34 Weeks...Only 6 more weeks!

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

*I went to the doctor on Monday and everything looked great. I am doing great and Peyton is doing wonderful. It was nice because I was only in there for a total of 8 minutes. That will be my last short visit because starting March 10th I start going in every week for weekly checks and start planning everything out with the doctor.

*I am not trying to read into this, but while I was getting checked out by the nurse we were talking about how I was feeling. I told her that I am just really starting to get big, so I am not very comfortable anymore. While we were talking I mentioned that everything is okay because I only have a little over a month left and then she said "Yeah, we'll be lucky if you make it." I guess she thinks that I am going to have this baby early. All that I hope for is that this little girl does not decide to show up in March. Please just let us make it to April!

Here are some new updated belly pictures. I took them this morning and you can tell in the first one that I am still waking up for the day. Oh, the day that I can drink coffee again will be a great day.



Look out for the big belly! Brandon is so funny because he just can not get over how big me belly is getting. I think that we have to go through the same reaction everyday of total shock.

Peyton has great Grandparents that love her...

Brandon and I feel very lucky that we have great parents that would do anything for us and that are so nice to get Peyton lots of gifts that she will need. We got our travel system in the mail on Friday, so when Brandon got back in town on Monday we had to put it together. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Reiff! I took some pictures so you could see what it looks like. Also thank you again for the swing. I love looking at it everyday and it gets me so excited that soon she will be in it! Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Yoder for Peyton's crib. I can't wait to get the painting done in the nursery so we can put it together. Peyton is already so spoiled with all these wonderful gifts.

Thank you so much and we love you both!

We've got blue on the walls!

Brandon worked hard last night to get the blue up on the walls and I was very happy to see it. When he gets back from Texas next Wednesday with the baseball team he will be able to get everything touched up and we will be done with the painting. Here are updated pictures of the nursery so you can see what it is starting to look like.

Weekend in Mount Ayr, IA

Brandon was out of town this weekend in California with the Baseball team, so I decided to tag along with Drew and Kate and go up to Mount Ayr. It was great to get out of Manhattan for a little while, since that will be the longest trip that I am allowed to take in the next month. I called my doctor before I left and they didn't think that it would be a problem for me to go out of town, but they did print out my records just in case something happened. Everything was great and the 3 1/2 hour car ride was not that bad. It was a very relaxing weekend filled with playing the Wii and waiting around to see if there was going to be any baby calves born. No baby claves! We were very shocked that we were there for 2 nights and nothing happened. I have already seen one before, but Kate has not and was hoping to while we were up there. I love that Kate is a city girl just like me and it is fun to watch her go through learning about the farm.
The weekend always goes by way to fast and we never seem to be up there long enough. It was nice to see Brett since he is really busy this time of the year and is not able to get away from the farm. I was very excited to hear that he sold some of his cows, so he will not have anything going on in April and will be able to be there when Peyton is born. Peyton will be very happy to know that her Grandpa Yoder made this happen so he could be there with her.


Wrigley hanging out with Brett. Wrigley loves to sit with Brett in this chair and she really loves how he smells after he has been out working on the farm. She would like his jeans clean if she could.


Drew, Wrigley and Brett just hanging out.


Drew playing the Wii, while Kate and Wrigley try to get an afternoon nap in.


Drew and Debbie playing the Wii. They are playing baseball with Drew pitching and Debbie batting.


Wrigley and Jake having a great time playing together this weekend. They would play so hard for 15 minutes and then they both would be so tired that they would lay down until the other would get up and start running again.


After I would let Wrigley play outside with Jake this is what she did the rest of the time...SLEEP! She was so tired that all she would do was cuddle up with someone on the couch and fall asleep.



It was a great weekend! Thanks for everything Brett and Debbie and for letting me bring Wrigley along.

Preview of the Nursery!

Brandon and I have been working hard on the nursery the last couple of nights. We have almost all of the purple done. I think that Brandon was trying to be funny last night and said while he is gone this weekend that I could work and get almost all of the blue done. I laughed at him! I have been telling Brandon for awhile now that time is not on our side anymore and that this nursery needs to get done. To get him moving faster I have started to help out even though this is his project and he was going to do it. Really I just can't wait to see how it is all going to come together and I want to put the crib up!

Here are a few shots of how things are coming along. Looking at the walls last night Brandon asked if we can just leave the rest of it white...too bad we have already purchased the other paint!

33 Weeks...7 More weeks to go!

How Peyton's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

*I am feeling well, but things are starting to become very uncomfortable. By the end of the day I am worn out and most of the time I feel like all I want to do is lay on the couch with my feet up. Do I get to do that...NO! There is always something going on and things to do, so when it is time for bed I am ready. Something that has been really nice is that Brandon and I are giving each other foot messages at the end of the day. Brandon has been working long hours and is very tired when he gets home so it is my treat, and I am just getting really big so it feels nice on my tired feet.

