Just waiting...

Yesterday we went to the doctor and it looks like Ruthie will not be joining us just yet. Our Midwife said that she would see us next week and that the "contractions" I have been having were just Braxton Hicks. So now we just continue to wait. I have plenty to do though. We have taken down all the decorations, but they must be moved back out to the shed. We have lots of clothes to wash as soon as the dryer gets here and a little girl's nursery that could still use some work. And that is just the start of the list!

Onto other things. Yesterday before our appointment, Caroline, Madelyn, and Cara took me to lunch and there were presents! Ruthie got some hair bows, pjs, an outfit with the cutest shoes, another outfit, and the cutest little lamb. I just love these girls and the whole Groth family and it was wonderful to just spend some time with the girls.


After the appointment, we went to run some errands, to see "Despicable Me", and dinner. As we were getting back in the car after dinner Matt got really excited b/c of this image...
We hit 100,000 miles.

That's it for now. Today, we put away Christmas decorations, take out the trash, take Mags to get her nails cut, and prepare for New Years. oh and I must clean the kitchen, booo!

Stout family Christmas

On Sunday afternoon, Kathy, Steve, and Sarah came to visit for Christmas. We spent the time just hanging out, opening presents, and eating lots! It was very fun and relaxing. Check out some of the stuff we got.

Kathy wanted to make sure that Ruthie had lots of Disney movies. I think Ruthie's parents might be just as excited as she will be when she gets here.


I got a new picture book and a parenting book by John Gottman. I love John Gottman. His books on marriage are great and so I can't wait to see what he has to say about parenting. I'll let you know.
Here is Matt playing with his new toy- an iPad. He is very excited!
I don't know what this is but I can't make the picture disappear so it is just stuck here.
New video camera bag to go along with....
my new video camera! This is my new toy that I will use to take lots of video of Little Ruthie and post so grandparents (and others) can see what she is up to.
a ceramic travel coffee mug which I am actually pretty excited about.
And a calendar
We also got some clothes, I got some jewelry and a scarf. We got some other dvds and Matt got a book about Walt Disney and some other fun stuff too. We had a great Christmas.
Oh and a dryer will be coming Thursday. Our dryer died last week and the price to fix it was going to be way more than we even paid for the 13 year old dryer so as a part of the Christmas present Kathy and Steve also got us a new dryer. Woohoo!

Also, since my dad and Chris couldn't be here for Christmas they sent us a box of goodies: Walmart gift card, candy, candles, and a great picture of themselves and a beautiful frame.
Momma and the siblings will be coming for the birth of Ruthie and we will be getting more stuff. This Christmas is going to last forever!!!!!

Today we took down all the Christmas decorations and everything is back how it was. I usually leave all decorations up until New Years day, but I am afraid of going into labor and having to do that when we get home or just being too pregnant to deal with it later. So now we have some clothes to wash and the carpets to clean and I think we will be ready for Ruthie. Can you tell I'm ready for her to be here?

Week 37

Ruthie is officially a small watermelon (even though I think she may be a little bigger than a small watermelon) and FULL TERM!!!!! Hooray! She will be here soon!

The Bump: Baby's now the size of a watermelon!
Your full-term (yay!) baby is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting her first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. She's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (it's getting strong!).

Babycenter: Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Come back tomorrow for more on the Christmas celebration with the Stouts. We got some very fun and exciting things...

White Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Matt and I have enjoyed our Christmas here in Wilmore. Here are some pictures of the festivities!

First, we did a puzzle. It's even Christmas themed!


Here is Maggie all dressed up for our Christmas Eve company. Our friends the Bevils and the Thimons came over for some finger foods and wassail. It was so much fun!
As they were leaving I took some pictures of what we found outside on this Christmas Eve. Lots of snow falling from the sky! I got to experience my first true White Christmas as did Matt. It is so beautiful!

