Hey, everyone! This is Todd. I thought I would drop in quickly to let you know what's been going on with this website.

Obviously Kendall and I have not been updating it. We are sorry for that, especially for the two of you who have been waiting anxiously for another post. 

Here's the deal. We both feel as though this site has run its course. I have my own blog I post to a semi-regular basis, and Kendall has launched her own site as well. Therefore, after this post, this site will become dormant (even more so than it already has). I plan to leave it live for now just as an archive of what we have posted here previously. If you would like to continue to read about our lives, I encourage you to check out our other sites. Links to them are below. 

Thank you for reading what we (OK . . . mainly Kendall) have had to share on this site. It has been great fun to bring you into our lives in this way. Now, though, we look forward to doing so in a different, and hopefully better, fashion on our own sites. 

Keep in touch!

Hey there! Kendall and Bean here. You guys, we are so close to me being able to put her name into the blog. Not only that, I am so close to being able to shout it from the mountain tops! She has had a name since about week 16 and now we're at 39+4. So. Close! As my time being pregnant comes to a close, there are a few things that I wanted to share with you and update you on. 

First, Todd and I are officially back at school. My classes have been pretty awesome, so far. This particular class of 8th graders is one that I have heard horror stories about. I prayed about them all summer. I prayed for our relationships, for open hearts, for mutual respect, and that I would be able to prepare them the absolute best that I could before Bean comes. God has truly answered my prayers about the kids in my classes. Don't get me wrong, these kids ARE rough. This is a tough group, but the student that I see everyday have been wonderful and we are growing together, and so far, our relationships have been positive. Now, my prayers are specifically for that to continue, but also for my long-term substitute.

Todd has also been busy with teaching, as well as starting another semester up of his second masters degree, and taking on being an adjunct professor for an online class through Wichita State University. To say he has a crazy schedule is an understatement, but he does so well about managing all of that, while still giving me the attention that, let's all face it, I need. We are both so excited and so ready for Bean to get here! He is getting ahead on his homework to be ready for the day Bean decides to show up!

So, as I mentioned earlier, I am 39 weeks and a few days along. My due date is so close, I can taste it! However, since right before week 38 to now, I have been struggling. Like I shared in a blog post a couple months ago, I really have had a very easy pregnancy. I really didn't struggle with nausea, morning sickness, or extreme exhaustion. I have been healthy, Bean has been healthy, my blood pressure has been spot on, and she has been growing beautifully. (I lift up and give ALL of the glory of this pregnancy to God. He has been our protector and shield. He has allowed me to carry, protect, and support Bean. I know all of that full well.) When I say that I've been struggling, I am talking about the mental aspects that go along with pregnancy, getting larger, growing a human, and getting (extremely) uncomfortable. (This whole stomach resting on legs thing has got to go!)

My struggles over the past couple weeks have come after seeing women I know or follow on social media, who have had due dates close to or AFTER mine, have their babies. Seeing that has made me so hopeful that Bean might come early. Even though I completely understand that typically, first time moms will go over their due date. I have always been one to get hopeful; to build up my expectations so high with so much excitement, and then be completely crushed and disappointed when my expectations aren't met. I get upset because I am still the one pregnant. I am getting increasingly uncomfortable. My back, hips, and groin area ache more and more each day. I am so tired of giving myself injections in my very bruised and tight belly. Thus, I am completely over it, and ready to be holding Bean in my arms.

This last week of school has been extremely difficult. The first few hours of each morning, I couldn't get my head right. I was moping, sad, negative, and just not fun to be around. I didn't even even want to be around me. Coming into work and having my co-workers see me STILL pregnant was and is soul-crushing. I just imagined them thinking, "Oh that poor, huge, pathetic pregnant woman." "Oh, she's STILL pregnant." "I'm surprised she's still here..." And of course, I know they're not thinking these things. I work with the best people! They have been so supportive and excited for me, but It's all just part of that negative mentality that I've been struggling with.

