My belly button..

It's official. My belly button is sticking out, like really out there.

Week 30 is here! I can't believe I have ten.. ten?! more to go! It's so crazy that in ten short weeks, a little more than 2 months, this little kicking and squirming baby will be here. The guessing game over whether it's a boy or girl will be over and we will get to meet this little thing! (I apologize if those that are reading are thinking... ten more weeks? When is it just going to get here?)

I love that our little baby is going to come into this world already thought and prayed for by many people for over 9 months! My parents said they prayed for us.. prayed for all of us kids before we were born. For our lives, our hearts, our relationship with God.. our spouses, our futures. They even prayed for our teeth! (that one payed off, that I one thing I get to brag about). They did forget to pray for our eyes though, oops.

Luke and I have been praying every night for our growing baby, and we want to ask if you will pray too. For those who do read this.. will you pray? Here's our prayer requests :)

1. For a healthy baby! For no medical complications with the baby and strong development of.. everything!

2. For the delivery. Fast and fairly easy! (hey, I can pray what I want right?) We want to pray for God's perfect timing and for every step of the way during the delivery.

3. For our nurses and doctors in the hospital. Please pray for hand-picked nurses that are a wonderful, encouraging support and can make the delivery as painless as possible. One specific request.. we LOVE our baby doctor, Dr. Schoel. Please pray that she can be the one to deliver! There are quite a few doctors that could deliver, but pray that it would work out to be her!

4. For the after-party.. which means, pray for the first couple weeks after this baby is born. Pray for Luke and I to be able to figure this thing out! Pray for feeding and sleeping, and for an all around happy baby.

5. Oh, and for the first couple days still in the hospital. I really hate hospitals and they kinda make me.. anxious. Pray that it is smooth sailing during that recovery time.

6. While you're praying, it wouldn't hurt to pray for Luke and I financially as this baby arrives. For anyone who has had one (a baby that is), I'm sure you get this.. I don't think we quite understand it all, but just pray that the Lord provides, as he always does!

Thank you a million times!

Luke & Kristen

Merry Christmas dear baby!

Dear baby,

Today is Christmas! As your uncle Ryan said, "a baby was born, our lives were changed." So true. Today we celebrated with the Kirkpatrick family in the morning and afternoon, then with the Prosser side in the evening. Tonight we laid in bed while Luke played worship songs on his guitar and you kicked and kicked! I think you really like hearing him play. :) We cannot WAIT for next years Christmas. Can't wait to open presents with you in the morning and see family. mmm, can't wait for you to be a part of our family!

What a miracle our baby Jesus was years ago, and what a miracle you are to us! We love you little one!

- mom and dad...

Week 29

We're getting up there! This is what's happening in the world of the baby.. It now weighs 2.5 lbs, amount the weight of a butternut squash (mmm) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel! The muscles and lungs are continuing to mature and the head is growing bigger to make room for the developing brain.

The kicking, stretching and pushing is just getting bigger, it is so wonderful! The other night we went to the Prossers house and of course, it was kicking away. I wish I could have taken a picture of the 4 girls gathered around my belly waiting for the kicks. Britt felt a good one.. It was special. :) It doesn't really follow a pattern, just whenever it feels like being awake!

I'm reading a book called Baby Wise, recommended by a few people about sleep habits and all that. It's good stuff! I feel like I'm getting to crunch time here, this baby is coming!

I had a regular check up last week, everything is going great! The heartbeat was at an adorable 150.

Here I go, off to write Christmas cards and address them. Oh boy.

family Christmas

Here's some photos from our wonderful photo shoot we had with Johnna! Thanks so much Johnna! Our love our cute little family (is that ok to say?) and I love that we're expanding. Can't wait for next year's photos!

enjoy. Merry Christmas!

third trimester begins!

Less than 3 months left?! I just started the third trimester in week 28, and feeling bigger every day. I had a regular baby doctor check up yesterday, got to hear the little heartbeat again! It's at 150 ish.. so, pretty normal, can't tell boy or girl from that really.

I'm sick today.. flu? headache? just achy all over. That means I'm planted in front of the couch.. already watched You've Got Mail, License to Wed, and I'm on to a lot of Friends episodes.

Here's a picture of a date night Luke and I had last week.. well, kinda. We went to dinner and Triple Espresso with my school, tons of fun. This non-preggo dress definitely worked!

Until next time.

it's christmas time.

As Erin says, this is the girls hanging out. maybe Ernie?!?

