1st Christmas

Sara's first Christmas was a successful one! She slept through the majority of her day, shared a lot of her smiles, and was a pretty content little girl. We started our holiday off at our house on Christmas Eve night with Grammie, Grampie, and Aunt Kelli coming over and exchanging gifts. On Christmas morning we went to Grandma and Pop-pop's house for breakfast and exchanged gifts there with Aunt Jill, Uncle Scott, and Great-Grandpa Al (otherwise refered to as "GG") In the afternoon we made it over to Aunt Sue and Uncle Bob's to visit with everyone there. Overall the day was very relaxing and pleasant...Dave and I really enjoyed ourselves. Sara now has even more things than we could've possibly imagined. It was definately nice of the family to buy her clothes because she is running through them so quickly these days. She is already wearing the size 3 months or in certain outfits 3-6 months. I can not believe how quickly she is growing...it is amazing! The day was not complete without Sara's share of toys. However most of them will have to remain in the attic or closet for alittle while longer...she still can't quite play with things. Dave and I also had an awesome day with the family. We got a bunch of great things from everyone...we especially love the Super Mario Bros Wii game. I think it will be our new addiction for a while...or until Dave gets so frustrated that he can't master it that it gets thrown out the window...hahaha!

Right before Christmas Sara had her 2 month check-up at the doctors. Our new vitals are 12lbs 4 oz and 22 1/2 inches long. She is still in the average percentiles for her weight, head circumference, and length. I keep thinking that she is gaining too much weight already but the doctor keeps assuring me that it is normal. Sara got two more vaccine shots and an oral vaccine. The first time she got shots it seemed like a piece of cake. I mean she cried when she got it (don't get me wrong) but this time she definately felt the effects of getting 2 shots. I had to actually give her tylenol after the doctor's appointments. That was probably the hardest day so far because she just looked so unhappy and uncomfortable..and of course I had to go to work...so I felt terrible. I told Dave it was almost as if she was very clingy to me that afternoon and wanted to be held...aww so heartbreaking! However she is doing great now so there are no worries! I kept with the tradition and took Sara's picture in the same rocker chair for this month to notice the progression. She does look so adorable if I do say so myself... :)

Family Visits, Christmas Shopping, etc.

Well it has been a while since we last updated so there is a lot to tell. About two weekends ago my Aunt Karen and Uncle Bob came to visit from Florida. It was very nice to get to see them and for them to meet Sara. She is getting bigger by the minute so lucky for them they got to see her before she was able to stand or walk even...haha. It is always fun to catch up with the family and see what has been going on.
Besides visiting with family we have been keeping ourselves busy getting ready for the holidays. I know that it is Sara's first Christmas but Dave and I decided that we were not going to get her anything because between our two parents and all the other family members and friends Sara has enough to last her til she is 5 it feels like....however she does grow through her clothes so quickly so we do appreciate everyone's sentiment to get her all these things. However we have been doing a lot of shopping for all the other gifts we need to get. Sara has been out occassionally shopping with us. She is such a great girl when we go out. She has never cried yet while we were out so we have been extremely lucky in that scenario. We decided that we were going to take Sara to see Santa this year. We planned out days when we could take her with Dave's parents and with my parents. We already went with Dave's mom and Sara slept the entire time that Santa held her. She was very good. As soon as I can figure out how to upload the pictures that we purchased her Santa pictures will be up to see.
Sara is now two months old. I can hardly believe that time has gone by that quickly. We are heading to her doctor later on this week so I will have to update again when we get her new statistics. From what we can see she is still eating very well and sleeping well...so I am sure that her weight has increased. Dave and I are also keeping track of her height on her own growth chart in her room and it seems that she has grown since last month so we will have to wait and see.
Other than that we are having the best time with Sara. She has become more interactive on a daily basis. We started laying her on her back on the activity mat and she has now started to realize what is above her and she goes reaching for the toys that are hanging. It is so exciting to watch and experience her growing up and learning new things. I love being a mommy!

