Loads of Fun!

Loads of fun, indeed! Thanks to my fantastic new washer and dryer, doing laundry will be even more fun (yes, I'm a freak that enjoys doing laundry). On Monday I came home and was greeted with a new front loading washer and dryer - a wonderful present from my wonderful husband. He explained that these were my present for giving birth to our son. Most people don't get their present until after the birth, but he figured that these would come in handy the next few weeks while I was washing little baby clothes and blankets as one of the final things to do before our baby boy arrives. I love it!! And my apologies for the pictures, we have a pretty small, narrow laundry room, so it was difficult to get a good picture of the shiny new appliances!

32 Weeks!

2 months...8 weeks...approximately 56 days left!

Glenwood Triathalon 2010

THE ATHLETIC SUPPORTERS (+ ZACH WHO WAS AN ATHLETE):




THE ATHLETES:

Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday...

The famous wedding speech from "The Princess Bride" referenced in the title of this post was discussed as part of the wedding ceremony - very fun! Anyways, yesterday the Pretekin's were able to share in Caren and Josh's special day. First up was the ceremony. Valet parking was available for the guests and after we parked, we walked a few blocks down to the church. Yesterday was a pretty warm day (in the 90s) and I began to feel pretty light-headed (I knew I should have eaten a little snack before we left...). Luckily I made it into the church, but decided we should sit in the back row, just in case something happened and I needed to leave quickly. Turns I wasn't the only one who was overheated (and maybe had some low blood sugar going on). TWO of the four bridesmaids fainted during the ceremony. Everyone was ok though, and Caren and Josh were able to say their "I do's!" Next up was the reception. It was at the Curtis Hotel. I'd never been there, but it is a pretty neat hotel - very quirky. Apparently every floor is a different, somewhat unusual theme. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures at the reception, but if you ever get a chance, it's definitely a hotel you should check out. We had a wonderful night out, and wish Caren and the Josh love and happiness for many years to come!

Back to School!

A few weeks ago, I began my third year teaching at my current school and my 6th year (!) teaching overall. Tonight was our back to school night, which went great! I had an excellent conversation with some parents of my students who were very informed about special education. It was nice to really be able to talk about what I know and do everyday and help reassure them that there child's learning needs are being met. Since it was back to school night, and first impressions are important, Baby P got a bit dressed up for the event!

Here's my first attempt at using the self-timer to take a picture of the dressed up bump. When you're not used to your new camera and you're moving a bit slower these days, this is the result.


Here's the best picture I got of myself. Not great, but it will have to do since Michael was working late and the bump was ready to be adorned by comfy pj's!

28 Weeks!

Here we are at 28 weeks! Happy Third Trimester - this is the home stretch. I know I keep saying it, but I really cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. I can't believe how soon we will be seeing our little guy's face!

So, as I have done for every month of the pregnancy I took a few belly shots for month 7. Notice that the belly button is going to pop out here at any second.






Here is a picture of my swollen feet. To celebrate the beginning of the third trimester, I went back to work. Somehow I managed to work for the first and third trimesters, when you are more uncomfortable and be off during the second trimester, when you feel the best and have the most energy. Oh well. Despite the swollen feet from the heat and running around all day, everything went well.


Another update: last week I had my doctor's appointment. The doctor said that the baby was measuring right on target and that everything looked good. I also did the glucose screener at this appointment, which screens you to see if you need to be tested for gestational diabetes. My screener results came back high, meaning that I would need to take the 3 hour glucose tolerance test to determine if I did indeed have gestational diabetes. When I got the news that my screener was high, I completely freaked out. I just wanted the baby to be okay and while there are many things that can be done to control the diabetes and most babies are born perfectly fine, I was still very worried. I scheduled the 3 hour test for the next day, and Michael, being the great husband that he is, took the morning off of work to come with me. You have to fast before the test and when you get there, the lab techs immediately take your blood. You then drink a liquid that is very concentrated with sugar and your blood is taken every hour for the next three hours. After a long morning and being poked by needles, I went home to nap (that sugar crash sure makes you tired)!! The next day I received a call from the nurse at my doctor's office telling me that everything had come back perfectly normal and I did NOT have gestational diabetes. *Huge sigh of relief* Here's to hoping that this last trimester is smooth sailing!

