Father's Day

Hey Everyone!

I know this post is a little late but it's been a hectic week! Sunday we celebrated all the wonderful Father's in our lives. The day started out with Brian opening his first Father's Day card and his new snazzy, much needed cargo shorts. We then headed for church to meet Brian's Dad & brother and had an awesome time- they had the band "Worth Dying For" from California there to lead worship and they were soooo good! I got their CD--tres magnifique! After church, we headed to the club with the Bill & Bob family to have brunch. Mine was horrible. I had a burnt pancake followed by a half dollar size portion of what was supposed to be a scrambled egg, but in fact was really just a small pile of high cholesterol and clogged arteries. Didn't eat that either. So basically Bexleigh got to enjoy a glass of yummy Chocolate milk and 14 cups of popcorn from the grill room. yummm Brian, Billy & their Dad had lined up a game of golf afterwards, and I headed to Bobby's for a cookout. The food was so delicious there- burgers, hot dogs, chips & dip, cheesy potatoes, green beans, salad, and............ taco dip; my absolute favorite, apparently not so much Bexleigh's. After eating we all hung around the pool and had a nice time chatting. Brian had finally called to let me know he was done golfing so I got everything ready and headed for home with an all-of-a-sudden-not-so-good-feeling in my tummy. I pulled in the garage, raced in the house and face planted onto the couch. Literally. My stomach was now in excruciating pain and I felt so nauseous. What was going on!?! Brian was a little confused as well. Then all of a sudden...I ran to the bathroom and HOLY TACO DIP! I forgot how much I hated yacking. I sat there for a minute wondering what this was all about and then returned to the couch to lay down. It was so bizarre.
After laying down for a while and feeling somewhat better, we got changed to head to the park to visit with my Dad. Every Sunday my Dad runs free summer shows in the park and they bring a lot of people. It's great entertainment and very relaxing. We sat on a bench and listened to the band of the night and they were really fun! They played a lot of the same music my Dad used to play back in the days of his band. It was a great time hanging with my Dad there and watching him do what he absolutely loves and is really good at. The entire day was very awesome with our Dads!

Today I am 21wks 4days along and still feeling really good. I am officially done teaching Zumba and feeling pretty bittersweet about it. I love teaching soooooo much but it's just getting too hard to keep up the energy needed to lead a class. SO, I will now be a student and take the class at my own pace! Looking forward to that. I am feeling Bexleigh a lot more regularly now, but they are still pretty "light" jabs or kicks. She is just a lil peanut and from what I hear, they can remain "light" as long as she wishes!! I'm sure Kung Fu Baby will be here soon enough. I am really starting to enjoy my summer now and looking forward to leaving for California soon! It is going to be wedding planning central for my best friend Holly, and my mom and I get to share in that process and attend one of her bridal showers. I absolutely loved every second of my wedding planning and I am so excited to share some of hers with her and her mom! It will be one super fun girls weekend! I'll be sure to blog about it when I return! This is Bexleigh's first trip out of state! We hope Daddy has a good time while we're gone (and gets the bed moved out of the soon-to-be nursery so we can get started on it!! wink wink!)- we will miss him bunches!!

Well that's all for now....until next time,

Jenn

HALF WAY THERE!!!

It is hard to imagine, but today marks my halfway point. I am 20wks pregnant and wow, did that fly by! I can remember around 6wks reading my "What to expect when you're expecting" book and thinking how far away 20 weeks seemed. That would be the time when we could find out what we would be having, the time that I could start noticing the baby moving, and most importantly, the unbelievable sickness that I was experiencing should be gone by that point. Can I getta AMEN?! Well, that time has come at lightening speed. We are thrilled about having a little girl, I have officially now started feeling little Bexleigh a little bit each day, and YES, the awful morning/noon/night sickness has gone to pester some other preggo. Now, if I could just get this mucus factory & sinus garbage under wraps I'd be in tip top shape. Fat chance, preggo!

What's up next: The Nursery. I spent this week looking at a million websites trying to find the most perfect room ideas for Lil B. There were so many really cool Black, Pink & White themed rooms that I really loved because they were so chic. I thought I had it all figured out until it got shot down by Daddy. His input is important to me, so I went back to the drawing board. I've decided that I'm going to find bedding that we both agree on first, and then let the rest fall into place. At this point, I am pretty sure we found the nursery furniture that we both like. Sheesh, I thought this was going to be a piece of cake! ;)

I must admit, although I have been REALLY good about shopping, I did indulge a little yesterday. I mean, come on people...I got a 30% -er on my Kohl's magazine, which is pretty much amazing so I couldn't resist. Lil B should arrive in the Fall-almost-Winter time, so of course the stores don't really have that stuff out yet. Here's a lil sneak peek of what I've bought so far...

And this is what her Great Grandma Sandi bought her....

SOOOO fun! I can't wait to get more!!!

