Hunter is almost here!

Well, I had to put up a post about the latest update, then I will go back and update pics and posts from the past few months. I am really excited to announce that we are planning to meet our little guy tomorrow! Last week, I went to the Dr and she did an ultrasound to check his weight. He is measuring about 8 lbs 3 oz on the sonogram, so we went yesterday to check my status. Christopher came with me to discuss options with Dr. Culpepper. She thinks it is a really good idea to go ahead and induce to try and do a vaginal delivery. Christopher and I agreed that it is a good balance instead of trying to wait until next week when he could get even bigger. SO, I go in to the hospital tonight at 5pm. They will give me some medicine to try and soften the cervix to induce labor in the morning. In the morning, she will give me pitocin and break my water to get the process started.
We are excited, nervous and anxious to meet our little man! If I have time to post something, I will, but wish us luck and prayers are much needed during this amazing time!
Love,
Tina, Christopher and baby Hunter

Dallas Baby Shower

I have the most amazing friends! On June 19th, I was given the most beautiful baby shower! It was so wonderful! Hunter got some amazing gifts and the pictures will speak for itself.

The hostesses included, Mary Marshall Martinez, Jenny Merkle, Mysti Stewart, Beth Reynolds, (not pictured) Melissa Windham, Lindsay Hundley, Whitney St. Pierre, and Zoey Devall. I felt so loved! It took place at Jenny Merkle's house at 2:30pm and her house looked so nice. It is really wild that I had a baby shower and got so much stuff for baby Hunter! He is set! My sister came in with the kiddos and my cousin Jill brought her girls.

My aunt Carol, Nana and the Auntie were also here to help me celebrate. I had a great group of girlfriends that came to help celebrate too! Hunter is one lucky little guy!

Week 29 Appointment

I had another Ultrasound to see our little man and it was really fun to see him again! Dr. Trimmer went through everything in detail with us again and he thinks everything is great. He didn't even schedule a follow-up appointment. Hunter is looking great, measuring 3.5 lbs and even had chubby cheeks on the video. He was extremely active and moved the entire ultrasound. Dr. Trimmer said we are measuring right on time! Very exciting! Hunter was breech at this appointment. And since he was so active, we didn't get very many pics of him. I have one, but you can hardly tell what he looks like to post.
The next day, I went to see Dr. Culpepper for my sugar test. I still haven't heard from her, so I am optimistic everything came back normal. The funny thing is, Hunter had flipped over night and he was head down at my next day appointment. I told Dr. Culpepper and she said we won't look at his position until 35-36 weeks since he moves so often. Christopher and I have so many names for him now. Kung fu fighter, Karate Kid, ET, etc. He is our little alien:) At my appointment, my blood pressure was normal and my weight is great. I gained 2 lbs since last month. I am still feeling pretty good, but I am writing this at 30 weeks and I am starting to get a little tired and my back is started to hurt more. However, I am trying to stay cool and feeling pretty good! I go back to Dr. Culpepper on July 1st. We are starting our 2 week appointments now. It's getting close!

Man, I am feeling BIG!!!

Well, it wasn't until the past few days that I started feeling HUGE! I guess the heat doesn't really help, but I feel like I am waddling more, short of breath, and am definitely going to the bathroom more now! The new baby bump picture will show you what I mean. I told Christopher today that I feel like I am a torpedo! It's crazy to see on pictures. I am really carrying him high. I am sure I will know when he drops because it looks so high right now.

Our next appointment is on Wednesday (ultrasound) and Thursday (appointment). I am doing the sugar test on Thursday, so wish me luck that I pass.

This weekend was really fun! We had a cookout with our neighbors, the Pickles (who have 2 year old twins) and then kept Parker and Eloise Pittman for the day today.



We were surrounded by kids and it was really fun! We are getting our practice, so if you want a babysitter, you better call now, because it won't be long until Baby Hunter is here and we have our hands full for a little while.