Baby Morph!

I thought it would be funny to try out one of those websites that takes your pictures and shows you what your potential child would look like. A lot of times the result is a weird looking, alien baby. I thought ours actually didn't turn out so bad, although he/she has some odd looking hair and I'm not sure what's going with the shadow on the left side of the face. Still fun to do, and I can't to wait to see what he REALLY looks like!

Camera Upgrade!

I haven't taken the opportunity to brag about the new camera my hubby got me for our anniversary! I had a camera that my parents had gotten me when I graduated college, and while it worked, it was outdated and was slowly losing steam. I'm not the excellent photographer that Michael is, so it's nothing too fancy, but it's perfect for me. And it's red!

Changing Pad for Baby or Awesome Cat Bed?

Cheers to One Year!!

J&M from Jenny Pretekin on Vimeo.

24 Weeks!

I can hardly believe that we are already that we are already at the 6 month mark. Time sure does fly! Our little guy will be here before you know it!

I know some women are very opposed to the belly shots, but I love them! I think they will be a great reminder in years to come of this exciting time in the Pretekin family!

A Nursery In Progress & Time Flies

The nursery for our baby boy is underway! Last week my mom helped me paint the room (a nice sage green) and we picked out the fabrics for the crib. My mom, who has excellent sewing skills, will be making the skirt and the bumper for the crib, as well as pillows for the room. The fabrics (a green, yellow, and red plaid, as well as a red gingham and a yellow gingham) will be perfect! The crib and dresser are on their way, and I am working on painting a bookshelf black to match. I can't wait to see the finished product! Pictures will be posted once everything has come together.

On a separate note, I can't believe that we are now more than halfway there. The other day I was talking to Michael and suddenly realized I would be going back to work here in about a month. Once I'm back at work, things will get busy and before I know it, our little one will be here. I can't wait to meet him!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!!

On Sat., Michael and I went to the Rockies games with my parents! Their Fourth of July celebration was held a day early since the Rockies were not playing a night game on the 4th. We had a great time, despite the very hot weather, my incredibly swollen feet, and the Rockies losing. Happy 4th of July!!

Baby's first baseball game and fireworks display! I think he enjoyed the fireworks, as he did a little moving around then!

A beautiful shot of Coors Field!

This Week in Weird...

These speed limit signs are posted all over the complex where my doctor's office is. How does one drive at 17 1/2 miles an hour? What happens if you go 17 mph? How about 18?

20 Weeks!

Here I am at 20 weeks! We're halfway there and can't wait to meet out little guy!

Boy, Oh Boy!!

It's official! Baby Pretekin is a boy! We had our appointment on Tuesday and found out that not only is Baby Pretekin a boy, but he is healthy and growing right on schedule. We couldn't be more excited!

I went to a little breakfast gathering at my mother-in-law's house, where she and some of our friends guessed the sex of the baby. Not everyone made it to the gathering, but we had a lot of guesses. There were 7 votes for a girl and 6 votes for a boy.


There was a boy duck and a girl duck...

The boy duck!!

And they called it kitty love...

Summertime Fun!

