Showered With Love

Here are just a few pix of the decorations and guests for my shower....thanks to all!!

Cute Owl Invites

Yummy and adorable cake

Thanks again to my sisters for a wonderful shower!
(Tammy, me, Tara)


I can't thank my mom enough for all her love and support!


Thanks to all my cousins, their girls, and my Aunt for making the trip to Indy

I can always count on my best friends for their support

Jen and Emily's adorable little girls

(Cailyn and Reese)

My best friends and their family

Thanks again to my brother's girlfriend for making the trip

(Jenny and me)

It was so nice of Josh's family to come in town from St. Louis

(Josh, mom-Jeanne, niece-Miranda, me, and sister-Tracey)

Thanks Josh for showing up after the shower to help load the gifts :)

--Today my sisters threw me a very special baby shower. It meant so much to me as I was surrounded by all my family and friends. I was overwhelmed with all their love and support...not to mention very thoughtful gifts! I feel very blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. My Aunt Sharon and cousins Heidi and Gretchen made the trip from Ohio and Tennessee with their girls just for the shower. That meant to much! Josh's mom, sister, and niece also made the trip in from St. Louis. It was so great to see them and have them there for Josh and I. Thanks again to all my friends and family friends that took the time out of their day as well to celebrate Baby Blackmore! My sisters did such a wonderful job and were so creative to keep with my nursery theme of vintage owls. Too cute!

35 1/2 weeks: Slight Scare....

Oh Boy...lots has happened this week.

We finished our Labor and Delivery classes on Monday...yeah! We teased about the fact we graduated from the class and now are "ready" to go. Little did we know that statement could have become reality!

On Thursday after a physical day of work, I came home and went to the bathroom. To my surprise I found that I was bleeding. I had no major contractions that day...just tired and back pain. I called the doctor and was told to take it easy that night. I was to call if I had any more bleeding or contractions. Luckily I had no more bleeding that night, but bad back pain all night long. I already had an appointment scheduled the next day so that eased my mind some.

We took a belly shot just in case this "stinker" decided to come early

We went to our 35 week checkup with a little anxiety. I was found to be measuring close to normal, my blood pressure was fine, and the baby had been moving all night and morning (whew!). The heartbeat had dropped however to 130 bpm. That was the lowest it has ever been. I of course was worried, but the doctor assured me that can be completely normal. However, he did want us to have another ultrasound (oh shucks!) to make sure the baby is growing and the placenta is normal. It was such a cool surprise!!!

35 wk Ultrasound

(top of the head is to the right)

Can you see the chubby cheeks and pointy chin?

Lips and nose

Baby Blackmore looked "perfect" according to the ultrasound tech. She really helped ease our fears..or rather mine. Josh is so cool and calm when it comes to these things...thank GOD! The baby is in the 61st percentile, weighs approximately 5 lb 12 oz, heartbeat ranged 128-140 bpm, and has chubby cheeks/pointy chin/ and hair! It was so special and I felt so much better about things. SO, they never could figure out why I was bleeding. I am now to take it easy and not do too much. Easy to say, but going to be very hard to do considering I am in complete nesting mode!

Bedding has finally arrived

I picked up our bedding today! It turned out great and now we can start decorating the walls. I am now more than ever ready to get the room done so everything is in place in case this "stinker" decides to come early. I have a baby shower tomorrow and will post more then!

34 1/2 weeks: Here we GROWWWWW!!!

This week has definitely been my growing week. My belly is really out there and at times I feel so swollen. I am not used to carrying this much weight and sometimes catch myself saying I feel "fat". Of course Josh reminds me that I am PREGNANT! After 34 weeks you would think it would have sunk in by now. I just feel so blessed and until that baby is in my arms...it won't be real yet.

We had our 3rd labor and delivery class on Monday. We toured the L and D rooms and that made me a little anxious. It was good to see everything before hand and to know what to expect. We learn more about the wonderful epidural next session.

Today we had our 34 week checkup. All was fine for the most part. I am measuring fine and the baby is head down. The HB was 143-147 bpm. My blood pressure was up for me (120/70) and is usually 100/60. I had trace amounts of protein in my urine, swelling still in my legs/hands, and starting to have lower abdominal cramping/back pain. The doc wants to see me back in one week to make sure all is still fine. Those are all still normal pregnancy symptoms...but with my history of kidney problems, they want to monitor me more closely these last 5 weeks. I will now start going weekly.

