Lincoln Update...

Here's a quick update on little man.

I had my appt this morning with my midwife and decided to let her check me. I'm dilated to 1. I'm measuring right at 40 weeks and baby is good and momma is doing good.

I had her take a guess at how big she thinks he will be and she said 7lbs, 12oz at the most. She could tell there's still lots of space in my belly so she doesn't think real big, which didn't surprise me. I'm still sticking with 7lbs, 6oz or very close.

If no baby by Tuesday morning I will go to hospital for a non stress test and ultrasound to monitor baby. She then said at that point or anytime on she can induce me if I want. I told her if I'm going to be there anyways then I'm fine with being induced at that point. She would start with gel (not pitocin) and I know I want my epidural so I would get that as soon as I could and then she would start a small dose of pitocin after that if needed.

I highly doubt I will make it until Tuesday but we'll have to wait and see. He had me up in the night for a couple hours with some pains but nothing consistent.

Next blog post will be that we are on our way to the hospital so stay tuned! :)

Nervous and Excited,

The Latest News....

Sorry I'm not blogging as much these days friends, I've just been busy getting things ready for baby, trying to keep up on laundry and house cleaning, keeping my fridge stocked, etc. My blog has been on the back burner a bit but I will try and post when I can.

A sweet friend offered to take some maternity photos of me a couple weeks ago and oh how I love them. They turned out great! It was my first time having them done and it made me wish I would have done them with each pregnancy. Oh well, at least baby #3 gets something special :)

















I'm 39 weeks, 2 days today. Getting very close. Yesterday I had pains and contractions on and off during the day and they were increasing and becoming a lot more painful last night around dinner time and I was beginning to think it might be time soon. I laid down for awhile though and they stopped. Nope, not time! I slept well last night and am doing ok today so far. If nothing happens today I have my appt with my midwife tomorrow morning. She told me last time I saw her she would check me at this appt if I wanted....to see if I'm dilated at all. I typically decline as it's uncomfortable and I don't see much point in it other than curiosity but we'll see how I feel tomorrow. Typically I am not one to dilate early on. Even once in labor it takes me forever to dilate and for things to really get going...hence my long labors. I'm praying things are different this time and that it's a much faster delivery and as pain free as possible. I'm praying I can get my epidural at just the right time and that it works and that pushing is quick also. That's the worst part for me by far. I'm dreading it. I've been praying a lot about it though and God's given me peace and I have a lot of friends who have been praying also for a speedy delivery.

I'm so anxious to meet our little Lincoln. I've been dreaming about him for the past couple years and am excited it's almost time to meet him. I'll be sure and post a quick update tomorrow after my appt. if nothing happens before then.

My prediction has been that he will come on Friday, September 2nd, 20.5 inches long and 7lbs,6oz. or close to that. Some think this baby will be over 8lbs, I would be shocked!! I feel I look the best this time and am the smallest I've been with all of my pregnancies. Of course I am still big, seeing as I'm 9 months pregnant (ha!) but in comparison I don't think this little one will is bigger. Of course if he comes a week late then I will be changing my guess on the weight. I'm due this Sunday, the 4th.

The kids are doing well. Ethan just got over a little cold which he passed on to his little sister. She seems to have it worse and has had a cough for the past 5 days or so. She's still pretty happy for the most part but I'm praying she gets rid of this cough before we bring little Lincoln home. They are doing well otherwise though and are always loads of fun.

Ethan's latest thing is asking "why?" for everything. He's just been doing this the past few days, it cracks us up. Gracelyn is really getting old, talking so much and is pretty much a duplicate of her brother in the things she says and the way she says them. It's so funny how much she does and says whatever big brother does. Jeremy asked her last night if she had any of her own originals....ha! Those two sure are a team and I hope they are ready to add one more to their cute little team :)

We took the kids to the zoo for the first time on Friday. It was fun. They are still kinda little to really enjoy it but we had a nice time and Ethan liked the zebras :) A lot of the animals were sleeping though which was a bummer, but, it's summertime in Michigan so that's a given. I hadn't been to the Detroit Zoo since I was like 10 so it was fun to go.









I've been keeping busy with my photography business which has been fun. I squeezed in one last session this past Sunday before I'm taking a break for a little while. It was my first referral from another client and my first complete stranger :) They are proud new parents of a little baby girl, just 5 days old. It was a great session and I got the sweetest pictures. Here are some favorites:















She is precious huh? I have 4 people on a waiting list right now who want to book a session with me in late Sept/Oct when I am ready to book sessions again. Exciting! I'll have to see how I feel and figure out how to do the sessions with a nursing newborn but I'm sure I'll figure it out :)

Well, that's all for now. Be on the lookout for a "He's here!" post in the near future. We hope to have a special little video to share once he arrives.

Much Love,

Getting closer...

Our family will soon go from four to five...exciting!