Here's a Pretekin Update:
Jenny: I am finished with school for the summer!! I am excited to continue to work on organizing our office and to paint the baby's room. I am also thrilled that in about 2 weeks my mom and dad will permanently be moved back here from their time living overseas. Basically, I am planning on having a relaxing summer spending time with friends and family before going back to work and before the little one arrives late next fall.
Michael: M is continuing to work hard this summer. He seems to be enjoying his job and finding a lot of success there. He is also hard at work in pursuing his electrical engineering degree. In online degrees you don't get to take the summer off, but luckily we will be taking a short trip to California to celebrate his cousins graduation, which should be a wonderful time. Otherwise, he will be hard at work and will continue to be a supportive and caring husband to his pregnant wife.
Baby P: Our last appointment went well, and Baby P continues to grow. The heart rate was again 160, which still puts the baby in the "girl" range. (Quicker hear rates - anything over 140 beats per minute - tend to be indicative of a girl. I am told that the quick heart rate is a 75% predictor that the baby will be a girl) Our next appointment is June 15th and this is the big one! Hopefully Baby P will cooperate and we will be able to see if we are having a boy or a girl. After feeling the belly and sensing the "baby energy," our friends and family are split on their guess of our child's gender. Place your bets! I am also looking forward to being able to feel Baby P move here very shortly!
Cheers to Summer!

Bumps & Booty

First up, the baby bump: Baby P has gone through quite the growth spurt in the past few weeks. Here I am, 15 weeks along and definitely looking preggers.


Next, the baby booty: We have been so blessed to receive some generous gifts for the baby! We have gotten quite a few books. My mom sent us "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Chronicles of Narnia" popup books by Robert Sabuda. These books are unbelievable - the popups are truly amazing! I don't think my pictures even come close to doing these books justice. We have also received some other cute items for baby - a little outfit, a bath towel, a bib, and a teddy bear.

Baby Bumpin'

Here's me at 12 weeks. Yup, I'm already starting to show. This seemed a little early to me, but I've been reassured by mommies and medical professionals that everybody starts to bump out at different times. So, I'm going to sit back and enjoy seeing our baby keep growing away!

Baby P Goes to the ER

Let me start by assuaging the fears you blog readers are having due to the title of this post: EVERYTHING TURNED OUT JUST FINE!

It all started Tuesday afternoon. I started having some abdominal pain. It was a dull ache on the upper right side. A very different pain than anything I had felt before. Now, pregnancy is full of new and unusual things, and with your first it's hard to know what is "normal." I, trying to not stress, figured I would just ride it out. However, a few hours later, the pain was worse. By this time, my doctor's office was closed. They do offer an after-hours service that you can call and get advice from nurses. So I called, described my symptoms and listened to the advice: take some Tylenol, lay on your right side, and drink fluids. I did all of these things and went to bed hoping I would wake up feeling better. About 1am I woke up in even more pain. A concerning amount of pain. So, I called back the after-hours service to get some more advice. The nurse's advice? Go to the ER now and get checked out. Adbominal pain that is becoming more severe is a BIG red flag during pregnancy.

After waking Michael up, we were off (and I have to say, that is the fastest I have ever seen that little Prius drive). Luckily, there is a Swedish Hospital ER very close to our house, since the other hosptials that will take my insurance are a ways away. Once there, the very nice nurse got us set up in a room and proceeded to take blood. I was apparently serverly dehydrated (I have the bruises from the multiple attempts to insert an IV on both my hands to prove it...). The doctor ordered up an ultrasound to check on pretty much every internal organ below my stomach.

They checked all of my organs, but the exciting part was that we got to see Baby P again! I did not have a great view of the machine, but Michael carefully watched everything. He reported that Baby P was definitely bigger (almost double the length he/she was last time). He was also able to notice some features, the nose in particular. Baby P was again very active - moving and wiggling around to make sure he/she was known (I sure hope Baby P is not such a wiggler when he/she gets bigger). The awesome ultrasound tech told us, in his Russian accent, that the baby was just fine. The heart beat was normal and there didn't appear to be any problems. Whew!!! That right there was my biggest worry. That the baby wouldn't be fine. The first trimester is a delicate time, when chances of miscarriages are much higher, and we are not quite out of that first trimester yet, so it is always a worry in the back of your mind.

Anyways...they weren't able to find anything specific wrong. If things got worse, they said my appendix might be a concern. They also said the dehydration could be causing some problems. And although they did not mention it, many friends and family felt that it was probably growing pains. I'm glad that nothing was wrong, that Baby P is looking good, and I am feeling so much better. Hopefully, it will be smooth sailing from here!!

