The Proof is in the Parts

Spiders. Tonka trucks. Footballs. Batman. Bugs. Cows. Blue. Tractors. Spiderman. Green.

Bulldozers. Frogs. Cars. Dinosaurs. Firetrucks. Monsters. Airplanes. Swords. Nerf guns. Trains.

What do all of these things have in common?

These are things that WON’T be joining the new inventory of our house

(for now, anyway) because Babe is a BABY GIRL!!

So I’m thinking more along the lines of:

Cabbage patch dolls. Tea parties. Tutus. Barbies. PINK. Necklaces. Dresses. Shopping trips.

Hats. Headbands. Bracelets. High heels. Makeup. Doll clothes. Purses. Flowers. Butterflies.



This was a very early ultrasound at just over 13 weeks, and this was our first clue Babe was a girl
because of the "Angle of the Dangle."

Again at just over 13 weeks. The arrow is pointing at the "Angle" that you look at
for the "Angle of the Dangle." If it is parallel with the spine it is most likely a girl, and
if it is more than a 30 degree angle from the spine, it is likely a boy.
Ours is about as straight as it gets! :)

We also had a couple other between the legs shots that also pointed to a girl, but
unfortunately I didn't get pictures of that (we weren't just going off of the
Angle of the Dangle).

 On June 16th, we were pretty confident Baby Matthes was going to be a girl.

Here are a couple of Baby's parts on ultrasound at about 17 weeks.

You have to really know what you're looking for on this one, but this is a view of Baby's derriere
looking up. The area of brightness is the 3 white lines you look for if Baby is a GIRL!

Because you can see her legs on this one, you can better tell what angle you are looking at here.
The arrow is pointing to the three white lines (which are the labia) and you can clearly see
that there is nothing else between those legs :)

These last 2 are from the US on 8/10/12. Just more proof of the parts! :)

I have always dreamed of having a baby girl. Since my sister and I were very young we played house for hours and hours a day, and my baby was always a girl. It’s just what I knew.

However, these past couple years I always saw Dan and I having two boys. I swore that this child was a boy, and didn’t even believe it when I saw the ultrasounds. While I can honestly say that I would have been honored to have either a boy or a girl, I can also say that every time I process what it is going to look like with more PINK around here, I get more and more excited. I LOVE thinking about all of the fun things I will get to do with my daughter that I did when I was little. I also can’t help but to think of all of the fun things that we will do together when she gets older that I have been missing out on doing with my Mom being gone.

That hand that we have been watching wave to us and that I have been dying to hold throughout our ultrasounds is our daughter’s. The little feet that I can’t wait to kiss are those of our daughter’s.

The baby girl who will make me a Mama. The baby girl who will have her Daddy wrapped around her finger at first glance. The baby girl who will make our lives so much more richer just by being here.

My heart is happy, content, and excited. And I absolutely cannot wait to meet Baby Girl in 4 more months!

21 Weeks - 19 to Go!

Goodness, 21 weeks already! Still amazed at how fast, yet how slow, this whole process is. Three patients in a row today (whom I haven't met before) asked me when I was due...so I must have crossed the line from just looking fat to showing enough that people are confident enough that it is baby to ask a question like that :) Makes me smile.

How far along? 21 weeks
Total weight gain: 6 pounds
Baby is the size of a: Banana
Maternity clothes? Still just a few maternity tank tops.
Stretch marks? Ugg..
Sleep: Same as last week - Struggling with continuously waking up on my back and feeling guilty for doing it, otherwise not too bad
Best moment this week: Feeling babe's entire body when I had been laying down...pretty amazing
Miss anything? Sleeping on my back
Movement: Yes, off and on...still pretty sporadic
Food cravings: Ice water, Chicken fried steak.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing!
Gender: I might as well wait until it is confirmed for the 3rd time to make the announcement at this point
Baby Name: Daddy keeps referring to Babe by name, we will see if it sticks :)
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Still having a few rare what I think are Braxton-Hicks contractions, occasional indigestion
Belly Button in or out? In...but it sure is getting more shallow every week
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, of course!
Looking forward to: Ultrasound Friday, putting nursery furniture together, registering, and spending an entire weekend with Daniel. Haven't looked forward to a weekend like this for so long!

Love and Prayers in Week 22!

Please excuse the poor quality of my pictures, the blurriness, the "links" that somehow appear in the paragraphs that I have no idea how to get rid of, the obnoxious background/formatting of this blog, and the random formatting errors that are present in every post. I cannot figure out why these things are happening and I am not able to fix them. I really am not as stupid and careless as this blog makes me seem. :)

Life Lately

Lots of fun things happening this week! First, we purchased a crib and it should be here within a couple days...I cannot wait to get it put together so we can start putting the nursery together as we accumulate more for it. Today, I finally got Daddy on board to pull the trigger and purchase a dresser. I have done tons of research on a dresser, as it wasn't something we wanted to spend much money on. I was wanting to purchase one off of Craig's list and re-do it, but after watching it for several months and still not seeing any options, I started looking for cheap ones online. I found one that was what I was looking for for a reasonable price, and after much research I was positive we weren't going to find a better deal...and shipping was free for an extra bonus! We ended up finding the same dresser on Amazon.com for $35 LESS than the cheapest one I found elsewhere, so that was even more exciting! 

