Weekend Recap - making progress

We had such a great weekend. I feel like it was our first "normal" weekend in a long time because of Will's recent world traveling! 

I had two Craigslist jackpots this weekend. I picked up these two chairs for $10. Yes, they need a lot of work, but they were too unique/retro/awesome to pass up. A little elbow grease and spray paint and they'll be good as new!

Our second Craigslist find was on a dresser for Crew's nursery! Yay! I am so, so excited about finally finding a major piece of furniture for him. If you remember what I've said before, the crib is the only item that we're buying "new" (& probably the glider too). Everything else will be refurbished furniture. The dressers that I had been seeing on CL in the style I was wanting were ranging anywhere from $200-$400 and we scooped this one up for $70! Woohoo! I am so excited to be making progress on the nursery. Now I'm giving myself to Wednesday to make the final decision on the paint color. I'll post a pic of the dresser soon!

My most recent craving (besides anything sweet) has been purple cows. Have you ever had one or even heard of them? I'm not sure if this is just a southern thing or not. It's just like a coke float but with grape soda. Will had never had one and hated it at first, but since he's been sneaking bites each night I have one I think it's growing on him. He said I'm brainwashing him.

This is what I woke up to on Saturday morning. Sheesh.

My dad came over to do a little more work on our new closet Saturday morning. It's making progress and almost done!! He and Will also had to replace a bunch of rusted out pipes under our house that day. Our kitchen drain got majorly clogged last week (thanks to me) which led to Dad finding leaky and rusted cast iron pipes under our old house that needed to be replaced anyway....at least that's what I'm telling myself. Oops. Note to self: next time just throw away the pork tenderloin instead of throwing it down the disposal. Thanks, Dad!

After church on Sunday we came home and rested for a few hours. I slept terribly on Saturday night (which actually led to me organizing Crew's closet at 2am) and was so tired. Later that afternoon we went over to a friend's house to go through some boys baby clothes she was getting rid of. She has 3 boys so there were plenty of clothes to go through and I am so excited!

Our loot 

Remi must think he's a parrot perched on my shoulder or something? Either that or he's just run out of room sitting on my lap.

Last night we went to Tyler & Amanda's for a delicious dinner. BBQ pork, grilled corn on the cob, mac 'n cheese, rolls....is your mouth watering yet? This was all followed by a homemade fudge pie (YUM!) and another dessert called sweet crust (I think that's the name...). I had never heard of it, but it was full of blueberries and so delicious. I can't wait to get that recipe from Amanda and try it out! All of the dessert of course was accompanied by some vanilla ice cream. It was heaven for my sweet tooth, pregnant self.

Sweet (and usually shy) Bentley finally warmed up to us and cuddled up to me and Crew for a few minutes.

My car is in the shop so we borrowed Will's dad's Jeep this weekend...his lifted Jeep that I've needed a lot of assistance getting in and out of too. Will was dying to put the top down last night because it felt so great out and he snapped this pic of my very wind-blown hair on the way home. Needless to say, getting a brush through that tangled mess was not an easy task. 

 

29 weeks

How far along are you?

29 weeks!

How big is Baby?

He's the size of an acorn squash - He has increased energy due to white fat cells depositing under his skin - His weight will triple in the next 11 weeks! - He weighs anywhere between 2.5-3.8 lbs

Weight Gain?

As of yesterday's appointment, I am up 24 lbs. I know I shouldn't be concerned about my weight but it just keeps rising and I don't like it! As long as Crew is growing and getting all the nutrients he needs, that's all that matters. I just need to quit looking at the scale.

 Gender?

a sweet little boy...confirmed at the ultrasound yesterday! Whew!

Maternity Clothes?

Yes and I officially outgrew my first maternity shirt. It just got too short and I needed more fabric to cover the belly!

Stretch Marks?

Not on my belly

 Sleep?

Sleep has been getting harder and harder...again. I just can never get comfortable. I'm tired of lying on my sides and just want to sleep flat on my back or on my stomach.

Symptoms?

Low back pain, sore hips and shoulders from sleeping, restless legs, started to get tired again like the first trimester, headaches

Movement?

All the time! Will and I have enjoyed watching my belly move all around the past few nights.

Food Cravings/Aversions?

Still wanting sweets a lot...cookies, cake, candy, ice cream

Labor Signs?

