A {Baby} Story

Before I went into labor with Sophia, I heard two recurring things from other mommies of more than one about labor and delivery the second time around:

1. Every labor is different.

and

2. The second labor is much easier than the first.

And I’d have to say that I completely agree with the first statement. My second labor was definitely different. But easier? I’m not sure I’d go that far.  The second labor (for me) proved to be slightly more…complicated.

But I’m getting ahead of myself – let’s start at the beginning.

October 8, my due date, came and went uneventfully. Truthfully, that was the last day I expected to have the baby. I mean, how many women actually deliver on the day they are due? And given the fact that I was a week overdue with Lily, I really wasn’t surprised that I was continuing the trend with this pregnancy. Part of me was hoping I would go into labor on Sunday so the baby would have a really cool birthday – 10/10/10 – but, no such luck.

Monday morning came and I hadn’t even had a hint of a contraction since my appointment a week ago. I headed to the doctor for yet another round of ultrasounds and non stress tests. When I walked in the room, the ultrasound tech {who by now knew me by name} said, “I was really hoping I wouldn’t see you in here today.”

Ditto.

She went to work measuring the baby and checking the amount of fluid and then she said, “Well, I think you’ll be having that baby soon. Your fluid levels have dropped.” They had gone from being at around 7 {considered low-normal} to a 5.3. Evidently, when levels are at a 5 or below, it is considered low and they start to become concerned for the baby’s well being.

Not only that, but the baby’s baseline heart rate was registering low on the non-stress test. Not alarmingly so, but combined with my low fluid levels and the fact that I was several days past my due date, the doctor suggested that we induce labor the following day.

I wasn’t crazy about being induced, but I also didn’t want to risk anything happening to the baby, so I agreed and we set the appointment – 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 12.

The nice thing about being induced, of course, was that I had time to go home and double-check to make sure I had everything ready to go. Bags were packed, the house was freshly cleaned, my mom was all lined up to take care of Lily, and we headed out the door at 5:30 the next morning feeling well prepared.

My plan was to ask the doctor if they could break my water before they started the Pitocin, just to see if maybe things would progress on their own. That didn’t happen.

When we got to the hospital, our {super awesome} nurse told us that the doctor was in a surgery at another hospital and she had instructions to start me on the Pitocin until the doctor arrived to break my water – she expected it would just be a couple of hours. So she got me all I.V.-ed up and at around 7, started pumping the Pitocin in.

I had heard all kinds of horror stories about how much worse contractions are with Pitocin, but to be honest, they didn’t feel any worse to me. Every once in awhile, the nurse would come back in and bump up the amount of Pitocin and they’d get a little stronger, but nothing unbearable.

So we waited. And waited. And waited.

A couple of hours passed…still no sign of the doctor.

9:00.

10:00.

11:00.

At this point, the contractions were strong enough that I needed to breathe through them, but not bad enough that I felt like I needed an epidural, but I had a feeling that once they broke my water…if the doctor ever came to do that!…things were going to get ugly. So I asked the nurse if she could go ahead and order one for me. She agreed, and said it would give her a good excuse to call my doctor and find out where she was.

Not two minutes later, in strolled one of the other doctors in the practice – she wasn’t on call but she was the one who had ordered the induction for me and had come in on her day off to see how I was – and she broke my water for me while she was there.

And I was right. Things started to get ugly.

My pain levels went from like a low 5 to a 10 almost instantly. Luckily, I only had to wait another 30 minutes or so before the anesthesiologist arrived to give me the epidural.

At about the same time, there was a change in shifts and we got a new nurse. They checked my cervix and said I had gone from a 3 to about a 4. I couldn’t believe that was all the further I had progressed after all that time. At this rate, I’d be in labor FOREVER! At least, it felt that way :)

The nurses told me to let them know if I started feeling any pain with contractions again, or got the urge to push and said they’d be back to check on me again in about an hour.

Not 5 minutes after they left, I started feeling pain on my left side. I told Dave I was feeling contractions again and we debated whether or not to get the nurse, but I decided to wait. I mean…I had just been at a 4 – I couldn’t possibly already be completely dilated, could I?

But the pain just kept getting worse and on top of that, I was feeling extremely nauseous so finally we buzzed the nurse and she came in to check me again.

Surprise, surprise – I had gone from being dilated to a 4 to a 10 in the space of about 15 minutes. It was pushing time. Except…

“Don’t push yet,” the nurse told me, “because this is your second baby and her head is right there, it’s not going to take long and we need to call your doctor.”

