Snowflake Baby Shower

Today was our first baby shower.

Words can not express how grateful I am for family and friends who are just as excited as we are to welcome this new baby into the world. Thank you to everyone who was able to come to our baby shower and help us celebrate.

We ended up with about a foot of snow for the shower so it was extra special to see people make the trip out in the weather to bring gifts and words of advice for our growing family. We are beyond blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives.



 The picture on the left is our road the morning of the shower.

(Matt did a good job driving in "real/ not North Carolina" snow.

The picture on the right is looking out the back door.

Beautiful! But it can stay in Pennsylvania.
 

One of the things Matt and I wanted to do at each of our showers was to have the guests make predictions about our bundle to be----

Here are the results:
Nine of the guests this little bundle I'm carrying is a boy! These included my dad, my grandpa, Aunt Joan, Aunt Cyndy, Uncle Dan, Tina, EJ, Jason, Becca,

Five of the guests think there is a future princess growing inside of me! These included my mom, my grandma, Uncle Chris, Travis, Tara

The winner goes to the boys on this one :)

Birthdate + time predictions ranged from February 14 to March 7th (more than a couple think March 2nd is going to be the lucky day!)

Tina- February 14 (2:14am)

Great grandpa- February 26 (midnight)

Becca- February 27 (11:27am)

Aunt Joan- February 29 (2:10am)

Uncle Dan- March 1 (11:05am)

Grandpa- March 1 (middle of the night)
Great grandma- March 2
EJ- March 2 (12:05)
Tara- March 2 (2:39pm)
Travis- March 2 (3:00pm)

Aunt Cyndy- March 3 (11:00am)

Jason- March 4 (8:30am)

Uncle Chris- March 5 (2:30pm)

Grandma- March 7 (9:00pm)

Out of 14 people....

*eight of the guest think Bebe will have blue eyes

*six think Bebe will have brown eyes

*six think Bebe will have blonde hair and
*eight think Bebe will have brown hair

Weight predictions....
5 pounds
6 pounds
6 pounds 4 ounces

6 pounds 5 ounces

6 pounds 8 ounces
6 pounds 10 ounces
6 pounds 11 ounces
7 pounds 5 ounces
7 pounds 6 ounces
7 pounds 6 ounces
7 pounds 6 ounces

8 pounds

8 pounds 2 ounces
19 pounds 4 ounces (!!!! Ok I'm not ok with this one- 19 pounds no thank you Aunt Joan)

Predictions of our little ones future professions.....

* 4 predictions Bebe will become a teacher

* 3 votes Bebe will become a doctor

* engineer

* politician

* nurse or construction
* construction
* whatever you desire

I loved reading what traits everyone hoped our little one would inherit from us. Many of them brought tears to my eyes realizing the qualities you find in Matt and I. And I hope all of the wishes you have for the future Pressley come true.

And this is the point that I cried! I thanked everyone for coming out in the snowy weather and told them how much it meant to us that they took the celebrate with us.  I gave each person a candle and asked them to say a prayer for us when they heard we were in labor. 


 

I didn't get a chance to take many pictures of the festivities but here are a few of the red, silver and white decorations.

I love the color scheme and the snow that was added outside made it that much more cozy.

We made and decorated HUGE sugar cookies before the shower.  They were good, we had enough left over that we got to take some home--- along with all these goodies for Bebe Pressley!  WOW!














Again thank you all for coming out in the weather to visit with us and share in our joy. This baby is being born into a wonderful "family"

 

31 Weeks

Single digit number of weeks left!

Well we are in Pennsylvania this week for Christmas and a northern baby shower. I wasn't sure how the 8 plus hour drive would go on the way up. But it wasn't too bad, I didn't get too uncomfortable in the car and there weren't any "accidents". Matt did a good job getting me to a bathroom when that urge hit. We however didn't get a lot of walking time in. Dr. H suggested getting out every couple hours and walking a bit. Once we hit Virginia it started snowing and there was snow on the ground at every breaking spot- so I couldn't do much walking outside. I would walk around inside the gas station for awhile before using the bathroom and walk around again after, so we made do.

Matt got to see some real snow on this trip- he even made a snowman :)

So cute coming home and me going inside to sit and wonder "what happened to my husband" to look outside to see him building a snowman by himself. Made me think about future Christmases with grandma and grandpa and building a snowman as a family.

Christmas was nice. I hope you all had a blessed Christmas as well.






Matt bought the baby a recordable teddy bear for Christmas. I love that the patchwork on the bear matches some of the colors we are using in the nursery.


It will be fun to record different things as our little one grows up. My mom always leaves notes for me/us when she visits for us to find after she leaves. Matt and I also leave notes for each other - so it's like carrying on a tradition in an auditory way :)

Matt and the baby also got me a beautiful rose gold ring.


Matt said the baby told him I needed it. Currently my wedding rings still fit- but if the time comes that my fingers swell and I have to take them off I can wear my new band on that finger (so it doesn't feel so naked) but for right now I'm wearing it on my right hand.