I saw my midwife yesterday and all is well. I'm measuring right at 38 weeks (which I'll be on Sunday), baby is good, blood pressure is good and all is well. I've been having pains/contractions on and off but nothing regular or consistent by any means. Just baby getting ready I think.

Jeanne is hoping the little guy will be here by the 1st of Sept...just because she is going out of town for a day for Labor Day weekend. She is less than 2 hours away so of course she will be back in time for my labor/delivery if I should be in labor when she's up north. I'm hoping he is here by then though, for both our sakes :)

I'm feeling pretty good. By the end of the day I am definitely ready to lay down and put my feet up - from taking care of the kiddies all day and being on my feet but I'm doing well. I'm trying to get the little things ready and done and off my mind before he arrives and keep on laundry as much as I can. I like to have things in order before a new baby comes, as I'm sure most do.

My mom was planning on coming to stay with the kids when I'm in labor (as usual) but sadly we think she may have shingles :( We should find out today if she does or not. She's never had it before but she seems to be having symptoms of shingles. We are both pretty bummed about it. She of course wants to be able to stay with the kids for me when I'm in labor and of course she wants to see her new grand baby also when he arrives but will have to stay away for a bit if it is indeed shingles. Such a bummer and bad timing :( I hope for her sake if she does have it that it doesn't last real long, I've heard it's not fun. Please be praying for my mom if you would, we would really appreciate it!

I was stressing out a bit because I wasn't sure who else could come stay with the kids that knows their routine, etc. other than my sister. I wasn't sure if her work would be understanding of the situation and let her leave or miss work at a moment's notice but it sounds like that shouldn't be a problem so that's my back up plan. Thank you Jesus! I of course have a couple wonderful friends who I know would come stay with my kids, but they don't know the kids routine as well as my mom and sister do so I feel like it would be on my mind more at the hospital if left with a friend. So, I think we're good and it will all work out.

Our sweet boy has been going through a little phase of being scared at night and not wanting to sleep in his room so that's been challenging. Of course this happens right before baby comes, ugh. We've been tired to say the least. We of course are trying to be sensitive to him but also don't want! So, I'm doing a lot of praying over him and the situation and believing he'll be back doing great at night very soon.

Hmm, what else is new. A friend of mine who is just starting out in photography offered to take some maternity photos for me so we are doing those tonight, that should be fun. I'll be sure and post a few once I get them. I'm gonna bring daddy and the kids along too so we can get some family pics and pics of the kids with their hands on my belly, etc. Should be cute :)

I have another friend who is also starting out in photography that offered to do some family photos for us once Lincoln arrives. I'm really excited about that also, we haven't had family pictures done since Gracelyn was 6 months so it's definitely overdue.

I did 3 more sessions myself this past week and I'm now taking a break until after baby comes. I have 2 people that are wanting to book sessions in late September/early October so that will be fun. I'm looking forward to doing some pics with the beautiful fall colors here in Michigan, should make for really nice pictures!

My sister is coming over on Saturday to babysit so Jeremy and I can go out and have one last date night before baby comes. I'm so excited, dinner AND a movie, a rare occasion for us! She is giving us money for a nice dinner (for our Birthday's) and I also have 2 free movie tickets so it will be a cheap date night which is always nice :) Might just have to spend a little money on popcorn and pop at the movies but not much. Sunday night we were planning on celebrating our birthday's with my family but that's all up in the air right now due to my mom maybe having shingles. We'll have to wait and see. She goes to the doctors this morning sometime.

I'll maybe post some of the photos from my recent sessions soon, I have some things to do this morning and don't have the time right now.

Hope all is well with you all and be on the lookout for baby news soon! I'll try and write a quick blog post when "It's time"....

Much Love,

2 year check-up!

My one and only baby girl had her 2 year check up today. Yes, I know it's August but I totally missed her original appt in June :)

She is perfect :) Doing everything she should be, healthy, growing and getting more beautiful by the minute. Oh how I love my girl!! She is so precious and sweet and I love watching her grow. Her name is perfect for her. Always showing grace with big brother (like when she shares her cookies or will let Ethan have her cookie after he asks to trade because he only has a little piece left. And then of course the joy she brings me! Gracelyn Joy - we had her name picked out before she was even conceived. So cool!

Lincoln Jude's name (in my Biblical name book) means Victorious and full of love. I love that! I can't imagine a better quality to have...full of love!

And Ethan Craig means strong and rock. He has proven that to be true...and I always pray He is a strong rock in Jesus! I love my kids - wow am I blessed!

So back to the check up, yes, she is doing so great. She weighs 25 lbs and is in the 22% tile for weight. She's always been little and petite but doc said that's totally normal and she's growing wonderfully. And she's in the 76% tile for height. Not a surprise, my kids are always on the tall side. So, she's tall and skinny :)

Not too much else to report. Just thought I would update on her check up before it slipped my mind.

