Our Little Monkey!

Time is flying by! Christmas songs are on the radio and Thanksgiving is this week already! Good grief! It has been a busy and somewhat stressful few weeks in the Singewald household, but things are hopefully getting back "on-track" again.

John is quite the little man these days and quite the little monkey too! He is talking to us and his little animal and toy friends and loves to smile! I am greeted most mornings by his infectious smile and squeal when I get him out of his bed. I love those moments!!

John also had the opportunity to vote with me on Nov. 4. He was pretty good, but became very vocal as I was finishing my vote, so we both hussled through filling in those bubbles!

John was having a dance party when we got home

(and got the deer-in-headlights look with the flash!)John was deep in thought while watching mom and dad!

Too cute! He's such a charmer!John LOVES everything about his activity gym. He has quite the conversations with the octopus and fish and really gets his arms and legs moving. He is such a happy baby!
As the weather became colder, we had to bundle John more, as well as ourselves.
He was so content and cute, I just had to take a picture!
Here is our little monkey! When Phil and I first dressed him, we could not stop laughing because of how adorable he was! Look! He's even smiling! He loves being cuddly and warm in his little monkey suit! It certainly fits his personality too - he is a little monkey lately when it comes to taking afternoon naps longer than 30 min!

The last few weeks have been a little stressful in our house, but Phil and John have been great through it all. I had surgery two weeks ago due to complications from when John was born. After trying many different options, none seemed to work and surgery seemed to be the best choice. The surgery was far more extensive than what my doctor originally thought, and we are still waiting to see much positive progress. I then had further complications and had a spinal headache from the anethesia and had to have a blood patch. It was a rough week! Hopefully during my standing Wednesday appointment (pathetic?? yes!) I will receive better news, since we are running out of other options and I would prefer not to have another surgery. Because of my complications, I will not be returning to work on Dec. 1 either. We are hopeful that I can start back at half days Dec. 8 and continue until Christmas break. One day at a time!

We are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with our families this week and are thankful for all of you in our lives! It will be exciting to get things ready for Christmas this year as well and to get our tree decorated and add another stocking by the fireplace. Oh, how far we've come in a year! Who would have thought we'd be a family of three at this time?
Life couldn't be better and we couldn't feel more blessed!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! As the weather around us changes and the leaves are falling off the trees, it's hard to believe the end of October is here and November is upon us! Where did the time go? John is now eight weeks old and just had his two month check-up Wednesday. He is doing well! He is now 23 1/4 inches long and 12 lbs 5 oz. He did fairly well with his four shots (which were hard for both John and Mom). Even after the trauma of the shots, he was still his normal, mild-mannered self, but just a bit more cuddly for the last couple of days. He wasn't phased for too long!



Last weekend, John had quite the social calendar! Our entire immediate family was able to be with us to celebrate John's Baptism, baby shower, and my dad's birthday. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with everyone and have them be able to see John, since most of our siblings are not home often. John was a great baby during all of the "off schedule" happenings!

So tired...that was hard work getting that Baptismal gown on!

What a cute family!!

The Godparents!
All of John's aunts and uncles...except Crystal! We missed you!

And John's proud grandparents....

The whole family! Again, we missed, you, Crystal!

Thanks to Steve and Katie, we're starting John's Johnnie pride early!!!

The cute diaper cake Jeanna and Mike made for the shower!!
They could be professionals!

Over the last few weeks John has started to smile more and "talk" and coo to us. He LOVES his diaper to be changed and still enjoys his cuddle time! He is so alert now during the day and is sleeping better at night too! He even had a few nights this week with 6 hours of sleeping at a time! I felt like a new woman!! Every day it's amazing to watch him discover new things and focus more on things around him. He is so easily entertained. I always wonder what is going on in that little head of his.... He will be able to vocalize that soon enough!


For Halloween, John was a very cute little mummy. We decided not to do a traditional costume because he was so little, but thought he was pretty precious anyway!


We hope you enjoy your Halloween night!! Don't be too frightened by all those little goblins out there!

One Month Old Already!