The baby and I got Matt a keychain that says "our hero". This is the picture and caption he posted on facebook. 

He has truly been our hero throughout this pregnancy. I can not imagine where we would be right now if he had not believed in me and given me the courage to quit my job. He was my strength and sounding board when I needed him. And now he is giving me the opportunity to stay at home and raise our child. Our hero. I also got him a onsie from the baby that says daddy and me.






The above gifts weren't anything though- the best part was being able to spend Christmas with my family.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from

our growing family to yours! 

May your holidays be filled with

lots of love, laughter and happiness

(and hugs and kisses from your loved ones!)

30 Weeks

Hello blog world!  We are in Pennsylvania this week for Christmas and a holiday baby shower. We are super excited about both of these things.  Christmas has always been a favorite holiday of mine, and now that Matt and I are starting our own family, I often wonder what our family traditions will be? And how many kids will eventually be a part of those traditions?  What will our kiddos look like? So many un-answered questions.  I know that our family story is already written and in God's hands- but it's fun to imagine all the little things.

One of the things that I made for the baby shower is a predictions card where every person who comes will have a chance to predict whether this LO will be a boy or a girl, the LO's birthday and time, height and weight, hair color and eye color, whether they will look like mommy or daddy and future profession.  It will be interesting to sit down with Matt and read through these predictions and make some of our own.

I am really looking forward to making memories with our new family of three and planning yearly traditions that will occur for a long time to come. 

29 weeks

 

Well I got my first rude comment. I guess I knew it would be coming. But considering I have only had one person ask me in public if I was pregnant (actually it was a little girl who asked her mom of I was pregnant- her mom was mortified until I said yes. Her mom's due date was the following day.)

"Are you sure there is only ONE in there?" Really- don't ask this question. Or "are you sure that's when your due?"

Trust me- those are two things that I wouldn't lie about.

I know my belly has obviously grown and I have put in weight- but I didn't think I looked like I was growing two babies!  Hopefully that is the last time I hear a negative comment- but I doubt it. I'm growing a blessing in my belly people. Say nice things, like "wow you look great"- that's about the only comment you should make to a pregnant woman. That and "here I bought your little one a special gift." That's all. No comments about weight, or how many or how long is left.

We have eleven weeks left until Bebe's arrival- time is going fast!

Matt and I attended a healthy beginnings class this past week- it was very informative. We learned how to give a newborn a bath, as well as infant CPR and what to do if an infant chokes. Three things that I actually  had some concerns about and am glad they went over them. Tonight Matt and I start our first Bradley class. It is a 12 week class that will go over techniques to help us have a natural birth.

Other big accomplishments of the week- I finished the alphabet wall for the nursery :)

28 Weeks

Matt and I have had the chance to take a few classes already.  And the rest of this month and next month is pretty full also.  We went on a tour of the maternity part of the hospital, and also to a pain managment in labor class.  I was a little disappointed in the pain management class. Matt and I are planning on trying to have a natural birth- why take pain management then? Well I know that birth is an unpredictable event and  there is a possibility that I will not be able to make it the entire time without pain medication, so I wanted to be informed. I also wanted Matt to be informed as well since he will be a part of the decision making with me. I figured the class wouldn't talk about natural pain management- but i didn't expect the big push for the epidural. They actually said "epidurals is just what we do here. Everyone wants one so we give them one." "Even those who come in thinking they can do without end up getting one eventually." This totally disheartens me. I was also surprised that they didn't go into anything about c- sections.    The class went into the difference between using an analgesic and an epidural.  But nothing about c- sections. That was one topic I wanted some more information about. What all it consists of, etc. hopefully we will go over it in one of our other classes. Matt and I did discuss that we do not want to use an analgesic (which is a type of pain management that is injected into the blood stream and does get passed to the baby. 

We stopped after class and spoke with one of the nurses about wanting to go naturally and asked if there were nurses there that have participated in naturally births or had one themselves that we could ask for when we were admitted. (I really wanted to check into this because of the comments made during class. She spoke with us briefly about writing a birth plan and letting them know whenever we  are admitted that we would like to try to go naturally and they will hook us up with the right nurse. So that made me feel a little bit better. 

Without further ado, here are our stats for this week (well those that have changed atleast)

How far along:  28 weeks down, 12 weeks to go

This week baby is the size of: a Chinese cabbage. For those of you (like myself) have no idea what that is;  the baby weighs about two and a half pounds and is about 16 inches long from top of the head to the tops of the toes.

Next appointment: We start going every two weeks now.  This next time will only be a week and a half since 2 weeks would be right before Christmas.  Decemeber 19th. 

Movement: There is no telling what kind of movement I will get from day to day. Somedays it seems like I have a little gymnist in there, and other days I think I have a sleeping beauty.

What I'm loving: feeling the movement and watching my belly move when Bebe is up and moving and grooving. 

What I'm looking forward to: Christmas and seeing all of my family and friends from PA at our baby shower. 