Good morning! Welcome to week 27 in the life of Baby Prosser! It really does feel like it's going super fast. But then, there's other times when I remember being pregnant in the summer and here it is almost Christmas... and I still have three months of go?! That seems long.

3 months from today, we will (hopefully) be meeting our little son/daughter! Quite amazing.

This week, the baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.5 inches long with the legs extended. It's sleeping and waking at regular intervals (yes, our bed time is baby's party time), opening and closing its eyes and even sucking those little fingers! With more brain tissue developing, the baby's brain is very active now. While the lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help - if the baby were to reveal itself now. I haven't felt them yet, but this is the time when I might be able to feel like baby hiccups! Cuuuute.

And for me? Here come the muscle cramps, achy back and restless nights. It hasn't been bad at all so far, but my legs are soo jumpy. I know I might not say this in a couple months, but I love every bit of it. I will gladly take some pain knowing that a little.. human is developing inside of me! wonderful.

Still keeping up with the doctors appointments at 4 week intervals (H1N1 shot? check.) and doing the prego fitness classes.

Here's our Christmas tree that we set up this year. It will be so fun to bring a little baby along next year to pick out a perfect tree.

birthing class....

one word to describe that entire experience....messy. pure messy. i saw 5 births happen before my own eyes. the one i was supposed to watch in 6th grade, i turned my head away and talked to my friends through that experience. so going from not seeing one thing about this process to seeing 5...lets just say my eyes were not the only thing opened wide. yucky! la;skjdf;lakjsdfl;ajksdf;jsdf (keyboard freak out) and to add to that, we were in a huge auditorium/movie theater type setting. and im not joking you, i watched these things on a 90 foot screen. i am forever changed.

and looking around seeing everybody else in the place are almost ready to pop and here we are, 4 months away from having our baby...i couldn't help but get a little upset and think "we are here wayyyyy too soon". now i have to live with myself and what i saw for 4 whole months.

As we were watching the gore happen, i looked over at kristen and wanted to comfort her a bit by touching her leg. i hadnt even gotten my hand ready and she looked at me and said "DONT TOUCH ME.." hahahaha. OH, and if that wasn't bad enough to be watching these 'shows' one after another, our teacher gave us blow pops to suck on during them as a kind, little gesture...blow pops!! unbelievable, i grabbed a strawberry one too...wellllll, blow pops will forever be tarnished in my head...thanks a lot.

...we went wayyyy to early...

all in all, i did learn a few tricks, some comfort measures and some breathing techniques im suppose to coach kristen through. shes gonna be totally awesome/amazing and im super pumped to meet our human.

baby's first hockey game!

The baby is proud to be a Colorado College fan! And a Nate Prosser fan!

my bod..

Haha, nice title of the post, I know.

As I get further along in this pregnancy and the baby Pross keeps getting bigger, I'm trying to keep my body somewhat "normal" and healthy.

This is what I'm trying to do...

Stretch marks! I want to try to avoid those if I can. I hear that it just comes from when certain parts of your body expand and get big really fast. Hense, a baby. My mom's neighbor sells Phytomer skin care, it's so great! I had to deal with the teenage acne that came right when I was first pregnant, so I used their face and body washes as well as the skin care. Here's the stretch mark stuff..

And the face/body washes...

And some miracle cellulite cream. I'm serious, this works. I really don't know if there's any boys that read this (Hi dad-in-law), but I know this one is more for the girls. I'll spare the details of cottage cheese legs, but this stuff is working!

Ok, so that all helps with the skin. I am also keeping up with walking outside as much as I can, going to the gym on occasion (trying to keep what arms muscles I had), and talking prego fitness class. I signed up for a weekly class at the hospital. We do stretching, muscle work and some cardio.. it's great. If I really wanted to work myself, I should probably get myself in my mother-in-law, Muggs' workout class. I'll think about it.

And last, prego yoga. While Luke is bulking up his body with P90x, I'm trying to keep mine in shape. This morning Luke did his weekly yoga workout downstairs and I did my prenatal yoga upstairs. I like it. Besides the wierd namaste and relaxation techniques (no thanks), it's really good stretching and flexibility. This is the DVD I got.

That's what I've been up to! Besides dreaming, shopping, getting ready to get ready for the baby room (ah! I want to start!), that's what I do! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!

