Adventures in Stroopeville

The start of Fall!

2010-10-22T15:35:00.011-05:00

Fall is my favorite season - and I think it agrees with Sully as well. This has been such a busy season for us - with Griff in school during the day and working at night, me working part time from home and taking care of Sully full time - we don't have time for much else these days. Sullivan is a busy little guy too - He is growing up so fast! He started walking, talking a ton, and is always on the move. He loves to play and walk anywhere he can. He's also started dancing, which is about the cutest thing you've ever seen.
This is such a cute stage he's in right now - he is constantly exploring his world and learning so much. He has such a big vocabulary for his age - some of his most common words currently are: doggie, cow, turtle, duck, all done, all gone, bite, water, drink, plane, car, truck, bye-bye, hi, banana, grapes, toe, nose and of course mommy, daddy, meme, pops, and nanna. We're also working on animal sounds and currently he knows what a doggie and cow say!
This past week was the first time Sullivan has been sick in his 15 months! I can't believe we went that long without him catching anything. He got some sort of virus and had a pretty high fever (over 101) for 5 days! Combine that with cutting his one-molars and it has been a rough week in the Stroope household. His fever finally broke yesterday, but now his teeth are just killing him. I feel so bad for him, but we're making it through the best we can. He loves chewing on his toothbrush - I think it helps massage his gums and helps the pain. Whatever works at this point!
Sullivan is such a joy and everyday we love him more than we ever thought we could! Here are some pictures from the past few months.

Ready for some Cowboy football! Go Pokes!!

The sweetest smile in the world!

Mommy and Sully, watching the cowboys game.

Daddy, Sully and Pops

Fall fun at the Arboretum

Hawaii!

2010-09-27T21:20:00.016-05:00

This summer we went on the most amazing vacation to Hawaii! We were in Kauai for 2 wonderful weeks - I'm pretty sure island life agrees with our family! We had such a good time and Sully got to experience so many new things for the first time. He had his first plan ride (8 hours!) and all in all, he did really great. He had to adjust to the time change once we got there and took it like a champ. He played in the sand, splashed in the ocean, ate yummy Hawaiian pineapple, and celebrated his first birthday while there. I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful place than Kauai - and here are the pictures to prove it!

Swimming in the baby pool, looking out over the ocean

First trip to beach - he wasn't too sure about the sand at first, but ended up loving by the end of the trip.

Celebrating his first birthday, eating brownies out on the patio!

At Kipu Falls

My little bucket head at the beach :)

Inside an amazing sea cave on the Napali coast

The whole crew!

Just chillin!

Overlooking Waimea Canyon

Sully's First Birthday

2010-09-11T16:37:00.013-05:00

My little man is 1! Hard to believe that he already a year old - time has flown, but this has been the best year of our lives. Sullivan is such a joy and we love him more than we ever thought possible.

We had a great party for him, and of course it was pirate themed :) We had so many friends and family there, it really made it a special day for our whole family.

The table, food and cupcakes!

Opening gifts!

Sully with 5 of his 7 great grandparents!

The grandparents

Eating cake! He's got quite the mouthful!

Going for it! Forget the hands, he dug in face first!

I think he likes cake!

Our Family!

Weeks 43-46

2010-06-15T21:04:00.011-05:00

Sully is a boy on the move! He is in to everything and is still as sweet as ever. Over the past few weeks we've been pretty busy. Sully started taking swim lessons and he is loving it. He just smiles and laughs and splashes the whole time we're in the water. It's been a great class and I've loved being able to introduce him to the water in a fun environment. I see many pool days ahead of us now! Here's a picture of my little swimmer!

Sully has also started crawling for real now - it was so cute watching him figure out how. He was so awkward at first and didn't really get the rhythm of it, but he's doing much better now. He was already pulling up on everything but now he's started to walk while holding on to the couch or coffee table. He's not tested his balance yet by letting go, but I'm sure that's just around the corner. Another small thing, but so incredibly cute, is that Sully started to wave. It is precious - we were in line at the grocery store and he started to wave at all the people around us. He also waves at his stuffed animals, the pictures in his books, really anything. It's beyond cute! And speaking of cute... here are some pics of the cutest baby ever!!

Memorial Day in Oklahoma with my family

Look at those pearly whites!

Sully loves to clap!

Doing his best model face :)

Not a happy camper :(

Weeks 40, 41, & 42

2010-05-20T17:17:00.010-05:00

Sully is on the move now! He is EVERYWHERE, ALL of the time! He's really doing great though - such a happy boy. He loves to play - with the most random things he finds around the house - I'm pretty sure we never needed to buy him toys! He also really likes playing with our little dog, Bernie. He'll find a dog toy and wave it for her and they'll play tug of war with it. It's pretty much one of the cutest things you've ever seen.

It seems like Sully is growing up so quick now. In a matter of weeks he went from sitting, to crawling, to pulling up. He's getting so big and really starting to explore the world around him. Makes for some great photos and videos!

This is 40 weeks. I got Sully a little pool for the backyard and he had a blast playing in it!

My first Mother's Day!

He is hysterical when he laughs!

He's in the laundry basket here - I had to run outside really quick, but since he's been pulling up on stuff I didn't trust him to not get in trouble while I ran out to the backyard - so I did what any normal mom would do - put a laundry basket on him!

This is quite possibly the best part of my day - when I come in his room after he's woken up from a nap he's always trying to pull up on his crib bumpers and he looks like he's in baby jail. Cutest baby ever!

April 22

Army Crawling Pro from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

May 16

Trying to pull up from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

May 17

Standing Boy from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

May 19

My little climber from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Fun Videos of Sully

2010-05-09T11:17:00.003-05:00

Here are a few videos from the past month of Sully's new tricks!

Tart Food from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Picking up a puff from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Swinging Sully from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Trying to crawl from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Weeks 30-something - 39

2010-05-04T18:50:00.009-05:00

So apparently I got off in my weeks, because I don't have any pictures from weeks 35 or 36... but I picked up at week 37. I think I just miscounted somewhere in the early 30's... oops! Anyway, here's what's been going on lately...

Sully had his 9 month (can you believe it!) check up last week and it went great. He weighs 17 pounds (5th percentile) and is 28 inches long (50th percentile). He also did great getting his shot and finger prick - barely any tears!
Sully is on the move now - he is army crawling like a pro. I don't think it would matter if he was crawling on his knees because he's super fast at army crawling and can get everywhere imaginable in the house. And even though he has loads of toys, his favorite things to play with are cords (I don't let him play with them, he just has a crazy radar and finds them no matter where they are), dog toys, remotes, and the pots hanging off the island in the kitchen.
His spitting up is FINALLY better! He still has a few moments where we're caught off guard, but all in all it has improved so much. SO thankful for this!
Now that the weather is so nice we've been going to the park almost every day to swing - Sully loves it and could probably stay there and swing all day.

Things are just going really well and Sullivan is such a great baby - he is so happy and smiley and is the most adorable baby ever! We are so blessed to have him and couldn't be more thankful for every day we get to spend with him. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks...

Easter

2010-04-10T10:59:00.008-05:00

We had a great Easter celebrating our Savior with all of our family... and the Easter Bunny was quite generous to Sullivan! I'm pretty sure he was the cutest Easter baby ever!

Weeks 30-34

2010-04-04T20:46:00.011-05:00

We've had a really good last month and Sullivan is doing great - he's getting bigger and bigger and becoming an adorable tiny man! Since Griff started school (almost 2 months ago) it's just been me and Sully kickin it at the house most days. Sully is becoming quite entertaining though - he is such a happy baby and loves to smile, laugh and play. I took him back to the GI doctor several weeks ago because his spitting up was not getting any better and I was about at the end of my rope. The doctor checked him out again and confirmed it wasn't a milk allergy and he suggested getting an upper GI to make sure Sully's anatomy was correct. So we took him for the upper GI and it was so painful, mainly for me! They had to strap him to this board and give him barium to drink, then we were able to watch it go from his mouth to his stomach to his upper intestine, but, he was screaming the whole time - it was horrible! However, we were able to confirm that his anatomy is correct and in place, so that was not the cause of the spitting up. So now we are back where we started - waiting to see if it gets better... Lately he's had pretty good days and some not so good days, but I think (and maybe this is me being really hopeful!) it's getting a little better.
He finally started sitting up on his own (!!!!) on Thursday (April 1) and it's a whole new world for him. It's so fun for him (and me!) to be able to sit up and play with all of his toys. He's still not super sturdy so every now and then he topples over, but I think now that he's able to support and control his mid-section it may be helping a little bit with his spitting up.

Here are some pictures from the past month!

This is actually 31 weeks - and apparently Sully is a milkaholic! Such a glutton!

We took a trip to the Arboretum to enjoy a beautiful spring day!

I had to start putting the paper where he couldn't reach it because all he wants to do is eat it - pretty much anything you give him goes directly in his mouth now a days!

Another trip to the Arboretum with my playgroup

Such a motley crew!

