25 days old

Wow how time flies when you are having fun!  Miss Emma Lynn Noelke was born at 6:01 am Friday February 27th, 2009.  She was 8lbs 9 oz and 20 inches long--who of you guessed right on the blog poll??  We went into labor on Thursday--while I was at work and didnt realize that they were contractions!  I even ran some errands.  PJ met me at home about 2:30pm due to weather--and then we started timing contractions about 3pm.  By 6pm they were 6 mins. apart and lasting about 30-40 seconds.  We called the hospital and they said to labor at home as long as possible.  By 11 we decided to go to the hospital--the contrction were 3 mins apart and lasting a min.  When we checked into Triage I was 6 cm diaplated.  We had an all natural birth and it was a wonderful experience.  Ama and Baba (PJ's parents) arrived at the hospital shortly after 8am, and then my mom was there by 3.  Miss Emma did not sleep a wink almost her whole first day of life.  She was SO hungry(started rooting right after PJ cut the umbilical cord!).  She had her first bath at the hospital and hated it!  I knew that Emma knew when to be born-nurse Sandy who was my guardian angel through the miscarriage was our nurse on Saturday night, and only works weekends--so it was wonderful to see her!!  Fast forward to now!  We have been to the doctor 3 times, and as they say--"she is perfect!".  My dad sister and mom were able to come up to meet Emma and while they were here, her umbilical cord fell off on her 2 week birthday.  She is now 9lb 6oz and 22.5 inches long, and the joy of our lives!  Sorry it has been so long!

It's a Start

We had a Doctor's appointment today, and though not too much has progressed since last week, we are 1 cm dialated now! So that is a start to the process, and it made me really excited.  She says this is no prediction of when labor can start--she says as much as they know about labor, they really don't know much.  But, for me, that means things are starting, so my body is doing what it is supposed to do!

Pictures

As I reflect on our due date being 8 days away--it is hard to fathom that this day is almost here.  40 weeks seems like such a long time, and though it is--somehow it is already here!  We had a great week this week.  The doctor's appt once again confirmed that there really have been no changes--but the head has now descended to -1 position.  Wednesday night, Jazz came over with her Mary Poppins bag, and a professional camera, and we had a ball taking pictures of the-well, ball of a belly!  Jazz's creative mind amazes me.  I am really greatful to have these pictures as it will be so easy to forget the amazing transformation that the body goes through when I am not huge full of baby anymore.  PJ and I have been advised to do everything that we want to do now--before the baby comes, so we had our "Friday Night Fish Fry" date night on Friday.  I am at that point beyond people wondering if it is ok to ask if we are expecting, but rather--strangers ask when we are due, what we are having and if we have names.  Pregnancy is such a conversation starter-I wonder if the baby will be too!  We had such a wonderful time--and PJ is now in the so excited emotional state.  It is hard to fathom that you will be in the world with us shortly little one!  We got the car seat all positioned in the car today--and that was the last "big" thing we had to do.  So as PJ says "come on out little baby, we want to meet you!"

Baby's Noelke Shower

Sorry it has been a while! Last weekend was Baby's shower hosted by the Peckman's and the Noelke's--and it was a wonderful affair! We got to spend the afternoon with Ama and Baba, and cousin Ellen and Auntie Lynne and Uncle Todd. My how Ellen has grown! She has such a darling personality emerging, and I just can't believe what changes happen in just 3 months. We had wonderful weather, and a great turn out. Marcy and Paul went ALL out with food and planning. Baby got so many wonderful gifts--it is unbelievable how generous everyine is! At our check up this week, the only thing I learned was that baby is roughly 7-7.5 lbs--and with 2 weeks left and the baby gaining about 1/2 a lb a week--the baby will most likely be at least 8 lbs--so we shall see!(G-Marmy, my mom, thinks we will have a 9 lb. baby). I have begun the swelling, and it is scary at the end of the day to look at sausages for toes. I have taken my rings off, to avoid possibly having to have them cut off, and have a fun story--of course has to do with kids. A boy in my class this morning finally noticed that I am pregnant! When he left, he went up to one of the large group leaders and told her that his teacher Miss Amy was going to have a baby. Then proceeded to say that he was worried about me because I was not married. She replied, well, what makes you think she's not married. He said, well, because she doesn't have a ring on! It boggles my mind that he was that observant about my ring, but just noticed that I am pregnant--kids say the darndest things!

So Emily had another dream about our baby--it is so far 2 dreams girl, and this last dream boy (I guess we named him Nathan-her finace's name, and this did not make her very happy!). Is it bad that I have only had one dream about baby? I dreamt in the beginning of our pregnancy that we were having a girl, but have had no dreams since then--well, no dreams about baby, and no dreams that make any sense whatsoever!

