One week Birthday!

Wow, I can't believe its been a week already. It has been an eventful week to say the least. We went for her first check up with the Pediatrician on Tuesday and knew something was wrong because of how yellow she was. Sure enough, her beli-count was up to 17 and she had lost a pound of weight, which was 14% of her birth weight - not good. So, needless to say, we went directly from the doctor's office to Arnold Palmer Hospital and little Karmann was admitted right away for photo treatment and formula hydration for the next 24 hours. I am happy to say that after a long day and night, she recovered quickly and was released on Christmas Eve having gained half a pound and her beli-count went down to 14 over night. She had to wear this little mask for her eyes which, despite the whole ordeal, we got a laugh out of because she looked like "Nacho Libre" (see photo) - you have to have a sense of humor to get through something like this!! 

Karmann handled all the lights and blood drawls better than we did and she was a champ through it all. Having her released and home before Christmas meant more than anything to us and we are happy to say that she went back to the pediatricia

n today and has her weight up to 7 lbs 7 oz, and her beli count is down to 9. So much improvement! She has been eating like a little piglet and has been sleeping like a lamb, so we can't complain! Now the trick is going to be getting her to nurse like a rock star and still gain weight! We are working on that challenge and she's improving each feeding.

Christmas Day 

We had a wonderful little Christmas with GG and Gramps and even got to Skype with Kris' family back in Illinois. Kris went back to work today - thank goodness it was only for one day before the weekend. But GG and Gramps are still here helping me with everything. I am seeing how quickly time flies by with a baby as you really have to be on a schedule and make sure she's eating, your eating, and taking care of everything else. I can only pray we are on a routine before they go back to California! 

Well, Karmann is rooting around so here's just a few more photos of her 1-week birthday: enjoy!

One week old 12/26/08

Daddy after a long day back to work

Welcom Home Karmann Elise!

First Family Photo 12/19/08

Just getting home from the hospital

First full day at home!

Well, we made it! Karmann is enjoying being home and is keeping me very busy trying to breast feed her and keeping her from fussing. I am learning very quickly that I need to watch what I eat for her and my sanity. No more pizza and Mexican for a while! We are so amazed at how beautiful she is, not that we are biased or anything! When she is awake she has big blue eyes that melt you heart! We are also surprised by her dark hair - which we are hoping will be curly like mine! She is changing everyday already, so I am sure the surprises will keep coming. 

Feeding is a challenge, which no one said it was going to be easy, but we are going to take it one day at a time. Also, pooping and peeing goes along with that challenge, but so far, things have been going well. We see the pediatrician tomorrow and I already have a list of questions to ask, so I'm hoping the visit will go well. 

We are so thankful for all the support from our family and friends that have visited and sent us congratulation wishes! Its been really fun sharing the news of our baby girl and hope to keep the blog going as much as possible to keep in touch with everyone! 

We have more photos posted on Kodak Gallery at the following link:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=18b1mpvl.amhhf9ap&x=0&y=-eksoov&localeid=en_US

It's a Girl!! We welcome Karmann Elise to our family! She was born yesterday at 4:29 pm. More to come later...still at the hospital.

Week 40

Grandma and Papa Stenger

"GG"

Holly 40 weeks

As I mentioned before, the grandparents have arrived, but the baby is still cooking! I visited Dr. Wilson this morning, and I'm progressed to 3 CM. Though, he did confirm that I actually am having contractions, though they don't hurt yet - which is good I guess! He also confirmed that I must have a "heart shaped" uterus, which is why I always have two bumps on my belly - a.k.a my camel (Okay, maybe that was too much information)! But, since I am passed my due date, I am officially scheduled for an induction at midnight Thursday, so if not sooner, the baby should be born by Friday!! Yippee! So that is the latest news and update. Wish me luck! 

Grandparents arriving...yet no baby!

It may be a blessing that Kris and I had one more weekend of peace and quiet time alone together, however, my mom is arriving tonight and Kris' parents are arriving tomorrow, and unfortunately, the baby is staying put. My dad and I went to the mall, Ikea and Target today to get some walking in and to get me out of the house. But, still, no change.
It has been interesting observing people stare at my obviously big belly when I am in public. I am ready to have the baby just so strangers stop asking me when my due date is and if it is a boy or a girl! Today going into Target, I heard a little kid yell "Mommy look at that lady's belly!" and then the mother quickly told her son to shush! I just laughed, but you do feel kind of like a freak at this point. I can't imagine having twins or multiples, however, most women with multiples aren't walking around at 40 weeks prego either! Anyway, a couple more trips to the airport to pick up the grandparents and I'm sure people will give me strange looks there, too!
Well, at least I won't be going to work tomorrow, and I'll be able to hang out with my mom for a day. I am looking forward to having family here for the event - when ever it may be!! Keep your fingers crossed its sooner than later and that the next blog will be the news! Stay tuned!

