Week #35

Week #35

Baby Bump Photo

Brixen Christopher is Coming . . . . . 

Wow...  Would you look at that belly!  Personally, it appears that Brixen has dropped if you compare it from last week to this week!  A friend of ours noticed it last week and said something but I didn't realize it until this week.  What do you think?  

It is so hard to believe that we only have about 5-weeks left and who knows, maybe Brixen will come early or maybe he will be late.  There are a lot of guesses on our Online Baby Pool!  If you haven't yet made a guess, be sure to do so because I will be locking the game probably the end of January or beginning of February!  It will be fun to see who wins!

We had another great week...  Professional and Personally.  Lots of things coming together with our businesses.  It is very exciting!  Takes a lot of patience to be in Real Estate but a great challenge and something we enjoy on a daily basis.  You never know what could happen!  We do have a lot going on with several different projects but we both don't mind being busy.  We just take one thing at a time and it all works out in the end.

Yesterday, we had "Brixen Day."  We decided to go shopping and purchase some things we still needed.  We had a lot of coupons that were expiring yesterday and wanted to use our Gift Cards from Christmas.  We went to Babies R Us...  Love that store!  We bought...

City Mini Stroller - Grey/Orange

Medela Breast Pump In-Style Advanced

Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags

Medela Pump and Save Bags

Medela Nursing Pads

Changing Pad

Wipe Warmer w/ Light

Today, we went to Target to get a few groceries.  The Newborn Lounger we wanted was a lot less expensive there so we bought that and found a mirror for Brixen's Nursery.  We are planning to hang that above his dresser.  Can't wait to put the final touches on Brixen's Nursery.  Going to hang the mirror and his letters this week.  I am still waiting for a few items to be delivered from Beyond Bedding...   Changing Pad Cover, Lamp Shade, Music Mobile, Wall Hangings, and Hamper.  Unfortunately, the matching Rug is out-of-stock.  We will either wait until it comes in or just purchase a chocolate brown rug.  Target didn't have any we liked today.

On another note, I am FEELING GREAT!  Still have a lot of energy throughout the day and sleeping amazing at night.  Is this the calm before the storm?  We shall see...  But I am happy that I am able to still get a lot done during the day.  I am a bit slower but it all still gets done.  I think walking a lot and being on this diet sure helps!  I hope it stays like this until Brixen decides to come...  I know we won't get much sleep when Brixen does decide to make his grand entrance.  We are looking forward to becoming parents and sharing this journey together as a family!  :)

Breastfeeding Basics

Last night, we took our final class...  Breastfeeding Basics.  We actually were suppose to take this class on Sunday, January 23, 2011 at the Evanston Hospital BUT the NFC Championship is that day and you never know if the Bears are going to be in it or not!  Praying!  So...  We decided to switch the class to last night at the Highland Park Hospital.  It was a bit farther to drive but we can't miss the NFC Championship!  :)

We both enjoyed this class and glad that I signed up for it.  It was very informational and I even took some notes.  The Instructor was nice, helpful, and provided a lot of insight on breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding is something I knew I always wanted to do but now that the time gets closer to us meeting our Son Brixen for the first time, I am looking forward to this bonding time.  

I have heard that it can be difficult at times but I am just going to remain patient.  It may take me awhile to get use to it but I plan to breastfeed as long as I can.  Chris and I both feel like it is the best for our son.  Plus, I feel working from home will make things a lot easier and we will be able to have more of a set schedule, eventually!  :)

Another thing I liked about the class was she mentioned what products are the best to purchase.  I haven't yet decided on a breast pump but always knew in the back of my head that Medela would probably be the one to purchase.  Of course, she said those are the best, fastest, and easiest.  So, I think I am planning to purchase a Medela.  I can always use it again when we have Baby #2!  

I have already bought some Lansinoh Nipple Cream and Lansinoh Breast Pads so I am planning to purchase the Medela Pump In-Style Advanced.  Also, going to pick-up some Freezer and Storage Bags, probably Lansinoh or Medela.  Our Instructor said to start pumping at 2-weeks.  And, to introduce a bottle between 4 to 6-weeks.  Everyone is different and I know that Chris and I will make the best decision for Brixen.  