No

Belly Button in or out?

Flat

What I miss?

Sleeping how I want

What I am looking forward to?

Really getting things going on the nursery

Best moment of the week?

Our "28" week appointment yesterday. It was supposed to be last week, but since Will was in China and we were getting a 3D ultrasound, I postponed it a week. My mom and Will's mom were also able to come to the ultrasound. I had my glucose test and am still waiting on the results. The drink wasn't too terrible, but I was definitely ready to be done with it once I was getting to the bottom of the bottle. I was feeling fine/normal for a while until we got to the doctor's office and started feeling nauseated. Then when I was getting the ultrasound I got super lightheaded/hot and had to sit up for a few minutes. I just knew I was about to pass out. (I've already got blood sugar issues so I know what that "about to faint feeling" feels like!) Luckily, it passed and I was able to stay conscious the entire time! Ha.
Crew is measuring right on time and is already head-down. I couldn't believe he's already "in position." I guess I thought it would be a few more weeks before anything happened. The doctor said he'll stay that way until he's born so I was relieved. His legs are all curled up under my left ribs. He had his arms covering his face the entire time so we weren't able to see too much during the 3D ultrasound. We did see some chubby cheeks which I LOVE! The sonographer tried for so long to move him around so we could see his face but he wasn't budging. He was snoozing and so comfy. We finally gave up once I had to keep sitting up from feeling sick. His heart rate was 148 bpm.

Daddy’s feeling?

"So excited we got to see Crew on the 3D ultrasound yesterday! Grateful for a healthy baby and a healthy momma!"

Check out weeks 12-28 bumpdates!

Weekend Recap - A Beautiful Memorial

The past week has been a whirlwind. Some of you knew that Will left again on July 12th for a trip to China with a small group from our church. He was home 5 days in between Africa and China. I hated to see him go again, but am so thankful for the time he had in China, all he got to experience, and the impact he had on people there. He has a servant's heart and I am so grateful!

My family is big on surprises. I can remember several times my dad went out of the country for mission trips and my mom would always love to do something for him while he was away so he'd be surprised when he got home. So when Will left for China, we were going down our longggg list of things to do before Baby K arrives and choosing what we (my parents) could do to surprise Will. The consensus was to build our closet expansion! Woohoo! Will's clothes are getting the boot from his old closet because it will now be Crew's closet. We live in an old house where there's not much closet space so my dad built a pretty amazing walk-in closet in our bedroom. The only good thing about not being able to talk to Will while he was away was that I had no chance of spilling the beans about his surprise! My parents were at our house every day working so hard while Will was gone. It's almost done and I can't wait to show the finished product! Our bedroom also managed to get a fresh coat of paint...and soon will have it's own makeover too. (once I decide on bedding!) I felt pretty useless all week because of being preggo...and not knowing a thing about carpentry...but I am so incredibly thankful for my parents and all their hard work this past week! Will was SO excited to see the closet and I know he'll have a blast organizing all his clothes...one of his favorite things-organizing!

Ginger got to come to work with me one afternoon last week and loved it. She was the perfect little office dog!

Remi was excited when I told him his daddy would be home

We were all so happy to have Will home on Saturday! No more traveling for him!

This past Thursday my grandmother passed away. She had been battling Alzheimer's for years and years and her struggle is now over. We had her funeral yesterday and it was so special remembering her life and how special she was to everyone. The only thing that has brought peace during this time is knowing, without a doubt, that she is with her Heavenly Father now and that she is healed in Heaven. She was a woman of faith and loved her Savior. I am so thankful for God's grace and His promise of eternity with Him. She is healed of her disease, reunited with family, and celebrating in Heaven. How amazing to think about!

I am so grateful that Will was able to make it home in time for the funeral. I was able to get a hold of him Thursday when it happened. He came home with a special story that was shared at Grandmother's funeral yesterday:

This past week we were in China for a mission trip. Conversations regarding the Gospel must be done carefully and intentionally, as most of the Chinese have no knowledge of God. Late one evening I was emailing Courtney to check in on her and her family after hearing the news of her grandmother's passing. One of the Chinese students we were with asked me what I was doing, and so I explained the situation. He responded saying that it was so sad to hear. Amazingly, God used this story of sadness to provide an opportunity to share the Gospel and the hope that we have in Christ after death. This student heard the name Jesus for the first time with the help of Grandmother's faith and the promise of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus has given us.