PJ and I had a nice Valentine's Day. I got flowers and we ate a fancy meal by candlelight, and the house was so quiet. It was so relaxing. We talked about how we are going to be parents soon, and it is so hard to believe that our count down on here is down to 15 days. I honestly can't wait to meet our little miracle, and hug and kiss and love it unconditionally.

Certified:)

Our last class through the hospital was on Tuesday, and we passed.  It was on breasfeeding, and we actually learned quite a bit!  Positions for baby, correct latch, good bras and tanks, pumps, etc.  So much more to learn though--but this learning is hands on, so we just have to wait for bebe!  Not much to report from the doctor's appointment today--other than everything is just as it should be.  Baby's heartbeat is great, and baby is still head down.  My cervix may be 25% effaced, but that really means nothing.  She says to expect the baby sometime in March!  On Monday we will be considered full term, so that is a VERY exciting milestone for us!  The baby sure is getting big in there!  I became a member of Chapter DV of PEO last night--and another woman in the chapter is due March 22, and they had us take picutes belly to belly--the babies are friends already!  I really love the woman-and am so blessed that my grandmother got involved in this wonderful organization--for I get to be apart of a great group of woman!  

We are supposed to have a heat wave come through here tomorrow and through the weekend, it is to get up to the 40's--this is very exciting.  And on the other side of the country my sister is extatic that it is raining and cooling off in California--I wonder what that must be like!  Until next time!

Appointments

We had our 35 week appointment on Thursday of last week, and they checked the baby's position (it was head down!) and it was really exciting for PJ and I to see where she said the head, feet hands, bottom, etc were.  They did the Strep B test, and checked my cervix--nothing is starting yet, so that is good.   Today, PJ and I got to meet the baby's Pediatrician!  Dr. Kreckman seems to be a great fit!  She is really up front and honest, and has a 4 and 2 year old, so is really familiar with the things we may go through.  And she is a sports fan!  I am down to having an appointment every week now, so I will update on anything that we find out.  28 days from today-so this is the home stretch!

Mommies!

We all go through phases where we realize that we have the best parents in the world...1)when we are really little and grab for our safety-daddy and mommy's finger! 2) After about our first week of college living in a dorm 3) when college is over and we get the real world 4) when we get married and walk down the aisle gripping our safety again 5) when we are pregnant and know what our parents went through.  

This past weekend, my mommy was able to come up--the last weekend that she could come before Baby Noelke is born!  We had so much fun!  It started with Madi eating half a pan of brownies right before we need to leave for dinner at the Weaver's silly her!  We had a great time visiting, and little Elijah is getting so big!  They gave us a bassinet and infant swing--they are so neat.  Then we got home to Madi so wound up from a sugar/caffine high that she couldn't sleep-lovely! Saturday we were off to a jam packed day.  We bought all the cloth diapers--thank you to my work! On Thursday, they threw PJ and I a baby shower that we will never forget.  We played a game with a crying baby and they helped us to determine the correct ways to soothe the baby.  The last cry, they told be to get me and tell me that baby was stinky--so I go over change the baby, and there was a HUGE mess in the diaper--it shocked me to say the least.  Then we played another cute game--of keep or throw--and there were a bunch of diapers that either had something good in them, or something like I had seen in the previous game!  As a gift, they gave us a gift card to Happy Bambino to cover the cost of the diapers-PJ and I are still in shock by their generosity. 

Then got a dresser to finish off the nursery, and a bin for the diapers.  Then we came home and washed all the furniture and clothes and put all the clothes, sheets, blankies, etc away--oh it feels so great!  My mom also brought the 120 yr. old rocker that was used to rock her and her brothers, and me and Em!  My mom has so much energy-she wore me right out!  It is so funny because my mom has a hard time looking at my belly!  Though she has been pregnant before-it is just hard for her to look at her daughter prego with her grandbaby!  It is hard to fathom that soon it will go from PJ and I to three--and I have this baby kicking, moving and growing inside--I wonder what it must feel like for PJ preparing to be a daddy(he will be such an incredible daddy)!

Sunday, he got a huge kick to move his office down stairs, and turn his office into the guest bedroom.  So now we have a place for guests again!  He is really excited about the upstairs being about sleep and baby-no work!

Last night was our Newborn Care class, and PJ was out of town so my friend Holly was able to go with me!  We learned what happens the first few hours after birth--skin to skin, breastfeeding, sleep, and then learned how to clean the umbilical cord, and about shots, and about circumcision for the boys--and care, learned about the first bath and sponge bathing, learned the 5 s's, and were taught the correct way to swaddle, learned what an oz. of pee feels like on a diaper, how often to feed, how often they go potty and to change diapers, ways to minimize risk of SIDS, signs of illness, and car seat safety.  It made me so excited to meet our little one--those first few moments--I am sure there is NO better feeling than that here on earth--witnessing a MIRACLE!