38 Weeks (tomorrow) Update!!!

Howdy Folks,

Well, after a week of being totally knocked out by a TERRIBLE head cold, I am finally starting to feel well again and I am ready to give all of you an update. I missed three days of work last week and barely moved off of the couch for that entire time. My ears were clogged, I was totally congested and coughing and lost all sense of taste and smell for 5 days. After taking it super easy (JM made me stay home and rest!), I am hoping to start the week on the mend.

Yesterday my godmother and my mom's best friend, Vickie, threw us a lovely baby shower in Louisville, Kentucky at her gorgeous condo. It was 75 degrees and sunny and we had about 15 people show up to celebrate the soon to arrive little tillema. Vickie was also under the weather, but still managed to pull off a great party with great food and great drink and great dessert for a wonderful time. She made some of my favorite things to eat and even had lemon angel food cake decorated with lemon slices and yellow butterflies (this may have been Mom's handy work since she knows how much I love butterflies.)

It was a great day and we were given such wonderful gifts for the baby. We are so lucky to have so many people around us to help us get set up to welcome our little guy. Thanks Aunt Vickie and Mom for all the hard work! We love you and are so happy to have you in our lives and the life of little t!

Below are a few photos of some of our new baby gear. The stroller/car seat combo given to us by Jen & Erin, the baby swing from Aunt Patti, and the ever so necessary pack n' play from Ann, Deanette, Susan, Jeanette, & Nancy.

We also received tons of adorable clothes, books, lullaby cds, a bottle warmer, and so much more. Our entire car was loaded down with things for lt.

I did have a check up with my ob the Thursday before last and everything is still going great. Blood pressure is totally normal, weight gain under control, my group b strep test came back negative and the baby is still head down and seems to be in a good position for the birth which at this point can happen at any moment. JM and I are so excited and can barely wait to see little t. I am so curious to see who he will take after most. I hope he gets his papa's cute dimples!!!

I have another appointment tomorrow at 1 pm. I will go every week from now until the birth. Nothing out of the ordinary, just the routine check in. I will be happy to update here again after my appointment.

On a side note, about two weeks ago Phoebe came over to give me an osteopathic treatment and to do my belly cast so that I can always remember just how big my belly got during this pregnancy. Here is how it turned out!

I have trimmed it since this photo was taken and now I will start to decorate it. I am going to paint it and then store it in a nice box. I just really wanted more than a photo to remember how much my body has changed and this was the perfect way to capture the fullness of being about 36 weeks pregnant!

Last but not least, here is a photo of me this afternoon - growing belly and all! We hope everyone out there is doing great and we will do our best to keep you updated with all the happenings in family Tillema.

Dikke tut,

JMT, CBT & LT

36+ Week Update

Hello Everyone,

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I had the time to update the blog. As my due date approaches, I realize that I have more projects to finish than possible. I still have a pretty great energy level though, which should help me get through the next 3-4 weeks.

I taught my last class at the community college until after the baby arrives this Monday. I am so relieved! I really need a break from the insanity of running up and down multiple flights of stairs every week with a heavy backpack and purse in tow. Oh yeah, and my "snack pack" of healthy things to eat and drink while teaching so that I can avoid hitting up the vending machines. I have to get my final grades submitted by midnight tonight, but then I am free of students and papers to grade for a while!

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and then I will have one every week from now until the baby is born. Tomorrow I am getting a Group B Strep Test that everyone gets at this point in pregnancy. If I test positive, I will be given IV anitbiotics during labor. Hopefully it will be negative and I can cross it off the list of things to worry about. At my last appointment the baby was head down and seemed to be a good position. I can feel that he is still head down, but maybe tomorrow I will get some more info on positioning, size, etc. I will definitely keep everyone updated.

Spring has sprung in Cincinnati and our yard is blooming wild! We have gorgeous daffodils and tulips coming up, our Bradford Pear Tree is blooming, as is our lilac bush. The sun was out this morning, it was about 45 degrees and everything just looked great! Cider is loving the spring weather and the cats are spending more time outside rolling around in the sun.

Here are some photos of some flowers from our garden and of course a few shots of my baby bump!

I am feeling pretty good considering how big my belly has gotten! Yesterday I got in two walks with Cider and a 1 hour prenatal yoga session. It was great! Yoga instantly eases the swelling in my ankles. Loves it! I thought I would post three shots from this morning because you get a better idea of just how much little tillema has taken over from different angles. The first shot I look super huge! JM took it - obviously the other two I did on my own! Sorry about the funny face on the first photo of me. I look super tired and puffy! Not the best photo - but you get the point!

In other news, our dear friend Phoebe's mother made us the cutest quilt for the baby! She is a professional quilter and does fabulous work. The quilt is amazing and adorable! What a sweet gesture! Here are some photos of the whole thing, as well as a few up close detail shots! The animals are all embroidered on the quilt and the quilting stitching itself is the alphabet! Super adorable!

Last, but not least, here is a photo of the lamp we recently added to lt's room. It matches the rest of the colors perfectly and was super cheap. Thanks IKEA!

I hope everyone is doing well and I will post again sooner rather than later! I promise!

Love,

CBT, JMT, & LT