28 weeks

Is it just me, or does anyone else think their belly goes from really big one day to looking "smaller" the next? Look at last week's bumpdate. I swear it's bigger!

How far along are you?

28 weeks! (11.5 to go....ahh!)

How big is Baby?

He is the size of an eggplant - His lungs are mature enough now that if he were to be born early he would be able to survive - He's still working on plumping up with baby fat - He opens and closes his eyes and has eyelashes now

Weight Gain? 

16 lbs.

 Gender?

a boy!

Maternity Clothes?

Yes and I'm still tired of wearing the same thing over and over.

Stretch Marks?

Not on my belly

 Sleep?

Hasn't been great. I wake up a lot more now like I did about 10 weeks ago. I've also been waking up an hour before my alarm goes off. Why?!

Symptoms?

Low back pain, breathlessness, restless legs, some cramping

Movement?

I feel him moving all day long and I love it. Not only do I feel the kicks and punches, but I'm more able to feel his slow movements/stretches now too. I can always seem to find a foot or booty in there somewhere! At work this week I felt him pushing really hard against my belly and I was pushing back with my hand. He's so strong already! 

Food Cravings/Aversions?

not really anything either way

Labor Signs?

No

Belly Button in or out?

Flat

What I miss?

Same as last week - being able to bend over/get up and down easily

What I am looking forward to?

Picking Will up from the airport this weekend

Our appointment next week and ultrasound

Best moment of the week?

Being able to feel Crew all the time and Will coming home from China

I'm feeling?

Still pretty overwhelmed thinking of all we have to do in the next 11.5 weeks. I just found out that the crib we registered for got discontinued so we have to pick out a new one. That's pretty frustrating! I loved that crib! I'm also still on the hunt for some perfect furniture from Craiglist to refurb for the nursery. I thought I had found the perfect piece yesterday, but it had already been sold. Just my luck!

Check out weeks 12-27 bumpdates here!

2nd Trimester Recap

Read my 1st Trimester Recap here

I enjoyed the second trimester much more than the first (obviously). The second trimester was full of things like finding out the gender, feeling him move for the first time, and finally getting a baby bump. I had much more energy and felt better all around than the first trimester also. 

We had our gender ultrasound on April 25, but didn't find out the gender until April 27th at our gender reveal party!

I LOVE that little waving hand!

We named him Crew William Kassner and I explained why in this post

May 11 - We registered for Baby K at Babies R Us and Target

May 12 - My "first" Mother's Day

May 24 - Will graduated from seminary with his Masters
June 16 - Will's "first" Father's Day and we started the nursery
June 19 - 24 week doc appointment. Baby's heart rate was 144 bpm
June 23 - Will became an ordained minister!
June 28 - Will went to Africa and I went to the beach

Will and I were talking the other night about how great my pregnancy has been so far. I feel so blessed to  have had such an easy pregnancy with no (throwing up) morning sickness and no complications. We can only pray that everything continues to go smoothly throughout this last trimester! I can't believe how fast it's going.

"pregnancy has taught my husband" link-up

It's time! Time for the men to tell us what pregnancy has taught them.

I hope you convinced your guy to make a list for you because I can't wait to read them all!

In case you missed my original post from Will here, I'm going to add again what he's learned in the past 28 weeks....

1. Don’t watch sad movies...or tell sad stories...avoid ALL sad situations if possible! We found out early that pregnancy hormones do some crazy things to the female cry factory! I try to sensor the emotional things that Courtney comes across, but sometimes there’s just no avoiding it. 

2. Get ready to go to Kroger! We have definitely noticed an increase in our grocery bill lately. Little Crew is a hungry little fella! The good side of frequent Kroger trips is that I always have a steady supply of Lucky Charms and it gives me an excuse to buy extra junk food for me!

3. Be a helper. Carrying an extra person takes its toll on a body, so men, always be ready to lend a helping hand. Some days Courtney feels great, others she can hardly stay awake. I've learned to just be prepared to help out as much as possible!