So they called. No answer.

Tried again.

No answer. Left a voicemail.

Called the office. They said, “We don’t know where she is and we can’t get ahold of her either.”

FAN-TASTIC.

The nurses were super nice but I could tell they were annoyed with the doctor, and since we had no way of knowing how long it would be before she could get there, they offered to give me a boost in my epidural to help me hold off a little longer. I readily agreed.

A couple of minutes later yet another doctor from my practice walked in – the office had sent him as a replacement for the doctor on call since nobody seemed to know where she was. Finally! This baby was gonna be delivered. Except…

That little “boost” in my epidural had worked – a little too well. I couldn’t feel to push – like at all. I was trying but nothing was happening. So the doctor instructed them to turn off my epidural and call him when I started to feel pain again.

At this point, I was exhausted and on the verge of tears. I felt like I could have had this baby hours ago were it not for all the waiting on the doctors that we had been doing.

It took about 20 more minutes, but I finally started to feel the urge to push and just about that time, who should walk in but THE DOCTOR? The one who was on call that we had been waiting for ALL DAY? She said something was wrong with her phone and she hadn’t been getting any calls until about 15 minutes ago.

I was like “Yada, yada, yada, just let me deliver this baby already!”

And so I did.

Just a few pushes and about 10 minutes later, the doctor handed me our beautiful, screaming, pink baby girl.

Sophia Grace.

Suddenly, all the pain and the waiting and the frustration seemed…worth it.

Totally worth it.

Meet Sophia…

Birth Announcements by WiddlyTinks.com

Goin’ to the hospital and we’re gonna have a bay-ay-ay-bee…

Well, not right this second we’re not.

But we’ve set a date.

October 12 {yes, that would be tomorrow}, 6:00 {yes that would be A.M. -- ugh} I will be induced.

I’m sure I’ll have plenty of details to share with you once it’s all said and done, but just for fun, while you’re waiting, anyone want to take a guess at the name we have picked out?

Next time you see me, Lord willing I’ll be holding a baby in my arms and not in my belly :)

And, oh yeah – your prayers are appreciated :)

Happy Monday!

Lately…

• …the weather has been PERFECT and Lily and I have been spending practically every day outside – trips to the park, long walks around our neighborhood, and lots of playtime in her new sandbox.
  
  Our summer? Crazy. And the rest of our fall? Probably gonna be crazier. But this little sliver of time sandwiched in between the two? Perfect.
  
• …had my 39 week check up today. Another ultrasound and non-stress test, after which they informed me several times, “that’s a happy baby in there” and told me they wished every baby “performed” as well on their tests.
  
  Well.
  
  I’m certainly glad to hear she’s doing fine, but let’s just hope she’s not so happy in there that she decides she doesn’t want to come out.
  
  On a positive note, the doctor did tell me I’m dilated to a 2 almost 3 and 75% effaced and if you don’t know what that means you are going to just have to go somewhere else to find out because I’m not about to explain it to you here :)
     Here’s my 39 weeks and 2 days belly shot. Much as I’d love to lead you to believe that I look this stylish and put together every day, I must confess that these were taken right before church. 
   
• …we went to a local apple orchard/pumpkin patch on Saturday. SO much fun.
  

She LOVED spending time with cousin Morgan…

…having a tea party at the Mad Hatter’s table with Daddy……playing in all the little houses that were just her size…

…sliding into the “corn pool”……making “corn angels” {only in Iowa…}

…the Jumping Pillow…

{although I think Dave enjoyed it even more than Lily did ;) }

…the giant slide…

…and the hayride!

We ended our trip eating fresh, hot from the oven cider donuts and drinking cold apple cider.

And we bought some fudge.

So anyway, if you need me in the next few days, it’s more than likely that I will be one of two places:

1. The hospital

or

2. Outside

The End
{for now}

A Birthday Story, Part Two

To read Part 1, click here.

******************

After the epidural, both Dave and I were able to lay down and get some rest. I don’t remember exactly how long we slept but it had probably been a couple of hours when the shifts changed and a new nurse came in.

This one was all business. She checked me, clapped her hands, and said, “Ok. Let’s get things moving here.”

