I shot the sheriff

It's been the talk of the town - shots were fired last weekend at two police officers in Eagle Grove. And yes, one of them was Adam. Everyone in the community has been very supportive and asks how Adam is doing - which means a lot of us. The situation could have turned out a lot worse, but luckily Adam was working with another skilled and professional police officer. I think we often forget that being a police officer is a dangerous and risky job that requires a lot bravery, confidence and faith. The chances of something dangerous happening to a police officer in rural Iowa are slim to none, but there is always that chance that you'll be in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person. Which is what happened to Adam last weekend. So instead of criticizing your local police officers, thank them for their dedication to protect and serve YOU! I am very proud of Adam - I think he's a GREAT police officer and everyone around here agrees. People have been asking me if I was scared about the situation, and like Adam and I have been saying - Iraq prepared both of us for situations like these! Below is a short summary from the Globe Gazette - it just gives the basics - doesn't get into details about what exactly happened.

EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two men have been arrested after they allegedly fired on two law enforcement officers in Eagle Grove in north central Iowa. Wright County Sheriff Paul Schultz says neither officer was injured in the shooting Saturday morning. Schultz says Deputy Adam Nerlien and Eagle Grove Police Officer Travis Tokheim were investigating a possible drunk driving incident. Jeremy Dayton and Brian Bromley, both of Eagle Grove, were arrested. Dayton is charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, assault on a police officer, interference with official acts and discharging a weapon within city limits. Bromley is charged with four counts of conspiracy. The men were being held in the Wright County jail on $50,000 bond each.

23 Weeks

We had another dr. appt yesterday for a routine check up. Everything went great! The first thing the nurse said to me was "You don't even look pregnant!" I HATE hearing that because I can't wait until I look pregnant! Everyone keeps telling me to be thankful b/c the less I gain the less I have to lose, plus the less miserable I'll be this summer. I guess that's a good way to look at it! I've gained 8 lbs so far - which is right on track, if not a little less than average. The dr. said in the next 6 weeks I'll really start to grow - which is what he also told me 8 weeks ago! O
well! The dr. was able to find the heartbeat much quicker this time - as she was searching for it the baby was kicking her like crazy! The heartbeat was 144 - right on track for 23 weeks. I go back in 3 weeks to get my blood sugar tested to screen for gestational diabetes. Here's whats going on with the little one this week:

At this point you’ve pretty much adjusted to the fact you’ve got a moving little gymnast inside of you, but now they’re going to kick up the party a notch because they can hear and react to sounds from the outside world. Sounds from your alarm clock, a thunder roll, or that darned car honking at you across the intersection can actually jar their little ears enough to elicit a kick or violent bout of squirming. Of course this also means that their little ears are picking up the sounds of your voice and those near you. So go ahead, sing a lullaby to your little angel—if they start kicking, it’s likely they just want you to stop… or maybe it was a kick of approval? You decide. Your baby's tiny taste buds are still growing and their bones are continuing to ossify (harden), their tiny veins are visible through their translucent yet wrinkly skin. (Think of it this way: they’ve been swimming in the equivalent of a long hot bath for the past 23 weeks, so you can’t blame them for being a little prune-like.)

23 weeks - Feeling fat, not pregnant

I can't wait until the bump looks cute and ROUND

Memorial Weekend

According to wikipedia, Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.
Like many other holidays, we often forget the true meaning of the celebration. Many people look forward to Memorial Day as a kick off to the summer and the 3 day weekend. (I'm just as guilty as the rest of society.) However, marrying into a military family really does make me appreciate all those that have and are currently serving our country. Please pray for the families that have lost their loved ones and those who have sons/daughters, fathers/mothers, brothers/sisters, etc. overseas right now.

1-505 Alpha Company Parachute Infantry Regiment in Iraq

On a happier note, Adam's family came to visit us on Sunday afternoon. The guys were in a golf tournament here and finished around 6:30. We grilled out for supper and sat outside and enjoyed a few drinks. It was a beautiful weekend!

FYI: Adam proposed to me on Memorial Day 4 years ago! It feels like it was just yesterday - time sure does fly by!

