Gavin Lee Has Arrived!!

(Gavin Lee 1 hour old snuggling with mom)

After much anticipation we are happy to introduce you to our new little man, Gavin Lee Krusemark arrived on Friday, December 28th at 3:45 pm and he is just perfect! (at least we think so). He weighed in at 7 pounds and was 20 ¾ inches long!

(Gavin Lee-3 days old)

We arrived at the hospital on Friday morning at 8:15 to be induced, by 8:30 they had broken my water and started me on Pitocin by 9. By 11:30 I was having contractions 1-2 minutes apart and was having a lot of back labor so I decided it was time to get an epidural! (Thank goodness for pain relief!) Once I had the epidural I was actually able to take a little nap! Things started to get a little complicated from here as my contractions were coming too close together and the baby didn’t have time to recover, when they decreased the Pitocin to slow down the contractions then they would get too far apart!

(Gavin and his hand knitted blanket he got from Great Grandma Sis)

They were starting to think something wasn’t quite right and decided to do an ultrasound to see if they could figure out what was going on. To make a long story short, Gavin was trying to come out “Sunny side up” and his head was turned in the wrong direction! They decided it was time to do a c-section to get the baby out so Cary changed into his scrubs and they wheeled me down to surgery. They opened me up at 3:37 and pulled Gavin out at 3:45! Then came the hard part…the nurse took Gavin and Cary back upstairs and left me alone to get stiched up!

(Papa T found a new friend for his grandson, Gavin)

After spending the weekend in the hospital we were able to bring Gavin home today! He is so precious and both of us are doing very well thanks to Dad who is taking great care of both us!

We are so blessed to have a healthy, happy baby boy and can’t wait for you all to meet him!!! (by the way we have forgiven Santa for bringing Gavin a little late…he was worth waiting for!)

Week 37 - Letter to Santa!

(Santa's Elf brought a Food Saver for Baby K.)

(This belly jiggles when Baby K. wiggles)

Dear Santa,

We’ve been really good this year (well partly because I’ve had to since I’ve been pregnant, but that’s beside the point), and all we are asking for is for you to bring our baby. Although I was hoping for you to bring Baby K a little bit early this year, I wouldn’t complain if you arranged for it to come tonight (after all it is a full moon and I hear babies like to come with the full moon).

Trying to patiently wait for the best Christmas present ever,

Almost-Daddy Cary and Almost-Mommy Jill

We have been lucky to have Papa T here with us to help with the Christmas preparations…and he even brought Baby K an early Christmas present (which we had to test out and it works great!) Tonight Cary, Papa T and I are cooking some crab legs and shrimp (well “some” in Papa T terms is 6 pounds of crab and 1 pound of shrimp for the 3 of us!!!) and tomorrow Papa T is deep frying a turkey and we are going to celebrate with Rob and his family, Grandma B and both of the Great Grandmas! I’m sure there will be a little more excitement tomorrow than there will be tonight! If Baby K did happen to arrive tonight everyone is willing to change their plans for tomorrow and come visit us at the hospital.

The good news is that by this time next week Baby K “should” be here! My doctor is willing to schedule an induction next weekend so that Baby K can arrive this year! I will find out more details at my appointment on Thursday!

Baby K – if you do come this week your “Aunties” Carolynne and Ingrid will be able to meet you…otherwise it could be a long time before you get to meet them!

We also have a couple birthday’s this week that people are hoping to share with Baby K…Wednesday is Steph’s birthday, Friday is Christy Krawczak and Monica’s birthday, and next Monday is Brett’s birthday…we really don’t care what day Baby K arrives as long as it is soon!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone….I hope Santa is good to you!

Week 36 - Baby K...Where are you?

Well, I think Cary jinxed us last week by hinting we could introduce our new family member soon as Baby K has not made an appearance yet ,but we are starting to get signs that it may not be too long now! At my doctor’s appointment last week I found out I was 1 cm dilated, which I know I can stay at for weeks…but hey progress is progress! The good news about being 1 cm dilated is that if Baby K hasn’t arrived by the time I reach 39 weeks they will be able to induce so chances are good that we will have a 2007 baby! I have also started having contractions more regularly so I’m hoping this won’t go on too much longer! We can tell Baby K is running out of room as we can see most movements from the outside of my belly now, we sat and watched my belly and laughed Saturday night. I must admit physically I am not that uncomfortable, it is more the unknown waiting game that is driving me crazy right now. I’ve finished most of my projects up at work, everything at home is ready for Baby to arrive, all of the Christmas presents are bought and wrapped…so now we sit and wait!

