annabelle rae: month four.

Annabelle Rae,

Sweet girl, you are four months old! I am completely in awe at how this has already happened! You are getting bigger, stronger and sweeter with each and every day. We are loving every minute!

This was a fun month for you! We had lots of fun visitors this month-your GiGi, Aunt Jenn, Grandma and Grandpa Krueger and Troy all came to spend some time with you. You and I even had our very first slumber party when Daddy had to go away for a night. I cannot wait until you are older and we can have real slumber parties together!

You have discovered the big, open mouth smile and your daddy and I cannot get enough! Your whole face lights up! We can usually get the biggest smiles from you when you 'fly' up above our heads or when we sing silly songs to you. 

Your favorite thing to do is put your little bitty fingers in your mouth. You could spend the whole day chewing on those things, it makes you so happy. You are also working on your motor skills and are learning to play with your Sophie giraffe and a fun teething toy from Pops. You are so good at holding onto them and bringing them to your mouth. Within the last few weeks you have learned to pick them up on your own and can move them from one hand to the other and back again. It thrills me to watch you learn to do this.

You are the happiest, easiest baby! You are still sleeping like an absolute pro and we are thankful for that. I can't remember the last time I woke up with you in the night. People may say that you look like your daddy, but you certainly seem to have my love for sleep. You wake up each morning around 7:30 and nap from 8:30-10:30, 12-2, 3-4:30 and 6-7. Bedtime is generally around 8:00 and then you are fast asleep until I see you again in the morning. You always wake up with a smile on your face, it warms your mommy's heart!

You haven't quite rolled over yet but you sure are close!  You rock from side to side when you're on your back and your tummy. You generally get distracted by chewing on your fingers, that is much more important to you than rolling over! I can't blame you, you're a girl who knows what she likes.

We can already see your personality starting to peek through. You are filled with smiles, giggles and coos when you are at home with us. When we go out to church or to a friend's house though, it takes you a while to warm up to the new surroundings. You aren't quite as open with the smiles and you stay pretty quiet. Your little eyes dart all over, looking at every new person and taking everything in. You seem just the tiniest bit shy around new people and new situations. We don't mind that you save all of your cutest smiles for us!

My sweet girl, you continue to be the greatest blessing to our family. You bring such joy, happiness and love into our home. I look forward to each and every day with you. You are learning new things every day and we are on the edge of our seats to see what new things this next month will bring. 

And just so I'll always remember what fun we had during these photo shoots, how about a little blooper? Sometimes a girl is just tired of having her picture taken!

We love you, our Annabelle Rae!

-Mommy

Four month stats:

Height: 24 1/2 inches (50th percentile)

Weight: 13 pounds 5 ounces (50th percentile)

Head circumference: 42 cm (85th percentile)

Diapers: size 2

Clothes:  0-3 months, moving into 3-6 months depending upon brand

one year ago.

One year ago today Kyle was getting ready to play in a basketball tournament. 

One year ago today it was an ordinary Friday in our house. 

One year ago today I took a test without telling Kyle what I was doing. 

One year ago today we found out that we would be having our very first baby. 

And one year later, she's here. Tiny and perfect and filling our home with so much love.

back in the swing of things.

I think it's safe to say I have turned into a horrible blogger. Not only have I been nonexistent in terms of posting, I also haven't found the time to sit down and catch up with many of my favorite internet friends. I am making it my goal to be better at doing both of those things, starting right now!

I have lots of catch-up posts to do (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Annabelle's sip and see, monthly baby updates... the list goes on!) so those will be mixed in with everything until I am all caught up. But for today, how about a little update on the life of our family this week? (Translation: How about some cute pictures of my baby?!)

Miss Annabelle has been the busiest of the whole family! She adores chewing on her yummy fingers...

flashing us some BIG smiles during floor time...

watching football with her favorite guy (and looking mighty cute while doing it!)...

learning about the alphabet (she already has a favorite letter)...

and enjoying her favorite time of day, bathtime!

We love her to bits! She is filled with smiles, giggles and snuggles lately. We cannot get enough of our sweet girl and love spending every day with her. 

When we aren't ooh-ing and aah-ing over our little one, Kyle and I have been keeping busy as well. Kyle has been working hard to get ready for another semester and prepare for a conference that he will be presenting at this spring. I've been going to yoga classes, trying to stay on top of the never-ending piles of baby laundry and spending some time with my sewing machine. 

I made these little things for Annabelle this week and have a few more projects planned for this week. I'm also hoping to find the time to make some presents for a few very special babies. 