Weeks 27, 28 & 29

2010-02-23T19:41:00.011-06:00

We've had a busy few weeks, with doctor's appointments for Sully and me, Griff starting school, and all the normal stuff that makes each day fly by! We finally took Sully to a GI doctor to get him checked out for his constant, non-stop, all-the-time spitting up. We got some good news and bad news... the good is that nothing is wrong with him! The bad is that nothing is wrong with him and we just have to wait till he grows out of it, hopefully by the time he's a year old! I'm so glad nothing is wrong with him, but I also would have loved if we could stop the spitting up. So lately he has really bad days (where he spits up throughout the day, whether he's eaten or not and whether he's standing, sitting, on his back or on his belly) and not so bad days where he only spits up a few times. I think I'm more traumatized by it than Sully is - mostly because I can barely keep up with the massive amounts of laundry that accumulate every day - but it doesn't even seem to phase him, so I guess we'll just hope he grows out of it sooner rather than later.

We've started solid foods the past few weeks and it's been so fun to let Sully try different foods. His first food was peas and he wasn't too sure about them but now he loves them. So far he's tried peas, green beans (see picture below), carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apples, peaches, bananas, avocados... and he loves them all, except the green beans. And it was either the bananas or avocados, but something gave him some fierce diaper rash that I'm still trying to get rid of!

I recently went to the doctor because I'm pretty sure I was inches from death... or at least it felt like it. I apparently had the mother of all stomach flus. It was worse than horrible but we were so fortunate that we had friends that came over and took care of Sully since I was literally on my deathbed and Griff was at school.

So yes, Griff started school last week. Most of you probably know, but he is going to cosmetology school so he can become a hair stylist. We are super excited and he's really enjoying it so far. So if any brave soul out there wants a free haircut let us know - Griff can use all the practice he can get!

Enough with all the updating... here are the pictures!

Here you can see the green beans, both in the bowl and in his mouth. He really doesn't like them... he'll put them in his mouth but won't swallow so he just gets a huge mouthful of mush and thinks it's hilarious to show us!

This was the first time he held his bottle all by himself for his whole feeding. It was great because I was able to get some things done while he was drinking it, but it was sad too because it means my little boy is growing up so fast!

We had a snow day not too long ago and I couldn't resist putting him in his snow suit and taking his picture. He's the cutest snow bunny/bear I've ever seen!

Weeks 22, 23, 24, 25 & 26

2010-02-02T22:15:00.014-06:00

Sullivan is 6 months old and I can't believe my sweet baby is already half a year old. Things have been going really well lately so here's where we are...

We just had Sully's 6 month check up and everything was great. He weighs 14 lbs 4 oz and is 26 1/2 inches long.
Sully has gotten very active - he loves rolling over onto his belly and he has several jumper toys that he goes crazy in. It's hilarious - he'll march and kick his legs and jump up and down - it's so cute!
He's not sitting up on his own yet, but he's getting close. He can do it for a spit second, but topples over pretty quickly.
Sully is sleeping great. I finally got smart and put him on a schedule and since then he's been doing great. He sleeps from 7 to 7 and takes 3 naps during the day. Now that he's getting better sleep he is a much more well adjusted baby!
We just started some solid foods this week. He has been eating rice cereal for a while now, but this week he started real foods. We've only tried peas so far and I think the jury is still out on whether he likes them. We'll see!

baby mohawk!

his first time drinking out of a real cup - it's a good thing it has a no spill lid!

just before bath time - my favorite time of day!

Sullivan's First Christmas!

2010-01-27T13:57:00.010-06:00

We had such a great Christmas, and even though Sully probably had no idea what was going on I think he had a pretty good time too! We were in Dallas for Christmas Eve and morning then around noon Christmas day we headed to Oklahoma, which proved to be a much bigger task than we imagined! Due to the huge snow storm, it took us 8 hours to get there (it normally takes us 5) so needless to say we were all 3 ready to get out of the car at the end of that trip! Here are some pics from Sully's first Christmas!

The best Christmas present ever!

This was Christmas morning... Sully is under that blanket... he was less than thrilled and apparently didn't get the memo that Christmas morning is a happy time! :)

Sully opening his many, many gifts!

Our sweet family!

Weeks 18, 19, 20, & 21

2010-01-26T22:05:00.012-06:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted new pics - so instead of trying to come up with something clever to say I"m just going to post the pics!

I know I'm pretty partial, but I seriously think we have the cutest baby ever! I mean, look at that face! SO precious!!

As I was decorating for Christmas I decided to put Sully in a box with a bow - I kind of felt bad for putting my child in a box, but then he had a great time trying to eat the bow, so that made me feel better!

This is Sullivan's first time eating rice cereal. He did great and managed to get most of it in his mouth. It was so funny because he started to slurp it off the spoon like soup - that's when things got messy!

This is 21 weeks - we forgot the sign!

I'm working on a Christmas post and weeks 22-25. My goal is to have them up by the end of the week! Wish me luck!!

Weeks 15, 16, & 17

2009-11-30T17:53:00.009-06:00

The last few weeks have been pretty good. Here's what's been going on...

Sully is getting more and more active - he's rolling and holding his head up so good now.
He has started reaching for objects and grabbing onto everything he can. His hand eye coordination is really improving!
Teething has begun, so he's been pretty fussy at times. No teeth yet, just lots of drooling and trying to fit his fist (or fists) into his mouth.
We had his 4 month check up today and everything went great. He weighs 12 lbs 7 oz and is 25 inches long.
We are starting rice cereal today so we'll take pictures and let you know how it goes!
We had a good stretch of sleeping through most of the night, but lately its not been so good. We're hoping the rice cereal will help keep him fuller longer and hopefully he'll sleep better.
Sully had his first Thanksgiving and got to meet lots of family for the first time!

All in all, things are going pretty good now! Here are pictures from the last few weeks...

Sully's first Thanksgiving!

Fun Videos of Sullivan!

2009-11-15T15:52:00.003-06:00

So now that Sullivan is doing more than just sleeping and crying, we've caught some fun moments on video!

Sully rolling from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

More Rolling! from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Talking from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Weeks 12, 13, & 14

2009-11-08T17:11:00.000-06:00

Everything has been going a lot better these past few weeks. Sully really is like a different baby - not that he wasn't great before, he's just much more calm and happy now!

He's ok to just hang out when he's awake, which is a huge improvement. He has started playing with a few toys and being very interested in the world around him.
He's not nearly as fussy in the evenings (thank goodness!)
He's starting to get a lot better at his head control - he is still a bit of a bobble head, but is very close to holding his head up completely on his own.
He has started grabbing a things around him and loves to hold on to stuff - our fingers, my shirt, a burp rag, toys - anything he can get his hands on.
He loves to stand (of course with our help!). He locks his knees and loves to just stand and look at everything - it's so funny since he doesn't have the best head or body control, he looks like he's dancing most of the time - so funny!
His sleeping has been much better - naps during the day are still hit or miss, but the last 3 nights he has slept through the night!!!! We'll see if it continues, but for now it's heaven!
He has been talking a ton the past few weeks - hearing his little baby talk is the sweetest sound I've ever heard!

It's been so fun to see his little personality start to develop. He knows who Griffin and I are and will respond to our voices and smile and talk back to us. He is already growing up and changing so much! He's such a sweet little boy and we are both so in love!

We forgot the sign, but this is his 12 week picture.

My smiling boy!

Sully was playing on the floor and just conked out right in the middle of the living room - so cute!

Here are a few halloween pics...
My little pumpkin!

Week 11

2009-10-15T15:51:00.008-05:00

Yes, I realize I skipped week 10, but it's been beyond crazy these past 2 weeks and I just didn't get around to taking a picture or blogging last week. Here's what's been going on the past month or so...

Sully had his 2 month check up and is doing great. He weighed 10lbs 5ozs and was 23 1/2 inches long. That's 25th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.
He has started smiling and reacting to our voices - it's so sweet to see his precious smile. I haven't caught it on camera yet, but hopefully will soon.
He is able to roll from his back to his side and apparently loves to sleep that way because we always put him to bed on his back and when he wakes up is on his side.
He's not sleeping through the night yet, but is super close. He's been going to be around 10 and getting up about 3am, then again at 7 or 8 - so we're almost there (thank goodness!)
We've been dealing with some sort of combination of acid reflux/gas/colic that is causing a lot of fussiness and crying, especially in the evenings. We've got medicine for the acid reflux and gas, but we're not noticing much difference. Hopefully he will just grow out of it around 3 months... and luckily we're close to that 3 month mark!
We made our first road trip several weeks ago to my mom's house in Oklahoma. We had the two of us, Sully, 2 dogs, and all of our stuff - the car was packed full! Sully did great in the car - he slept almost the whole time. It was a big relief to know that he can do so well in the car as that was the first of many trips to Nanna's house!

Weeks 6, 7, 8, & 9

2009-10-04T16:54:00.014-05:00

So I know I said I would update weekly, but I totally underestimated how little free time I would have to do stuff like this! I can't believe 4 weeks have gone by since I last updated and I know I've said it before, but I really will start updating weekly at some point!

And at this point I had all these fun little details about what's been going on, but somehow erased it without saving and now I can't remember what I wrote so I'm just going to post these pics since they are long overdue anyway!