Milestones: Baby P is now able to blink and cough. He/she is also getting better at sucking and breathing.

Goals: My goal before leaving for pa is to get a few things made for our shower. I plan to put together a scrapbook for the baby from everyone at the shower. It will include predictions and wishes and advice for the new parents. So I need to design that. I also have a book I plan on making a small favor for everyone. So I need to get those things done!  I also need to figure out Christmas gifts!

27 Weeks

Look at that belly! My word it just popped up out of no where! Confused as to why the last post was 23 weeks and this is now 27 weeks?

As a review- "14 is our lucky number" I announced that we (both mommy and baby) were measuring two weeks ahead.  So Dr. H ended up moving up our due date.  So on Thanksgiving I was actually 26 weeks instead of 24.  And with all of the excitement of my parents being down I forgot to take a picture.  So this week I am officially 27 weeks pregnant!  As the chalkboard says we are officially in our third and last trimester! Woohoo.  I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going- pretty soon we'll be sending this kid to college.

How far along: 27 weeks down, 13 weeks to go

This week baby is the size of: a head of califlower.  Bebe is measuring nearly 15 inches long from the top of the head to the tip of the toes and weighs a little over 2 pounds. WOW.

Next appointment: December 7th

Stretch marks: My mom informed me while she was here for Thanksgiving that I do have some. THANKS MOM. 

Swelling: I had to take my wedding rings off, so I guess my fingers have swollen a little bit- but I can't notice any swelling anywhere else.  Except that belly up there- can you believe how much it has grown :)

Maternity clothes:  I'm pretty much in materntiy clothes all the time now.

Belly button: It's getting shallower by the day... Matt seems to think it will turn in to an outie by the time this kid arrives.  It is a strange phonmenon to watch.

Sleep: I have been waking up earlier than usual and lying in bed having mommy and baby time.  I do eventually end up falling back asleep for an hour or so.  I also have mommy and baby time (with daddy sleeping peacefully beside us) at night time too.  I can't seem to lay on my right side anymore- I usually get a sharp pain in my right upper rib area.

Movement: Definetly feeling more movement! Bebe is still pretty shy around daddy though. 

Labor signs: no.

 

What I miss: I miss some old friends I haven't seen in awhile.  I knowthat friends come and go-- and  with life changes that more friends will probably come and go.  But it doesn't make not seeing people any easier. 

What I'm loving: This baby! I love feelign the bumps and kicks.

What I'm looking forward to: working on the alphabet wall in the nursery and getting the nursery painted

Milestones: We've hit the third trimester!

Goals: work on that nursery!

First Morning Sickness

Well there was no Black Friday shopping for this momma!  I ended up getting sick late Thursday night (no I really don't believe it was morning sickness). (1) I think I ate too much (2) I think I ate more variety of foods than I usually do. Which leads to  (3) Getting sick at 4am and being sick the rest of the day.   I couldn't keep anything down.  Towards the afternoon I was throwing up clear water.  So I stopped drinking water, and eventually my stomach calmed down and I was able to eat a handful of saltine crackers and some sprite.

On to the good news though-

Matt has been off of work since Monday (thats not really good news considering that drastically cut his pay check)  But he got to go to the doctor with me. Wednesday I had my glucose test. I passed!!  My blood draw before "the drink" was 88, and after "the drink" an hour later it was 99.  It had to be under 140 to pass.  GO ME! 

While we were waiting the hour, I called my parents to see how they were doing (dad was recovering from shingles), and I found out they were on their way to NC for Thanksgiving.  Mom and doctor had cleared dad to be around prego daughter so they got to come.  Very exciting since I havent seen them since we told them we were pregnant.

Matt and I also got to go to the Christmas parade together (this is a first for our town parade since he is normally working.)

Other good news of the visit- Matt got to feel the baby move for the very first time (well the first time that he could 100% say "That's my boy.... or girl!"  He didn't act super excited, but according to this post he put on facebook right after- he was pretty excited :)

 

I'm pretty excited myself that he finally got to feel the baby moving.  He/she has been moving alot more lately.  It is such a strange feeling.  My mom was also able to feel the baby move while she was visiting.  My dad didn't get to though.  So hopefully at Christmas time he will get a chance to get kicked around a few times too. 

 

In other good news/sad news... I was looking at my pregnancy app yesterday (I've been all screwed up since Dr. H changed my due date- I need to get back into the swing of taking pictures) and guess what I realized?!?

 

We are down to double digits!  DOUBLE DIGITS people.  My due date is in less than 100 days.  I can't believe it. 

Going Broke Buying for Baby

More fun do's and don'ts of owning a baby.  This one is dedicated to all of the stuff we need to buy for our little bundle of joy.  We do not plan on buying too much until after our showers.

My mom, aunt and grandma are throwing me one in Pennsylvania around Christmas time.  Matt's mom is throwing one for his side of the family in the beginning of January.  And a great friend Stacy, and her family has offered to throw one at the end of January.  I am so very excited to get to spend time with loved ones and celebrate this precious little one that will be making an appearance before we know it!  Any gifts received is just a bonus.

