24 Weeks (In the 6th month!!)

Hi all! I can't believe I am 24 weeks already! Only roughly 16 weeks remaining! Only a couple more weeks and I am in the 3rd trimester...time really does fly!

This month's appointments went well! Baby boy is measuring long and big for his age (they are not surprised, again, as large babies run in the family genes). The sonographer actually showed off the image of the baby's femur (the leg bone they measure to determine height and weight in ultrasounds) and they all said "wow, we've never seen one this long before!" - but then they all looked over at Matt and said "ohhh that explains it" :) Here is our 24 week update!

How far along: 24 weeks (almost 6 full months)

Symptoms: Heartburn!

Maternity Clothes: Oh yes. In them all the time. They are so comfortable!

Stretch Marks: some above the belly button. Cream can only do so much.

Sleep: Sleeping well, tingly hands all night, but that's part of carpal tunnel!

Best Moment Last Week: Watching Matt's face when he saw the kick for the first time in my belly, and also when he felt it!

Movement: Seems like all the time now. I can feel him flipping around and punching/kicking when he moves! :)

Food Cravings: Milk, still. And broccoli.

What I miss: Being able to walk normally. I definitely started to have to adjust my posture and start the "pregnancy waddle". :)

What am I looking forward to: Heading to NY for our first baby shower (Matt's side of the family) in less than 2 weeks! Looking forward to slowing down a little bit up there, I've been insanely busy! Also, camping this weekend with some good friends and our dogs - it's about 2 miles from our place, I might not handle sleeping on the ground so well at this point, but I can drive home no problem if that becomes a problem :)

Milestones: Feeling movement different than tiny kicks, now full-blown body turning around! Also being able to share that with "daddy".

How is Daddy? :Excited! He has never been so smily after feeling the baby kick for the first time. Excited to go see family soon!

Until next post ---

-Bre

Belly Pic

Because I've gotten about 20 requests via this blog, email, texts and facebook...I figured we would finally give in and post one.

Here is my belly at 22/23 weeks (5/ 5.5 months) (about 17 weeks left to go)

Apple Butter time!

Two years ago, we made a bunch of jars of our own apple butter from store-bought apples, but this year we went one step further and went and picked them first.

On our anniversary weekend, the weather was just so nice and in the pre-fall 70's...we had to be outside! We went to a local orchard for their opening weekend and picked 1/2 bushel (2 pecks) of Jonathan and Honey-Crisp apples...yum!

Here is our apple butter recipe

Step 1 - Pick the apples (either in an orchard, or from a store). Keep in mind you want apples that are good for baking and not apples that are good for only eating. Granny Smiths are good for baking but are not good for making butters. You want sweet and semi-tart, but not overly tart. There are plenty of websites you can see for recommendations. We chose to pick Jonathans (an old apple variety, sweet and semi-tart) and Honeycrisp - sweet and semi-tart, very juicy. When making apple butter, it's generally best to pick several different types of apples and combine them for best flavor.

Step 2 - Wash the apples. We filled our sink with a tiny amount of soap and warm water, and scrubbed and rinsed them. (We used about 2.5 dozen good-sized apples for our recipe)

Step 3- Peel and chop apples into about 1-inch segments.

Step 4-Put the apples in a large pot with about 3 cups or so of apple juice or water (we use apple juice - tastes much better). Set your stovetop to low-med heat (don't boil) to soften the apples. Stir them occationally in the juice. When they are able to be mashed with a potato masher, do just that. Mash them in the liquid and turn the heat off.

Step 5 - Use a stick blender (or a food processor or potato masher or handheld beaters) to make it into the consistency of applesauce. If you want applesauce, stop at this step. Depending on the apples you use, you don't need to add sugar, it should be sweet enough. If you want apple butter, continue...

Step 6-Transfer the applesauce to a crock pot set to low heat. We use the large crock pot (7 qt.).

Step 7-Add the spices. Add: 2 tbs. Cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cloves; 1/2 tsp allspice; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; and 3 cups of white sugar. Mix well and leave it be! (we stir occasionally)

Step 8-Cook apple butter on low for about 8-9 hours, until it darkens and is the consistency you want. If it is too thick, add apple juice, if it is too thin, take the lid off the crock pot and let more water evaporate. We leave the lid on crooked anyway so that it does not get too thin.