The Name Game

Kris and I took a short walk tonight to get milk, and he mentioned that really, this whole time I've been pregnant, nothing has really changed - except my belly - as far as our lifestyle. When we thought about that for a minute, I realized that most likely in less than a week, we are going to be so out of our element, that we won't know what hit us! We  have been so into work-mode, design-mode, teaching-mode, and other-things-going-on-in-our-life-mode, that we really have not focused on a baby-mode. That's pretty scary seeing that the baby could come any day now. So after that ohshit moment, we decided maybe we should give a little more thought to what to name the baby once he or she gets here. We truly want this to be our decision with as little influence as possible from others (one reason why we didn't find out the sex). But, come to find out, it is a difficult task, and having people suggest ideas, is actually pretty helpful! So any of you (esp. from the baby shower game) who have suggested names, I thank you for your help! We are getting closer to at least having a couple boys names to choose from that we both like, and though girl names are seeming to be more difficult, we have a couple that we like as well. So, now we just have to wait and see which one seems fitting once we see our little peanut!!

Patience is a Virtue

39 week update: no change!! Well, except I gained two pounds, but otherwise, nothing. So baby Stenger is not eager to emerge early. Unexpectedly, I left the doctor's office quite disappointed that there had not been any progress. I know Kris really wants the baby to come before Monday, and I am ready for some sign that the time is close, but it looks like I will be working the rest of the week and possibly have one more weekend to clean! I still haven't really had any contractions that I am aware of, which I guess is the sign I am looking for - at least to get things a little started. But I will be patient and know that when the time is right, Baby Stenger will make his or her debut to the world and it will be wonderful!

Here are the latest photos from yesterday - 39 weeks!

38 week update

As I left work this Friday, I came upon the updated poster in the hallway at City Hall. I forgot to mention a while back that I was honored as one of the City's Outstanding Employee of the Quarter, which apparently gets you priority parking (though I haven't received a pass yet), and your photo on the wall at City Hall. I'm three people to the left of the lady in green. Anyway, had to take a picture and share!

On another note, below are photos of our most recent big purchase!!

Photo from the rear looking toward the front...

Photo from the front looking to the rear...

Yes, there are two HUGE live oak trees on the property that we are trying to design around, which is making things a little tricky. But, we are looking forward to building our future home here. I can say that we are getting closer to a design we both agree on, now for seeing if the budget will afford it! Wish us luck!

Even though I am almost to week 39, here's a quick update of week 38...no change! I visited my doc on Tuesday and though my belly is much harder this week and I have a lot more pressure down low, I actually did not gain any weight and haven't dialated more than 1.5 - 2 cm. My blood pressure is normal, too. So HOPEFULLY this tuesday I will see some progress. Kris and I took a good walk this morning up to our friend's house to watch the OUC half marathon, and the walk made me feel pretty good! I do think today I felt a little bit of what might be the start of contractions. Doc said it will begin to feel like cramps, and that's about what I felt, so maybe something is going on. One thing for sure is my belly is getting bigger. Here's the latest belly picture from last Tuesday (38 wks) and then I hope to fill you in on week 39 on Tuesday!

Space Coast Marathon

Kris and Abre coming to the half-way point in the race...

And they are off for the next 13 miles...

Kris approaching the finish line...

Abre approaching the finish line shortly after...

Holly, Kris, Abre, and Kimmi after the race.

Congrats to Kris and Abre for finishing the Space Coast Marathon yesterday! It was a great day for the race and both finished under their goal times - Kris 3:50 and Abre 4:02!!! Great job guys! The marathon was a great finish to a well needed break and Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. We got up at 3:30 am to head over to the coast, and my dad made the trip with us as well - not just to cheer Kris on, but also the be there just in case I went into labor! Luckily, that did not happen! Thanks for coming Dad! I enjoyed the company. The guys finished the race just before the rain started, so needless to say, once we got back in Orlando, both Kris and I went back to bed and took it easy for the rest of the day. 

Back to the daily grind today. A full week of work seems like forever, but we have a busy schedule as usual so I am sure it will go by fast. I am trying to get things organized and prepared at work for when I leave. Hopefully with the holidays in there, things won't be too crazy. I have my weekly doctor appointment tomorrow, so we will see if there's been any progress. I do feel like things have progressed since last week, so I am anxious to see what the doctor says. I'll keep you updated as usual. A 38 week photo is in progress once Kris gets home from teaching. I'll add that to the update. Until then...

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving! I am proud to say that I managed to make a fairly traditional thanksgiving meal! My dad, Kris and I ate around lunch time and enjoyed marinated turkey breast (thank you Oprah!), stuffing, baked sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls and Kris' awesome apple pie! Not bad for the first thanksgiving I was fully responsible for! Other than that, we have a fairly busy weekend. We are going to visit Kris' sister and family in Tampa tomorrow and Kris is running in his 5th marathon in Cocoa Beach on Sunday. Maybe we'll try to get a little "good deal" Christmas  shopping in this weekend, which doubles as exercise for me :)! 

