35 weeks

Tom and I are in the midst of a glorious 9-day vacation from school and work (respectively), and have been very busy celebrating! 

First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Tom and I spent the opening four days of our winter break observing this most magical and sacred holiday with our families and relatives. First we drove to Wautoma to spend a couple of days at the Leschke family cottage, where we made chocolate-covered pretzels, ate prime rib, played ping pong and ice hockey, baked cookies, and opened presents. Grandma and Grandpa even honored Baby Leschke’s “first Christmas” with a bag full of goodies just for her.

 

Then we drove from Wautoma to Milwaukee to have our annual Christmas day gathering with the Lyonses, where we visited with our relatives, ate ham, opened gifts, and played trivia. That night we headed back to Oshkosh to meet up with my sister’s family and snuggle our nieces and nephew before exchanging presents the following morning. All the kiddos were spoiled (per usual) including Little Leschke this year, who got a pack ‘n play, toys, books, and even her first gift from “Santa.” That day we headed to Little Chute to conclude our Christmas celebrations with a few of the Vandenbergs, who hadn’t all been together in quite some time. It was a lovely reunion complete with delicious hors d'oeuvres, great conversation, sledding for the little ones, and a commemorative photo at the end.  

What better way to honor the birth of Jesus than to reconnect with loved ones, bring joy to the children in our lives, and give thanks for our many blessings. God is good!

Next, we spent the weekend celebrating my mom’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Mimi!!) and the marriage of two of our best friends, Lauren Meidl and John Bushman. We were privileged to be a part of their wedding party and share in their special day. It was a beautiful winter affair complete with glistening snow, red/black/silver attire, and of course lots of “bling” to complement the sparkling bride…not to mention tons of tears from a certain 8.5 month pregnant bridesmaid ;) It was a wonderful weekend for reuniting with old friends, celebrating love, and delighting in one of the greatest things in life: marriage. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Bushman!

Today our baby is 35 weeks gestation – only 35 days to go! While it feels good to be in the home stretch emotionally, it doesn’t feel so good physically. I’m not supposed to sleep on my back, but I can no longer sleep on one side for too long before the weight of my ginormous belly makes my hip ache and forces me to turn over; which in turn shifts the baby onto my bladder and makes me have to pee; which in turn wakes me up for at least an hour before falling back asleep and restarting the whole vicious cycle. Plus the hip and back aches that used to appear only after standing or walking for long periods of time are now constant, dull reminders that I'm almost 20 pounds heavier than usual. Sigh.

But I can’t complain, because out of the two of us, I’m sure Baby is much more uncomfortable than I am. She’s running out of room in there now that she’s over 

5 ½ pounds and 18 inches long (about the size of a honeydew melon); and while she’s still kicking, jabbing, and stretching away, she no longer has room to do the body rolls and somersaults she’s used to. On the bright side, Baby now has fully developed kidneys and a functioning liver! She has officially completed her fundamental physical development and will now be spending the upcoming weeks gaining weight. Just don’t tell that to my hips and back…

34 weeks

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And with Thanksgiving being so late this past November, it feels like Christmas is coming early!! Tom and I have been highly anticipating this holiday season and are excited to celebrate our last childless Christmas. One more year to enjoy being the “kids” during the holidays before we become the parents. Next year we’ll have an 11 month old and will take on a whole new role, playing Santa and forming our own family traditions. Oh what fun :)

I spent the majority of the week preparing for our holiday break. I wrapped presents, filled out cards, made peanut butter balls, packed for our trip home, attended my work Christmas party, and finally ordered our holiday cards! Season’s Greetings from the Leschkes:

(Front)

(Back)

This week, Baby should be almost 18 inches long and weigh about 4 ¾ pounds. However, my prenatal checkup today revealed that Little Leschke is still measuring 1-2 weeks ahead of schedule, is already in head-down position, and is probably about 5 ½ pounds already. Yikes! Either this baby is coming early or I am growing the next all-star linebacker for the Green Bay Packers ;)

Either way, our little peanut is continuing to build layers of fat to help regulate his body temperature after birth, and his skin is smoother than ever. His lungs are maturing and his central nervous system is becoming more sophisticated as well. I was reassured this week that if I go into preterm labor now, our baby may need to stay in the neonatal nursery at first; but would likely do just as well as a full-term baby in the long run.

But don’t go getting any funny ideas, Baby Leschke…. it’s Jesus’s birthday tomorrow – not yours.