We woke up early Christmas morning (thanks to a leg cramp I had) and went ahead and got up to open presents and have breakfast casserole.
Here is Maggie enjoying her present. She also got some treats and is very excited about all of her things Santa brought her. She loves this one so much that within the first 30 minutes she already tore off one appendage!
Here are Matt's presents. He got a print (www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/100630.html) of one of his favorite comic strips along with a book of comics by the same artist. Ruthie got him a picture frame to put on his desk at work that says "Daddy's Girl".
Matt got me a pair of earrings and the last 2 seasons of "Everybody Loves Raymond" which finished off the collection. Ruthie got me a picture frame to put our picture in once she arrives. (Matt and I had no idea that Ruthie got us both picture frame, complete coincidence)
Here are pictures of the snow from the morning (taken while waiting on the delicious breakfast casserole to cook).
This is the house across the street.

This is our home! All covered in snow and beautiful!!!

Here we are on Christmas day after dinner at the Bevils with the Thimons and our friend Krissi. It was very fun and yummy! Also, look at that belly. Ruthie will be arriving soon or at least I hope so b/c I can't imagine getting much bigger!
Here are Missy, Susan, and I after dinner along with the little girls that will be arriving in the next month or so!
Now we wait for Kathy, Steve, and Sarah to arrive tomorrow and finish out the Christmas Festivities. We pray that you had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

Week 36

The Bump: Baby is still the size of a honeydew, but growing daily! Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, her gums are rigid, her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune system are basically good to go. Her lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day she gets a little closer to breathing on her own.

Babycenter: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Soon we will be full term! How did time fly by this fast? However, how is it still going this slow?

Today, my friend Kyra is taking some maternity pics for us and tonight we are going to our community group Christmas party. Wednesday we go to the doctor for an ultrasound to see how Ruthie is progressing. Finally, Christmas eve and Christmas day will be here along with Matt's Christmas vacation from work. We are excited about having a week together without work or school to think about. Matt's family will be here the day after Christmas and my family will come when Ruthie arrives so on Christmas eve and Christmas day we are celebrating with our friends. There should be lots of fun, food, and pictures to follow after those 2 days! And then before we know it we will be at 37 weeks...

A week of Snow and Ice

This week was a crazy one. On Monday there was a snow storm and on Wednesday evening a snow/ice storm came to the area. Needless to say, it was cold, white, and dangerous. The public school was only in session on Wednesday of this past week. On Monday, Matt went into work after 11 when the road was finally cleaned off. On Thursday and Friday, Matt also went into work later in the morning thanks to a 2 hour delay at the Seminary (there was no delay on Monday morning and some people were not too happy about that).

On Monday, I had no plans, but to go to practicum and since the school was not in session, I decided to stay home and clean, cook, and just rest. On Thursday and Friday, I was told by my sweet husband not to leave the house so that I wouldn't fall and hurt myself or Ruthie. So both days, Raya and Makenna came over and I stayed inside all day. Both evenings we decided to go out and do something. On Thursday we went to the Seminary President's and wife's party at their home and on Friday we went to a flash mob singing of "The Hallelujah Chorus" at the mall with the Bevils. It was fun.

Saturday and today, once again we stayed inside a good bit and just rested. The snow is finally melting, but it is supposed to snow again on Tuesday and on Friday and Saturday. We might even have a White Christmas!!!
Here are some pics of the storm and I will try to upload the flash mob later.





The tree was and still is covered in ice!



that would be ice

Week 35

Baby Center: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

The Bump: Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though she won't get much longer, she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (She's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) Her hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches).

Little baby girl is still a honeydew and continuing to move a lot, but running out of room. Therefore, it is painful at times, but makes me excited to know that soon she will be with us and I will no longer by pregnant!!

Yesterday early morning it started snowing again. This morning we woke up to lots of snow and dangerous roads. The county schools are closed today so I already had the day off and Matt stayed home until almost noon after the roads were clear.

Today, we head into Nicholasville to meet with a pediatrician. Hoping this is the right one for our family. Pray we make the right decision!