It's hard to believe John was one month old last Friday! Time has flown by!! He is getting to be quite the little man! He is tracking people, voices, and toys better every day and is getting very close to smiling at people and starting to coo and make noises! He is sleeping really well at night and most times will go for 4 (at times 5) hrs, which is wonderful!! I cannot complain! He is a very happy baby, who loves interaction with others! Enjoy some pictures over the last couple of weeks! There will be more to come!

So content before tubbie time!!!

I love sitting up in my boppy pillow and looking around to see the world!
(I was smirking and smiling, but I wouldn't let mom catch me in the act!)

Ahhh...I love those hooded towels!

John is growing quickly and is out of his newborn clothes!! He was perfectly content once his feet were allowed to escape from this outfit that was just a little too tight!

Look! My first REAL bath!! Yes, it's been censored for young eyes!
(or John's high school graduation board!)

I LOVE those precious looks and moments of eye contact!

The BEST 2 weeks!

It's hard to believe it's been 2 weeks already since John entered the world and joined our family! He is such a great baby! He only cries when he is really frustrated and otherwise, he makes his fun grunt and squeaking sounds. He is a great sleeper (for the most part!) and is very alert now. John really enjoys his time in his swing every day and loves any kind of music. We love how John likes to cuddle with us. Those snuggle moments are priceless! Here are some pictures over the last 2 weeks. Enjoy!

This was John's "tanning time" in the hospital to help get rid of his jaundice.

First picture when we got home from the hospital... It's hard work coming home!

John's "gangster" picture in his cute sweat suit!

Gotta love baby feet!!!!

All ready for my outing to the doctor!!


I love this swing!
precious....

Nothing better than my thumb!

Introducing.... John Robert Singewald!!!

HE IS HERE!!!!!

INTRODUCING......

John Robert Singewald
September 3, 2008
6:32am
7 lbs. 15 oz
20 inches long!

After being induced on Tuesday morning, and a very long labor, John arrived!! Tuesday morning we were given some medication to help me dilate more, since I was contracting on my own. By Tuesday evening, the doctor was sure we were going to deliver later in the day Wednesday because my progress was occurring more slowly. After being given some meds to help me get some rest overnight, my contractions started to kick in harder. By 11pm, the contractions were longer, stronger, and right on top of one another. The doctor changed her mind and said that we were definitely going to have a baby that night! The wait was soon going to be over! Because of the intensity, I was given an epidural at midnight. However, because my heart rate spiked up in the 130's, the epidural was taken out and they redid it, so the whole process was done by about 1am. At this point, I was out of it! Thank goodness Phil was there and we had a fantastic nurse, Helen! She stayed in our room and by my side the entire night. She was incredible! Shortly after getting the epidural, my blood pressure went way down and John's heart rate did as well. Thankfully, medication worked to get us both back on track, or they would have had to do an emergency C-section. About 2am, my water broke, and labor really kicked in. Shortly thereafter, I was dilated to a 6, but that didn't last for long. By 2:50am, I was an 8 and at 3:05, I was a 10! I started pushing about 3:40 and at 6:32, John was born! Had his head not been turned slightly, labor would have been easier on both of us! However, after they used the vacuum, (rather than doing a C-section) they were able to maneuver his head slightly so my pushing was more productive. I think my Irish stubborn side came out too, since I was NOT interested in having a C-section after all I had gone through up to that point to deliver him!

Our time in the hospital went well. Because of having to push for so long, I re-broke my tail bone, so that wasn't real pleasant, but it could have been worse! I am now healing, slowly, but surely! John also took after his mommy and had to spend 24 hrs in the nursery under the lights because he was jaundice. Thankfully, it only took 24 hrs for his levels to come down so we were able to bring him home yesterday. Being released before he was able to come home was really hard on both Phil and I, but we just had to remind ourselves that he was not going to be there long and it could have been a lot worse - we could have been visiting him in the NICU for weeks if he had decided to come early as he had threatened early on! He seemed to enjoy his "tanning" experience though, as he loves to be warm! :)

John is a wonderful baby!! He eats and sleeps very well! Phil and I could not be happier with our new life as a family of three!! Our cuddle time is the most precious time of the day. We both find ourselves sitting and just watching him when we should probably be sleeping! Every moment during labor and delivery, and the last 10 months leading up to Wednesday morning, was worth it. Now comes the fun times - watching him grow up!!

