One in a Million

A very special happy birthday goes out to my one and only DADDY-O! He just happens to be lucky enough to be at the Game 2 of the World Series on his big day watching his most favorite baseball team - the YANKEES! Let's hope they can pull out a win for him tonight while he is there!

Happy

Birthday

Dad!

I love you!

Love is in the Air

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Blomquist! Jeff & Katherine were wed last Saturday and Brian and I were very lucky to be part of the guest list. Jeff plays softball with Brian. Their softball team is a pretty tight knit group, so the whole team made it out to celebrate. The reception was at Victoria in the Park, in Mount Prospect, Illlinois and it was absolutely gorgeous. I didn't get any pictures of the room so you'll just have to take my word for it.

The newlyweds! Jeff & Katherine Blomquist

me and my girl, Lacey!
you may know her from her blog: Lacey's Little Escape

me & Bri
(thanks Lizzie for letting me wear your dress!)

Lacey and her husband, Tom

who doesn't like a little cake on the dance floor???

I know there aren't many pictures, but weddings just aren't the same when you're not drinking!

Baby Gender Poll

In the comments section, I see that we've started trying to guess what the gender will be of Baby Witko...

Due to the gender excitement...I decided to add a poll to the blog...it is located right there on the left hand side.

The poll will be open until I'm 20 weeks along - which is December 1st...it'll be here before we know it, so get voting!

Love you all!
Rachel

Week 14

Week 14 brings big developments! Baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! He is stretching out and measures about 3 1/2 inches - about the size of a lemon - and he weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body.

My body continues to grow too! I'll admit that a few comments have been made about how I'm starting to get that "cushion" that expectant moms get...uh oh! Now that I'm cleared to workout I better get my butt to XSport!

I'm still feeling great - I'm sleeping great and my nightly UGH! is pretty much gone. At times I feel a bit crampy but Dr. Weeks says thats completely normal. It is also normal to feel the twinges in my lower abdominals...he says that's my ligaments stretching due to my growing uterus.

So...speaking of Dr. Weeks...

He called me last night around 7:45pm. He had ordered a few blood work tests when I went to see him last week - they included some prenatal tests along with a test to see if I'm immune to human parvovirus B19. Human Parvovirus B19 is the virus that causes Fifth's Disease in kids (it is not the same parvovirus that you find in canines). Fifth's Disease is a common childhood illness and since I am a teacher and I'm around kids day in and day out he wanted to check to see if I was already immune to it. (most of us are ... you probably had it as a kid and had no idea ... in that case you are already immune ... it's kinda like Chicken Pox ... you can't get it again)

Dr. Weeks had told me that he would only call if there was a problem with my blood work results, so you can see my surprise when he called last night. But have no fear! He was actually calling to let me know that I am in fact already immune to the human parvovirus. So, if there is to be a student at school who has come down with Fifth's Disease I don't have anything to worry about! Yay! Now if they could just get rid of the flu worries! He went on to say that we'd go over the rest of my results at my next appointment, but that they all came back just fine.

my first ultrasound with Dr. Weeks!

Dinner at mom & dad's was on Monday night this week. Another great meal and great company!

38 inches again this week...I think my body is just shifting...I look WAY more pregnant in this pictures this week, what do you think?

not sure what we're all looking at...

weekly group shot...once again, we sure missed Lizzie!

ugh...please remind me to make sure to elongate my neck...

my #1

cute family

me & my daddy-o (grand-daddy-o!)

me & my momma (grandmomma!)

Aunt Mackie

Pep really wants that bone...Trip is pretending she doesn't see her...

Happy Birthday Hailey Rachel!

This past weekend Brian, Trip, and I packed up the Tahoe and headed out to Chippewa Lake, Ohio for Hailey's 5th birthday! Hailey is the daughter of my cousin, Megan. Megan & I have always been very close - best cousins, if you will - I was her maid of honor and she was mine as well. We try to make it out to Ohio every year for Hailey's birthday, and we've made four out of the five. It is always a great chance for us to hang out and catch up with cousins that we don't get to see very often. Thanks Meg, Mike & Hailey! We had an awesome time celebrating with you!

Trip loves to take trips...she just sleeps the whole way!

She's...the...Birthday Girl...the Birthday Girl...

Every year we get Hailey a new winter coat from my favorite...GAP kids
(we also got her a Toys R Us giftcard)

views of the party...my cousin, Kim, Brian, Aunt Malo, Uncle Ba...

another view of the party

my cousin Jen and my Aunt Malo

me and the Hailey girl!

coloring together

Brian & Trippy chillin on the couch

Hailey and her Grandma & Grandpa (my Uncle Ba and Aunt Malo)

The birthday girl with her Momma

Hailey even took a picture with Brian this year!

after a long day of celebrating...Trippy and Mike hanging out

"Normal"

I had my first appointment back with my regular OB practice on Thursday, October 15th. What an exciting day! I am with the DuPage Medical Group, which has five obstetricians. My original doctor, Dr. Schreiber, doesn't deliver so Dr. Hickey referred us to another doctor in the group, Dr. Weeks.