We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving weekend - don't eat too much and don't shop too much either!! 

Day of Drama

Before I go into details of my 37 week doctor check up, I have to share a funny story. 

Going into work this morning, I decided to park closer to the elevators of the parking garage because I knew I had to leave in an hour to get to my doctor's appointment. So, since I got to work early, there were plenty of spaces available close, and because of the holiday, I figured it wouldn't be crowded, so I parked and went into work. Keep in mind, that in a parking garage, people usually park in approximately the same place everyday, and even I get frustrated if someone beat me to my "usual" spot. I should have known better! An hour went by and I got to my car, and sure enough, both cars on each side of me parked so close that I could not get my doors open, let alone hardly fit between the cars. How the other people got OUT of their cars, I have no idea, but there was NO way a 9 month pregnant woman was getting in the car. So, I seriously had to open the back of my car and climb through to the front!!! I think out of frustration and concern about being late, somehow I climbed my way into the drivers seat and cursed those inconsiderate people the whole way out of the garage!!! I'm sure anyone who saw the scene was wondering what the hell what going on. So, next time you park too close to someones car, please reconsider and think of the pregnant woman!!!

Okay, quick update on the rest of the drama...I saw Dr Wilson today and he checked everything out and determined that I was measuring small (believe it or not!) so he wanted to do a quick sonogram to check things out. So, he did, but was not able to get good images of the chest and lungs and the weight estimate was about 6 lbs, which still fell at the 20th percentile for 37 weeks. So, he wanted a second opinion and scheduled an appointment with a specialist for this afternoon. So I followed doctor's orders and went to get a second sonogram and met another doctor, who come to find out specializes in high-risk pregnancies and his practice specializes in imaging and sonograms. So, after the technician poked and prodded the baby for about 20 minutes, and then the doctor came and did the same thing, it was determined that all the organs in the chest are fine, but indeed the baby is still only in the 20th percentile. But, over all no worries since all the organs looked good and were working properly. Thank goodness! Needless to say, its been a rough day of poking and prodding and I am sore. Other updates...heartbeat was strong and at 140. And the head is indeed down and I am about 1 cm dilated. Still a long way to go!! So that's the latest!

On the Homestretch

I thought I would publish this photo of me today, not because it marks a week mile stone, but just because I feel huge and have officially seen stretchmarks on my belly. The baby likes to lay lop-sided and the right side of my belly tends to pop-out much further and therefore since it is growing, it is pushing and creating stretchmarks. I am not very pleased with this action, but what am I going to do about it? It is quite amusing when you watch the movement and see it stick out, though. So I will continue to lather on the Burt's Bee's Momma Bee belly butter and wish for the best. 

This week has been a challenge keeping up the pace at work and at home. I have had a busy week at work, with meetings almost all day on site and at City Hall and my body is speaking to me to take a break. Thank goodness next week is a short three day week, otherwise, I think I would need to take tomorrow off. But, with today's meetings over, and not too much scheduled for tomorrow, I think I can handle it - TGIF!! 

Kris and I finally listened to the Lamaze CD tonight to "practice" breathing techniques for the different type of contractions. It was quite technical, and in no way do I expect Kris to "coach" me with all the lingo and counting, though it was helpful to get an idea of the breathing patterns for early labor up to when you push. I actually think that my Yoga breathing will be more helpful, but we shall see. So now I just need to actually pack a bag and put a pillow in the car - because I know we will forget one, and check a few more things off the list. 

As excited as I am for the baby to be here, I am also a little sad to think that all the experiences from the last 38 weeks are about to end. I know with the baby here and a million other things to worry about in the future, I will miss this phase. I hope this blog helps me remember all the fun moments and learning experiences I've had in the process. Plus, Kris and I have done some cool things since the baby was conceived - everything from visiting AZ for baseball spring training to New York and Boston, to Sarah & Charlie's wedding in July and Carrie and Matt's wedding in September. As they say, life will never be the same, but it changes for the better! Only 25 +/- days to go!! 

Land Owners!

Well, its official! We closed on our new piece of land on Friday! We now own approximately 7000 s.f. of actual dirt and two trees! Kris and I are thrilled that we have a future place for a new home. Now comes the hard part of figuring out what to build on it. As I think I mentioned before, you might think it would an easy task for two architects, but it is not. I have been a lot more focused on getting prepared for the baby than designing a new house! Kris has been frustrated with me because of that, but first things first!! Though, we do hope to have something to break ground with in the next 6 months. I'll try to remember to take pictures this week and post as soon as possible. 