Sully playing with his new toy his Nanna got him

Our family

Sully and his Nanna

giving us the thumbs up!

Ready for Halloween!

Weeks 3, 4, & 5

2009-09-06T19:37:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this blog post up - every time I sit down to do it I'm either interrupted by a screaming baby or just too tired to do anything but lay here! The last 3 weeks have been pretty good - I finally feel like we're starting to find our rhythm and get used to this new life. We've had several outings to the mall and out to eat, a dr's visit that went really well (at his 4-week appt he was up to 8 lbs 11 oz), and we even had a baby free date night this weekend!

Sullivan is growing and changing every day. We're working on figuring out a schedule, but we're not quite there yet. He's started focusing on objects and we like to think he already recognizes his mom and dad. He's also started to try and hold his head up - it's still pretty wobbly but he's really close to being able to hold it up on his own. And even though we're pretty biased, we think he is just too cute! Here's proof!

Our Family

Week 1 & 2

2009-08-15T14:00:00.013-05:00

Sorry I'm late in getting these posted, but as you can imagine things have been totally crazy these past few weeks! I'm still planning on updating our blog weekly with new pics and updates about Sullivan. Things have been going pretty good so far - we're just all trying to adjust to the new schedule (or lack thereof really...). Sullivan really has been a good baby - he's pretty calm and generally only gets fussy when he's hungry or needs to be changed. He's sleeping ok... the longest stretch he's gone so far is about 3 1/2 hours, but that was only once... it's mostly about 1 1/2 - 2 hours at a time. We've been to the pediatrician twice so far and everything has gone great. He's still not back up to his birth weight yet, but he has finally started to gain weight so hopefully he'll be plumpling up quickly now! Here are some pics from the past 2 weeks!

Sullivan's first bath

2009-08-04T19:54:00.008-05:00

We gave Sullivan his first bath today, and he did pretty well. He had a few unhappy moments, but all in all he did great!

Getting ready...

Starting out great...

And then a bit unhappy...

And still not happy...

A little better...

All done and much better!

Sullivan is here!

2009-07-30T19:24:00.015-05:00

Sullivan Kent Stroope was born Wednesday, July 29 at 7:50 pm after 12 hours of labor. We got home from the hospital Friday afternoon and it's been a crazy few days, to say the least! Here are some pics from Sully's first few days!

Sullivan's first picture - just a few minutes after he was born.

In the nursery getting checked out

Proud Mom!

Proud Dad!

Sullivan and his dad - about to head home from the hospital

Headed home!

First day at home

Look at that face! So sweet!

Week 37

2009-07-21T16:43:00.004-05:00

How far along? 37 weeks - full term!
Total weight gain: 27 pounds
Best moment recently: Being full term today! I am so thankful to have a full-term baby and am confident that from this point on, whenever he decides to make his debut he will be fully grown and healthy.
Movement: He's even lower this week and I'm still getting that uncomfortable pressure down low.
Food cravings: Eh... nothing really. I can't eat very large portions, so I'm pretty content to just drink a big glass of milk and call it a day.
What I miss: Walking normally - I am getting comments from strangers now about my waddling. Note to anyone reading: Never comment on a pregnant lady's waddle - I guarantee you she is aware and doesn't need you to remind her about it!
Worst part of pregnancy currently: The tiredness - it's just getting worse and it's so annoying that at the time when I'm most tired I couldn't get a good night's sleep no matter how hard I tried - or how tired I was!
What I am looking forward to: Seeing our baby's face for the first time. I can't wait to see who he looks like and get to know every little detail of his tiny face!
Milestones: Disclaimer - if you are easily grossed out or offended, stop reading now! This week marks the loss of my bladder control! Griffin told me a really funny story this weekend and I laughed so hard I peed my pants a little. And then it's happened several times since then - fun, fun!
Progress: A loose 1cm and 25-30% effaced
Dr. Appt Update: Another great dr appt and once again baby passed all of his tests. The biggest surprise this week was his weight - it's estimated at 8lbs 2 oz - HUGE! We have an induction scheduled on July 30, however with how big he is already it may end up being a little sooner than that. We go in next Tuesday for my 38 week appt and there is a good chance my dr will just admit me to L&D at that point and we'll have the baby that day. I think that's what's going to happen, but Griffin is still pretty sure it'll be the 30th... so we will see! Either way, we have anywhere from 7-9 days to go!!

Finished Nursery!

2009-07-17T17:09:00.003-05:00

FINALLY! We finished the nursery and instead of posting pics we took a video of it so you could really see what it looks like! Plus my sweet husband got me a new video camera for my birthday and I wanted to try it out!

We are so happy with the way it turned out and can't wait for our son to get to use all of his new, fun stuff!

Baby Stroope's Nursery! from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

Week 36

2009-07-15T16:33:00.004-05:00

How far along? 36 weeks
Total weight gain: 26 pounds
Best moment recently: Finishing the nursery and being able to sit in there in the super comfy rocker and know that in 2 1/2 weeks I'll be sitting in the same spot with our son.
Movement: He has dropped so I'm feeling a lot more pressure down low, which is very uncomfortable at times!
Food cravings: My appetite is still not normal, but this week I've been drinking a lot of smoothies - either chocolate, peanut butter and banana or strawberry, orange and banana. I think it's the combo of fruit and coldness that is so appealing right now., seeing as how it's so unbearabley hot right now!
What I miss: Being able to touch my feet or bend over (and not look completely silly) to pick up things.
Worst part of pregnancy currently: Low back pain and having NO energy. I feel like I could wake up at 10am everyday and be ready for bed by 2pm! Also, the realization that even my maternity clothes are now tight and is just reaffirming how big I really am! I know, I know, I have a human inside of me, I should be big - but really, a lady in my emotional state doesn't need any more affirmation of just how large she really is.
What I am looking forward to: Getting this baby out of me! Of course I want him to stay in and cook as long as possible, but I am so beyond ready for him to be here at this point! I'm also looking forward to installing the car seat this weekend - it's such a small thing, but to drive around with a car seat in my car is going to be weird, in a really good way!
Milestones: We have a finished nursery and a VERY clean house (thanks Mom!)
Progress: 1cm dilated and barely effaced
Dr. Appt Update: We had a great Dr. appt this week. Baby cooperated on the ultrasound and we were able to get great measurements and he passed all of his tests with flying colors. He is currently weighing in at 7lbs 4oz and is still head down and ready to go. He is growing in the 91st percentile which is big, but the Dr. said not worrysome at all. All things considered, he is doing great, so we are SO thankful for a healthy baby.

Week 35

2009-07-08T16:41:00.007-05:00

How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain: 25 pounds
Stretch marks? Hopefully I don't jinx myself, but I'm going to be bold and say I don't think I'll get them... if I haven't by this point, surely they won't just show up in the next 3 weeks, right?!?
Best moment recently: We got our new-to-us car (my mom's toyota highlander) and it already makes me feel more like a mom to have an suv as opposed to my two-door sporty car!
Movement: Still a ton, which is a good thing. The kicks and jabs have more turned into just movement. As he gets cramped he doesn't have as much space to stretch out so the movement is more like pushing or pressure.
Food cravings: Non existent all of the sudden. The past few days I have not had an appetite and nothing sounds good (sounds like I'm in my first trimester again!). I don't know if it's a space issue (my stomach is squished somewhere around my ribs) or a heartburn issue (There are not enough Tums on the planet to kick this!). However, I could still down a gallon of milk if I had the space!
Belly Button in or out? It's out - but not big poking out... just a little poking out.
What I miss: My appetite!
Worst part of pregnancy currently: We're back to the two good ol' standbys - heartburn and uncomfortableness.
What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery finished! My mom is here this weekend to help us deep clean the whole house and put the finishing touches on the nursery!
Milestones: Only 3 weeks to go!!
Dr. Appt Update: Not much to update this time. He was moving around so much at the appointment that the ultrasound tech couldn't get good measurements - so we're not sure how much he's grown in the past week. Everything else (heart rate, fluid, movement, position) looked good. It was really fun to see him moving so much at the ultrasound (he's usually sleeping). We saw him sucking his thumb and moving his hands and legs all around (or as much as he could in such tight quarters!). Crazy to think in 3 short weeks that same baby will be moving all around the same way, just outside of me...!! I know I've said it before, but WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

This is from the 4th of July - we went to the horse races with our friends Bradley and Holly and had such a good time and saw some amazing fireworks!

I found the firework setting on my camera - fun!