Right now, I am planning to breastfeed as long as possible.  I will start pumping around 2-weeks or maybe sooner.  It will be nice to build-up some breast milk for future use.  I want Chris to get involved with the feeding so we will introduce a bottle (little-by-little) at about 4-weeks.  It will all work out how it is suppose to and I am excited and anxious about the journey ahead.  

Today, is Week #35 and Brixen Day!  Chris and I are going to go to Babies R Us and do some shopping.  We have some coupons that expire today and gift cards from Christmas to spend.  I have a list of stuff, of course.  We are very excited to spend this time together and get some more stuff for our Son Brixen.  Should be a fun, fun day.  I will blog later about Week #35 and our Brixen Day Adventure.  :)

OBGYN Appointment: 01.12.2011

This afternoon, we had another OBGYN Appointment.  We were ready to walk out the door for our 12:00 PM appointment and we got a call saying Dr. Swenson was still in Labor & Delivery.  So...  The appointment got pushed back until about 1:15 PM.  No big deal!  :)

Seems like these appointments get longer and longer every time we go...  I think I just get impatient waiting to see Dr. Swenson.  ;)  She is a very busy doctor so she must get behind in her schedule a lot.  Not a big deal since we work from home but I learning to be patient!  Although, before we went into our appointment, Brixen was sure moving around A LOT!  He has been doing this a lot lately and we are enjoying every second of it!

The OB Appointment went GREAT!   We are measuring right on-schedule.  Right now, I am 34.5-weeks.  Can't believe another week of our pregnancy is almost gone!  Brixen's Heart Beat was 160 and Dr. Swenson said it sounded GREAT!  That's our BOY!  :)  He gets excited to show off his heart beat to Mommy and Daddy.  We sure do love it!  My blood pressure was good and I lost one-pound, so that means I have gained a total of 24-pounds.  Not too bad!  Less I have to loose when Brixen is born!

We have one more 2-week appointment, which is on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 than we start going every week after that.  We scheduled those appointments and made one even for Wednesday, February 23, 2011.  Hoping we won't be attending that one!  I still think Brixen will be here on 02.22.2011.  A lot of people seem to think I am going to go early but I don't really feel that yet.  No contractions but I do have dull cramping once in awhile.  Dr. Swenson didn't seem to concerned.  I was surprised to learn that she won't be doing any Vaginal Exams on me until Week #38 to see if I have progressed at all.  I guess I assumed it was earlier.  But that is only 3-weeks away and it will go by fast!

GUESS WHAT???  Dr. Swenson said that Brixen's Head is already DOWN!  I was happy about that and probably figured since I am getting a lot of higher kicks these days!  Brixen wants to make sure Mommy knows he is in there and excited to meet us both!  :)  All-in-all the appointment went well!  We are so thankful and blessed to have such a healthy pregnancy.  Now...  We are looking forward to the next 5-weeks and meeting OUR SON!  

Week #34

Brixen Baby Bump Photo

Week #34

WOW!  Would you look at that belly??!!??  Yesterday marked Week #34, which means we have about 6-weeks until we become Mommy and Daddy!  This is very, very exciting!  It is hard to concentrate now because all we can think about is our Baby Boy.  

We had a very productive and busy week!  Got a lot done for the start of the New Year with the business.  Things are coming together already for 2011 but nothing in Real Estate happens over night.  I have learned to have patience over these past few years.  It takes time and I never understood that at first but I do now.  I feel like that will help me with being a Mommy too.

I am still feeling pretty good!  I get a bit uncomfortable at night and getting up a lot to go to the bathroom.  But when I am sleeping, I sleep good.  I am very, very slow these days AND dropping things like crazy!  I am tired of bending over to pick stuff up!  :)  Forgetting a lot too!  I have always been extremely organized but now I feel like I have to write down every little thing, like even going to the bathroom.  LOL!  Just kidding!

