2nd Centering Pregnancy Class. 6 Months!!!! Letter to Ava

So wednesday was our 2nd centering pregnancy class at Sanford. There were a lot more couples this time. We played a game where the midwife would give a pregnancy symptom and then the couple had to stand on the line to relate how bad the symptom was for them. The husband was supposed to stand on the line where he thought his wife was sitting (to indicate if we are talking to eachother enough about how I'm doing I guess? I had been super crabby yesterday so when they asked about mood swings Jordon and another guy thought they were pretty cute and walked as far as they could go on the "Bad" end of symptoms. Jordon thought he was pretty funny. What a booger. haha. Luckily with most things my symptoms have been very low if any at all. I have been having occasional back pain and heart burn, but other than that all is well. Checkup went great. Heart rate was normal and gained 3 pounds in the past month which is good.

I can feel Ava moving all the time now. I am able to see my tummy moving with her kicks and pushes now and its pretty surreal. The first time I showed Jordon her kicking my belly was kind of fun. She kicked and ran her foot across part of my tummy. Pretty weird to see on your own body!!! Its crazy she has to stay in there for 3.5 more months!! She looks so formed on her ultrasound from 2 weeks ago already! And she FEELS big enough to come out haha, but I guess she is only about a pound and half probably at this point. definitely not ready to come out for awhile.

Kingswood rummages were today. Theres over 500 on the west side of Sioux Falls. I got a nice smoker/grill for Jordon for smoking fish/ribs or whatever for 5$. Also found some misc things we had been needing for very cheap. Got a few like-new cat toys and some new candles. Also found a fold up music stand, an antique 20 person china tea set for 10$ (guaranteed in an antique store would have been very expensive). This was cheap enough that Ava and I can have tea parties with real glasses and it won't hurt to break one by accident. :0 ) Man lets see here... what else did I find...? Some like new clothes for Ava, a few baby books, a few like-new maternity shirts (man I needed a few of those)....

Afterwards my aunts from Arkansas all came for lunch at our place. I made BBQ's in the crockpot. Had a lot of fun entertaining. Had to work on my colloquium presentation a little more after they left. Have supper at my Grandma's tonight and then will put the finishing touches on that.

-A <3

P.S. I have decided afetr every post I am going to start to leave a short note for Ava that she can read someday :0 ) Sounded kind of fun


Dear Ava,

Today all of my great aunts came over with your Great Grandma and Grandpa Johnson and saw your nursery. They just gushed over your baptismal dress and all your little clothes that Great Grandma and Grandma have bought you. I bought a tea set for us today. Its real China and very pretty. I also found all of my old stuffed animals so we will be able to have quite the party as soon as I can find you a little table and you are older. Daddy was an amazing electrician for us and fixed the lights in your nursery so they all turn on when the light is flipped on. He has been talking about how he wants to build you a doll house someday and is excited take you fishing on the lake next door. Grandma Becky, Aunty helen, Grandpa Jason, and Great Grandpa Jerry have all talked about how they are excited to go fishing with you on the lake Addy and Snowy have really been sniffing in your room. I keep bringing these odd things into the house for you and they don't know what to think. Snowy and Addy love to lay on my belly and keep you warm. Sometimes you kick them and they jump. I think they are just as curious and excited to meet you as we are. :0 )

Love you lots
-Mommy

23 weeks Prego pic

22 Week Ultrasound!! Learned to knit her a hat :0 )

22 Week Ultrasound pics. We had this ultrasound because the spine and heart were hard to see at the 18 week appt. All looked good and she is deginitely still a GIRL :0 ) Knitted a hat for her this week too.

