Registries

I've had some folks ask where we are registered and have requested it be put on the blog.

We are registered at Babies R Us.  You will have to type in our last name: Kraemer and one of our first names: Michael or Kristin
Babies R Us


We are also registered at Target.  Again you will have to type in first and last name to pull up the registry.     Target


If you were one of these awesome folks wishing to send a gift, please email me at kristin.kraemer21@gmail.com to inquire about an address. Thank you!

Shout Out to all the Little Ones and Their Due Dates/Birthdays

I have to say....the next 8 months are going to be full of babies! Here is what I mean!!!


Friends due:

09/27/12 birthday:   Becky M and little boy Owen Henry (due 10/05/12)

October:
10/13/12 birthday:  Allie W had little boy Evan David (was due 11/01/12)
10/17/12 birthday for Eleanor Clarice (Nora)! Born to Stacy W (was due 10.18.12)
10/21/12 birthday for Lucas Gus.  Born to Rachelle H (was due 10.23.12)


November:


11/13/12 birthday:  Broderick Stauner was born to Emily S (was due 11/16/12)

Alisha S due 11/28/12

December:

Tia S due 12/02/12
Me due 12/08/12
Amber G due 12/10/12

January:
Darcie B due 01/21/12?

February:
Sandi W due 02/24/12

March:
I'm blanking but I know someone is due here!

April:
Jess M due 04/06/12

May:
Laura W (Jess M and Laura are sisters :) due 05/04/12

32 Weeks

Things have been going well.  I had a check up on the 9th of October.  Blood sugars are under control, but need to continue to check them 4 times per day until baby is here just to monitor for any uncontrollable spikes which would signal need for an oral hypoglycemic (medication to help keep my blood sugar lower in the normal range). Baby is HEAD DOWN and hopefully continues to stay that way.  It is actually very low my OB said!  And boy can I feel that, especially when I stand up a tad too fast. I have the feet in my ribs on the right side and butt right by my sternum (where chest meets abdomen). Things are beginning to feel a bit 'cramped' and sleeping has become a circus!  Anxiety has crept up on me and with allergies flaring right now (can't breathe through nose, even on meds), I wake up in a panic because I feel that I cannot take a deep breathe in the middle of the night.  I have a feeling the couch recliner may soon become my new friend at night. 

I'm measuring right on at 32 weeks now.  I was always about 2 weeks ahead, but things slowed down for a little bit.   Likely due to controlling my blood sugars by making some diet changes (less carbs).  Baby is expected to gain up to half a pound every week until just a few weeks before birth now.  We will see what happens on birth day!  Right now it's about 17 inches and anywhere from 3.5-5.5 lbs.  Due to being borderline gestational diabetic, I will have some non-stress tests that will begin in a few weeks and likely continue until end of pregnancy.  These don't harm the baby, just involve me going to the hospital labor triage rooms and get to sit and monitor heart rhythm of the baby and press a button every time I feel the baby move.  This is just to make sure the baby is not under any undue stress in there. 

I go back to the OB on the 26th and then it's weekly after that until baby is here!

How far along? 32 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 17 lbs
Maternity Clothes? yes
Stretch marks? Oh lordy....I've noticed the ones on my hips have elongated now that my belly is beginning to move forward and down.
Sleep: sleep?   Is that how it's spelled?  I'm lucky if I get 3 hours a night right now.  Preparing for those longs nights.
Best moment this week: learning baby is head down and having our maternity pictures done this past Sunday.
Miss Anything? breathing!
Movement? lots of it
Food Cravings: sweets now...cookies, candy, ice cream, bars, chocolate.  Still gotta have at least one apple a day...for some reason I LOVE them right now.
Anything make you queasy and sick? back rib pain that gets worse in the afternoon.
Gender Prediction: ????????  Boy???????????
Labor Signs: just Braxton Hicks if I overdo it by being too active.  Started getting them at night, wake me up now where I think I used to be able to sleep through them.
Symptoms: swelling has been stable in my shins, don't have anywhere else.
Belly Button in or out? in but stretched!
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody? Happy....but getting crabby and uncomfortable.  I have such a short torso this kid has nowhere to go anymore but out to the front...and things are just not moving that direction entirely yet.
Looking forward to this week: painting the nursery and getting some things together.

31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 16 lbs
Maternity Clothes? yes
Stretch marks? None that are new since pregnancy.
Sleep: sleep has officially become a foreign word that is just best forgotten at this point!
Best moment this week: hmmmmm.....nothing truly sticks out
Miss Anything? bladder space
Movement? lots of it
Food Cravings: sweets now
Anything make you queasy and sick? overeating, baby kicking/punching my ribs...the pain!
Gender Prediction: ????????  Working on names though!
Labor Signs: no imminent signs.  Just Braxton Hicks daily, several times a day.
Symptoms: none
Belly Button in or out? in but stretched!
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody? Happy with the occasional pissy episode
Looking forward to this week: maternity pictures on sunday and date day with Mike.

30 Week Update

I met with the Diabetes Educator at my clinic this morning. Went over carbohydrate counting, free foods, etc. Most of this I knew and had already been abiding by.  I got my official numbers for my 3 hours test.  I was only over 2 points at the 1 hour mark and my 2 hour mark was 2 points under.  So that's where my borderline gestational diabetes diagnosis stems from. I received a glucose meter this morning and an Rx for the supplies.  I have to test four times a day; once before I eat in the morning and then 2 hours after the start of each main meal. My next OB appointment is on October 9th where I'm sure we will review my numbers.  So far today they've been well on the lower side of the normal range.  My morning sugars will likely be the highest.  It's thought I might experience somewhat of the "Dawn Phenomenon" in which my liver releases glucose overnight and elevates my blood sugar.  So the morning fasting sugars should show whether or not this is occurring.

