No, I'm not practicing for Valentine's day. Karson and I have officially reached Viability day. That means that Karson now has a decent chance at survival should he decide to pull a fast one and arrive early. (Don't get any ideas, Karson...) Obviously we want him to continue to develop and grow as he should, but it's nice to know the organs, processes and "stuff" that make him a functioning little bitty body are in place, and sort of ready for the world!
I am starting the 25th week. I would post the quiz and an updated belly shot, but I've decided to wait until our Doctor's appointment on Friday in case I get any fun new info. So look for more details and a belly photo coming your way soon!
In other news, I started a small group with church last night. It's for Max Lucado's book "Outlive Your Life". I think it's going to be interesting, and will be a good way to meet some more people from the church whose paths we don't normally cross. Justin couldn't attend last night as he is currently in Colorado, but when his work allows, this is something we're looking forward to doing together.
I'm also looking forward to an upcoming baby shower in OH. Brittney is hosting a combined shower for Crystal and I with some mutual friends, and each of us invited a couple of coworkers as well. (Former coworkers in my case). I'm taking my "blanket" to show Laurie so she can confirm if I should keep going or start over...or wave the white flag. Currently I only have about 6 rows to show her...and it's looking like I'm not going to make much progress on that this week. I still have to finish favor bags, get groceries, and make a few snacks.
Karson may be five before this thing is finished. I wonder how many failed attempts it will take before I remember I'm not crafty?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
We're from Kentucky, and we like it that way...
If you've ever been to a UK football game, then hopefully you read that title with the appropriate oomph.
Justin and I had the opportunity to enjoy a weekend back on UK's campus with some old teammates at the 2nd annual UK rifle alumni reunion. I should point out that these aren't just teammates. I married one of them. Three of those in attendance were in our wedding. And I'm related to two others. So this is more of a family, (literally in my case). We had FANTASTIC weather. During the weekend we visited some old spots, realized we're not young anymore, tailgated, watched the rifle team rack up TWO victories, and watched the football team suffer an ugly loss.
I was blown away by some of the changes since I graduated. Downtown is gorgeous, campus had tons of new buildings, (my old dorm looks like a dump compared to these!), the Rifle team has an awesome new setup with electronic scoring and online posting. But of course some things remained unchanged. I love how beautiful the campus is in the fall. Some crazy girls still wear short dresses and high heels to football games. One handed pushups still wear out the mascot. And hearing thousands of people spell CATS makes me smile.
Justin surprised me on Friday with a couple of new shirts. They made my weekend and were the subject of lots of compliments. :-) Here are a few photos from our weekend...
Justin and I had the opportunity to enjoy a weekend back on UK's campus with some old teammates at the 2nd annual UK rifle alumni reunion. I should point out that these aren't just teammates. I married one of them. Three of those in attendance were in our wedding. And I'm related to two others. So this is more of a family, (literally in my case). We had FANTASTIC weather. During the weekend we visited some old spots, realized we're not young anymore, tailgated, watched the rifle team rack up TWO victories, and watched the football team suffer an ugly loss.
I was blown away by some of the changes since I graduated. Downtown is gorgeous, campus had tons of new buildings, (my old dorm looks like a dump compared to these!), the Rifle team has an awesome new setup with electronic scoring and online posting. But of course some things remained unchanged. I love how beautiful the campus is in the fall. Some crazy girls still wear short dresses and high heels to football games. One handed pushups still wear out the mascot. And hearing thousands of people spell CATS makes me smile.
Justin surprised me on Friday with a couple of new shirts. They made my weekend and were the subject of lots of compliments. :-) Here are a few photos from our weekend...
Game time!
My senior class...
Chillin with the hubs!
One of my favorite gals!
A good looking crew!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Great things come in...somewhat large awkward packages!
Squuueeeeee!
What was that? That was the squealing sound I made last night when I came home and found a large cardboard box on our front steps...my baby's bedding had arrived! If you had been within a half mile radius you would have known that already. We loved it online, and thankfully we LOVE LOVE LOVE it in person!
I'm a little behind on blogging, so I also need to add that we had visitors this past weekend as Buck and Sudie came out for a few days. It was great spending time with them, and hearing Buck and Justin exchange pilot stories. Of course...we also did a little (ok a lot of) shopping, so thanks to their recent purchases, including but not limited to a mattress and car seat, we can now bring Karson home, and put him to bed! Not a bad start if I do say so myself!
Other projects:
Justin and I have been busy assembling and painting planes to hang from the ceiling. I am attempting to teach myself to crochet a blanket (gulp), and we're starting to think about where we want to stick things on the walls.
Photos below show the bedding, a curtain stretched over the chair, and the makings of a momma made baby blanket. (What's that? It looks like a big string for now? You are correct.) There's a close up of his comforter, and a look at his name for the wall. I've also included one shot of a plane. Lots of fun going on in the Rinker house these days!
Karson is also now incredibly active. He rolls, kicks, and flat out dances on a regular basis. Justin has gotten to feel all of the above multiple times, and I enjoy evenings when we can sit together to feel and giggle about our kickboxer. (Ok, I giggle, Justin mostly just smiles.)
