I can't believe it's been 15 weeks since I posted the last blog, I don't know whether time went fast or slow? In any case, I'm 1 week away from my due date....holy buckets!
*Frequently asked questions:
1. How have you been feeling? Overall, I'm still pretty comfortable, and feeling good. I would say the hardest part is getting out of bed during the night and in the morning...I find myself rocking back and forth to give myself momentum :)
2. Are you going to stop working before baby comes? Current plan is to continue working until the baby comes.
In the last 15 weeks we have been....BUSY! In late September I was able to go out to Michigan for the Engineering Career Fair to represent 3M and (hopefully) hire recent grads to work at 3M. It's actually one of my favorite things to do that's different from my day to day job, plus I get to catch up with friends who I haven't seen since the last year. September ended with a cooking class at
Cooks of Crocus Hill with my mom!
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| 25 Weeks! |
October began with my mom and I taking a painting class at
Paint Pub for her birthday....so fun! I highly recommend it. Also during October, David and I joined a small group, and we absolutely love it! Although we were unable to attend, they played "nerdy board games" last night (ticket to ride, settlers, etc.). - If that doesn't say it's a perfect fit, I don't know what does. ;) We've enjoyed meeting couples that attend Hope and live in the northern suburbs, while also continuing to learn more about and growing closer to the Lord. David and I also took a trip out to Atlanta in early October to attend a friend's wedding. Katherine and I met at Medtronic when we interned together after our Junior year in college. She ended up with a full-time job there and we've been hanging out ever since! Even though one was opening up the next week in Minnesota, David and I both experienced our first Chick-fil-A in Atlanta between the ceremony and reception :)....A few days later we went to opening day in Coon Rapids! David and I were also able to spend time with his Aunt, Uncle and cousins who also live in the Atlanta area. The rest of October was filled with trips for work, David playing fall softball with Hope, dinner/games with friends and baby classes. One hard thing our family went through in October, was my grandpa passing away. It was so good to see family (all of the cousins hadn't been together in who knows how long), but it was hard to not have my grandpa there to be with everyone. He always had a quick one-liner and a smile that would brighten any room. I was able to be a pallbearer and to read Psalm 23 during the funeral, which meant a lot. A few memories I shared during the funeral included watching my grandma and grandpa wave from their living room every time we left their house, having them come to a lot of my basketball games (from all the way back to when I was in 3rd grade), having them come to band concerts, 'magic' tricks to somehow show us his thumb had got cut off, singing Christmas carols at Christmas time, hearing my grandpa's hearing aid every time I gave him a hug, ice skating on their patio in the winter, flying kites on Easter and having my grandpa and grandma call and sing happy birthday every year. I love you and will miss you grandpa!
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| Katherine's wedding! |
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| 28.5 Weeks! |
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| Meeting baby Evan! |
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| Family! |
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| Family! |
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| 1990 |
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| 2010 |
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| 29 Weeks! |
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| Sever's Corn Maze |
In November, David and I attended our last baby class, I took one last trip to Knoxville, IA for work until after I come back from maternity leave, a couple baby showers, David took his annual weekend hunting trip up north with the Liska's, took another painting class with coworkers at
Cheers Pablo in Woodbury, enjoyed time with friends, and ended the month with Thanksgiving at both the Gunderson's and the Karsjens'! - One of the holidays I was glad to be pregnant for :)
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| 30.5 Weeks! |
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| 31 weeks! |
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| Celebrating my 26th birthday with my family. See the '26?' |
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| Car seat is installed! |
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| Yikes...I actually wore two different colored shoes to work and didn't notice until lunch... |
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| 34 Weeks! |
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| Cooking with my mom for Thanksgiving :) |
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| Rachel's new house! |
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| Banjo on Thanksgiving with the fam |
This month, David and I have really tried to enjoy the time before the baby comes, together. It was so nice getting to spend all of last week home with him. We were able to pack our hospital bag, bought last minute baby things and finished the nursery (blog post to come on that!). We are both just so excited (and terrified at the same time) for the baby to come!! :) We have also spent time this month at dinners and playing games with friends, visiting and helping David's sister Rachel at her new house!, spending the weekend with David's cousin Katie who visited from Atlanta, broomball (for David :( ), our annual cookie baking with David's sisters and time with family!
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| 35 Weeks! |
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| Due 1 week apart! :) |
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| Baby clothes are washed and ready to go! |
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| 37 Weeks! |
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| 100,000 miles on our Santa Fe in just over 3.5 years... |
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| Bear loves to help put things together... |
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| ...... |
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| Merry Christmas from the Karsjens! |
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| Karsjens Christmas Card 2013 |
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| Love my little man |
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| 39 weeks! |
