Happy New Year!

We had a doctors appointment today and everything looks great! I am 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced! Now we are just waiting on baby caleb to come out! Here are a few pics of me at 38 weeks pregnant...

Thankful for Good Friends!

Me and Matt just returned home from having dinner with Zac and Leah!! Leah is in town to apartment hunt with Zac because they are getting married in 4 short months! yay! We went to Rafferty's...which was delicious!! It was nice to spend time with the two of them, and we cant wait until they move to Louisville, and we can hang out more! They also bought Caleb the cutest little onesie, hat and booties!! Here are some pics from tonight...

It's Christmas Time!

This is me and matt's second Christmas together, but first to not be surrounded by family! So far its been great--even though matt had to work half a day today. While Matt was at work, I went to the doctor for my 37 week appointment. It went great. I was a little bit more dilated, but not much-my blood pressure looked good, his heartbeat was nice and strong, and he was measuring right on track! After the appointment I cleaned and waited around for Matt to get home!!
Although Christmas isn't technically until tomorrow, me and Matt decided to open our big gifts for each other on Monday!! It was so fun! I got Matt a game system, which was a total surprise to him--and he LOVED it!! And he got me a camera! yay! So now I can take lots and lots of pictures and share them with everyone!! We also decided to start our own family tradition and open all of our presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas day. The reason my wonderful husband came up with this idea is because we want Christmas day to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus, and not about opening christmas presents! So tonight, after a great dinner at Dr. Cummins house, we came home and opened the rest of our christmas presents. Some things that we got--Mer: lotion, movies, pj's, a new book, a cornhuskers shirt and a nice back rub thing! Matt: a nebraska sweatshirt, some clothes, a beard trimmer thing, books, and a nebraska hat! Caleb: lots of little nebraska clothes, some other very cute outfits, a cart protecter, and a little photo album! We had fun opening the gifts and are now ready to hang out and fall asleep to a movie--possibly Kung Fu Panda! We hope you all have a great Christmas tomorrow! We love you and miss you all a lot!
Here are a few pictures!



More to come later...

36 Weeks, 5 Days!

I had another doctors appointment today! Everything looks great! I gained 2lbs, my belly is measuring perfect, Caleb's heartbeat sounded great, and some test they took last week came back negative--which was great news!! I had an exam and Dr. Nusz told me that I am 1-2cm dilated. This is a little nerve-wrecking to me because im not ready for him to come yet! She said this means he could come tomorrow, or he could come in 3 weeks! On Sunday ill be 37 weeks, which is full term--so I would feel more comfortable if he at least waited until then! I just pray that whenever he decides to come out, that he's healthy:)
Last night I decided to bake my doctors office some cupcakes! I think they turned out pretty good!! Here is a picture of my masterpiece(I know youre all jealous) Just kidding! It was easy--and I had a lot of fun making it!
I'll keep you updated on when he's coming--Love you all!

Here's what Caleb is up to in there:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

35 Weeks, 5 Days--Growing at a Rapid Pace!

Today I had the first of my weekly appointments! I will go in every week now until baby Caleb arrives!! This means his time to shine is drawing near--quickly! The appointment went great! My blood pressure was still a bit high, so shes keeping me at 25-30 hrs a week of work--and the rest is to be spent resting! I measured perfect for 35 weeks, his heartbeat was strong, and he was still in the right position! I am not dilated at all--so she thinks that Caleb will come right around his due date(hopefully)!
We've slowly been preparing for his arrival, with our last walmart orders of sheets and changing pad covers on their way!! We've stocked up a little bit on diapers, but didnt want to get too many, since we arent sure how big or small he's going to be! I also packed his bag for the hospital, but have yet to pack mine! I went to the store and purchased some items that I was told I should have, but still have not put them all together! I keep thinking I have all this time, but really--it's less than a month away! Sleeping has become increasingly difficult as I continue to get bigger--and my energy is slowly decreasing-- I find myself getting into bed earlier and earlier each night!!! Matt is doing great-he cooked us breakfast dinner last night, which was delicious! He loves his job at the bank--and is almost done with his first semester at Liberty!! We will register soon for next semester!! We're hoping that he will be done with classes and have his degree by next December. We are so excited to start applying to ministry positions, and see where the Lord leads us! He has also picked up an extra-curricular activity...basketball, which he is thoroughly enjoying!!
I'm not sure when I'll be back to blog--maybe after my next appointment on the 19th(thats Ashley's birthday, by the way)!!
We love all of you sooo much--thank you for being a part of our lives and checking in with how we're doing:) We hope this has helped all of you stay up-to-date with our lives! Here's some pics of the belly, and an idea of what Caleb is doing in there:)

