Our Amazing Baby Girl

We had our 4D sonogram on Saturday and I am still in complete awe of the miracle of life. She is beautiful, healthy and was so active!

She is head down, but practically bent in half with her feet right in front of her face. We watched her open and close her mouth, put her toes and wrist in her mouth and turn away from us to bury her face into Mommy. At times it was like watching a full-term infant grasping at her limbs and opening her mouth to yawn or latch on. It was so amazing!

The boys were about as interested as could be expected. I'd scheduled us for an hour and a half session to make sure we got some good photos. That was about an hour and 25 minutes too long for Andrew, and about an hour too long for Thomas. Christopher ended up playing interference and trying to entertain them while we tried to pay attention to what we were seeing.

We did get a very graphic and reassuring shot between Sweetpea's legs and there is truly no doubt in my mind that we are having a little girl (not that there was before, either!). She reminds us most of Andrew - the nose, lips, chin, eyes, everything. I'm praying that she also has his amazing eyelashes!

We're so in love already. Is it June yet??

Less Than 12 Weeks to Go!

We are now officially in the third trimester - 28 weeks! Luckily I'm only uncomfortable every once in a while. I feel like I'm carrying this little girl pretty low. I haven't had too much of the rib/side pain it seems like I had with the boys for much longer. It only bothers me every so often so I'm hoping she stays down there as long as she can!

We had a great visit to Florida for Easter with Christopher's mom and dad. We had two great days on the beach, and just one rainy day when we were pretty much stuck inside. The boys got to visit the Easter Bunny and had a blast hunting for eggs and their baskets in Nanna and Boss's beachfront condo! We got some great pictures on the beach Easter morning, too. The boys LOVED playing in the sand, building race tracks and tunnels for their Hotwheels cars, and building hills for them to jump over. They both got brave enough to briefly put their feet in the ocean, but definitely preferred the pool for swimming. They were little fish with the water wings on!

Everything continues to go smoothly with the pregnancy, too. She moves around quite a bit and I'm feeling more dinstinct body parts - knees, elbows, feet, etc. I'm still not craving anything too wierd...still salty foods and carbs for the most part. I took advantage of the warm weather to indulge in ice cream almost every day we were in Florida, but it just doesn't sound as good when it's only 50 degrees outside! I'm still getting heartburn quite a bit, and continuing the Benadryl every night. My OB did say that Zyrtec and probably even Allegra, which I was on before, should be okay to take. I'm thinking I'll start on one or the other here pretty soon. I definitely don't want to be in a Benadryl fog once the baby gets here and wants to nurse all through the night.

As you can see, we're definitely both growing! I'm still measuring about a week behind but that is right on track with how I grew with Andrew. He ended up being a few ounces bigger than Thomas even, so I'm not the slightest bit worried.

We'll be getting a 4D ultrasound a week from Saturday so I'll be sure to post a good face shot. I can't wait to see her again!

Nursery Update

I am so excited with how Sweetpea's nursery is coming together! Christopher (with a little help from me) spent most of the weekend painting and it turned out even better than I'd envisioned it. We got a lot of the wall decor up, and I put the bookcase together. Everything just looks so stinkin' cute!

We still have to hang the chandelier and put some other finishing touches on the room, but we're at least 80% there! I'll post new pictures when it's all done!

The outfit you see hanging on the right is Sweetpea's homecoming outfit...so cute!

The Beginning of the End!!

As you can tell, I'm finally getting my blog caught up. Sorry to those of you that have given up waiting for any new news from me!

We are now six months, and I know this is the beginning of the end (so to speak) of being comfortable, content, relaxed, etc. Once we hit the third trimester the nesting will kick in hard core and the pressure will be on to get everything "ready" for little Sweetpea's arrival!

Our house was hit with the nasty flu bug that has crippled much of the country this year. The boys had it first, then Christopher, then I picked it up. I never ran a fever, but it quickly turned into a sinus infection and bronchitis. Fun! We were all pretty much down the entire month of February. There is nothing that will make you look forward to spring more than being forced to be cooped up in your home for three weeks!

I've definitely had my first feelings of discomfort this month. Bending over is becoming increasingly difficult, and Sweetpea is just starting to venture into my ribs which is probably one of my most dreaded symptoms. I'm still having pretty significant heartburn, though it's manageable with Tums - my very best friend.

We had another appointment this month and all is looking great. Her heartrate was in the 150s and my measurements are staying consistent. After my 8 lb. (!!) gain last month, I didn't gain a single solitary ounce this month! Whew! I don't really expect that to continue, but it was a nice surprise nonetheless.