3 years ago tonight we were busy getting ready for last minute wedding preparations as tomorrow is our 3 year anniversary, time flies when you are having fun I guess! Cary has a hot date planned for us, which we will gladly cancel if Baby K wants to share our day with us!

If Baby K is still not here when it is time for our next weekly post, Santa will be getting a letter!

Week 35 Oh, Christmas Tree!!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

We had an experience Saturday; looking for a Christmas tree….wouldn’t you know it….those Boy Scouts sell trees too!! They even helped load and secure the tree; what a deal. We braved the stores as well, getting the last few things for the season and for Baby K’s arrival. Let me tell you, going to Babies R Us on a Saturday is enough to give anyone an ulcer.

A quick week was had as we played in the snow again on Tuesday, with only 3-4 inches you’d think the freeway had 2 ft. Ah, the fun of driving in the metro. Kristi stayed with us Tuesday night and kicked back with Jill. She was amazed by the baby things she saw that night.

We had a good time out Saturday night in the chilly December evening, taking in the Holidazzle Parade downtown with Monica and Brent. Sunday consisted of searching for the Christmas tree lights (which are still AWOL), but thanks to Menards, we found some replacements to get us lit up again. So the tree is decorated and the stockings are hung, and we are all ready for a Christmas baby to arrive anytime as Jill is feeling more uncomfortable lately. You never know, the next couple blog entries COULD be the one where we announce the arrival of the next family member.

Week 34 – Nesting and our Final Trip to Eau Claire

(A gift from our friend...the Octopus says 8 colors in 3 languages!!)

Another week has flown by and I can’t believe that Baby K will be here in under 5 weeks (we are still keeping our fingers crossed for more like 2 or 3 weeks!) Friday afternoon my friends from work threw a wonderful shower for us. Once again we were very spoiled and received so many fun things! For some of my male co-workers it was their first baby shower! I went home Friday night and started nesting…everything is almost ready and we just have a few things to get before Baby K arrives!

(Nancy and Jill)

Saturday we made our final trip through the snow to Eau Claire to spend some time with friends, it seems strange to think that on our next trip there will be 3 of us! Baby K continues to be active (except when Heather is around and then it refuses to move!!!)

We also found out this week that Baby K is going to have some new friends next summer!!! Kelly and Dustin are expecting a little one on July 4th, and Matt and Brooke are expecting #3 in mid-July. We are so excited for them!

Week 33 Baby LOVES Turkey-in-a-Cloud!!

(Baby is getting close!)

A very busy week of cooking, cleaning, and EATING is now behind us, or “on our behind”. Wednesday night Baby K. got to enjoy its first Wild game with Mike and Carrie Whipple, a fun evening with friends and the excitement on the ice. Jill was bummed that there was only one really good fight and that the bottle marked ketchup was actually BBQ sauce. The Wild Dog was not as tastey. =(

(Adrianna thinks she's hiding under the table)

We enjoyed hosting Thanksgiving with the 22 lb. Turkey at our house on Thursday, and then we headed to Mankato Friday and Saturday for the traditional Thanks-mas get together.

(Austin-"I wonder what would happen if I would......)

Baby K. loved all the attention from cousins Will, Ella, Matthew, Kaden, Kylie, Adrianna, Austin, and Landon. Lots of, “Is there a baby in there?” from the little ones. Too funny!! Kaden and Kylie were a bit disappointed; they thought Baby K would be here already. Friday was a evening with Cary’s family filled with swimming, cannon balls, hot tubbing, and the best pizza in Mankato, Paglia’s.