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Update

We had a doctors appointment today and everything looked great! I gained 2 more lbs, my blood pressure was 120/68, and I measured perfect for 34 weeks! Praise the Lord! I'm still on half days bed rest until our appointment next friday, but we were just happy to hear that Me and Caleb were both healthy:)

34 Weeks!

Well...it's been an interesting past couple of weeks! I had a doctors appointment last Monday and found out that I have high blood pressure...so they put me on half days bed rest, which isnt very fun! They also did a bunch of blood work and tested my urine a lot, but there was no sign of escaping protein, so I'm clear of what they call preeclampsia! I go tomorrow for another doctors appointment--so we're hoping to hear that me and Caleb are healthy and doing well!
We both had a great thanksgiving, although it was spent apart--I was in Pittsburgh, and Matt had to stay here and work:( It was nice to see all of my family, and just relax for a couple of days! Matt spent Thanksgiving with the Fitzgibbon family, and of course he enjoyed all of the delicious food!!
Yesterday was our one year anniversary! I was greeted on Saturday with a beautiful heart necklace, and received flowers at work! We also took advantage of our Points at national city by getting a giftcard to Outback, and were able to treat ourselves to a nice anniversary dinner! (delicious)
We received Calebs glider on Saturday (thanks Al and Marie) and put it together!! It looks great in the room and is very comfy! We were also able to purchase a lot of necessary items at Babies R Us and Walmart with our many giftcards that we received from both showers! Thanks everyone :) Now all we have to do is stock up on diapers:)
We're getting pretty anxious about Calebs arrival!!!--and can't wait for everyone to meet him! Here's whats going on with Caleb, and here are a few pictures!! Love you all

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which he'll need to regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

I love my hubby!

Our one year anniversary is coming up really soon!! yay, December 1!
Here's a few pics of us on a lazy saturday! I sure do love him!

32 Weeks!

Im Officially 32 weeks...starting tomorrow! I had a Dr. Appt yesterday and everything went great! I gained 2 pounds...yay and measured perfectly for how far along I am. She also listened to Calebs heartbeat...which was extra strong, and was able to tell how the baby was positioned--head down! That was great news, because at the last ultrasound he was in the wrong position! I have 2 more bi-weekly visits, then begin my weekly visits with Dr. Nusz! Baby Caleb is expected to arrive in about 8 weeks:) We can hardly wait!!! We've done a bit more decorating in Calebs room, but I'll have to post pics of that later, since I don't have an adapter to the camera!! I also chopped all of my hair off this week--I've been told not to while I was pregnant, but this was a must--and I love it:)


What is Baby Caleb up to?...well funny you should ask--besides moving around CONSTANTLY, having the hiccups in the morning, and giving his mommy heartburn after every meal...here's whats going on with Caleb:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

-babycenter.com

Me and Matt have some classes coming up real soon! We are taking a labor class at the hospital on Dec 4th, a breast feeding class on Dec 8th, and a basic baby care course on Dec 11th, along with a tour of the hospital! I think these classes will really help us a lot as we prep for his arrival!!
Exciting news alert--I leave for Pittsburgh in less then 2 weeks. Sadly, Matt wont be joining me because he has to work! But I'm still excited to see the fam and hang out with them--I dont think we've all been together since our wedding...and that was a year ago--Which is more of the exciting news...Me and Matt celebrate our 1 year anniversary on Dec 1st!!! We cant believe how fast this year has gone by!! The Lord has really blessed us through this time, and we have a lot of great memories from this first year of marriage, and look forward to many many more:) I sure do love him!!

The Svoboda's Head to LA

This past weekend, me and matt were able to spend the weekend in LA with his dad, step mom and siblings! We had a lot of fun, even though we were unable to see francis:( Matt was able to see the beach for the first time! yay! And we went to Hollywood Blvd and took some pics with the 'Stars'! Well, all in all, I dont feel like writing much, so heres a few pics from our trip!:) Enjoy...

