Baby Update

I'm 37 weeks!
Just to give everyone an update and ask for you to pray about a couple of things. I've been 3 cm dialated for about a week. Doc wants me to rest as much as possible when I'm not at work to try to extend it a little bit. She said it could be ANY time! So if you get a chance please pray:

1. That I would trust in God's timing. If labor starts tonight, or if it's not until after my due date. Pray that I would not be anxious and have peace about whenever that is! And ENJOY my last days of being pregnant no worrying.


2. Of course we desire a healthy baby. Pray for God's hand to continue to prepare this baby to enter this world. AHHHH crazy!


3. Teaching... Everyday seems to be getting harder. The students are already getting excited for summer and their motivation is already slipping. Honestly, mine is too to come to work! Everyday I think, "Should I take a sick day" :) Pray that I would have a better attitude coming to school, and that the students will work hard the next couple of weeks.


4. Pray that God would be preparing Andy and I as we enter into parenthood. We have been trying to be intentional with our time together and really taking advantage of these last few weeks where it's just him and I. The thought of this makes me a little sad, but I do realize what a blessing a little baby will be to our marriage as well. He had been SO GREAT! I see his excitement and his willingness to make me feel comfortable and loved. I praise God for him! But yeah, that we are getting prepared for parenthood.
   

Thank you EVERYONE!
Last weekend at 36 weeks! Whoa MAMA! This baby is getting BIG!

8 months

Surprise Weekend!

Andy surprised me with having a trip all planned out over one of my Spring Break weekends. We ended up in Galena, IL! What an amazing time. I'm so thankful for him and his ability to make me feel special! Before we left Galena we went to a coffee shop (no trip is complete without a coffeeshop visit!) and came up with a

Top Ten list of Galena to sum up memorable moments. Here it is!

10. Galena Canning Co.- Here we basically had a free lunch. All the samples of all different kinds of little dips, salsas, chocolate sauces, basically anything you can dip a pretzel in. This is our style of place! Free snacks! Oh Yeah!

9. Gobbies- This was a pizza place we went to that had amazing candian bacon, pineapple, chicago style pizza. We also had beer nuggets (fried pizza dough) super good with honey. We even ate the leftovers the next day! We love leftovers!

8. Durty Gurts- This was the biggest, sloppiest burger we have had. You didn't even need ketchup it was so good. I think it may be the best burger I have ever had. Durty Gurt was quite the character!

7. Potter Demo- Galena is a wonderful Art community. We spent a couple hours watching a well-known potter in the town do a demo on the potters wheel. It motivated me to throw more. Actually the first Monday back from our trip, Andy came to school and we spent a couple hours doing wheel work. Andy's first time. It was great!

6. Hardees- Ok, I know, another food place. But before we got to Galena, Andy insisted we go to Hardee's for breakfast because that's how he started all of his family vacations growing up: A fast food breakfast! It was all about anticipation. I had no idea where we were going, and we were both getting excited. A cinnamon raisin biscuit never tasted so good.

5. Bike Ride- We packed up our bikes for the trip too, and hit the trail they had. (About 8 miles round trip. Good to be back on the bike again. Although I had to take more breaks! Thank the Lord for such a wonderful day of weather, as it got up to the upper fifties and sixties.

4. Steamboat House- Our first Bed and Breakfast we ever stayed in. They had amazing Peach french toast one morning that was ummmmm... so good! We also enjoyed our room that had a beautiful porch connected to it that we enjoyed some good games of cribbage (Andy handed it to me, in one hand he had a total of 30 pts!) We were by far the youngest couple there, but still enjoyed our time, and visited with the 4 other couples staying that weekend during the wine and cheese social hour they had each day.
3. Good shopping! Galena has a great main street with lots of cute little shops. I was on a mission finding a spring jacket (I couldn't get my jacket from last year buttoned anymore :) ) Well, Andy found the perfect one! I also found a cute little hat that Andy said I should get. He kept telling me how cute I was, and I could sense the pride he felt because he was the one that found them!