Kristen

Week 26

Ok, I feel like there's a lot to post about lately, so I'll try to keep up with everything I think of. Here's what I want to cover (yes, I sound like a teacher).

one. I need to tell everyone about this miracle stretch mark cream. I just say miracle because I feel like I keep getting bigger that stretch marks are bound to come, but nothing! It's working.

two. we went to a birthing class. Enough said, I want to leave the rest for Luke.

three. Angela had her baby!!!! Welcome baby Troy!

four. I bought more cute prego clothes :)

five. We got our Christmas tree up, I love Christmas!

six. I'm in week 26!!

Let's start there.. week 26 in here! This is what's going on in the world in the fetus. (haha, fetus.) The network of nerves in our baby's ears are better developed and more sensitive than before. The baby is now able to hear both my voice and Luke's! The baby is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of the lungs. These breathing movements are also good practice for when it's born and takes that first gulp of air. And the baby is continuing to put of baby fat. It now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (dear baby English hothouse cucumber!) :) If it's a boy, it's private parts are developing. (it's our baby! I have to say private parts!)

Here's what it looks like... yes yes, it looks a science class diagram. Oh well.

It's moving like crazy! I love it so much! We went the Nutcracker ballet last night and it was moving and moving the whole time! I'd like to say that it loves ballet.. but it also could be mad and hating it.

until next time...

baby strollers and expensive jeans..

This is what consumes my mind these days. Those moments when I should be editing, I should be grading papers, I should be doing... stuff. But I'd much rather think, dream and plan for the baby! I've been browsing more baby stuff lately, getting ready to register. This is all so foreign, what do we NEED for baby Pros?

The strollers these days are crazy (not that I knew what they were like before these days). But they're pretty sophisticated! This is the Chicco stroller I'm looking at.

Oh, and on the other size of my brain, I need more prego jeans! Luke says I can splurge. I'm sick of my pants falling down, my saggy butt (it's true), so I'm going straight to the top. These two are Paige brand and Citizens of Humanity. Thoughts? Cute huh? Oh I need the long ones, I actually miss wearing heels.

moving baby!

The baby is kicking and kicking and it's wonderful! Today I saw the baby move and kick from the outside of my belly. There's an alien in there.. the most adorable, cutest alien ever. I can't believe how much bigger it's getting!

This is what I'm reading these days.. trying to figure this whole "baby changing my life" thing. I'm pumped.

My dear friend..

Here comes baby Thayer!

My friend, Angela, is going to have her baby boy in the next week or two! It's so fun that Angela and I have gone through quite a few life changes and life moments together, this one is big.. I love her and cherish her friendship and cannot wait to meet the little man that her and Lane bring into this world. Pray for all these changes in their life. And look, we got to be pregnant together! Love you Ang!

new sounds.

The weeks seem to be flying by! It's week 23 now, and the changes are pretty crazy. Our little one has acquired a pretty good sense of sound. Not only can our 11 inch long baby hear the music, he/she will dance along with it. The baby can feel my sense of movement, and it's kicking..to the point where we may be able to see it kick from the outside now! That's nuts.. the kicks are getting bigger, it's sooo very cool. Loud noises become more familiar now, like a dog barking or the noise of the vacuum (or the girl rock music that I love).. the baby will be familiar and more comfortable with those noises when it make its debut into the world. Elsewhere in the world of the baby, blood vessels in the lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. It weighs just over a pound! It's really amazing to think that in four months we will meet our little one and all this developing and all the changes produce our baby! Our squirmy, crying, alive baby!

Luke and I have really decided to take full advantage of these days with just us. Going on dates, hanging out together, staying out late (ha, I sound like my 17 year old sister.. love you!). We're thrilled for this next big change, but we have totally valued the time we have had together. Wouldn't give it up..

I'm getting a bit more uncomfortable, but I love love the kicking and moving baby. I have more energy and make my way into the gym a bit more. Oh, but I did find a new love in my life.. raspberry frozen yogurt. mmm. But it's great that everyone can tell that I'm prego now. The guy at Potbellys asked if I wanted pickles and ice cream.. I said, you can tell! To that he said I was glowing :) Must be the sweat...

Oh, and I just had to share this picture of Easton. He's smiling. :)

baby's first plane trip

We went to Colorado! One last wonderful vacation before the little arrives.. wonderful meaning just Luke and I. :) We went to Denver to visit Nathan & Chrissie and then headed up to my grandparents house in Estes Park. Luke has never been there and it really is one of my favorite places on earth. It was absolutely beautiful. Denver got 30 inches of snow the day we got there, so besides the crazy roads, it was so pretty. Luke and I went snow shoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park, we hung out around downtown, eating caramel apples and taffy, and just relaxed. And I was feeling Christmasy, so I moved to the Peppermint White Mochas at Starbucks....mmm. It was Halloween, so we watched the Shining (oh man, I don't remember it being that scary) and went a toured the Stanley Hotel the next day where the movie was inspired. oooh scary.