After a quick call to my doctor, she broke my water, and told me that she was able to tell from the color of the liquid that Lily had passed the meconium (the first stool) in the womb. This wasn’t unusual for a past due baby, but it meant that they were going to need to suction her lungs out after delivery, to make sure she hadn’t swallowed any of it.

The rest of the day mostly just involved a lot of resting and waiting. I mostly slept while Dave ate lunch, watched TV, and read a book.

The exact time is fuzzy, but probably somewhere around 3 p.m. our nurse came in with another nurse. She explained that Brinda (the new nurse) would be taking care of me while she went to assist the lady in the room next to me, who was apparently having twins. Brinda was a little less experienced with multiple births so she would stick with me.

More resting. More waiting.

And then, finally – I was at a 10. It was a little after 4:00 p.m. and it was time to push. Brinda walked me through the steps and off we went.

After about 15 minutes, I started to notice something. I was feeling things again. Like, pain. Major pain.

In between pushes I said, “I think my epidural stopped working.”

Sure enough, the little bag pumping the drug through my system was pretty much empty.

“It’s too late to give you any more…sorry.”

It wasn’t long before I was feeling the full force of the contractions, and my body was clearly not happy about it. I could feel myself shaking but it was like I couldn’t stop it and then I knew I was going to throw up…and I did, several times.

(I’m sorry. I probably should have warned you not to read this while you are eating.)

I think it was at this point that I looked at Dave in desperation and whispered, “I don’t think I can do this!”

After about 30 minutes of pushing total the nurse told me to stop. Lily was coming faster than she thought and the doctor wasn’t there yet. In fact, he was at another hospital and we had to wait for him to come.

The next 20 minutes felt like hours. They kept telling me to breath through my contractions when everything in me was practically screaming at me to PUSH! I was this close to saying, “Forget the doctor, you catch the baby!” when in strolled my doctor.

Two quick pushes and, at 5:06 p.m. on September 22, 2008, Lily was born. I can’t even begin to describe the feelings that washed over me in the moment, but if you’ve ever had a baby, you understand.

Relief and joy and amazement. Laughter and tears all mixed up as one.

Today she is two, and she’s every bit as precious to me now as she was then.

Would somebody pass me a tissue, please?

A Birthday Story

With Lily’s birthday being this week and the impending birth of our second child, I’ve been thinking a lot about my first labor and delivery and how it all went down. And it occurred to me that since I didn’t have a blog when Lily was first born, many of you don’t know how it happened.

And since everybody loves a good labor and delivery story (or wait…is that just me?) I thought it would be fun to revisit that special day. So travel back in time with me…

*******

It was 2 years ago today, September 21st – a Sunday. I was nearly a week past my due date and after a somewhat discouraging doctor’s appointment the previous Friday where they told me there was “no change”, they had scheduled me to be induced.

I didn’t want to be induced, but at this point, I was sooo ready. Ready to be done with the pregnancy and move into this new phase of life.

Ready to not have people asking me, “Haven’t you had that baby yet?”

(Look at me. Does it look like I’ve had the baby yet? No. But thanks for the reminder)

I would go to the hospital the next evening (Monday) where they would give me some Cervidil to prepare my cervix for induction. I was…nervously excited.

I can remember the most mundane details about that Sunday.

• We ate Mexican for lunch with my little brother (you know, spicy food).
• Dave got his haircut at Great Clips (just in time for taking pictures at the hospital).
• I wore my favorite maternity dress to church that night (for the last time).
• Dave played basketball with some guys after church and I reminded him to keep his phone close by (just in case).
• I made a list of things to do the next day to keep my mind occupied and help the time pass until we went to the hospital the next evening.

I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions off and on all day – nothing regular, but I did notice before I went to bed that it seemed like they were occurring a little more frequently. Like, maybe every 30 minutes or so. Nothing too concerning. We went to bed.

And then I had the strangest dream. I don’t remember any other details other than that in the dream, I had a horrible stomachache. Like, the worst stomach pain in the world.

Then I woke up.

And I realized, “Hey this isn’t a dream, my stomach really does hurt.”

Wait a second…

I was having contractions – painful contractions – and they seemed fairly close together. I didn’t want to wake Dave up until I was certain this was the real thing so I headed downstairs and started timing.

Seven minutes apart.

Then five minutes.

Deep breaths.

“Um, Dave? I think we might need to go the hospital.”

He jolted out of bed, and stood groggily looking around, still a little sleep confused.

“Really? You’re in labor?”

“Yeah…at least…I think I am.”

