Merry Christmas from our family to yours

To our friends and family.

I hope this "letter" finds you and your family during the joyful time of the year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. As Derek and I reflect upon the year we are thankful for the many blessings we have bee given this year!

Its hard to believe the 2008 year is coming to a close. A lot has happen to the Loseke family. As it has been almost a year ago we found out that we would be blessed with a child, who will soon be 4 months.

In May Derek and I moved from the apartment living into our home here in Omaha and have been slowly making it feel like home. We have decorated most of the rooms and have made the beginning of many memories . Derek enjoyes being able to mow the grass and not so much enjoyes shoveling the snow. I have enjoyed the larger kitchen where I can now explore my cooking and baking skills. (Ha ha ha).

In September we welcomed the birth of our daughter Caitlin Rae, who was born on the 4th, which is a very special day for her daddy as it is his birthday as well. She has brought us great joy and laughter. She has now learned to roll over, scoot on her back across the room and combat a double ear infection.

We also found time and energy to take Caitlin on her first road trip to visit her family in Kansas for Thanksgiving, it was a wonderful time to spend with family and eat some wonderful food. Derek and I also ventured into having Thanksgiving at our house this year, which all and all didn't turn out to bad at all. Only a minor injury happened on Derek's hand.

So our year in review comes to a end we realize we had an amazing 2008 and hope that yours was as well. May God bless you and your family during the holidays and in 2009!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Love,
Derek, Barb and Caitlin Loseke

Caitlin rolled over!!!!

Caitlin rolled over for the very 1st time ever. Our friends Tony and Brandy came over on Friday night to just have dinner and hang out for a little while. While Derek and Tony sat in the kitchen talking, Brandy and I were in the living room with Caitlin and their daughter Peyton, while Caitlin did some tummy time and sure enough she rolled over from her stomach to her back! I am one proud momma!!!!! Her rolling over was proceeded with screams, laughter and of course the " you are the most amazing baby in the world". Derek and Tony missed the event, which I felt horrible that Derek missed her rolling over for the 1st time ever. So Brandy and I headed to the basement to prepare for a wicked game of Scene It and of course Caitlin took the chance to show us her amazing rolling over skills 2 more times!!!! Of which Derek and Tony missed again. :( So I of course tried to record it, so I could at least prove that she did it....and that is when she decided rolling over was not her thing. So the camera is ready for the next moment...but our little girl rolled over!!!!!!

Which we all now she is ahead of the curve, as the doctor said that this does not usually happen until month 4...well Caitlin did it just a little over 3 months and why is that you asked? Because Caitlin is them most amazing baby in the whole entire world. (Well at least her mom and dad think so).

Caitlin turns 3 months

So I might be a few days late...or more than a few getting this up here, but Caitlin has turned 3 months old already. I can not believe how quickly the time has gone. At her last appointment, she now weighs 11 lbs and 7 ounces and is 23 inches long. She is still under the 5o percentile for weight but is now in the 95th percentile for length, I wonder where she got her height.

Caitlin has also made some pretty good friends at daycare, these two little boys tear up and cry a little each day I go and get her...its the cutest thing ever. They always sit next to her as she is getting in her car seat to go and even blow her kisses...its great. The daycare provider even called Caitlin a little fashionesta the other day as Caitlin has always got on a cute outfit. LOL!

Speaking of my little princesses, I can hear her crying...so it must be time to play for the rest of the day!

Caitlin and her daddy

Caitlin and Derek have become best buds. These two are just so much fun to be around and you can tell Caitlin loves her daddy very much. She has learned to coo and laugh and just lights up with a big smile every time her daddy walks into a room. They enough watching and playing Guitar Hero or Rockband...lol. Well Derek likes to play as Caitlin sits in her bouncer and watches the lights and colors. They also like to take naps together.

Thanksgiving

Its been a busy time for the Loseke household, we spend Thanksgiving in Kansas to which Caitlin enjoyed meeting new cousins, being held and getting gifts. :) I have attached some pictures from that time down in Kansas, where Caitlin also saw her 1st snow...or at least felt the cold of her 1st snow.

Caitlin and Chloe....BFFs

I just had to share this picture or pictures with you of Caitlin and our friends daughter Chloe. Chloe is just about 4 months older than Caitlin, but those two really seem to enjoy each other...I mean just look, they even dress alike. I hope you enjoy these pictures and have a great Friday.

11 weeks old and growing.

Caitlin Rae is 11 weeks old today. I am still trying to figure out where the time has gone. She is getting so big and growing so much. She had her 2 month baby wellness earlier this week and she is now 10 pounds 7 ounces and 22 1/4 inches long. So she is overall measuring in the 45th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for length...so you could say we have a tall slender baby. Caitlin did so well for her shots, I am guessing she won't have cried at all except it was her nap time and she was getting very sleepy. She did end up running a little a temp after her shots so Derek got to stay home with her the next day and play video games and relax with her. (Mom was slightly jealous).

Here are a few photos of our big girl at the doctor.

Baptism

Caitlin had a busy Saturday as we headed back to Columbus for her baptism at Peace Lutheran Church. We were very excited to see Pastor Klatt was able to baptize Caitlin as he was the same Pastor that married Derek and I.