22 Weeks Picture

21 Weeks!!! My Birthday!!

For my bday today (I guess technically yesterday now) I had a lot of fun. Jordon started it off by sneaking off before I woke up to get my presents (typical guy haha), and then came home and surprised me with breakfast in bed complete with a huge white rose. After I got ready for the day I opened my gifts. Jordon got me a stereo/cd player for my car that will work with my ipod. I am excited about that! He also got me a controller to play some old SNES games on the Wii (We are borrowing my parent's Wii this weekend and hopefully getting our own soon). After that, Jordon took the dogs, Snow Butt, and I to a nature area to relax and enjoy the nice day. It was a beautiful day. Snowy had lots of fun and we took some fun pictures. We then went shopping, went to Johnny Carinos for supper, and then came home and relaxed. I got a pretty good backrub to boot. Birthdays rock :0 ) Last Friday we celebrated my bday with friends, and Sunday we celebrated with family. I will post the other birthday pics at my Manda's Adventures in Wonderland Blog, but here are some from today including a few 21 week belly pics :0 ). :0 )

Baby's first Easter (well..... kind of....)

We had a fun Easter this year. My mom got Ava a Bible Story Book and a stuffed lamb. My Grandma Johnson got her a stuffed bunny, an Easter snow globe, a rocking horse, and a Tigger doll. I have to laugh. Little Ava is getting spoiled and she isn't even born yet. I think she will eventually very much love and use her Easter presents though. We also watched Amara hunt for eggs. It was a fun Easter :0 ) Cannot wait to dress her in an adorable little Easter dress next year!! :0 )

-A <3

Rummages were very Good to us! Busy month!

Since Jordon and I are def into environmental friendliness, we are all about trying to reuse rather than buy new when it comes to some things. Its a no brainer with babies because there is a lot needed and most of it doesn't get used very long. We were able to find a quite a few things in very good shape. Lars and I hit RV Rummages thursday night and found a ton of hardly worn and some even new baby clothes. I also found some used PS2 games that I was pretty excited about. Lastly for that day, I was thrilled to have found a 50 cent adorable wooden magazine rack for next to our couches. Friday I went with my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson and mom and sister. My mom got us a brand new light pink high chair AND found the Graco stroller/car seat combo I had on my registry. They were also in really nice shape and almost new. I found an awesome vintage serving tray for the kitchen and a few other clothing/toy items that were in really good shape. Still need to buy a crib and a gliding ottoman and we are pretty much set for baby :0 ) Now I need to get sewing and decorating baby room, but unfortunately that may have to come after this month. I have my first art opening at Mear's Library on April 30th, 2010 and my review for that show is this friday so I have a lot of preparation to do for that. I also have to present my honor's thesis the last week of this month and make posters for my show and that honor's thesis presentation. Whew... May will be much more lax though. I am presenting a workshop on finishing the semester strong as part of the mentor program at USF and then of course is graduation....and weddings start. I have weddings booked pretty solid on weekends until August. I purposely didn't book that month because I am due in the middle of the month. :0 ) Nieva will be here before I know it!!!


-A <3

20 weeks!! Half way there!!

So this past week I have been having a lot of heart burn at night and still round ligament pains...boo. Belly is really starting to get uncomfortable so am loving my bella band. Last Friday I found a changing table through odd circumstances. It is white and matches the crib I want so I was thrilled to death! When we went to pick it up she also sold us her white glider for 25$ we were pretty excited about that find. I'm going to recover the blue material with some bright material I bought last week. It needs the ottoman too. I am heading to the rock valley rummages Friday to see if I can find a crib. After rummages this month I am going to get one I am in love with off of Babierus.com if I can't find one. I can't believe how much stuff we have accumulated honestly! Jordon and I have been ambitious the last few days and have been "nesting". We went through a ton of storage, rearranged the living room, shampooed the rugs, set up the outside area, and cleaned the bedroom. Still have house projects on hold because we are waiting to put hard wood in living room (Can't stain the TV hutch or bring piano in until that is done). Its all coming together slowly though! :0 ) Really beginning to love our home. We are having a birthday party for me here Friday so hoping for nic weather and that we can get everything in the house finished before then. Mainly just have to put pictures on the wall, mop, dust, windex, and should be pretty good.

-A <3

Side note: Going to add a few 20 week pics from Monday with Jordon.