I will post more on the appointments, but wanted to post something because I want you see how HUGE I am getting! XOXO

May Check-up

Well, I had another ultrasound on May 19th with Dr. Trimmer the Perinatal specialist. WE are so spoiled because when we have ultrasounds with him they are really long and detailed. I think we got to see him for about 30 minutes this time. What a cool experience to see your baby moving and swallowing! The ultrasound went great and Dr. Trimmer thinks that Hunter is about 13 inches and 2 lbs already. We are still tracking for September 3rd, so I'm hoping this little guy wants to stay around a 7lb baby. Let's pray! I am also doing well with my vitals. I had a normal blood pressure and my weight is right on track. I am scheduled to have another ultrasound (he wants to keep an eye on my fluids)on June 16th. I will have my sugar test on June 17th. I am a little nervous about that test. I heard if you fail you have to go back for a 3 hour test and the test your blood every 30 minutes. Let's pray I pass the test!! I am still doing my walking and have started yoga twice a week to keep active an my circulation going. I have heard nothing but great things about staying active helps with delivery and recovery. I am going to do what I can for a healthy pregnancy.(of course for the exceptional cookie and ice cream)


Christopher and I have been so busy getting the house ready for baby to arrive. What a great excuse to clean house and clean closets. I guess you could say I am "nesting" now! I want this house spotless. We almost have the babies room together and it is looking so cute. I will post pics the next posting when I get the bedding all together. It turned out so cute. Here is a mock up picture of the bedding:

I am trying to stay calm right now too because my company is having a huge layoff and we find out on Monday if we have jobs. I am optimistic, but I know anything could happen, so please say some prayers for us during this time.
I will post more pics soon of his room. Here is the last ultrasound pic on the main page. Check out the addition to my baby bump!

Weekends= Busy, busy

We had such a busy, fun weekend! My great friend Audrey Taylor came in town this weekend from Nashville to visit us before the baby gets here.



It meant so much to me to have her here! It was nice to not have 10 projects to do and to just have fun and relax with Audrey. Saturday we played all day and went to Manny's for dinner, Orange Cup for dessert and came home to play the Wii and a little Guitar Hero! This morning we cooked breakfast and she and I went on a walk around White Rock, then headed to Northpark. I took her to the aiport around 4pm and it was sad! Thank you Audrey for coming to visit!

I am still feeling good, but this weekend I have a little cold. It is draining my energy a little. I am still frustrated a little because my body is forcing me to slow down. I feel the baby kick all the time. He is so active. Audrey got to feel him kick and was amazed at how strong his kicks are already. So am I , believe me! I made a HUGE mistake this weekend and changed the batteries in my scale and weighed myself. I am back to my college weight, which is a scary thing. I remember always telling myself I would never get there again. I know, I know! I am supposed to gain weight and it is healthy! I get it, but it is really hard. I read I am going to start gaining a pound a week. This should be interesting:)
I also went today to get some new "walking" shoes (as Christopher calls them my magic shoes). I went to Lukes and said I needed more cushioned shoes for added weight so I can continue to walk. The lady was SO helpful and I now have shoes that are a 1/2 size bigger (for swelling) and cushioned for added weight. I am all set now!
I have an appointment on Wednesday with the OB and another Ultrasound with the prenatal Dr, so I will post the updates!
Have a great week!

Baby Bump Watch

Well, with the help of my great friend Mary Marshall, I finally figured out how to post the baby bump watch on the blog. I hope you enjoy it! I am not really sure how I feel about it. I know I am getting bigger, but it's kind of funny to see myself in a slideshow.
Week 24!!

(My hair is wet in this picture)
I am enjoying my pregnancy more now than I did in the early days. I have a little more energy than I did. However, the past week has been pretty rough. I felt pretty rough on Monday, like I was hit by a truck. I think it's because we are spending every minute of every weekend getting ready for Hunter's arrival. We have errands and a million projects we are doing that I don't have time to breath, much less, rest. It hit me by Wednesday when I woke up and had a terrible migraine. I actually had to take a sick day for the first time in months. I am so proud of myself that I have stuck it out on the days that I feel the worst so I won't have to take sick days. Yesterday, I think I hit a wall and baby Hunter was telling me to slow down.
I feel him kick all day, every day. I told Christopher, he is either going to be a very active baby or he is going to be really somber when he gets here because he is so active right now. I hope he gets all of his energy out in the womb and is a sleepy baby:) I can only wish, right?!? The fun thing now is that Christopher can feel him kick. We went to see Iron Man 2 this weekend and Hunter was kicking me like crazy. Christopher got to feel him pretty much the whole movie. He asked me, "Does he kick you like that all the time?". My answer is: Yes!!!
We have another ultrasound and appointment on Wednesday of next week. I am really looking forward to seeing him again. I can't wait to see how big he is and see that precious face again. I will be better about blogging now that we are getting closer. It was hard when I wasn't feeling well.

Amelia Catherine Kimbell

On February 21^st, my brother Garrett and his wife Mandy welcomed their daughter Amelia Catherine into the world. Tina and I got the call early Sunday morning, and we were able to drive in from Dallas to be there for her grand appearance. Here are some pictures of our beautiful niece.