Above is the Pottery Barn Kids crib bumper Jill bought on Ebay. Don’t let the color fool you. She found a good deal on a girl bumper too….so we are prepared either way….except my check book. =)

(Cary and Landon-10 mo.- hanging out)

Baby K. had another doctor visit and the doctor confirmed that baby is now head down and in that “ready” position, but hopefully not TOO ready...give us a 2-3 weeks. The doctor was happy with the check up and said everything is on schedule. That is good news.

Week 32 – Under 50 Days!

Week 32 – Under 50 Days!

Wow, I can’t believe another week has flown by! Baby K must be getting big and running out of room because it seems to be moving around all the time now! I must say I love the feeling, however I think we have some sleeping patterns we need to fix already because 2am is not my best time of day…and Baby K seems to want to play at 2 am already. I can’t believe that within 50 days this little person is going to be here…reality is sinking in more and more every day. (well I should say 50 days if it isn’t late!)

My friend Carolynne was in town this weekend for the Badger/Gopher game and it was so good to be able to spend a little time with her, hopefully when she is home for Christmas she will be able to meet Baby K!!!...and Cary who won the game again?

My new boss started last week, I’m so excited to have a great boss at last. Between Deb and Melissa (my director) I’m feeling really positive about my job right now, and that helps a lot as I prepare to go on leave. I think it will make it a lot easier when I return to work as well.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving, celebrating an early Christmas with Cary’s family this weekend and Thanksmas on Saturday! We really have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Week 32- New friends for Baby K!

This was a big week for Baby K and for Mama! The week started out when I went to visit my friend Erica and her new baby Grady…he is a cute little peanut and his big sister Lulu was totally cracking me up. (I brought my camera, but of course forgot to take pictures!!!) On Monday our friends Liz and Kevin had a little baby girl, Cassie! I don’t have pictures to share yet, but she is precious!

(Cary meets Tyler Nathan)

Saturday our good friends (and cousins) Eric and Nikki welcomed Tyler Nathan into the world. Sunday we went to the hospital to visit him, and he is so tiny and sweet! It was quite a reality check to be holding a brand new baby at the hospital…our turn will be here before we know it!

(Jill practices snuggling Tyler Nathan)

Monday night we had dinner with our friends Jake and Kim, and meeting their little guy Logan who was born in April (he is such a happy little guy, I’m so happy we finally got a chance to meet him!) Baby K is going to have lots of friends.

We were again spoiled by our friends and family. Sunday was a day of fun, having friends and family over to Kristi’s house to celebrate the pending arrival of Baby K. It was so much fun to spend time with everyone. As the month of November continues, it is hard to believe that Turkey Day fast approaches and the calendar will get even crazier. Baby is excited for the treats that come with the holiday get togethers! (Daddy too!)

Week 31 - We Passed Baby Class!

(Jill's future sleeping quarters!)

Cary and I spent the weekend at baby class learning all about labor and delivery and how to take care of Baby K when it arrives! We both thought that the class was helpful (I especially liked the relaxation technique part where he had to rub my back and neck J), but were happy that we did it in a weekend instead of taking the 8 week class! The 2 instructors were great, and once again we realized what a small world it was when we discovered one of them was from Pipestone! It feels like we are one step closer to being ready for Baby K to arrive, and will hopefully know when it is time to go to the hospital!

Our glider was also delivered this week! So far it has been the biggest baby decision for me as there are so many options and such a huge range of prices! I can’t wait to rock and snuggle with Baby K! Now if only we could figure out a way to put a tv in the nursery so I could rock and watch TV at the same time! Happy Harry's Furniture in Farmington was the location....small town atmosphere and customer service. Cary swear's the guy is related to Mike Whipple's dad....same personality characteristics. Too funny.

(Oh, the cute little bump!)

Wednesday we handed out candy to the trick or treaters and I realized that getting on and off the couch isn’t quite as easy anymore, but it was fun to actually have kids come this year because last year we only had 1! Here we treated ourselves to a "treat", a Papa Murphy's Pumpkin Special. YUMMY!

Week 30 -I've surpassed the Pumpkin!

Last week was another busy week for Baby K, luckily we had a weekend without plans (which was the first in a long time and the last for awhile)! We spent Saturday morning cleaning and the afternoon running errands. Saturday night Cary made a roast and I baked Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (I think my maternal instincts are kicking in because I don’t normally like to bake and probably haven’t made homemade cookies since Cary and I started dating).