We called the doctor, grabbed our bags, and headed towards the hospital. The drive took only 20 minutes but it felt like hours. Confined to the space of the car the contractions felt 10 times worse. By the time we got to the hospital, I was convinced I was going to drop the baby out on the pavement before we even made it to the maternity ward. I had to be dilated to at least an 8 or 9, I was sure of it.

But we made it to the maternity ward (after a few stops to huff and puff) and they started getting me checked in. I don’t remember much of what they did, but I do remember the nurse asking me to rate my pain on a scale of 1-10.

“Ummm…an eight? At least.”

She kind of grinned (What are you smiling about lady? I see nothing funny about this) and then said, “Well, you’re dilated to a 2 1/2, almost a 3.”

Two and a half?

TWO. AND. A. HALF????

AND WE’RE GOING ALL THE WAY TO TEN??????????

“Are you going to want an epidural?” she asked…I think already knowing what my answer would be.

“Yes. Please.”

I have heard stories of women who don’t even realize they are in labor until they are dilated to an 8 or a 9. I have had friends who walk around for weeks dilated to a 3 with no contractions and it never ceases to amaze me. I know every woman is different, and all I can say is I must have gotten the short end of the labor stick because my contractions? They were intense.

Either that, or I’m just a huge wimp.

Probably a little of both :)

After another hour of huffing and puffing I had progressed to a 3 and the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural. I had heard horror stories about the size of the needle and how painful it would be but to be honest with you, it didn’t bother me at all, and oh the relief I felt when he got it in and I could relax.

By this time it was close to 5 a.m. and the nurse urged us to get some sleep so we could rest up for what was ahead…

To be continued…

It’s Almost Time…

Just a quick update – I went for my scheduled OB appointment this morning and they did another ultrasound to recheck my fluid levels.

Turns out, my levels have decreased so they are going to induce labor. Here comes baby!

JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!

I know, I know. That’s how rumors get started. But I couldn’t resist :) Did you believe me, even for a second? :)

I did have my appointment, they did do an ultrasound, and my fluid levels did decrease – but only a tiny bit, not enough for them to be seriously concerned. The doctor said they will continue to monitor the fluid with each appointment (meaning more ultrasounds and non-stress tests) but she was confident that I was not leaking fluid and there was no need to be concerned as long as things continue to progress normally: i.e. the baby keeps moving and I don’t notice any leakage.

She also told me that this was probably going to be a “small baby”. I believe I remember hearing them say the exact same thing about Lily – in fact, one of my doctors confidently proclaimed that there was no way she was going to weigh more than 7 pounds. She was 8 lbs. 3 oz. So we will see.

I’m dilated to a 1.5 and 50% effaced – really, I’m hoping the baby holds off coming until after Lily’s birthday (on Wednesday!) and her party (on Saturday!). I’d hate for her special day to be upstaged by the new baby’s birth. But, all in God’s timing!

My mom reminded me that she was a week early with her second baby, but I’m mentally preparing myself to go past my due date. It’s just easier not to get my hopes up :)

Anyway. That’s enough unnecessary details about my pregnancy for today. I’m sure you’re all ready for me to have this baby so I can talk about something else for Pete’s sake!

Happy Monday!

Photo Booth Friday: 37 Weeks

I kept meaning to do a 36 week post last week and never did, so here we are at 37 weeks:

My doctor’s appointment earlier this week was a little more eventful than most.

I am, apparently, measuring small – I’d love for someone to please tell that to my skin as right now it is feeling like it’s stretched almost to the breaking point :)

Anyway, so just to be on the safe side they did another ultrasound to make sure the baby is growing the way it should be and my fluid levels were ok. Actually, this didn’t really come as too much of a surprise – the same thing happened at about this point in my pregnancy with Lily.

Everything checked out great – they estimated the baby at 6 lbs. 2 oz. and confirmed that yes it is DEFINITELY a girl! My fluid levels were normal, but they were on the low side of normal, so they’ll do another ultrasound at my next appointment just to be sure they aren’t decreasing. I’m not complaining – ultrasounds are fun :)

As long as they levels remain steady, everything should continue as normal, and if they’re decreasing…well, actually I’m not really sure what happens then. The doctor didn’t really seem too concerned and I’m not either, since we went through this with Lily and everything was fine.

Other than that, no real new pregnancy news! Won’t be long now!

Hope you all are having a fantastic Friday!

