It's been one week since you looked at me...

and three days....

Name: Emilia Esther Ketelsen

Nickname: Emi

Birthday: March 4, 2014 (Same as her Daddy's)

Time: 6:26 pm

Weight: 8lbs 2.8oz

Length: 19 inches

How did she vacate: C-section. She wasn't going to drop and I wasn't dilated. It also appears my pelvis isn't meant for giving birth. 

Where did you get her name: As everyone knows we struggled with her name. We turned to the website Baby Name Wizard and used the Voyager tool. That gave us over 300 names. We then narrowed it down to about 15 names. None of them were Emilia. Further research showed that Joshua's great grandfather's name was Emil. He was the first Ketelsen born in America. 

Her middle name is my grandma (my mom's mom), Grammy's, middle name. It is also one of my favorite women of the Bible. 

Her initials being EEK is not lost on us. We thought that was also appropriate due to her other nickname, Trexie. 

How are you feeling: C-sections are a not fun, but is any form of childbirth fun? The most difficult part is feeling less than helpful. The house is a wreck. Baby stuff has already taken over. There isn't much I can do about it. Except, pawn the tasks off to Joshua and my visiting parents and godmother. 

Fun things about recovering from child birth: 

Emotional wreck

Sleeping with one ear open
Cold Flashes (I get so cold that I shiver)

Incision Pain (While it has lessened it hurts when I cough, sneeze, and get up out of chairs and beds)

It is difficult to see, but Emilia has a little onesie with Team Ketelsen on it. Thanks to Becky S., who owns Onaway Custom Embroidery. I had the jerseys made for us a few years ago. To get the story on the jerseys click here.

God's Blessings,

Joshua, Stefani, and Emilia

Jackfruit

Week 40

Symptoms/Fun things about being pregnant:  
Aches and pains
Exausted
Braxton Hicks
Shortness of Breath
Moody
 
Food cravings: 
Pizza! (Always)
Cheesy Poofs

Foods that do not agree with me:
All Beef Hot Dogs 
Fried Pickles

Miss Anything:
My toes
Picking things up off the floor
Breathing
Whitefish

Have you started to show yet:

I think that answers that question. Hehe

Gender:
A stubborn lady like her momma

Movement:
It isn't as constant, but she makes her presence known

Sleep:
She is preparing me for those nightly feedings

Wedding rings on or off: 
Off and a fake set on.

Labor Signs:
Nothing consistent. More than likely it is just Braxton Hicks.They seem to creep up when I have done too much activity and stop when I rest.

Looking forward to:
Getting her out! (I almost typed 40 ! for every week.)
Snuggling
Showing off her wardrobe

Other Baby News:
If you missed my mid week post, we have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I will have an ultrasound, a non stress test, and a regular check up. We are hoping that something is just wrong enough they will want to take her sooner rather than later. Of course, we will keep all of Trexie's "fans" up to date. 

Other Family News:
Papa (my mom's dad) is in the hospital. It looks like he had a stroke. His Alzheimer's has progressed to the point that he does not know who Grammy (my grandma and his wife) is anymore. The course of action is to keep him comfortable until he passes. There isn't much else that we feel can be done. Please keep our family in your prayers. For me, this adds to the "rush" of wanting Trexie to exit/enter. 


God's Blessings, 

Joshua, Stefani, and Baby K

40 Weeks and Counting...

Yesterday, I had a routine check up with my OB. I am not dilated and she hasn't dropped. We have an appointment on Tuesday (Joshua's birthday) for an ultrasound, a non stress test, and a regular check up. I assume the ultrasound is to check size, position, and to make sure her current living quarters are still good. The non stress test is to make sure my amniotic fluid is still sufficient and if there is any undue stress on this little lady due to being "late". If everything is good we may wait it out for a little while, but ultimately these things are being done to come up with the best course of action. 

My only "fear" about being past the due date is her getting too big to have the old fashion way (with drugs). While I am comfortable having a c section, if necessary, it obviously isn't my first choice. 

As always we appreciate your prayers. I have also enjoyed hearing about all the things other mommas have done to try to induce labor. 

God's Blessings,

Joshua, Stefani, and Baby K

Watermelon

Week 39

Symptoms/Fun things about being pregnant:   
Aches and pains (my hips don't lie and my knees have gotten in on the action)
Tiredness
Nausea
GRUMPY
Uncomfortable 
Cry-ey (hormones are fun)

Food cravings: 
Pizza! (Always)
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Foods that do not agree with me:
All Beef Hot Dogs 
Fried Pickles

Miss Anything:
Breathing
My toes
Seeing anything past my belly

Have you started to show yet:
I have grown out of a few of my maternity clothes.

Gender:
For sure a girl

Movement:
Not as dramatic. Little lady is running out of womb...wish she would get the hint and exit.

Sleep:
What is that? I get really good sleep from about 7am until 9:30am-10am. I am so thankful I don't have to get up in the morning and I can sleep while the sleeping is good.

Wedding rings on or off: 
Off. :( I miss them, but far better to be safe than sorry.

Labor Signs:
Random Braxton Hicks

Looking forward to:
GIVING BIRTH!

Other Baby News:
I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday. Literally, nothing is happening. I am not dilated at all. We have another appointment this Thursday. Hopefully, we get better news or will be able to make a plan (like setting a date to be induced).

I am to the point where I am very ready to move on to the next stage of parenthood. Logically, I know I am beyond blessed to have carried her this long. Hormonally, I am so ready to be done.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. We sincerely appreciate it. 