Caitlin did very well during the whole service and was so well mannered in her moment to shine at church. As a congregation we sang "Jesus Loves Me" which is a song that we sometimes sing at night before bed, so Caitlin became very relaxed and comfortable right away and just watched as her Uncle Mike and Aunt Jenny represented her as her sponsors.

Here are just a few pictures of the event and special day for our beautiful little girl.

Caitlin...sleepy through the night?

Caitlin had a great weekend which started out with her starting to sleep through the nights a little better. Friday night she headed off to dream land around 10:30 and had her 1st wake up at 4:30 for her feeding and then back to dream land until 8 a.m Saturday morning. She was so tired from handing out all that candy to the many ghost,witches and other spookies that came to our door.

Saturday was a very busy day with Caitlin so with being back in Columbus for her baptism. So again she slept from 9:30p.m. to 4:30 a.m. and then back to dream land until 10 a.m.

The rest of the week has gone pretty much the same way. So I am thinking that our little girl is starting to be able to sleep through the night for the most part. We will start showing Caitlin her crib more at night and less bassinet. I am not ready for her to not be sleeping in our room all night but we need to get her use to her room and soon.

Happy Halloween!!!

Here are some pictures of Caitlin wearing her Halloween Costume. Derek and I had a hard time finding a costume for her so we just went ahead and put our creative minds together and created one. Caitlin for her very 1st Halloween was a Beautiful Ballerina. She did some trick or treating at Mom's and Dad's work and then we went and saw Roxanne (Caitlin's daycare provider). We had a great day and now our little ballerina is dancing in peaceful dreams for the night.

Happy Friday

Caitlin is now 7 weeks old. I can't believe how big she is getting. She has been at daycare for 1 week and she loves it. Roxanne, the daycare provider says that Caitlin is doing very well. Which makes us feel so much better. So here is a picture for you all to enjoy of Caitlin at 7 weeks old

Darius Rucker former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish has now gone country. I love this song. It is about a dad and the life's journey he goes through with his new born daughter. Listen...you will have to forward somewhat to about 2 minutes. Believe me its a pretty awesome song and for sure make me think of Derek and Caitlin's relationship. How quickly she will grow up and how lucky we are to have her in our lives.

Caitlin and the Great Pumpkin

Caitlin had her 1st trip to the Rocaberry Farms, which is just south of Lincoln. It was a fun day and Caitlin spent most of the day in her stroller as it got a little windy. It was a fun day and Caitlin got her very first pumpkin and we can't wait to decorate.

Another busy weekend

Miss Caitlin had yet another busy weekend. We spend the whole weekend running around getting things done. Derek took Friday off and we went and had our daycare interviews, needless to say we are still looking for daycare.

So with a frustrating Friday behind us, we started our Saturday off with a birthday party for Caitlin's second cousin Cody. Caitlin got much love from everyone and it was her first meeting with her Great Aunt Karen, which Caitlin loved spending time with and getting held. After a long day behind us, Caitlin slept very well and Mommy and Daddy got 4 hours of solid sleep before the wake-ups began. So our Sunday started a little earlier than expected, but was yet another fun filled day of Caitlin holding up her head, spending time on her tummy and of course lots of love from Mom and Dad.

Caitlin's day at the zoo.

Sunday was a busy day for our family of 3. We along with our friends Casey, Kristen and their two kids, Ryley and Chloe headed off to the Henry Doorly Zoo for an afternoon of fun. Caitlin enjoyed the Lied Jungle, Aquarium and the Cat house all from the comfort of her car seat....and the back of her eyelids. We all had a great day of fun. Here are some pictures to enjoy of Caitlin's first of many trips to the zoo.

Caitlin "sleeping with the fishes"

Casey and Derek being good daddies.

1 month old ( Happy Birthday to Caitlin)

Happy 1 month birthday Caitlin. I can't believe our baby is already 1 month old! The time has gone by so quickly.We are still working on her daily and night time routine. She is getting better at stay awake longer during the day and sleeping better through the night. Our feeding schedule seems to be a little back and forth on days but for the most part she is doing much better than the first couple of weeks.

Caitlin has a great 1 month old "birthday" party. Friday was her Grandpa Marty's birthday and we surprised him with a birthday party in which Great Grandma Miller, Uncle Rick and Aunt Kathy came up from Kansas to surprise him. It was a great day. They also met Caitlin for the 1st time. Caitlin got lots of hugs and kisses, and of course a bunch of pictures taken along with a ton of ooo's and aww's.

Now we are waiting for Casey, Kristen, Ryley and Chloe to come up so we can take a walk in the zoo. It should be a fun time and Caitlin's time to the zoo, not that she will get to excited, but it will nice to be out of the house.

Here's looking at you.....

Caitlin with Great Grandma Miller and Great Aunt Kathy during their surprise visit to Nebraska on 10.04.08

Bath time

Caitlin after her bath. I just love the curls.

3 Weeks Old

Happy 3 week birthday. I can't believe that Caitlin is 3 weeks old today. The time has gone by so quickly. She is getting better at being in a routine and trying to sleep through the night. We have our fussy nights where she would rather play or be held then sleep, but that is okay because sometimes I would rather hold her then sleep myself. It has been a pretty easy transition to going from a family of 2 to a family of 3. I don't think Derek and I would have it any other way. I think we are also glad that she is already here, as today is my actual due date.