But tomorrow (Black Friday!) We plan to go out and pick up a crib and see what other fun baby stuff we can find on sale. 

Before we go pushing and shoving our way through stores like Buy Buy Baby and Babies 'R Us, here are some things we must keep in mind.

(Babies do not like to have buckles in their faces while in the car-

 so we must find a proper car seat)

 

(Babies do not fit well in drawers- so we must find a crib for baby. 

We are leaning towards a blackish brown crib with straight lines for the nursery)

 

 

(We already have two tvs in our house, and plan to hold off as long as possible before getting a tv for our child,

 so we must buy a few toys to stimulate the babies mind.)

 

(Shoes are pretty gross to stick in your mouth!  I have found some really awesome wooden teethers that I would like to buy. I may have to order these online though- not many stores have gone green, and don't offer wooden toys.)

 

(We already bought an ergo carrier, but still need to get a moby wrap,

 or another  kind of sling that will be better fitted for a newborn.)

 

(A baby bath tub is a must, since our sink is usually full of dirty dishes.)

 

(Our dryer is usually full of clothes- so I think we will need to buy a few hooded towels as well.)

 

 

Wish us luck on our baby buying adventure! I will update soon with pictures of our fabulous finds!

 

14 may be our lucky number!

Well we had our appointment on Novemeber 14, 2012.

The first happy news of the day was that Matt was able to come with me to the appointment!

The second good news Dr. H wasn't concerned with my weight gain. I have gained a total of 14 pounds so far. I'm averaging about 1 pound a week since starting the second trimester.

Third good news, we got to hear the heartbeat. Dr. H had another student doctor with her- she lubed my belly up, stuck the Doppler on the right side on tht protruded bump that keeps growing and "whoosh whoosh whoosh". We have a heartbeat!  144 beats per minute. Do you see all this 14s. The appointment was on the 14th. The heartbeat started with 1-4.......

AND.....

We only have 14 weeks left until this bundle of joy makes an appearance in this world. Our due date got changed!  At the last ultrasound baby was measuring about 2 weeks larger. Dr. H measured my belly which was measuring at 26 weeks instead of 23-24. So I asked if she was planning to change the due date. She grabbed a look at the ultrasound again and said she's thinking February 28th. Wow! This baby is coming sooner than we thought.

Sure I know that baby will come when baby is ready. But wowza!

Matt tried to convince Dr. H to give him hand signals behind my back to tell him if was a boy or girl.  Luckily for him she didn't. She did say there was only one, which Matt said he would be ok if there were two and she laughed saying I can see that. But there is only one. Hopefully that wasn't a reference to a penis. But either way this momma and daddy are going to be ecstatic when this little mystery enters the world!

Week 23

Twenty three weeks pregnant. It doesn't even seem possible. Half the time I forget I am pregnant until I look down at my growing midsection and "well hey there growing midsection! Where did YOU come from?"

Another new thing that has been happening lately that quickly reminds me that I am officially with child are the fireworks that I keep feeling in that ever expanding midsection.  November 10th I was hanging on in bed, Matt had plans to go to a college football game that day so I did my typical morning routine and took my time getting up. Relaxing and checking in on Facebook and Pinterest when "tap tap tap".... Someone was knocking from the inside. Big knocks not just bubbles floating around or fish swimming.

I ended up pulling the covers back to expose my bare belly and I could see  the little karate kid kicking from the outside. My room was super dark but I ended up catching it on video.

What a joyous way to wake up!

Aside from this darling new symptom I'm still feeling really well. We have our doctors appointment on Wednesday. I didn't think Matt would be able to come- but he's been workin nights so I think it will work out that he can. Super excited to hear the heartbeat again :)

Baby Classes

Seeing as this little sweetie is going to be here in 18 weeks, Matt and I needed some classes to help us prepare for baby.  Here is what we signed up for......

Basics of Feeding the Baby

(Sure we know the basics- but I think our breastfeeding class will come in handy!)

Baby can not eat turkey legs
 (this momma WILL be at the end of the month though)

 

Mom can breastfeed, dad can not!
 

 

Basics of Changing the Baby

(We plan to try and cloth diaper- and well-

 a class will tell us for sure if this is something that is doable for us or not!)

 

A peek is enough to see if baby needs changed!

 

 

Use wipes when cleaning the baby- not your skirt! 

(Good to know-- ya know so you don't smell like poop all day!)

 

Healthy Beginnings for Newborns

(We have to keep that baby healthy, and there's no better way to do that

 then take a class that tells you how!)

 

 

 

(Babies do not like standing up in the car, or having a buckle in their face!)

 

 

(Swaddling=good.  The way the storke brings your baby=bad)

 

 

(Babies prefer big pens, not little kennels)

 

(This one gives me reassurance that baby WILL like Polly.