Bath Time

Some quality bath time! She has really started to love taking baths. Just thought I would share these memorable moments! I am sure she will hate me for it when she is older that I posted these to the website but oh well...look at how cute she is!

Thanksgiving

Sara's first Thanksgiving was relaxing and enjoyable. Sara was a perfect girl as usual and was very comfortable with the family no matter who was holding her. We spent the afternoon at Aunt Sue and Uncle Bobby's. Dinner was wonderful and there was plenty of food both before the turkey and after the turkey to keep everyone full to the brim. This was Sara as we arrived to Thanksgiving...as you could tell very content! Since we were having dinner at Aunt Sue's house it was only customary that Sara wear one of her Aunt Sue outfits. A bright pink turtle neck with a navy and polka dot jumper dress. She looked absolutely adorable!


Sara has been doing very well otherwise as well. She still is sleeping for about 4 to 4 1/2 hours at a time and in her cradle which makes sleeping for us as the parents very easy. She is still breastfeeding and appears to be getting enough because she seems to be growing everyday.


Thanksgiving consisted of the usual chit chat. many many laughs, and newly formed memories. That was in part to the decision this year to not have a "kids table" and allowing everyone to sit together, in combination with 3 out of 5 of the previous "kids" now being able to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. Everyone was also eager to have the opportunity to hold Sara, so this holiday was pretty simple for Mommy and Daddy!

Sara ended the night in her traditional "1st Thanksgiving" onsie (thanks to Erica) The whole day was a lot for her, as you can see, and by the end of the night it became very hard for her to keep her eyes open. (Sleeping most of the day must have taken it out of her...haha)

One Month In and We Are Doing Awesome!!

Well we have made it through our first month. I am still in shock to say and think that Sara is one month old already. It seems like just the other day she was kicking around in my belly and giving me unbelievable amounts of heartburn...and now she sits here fast asleep in her bouncy seat like a little angel!! She had her first well visit/check-up. Here are her updates:

*weight....10 lbs

*length.....21 inches

*head circumference.....38 centimeters

She is in the 75th percentile for her weight and head circumference and in the 50th percentile for her length. The doctor said everything looks great...she is progressing normally with no concerns in any areas. Her infection that use to be on her foot(the bracelet from the hospital) has completely diminished as if nothing was ever there. She got a shot as well today..the second round of the hepatitis vaccine. Surprisingly she did wonderful...she cried for a second and then was too interested in observing the doctors office that she quickly soothed herself. Her next visit is on the 22nd of December and she will have to get 2 shots and 1 oral vaccine...but hopefully everything else will remain positive!

It is funny how different she looks in such a short period of time. Within the past week Sara has really started to show her personality. She is observing her surroundings a bit more, watching and recognizing both Dave and myself when we are in the room or talking to her. It is amazing to watch and be a part of. Last night I got a great idea to try and get her hand and foot prints in her memory book. Well that was an adventure to say the least. I borrowed child safe paint from the school that I use to teach at( that way I knew it would not hurt Sara to be on her skin) and within 5 minutes of beginning the process, Sara looked like she got in a paint ball fight. She managed to swing her legs everywhere, spreading the purple paint on her feet all over her legs, took the paint on her hands and grabbed her hair so she had a purple head. The prints barely look like anything in the book with the mess that it became but it was definately a memory I will not soon forget.

One of my other ideas (that I got from Uncle Ray's sister) was to take Sara's picture in the same spot in the house every month. This way we could really see the progress she was making over the months. It helps to take these pictures and then look at them because I am already looking at pictures from the hospital and she looks so tiny and so different from now, so hopefully this will give an interesting insight to how much she is growing! Here is her one month picture:

Our Little October Baby!

We love being new parents!

Well Sara has been home for about two weeks now (even though she is three weeks old) and we love having her here! She is eager to explore her world and watch everyone around her with her big beautiful eyes. Sata spends a lot of her days with her Mommy while Daddy goes to work but next week Mom is starting to substitute teach again so Daddy will get his turn to spend some quality time with his daughter. Sara continues to grow right before our very eyes. At her last doctors visit Sara weighed in at 8lbs 12 oz. Her next appointment is on the 16th of November so we will see what kind of progress she made...she definately is eating well and she has mastered the art of pooping so I think her progress will be positive.