It was soo wonderful to be with my fam and just get away for a few days. The baby is doing good, kicking away! I love it! I am into week 22 now, with a length of 11 inches (a spaghetti squash.. ya, that one is weird). The baby is looks more like a newborn now! The lips, eyelids and eyebrows are more distincy and it's developing tiny tooth buds inside the gums! woah. The eyes have formed but the irises don't have pigment yet.

I seem to keep getting bigger, which is a good thing I suppose. It's just more.. uncomfortable. It's crazy to look back at pre-prego pics of myself, I'm realllly excited to get back to those jeans (eventually) and just be more comfortable in clothes again. oh that day seems far away. I do like that my belly is getting bigger, instead of just looking big all over. I really don't like taking pictures of myself, not a good look.

soccer player

I'm a little slow on this draw, but last saturday night we were laying around talking and she was telling me the feeling she gets when the babe kicks or moves around. I had my hand on her belly this entire time and I thought I felt something, kinda like a muscle twitch and Krast never verified that she felt it kick...so I wrote it off thinking her belly was just twitching. But it kept happening so she felt it and it turned out to be the baby kicking! there was no twitching going on here. I got to be the first one to bring out the kung fu from my baby. hopefully its cuz its excited and not angry with me already.

she there it is...an active, kicking baby who crosses its legs and keeps its hands by its face just like mom does when she sleeps.

I've been thinking.

People always say to trust your "motherly instinct." You'll know if it's a boy or a girl.. you can feel it. I learned a long time ago to not trust my feelings so I'm having a hard time with this!

At first I thought it was a girl. Only because everyone is having boys lately, someone has to balance it out as a girl.

Then I thought it was a boy. Well, I guess I was more willing to think that way.. thanks to Landon.

After that, I went back to thinking it was a girl.

The heartbeats have been at about 150. That doesn't tell anything. I broke out with teenage zits all over my face. That means boy. The way I'm carrying the baby, my stiff muscles, a spinning ring over my wrist. Over Luke's wrist?

So I'm just more confused and anxious! I don't have a preference one way or the other. I would love an older brother, but I would love to spoil a little girl.. you've seen the clothes they have these days, right? A little Luke? Wonderful! A little Kristen? Maybe :)

At least the baby knows what it is.

- Kristen

the staring begins..

We got to see our baby!!!! We had our ultrasound on Monday, October 19 at 8 in the morning. Coolest thing ever. It was so wonderful to just stare at our baby for about an hour. Before we left, Luke said, "this is crazy.. this is the first time we get to see our baby!"

The baby was moving, and kicking, crossing its legs, waving at us.. quite an active little one! It was pretty amazing to see it playing with its fingers, with the cord, just hanging out! The ultrasound lady reminded us that there is a little baby in there! I mean, we knew that... but it's a very active, real human that is amazed by its fingers, its toes and does looks a little bored in there. :) Can't wait to meet our little one!

and yes.. I was crying. Surprise, surprise.

I am into week 20 and getting bigger! I have been feeling some movement, but not a ton. This is something new I learned.. my placenta is on top (on top of what? I don't know).. but that means that it's harder to feel the movement until the baby gets a little bigger. The baby is about 6.5 inches long, about the length of a banana. I'm going to keep using the food comparisons (Luke...) , it just makes it a little weirder to eat a banana this week.

This is all sooo fun. For a little while there I didn't think I'd say this, but I love being pregnant!!

Introducing, baby Prosser!

and the gift goes on...

well, its been a while since i've made a post on this thing and i'd just like to apologize to our babe for getting compared to such terrible veggies throughout this process. I mean, nobody even likes veggies and who the H has really ever heard of a turnip, lentil bean...and my favorite...an English hothouse cucumber (im not making this stuff up!)(week 26). unbelievable, our kid is gonna have a complex right out of the get-go for being compared to these veggie rejects.

Maybe we should rethink how we compare human life to things we eat...seems kind of prehistoric and cannonballistic of us. Why not just compare them to baseballs, softballs, footballs...just anything that we dont eat!

i am however, starting to talk to it more and more. Its a cool thing to know that my babay is gonna know my voice way before we meet.