4. Be flexible. I’m am weird when it comes to my stuff and the space for my stuff. I have (or had) special little places for all my favorite items from duck calls to baseball hats...but with babies comes change. Since most of my stuff was stored in the room where Crew’s nursery is soon to be, I've learned that the time has come for my stuff to hit the road. Good news is I still have a man cave (garage) with room to spare!

5. Adjust your schedule. Courtney and I are pretty social people, but with lower energy levels and all that good stuff Courtney has found much needed rest by simply spending a lot of nights at home. I've learned that social outings with friends have to take second place to taking care of the Mrs.

6. Take good pictures. There is no greater misdeed than to take a blurry picture of a pregnant lady! For some reason about eighty percent of the pictures I take for her weekly "bumpdates" come out blurry, but I’m getting there! By the end of this nine months I think I’ll have all this photography stuff worked out.

7. Body pillows are AWESOME! As Courtney was introducing me to the body pillow, I was convinced that this was just a silly pregnancy thing that we didn't need. Well, it seems that most nights there is a battle for who ends up sleeping on the body pillow! Those things are incredibly comfortable. If we ever get a king size bed, I just might get one of my own...might even get a dog sized one for Remi!

8. Walk slow. About halfway through the pregnancy Courtney always would say that she couldn't breathe. At first I thought it was a "figmentation of her imagination," but it turns out that being pregnant really does make it hard to breathe. When we take walks in the evenings we end up walking a third of the distance in about three times the time!

9. Be thankful. For some reason, I have always been scared that we would have a hard time having kids. Before we got pregnant, we read so many blogs about people struggling to have kids, and we had so many fears and doubts that pregnancy would come easy to us. We have been so incredibly blessed with this pregnancy and the health of Baby K so far. God is so good and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think Him for the new life that He has blessed us with. Know that our sympathies and prayers go out to all those who are struggling with pregnancy.

10. Enjoy every moment. There are so many changes and expectations that come with pregnancy, especially your first. I've learned to simply let it all soak in. These moments are so precious and I am so thankful to share this time with my beautiful bride. God has blessed me with an incredible family and I am very, very thankful.

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Add your link below and be sure to check back for other entries!

Weekend Recap & a reminder!

The dogs and I had some bonding time this weekend. We are really missing Will while he is away. Remi especially! I spent time with my family this weekend running errands, going to dinner and to my cousin's 4th birthday party. It was a good weekend and I'm just ready and hoping for this week to fly by!

Don't forget to come link-up with me tomorrow for "Pregnancy has taught my husband..."

I can't wait to read what all the guys have to say! The link-up will be open for a week!

myrtle beach

My family goes to Myrtle Beach, SC every summer. I can't remember a summer that we didn't go (besides missing one or two because of mission trips). It's a vacation tradition that goes back to even when my Mom was little. Anyway, we went last week and had a blast. Will didn't get to go because he was in Africa and my brothers' girlfriends didn't go either. It was a little weird, but I'm so glad I got to have the week off work and keep my mind off of worrying about Will!

Sunday night dinner was in Murrells Inlet

We had days full of rain and clouds for most of the week. It finally quit raining on Wednesday...just enough time for me to get burnt before flying home Friday morning. Ouch! I really do believe that pregnant women can burn easier than everyone else. I don't know what it is...I lathered sunscreen all day and still managed to get nice and red. 

I was getting sore from sitting in a beach chair all day so we came up with a little solution to be able to lay on my stomach...here is my Dad digging a hole for my belly!

Problem solved!...I didn't stay there long though because I got so hot!

July 4th

We love July 4th on the beach. Everyone shoots fireworks and you can see them for miles in both directions.

To see last year's Myrtle Beach trip, click here!

27 weeks

How far along are you?

27 weeks! Officially in the THIRD trimester! I can't believe it.

How big is Baby?

He's the size of a rutabaga (I have no clue what that is!) - His lungs are still developing and he's practicing inhaling and exhaling - His weight is anywhere from 2-2.5 lbs. and he measures between 14-15 inches from head to toe - He now sleeps and wakes at regular intervals

Weight Gain? 

16 lbs.

 Gender?

a boy!

Maternity Clothes?

Yes and still loving Will's t-shirts for around the house

Stretch Marks?

not on my belly

 Sleep?

I feel like my sleep is going downhill again. Besides the usual getting up for the bathroom, I wake up several times because I can't get comfortable and just toss and turn because of restless legs or my hips/back hurting.