I have decided to breastfeed. Not only did it appeal to me because it helps to burn calories, but there were many other reasons as well. The time spent breastfeeding is a quality time that Sara and I bond. I have also read so many positive things about the nutrients and benefits of breastmilk for babies, that even though sometimes I wish that I could wake David up at 3 AM to feed her with a formula bottle, I would not trade the time I spend with her for anything.

We have begun to master what Sara does and does not prefer. She loves her walks. I will usually take her on a long walk during the day, which most of the time puts her to sleep, and Dave loves to take her for a walk when he gets home from work at night. Sara also loves the sound of the shower running. When I take a shower I pull the bouncy seat into the edge of the bathroom and no matter what Sara immediately calms down while the water is running and sometimes even falls asleep (if I shower long enough)

Sara has also had a few adventures outside of the home already. She has gone for visits to both grandparents homes for different occassions. We also took Sara for a trip to the Christmas Tree Shoppe in Freehold with Dave, Grammie, and Grampie. She did pretty well. Dave and I understand that she is young and that there are lots of germs out there but we have never taken her anywhere for an extended period of time with strangers and we always have her covered up so that people can't get too close. But I felt as though if I did not get out of the house I was going to go nuts so every once and awhile a little trip to the store to save our sanity works for us.

In the upcoming week Aunt Barbara, Uncle Dick, cousin Mellie, and Aunt Claris will be coming to visit. We look forward to the company!!

Friday October 16th...Sara Elizabeth Topolewski is Born!

Sara Elizabeth was born on Friday October 16th at 2:10 in the afternoon. She weighed 8lbs 4 oz and was 20 in. in length. Overall the entire experience was wonderful but it was not without its ups and downs. The process began on Thursday night around 9PM when I was admitted to Riverview hospital to begin induction. (I warn you that I am going to recall the entire process not only for those who want to know but for own recollection and benefit in the future) Dr. Conley came in and began the induction with an insertion....however we thought that this was a waste because I had still not dialated past a centimeter. I sat at the hospital with my mom watching Grey's Anatomy til Dave came to relieve her after bowling. By the time by mom had switched with Dave around 11 I still had not felt any pain or movement to going into labor. Well one that morning came around and I suddenly became very uncomfortable and could not get comfortable either side I laid on, so the nurse offered a shot of morphine. The morphine did NOTHING for me. I still could not get comfortable. It turns out that I had dialated to a little less than 6 centimeters by five o'clock that morning. (Which explains the consistent discomfort...the contractions were coming about every 5 minutes)

Well it was then that I was given the opportunity to opt for an epidural. Initially I did not believe that I wanted an epidural for the pain, I wanted to go naturally. There had been a few horror stories that I heard about how people reacted post epidural. Well with the opportunity to get the epidural came a time restriction because the anesthesiologist was due to be in another c-section and would be unavailable for the next hour....so it was then or another hour of uncomfort. Next thing I knew I had another painful contraction so I quickly opted for the epidural. The worst part of that decision is that Dave has to leave the room and the size of the needle that has to go in my back is huge. I will never forget how much I was shaking from the amount of IV fluids that was inserted...it was scary!

So here I am with the epidural flowing, my pain subsided, and the doctor telling me that my progress had stopped so she would need to break my water and start the petocin. This was approximately at nine in the morning. When the doctor broke my water she informed me that I would be having a special nurse in the delivery room because Sara had gone to the bathroom in the unterus and there was a possibility that she had swallowed some of it..and that I should not be alarmed that she probably would not cry when she came out cause she would have lots of mucus. By one that afternoon I still was not making any progress and the doctor had asked me to make the final decision of my labor process...either continue to wait and hope to make progress sooner than later or have a c-section and get her out.I looked at Dave and asked him what he thought was the best decision and he said it was entirely up to me...it was my body that was in discomfort. I chose the c-section.

