report. Our next appointment is scheduled for March 23rd. That will be our 16 week checkup. The doctor has said that we should be able to find out the gender during our 20 week checkup in April, but I might ask him at this next appointment if he can do some exploring and possibly tell us sooner. Fingers crossed, but I'm not holding my breath. My second trimester has been a piece of cake so far. The nausea and food aversions are gone, I have more energy, and a little baby bump to show off!
Nathaniel and I have always talked about what our baby would be like, and although we don't know our baby yet, some things are for sure. We sat down and came up with a little list of...
Things We Know About Baby Laroche
1. He or she will have blonde hair and blue eyes. Because we both show these recessive traits, our baby has a 100% chance of showing these traits also. I had to think back to 7th grade science on this one.
2. Our child will not be talented at singing or dancing. It's just not in the genes, kid. Sorry.
3. This kid is going to love fast cars.
4. Will be a chocolate junkie.
5. I hope skinny jeans aren't ever in fashion again, because again, it's just not in the genes.
6. Baby Laroche will have an appreciation for a good microbrew, beginning no earlier than the year 2031.
7. Will love the sound of jet noise and gunfire.
8. Our kid has no hope of succeeding in gymnastics.
9. Will hate spending money, just like we do.
10. Our baby will be showered with all the love a mommy and daddy could possibly give.
For Valentine's Day, Nathaniel bought me a "Babymoon" package at a bed and breakfast in Hermann, MO! We're going to use it in June during our fifth wedding anniversary. The package includes two nights in a private hilltop cottage, a baby-themed gift basket upon arrival, a maternity pillow, a hot tub, an aromatherapy fireplace, and lots of other neat amenities. I told Nathaniel to keep the price tag to himself, and I promised him that I wouldn't go online and look it up! Since we're not going to venture too far away from home this year because of the pregnancy, I'm really looking forward to our mini-getaway. So now I've got two countdowns going...one for Baby Laroche's arrival, and the other for this last hoorah!
We got our first glimpse of Baby Laroche on January 26th. It was love at first sight! I have to admit, part of me refused to buy in to this whole pregnancy thing for fear of heartbreak, but there's no feeling in the world like seeing your baby for the first time. It feels "real" now.
Our journey began on New Year's Day when we found out we were expecting. Or at least we thought we were. I took a home pregnancy test and it showed the control line, along with a really, really, (REALLY) faint second line. I always wondered how 1 in 4 women could misread a pregnancy test, and it turns out that I'm the "1".... So after spending an entire day on Google trying to figure out exactly what the faint line meant, I decided to take a digital pregnancy test the next morning (hard to misread those). Jackpot! We're going to be parents!