Showers, Moves, and Swelling??

I know, I know, it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog. I had good intentions on updating it several times in the past few months, unfortunately life got in the way…. Which I’m sure is just preparing me for our new crazy life to come!
So, updates…. Showers, Moves, and Swelling??

In February, we went up to New York for my baby showers! They were so fun! On Saturday the 18th, I had my Syracuse shower with the Zacholl and Krupa families, as well as a few Huss's, and all my NY friends – my mom and BFF Meghan threw me the shower and it was so great! They really did a fantastic job (pictures were taken but I’m not allowing viewing of them due to my unhappiness of my physical appearance… I can do that!) They even did a onesie decorating contest, which resulted in sooo many cute onesies that I can’t wait to see Baby Maks in! It really was a great day and we were definitely feeling the love since we left with several car fulls of presents! On Sunday, the 19th, Mark and I went to Rochester for a “Jack and Jill” type baby shower where it was more of a Baby celebration with Mark's family than a traditional shower. Maksim’s Grandma and Grandpa Huss threw us this shower and it again was fantastic! We had a great time visiting with family and of course, felt the love again since we left with tons of gifts for the baby! Both showers resulted in so many presents for our tiny little man that we actually took one car full home to NC (only items that we could immediately need if Maksim decided to show up early), one car full to my Aunt Bev & Uncle John’s house in CT (items we would need soon after the baby was born since they would be closest to us in our new CT house), and finally we left a car full at my parents house of items he wouldn’t need immediately. Phew… it was an exhausting but fabulous weekend!! Once we got home we realized there were still some items that we needed so we took a Saturday and went to Buy Buy Baby, Babies R Us and Target and finished buying everything we needed from our registries… wow – there was sooo much stuff! We got some great deals and most of all it made me feel like we were actually ready for Maksim’s arrival….well at least in terms of “stuff”.

where's the baby going to go??

I’m sure you all know by now that we have made a move in the middle of this pregnancy craziness
as well. I took a new position with my company which involved us moving to the Hartford, CT area.
Although I could have technically done the job from NC, we were happy to move up to CT to be closer to our families. Being 11 hours away had taken its toll on us for sure. We went up to house hunt in mid – January and of course found a house in a record 3 days! (That’s how we roll!) We ended up buying a house that was as close to our NC house in terms of space, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc as we could and still stay in our price range (which was NOT easy as we’ve learned that EVERYTHING is more expensive in Connecticut!!) We bought in a neighborhood called Sinnott Farms in Bloomfield, CT. The house is really nice and still has 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths like we had in NC, although we did go from 2100 sq feet to 1800 sq feet but we have a basement again which helps. We were able to sell our NC house – thankfully – and made the move up to our new home in CT on March 12th. So we’ve been up here for about 2 weeks now and still feel like we have sooooo much to do! Mark has been feverously working on organizing and setting up the house every day since we’ve moved in, (not to mention taking care of me when I get home by making dinner and rubbing my ridiculously swollen feet..we’ll get to those!) – he really is a rock star and I’m sooo lucky to have him!! My parents came out last weekend to bring Beckham and Milo (they had been watching the furry grandkids) and to help us with some house stuff…it was a huge help and we are really glad to have our boys back – we missed them. Maksim’s room is all painted (thanks to the help of Mark, Aunt Bev and Mom Z!) and is almost done being organized, we’ll finish that room this weekend to make sure we are all set for our little man’s arrival!

Still lots to do!! like put the crib together!

It’s definitely been crazy with the chaos of a move and being 9 months pregnant… a little tougher than I originally thought – which is evidenced by my regular moments of sobbing due to the overwhelming amount of boxes that need to be unpacked and “stuff” that needs to be done, combined with a new doctor who just met me and a new hospital to deliver at, not to mention a new job… it happens, and at this point Mark is used to it and would probably be shocked if I didn’t break down on a regular basis. All in all, we are happy in our new house and can’t wait to see Maksim have his series of “firsts” in this home… we are sure that this will make it feel even more like our “home”, rather than just another house.