Good thing we don't have fish though- fish are unsafe for babies!)

 

(Don't lift the baby by the head- no matter how large the head is)

 

Bootcamp for New Dads

(This is all for Matt-- sure he knows some stuff- he did grow up with a baby sister,

but more knowledge won't hurt.)

 

 

(Don't give the baby x-rated beverages.  Instead hold the baby.)

(Grow your hair long and stretch the babies legs,

 do not expect your baby to bench press while you cheer them on.)

 

 

(We don't have to worry about this one- I don't think Matt knows how to play chess.)

 

 

  

(Babies will smile if you put your fingers in their mouth-

 but it's better to put a bear on your hand.)

 

 

 

(Lift the baby above your head is good-

as long as baby doesn't throw up while he/she's in the air.)


 

  

 

We also signed up for pain management in labor, prepared childbirth, a tour of the hospital and a bradley method class.  Matt and I are both really excited to start these classes.  All joking aside- there is a lot that we can learn.  I will update as we take the classes!

Old Wives Tale # 14

I'm going a different route this week.  There are so many different Old Wives Tales out there predicting whether you will have a boy or girl.  All of which have a 50/50 chance of being right.

I know that this next one is total b.s. and that the chance of it being correct is close to 0% since she really throws a bunch of predictions in there- but it's fun.  So here goes!



My Birth Experience Prediction According to Madame Zaritska

The day you deliver, outside will be hot.  Your baby will arrive in the middle of the night.  After a labor lasting approximately 14 hours, your child, a boy, will be born.  Your baby will weigh about 12 pounds, 10 ounces, and will be 18- 1/2 inches long.  This child will have dark gray eyes and barely there blonde hair. 



Running Total:
Boy: 7 (a 12 pound boy at that!)
Girl: 7

If you would like Madame Zaritska to predict your birth experience check her out here
Make sure you post your birth experience as a comment.  I want to read everyone elses.  Pregnant or not!  Haha. 

And let's all cross our fingers that I DO NOT have an almost 13 pound baby!

Week 22

We haven't had a chance to take a picture yet this week.  I've been sorta lazy in the showering and looking nice department.  I'll have Matt snap one tonight so that I can upload it soon.

Our baby weighs over a pound now!  Wow.  Other note wortyh developments is that our little sweetie is now starting to make more sense of the world around him/her.  Our little one's sense of touch is developing, ( I can't wait until Bebe makes an appearance and grabs hold of my finger (and Matt's) for the very first time), as well as their sight.

 I can just imagine Bebe relaxin' in there, floating around in the amniotic fluid- holding on to the umbilical cord, wondering who keeps turning the lights on and off.

Ok not really- even though Bebe can sense light and dark, it's pretty dark in there- but if I were to put a flashlight up to my belly, they would be able to detect the light.

Hair is also starting to sprout on top of that precious little baby head.  I wonder what color it will turn out to be?!  Matt and I both had light blond hair as children, so I'd guess this one is going to be in the blond department also.  But right now as Bebe floats around, their hair is bright white, becuase at this stage of fetal developement the hair has no pigment.

Keep growing little one!  We can't wait for your arrival- but we will- because you can't make an appearance until we have somewhere to put you, and well, you still have alot of developing to do.  18 weeks to go!

Happy Halloween

 

Happy Halloween from our Growing Family to Yours!

 

Matt spent the evening painting my belly so we thought we would share.  He did a pretty good job.  It is hard to believe that this time next year we will have a little jackolantern in our house.  Hopefully he or she will enjoy carving pumpkins and going trick or treating.  Bebe better be ready for daddy to take all of the sour candy, and mommy to steal a few kit kats and reese's cups  :)

 

We can't wait to start new traditions as a family!

 

Old Wives Tale # 13

I haven't ever been much a cook in the kitchen.  Matt seems to really enjoy mixing up different spices to rub on chicken and steak, so I let him.  I have been trying to get my foot in the door (ugh, kitchen) though.  We have snack time on Wednesday's at Life Group so I have been trying out some new recipes.  I made a mexican corn dip (with cucumbers, tomatos, green peppers, onions and corn).  It was super yummy.  I may have to make up another batch soon.  I also made pizza bites (which gave me heartburn), but will also have to try this one again and cross my fingers for no heartburn.  This new exploration of the kitchen leads me to this week's Old Wives Tale.

What's Cookin'?

Perhaps Dad and relatives and friends have noticed that you are busier ever in the kitchen. Are you baking chocolate chip cookies when the jar is already overflowing?  Or does a simple dinner turn out to be a feast of hors d'oeuvres, fancy saladm veggies of all colors, a succulent roast, and a pecan pie, which you've never baked before?

That hyper kitchen activity is happening beecause there's a boy growing in your tummy.

Is the kitchen as dull a place as ever?  The score's in the girl box then.


I'm going to put this down as a girl- even though I am exploring the kitchen more, I wouldn't say that my kitchen activity is hyper.  I do plan on getting more creative with dinner and cooking more though.