Today, is our Chicago Baby Shower and play-offs start.  Tomorrow, we will be going to Church and also watching more football.  I can't believe the season is coming to an end.  Crazy!  Seems like we were getting excited for the first game, which we went too for Chris' birthday!  The Bears play next weekend.  AND...  We actually changed our Breastfeeding Class because if the Bears win next weekend, they will be playing on Sunday, January 23, 2011.  We didn't want to miss that game.  So, now, we are taking the Breastfeeding Class at a different hospital, Highland Park on Thursday, January 13, 2011.  Glad it worked out that way.

Another busy week a head of us with the business.  I have a meeting on Tuesday morning.  Tons of stuff to do in the office.  We have an OBGYN Appointment on Wednesday.  Class on Thursday and going to finish up any last minute shopping on Friday.  Date Day!  So, before I know it, I will be back blogging about Week #35!  

Chris and I set-up an Online Baby Pool...  It is a great way for family and friends to join in the excitement and anticipation of Brixen's arrival.  We have a lot of guesses thus far.  You can always change your guess as the BIG DAY gets closer.  But I am planning to lock the game a couple weeks before my Due Date so that no one can make changes.  It should be a fun and exciting game!  ENJOY!

Infant CPR & Safety

Last night, Chris and I took a class called Infant CPR & Safety at Evanston Hospital, where Brixen will be born!  It was from 7 PM to 9:30 PM and even though we finished a bit early, it seemed like those 2-hours were forever!  But it was very informational and we were glad we decided to take it.

We learned how to perform CPR on an Infant as well as what to do if and Infant were Choking.  The instructors were great and they even showed a video.  We got the hang of it pretty quickly plus they had booklets for us to bring home to refresh our memory whenever needed.  

We met a couple of pregnant couples in the class...  One lady is due in 3-weeks and the other one is due the day after us!  It is always fun and interesting to talk to other soon-to-be parents and ask when their due.  Both of them were also having BOYS!  Sure seems like the season for boys!  

It is hard to believe we only have one class left after signing up for four!  We are taking Breastfeeding on Sunday, January 23, 2011 from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM also at Evanston Hospital.  I was told that the Husbands/Fathers come to the class so Chris will be coming with me.  I guess you never know when you will need help!  :)  I am very thankful and blessed that Chris has been so involved with our pregnancy.  We both are loving this time and cherishing every moment.  But we both are ready to meet our BABY BOY!

I sure hope that our Breastfeeding class doesn't interrupt any big play-off games!  LOL!  If the Bears win next weekend, they will be playing sometime that weekend.  Of course, Brixen and taking this class is way more important but it would be hard to miss out on a Bears play-off game.  Good thing we will have our phones with us so we can get updates!  :)

Meet & Greet w/ Pediatrician

Last night, we had a Meet & Greet with a Pediatrician, Dr. Rosenbaum.  Our OBGYN encouraged us to meet with one or a few until we felt like we had a connection and was able to get all of our questions answered about having a Pediatrician.  We thought this was a great idea and decided to take her advice.

Dr. Rosenbaum was a very busy Pediatrician last night...  We had to wait over an hour just to sit down with him.  But for us, that met he really took the time to take care of all his patients.  Plus, he was on-call, which meant he had to make another phone call before meeting with us.  He did stop by the room to let us know he was sorry.  Chris and I totally understand.  Pediatricians and all doctors for that matter have a job to help and take care of others.  We didn't mind waiting.

Once we were able to meet with Dr. Rosenbaum, the Meet & Greet went great!  He answered a lot of questions we had.  Most importantly, we got a schedule for both of his locations.  We have been to both because that is also where our OBGYN is located.  One location is closer than the other but really neither are that far.  So, we are happy about that.  Everything was thoroughly explained and he spent a lot of time with us, which we greatly appreciated.