With that decision in came the anesthesiologist to numb not only my uterus but everything from my chest to basically my knees. They handed Dave scrubs and rolled me into the surgery room. The time was 1:45 in the afternoon and by 2:10 Sara was out, crying her healthy lungs out. You would think that was the end of the beautiful experience but it only seemed to go down from there. Surprisingly my recovery went very smoothly. As soon as I was off bedrest I took a shower, got changed and had a little something to eat. The nurses were actually shocked at how well I was doing and how little pain I was feeling in the recovery state. Sara also seemed to be doing well...til things just seemed to get uncomfortable. At first the on-call pediatrician came in to tell us that Sara had failed her right side hearing test. I know you are probably thinking how do you tell that a newborn has failed hearing but supposibly our daughter did. The doctor kept reassuring me that it was probably nothing but a little bit of mucus back up (kind of like the feeling you get when you need to pop your ears on a plane) but still it makes you nervous as a first time mother. The days had progressed and it was the morning that we were to be discharged.

Our pediatrician came in, like every other morning, and informed me that Sara had developed an infection on her foot that was serious enough that she was not comfortable discharging Sara that day and that potentially she might have to stay for an additional three to five days. When I think of it now it seems insignificant compared to what could have been wrong with Sara but at the time I was devastated with the news. All I could think of was that I was going to be discharged and Sara was going to have to stay in the hospital without Dave or myself. I was heartbroken to think of my daughter alone in the special care nursery and not home with her parents where she belonged. However Dave was most frustrated with the fact that he had mentioned to the nurses when she was born on Thursday that it seemed that the ankle bracelet was put on too tight and now the doctors were telling us that she could not go home because she had an infection on the same foot as the bracelet.

Well Sara moved into the special care nursery with an individualized nurse. They had to put an IV in her hand and her arm was attached to a board because Sara is so full of energy that her arms and legs are constantly going. They were afraid that she would pull at the IV so they taped up her arm and her hand to make sure that the other hand could not knock it out. Sara's foot was taped up on her one leg with gauze and pads. It just looked very depressing and often brought a tear to my eyes seeing my newborn in that state. Twice a day Sara received an antibiotic through her IV for an hour at each time. I worked closely with the nurses to plan out her feedings. The one nurse convinced me that I should start pumping to ensure that she always has something to eat because I did not want them to supplement her with formula if I was not there. At first I was beside myself that I was pumping because I did not want her to take a bottle so early but Dave told me, as well as the nurse, that this would be my last opportunity to get some consecutive hours of sleep so I ended up allowing the nurse to give her a pumped bottle of breast milk at three in the morning after I fed her around midnight and then fed her again around seven. That was also difficult for me to deal with because I felt as though I was being a horrible mother to not be there for her at all times when she needed me but I kept trying to say to myself that it wasn't hurting her and it was benefiting me to get a little bit more sleep to help her.

Finally a week after I entered the hospital Sara was discharged and allowed to go home with a clean bill of health. We were given instructions on how to continue the antibiotics to completely get rid of the infection on her foot. We made our way home with the carseat completely intact and Sara fast asleep inside. Thankfully the first day Sara came home was a beautiful, warm day and we were able to take her for her first walk with the dogs. She did a great job making it through the night. She took her medicine when she was suppose to, fed at the times she was suppose to, and slept the rest of her day away. It may only be her second night at home but she seems to be adjusting well to her new home and is a very good baby. Daddy and Mommy love spending time with her all day long. Just to sit and stare at her and watch her explore her surroundings is amazing. We love our new daughter!

Sara Elizabeth Enters the World

One More Before Baby Comes

Ok..so we went to what I hoped to be our last appointment before she came but looks like we will be having one more appointment and then we will be induced. Last night at the doctors..he told us I was alittle under 2 cm now( I think he just told us that to give us hope) and that the next appointment will be after my due date so I will receive a non-stress test that day. He said it is standard for women who go past their due date...just gives a thorough check on the baby to make sure her heart beat is ok and that everything is still going ok..despite her stubborness. Then he said if she does not decide to come on her own before that he will induce me on Friday October 16th in the morning and that most likely she will be in my arms by that night. WHOA! If that didn't just make everything real I don't know what will. At first I didn't believe I wanted to be induced because I didn't want to take any medicines unless absolutely needed too..but once the option of knowing she will be here and the waiting will be over and I can meet her finally..I kind of jumped on it.

