The Name Game Part II

Okay, I need to come clean. In a previous post I mentioned that we had a name picked out for Baby G. We did, but Dad changed his mind. So we are back at square one. Well, not completely - we do have a middle name: Christopher. I'm opening the floor to suggestions - serious ones, nothing like "Bullet" or anything like that, please.

Also, in random news...we are going to a wedding on Friday and I am so excited! All this wedding stuff makes me remember our wedding, which was THE BEST WEDDING EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE EARTH. I'm not kidding. I worked my butt off to plan a fabulous affair and it came off beautifully. Here are some pictures!






Also, if you want to see the amature video of our wedding (LOL) there is a link on this blog somewhere. It's short and sweet, don't worry. And no, we didn't cry.

New belly pic!

Shawn took a pic of me this morning - look, my face! LOL. Here I am @ 21weeks 5days. Baby G is moving right along and looking good!

It's my birthday!

No, for real, it's my birthday today. I know, how lame to post about my own birthday, but too bad! How old am I? Ugh...wouldn't you rather know how much I weigh?

.................

.................

.................

Fine, I'm 26 today. I know that's not a bad age, but it's a little freaky when you cross the hump from "closer to 20" to the dreaded "closer to 30." I hope that doesn't offend those of you in the "30ish" crowd, but come on, you were all once in my shoes and afraid of turning the big three-oh.

I looked online to find out what happened on my birthday and, well, a lot of it's not pretty. Like this gem:

"In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons” from being admitted to the United States. "

What in the world? My mom has epilepsy! Jeez. Not that she was an immigrant but it doesn't make her incapable of anything.

I also found this gem:

"1992 - Texas billionaire Ross Perot, appearing on CNN’s "Larry King Live", said he would run for president of the U.S. if his name was placed on the ballot in all 50 states."

Wow. I am truly honored to share my birthday with this historic day.

Honestly, nothing that super happened on 'this day in history' but I'm sure it will be a good, normal day - I'm still going to work and all I plan on doing is not cooking dinner. It's going to be pretty laid back. Gone are the days that you'd take your birthday + the day after off because you'd be having way too much fun to go to work! (Like my 22nd birthday - Shawn took me to Vegas - that was a great birthday!) I suppose it's all a part of getting older.

Miracle Baby!

So, this week I hit 21 weeks. Not really a huge milestone - I consider the next big one to be 25 weeks, when hospitals will make an effort to rescue a premature baby and babies born that early can survive. I'm not at risk for premature labor, but it's just something you think about when you're a worrier like me.

Shawn forwarded me a story today about a truly miraculous birth that, when you read it, you just know that God had His Hands on the situation the whole time. (Not that His Hands aren't in everything already, but this story is so awesome!)

This is a picture of a baby born at 21 weeks, 5 days gestation. I will be 21 weeks and 5 days on Friday of this week, and this is what Baby G would look like if he was born that early:


click to make it bigger!!

A bit bigger than a pen! She was 10 ounces and 9.5 inches when she was born - and she took a breath! That itself is amazing. In the article, it's pointed out that most hospitals will not make an effort to save (through resuscitation) a baby even at 22 weeks. God definitely blessed this child and this family with this miracle! Here is a link to the article if you want to read more..it's a tearjerker for you moms out there!! http://www.local10.com/news/11053141/detail.html#

Sausage fingers!

One of the beauties of pregnancy, at least for me, it seems, is that my fingers have swollen up into little sausages. Finger sausages. That's unfortunate because I love my wedding ring, that is currently a size 7.5 (yes my fingers are big normally.) Here is a picture of the pretty ring:




Now...my fingers have swollen a lot. I've taken to wearing a sterling silver band...that's a size 9. That's the same size Shawn wears! *whine* Here is a pic of the offensive hand. Sorry if it blinds you, but my hands are really that pale. This is what happens when I don't tan!! Eek.



That being said, I wouldn't trade any of this (the weight gain, the sausage fingers, the pale, see through skin, the morning sickness, the awkwardness, etc) for not being pregnant. Feeling G kick is such a wonderful feeling! It reminds me what's important in life. Thank You, God, for blessing us!!

The progression of a belly....

As promised, here are some photos to make this blog more exciting!

Here I am at 14 weeks, 2 days.



And 16 weeks, 2 days...


And today, 20 weeks 1 day!



Enjoy! I don't think it looks much bigger than 16 weeks, if I do say so myself.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited to add a new pic of me @ 20 weeks 2 days. Shawn claimed I was being 'unfair' as the last pic I posted is of me in a maternity top pulled back, not in a normal tank top like the other two. So I took a new photo to be 'fair'. Here it is:

Daddy and Son...