*Peyton is kicking me a lot in the evenings just as I am starting to settle down for the night. The other night in bed I was laying up against Brandon's back in bed and Peyton was kicking and then ended up getting the hiccups. It didn't take long before Brandon noticed and he was getting a kick out of it. Brandon loves to feel her movements at night right before we go to bed, so this was great even though they weren't kicks.

Aunt Kelly and Uncle Tom in Town & First Visit with Miss Addison Kay

My Aunt Kelly and Uncle Tom came into town this weekend for the Kansas State vs. Missouri basketball game. Either one of them had been to Manhattan before and it was so nice of them to make the trip out to see where Brandon and I live. Since Brandon is in season they had baseball practice Saturday all the way up til game time. Brandon was sorry that he was unable to spend more time with them, and was very sorry to hear that we ended up eating at Willie's before the game. We love to go eat at Willie's when ever we can because it is a great Sports Bar here in Manhattan. Normally it is very hard to get in to eat during a game weekend and we were very lucky that a table opened up right as we were walking in.
Thanks Uncle Tom and Aunt Kelly for making the trip out to Manhattan to visit us and I am glad that I was able to get you tickets to the game even though you are both MU fans! Also Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for watching Sydney so they were able to come out for the game.

Here I am with my Aunt Kelly and Uncle Tom during the KSU vs. MU game. K-State put it on MU 100-63.


Our friends Lock and Gina, Welcomed their little girl Addison Kay, Friday February 15th around 9:20pm. We had been waiting for the good news all day Friday because they went into the hospital at 7am. After the basketball game on Saturday we made the short walk across the parking lot to go have our first visit with Addison and to see how Lock and Gina were doing. Everyone is doing great and Addison could not have been more perfect during our short visit. She opened her eyes for a little bit, but mostly was asleep the whole time while we held her.
Gina and I have the same doctor so it has been really nice to talk to her about some of the same things that we are going through and what to expect.

Brandon getting to hold Addison for the first time. I loved the little hat that she was wearing and I found out the women at the hospital make those for all the newborns.


Brandon and I with Addison. She was born with a head full of hair. I loved it! While I was holding her I was getting lots of kicks from Peyton. I am sure that she was letting me know that it will only be a short while before she is here. I had to tell Addison sorry one time because Peyton kicked so hard that I know that Addison had to have felt it, but it didn't seem to bother her.


It was a great weekend and last night Brandon and I were working hard on Peyton's Nursery, so I will have to give updated pictures of how it is coming along. Brandon leaves for California on Thursday, so baseball has officially started!

32 Weeks...

How Peyton's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

*At my doctor's visit on Monday everything looked great. Peyton's heartbeat is strong and she is growing right on track. I have now officially hit the 20 pound weight gain. Yikes! I will now be going to the doctor every two weeks and then in March I will be going every Monday. I am excited to get to hear her heartbeat every week and seeing how close we are getting, but the one thing that will not be fun is having to step on the scale to see if I am gaining about a pound a week.

*My doctor and I did talk about my gall bladder pain again and there is nothing that they can do to help me out. They have tested everything that they can and there is nothing that is coming back to offer any answers to the pain. My doctor said that what might be happening is that the gall bladder is working slow and that is what is causing the pain. She also said that we might look at inducing me early if the pain gets to be too much and I if am just very uncomfortable. Also once Peyton is born we will have to look at the gall bladder and have it removed. Sounds like a lot of fun, right!

*Brandon and I had our second child birthing class on Monday. We learned about epidurals and other ways to cope with the pain of labor. The last 10 minutes of class were great because we got to practice some techniques on the birthing ball and I got a nice back massage out of it.

The count down has begun...8 weeks!

Manhattan Baby Shower

This past weekend was my first baby shower here in Manhattan. It was great to get everyone together and I tell you what...Peyton is already a lucky girl. Thank you to everyone for coming and we got lots of great things that Peyton needed. I was very excited because my good friend Shana was able to come in from Phoenix to host the shower for me. Everything looked wonderful and the food was great. Thank you to Shana, Shawna, Paula and Megan for having this baby shower for me. I had a lot of fun and seeing all the gifts really starts making it real that Peyton is going to be here soon.

Here is Shana and I. Thank you so much for everything that you did. You are such a great friend and it meant a lot to me that you came into town and did this for me and Peyton.


Here are all the gifts! I have to laugh at this picture because it looks like Stacy is protecting the gifts and no one can get close to them.


Shana made a diaper cake. It is the best diaper cake that I have ever seen. She did a great job...but it doesn't surprise me at all.