Oh, Baby!

Baby Pretekin is on his/her way!! We expect the debut to be made around Nov. 11th. Mom is doing well, has had very little morning sickness and is just about through her first trimester. Our first appointment a few weeks ago went well. Baby P was quite the entertainer! We were lucky to see a lot of movement and even got a picture of the legs unfolded! The heart rate was strong (160 beats per minute) and Baby P measured right on target!

Cruisin'

As he was cleaning/organizing his office this past week, Michael found this picture of himself as a baby. His dad is holding him up so it looks like he is driving a Rolls Royce. I have decided this is one of the cutest pictures I have ever seen and couldn't resist posting it. What a cute baby he was!!

Blog Makeover!

I decided our blog needed a new look for a new season! Ok, it's not quite Spring yet, but we're close enough. So anyways, I am trying to be more adventureous when it comes to designing the blog. I am not in the realm of creating my own background templates quite yet, but I did create our header this time around! I found Picnik, a great little website that helps you edit your photos and put them into collages (amongst other things). It's free, but if you want some of the cooler options, there is an annual fee. Hope you enjoy the new look!

One is the Loneliest Number

What a week! Michael has been off in North Carolina since Monday for business, so I have been going it alone. I know I am a grown-up, but being a big house all by yourself gets lonely pretty fast. Luckily there was alot of hustle and bustle this week to keep me occupied. CSAPs (our state standardized test) began this week. All you Colorado teachers out there know that this is a stressful time for the kids and the teachers. So I came home exhausted pretty much everyday. Got my hair done Tuesday night and when I got home our hot water heater was leaking. Wednesday morning there was no hot water. I was able to get a plumber over and get a new hot water heater installed by Wednesday evening (okay, so I had help from my father-in-law and husband...really I just opened the door for the plumber). Thursday night I finally got some time to read and veg out. Tonight I plan on doing the same thing while waiting for my much-missed husband to return home.
Happy First Week of March!!

Twenty-eight is Grrrreat!!

On Friday, Feb. 12th, I celebrated my 28th birthday! It was such a wonderful day...I'm hoping that this year follows that trend.
Frist, I went on the first field trip ever organized by yours truly! Last I read The Lightning Thief with my Language Arts classes. The movie came out Friday, so I decided to take my kiddos. We had a great time and enjoyed the movie very much! And thanks to my colleagues for the thoughtful birthday cards and gifts!

Second, I had dinner at Roger and Linny's (M's parents) house. My mom was in town to come to dinner. This is the first time in about 5 years that she has been in town for my birthday. Linny cooked a delicious dinner (steak and veggies) and made her famous chocolate cake (she made the same cake for our wedding). Michael's brother, Zach, was there to celebrate (and a shout-out to Zach who turned 26 last week!!) I scored some awesome Uggs, a red pashmina, a cool cat clock, and some pretty sweet gift cards.
I am so lucky to have my amazing family - thanks for helping me celebrate!!

Blog Neglect and Home Improvement

First and foremost, let me apologize for my terrible neglect of the blog. I can't believe that it has been a month since I last posted. Unacceptable.
Here's the update: nothing new is really going on at the Pretekin household. I am working and helping with the basketball games on some nights. Michael has found himself VERY busy at work recently. He has been spending many a late night at the office trying to complete the project he is working on. Linus, Lucy, Piper, and Prue are their usual selves. Although, I'm pretty sure that Lucy now outweighs Prue. We have been affectionately calling her "chunk-a-munk."

In the past couple of months, we made a few small updates to our house. First, my mom and dad gave us their old couch. They are getting new furniture for the house in Evergreen. The couch is in great condition, is super big, and looks great in our family room!

We also replaced all of the blinds in our house. There were white wooden blinds when we moved in. They weren't the worst things ever, but in the past few months had been breaking and were looking pretty rough. We opted for cordless cellular shades. They look great and fit nicely in with the decor.



Next up, more painting!!