Week 34

2009-07-01T11:03:00.007-05:00

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain: 23 pounds
Stretch marks? I keep waiting for them to show up, but so far I've been lucky!
Best moment recently: We organized the nursery!!!! HUGE accomplishment and pics will be posted later this week!
Movement: Lots! and uncomfortably so at times. My belly literally has a mind of its own now and since baby is getting bigger and space is more and more limited, I feel and see so much more movement all over the place. It gets a little uncomfortable when he's moving around so much and pushing and stretching my belly. I feel bad because I know he doesn't have a lot of space, but at the same time, can't a kid give his mom a break?!?
Food cravings: Still milk, but other than that my appetite has decreased a lot. I think that has to do with the limited amount of space my stomach has now. I can't eat very large amounts otherwise it's super uncomfortable. Plus I'm getting heartburn a lot again, so really it's just easier to not eat much at this point!
Belly Button in or out? I guess it would be considered out now... it shows through my clothes, but it's not like huge popping out or anything... just somewhat noticeable.
What I miss: Being able to function past 10pm. It's like my body shuts down and won't let me do anything past this time. It really wouldn't be so bad if I knew I was going to lay down to sleep and not get up till morning - however, knowing I'll be up in 2 hours to either pee or change positions makes going to sleep a little less enticing these days.
Worst part of pregnancy currently: Just being uncomfortable - anytime, anywhere. It's like a switch has flipped in the past week and there is just nothing I can do get comfortable.
What I am looking forward to: We are starting a 4 week parenting class at our church tonight. We are really looking forward to preparing for parenthood in this way - not just being ready for labor or having all the right stuff in the nursery - but starting to gain the knowledge and skills to actually parent this child.
Milestones: Did I mention we organized the nursery!!! HUGE milestone!
Dr. Appt Update: I now start weekly dr appointments, so we'll be getting the BPP every week. Here is yesterday's appointment update:

Baby is: Head down and very, very low. The sonographer couldn't even get a good look at his face because of how low he is.

Baby weighs: 6lbs 6oz - so it looks like he's shaping up to be about 8 1/2 pounds at birth

Tests looked: All good - good movement, heart rate, breathing, and amniotic fluid levels

Induction date: Still July 31 - just over 4 weeks away!

My belly looks pointy in this pic for some reason - I guess it's just that big now!

And yes, that is Bernie on my belly - she has a little perch now that she can rest on :) And she looks like a scared raccoon here... not sure what that's all about!

and this week is a cantaloupe - but as you know, our baby is about 2 pounds bigger than this. Just picture Bernie in my belly - she weighs the same as the baby right now. and that is so crazy to think I'm going to push a human out of me that will be larger than our dog... that is a thought that I don't need to dwell on right now!

Shower #2

2009-06-26T16:32:00.015-05:00

Our second shower was in my hometown, Ponca City, OK. It was a girly shower and so much fun! My best friend Melissa did an incredible job with the decorations and found so much pirate stuff I never knew existed. Once again, Griff and I were so humbled by the generosity and thoughtfulness of all our friends and family - we got so much amazing stuff for the baby. We're really close to having everything we need for the baby... now we just need the actual baby to be here! Here are the pics!

Me with the lovely hostesses

The amazing table, food and decorations

Me and my sister-in-law, Leila

Look at all that loot! Incredible!

Me and my mom with my grandma, aunts and cousin

My brother and Griff stopped by at the end of the shower... I think they felt a little out of place! And the little taxi car in this pic was a special gift from my mom. Apparently after Griff and I got married, unbeknownst to us, my dad was going to auctions and garage sales looking for antique toys for his future grandkids. He found this antique car years ago and so my mom gave it to us at the shower. By far the best gift we've gotten!
This is when my mom was giving us the car... and I was bawling like crazy!

Me and my BF, Melissa!

The family

Griff, me, my brother Kyle and sister-in-law Leila

Me, mom, and Leila

Griff, me and mom - and an interesting fact... the dress I'm wearing was actually my mom's dress when she was pregnant with my brother! So glad she saved it!

Shower #1

2009-06-25T12:28:00.000-05:00

Our first shower was a couples/co-ed shower thrown by some of our best friends. We really didn't want anything too baby-ish, just a fun time to hang out and celebrate our baby boy... and it was a blast! Our friends did an amazing job and everything was perfect. It was so great to have so many of our friends and family together. We got some amazing gift and were totally humbled by how generous everyone was. Here are the pics!

The amazing table with great food and super cute pirate decorations

We played a baby game where you had to guess what the baby food was by taste test... I did not do so well and am trying to not feel like bad mom already!

Let the gift opening begin!

You can't see it very well, but this is a handmade pirate book from one of the hostesses, Jenni. It was so incredibly adorable that I told her she should start her own business! Jenni blogged about making the book HERE.

The cutest baby pirate chucks ever! Thanks Brandon and Kelsey!

The Stroope Family

Me with the amazing hostesses, Jenni, Beth and Holly!

Me, Mom and Nana

Griff and me with our surprise guest, my Uncle Kevin! At the shower we found out he is working in Dallas for the next 6 months (he lives in Denver) and decided to stay the weekend and surprise us at our shower!

Me, Griff and the Grandma-to-be!

Week 33

2009-06-24T12:01:00.009-05:00

At the risk of sounding like a major complainer... I am big, round, and uncomfortable! I really have enjoyed being pregnant and am so thankful it's been somewhat easy. I'm just at the point now where I am uncomfortable all of the time - there is not a position - standing, sitting, lying down - where I am not uncomfortable. BUT, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have a tentative induction date scheduled for July 31, which is 10 days before my actual due date. We are being induced early because of my diabetes, which can bring about various complications in the last 2 weeks of pregnancy. The dr. would rather induce early than take a chance of something happening to the baby in the last few weeks. At first I was a bit disappointed that the baby wouldn't get to come on his own, but in light of my constant uncomfortableness, July 31 can't come soon enough! There is still the chance that the baby will be here sooner than July 31, if the dr. feels like the baby isn't doing well and would be better to take him early. We are praying that he can stay inside and cook as long as possible, but in the end we trust that the dr. will do what's best for our boy.

We've had a super busy last few weeks and are so ready for some down time. We've had 3 showers in a row, child birthing classes, breast feeding classes, and Griff has his daddy boot camp class. With everything going on we haven't even had a chance to go through all of the great stuff we got at our showers and start to organize the nursery. Hopefully we'll get the chance in the next few weeks and I'll for sure post pictures of the nursery progress.

I wanted to get the weekly update out on time, but I haven't forgotten about shower pictures - I am working on that today and will have them up tomorrow! For now, here are this weeks pics:

We are a pineapple this week! Last week Baby was almost 5 pounds, so I would imagine he is about 5 1/2 right now. He is also over 17 inches long now!
Also - we sold my car this week :( I was so sad to see it go - I loved my little car, but there's no way I was going to try and get a car seat in and out of a 2-door car. A friend of a friend ended up buying it so at least it went to a good home! Here's my last pic with my sporty little car!

Week 32

2009-06-17T15:38:00.005-05:00

How far along? 32 weeks - 8 Months!
Total weight gain: 21 pounds
Stretch marks? Still no!
Sleep: eh... I've pretty much given in to the fact that sleep will not be good for quite some time, so I'm just trying to manage my tiredness at this point.
Best moment recently: Baby showers and starting to put the finishing touches on the nursery!
Movement: Still a ton. He favors the right side of my belly so I sometimes look a little lopsided. For example, at our ultrasound yesterday he had his head, arms, and one leg in the lower right side of my belly and his butt and other leg in the upper right side. His back and part of his abdomen were the only things on my left side. You'd think he would realize he could stretch out a little more than that!
Food cravings: As I told Griffin today - My milk craving is out of control. I am now going through a gallon in 4 days.
Belly Button in or out? It's in... kind of... there is not really a belly button hole any more and the sides are starting to pop out where it's visible through my clothes.
What I miss: Not feeling like I waddle everywhere I go. I just feel so much heavier now and it makes it harder and harder to get around. Griffin says I don't waddle, but I think he's just being a nice husband to a sometimes emotional and irrational pregnant lady!
Worst part of pregnancy currently: For my own sanity I don't think I'll answer this questions this time. You would be reading my answer for the next day...
What I am looking forward to: The baby being here already! I am getting really anxious and excited!
Milestones: We finished our childbirth classes at the hospital, so according to Medical City we are ready to raise and take care of another human being. :) Thank goodness for grandparents!

* And I promise I'll get some shower pictures posted this week - there are a tons pictures between the two showers and I'm just trying to sort through them to get the best ones.

Here are this weeks pics:

That's our dog, Coltrane, on the bed. He really wanted to be in the picture this week!

And the vegetable of the week is...
A large jicama! Our baby is actually bigger than this by a pound. At our ultra sound yesterday he weighed 4 pounds, 14 oz. We also found out that he currently has a very large head -and by very large I mean his head is measuring 4 weeks ahead. Can you say OUCH?!? Let's just hope he grows into that big melon in the next 6 weeks!

Week 31

2009-06-10T09:43:00.008-05:00

Top Down

Ugh... I am definitely PREGNANT. Not a lot of updates this week - just feeling very, very pregnant and everything that comes along with that. My belly continues to grow, and while that is a really good thing, it brings with it a lot more uncomfortable side effects. I just keep telling myself that I've got less than 8 weeks left and I can totally do it.

We had an amazing baby shower this weekend - we had such a good time seeing all of our friends and family and it was great to be able to celebrate baby Stroope! We're headed to Ponca this weekend for another shower so I'll post pics next week from both showers and of the progress we've made on the nursery. It's all starting to come together now!