The fabric that I ordered to make the bed skirt and bumpers came today, and I LOVE IT! It isn't traditional nursery colors/themes, but that is why I like it. I have so many great ideas for the room; I can't wait to get it put together so I can start turning my ideas into reality. More on this later...

Tonight we had an interview with an in-home daycare. We had a recommendation from one of Dan's friends so we decided to check her out. When we were talking to them about it, it seemed too good to be true! She is located within several blocks of our house and I was very impressed to say the least. There are so many things that I loved about it right away (hours are 5:00 am to 6:00 pm, she only takes about 5 or 6 kids, all kids come from great families with great parents, she provides all formula and food, has a HUGE backyard with every outside toy a kid could want, she is open even when schools are closed due to bad weather or regular school breaks, her house is very nice and clean just to name a few), but between the location and the rate of only $100 a week, I'm thinking that we really can't beat it. My heart feels very good about this decision. We are going to do some more checking, but we have a spot reserved there (at no cost!) and I'm pretty sure that is where we will end up. It feels so good to have that checked off the list, and to have such a sense of peace about it.

Last night I was laying on the couch, and Babe was doing what must have been sommersaults. Somehow he/she must have been tucked up at the very top of my uterus right up in front because we could both feel the entire border of where he/she was laying because it was so much more firm. I have no idea how that happened or was even possible, but it was pretty cool! :)

Friday is our next doctor's appointment and ultrasound. I am off this weekend and suprisingly we don't have anything planned so we are going to go do some registering and shopping. I have been looking forward to this weekend for so long!

I think that's all for now. Lots of excitement, and more posts and updates to follow! Love and Prayers as we begin week 22, Little One!

20 Weeks - Half Way There!!

20 weeks and half way there!!

How far along? 20 weeks - Cannot believe we are half way to meeting Baby Matthes already, yet it feels like it is.going.SO.slow!
Total weight gain: 5 pounds
Baby is the size of a: Small cantaloupe
Maternity clothes? Still just a few maternity tank tops.
Stretch marks? Unfortunately I might have a few starting on my hips...that really burns when I say that
Sleep: Struggling with continuously waking up on my back and feeling guilty for doing it, otherwise not too bad
Best moment this week: Feeling babe move
Miss anything? Still Diet Pepsi
Movement: I still try to talk myself out of thinking that I'm really feeling baby...but I'm sure that I'm just in denial
Food cravings: Ice water, Chicken fried steak. And when I decide that I'm hungry, I go from content to needing food in t-minus 2 seconds and then what Daddy calls the "Hungry Monster" comes out...he's on to something :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing!
Gender: I'm ready to post anytime, but Daddy still has a few more people he wants to tell first!
Baby Name: Talked about this a little this week, pretty sure we have this one decided!
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: This week it is has been indigestion. I finally gave in after it happening on and off for weeks now and called my doc to see what he would like me to take for it...so I started taking Zantac which has really helped. Have also had what I think has to be Braxton Hicks contractions every now and then...a full bladder seems to be the cause. Also starting to feel like a real whale this week...always feel full and even somewhat uncomfortable at times. This makes me nervous with just over 4 months to go!
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Only moody when I need to feed :)
Looking forward to: Our next ultrasound next Friday....absolutely cannot wait to see Babe again! Also looking forward to fall and everything that brings with it...cooler weather, jeans and sweaters, fall decorations, football, tailgating, pumpkin pie, and hopefully a slower-pace. The business that July has been is starting to wear me out.

Started trying to get Daddy thinking about the nursery and the purchases we need to make and things we need to find. He flipped when I showed him the price of some of the gliders that I was considering, and he wasn't a fan of the crib that I wanted (we are going as cheap as possible for a crib but I had my mind set on one cheap one and he would rather a different one..so we are going to get the one he likes). We are off to a great start...this is why we need to start these processes early, because after that we didn't make much progress.

Baby Matthes - In just over 4 short months we will be meeting you, and I cannot wait. I think about you so much and love to picture how much richer you are going to make our lives. I'm so looking forward to having my winter baby to snuggle by candlelight on snowy days, and hopefully having you here by Christmas. What an amazing gift you are going to be. Until then, keep cozy, and know that I am praying for you and that Mommy loves you very, very much!

19 Week Update

And here are the 19 week belly shots. 