The proud parents.

The proud Aunt and Uncle.

Snow Storm

Dallas is definitely not a city known for its snowfall, but in February we were hit by a massive snowstorm. Reports were that we got over 14 inches of snow, which was a record for Dallas. As beautiful as the snow was, we quickly fell victim to the crushing weight of snow on power lines as we lost power…..for 3 days!! Yep, the power went out on Thursday night and didn’t come back on until Sunday night!! Needless to say it was pretty miserable. We bundled up Thursday night and stayed at the house, hoping that the power would be back on by morning. No such luck. By morning not only was there no power, but the temperature in the house was hovering in the mid-50’s. It was well past the point of bundling up, and the temperature in the house was still dropping. Luckily our friends, the Andersons, took us in and let us stay with them for the weekend. We felt like total refugees, but fortunately we’ve got some great friends who wouldn’t let us freeze out in the cold.

Early in the day before the heavy stuff fell.

Of course we had to make a snowman! And yes, that is an LSU hat and Mardis Gras beads. Naturally wine corks took the place of buttons and coal for eyes and nose.


Our street. Still before the heavy stuff.

Our back deck. The snow was definitely beautiful, but the power outage was awful.

Christmas in Hawaii

CK's Note: Don't you love it that it's now mid-May and I'm just now posting pictures from Christmas? Better late than never, I guess.

Anyway, before the holidays, we found out that hell froze over and my mighty SMU Mustangs finally made a bowl game after 25 years. It was the Hawaii Bowl where, ironically, they played (and won) their last bowl game against Notre Dame in 1984.

So, in early December we decided that if SMU made it to the Hawaii Bowl, we would pack our bags and head to Honolulu. What better than to spend Christmas in Hawaii, right?? Our rationale, of course, was that if we're ever going to be spontaneous and take a fun trip like this, it would have to be before we have kids (more on that in a second).

Since the game itself was on Christmas Eve, it was difficult for a number of fans to make the trip. But our good friends and fellow SMU diehard fans Gerry Hedgcock, David Merkle, Tim Hampton, and Grayson Jenkins all Ponied up and made the trip with us. And what a trip it was!!While we were there we hit Waikiki beach, climbed Diamond Head crater, toured Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial (very powerful, especially at daybreak when I watched them raise the flag over the memorial in the stillness of the morning), and I learned to surf (not very well, mind you, but I could paddle out and catch my own waves). Throw in the fact that we got to witness SMU drill Nevada 45-10, and we didn't think it could get any better. Or so we thought...

Christmas morning we received the greatest Christmas present we could ever receive when we found out that Tina was pregnant. What a blessing, and what an incredible place to find out the news. It's definitely something we will never forget!!

2009 was a year full of adventure. We traveled to Sydney, Seattle and Hawaii. We figured that we traveled over 28,000 miles roundtrip to these 3 destinations, and can now safely say we've pretty much seen our fair share of the Pacific Ocean.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Our first day on Waikiki Beach:
View from our hotel room:Diamond Head Crater:
We made a new friend on our trip, Teddy, who got us connected with some fellow SMU fans. We were trying to figure out how we were going to get to the game at Aloha Stadium. Teddy's family friends happened to rent a stretch limo to take them to the game....and we just happened to need a ride. So we got a HUGE hookup and were able to cruise to and from the game in style. So cool!



The crew before the game at the ESPN tailgate at the stadium. This is the trophy and MVP trophy awarded to SMU. Of course we all knew we were going to win the game, so we reasoned that we HAD to get a picture with the trophies.
Naturally, we found Santa Claus at the game. Turns out he's an SMU fan, and was getting some R&R on Oahu watching his Mustangs before the night's journey around the world delivering presents. Obviously we were all good this year because our present was the biggest SMU win in 25 years.
The sweet taste of victory!
We decided to climb Diamond Head crater, which is an old volcano crater. The hike was good exercise and produced some breathtaking views of the island.
The boys learned to surf while we were there. We can't say we are any good at it, but we can honestly say we can actually do it. I had no idea how exhausting it is. The surfing part is almost the easy part. Paddling out and then paddling to catch the wave is the tough part. I was only out there for an hour or two, but by the time I got back to shore, I thought I was going to throw up!! My back and shoulders were shaking from fatigue. I definitely have gained huge respect for surfers because it's more physically exhausting than any sport I've ever played.