Now I know why we don’t normally have cookies around because neither of us have any self-control! Sunday we spent lots time on the couch, and made a big pot of chili and a big batch of sloppy joes to start stocking the freezer for when Baby K arrives. Next weekend we will be going to baby class at the hospital! 10 weeks to go, but who's counting?

We have lots of birthdays to celebrate this week....Happy Birthday to Grandma Mary who turned 94 yesterday, Grandma B who will turn 60 on Halloween and Papa T who will be 61 on Saturday!

Week 29- Baby has a big week!

Baby K and Mom started their week on the beach in Miami!!! I had my last trip for work, and it was a great excuse to get one last dose of sand, sun and ocean! (oh and I did work some while I was there!)

Thursday Cary had off from school so after our doctor's appointment we went to Eau Claire to have an early 60th birthday celebration with Grandma B. Grandma B, Rob, Peg, Will, Ella, Matthew, Cary and I went to the apple orchard and shared caramel apples and cider (in the rain) and then we picked up Nana and Dick and all went out for pizza. Saturday we went to Hudson to help Dan and Kristi move into their new house! I'm so excited for them and their new house is very cute! Sunday my girlfriends Christy and Krissy threw a shower for me! It was a very fun day filled with lots of yummy food and good friends, and I am feeling so spoiled already. We are wonderful to have such great (and generous) friends. Tonight we went to an open house at the hospital to meet with lots of different Labor and Delivery people and to get a tour (oh and they had a drawing that we were REALLY hoping to win...but didn't win anything). Wow, just writing about it sounds like an exhausting week! Time is flying by...I think Baby K is going to be here before we know it.

Week 28- Baby Fun

Well we had a pretty routine week for Baby K. Some fun was had while baby was kicking and punching more in momma’s tummy this week.

(Above the boys having a game of suck beer from the bottle as Barb is laughing at us.)

Over the weekend we had fun at a shower thrown by Nikki and Kelly. Boys, girls, and kids were playing and eating while cheering on the Vikings. Baby K. was very excited and appreciative to get all the cute presents……however, this Packer outfit from Papa T. has Baby K. wondering who he/she is suppose to root for. No worries on who Baby K. will cheer for in the future. Daddy will clarify who the #1 team will be in the house (ha!).

Above is a quilt that Grandma B. made for Baby K. She has quite a stitch full of talent.

(Kelly, Jill, and Nikki)

This weeks blog is a day early....Jill is out of town tomorrow. This will be the last trip for Jill and Baby K. as she heads to Miami this week for work. She is grounded after this trip is complete.

Week 27 - A week of Birthday fun!

The past week has been filled with birthday fun as I have "officially" entered my 30's! Thanks to my wonderful family, friends and co-workers I have manged to celebrate with lots of birthday treats and fun things! I'm going to treat myself to some new pj's and slippers and thanks to "the girls" I will be getting a pedicure before I go to the hospital. I'm not sure if it is a pregnancy symptom or if it is just from getting old, but I had my first experience with heartburn this week...and it hasn't really stopped since it started!

This weekend was filled with baby preparations including ordering our glider (this was the biggest decision we have had to make so far....and I'm so happy it is over) and painting the nursery! Tonight we made a run to Target and decided we needed to start stocking up on diapers and Dreft...it is such a strange thing to see those items in our cart!

I also did a little shopping this weekend, and with the advise of some girlfriends decided to try some maternity underwear...of course it comes pre-packaged and when I opened it I almost died laughing...I figured it would be large in the front for the baby....little did I know it would be HUGE in the back! This will be one item I hope I don't fit into...I had to share! (Although if I keep eating the way I did last week I will outgrow these in no time...)



This week we are entering our 3rd trimester, the time is going so fast and I can't believe Baby K is going to be here before we know it! Baby has been kicking quite a bit which is very exciting. Our good friends Ingrid and Kevin found out they are having a girl and are hoping Baby K will be a little girl as well for her to play with! I continue to think it is a boy, and had a dream this week that I was holding our baby boy...guess we will have to wait and see. Not too much longer now!

