Sunday, November 28, 2010

20 weeks - Half way there!

I had my 20 week sonogram at the beginning of the week to check on baby and make sure everything is developing well. Here is what we found out:
  • The baby's 4-chambered heart was pumping away at 146 bpm
  • The spinal column had closed
  • The placenta is posterior (meaning towards my back - same with Junior; Gaga's was anterior - in the front)
  • The stomach was full so we know baby can swallow amniotic fluid
  • The bladder was full so we know baby's kidneys were functioning
  • The ventricles in the brain were a normal size
  • The umbilical cord had its appropriate 3 vessels and blood flow through it was normal
  • The hands and feet were accounted for
Here's what I look like from the outside


Junior loving on the baby


Gaga's turn


Here's what I look like on the inside


legs crossed with feet


hand above head


hand again above head with placenta below


profile with arm in front of face


one more profile with arm across face

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Cookie Day!!!

Another Christmas fast approaching means another "Cookie Day" at my aunt's house. We made it out there the Saturday after Thanksgiving to once again spend time with my side of the family since missing them on Thanksgiving which was spent on Daddy's side of the family to bake all day and take home some delicious cookies! Although there were only 6 bakers this year, we still had about the same number of cookies placed on the table. Junior enjoyed decorating his gingerbread house that ended up looking like a church with a steeple on top, complete with a snow covered ground. Gaga's first time to be able to attempt a gingerbread tree went rather well. At the end of the night the kids entertained us with songs and dance. They were hilarious!

Cookie Day 2010

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Adding to our bountiful blessings!

We found out on August 1st we were expecting baby #3! We are, of course, overjoyed to be adding to our family and watching it grow! My first appointment on August 25th was with the OB I used with Junior and Gaga. We were able to get a first look at our baby and hear the heartbeat at this time.

The first look at our new peanut @ 6weeks and 6 days (the white blob in the middle of the black hole)


When we told Junior and Gaga we were expecting another baby, Gaga of course didn't realize what was going on. Junior on the other hand had a couple of questions for us. One, would it come out tomorrow? And two, would we have to give Gaga back? That last one caught us by surprise. We laughed and told him that we would still keep Gaga and the new baby. The way he said it was so plain that we couldn't tell if he was going to be disappointed if we had to give her back or excited! I'm sure that he would have been disappointed if we said we would have to give her back. Aunt K called our house to talk shortly after we told Junior and Gaga. Little did we know that we should have told Junior not to tell anyone about the baby yet. He immediately got on the phone to talk and said, "Mommy has a baby in her tummy!" I could hear a little laugh on the other end of the line and then Aunt K said, "Were you supposed to tell me that?" Nonetheless, it was cute! We told family later by having Junior and Gaga wear big brother and big sister shirts. Most caught on quickly, but Great One had to have it spelled out for him.

I think I had been feeling baby move for quite some time, but finally pinpointed October 25th that I know it was definitely baby and not something else. I knew it would be a couple more weeks of growing bigger and stronger before Daddy would be able to feel baby and he finally did on November 8th. As soon as he can feel baby move it makes it more real to all of us.

At my first appointment with my OB she let me know that she was going to stop doing the OB side of her job and just take GYN patients. This was actually nice to hear because Daddy and I had already been thinking about using a midwife at the birthing center near our house for this pregnancy and birth that I was afraid to tell her I might not be coming back to see her. With Junior and Gaga I have pretty much had the pregnancies and births that I have wanted and planned for. It doesn't mean that I still would with this one so we opted, after much deliberation, to use the birthing center. Birthing there would give me many more possibilities of having the birth that I want including a water birth, that has always fascinated me. A few good friends have had their babies there and loved it! I have great support from them and my family which I am thankful for!

I have had a few appointments at the birthing center so far and they have been great! I am measuring right at my estimated week each time and the baby's heartbeat always sounds strong ranging from the 150's to 160's. My next appointment is next week and then another week after that is the big sono where they will make sure baby measures up to its due date and is developing normally. They will also be able to tell if it's a boy or a girl if it's positioned correctly. Before I even had Junior, I always said that if I had one child of each gender then I wouldn't find out with the 3rd one. Of course that is easy to say now because I haven't had the opportunity to find out. But I think Daddy and I are both on board with waiting until the birth to find out.


12 weeks


16 weeks

Saturday, November 6, 2010

T-ball fun!

Junior loved playing t-ball this season and practiced almost every night if Daddy was able to make it home before it got dark. Daddy even pitches to him most of the time to get him ready for the next level after t-ball. The first few pictures are from a night practicing in front of our house and the last few are from his last t-ball game. They celebrated with a cupcake, t-shirt and a trophy (Junior's first one!) He is proud of it!


Daddy pitching and holding Gaga (so talented!)


Gaga taking a turn (She's quite good!)


Daddy's turn...show off!


Great swing


Nice follow through


Last game...1st baseman ready for the ball


He gets a hit!


Waiting on first base


Team picture with coaches and trophies (back right with eyes closed...oops!)