Daybreak at Pearl Harbor was very moving experience. The USS Arizona tour is free for visitors, however you have to get to the memorial park early to get tickets because it's first-come-first-serve. It was still dark when I got there, and there was already a line around corner. I had to wait for 2 hours to take the tour even though I got there so early. It was well worth it though. Once you are on the memorial over the Arizona, you can actually look down and still see oil slicks rising up from the ship. Such an incredible site.

If you look closely, you can see the USS Arizona behind the flag.
Me on the USS Arizona Memorial.

Our last sunset on Waikiki Beach.

Catch-up!

CK Note: Ok, it's been way too long since our last post. A bunch has happened over the past several months, so I thought I'd post an update before this blog turns into the baby's blog. By the way, for those that don't know, we decided that we are naming our little boy after me. So he will be Christopher Hunter Kimbell Jr. But to avoid confusion with dad, we will call him Hunter.

So, I will go ahead and publish a few posts to quickly update everyone on what's new with the Kimbells. Tina plans to start posting more regular updates as she gets closer to her last trimester (She will be 24 weeks as of Friday. That's 6 months for all the guys).

3 Amazing Years!!!

On March 24th, Christopher and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. We have started a tradition to grill out at the house with steaks and just enjoy being home and being with each other.
I am the luckiest woman in the world. I can't imagine my life without my loving and supportive husband. Our next chapter in our lives involve a child that I know will have the most amazing father. I love you my sweet husband!

Week 17 Ultrasound- IT's A BOY!!!!

We were so excited to find out at our week 17th ultrasound that baby Kimbell is a boy! Christopher and I just looked at each other and almost cried it was so exciting. Again, his mouth was wide open as we watched the Dr. go over all of his "parts". It is amazing how much bigger he is. He is measuring about 8 in long and weighed about 7 oz. The Dr. said he is long and lean and looks very healthy. He counted all of the chambers of his heart, the aorta, the organs and intestines. He has all fingers and toes. He also yawned and stretched for us. He put on quite a show. His heart rate was 158. He looks good and healthy. Such a relief!

The same week, I had an appointment with my Dr and my blood pressure and weight are right on target. I was a little concerned that my early sickness was going to play a part in his growth, but both Drs are very happy with our progress. It is so great to say that mommy and baby are doing great! I am feeling MUCH better. I am even playing tennis with my doubles league and walking every day. It makes me feel so good after I exercise. Christopher is doing great too. He is SO excited about having a boy. I know that every guys dream is to have a boy and share his love of sports.

The Journey Continues....

Christopher and I had our first ultrasound at 8 weeks and baby Kimbell was the size of a pea. We found out there was only one and we got to see the heart beat. Wow, what a feeling! I can't believe we are having a baby!

I will skip ahead a few weeks because we decided to have the 1st trimester screening and got an ultrasound at 13 weeks and at 17 weeks. Our 13 week ultrasound was amazing! The dr comes in and gives us a 15 minute tutorial of the body, brain, heart, and organs. He counted the fingers and toes. It was simply amazing. We couldn't believe what we were seeing. I would look over and Christopher and his mouth was open. The Dr. said the baby looked healthy and was measuring great.

He also said the babies heart rate was 173 and sounded good. He also said he could guess the sex, but we were hesitant because it was so early and asked him to wait until we came back next time:)In the mean time, I am still not feeling great. I started feeling better around week 16, but it was a long few months. I am so happy to start feeling better.

We are having a BABY!!

On Christmas Day in Hawaii, Christopher and I had the best Christmas surprise! We found out we were going to be parents! It was one of the most exciting days of both of our lives. We knew from then on we had so much to look forward to. I had a really hard time trying to hide the news from the boys that weekend, since we were there to celebrate the monumental win of the SMU mustangs. But as most of you know, most boys are clueless when it comes to pregnancy. I just drank ALOT of pineapple juice!


The pregnancy brought much more than just excitement....it brought a lot of sick with it too. When we got home from Hawaii, I got a sinus infection followed with a stomach virus. Not only was I pregnant, but I was really sick, too. I had to go to New Orleans for a week for work and it was really hard. I had to keep it a secret and I was not feeling well at all.
I came home and relapsed and was more sick than I have ever been. Wow, I thought I was sick before, but I was wrong. Poor Christopher, he didn't know what to do but help me keep from throwing up every second. His jobs were taking out the trash and making sure there was nothing in the fridge to set off my insane sense of smell. I have super woman senses! No one ever told me I would smell EVERYTHING! The worst was grocery shopping because if I smelled something that I didn't like, I would feel immediate nausea. The doctor put me on Zofran and it saved my life. I don't wasn't excited to take meds, but I had to in order to function. (it was that bad)