I could not imagine having to wait that extra 3 weeks to have her here. I know several people say it, but its true, You can't ever imagine your life before them or without them. We are very blessed to have a beautiful and healthy little girl. So many firsts to look forward to, not that we are rushing any of them, but we are truly blessed to have her here with us.

A picture while you wait.

Caitlin Rae Loseke born September 4th, 2008 at 9:29 p.m. at Methodist Hospital. She weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 20.25 inches long. Her first thoughts.... "Happy Birthday Daddy".

Hospital Stay...Beginning of Day 3

We have new updated levels. Her biliruben level as of 7p.m. last night was 12.1!!!! We have had some major drops in her levels. Monday was 23.7 upon admittance, 4 hours later it was 19.8, 4 hours after that it was 17.8 and now we are sitting at 12.1. I am so excited and hope they continue to drop. This is the area in which they let people go home. We did stay through the night without her on the lights so that we can make sure that the level stays or even continues to drop. Lab was up in her room around 8a.m. so hopefully we will be getting some great news in a few minutes or so.

Caitlin had a great night of sleeping, in a normal crib without any lights on her. She was a little stinker and pulled out her feeding tub...not once but twice. So I would say we have one strong little girl on our hands. The tub was inserted through her nose and into her stomach, I am guessing she just wasn't having any fun with it there anymore. She also did pretty well as far as sleeping through the night, which was great because it allowed for Derek and I to get some much needed rest. You can only sleep so well on a hospital couch/sleeper.

That is all we know for now but will keep you posted as soon as we know more. Hopefully the next post will be from HOME! I also promise to get pictures up just as soon as I can.

Fourth Visit......but new hospital

Okay so when I said last hospital visit...I meant as far as having the baby goes.

Derek and I took Caitlin to the Dr's office on Monday as she still had not had a bowel movement and she started to look similar to a pumpkin. We did not have an appointment so we got lucky that Dr. Woodruff was able to see her. We did the standard weight check and she is now down to 6 pounds 15 ounces, which her birth weight was 7 pounds 9 ounces, so just down a little. Dr. Woodruff looked at her eyes and stomach, she does has a little bit of a newborn rash, but he was more concerned with the yellow/orangish color of her skin. So he sent us off to Children's Hospital to get her biliruben levels checked.

Miss Caitlin did great getting her little heals pricked, as they couldn't seem to find a vein in her arm to use. So as any good dad, Derek bought her a stuffed animal for her behaving so well. Then we just waiting for a phone call to tell us her levels.

While waiting we decided to make an appearance at our corporate office, where everyone seem to love her and collectively decided that she is an adorable baby! We probably spent close to an hour and 1/2 there, being told how adorable and how much hair our daughter had...we didn't mind. It was also there that we got a phone call from the Doctor letting us know that Caitlin needed to be admitted to the hospital because her biliruben levels where 24!

So here we are now, watching our little girl get poked, stuck, become a human pin cushion with I.V.s and blood test to see what they can do to get these levels down. She is currently in a incubator full of lights and will be here for a few days.

Third Hospital Visit....

..and last!!!!

On Wednesday the 3rd of September we had an appointment with Dr. Robertson at Methodist Hospital. We went in thinking we would be sent home and ready to wait another week. Well that was not the case at all. He made a few phone calls and the next thing we got told was to be back at the hospital that night after 5 to be set up for induction. So of course we went home and waited for 5 to show up and headed to Methodist Hospital. We got to Methodist and checked into Labor and Delivery, which has some of the greatest nurses in the world. We got checked in, filled out paper work and then they inserted a pill to get things rolling while we settled in for the night. Some contractions had started, but the sleeping pill they gave me did nothing, so they gave me a shot of something in my IV and I was out withing seconds according to Derek

Thursday morning was pretty eventful with my water breaking on its own around 6:30 am. They started the Pitocin drip along with magnesium (to prevent seizures since I was pre-eclamptic) at about 9. Contractions came and went as I was occasionally checked to see how dilated I was. Throughout that time, I felt pretty good as they had also started my Epidural around 9am as well. However, the epidural ran out so they started me on another batch. Around 4pm, I was dilated at about 3.5 cm but feeling a lot of pain and pressure as the baby's head was pushing on the front right of my hip. The anastealogist gave me a shot Lidocaine and I slept though some contractions, and between others, for about an hour. About 1 1/2 hours after the lidocaine shot, I was at about 5cm. I had some hard contractions where the good news was that in 15 minutes, I went from 5cm to 7cm, the bad being that I could feel the contractions very intensely. At that point, they called the anastealogist up again, and he gave me a shot of something else "that would hopefully get her though the rest of the ordeal". In about an hour, I went from 7cm to no cervix from what they could tell, so it was about time to begin pushing.

