"a whole lotta shakin goin' on..."

Well maybe not a whole lotta shakin, but a whole lotta movin'! Baby Tripp has been moving around like crazy. It almost feels like he is turning flips in my tummy. We know he's an active little guy, as evident by our ultrasounds, but I just wish he would be a little less active in the middle of the night;) But in all seriousness, I dont mind him moving around and keeping me up...I love to feel him moving. It's amazing how much love I already feel for this little boy and how I would do anything to protect and keep him safe. God is great and we couldn't be happier for our little miracle!

We finally found some baby bedding we are happy with, it is really hard to find bedding that doesn't have some kind of corny theme. We ordered it on Tuesday and I can't wait until it arrives and I can wash and put it on tripp's bed, not that he will be sleeping in it any time soon ;)

So all in all things are going great right now and I have so much energy! I think getting back into working out regularly is making me feel even better. My sister and my baby nephew jake are coming in tomorrow while her hubby and little blake go hunting. I am excited to see them and spend some time with her and mom! I am so lucky to have such a great support system, they can't wait to meet Tripp and jump in to help us out! They are super excited and have even been planning my baby shower from the day I found out!

Well just wanted to give a little mid-week update on how we are holding up. We hope everyone is having a great week and has a fabulous weekend!! Remember to be thankful for all the blessings in your life and to thank God daily! Thanks for checking in! Will be blogging again real soon....

Blessings,
Traci & Tripp

Week 21 and a fun halloween weekend!

Tripp and me at 20 weeks

We are officially past the mid-way mark. Week 21 is upon us!! Here is what our little precious Tripp is up this week:

Baby's now the size of a banana! Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth.

You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

We can't believe that Tripp is already growing so large! In fact we have noticed how my belly has seemed to sprout a bit over the last few days. There's no mistaking the fact that I am preggers now! Thank goodness ;)

We had a very fun halloween weekend. Friday we kicked off the weekend by attending a birthday party for some of Carl's little cousins. All of the kiddos were dressed in their costume and we all had a great time! Carl even dressed up for work on Friday (only because he had a chance to win some money...and he won first prize last year). He dressed up as Paul Blart: Mall cop. It was pretty funny, I would love to post some pics but he would not let me take any! We continued our halloween celebrations on Saturday. I went out to my sister's to celebrate with my nephews and my fam and some good friends! Poor Carl was stuck at home working on the septic system :( I have posted some pics...enjoy!

the cutest astronaut and skeleton ever!

Dad, Jake and Rat (aka: tiffany)

YaYa and Jake

Me and my 3 boys (baby tripp too)

Sundays are always my favorite day of the week. Carl and I started our day off at church then we went and had lunch at Katz's...which Tripp and I enjoyed very much! Afterwards Carl and I did some baby mattress shopping. Mom and I went shopping after we got home while Carl was mowing. We of course bought a few things for Tripp and a few things for me to wear to cover that growing bump! YaYa ia already spoiling her new grandson...she's had plenty of practice with her other two precious grandsons! We topped off the night with dinner at my mom's house and now it is time to relax with each other :) As always we hope everyone has a safe and blessed week!!

We will update again soon! Thanks for reading this week :)

Blessings,

Traci & Tripp

Week 20...halfway!

Well we have arrived at week 20. I can't believe we are already at the midway point of our pregnancy! Baby Tripp is growing and growing! Here is what he is up to this week:

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe! Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

So based on that information Tripp is going to love cheese and mexican food ;) It is so fun knowing the sex of the baby. We have now been able to get going on the nursery. Carl painted the room on Friday afternoon and we started getting decor together as well. We are now just searching for the perfect bedding...which is really hard! Below is a picture of the nursery at this point. We are really happy with the way the paint colors turned out.