Other than that, we managed to purchace the car seat this weekend (check that off the list) and Kris also started to assemble the basinett that will mostly be in our room in the beginning. So more progress has been made. I spent most of the weekend at City Hall trying to catch up on the work load that has hit our team the past couple of weeks. I am trying to keep up, but also prepare for when I am gone. Though I only plan on being away for 6 full weeks and 12 weeks of half time, the holidays are included, so hopefully it won't be to busy while I am out. I also managed to grocery shop and fix some delicious enchiladas (from the Oprah show) for dinner! Now its time to kick my feet up and watch the 60 minutes interview with our new president!!

Upside down!

Today I had my 35 week visit to the Doctor. I have indeed reached the 30 lb. mark and everything else was fine. The heartbeat was 140 and strong. The doc checked me out and verified that the head was indeed low an directed down. Funny thing is that where Kris and I thought was the head, was actually the butt, so Kris has been talking to the baby's butt for the last couple weeks! Oh well!

My next appointment will be in two weeks, and then I'll be seeing them once a week from there on out. Time is seeming to go by FAST.

Above are a few photos of the awesome shower at my office last week. As you can see I was truely surprised! It was a great time and we got lots of really nice gifts for the nursery and baby. 

Kris and I also visited one of the downtown daycares this afternoon. It is a great facility and though it is a little pricey (what daycare isn't-right?) it definitly has all the attributes that we are looking for - especially the emphasis on education and care. We are on the waiting list, so hopefully we get in when we need to. We hope to visit one or two more downtown as a backup plan, but this one I think is our first choice. 

That's the latest update...time to put my feet up for the evening! 

Update at 35 weeks

So its only been 3 weeks since my last photo, and I'll probably do this on a weekly basis until the baby comes, but as you can tell, beside my hair needing to be cut, my face is fuller, and my pants are a little tighter, too! I visit the doctor on Tuesday, and I am guessing that i may hit the 30 lb. mark!! Its been harder to get around and the pain just under my belly is making standing up and stitting down more and more uncomfortable. So needless to say, I haven't done much lately. I actually got up early this morning because probably for the first time in my life, I was uncomfortable in my bed! For those of you that know me well, you are probably shocked - I was too! 

This weekend was all about baby! It started out Friday at work when my wonderfully supportive coworkers threw me a suprize baby shower! They planned it well because I was shocked when I thought I was going into a meeting and opened the door with the whole office and more there!! It was a great time and I will post the photos as soon as I can to share with everyone. 

Then, yesterday, Kris and I attended an all-day crash course for Lamas - which actually had nothing to do with the breathing, though we did get a CD to practice with at home. Instead, it was a class on the birthing process and everything to do with what could happen from the moment you go into labor to the moment you go home with child in arms. It was taught by a male nurse, Ron, who is the only male birthing nurse at Winnie Palmer. He was really great and I think Kris actually listened more closely since the information was coming from a man. Plus, Ron really emphasized the male role in the process (like massaging and doing anything I tell him to) which I greatly appreciated as well. So, it was well worth our time and money. It also emphasized a few things we still need to hurry up and take care of - like pack a bag and get a carseat!! We were the only ones in the class that hadn't purchased the carseat yet, and we were one of three couples that were the farthest along in the pregnancy! Needless to say, we'll be taking care of that this week! 

Finally, today, we pre-registered at Winter Park Hospital, where we will actually be having the baby, and attended a group tour of the facility to see where its all going to play out. My dad came along so he knew where to go when he got the call. I think he is getting excited too!

Well, after all that, I am ready to head to bed early tonight. More going on this week, so I'll try too keep the blog updated! 

History in the making

As Kris and I watched the election results on TV last night, I realized that the baby has actually had an eventful gestational period in the womb! The 2008 Olympics were in China this summer, the stock market fiasco occured, an interesting world series happend just a few weeks ago, and now we have elected Mr. Obama to the presidency! It has been a memorable 34 weeks in our nation's history! I hope I will remember all of the events, as well as our personal history from this pregnancy, which has also been quite eventful!

On another note, I have realized that I am getting to the point where people are starting to worry I might go into labor any day now - or at least I get that impression. Though with 6 weeks to go, I personally am not worried, nor have we even gone to lamaz class yet to even know what to do when it does happen! But other people, meaning mostly coworkers and people coming for meetings at work, have suprized me with their reactions on their face when they see me - or more like it - my belly - enter the room or come out of the elevator! Yes, I know my belly is growing - and it is supposed too!! But I sometime feel like a freak in the room becuase of some of the reactions. Another thing that is interesting, is that when I am at work, I try to be as professional as possible and focus on the projects, however, people (applicants and consultants ) always want to talk about when I am due, how life is going to change, how I am feeling, bla bla bla. On one hand, it is truely kind and endeering that people want to "comfort" me by giving their support and always a story on how wonderful parenthood is - and I truely do respect that and I really can't wait for my own experience to be able to say the same thing (or I wouldn't have wanted to get pregnant in the first place!) But on the other hand, the daily update is becoming more like a chore than small talk. I don't want to sound like I don't care, or that I am not always thinking about this little muchkin growing inside me, but there's more to me than just my belly! Anyway, with just a few weeks left, I'm sure I can tolerate it for just a little while longer.