Symptoms?

Back pain should be subsiding after Monday's chiropractic appointment. My right ribs still irritate me all the time. My belly has been itchy lately (possibly from the sun last week) and I have been trying not to scratch so those stretch marks don't make an appearance.

Movement?

It seems like we've been able to feel his feet/elbows almost every day now. I love it! I haven't been able to feel him hiccup yet. I think he likes to hang out on the right side of my belly. Sometimes I look down and my belly looks lopsided!

Food Cravings/Aversions?

Nothing this week. I ate Mexican at the beach last week and it didn't make me feel sick. Woohoo!

Labor Signs?

no

Belly Button in or out?

Still flat

What I miss?

Being able-bodied

What I am looking forward to?

Next ultrasound at 29 weeks
Also, Will hasn't left for China yet, but I'm already looking forward to him being home!
Deciding on color for nursery and hunting for furniture

Best moment of the week?

Will coming home last Saturday and feeling how strong Crew had gotten since he left!

Daddy’s feeling?

"So ready for Crew to be here! He's been moving around like crazy and it is so neat to feel our little guy move all the time!"

I'm feeling?
Starting to get overwhelmed! If these last 12.5 weeks go by as fast as the past 27 weeks we're in trouble! I can't decide on the exact paint color for the nursery...despite how many samples we've gotten. We have no furniture or rug for the room yet either. Yikes. We are planning on getting a new crib and "refurbbing" vintage furniture...that we don't have yet. I've just got to keep reminding myself to take everything one day at a time! It will get done eventually!

Click here to check out weeks 12-26!

Also, if you're pregnant or had a baby recently, come link-up with me next Tuesday! I'm hosting a one time link-up for the men as they tell us what pregnancy has taught them!
Details here

"pregnancy has taught my husband..." | 1 time link-up!

Hello ladies! After having my husband write about what pregnancy has taught him, I got several comments from you saying you wondered what your husband would say. I'm also curious to what other husbands would say! 

Next Tuesday, July 16th, I will be hosting a one time link up for your husbands! They can list as many things as they want and be as brave as they want with what they've learned! I think these posts will be so fun to read and can't wait to see what the men have to say! Be sure to let any other soon-to-be daddies or new daddies know about this link-up and come back here next Tuesday!

The link-up will be open from July 16th - July 23rd
so if you already have a post planned for that day, you can link-up anytime in the week!

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26 weeks

I wrote this last week while at the beach, but am just now getting a chance to edit the photo. It was so bright and windy AND people were staring at me when we took this so I didn't care so much for how it turned out...obviously!

How far along are you?

26 weeks

How big is Baby?

He's as big as a head of lettuce - He's soaking up my antibodies and growing a strong immune system - He inhales and exhales small amounts of amniotic fluid which is good for his developing lungs - He weighs around 1 2/3-2 lbs. and is 14 inches long

Weight Gain?

16 lbs.

 Gender?

a boy!

Crew William Kassner

Maternity Clothes?
Yes, same ol', same ol'. I've been wearing Will's tshirts around the house because they're so much more comfortable than mine.

Stretch Marks?

not on my belly

 Sleep?

Can't complain - Still deal with the usual mid-night bathroom breaks. I also get woken up sometimes from his kicking and moving around, which I don't mind so much!

Symptoms?

Lower back pain is kicking my booty

Movement?

He seems to have gotten much stronger this week! Being at the beach, most of the family has been able to feel him moving or see my stomach bouncing around. I also have been able to actually feel a foot (?) pressed up again my belly again. I wish Will was here to feel it too!

Food Cravings/Aversions?

Chocolate! Yum!

Labor Signs?

no

Belly Button in or out?

Still pretty flat. Sometimes it seems to poke out a little bit if he's pressing up against it.

What I miss?

I still miss being able to get around/move like I did pre-pregnancy. I'm slower at everything and even have found myself grunting when bending down or getting up.

What I am looking forward to?

Picking Will up from the airport Saturday! He's been in Africa since last Friday and I have literally had no communication with him since he's been gone. This was the longest we've been apart since we've been married...and not to mention the no communication thing! It was HARD and Crew and I missed him so much!

Best moment of the week?

Being able to take off work and spend a week at the beach with my family.

Click here to see weeks 12-25 bumpdates!