We're also looking forward to an upcoming trip to Lexington to catch up with old friends and teammates, and attend a football game, (GO CATS). Karson will get a shout out...more on that next week!
What was that? That was the squealing sound I made last night when I came home and found a large cardboard box on our front steps...my baby's bedding had arrived! If you had been within a half mile radius you would have known that already. We loved it online, and thankfully we LOVE LOVE LOVE it in person!
I'm a little behind on blogging, so I also need to add that we had visitors this past weekend as Buck and Sudie came out for a few days. It was great spending time with them, and hearing Buck and Justin exchange pilot stories. Of course...we also did a little (ok a lot of) shopping, so thanks to their recent purchases, including but not limited to a mattress and car seat, we can now bring Karson home, and put him to bed! Not a bad start if I do say so myself!
Other projects:
Justin and I have been busy assembling and painting planes to hang from the ceiling. I am attempting to teach myself to crochet a blanket (gulp), and we're starting to think about where we want to stick things on the walls.
Photos below show the bedding, a curtain stretched over the chair, and the makings of a momma made baby blanket. (What's that? It looks like a big string for now? You are correct.) There's a close up of his comforter, and a look at his name for the wall. I've also included one shot of a plane. Lots of fun going on in the Rinker house these days!
Karson is also now incredibly active. He rolls, kicks, and flat out dances on a regular basis. Justin has gotten to feel all of the above multiple times, and I enjoy evenings when we can sit together to feel and giggle about our kickboxer. (Ok, I giggle, Justin mostly just smiles.)
We're also looking forward to an upcoming trip to Lexington to catch up with old friends and teammates, and attend a football game, (GO CATS). Karson will get a shout out...more on that next week!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Nursery Update
Mom and Dad, (aka Nana and Papaw) were up to visit this weekend. We did some shopping Friday night, enjoyed some pizza and picture time, then hit the ground running today with work on the nursery! Ok, so we didn't get started until we had scarfed down some pancakes and slept in a little...but once we got moving...we were so fast!
I'm excited to show you the updates! Mommy and Daddy bought Karson his crib. We LOVE it, and are hoping it can be used for all the kiddos as a crib, and for someone as a toddler bed and eventually a full bed. We also hope it has magical powers that help any babies in it sleep soundly through the night. ;-)
Nana and Papaw bought an awesome glider and ottoman set. It's super comfy, and seems like a lovely place to hold a sweet little baby!
My favorite purchase may be the ceiling fan. IT LOOKS LIKE A PROPELLER! How cool is that? It also has a dimmer and a remote!
Nana and I also assembled a storage unit, and sorted and put away lots of awesome clothes from Auburn, shared by cousins Gavin and Winston. Lots of cute items in there! (Even a WVU jersey for the WV crew!)
The bedding is ordered, and should be in in a few weeks. We also have frames, his name, and decals to hang. And a few crafts to make. Plus lots of supplies to get and organize. I'm tired just thinking about it. But we got off to a great start this weekend! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go nap in the glider...
Let me know what you think so far!
I'm excited to show you the updates! Mommy and Daddy bought Karson his crib. We LOVE it, and are hoping it can be used for all the kiddos as a crib, and for someone as a toddler bed and eventually a full bed. We also hope it has magical powers that help any babies in it sleep soundly through the night. ;-)
Nana and Papaw bought an awesome glider and ottoman set. It's super comfy, and seems like a lovely place to hold a sweet little baby!
My favorite purchase may be the ceiling fan. IT LOOKS LIKE A PROPELLER! How cool is that? It also has a dimmer and a remote!
Nana and I also assembled a storage unit, and sorted and put away lots of awesome clothes from Auburn, shared by cousins Gavin and Winston. Lots of cute items in there! (Even a WVU jersey for the WV crew!)
The bedding is ordered, and should be in in a few weeks. We also have frames, his name, and decals to hang. And a few crafts to make. Plus lots of supplies to get and organize. I'm tired just thinking about it. But we got off to a great start this weekend! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go nap in the glider...
Let me know what you think so far!
Friday, October 1, 2010
20 week quiz
(Ultrasound pics and more Dr visit info here.)
How far along? 20 weeks, 4 days.
How big is baby? About 10.5 inches from head to heel. According to the ultrasound measurements baby now weighs a full pound!
Weight gain? 10.8 pounds!!! (According to the doctor's scales yesterday). I had guessed closer to 13...but I'm not a medical professional. :-) Anyway, 9-11 are recommended by this stage, so I'm either on track, or barely above. Either way, I'm happy!
Stretch Marks? Too soon! But I feel pulling more now.
Maternity clothes? At work this week someone said “Melody is all dressed up!” I replied “Melody outgrew her pants!”. I officially had to retire the bella band and move on to maternity clothes for work. My best fitting article of clothing is a black skirt from Jill W. I will be wearing it often until I grow in to some of the later term maternity dress pants. I'm also loving dresses.
Sleep? Still trying to master the art of staying on my side during the night. I'm doing better!