The nurse, Lisa, did an excellent job at coaching me and telling me how to push correctly. Derek was putting me under some pressure as well as he really wanted to have Caitlin on his birthday, but there was only about 4 1/2 hours left in the day. After some strong pushes, we had to take a break to get my oxygen levels up to get the baby's heart rate back up. Pushing went pretty fast after that as I soon was crowning. Unfortunately, Dr. Thatcher was 20 minutes away, so I had to breathe though some VERY intense contractions as they couldn't start the birth without her. After about 15 minutes, I was growing very agitated wondering where she us, but she showed up on time at 20 minutes.

Pushing with Dr Thatcher went really well. After about 5 or so minutes of hard pushing, we had our baby. We sighed a collective breath of relief when we found out what the sex was (she had a very pink room waiting at home), Derek snipped the umbilical cord, and we cleaned up. All in all, it went really well, but I felt faint when the nurse told me a bit later that my epidural had pretty much worn off 2 hours before, and I essentially went without the painkillers.

Mom and Marty were still at the hospital and were able to come in right away (they were waiting in the hall) after Caitlin was born. Derek called up his mom who was already in town, and she and his siblings came shortly. It was all very surreal, but a very joyous occasion. Even now we both have times where it's hard to believe we have a baby in our home.

After the birth, they moved us to a clean birthing suite. They didn't want to move us downstairs yet to Maternity as I was on a Magnesium drip for another 12 hours, and during the night, the nursery noticed Caitlin's oxygen levels dropped slightly). They put her on a monitor but all worked out. Around 10:00 the next day, they moved us to Maternity where we remained for the next day an a half. We were happy to share our joy with family and friends, but it turned out it could be a bit much at times. Nearly all of our immediate and extended family showed up to see the baby, and share in the love. They next day, with much waiting, we were finally released to go home where we had more family and friends waiting to see the new baby.

The first night was rather uneventful except we were exhausted, and due to the occurrence of a thunderstorm as well, we convince mom to stay. We couldn't have done it without her. At about 2am, she woke up hungry, but wouldn't really eat (we had issues with her falling asleep while nursing throughout the previous day, and it didn't get any better. We finally resolved to Derek giving her an ounce of formula and wrapping her up. I was immediately out, and Derek took over watching her (and sleeping with her in the bassinet next to her in a different room so that I could rest).

And the rest is history. We may be taking her in tomorrow to the Dr as she hasn't had a stool movement in a day and a half but the On-call doctor thinks it's because she hasn't eaten much and she's in the phase between eating from me and eating on her own. She is also starting to look a bit yellow on the skin and eyes, so we want to have that checked out as well.

Second Hospital Visit......

..and unfortunately probably not the last. Derek and I are currently at the hospital, sitting around.

Yesterday we had a scheduled appointment with Sarpy County OBGYN. When they put the monitor on the watch the baby's heartbeat, I started having some fairly intense contractions often. I believe I was on the monitor for a total of 35 minutes and had about 15 contractions. I probably felt about 8 or 9 of them, so of course since it was a Saturday and no doctors at the office. I was off to Methodist.....again.

This time Derek and I didn't do the whole panic attack, must go get things. We decided if we really needed the bags he could go get them later, or someone could come get them from the house. So we headed off to Methodist.

The hospital was pretty uneventful. Although this time we checked in on the High Risk side of the Labor and Delivery Ward, the reason for this is b/c I am not at 37 weeks. Basically this is where we get the "Lather, Rise, Repeat" syndrome of the hospital with lots of sitting and waiting, some labs, and more sitting and waiting... Again it felt like at some point they might have forgot about us. Eventually the nurse came in and said the labs looked great, best she had seen in a while. The contractions had stopped, so we got the ticket to go. So we will see what the next time brings.

First Hospital Vist....

....and unfortunately probably not the last. Barb and I are currently at the hospital, sitting around. We did quite a flip flop today....two visits to Sarpy County OB/GYN, and now Methodist.

Yesterday, we had a scheduled visit with Dr. Robertson. When they put the monitor on the watch the baby's heartbeat, Barb started having some fairly intense contractions very often. Sounded like she was ready to go any minute, but we headed home to wait for things to progress.

She had a scheduled appointment this morning and her blood pressure was high. It's been pretty high on a regular basis, but it was even higher than normal. So we went home, and she was to be on very strict bed rest. After dinner however, she got a pretty bad headache, that Tylenol and lunch hadn't resolved, so back to Sarpy Co. They took her blood pressure again, and it was about the same, so they had her wait a bit and rest, and took it again, but it was higher. So, they made the decision to send us to the hospital to deliver as the pressure just wasn't really safe for anyone.

The hospital was pretty uneventful. Lots of sitting and waiting, some labs that said everything was fine, and more sitting and waiting.....might have been beter had it not seems like they forgot about us. Eventually, they should be allowing us to head home assuming everything else comes though fine which I suspect it will. So just sitting and waiting.....

Today's Appointment

So we had another doctor's appointment this morning at Sarpy County OBGYN. We are currently meeting with Dr. McFadden, since my regular Doctor ( Dr. Thatcher) is on vacation. I really do like Dr. McFadden, he has a much more laid back approach to ideas and cracks some pretty great jokes. So it has been a crazy week, see post below, and of course you know its sad when you look forward to going to the doctor because it means you get to get out of the house.