Our new house in CT

Oh Swelling... I had heard stories about it, but never ever could I have been truly prepared for the
absolute insane amount of swelling that I am now enduring. Not sure if my family and friends just didn’t want to warn me of this awfulness, or if I’m the only lucky one to endure it at this level. In the last week, I have not only lost my ankles, but I am quite sure that someone has cut off my thin, nice feet, calves and ankles and replaced them with tree trunks in the middle of the night! It was not a nice trick and I would really like my original extremities back please! When I say tree trunks… I am NOT
exaggerating! By the end of the day my feet look like they are going to pop and the distinction between my feet ending and my calves beginning is gone… just gone! I come home and put them up (yes above my heart!) and ice them and then my amazing husband rubs them to make the fluid go back to its home!! We honestly just look at them and laugh in disbelief… it’s truly comical that they look this way… I'd post a picture but there are some things that no one needs to see! In addition to this, I’ve been feeling my hands swelling and my right hand has been tingling as if it’s asleep, nonstop. I discovered that this is pregnancy carpal tunnel syndrome… again, lucky me! It is probably one of the most annoying feelings ever! And the fact that I work on a computer and use a mouse on a daily basis does not help it at all! Unfortunately I’ve been told this won’t go away until a few weeks after I have Maksim… yay. Thankfully, this is my last week at work and then I will be home until I have the baby and then out of work for another 8 weeks. I look forward to wearing yoga pants, tank tops and flip flops on a daily basis! Also, I have decided based upon this swelling, the carpal tunnel, and high level of discomfort I’m feeling due to the sheer size of my enormous stomach…. That I am ready to have this child! I would like control of my body back please. Yes, it’s time, I’m there, let’s do this!

38 weeks and feeling huge!!

Lastly, some Maksim updates… he’s a growing boy! We are continuously reminded that this will most likely be a big boy! At my 36 week appointment I was measuring about a week and a half ahead, again confirming the large size of our baby boy. I’m now 38 weeks and they have stopped measuring but I’m quite sure he’s already in the 7 lb range… I’m wishing for an 8lb baby, but thinking he’ll be more like 9 or more…. Keep me in your thoughts. Although, maybe he’ll surprise us…. You never know. I was never naive enough to think we’d have a small baby, I mean Mark and I are not exactly tiny people. My NC boss used to tell me that she thinks he will be a very long baby and that when I deliver, they will just keep pulling and pulling and pulling… thanks… that’s a comforting thought Janine!! In all honesty, based upon some of the small babies my Krupa family has had over the past few years, I am more than happy to have a big, healthy baby boy. Lately I find myself wondering what he will look like, will he get Mark’s beautiful blue eyes (fingers crossed!!), will he be blonde like Mark was when he was born or will he have my dark hair, will he have my lips or Mark’s nose… honestly I picture him as a mini Mark – which makes me smile every time I think of it!

This pregnancy has been a journey – it has had its ups and downs but we’ve gotten through it all and
now we just can’t wait to meet little Maksim and have him be the light of our life. I can’t believe we are in the final weeks… it seems like just yesterday I was walking out of the bathroom, holding a pregnancy test, shaking and crying as I told Mark we were having a baby. (As I’m writing this sentimental thought, Maks is kicking me to remind me he’s there and that he’s almost ready to come out!) As we get closer to the arrival of Baby Huss we will keep you all updated. My next blog update will include pictures of our new little man, Maksim Thomas Huss.

On the move.....

Yes, you read that right... lots of moving is happening in this family.

First, Baby Maksim is quite the mover and kicker! His daddy is convinced he's going to be a soccer player... or a black belt in Karate. Every night we've been doing our kick counts and he completes all 10 in about 5-15 minutes (they want him to kick 10 times in at least 2 hours). Lately its begun to be a little less kicking and some more moving, I can feel him rolling and rotating all over. He's also apparently really likes to sleep under my ribcage - not my most favorite time. We love feeling him kick and move... makes us smile everytime. When we went to the doctor on January 13th we were able to see another sonogram of our little boy. Well I guess I shouldn't say little... apparently he's in the 63rd percentile for weight! at that stage the average baby is about 2 lbs and Maks was about 2 lbs 14 oz.... a growing boy! He also is still a boy.. confirmed! He decided he still didn't want a pic taken of his face so, we'll have to wait a little longer to see our little man. Ok so I guess its Baby Bump photo time... here's a 30 week photo shoot and proof of our little (big) boy's size....