That's about all that's been happening in our neck of the woods this week. Annabelle's one and two month updates are on up next, you know, since she'll be THREE months next week!

introducing annabelle.

Annabelle Rae Krueger

October 25, 2011

8 pounds, 8 ounces

23 inches long

Many more pictures of our sweet baby girl to come!

showering annabelle.

Two weeks ago we made the drive to Texas so that we could attend a baby shower for sweet Annabelle. The shower was at my parents house and was hosted by my mom, my sister and two of my very best girlfriends.  We had an amazing turnout of friends and family. I am still completely overwhelmed that so many people were able to celebrate with us and am so thankful for the love and support from each of them. 

Every detail of the shower was perfect and unbelievably thoughtful, starting with the cute welcome banner!

My sister had the vintage flash cards (hanging on the glass doors) specially made with all sorts of 'baby' words. We used a book of children's poems for the sign-in. I thought it would be sweet to have all of the guests sign their names in a book that we could read to Annabelle each night.

The birthday cards in the bottom right corner of this collage are probably my favorite detail from the shower. Jennifer made cards for each of Annabelle's birthdays from 1-30 and each guest chose one to fill out. The notes on these cards are priceless! Many of my high school and college friends chose ages that coincided with when we met and shared memories that we have together. Some people shared special birthday wishes and prayers for Annabelle as she celebrates each age. My best friends both offered to take her out for margaritas in about 25 years! I think these will be so special to give to hear on each birthday. Such a thoughtful, amazing gift!

Across from the sign-in table were party favors and our one shower game. The ladies had to guess the size of my baby belly in order to try and win a prize. The guests had lots of time to do this while everyone arrived and while we ate so it was the perfect activity. The favors that Jennifer found were amazing! Each guest received a bottle of OPI nail polish in 'It's a Girl!' and they were wrapped up with the cutest tags. What girl wouldn't get excited over a free bottle of sweet pink polish?

The invitations were adorable and the cake coordinated perfectly! The cake was made by Edible Designs by Jessie. Jessie made mine and Jennifer's wedding cakes and also made Jennifer's bridal shower cake. Jennifer also covered the dining room light fixture with the cutest assortment of poms and paper lanterns. 

The food was incredible! We dined on chicken salad croissants (thanks Sara and Ms. Susan!), salad, fresh fruit and other tasty treats. Meredith made the darling diaper cake which is now on display in Annabelle's room.

Candy coated popcorn was given out to each winner of the game. The shower was on August 14th which happens to be my mom's birthday and Sara's grandma's birthday. There were two extra bags of popcorn for the birthday girls. {I told you that every detail was filled with thoughtfulness!}

The hostesses of the lovely shower. 

{Sara, Meredith and Jennifer}

 I have been friends with these girls since middle school. I am so thankful that we can all still catch up and celebrate each other after all these years!

{Jessie, Nicole, moi, Sara and Heidi}

My two favorite ladies in the whole world. Annabelle is a very lucky lady to have these women in her life!

And the best shot of the day! My dad had to take this picture from our staircase just to get everyone in it. I love this picture so much and think it will need a very special place on Annabelle's bookshelf. She is such a blessed little girl to already be so loved by such a wonderful group of people. 

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to celebrate with us! We received the sweetest, most wonderful gifts for this little girl and are very thankful for the generosity of our loved ones. 

And a very big thank you to my mom and the girls for putting so much time and effort into creating such a perfect shower for Annabelle!

weeks 27, 28, 29, 30.

Once again I got a wee bit behind on the old updates. I wanted to go ahead and include the 'best moment' info for each week as well as the pictures (except for the one week I missed). I just want to be sure that I don't forget the fun things that stood out for each week in baby-world. 

Week 27

Best Moment this week: The highlight of week 27 was getting to spend time with my sister in DC. As usual, we had the best time together. We added a few new stores to our usual shopping rotation since we now have a little lady to spoil. It was so fun to browse baby clothes and (very stylish!) diaper bags with Annabelle's Aunt Jenn. 

Week 28

Best Moment this week: One of the most fun parts of week 28 was a trip that Kyle and I took to do some Annabelle shopping. We stopped by a huge sale at Carter's and picked up a few precious little sleepers for Annabelle. Want to see the cutest thing in the world? Watch a 25 year old guy pick out pink onesies for his baby girl. I think Kyle picked out most of the the outfits we ended up buying. I never knew it, but he has really great taste when it comes to baby girl clothes. 