Otherwise things have been going very well!  I'm a little panicked with coursework on top of regular working hours and things to do around the house.  But it also is something I've come to expect to tackle.

How far along? 30 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 13.4 (was 18.3 pounds last week).....I have cut out most ice cream and most sweets the past week in addition to taking stairs again at work.  I've been drinking more water. Also some of the edema I've had on my shins has disappeared, so likely also water weight loss.
Maternity Clothes? yes
Stretch marks? None that are new since pregnancy.
Sleep: comes and goes.  All depends if baby is active at night, leg cramps, if Chloe has a bad night (she jumps onto the bed) or if Mike can't sleep too!
Best moment this week: finding out I can soon start working from home.  The goal is up to four times a week by the time baby is born.
Miss Anything? free time, something I know I'll never get back :)
Movement? crazy child is all over the place, or so it feels.
Food Cravings: still fruit, which is a big no-no right now unless it's for a snack.  No longer included in breakfast!
Anything make you queasy and sick? overeating
Gender Prediction: really NO clue. Back to girl.
Labor Signs: still continue to have Braxton Hicks.  Some days are more than others.  I've become better at recognizing when they are about to start!
Symptoms: Sciatica.
Belly Button in or out? in but stretched!
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody? Happy.  Occasionally frustrated with things lately as I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed with course work and everything to do before in the house before baby arrives.  I know I could ask for help from friends/family, but then I would likely be home at the same time and still not get my homework done....so I figure just doing it myself is the same thing.
Looking forward to this week: my friend Stephanie's wedding on Saturday!

29 weeks, 11 (or more) to go!

Had unfortunate news earlier this week. I did pass the 3 hour glucose tolerance test, but only by a few points. So I'm being considered borderline gestational diabetic and will be seeing a diabetes educator next week on 30 weeks. It's likely I will have to check my blood sugars several times per day, but at this time do not need insulin as they should be diet controllable for now. As much as I hate needles (yes a nurse that hates needles!), it's for a great reason that I will be doing this and it's temporary.

Did you know that about one-third to one-half of women who have gestational diabetes will have it again in a later pregnancy? And up to 50 percent of women with gestational diabetes will develop diabetes at some point in the future? Guess its a gentle reminder how important it is to watch carbohydrate intake and consume low/moderate glycemic index foods to prolong and stabilize blood sugars so your body uses glucose properly.

How far along? 29 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 18.3 pounds
Maternity Clothes? just got myself two pairs of jeans and a few more fall/winter tops. Some of the tops can be worn even after baby is here :)
Stretch marks? None that are new since pregnancy. Using Lovely Jubblies and CoCo from Lush Cosmetics on belly, hips and chest. The belly is starting to itch though, despite the lotion.
Sleep: a little better since we got our sleep number bed.
Best moment this week: getting information at the birth class and using it to aid a birth plan. Shower invites are all out and can't wait to see family and friends!
Miss Anything? being able to clean, do laundry and just normal activities of daily living without grunting, groaning or having to get creative to reach to certain places or carry items.
Movement? Constantly it seems.  Definitely waking up at night due to kicks, punches and stretching. This baby loves my ribs.
Food Cravings: nothing much anymore. Most of the time food sounds like a chore.
Anything make you queasy and sick? nearly lost my cookies brushing my teeth this morning!
Gender Prediction: really NO clue. Back to boy.
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks here and there. I have anywhere from 1 to 4 per day so far.  Mostly in the evening after I get home from work.
Symptoms: Sciatica.
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody? Happy
Looking forward to this week: doing some baby item browsing and shopping. Picking up a reliable vehicle as well! Older, but good condition as two of our three vehicles will soon see their light!

28 Weeks

Received the results of my one-hour glucose tolerance test on Tuesday.  It definitely was not what I wanted to hear, but can say I am not all that surprised since my past fasting blood glucose levels have always been borderline pre-diabetic. The lab at my clinic considers normal values below 140, I was at 158. So today I have my fasting 3-hour blood glucose tolerance test.  Nothing to eat since 11pm last night (had a late PB sandwich and some milk to help get some protein in to balance out blood sugar) and my first blood draw (fasting) is not until 10:10am.  Second lab draw at 1 hour around 11:15 and so forth.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to eat ANYTHING until around 1pm today.  Not sure if I'm going to make it that long, but I have to try.  Hopefully this ends up good.  Many friends I know have failed their one-hour test but passed the 3 hour by a long shot!  I'll update when I hear the results.  Might not be until next week though.


How far along? 28 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 17 pounds
Maternity Clothes? Good combo of maternity and pre-pregnancy items.
Stretch marks? None that are new since pregnancy. Using Lovely Jubblies and CoCo from Lush Cosmetics on belly, hips and chest.  Seems to have helped, but I also don't feel my skin stretching quite yet.
Sleep: a little better since we got our sleep number bed on Monday.  Helpful to be able to adjust the firmness of the mattress as my body grows and changes.
Best moment this week: getting our new mattresses
Miss Anything? being able to clean, do laundry and just normal activities of daily living without grunting, groaning or having to get creative to reach to certain places or carry items.
Movement? Constantly it seems.  Definitely waking up at night due to kicks, punches and stretching
Food Cravings: nothing much anymore. Most of the time food sounds like a chore.
Anything make you queasy and sick? it goes day to day
Gender Prediction: really NO clue. Back to girl.
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks here and there. I have anywhere from 1 to 4 per day so far.  Mostly in the evening after I get home from work.
Symptoms: Sciatica.
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody? Happy
Looking forward to this week: birth class on Saturday.  Not excited for the class itself, but am to finally get a real tour of the birthing suites at the hospital instead of just through visiting friends.  Sunday date day with Mike.