23 weeks and growing!

The aches and pains of pregnancy have begun! Well, I still feel as though I can't complain; as a whole the pregnancy is still pretty easy! The lower back pain is manageable! The little guy is busy squirming around, luckily not kicking me, full on, yet. I can just tell when he is shifting around in there, I love it!

HAWAII

It was what some call a "babymoon" and I highly recommend it!! Brandon and I had a blast being just the two of us in Hawaii over Thanksgiving. We spent the holiday on Kauai in Poipu beach. We were lucky to have tons of great weather!

Though our activities were VERY limited due to the pregnancy, we found many ways to have fun and relax. I would say that we both thought the highlight of the trip was kayaking and hiking 45 min. in ankle deep mud to a secret waterfall in the jungle-forest! Nothing like hiking barefoot and pregnant!

In addition to the fun adventures, both Brandon and I enjoyed feeling the little guy squirm around a ton. It is amazing how much I can feel him move around now!

Nov. 11, 2008 - It's a BOY!!

Brandon and I had a wonderful, long weekend. We found out we will both become parents of a son! Words can't describe how exciting, anxious, and greatful we feel to have such a healthy baby boy on the way! The April 2 (or possibly April 5) due date is holding strong. He is growing at a perfect rate and all his body parts are developing just beautifully.

I am beginning to feel him move around more and more. We were surprised to find him VERY active and fast throughout the entire ultrasound! The ultrasound tech and doctor were a bit frustrated! I think we have our work cut out for us.

bigger belly - 18 weeks

A bigger belly = a bigger baby!! Still growing. Never in your life do you feel that it is possible to expand so quickly. Within a week it is amazing the changes you see in your body!

bump - 15 weeks

Aside from being ecstatic about having a baby, things just got more exciting. I now have physical proof that I am expecting! Ask me in about 5 months how I am feeling about that....but for now, I am loving the "presence" of baby b.

12 week appt. and 13 week ultrasound (Sept. 22 & Sept. 30)

It was at the 12 week doctor appointment (Sept. 22) where I finally felt the total amazement and confirmation that this baby was inside of me. When we were able to hear the heartbeat inside of me, I just was and have been overwhelmed with a sense of miraculous wonderment. To hear the fast beating of our baby's heart INSIDE of my belly (I know it is the uterus...) was and is still just great. Were were guided by our doctor to believe that it's heartbeat is on the faster side of normal. A "good" and typical heart rate at this point is about 110 - 160 and our little peanut's was about 140. (some say that is the sign of it being a girl).

The following week we partook in the sequential screening to cancel out any thought of the baby being affected by downs syndrome, spinal bifida, and a couple other rare disorders. This is a three step process. First, I had to give blood that is sent to a lab to test. Second, we had an ultrasound within the 12-14 week window of our pregnancy. Even though the ultrasound was fun for us since we got to see the baby again, the purpose was for the doctor to measure the thickness of the skin in the neck. Apparently there is a link between the thickness and downs. Third, I will have to go back in at about 16-20 weeks for more blood work. The combined ratio between blood results and the ultrasound measurements give an odd, high or low, for the chance of your baby being born with the above disorders. Fortunately we were blessed, once again, with good news that our results put us amongst the lowest possible odds for downs or other spinal disorders. In addition to all these tests being done the doctor also looks for and found 2 perfectly developing hemispheres in the brain.

The pictures above are from the second step at 13 weeks 5 days to be exact. It is also at this ultrasound where the doctor gets a much more accurate measurement of the baby's size to determine th EXACT due date. My OB is really good, there was NO change to our due date. We had the opportunity to see our baby move around and we even saw the baby's full bladder! As you can see the baby is hanging out upside down in my uterus at this point. It is a bit tough figuring out what exactly you are looking at, but yes, there is a clear view of the spinal cord and tiny feet on the left side of the first two pictures. And the third captured the profile. I am not feeling any movement yet but can not wait to feel the little one inside of me.

8 week doctor visit (August 19)

By the time we went to our 8 week appt., I had already had 2 positive pregnancy test results, blood work to measure Hcg hormone levels and in case that wasn't enough another pregnancy test at about 7 weeks into it just to confirm. I "just didn't feel pregnant" anymore. With the anticipation of seeing our baby for the first time and finding out exactly how pregnant I really was, Brandon and I anxiously awaited that first appointment. When we finally, on a whim, got into the doctor it was August 19, the day before the first day of the new school year. With a new principal and a huge secret I ducked out the back door of work to go see our tiny baby.

The first ultrasound proved only that there was a bean, or a penguin, or a gummy bear fluttering in my uterus. Though it was amazing, I was still in a bit of disbelief. We were told that it's heartbeat looked great, normal and that it was measuring 13mm which put us at 7 weeks 5 days pregnant. WOW!

Baby B begins

July 28 Brandon and I discovered one of the best things a couple discovers in their life...After 3 negative pregnancy tests (one being at the Dr. office) the magical day came when my body was producing enough of the hCG hormone to result in a positive test!

With a history of irregular periods, I was convinced and emotionally prepared for it to take closer to a year to conceive. Boy did God prove us wrong! Within 2 months of going off birth control we received one of the greatest blessings!