Photo Booth Friday #31 : 34 Weeks

Have you ever given someone an automatic response in a conversation that made absolutely no sense at all? Like, when your waiter says, “Enjoy your meal,” and you say without thinking, “You too!”

Well, I did that the other day. Not the waiter thing, but something equally stupid.

We just had some new neighbors move in down the street and we went to meet them the other day. A snippet of our conversation:

New Neighbor Lady: So Lily is 2, and you’re second one is due when?

Me: October 8th

New Neighbor Lady: Oh, that’s great! I’m due December 12th.

Me: Oh wow, congratulations! I couldn’t even tell that you’re pregnant!

New Neighbor Lady: Yeah, it kind of depends on what I wear.

Me: Yeah, me too.

ME TOO???

Really Amy? REALLY?

I’m pretty sure that at this point it doesn’t matter what I wear, there’s no hiding the fact that I’m pregnant.

So much for making a good first impression. Hopefully she’ll just blame it on the pregnancy brain :)

In other pregnancy news, I think we’ve hit some unofficial milestones. I’ve reached the point in my pregnancy where…

• …it doesn’t matter how stretchy the material is, all of my clothes feel tight…
• …my belly itches.
• …I get heartburn from drinking a glass of water and never leave the house without toting my economy size Tums along with me…
• …when I sit down I’m afraid I might not make it back up unless someone helps me.
• …my belly itches.
• …painting my toenails is a gymnastics feat.
• …so is shaving my legs.
• …did I mention that my belly itches?

And then new with this pregnancy – insomnia. It’s the weirdest thing but I just can’t sleep. I don’t think I’ve woken up feeling really rested for going on 3 weeks now. It’s not even really that I’m uncomfortable, it’s just like my brain won’t shut down.

I would say that I can’t wait to have the baby so I can sleep again, but, well…anyone who has ever had a newborn will recognize the irony of that statement.

Still, overall I can’t complain. So far a healthy, normal pregnancy and we’re praying that in 6 weeks (give or take a few) we’ll have a healthy, normal baby.

Photo Booth Friday #30 : 32 Weeks

Happy thirty two weeks pregnant to me!

Part of me can hardly believe we’ve hit this milestone already. Eight {or at the most nine} weeks from now, we will have another baby in the house. Wowsa! That seems fast.

According to BabyCenter, the baby is roughly 16.7 inches long, which is really just a nice way of saying that it’s now big enough to step on my bladder and elbow me in the ribs simultaneously.

And seriously, I think the baby is literally standing on my bladder. It’s not unusual for me to get up to go to the bathroom three, sometimes even four times a night. I don’t really remember how often I had to go with Lily, but I’m positive it wasn’t nearly this much.

I’ve also been having Braxton Hicks contractions – usually after I’ve been exercising or moving around a lot although I woke up in the middle of the night with some last night. I’m not gonna lie, it made me a little nervous at first, but they went away.

But I can’t complain – both this and my last pregnancy have been blissfully uncomplicated and I’m thankful that minor aches and pains are really all I have to talk about.

Here’s a current belly shot…I think I’m getting progressively worse at taking pictures, if that’s even possible…

Lily wanted in on the picture and it was actually a pretty good one, but I forgot to turn the flash off…

…so we had to take another one, which as you can see, did not make Lily very happy. And it’s blurry. Oh well. Maybe I should start making Dave take these for me instead of trying to do it myself :)

 

Happy Friday!

Photo Booth Friday: 28 Weeks

Funny how the first time you’re pregnant you keep diligent track of every week of your pregnancy, but by the second time around you can barely remember what trimester you’re in.

I actually Googled, “When does the third trimester start” the other day because I couldn’t for the life of me remember.  According to Baby Center:

“You are only technically pregnant 266 days if you go full term. The 280 days is full term plus 2 weeks prior to ovulation--when you weren't even pregnant. If you go by the 40 weeks (280 days) …the math would be 13.3 weeks and you would be in your third about 27 weeks. If you go by 266 days, you would be starting your third trimester in the 25th week. So, docs go between 25-28 weeks for that reason.”

Well that certainly clears things up.

Let’s just say the third trimester starts at 28 weeks, m’kay?

Here’s a shot of my 28 week bump:

And this is what I see what I see when I look down…do you see my toes playing Where’s Waldo?

I watch a little girl every Monday and this week she asked me:

“Why is your tummy getting so big? Are you really full?”