Uh-Oh

As you know, I've had a VERY easy and almost boring pregnancy, which my doctor keeps telling me that's a good thing. If it weren't for the monthly visits and hearing/seeing the baby, I probably wouldn't believe that I was even pregnant. I've had no morning sickness, fatigue, back pain, itchy skin, cravings, sensitivity to smells, thicker hair, swelling, stretch marks, moodiness...NOTHING! I guess some say that I'm one of the lucky ones, but some days I wish I actually felt pregnant. The baby started kicking about 3 weeks ago or so, which is my main pregnancy symptom. Some days I still don't look pregnant yet..last week one of my students asked if I had my baby already b/c I didn't look pregnant! Once again, some may consider me lucky b/c I'm not the size of a house.
Well, that may begin to change. I just got back from the grocery store and came home with a jar of pickles, ranch dressing and french fries...let me explain! I truly believe that craving pickles and ice cream during pregnancy is a huge stereotype - but I've always LOVED pickles - it runs in my family. My brother and I used to eat them like popcorn when we were younger - we even came up with our own concoction and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on them. My favorite kind is the Claussen kosher dill spears - I got home and immediately ate three of them before even putting them in the fridge. I also HAD to buy some crinkle cut french fries b/c I've been seeing them advertised on the Culvers commercial - they are in the oven as I'm typing this:) And as for the ranch dressing, I bought that to dip my baby carrots in - I gotta have something healthy!
I've also bought a few boxes of hot tamales this week - and of course I could drink a gallon of milk in a day- we usually go through a few gallons a week - just b/w Adam and I! This could be the beginning of a train wreck!

Week 22

The grow must go on! No wonder you’re getting so big, you’re now housing a wonder-baby who weighs nearly a pound and measures nearly a foot in length. Their perfect little pancreas is now further developed and they’ve also started producing their own hormones! Your baby's future in the circus as a world-famous tight-rope-walker is secure: their inner ear is now developed to the point that they have their own sense of balance. Lucky for your little explorer, balance also promotes physical dexterity, which has them actively feeling out their surroundings where skin, body parts, and the resident umbilical cord are the big sensory experiences. Your foot-long baby, is looking a bit like an oversized raisin right now as more and more wrinkles are showing up each week. Not to worry, all that excessive wrinkling is just their skin’s way of planning ahead for the time when they’ll start piling on that irresistible baby chub.

Supper with Friends

Last week Adam and I were able to spend time with some of our friends, which never gets to happen because of his work schedule. On Tuesday night, one of my good friends from high school came up from Des Moines to visit us. She had never visited our new house yet so she came up and I made us supper. It was so nice to just sit around for a few hours and visit - we need to do that more often!

Abby and I enjoying some Shade Tree popcorn

On Friday night, we went to Signatures and then to the casino with two other couples from Clarion. It is so weird because tons of people from the area love to go up to Northwood to gamble and eat at Signatures! I guess when you live there it's not as exciting, but we still had a good time.

Not much else is going on around here - pretty boring week. We went to a few graduations this past weekend and ate way too much food! I'm finishing up my last week at the After School Program - finally! Not sure what I'm going to do this summer - probably a few different part time jobs again. Still don't have a teaching job for next year yet - but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something will open up. Adam is hoping that it starts to warm up so he can go golfing again - its been a cold and rainy week. He is really hoping that the weather cooperates this Sunday b/c he is in a golf tournament down here and his dad, brother and friend Bradley are coming down too.

21 Weeks

Your beautiful little miracle-gro baby will be putting on a full ounce and a half this week (and weighing up to 16.5 ounces), but that’s just the beginning! Within the next five weeks, they’ll really be packin’ it on! For now, we’re pleased to report the addition of rapid eye movement (REM) a key component to any healthy baby’s sleep schedule. While in the dermatology department: their thin soft skin is very red, rather translucent, and a bit wrinkled. Not to worry, it’s not a premature aging disease. It's just their clever little body setting them up with extra space that will smooth out once your little one starts packing on the baby-fat. That won’t be for a few more weeks, though. So for the time being, your munchkin is still a little lean mean growing machine! The beginnings of what is commonly called “brown fat” is just starting to fill in to help your baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as they’re not yet capable of regulating their own body temperature.

Mother's Day

Happy belated Mother's Day for all mom's and soon-to-be moms! I had every intention to blog yesterday, but we had a very busy day and I was too exhausted last night. Our day started with going through all the junk in our closets and storage room downstairs to set out for clean-up day later this week. Then we touched up the paint in our living room and ceiling in the kitchen. Around lunchtime we headed to Mason City to meet my family for a late lunch/early supper to celebrate Mother's Day and my brother Michael's 20th birthday! Even though I'm not a mom quite yet, I still enjoyed the day. My mom bought me the Willow Tree Angel pregnancy figurine, Brett got me a flower, and my grandma gave me a plant and two baby blankets that she made. Adam also bought me a pregnancy book that I wanted. It was a great day!

Adam and I are blessed to have two AMAZING mothers in our lives! So this blog is dedicated to them! We love you both VERY VERY much!

Our moms lighting the unity candle and our wedding

My mom and I at Easter 2009

My mother-in-law and I : May 2007

***Sorry June, I don't have any pictures of you and Adam on my computer!***

Ultrasound

Here are a few pictures from our ultrasound that we had earlier this week. The baby is doing well - weighs 11 oz. which puts him/her at the 50th percentile. We were able to see the heart, brain, spine, legs/feet, arms/hands, and the face. The baby was laying kind of weird in my belly so it was hard to get good, clear pictures. Luckily we have a great sonographer! Enjoy!

