New York City!

I just got back last night from a quick trip to NYC and Parsippany, NJ....1st time up that way for me! An orthopedic company flew me and 3 other podiatrists up to NYC on Thursday and we spent the whole day touring the city and then Thursday night we headed up to Parsippany and Friday we spent all day at the ortho company's site where we were able to do cadaver labs and learn about some new products. NYC was great! I had such a different impression of it before going there....but we had a great time, didn't have any problems and nothing got stolen! It's still not a place I would ever want to live, but definitely a place where I hope AJ and I can go back and visit sometime.

Macy's

View from the Empire State building

On the Empire State building

One of the new World Trade towers being constructed....this is a site just east of the original site.....we couldn't go to Ground Zero because they have it under construction for the memorial being built there.....we were only able to get drive-by pictures so not much to see

At Battery Park with Statue of Liberty in distance

The Louisville crew in Times Square

In Times Square

The baby did well with the traveling.....kicked around alot, so maybe he likes to travel???
We are now 27 weeks and here's what's going on with him now:
This week, your baby weighs 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.
He keeps getting bigger and bigger every day....well it seems my belly is getting bigger every day at least! His movements keep getting stronger and harder and he often misshapes my belly with his gymnastics! But so far everything is going well....I passed my glucose testing the first time around so I don't have to repeat that!! We are now heading into our last trimester!! We now have the dresser in the nursery but we are still waiting on the crib....but decorating ideas are slowly starting to come to me....finally!! AJ and I are looking forward to the upcoming months and cannot wait to meet our little boy in 3 months!

26 weeks

We are now 26 weeks along! It's going by so fast....AJ and I are getting more anxious to meet our little guy! You won't believe it but we finally decided on a crib and dresser for the nursery and we bought them this past weekend....the dresser we get now but we have to wait for the crib to be delivered (hopefully it comes before the baby does!). Here's what's going on with our little guy this week:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

This past weekend AJ's mom, sister and Ben came to visit us....we were so glad to have them!! Although Nala wasn't too awfully happy about her house guest Mugs (Christa and Ben's dog)......but Nala needs to learn to start sharing!
Here's the crew on our deck:


Also, we started organizing all of the little guys clothes.....and this is as far as we got

...but it's a start....now that they are separated by sizes we need to wash them and then we can start putting them in the dresser and closet! Yay...Progress!!

25 weeks

Well we're now almost 25wks (24wks and 6 days to be exact) and here's what's going on with Baby Voelkel:
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.
Sorry I haven't updated more recently but I just came off of a very demanding rotation and I have had zero time to do anything except sleep when I actually came home!
But here's what the belly looks like now at 24wks and 6 days:


AJ and I got to meet up with some of the Fab 5 and their husbands and baby...Becky drove in from Pittsburgh for the weekend...haven't seen her since Sarah's wedding in March!
Thanks for meeting up with us Becky!! It was good to see you again!

Becky with Sheila's baby Audrey

We still have nothing done on the nursery :( But we have collected a TON of clothes for the little guy....my sister-in-law Stephanie saved all of my nephews clothes and has generously let us borrow them....and we picked up bunches at a consignment sale here in town so we are set on onesies, sleepers, etc! But I must say I'm bummed that nothing else is done!!! If only we had more time on our hands!!!

20 weeks!

We are now officially halfway to seeing our little baby boy!

Here's what's going on with him now at 20 weeks:
Baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel —the length of a banana. He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (Yum!)--that can be AJ's 1st diaper!!

Here's a pic of me at 19ks and 3 days....slowly getting that baby bump! Feels like it gets bigger every day though!

Last Saturday AJ and I made our way up to the Edinburgh outlet malls where I was able to expand my maternity wardroe....btw, those belly pillows they have in the dressing rooms to show what you may expect to look like in 3 months are great---boy did that catch AJ off guard!
After we finished shopping there we made our way to Bloomington---it was so good to be back there!! We walked around campus for awhile and got our little guy a head start on his future favorite big ten school:

So cute!!

Then we met up for dinner at Scotty's with our good friends Jake and Kelley, who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their baby girl soon...don't worry the marriage has already been arranged between Baby W and Baby Voelkel :)

On Sunday I felt the baby have the hiccups for the first time...amazing!!! He's moving so much more now and I absolutely love feeling him in there. We are now trying to make plans for the nursery and decide on how we want to decorate it....so much to do.....only 20 more weeks to go!!!

IT'S A.......

BOY!!! Yay! We are so excited....especially AJ!! What a proud Papa! We had the ultrasound today and everything went well...he weighs approximately 10 ounces and everything is developing appropriately! He was so adorable on there....we even saw him swallowing amniotic fluid! It was so amazing. Here are some pix of Baby Voelkel:

He is looking at us with his hand on his head

Profile pic with right arm up there waving

Another profile pic with arm up...can see spine better (he was so curled up in there!)

Giving us the "thumbs up"!

Can't wait to meet him in December!!

19 weeks!

Today is our big day!!! We get to see our little one!!
But here's what's going on with him/her now that we are 19wks along:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her 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, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Check back later for pix!

Sarah & AJ (+1)

That's right everyone.....no I don't mean Nala as the +1....although we love Nala bunches....isn't she so adorable!!

BUT.....our biggest news that we're just now really getting out there is BABY VOELKEL IS ON HIS/HER WAY!!! That's right.....we are due December 17th!! We are very excited! We found out right away in April, didn't tell anyone until Mother's Day weekend/AJ's med school graduation weekend when we told our mothers by giving them a cake that said Happy Mother's Day Granny and Grandma....it took them a few seconds, but they finally caught on!! Now we're letting everyone know.
We are 18wks now and we will get our ultrasound next week.....can't wait to see the little one!! I can feel him/her moving now but AJ can't just yet.....I'm sure he will shortly though!
We have a lot ahead of us now...especially putting the nursery together....here's what the baby's room looks like now:

Too bad the baby can't sleep on a queen or twin size bed! Oh well....we're excited and it's so much fun looking at all the baby stuff!! Can't wait to put it all together!
AJ has now started his residency with UofL so schedules are pretty hectic, but we vow to get this stuff done BEFORE the baby comes!!