Yeah, something like that :)

We’re Having A….

Happy Monday morning to you!

Thanks so much for all of your anniversary wishes! We had a fantastic time on our little anniversary getaway and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

But first, a little order of business :)

Remember how I told you we were scheduled for a second ultrasound in June, and we were hoping to find out the gender of our baby then?

Well.

We had our second ultrasound on June 1st. And they were able to tell what the baby’s gender was…but we asked them not to tell us. Instead, we had them write it down and put it in an envelope for us to open later…to be precise, we wanted to wait until our anniversary to open it.

I know. Aren’t we sentimental fools? :)

Actually, I was ready to open the envelope the second we stepped out of the doctor’s office…but Dave made me wait. Meanie :)

So anyway…this weekend on our drive north we found out the long anticipated news…

BOY or GIRL?

And I won’t torture you any longer because I know you’re all dying to know…and because one of you is going to win a prize for guessing the right gender!

Are you ready??

Time for me to start digging out the tubs of Lily’s baby clothes because  
we’re having another girl!!!

And congratulations to Jenn! Out of all the people who correctly guessed the gender, her name was drawn as the winner of the $5 gift card!

Fun Fact: Jenn’s little boy Dane and Lily were born just a few weeks apart.
And now Jenn is pregnant with her second and due just a couple weeks before me!

Jenn, send me an email and let me know what your address is and whether you’d like a Target, Sonic, or Starbucks card!

*********

Oh, and by the way…both Dave and I were super surprised. We were pretty sure it was a boy. But I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have two little girls! I always wanted a sister growing up so I’m thrilled that Lily will get that chance!

Plus I can dress them up like TWINS! :)

Alrighty. I’ve got suitcases to unpack and a pile of laundry to tackle. Tomorrow I’ll tell you all about our anniversary getaway!

Have a great day!

I’m In No Hurry

I know it’s fairly typical for pregnant women to be anxious for the end of the 9 months…especially once they hit that final trimester and all the “newness” of the pregnancy has worn off.

And I get it. You’re tired. You get uncomfortable. It’s hard to sleep. And bend over. You start to want your body back to at least some semblance of normal. You wish you could sleep on your stomach and paint your toenails without doing crazy contortions.

But the truth is…I’m in no hurry.

Because I know, no matter how difficult things are during pregnancy, it’s always easier when the baby is on the inside.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m excited to have another little one to snuggle. And I can’t wait to see what he/she is going to look like.

But honestly? This is a time in my life that will be like no other. These are the last days of me being mommy to just one. And I’m trying to soak up every single second I have with just me and my little girl.

When that baby comes it is going to require a lot of attention and care. Lily being the older one will be more self sufficient, and while we’ll do everything we can to make sure we divide our time, it’s not going to be like it is now – probably not ever again.

So even as I anticipate the arrival of our new little one, I’ll be enjoying these precious  moments with this little sweetheart.

No hurry.

I Told You I Was Scatterbrained…

One of these things is not like the others…

Oh pregnant brain…how I’ve missed blaming my stupidity on you!

Photo Booth Friday #27 : 20 Weeks

Well, it’s official! I’m halfway through my 2nd pregnancy.

And WOW, did the first half ever fly by. If the second half goes that quickly, we’ll be snuggling a newborn before we know it!

The past couple of weeks I feel like my belly has really *popped*. Maternity clothes aren’t a must yet, but I have a feeling it won’t be long now.

And just for some comparison – because I just can’t seem to help myself :) – here’s a picture of me 2 years ago, on May 23, 2008. I was 23 weeks pregnant with Lily:

It’s a little different angle, but I still think my current belly looks bigger…by a long shot.

Hope you all have a happy Friday!

No, I Did Not…

No, I did not  have a craving for hot dogs today.

Nope.

I’m pregnant after all. Another human being is depending on me for nutrition. Hot dogs are not nutritious.

No, I did not make a special trip to Target.

Just for hot dogs.

And buns.

Because that would be ridiculous.

And unhealthy.

No, I did not eat two some hot dogs for lunch.

Nope.

But if I had, I’ll bet they would have been delicious :)

An Ultrasound, A Contest, and a Giveaway!

Note: This might be officially my longest post EVER. But hang in there, because there’s a giveaway at the end, and it’s a good one – the biggest I’ve ever done! How’s that for bribery ;)

Happy day-after-Mother’s-Day!!! Hope you had a great weekend!