Happy Birthday Brutus!

Brutus as a 10 week old puppy

Brutus all grown up (3 years old) performing his "get it" trick

Today is Brutus's 3rd Birthday....Happy Birthday! I'll have to get him a bone :)

Today is also the 2nd anniversary of my Uncle Franz's passing. I miss him and think of him often. He lost his battle to lung cancer 2 years ago. He was such an amazing man and I have learned so much from his faith in God and positive outlook on life. He is missed today.

Baby Shower

Thanks Ladies for a wonderful shower!

(Donna, Jane, Me, Leanne, Laurie)

Thanks everyone!

My niece Cassidy is so excited for a cousin!

Donna made these cute desserts...yummy!

Photo collage they made of Josh and me....too cute!

Ready for shower!

Today my work friends through me a very sweet shower. It was so nice to see everyone and I felt so special. Everyone was so generous and thoughtful. I just could not believe that I was the one having the shower this time! We got so many wonderful gifts and I have already started to organize it all. I am so excited to do baby laundry (I know I'll get sick of it eventually)...but now it is so surreal! Thanks so everyone who took time out of their weekend to celebrate with me during this exciting time in my life!!!!!

Years of Dedication

Mom and Dad at IU Reception

Dad giving "thank you" speech

Josh and I at reception

Today my dad was honored down at IU for his 26 years of dedication, commitment, and service as their football (early years) and soccer orthopedic physician. After all these years he felt it was the right time to retire. It was a hard decision, but hopefully he will look back on these years and smile. He has touched so many lives and made so many friends at IU. It was such a special part of his life. I'm so proud of him!!!

33 Weeks: Trick or Treat?

Josh's "Bat Cave"

My Hootie Owl

Happy Halloween! Josh and I had fun this week carving out our pumpkins. Josh loves doing this, but I find it a challenge to my sensory system! He cleaned out my pumpkin this time and I did the rest of it. We are not planning on going to any parties nor dressing up this year...even though I could pass as a pumpkin or marshmallow puff!

We had our second labor and delivery class on Monday. We saw a natural birth and I really think that epidural is sounding pretty good about now. We might all get to enjoy the delivery that way! It does bring some anxiety thinking that I have to labor to get this little stinker out of me. But, it is part of the miracle process and I'm up to the challenge!

Baby Brunch

Super Cute diaper cake with my nursery colors

Brunch Groupies :)

(Emily, Jen, Sarah, my mom, me, Holly, Marilyn)

Thanks guys for a wonderful day!!

My best friends since 4th grade

Today was such a special day for me. My best friends and their moms threw me a baby brunch today to celebrate Baby Blackmore. My mom and I met them at The Loft at Traders Point Creamery. It was SO cute. They had balloons, diaper decoration cake, wonderful brunch, awesome cake for dessert, and gave me a generous gift card to Babies R Us. It was so thoughtful and special. They wanted to help my sisters throw me a baby shower....but this worked out perfectly. My friend Emily (on left) has 2 gorgeous kids, my friend Jen is pregnant and due with her 3rd 3 months after me, and my friend Holly (on right) just had her third kid 3 months ago. I feel so lucky to have them as friends and to share in this journey with me. Holly and Jen's mom's have always been there for me growing up and we are all like family. Thanks guys for a wonderful day!!!!

Checkup Complete...5-6 more to go!

Our Little "Bru Bru"

Sweet Pea relaxing in the "Man Cave"

Brutus's daily sleeping spot

(yes he arranged those pillows!)

This is how I have been feeling these days...tired :)

Ahh...the Life of a Dog

We had our 32 week checkup today and all went well. My BP and protein were fine as well as the tummy size. The baby was actually head down this time! Of course it could change at any minute...but at least today it looks good. The heartbeat was strong but dropped to 140 bpm. We go back in 2 weeks. They did not have the H1N1 vaccine today...so plan to check back next week to get it.

32 Weeks: Getting bigger by the minute!

8 Month Baby BUMP!

(No I'm not trying to stick my belly out...kind of an awkward picture..sorry!)