Week 29

Best Moment this week: I don't have a picture from week 29 so imagine a bump a little bigger than week 28 and a little smaller than week 30. We had a doctor's appointment this week and were thrilled to hear that Annabelle is doing well! I had my glucose test at this appointment and as my amazing nurse Patrice told me, I passed with flying colors. We also drove to Texas this week. Our time in Texas was fantastic. The drive to Texas was, in a word, rough. 29 weeks pregnant + 12.5 hours in the car is just not a recipe for a good time.

And finally, week 30! That's right, 30 weeks. Meaning we only have 10 weeks left. Holy smokes!

Size of baby: Annabelle is the size of a cabbage! She weighs around 3 pounds and is between 15 and 16 inches long. I am just amazed at how big she is growing!

Maternity Clothes: I am pretty much wearing 100% maternity. I have a few non-maternity tops that I can still wear and one or two non-maternity tops that I bought in larger sizes. Other than that, it's pretty much all maternity, all the time. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: She is moving a lot! In the last few weeks I've started feeling her wiggle around a lot more, before I had mostly just been feeling her kicks. It is so amazing to feel her wiggle and switch positions. I feel like her kicks are so dainty which makes me smile. She has also started positioning herself in ways that are less than comfortable for her momma. I've started feeling little limbs jab me in the ribs, sweet girl just doesn't know that it isn't the greatest feeling.

Sleep: Oh my, sleep is just a tricky thing these days. Last night I slept wonderfully but the night before last was brutal. I was awake from 3:00-5:00 in the morning and was uncomfortable all night. I made the mistake of falling asleep without my pregnancy pillow a few nights ago and felt awful the next day. My stomach muscles were sore, my back was aching and I just felt terrible. I haven't made that mistake again and now sleep with an extra pillow for some additional support.

What I miss: At my last appointment, my doctor told me that I would feel uncomfortable from here on out. She was not lying and I am definitely started to feel big and uncomfortable. I miss being able to roll over easily in bed and sit comfortably on the couch. 

Cravings: I haven't had any lately, at least not that I can remember. I am still drinking lots of water every day. 

Symptoms: I get exhausted really easily these days. Kyle and I went shopping at the outlet mall yesterday and it completely wore me out. I woke up today and was having some round ligament pains (at least that's what I think they are). Lately I have started getting them on the day following a busy day of being on my feet. 

Best Moment this week: My first baby shower was last Sunday and it was an absolutely perfect day! We had a wonderful group of friends and family get together to celebrate our baby girl and shower her with the most thoughtful, generous gifts. My sister, mom and two of my best friends put so much thought and love into the day. I have loads of pictures to share and will post those this week. 

And here I am, in all my 30 week glory...

{I am wearing a J. Crew top in this picture. I have loved it during this whole pregnancy but have a feeling this photo documents my last time to wear it for quite a while. I barely squeezed that belly in there!}

week 26.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 weeks (Thursday)!

Size of baby: According to thebump.com, Annabelle is the size of an eggplant. BabyCenter prefers to compare her to an 'English hothouse cucumber'. Either way, she is between 13.5 and 14.5 inches long and weighs just over 2 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: Same as before. All pants are maternity, except for some pajama pants, and tops are a combo. I can still fit into lots of my regular dresses but some are starting to get a little too short thanks to the ol' belly. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Y-E-S! I can feel her kicking almost anytime I sit down and rest on the couch. I also discovered yesterday that I can poke at my stomach and feel where parts of her body are. Annabelle's Aunt Jenn has requested that I stop poking her :) I just think it is amazing that she is big enough for me to really feel her body in there. 

Sleep: At this point, it completely depends on the night. I am sleeping well for the most part, but sometimes it takes me a while to get comfortable. I'm sure that will only get tricker as I get bigger. I have also started having some crazy dreams this week. One such dream included calling mall security on a woman who was stealing Chick-fil-A nuggets from my friends and me. What does that say about me?!

What I miss: I miss sleeping on my stomach. Flipping from one side to the other all night long is getting a little old. 

Cravings: Same as week, if you mention it, I will want it. Other than that, nothing too specific. I have been making a point to drink lots of water though. It is crazy hot outside and I am terrified of getting dehydrated so I keep a glass of water with me all day long. 

Symptoms: Nothing too extreme, mostly just that I get tired really quickly. 

Best Moment this week: The best baby related moment would be getting Annabelle's crib set up! We ordered her crib months ago but couldn't set it up until we moved out of the apartment. Last weekend we finally turned this....

into this....