So at my appointment, my blood pressure looked good, which is nice. We have been told that is why I am on bed rest, well now it looks like I am showing signs of preeclampsia, mainly with the high blood pressure, I have been lucky in not getting to swollen in the hands and feet. The few times I have become swollen I have laid down for about 15-20 minutes and it has gone down.
Although today, Dr. McFadden did notice that I am gaining fluid...as I have gained 9 lbs in 4 days... let me tell you I am not happy about, so the solution, drink more fluids and hopefully I will lose some of that fluid. We have another appointment on Wednesday with Methodist so we will see what Dr. Robertson has to say about this baby girl.

Updates, Changes and News!

So I know its been a while since we updated and a lot has changed. I had a doctor's appointment, with Methodist last Wednesday and that is when Dr. Bonebrake (not my normal doctor), decided that my blood pressure was to up and down, that he placed me on bed rest. So I have been going to the doctor about twice a week now to make sure everything is looking okay or at least stable. Which as of my doctor's appointment today it was looking good.

So I haven't been on bed rest for a full week yet and I am bored out of my mind. Its so hard from going full speed to a complete stop that quickly. I am trying my best to stay off my feet and let other people pitch in....lets just say that is easier than done. I had some great help, my mom has come up and made some awesome food for us. Our friend Kristen has also come up and helped out with household chores.... its been great for the help, but its been hard to ask. So there is just a little update for everyone. Sorry its been a while, but hope everyone understands, you would think that being home all day I would be more on top of this...but I am getting some great sleep before I don't get any. :)

Dr. Robertson's Appointment

I figured the previous post (Dr. Thatcher Appointment) was getting to long, so I would just create a new post for the appointment at Dr. Robertson's office.

So I had my appointment with Dr. Robertson on Wednesday. Now silly me thinking that since everything was good and okay at the previous day's appointment, that there was no need for Derek to attend this appointment as well. Okay so we might have been slightly wrong on that idea! Again should be the typical appointment of weight, blood pressure, watching the baby on the ultrasound, etc. Which again the scale said I was still down 4 lbs, I couldn't help but be a little happy! Blood pressure looks great. Baby was good on the ultrasound, rolling around and being a little turkey as normal. By the way, have I said how much I enjoy the nurses and the ultrasound tech at Methodist,I think the are great!

So we are looking at her, being all cute, as baby's due. We went ahead and got her weight....she is already 5lbs 13 oz. Meaning....she is a big baby! So of course Dr.Robertson comes in the room and we are looking things over and he agrees that she is a big baby and I tell him about the previous Dr. appointment and the contractions on the monitor...so what does he decide...lets put me back on the monitor for 30 minutes. GRRR! So again, her heart looks great and I am not having contractions, which made me and the Dr. happy.

So he makes a big decision about the baby...we are going to go back in 2 (two) weeks, so August 20th, and check her weight again. He has said that my body pretty much thinks I have a full term baby in there, and its going to start (ha, ha) getting uncomfortable for me. So we will take a look at her weight there and if need be do a amino to test her lungs to see how developed they are...which I really don't want a giant needle in my stomach poking my baby, but then again I don't want to deliver a baby with under developed lungs. So based on what they find on the amino, we will pick a deliver date for either that week or the week after!

So from what I heard...again was in a moment of, what is going on here, it sounds to me (and to Derek) if I explained it right, we will be welcoming our little girl in about 3 weeks, 4 weeks if we need to have some more time for the lungs! So bring on the panic stricken parents as we prepare for the birth of our little one.

We will keep in you informed if anything else changes.

Dr Thatcher Appointment.

It has been a crazy week, this week. We had 2 doctor appointments this week. One one Tuesday with Dr. Thathcer and then one on Wednesday with Dr. Robertson.

The appointment on Tuesday with Dr. Thatcher was the normal go in, pee in a cup, take your blood pressure, get weighed...sit on a monitor and listen to the baby's heartbeat. Sounds pretty routine right...well not with this baby of ours. It started off different because Derek was actually able to go to the appointment (he has been skipping Dr. Thatcher's and going to Dr. Robertson's appointments). So we get there and of course we sit on the monitor for about 45 minutes, which we actually got some great readings of her heart, which is rare b/c she is usually moving around like crazy, I think she was on good behavior because Daddy was there. She was doing great and I was doing great, feeling a little uncomfortable, but who does feel comfortable being strapped to a chair! Well anyway the lady next to me was looking at my charts and noticed that I was having contractions! I couldn't feel them to bad, just a little bit of pressure, which the doctor said was pretty common. I actually had a contraction that lasted about 1(one) minute. It was crazy. Dr Thatcher said as long as they aren't continued like that and constant we should be fine until our due date. So then we went and got weighed...which of course even woman, let alone every pregnant women loves, but this time I got up there with the whatever attitude. I am down 4 lbs from the week before! Which now means my overall weight gain since January is 8 lbs!!! I am so excited. My blood pressure was also great. So things are looking great.

Thank You!

Thank you

Yesterday was my 1st baby shower hosted by my sister Jenny and my Aunt Amy. It was a beautiful day. I am very lucky to have been able to share the day with so many friends and family. I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout, I had friends and family be able to make it that I haven't seen in a long time. Thank your for the well wishes, the pieces of advice, the beautiful gifts, for sharing so many things that you have all given over the past 8 months. We look forward to all your love and support in the future. So again thank you for sharing in the celebration of arrival of our precious gift from God.