This week we have lots going on. Today: meet with the pediatrician, Wednesday: Last day at practicum, Doctor's appointment, shopping, and breast feeding class with the Bevils, Thursday: staff and faculty open house at the ATS Presidents home, Friday: small group Christmas party, and Saturday: maternity photo shoot. It will be a fun and then on Sunday we will go to church and rest! Oh and Christmas is a week and 5 days away!

It is Cold here in KY!

It has been very cold here in KY this last week. It started snowing last Tuesday and here we are a week and two days later and snow is still here! I always said that I would love to live somewhere that is snowed, but really I think I would like to just visit. After we graduate I want to move South! I would say this cold is for the birds, but I don't even think the birds like this weather.


Last Wednesday



This would be Tuesday of this week (doesn't look much different)

Also, Maggie does not like the snow either. We were dressing her in a puppy coat to go outside, but she takes it off and rather just be out there for a short time and freeze rather than take her time. I say all of that to say that last night Maggie had enough. When we let her out, she wasn't out there very long. I opened the door to let her back in and on the porch was a puddle of URINE! Seriously, she peed on the porch. I took a picture, but Matt told me that was inappropriate to put on the blog/facebook so I didn't, but know that if you want to see the pic I have it! ha

Pray for us and the employees at the Seminary Post Office and really the whole campus. It is the end of the semester, next week is finals, and lots of people are getting sick. Matt has 6 employees at SPO and 3 of the six were sick this week. Yesterday, I also didn't feel well. I'm not sure if it was pregnancy, sickness, or just burnout from the semester. Anyway, pray that Matt doesn't get sick or bring anything home to me and that I don't catch anything from anyone especially the kids I babysit and work with at the school. Thanks!

Week 34

Babycenter: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

The bump: Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Less cute news: She now urinates about one pint per day. Get the diapers ready!

So here we are at 34 weeks. 3 more weeks until full term and 6 more weeks until 40 weeks! wow! Baby girl is now the size of a small melon. Not yet a watermelon (for my little friend, Logan), but getting there.

Right now it is very cold here in KY. There is snow everywhere and at least once a day for the last 6 days it has snowed some. I was ok with the coldness until this morning when the wind was blowing and it was brutal and the windshield is 4 degrees!

Matt and I are winding up the semester. Matt has a 12 pager to finish, a small 2 pager, and a take home 30 question multiple choice test. I have the last 1 to 2 pages of an essay test to complete and some revisions of another paper; and finally I have some sheets to turn in about my practicum. By the end of this week, we should be finished with the semester besides my finishing up about 5 hours at practicum! Whew! almost ready for Ruthie!

Update on Caroline

Caroline was still sick when the family headed out of town on Thursday, but is recovering quickly. None of the family have gotten sick and Silas goes in tomorrow morning for his surgery!
The family is enjoying their time in California and getting to see lots of different sights and each some very yummy food from the pictures I have seen.
More updates later.

A few things...

1. we woke up this morning and it was snowing. Welcome December!
2. we can officially say that by next month we will have a baby!
3. Babycenter.com is my favorite new website. I have been using it since we got pregnant, but today I realized just how informative it is. There are checklists and other cool forms such as a checklist for the hospital as well as a do not pack checklist, a birth plan, and an interview form to take to a pediatricians office to ask the doctor all the important questions. If you are pregnant, go check it out and use the information that is offered for FREE!
4. Finally, my little friend Caroline who I used to babysit along with her sister, Madelyn, and brother, Silas, came home today with throwing up and the dr. informed the family that she has strep. The problem is that the family is supposed to leave in the morning to go to California for Silas to have a second surgery on he other ear. He is getting corrective surgery to get his a "new" ear! It is very exciting, but with CJ having strep this would really mess up their plans. Therefore, I am asking for prayer for Caroline and the family. An overnight healing of Caroline's body as well as protection for the rest of the family to not get strep. This trip is very important for this family and for my sweet friend Silas so all prayers are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!