Four Days...or Less and Counting!!!

We are getting VERY close to meeting our new little one! We had another doctor's appointment yesterday and found our suspicions from this week were confirmed. I have a mild case (right now) of pre-eclampsia with significant swelling, proteins in my urine, and high blood pressure. Because of this, baby will be born this weekend, or Tuesday morning I will be induced. The risk is just too great to both of us to let us go longer than that. We will be 39 weeks on Tuesday, so baby is definitely ready and ok to come and meet the outside world!!

Our doctor tried to help get the process started a little bit more yesterday during my appointment and the contractions have kicked in harder since then, although we were happy to hear that I had progressed more on my own over the last week too. Phil and I will be going for some walks today and see what happens. It's just nice to know that one way or another, we will be holding a baby at some point on Tuesday! It's been a long wait over the last 6 weeks of contractions, bed rest, and all the unknowns! It also helped us with the unknown of whether or not we would be starting school. It is sad to say that we will not be, but are thankful we made it through Meet and Greet and to finalize those last minute things in our rooms.

The next post will be a baby announcement and we can't wait! Please keep us in your prayers as we transition from the waiting and anticipation stage, to the parent stage of our life!

And the Waiting Continues...

We are now 38 weeks and....still waiting! Our little one is showing that he or she is in charge! As of 12:00 tomorrow, Phil and I will both have successfully completed workshop and met all of our kids for this upcoming school year. I am pleased to have been able to meet my students, since I think it will be easier to go back in and see them during the year if they have already had some contact with me. However, it's now time to have a baby (after 12:00 tomorrow!) and move on with life (and a nice, long weekend!).

Over the last week, I have continued to contract and at times, not feel the best. The last few days the swelling in my hands, legs, and feet has been pretty excessive, so I will be pleased when that goes down and it doesn't hurt to walk anymore. Being on my feet most of today with Meet and Greet didn't help matters either! We have another doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon and are interested in seeing if I've progressed at all with the contractions, etc this week. If not, I can't lie and say I'm not going to be somewhat discouraged! Again, I have enjoyed being pregnant, but all of these things, on top of not sleeping, are starting to really wear on me after 2 weeks. We are curious to see if our doctor comments at all about helping the process along, and if not, we will be asking for a better idea of how long she will let me go on my own, as well as a thought on how big the baby is at this point too. I think having more concrete answers in something that is so full of unknowns will help our sanity level, as well as planning at school with our subs.

We will continue to keep you updated! Say some prayers that this little one decides to enter the world sooner, rather than later!

Patience is a Virtue....

Patience is a virtue! Phil and I are definitely learning that these days! Much has happened (and then not happened) since our blog on Sunday. The contractions have continued and have made me sick to my stomach and nauseous, but no baby yet! The contractions have been regular for a period of time (like 2-5 hrs) and then become irregular again, which has been frustrating, especially when I feel so awful during them. Today they started at 8-10 minutes this morning and have moved to about 5-6 minutes, but at times, are still sporadic. However, I know that this must end eventually. I will not be pregnant forever!!

We did have a doctor's appointment again today and expected to have some good news that things were changing and I was dilating more because of the contractions. After telling our doctor of the happenings since Saturday, she was pretty convinced that I would be going from the clinic to labor and delivery to have a baby. However, after checking my progress, reported in a surprised manner and with a quizzical facial expression that I was still only dilated to a 2. Had I been a 4 or more, she would have admitted me. Because I am only fully 37 weeks, she wasn't comfortable inducing me or breaking my water at this point to get things going faster, since my contractions since last night have been anywhere from 5-10 minutes apart. Had we been another week, the outcome would have been different. She agreed that hopefully baby would decide to come or stop messing around for awhile and lay low! We have another appointment with her next Friday, but I am hoping and praying that we don't get that far. I don't think that physically I can do this for another week or more and still have the energy, etc to go through the labor. I have really enjoyed being pregnant, but this is starting to wear on me....