In hopes of starting the labor process,  I've been on extremely bumpy rides, driving through my kids' cross country course. I ate, what I consider, spicy food, and that didn't work. Todd and I have tried the age-old advice or "getting down", twice. And that didn't work. I have had my membranes swept. And nope. Bean is just in there flopping around, doing Bean stuff. I have always struggled with patience, but as my levels of discomfort have increased, so have my levels of impatience.

That all being said, this morning, I woke up with a pretty positive outlook and have been enjoying my day. (What teacher on a long, Labor Day weekend wouldn't? Am I right?!) Anyway. The end of my time with Bean inside of my belly is coming to a close very quickly. My due date is in three days. And if she doesn't come on her own before September 7th, Todd and I will go into the hospital early that morning, and I will be induced. (We are currently praying that she will come on her own before then.) What blows my mind is that if we go until the induction date, I will only have one more day with my students. Monday is Labor Day. Tuesday would be with my students. Wednesday I would be at school, but away from my classes grading reading assessments, and Thursday would be Bean day!  The end is in sight and we are all super ready!

So, I know this blog has been extremely negative. I am also aware that it sounds like all I've done in these paragraphs is complain and seek out your sympathy. (That was not at all my goal.) I really just wanted to update you and share with you what my experience has been like these last few weeks of pregnancy. This post is also a set-up to a much more positive one: Bean's birth and my experiences through the summer; growing in my relationship with God and how my daughter has been the brightest light and has helped me to grow spiritually in huge and new ways! I can't wait to share that journey with you! Here's a quick preview: God is good! God answers prayers! God cares about your tiniest desires! 

And some final thoughts:
1. I am by no means taking for granted the fact that I am pregnant and have been able to successfully and safely carry this child. I know children are a gift from God and I am blessed beyond understanding. I am NOT trying to make light of the fact that there are women whose desire to be a mama is so great that they would take on my aches, mental breakdowns, and every imaginal hardship to be pregnant. I care about all of you. My heart aches for you. And I want so badly for you all to experience the mommy-hood you desire.
2. If some of you are concerned about my delivery and my plans for an epidural, knowing that I give myself twice daily blood thinner injections, be comforted that there is a plan in place. I met with an anesthesiologist (I spelled that correctly on the first try) and she said they will get labs done right away, and they really just need six hours after my last blood thinner injection to be able to give an epidural. I feel pretty comfortable with that knowing how long labor can take. We also have a plan in place in case I start contractions and I am close to the time I would need to give myself an injection. HOWEVER, I am continually praying for God's perfect timing, and blood that is the perfect consistency.

And for the last time, saying "Talk to you later!",
Kendall and Bean

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Hey there everyone! Once again, it's Kendall and Bean here! I know, it seems like it's been months since I posted or updated you on anything in the world of Vogts, and it kind of has. I did a very sneaky blog post last month. I was going through a little bit of a rough patch, mentally. If you care to look back, and you can find it, go ahead and check it out!

Otherwise, here is a little taste of what has been going on lately. Bean and I will be 35 weeks along on Tuesday. We have been gearing up and preparing the best we can for school, especially the six weeks that I will be taking off for maternity leave. About that... I have been asked several times, "How many days are you given?" And my reply has been, "Given?... Given?!... Given?!? " Where do I sign up to be given anything. As a teacher, at least in my district, I use any, and in my case, almost ALL of my sick and personal days to make up the six weeks that I will spend at home recovering and caring for my brand new baby. And before I get all kinds of worked up, let's move on! 

It's crazy to think that in about five weeks, Todd and I will have a sweet baby! I know she still needs to bake for a while longer, but I am so ready to have her here with me. Todd and I are both extremely excited, but we still have quite a bit to get done before she joins us. I asked Toddles what he thought of Bean's arrival being only five weeks away, and his reply was a smirk and the word, "terrifying." So... needless to say, we're getting ready!