Thank you

32 weeks down and 5 more to go! (maybe)

So here we are already at 32 weeks! I know I have said it before, but time is really going by so quickly. I can't believe we are to this point. We are figuring, based on what doctor's say we will probably be meeting Caitlin in about 4-5 weeks. I am hoping its a little bit longer, just because I want to her to be as prepared to enter this crazy world as she can be.

In other news, it is going to be a busy weekend, tomorrow is the first of my baby showers! I am so excited, I have friends that I haven't been able to see in a while coming and I am so anxious to see them! The shower is being hosted by my sister Jenny and my aunt Amy, which should be exciting. Hopefully there aren't to many...lets wrap toilet tissue around the stomach, type games, but nevertheless I am so excited to see family and friends as we gather for a very joyous occasion.

31 Weeks Today!

So we are 31 weeks along today. I am so excited and can't believe we are already to this point. I am feeling really good, but having a little difficulty sleeping. We had 2 doctors appointments this week.

The 1st appointment was with Dr. Thathcer at Sarpy County, that appointment went pretty well, heart rate looked good, I am now being hooked up to a monitor for 15 minutes each appointment. The heartbeat looked good and Baby Caitlin is measuring right on track for height. I have loss a total of 5 pounds since my last appointment, but she doesn't seem to be to worried about that.

The 2nd appointment was with Dr. Robertson at Methodist, I am really enjoying these appointments more and more. I love his attitude about things and how relaxed he is. We again got to see our little girl, who is now around 4lbs! It so crazy to see how big she is getting. She is measuring right around the 70th percentile for weight, so he does want to watch that a little more closely. He said around week 36/37 we should be around 7 lbs and the lungs should be pretty well developed by then...meaning that he is okay with delivering any time after that point!!! Which is crazy to think we could have a little baby in just a few short (which sometimes feel very long) weeks.

I think it is starting to hit Derek and I a little more each day as we work on the nursery that our little family of 2 is going to be a little family of 3 soon. I think for the most part her room is done, we just need to add some "finishing touches". Just waiting for the arrival of our little one. I will try and post pictures this weekend of the nursery.

Baby Registries

I know that some people have been asking where we are registered, and this is by no means meaning that anyone needs to get us gifts, we are getting the best gift in a few short weeks. We have had a few people ask with upcoming showers people are wanting to know what we are needing.

Derek and I have registered at Babies R Us (www.babiesrus.com) and at Wal-Mart (www.walmart.com). I am not sure of our registry numbers at either place, but just wanted to let you know. Again please don't feel like you have to get us anything, but its sometimes easier to but the message out there for everyone.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

30 WEEKS ALREADY?!?!?!?!

So here we are at 30 weeks pregnant. I can't believe how quickly time has gone. We are still working on the nursery and the house to get prepared for baby. I am starting to go to the doctor every week, so its becoming more real for me, each time I see her little face on the ultrasound. Its so exciting.

I have spoken with Dr. Thatcher, and have yet to speak with Dr. Robertson, but it sounds like Baby Loseke will be making her appearance anywhere from 7-9 weeks from now. That is so crazy to think. Dr. Thatcher ideally would like me to go to 39 weeks, but isn't sure if that is going to be possible. I have an appointment with Dr. Robertson this coming Wednesday so we will see what he has to say about her birth day!

We will keep you posted as we know more. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to look at the growth of our baby girl.

Busy Weekend

So Derek and I had another busy and crazy weekend. I will admit that having something go on almost every weekend from now until our due date is really going to make time go faster. We had my family reunion on Saturday, which took us to Geneva, NE. Derek and I played 18 holes of golf, yes you can play golf at 7 months pregnant. We got lucky with the weather being around 68-70 for most of the first 9. Derek won some $$ for having the closest chip to to hole. He has won something every year. I am still waiting my turn to win something. We then headed back into town to have a great dinner and conversation with family.

Sunday we spent "Family Time' which was just the two of us and no cell phones. We decided to go to the 2008 Street of Dreams in Blair, we probably walked close to 5 miles and say some nice houses. Again weather was enjoyable to be outside.

Overall we had a great weekend and spent some great family time together, just the "three" of us.

Pin Cushion and Pictures.

So today I had my weekly appointment, yes we are at the stage of weekly appointments. This one was a 4 hour appointment, due to failing my 1 hour glucose test. So I was lucky enough to be able to go the doctor's office at 7:30 this morning. Everything seem to go well, I won't get the results back from my 3 hour glucose test for a couple of days. Although I very much feel like a pin cushion and am sure my arms looks somewhat like one as well.

Dr. Thatcher did a ultrasound today, which was a nice surprise because I was not expecting that at all. Things look great. We are measuring right on track. I have a few pictures, a 3D of her face, I will try and get it up just as soon as possible.

Other than that we are getting more prepared for our baby's arrival. We bought the dresser for the room, all we need now is to add a little decoration, and of course our little girl. We are looking right now at about 8 weeks left.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July

We just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. We will be in Columbus to see the fireworks and spend time with friends and family. If you will be in the area give us a call.

