T is for tiger by Kidsline

Chaundra and John also provided the "T is for Tiger" by Kidsline set for us which is just so stinking cute. SO cute. I love the gender neutral animal theme. Very cool!!!

Peg Perego Travel System

Our good friends Chaundra and John HOOKED US UP with baby stuff this past weekend. We just got done figuring out the Peg Perego Travel System. This thing is so stinking cool!!!

Thank God my husband played with Transformers as a kid because he's teaching me the art of assembly. I don't do well with manuals. HA!

Anti-negative

I have this huge moral dilemma weighing on me pretty heavily lately. It's actually quite annoying. There is someone in our life that we truly do not care for due to mounds and mounds of hurt over the past ten years.

But the person this person is married to is super awesome....


And basically I just don't want this person in our life, near me while pregnant, or anywhere near my child..... and I don't think we can avoid it.

Do I tell this person my thoughts and feelings?
Or do a stellar job of keeping my child far far away for years on end?

Make room for baby!

Yesterday, hubby was macho man and moved furniture around to make room for the baby. Yes, we still have 23 weeks left but I also know I need to register soon (which is another post entirely). Today we are having a BBQ with friends and we'll be coming home with several awesome hand-me-downs for baby. The middle room is now EMPTY with the exception of the crib. Our back bedroom is now completely re-done. It's the smallest room (long and narrow). The big full dresser will be used for baby as well and it's right across from the bathroom which we feel is perfection for a quick change after tubby time.

The crib is set up now and it's exciting to walk by. Now all we need to do is pick up the mattress and register for bedding... and you know, have the baby, LOL

TD Jakes ( Who you rollin wit?)

Gets you every time!

I think one of the most frustrating thing about my pregnancy is that there are some people I have met on the road of infertility who have completely stopped talking with me. And I completely understand it, but I also don't ever want to be perceived as THAT woman. You know.... the woman who completely disregards their past bc of their present and their future.

Watching UP! gets me every time.... click this link if you're up for a tear jerker.

So to my dear dear friends who are still TTC, charting, and going semi-insane - please know I'm still here for you and always will be and you don't have to censor a thing.... feel free to vent to me. I was there for five years. It's never going to leave my heart, even when I hold my miracle.

After our cabin trip, we stopped off to see Belinda! It is SO cool seeing her and Nathan as parents! I remember working in the language lab on campus and seeing how in love they were with one another, and now I get to see their love for one another and their love for their son. Belinda is an amazing soul (I've written about her before.... check the tags!). Her son is the perfect combination of her and Nathan. She spoiled baby G with an adorable snowman outfit and books! Books! I love how the baby library is growing! I've got some great selections of stories both regular and faith based. Thank you dear friend!

Boy or Girl - Boy or Girl - Boy or Girl!?!?!

Now that we have the "anatomy appointment" scheduled for June 30th... I have so many people asking me what "I think" I'm having.

The fact of the matter is I truly do not care whether I have a boy or girl. I have a beautiful name picked out for a girl. I LOVE the name and I've had it picked out for YEARS.

My brother picked out a fabulous name for a boy. I had the first name but was torn on the middle name ... and then my brother told us what he liked and we were SOLD!

The names we have chosen are NOT popular or modern.... but they ARE purrrfection.

I dream that the baby is a boy. I don't know if that means anything. Some say there is an old wives tale out there that if you dream of a boy, you'll have a girl and if you dream of a girl, you'll have a boy. We want a healthy living baby. Neither one of us have a preference. We just want to know what to call our miracle as we talk to him/her every night. I've been editing the blog a bit today and I went back to past entries and I'm so stinking thrilled to be HERE in this MOMENT right NOW that I really could care less if we have a boy or a girl.... because the reality is.... we have a true miracle.

Great poem

Thoughts on Becoming a Mother:
There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought,
without patience or loss and though they are good mothers and love
their children, I know that I will be better.

I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have
read more books but because I have struggled and toiled for this
child.
I have longed and waited.
I have cried and prayed.
I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are
those who have struggled to attain their dreams.
I will notice everything about my child.
I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover. I
will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound
of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I
am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take
another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying
for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this
insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child
that my friends will not see.

As I parent this child, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better
wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister
because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have
been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood
tall.

I have prevailed.
I have succeeded.
I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in
order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in
theirs.

I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I
have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine,
of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth
and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only
comes with walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes I will be a wonderful mother.

Cabin Weekend

This weekend we went upstate to the family cabin and it was a nice (but brief) getaway.

It was nice to get away but we were a smidge bummed about having to end the trip early. Basically things just weren't going the way we had hoped. The stove at the cabin was leaking gas which was just not healthy for me and the baby (let alone hubby) to be around. Allergies were going nuts and the weather was really inconsistent. We still managed to have some good times as always though! The top picture is a "Polish belly shot" of my belly at 15 weeks. I think we'll eventually get to the point where I can't see my toes. The bottom picture is me laughing while feeling the baby move on the couch. :)

15 week update

How your baby's growing:
Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

OB appointment update

Yesterday I had my OB appointment and it went well! Baby's heartbeat was whooshing like crazy with a rate of 148. :) I will never TIRE of hearing that sound! It's heavenly.