Almost two weeks ago, I, like MANY other expecting mothers, (or so I'm told) had  a little freak out. I had a couple days where I didn't think I was feeling Bean move as much as she had been, and I felt like any actual movements I was feeling were extremely soft compared to normal. I spent two days crying, complaining, moping around the house, and listening to Todd tell me to call the doctor. After texting my sisters, and more prodding from Todd, I made the call. My doctor wasn't extremely concerned. I wasn't experiencing any bleeding, or what I guess I would consider the "scary" signs, but she had be come in to get checked out anyway. The mother of one of my students last year took great care of me. I was given a no stress test, which showed that Bean was doing just fine, and I got a very quick sonogram. They were checking for a strong heart rate, a good amount of amniotic fluid, lots of movement in her hands and legs, and to see if she was breathing. We were told she got extra points for that. There she was practicing her breathing and we were amazed to see her chest and belly rise and fall. She was moving her legs around, and we saw her little feet and hands. 

From middle of my second trimester, to where I am currently at (and I don't see anything changing) I have become even more in tune with my relationship with my Heavenly Father. On my daily walks, I find myself in conversation with him, and I am just completely in awe of how He has blessed Todd and I. I find myself telling Him how he blows my mind. How completely in awe of Him and His creation I am. It seemed as though every tiny thing I was praying about on my morning walks, He was showing me on the sonogram screen that day. Jesus cares for us. He is in the business of answering prayer. He is the ultimate creator, and He cares about (what seem to us like) the tiniest things. Needless to say, Bean is doing wonderfully. We didn't really get to see her face on the sonogram, but were were reassured that she's still a girl, and that she has hair. If you know me, you know that even that's something I pray about. This mama cried when she heard that.

On August 7th, at a day before 36 weeks, Todd and I will go in for one last sonogram. Doctor just wants to make sure that Bean is still head down, and see that everything is still going smoothly. I was told that at that appointment, we will get a guess as to how big she is/ how big she could be! I am selfishly hoping that we'll get to see her face! 

Also coming up at 36 weeks, I will be switching my blood thinners. Currently I am on a dose that lasts for 24 hours. I will be changing to a dose that lasts about 12 hours. So instead of giving myself one daily injection, I will be giving myself two. Clearly they wear off faster, which is better for when I go into labor, and they says it's easier to reverse and return my blood to normal, if need be. Once I have given birth, four to eight hours (depending how Bean arrives) I will start up the 24 hour injections again, for about six more weeks. 

And now for your favorite segment, "What's Going on with Kendall's Body?" Known to others as, "I'm going to stop reading because Kendall overshares" time. **Cue theme music! So, for the last few weeks, I've been experiencing rib and back pain on my right side, while sleeping. I stuff pillows all around me for support, but it seems like, if I lay in the same position too long, if I want to sleep longer than eight hours, or if my bladder gets too full, my ribs and back ache very badly. Luckily I am not experiencing this horrible pregnancy Insomnia I've heard horror stories about, and I'm able to get back to sleep after I use the restroom, so I won't complain about the aches and pains too loudly.

Speaking of going to the restroom, I am getting up three to four times a night to pee. Every two hours or so, I get up and shuffle to the bathroom with the feeling as though my bladder is about to explode, like as soon as I sit down, the whole thing will burst, just like if you were to pop a water balloon with a needle. (Quite the visual, huh?!) Only wait, it get's better, my bladder doesn't burst. Instead, I can't release any pee. For quite a few nights I as worried, and upset by this. I was sitting on the toilet forever! And then, in my trials, I found a method that relieves my aching bladder. Todd and I like to refer to it as "Pumping the Well" and it works like this. I lean/ fold forward as far as I can, and then I lean back as far as I can. And on the lean back, my bladder releases! And then it's forward, and back with the release. Sometimes I do this for the length of my bathroom trip, other times it releases enough that my bladder is able to relax and do its thing. I know what you're thinking, "Does your doctor know about this?" Yes, she does, and I've been checked out. Everything is fine. I am just blessed, I guess.