Our appointment began with a brief consultation with the nurse...she got our background information about our pregnancy and about all other sorts of medical background. Then we had another bit of consultation with Dr. Weeks. He was wonderful, we just seem to fit right in. He was very easy to talk to and seemed genuinely excited for us and our baby. After a bit of nervousness leaving my wonderful Dr. Hickey, I am very excited to now work with Dr. Weeks. It was a perfectly seamless transition. Thank goodness!

After all of the initial pregnancy information talk he asked me if Dr. Hickey had me on any restrictions...which of course, yes he did...no heavy lifting, no working out, no intercourse, making sure that I get my circulation moving on long car rides...you know, all of those sorts of things. Dr. Weeks was very excited to tell me that from that moment on - I NO LONGER HAVE ANY RESTRICTIONS! I am a normal pregnancy! I can do all sorts of things with no worry. What a great feeling.

IVF or any procedure like it (ours) does bring a sort of high risk and they'll do some monitoring to make sure everything with the baby is perfect from head to toe, but it is not SO high risk that I'm really any different than anyone else! Can you even believe it?!

When we finished talking, Dr. Weeks informed me that I would indeed be getting ANOTHER ultrasound!!! He said that he always likes to do one at the first appointment, so even though I've already had three, he will do one for their records. Could I seriously be any more excited?!

Baby Witko at 13 weeks! He has gotten so big!
Baby measured right on target - 13 weeks and 3 days

Once again Baby was moving like crazy - Dr. Weeks had a hard time getting a good picture...every time he'd think he got a good one, the baby would move. I can't wait to meet this roly-poly wild one!!!

This will be my last ultrasound of this type...the baby is getting too big for the machine. My next ultrasound will be at 20 weeks when they run the Level 2 ultrasound - we'll go to the hospital for that one....and we'll get to find out the sex!

This next week brings another blood work appointment with Dr. Hickey's office...I may have only one more after this...wow...

My next appointment with Dr. Weeks will be on November 9th.

Week 13

Here we are already at another week and it's a big one at that. Not only is it already week 13, but on Thursday (tomorrow) I have my first appointment back with my regular OB, Dr. Weeks! I'm a bit nervous but also very excited - I hope they do an ultrasound, but we'll see, they haven't given me any information about what this appointment entails.

Dinner this week at mom & dad's included: mom, me, Brian, Kris & Mackenzie. Dad was out of town for business and Lizzie was at the library working on stuff for her class. Oh! Trip and Pepper were there too, of course! It was a low-key night - we had yummy sloppy joe's and watched Biggest Loser and Mackenzie's favorite, The Hills (Brian was super enthusiastic about watching The Hills!).

As always, the night concluded with lots of laughter and joking around, which you'll see in the pictures. I cherish these weekly meals with my family. I'm so lucky that we live so close to them.

baby, baby, baby

getting ready for the measurement...

38 inches! Baby loves Aunt Krissy!

Am I just like my Momma or what?! We are matching!

the dinner crew

dinner crew + the puppies

an unconventional way to kiss baby, but I LOVE it!!!

my love!

enjoying The Hills...Mackie's favorite..Brian's LEAST favorite

Lizzie's home!

Lizzie: "Let's think of a funny way to take a picture together" Rachel: "okay!"

Lizzie: "How about I put you up on my shoulders?" Rachel: "okay!" Mom & Mack: "We'll help!" Brian: "I'll take the picture."

a nice one to end on...Baby with Aunt Beanie

Love you guys sooo much! See you for dinner next week!

Fun with Friends

There is something to be said about a three day weekend...there is nothing like having a day off from work and getting just one more day to enjoy the weekend. Columbus Day was a perfect day off to catch up with good friends.

Mackenzie & I met up with my friend Renee and her sister Jamie. Renee & I went to Illinois State together. We lived down the hall from one another in the dorms both freshman and sophomore year and then lived together (along with our friend Courtney) in an apartment both our junior and senior years. We just realized that we've already known each other for 10 years....a 1/3 of our lives! Nay is a great great friend of mine - I'm very lucky to have her in my life - I just wish we were able to see each other more often! Mackenzie and Jamie are the same age and are a lot alike. They became instant friends the first time they met. We always have a blast when we all hang out together.

Along with the girls we also got to hang with Baby Jackson. Renee & her husband, Alan, gave birth to Jackson on June 18. He is already 4 months old - I can't even believe it! You may remember pictures from when Kristen and I went to see them in the hospital.

Our first picture together, 4 months ago!

me and Jack at brunch

seriously...how cute is he???

Mackenzie & Jackson

He loved Mackenzie - he snuggled right into her lap!

Me, Nay & Jack

I would hold him and cuddle with him all day if I could!!!

the little drool bug! look at those eyes!

All 5 of us!

Of course we had to get a picture of Baby Witko with his friend Jack! Nay and I already know that they are going to be the BEST of friends!!!

Mackie was a bit tired...she actually fell asleep in the car on the way home!