Here I am! This is my first profile picture! My head is on the right - you can kind of see my little nose and lips! If you look right under my chin, you can see my hand. I was making a fist and resting my chin on it - I must have been thinking hard! I was probably wondering why I was getting pushed around so much!

This is a picture of mom's belly, but I got my little foot in the picture!

Hello everyone! I'm waving to you! I can't wait to meet you all!

Here's my little leg that I like to kick my mom with - my new favorite thing to do!

Half Way There!

I can't believe that I am already half way done with my pregnancy! It has gone by pretty fast so far - I hope the next 20 weeks go by just as fast so we can finally meet the little one! I also hope the next 20 weeks are just as healthy as the first 2o - for me and the baby. I have been feeling great and the baby is doing fine - all our blood work has came back normal. A few weeks ago I thought I may have felt the baby moving around - and I can definitely confirm that within the past week! He/she usually starts kicking when I sit down to watch TV or go to bed - whenever I want to relax! It's an indescribable feeling - I wish Adam could feel it - he usually says that it's not fair! The baby isn't big enough to feel the kicks and punches on the outside yet, just the inside. Here is whats happening with the baby at 20 weeks:

Your baby is now the length of a banana. Can you believe it? She is now 6 ½ inches long and weighs almost 10 1/2 ounces! Your baby can also hear sounds. At 20 weeks, she can cover her ears with her hands if the sounds are too loud and she may even "jump" inside your womb if any sounds startle her. She is also moving around a lot inside you. Remember, if this is your first pregnancy or if you have a larger frame, you may not yet feel those movements. If you haven’t felt anything yet, you should in the coming weeks. Many times, these first movements are described as a flutter, or may feel like bubbles or gas. If you can feel your baby moving and shifting inside of you this week, you may be becoming aware of her sleep cycles.

Graduation

This past Friday Adam's brother, Justin, graduated from NIACC. He graduated with his AA and is going to UNI this fall to become a high school social studies teacher. After commencement, we all went out to eat and celebrated with a few drinks. We are very proud of Justin and know that he will do great at UNI. I don't have any pictures to post because I forgot my memory card for my camera in Clarion.

On Sunday, Adam and I went golfing since it was such a beautiful day. Of course we had to stop for ice cream on the way home! Adam is worse than a pregnant lady - ice cream 3 times in one week! ALL of them were his idea - but I'm not complaining :)

We have our 20 week ultrasound tomorrow! We cannot wait to see how much the baby has grown! We have been going back and forth about finding out the sex of the baby....but we have decided NOT to find out. I have mixed emotions about it - but I'm sure I'll be thankful I waited in the end. ALL of our family has suggested that we wait - and I suppose they would know best! I'll post new ultrasound pictures as soon as I can!

Ashley and Ryan

My best friend Ashley, and her husband are expecting their first child in November! I am so happy for them - they will be GREAT parents! Ryan is already off to a good start by reading 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' with Ashley. He is very in tune with the changes Ashley is going through - what a good hubby! I know he will continue support her throughout the pregnancy, which could turn into a second job! Ashley hasn't been feeling very well and finally got prescribed some nausea pills earlier this week. She feels like a million bucks now and is enjoying pregnancy! I am so excited to be able to experience pregnancy and raising a child with her. Our due dates are 8 weeks apart and I couldn't be more thrilled! We enjoy endless emails and phone conversations about being pregnant - I really wish we lived closer so our children could grow up together - but we'll just have to make play dates every couple months!

Ashley and I met our freshman year in the dorms at UNI - and we've been best friends ever since! We were roommates for two years and I would room with her for another 20 if I could! We had so much fun - hardly any fights like most roomies have. Here are just a FEW highlights of our friendship - there are A LOT more that I should not probably mention :)

• many nights on the hill and main street - followed by delivery from Papa Johns or Jimmy Johns
• attending the Waterloo Blackhawks hockey games
• getting inducted into the College of Education
• weekend trip to Milwaukee for a Twins vs Brewers game (GREAT weekend)
• weekend trip to Minneapolis for a day of Valleyfair and night out on the town
• graduating from UNI
• being in each other's weddings
• meeting up in Vegas for supper and drinks
• experiencing our first pregnancy together

Here are a few pictures of Ashley and I - I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!

Ashley and Ryan with Adam and I - June 2006

My witness at our Justice of the Peace Ceremony - June 2006

Ashley signing our marriage license! June 2006

Ashley's going away party =( June 2007

Ash was my maid of honor - March 2008

I was a bridesmaid in her wedding - August 2008

Ash and I in Vegas - December 2008