Running Total:
Boy: 6
Girl: 7

Second Ultrasound

I just realized I'm about a week behind on posting about our second ultrasound on the 19th!  Sorry everyone (meaning you mom- since you are the one who reminded me- and are probably the only one who reads this!)

The Friday before last Matt and I went in for our second ultrasound- this was the day that we could find out if our house would be covered with trucks and trains or if we would be bumbarded with dresses and ribbons and bows.

I said a prayer the night before and told the Little One to keep their legs closed, and asked God to please let "shim" be healthy.  That is all I wanted- if we got the money shot- then we got the money shot, (Looking back- I don't know if I would have been disappointed or not).  All I wanted was a healthy report card.

I knew this appointment would be longer since they would have to do all of the measurements, and more of a chance of seeing the babies goods, I was NERVOUS but oh so EXCITED.  We got in and I quickly said "We don't want to find out what it is!"  The ultrasound tech said ok, and told Matt to stand behind her at his own risk, since she didn't know what position Bebe would be in. 

I had recently been seeing some "money shots" of other babies- so I was pretty confident, even if "shim" was spread eagle there was a chance we wouldn't know what we were looking at, some of those ultrasounds are just hard to tell.

As I layed on the table Matt stood at my feet and watched the screen.  He got a good view for almost an hour.  A couple times he held his hands together in a prayer, and mouthed "please" (yes he still wanted to find out), but I shook my head no. He honestly hasn't pressured me in this at all.  Part of me thinks that he doesn't want to know- and just gives me a hard time every once in awhile.

Anyway- she got the measurements then turned the screen around to show me our baby!  Since Matt got a good show for an hour I was glad that she didn't just click the screen off.  I think I got to watch "shim" squirm around for 10 minutes or so.  She pointed out all the body parts (and the little legs crossed at the ankles--- just like mommy asked the night before.)  I asked if everything looked good, and she said based on what she saw yes, but that the doctor would call me. 

Bebe P was a very good listener- the tech needed a better picture of the spine (because of how shim was laying) so I talked to our LO and explained we needed the shot--- well a few second laters the tech said ok- got it- and showed me a perfect shot of the spine!  Later before turning the machine off I asked if she could get a profile shot, (we had such a good profile picture at the first ultrasound, and I wanted to see that little nose again.)  She said that the way the baby was laying she couldn't really get one,  so mommy worked her magic again and asked the little one to cooperate- and WE GOT THE SHOT!  It's not as good as the first ultrasound, but baby is bigger.

The tech said according to measurements I'm looking at a due date of February 28th- that's almost TWO weeks before my previous due date.

I ended up calling the doctors office on Tuesday to make sure everything looked good (I'm impatient and wanted to a-ok status, and they hadn't called yet)  Everything looks good- I asked about the due date, and the nurse said that they typically stick with the first due date, because the further along you are the more babies grow at different rates.  But that she may change it if I continue to measure ahead.

So it looks like Bebe Pressley will be here sometime the end of February, beginning of March. 

Before leaving the ultrasound place I asked the tech if she could of gotten the money shot.  She said yes and asked if we changed our mind, I quickly said NO, and ran out of the place before I did change my mind!


Matt still says girl- because he didn't "see anything sticking out between the legs".  My mom of course said "how big does he think it's going to be?"  I guess it's still up in the air. 

I can't wait till Birthday and hear Matt tell me if we are the parents of a new baby boy or new baby girl!

Week 21

I was going to write "I've officially been pregnant longer than I haven't been pregnant"- then I realized that that would mean I have been pregnant for longer than 14 years- thats NOT right.  I guess I should more accurately say that since this blog has started, I've been pregnant longer than not pregnant.  This still sounds strange though- So lets just say....

21 weeks down 19 weeks to go!

 

This week I have been in a sort of a funk.  I don't know what it is, I just don't feel myself.  I know I can blame my moodiness on pregnancy, since so many pregnant women have the up and downs throughout their pregnancy, but I haven't really felt that way until now.  I've had a great pregnancy- no morning sickness, no food aversions, no out of this world cravings where I make Matt drive to the store at in the middle of the night. I had heartburn one night so far, where my arms went numb and just couldn't get relief (and let me just say '"Heartburn- STAY AWAY!" that was awful.)  I've had the occasional lower back pain- but I think that it was from over doing it, walking, or sitting in one postion with not much support for too long.  It's just been a really good pregnacy, no stretch marks, my belly button is still there, no signs of labor (I think that takes care of most of my usual survey) 

 

I could do this for 14 years.  Wait no!  That would mean I would have to have more than 14 babies.  No thanks!

 

What was I talking about?  Oh my funk, I can't describe it- just haven't felt myself. There were days that I thought I could really feel the "bubbles of baby", then nothing- maybe that is what 'caused' my funk: worry. 

 

Maybe it was looking around the house and seeing all of this stuff piled up with no real place to go, and that caused 'clutter in my brain'.  I am having dreams again like when I was working, I don't feel rested- I feel stressed!