Cravings? Still loving pizza, (I try to limit my intake for those of you gasping). I’ve also drank my weight in cran-apple juice for the UTI I’ve had. But it has seemed particularly delicious this time!
Nursery update? I'm ready! We'll have family visitors the next two weekends, so we might put them to work! I'm buying a blanket in the plane bedding online today so we can make sure we're happy with the pattern/colors.
Movement? YYEEESSSS! Frequent now. And getting stronger all the time! Justin has even gotten to feel the baby several times!
High point? Seeing a healthy thriving baby boy on the ultrasound.
Low point? UTI!
Other: Belly Button is still an innie. But it’s becoming wide and more shallow. Looks a bit odd if you asked me, but I imagine I should reserve my belly button critical comments for when it starts popping out!
Also, I brought in some celebratory snacks this morning...(no wonder baby has a big belly?)
How far along? 20 weeks, 4 days.
How big is baby? About 10.5 inches from head to heel. According to the ultrasound measurements baby now weighs a full pound!
Weight gain? 10.8 pounds!!! (According to the doctor's scales yesterday). I had guessed closer to 13...but I'm not a medical professional. :-) Anyway, 9-11 are recommended by this stage, so I'm either on track, or barely above. Either way, I'm happy!
Stretch Marks? Too soon! But I feel pulling more now.
Maternity clothes? At work this week someone said “Melody is all dressed up!” I replied “Melody outgrew her pants!”. I officially had to retire the bella band and move on to maternity clothes for work. My best fitting article of clothing is a black skirt from Jill W. I will be wearing it often until I grow in to some of the later term maternity dress pants. I'm also loving dresses.
Sleep? Still trying to master the art of staying on my side during the night. I'm doing better!
Cravings? Still loving pizza, (I try to limit my intake for those of you gasping). I’ve also drank my weight in cran-apple juice for the UTI I’ve had. But it has seemed particularly delicious this time!
Nursery update? I'm ready! We'll have family visitors the next two weekends, so we might put them to work! I'm buying a blanket in the plane bedding online today so we can make sure we're happy with the pattern/colors.
Movement? YYEEESSSS! Frequent now. And getting stronger all the time! Justin has even gotten to feel the baby several times!
High point? Seeing a healthy thriving baby boy on the ultrasound.
Low point? UTI!
Other: Belly Button is still an innie. But it’s becoming wide and more shallow. Looks a bit odd if you asked me, but I imagine I should reserve my belly button critical comments for when it starts popping out!
Also, I brought in some celebratory snacks this morning...(no wonder baby has a big belly?)
Boy, Oh Boy!
If you're reading this, you've likely heard the news. "It" is "He"! Baby Rinker is none other than Karson Douglas!
He is healthy! Justin and I are so grateful for a successful, encouraging appointment yesterday. We held hands and watched in awe as our doctor went one by one through the various checkpoints, organs, heart quadrants, brain segments, and even a few arteries/vessels/chords. God is good, and our baby is a healthy one.
He is also BIG! Every time we saw a body part the doctor would say "big head", "long fingers", "thick thighs", etc. You would think he would realize the baby was big all over and get bored of pointing it out, but nope. In his second to last view, we looked at the belly, and he said "BIG Belly!". Overall the baby measured 1.5 weeks ahead in head/femur measurements, and 2 weeks ahead in the belly! Baby is eating well!
He is a HE. Then the final view came. He asked if we were ready, and we of course said YES. Doc then went to "the view" and asked what that looked like...and I said..."That's a BOY!". We all agreed there is no doubt, so we can paint, purchase, embroider, etc with confidence. :-)
And finally, "he" is...Karson!!! We're so excited to be able to add a name, and start working on some fun details, like paint, bedding, etc.
We made a stop on the way home last night to buy a couple of warm outfits for his first few weeks, and potentially an outfit to go home in. Yay!
Here are a few (very grainy) ultrasound photos. (Heartbeat, feet, and the goods!) Enjoy!
He is healthy! Justin and I are so grateful for a successful, encouraging appointment yesterday. We held hands and watched in awe as our doctor went one by one through the various checkpoints, organs, heart quadrants, brain segments, and even a few arteries/vessels/chords. God is good, and our baby is a healthy one.
He is also BIG! Every time we saw a body part the doctor would say "big head", "long fingers", "thick thighs", etc. You would think he would realize the baby was big all over and get bored of pointing it out, but nope. In his second to last view, we looked at the belly, and he said "BIG Belly!". Overall the baby measured 1.5 weeks ahead in head/femur measurements, and 2 weeks ahead in the belly! Baby is eating well!
He is a HE. Then the final view came. He asked if we were ready, and we of course said YES. Doc then went to "the view" and asked what that looked like...and I said..."That's a BOY!". We all agreed there is no doubt, so we can paint, purchase, embroider, etc with confidence. :-)
And finally, "he" is...Karson!!! We're so excited to be able to add a name, and start working on some fun details, like paint, bedding, etc.
We made a stop on the way home last night to buy a couple of warm outfits for his first few weeks, and potentially an outfit to go home in. Yay!
Here are a few (very grainy) ultrasound photos. (Heartbeat, feet, and the goods!) Enjoy!
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