Oh, and this week is 4 navel oranges. Why they couldn't come up with a single fruit or vegetable I'm not sure, but they did 4 oranges for the weight, which should be about 3 1/2 pounds... but as we all know our boy has already passed that mark and is probably closer to 4 1/2 or 5 pounds at this point!

Week 30

2009-06-03T12:03:00.005-05:00

How far along? 30 weeks
Total weight gain: 17 pounds
Stretch marks? No!!!
Sleep: not a good subject right now... :(
Best moment recently: Getting to see our boy in the ultrasound so often now. Yesterday we got a great shot of his face and we could see his little mouth opening and closing, like he was practicing the sucking motion with his lips. Soooo fun to get to peek in on him and see what he's up to in there!
Movement: Lots! And he's started getting the hiccups, mostly in the morning. It's such a funny feeling because it's like really quick little spasms, lasts for about a minute or two, then goes away.
Food cravings: fruit! i can't get enough of it right now... especially cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries and oranges. Fruit has been the one consistent food I've been able to eat throughout my whole pregnancy but lately I could easily eat a whole cantaloupe in one sitting!
Belly Button in or out? Still in and still really shallow
What I miss: Being able to put on socks and tie my shoes without a lot of effort and a lot of grunting. Same goes for sitting down and getting up - I usually require assistance to get off the couch and my sweet husband is always there to give me a hand :)
Worst part of pregnancy currently: Lower back pain! Because I'm getting heavier out front it's putting a lot of strain on my lower back and my sciatic nerve. I've been on a heating pad for most of this last week and once again my sweet hubby has been a great masseuse!
What I am looking forward to: Our first baby shower this weekend!!
Milestones: Started a new phase in monitoring the baby - had our first biophysical profile yesterday. We had an ultrasound and then external fetal monitoring. Everything went really well and baby passed all tests with flying colors. I'll go back every two weeks and have these same tests done, up until about 36 weeks when I'll start going weekly. I also found out that I am slightly anemic so I've started taking extra iron supplements (in addition to what's already in my prenatal vitamin) and been told to eat iron rich foods. Hopefully that will help with my energy level!

Weekly Belly Pics:

Week 30 - Cabbage! Baby is now somewhere around 16 - 16/12 inches long and should weigh about 3 pounds, however our son is nearing the 4 pound mark at this point.

fun pictures from the past few weeks!

2009-05-29T11:57:00.013-05:00

We've been pretty busy the past few weeks so I thought I'd post a few pics so you can see what we've been up to!

Griffin's good friend Brandon got married a few weeks ago and Griff was the best man. It was such a fun wedding and super fun to get so dressed up!

Us with Griff's parents

Us with the happy couple! Congratulations Brandon & Kelsey!

For part of our staycation we went to the Fort Worth Zoo - it was a perfect day and an amazing zoo (we both LOVE zoos). We had such a good time!

After the zoo we went to the legedary Joe T Garcia's for some great mexican food - and it did not disappoint! The food was incredible and definitely helped with my mexican food cravings!

And for good measure, here's a recent pic of Bernie (yes, she has a diaper on... she's in heat right now)

And one of Coltrane - he likes to climb into bed and cuddle in the mornings - he's the sweetest and sleepiest dog ever in the mornings!

Week 29

2009-05-27T11:48:00.008-05:00

After the excitement of the ultrasound last week, there's not much to report this week. I'm feeling more and more pregnant every day and getting some of the not-so-fun effects of that. Sleep has been less than good, at best. I just can't get comfortable in any position and Baby always seems to wake up start a dance party in my belly right as I'm trying to go to sleep. His movement doesn't really bother me, but it does worry me that he has his days and nights confused, which I hope can be remedied once he's out in the real world (and I'm sure this is laughable to you moms reading this!).

And speaking of movement, Baby has been going crazy lately! The movements are continuing to increase and getting a little more uncomfortable. He has taken to pushing his butt up into my ribs so that I can't get a full breath or sit up straight. It's a good thing my office chair leans back so that I can stretch out a little bit and try and create some more space! And if his butt isn't in my ribs it's usually a foot - but I've learned to push back a bit and he gets the point and will most of the time move whatever body part is lodged in my ribs.

I start having Dr. appointments every 2 weeks now, so we've got another one at our 30 Week appt, which is Tuesday June 2. This will also start a new phase of monitoring the baby a little more closely. We'll be getting something calling a Biophysical Profile. According to the American Pregnancy Association, a Biophysical Profile (BPP) combines an ultrasound evaluation with a nonstress test and is intended to determine fetal health during the third trimester. It is not a common test, but is common for high risk pregnancies (which mine is because of diabetes). Here is what their website says:

There are two parts to the BPP, a Non-stress Test (NST) and an ultrasound evaluation.
The NST involves attaching one belt to the mother’s abdomen to measure fetal heart rate, and another belt to measure contractions. Movement, heart rate and “reactivity” of heart rate to movement are measured for 20-30 minutes. If the baby does not move for a time during the test, it does not mean there is a problem; the baby may be asleep. A nurse may use a small “buzzer” to wake the baby for the remainder of the test.

The ultrasound portion of the test is like any other obstetrical ultrasound performed during pregnancy and is performed by a qualified ultrasound technician who is usually overseen by a perinatologist. The ultrasound may take up to an hour, and the technician will watch for a variety of signs that are important in measuring the health of your baby.

So I'm not sure how often we'll get these, but I think it will be every 2 weeks from here on out. I hate that I'm high risk and have to get stuff like this, but at the same time it will be great to get extra monitoring on the baby and make sure everything is going ok. Plus ultrasounds are a great way for us to bond with the baby, especially for Griffin since he can't feel every kick and movement like I can. We'll let you know how it goes!

Weekly Pics:

Another top down view

And this week is a butternut squash. Baby should be 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 pounds and 15 1/2 - 16 1/4 inches long, however as of last week he was already 3 pounds. Way to go son, already ahead of the curve!

Week 28 & Ultrasound Pics!!

2009-05-19T15:31:00.010-05:00

So we'll just get to the good stuff first! We had another ultrasound today and everything went great. Baby is growing just as he should be and everything looks normal and right on track! Here are a few pics, with explanations!

This is one of his foot - it's upside down so the heel is on the top left and toes are on the right. I wanted to see what was always poking me in the top part of my belly and this was the culprit! However I can't be too mad because that means he is head down and in perfect position - let's just hope he doesn't get crazy and start turning flips - I'd much rather him stay in his current position!

Here are 2 profile pictures - the top one is a little easier to see. And that's his hand in front of his face.

This confirms he is still a boy (see arrows pointing to the proof) :) His leg was bent so you can see that in a kind of upside down 'L' shape. And I'm not sure what the circle thing is right by his knee...

And this one is my FAVORITE EVER! It takes a minute to realize what you're looking at - but that is his face staring straight at us. I tried to mark everything so you could tell what you were looking at - his head is tilted to the right (almost horizontal) so that his forehead is in the upper right and his chin is lower left. You can see the distinction of his nose, eyes, mouth and it even looks like there are eyebrows! And again, his hand is right by his face - he wouldn't move his hand out of the way the whole time!

Here are the baby's stats:

He is weighing in at 3 pounds, which is slightly larger than normal for this stage, but not unexpected on our part
He is measuring in the 87th percentile, which means his is within the "normal" range, but at the high end of that range
He is head down in the perfect position for birth
Amniotic fluid levels (what the baby floats in) are measuring in the normal range as well

YAY for a healthy, growing baby boy!!

And here are the belly pics for this week:

And a view from the top down...
No more feet!

And in keeping with tradition...
This week is a Chinese cabbage... again, totally random!

Week 27

2009-05-12T15:31:00.011-05:00

I'm officially in the third trimester now! And I think I have the bump to prove it!

We celebrated Mother's Day this weekend with both of our moms and I actually got to partake in the celebration as well. I wasn't expecting to really be a part of it, because now is that weird time where I do feel like a mom because I'm taking care of, or literally carrying, our baby, but if someone asked me if I had any kids I guess the answer would be no... I don't know, it's a weird time, but regardless it was fun to celebrate a Mother-to-be Day! And who knew that Hallmark made Mother's Day cards for the soon-to-be Mom?!? (apparently my mom and Griff's mom both knew!) Griff also made me such a sweet card and got me my first Mother's Day gift.My sweet card from my sweet husband!

This is what he will wear home from the hospital - couldn't be any more perfect for a little baby Stroope!

And this just goes along with our pirate theme perfectly!

It was a fun weekend and the only time I'll be able to celebrate Mother-to-be Day so it was a special day!

This week's vegetable is...

Cauliflower! Baby is 2 pounds and 14 1/2 inches from head to heel. Another interesting fact is that he is starting to use his lungs more and more now. His previously plugged nostrils are now open so that means he is able to practice inhaling and exhaling. Even with the lack of air in the womb he's still able to practice, just with amniotic fluid. And he's also able to open and close his eyes now. Up until this point his eyelids have been fused shut, but now they are able to open!