Step 9 - Get ready to can (if you are canning). Sanitize jars in your dishwasher under heated rinse and heated dry, make sure they are still hot when you fill them. Heat the crock pot to high so that the butter boils. Heat a large pot of boiling water (so that one inch of water will cover the jars when placed inside). Boil the lids and sealing rings from the Ball jars in a small pot of boiling water and use tongs or a magnetic lid-lifter to remove them.

Step 10. Fill the dry hot jars. Use a canning funnel to fill them to 1/4 from the top of the jar (this is important "headspace" for apple butter. Make sure it is 1/4 inch, no more no less. When the jar is filled, clean the top of the jar if any butter got on it, place a cleaned lid onto it and tighten the ring. Continue for remaining jars.

Step 11 - Put several jars into the boiling water using a jar tong and let then sit in there for 5 minutes (if below 1,000 ft. altitude). Remove them after 5 minutes with tongs, blot dry the lids and let them sit, not touching anything. Repeat with other jars. Let the jars sit overnight and then store them! You will hear a small "pop" noise as they cool, meaning that little thing on the lid that makes the clicking noise has sealed. If one of them does not seal, put it in the fridge and use it as you would if it were opened.

Finished and cooled 16 oz (Pint) Ball canning Mason Jars.

Our recipe made 8 of them, plus one half-full to put in the fridge

(jar funnel, lid-lifter magnet, spatula for bubbles, and silicone jar-lifter)

(we got our kit at Ace Hardware for 9.99)

Step 12-Enjoy. We dip our apple slices INTO apple butter, some people like to put it on biscuits or English muffins!

Step 13 - Oh yeah. Give an apple slice to your doggies if you have them. Ours were so patient smelling the apple butter all day and staying out of the kitchen!

-The Bogerts

Happy 1st Anniversary to us!

Today we celebrate our 1st Wedding Anniversary!

We have been having a great weekend, went apple picking yesterday and making apple butter today...it smells amazing inside our place!

We exchanged our gifts, and Matt made the sweetest things. He made us two frames - one with dog pictures I love of Humphrey and Mocha - and one with some wedding shots - SO SWEET! He also bought me gorgeous flowers and made me three "messages in bottles" with handwritten notes. I am so blessed with such a sweet husband.

I gave him two photos blown up from our honeymoon in Montana and Colorado, a Willow Tree anniversary figurine, and a recordable book for babies that we can take turns recording for our little baby boy coming in just 4 months!

I also made him a dvd short video for an anniversary gift (below)

What a great great great day!!! Many more anniversaries to come...

-Bre

Baby Registry!

We now have finished our baby registry at Babies R Us! We registered for a lot of neutral stuff (for future Bogert babies) but some stuff we went "boy" on. :)

http://www.babiesrus.com

Registry: Under Bre Bogert or Matt Bogert as registrant/co-registrant

or a direct link to our registry

Bogert Baby Registry

21 weeks and Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel

Well, I'm now 21 weeks pregnant! That means only around 19 more to go!! This is flying by! I've had two women ask me if I am carrying twins because my belly is apparently very round, I have assured them there is one (possibly giant) baby in my belly, that is ALL!

Baby is now 1 foot long and weighs around 1-1.5lbs. :)


Matt has painted the baby nursery and put together the new white Ikea dresser that will double as the changing table. It's so nice! I am in the process of painting the drawer pulls :) The walls are a nice navy/cobalt color, the curtains are white (the window is huge), white carpet (not our choice!) and all white furniture. It looks so great! Good Job, Hubby!!


Matt has also been reading to the baby at night - Dr. Seuss books (we only have two so far, Green Eggs and Ham and One fish, two fish...) but he is trying to memorize them before the baby comes. It's such a special and sweet time at night when Matt reads to the little boy in my belly. I can't wait until the actual baby boy is laying with us listening to his daddy read!


As the subject of the post says, Pregnancy Carpal Tunnel - yep looks like I have that. It's been ok so far, I was just waking up at night with sleeping hands, tingling, and having trouble holding things for the first hours of the morning.


I am now to wear the wrist braces at night while sleeping and it should all disappear when the baby is delivered. Since not many people know about this subject (even though these days about 25% of pregnant women get this, and those who work on computers are way more likely to experience it), I decided to post what I read in the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book and babycenter.com...

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during pregnancy 

"That telltale tingle… Here's why aching hands are common during pregnancy, and what you can do about them."

What it is: Numbness, a "pins-and-needles" sensation, or aching in the hands and wrists, especially noticeable at night. Symptoms may include numbness, tingling, burning, pain, or a dull ache in the fingers, hand, wrist, and even up the arm to the shoulder. In severe chronic cases, your hand may feel clumsy or weak.