--8 months....yeah!!! I am nearing the home stretch. Speaking of stretch....it is much harder to do now. Actually, now that I have a big belly, everything is getting a little harder to do. Like tying my shoes, shaving legs, stretching, sitting on floor, getting UP from floor...etc. Josh likes to smile and give a little chuckle as I have to figure out new ways to maneuver my body around obstacles. I love it though! I am starting to get stiff in the joints as they continue to stretch and expand for this "big" stinker. I really think I can almost see the baby grow more and more each day. Is that possible? :) Boy is this one active! I thought they slowed down in the last trimester due to limited room...but not our little one! I am getting poked and kicked in places I did not even know existed. Sometimes it is so wonderful...but other times is hurts!

--Josh and I started our labor and delivery classes. We have 4 classes that are 2 hours long. The first one we learned about breathing and the power of touch. We'll see how far that one goes during the actual delivery!!! I am getting so excited to see our baby. I want to know what he or she will look like. We still have not decided on a girls name...any advice? We have a handful of names, but nothing is popping out for us. That is on the list of things to do as well as finish the room! I feel like I have nothing prepared, but I guess that is a normal feeling. I do have 2 more months to get it all together. My weekends are getting filled by the minute due to the holidays.

--We have our next checkup on Friday so I will post more then. I plan to get the H1N1 shot if available. I have been around SO many people/kids that had the flu or just got it after I saw them last. I am at such a high risk of contracting it due to my job...so I decided to get the shot. I just pray I can make it through the rest of the pregnancy without any complications. I'm crossing my fingers!!

Nursery Filled with Love

Preparation is Key!

Looks harder than it was

Brutus likes to help out

Finished crib...just needs some bedding now!

The funky and comfy orange recliner/rocker
(Even Brutus likes it!)

--We finally got our furniture in this weekend! Josh and I put it together today and it was really quick and easy. It was so exciting knowing that our little one will soon be sleeping in there and I will soon be rocking the baby in that comfy chair! We still have lots to do...like decorate the walls, but the main stuff is done. I plan to do the rest when the bedding arrives in a few more weeks. So fun!!!

--My mom and I went to the Indy Baby Expo on Saturday. It was nice to go and see all the baby stuff, but hard because I could not buy anything. That is the down side of not knowing the sex of the baby. But, we got lots of business cards and can follow up after the baby is here....soon!!!

--On a very sad note....one of Josh's dad's best friends, Jane Fox, passed away on Friday after her battle with cancer. She was a great family friend and I feel so blessed to have known her. She truly was an angel here on earth and no doubt will be looking down on us from Heaven. She was so wonderful to Josh and his dad. She will be missed and forever in our hearts. I pray her husband Jim and young son Johnathan can find peace after her passing.

31 weeks: Marshmallow Puff

Bath Time for Sweet Pea

--9 weeks to go! Not much excitement this week...busy with work. I have been doing well but still experience swelling in the ankles. Sunday after traveling to Cincinnati for wedding dress shopping with my sister (she found a beautiful dress!), my ankles were so swollen that they looked like marshmallows! The nurse said I must be really sensitive to sodium when I am pregnant and need to watch that closely. I never had to watch my diet before...so this is going to be a challenge. But, if it helps keep the swelling down...I'll do it! It was so ugly. At least that is one advantage to having a winter baby...I can wear pants to cover the legs! I was feeling well enough this week to take a few walks. I also think that is helping with the swelling. The baby bump is doing great and I love it! (Just minus all the swelling in the extremities!)

--Our glider should be in next week and hopefully the crib too! I am feeling a little nervous that we have nothing else done with the nursery. Josh was busy this past weekend doing some things around the house and was a huge help! It is getting harder to do some of the housework and bath the dogs...but I am still managing. It is just such a help when he takes charge to help out. I am lucky!

Baby Boy?

--We had our checkup on Friday and all went well. The heartbeat was 146bpm and strong. I measured right on for 30 weeks and of course have been gaining that fluid weight. I knew I would swell...but boy I did not think it would start this soon. My swelling is worst in my ankles by the end of the night. Oh well. I'll take it as long as this little stinker is healthy and thriving. Just don't expect a cute post-delivery picture from me! :)
--The coolest thing happened to me yesterday. I was in Menards looking for a new ceiling fan (one of the MANY things that have broke on us lately) and this nice older man walked past me and said "You're having a boy". I just chuckled and said most think I am having a girl...but I'll take either :) The cool thing was that a complete stranger noticed I was pregnant and just not fat!!! It was a defining moment in my pregnancy.
--Going tomorrow to Cincinnati to Bridal and Formal to watch my sister Tammy try on wedding dresses. It will be fun and I am so excited for her. It is also her fiance (Brian's) birthday...Happy Birthday Brian!!