I absolutely love it! Kyle and I went back and forth (and back and forth a few more times) when we were looking for a crib. I loved antique white. Kyle hated antique white. Kyle loved dark wood. I hated dark wood. For those of you who remember the struggles Kyle and I had when we were trying to register for dinnerware and bedding, this was a very similar experience. I think the angels were singing when we finally stumbled upon this beauty, not too dark and not too light. We love it so much! Big thanks go Grandpa Scott and Grandma Kim for the beautiful gift! 

We also have her bedding but are still waiting on one piece that is back in Texas. Her bedding is also a gift which I *technically* should not have received yet. Thankfully the gift-giver is aware that Annabelle's momma is impatient and was dying to get a peek. So although we have it (mostly) set up and it is looking GORGEOUS, I'm going to hold off on sharing it for a few weeks. (I know that none of you needed that l-o-n-g explanation, but you got it!) All you need to know is that all of Annabelle's grandparents have been very generous in giving her the perfect place to rest her sweet head.

We've upgraded from iphone photos to Nikon photos this week! Sadly they are still bathroom pictures, but it's a step in the right direction. I took this right before I headed to the airport so didn't have time to get Kyle's help with a photoshoot. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

week 25.

Things have been super busy in our neck of the woods! We are in the midst of unpacking all of our boxes at the new house so blogging (and everything else fun in life) has taken a back seat. I am crossing my fingers that we are almost done in which case I should be back soon with actual updates on all of the fun we had in June!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 weeks today!

Size of baby: Annabelle is the size of an eggplant, about 13 1/2 inches long and approaching 2 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: To be honest, I've spent much of the last week in tshirts and exercise pants. I have seen no need in getting all spruced up just to unpack boxes and organize the closets. For the most part, I'm still wearing a combo of maternity and regular. 

Gender: It's a girl! Annabelle Rae Krueger

Movement: Y-E-S! She is getting more active by the day and I love it! 

Sleep: Pretty good for the most part. Unpacking has me completely exhausted so I usually fall asleep quickly. I am however getting tired of the 2 am bathroom breaks. 

What I miss: My clothes. I know, it's pathetic but true. Most of my pre-Annabelle clothes have been in boxes for over a month so I had kind of forgotten about lots of them. Unpacking them reminded me that a) I really love my clothes and b) I cannot fit into most of them. My closet will be quite the motivation to lose the baby weight asap! As I told my mom, I really don't mind getting bigger... I do however mind wearing ugly maternity clothes. 

Cravings: Nothing specific, I pretty much crave what I hear about. For example, my friend Haley had Steak 'n Shake for lunch and I spent about an hour and a half craving it once I heard that. That burger craving ended as soon as I saw someone on tv eating a taco. 

Symptoms: Nothing too extreme, mostly just that I get tired really quickly. 

Best Moment this week: We had another great appointment on Tuesday! Annabelle's heartbeat sounds great and she seems to be growing perfectly. I am thankful every day for what an easy and healthy pregnancy this has been so far. 

And the bump! Miss Annabelle is 24 weeks and 5 days in this shot. Please pardon the messy bathroom counter... I said we are almost unpacked, I did not say we are organized yet!

the big reveal.

As many of you know, today was a very big day for our little family. We had our anatomy ultrasound this morning as well as my 18 week checkup with my doctor. 

We are thrilled to report that baby is perfectly healthy and growing nice and strong. We could see all four  chambers of the heart, sweet little fingers and the most precious little nose I have ever seen. 

And of course, we also found out what this precious little baby is. That's right friends, baby nugget now has a gender...and a name. 

Introducing the newest member of the Krueger family, 

little miss Annabelle Rae

Annabelle is just a beautiful name that I fell in love with. Ray is my dad's middle name (which he goes by) and Kyle's dad's middle name is Raymond. Kyle's grandma's middle name is Rae as and it is also the name of one of Kyle's great uncles and his great grandfather. So Rae is a very special name and we love that she will cary a piece of such wonderful people with her. 

We are over the moon about our sweet baby girl and cannot wait to meet her. More than anything, we are beyond thankful that she is healthy and seems to be doing wonderfully. 

And because she is her mother's daughter, I thought it was important that we bought a special outfit on the day we found out that she is a she. This sweet, soft, perfectly pale pink Kissy Kissy onesie was our selection of the day.

 

Thank you all so, so much for the thoughts, prayers and well wishes today. We very much appreciate all of the love that is already being shown to this little one. 

So there you have it, friends. Annabelle Rae Krueger will be making her appearance later this fall and we are on pins and needles waiting to see her cute face!