I feel like the bump is starting to be a little more pronounced this weekend. Bexleigh is about the size of a Banana and should be hanging out somewhere right behind my belly button. She's right around 10 1/2 ounces and measures at about 10 inches from head to heal. I am at a total weight gain of 13 lbs, and still have no signs of any swelling, stretch marks (Can I getta nutha AMEN!) or those spider veins thus far. Let's hope that continues! I've been using my Burt's Bees Belly Butter by the gallon. Feel free to send me some in the mail-love you lots if you do. That stuff is like gold to me! My appetite is still going strong and I don't think I have any new cravings. Although, I did see a commercial for doughnuts this week and HAD to have a cream stick immediately. Love you Mom! Other than that, it's still pretty much the same as last week; egg salad sandwiches from Dagwood's, corn on the cob, & popcorn. Oh, and my new favorite tasty treat: Kit Kat's. MMMMMM.

Well, it's time for this girl to head to bed so that I can get up 342 times to pee through the night. No, really, it's fun. You should try it sometime. I love going to church with HUGE bags under my eyes. Sweet dreams and here's a 20wk picture of my Lovely Lady Lump. Night!

Baby Bexleigh's Gender Announcement Party!!

What an exciting day we had this past Saturday. We had our "Baby Gender Announcement Party." The day started with getting the food prepared(Thanks Nat!) and putting the finishing touches on the backyard (Thanks so much Mom & Bobby!) We were preparing to have mini hamburgers and mini "babies in a blanket" along with potato salad, the famous Bobby's baked beans, and chips & dip. Oh, and let's not forget about my latest obsession...popcorn.

All the guests started arriving around noon and right from the start people were trying to get Brian and I to slip up with the baby's sex. It was already hard enough that we had to hold it in for a day! After we made sure everyone had arrived, we dove right into the food. You don't have to tell a pregnant woman twice to start eating! Everything tasted sooooo good and was just the way I had hoped it would turn out.

After everyone finished up their plates and conversations, we decided it was time to play "the game." Brian and I had put together a list of questions about our childhood and our family had to try to get them correct. Each family member that answered correctly got to pick a combination code from a cup & try to see if it would unlock the box that was holding our "it's a girl" ultrasound picture inside. Our cousin Kelly got the first correct answer and after trying her code...no luck. My Mom and Dad both had the next answer correct, so we decided to give them both a shot at the box. The question was What was my first pet's name? Mom: Boots! (Boots was my family's dog they had before I was born.) Me: Yes, Mom, but what was MY first pet's name? Dad: Beatlebomb! You had 3 rabbits all named Beatlebomb! My Dad went first since he "technically" got the answer correct :) It was a trick question. My Dad tried his code, and also had no luck. Now it was Mom's turn. She tried her code and voila! It opened! She pulled the picture out and....."IT'S A GIRL!!!!!" Everyone was excited and it was fun to see who guessed right. Now that the news was out, I went in and grabbed dessert... Hot pink sprinkled cupcakes..mmmmm.

The day was really fun with our family members. We had several unable to attend and we wished they could have joined in the fun. We get to go back July 6th for our next appointment and another ultrasound. Very much looking forward to seeing Bexleigh again!!

I'm currently 19wks 4days and still feeling good. I'm feeling little Bexleigh every once in a while, especially after I drink orange juice or eat apples. She is not a big fan of Doritos (dangit!) or The Yard (double dangit! ) I'm still waiting to feel her more regularly. Monday I was sneezing my head off and cursing my allergies. I woke up yesterday morning with a very sore throat. Today, full blown swollen glands and throat-on-fire! I broke down and called the Doc this morning and patiently waiting the plan to put out this fire. I'm not feeling too miserable other than the sore throat and swollen glands. There is no need for me to be dramatic about this one, which is why I'm nipping it in the butt before it takes off into a sinus infection gone bad. First up after baby comes... TONSILS OUT IMMEDIATELY IF NOT SOONER! On to Brian...he is being so great as a Dad-to-be. He loves rubbing my Buddha belly and he kisses her goodnight and good morning every day. We've been looking at different nursery theme ideas and are hoping to get started on her room in next month or so. Very fun stuff ahead!

I'm getting excited for a trip coming up. My Mom and I are heading to California at the end of this month to attend my best friend Holly's bridal shower and to help her and her Mom plan for her big day! It will be a nice girly getaway with fabulous people that I miss so much! Can't wait!!!

Well that's about all for today. The Doc just called me in some amoxicilin again, so I'm off to get that in my system. Happy Wednesday people.