We kicked our weekend off with an early Mother’s Day present for me:

Seeing our newest little munchkin for the first time on ultrasound. It never gets old! Everything looked normal and healthy – two words that are music to any expecting parent’s ears.

Saturday Dave gave me my second early Mother’s Day present:

{Don’t mind that sippy cup – Lily’s already made herself at home}

It.is.FINISHED.

Well, we’ve still got to attach the  mantel,  but the rest of it is done. Officially the hardest, longest, most frustrating DIY project that we have done to date. Next we’ll be painting – both the living room and the bedroom!

Sunday morning I got to sleep in a little and when I came downstairs I saw this yummy breakfast waiting for me:

 
Of course I shared bites with this little cutie:

And then I got my final present – a a sweet card and Peanut Butter Dove Promises:

Mmmmm…chocolate and peanut butter…he knows the way to my heart :)

We had lunch at Outback with my family, came home for a little rest, then headed to my parent’s house to hang out and grill in the evening.

All in all, a very good weekend. I’m so thankful God gave me a reason to celebrate Mother’s Day!

AND NOW FOR SOME FUN!

Remember how I told you we wanted to find out the gender of our baby?

Well…we didn’t. Or rather, we couldn’t. The little stinker kept it’s legs crossed and it’s feet curled up the whole time.

I was sooo disappointed, until the doctor told me he was going to schedule us for another ultrasound at our 22 week appointment. So *cross your fingers* we hope to find out then!

And while we’re waiting, I thought we’d have a little fun with it – so I’m hosting a “Guess the Gender of Our Baby” contest!

Here’s the scoop – to enter, all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post with your guess as to whether we’re having a boy or a girl.

In addition, you can earn  TWO ADDITIONAL ENTRIES by doing the following:

1) Become a follower – just click on the button on the left-hand side of the page. If you’re already a follower, great! Just leave me a comment to remind me.

Sample comment: I follow!

2) Blog about it! – Or if you don’t have a blog, put a notice up on your Facebook page with a link to my blog. Then come back here and leave me a comment letting me know you did it.

Sample comment: I blogged about it!

And just what exactly is in it for you?

The winner will receive  a $50.00 gift card graciously provided by CSN Stores.

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find tv stands, furniture, home decor, and more!

The gift card will be good at any of CSN’s 200 online stores. And seriously – there is something for everyone here!

I mean, they’ve got an entire website dedicated to just shoes – who doesn’t love shoes?

But I think if I won the gift card, I’d probably end up spending it at their cookware site.

Le Creuset, anyone?

But wait…there’s more!!!!

You have until midnight on Wednesday to enter and I’ll be randomly selecting a winner sometime this Thursday, May 13th.

That’s right…you don’t even have to guess the gender right to win!

BUT…

there will be a special prize for one of you who does guess the gender! Once we find out {sometime in mid-June} I will draw another name from those who correctly guessed the gender. And that lucky person will receive a $5.00 gift card to their choice of either Target, Sonic, or Starbucks.

Whew!

Did you get all that? There’s so many chances to win, I don’t know what you’re waiting for! Leave a comment (or two or three) already!!

Some Random Thoughts

Because I’m feeling too lazy to think up an actual post:

• We had the stomach flu this past weekend. And by “we” I really do mean “we”. All three of us. Lily on Saturday, then Dave and I simultaneously late Sunday night/early Monday morning.
  
  
• FYI: I do not recommend being sick at the same time as your spouse. At least not when you have a busy little toddler to take care of. Luckily, Grandma came to our rescue! It’s times like these that make me realize how lucky we are to have family nearby. I don’t know what we would’ve done without her!
  
  
• I lost five pounds. Which ordinarily would be a cause for celebration, but unfortunately, weight loss isn’t really what you’re going for when you’re pregnant.
  
  
• Speaking of the baby, ultrasound’s on Friday! Super excited, but also for some reason kind of nervous this time around. I just keep thinking about all the things that “could” be wrong – continually having to bring those thoughts captive and hand them over to the Lord!
  
  
• Just found out that my brother Brad and his wife Jenny {the ones who just moved} are expecting and due in November, just a month after we are! Sooo super excited!!
  
  
• I’m planning an anniversary trip for Dave and I, and I’m SUPER excited! Nothing huge, just a little getaway for just the two of us. Usually that’s the kind of thing that he does for me so I’m having fun turning the tables and trying to think of fun things that he will enjoy. He doesn’t know where we’re going {actually…neither do I exactly…not yet} just that he needs to take two specific days off work. So I can’t give you any of the juicy details otherwise it will spoil the surprise. But I’ll be sure to fill you in once we’re back.
  