-luke

a boy is winning?

Maybe, maybe we're having a boy! I decided I really have no internal motherly feelings one way or the other. Some days I think it's a girl and other days, a boy. I know it'd be great either way.

We're into week 19, halfway there?? That's crazy. This is what's going on: The baby's sensory development is exploding. The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch. The baby can hear us now! That's awesome. He or she weighs about 8.5 ounces and is about 6 inches long, about the size of a large heirloom tomato. The arms and legs are in the right proportions to each and other and the ret of the body now. And there is hair sprouting on the little head! So cool.

Oh, the changes for me.. I am growing and growing! I like it.. it's nice to actually have a distinct baby belly instead of just looking bigger all over. It's funny because I have noticed for a while now, but sometimes I'll be in a store and someone will look at me and smile. I think they notice too! And we definitely have a moving baby! I can feel it some days more than others and it depends on if I'm sitting or standing, but it's really cool. Still feels like bubbles, like little pops. Some people said it'd feel like little flutters or tickling, but I haven't really felt that.

I went to Des Moines this past weekend for a baby shower for my friend, Angela. She is due the middle of November, so she's getting close! Here's a couple pictures of the two prego friends (no, Mary's not pregnant).. it's soooo fun that my dear friend Angela and I are both pregnant! I've known her since I think 5th grade, so it's crazy to go through this together! (yes yes, I'm a big fan of the slammers!!!) :)

Week 18

The baby is expanding and growing and.. moving!! I think? On Sunday, I think there was definite movement. It just felt like bubbles in my stomach that would almost kinda pop. I heard that's what it's supposed to feel like, so I'm gonna call it! We have a moving baby!

This week, in the life of our baby: The baby is about 5 1/2 in. long and weights about 7 ounces. It's busy flexing it's arms and legs and blood vessels are visible through its thin skin. This is funny, it's ears are not in their final position but are standing about from its head a bit.

What's so amazing to me is that there is this cute little baby forming in there that isn't just.. some other baby. It's not just a factory baby with ears and eyes and a mouth. It's our baby! It's going to come out look like us! That's incredible! I heard the heartbeat again last week, so stinkin cute. 2 weeks until the ultrasound, can't wait to actually see it!

This is the size of the baby now.. a bell pepper! (and Erin and I being a little bit crazy). And in case you were wondering.. this is what its going to become. I'm not sure why I have such a big smile on my face, that's not really a good thing.

Happy fall baby Prosser!

things to remember..

Here's a few things that I need to remember for the next time I'm pregnant:

- Things smell sooo strong, and this happened the day before I found out I was pregnant!

- I had to bust out the Bella Band (genius invention, by the way).. around 11 weeks.

- I get nauseous at night, I have to keep my stomach fed with plenty of pretzels and crackers.

- I get headaches! I never really got headaches or migraines before I was pregnant, but I do now. I have to keep eating throughout the day and drink plenty of water.

- Even though it's a pain sometimes, exercises really makes me feel great. It helps to walk, run, bike, all that.

- Oh, my rear end expands along with my stomach. Oops!

there's a lot of changes.. but there's a few!

baby turnip

What a lovely shape the baby is this week! :) This is what is happening this week.. the baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker. The baby weighs about 5 ounces (and mom weighs a whole lot more) and is around 5 inches long from head to bottom. The baby can move its joints and the sweat glands are starting to develop. Wow!

Today I had a baby doctor appointment, and got to hear the heartbeat again! It was around 150. What a precious noise to hear! It just sounds so.. cute!

Here's the size of the baby this week:

And the thing is... this seems big to me! But I don't feel a ton bigger in my stomach and I'm anxious to feel the baby move! They say the first things you feel are more like gas bubbles, which I think I've felt! I know you're in there little one!

3 years.

today we celebrate 3 years as Mr. and Mrs. Prosser..

I know everyone says it, but it really was the best day of my life. The anticipation.. how excited we were, the people, Luke's face. :) One of my favorite moments was when we left the ceremony, got in the car together and freaked out!! We were screaming that we are marriiiieedd! Nothing can come close to that feeling.

I loved him when he asked me to be his girlfriend on September 25, 2004 by telling me to circle yes or no.

I loved him when he asked me to be his wife on November 26, 2005 by singing a song, getting down on one knee.. and asking me to circle yes or no.

I loved him on September 23, 2006 when he married me!!

I loved him on June 28, 2009 when I told him we are going to have a baby..

I love you today, Luke Prosser, more than ever.