Pediatrician

2009-05-06T16:27:00.003-05:00

Today Griff and I went to visit with a potential pediatrician for our baby. Most everything I've read recommends us having an interview with the potential doctor just to make sure we like him, feel like we can trust him, is on the same page with us regarding vaccines, etc. A family friend of ours recommended a doctor in Richardson and since we had no clue about any other doctors this one seemed to be as good as any. Well, we are so glad we went because we LOVED him! His name is Reese Mathieu and was just so nice and very laid back. He answered all of our crazy questions and put our mind at ease about vaccines. He seemed like he would be very calming to a stressed out first-time mom trying to take care of a sick child. His office was small and even though he is in a practice with 6 other doctors they each have their own office. We really liked that it was small and not crazy busy and full of sick kids running around the waiting room. He was also really encouraging about my diabetes and the effects of that on our baby when he's born. I can easily get myself freaked out that we are going to have a 10 pound hypoglycemic baby and while Griff is great about bringing me back to reality when I let my mind wonder like that, it's also good to hear some reassurance from another doctor that as long as I'm taking care of myself, that will likely not be the case. Anyway, we loved him and are glad we found someone we feel we can trust. Not to mention it's great to be able to have one more thing crossed off the list in preparation for Baby Stroope!

Week 26

2009-05-05T16:02:00.007-05:00

How far along? 26 weeks!
Total weight gain: 14 pounds (I have finally gone through a growth spurt!)
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still crappy - waking up a lot and starting to be generally uncomfortable in any position
Best moment recently: Feeling the baby move in my belly - not just a kick or punch but being able to feel body parts moving across/around my belly. It's such a crazy sensation!
Movement: Tons of it now! He is so active and I've been feeling him all over my belly now. I can definitely tell he's moving around a lot.
Food cravings: Still milk and still mexican food. If I could I would drink a gallon of milk for breakfast and then eat mexican for lunch and dinner every day!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting very shallow.
What I miss: Energy! The past few weeks have been a little more sluggish. I'm tiring out more easily in the evenings and finding it very hard to wake up in the mornings... to want to stay awake at basically any point during the day. The couch in my office is just taunting me!
Worst part of pregnancy currently: Besides the ever constant heartburn and lack of quality sleep, I am starting to have very hormonal pregnancy moments. Case in point: The other day I was at Chick-Fil-A picking up lunch for me and Griff. I went inside, ordered, got our stuff and was at the condiment counter getting sauce and whatnot. I put the bag of food on the counter and turned away to reach for some ketchup when the bag just fell off the counter, onto the floor and spilled my fries and some bbq sauce all over the floor. I literally almost burst into tears (and not because of the spilled fries!) because... well I'm not sure why, but I surely had no control over my emotions at that point in time. I was a scary, emotional pregnant lady who could not be reasoned with at that point in time. Fun stuff!
What I am looking forward to: Our next Dr. appt, which will also be our next ultrasound!! May 20! Also really looking forward to our upcoming staycation! Griff and I wanted to take a babymoon, but by the time we got around to planning it we realized that no cruise line or airline would let me on board... so we are going to take Memorial Day weekend and be tourists in our own town. We can't wait!
Milestones: Seeing movement from the outside. My belly has a mind of it's own now!

Belly Pics for the week:

That would be an English Cucumber. Baby is almost 2 pounds and about 13 1/2 inches long!

Double Digits!

2009-05-04T12:11:00.003-05:00

Today marks the first day of double digits in our countdown to Baby Stroope! 99 days to go...!!

Nursery Progress

2009-04-29T15:11:00.019-05:00

We are so excited about how the nursery is turning out - it's going to be beyond cute when we are finished! I'll just post all the pics from start to where we are today.

Here is the room before:

And here's all the stuff that was in that room, which is piled into our guest room now

Starting to paint

(that's our friend Matt who very kindly helped Griffin do most of the painting)

So once we had the base color on we let that dry for a couple days then taped off for the stripe

And the finished stripe (4 coats of paint later!)
It turned out SO good and looks awesome in the room.
The poor puppies were locked out of the room the whole time... they look like they're in jail!

Once we finished painting we got the carpets steam cleaned then once those dried we were able to move in some of the furniture we have. Also, instead of getting art for the room we decided to go with wall decals that will fit our room theme. Here is the decal before
And after

And the room with everything we have so far!

(the sign above the closet is one that Griffin has had since he was a little boy, it says Griffin & Son on it and couldn't be more perfect now!)

So that's our progress so far! We're loving how it's all coming together and will post updates as we finish more!

Week 25

2009-04-29T10:51:00.005-05:00

I'm definitely feeling pregnant this week. I've been so tired these past few days... I can't tell if it's from the cloudy, rainy weather or my lack of quality sleep and general feeling of largeness. Whatever it is, I could definitely do with some sunshine and a day off to relax and rest. We were busy all weekend doing stuff around the house and before I knew it it was time to go back for another week of work. On the plus side, we've gotten so much accomplished around the house and on the nursery. I'm going home at lunch today to finish up one final thing and then I'll post pictures of our progress this afternoon. The nursery looks so good and is coming together great - it's going to be such a cute room and will be perfect for our little boy!

Here are the pics for this week...

And this week we are a rutabaga (random, I know!). Baby weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and is about 13 1/2 inches from head to heel.

Baby Gear

2009-04-22T09:34:00.005-05:00

This weekend we got a belated gift from the the Easter Bunny (or Griffin's parents, whichever you'd like to call them). It's so fun to get stuff like this for baby and makes it more and more real that we will have an actual baby (not just a tiny dog) to put in this stuff! We couldn't wait so we put it together and tested it out... I think Bernie really liked it, so hopefully our baby boy will like it even more!!

Week 24

2009-04-21T16:08:00.005-05:00

6 Months!! I can't believe it's been 6 months already - time is flying by! We've been pretty productive this past weekend with the nursery. We moved all of the furniture out and painted. We're getting the carpets steam cleaned in a few days and then we'll be able to start moving stuff in! I'll have before and after pictures later this week so you can see our progress.

In other news, baby is still kicking/punching... so much so that now we can see it from the outside. It's so crazy to look down and see my belly move and to know that there is a tiny human inside me making it move... seriously crazy!

Some of our friends just had a baby boy two weeks ago so we took them dinner last night and got to see the little guy. It was the first time Griff and myself had been around a really new baby so we both got to hold him for a while and it definitely made it sink in that in a few short months we will have one of these in our home. It just made me so excited and so ready for our boy to be here. We can't wait to be parents!

For now, here are this week's belly pics and I'll post nursery pics later this week.

This week we are an ear of corn! Baby is about 1 1/4 pounds and now 12 inches long!

Week 23

2009-04-15T15:10:00.007-05:00

I thought I'd just post a run down of where we are with everything so far... be warned some of it is really random!

How far along? 23 weeks!
Total weight gain: about 9 pounds
Stretch marks? Not any new ones... but as for the existing ones... still there!
Sleep: I'm a back-sleeper & that's impossible these days, so I'm having trouble getting comfy & staying asleep, not to mention waking up to pee several times during the night is not helping.
Best moment this week: I had my first stranger comment on my belly! It's a good moment because it means I finally really look pregnant and people don't have to wonder if I've just gained a few extra pounds :)
Movement: He has been kicking/punching up a storm the past few days. I don't know what's changed but I am all of the sudden feeling so much movement and it's amazing! Only once has he hit around my bladder... everything else has been around my belly button or just below.
Food cravings: milk, milk, milk and still mexican food, which if it didn't give me such incredible heartburn I would eat it every day, but at least the milk helps!
Belly Button in or out? Still in for the most part - it's starting to look like it could pop any day though.
What I miss: Sleeping through the night (which I know will not be regained for probably the next 10 years), and margaritas (especially with all the mexican food lately)
Worst part of pregnancy currently: HEARTBURN! I get it all the time and am downing Tums like there is no tomorrow.
What I am looking forward to: painting the nursery this weekend!!
Milestones: Griffin finally felt the baby kick last night!! He was so amazed and it was so great to get to share that feeling with him. I don't think I've ever seen Griff smile in amazement like he did last night!

And here are our weekly pics...

This week we are a mango... and this time the weight matches the fruit! He is about a pound, maybe slightly over and about 11 inches long.

Week 22

2009-04-08T15:19:00.007-05:00

Still growing... still very round! :)

In other news, we made some progress this weekend on the nursery. Griff's parents let us have some furniture they were using in a spare bedroom and it worked out perfectly. We got a dresser and a bookshelf (that we'll be using as a changing table). On Saturday I got out the power sander (yes, I can use power tools... my dad taught me well!) and sanded the dresser then repainted it to match our nursery furniture. Here is the before:
And the after! It looks great and will go perfect!

Griff has started cleaning out his office so we can move everything into the spare bedroom. I think we will probably paint in the next few weeks so that we can start moving the furniture into the room.

I had a dr. appointment today and everything went fine. I'm going every 4 weeks right now, and starting in my 3rd trimester I'll go about every 2 weeks. The dr. said everything was going fine. I didn't have an ultrasound today, but she listened to the heartbeat and measured me and all that. So I'll go back at 26 weeks and then the visit after that is when we'll have our next ultrasound. We already can't wait to our little guy again!!