  
• Is there such a thing as a “fruitatarian”? {as opposed to a vegetarian}. Because if so, I’m pretty sure Lily would fall into that category. I have never seen a person eat so much fruit! I’ll bet she gets twice as much as she actually needs in a day – at least it’s healthy! Now as for vegetables? That’s a whole ‘nother story…if you have suggestions about how to get children to eat their veggies, I am all ears.
  
  
• I accidentally left an entire, unopened gallon of milk in the trunk of our car on Saturday afternoon and didn’t realize it until Sunday morning. Darn you pregnant brain! Dave insisted that “it still smelled good” and “we could probably drink it and be just fine” but,  I mean…seriously. It spent the entire night in a room temperature car trunk…I wasn’t having anything to do with it.
  
  
• And a picture…’cause it’s cute:

I love this girl!

Happy Wednesday!

Let Me Just Answer Some of Your Lingering Questions

They’re the questions every pregnant woman gets asked one meeellion times between now and the time she gives birth. And since I know some of you won’t be around to ask me in person, I’ll cover them here. You’re welcome :)

When are you due/How far along are you?

I’m 15 weeks, due October 8th. Just for a little perspective, that falls about two and a half weeks after Lily’s second birthday.

Also, October is evidently a very popular birth month in our family. The 7th is my nephew’s birthday, the 8th is my brother’s birthday, the 9th is my brother-in-laws birthday, and the 22nd is my sister-in-laws birthday. Why not throw another one in the mix? :)

How are you feeling?

Of all the questions, this one probably gets asked the MOST. The answer? GREAT! The first trimester I was a little iffy, but I really can’t complain. I wasn’t really sick, like vomiting, but I didn’t really feel like eating. Ironically, the less I ate, the worse I felt so me and the box of Saltine crackers were practically inseparable for the first 13 weeks.

The 2nd trimester has been good to me though, and my appetite is back with a vengeance.

Are you going to find out the gender?

Yes {if we can}. I’m far too curious {and far too much of a planner} to NOT know. And there are no plans to be mysterious about it, either. Keeping secrets really isn’t my forte :) So once we know, you will too. The name, however, will be a secret. It’s just easier that way :)

Do you want a boy or a girl?

Yes, it’s cliche but “as long as it’s healthy, we don’t care.” Really, we’re happy either way. We want at least one boy, so that would be cool. But we’ve also got everything we need for a girl already, so…either/or.

Oh, and the ultrasound is in 3 weeks – so we should know soon!

Any cravings?

Uhh….food?

Were you planning it?

Not that it’s really anybody’s business :) but for some reason, people always want to know…yes. We always said we wanted to time our kids out about 2 years apart, and evidently that is matching up with God’s timing as well.

How are you feeling compared to your last pregnancy?

So far, this pregnancy has felt exactly like my first, with a couple of exceptions.

1. Dry skin – with Lily, I actually was breaking out the first few months, with this pregnancy my skin has felt more dry (and it’s already fairly dry to begin with). Somebody told me that girls make  you break out, boys make your skin dry. I don’t know if that’s an old wives’ tale or not but I guess we’ll find out :)
   
   
2. My belly – it’s showing, like, waaaayy sooner than before. With Lily, I don’t think my belly started to pop until like 20, 21 weeks?
   
   This picture was taken exactly two years and one month ago (March 15, 2008) when I was preggers with Lily – I was 14 weeks.
   

Right now, at 15 weeks I can’t even get that shirt buttoned.

Here’s a current belly shot:
{Pardon the awkward arm angle. I’m not good at self-portraits}

   So my question…to all you mommies of more than one…does the fact that I’m showing sooner with number 2 mean that by 40 weeks I’ll be HUGE??

Please say no :)

I think that about covers it. Believe me, by the end of 40 weeks, you’ll be as ready as I am for me to have the baby – so I’ll stop blabbing about it :)

Does This Skirt Make My Butt Look Big?

Because I have a feeling I’m going to be wearing it an awful lot these next 9 months…

Of course, I doubt anyone will be paying attention to the size of my backside because they’ll be so distracted by the size of my belly!

 

Lily’s  counting down the days until OCTOBER…

…and so are we!