And some final quick updates. I think I overshared with you a while back that I have lovely stretchmarks around my boobs. Well, I have some lovely stretchmarks around my bellybutton to match. They make me think of squiggly rays coming off of a cartoon sun. Yes I am lotioning, we'll see how it all plays out. Todd and I are almost done with the nursery. We have just a few things left to get into place. Once done, I'll show pictures! Todd and I just got back from our "Babymoon", which I am referring to as our "Molinamoon". We went to St. Louis and watched our Cardinals play a couple games. Lastly, as of late, I have turned into a germophobe. Here are my most recent thoughts on that: Give me all of the soap and hand sanitizer. Let's not touch anything! Why do bathrooms have hand blow driers? I am wearing shoes around every inch of our hotel room. I must inspect everything before touching or sitting! Todd, don't touch that trash can!

I know it was a long one, friends. Thanks for sticking it out and reading Bean and I's latest goings on! I hope to have an update for you after our sonogram on the 7th!

Hello, All! Kendall and Little Miss (Insert cute name we have picked out here) with a pregnancy and life update! I have been threatening to Todd, for quite some time, that this blog post was coming. When I first brought up my topics of choice to him, I asked if he thought I was sharing too much. (For some of you, it might seem as though I am and already have.) But Todd totally loved my ideas. He and I are one in the same... the same kind of weird... the same sense of humor. (At the beginning of our relationship, his friends would even say that we walked and carried ourselves the same way. YIKES!)

Today's blog topics, like last time, are very open. I really want to be transparent and completely real with all of you. One thing that I tell my kids every year is that I will be 100% real with them, 100% of the time, through the good and bad. And that is what I want to do with you, my friends and family. I want you to experience this pregnancy along with Todd and I. We want you all to be a part of our life as a family!

So, boobs.This was the first topic I had planned to write about for this blog post. I knew this is something that would happen, though I probably wasn't as prepared as I should have been. It seemed as though over night my boobs evolved, developed a mind of their own, and were of a massive, monstrous persuasion. It was as if parts were expanding, while others were growing in surface area. Not to mention stretch marks. They were, and are still, seeking vengeance on someone who's done them horribly wrong. Probably on the person who has caused them to hurt for... oh five months now. Let's not even start talking about the bra issue... I should have invested in a new one a long time ago as my boobs, I'm pretty sure, are eating their way out of the cups, the sides, and straps of my current good bra. Driving on a bumpy road? Forget it. These bad boys can't be contained.

In other news, my ever-expanding stomach is itchy. Only on the right side, though. Yes, I am applying lotion like crazy, but my skin is angry. Do I wear my pants up over my stomach? Do I wear them down below? Which will cause less itching? Do I wear a fitted shirt? Should I just walk around with nothing covering my belly? Do I wear my shirt up, or down? It's a mess.
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Finally, some small bits of life with Todd and Bean! Bean has a name... and I am completely obsessed with it. I struggle not to call her by her name in front of our friends and family. If you are familiar with any of the insane nicknames I call Todd, you will be pleased to know that I already have cute variations of her name and nicknames to call her by! But... I'm not allowed to share any of those with you!

We are currently at 24 weeks and 1 day pregnant! I have felt movements since about 18 weeks. Even though those were very small and not very frequent, it has been fun to feel her active time increase and to feel her kicks getting stronger. If I focus on my belly long enough, I can sometimes see my stomach react to her swings and jabs. Todd has felt her twice now. I make him (yes... make him) come sit by me and put his hand on my stomach. She'll be going crazy and usually, at this point, he doesn't feel anything, but there have been two swift kicks that he has gotten to feel. Some strong part of her -- maybe her feet -- are pretty low, down below my bellybutton! Two walls of our nursery are painted. I am getting there slowly but surely! I will share pictures once there is more to see. We do, however, have her bedding in and her dresser (which we will use the top of for a changing table), and her crib is ordered! I am so excited to start getting her room all put together!

Lastly, keep sending positive vibes to Todd and I! I have four days of school left with kids, and Todd has three. I always have anxiety about those last days because that's when the kids try to act a fool. If you know me at all, you know that I like order and control! We will power through, though, and soon enough I will be able to wear shorts and a T-shirt every day. And I won't have to question whether or not I need to wear a shirt up or down.

-Kendall and Bean