Baby Space

Okay, so finally, the baby space is starting to look like a nursery! Here's a few pictures to give you an idea of what it will be in our current place. We (well, okay, Kris mostly) have been working hard today steam cleaning the carpet in both bedrooms and living room, and trying to clean up a bit. Most of my afternoon has been occupied with installing software for my new web camera so we can "SKYPE" with family and friends around the country (so if you are a skyper, let me know!!) Technology is awesome, I tell ya!! 

The weather has finally cooled off - at least into the 60-70's durning the morning and afternoons, so we enjoyed a long walk this morning running errands to the dry cleaners and the new Target at Sodo which is down the street from us. It is really convienient and I can't wait for the other shops and restaurants to open there. 

What else has been going on....oh, I voted finally yesterday at the downtown library (which is one of my favorite buildings, especially with the updated interiors, which my good friend Beverly designed when she worked with Kris!) BUT, it only took an hour in line, which I guess was pretty good from what I've heard. I figured on a Friday night, especially on Halloween, that the line would be short, but it was not -- which is a good thing because at least people are voting!! 

Also coming up this next week, we are going to be closing on our new piece of property!! Yippe!! I can't wait!! We are still working on many ideas for a house on the lot, which we would like to get figured out sooner than later, but nothing is clicking yet. We'll get there, though, eventually. 

Well, the baby is moving a lot right now, so I should probably get up and move around myself. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Happy Halloween

This has to be one of the most rediculous photos of me, and pretty funny of Kris. Believe it or not, these are our halloween costumes! Kris is imitating me pregnant, and I'm an old man with a beer belly. Kris' belly was pretty convincing and he kinda got a taste of what its like. Anyway, it was fun for the evening. 

On another note, this weekend we made progress in the baby space - we finally have a mattress for the crib and the changing pad for the dresser. I need to get the cover for the shelves done and then I'll be ready to take pictures. With 7 weeks to go...the pressure is on!! 

Babies and Houses - Labors of love

Yesterday was my 32 week doctor's appointment and again, all went well. I am measuring normal, so even though I feel huge, I am where I am supposed to be. The heartbeat was easy to find, but I forgot to ask what it was. I asked a lot of other questions, like is this crazy movement normal - and its a good thing! I have a lot to do still - like find a pediatrician, get on the waiting lists for daycare, pre-register at the hospital, figure out what to pack for the hospital for me, the baby, and Kris! I am finishing up some sewing for the baby space, and trying to get things in the drawers of the new dresser to make things more comfortable and roomy. I guess all of this falls under the "nesting" phase. 

While all of these things pretty much occupy all my thoughts, Kris is occupied with trying to design a house for our new little family. Which, as you can imagine, with two architects, is more difficult than you think. I am more interested in the practical flow of the spaces and well, having space, Kris is more focused on the construction and exterior aesthetic. The trick to all this is to figure out where the two come together and make a buildable structure within the budget! All your prayers and good luck wishes are greatly appreciated!! I am starting to think the house process will be more difficult than going through labor! Let's hope they both end up being easy!!!!

Actually, I am pretty excited about both events and processes, and if I get a baby and a house out of all of it, I will be pretty happy!!!

32 weeks gone by!

Tomorrow marks 32 weeks according to the doctor. I have an appointment Tuesday, which I will be asking many more questions than before - I want the low down this time! Though I still feel good most of the time, I know I will be needing to keep my feet up more often and relax. Having an "extra" day for the weekend by going to the conference was a much needed break. We made a lot of progress again today. Kris built a platform for the dresser to get it up high enough to use as a changing table. He also helped vacume and dust the place. Don't forget doing laundry and he went to the store for dinner and stuff for lunch. He was a big help today! We still have a long list, but will get to it bit by bit. I think he was trying to also get the Ray's loss last night out of his mind. I only hope they win tonight so they make it to the World Series, then he'll be in a good mood for a while longer!

Enjoy the photos! I'll try to update on Tuesday after my doctor's appt.