33 weeks

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY! Our beloved father-to-be turned the big 2-6 this week. In keeping with years past, the poor guy had a midterm exam to study for; but Baby and I tried to make the day special by cooking his favorite homemade meal (ribs and cheesy potatoes), making a batch of brandy-less slush, baking a cake, picking up some Gille’s frozen custard, and buying the new Superman movie to watch during his study break over dinner. Don’t worry, Tom – someday you’ll be done with school/training and we’ll be able to celebrate your birthday properly. Even if it’s not till you’re 35 ;)

                        

After the hubby’s birthday week, I had quite the productive weekend. Caught up with some friends over mocktails/appetizers on Friday, made a trip to Fond du Lac for my first bridesmaid’s dress fitting on Saturday (yes, I’m going to be a ginormous 8.5 month pregnant bridesmaid this month), and got all of my Christmas/wedding/birthday shopping done on Sunday. A long day of running errands in holiday crowds made for one exhausted, achy pregnant lady; but the relief of being done shopping was well worth it.

This week Baby is about the size of a pineapple: just over 4 pounds heavy and 17 inches long. She is filling out quickly and her skeleton is hardening. At my last prenatal appointment, Little Leschke was measuring at 35 weeks – about 2 weeks ahead of schedule. And according to the full report from my fetal growth ultrasound, Baby’s estimated date of delivery is actually January 29^th. While it’s only 5 days earlier than my official due date, a January baby feels so much closer than a February one! Knowing she could come next month is both thrilling and terrifying.

At least we can take comfort in knowing that we graduated birthing class! On our last day of the course, we learned all about newborn care (i.e. changing diapers, giving baths, swaddling, taking temperatures, feeding, etc.). Here’s to hoping we 1) remember what we learned, and 2) can perform the tasks on a squirming infant as adequately as on the inert doll we practiced with. Which reminds me, Tom and I just so happened to end up with the largest newborn doll in the room: a 10-pounder. Foreshadowing? I hope not. But probably.

32 weeks

I’ve been looking so forward to this week and the special event that it brought: our very first BABY SHOWER! My mom and sisters have been hard at work planning and preparing for the big day, and it certainly showed. The details were remarkable (from the cake to the decorations to the corsage), the games were fun, and the food was delicious! My hosts thought of everything – right down to carrying on our “somethings” tradition by having the guests write out wishes/advice/blessings for us as we begin this new chapter in our lives. I can’t express my gratitude for all the time, effort, and resources my mom and sisters put into the day to make it so special and memorable.

And a huge thank you to all of my family and friends who traveled near and far to make it to the shower. Each one of you ladies is a significant part of my life and I cherish your camaraderie, support, and love. And many thanks for spoiling Baby Leschke with an abundance of fabulous gifts – we are in awe of your kindness and generosity! Tom, Baby, and I are so lucky to have you in our lives. ♥

By now, our little munchkins weighs upwards of 3 ¾ pounds and is about 16.7 inches long. At a rate of ½ pound per week, he’ll gain roughly half of his birth weight over the next 7 weeks. He now has fingernails, toenails, and actual hair; and his skin is turning silky smooth as he pumps up for survival after birth. 

This week at birthing class, we got a tour of where our baby will be born and learned all about pain medication options for labor. We’re feeling more prepared every day! Which is good, because receiving specific items that our baby will use and touring the place he will be born has made his arrival seem more real than ever before. And we couldn’t be more excited.

31 weeks

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Tom and I have so much to be grateful for this year: the love and support of family and friends, a good job and a good education, a lovely apartment, a happy marriage, and – of course – a healthy baby on the way!

To honor our many blessings, we spent the four-day weekend at home giving thanks with our relatives. It was so nice for Tom and I to get some time off together, to see and catch up with two of our extended families (the Leschkes and the Lyonses), and to eat lots of delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, and pies. Needless to say, Baby thoroughly enjoyed her first Thanksgiving ;)

…and not only because of the delicious food! At the Lyons family get-together, the Holtzes gifted us some early baby shower presents for Little Leschke: including an adorable sleeper with matching hats, an organic blanket book, a fleece sleep sack, and a BOB jogging stroller! We cannot thank them enough for their thoughtfulness and generosity. Then on Black Friday, my mom got some amazingly cute gender specific clothes for Baby! We found great deals on outfits for both boys and girls, and we’re close enough to D-day now that we’ll be able to return whichever we don’t need after our little one arrives. Baby Leschke is so fortunate to have such kind and supportive loved ones!

Our little peanut is over 16 inches long this week and is about the size of a coconut. She is already beginning to fatten up and is headed for a major growth spurt! She can turn her head from side to side now and is kicking and changing positions frequently. She is starting to take up so much room in my belly that my stomach doesn’t have its usual expanding capacity, making for some discomfort during/after meals. But I’m more worried about the damage she is going to do coming out than staying in. You guessed it: more horrifying videos at birthing class this week. Luckily, we learned some coping skills and pain management techniques for labor and delivery that will hopefully bring some comfort when the time comes.

Last but not least, we had our maternity photos taken over Thanksgiving break! We wanted to book a session while we were home for the holiday so we could use the same photographer who did our wedding. She has done such an amazing job capturing these special moments in our marriage and our life. Below is a sneak peak of our growing family! So much to be thankful for...