Phil and I started workshop again today. The new school year is upon us and our summer is officially over! It's hard to believe a new year is upon us! There will be many changes in the coming weeks and we can't wait!!

It's Almost Time!!

I can't believe we've made it to almost 37 weeks!!! Time has flown by! As I am approaching my (probably) final days/moments of being pregnant, it's hard to believe how long it's been since we found out the good news by that little plus sign back in January! There are things that I will miss about being pregnant, such as the little movements and kicks no one else even knew were going on, or the feelings of awe at this little one we created after hearing the heartbeat and seeing the ultrasound, but having him or her here will be the best miracle ever! We can't wait to meet our little one!!

We were back at the doctor on Friday for our weekly check-up and were told we are about to become parents any day! My body and baby are completely ready, whenever baby decides to come! Our doctor said she hoped to see us in the hospital before our appointment this coming Wednesday, and we hope she is right! I have been having pretty hard contractions since yesterday and was up sick last night, which we were told when we called into the hospital was probably the start of early labor. My contractions today are getting stronger, so we'll see what happens. Hopefully baby won't decide to wait too much longer!

We did try the metrodome theory yesterday by going to a Twins game, but it did not produce a baby yet! However, it definitely made for a nice amount of walking and stairs, which couldn't have hurt!! It was a really fun game though and nice to get out with some friends after not being able to do much this summer because of my bed rest. We also enjoyed going to Canterbury Park on Thursday night for dollar night (yes, we are cheap!!... we have a baby on the way!!!) with my brother, Stephen, and his girlfriend, Katie. Steve and I won big - $40 on a $1 bet!!! WHOO-HOO! Hopefully that luck will play into a short labor too!!!

We look forward to updating more soon, and hopefully with a birth announcement, rather than another doctor's appointment! Enjoy your last days of summer!!

I'm FREE!!!!

Yes, our doctor's appointment this morning went VERY well! I am officially off bed rest, but will continue to be good for a few more days until we are officially 36 weeks....and get through the family reunion my family is helping put on! There are too many things going on to go into labor this weekend! However, we are pleased the restrictions are off and I can go back to being my active self! The baby was great again today. The heartbeat sounded really good as well. I've started to drop and baby is head down and ready to come. I've also dilated to a two and have started to efface. At this point, as soon as I start moving around more, my doctor said that it's still anyone's guess when I'll go. Time will tell!! We're getting close to meeting our new one soon though!! Have a wonderful weekend!

And I Continue to Get Bigger and Bigger....

Time has flown!! It's hard to believe we're into our 35th week! The baby has listened to everyone and stayed content with where he or she has been for the last 4 weeks, so we are hoping to be taken off bed rest tomorrow. If not though, it would only be for another week! At this point, I can't wait to go out for a walk and to the grocery store again! Thankfully, it's only been a modified bed rest, so we've been able to do a few things, such as go to our friend's wedding last weekend, as long as I came home to rest in between the ceremony and reception, and not stay too long at the reception. We made it though!!

Check out that belly!!!

Our nursery is now complete and ready to welcome Baby home! The curtains have gone up and the rocking chair is in place....now we just need the little one here too! We also spent some time a week ago putting together the pack-n-play and the swing, so they are ready too. Here's some pictures of Phil and Matt trying to follow the directions....who would have thought it would take multiple college degrees (and even a law degree) to finally figure it out?! Some portions were definitely not user friendly!!

Bob and Joan were doing their part too!

We look forward to being able to update more again after our appointment tomorrow and introducing you to our new addition soon!

Still Pregnant and Growing Every Day!

It's been almost 2 weeks since our stay at "Hotel Fairview" as one of the nurses called it, and baby has stayed content! I am still on a modified bed rest, which allows me to do a few things around the house once in a while, but for the most part, I am staying pretty quiet! We had a doctor's appointment yesterday and there hasn't been much of a change since last week when we were in after our trip to the hospital, so that is promising! As of right now, I will be on bed rest until I am 35 or 36 weeks, and then will be "released" and see what baby wants to do! Phil and I aren't holding our breath that the baby will wait much beyond my release date, but we could be surprised!