Baby in Motion

Kris and I just got back from Miami. We were there for the AIA Emerging Professionals Conference which was worth the 3.5 hour drive there on Thursday and back today. You never know who you are going to meet at one of these things, and its fun to hang out with other young architects and find out what is going on around the state. We ended up having dinner with the Keynote speaker, David Montalba, a 36 year old architect from LA who has his own sucessful practice in CA (http://www.montalbaarchitects.com/). As usual, Kris and I and the rest of the Orlando group picked his brain for info and advice, especially since we are moving forward on our new property!
Now that we are back home, and on the long drive back have again realized that the clock is ticking, we have to prioritize and make sure our lists get accomplished - there always seems to be an excuse, so I am trying to push with kindness, but I have a feeling my hormones are going to kick in and excusses will not be acceptable!! My belly keeps growing (I'll post a 32 week photo soon) and the crazy shapes the baby makes my belly reminds me that the pace of life is going to change real soon!
Speaking of which, I forgot to mention that our great friends Alberto & Bianca brought Alberto Gervasio SdF into the world on Thursday. He was born at 7:43 am at 9 lbs 1 oz and 21.5 inches long! We are excited to meet him and welcome him into this world! Congrats A&B!!

Bigger baby space??

Sorry its been over a week since I last posted a blog! It has been a busy couple of weeks both at work and in our personal lives. Kris had midterms for his class last week and I stood in as one of the critics. It was fun to see what he's been teaching every monday and wednesday and it is also fun to get back into a studio environment of students (they actually listen to what you say as opposed to argue against your comments!) We've also had a ton of lectures associated with AIA "October is Architecture month" events. We even went to Tampa this weekend to see another architect lecture/discussion. Its made for really long days, but its all been very interesting. 

Back on the ranch... we finally got a dresser for the baby's room - a sweet deal from Ikea's "as is" area, which not only saved us money, but time too, because it was already assembled! So I am working on a little bit of sewing for the room before I get it all pulled together to post a photo. 

Also, big news, we put a bid on a piece of property this weekend in a land auction and - believe it or not - we won the bid! What does this mean, you are thinking....well, we are hopefully going to be building a house!! We have 3 days to get all the ducks in a row on the bid, but we'll be designing a house and hopefully starting to build in the next few months! Keep your fingers crossed that the banks will loan us money for construction!! Anyway, we are confident that we got a good deal on the land and look forward to making progress on a bigger place to live! I'll keep you all updated. 

Countdown continues

Though it is early Sunday morning, and I still will be cherishing every moment left of this weekend, a lot has happened this weekend - first the Fighting Illini won against Michigan yesterday, and the Cubs are out of the running for the World Series! Both of these events are good news for me, as Kris is in a really good mood! As I type, he is also playing a round of golf - which he hasn't done in months - and assuming he might play a mediocre round, I can only hope that the fresh crisp morning air will carry the mood through to next weekend! 

As the countdown seems to be going faster and faster, we are starting to freak out and get more and more excited at the same time. My list of getting a pediatrician, finding a daycare (or getting on muliple waiting lists), to setting up my benefits at work, are just a few of the important things that I have to get to asap. Getting the car seat, running stroller, breast pump, or crib matress seems a little less critical at this point! But we must move forward and continue to prepare - regardless of what is on the lists! 

29 weeks and 1 day

Dr's update: all is good! I am measuring normal, my weight gain is on track (just hit the 20 lb. mark) and the heartbeat is still strong! Again, the Dr. mentioned the baby was active (like I didn't already know that) but other than that, all things are on track! Next appointment is in 3 weeks.

Tonight I've actually been able to be home and cook dinner - which was really good, I must say (#60 from Rachel Ray's 365 dinners cookbook) and actually relax a little. Baseball play-offs are on and its a night to take a break. This weekend we actually assembled the crib, so we have a better idea of where things are going to fit, and I think it will work just fine. We still have a lot on our list of things in the next 10 weeks, but we will just need to focus and take one task at a time. 

The weather is finally starting to cool off, though we had issues with our a/c again, but Kris got it taken care of this morning, so that is good. Not much else to report, so maybe I'll get to bed early tonight! 

Whirlwind week!

As I mentioned on Tuesday, this week has been crazy! It is finally friday night and I have a moment to reflect on this week. We had an awsome lecture from Jonathan Segal, Architect Wednesday night. Kris and I were lucky to play "host" to him by entertaining him around Orlando while he was here. We both got to know him and picked his brain for "architect as developer" knowledge (http://www.jonathansegalarchitect.com/) It made for a couple late nights, but was definitly worth it. 

Today was also a sad day as it was the last day my boss was going to be the City Architect of Orlando. He is on his way to Dubai, and though I am extremely excited for his new adventures, I will miss him a lot and all his mentorship. I can't wait to hear about his adventures and all the awesome things he will be designing and taking part in, in Dubai. 

So now is the weekend, thank goodness, and I hope to get lots of rest and catch up on stuff at the house! I will be 28 weeks on Monday (or is it 29?) so here are a few of the latest photos. I have already mentioned that this baby is very active, and this week has been no exception. It is starting to grow and fill up more on my sides, so I have been getting more and more uncomfortable. I'm also gaining more weight, so my legs are reacting to that as well. 

So, photos speak a 1000 words, so I will stop now. Have a good weekend!