I do have my baby appt with my midwife tomorrow. Looking forward to that since it's been a month since I've seen her and I can tell her Mr. Lincoln has been giving me some pains and contractions in the last few days :) He'll be here soon!!

Feeling so thankful tonight to have 2 healthy children and soon to be three....and a husband I really really love! So so blessed!

Much Love,

Hello from me :)

I know I know, just call me a slacker. I totally haven't blogged in so long - life is busy!

The good news is that means I have lots of new photos to share - so sit back, grab a Coke and relax for a bit :)

First off, would you believe that I have less than a month to go until we become a family of five? Wow, this pregnancy has flown by! Yesterday marked week 36! One more week and I'll be considered full term. I totally don't feel ready. I mean, I do as far as a new baby entering our lives but I don't have my hospital bag packed yet and haven't gone over every single little thing yet like I normally have by now. I need to get on that this week :)

I have my next appt on Thursday and I'm looking forward to seeing my midwife. At my last appt 2 weeks ago I saw a doctor that works with her because it's a new policy at McLaren (where I will deliver) that if you use Jeanne (my midwife) you must also meet and have one appointment with one of the doctors. So, I haven't seen her in almost a month and I'm ready to have her back! I think after this week I may be going in for weekly appointments, so crazy!

I've been having pains, pressure and contractions (I think) since Saturday morning. Nothing consistent or enough to call my midwife about but I'm definitely getting closer to the end. I felt so great at this stage when I was pregnant with Gracelyn. She came 5 days late and I was still feeling great, sleeping good and didn't have any pain or contractions.

Ethan was a different story and Lincoln seems to be following in his footsteps a bit. I had these crazy pains at times during the last month with Ethan. It would hurt to ride in a car or if we would hit a bump in the road I would be in a lot of pain. It was on and off for a couple weeks and then one day after it happening so much and me being in a lot of pain we decided to go into labor and delivery. Hey, it was our first baby and I had no clue what to expect. They hooked me up to the monitors and sure enough I was having contractions...but, that was it...they weren't enough to do anything. Ethan came 2 weeks later and 4 days early. On Valentine's Day of 2008 we met our handsome boy.

So, those same pains have started but seem to be even more this time. I am hoping that doesn't mean my labor will be the same with Lincoln as it was with Ethan. Ethan's was a nightmare for me and honestly one of the worst days of my life! Front and back labor...epidural wearing off and pushing for 3 hours. It was HARD. Plus having complications afterwards. I was so weak from it all that once they finally brought Ethan over to me to hold I could only hold him for a few minutes and asked the nurse to send in the Grandma's. I was just exhausted, sore and still in shock from it all. It was not fun.

With Gracelyn I changed doctors and hospitals and wow, what a difference! My nurses were fantastic and my midwife was and is amazing. I only pushed maybe 3 or 4 times and out Gracelyn came! Of course I know that has nothing to do with my midwife or the hospital but overall it was a much better experience for me due to having a good midwife and nurse. Anyhow, when I mentioned those pains I had with Ethan to my midwife...she told me it may have been because of the position he was in. I was dilated to a 10 with Ethan for quite some time before he finally dropped and due to his position that's why I had the front and back labor too. So, Gracelyn's delivery was much much easier for me, seeing as pushing is by far the worst part for me. I pretty much want to die every time! Ok, this probably isn't what I need to talk about for any first time pregnant momma to be readers...sorry! :) Just keepin' it real my friends.

Alright, I'm done with that tangent and here is my bump photo. I compared it to my 36 Ethan bump photo and 36 week Gracelyn bump photo last night and I look so much better this time! I've gained less weight, not swollen in the face (yet....it will come!) and just think I look the best this time around. It feels good and makes my pictures more pleasant :)

Unfortunately this picture is a bit blurry in my face but it will have to do :)


This past weekend was fun. We went to Benton Harbor/St.Joseph Michigan where we had a wonderful Petke family reunion. We had our own little apartment for the weekend which worked out so perfect for our little crew. It was great to be with family and see everyone - we are so blessed with wonderful family on all sides! We spent a few hours at Lake Michigan with everyone and it was fun. The kids had a blast :)

I have a hard time taking my eyes off of my baby girl. I mean, look at this girl...is she stunning or what?




I adore the photo of daddy and her that is in black and white. Jeremy isn't crazy about it but I love it! It's candid and just so precious to me. A framed photo to be :)

Right before we left for our trip on Friday I did a photo shoot. My first newborn GIRL shoot. I've done so many boys!! It was so much fun and wow is little baby "A" gorgeous! Here are some of my favorites from the session.





I also did a family photo shoot for a very close friend of mine a couple weeks ago that I think I forgot to share. Here are some favorites from that session.





Alright, kiddos are up from their naps so that's all for today. We are all doing well and enjoying the life God has blessed us with. I hope you are too! Thanks for visiting my blog :)