A Baby Story...

I absolutely cannot believe that a week has gone by since Gabe entered our lives. It has definitely been the most exciting/terrifying/happiest week of my life! We are learning as we go, but have settled somewhat into our new lives.

Now to look back at that day a week ago...

Last Thursday (the 27th) I woke up having fairly regular contractions. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for about the last month, so it was a little difficult for me to decide if this was the real thing or not. I continued to get ready for school, but the contractions were consistant at 8 minutes apart, so I decided I should probably stay home just in case.

Well, that was a good decision :) The contractions started to pick up a little and were getting stronger. Noah stayed home and we headed to the hospital at about 11:00 in the morning.

We actually didn't get to meet with the Dr. until about 2:30 in the afternoon. By then we had made dozens of laps around the delivery floor, and the contractions had picked up...now they were about 2-3 minutes apart. When the Dr. was able to check, I was dilated far enough to have my water broke. It was quite the whirlwind when this all took place. We can laugh now, but this all happened in about a 2 minute period of time. There was no turning back!!

We continued in labor for a while, and at 7:39 that night, Gabe entered the world. Everything went smoothly. The cord did get wrapped around his neck in delivery, but didn't cause him much stress. He also had had a bowel movement before birth...and on the table while the nurses were cleaning him, but that also turned out to be fine. He was a healthy baby boy - 7 lbs 11 ounces, 20 inches long!

1 week!

Hello World!

Our 'lil man is here!

Gabe Donald Schmelzer joined us on Thursday, September 27 at 7:39 in the evening. He was 7 lbs. 11 oz, 20 inches long, and is perfect. We think he is definitely a keeper!

He did give us quite the scare on the day we brought him home, which this mama doesn't think her hormones will allow her to blog about quite yet (without short circuiting the computer with tears).  But God is good, and everything is ok. It has helped us appreciate this amazing gift just that much more.

Eviction Notice...

Dear Baby Boy,

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 40 weeks that you have stayed with me and occupied my belly, it is becoming apparent that you are outgrowing your current space. I cannot cram anything else into the corners of my abdomen to make you more room...for this I am sincerely sorry. I believe it is time for you to explore the outside world! I promise that once you stretch those arms and legs you will find you love the freedom! I also promise to smother you with hugs and kisses, which is an added amenity of a new space. So consider this your eviction notice. Anytime soon works for me!

Love,
Mama

Coming Soon!

Well...

Here we are: Week 38.

Our lil' man will be here soon.

Our lives will never be the same.

And we can't be more excited!

I thought I would take some time and really reflect back on the last nine months. There were moments when time seemed to fly... yet other moments that. seemed. to. take. forever.

Yet overall, I have been blessed with a wonderful pregnancy :)

The first few months were a little tough. I had never experienced exhaustion quite that intense. It was different than being tired... It was a full body "want to lie face down on the floor" feeling. That, along with the nausea, made for some long days in February. But, luckily those feelings did pass, and I was able to enjoy the majority of the Spring and Summer!

As far as a the belly bump goes, I have loved it. I really didn't show much until I approached May, making it quite easy to keep from my students at school. But, as soon as Baby wanted to be known, he bumped himself way out there!

We were able to get a peek at our little man in early May. Noah and I both wanted to know the sex, so there really was no discussion as far as that decision. Maybe there will be more of a discussion if we were to have more children, but I doubt it. We loved having that moment together. It didn't matter to us either way, but made us feel a little closer to our child knowing who HE was.

Ok, now to some of the nitty gritty:

Cravings... To be honest, I haven't had anything that has been overly intense, unless ice counts. I do love ice. I have enjoyed some Arby's curly fries and cheddar sauce on occasion, and my fair share of frozen fudge bars, but pregnancy is really just a good excuse ;)

Which leads me to weight... Hmmm, there probably is a little extra there. But I'm ok with that :) Overall, I feel pretty good and have felt very healthy! My gain has been very consistant over the weeks and has kept baby right on track for his growth as well. I have been very lucky not to experience much swelling (fingers crossed) and am still wearing my wedding ring!

Sleep has not been fun. I'm not a good sleeper normally, so pregnancy has just intensified the problem. Luckily, Noah is a fairly deep sleeper so my 5, 6, or 9 trips to the bathroom/downstairs/other bed/couch during the night doesn't usually disturb him. However, it does sometimes get the kitties all excited, which may result in cuddle attacks in the middle of the night in which I take no responsibility.

Heat... We did pick one of the hottest summers on record to be pregnant!! I spent many of the days either a) in the air conditioning, or b) at the pool, which made the days tolerable. However, going in and out of the heat did take its toll on me and I would find myself quickly exhausted. Going back to school and my non air-conditioned room has been tough, but we have had quite a few early outs allowing me to escape the heat. I've tried to take it easy and drink lots and lots and lots of water!

We are ready for baby. His room is complete. We have his bassinet set up in our room. His stroller and carseat are ready to go. His baby bag is packed.

I am ready for baby.  I have felt him grow. I have felt him kick and flip and somersault and hiccup almost constantly for the last few months. I have imagined his little fingers and toes, and who he might look like. I'm ready to hold him and tell him how excited we have been for him!

We are ready for baby. But, we can wait until he's ready!

Have you enjoyed the photos? A few weeks ago Erin and Tyler (Noah's cousin) made the trip to Ankeny to snap a few maternity pictures for us. They did an AMAZING job! I couldn't be more happy with how they captured my pregnancy. We are truly blessed with wonderful and talented family!!

Made With Love

We are entering week 37! I can't believe that in a few short weeks we will meet our little man! I am so excited, and so ready to see his little fingers and toes and kiss his cheeks! There have been a few mild "What are we going to do with a BABY?!?" moments, but for the most part, the last few weeks have been full of excitement! We have finished the nursery, which makes me even more excited every time I walk by his room upstairs :) I know he won't appreciate it for a LONG time (if ever) but I have loved decorating and making the space perfect for his arrival. Most of the items were handmade or repurposed for the space, which makes it's even more special! And now its time for your sneak peek! Enjoy!

I never intended to have a theme for the room, but it ended up being the perfect "adventure-seeking, bicycle-riding, dinosaur loving" space for our baby boy! 

Most of the stuff you see was bought at a) garage sales b) flea markets, or c) given to us by family members. It's amazing what you can do with deals and a little tlc. 

Let's just say that our son better love these pipe shelves because they are never coming down! That was a bit of a project...Thanks Noah :) 

I printed these maps off at Staples and attached them to clearance bin canvases from Michaels. I absolutely love how they turned out! 

I know, I know, there shouldn't be any pillows in his crib. I will take them out when he sleeps there :) I used my Cameo to cut out the letters for DISCOVER and EXPLORE and sewed them onto flannel to make some fun pillowcases. 

These two lil guys were one of the first things I bought for baby.  I saw them at  PB Kids and loved them, but they were way too expensive. Then one day when I was in Des Moines bugging Noah, I stopped in and found they were on sale. Plus I got an extra deal because I was willing to take the floor models. So they ended up being about 75% off :) 

A little Cardinal and Gold for the room.

This one's for Molly:  Fun Bunting :)

Eventually we will fill the picture frames, but they will have his name and some pictures that have yet to be taken :) 

And one of my favorite additions to the space...his quilt. For a while after starting this project, I thought I was insane, but it ended up going together quite well. Just don't look too close - I am definitely not a master quilter! 

We hope you enjoyed the tour of our lil man's space. Now we just wait patiently...