I had a long list of questions for the doctor. Some serious about my thyroid and some silly... such as why do people feel the need to lecture me about lunch meat. Lunch meat is fine during pregnancy but if you're having ham or roast beef, it should be heated. So there is that answer! And eggs.... go for it! They're a good source of protein but if I'm having them sunny side up I need to request a brown edge. Problem solved.



He thinks my headaches (2-3 a week the past week or two) are nothing more than hormones regulating and adjusting.



He was THRILLED to hear that I'm feeling movement.... and I'm THRILLED to feel it!



I'm now measuring "properly" meaning my body has evened out from being on all that extra progesterone so he has moved my due date to 11-16-11 for now. It will probably change a few more times. This shall make my letter to my employer about maternity leave interesting. I don't even know how to word it. "I'm having a baby sometime in November and I'll need a sub from the day before I start pushing until 10 weeks after...." Must find the etiquette on that one!



Weight woes... I'm still losing weight. Doctor isn't exactly thrilled with this because at my last appointment I weighed in practically naked in the fancy paper robe. Yesterday, I weighed in full clothed and I was up only one pound since my last appointment four weeks ago. In other words... I'm not gaining weight. He wants me to gain 1lb per week from here on out. That's 4lbs a month. He'd be happy with two pounds.



The thing is I AM eating. It's not like I'm starving the baby. During the first trimester eating was definitely a chore. I think it's kind of ironic that my entire life with PCOS I've been trying to lose weight and manage my weight as PCOS is evil ... and now here I am four months pregnant and on my way to my high school weight yet I eat ALL THE TIME.



so now hubs is on a mission to help me out in the weight dept. Baby is healthy and that's all that matters to me.

My next appointment is the 16th. And then....

We find out if Baby G is a boy or girl at 7:45am on June 30th!

Well that makes no sense...

Eventually, hubby and I are going to have to buckle down and register for the baby shower. I haven't a clue as to when I'll be having my shower, but I am excited for it because it's a long time in the making! Plus, the people in my life are just fabulous so anytime I get to celebrate and eat with them - I'm a happy gal!



I'm blessed with quite a few hand-me-downs from a dear friend which we're picking up later in the month. Then we have to form a list which I do have started.



Here is where I'm a bit confuzzled.



Last night we went out for our anniversary and then stopped off at Target. I am very interested in having a "gliding rocker" in the nursery. HOWEVER, being a bigger gal, I'd like to try them out considering I do have those child bearing hips. Furthermore, any other items we may register for - it would be nice to have a good looksie at them. Both the chair and other items were high on this platform of sorts.... no access. Why would that be???

Baby Center! Week 14

How your baby's growing:
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

We have MOVEMENT!!!

Today is our six year wedding anniversary!



It's also Millie's (cat) 8th birthday.



I can't get over the fact that FIVE years ago today, we started trying for a baby. We had no idea how much pain and heartache was coming our way as we ventured together on an adventure of questions and research to figure out what was and wasn't working properly. It was in these past five years that we finally figured out I had PCOS. And it took us a long time to meet Dr. P this past summer who steered us in the right direction.



Six years ago I married my bestest friend. And here we are now... 180 days away from meeting the baby our love has created.



Today, Mark worked. When he came home from work we layed down together and then all of a sudden.... I felt it! I felt movement!



I thought surely I was imagining things.... it's "too soon" to be feeling anything, right??? NOPE! According to our baby Bible - you feel the baby move anywhere from week 13-20(something) and some women never even notice it because it can be so slight.



Not me! I felt it! It was a fluttering tickle like bubbles. It lasted about 3 minutes and it made me cry tears of joy. I felt our sweet baby moving. Keep moving sweet baby, keep moving. We love you.

Belly Pix.... finally! ((14 weeks))

After 8.5 weeks on a crapload of progesterone supplements.... I'm officially in the second trimester and I've definitely POPPED! It took a lot to take these belly pics. It was a weird experience because while I'm overjoyed for us - I still pray for my cysters who are still working towards this goal.

My cat doesn't leave my side. The top picture is here giving belly pats/kisses.

The Crib!

We are so blessed! Mark's sister generously gave us a crib for the baby. Crib shopping was so overwhelming. We haven't set it up yet but we can't wait to do so! We have to screw in the drop down sides to make it ready to go and safe. We're excited to know that the first grandchild of this family had this crib and now the second grandchild will. :)

Thank you, Sarah Beth!!!

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day Weekend was quite surreal.