So hopefully this will be the last baby update before she arrives next week..if not sooner. Once she gets here I will try my hardest to upload some pictures for you all to see. Let's cross our fingers!

Waiting and Waiting

So we are about 9 days away from our projected due date and our little one is sitting at a stand still of progress. I was dialated at 1 centimeter about four weeks ago and at our visit today we were told that I am still at that 1 centimeter. I keep telling myself that she will know when is her right time to come out but the excitment and the anxiety to meet her is killing me..I wish she would just make up her mind already. Our next appointment is about three days before the due date and the doctor said that at that time, if she still is at a standstill, we can make the decision to decide to induce or we can wait it out another week and see what happens. I am not too sure how I feel about being induced and involving drugs that quickly..but who am I kidding by that point I am sure that I will feel differently and want to schedule the induction asap!

In other news..Dave had his surprise 30th birthday party. There were many family members and a some good friends who were there to surprise him when he got home from work. Everything went smoothly and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves...but believe me that will be the last time I choose to throw a party when I am over 8 months pregnant..a bit stressful. Dave was excited to have family over the house so that everyone could see the progress we were making with our house. The progress is coming along slowly but what has been accomplished is looking wonderful. We have been trying to do one room or one area at a time. We first did the kitchen with all new cabinets, new countertops, new appliances and new paint. Then we painted a couple of the bedrooms upstairs to give them a fresher look. We also did our upstairs bathroom. We expanded it and got new fixtures put in. Everything takes time but lately with being off work I have gotten a lot more accomplished, which is comforting because pretty soon I know we will have our hands full.

Coldstone is still working out well for Dave. It is keeping him busy...even more now with the holiday season approaching because people love their pies and cakes. I stopped working at Outback about three weeks ago..I subbed for a couple of days to keep myself occupied and I continue to tutor a little boy who was in my kindergarten class last year. I feel like the more active I stay the less I stress about being uncomfortable or in pain. Anyways thats about it for us here...hopefully the next post will have exciting baby news and pictures attached! Let's cross our fingers!

Three Weeks and Counting

We have a little over three weeks left til our due date and progress is being made slowly..emphasis on the slow. We are now going to the doctor once a week til the end of the pregnancy. At our last appointment our doctor told us that we were a centimeter dialated. However a few questions arose during the appointment because when the doctor pointed out where he believed the head of the baby was..it seemed like a substantial distance between that area and where he placed the machine to listen to the heartbeat. So the doctor decided to give me another ultrasound to make sure that he was sure the head was down and in the right place. Well the ultrasound came and he was in fact correct that she was down and in the right place. After that appointment I was feeling pretty good that things were progressing and moving in the correct direction...I understand that being one centimeter dialated is not a lot but I felt secure that the baby was making progress and that I would get to meet our daughter sooner than later.

The week continued and our next appointment came about. The appointment was today and we met with one of the other doctors in the practice. He told us that all of our latest tests came back normal with no concerns or worries. But when he was doing the exam he said that he did not feel the head moving down at all. So then he made me nervous that the baby moved and perhaps the baby was flipped in the wrong direction. So once again we went in and got another ultrasound. He said that the head was definately down in the right position but that the baby was still alittle high up. The doctor also said that he feels that the placenta is a bit low and that might be why the baby's head is not dropping. He also saw in the ultrasound that the baby's hand and arm was up near her face and it might be forcing her to not drop down. Dave and I are still hopefully that she will move her arm and that she will drop down safely. I would prefer sooner rather than later..just because I want to meet her already..I want to hold her and kiss her. But whatever keeps her safe I will just have to deal with because I do not want anything to happen to her in the end.