Since I have already pre-registered with Labor & Delivery at Evanston Hospital, we will be able to give them the name of our Pediatrician once we get there for the actual delivery.  Dr. Rosenbaum usually makes his rounds every morning at the hospital and will be able to see Brixen most likely while we are at the hospital.  We are at one of the best hospitals in the country, so I am not worried one bit.  Brixen and I will be in good hands.  :)

Well...  I definitely think we have our Pediatrician picked out!  Especially, because the room where we met with Dr. Rosenbaum had a picture with the number 222 in it!  SERIOUSLY???  WOW!  Chris and I just knew that was a sign that he was suppose to be our Pediatrician.  We both feel very good about our decision and hope that Dr. Rosenbaum will be our Pediatrician for many, many years to come.  He says he usually sees his patients through college! 

Happy New Year - Week #33

Happy New Year - Week #33

Brixen Baby Bump Photo

Happy New Year Family and Friends!!!  WOW!  It is 2011...  The year that our Baby Boy is being born and we can finally say that he will be born NEXT MONTH!  Very exciting!

Well...  I have to say that I feel extremely blessed that I am still feeling great, sleeping amazing, and have no swelling!  I can still wear my Rings!  :)  I still have the most energy in the mornings when I wake up.  But once late afternoon hits into early evening, I do get a bit sleepy and sometimes even anxious/excited.  I find myself walking around the house and wondering what the heck I was going to do...  LOL!  I guess that is Pregnancy Brain!  Definitely feel like I am forgetting a lot and dropping things all the time.  It is harder to bend over and pick things up so I should stop dropping things!  :)

GUESS WHAT?  I made it until midnight...  Woohoo!  Chris and I decided to relax yesterday afternoon.  We both fell asleep watching The Dark Knight.  I just love that movie.  Chris has a very cozy office and we put the movie on in there and fell asleep on the pull out couch.  I think that little nap helped.  Plus, it was so relaxing!

Last night, after our nap, we went out to dinner at one of our favorite places called Dengeo's.  It has a lot of different foods and I am sure I have talked about it before in our blog.  Chris got a full slab of ribs with fries and I had a gyro sandwich with a salad.  It was delicious!  Afterward, we went to the grocery store to get a few things.  

We relaxed the rest of the night and watched the Countdown in New York.  Around 11:30 PM our time, we went down to our neighbors place.  They were having a small get together and invited us over.  I had some yummy sparkling juice and Chris had some champagne.  We stayed about an hour!  THE BEST PART WAS RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND KNOWING THAT OUR BABY BOY BRIXEN WILL BE BORN IN JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS!

Chris and I enjoyed our low-key NYE very much...  Those are ALWAYS the BEST!  Now...  It is 2011 and another BIG year for us personally and professionally.  Most importantly, our son, Brixen, will be born sometime around February 18.  February has always been a big month for us...  Now it is going to be even bigger!  We have many birthdays in the month of February.  We also officially started Blue Harvest Properties, Inc. in February AND got in engagement in Oahu on February 9, 2009!  

As far as our businesses go, we have many, many exciting things in-store for 2011 and beyond!  This past year was by-far the best year of business yet, however, each year seems to get easier and easier.  We can't wait to launch Hot Damn Short Sales, something that has been in the making for a few years.  Of course, we will continue with Short Sales since I love them so much and have learned that patience and diligence is the key to success in Short Sales.  As of today (Jan. 1), I am officially an Associate Broker with Green Brick Realty.  This will allow me to list and sell properties.  My primarily focus will be working with families here in North Chicagoland stop the foreclosure and move on with their lives.  Lots of new marketing and advertising plans coming our way...  It is all in the works right now!  PLUS...  We are going to be taking on several new rehab projects.  WOW!  That seems like a lot...  Who knows what else Chris and I will come up with!  I LOVE THAT WE BOTH THINK ALIKE!  We both feel so blessed that we are able to be Husband/Wife, Best Friends, and Business Partners.  Truly Blessed!

The rest of the weekend will be packed with...  You guessed it!  FOOTBALL!  There are Bowl Games on today and tomorrow is the final week of the regular season for NFL.  Since the Bears are already in the Play-Offs (Play-Offs?) we are not too worried about the games tomorrow!  But the best part of this first weekend of 2011 is SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND AND EATING HIS AMAZING CHILI!

CHEERS TO 2011 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!