As you can see, I've (we've) been doing some growing... getting off the couch has become a difficult task, bending over to pick things up is next to impossible and reaching my toes is a long lost dream. At least I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic Husband who helps me off the couch, to pick things up, and....paints my toenails. :) I'm a lucky girl!! We're in the final stretch... 31 weeks this friday, less than 10 weeks to go! Although we're thinking Baby Maks will be an early delivery, but we'll wait and see!!

In anticipation for Baby Huss's arrival we've been refinishing a dresser that was Mark's when he was little for our little man's room. We finally finished it today and we are very proud! Keep in mind that Mark and I are not handy and this is really our first successful project! we have one more dresser to refinish for his room, we'll start working on that this weekend.

So....what's the second move you ask? well, that's us. I've taken a new position in my companies Home Office in Hartford, Connecticut... so we're moving north! Although we will miss the fantastic North Carolina weather, we are so excited to be only 4-6 hours from our family and friends. Some family is even closer - my Aunt Bev, Uncle John and Rachel only will be about 1 hour away! We went up to CT last week and did 3 days of house hunting, and just like we did on our 3 day NC house hunt, we bought a house!! its in a little town called Bloomfield - which is only about 10 mins from West Hartford Center which is an area we loved!! We are really excited and should be moving up there and closing on our house on March 12th. We've enjoyed our time in North Carolina but are looking forward to our new adventures in Connecticut... with our little man Maks.

2012 - The year of Baby Huss

Happy New Year!!

Although 2011 was a great year for us, we are so excited that it is 2012!! This is the year that our lives will change forever after the birth of our little Maksim. It's crazy to think that we are only a few months away... feels like we have so much to do still! 

We had a great Christmas, just relaxed at home... basically had our last quiet Christmas as a family of 2 (well 4 including our furry children). We did attempt a 2011 Christmas pic...

However as you can see it didn't go so well, which is why it didn't make it to the Christmas card! The furry children were not cooperative. I did however do an excellent job hiding the baby bump! Alright... I'll show you my Christmas baby bump.

Yes.... I'm definitely growing... and feeling quite large lately! Its getting tougher to get up from the couch, to pick up things on the floor, and squeeze through tight places.  However, I do enjoy people saying I look great and am not big :) So feel free to send some compliments my way! 

The other morning I all of the sudden realized we were already 26 weeks into our pregnancy - only 14 more to go! When I mentioned this to Mark, I could see some fear in his eyes.... the birth of baby Maks is right around the corner and we are sooooo not prepared!! ahhhhh!! Of course that means that I immediately was like "we need to register, we need to re-finish his dresser/changing table, we need to do his room, we need to this, we need to that".... deep breaths..... Since Mark was now also feeling the crunch we were able to finally make the time to go and register (check 1 thing off our list!). So today we went to Buy Buy Baby, Target, and Babies R Us and registered and let me tell you... that is not only tiring, but overwhelming too! Wow!!! There are sooooo many things that you need for a baby, who knew!? (ok probably most of you did). Thankfully Buy Buy Baby gave us a personal shopper who was an expert that was able to give us advice and help us not go insane.... they were great! This store is so fantastic... and since they are owned by Bed Bath and Beyond, you can get 20% off coupons too... SCORE! Unfortunately the other 2 stores where not quite as helpful but at this point we had it pretty much down. (side note: I've inclued links to our registries on the right side of this blog, as a convenience to anyone who wants to see them.)  It definitely feels great to have the registry done... next step... re-finish the dresser. We are using a dresser that Mark had when he was a child and we are re-finishing it to match our crib and also plan to make it into a changing table. Now if only we could find a weekend to start.. and finish... this project. 