I have been keeping myself busy with getting things ready for school, making birth announcements, reading, watching movies, and connecting with people. The nursery is also starting to look more put together, as final shopping trips were made this last week for those essentials when baby comes home. The bags are also packed, just in case!

Time is flying now! Pretty soon, we will officially be a family of three!

All's Well...For Now!

We went to the doctor again this afternoon for a few other tests and found that all is well, for now! The doctor was happy to see things weren't moving along as fast as she thought they were. Since Monday, there weren't any other changes or progressions, so we were happy with that. The modified bedrest also seems to be helping, since the contractions are less frequent (other than when I'm up and active), so I'll be continuing that routine for probably the next 4-5 weeks. I was being a wishful thinker and hoped I would be completely taken off bedrest today, but was not so lucky! What a dreamer, eh?! However, if we're able to keep the contractions at bay by my lying down, then that's what I'll be doing!


From the sounds of it, our doctor doesn't seem to think I will be going full term (another 7.5 weeks) but didn't think we'd be at risk for delivering in the next couple of weeks either, as long as I take it easy, which was good to hear. She said another 2 weeks would be great, but 4 would be better, so we're making that our mark! However, she also commented that I could be completely fooled and go until 41 weeks too and really be shown God's humorous side! Whatever will be, will be, but Phil and I are going to do all we can so our little one enjoys a few more warm weeks where he or she is currently residing!


Because of these changes, other adaptations in life have had to be made, but it's never so bad that it couldn't be worse! (A wise man (my grandpa) once said that....) I now have had to cancel my participation in some things that were planned for the upcoming weeks, like dance camp, but I know that nothing is worth the health of our baby. There will be other years! It should also help stress levels now that grad school ended today! We made it!!!! Now it's on to finalizing things for the school year so I can rest easy on that front as well, in case this little one decides to come sooner, rather than later.


If you have any good books or movies, let me know! I'm coming up with a list of fun things to do as I rest!

Baby Update

Just a short update for you on the last few days and events. Over the last few weeks, I have been having a few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there, but nothing major, so I didn't pay attention to them and the doctor didn't seem worried. However, starting Saturday afternoon and evening, into Sunday, the contractions started to become more regular and longer. By Sunday night they were pretty long (or so I thought) and a little more to the painful side. I thought I just needed to lie down though, so I did that and hoped all would be fine. Well, we ended up at the hospital Monday afternoon and evening when I called into the doctor and "failed" the questions they asked me. After being monitered for the afternoon and evening, the baby was doing well, which we were all pleased with. However, I was having contractions every 4-6 minutes, and they were coming and going (unlike I originally thought) but they weren't going down enough to feel like it was gone before the next one started (hence why I thought they were 5-20 min long!). So, needless to say, I'm now on a modified bedrest until Thursday afternoon when we're having more tests done. Depending on what they find then, I may be put on full bedrest with medication for the next 4 weeks in hopes the contractions don't go into full labor. Hopefully I will be able to stay on modified bedrest and just lie down when I feel the contractions coming on, but based on the last 4 days, I'm starting to doubt that. However, whatever we need to do to wait awhile to meet the little one, we are both willing to do. I just hope and pray that means I can do whatever needs to be done from home!! We'll update with more news later this week. Until then, I'm going to try to keep Cleatus in his or her warm home! :)

Phil's Birthday Fun!

Phil is now 30 years old!!! He was dreading it and hoping we didn't have a party, but it came and went and he survived!!! The weekend of his birthday we went up north to see his relatives from Colorado that were in town. He enjoyed a nice, quiet weekend of fishing and hanging out and thought his birthday (June 22) had passed without too much commotion. He was able to enjoy a very yummy baseball birthday cake (which wasn't as creative as the fire truck last year, but when you're away from home, you can only be so creative!!!).

(Yes, there is only a "3" candle on the cake.
I told him the "0" didn't mean anything, so it didn't need to be on the cake!)