30 Weeks...Bulldog Weekend

Sweet Pea, Kap'em, Brutus
Sweet Pea...enough said

Josh and Sweet Pea at Contest


Bulldog group hug
(is Kap'em chewing on Brutus's ear?)

Me, Josh and his dad with bullies


Josh and me at Bulldog Contest

Me, my mom and Josh's dad
(Sweet Pea, Brutus, Bailey, and Kap'em)

Josh and my swollen body at Spencer Farm hayride

--This past week was filled with fun! To start off, I had my first cavity filled on Friday. Again....I am blaming that one on pregnancy. No problem getting it filled and I did not use any anesthesia to make it as safe for the baby as possible. I got my flu shot on Monday (reluctantly) and all seems fine so far.

--Later on Friday Josh's dad (Lee) and his bulldog (Kap'em), came in town from St. Louis. They were in town for Saturday's Butler Bulldog Beauty Contest that occurs every year during Butler's homecoming. This year there were 93 registered dogs at the contest. We go to enjoy all the bulldogs and bulldog wanna-be's. My mom joined us with her dog and got second place in the trick category. All the dogs were so well behaved and got along so great! It is so much fun to see all the bullies together. Brutus and Kap'em are buddies now that Kap'em is big enough for him to play tug-o-war. Sweet Pea just sits by G-Pa soaking up all the attention!

--We then went to pick out some pumpkins and mums at Spencer Farms on the free hayride. I think I was having an allergic reaction to the hay as I was so swollen that day! Oh well....I guess I am pregnant, maybe that is the reason :) Feeling pretty good overall except for the morning and evening swelling and the numbness in my right hand. I love my baby belly because our little miracle is in there. I feel more and more connected to this little one everyday. I can't wait to meet him or her!

--Josh is excited October baseball is here again as he was up late watching the games. Go Cardinals!! We are also enjoying relaxing on Sundays watching the Colts play. I am going to enjoy this football season as I will be home for the playoffs with our little one. Having the baby in the winter time gives me a good excuse to stay inside and cuddle! We have another checkup on Friday and I'll post more later.

29 Weeks...Sleeping Beauty

Ok...so not much excitement this past week to post. Some of you might enjoy the fact that I am keeping Josh up at night with my snoring. Yep....I have developed a habit of snoring. I never used to before, but of course I am now. I guess it has to do with congestion, extra weight, sleeping only on my sides, mouth guard at night for TMJ, and arm splints at night for carpal tunnel syndrome. Sounds sexy...huh? Poor Josh. He is up as much as I am at night with my snoring. It is so bad that it wakes myself up!!! Even after all of that...he still thinks I look great and am attractive as ever. (He sure does know what to tell his pregnant wife to make her happy:) ) I'm a lucky woman!

28 Weeks: Last Trimester!!

7 mo baby bump :)

I can hardly believe that I am now in my last trimester! Boy does time fly. However, I still have 3 months left...yikes!!! We had our 28 week checkup today and all went great. I had my blood count and glucose screen. My BP was normal (again worried about my history of kidney problems) and my tummy measured normal. Of course there is the wonderful weight gain and I would rather not share those numbers :) The baby was moving all around when the doc was trying to find the heartbeat...little stinker! But, the heartbeat was 148 bpm. The baby was in the breech position. The doc says that over 90% flip by the last month...so lets pray we are in the majority percentage this time! I have been strongly advised to get both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 flu shot as well. I just don' t want to...but I know I am at high risk because I am pregnant, work with kids, and go in/out of homes. I just am so nervous about it. The decisions and worries of motherhood do start when the baby is in the womb!!! We go back in 2 weeks for another routine checkup.

27 Weeks....only 13 to go!

Getting ready to go for a walk with "baby on board"

The baby is 27 weeks gestation now and I only have 13 more weeks! It still seems like forever that Josh and I will be holding that baby. I want to know if we are having a little daughter or son so bad! Most people think we are having a little girl. I'll be happy with either.