Jenn :)

It's A......... GIRL

What an amazing day yesterday was for us. I started my day teaching Zumba, hoping to shake PSK up real good so she would cooperate for the ultrasound lady. It seemed to work! After getting ready, Brian and I headed up to Canton to do breakfast and drink 16oz of water and hold it for an hour and a half....that didn't go over so well. I used to have a bladder of steel, but not so much anymore. I tried my hardest to just suck it up and hold it in until my appointment, but when we arrived to the place, I couldn't not even stand up straight and we were 20 minutes early. Great. As I checked myself in, the receptionist noticed my discomfort and said I could "let out" a little bit, as I was obviously too full. Now, I kinda laughed when she said only let out a little bit. I'm thinking how is that possible when you have just filled yourself with loads of water, giving baby less room to move, causing her to do the 1, 2 shuffle on your bladder. Plus, we've all had to "go" really really bad before and the thought of stopping mid stream is just plain cruel. Well, anyways, I did it and the ultrasound lady came to my rescue as soon as I sat back down in the lobby. To the big room we went! I walked in, the lights were dim, I was waiting for the nice calming massage music to start playing. I hopped up on the table and Squirplshhh... warm ultrasound gooey was all over my tummy. She got started immediately. And there IT was...our baby acrobat...upside down on her head. It was the cutest sight I had ever seen. We saw the spine, heart beating, stomach, kidneys, feet, hands, and umbilical cord right away. I was getting nervous because the lady said baby was being stubborn, which instantly made me think she couldn't "tell" what the baby was. Great, now this Announcement party I had planned was going to get postponed. Baby and I even had a talk to beg her to cooperate. After more trying to get baby to get off her head, she asked me to go drain my bladder to see if that would help give baby more room to quit doing headstands. I couldn't have been more excited to pee in my life. When I came back in the room and hopped back up on the table, I was questioning her ability to see anything. She assured me that seeing the sex was not the problem, she knew exactly what we were having. I freaked out :) TELL US ALREADY THEN?!? She put the tool back on the tummy, squished around a bit, and zeroed in right on the "parts" section. She noted two little white sections between the legs, and I was certain she was going to announce " these are the testes." Nope! She said...it's a GIRL! Those are her "girl parts!" I cried of course, and looked at Brian and he was smiling ear to ear. It was the most wonderful thing I have ever heard. I would have been ecstatic either way, but I had a gut feeling it was a girl, so to find out I was right was awesome. Now, when she said baby was being stubborn, she was referring to not being able to get a few of the measurements she needed, so oh darn, we have to go back for another look at baby girl next month :) Everything that she was able to get looks right on target and healthy. We are still 19wks along according to ultrasound and baby looks great. She waved to us and gave us a good yawn. It was so cute. The lady said she has long legs (from daddy) and she has the cutest little button nose. We can't wait to go back and see her again when she's a little bit bigger and hopefully less stubborn!

After our appointment we went to Chipotle, of course, for some lunch and boy did that get baby girl moving! I should have eaten that BEFORE the appointment. duh We then headed to Baby's R Us for PSK's first outfit. I have been holding out for this moment, because I just didn't want to buy anything neutral. We picked out the cutest little outfit that she can hopefully wear when she makes her debut into the world. Now, let the shopping begin...lookout stores ;)

We are even more excited now that it's more real and we can call our baby by her name. Her name is Bexleigh Anniston Klopfer. She is going to be so spoiled and I can't wait to put pigtails in her hair :)

Here is my 19wk picture with Bexleigh's rump-in-the-ayer picture.

Happy Saturday everyone! I'm off to our Baby Announcement Party!!! After that, I shall post this blog entry :)

Jenn

PINK or BLUE?!?

That is the question of the week! It is almost Friday, the day we get to HOPEFULLY find out what PSK really is. I absolutely cannot wait--this is the most anxious I think I have ever been in my life! I can't believe the time to find out is almost here. Being pregnant makes time absolutely FLY by. If you're not paying attention, you will totally miss it.

What's been going on lately...let's see here. I am now done with this past dance school year. We had our recital on Thursday and Friday and it was a huge success and such a great time. Our performance company did their rendition of "Aladdin" and it is by far my favorite show they have put on thus far. The kids are so talented it was so much fun to watch!

As for in the belly, I finally felt PSK move yesterday while I was getting a much needed massage. It was exactly how the books described it--like little popcorn popping! Such a cool, and strange feeling. I hope it continues to get more clear so I know exactly what's going on in there. I'm still NOT sleeping well at all, which scares me because what does that mean my sleep will be when I'm huge and swollen? Fantastic.

I'm 18wks 3 days and still feeling awesome. I'm teaching Zumba 2 days a week through the summer (hopefully PSK lets me get through the summer!) and working at the office a few days a week. My days off will likely be spent at the pool working on my "Trophy Wife" status. You heard me.

I'm so nervous for this ultrasound because then 'it' will be SO REAL! We have names picked out and will come as soon as we find out the sex. So far, I have had 2 girl dreams and as of last night, 1 boy dream. Hmmm what will it be!?! Is it Friday yet?!?

PSK- in a few days I will be able to start calling you by your name- very exciting! Keep growing in there and we are so excited to see what you look like on the screen this Friday and hopefully get our first of many pictures of you. We love you so much and PLEASE don't be shy for your big debut!!!

Brian & Jenn :)