29 Weeks!!

Oh my gooodness! I cant BELIEVE I'm at 29 1/2 weeks!! Sunday marks 30 weeks! woot woot! Well lots going on...I had my 29 week appointment today--and im officially on a bi-weekley visit with my gyno...oh joy!:) Everything went great--the heartbeat was strong(thats our boy) and i measured perfect! I also gained a whopping 7 lbs! This is the most so far, and they were prrretty proud of me:) But I've decided today to stop eating candy and drinking any soda! This should be interesting seeing as halloween is on friday!!
On another note, me and matt fly out to California tomorrow to visit with his dad, step-mom and siblings! We're really excited, because neither of us have ever been to LA--and Matt has never been to the beach...so we'll have to make a special trip to the beach when we get there! We are also hoping to visit Francis Chans church! yaaay! I'll let you know how all of that pans out!! We return monday night, and im sure ill have lots of pics to post!!
We recently hung up my moms paintings in the baby room! They look adorable, and ill have to post pics of them later!! I also purchased the letters to Calebs name and will be painting them and hanging them on the wall behind his crib!!!
Enough for now--here are some pics of big mer at 29 weeks! :) Love you all

28 Weeks!

Today marks 28 weeks!! its hard to believe he'll be here in only 3 months:) We had a good visit with Al and Marie this past weekend! We were so happy that they were able to travel here to see us for a few days!! Although me and matt still had to work, the time we were able to spend with them was great!!! They also brought us a bassinet for Caleb to use! But this isnt just ANY bassinet...this was handcrafted by Al!! It is so beautiful, and i know Caleb will love it! Along with that, they bought us the bedding to go with it, which I love! We set it up in our room, so we will be close to Caleb when he comes:) While they were here, we were spoiled rotten...especially with Maries great cooking:) They left today to head back to Nebraska, but will return this January when the baby arrives! ...Here is a picture of the beautiful bassinet and bedding:

Thanks Al and Marie for everything!! We love you:)

Our Baby Furniture Arrived!

As you can tell by the title, our baby furniture finally arrived!!! We went and picked it up last night, and put it together:) It was very very exciting! I put some pictures at the bottom of the furniture in the baby room...but its still not thoroughly decorated--but you can see the green paint, hand-made curtains!! and the baby bedding! All we need now is the mattress, changing pad, glider, and to hang the pictures on the wall!
I also had my 27 week appointment today! My doctor informed me that today was the beginning of my third trimester--i cant believe it!! Today was one of the longer appointments...I took my glucose test(which was gross)--They have you drink this nasty drink and then wait an hour to draw your blood to test and made sure your sugar levels are ok...I find out tomorrow what the test results are! I also got my flu shot today ( we all know how much i LOVE shots) i tried to opt out, but she made me get it! We also heard Calebs strong heartbeat today! As she was listening she asked if he always moved around this much--i gladly informed her that this was constant:) Our baby is just growing so strong! I gained 4 pounds! ...which means ive gained a total of 14 lbs but lost 5 at the beginning, so i guess i've gained a total of about 10ish! So she told me that she would like me to gain at least 10 more, which im sure wont be hard seeing as im increasing in size on a daily basis! My belly also measured at about 27 inches which she said was perfect for how far along I am! I go back on Oct 30th which begins my every 2 weeks appointments! The due date just keeps getting closer and closer!
Well here are the pics of the baby room! Please remember to keep us in your prayers as our family is about to increase by one...and also that Caleb remains a happy healthy baby!

Whats going on?!

I told you all about me and matt but didnt think to mention how baby Caleb is growing...So here's whats going on with him:

The network of nerves in his 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.

Restless Caleb!

We can tell that Caleb is excited about entering this world because he is constantly kicking me to get out! I enjoy every moment of his movement and praise the Lord that I have a happy active baby growing inside of me! Me and Matt have enjoyed decorating Calebs rooms--We recently painted it green and hung up his blue curtains! We also got the crib in and set it up with all of his bedding--now we just have to wait on our changing table and dresser(ill post pics when the room is all finished)!! I recently finished washing all of his clothes and put them all in age order, so we're ready to dress him up in all of his cute little boy clothes:) My mom and dad just stopped in for a visit last weekend on their way to New Mexico! We had a lot of fun, and of course, my mom spoiled me with lots of maternity clothes and baby items! I loved all of them:) She also painted adorable pictures for Calebs room, which I will post as soon as we hang them up! For now, here I am at 26 weeks 4 days! I go for my glucose test on the 14th--so lets pray that everything goes good:) love you all...