The start of Tripp's Nursery

This weekend was a busy one, but so much fun! On friday afternoon, Carl and I went to lunch with my sister, her family, my dad and his wife Ginger. We went to Benihanas to celebrate Dad & Ginger's wedding. We had a fun time and Tripp really enjoyed it;) Saturday we went to a halloween party with Carl's family. It was so much fun! His cousin Amy did a great job organizing everything! Next year will be even more fun when we have Tripp with us to enjoy all the festivities!! Today I hosted a jewelry party for Jessica who has started selling premier jewelry. It was great getting together with some good friends and family, having some yummy snacks and shopping for some super cute jewelry. Poor Carl was stuck outside in the garage working on Tripp's changing table/dresser that he is making. I don't think he minded being out there too much, too many ladies inside for him to handle ;) Now it is my favorite time of the week...time for Carl and I to relax and hang out together! I have posted some pictures from our weekend. Enjoy!

Me, sis and my nephews

Me and my precious nephews

Dad and the boys

Dad, Ginger and the boys

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!! Thanks for tuning in this week ;) We will keep updating about our little tripp so be sure and check back again soon!!

Blessings,
Traci and Tripp :)

IT'S A BOY!!!

Well we went to the doc today for our ultrasound and we were told that we were having a boy! I have kind of always had a gut feeling that it was a boy and it turned out that gut feeling was right on! Tripp was moving and kicking around! So that explains what I have been feeling every night. He was also not being very shy with his genitals, he was more than happy to show us ;) Dr. J also said that Tripp is a big baby, he is already measuring a week ahead! We are so excited and feel so blessed! We can't wait to meet Baby Tripp!! Now it's time to get to work on the nursery:) We are also still working on a middle name...so for now it's just tripp, at least we don't have to refer to him as baby schinde anymore!

We hope everyone is having a great week!! We will be updating again soon!!

Blessings,
Traci, Carl and baby Tripp

Week 19...the big reveal week!

We have arrived at week 19! Not only are we almost to the half-way point, but we also find out this week if we will be having a he or a she!! Wednesday is the big day so stay tuned....;) For now here is what baby schinde is up to in the womb this week....

Baby's now the size of a mango! Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.)

The hair on his/her scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, taking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

So over the past week baby schinde has been having a little dance party in my belly! To feel our precious little miracle moving around is the most amazing feeling in the world!! And to top it all off, in the last few days we are able to feel the movement on the outside of the tummy! So Carl gets to share in all of the excitement also! It seems that baby schinde doesn't like it when mommy moves around too much. He/she moves around so much that it feels like my stomach is in a knot! It usually happens if I start going too fast while working out or if I walk really fast. It's so funny! Baby already knows who is in charge ;)

Last week was wonderful with baby schinde but also a stressful one for mommy and daddy. Ironically both of our moms had surgery on the same day. So needless to say Carl and I were pretty busy. However, both moms are doing great and on the road to healing! We are so thankful for the blessings of healing!!

Despite a stressful week, we still managed to have an enjoyable fall-like weekend. The weather was wonderful!! On Friday both of us went to visit our moms (my mom who is at home now and carl's mom who will hopefully be home in the next day or so) then we came home and snuggled up on the couch together and watched a movie. It was a good night to stay in! On Saturday, I went with my sister, Dad and Ginger to take the boys to the pumpkin patch. It was a fun-filled day, but really crowded. The boys had a good time and were super exhausted by the time we got home. I have posted some fun pics from the day. Today Carl and I started the day off at church and then again we both went to visit our moms. We rounded out the day by enjoying the awesome weather and taking a nice long walk around my mom's neighborhood. It was a picture perfect Sunday ;)

Well we hope everyone had a great weekend and has an awesome week ahead...how could it not be a great week, the long-awaited sex of baby schinde will be revealed!! Thanks for reading our blog this week!! May God continue to bless you all!! And make sure to check our blog on Wednesday ;)

Blessings,

Traci & Baby Schinde

18 weeks pregnant

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato! Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements.

I have officially begun to feel baby schinde move! It is the most amazing feeling. I only wish Carl could feel and understand how truly amazing it is! Last night baby schinde decided to have a dance party in the womb. He/she was moving all around for about 30 minutes all while I was trying to sleep of course! But I didn't mind :) This baby is going to be just like their daddy, not liking to be still and restless!!