How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain: 4 pounds
Baby is the size of a: Large mango
Maternity clothes? Still just a few maternity tank tops.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Still loving my Snoogle pillow. However, I am getting tired of sleeping on my left side already...and not enjoying waking up in the middle of the night on my back and feeling guilty about it while I sleep.
Best moment this week: Almost positive that I've been feeling Babe move all week now!
Miss anything? This week it was Diet Pepsi...
Movement: Quite a bit each day, finally!
Food cravings: Ice water  -->  25 trips to the bathroom each day
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing!
Gender: I have said boy for weeks...and we will let you all know hopefully within a couple weeks :)
Baby Name: Haven't talked about this for a long time...we go back and forth between a couple
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Right at 18 weeks, I was reading a weekly pregnancy update email and it mentioned that a linea nigra typically shows up around this time. I read it, deleted the email, and didn't think much about it...because I didn't have one. About an hour later, as I was getting ready for work I noticed that I, in fact, DO have a linea nigra that just showed up. It is pretty faint, but you can definitely tell it is there. Luckily it only goes up to about an inch below my belly button so far, so let's hope it stays that way. I immediately got some good SPF 50 sunscreen from work and I will be caking that on my face from now on...I really don't want melasma, and sometimes that can go hand in hand with the linea nigra. That really is the first thing that has made this pregnancy seem real so far. I have also had a few headaches and some indigestion this week, but nothing too serious.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Continuing to feel Babe move more and more!! Can't wait for Daddy to finally be able to feel it too. Also getting more excited about finding all of the right nursery gear and decor. I've spent hours scouring ideas, contemplating whether or not I am capable of making my own crib skirt and bumper to save a bunch of money...that is up for debate. I'm trying to convince Daddy that it really isn't too early to start thinking about all of these things, but I'm not sure it is working yet. :)

The Birth of Rediger Cousins - 7.16.12

As we mourned the loss of Grandpa Vernon last week, we welcomed two new babies to the family 2 days later. Life just has a funny way of keeping us on our toes and reminding us how precious our time really is and the cycle of life continues to serve as an ever-present reminder to enjoy the days that we are given.

Baby Matthes' cousins made their arrival on Monday, July 16th, and we couldn't be more excited! Clara Isabelle weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz and Levi Jacob weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. It is going to be pretty crazy to have 3 new babies in the family all within 5 months' time!

We are so very excited to watch these two miracles grow, and can't wait to share many memories together with the Rediger family. Since I grew up in a town without any family other than my parents and sisters, I am so excited that our kid will have grandparents and lots of cousins that live really close. Dan thinks of all of his cousins as siblings, and I am so excited to get to pass that on to our kids.

Here are some pictures from birth-day:

Uncle Daniel holding Levi Jacob.

Love that little face!

Mama and her baby girl.

Sweet little Clara Isabelle.

  

Proud Uncle Daniel and his sister and her twins.

It is crazy to think that that will be us in 5 months! Can't even wait, but looking forward to enjoying and spoiling these babies!

Grandpa Vernon

These past few weeks have been tough for our family. On Wednesday, July 11th Dan's Grandpa Piening passed away at the age of 93. He was laid to rest on Saturday, July 14 at the Pleasant Dale Cemetary. Up until about 3 weeks before his passing he had been living at home. He was blessed with 3 great kids whose families took turns and took him dinner every evening, helped him bathe, shave, etc. We were honored to have the opportunity to set time aside to go take him dinner and spend time with him when it was our turn.

He was one of the most amazing, respectable men that I have ever met. He was so very grateful for everything the Good Lord had blessed him with, and his view on life was always so inspiring. We loved to go sit and listen to him tell stories of his days of military service, or the great times he had with his friends and family. Since I first met him over 5 years ago, I had heard him say countless times that he had had a good life, and he was ready to go when it was his time. His wife, Alvina, passed away right before Dan and I started dating about 5 years ago, and though he never seemed to complain, he must have been lonely without his lifelong companion. I am just so sure he is so happy being in heaven with her, and what a blessing it is to have peace in knowing that.

There is no doubt that he left a very special legacy on his family and all those who had the privilege of knowing Vernon. As we were at the cemetary for the burial Saturday, I watched his grandchildren who had the honor of standing by his side one last time. What a proud Grandpa he must have been in heaven watching those young men stand there as paul bearers in honor of him one last time. It brings tears to my eyes to think of that moment; it is something I will never forget.

I am so very proud to have married into the Piening family. Truly, the aunts, uncles, cousins and family are some of the very most special people one could ever meet. All of the men are gentle, sensitive, respectable, fun people who treat their family with the same love that Vernon showed them. They had one of the most honorable role models in Vernon, and I am so thankful for that.

Dan's cousins, Tyler and Trevor, at our wedding. July 2010

Bob and Lois Upton, at our wedding. July 2010.

His legacy continues with the beautiful, loving family that he built. We are thankful to have had so many great memories with him. We sure will miss you, Grandpa Vernon.