The boys continue to be so excited about the baby and Thomas is getting more anxious for her to arrive. They insist on kissing her goodnight each night at bedtime and it's become a pretty integral part of our routine. How fun it will be when they can actually kiss her little cheek!

Five Months Now!

We went in for our five month check up this morning and all is looking fantastic! The baby's heartrate is in the 140s/150s and I'm still measuring a little behind (about a week and a half to two weeks). Dr. Saunders wasn't concerned by that at all because she can see that I'm getting bigger, just wide, not tall which is how fundal height is measured. That's sort of how I grew with Andrew, too. Funny.

I got to show Dr. Saunders our sonogram photos and she was really impressed wtih the quality. She said the shot between her legs was really good and that she is definitely a girl!!! Yay! She actually pointed out all of the details to me, and I have to admit, it's pretty clear!

Sweetpea is VERY strong...I am starting to actually see her kicks, and have been able to feel them much stronger. She's getting big enough now that I can pretty much see them even with my clothes on, if it's a tight fitting sweater or t-shirt. If she shifts her entire body, my entire belly shifts. Pretty amazing, really. I love it!

I also have almost everything we need for her room already. I've ordered her bedding, window shade, baskets and liners, rug, lighting and the letters to spell her name on the wall. There are still a few small decorative items I want to get but am trying to pace myself . Her closet is almost completely full already, and she's set with onesies, receiving blankets and sleepers for her first three months or so. I'm not going to buy anything else (if I can help myself!) until after she's born. I have found some of the cutest shoes, hats and outfits and just can't wait to see her in them!

After my appointment today I stopped upstairs to see Barb, my all time favorite Lactation Consultant. I told her to reserve some time for me in June (of course I won't turn the others away, but Barb knows me the best) and she was soooo excited! It's all becoming so much more real! I love it!

ITS A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are so very blessed! We went in for our 16-20 week check up last Friday and my doctor asked if we'd had our sonogram yet. I said "Nooo..." and gave her a look that said "I REALLY want one!" She asked if she could get us in that afternoon, would we be available? ABSOLUTELY!

Her amazing nurse, Angie, finagled us an appointment at 1:30 that afternoon.

That would be just the first of several surreal experiences that day. We waited almost an hour to finally get in to see the sonogram tech, then she got started. Everything checked out perfect...baby's lungs, heart, brain, spine, kidneys, arms, legs, belly, hands, feet, face, nose and lips were all just as they should be.

Finally, the tech asked us what we already have at home (child-wise) and we said, "Two boys." Her response was, "Well, I think you might be getting your girl!" I looked at Christopher with tears in my eyes and sobs caught in my throat. I could not believe what she was telling us. It was such a tremendous relief for me to finally have my intuition confirmed and I think Christopher was in shock!

It took her a few more minutes to get the baby to move into a position where she could prove it to us. Finally, money shot! There was the little line from her bottom to the classic white lines and nothing else in between the legs! YAY!!!!

The tech was only allowed to give us an 85% assurance rate that she was right, but also told us that in 12 years of doing ultrasounds she hasn't been wrong yet (that she knows of!). I've gone back and looked at it so many times, compared it to other "girl" ultrasound photos, compared it to the photos I have from the boys and from other boys and it seems pretty certifiable .

I was on such an adrenaline high when we left the ultrasound that literally nothing could have brought me down. I decided to take the rest of the afternoon and start the weekend a little early so we could celebrate. That meant heading to my favorite maternity/baby boutique - Marshmallow Kisses. I bought a t-shirt that said "It's finally a girl!", an adorable homecoming outfit for the baby and a baby book I'd had my eyes on for a while. It was so exhilerating! We then went upstairs to the Marshall's superstore and I found a little Polo dress and gift set with a hat, bib, onesie, gown and sleeper...so cute! Everything was pink of course!

The next day, I got to drive up to Des Moines where my cousin Kim was visiting from Colorado with her baby girl, as well as to see my ailing grandfather. Most of my extended family was at my grandparents' house and everyone was so ecstatic to hear our news! It took my parents and brother the longest of everyone to notice what it said on my shirt, but my mom about broke my back she hugged me so hard when she figured it out.

I finally started to come down a bit on the drive home Sunday, but I continue to pinch myself in disbelief. Christopher's family is thrilled for us and his mom in particular is on cloud nine. I really didn't believe it was possible, even as strong as my feelings were.

I can't wait to start decorating the nursery and filling her room with sweet little girl things!