On to Maks... he's doing great. Kicking a ton! He's finally kicking strong enough the Mark is able to feel him. Its an incredible feeling and I get a little smile on my face every time I feel him kick me and remind me he's in there. We had our last doctors appointment on December 27th and everything looked great! he's a healthy growing boy. At our next appointment in January we get to have another sonogram (mainly because he was such a mover and shaker at our 20 week appointment that they couldn't get all the needed pics!). As far as how Maks is growing.... apparently the network of nerves in his ears are better developed and more sensitive than before and he may be able to hear our voices now - so we make sure to talk to him more. He also seems to kick a lot when I get in the car and turn the music on and start singing... so I'm convinced he's dancing! He's also a growing boy.... weighing almost 2 lbs and about 14 inches long - about the length of an english cucumber. (I love the vegetable and fruit references!). Overall... he's doing great and growing quickly! We can't wait to meet our lil man in 14 weeks (or less... or more!). I'm definitely carrying Maks very low though, which makes me think he's ready to pop out at any time... we've had talks with him about staying in until he's fully cooked - so he better listen! Since I'm sure you can't get enough of your baby bump pics... here are 2 taken today.

Overall, life is good... and we are looking forward to an extremely happy and healthy 2012! 

IT'S A......

Well we can't just give it away that easily!!

So yesterday (Friday the 18th) was our most exciting doctors appointment....the 20 week sonogram!!! we were so excited to find out if Baby Huss was a Boy or a Girl. Ironically the survey on the blog was at an even split of 50/50, however the majority of people thought it was a girl, and I think a part of Mark and I thought the same thing. Of course since we were anxious, the doctors office was behind so we had to wait a little longer. Finally they called us in and it was time to start! It was within the first minute and we already knew... that we are having....A BOY!!!!

We are obviously so excited, especially Mark who was thrilled when we found out it was a boy (he even did a little silent cheer!) but obviously he was happy with either gender. Baby Huss did not hide his gender at all! He was sitting with his legs spread wide open and his hands over his eyes, he definitely wanted everyone to know he was a boy!!

Boy Parts



I had eaten a small box of nerds before the appointment in order to make sure Baby Huss was moving so we could get a good picture... and it worked!! except that he was actually moving soooo much that the technician was having a very tough time getting all the necessary pics. So much so that at our next appointment we will be having another sonogram just to make sure we got all of the pictures we needed. She did get a few 3-D pics but they are tough since he was on the move, but this one is our favorite since it appears our lil guy is ready to suck his thumb!

I love my thumb!



The doctor told us that everything is great with Baby Huss, he's growing at a perfect rate and has no signs of any problems at all! We are so thankful to be having a healthy baby boy!!

Now... the name of Baby Huss you ask? Well we did have a few final contenders....Landon Thomas, Maksim Thomas, Kolin Thomas. So what will Baby Huss's name be??

MAKSIM THOMAS HUSS

We really like the name Maxim but weren't crazy about the spelling or the nickname spelling of Max. So we looked for some alternate spellings and determined that Maksim is the Hungarian spelling (My maternal grandmother is Hungarian) and that Maksym is the Polish spelling (Mark's Mother is Polish). We really liked them both but decided we like the Hungarian spelling best!! Plus we love the nickname spelling of Maks! Also, his initials will be the same as Mark's so that is pretty special to us too. So, we obviously reserve the right to change our mind, however we are pretty stuck on it at this point.

So that's of course the big news...we're having a baby boy and naming him Maksim Thomas. We could not be more excited. Yesterday was truly one of the absolute best days of my life. I can not wait to watch our little boy grow up to be just like his father. I couldn't be happier! However, I do recognize that I am completely out numbered in this house now... with 4 boys to 1 girl! Oh boy! (literally!!) So I guess in our house....