Well, the following weekend (June 28) I suggested we go out to dinner after church and have a "date" which Phil agreed to. Little did he know it was a "date" with 12 other people! Phil was definitely surprised when we showed up at Champs and had a large table of family and friends there to greet him! He is so wise and mature now..... :)

Check out those big bellies!!

We had another doctor's appointment on Thursday and everything is going well. I'm starting to have more contractions, but am able to control them by lying down and drinking extra water. Baby is head-down at this point, but there is still plenty of time for him or her to move around! We have our tour of the Birthplace at the U of MN tomorrow, so we'll let you know how that goes! We're getting closer to meeting our new little addition every day and we can't wait!

Passed!!

The dreaded glucose test has come....and gone! Whew! I'm glad that one is over! My mom and I went into the hospital this morning about 7:30 and started the test. My initial results of the first blood draw came back normal, so I had to continue on with the full glucose test. However, they lied to me!!! My doctor said that it would be about three hours from start to finish...well, it ended up being about four instead. Let me tell you, that last hour was hard! Had I anticipated it from the beginning, it wouldn't have been a big deal. However, when they did the bait and switch, I wasn't too happy! The baby was definitely unhappy as well as he or she definitely wanted some food by that time! They said the glucose test was three hours, since once you drink it, they draw your blood at one hour, two hours, and three hours (hence the three hour test, but my doctor had said it would be drawn at 1/2 hr, 1 hr and 2 hrs). However, they do the initial blood draw too and it took about 40 minutes to get those results, and then another 10 - 15 to drink the sickingly sweet, orange pop beverage (that you hope you don't see again based on your very empty stomach!). Anyway, you'll all be happy to hear that I made it through the test and PASSED! I hope I never have to do that one again, although I know there are worse things out there. For someone who is not really a fan of orange pop in the first place, drinking it so fast at 8:30 in the morning, on an empty stomach, was not a treat!

During the test, we were able to go and walk around a bit though, so naturally we headed upstairs to the labor and delivery and postpartum floors. Phil and I have our tour next Saturday, so we'll find out everything then, but it was interesting to see the rooms and how things are laid out. The postpartum floor is very secure, which is great. Before today, I knew that security was high around the babies, but I guess I didn't realize it was to that extent. Each room is locked and needs to have a key to swipe in and the nursery is no longer open for viewing. Once you buzz into that section of the floor, you have to check in as well. I guess I'd rather have it that way though, then not know who is coming and going. Don't worry, you can still come and see us in the hospital!

Have a wonderful weekend!!! I feel a craving for ice cream coming on now that I know I'm safe..... hahaha!!! :)

The Nursery!!

What a busy two weeks!! However, we do have something to show for it...the nursery!! After a lot of hard work painting, stenciling, carpeting, and putting together furniture, we now are closer to being ready to bring our new arrival home and have a place of his or her own! We absolutely love how it is turning out and can't wait to continue to add "finishing touches" on it over the next weeks. Here are some pictures for you!

This is what it looked like when we first moved in...

well, minus the rocking horse, since that was there as a staging tactic when we bought the house.

Gotta love the lavender walls and purple carpet....

It was definitely in need of a change before our baby arrives!
We started with yellow walls....

Then added some stars....

Then put in the new carpet and furniture and wallah!!! NURSERY!!!

Besides keeping busy with the nursery, we are now half way though grad school for the summer, and are looking forward to three weeks from now! It will be a great day when we drive away from St. Thomas on July 17th! Tutoring is going well for me and Phil is also enjoying being a roofing inspector again this summer, especially on the cool days!

I had another doctor's appointment this past Friday and everything went well as far as my health and the baby's. I measured right on for size again, so that was great. However, I did fail my glucose test, so I now get to take part in the three hour test on Wednesday morning. No food from Tuesday night on will not be fun, but it is important that we figure out if I have gestational diabetes. If so, I should be able to control it through my diet, since my numbers of the initial test were not far off. My doctor didn't seem to be worried though, as many fail the first test and don't actually have gestational diabetes. Whatever will be, will be! I now start my two week visits for the month of July and then we're on to every week for the month of Aug. Time will fly until this little one arrives!

Enjoy your long weekend over the 4th!! We will update again soon!