2. Indulge Day Spa- When we first pulled up to Galena, we stopped and I had no idea what we were doing. We we walked in and he said we were there for a prenatal massage! AHHHHHHHHHHH, what a way to start the trip. It was great! My first massage! Baby liked it too :)

1. Fried Green Tomatoes- Believe it or not, this one has nothing to do with the food although it took place at a restaurant. In the middle of this fabulous meal, Andy pretty much came out of no where and announced to me "I'm about to say something special" HA! This was hilarious to me. I love HIM! I was laughing so hard but then we got into a great talk about how over the years and throughout pregnacy God has taught us how to love each other more, and how we are growing each year. Anyway, I guess I don't need to share the details. But it was the "number one" of the whole trip. So you know it must have been a great conversation!

Ending our trip in Galena with a 7 month pregnant picture!

SURPRISE SHOWER

On our way back home from Galena something was up because Andy said we were going to go to his parents to hang out, but why was he keeping this from me all weekend? We pulled up to his home church building in Center Point only to walk in with a bunch of his family, and my mom, Alice, Katie and Katie's inlaws waiting for us inside! Wow what a surprise! Jenna (Alex's finance) was in charge of getting this whole thing organized, she's such a sweetie!

Kriener Sisters! Well not all of us. Jenna looks like one, just not as fiery like the rest of us :)

We played some great games too:) Hilarious!

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO CAME! IT WAS A BLAST! BABY BISHOP IS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE GIFTS TOO!
Here I am testing out our new jogging stroller complete with baby inside (Dax) from Mom, Alice, and Katie. I guess Dax signed the card too :)

Many people also went in to get our multi-functional pack and play which will be used for our crib, changing table, and play yard! We also got some cute toys and rattles, soft and cuddly blankets, a HUGE box of diapers, a baby care cart, pacifers, washclothes, baby spoons, and really special blanket that was made for me by my Great Grandma Zephie when I was born (I want to talk more about this later!) Until then.....

WHAT AN AMAZING WEEKEND!

6 months!

Many of you requested that I post a current belly picture. Here's my latest. 6 months. So far so good!

The baby looks like MOMMY

This morning we had our ultrasound! It was so cool to see the heart beating and all four chambers of the heart! It's hard to fathom how people think this happens by chance and don't believe this is truly the hand of God.
"For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13-14

We think the baby already is like mommy. Growing up my dad would sometimes call me "Monkey Toes" because I could spread them really far apart. As you can see, like mommy like baby!
Although my dad gave me this nickname, my sisters, Katie and Alice, would call me "Cabbage Patch Kid" because of my chubby nose. As you can see here looks like we have another chubby nose in the family!

Baby Moon

Most of you already know that we are expecting a baby in June. This process was not as we were expecting. We thought after a couple of months we would get preggnant right away. We were wrong. Although many people can get pregnant right away, we were not one of them. We trusted in God's timing (Although it wasn't always easy) and realized after this whole deal. His timing is FLAWLESS! He has been good to us! I'm almost half way and Andy just said last night after giggling and feeling my tummy. "Wow, I can really feel that you are pregnant!" Although I have been feeling it for awhile, it's now starting to get more noticable!

We decided to go on one last little "Romantic Getaway" before the baby is born, when we wouldn't have to worry about babies, or babysitters. After some planning, and saving we decided to go to Cozumel, Mexico. AHHHHHHHHHHHH, it was amazing! A trip we won't forget!

Our BABY MOON!

While we were there we did alot of RELAXING!

Some snorkling (Cozumel is known for this)

We had some better pics then this one, but we couldn't resist how pretty my bottom teeth are in this one!
We also rented a jeep on one day to cruise to the other side of the island and watch an AMAZING sunrise!

We couldn't stop there so we rented scooters! Super Fun!

Our resort was an all inclusive so we enjoyed all the food, drinks, and watersports that we wanted. Here Andy learned how to sail! We were probably about a couple hundred yards out but could still see the bottom on the ocean. It was BEAUTIFUL out there!

While there we took my 4 month pregnacy picture! For sure this will be the only and last one where I'm wearing a bikini! Oh Boy!

It was truly a wonderful, relaxing vacation with just the two of us! A perfect way to start this new journey!