 

 

Matthew 6:19-21 reads: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where theives do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

 

Matthew 6: 24 goes on to say  "No one can serve two masters, Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

 

 

Not that I can say that I am serving money, but for about a year now, I've been over "the stuff" I have at home.  I have wanted to simplify my life.  I have wanted to take out the unneccasary, and haven't known where to start.  I think we have started the process by having the yard sale a few weeks ago- but there is so much more "treasure" sitting around my house that I just don't know what to do with.  I want to bring this child into a home that is Christ centered, a home that is filled with love and treasures of memories, not treasures of earthly goods, not stuff.

 

But how?  Sure I know how to make memories, I dream of the quality time we can spend as a family, raising our child to do good deeds for others, to be a loving person, to be a caring individual, a person who does things for the glory of God, not for the recognition here on earth.  But the earthly treasures part- when I do finally rid the house of the unneccesary, and it gets closer to baby time- how do I decide what is neccesary for this little one?



 



 

Old Wives Tale #12

Grandma's Influence Is a Gray Area?

(This one's for you mom!--- do you want to make any changes before I tally up this weeks Old Wives Tale?)

Does your mom- the child's maternal grandmother- have gray hair or is it colored?  It doesn't really matter whether the gray or color is natural or dyed.

If Grandma has gray hair, a boy will be born.

If her hair is another color, a girl is headed for her coming-out party.

Running Total:
Boy: 6
Girl: 6


You tied it up mom!  Six Old Wives Tales are pointing to this little one being a girl, and six are pointing to our growing bundle being a boy.

Matt still says girl! I still have no gut feeling.  What do ya'll think?  You think this is a boy baby or a girl baby?  What do you WANT it to be-- I added a poll on the right side- go put your guess in :)

Week 20

We are officially at the halfway mark!  Woot woot!  Actually according to the ultrasound we had on Friday I may  be a few weeks PAST the half way mark.  According to measurement of the Little One, the ultrasound tech put our due date at February 28th.  That's almost two weeks earlier than our last ultrasound.  We are waiting to hear from Dr. H to see if she moves it or not. 

I'm not sure if I had mentioned it before, but when we went to the doctor the first time, we were not 100% sure how far along I was.  I did  not have a period in May, and had one in June, so they used our first ultrasound as the due date.  But at that ultrasound I was measuring 13 weeks and 1 day- and the tech had a hard time getting the measurements because it was transvaginal, and due to the size, it was hard to measure.  

I know that Bebe doesn't really care when the doctor says shim (she+him) will come, because babies will come when babies are ready! But it would be nice to know how far along I really am- that way we will not be induced uneccasarily.  And will putting my due date at February 28th, instead of March 11th, makes me feel better about my weigh gain.

 

Matt and I went to the pumpkin patch with some friends, and got this picture.  We were slacking on the chalkboard, and actually didn't get a picture of the halfway point next to it- so this picture will have to do!  It was my first time at a real pumpkin patch.  We have decided it will have to be a new family tradition.  I CAN NOT WAIT to start more traditions as a family!  We took a hayride to an actually pumpkin field, and picked two pumpkins off the vines.  We will carving them the week of Halloween, so stay tuned to see our creations!

Old Wives Tales # 10 & 11

How Much Weight Does Dad Carry?

Sometimes fathers gain weigh, too, with pregnancy.  Nothing new in that.  But maybe you don't know what it means when dad gets heavier as Mom's pregnancy advances.  It means a boy is on the way.

If that's not the case and dad is as trim as ever, or at least dad is not putting on anything extra, then you're looking ahead to the birth of a girl. 

Running Total:
Boy: 4
Girl: 6

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Sweet or Sour?

Fathers know that pregnancy can give you strange and overwhelming cravings for certain foods.

In Iowa, they ask if it's pickles or ice cream that you like so much.  Sour pickles get the boy score.

A sweet girl goes with a taste for ice cream.


I honestly can not say that I have had any real cravings, but, just as BP (before pregnancy) I tend to go towards the salty, and steer clear of the sweets- So I think this one goes Boy oh Boy!

Running Total:
Boy: 5
Girl: 6

19 Weeks

We had our second doctors appointment on Friday. So strange that we are almost half way through this pregnancy and have only seen the doctor twice.  We actually got to listen to the hartbeat twice because she had a student doctor with her.  He came in and introduced himself to us and asked how we were doing.  He said he was going to try and find the heartbeat but wanted to let us know if he was unable to find it not to worry- because that, by no means, meant that something was wrong.  I think he was nervous.  I of course was nervous for our baby, but I think my nervousness for him was more.  I layed there and hoped that he could find the heartbeat- because I knew he would be disappointed if he couldn't, and could sense that he knew it would make me worry.  But he found it!  And what a beautiful sound it was!  Then Dr. H came in and she found the heartbeat again. She said I need to slow down on my weigh gain :/  Which to me was a little surprising.  From what I have read you should gain about 1 pound a week in the second and third trimester.  I had put on 8 pounds since our last visit (at 12 weeks I believe) So I thought I was doing pretty good at the one pound a week.  I do know I started out heavier, so I guess I need to keep a closer eye on what I'm eating- or maybe up the exercise.  Here is our 19 week photo and stats.