And the site where I usually get the weekly fruit/vegetable comparison from has started doing it by the month now - which is no fun to stay at the same fruit/vegetable for 4 weeks! So I found another site that compares the baby's size to a quarter... just to put it in perspective. So this week, he is a spaghetti squash and weighs just under 1 pound and measures just under 12 inches!

Week 21

2009-04-03T14:14:00.005-05:00

And I keep getting more and more round!

Things are still pretty calm and uneventful around here. We've made some progress though in one area - we registered! It was so fun to pick out the things we'll need for baby and just made it more real that the things we were picking out were actually going to be used by our son in just a few short months - crazy! We registered at Target and Babies R Us so if you want to check it out you can just search by either of our names on their websites.

Depending on how much energy we (and by we I mean me) have we may try to start on the nursery this weekend. We are borrowing some furniture from Griff's parents and we need to sand and repaint them to go in the nursery, so hopefully we can start on that and get things going. I'm definitely in the nesting mode right now, but somehow laying around and being lazy is seeming to win out at the moment! I guess I should enjoy it now while I can! :)

An of course, our weekly fruit/baby comparison... we're a banana!

Our 2 Year Anniversary

2009-03-25T15:00:00.010-05:00

Yesterday, March 24, was our 2 year wedding anniversary. We celebrated all weekend and had a great time spending so much quality time together. Griff planned an amazing weekend for us and it all started on Friday afternoon... I left work a little early and Griff took me to a really fancy hotel in Uptown where I got a prenatal massage.

It was beyond Amazing! My back, hips, and shoulders have been killing me (from having to sleep on my side) so the massage felt wonderful. While I was in the massage Griff ordered dinner (pizza from our favorite place) and picked up a 6-pack of beer for me (non-alcoholic, of course)! It was the perfect evening in - I was so relaxed from the massage and then to top it off with pizza, beer, and lounging on the couch - Perfect!!

I also got an amazing bouquet of roses...

Saturday started with breakfast at Cafe Brazil and then we went and picked out paint samples for the nursery. I got to take a nap in the afternoon then we went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner - La Duni. It was incredible - the weather was perfect so we got to sit on the patio and relax with some delicious food and desserts!

Then on our actual anniversary, my wonderful husband woke up early, snuck out, and picked up breakfast for us. Since I had to work all day it was so nice to spend some time together in the morning.

All in all it was such a great few days to celebrate together. Griffin planned so much great stuff for us and it was all so thoughtful. I am a lucky, lucky lady to have such a great husband. It's been a fun and exciting 2 years and I can't wait for the chapter... with us and our sweet baby boy!

Week 20 - Halfway!!!

2009-03-25T14:07:00.006-05:00

We're on the downhill side now... It's so crazy to think that I'm over halfway done. This baby will be here before we know it and we can't wait. I'm already ready to be done with pregnancy and for this baby to be here. Not that I'm not enjoying being pregnant, I just really want this baby to get here already!!

We've been working on our registry list and will be registering in the next few weeks. There is so much stuff to think about, but I have some really helpful books that are making it seem much more manageable. We picked out our nursery theme and colors this weekend and we'll probably start painting in the next few weeks too.

All the "stuff" aside, we've also begun to prepare for the actual birth. We're reading a book called "Husband-Coached Childbirth" which is the Bradley Method of natural childbirth. I am so glad we have this book because it makes doing this naturally seem so much more doable. We've started watching "A Baby Story" on TLC during lunch and I'm not sure that is the best idea. Most of the stories they show are women who get epidurals or C-sections, and the only natural births they show are women screaming like crazy and out of control. Griff just keeps reminding me about what our book says - that childbirth can be a very calm and non-traumatic experience with some preparation and training. Maybe we're naive, but we really think that if we are prepared and we work together, we can really have a good experience.

Here are some pics from the past week:

Definite Bump!

Our first baby gift! A super cute basket full of baby laundry and cleaning supplies - super thoughtful and much needed! Thanks Kristi!!

This week is a cantaloupe... size, not weight!!

Week 19

2009-03-18T15:00:00.003-05:00

And I'm growing more and more each week now...

We had such a fun weekend of baby shopping with both Grandmas. On Saturday my Mom and Griff's mom and me hit several baby stores and I have to say, I don't think our boy will ever want for clothes! We found some really great deals and better than that, the cutest clothes you've ever seen!

Our next task is to tackle the nursery. We think we've picked out a theme and colors so in the next few weeks we'll be going through paint samples trying to pick the perfect colors. My sweet husband has given up his office/rehearsal space for the baby's nursery and agreed to move his stuff into the guest room. Because of our limited space we'll be doing some very creative organizing and arranging so I'll be sure to post pictures of our progress.

I can't believe it's almost been 5 months (next week!). I'm halfway done and in one sense it feels like I've been pregnant forever, but in another I can't believe how fast time is going by. It seems like we have so much to do in the next 4 months that I'm sure time will fly by even quicker. I am definitely making sure I enjoy this time of being pregnant and preparing for our boy, but I'm already getting a little anxious to meet our son! We can't wait... !!

It's a...

2009-03-13T15:08:00.005-05:00

BOY!!!!!!

As you can see from the ultrasound pic, there is no mistaking that that's our boy! We couldn't be more thrilled! The ultrasound went GREAT! The tech was able to tell right off the bat that the baby is a boy and from there she was able to see all the major organs and measure them to make sure they are developing on target. We saw his stomach, bladder, kidneys, femur bone, heart (that had divided into 4 chambers already and was beating at 153 bpm), spine, brain, eyes, nose, lips, face, and head. It was unreal - by far the coolest thing I have ever seen. After she took all of the measurements, which were all normal and on target, we were able to get some really good shots of him just hanging out. He was so active, moving around, doing flips and we even saw him yawn and stretch at one point. Again, it was unreal! Here are a few more pics - the first is of him looking directly at us so you can see his facial bones and the second is his profile!

We are so blessed to have a healthy baby boy and thank God daily for watching over and protecting our boy!

My first day...

2009-03-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

in maternity jeans! It's finally time... :)

Predictions

2009-03-12T09:46:00.003-05:00

Since we will hopefully find out if Baby Stroope is a boy or girl tomorrow, I though it'd be fun to post some of the predictions that I've seen. There are lots of gender predictors online, and here are what some of them say...

Madame Zaritska is a virtual clairvoyant (according to the website) and after answering her questions, here is what she predicts...

The day you deliver, outside will be rainy. Your baby will arrive in the early evening. After a labor lasting approximately 4 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 9 pounds, 6 ounces, and will be 21 inches long. This child will have medium hazel eyes and some red hair.

That is a rather detailed prediction and I can only hope my labor lasts just 4 hours!!

The Chinese Gender Chart is one of the more popular ones and according to legend, it predicts with 90% accuracy.

So it looks like everything is telling us we're having a boy, including our poll! We were both convinced at first it was a boy, but now we've shifted and both feel like it's a girl. I've been having vivid dreams that the ultrasound says girl, but then the next day I'll feel like it's a boy... so who knows! We can't wait to share the news with you all, so check back tomorrow for an update!

Week 18

2009-03-11T11:28:00.008-05:00

So fun! Finally a bump that actually looks like baby bump! I obviously grew over the weekend and when I got to work on Monday it was way more noticeable than the previous week. We've had such nice weather here lately that I wore my first maternity item this weekend - a pair of shorts. It's such a small thing, but it was a big milestone for me to be wearing actual maternity clothes. I also discovered how much I think I'll enjoy wearing skirts. I cleaned out my closets this weekend and found 2 very comforable skirts that work perfect as maternity skirts. I haven't had to wear the bella band at all the past 5 days and it has been wonderful! Don't get me wrong, I love the bella band, but it's been getting tighter and more uncomfortable the past few weeks and it makes me feel like it's squashing my belly. So I think that means it's almost time for maternity jeans... and thanks to my mom I already have a few pairs waiting for me!
So enough about my clothing choices as of late... Friday is the big day and we are beyond excited!! Even if the baby doesn't cooperate for us to find out the sex, this is the ultrasound where they will do all the measurements and check and make sure the baby is growing as it should be. We haven't seen the baby since week 8 so I know we're in for a shock at how different it looks. We'll be sure to post pics and of course, let you know if it's a boy or girl!!

FYI... These were taken at the end of a long day where I was not feeling all that great... hence the dark, droopy eyes and messy hair!

This is a sweet potato by the way!

Week 17

2009-03-04T10:34:00.013-06:00

I feel like I keep saying this, but there's still not much going on. We've been listening to the heartbeat everyday, which is still so fun and amazing. We've picked out a few of the big items for the nursery and started to get a preliminary list together for our registry. And I think I may have felt a small kick (or punch) yesterday - but I'm really not sure. I've been reading that anyday now I could start to feel the baby move, but most first-time moms aren't aware of it because it's easy to confuse with other things going on in my belly area. So who knows... but it definitely felt different than anything I've felt in my belly before... so we'll see if it happens again soon!
Since there's not much going on this week I'll just post some pictures...

A little more distinctive this week!

Griff saying Good Morning to baby!

this is the size of the baby this week!

Heartbeat!!

2009-02-27T14:41:00.002-06:00

So this has become our newest addiction... Watch the video to see why!

