Baby it's cold outside!

Not much happening at the Rueber residence this week. We have just tried to stay warm during the normal WI winter weather...Brrrr!

Dave is doing his best to stay warm...look at that beard! I am told that it will disappear after ice softball (thank goodness). I have begun to count the days only 12 to go!

I am still not "showing" a great deal, but the comments have begun...

• You don't look that pregnant today. My thought: so what do I look like every other day?
  
• I wasn't sure if you were pregnant or getting a beer belly, congrats. My thought: Ummmm, thanks?!?
• Mrs. Rueber, your belly looks stuffed today. (this was from one of my students) My thought: That is one way to describe the way I am feeling!

I am sure there will be more comments to come as my belly continues to grow.

Baby Update:

Week 17

Baby's skeleton is beginning to change from soft cartilage to bone. Baby Rueber weighs about 5 ounces and is about 5 inches long...approximately the size of a turnip.

Stay warm!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

It has been a marathon week for me, I had the last set of parent teacher conferences for the year Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night. Like I have said before, I have a busy class, which made conferences mentally and emotionally draining for me this year...more than normal!

But after a busy week, I had a wonderful weekend with my husband. We don't often get to go places together, with him working every other weekend we are usually traveling or have plans. Not this weekend! Saturday we took the day and drove to the Twin Cities to start looking at baby gear and furniture. Fun stuff.. Our first stop was Babys R Us. The store was PACKED, but we got to touch, feel, fold, push, and carry all of the big items we have been looking at online (stroller, car seat, high chair, bouncy, etc). For the most part we loved everything we had picked out! Next stop USA Baby, we had looked at a different sets of furniture online and when we got there, we didn't like them at ALL!! Good thing we went shopping, but we did find another set that we love! Stay tuned for pictures!

We have begun to "talk" to the baby and when I am checking email, facebook, reading, watching TV or updating the blog, this is how you will find me. Earphones on my belly playing lullaby music to our little peanut. It is suppose to stimulate the brain!

We have begun to clean out the room that will be turned into Baby Rueber's Nursery. We have taken the desk out of the room, cleaned out 1/2 of closet and put some of Baby R's. things away. We don't have much but are excited for it to continue to look more and more like a baby's room.

Baby Update:

We had our 16 week check up Friday and continue to love our doctor. The nurse found the heart beat this time...thank goodness. The heart beat was 160...so now all of you can make your predictions; boy or girl!

I continue to feel good, more and more energy each day. It is hard to believe that in four weeks we will be 20 weeks, which means we will be HALF WAY THERE! That makes us excited and nervous all at the same time.

This week Baby R is the size of an avocado. In the next few weeks there will be a big growth spurt...watch out belly! Baby R's legs are getting longer and he/she has begun to develop toenails! The heart pumps approximately 25 quarts of blood each day and it will continue to increase as he/she grows.

Thanks for tuning in this week!
The Rueber's

Mrs. Rueber is having a BABY!!

I finally broke the news to my students. I wanted to wait until I had a more visible belly, it is difficult for 5/6 year old's to comprehend a baby inside someone's belly without a little evidence.

I gave the students four clues to figure out my secret. I had them smell baby food (peaches), taste baby gold fish, touch and smell baby powder and hear a baby rattle. This was a great way to tie in our 5 senses! After the students touched, smelled, tasted and heard all of the clues they were stumped! So we talked about ALL of the clues again, "We smelled BABY food, touched and smelled BABY powder, tasted BABY gold fish and heard a BABY rattle!"

FINALLY, one of my students shouted out...."Mrs. Rueber is having a BABY!"

I had the students predict what the baby would be a boy or girl.
Boy = 6 students

Girl = 16 students


I guess we will just have to wait until July to find out!


We did a little home renovation this week...well we had a friend do a little renovation! We had a new sink put in, our old sink was worse than an apartment sink. It was only about 5 1/2 inches deep and yucky. Our new sink is 9 inches deep with a stylish new faucet and is FABULOUS!

We hired two plumbers to do the job, Patrick and Finley. Okay, well we asked if Patrick could do the work and Finely stopped by with mom (Heather) for pizza! Thanks for the company!