We cleared out the baby's room last weekend and the nursery is ready for furniture and decorations. We have most of the housework and nursery work out of the way until the furniture comes. We have pretty much picked a pediatrician and only have one more prenatal class to take. So, things are coming together and my list is getting shorter. I still feel good...but I am definitely going to be a marshmallow puff by the end of the pregnancy. The swelling is bad at night and I wake up all puffy. The carpal tunnel syndrome is still present along with the TMJ symptoms. I did get night splints for the wrists and plan to meet with the dentist next week about my jaw. Ugh.....the joys of pregnancy continue!

Another checkup down...

Josh and I had our 26 week checkup today. All went great! I was a little nervous my stomach might be measuring a little small...but it was just fine! My blood pressure and urine protein count were fine as well. It was so wonderful to hear the "little stinker's" heart beat again. It was 146 bpm today. Will the baby ever make up its mind? Sometimes it is in the 150's, but lately it has been in the 140's. Still a 50/50 chance to guess right :) It is fun trying to figure out what we will be having. I just don't have a strong feeling...but if I had to guess I would guess girl. Only 13.5 weeks and we'll know for sure. Anyone taking bets????

26 weeks

Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can....

I am 26 weeks along today and only 14 more weeks to go! I can hardly believe it! It is still a long way, but at least I am closer to the end than to the beginning of my pregnancy now. I am starting to get that nesting feeling and just want to have everything done before the baby comes. We have knocked off a lot from the long list and we are in good shape at this point. Only a few more registry items, few more "fix-ups" around the home, and then to re-train our dogs. Yep, I am excited to see our dogs with the baby...but a little worried about how well they will behave. I am not concerned that they would harm the baby, just that they might feel so left out. They might never leave my side and be right up in the baby's business. We need to start establishing boundaries and will prepare them as much as we can before the baby arrives.

Boundaries.... what boundaries?

"You mean I have to share my

sun with a baby?!"

We finally ordered our crib, rocker and bedding for the baby this past weekend! I am so excited about the end result. The furniture will arrive in 4-6 weeks, but the bedding will take about 8 weeks. It is being made since it is SO hard to find cute neutral bedding. We ended up doing a mix and match pattern. I posted the fabric swatches. The main colors are green and white. The bumper will have orange piping and ties. So I decided to go crazy and have an orange chair with white piping. I know it sounds a little crazy...but I think it will be a good complement to the white furniture and brown walls. Some family and friends asked for pix of the samples...so here is one despite the coloring not being great.

25 weeks : No use crying over a little spilled....paint!

Josh enjoying painting the Nursery :)

Well, I'm 25 weeks today and doing well overall. I did start the wonderful joys of swelling. I am starting to swell on and off in my ankles, calves, hands and face. It comes and goes...but is definitely worse in morning. I have also had the pleasure of developing some numbness in my forearms and hands during the night. Like I did not have enough trouble sleeping! I am assuming it is a little bit of carpal tunnel syndrome and need to purchase some wrist splints. Then, to top it off...I am starting to have some TMJ discomfort. I again assume from the swelling and joint laxity. I do have a history of a kidney dysfunction so I am monitoring this swelling and my BP closely. Oh well....like I've said before, I'd do it all over again for this little one.

As you can see from the above picture, that Josh is hard at work trying to complete his "honey-do" list before the baby comes. This time I have him hard at work painting the nursery a chocolate brown color. We plan to do white furniture. He was doing great painting the nursery until the handle broke loose on the paint can as Josh was moving it to another location. Yep, you guessed it....the brown paint spilled on the beige carpet! We tried everything to get it out and now have a bluish colored stain right in front of where the changing table will go. Guess we will need to invest in a cute rug to cover it up :) Nothing we can do now. The end product looks great and Thanks Josh for your hard work.

R.I.P

Grandpa Weishaar

Today was a sad day. Josh's Grandpa Weishaar passed away. He was Josh's mom's dad that lived in Daytona on the beach. We were able to visit with him and Grandma a month ago for a family reunion. It was such a special time and we feel so lucky to have spent that time with him. Little did we know it would be the last time we saw him. I know Josh has many wonderful memories of his Grandpa when they used to live in St. Louis. Josh did not get to see him as often when they decided to retire in Florida...but he has always had a special place in Josh's heart. I know he will be missed.