I'm still feeling great and being very thankful that this pregnancy has been pretty easy for me (knock on wood). In fact the doctor said to us yesterday, that" this has been so easy for you that I say we go for twins next time!!!" ummmm I'm not so sure we're ready for that yet!! (however, Mark's Paternal Grandmother is a twin... so I suppose that could happen!)

Thank you to everyone for the congratulations and well wishes that you've sent our way. We are feeling very blessed and continuing to look forward to more adventures to come! xoxo



Daddy's Hand and Mommy's Belly

Baby Daddy Blog

This blog is going to be slightly different from the usual. This blog is coming from the fathers point of view. So everyone who thought Jess was a good blogger just wait till you read my (Mark) blogging skills. I will start out by saying thanks to everyone who has congratulated us, sent us a card, supported Jess, and for all of you reading our blog.

We recently went to the doctors for the monthly check up, it was pretty routine. We got to hear Baby Huss's heartbeat, even though this time it wasn't so easy for the nurse to find Baby Huss's heartbeat because Baby Huss was moving all over the place. It is funny because when I picture babies in a womb I picture them in one of these....

If in fact Baby Huss is in one of these, we can be 100% sure it will be an astronaut. The rest of the doctors visit was normal, doctor asks us if we have any questions, Jess asks questions about iron, and if her gummy vitamins are good enough. Luckily enough, Jess's gummy vitamins are getting the job done. Not once does anyone ask me how I am doing or if I have any questions. I got a laundry list of questions that needs to be discussed. Just kidding, the doctor addresses both of us and Jess does a great job of including me.

Jess insists that I talk about how big Baby Huss is and other statistical information about the babies progress. Here it is folks, the moment you have all been waiting for....what fruit is Baby Huss the size of now......Baby Huss is the size of an.....AVOCADO!!!!! Jess is currently in week 16, Baby Huss is 4 1/2 inches long (Head to Rump) and  Baby Huss weighs a staggering 3 1/2 ounces (still in the lighweight division). Stay tuned for next months reveal....Boy or Girl?????? Which basically just means do we buy a Blue and Gold or a Pink Sabres jersey.

Jess is coming along just great, she thinks that she isn't showing as much because she has more room in her body because she doesn't have a colon anymore...and apparently she could be right because the doctor agreed with her. Crazy, I know. Now is the time that I am supposed to talk about how I feel with this whole situation and how I am coming along. I also am showing a little bit more, unfortunately I do not have the luxury of not having a colon and having more room. We have been eating a little bit more unhealthy (compared to the ridiculosuly healthy eating of south beach diet) and a little bit more frequently, and of course I am going to take advantage of this. Just yesterday we were picking out ice cream and I was trying to sway Jess to the one I wanted. So what, I am taking advantage of the situation...don't judge, you would do the same.

On the emotional side I feel as if I am doing well, it still is a little bit unreal but more and more each day I get a little bit more excited and nervous. I think that once we know the sex of Baby Huss it will get a lot more interesting; picking out a name, colors for a room, do we want themes or different designs and all the accessories we will need to start picking out as well. Dealing with Jess's emotions are a different story, she does have some minor mood swings, nothing extreme, except when I was trying to influence her about that ice cream, she yelled at me and punched me in the my face. Of course I am kidding, that didn't really happen, like I said everything has been pretty minor. We are our usual selfs around each other, we often make fun of each other and push each others buttons but in a healthy and controlled way. I think all in all the last 16 weeks has gone by great and I couldn't be happier.

I hope you all enjoyed this blog and my point of view, we have to go take Beckham for a walk now. Be sure to catch next months blog, it will reveal the sex of Baby Huss and will be written by Milo and Beckham, yes that is right the cat and dog have a point of view on this whole thing as well.