This week has been - or will be - so busy and it is only Tuesday. I have been to two baby classes - Basic Infant care and Breastfeeding 101, we have an AIA lecture tomorrow night, a retirement party for someone at my office, and my boss' last day is Friday (he's picking up and headed to live in Dubai!) Not to mention we will be taking my Dad to the airport Thursday morning, as well as Jonathan Segal, who is the lecturer tomorrow night. I have managed to do some laundry and make dinner too. I have a feeling that things are only going to get busier as I adjust to things at work, and getting prepared and organized for the baby! In the mean time, I'll attach a photo from last Sunday when we visited my Dad for his belated birthday. Kris is still out entertaining Jonathan, and I am headed to bed. Hopefully I'll find time to blog again this week! 

Facebook breakdown

Okay, so I finally broke down and joined Facebook - which hopefully will direct people to this blog! I can't believe how many people I know and grew up with are on the network - even my Mom is on Facebook! Anyway, its nice to have a place to keep in touch and find out how everyone is doing. I'll be focusing more on the blog, so check here for updates. 

Benjamin Wolf Chase has arrived to Kimmi & Abre

At 9:26 pm on 9/19/08 Benjamin Wolf Chase arrived into the world as a little blessing to Kimmi, Abre, and big brother Oskar Rocket. We are so excited for all of them and can't wait to meet him!

Great-grandmother to-be

http://www.commercial-news.com/local/images_sizedimage_261104728/resources_photoview

So you may wonder where Holly was influenced to become an architect... well a little of the creative gene comes from her grandmother, aka Nannie. Nan was featured in two of the local Danville newspapers this week for the opening of a new gallery in downtown Danville, where her fashion illustrations will be on display. The article has a few mistakes in it she said, but is interesting anyway:

http://www.commercial-news.com/local/local_story_261113056.html

That's the latest news for the day. Kris just got home from teaching his class, and now it is time to go to bed!! 

Chicago weekend

So they call Chicago the windy city, but this past weekend you could definitely call it the rainy city! Since we landed in Midway on Friday night, it did not stop raining until Monday morning. Saturday broke a record with 7 inches of rain in 24 hours. We were thankful that Beth & Jay's place stayed dry, though the subdivision had to close roads due to retention ponds and soccer fields that overflowed into the streets. Beside all the weather issues, we had a great time staying with Beth, Jason and Alyssa, and visiting with Mich, John and Jack, and Nathan on Saturday.

However, the main reason for the trip was for Carrie and Matt's wedding in Downtown Chicago Sunday. The wedding was absolutely beautiful! The wedding and reception was at the hotel Allegro downtown, which worked out perfect due to the weather. We stayed there on Sunday which was really convenient for the festivities. Carrie and Matt looked wonderful and everything was just perfect. I've never had a wedding cake as good as this one - plus the food and the band were awesome! Kris and I got to visit with a lot of friends that we hadn't seen in a while. Plus, since this was the last long-distance trip pre-baby, we tried to live it up at the reception - everyone danced and partied like rock stars. Dancing with a baby in your belly is a little weird, but I think the baby enjoyed it as much as I did. See the link for the rest of the photos from the weekend festivities.

Kris and I also took advantage of taking Monday off and toured Downtown - thank goodness the rain stopped Sunday night - so we had a wonderful day on the town in Chicago! More photos at the link:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=18b1mpvl.8nfajt79&Uy=j9seqo&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=449023845726_918214019605&localeid=en_US

Busy week!

Wow, I can't believe it is Wednesday night already. We had dinner last night with friends from Bloomington, Joe and Ruth, who are getting some R&R in Orlando this week. We took them to my favorite hang out in Orlando - the Mall at Millenia - for a quick shopping trip and dinner. Tonight both Kris and I had meetings after work and then Kris had his class after that and should be getting home shortly. The late nights have been an adjustment for him for sure! Tomorrow night we'll be packing and getting ready for our trip to Chicago, and then Friday, we'll be there! 

As for the baby...did I mention that it likes to move around - a lot?!? My belly is really wierd looking when one side is bulging out way farther than the other side. I've also felt what I guess is the hick-ups, which also feels really wierd! It definitly makes me smile, though. When ever I get stressed at work, I start to think of the baby and everything Kris and I are looking forward to, and it helps me chill out and focus. I guess that's the baby's way of helping me put things into perspective. I think I'm gonna like this kid!!! 

Diaper Dillema?

We've had another productive weekend! We have cleared more space for the baby, though we only relocated the stuff to my dad's, but still! We will be in Chicago this coming weekend for a wedding (which we are totally looking forward to since this will be the last long-distance trip while I'm prego - but also to see friends). So I did a little shopping for a few things for Kris for the trip, and looked more for baby furniture and ideas. Overall I'd say it was productive. 