The yummy food.


Here I am with Liz. We spend a lot of time together in the spring since both of our guys work for the baseball team.


Opening up gifts!


Debbie, Paula, Shana and Kate all watching me open the gifts.


Opening up some more!


Opening up the gift from my parents. It was the baby swing that I really wanted and I didn't think that I was going to get. I was so excited! Thank you both so much and Peyton thanks you too.


After the shower we had some family time at our house before we had to go to the basketball game. Debbie just got the Wii so we broke it out and started playing. We had a great time and I think that my parents are thinking that they need to get one now.

Here is Dad bowling.


Brandon showing off his bowling skills.


Here I am with Lily and Wrigley. Lily was so cute and found Uncle Brandon's baseball cap and didn't even think twice about putting it on her head. It was too cute, so we had to take a picture and Wrigley had to jump in at the last minute.

KSU Basketball game with the whole family

While everyone was out to Manhattan for the weekend I was able to get tickets for everyone to go watch the Men's Basketball game Saturday night. It was a great time and everyone had fun. The kids had never been to a game like this in such a large setting and they did a great job. I was happy to be able to do this for my family and I think that everyone really enjoyed themselves.

Michael and Elsa picked up Powercat tatoos for the kids to wear and Jon was very excited to get his on his face. Once we were done counting to 30, all he was asking for was a mirror so he could see is face.


I love this picture of Brandon and Jon. Jon was showing off his powercat to Uncle Brandon, so they had to get a picture together.


Here are the kids playing the Wii, while the rest of us are getting ready for the game.


Jon was playing Tennis and Lily is acting like she is playing. (This picture was a nice surprise to find in my camera!)


Jeremy, Stacy, Audrey, Lily and Mom at the basketball game.


Dad, Jon, Elsa and Michael at the game.


The Bullcoming Family. Audrey is taking after her Aunt Kelly and can't take her eyes off the basketball court even once to let me take a picture. It didn't last long because soon after the game started she fell asleep.


Lily loving the game. She loved to dance to the music and when everyone started clapping she would join in for the cheers. Lily lasted for the first half, half time and 3 mintues of the second half and then she was over it. For her first time I would say that was pretty good.


Jon getting some time with Grandma at the game. Jon was wonderful during the whole game and had a great time.


We all had a great time and I am glad that you all decided to go to the game. Brandon and I are doing our best to change everyone in our family into K-State fans. I think the we have won over many of them!

Belly pics at 31 Weeks & Wrigley Time

Things were a little crazy last night working hard to get our house ready for all our vistors coming into town this weekend, but we made sure to remember to take belly pictures so you all could see just how big I really have started to get. We also had to give some love to Wrigley. She has been a little stressed out with the move to a new house. We don't have a yard yet and with the cold weather it is tough to get outside a lot, so we give her lots of attention when we get home from work.


Here is a side view of how big Peyton is getting.


You can really tell in the front views that I am carrying around a lot more of baby these days.


Close up...This is so you can all see that my belly button is still hanging on and has not popped out yet. I have started to get the dark line that you might be able to see in the picture.


Another close up from the side.


Wrigley and I hanging out after dinner. I have decided that gray is not a good color and makes me look huge, but I thought that it was a cute picture of Wrigley and me.


Brandon and Wrigley messing around. Wrigley likes to lay on top of you if she can. We have been working with her to not do this with me, but it is always a fight at first to have to lay by my side. She really likes it when she can have her whole body touching you at once with her head by our heads.

31 Weeks...

How Peyton's growing:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

*Where as the time gone? Brandon and I went last night and picked out the paint for the nursery, so I am hoping that he will get started on that soon and I can post pictures.

*I am feeling great besides the gall bladder pain that I have dealt with for the last 3 months and can't do anything about it. Peyton is very active in the mornings and at night giving me lots of big kicks and moving around. Brandon and I read that if you put a flash light on my belly that she would flow it and it works because she became very active. Brandon had the light on my right side and she gave a nice big kick right where the light was. Brandon loved it!

*Check back because I will have updated belly pictures!

Child Birth Class...

Yesterday was the first day of our Child Birthing Classes. We go every Monday in the month of February, so we have one class down and 3 to go. The first class was great filled with lots of good information. I have not started to get too nervous yet for labor, but I feel better to take these classes and learn more about what I will be expecting. The first class was already helpful, so I am sure that the rest will have more information that I have not even thought about yet.
At the end of the class the instuctor took us all on a tour of the hospital. I have never been in Mercy Regional Hopsital before and I was very pleased with what I saw. It has recently been updated and looks very nice. The maternity wing is locked down, so all of the guest have to call in before they are allowed in to see us. Seeing all the different options for delivery as made me start to think about what we will want to do for our birth plan.