Baby Update

This past week I visited the doctor again. I am still measuring a few weeks ahead, but after the sonogram, we discovered that I don't have a massive giant baby in me, I just have a lot of amniotic fluid. The normal range is 5-25 cm of fluid (which seems like a large range for normal?), and I am at the top of that range with 21 cm of fluid. Good news is, baby's placenta is working well! Bad news, I have to carry around more weight and feel more pressure than many women do in the back, abdomen and pelvic regions while pregnant. But, baby is fine, and I am fine. I go back next week and every week after that for regular checkups and more dilation/effacement checks. The doctor did say, that although she doesn't feel that I'm at risk for pre-term labor, we would definitely not do anything to stop labor at this point if it starts. We have hit 35 weeks and the baby is estimated at 5 pounds (probably more like 5.5 now that is has been a week since my check-up), so baby is fine to come out if it is ready. We did learn that the baby's head is measuring about 2 weeks ahead of schedule too (not the body), so although that does not cause any medical issues at this point- it freaks out mommy who is hoping for another vaginal delivery! Ouch!

Christmas in Kansas City

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out..." Our annual Ralphie photograph with the Red Ryder Gun.

Not sure why this is sideways- I swear it doesn't look this way in Picasa... Anyway, here are some pictures of Christmas at Bass Pro with the kids to see Santa. Our pictures were horrible this year. Gus refused to smile and Hazel screamed. Not worthy of posting, to say the least...

Gus decorating Christmas cookies. I did most of them while he napped, but I saved back a few for him to enjoy adorning. He sure had fun (although he wouldn't eat any of the ones he decorated because he doesn't like Red Hots and he covered his in them!).

Hazel was more interested in eating them.

Opening Christmas presents at home from us, on December 23rd. As you can see, Gus loves wearing temporary tattoos. He insists on having one on each arm.

Hazel was fun to watch open her presents this year. She could open wrapped packages on her own and got really excited to see what was inside.

As some of you heard, Hazel face-planted out of her crib one night last week. She gave us quite the scare, bloody, bruised nose and fat upper lip. There was a lot of blood that scared mommy very much! So, she got a toddler bed for Christmas too. Here she is helping daddy take the crib apart so he could get it to fit in our bedroom, just in time for new baby. We were hoping to keep Hazel in the crib a bit longer, but our little monkey had other plans.

On Christmas Eve, Papa and Gma Dillavou came down to KC to spend the holidays with us. Since I am too pregnant to safely travel back to Iowa this  year, they made the venture here. We had a funny church experience on Christmas Eve; due to our regular church being standing room only 15 minutes before Mass (yes I thought that would be enough time- guess I was wrong!) we drove around until we found another service. It ended up being a Lutheran candlelight vigil, about 40 minutes long- very different, but was memorable.

Here are the kids opening presents from the Dillavou's.

Gus opening up a gift from his cool Ralphie bag. He kept saying, "He looks like me!" It was cute.

Here are some pictures from Christmas morning, after Santa came. Hazel loves her babies! She tries to fit as many as she can in her Bitty Baby stroller (from Gma and Papa). She is such a good mommy- she loves to feed and change her babies clothes.

Santa brought Gus a cool Transformer Firehouse!

Gus trying to prove that he is bigger than the huge puzzle he got from Gma and Papa. He wasn't lined up quite right, but it was close.

This week was nice, but hard... Gus and Hazel went back to Iowa with Gma and Papa for a few days so that we could get ready for our new little bundle of joy that will be arriving soon. I can say that we now do have everything all set up and organized for baby, so having the kids back in Iowa has been a tremendous help. I even started the new baby's scrapbook! I didn't get as much done as I wanted to on my online classes, but I will just have to work hard on that over the next few weeks. A big Thank You to all the grandparents who took turns watching the kiddos this week for us.

A Dillavou-Varner Christmas Party!

Go Chiefs!

Josh and Brandon took Gus and Kennedy to the Chiefs v. Packers game yesterday. They had great seats, good weather, a WIN and surprisingly attentive and semi-behaved children with them. Lindsey and I took Parker and Hazel to church and out to eat at The Cheesecake Factory- yummy! On Saturday night we had a Christmas party with the Varner family. What a wonderful weekend!

Baby Update

Well, it's official. We really are having another baby. Josh and I went to the hospital for our pre-registration appointment this afternoon, and we are all set... Now, we just need our new little one to arrive (well, waiting til January would be ideal, but I sure am starting to get nervous, excited and just anxious with anticipation). I go back to the doctor on Tuesday for another exam and a sonogram, to double check on dates and to size baby.

Tomorrow is my last day of teaching for the semester, grades are all due by early next week. I am ready to wrap up this semester. Nine classes, 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy, a one year old and a three year old... it has been a long semester. I need a little break before our newest little one arrives.

We are getting ready for our Kansas City Christmas as well. Although we will miss our friends and family in Iowa very much, we have never had a Christmas in Kansas City, so we are excited to experience that. We drove around for an hour tonight and looked at Christmas lights with the kids, got hot chocolate (although it was in the 60s while we drove around!), and sang Christmas songs in the car (Gus loves I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and knows many of the words- it is so cute to listen to him sing it). Last night I wrote out and mailed half the Christmas cards, tomorrow I will work on the other half. Presents are all bought and wrapped... Today I picked up a bunch of holiday activities and crafts to do with the kids next week. Christmas, here we come!

Doctor & A Dance Party

 Say "Cheeeeesssseee"

 Dance party in the Dillavou house tonight!

Today was another 2 week checkup for my pregnancy with new baby. I am about 33 weeks along, but am still measuring between 2-3 weeks ahead (even though I have not gained any weight in 3 weeks- surprisingly, haha!). My doctor scheduled an ultrasound at my next appointment to make sure that baby is not getting too big and/or to check on my dates.

Because I am having so many Braxton Hicks, and they are actually starting to hurt a little... and because I feel so much pressure on my pelvis already, my doctor checked my for dilation today and I am already one centimeter dilated. Not surprising for my third pregnancy, but definitely something to keep an eye on this early on. Josh reminded me today of how it took almost a day of induction with Gus just to get just one centimeter dilated- crazy! And now today, 2 months early, I am already at that point.

Baby is still head down- really far down I guess- which is why I am feeling so much pain and pressure. Not enough to make me efface- which is good this early on, but again, something to keep an eye on. So, I guess progress in happening. Doctor told me not to travel too far anymore, just to be safe- so it is a good thing we went home again last weekend and celebrated Christmas with family.

Thompson Family Christmas

 This past weekend was the Thompson family Christmas party in Clear Lake.

 Gus was excited to see Santa!

Elijah and Hazel are two days a part in age- he is actually the older one. As you can see, she towers over him. But they had fun dancing together! There were actually 4 babies Hazel's age- all within 2 months of each other- but I didn't get a good picture of them together (I tried, but 17-19 month olds just don't cooperate the way you want them to...). Hazel was the tallest of them all- she is going to be a big girl- unlike her mommy.

An Iowa Winter Wonderland

 Hazel eating some Iowa snow (and spitting it out!). We were happy that the kids were able to experience a little bit of Iowa winter, as Kansas City winter just isn't as white.

 Daddy braving the snow storm with Gus.

 Daddy teaching Gus how to make snow angels.

 Throwing snowballs at mommy behind the window.

Hazel loved looking outside. She was too little last year to remember the snow, but she sure did enjoy watching it fall this year.