Look How Cute!

My sister just sent me the link to Hannah's most recent pictures!!
Here are a couple of my favorites--although they were all very adorable:)

Crib Dresser and Changing Table

Below are the crib dresser and changing table that my mom and dad bought for us!! We love it and cant wait to pick it up so we can start getting the room all set up! We're also excited to have my parents come in on Saturday! It seems like forever since we've seen them and it'll be awhile before we can see them again! Thanks mom and dad for the baby furniture! I know baby Caleb will love it!! We love you soo much! :)

Here are the pictures...if you dont like them, I dont care:)

Update!

It's been a while since i've posted...and the reason is because we MOVED! yay! We are so excited and love our new place!! I'll post some pics of it as it gets a bit more organized! Yesterday I had my 23 week doctors appt and everything went great! I gained 3 1/2 pounds and my stomach measured perfect!! We listened to the heart beat and were able to hear Caleb as he was moving around. We get more and more excited with every appointment that we go to! I was able to discuss some birthing plans and talk about any questions that I had, which really helped! Next month is my glucose test...So lets hope that the test will come back with positive results:) Well i'm off to work...ill post pics later:)

So Far...

This is the full growth of my belly thus far starting at 10 weeks and going to 22 weeks! How Fun:)

22 Weeks!! I cant believe it!

Hey Everyone...I just wanted to post a pic of my belly at 22 weeks and let you know whats going on with baby Caleb!! Everyday is more exciting!!! We cant wait to finally meet baby Swobes!

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Sorry I dont have time to write more, but I will soon! Love you all:)

John Piper on Abortion

This is actually a post of my dad's..but it impacted me a lot, so i'm going to re-post in on my blog...

"Last night I came across some material that was written by John Piper. I think he really puts things into perspective. As we have stated many times, this is not about us. Below I have included the majority of Piper's article."

As Christians, we don’t have the luxury of speaking with vagueness, ambiguity, and cliché. When we open our mouths, we must speak clearly (Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 4:3-4). But if we are to speak clearly, we must first think and feel clearly about difficult and controversial moral issues. So we need to realize that abortion is not mainly about a woman’s right to choose. And it isn’t mainly about a baby’s right to life.

Abortion is about God, the Creator of the universe, the Giver and Sustainer of all life, the Judge of the living and the dead, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Redeemer and Forgiver of all who trust him. Abortion is about God. To leave God out of the picture of abortion is to trivialize it.

All things are trivial without God. God is the ultimate reality over the universe. All other reality is derivative and dependent and has no ultimate meaning at all without reference to God the ultimate reality. In him we live and move and have our being. If we leave him out of account, we know nothing of any lasting significance about ourselves or the world.

During this election season, as politicians court the evangelical vote, it is vital that Christians remind themselves why abortion is the transcendent moral issue of our time. At a time when being pro-life is marginalized in some evangelical circles, we want to lift up the cause of the unborn and urge our fellow Christians to not grow weary in doing good.

We will reap a harvest if we do not give up. And the strength to persevere comes from realizing that God’s supremacy over all things includes his work in the womb. Abortion is an assault on the person-forming work of God. Children are a gift from God. To reject them through abortion is to reject him.

We're Back!

We finally got home at midnight on Monday night from a much needed trip to Nebraska!! We had such an amazing time visiting with family that I wish we could have stayed longer! Marie of course fixed us lots of yummy meals, and we were able to play cards, go bowling, and take some walks!! The good thing is that Marie, Al, and Tony are coming down in September...and then me and Matt are headed to LA in October to see Ron and LeeAnn...and of course, all of the family will be coming to visit when baby Caleb is born!! So we are excited that we will be able to see our families a lot more often in the months to come! I wish I had some pictures from our trip but I dont at the moment...as soon as I get my hands on some, ill post them!!

Well, Caleb is certainly a lot more active these days, especially when he is around his normal surroundings!! Me and Matt were reading a couple of nights ago and he was moving a lot...since Matt hasnt been able to feel him yet, I urged him to put his hand on my belly! Almost instantly, Caleb gave him a hefty high five!! It was amazing...Im so excited now that Matt is able to share in the joy of feeling Caleb move around!!! Here's whats going on in week 21(can you believe its already week 21?)

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

And here are a few things that Me and Matt purchased for baby Caleb...so he won't forget what team he supports




Thats all for now...love you all:)