And here is our new FABULOUS sink and faucet! Thank you Patrick!


Baby Update: 15 weeks

Baby Rueber is approximately 4 inches long weighing about 2 1/2 ounces and about the size of an apple. He/She eyelids are fused shut, but baby R. can sense light. Baby R. is also forming taste buds, although he/she isn't tasting much yet.

I continue to feel better and better each week. I know many people refer to the second trimester as the "golden days" so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I continue to feel good! Saturday was the FIRST weekend day that I have NOT taken a nap in a long time!

Thank you Heather for the great idea on how to tell my students. They loved it and I loved watching their faces as they were using their senses to figure out "Mrs. Rueber's Secret". Thanks again!

We have a Lemon!

We are safely in our second trimester and are currently 14 weeks pregnant!

I am still feeling good for the most part, still bloated and tired. I haven't decided if I am tired because of the pregnancy, my job or both. I am thinking both! Those 5 & 6 year old's sure can wear a 27 year old out!!! I have a busy class this year that keeps me on my toes at ALL times!

I have been noticing lots of changes in my body, all over from having an itchy belly to tighter waistbands on all of my pants.

Baby Rueber is currently the size of a lemon . Weighing in at 1 1/2 ounces and measuring about 3 1/2 inches from head to bottom.

This week's big developments: Baby R. can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his/her thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his/her facial muscles are getting a workout as Baby Rueber's tiny features form one expression after another. Baby R. kidneys are producing urine, which he/she releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process Baby R. will keep up until birth. Baby can grasp, too.


Here I am at 14 weeks, feeling large! There sure is bump there...

David and I treated ourselves to a movie this weekend. We saw Avatar! I am usually not one to pick this type of movie, but I knew that it is one of those movies that you "have" to see in the theater. It was a really great movie and worth seeing in the theater. Here we are in our stylish 3D glasses. Don't worry I kept them if anyone would like to borrow them!?!

Ho, Ho, Ho and a Happy New Year!

We drove over to my parents house for Christmas Eve and stayed through Sunday. It was great to be home for a couple of days. We had quite the drive over, hitting snow, sleet and rain. The roads were "okay" mostly just wet, it took us our normal 3 hours to get there. We hope anyone who had to travel got there safely and enjoyed their time with family!

David and I began our Christmas by exchanging gifts with each other before heading to Oconto Falls. Baby Rueber bought both of us a few gifts. Daddy got this adorable onsie that says "My Daddy is #1". His comment was..."It is sooo small". My thought, well I hope it is that small, I don't have room for anything "bigger". Daddy also got a book "Just Daddy and Me" Mommy got, the softest baby blanket in my favorite colors, chocolate brown and green! If Baby R doesn't like it, I will use it!

David and I after church Christmas Eve at my parents house.

David was very sleepy Christmas Eve. We put in a movie and he was out about 5 minutes into the movie! He had worked the night before, drove 3 hours (because of the roads), and only got about 3 hours of sleep before Church.

Here is my parents tree with ALL of the gifts just waiting to be opened! And to think we set a budget this year...sure doesn't look like we cut back. Many of you know that it takes us a LONG time to open gifts. We go around, youngest to oldest, opening one gift at a time! It only took us 3 1/2 hours this year!!!!

Paisley was overly excited about gifts....not really. She laid on her bed for almost the whole gift opening...remember it only took us 3 1/2 hours!

We had a special visitor shortly after Christmas, my Grandma Zielke! My parents picked her up and drove to Eau Claire/Menomonie to see our houses for Christmas! We went to Adam/Amy's house Tuesday night for dinner. Grandma and my parents stayed overnight at our house Tuesday and Wednesday I brought Grandma to see my classroom. It was great to see her over the holidays and especially to have her at our houses! Thanks for making the LONG trip Grandma, Love you!

Baby Update:

We are currently 13 weeks (this time for real!), which means we are starting our second trimester! I am very thankful for the restful winter break that I have had and hopefully it will help we transition back to work with more energy!

Baby R. is currently the size of a medium shrimp, and about 3 inches long. Baby R. now has fingerprints on his/her tiny fingers!