We hope everyone has a great extend weekend and is safe.

Lots of Love

Derek, Barb and Baby Loseke

Baby Caitlin's Room

So it might not be the best picture in the world, but at least you get the idea of what the room is starting to look like. I love it! We are doing a brown/pink/daisy theme. I got the idea from the bedding, that is at www.babiesrus.com . We have added some cute decorated touches, Derek's mom and sister Valerie gave us these adorable pink and brown wall hangings that say "Live, Dream, Laugh" they match the room perfectly. Its really starting to take shape and become more real. I have plenty more pictures, so if you would like to see more let me know and I will email. To many to put on here.

Week 27 is here and almost gone!

So we are at week 27. I had my regular dr appointment yesterday, nothing to exciting to report. Baby Loseke is measuing right on track with a heart beat of 163. Which I guess being boring at this stage in the game is great. I did have to do my 1 hour gluclose test, which they said they would call if I had failed. Well that was 10 a.m. yesterday and I still haven't heard anything, so so far no news is good news.

We are still working on getting the nursery finished, we have the walls painted and the crib up ( I am not sure how to add pictures, otherwise they would already be up). I am really starting to fall in love with the room, its great. I can't believe in about 9-10 weeks, we will have a little baby to add to the family. Time has really gone fast. I am so excited for her to join our family.

We shall call you.....

Caitlin Rae Loseke

Derek and I have decided on a name, we have been decided for a while now, put at our last ultrasound, I looked at our little one as she kicked me in the stomach and decided that the name just fits her. We got very lucky on deciding on names, we both agreed on Caitlin right away and debated between the middle name, but it was an easy choice overall. Our beautiful baby girl. I can't believe she will be in just a few short months.

Fun Facts about the name Caitlin:
Origin is English or Gaelic
Meaning is Pure
Famous Namesakes : Caitlin Clarke, Actress, Caitlin Flanagan, Author, Caitlin Maude, writer & Caitlin Wachs, actress

Fun Facts about the name Rae
Origin is English
Meaning is Doe
Famous Namesakes: Rae Nichols, 1946 Miss Massachusettes,Rae Perlin, Canadian artist

...with a kick to the head

For a while now, I've been wondering if maybe our baby didn't really like me much. Every time Barb would get me to come over and watch/feel for movement, she would decide she didn't really like me and stopped moving. Anyhow, last night, I thought I felt a couple kicks but wasn't really sure. And then she wound up, like kicking a field goal from the 40 yard line....I felt that one. Amazing how much power she has.

So I decided I'd put my ear to Barb's stomach, as supposedly I can hear the baby's heart beat. Since we had just eaten, I heard some Wendy's digesting, but no heart beat. So as not to dissapoint, the baby then decided to just go ahead and kick me in the face...right around the cheek area. Certainly heard/felt that one as well...I would have scolded her for kicking her father in the head, but I imagine she doesn't know the difference.

Anyhow, I've got to say, it's just amazing. A few short months ago, it was just yolk sac, and ultrasound by ultrasound, the baby is getting larger and larger (and the ultrasounds get blurrier and blurrier as she being to move around). In fact, the other day, I'm pretty much she flipped the bird at us in one picture, tired of us peering in on her while she tries to sleep. Now she's decided to just move around a lot so we can't get a clear view on anything.

In other news, we've started in on the baby's room. I've gotten the ceiling painted, and we're ready to move on to the walls. Picked up a ceiling fan yesterday that will compliment our theme perfectly. Now I just need to get a jigsaw and some MDF so I can start making the wall decorations...all in all, this ought to look pretty nice...

25 weeks today!

We are at 25 weeks pregnant today! I can't believe how quickly time is going. We have been told that we are not going to go all the way to 40 weeks, but more like around 38 weeks...which means we only have 13 weeks left!!!! It is so crazy how quickly time is going. We still have so much to do, we have painted the ceiling in the baby's room, but that is about it.

We did have a doctor appointment on Wednesday, all is going well. My blood pressure looked good and we are still on the same dose of medicine. The ultrasound tech, who I am really beginning to enjoy, confirmed the sex of the baby for us, for the 4th time (I believe). So we are getting more and more excited for that. They did seem to question our due date and I am thinking the reason for that is based on the measurements, we could be closer to 26 or 27 weeks. Baby Loseke is already 2 pounds!!! I guess that is what happens when you eat everything in sight. Which would also explain, why I can no longer fit into my "regular/normal" clothes, but then again at 6 months pregnant and just starting to wear maternity clothes, not so bad either. :)

We will keep you posted and updated as we know more, Next Dr's appointment is July 1st. Leave comments or questions if you want to know more ;)

Another Doctors Appointment

So today I had my 24 week appt, yes I am only 23 weeks and 5 days, but its close enough to round up. It was a great appointment. Everything is looking good. As of date I have gained a total of 3 lbs. I was down 15 pounds for the most part due to morning sickness for the first 3.5 months.
Baby Loseke looks to be measuring right on track for height, we did not have an ultrasound, so I am not sure on weight. It looks like we have about 14.5 weeks until we meet Baby Loseke as they are concerned that my blood pressure will increase, I am still on my blood pressure medicine, which is doing its job, but she (Dr. Thatcher) said it is only natural that the blood pressure will go up.
We have another appointment next Wednesday with Dr. Robertson at Methodist, but other than that things are going well. We will keep you updated on any new news.