The boys are thrilled, too. Thomas was so excited that he'd guessed right, though I'm not sure Andrew really understands what it's going to mean to have a little girl joining the family!
My co-workers have been so sweet...I had a pair of tiny pink ballet slippers and a pink sleeper waiting for me when I got in on Monday from two of the girls on my team. It's been so fun!

In other news...my belly is truly impossible to miss at this point. I am feeling Sweetpea moving more and more every day. She'll have a busy moment, then rest for what feels like forever. As much as she was moving during the sonogram, though, I'm really only feeling a fraction of her movements...mostly just the kicks, twitches and punches. She's doing full sommersaults, twists and flips that I'm not even feeling!

Our appointment also went well. Her heartrate was in the 150s and in the upper 140s during the sonogram (just like the boys! Take that old wives!).

We are over the moon we're so happy and I can't wait to hold my little girl!!!!

Hello Second Trimester!

"The fruit of the spirit is patience..."

Happy New Year! The big milestone this month of course, is finally crossing that threshold into the "golden age of pregnancy" - the second trimester. My little belly popped out the day before I was officially 16 weeks (see photo above) and I've been feeling fairly regular kicks, punches and taps ever since.

At our last appointment, the baby's heart rate was still around 160. We ended up seeing the nurse practitioner because my OB was running late. The second she put the doppler on my belly she picked up the baby's heartbeat. She joked that we had a very cooperative baby, and that she hoped it stayed that way through adolescence. Fat chance, I'm sure!

I finally remember why I love being pregnant so much, despite a much rougher first trimester with this little one. I'm so excited and impatient to have our ultrasound and finally find out if we're going to be blessed with a little girl or a little boy. As much as I would absolutely love a little girl, I am really trying not to get my hopes up. I know it will be hard to avoid being a little disappointed at the initial news that we're having another boy, but I don't want to be so committed to bringing a little girl into our family that I'm devasted by the opposite. Just trying to keep my mind open to either, and especially thinking of how much I LOVE my little boys.

Speaking of the boys, as I've begun to become more visibly pregnant, they have been so adorable as they bond with the pregnancy and the baby. Thomas is adamant that I have a little girl, and a baby sister, in my tummy. Andrew is quick to say that it's a boy. They've both been very consistent in their guesses, so we'll see which of them is more intuitive. They love to kiss and hug the baby good night after I give them their hugs and kisses.

Thomas has been the most intrigued by the whole thing. He regularly asks me how big the baby is now and gets giddy with excitement when I show him with my hands. He tells me he's so excited for the baby to come and also regularly asks me how much longer until the baby gets here. He's all about timeframes and dates these days, and can't believe it when I tell him that the baby will be here in about 150 days. He also loves to talk about when my tummy will "get fat."

Christopher is still being pretty quiet about what his predictions might be. He thinks I'm crazy thinking this baby is a girl, though he was right on board with me in the hormonal early days. I think the idea of a daughter scares the bejeezes out of him!

So far, my cravings involve anything salty, high in carbs and Asian food. The type doesn't really matter, I've been happy with Chinese, Japanese and Thai - all are equally satisfying. If it's deep fried with sweet/salty flavor I'm all over it. I definitely am not interested in spicy stuff, though, which is a major difference from the boys. I couldn't get enough hot wings when I was pregnant with Thomas and ate them on occasion with Andrew, but they don't appeal to me in any way this time. I'm still dealing with heartburn, and had it pretty severely the other night. I had to take four Tums before I could even relax enough to go to sleep. This will be one hairy little baby!

So far, sleeping hasn't been to much of an issue. I'm up usually just once to go to the bathroom which is typical for me, but feel like it takes me longer to get back to sleep and I don't feel like I sleep as soundly this time. I've been more anxious with this pregnancy, which could definitely be contributing to that. I'm still just using one extra pillow at this point, but as my belly grows, I know that will quickly change.

The next big milestone will definitely be the ultrasound which I'm guessing we'll schedule either the week of Jan. 21st or 28th. I will be pushing HARD at my next appointment for the week of the 21st and I just hope my OB's not a total stickler for waiting until I've hit 20 weeks. Once we have that, I want to scheduled a "fun" ultrasound for a 4D that the boys can attend, too. The 2D we'll get as our diagnostic might be a little scary for them (the baby looks more like an alien than a human baby) and the 4D will be a little more lifelike. We can reconfirm the sex at that point, too, which will be fun.

Now that I'm feeling good, I'm so ready to start planning a nursery, shop for a homecoming outfit, baby book, etc. We're calling the baby Sweet Pea for now, but I would love to get a name picked out and really start bonding with him/her. That day can not come soon enough!