Week 26 - Under 100!

We have finally reached the point that the count is under 100 days until Baby K is due! I can't believe it, time is going so fast and I'm sure with all of the things that are coming up it is going to be over before we know it! Which makes me think of all the things I need to get done!

The most exciting thing of this past week was Cary being able to feel the baby kicking! It is such an amazing feeling, and I'm so excited he can finally experience it too. Grandma B (my mom) came to visit tonight and was able to feel it too so she was pretty excited.

We babysat Kaden and Kylie this weekend and had a lot of fun, but were tired when they left, and thinking it is a good thing we are only having one baby at a time! They were both pretty sweet about the baby and kept gently patting my stomach! The best line of the weekend was Kylie pointing to my chest and asking if that is where the baby was. All I could do was laugh because I realize how she could be confused!

I know the front view of my belly is a little scary, but we had a good laugh over it...and my belly button so we had to add it!

Week 25 - We Have a Crib!

The past week has been pretty uneventful for us. This weekend we did manage to get the crib set up! You can see from the pictures Baby K has a cuddly blanket that was sent from one of my co-workers (see Anna I told you it would make the blog)! The next big decision is choosing the right rocker/glider! Sunday was Cary's birthday so Baby K got him the I Love Daddy onesie, he was very happy! Baby weighs almost 2 pounds now, and is moving around quite a bit! Now we are just waiting for Dad to be able to feel it move from the outside.

Exciting news of the week: My friend from work, Kristi, had a baby boy Cooper Jeremy last week. He is sweet as can be and I can't wait to meet him in person! She has already sent a list of "what you really need at the hospital" so it is nice to have someone who has just gone through this and is happy to share!

Wk 24 Baby's Got Wheels!

So after a crazy week of research and test drives, we sold our Jeep to the parents of a friend of Jill's. We will miss "Rudy" the red Jeep, but we are excited to have our Honda CR-V. We took it for a good run this weekend to Pipestone, MN and Madison, SD to visit the family.

Along the way Jill discovered she could STILL nap well in the new car..... Big surprise. Which brings up our request. We won't be looking for input on the future name of Baby K., however, the Honda DOES need a name, so if you respond and give us possible suggestions, we may just select your name for the Honda......oooh, ahhh!!!

Baby K has one very excited cousin already, Kylie our niece who is 3 was quite curious when this baby was going to come out and wanted to know if it would come out of my mouth! She also let me know she has a crib that the baby can sleep in next time we visit, because she has already requested that I sleep with her on our next visit. The picture shows her modeling how fashionable a mom can be pushing a baby in a stroller with a pink Hello Kitty Backpack. The other picture includes her brother Kaden who is 5 (they didn't want to sit too close together)! Kaden isn't interested in the baby, but he did work on perfecting his sales skills by convincing us to purchase goodies from him for his kindergarten fundraiser!

Of course we forgot to take pictures when we visited Baby's other cousins this weekend, but know Adrianna will be a good little mom to Baby K....and Austin didn't seem to believe there was a baby in my tummy! Landon will be the closest in age to Baby K, and will be just 1 year older.

We were hoping to have pictures to post from our 3rd (and probably final) ultrasound today....however Baby K once again would not cooperate and kept holding its hands in front of its face. After much prodding by the ultrasound tech the baby would not roll over and would not remove it's hands so we left with no pictures! I'm convinced the baby is going to be famous and thinks it is hiding from the paparazzi already! I am happy to say that I passed the gestational diabetes test today with no issues so I went to the store and got us each a cupcake for dessert to celebrate :)

Week 23 - Fall is Here!

We have had a busy, but uneventful week! I can't believe how fast the time is going and that it is the middle of September already! We spent the weekend running around, and attending a surprise 30th birthday for Kelly (yikes that means my big day is just around the corner)! School is back underway for Cary and seems to be going well. Our furniture arrived this weekend and we did manage to set up the changing table! Sunday marked the start of the football season and since it felt like fall we decided to make a yummy fall meal of roast, potatoes and apple crisp! Bring on the comfort food!