God's Blessings,

Joshua, Stefani, and Baby K

Pumpkin

Symptoms/Fun things about being pregnant:   
Aches and pains
Tired
Nausea
Grumpy
Uncomfortable 

Food cravings: 
Pizza! (Always)
French Onion Dip and Fritos
Fish Sticks

Foods that do not agree with me:
All Beef Hot Dogs 
Fried Pickles

Miss Anything:
Sleeping through the night
Going anywhere quickly
Walking without the constant fear of falling

Have you started to show yet:
I am all baby since I have only gained about 4 pounds this entire pregnancy. I know, y'all hate me. 

38 Week pregnant belly. Check out the banana socks.

Gender:
For sure a girl

Movement:
She is a break dancer spinning on her head

Sleep:
Some nights are better than others. Regardless, I am up multiple times a night.

Wedding rings on or off: 
I had to retire the rings. :( My fingers swelled a bit too much for my liking. It made me nervous.

Labor Signs:
I have Braxton Hicks, but they aren't too severe. When they happen, I just try to take it easy until they pass.

Looking forward to:
Getting through labor
Snuggling this little lady

Other Baby News:
We finally had our pre-birth appointment at the hospital. It was a chance to get the major paperwork out of the way before I am in labor. We also have a rough "birth plan" on file. We also had the car seat installation checked. Joshua received an A+ on his installation. The nurse praised him for actually reading the manual to the car seat and to our vehicle. 

We also had our weekly check up. The doctor was concerned that I lost 4 pounds since my last appointment (a week ago). Once we told her that I had a cold that knocked out my appetite she was relieved. Trexie has flipped to be being posterior again. She will probably flip many more times before her grand entrance. It looks like everything else is going in the right direction. Her weight is tapering off and the doctor thinks she will be about 7-8 pounds as opposed to 9-10 pounds. I have another check up next week.

God's Blessings, 

Joshua, Stefani, and Baby K

 

Winter Melon

Symptoms/Fun things about being pregnant:   
Acid Reflux 
Aches and Pains
Braxton Hicks
Sleepy
 
Food cravings: 
Pizza! (Always)
m&m McFlurry

Foods that do not agree with me:
All Beef Hot Dogs 
Fried Pickles

Miss Anything:
Being able to take all the cold meds
Getting out of chair unassisted
Being able to to a full hour without having to use the bathroom

Have you started to show yet:
I might be seen from space at this point

Gender:
For sure a girl

Movement:
She is all over the place. Her new trick is to bounce on all my organs and cause sharp pains.

Sleep:
What is that? I think the most I have slept straight is 3 hours. She is training me well.

Wedding rings on or off:
They still fit, but I stopped wearing them to bed, because my fingers were swelling when I sleep.

Labor Signs:
Just the occasional Braxton Hicks type things

Looking forward to:
Meeting her face to face
Getting over this cold
Baby Snuggles

Other Baby News:
We completed our last two classes. One on breastfeeding and one on post pardum and infant care. Both were fairly informative. I don't read too much about pregnancy, because I believe you can have too much information. So, these classes are especially informative. 

We are going to the doctor every week now. This last appointment everything was normal. We just listened to the heartbeat and asked questions. Starting at the next appointment, they we be checking me more thoroughly to see how I am progressing. 

Her room is just about complete. Thanks to Mary Kay and Don, the finishing touches that I couldn't do (sewing and painting) are finished. I just need to finish the little art project I have for her room and do some more laundry. 

I have had a lovely cold all weekend. I was "ordered" to stay home from church, because of it. Dealing with this cold is especially difficult when you can't take half the meds that would work to make me functional. Hopefully, I kick this cold to the curb soon.  

Honeydew

Symptoms/Fun things about being pregnant:   
Acid Reflux (usual strikes before bed or after I lay down for bed)
Shortness of breath (stairs and I are enemies
Aches and pains (I feel about 95 years old)
General 3rd trimester yuckiness (random nausea) 
EXHAUSTED! (I could sleep all day everyday)

Food cravings: 
I generally just eat a serving of whatever I am craving and the craving is done. Except for pizza. I always want pizza. 
Cinnamon rolls
Breakfast Burrito (basically ground breakfast sausage and taco cheese in a tortilla) 
Chicken Tenders dipped in BBQ sauce 

Foods that do not agree with me:
All Beef Hot Dogs (I took a bite of one this week. Couldn't bring myself to eat more than that)
Fried Pickles

Miss Anything:
Sleeping more than 2 hours at a time
Doing anything quickly

Have you started to show yet:
I no longer fit into booths at restaurants.

Gender:
The ultrasound tech assures us she is still a girl. 

Movement:
Sometimes I think she may burst out of my stomach. I remind her that is not the correct exit.

Sleep:
I could sleep all the time. I am up every 2 or so hours to change positions and use the bathroom. I can no longer change sides without getting out of bed.

Wedding rings on or off:
On, but I do get a little swelling once in a while.

Labor Signs:
Very light Braxton Hicks

Looking forward to:
Completing our last two classes (Breastfeeding and Post Pardum/Infant Care)

Completing the finish touches on her room

Nesting, our house could use a good clean

Meeting this already amazing little lady face to face

Other Baby News:
We had our last ultrasound this past week. She is still a girl. We saw with our own eyes. Her weight estimate is about 6 lbs 10oz. Give or take a pound. It isn't an exact science, but it does tell me that if she arrived sooner rather than later she would have some weight on her side. She is head down, like she is suppose to be. I am carrying her high. Everything looks good and is on track. Now, we wait.

HUGE thank you to Mary Kay and Don for helping with Trexie's room. They put the crib together, they are working on customizing some window treatments, and are helping me get organized. Their help allows Joshua to stay at church and try to get ahead. It also allows him to take time off to go to classes and doctor appointments with me. What a blessing!!

God's Blessings, 

Joshua, Stefani, and Baby K