Mom (yaya) actually got lucky this week and was able to hear baby schinde's heartbeat with me. I went to mom's pre-op appointment with our doc and he of course let us take a listen to the heartbeat. I wasn't expecting to do so, so it was a nice surprise. The heartbeat is strong and such a miracle!

I have been loving the cool weather! Except when I went to put on one of my sweaters and realized it didn't quite fit as good around my tummy ;) That's ok I guess...at least we know baby schinde is growing and healthy! Speaking of, I have been feeling so much bettter lately. I have been getting back into my workout routine, modified a bit of course, and it feels so good! The second trimester truly is proving to be a fun time!

This weekend was nice. Not too busy, just right ;) Carl and I had a nice date night in on friday night, which was really nice! My sister, brother-in-law and nephews came into town on Saturday. They went to have a much needed date day while mom and I watched the boys. Mom took blake to the movies so carl and I were on jake duty. We had so much fun and got some good practice with a 10 month old! Carl even took jake for a ride on the lawn mower, which he loved! Saturday night mom took us all to dinner at texas roadhouse, which baby schinde enjoyed very much! It was great to get together with the fam! Today Carl and I faced the rain and the "cold" went to church and then had lunch together. I even talked carl into grocery shopping with me, he just loves shopping ;) Adam, Jessica and Joshua stopped by and then we all went to visit carl's parents for a bit. Now we are relaxing and enjoying a lazy day in...or at least baby schinde and I are ;) I have posted a few pics from the weekend, hope you all enjoy!

Brother in-law and nephews

Uncle Carl and Jake on the lawn mower

We also are very excited for two really good friends, Lance and Michelle who got engaged this past weekend. Congratulations! We love you both and can't wait!

In closing I just want to remind everyone to have faith and know that no matter what obstacles get in your way, God loves and has a plan for everyone!

Hope you all have a blessed week and be sure to keep an eye on our blog....we will be finding out if we will be needing blue or pink paint in about a week!

Blessings,
Traci and Baby Schinde

Moving right along...Week 17

Here we are, moving right along into week 17! Here is a little peek as to what Baby Schinde is up to this week:

Baby's now the size of an onion! Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

I have heard that around this time you may be able to start feeling the baby move. I am still patiently awaiting that moment ;) I have a had a few feelings that I was unsure about...but I am waiting for that moment when I just know! Otherwise, other than feeling a little chubby and not fitting into most of my clothes, I feel great!

Carl and I found a crib that we liked and made the purchase this past week. Carl already has it set up in the nursery. Carl has also been busy at work on painting the chair-railing he put up. Now we are awaiting to find out what color we will be painting the rest of the wall....pink or blue?? My very talented hubby is also beginning to work on a beautiful shevling unit that will also house a changing table. He is so talented and I can't wait to see the finished project! Hopefully our baby will inherit Carl's creative woodworking abilities! Speaking of, Carl recently made a dollhouse bookcase for his brother's little girl who will be arriving this November. I have posted a picture so you can all see :)

Dollhouse bookcase Carl made:)

our crib and the start of the nursery

Although dreary and rainy, we still made the best of the weekend. On Friday I (and carl for a little while) went and baby-sat Joshua while Adam And Jessica went to their ultrasound to find out the sex of their second child. They are having a boy who will be arriving about 3 weeks before baby schinde! We are so excited for them! Saturday was a pretty lazy day for baby schinde and me...Carl of course was hard at work in the baby's room. Saturday night we went over to Lance's to have dinner with he and michelle and watched the aggies get their butts kicked:( Today Carl and I went to church and then went and had lunch with my good friend Stacy. We plan on spending the rest of this rainy day watching some football and relaxing :)

Well we hope everyone has a blesssed week! thanks for reading our blog this week. I have posted a pic of the preggo belly for the beginning of week 17! We will update again soon!

preggo: beginning of week 17

Blessings,

Traci and Baby Schinde :)