We also had dinner on Sat. with our good friends Kimmi and Abre and Oskar (their blog is on my favorites list). Kimmi is 37 weeks with a baby boy who will be arriving any day now. They raised Oskar on cloth diapers, and are an inspiration to us and we plan to do the same. They have a great blog on their system that I encourage everyone to visit if you are not familiar with modern cloth diapers. Please see link: http://oskardiapers.blogspot.com/

It seems like a fairly substantial investment at first, but when you think about how much you spend on disposable diapers, and how much of a carbon footprint you make in the landfills, we see this as the right thing to do. Don't get me wrong, we're sure there will be times that we will want disposable for convenience, but we will try not to as much as possible. 

Lots more decisions to come, but we think we've made up our minds on this one.

Dr's update

Well, all went well at the doctor's this morning. I have gained 13 lbs, the baby's heartbeat is strong and sounding good, and all measurements are normal too. So, not too much to report! I mentioned the pain I'm having below my belly, but Doc says its normal, and there's really nothing I can do about it - it could get better or it could get worse! Great! But the nurse commented how the baby moves a lot since she was trying to hear the heart beat and the baby kept moving around. I said its been like that for about 3 weeks now! So, if that gives us any idea of what is to come...we may be in for it! Well, that's it for today. I'll try to think of something more interesting for tomorrow!

"Baby-space" progress

Shocking how quicly a three-day weekend goes! As I mentioned before, we were hoping to take advantage of this weekend to get the "baby space" a little more organized. Guess what - progress was made!! Though it seemed like we were taking two steps back to go one step forward, by today, we had actually cleared enough stuff out of one of the closets to be able to dedicate it to the baby!! Yippee!! We also made a couple trips to look at baby toys and furniture at a few friend's houses that are getting rid of stuff. So though we aren't to the point of taking a picture (because it really doesn't look different) we are closer to making a decision about furniture and where stuff is going to go.
Preview to tomorrow's blog: my next Dr's appointment is tomorrow, so I hope to give you an update on the baby's progress. I will be taking the glucose test, too. Sounds exciting - right! Anyway, hope to have good news to report.

Just another Thursday...

Nothing new to report today. I did get in touch with the nurse at the doctor's office to double check on instructions for my appointment next week , and all is well. I have been busy writing thank you notes for all the awesome gifts we received last weekend at the shower, so I am at a loss of words this late at night. I will spare you blogs till after the weekend - maybe we will make more progress on getting things organized. Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone!

Showers galore

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?Uc=18b1mpvl.aiv1adv1&Uy=9lzrr4&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=367190627617_586876048605&mode=fromshare&conn_speed=1


Let's see if this works...the link above is to the Kodak Gallery slide show of a few of the photos from the baby shower given to me last weekend by our good friends Bianca and her mom Martha. If you haven't seen them already, take a peek. It just so happened to fall on my birthday, so we celebrated a little of both.
I was lucky to have my mom fly in for the occasion from California. We were concerned that she wasn't going to get in due to Tropical Storm Fay (it was ironic that my mom's last name is Fay). But she braved the storm and safely landed in Orlando during the worst of it last Thursday. It was a quick trip for her though it was totally worth every minute! I only wish we could see each other more often. I look forward when she comes to visit when the baby is born!!
So while we are on the subject of showers, I was definitely "showered" with lots of wonderful gifts. Now the challenge is finding a place to fit it in our place. K is finally realizing that this little child growing in my belly is actually going to take up space in the real world. All of the sudden he is interested in getting furniture and a crib for the baby-space (not exactly a whole room has been dedicated for the little one :). ) This way the stuff has a place. I hope we take advantage of the Labor Day weekend to get things a little more organized. Once it is presentable, I'll post a few photos so you can get a visual of what I mean by baby-space. In the mean time, I don't think a photo of a mess would be interesting. Anyway, maybe I should get a head start and work a little bit on it now....

Playing Catch-up

Since it is my nature to procrastinate, and now that I am over half way through this process, I thought I would catch everyone up on the visual impact of this very active baby growing inside me. Here's all the monthly photos so far...enjoy!!

12 weeks - no one knew but us!
16 weeks and its starting to show

20 weeks and starting to pooch
25 weeks and growing everyday!

StengerLIFE

Welcome to our new blog! As Kris and I start our new journey into parenthood, we hope to keep you updated on the progress of the "Stenger Life". Please forgive me, as I am not a talented writer, and will probably bore you to death most of the time. But for those of you who want to be nosy, or are just trying to keep in touch, please feel free to make as many comments as you like. So far, K and I are as clueless as new parents-to-be can be. We are slowly but surely getting closer to reality dealing with the amount of space needed for this little one and all its things. (BTW, we are not finding out the gender of the baby.) But as we keep getting wonderful advice from all our friends who are more experienced than us, we are confident that we will survive. And let me emphasize that we are VERY thankful for all of our awesome friends that are willing to give advice!! So, again, we welcome you to a little view into the Stenger Life - enjoy!