We are still going to the doctors every week until the time comes but hopefully by the next doctors appointment we will see more progress.

On a different note we met with our first potential pediatrician today. She was in an individually run office and is close to our house. There were some definate advantages and disadvantages in a doctor that is by herself. We still have to meet with two pediatrician groups, one tomorrow and one next week. It will be nice to compare the different forms of pediatricians to see which ones we prefer. As time is approaching we will have to make a decision quickly but we are keeping our options open as well and not utilizing the first doctor we meet.

We will keep you updated!!

Baby Shower

On Sunday August 23rd, my mom threw Dave and I a baby shower at their house with close friends and family. It was suppose to be a surprise, but some where along the way Dave and my mom lost communication and Dave brought me to the house early. I could've almost walked up behind my mother and asked her what she was up to without her realizing in time to say "surprise!" It wasn't the best day weather wise, but my parents had rented a tent, table, and chairs for people to be covered under. The food was wonderful and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. What was also wonderful was seeing family members and friends that Dave and I have not seen in some time. The time to catch up with everyone is wonderful.

When time came to open up the presents it became a bit overwhelming..but all in all we did receive a ton of wonderful and beautiful gifts. We want to thank everyone again for such generous gifts for our baby girl. The other aspect that was overwhelming was getting all the gifts home and having them be in the baby's room. I have never seen a girl (who isn't even born yet) have so much stuff. It has taken some time but things seem to be getting in their correct spot and clothes are being hung up or put away.

Started Lamaze Class

Lamaze class started this previous week. We head to Jersey Shore Medical in Neptune for the class; however we are having the baby at Riverview Medical in Red Bank. Like most other mothers-to-be I warned Dave to be on his best behavior when we went to the class and not crack jokes or crack up when the lady talks about different parts of labor. I must say Dave was on his best behavior and did not crack a joke the entire class. He was probably one of the only fathers there that did not make a joke or laugh at inappropriate things. Lamaze ended up being very informative. They provided a variety of different pamphlets and information regarding all aspects of what to expect when it is time to deliver. At least when the class is over in four weeks I will feel better knowing we openned ourselves up to all possible knowledge and assistance that was out there.

Also in this week Kelli and Lindsay went to their friend Adrienne's baby shower. It was at this beautiful restaurant in Lake Hurst. There were a lot of people there and Adrienne seemed to get all the presents that she would ever need and want. Lindsay still doesn't know when or where her babyshower is but she is excited to spend the time with close friends and family.

Baby Update: Our little girl is growing up strong in Mommy's belly. We are on our last every two week check up, which just means time is flying by. Pretty soon we will be going to the doctors every week until she comes. The doctor says her heartbeat is strong and is healthy. Mommy's belly is at the correct size in comparison to the progress in weeks of labor. We are very excited to meet our little one. Hopefully with this hot weather it will be sooner rather than later.

Completed Nursery and One Year Anniversary

The paint is up and complete on the walls of the nursery. I decided to place a chair rail in the middle of the room. The bottom portion of the wall is a beautiful sage color and the top half is a light creme color. The two mesh very well together if I do say so myself. My friend Kerry came over and assisted in the painting. By having the paint up and complete on the walls makes the room seem more warm and more welcoming. It was very exciting to have this completed. My dad came over and hung up the chair rail and the ceiling molding. This is a part of what the wall looks like. With the pregnancy flying by so quickly these days, Dave and I are very excited to be making these progressions and getting settled for the newest member of our family to arrive.

There were many people that warned Dave and I about putting together our crib. Everything from the poor directions that they provide, to the unlabeled pieces/hardware, to the frustration of getting the crib to look like the picture, was suppose to frustrate Dave and I to no end. However none of the crib critics must have had Dave's finesse. The day did not start off with a plan of putting together the crib but Dave and I were having one of those nights of getting things accomplished and doing it all together. (hard to believe but we do have those moments together) All the pieces came out of the box, nothing was marked, and I started to think, " oh everyone was right this is going to be a very difficult task." Yet somehow the pieces all started coming together and we were able to diffierientiate which ones went where. Finally about an hour and a half later (with a fifteen minute break for Dave to be sick) the crib was assembled and was sturdy enough to hold our newborn when she got home.