Growing into the second trimester

I'm officially in my 13th week... and headed into the second trimester! I can't believe we're already 1/3 of the way there! Some days it feels like its flying by and other days it feels like April is years away. We just had our 10 week check up and things all looked great! I had a lot of blood work and actually had a glucose test too since diabetes runs in my family. I had just started to get a cold that day and was eager for it to go away so I decided to drink alot of orange juice throughout the day (I drank about 30 oz), however I forgot that I had my glucose test that afternoon....oopsie! I was sure I was going to fail, however as luck would have it... I passed! YAY! We also got to hear the baby's heartbeat again at this appointment and it is definitely a strong lil Huss. At this point our lil Huss is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. Some websites reference that to be about the size of a medium shrimp, a nutter butter, or a peach....I'm going with peach...I like the fruit comparison (Sorry Mom and Dad, an eggplant isn't until week 25-28!) We couldn't be happier to know that everything is on track and Baby Huss is healthy! I'm still feeling great, however lately my nose has been working overtime...the other day I was smelling some delicious fresh baked cookies as we were driving and tried to get Mark to go on an instant search for them... but he wasn't going for it, he just laughed at me! better luck next time I guess.

So far we haven't purchased anything for the baby, we were waiting until we found out the sex and until we were a little closer. However, we did just get our first official baby gift! Thanks to my Aunt Barb who made Baby Huss a beautiful blanket that we are sure he/she will love!

As I mentioned in my last post, Mark and I have begun to notice a bit of a baby bump. Its more noticable when I'm not wearing a shirt, however I will not be posting pics of that..sorry! My clothes are still fitting however I have to admit that my old "Fat" pants (aka 1 size larger than my normal size) are more comfortable right now than my normal pants... I guess I better get used to that! We did finally take our first picture of me with my 13 week bump....I have to say I feel MUCH larger than this picture shows!! Some days more than others, but you can judge for yourself.

Lastly, we've made it truly official now... we've released the flood gates and announced it openly to all that we are having a Baby Huss! It feels great to have the news out and we feel truly blessed with all of the sweet congratulations we have recieved! Thanks to you all! xoxo

The Big 1-0!!

Baby Huss has officially been a part of our lives now for 10 weeks!! I get daily updates about the growth progression of our lil Huss and its amazing to think about this little baby in my belly who is apparently working non-stop! (must have Mommy's work eithic!) At the end of this week our baby will officially be a Fetus! Baby Huss's kidneys, intestines, brain and lungs are now all in place and its little fingers and toes are seperating into their tiny 10 fingers and 10 toes. Since Baby Huss will be further developing it's brain this week by producing 250,000 neurons every minute, I'm sure that means that I will be extra smart at work (2 brains is better than 1)! As of this week our little Huss weighs about a 1/2 an ounce and is about 2 1/2 inches.... doubling in size each week!

As of now, I'm still feeling good (knock on wood)! Apparently I'm one of the lucky ones who is able to avoid morning sickness. I have however began to encounter a little big of pregnancy brain (good thing Baby Huss will help me out this week). At work, I've had a couple moments of ditziness - completely missing obvious things (example 1: I had "completed" a development plan for one of my employees and after showing it to my manager, she nicely pointed out that I had referenced that all of that employees development activites were to be completed by other employees....which clearly will not help his development!) At home Mark has enjoyed the opportunity to laugh at my pregnancy brain incidents which usually occur in the kitchen while making dinner.

Still no intense food cravings, however peanut butter has been tasting extra delicious lately! The other night for dinner when Mark asked what I wanted, I replied Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich and tator tots....he gave me a blank stare.... and we ended up with chicken sandwiches and french fries! (he did make me a PB&J for lunch the next day though).

We are starting to see a tiny bit of a belly bump (or how my lovely husband put it "you're getting a baby pooch..hmmmm) but its still pretty small and not noticable when I'm completely dressed. Which is helpful since I have still not told anyone at work except my boss.

Wondering if we're going to have a Boy Huss or a Girl Huss is constantly on our minds! We continue to get mixed answers, Mark says Boy, Dad Z says Girl....even our quiz on this blog is split evenly right now! We consulted a Gender Prediction test online....Boy; and the Chinese Gender Prediction Chart...Girl; as you can see they were not helpful! So we'll try to be patient about our lil Huss's favorite color- Pink or Blue. Until then, I'll continue to read my baby books and look for clues.