 

 

 

How far along: 19 weeks- we are getting closer and closer to the half way mark! 

This week baby is the size of: a large mango.

 

Next appointment: We just saw the doctor Friday, we have our ultrasound this Friday.

Exercise: I obviously need to up this.  I have been trying to walk more, and also have done some prenatal yoga.

Stretch marks: None that I can see

Swelling: nope, the doctor couldn't see any swelling when I was checked Friday. 

 

Ok these questions are getting silly- it seems like I keep putting the same answers. I may need to change the format! 

 

Yes I'm wearing maternity clothes, but can still do some of my pre-prego shirts.  The pants I haven't really tried, but I'm sure they wouldn't be as comfortable as prego-pants and yoga pants, so I'm just steering clear.  My belly button hasn't changed, I still am not having any real food cravings or aversions, no labor signs,  my sleep patterns vary- I do know that having Matt at home sleeping with me again, HIS sleeping patterns have changed.  I wiggle and move normally- but it seems twice as much trying to get comfortable and having to move pillows around when I move postions- I think it disturbs him more than me. 

 

Highlight of the week: We had our yardsale, didn't do too bad. We made a little bit of cash, got rid of some things, decided to donate some things, and brought a lot of my school stuff back into the house.  I just can't part with it (or atleast not part with it to the good will).  I plan to see if any teacher friends can use it.  As we get closer to Thanksgiving and getting the nursery ready more of it may end up in the Goodwill pile.  But for now, it's in boxes and stacked in different places around the house.

Old Wives Tale # 8 & 9

It's Better to Throw up Your Hands

Dad will say it's only natural for you to have morning sickness.
Frequent nausea, he's heard for years, goes with being in a family way.

But according to the greater authority of old wives' tales, you are more likely to have morning sickness when a girl is in your tummy.

A boy, it is said, waits until he's born to upset you!

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Due for an Overhaul?

Overall, do you feel well or not so well during pregnancy?

Let's not question the wisdom or logic of this folklore, but it is said that bearing a son is the more comfortable way to go.

Having a daughter, it is said, makes for a more troublesome pregnancy.


I have felt really good this entire pregnancy.... To the point if it weren't for the positive pregnancy tests I wouldn't have thought I was pregnant at all. I had sore boobs towards the beginning and have been peeing a bunch. But that's about it. No real morning sickness, no major food aversions, no major cravings. So I think we need to add two boy votes (Matt may just be wrong about "this little girl growing inside me"!

Running Total: 
Boy: 4
Girl: 5

Week 18

 

How far along:  18 weeks down, 22 weeks to go

This week baby is the size of: a mango. The chalkboard above is wrong. Now that I'm officially 18 weeks baby is 6 inches and 0.5 ounces. So in a week he/she grew half an inch!

Next appointment: This Friday!  

Exercise: My exercise this past week consisted of walking at the park while babysitting and window shopping at local stores. 

Stretch marks: None

Swelling: my belly is swelling :) or growing rather :)

Maternity clothes:  Yep, I've noticed they make me look more pregnant and less like I ate too much. Now if only I could find a pregnant hoodie- it's starting to get cold here. What happened to warm fall weather?!? 

Belly button: No changes yet

Sleep: I  definitely haven't been sleeping the way that I used to. 

Food cravings/aversions:  I made some Mexican corn salad that was amazing!  I could eat it by the bowlful. (It's basically corn, red and green peppers, tomatoes, and  cucumbers.) YUMM!  So I guess my cravings are vegetables. And still salty foods and ice cold water. 

Symptoms: My belly is growing!  My stomach has been feeling weird recently. It's strange not knowing what is normal and what is abnormal. I've been assuming everything is normal unless it hurts really bad or I'm bleeding. Anyway, sometimes when I walk, or sit and cross my legs, or pull my legs up to sit cross cross applesauce my stomach is uncomfortable. I would describe it as tender. I guess baby doesn't like the pressure. I'll add it to my "ask the doctor" list. 

Movement: When I lay down at night I *think* I feel something. Today I leaned over the bed and really thought I felt "bubbles". If this isn't baby I know I will start to feel him/her soon! 

Labor signs: No. 

What I miss: My husband

What I'm loving: Matt has been so amazing. He puts up with my random crying, makes me breakfast in bed, made me Rice Krispy treats, helps with the dishes and laundry. Talks to the baby, rubs my back. A girl can get used to this! 

What I'm looking forward to: our appointment Friday and feeling baby and *knowing* it is baby. 

Best moment this week: Matt got to come to life group this week :) We also got the chance to eat lunch with his aunt. 

Milestones:  Our baby can now yawn! 

Goals: Make lots of money at our yard sale Saturday