Among all these new changes in the past week or so, Dave and I experienced our first wedding anniversary. Dave and I both worked on the actual day our anniversary because we decided to go out during the week. One of the best parts of celebrating our anniversary is when Dave surprised me at work by sending me a beautiful arrangement of flowers. They were delivered the day before our anniversary as a surprise and boy was I surprised. It brought me to tears...may have something to do with the pregnancy and high emotional state I am in recently..but either way they were beautiful. I scheduled a Swedish massage and a night down in Atlantic City for Dave and I to celebrate our anniversary. We aren't going til the end of the month because for the next few weekends and weeks we are pretty hectic with friend's baby showers and the start of lamaze class. Keep you updated after we start the lamaze class...I am sure it will be memorable!

The latest crazy week

Well last week my family from Colorado came and rented a house in Manasquan. We got to enjoy the 4th with them as well as days spent down at the beach. On the 3rd everyone headed to Aunt Sue's house in Rumson to watch the Rumson and Red Bank fireworks. It was a great time! (that's where the first picture on this site comes from) Monday nights in the summer has become a tradition to our family. About two years ago we began heading to DJais in Belmar for Oldies Night with the cousins as well as the parents. We have a blast every time we go. This year we got to introduce Rich, Brenda, and Patrick to our tradition.

This past week Dave and I were also able to finally finish our registry. The entire experience was a bit overwhelming. Between starting off with items on the list that were girl oriented, to switching some items to be more neutral (incase we decide to have another baby) and then items that were on there some people could not find and then when they were found on the registry they were out of stock in the stores. Hopefully now everything should be on there and available in the stores. We are crossing our fingers.

A baby update:

We have been back to the doctor since the last time I updated. The baby's heart rate was perfect, the growth along my stomach is right where it should be in relation to how many weeks we are along, and all blood tests done so far have come back with no concerns for myself or the baby. Hopefully we are going to be putting together the nursery a bit more this week...well at least paint will be on the walls.I will try and post pictures when the work is complete.

Recent Ultrasound

Our baby girl sucking her thumb in our most recent ultrasound photo. At that point, which was at the end of May she weighed 13 ounces. Since then I have begun to feel her kicking and moving about all the time. She is a very active little girl already!

Disney

We went to Disney World with Dave's parents, brother and sister-in-law. It was extremely hot while we were there but Dave and I had an awesome time together.




Got to meet some of our favorite characters!

One night we all went to the Hoop-De-Doo Revue

The Topolewski Family

With both of our lives becoming so busy lately, we believed that this was a great way to keep in touch with family members that we do not get to see often as well as capture our memories.

There are many changes arising. One of which was the news of Lindsay being pregnant. We found out in February that we were expecting, and more recently found out that we were having a girl. We are very excited about our news and are quickly preparing ourselves for our new lifestyles that are about to emerge.

Right now I am about 28 weeks!! I have been feeling great thus far, and thankfully have not been sick yet. I have been trying to stay as active as possible throughout the pregnancy, for two reasons (1) to not gain a large amount of weight (2) so I do not get a "placenta" brain (as they say). It was pretty easy to do so during the first and second trimesters because I was teaching kindergarten classes all day. Those young ones can keep you busy. But now that it is summer time and with no teaching job prospects for next year yet, I have been focused on setting up the nursery as well as learning all important information about our new addition to the family.

Dave has been staying busy with his successful Coldstone stores. He enjoys working with the people there, especially Lindsay's sister and his best buddy Ray. With the summer in full swing it has been keeping him busy, yet he seems to still find time to enjoy playing golf with his buddies. (Better enjoy all this free time now..I am sure our little girl will keep him busy next spring)

We hope to keep updating this and posting pictures. Our daughter has already experienced a great deal of excitement while in her mommy's belly. Here are some photos of how our summer has been going thus far.