Last night, we were going to use the bebe sounds monitor thingy that Lori let us borrow (thank you!) Since I've started to feel G kick, I've noticed when we bust that monitor out, he'll kick right on the doppler, which kind of makes it freak out. So, again, as soon as we start listening - BAM - he kicks the doppler thingy, and we stop using it so Shawn can feel the kicks instead of listen to them.

I thought it would be cute if Shawn 'talked' to G - put his mouth down by my belly and spoke. Shawn sang instead, which seemed to wake G up even more! Shawn got kicked in the cheek and the ear - I don't know if G wanted an encore or more sleep. But when Shawn started singing again, G stopped kicking, so I'm thinking he enjoys it. It was so cute!

Coming soon...a progression of my belly! I know that blogs are boring w/o pics, so some are coming soon, I promise. Here's one to keep you busy for the time being: G's first ultrasound, and the first pic we got of his adorable little face! (basically eyes and a forehead)


Click it to make it bigger!

Question for my mommy friends...

Okay, are the following things NECESSARY?? I'm serious~check these out and tell me what you think:

Bottle sterilizer thingy
Stroller Netting
Stroller rain cover
Burp clothes (can't I just use towels or blankets?)
Humidifier (seriously, I use one sometimes, do you think G will need one too?)
Wipes warmer (why?)
Nursing stool ?? (I have an glider/ottoman combo already - Thank you Tracie!!)

I don't know if it's just hitting me that we're having this baby (yay!!) but I was all over babiesrus.com last night updating this registry. These are things that I'm not sure are necessary...but they're listed on BRU's "new parents" checklist. I think I'm suffering from the first-time-mom-must-be-prepared syndrome. Help!!

In Memory...

I know this blog is all about the new baby we'll be having in July, but this baby wouldn't be here if there hadn't been another one before him. One year ago today, we lost our first child at 10 weeks due to miscarriage. We thought it was a boy, named him Nicholas Christopher, so today I just wanted to write a little to honor his memory.

I didn't realize how much I wanted children, especially him, until I lost him. It was so hard, and for those ladies who've been through it, you know what I mean. Today, looking back at that dark time, I could be sad and depressed. I wanted to take time off work, but decided against it. I just want to celebrate that little life that God blessed us with for 10 weeks. Maybe being pregnant with G makes it easier, but I think I would be feeling the same way no matter what. The Lord brought me through a very difficult time when I lost Nicholas, and it drew me closer to Him than I knew was possible.

When I think about it, Shawn and I are truly blessed - we have an angel in Heaven to look over our new baby boy...a 'big brother' if you will.

Yay!

Friday night, after dinner (and some chocolate) I laid down to see if G would kick hard enough to feel on the outside. Shawn turned down my offer to feel at first, then when I felt him kick, Shawn ran over. Within maybe a minute, he felt it - it was so cool! I started crying, (well, tearing up) and then, in my oh-so-graceful and lovely way, knocked our 3 month old laptop on the tile floor. It sort of ruined the moment.

We have movement!

So for the past couple weeks (at least) I've been feeling what I thought was movement. I didn't want to say for sure, only because I've heard that gas bubbles feel a lot like the baby. At the ultrasound, the tech confirmed that anything I was feeling in my lower abdomen was all baby, so now I know when he's kicking.

Last night, after dinner, I was laying on the couch with my hand on my tummy...waiting and hoping for a little kick that I could feel from the outside. Was I surprised when I felt one heck of a kick (or punch) right where my hand was! It was only once, but I couldn't believe it - what a cool and strange feeling! Shawn has been keeping his hand on my stomach, hoping to feel G move, but he's being shy apparently. I feel so bad, but I know in a couple weeks he'll definitely be able to feel movement. I can't wait for him to feel our baby kicking him!

I'm 18 weeks and 5 days, only 149 days to go!!!

Shopping!!

I went shopping yesterday for myself (maternity clothes) but, as always, ended up in the baby section. I ended up there a lot before I was pregnant, but even more so now! I caved and bought the baby some cute little pj's that have a plane on them and say "Born to fly." Shawn, of course, loved it. They seem so big! I can't believe that as soon as June there could be a baby in there.

Of course, for some reason when I'm in the baby section, I start crying. I think it's because I'm overwhelmed that this is really happening, that this baby will be here in a few months. I feel so blessed to be carrying this child, that God has chosen Shawn and I to be parents to this little life. It can feel so tremendous - the responsibility, the immense pressure to be a 'good mom,' but I think that the blessings we receive from parenting a child completely trump those things. There are times when I'm scared - the whole, "I can't believe I'm going to be a mom!" is a little freaky, even as I start to get more and more used to the idea of it. But mostly I'm in awe of the life growing inside of me, that God created and knit together long before I even knew about him. God is so amazing and awesome!