Baby Stroope's Heartbeat! from Griffin & Kami Stroope on Vimeo.

It's a little hard to hear, but those pulsing sounds are the heartbeat. We do this at least once a day and it's not only a relief to be able to hear the heartbeat everyday, but it's also a way for us to bond with the baby. It's funny because sometimes we'll be listening to the heartbeat and it will just go away and we can tell the baby is moving around and we have to search for it again. It's too early for me to feel any kicks so it's so neat to be able to know the baby is moving. Seriously... way addicting!

Week 16

2009-02-25T15:10:00.006-06:00

And not much has changed!

I'm still about the same size as last week, even though my appetite has kicked into full gear! There's not much I won't eat these days and now comes the hard part - I'm hungry most of the time, but I only need to take in an extra 300 calories a day for the baby. 300 calories is not a lot, especially when I could constantly eat for about 18 hours a day. :)

Other than the food changes, not much else has. We're still anxiously awaiting our March 13 sonogram and hopefully the baby will cooperate and show us what we need to see! We did venture into Babies R Us this weekend, just to look around and get some ideas. I've been reading up on strollers, cribs, glider rockers, etc. and wanted to see some of the stuff in person. That was such a great idea because we were able to try everything out and pick out a few things we want. We haven't registered yet, but it's good to feel like we have a little bit of a head start on the massive list of things we're going to need for Baby Stroope.

This is probably the only time I'll ever say this, but here's hoping that I'll be noticeably bigger in the next picture I post!! Thanks for checking in on our journey to meet Baby Stroope!

My sweet, wonderful husband!

2009-02-19T12:54:00.004-06:00

Griff had the evening off from playing last night so he decided that he would cook me dinner! He went grocery shopping and did everything to get dinner ready. It was so sweet because I've been pretty tired this week and most of the time don't feel like cooking when I get home. Here's a picture of him getting everything ready...
I told Griff that I was craving Mexican food, specifically tostadas, so he went to several different grocery stores to get all of the ingredients.

I also decided that I wanted a margarita... and for obvious reasons am aware I cannot have one, but that got me thinking about alternatives. I searched for a few recipes online but didn't find anything that really sounded good - so I decided to make up my own and it was great! Here's what we used:

1 can San Pellegrino Aranciata
1/2-3/4 C. light cranberry juice
1/2-3/4 C club soda
2 lime wedges
ice

This was enough for 2 drinks. It wasn't too sweet, but was super citrusy (I'm pretty sure that's not a word) and so refreshing. It hit the spot! And even Griff, who loves margaritas, enjoyed it.

I just wanted to thank my amazing husband again for a great night - He has been so great throughout the pregnancy, in so many ways. How many women can say they get a massage every day, their husbands clean the house, run errands, run to the store at 10pm to get me whatever it is I'm craving... I'm am a very lucky lady!

Week 15

2009-02-18T12:00:00.002-06:00

And not many changes...
Still a tiny bump... :) I haven't been weighing myself so I have no idea if I've gained any weight this week, but I have a feeling that time will come soon enough! I have started wearing this thing called a Bella Band (Thank you Lisa!) and it is amazing! It's this spandex-type band that goes around the waist of my jeans. It allows them to stay unbuttoned and unzipped without my pants falling down. Most of my pants aren't too tight yet, except when I sit down. It's much more comfortable to have them undone, but to not worry about them falling down!

I've also started doing some weight training the past several weeks. Griffin and I made the decision to try natural childbirth (I know, you probably think we're crazy!) but that kind of kicked me into gear to start working the muscles that I'll need during labor. And now with the weather getting nicer and nicer I'll be walking a lot more to try and build up my endurance.

We also signed up for our prenatal classes at the hospital. We'll be taking the childbirth class that will involve everything related to giving birth, how to prepare, the hospital, and some newborn care. I'll also be taking a breastfeeding class and Griffin will be taking a New Daddy Bootcamp class. Hopefully between the classes, books, and lots of advice from friends and family we'll start to feel a little more prepared!

Week 14

2009-02-11T10:08:00.005-06:00

A lot can change in a week! In the post last week I mentioned that I was going to post our first baby bump pic, but since there was no bump I didn't just want to post a picture of my belly. Well, that all changed last Friday. Griff and I went to Oklahoma to see my mom on Thursday night and before we went to bed he told me he thought I had a little bump. I didn't really think much about it because it certainly wasn't there when I got dressed Thursday morning. So I woke up Friday morning and got dressed and sure enough, there was a tiny bump! I really think it just happened overnight! I'm still fitting into my normal clothes, but there is definitely a little bump that is noticeable. See for yourself!

So I know it's not a very big bump yet, but it's so fun to be showing, even a little bit!

We had our 14 week Dr. appointment yesterday and everything went great. My blood pressure was really good and I've only gained 1 pound so far. I was a little surprised at that because my appetite has come back and I've been eating a lot more food, but I guess since I lost weight during my first trimester, I'm just now gaining it all back. We also heard the baby's heartbeat again (YAY!) with the Doppler, which is always so fun and bit of a relief. That was really it for that appointment - definitely my quickest one yet. The Dr. and I spent some time at the end talking about a preliminary birth plan and the chances of early induction (which is very common in diabetic women). It's good to start thinking about all of this now and to start planning as much as we can.

This next week our to-do's are to pick out the child birth and prenatal classes we want to attend. I think we'll try to do as many as possible, seeing as how we pretty much don't know anything when it comes to labor, breastfeeding, lamaz, taking care of a newborn, etc. My next Dr. appointment is on March 13 and I'll be about 18 1/2 weeks, so that's when we should know the sex of the baby! We're dying to know, so that time can't come soon enough for us. We'll let you all know if it's a boy or girl, but in the meantime don't forget to vote in our poll and tell us what you think!

Week 13

2009-02-04T14:26:00.003-06:00

So yesterday (Tuesday) marked 13 weeks! However, there's really not much to report right now. My nausea and tiredness have eased up a lot and I'm feeling much better. I have started to regain my appetite, but mainly just for Mexican food. Last weekend we ate at Chuy's (our FAVORITE Mexican restaurant) on both Friday and Saturday nights... then I made tacos for dinner the following Monday. It seems I can't get enough right now!

I was going to post our first baby bump pic, except there is no baby bump to look at yet :( I'm so excited to start showing and finally "look" pregnant, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm sure though by the end of the pregnancy I'll be looking back at this post and laughing that I couldn't wait to get bigger! I may go ahead and post a pic later this week, just so we have a starting point for tracking my growth :)

Our next Dr. appointment is at 14 weeks, which is this coming Tuesday. We don't have a sonogram but we will hopefully get to hear the heart beat again with the Doppler. We will of course keep you updated and let you know how everything goes!

We're Pregnant!

2009-01-26T11:06:00.001-06:00

So most of you know by now, but we are now 3 months pregnant and couldn't be more excited! We found out right after Thanksgiving and it's been torture keeping this secret for the past 2 months. We've already had several doctors appointments and sonograms... so here's all the info to get you up to speed!

This is us with the pregnancy test after we found out!

Right after we found out we had blood tests done to make sure my hormone levels were where they needed to be - we had a bit of a scare as they started out low, but everything rose like should over the next week so likely I just wasn't as far along as they initially thought. At 6 weeks we went in for a sonogram hoping to hear the heartbeat... and this is what we saw:In case you can't tell (because I surely couldn't!) the little white thing at the top left inside the black oval is the baby - it was so small at that point, like the size of a grain of rice! What we did find out though is that I was only 5 weeks and 6 days at that time and that was a little too early to hear the heartbeat. So my Dr. wanted me back in 2 more weeks to try to hear the heartbeat again... and man, what a difference 2 weeks makes! This is what we saw at 8 weeks:It really looks like a baby now! There is distinction of the head and tail (at this point the baby didn't really have defined legs... just a tail-like thing) and the best news of all - we got to see and hear the heartbeat! It was an amazing moment for us both - already at 8 weeks this baby the size of a kidney bean has a heart that is developed enough to be beating on its own - INCREDIBLE! Here is a close up of that same sono:
So pregnancy symptom wise I've pretty much had it all. It really started around the 6th and 7th weeks with a lot of nausea and an aversion to almost every food on the planet. I was also super tired and could have probably slept for about 18 hours a day! The nausea reached it's peak around week 10, when I finally lost it (literally, I lost my breakfast and will probably never eat Fruit Loops again!). Since then though the nausea has gotten less frequent and I'm starting to regain some energy. I have started getting heartburn in the evenings, but I'll take that over nausea any day.

We had another Dr. appointment at week 10 - and this was my first official OB appointment. We got all of the info about the pre-birth classes we could take, our pre-registration information for the hospital and my Dr. did all my baseline blood work and an exam. We didn't have a sonogram this time, but she did use this doppler thing where she held it to my abdomen and we could still hear the heartbeat - which was great news! I don't go back to the Dr until week 14 and we don't have another sonogram until week 18.

So now you know everything we know! We're so glad to be able to share this amazing news and exciting time with everyone, which is why we started this blog. We'll be updating it regularly so be sure to check back often for the latest updates on our adventure of becoming first-time parents!