Baby Crib

I was asked to add pictures of our most recent purchase for the baby room. Since we don't have the room painted and done yet, we also haven't the crib put together just yet. So anyhow, here's a stock photo of what the Crib will look like, along with the changing table that we're also thinking about getting. Looks awfully nice if you ask me...

Dr Visits, Hospital Visits, Oh MY!!!!

I have been going to the doctor on a regular basis, about every 3-4 weeks to have my blood pressure taken, as for some reason it doesn't like to be stable. I am now on blood pressure medicine, which is okay for the baby and really helping out with the blood pressure itself. I am currently getting readings of 120/77 or in that area. Which is good. I am really enjoying my OB, Dr. Kay Thatcher, she is honest, to the point, but is looking out for mine and Baby Loseke's best interest. She did refer me to a perineonatologist with Methodist hospital. (Let the freak out begin)...

I had an appointment set up for last Wednesday with Dr. Andrew Robertson, at Methodist. I can honestly say I don't think I have cried so much before a Dr's appointment. We met with his nurse, Kim, who is probably one of the nicest nurses in the world. We went right in and started our 20 week ultrasound. Dr. Robertson came in soon after that, impressive for a Dr's office to actually see the Dr. right away, he started to explain the ultrasound and the process of what he was looking for, it was the most amazing ultrasound i have ever seen. Derek was along with me, so it was a great joy for the both of us. We actually got to see the blood flow to the baby, the baby's weight and length... the best news was Dr. Robertson, said we have a healthy baby on the way, he wants me to continue watching my blood pressure and taking the medicine, but other than that everything looked great!!!! I will continue to see him for the remainder of the pregnancy, but that is just to monitor the growth. So please keep me and Baby Loseke in your prayers as we continue our journey.

Moving Up

So it has been exactly one month since our last post...so we should probably get something new and exciting up here. It has been a crazy month for all of us. First Derek and I have moved out of the apartment and into much needed space in the form of a house. We love the house....we are making minor updates as we go, Derek in fact is currently putting in a new kitchen sink. The house is great for our upcoming needs. We are pretty much moved in with the basics. We are completing projects and hope to start on the Baby's Room soon. You can see pictures of the house and its updates on Derek's website www.unplannedthoughts.com under the photo section. There are some major improvements done, which just happen to be with a can of paint. Derek's mom has been working very hard on helping out with painting since I am not really wanting to be around the fumes. My mom actually worked on redoing the countertops, which look amazing and we have gotten many "we love the countertops" on. Without the two of them, we would be in a lot worse condition of the house. We will keep you updated on all the house changes. Hopefully we will be able to have a house warming party soon.

My First Baby Post

So Barb has asked me to post on the blog. Normally, I do all of my blogging on unplannedthought.com, but perhaps I'll dual post for these so I have them at both.

Anyhow, to the point, I've gotta say from a first time fathers perspective, this is an absolutely amazing experience, and quite a ride. I must say that the mothers mood and food cravings are supposed to be really out of wack. As for mood, I must say her temper might be little bit shorter, but more or less, she won't put up with crap, especially mine. I've said it in the past, though, and I'll continue to say, I'm probably in trouble as this pregnancy is over, because as it is now, if she's mad at me, it only lasts a few minutes and then the mood changes. I'm guessing it might not be quite like this afterwards. As for the crazy cravings, outside of getting into kicks for the same food repeatedly (for instance, she had Fettuccine Alfreda 4 days in a row last week), she hasn't yet tried pickles and ice cream, or Marty's very odd Peanut-butter and pickle sandwiches.

I have to say, it keeps you on your toes. Barb and I might be checking out things at the local furniture or hardware store and she'll suddenly stop or press on her stomach. Or she might suddenly start talking to her belly. Very interesting and entertaining to say the least. I must admit that I cannot wait to feel the baby kick, or move like she does. Maybe she might be over it, or at least tired of it, but I'm still waiting for my turn. We've spent some time with me pressing on her stomach, and her telling me that the hard spot my hand is on is where the baby is, but nothing yet in terms of me feeling the baby move. But that time will come with patience.

Well, I know I had more to think over, but I seem to have forgotten what I was thinking...perhaps because I should be in bed.

Anyhow, more to post as my mind turns.

D

Inaugaral Post

So this of course is not our first post, but this is however our first post about the site, our intentions of the site and of course the impending joy of Baby Loseke.

We will be posting information at this site as we approach September 26th and then, if we are getting enough sleep, this will be your one-stop shop for the most recent pictures and info about Baby Loseke! Let us know if there is ever anything you would like to see on this site!

2 Year Anniversary

So today is our 2 year anniversary!!! I can't believe it has been 2 years since I married my best friend. (Insert AWW moment here). It has been an amazing 2 years, we have so much to be thankful for and we are be blessed even more in the coming days. We would like to say thank you to everyone who shared in our day and those who have sent well wishes today.