What causes carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy: Pregnancy swelling puts pressure on a key nerve in the wrists and causes the same aching and tingling symptoms most often associated with ergonomic strain and repetitive motion. (Of course, if you're pregnant and having ergonomic strain or doing repetitive motion, you're twice as likely to experience it.)

Symptoms usually affect both hands and can appear at any time, but they're more likely to begin or worsen in the second half of pregnancy when women tend to retain more fluid. The symptoms usually go away gradually after you give birth, as the swelling from pregnancy subsides.

The carpal tunnel is a bony canal formed by the wrist bones on three sides and a ligament that runs across the wrist on the other. The swelling and fluid retention that's so common during pregnancy can increase the pressure in this relatively narrow and inflexible space, compressing the median nerve that runs through it.

The median nerve gives sensation to the thumb and the index, middle, and half of the ring finger and is responsible for movement of a muscle at the base of the thumb. Pressure on this nerve is what causes the symptoms.

What you need to know about tingling hands during pregnancy: If you're feeling these symptoms more at night, it's because the fluids that accumulate in the lower part of your body during the day are redistributed elsewhere, including your hands, when you lie down. (Kind of reverse gravity.) And of course, if you've been at a computer all day long, nighttime leaves your carpal nerve with a double whammy. Luckily, though, this symptom should disappear after delivery as your swelling diminishes.

What to do about tingling hands during pregnancy:

•If you work at a computer, or do any other activity that requires repetitive motion, like playing the piano or filing, take frequent hand-stretching breaks. If typing, type gently, making sure your wrists are straight and your elbows are higher than your hands.

•Try not to sleep on your hands.

•Use a pillow to prop up your arms at night.

•Shake your hands and wrists out frequently. At night, you can hang your hand over the side of the bed and shake it.

•If you're in a lot of pain, try a wrist brace. Ask your practitioner which kind to buy.

So...that is the story with CTS and pregnancy. The wrist braces are a God-send. They have helped me so much by keeping my hands from clenching at night and also from falling asleep. So far, so good!

Oh - this weekend we celebrate our 1st Wedding anniversary! (Our only wedding anniversary we will celebrate without a child! We can't wait to celebrate this weekend.

-Bre and Matt

20 weeks!!!! The baby's "halfway baked!" :)

20 Weeks update


How far along: 20 weeks! 140 days down, 140 to go!

Symptoms: Heartburn!!!!!! and tingly hands that fall asleep when I'm in bed! I've heard that can happen...just not used to it! Also having hip pains, again, extremely common. The hormone relaxin (in every pregnancy, but higher in some women) softens your bones making room for baby and preparing for labor...well mine is high and my hips etc. hurt a lot. Tylenol does the trick. Also, Matt reminding me I am pregnant and shouldn't be doing all that I try to do helps as well!

Maternity Clothes: Matt and I went to the outlets last weekend and picked up a bunch of cute fall and winter-y ones! :) So fun!

Stretch Marks: Despite the cocoa butter and other "miracle creams"...already getting some above the belly button...I'm not too worried though :)

Sleep: Sleeping great!

Best Moment Last Week: Finding out we are having a BOY! Also watching Matt paint the room and put together the dresser/changing table so I could put the clothes in it (they were taking over my closet!) I love that it's starting to be a nursery and no longer and office/spare bedroom!

Movement: Oh yes! Again when I eat or after my tummy growls real loud. Baby boy is saying "FEEEEEED ME!"

Food Cravings: Milk. More milk. Tons of milk. I am going through a gallon in 2 days.

What I miss: Still sleeping on my back. Also being able to stand up out of bed and not ROLL over the edge.

What am I looking forward to: Well, non baby-related, we are going to Jimmy Buffett this weekend here in VA right near our place! Our good friends are coming down from MD and PA to go with us and stay over! YAY! Also, our 4 year dating anniversary is tomorrow! And in a week, our 1-year anniversary is coming!!

Milestones: Passed the halfway mark! Oh yeah, we picked a name...will be revealed soon!

How is Daddy? : Hmm...tired! He's been working a lot and sleeping little! (Just getting used to when the baby comes!) He has started to read our collection of books to the baby at night, it's so cute. Last night was "Green eggs and Ham". :)

have a good one!

-Bre and Matt and Baby Boy Bogert