For YEARS I've been hating Mother's Day. Last year, I specifically remember going to the doctor after Mother's Day informing my doctor that Mother's Day 2010 just HAD to be my last barren Mother's Day. And who knew... it was!



Saturday was great! We spent the day with my mom and my dear friend, Sarah Beth. Sarah Beth is amazing and she's going to be a great aunt to our baby. We went to college together and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding and here we are now getting ready for baby.



She's such a sweet friend, she surprised me with Mother's Day gifts and does she know the key to my heart.... BOOKS for baby!

We did the Hershey Zoo, the Hershey Outlets, and then finally gave Red Robin a try (quite yummy!) We also discovered the very awesome Vera Bradley Diaper Bag at one of the stores in the Outlets. Can we say *SWWWWOOOOOOOOONNNNN*???? It's pricey but I like it!



I just keep thinking about how truly blessed we are.



There hasn't been one day during this pregnancy where I haven't spent time thanking God for this blessing. I'm in love with this child and so eager to meet them in a little over 5 months.



On Sunday we ended up visiting with my inlaws which included making plans for the nursery (yay!!) and picking up a crib from my SIL ((thank God for this gift!!!))



I'm so happy to finally be HERE but I will NEVER forget where I was. I think of my friends still on the infertility road and ask the Lord to bless them with baby and no more heartache.

Movie Review: "Lebanon, PA"

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/05/movie_depicts_life_in_lebanon.html

On Friday night, Mark and I went to see the movie “Lebanon, PA.” Mark had been looking forward to this movie for quite some time. He researched it, watched trailers, “liked it” on Facebook, etc. We were excited to see a movie about the area in which we live.

*Spoiler Alerts ahead….

The movie is about a man living in Philadelphia (my home town – born and raised) whose father dies. The man then returns to Lebanon, Pa to settle his father’s estate. While “home” he meets distant cousins/neighbors across the street that were close to his father. The teenage girl in the story, CJ, asks the main character if she could go to Philadelphia with him to see Drexel University (where she was accepted to attend). She ends up visiting a Planned Parenthood in Philadelphia and inquiring about abortion as it is revealed that she is pregnant.

Now, with that said – I will mention that I DID like how the doctor at Planned Parenthood presented her with many options OTHER than abortion – such as all the types of adoptions.

CJ wrestles throughout the story with what she should do with this baby. It’s made quite clear that she does not want to keep it. Her mother is dead and her father is urging her and her boyfriend to marry. The movie does clearly show the Pro-Life values of the Lebanon County area.


As the story unfolds, the main character ends up “falling for” a married teacher. They end up sleeping together a few times. I didn’t like this part of the movie either but understand sex usually sells. CJ is still struggling with what to do with the baby and rumors in her high school are flying around because she wants the abortion. In class, a former friend passes a note about her. CJ sees the note, gets up, and punches the former friend. She does this in the class of the married teacher the main character falls for. CJ is sent to the principals’ office and returns at the end of the day to her classroom where she apologizes to her teacher.


The story basically ends with the Lebanon County teacher taking CJ to Philadelphia for an abortion. You don’t know that CJ had the abortion at first and you find yourself hoping and praying she didn’t. As the movie ends, she graduates high school and she is clearly no longer pregnant. She is disowned by her father and living with the main character full time. He returns to Philadelphia with her so she can go to Drexel. He invites the teacher to come along, especially considering the fact that she has lost her job for taking CJ for the abortion. She declines.


Now, there is a lot more to the story… some small minor conflicts of sorts. Such as the difficulties CJ’s father faces as a single father and the struggles the main character has with his job and values.

I did like seeing familiar areas such as Cedar Crest high school, route 322, farmland, route 419, etc. I even liked the references to “Eagle Farms” (aka Turkey Hill).

I did not like that abortion took over the story.

I did not like that the teacher committed adultery.

I did not like that the teacher took CJ for the abortion simply because when she was CJ’s age she had an abortion.

I did not like that CJ chose to have the abortion when she could have given the baby up for adoption. HOWEVER, I did like that the movie showed that CJ at least wrestled with the decision and didn’t just immediately resort to having the abortion.

I did not like that Philadelphia was represented as an abortion center. Yes, you can get abortions in Lebanon County.

I do think the film was good – but the message was poor. I think it hit far too close to home. Especially considering the Philadelphia/Lebanon County Connection. After five years of infertility, seeing a movie about abortion wasn’t exactly ideal. Furthermore, I’d like to note that there was absolutely no indication that abortion would be a “character” in this film.

At the end of the movie there was Q&A with the producer – we declined. Coming out of the theatre is when we ran into the reporter. The more I think about the movie the more frustrated I get that a TEACHER took a STUDENT for an abortion, that upsets me even more than the abortion itself.

Week 13!

How your baby's growing:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:
This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow
3 Questions about eating for two
Q1.
How much more should I be eating every day?

You need only 300 or so extra calories a day when you're pregnant. Make those calories count: Skip the junk food and have a glass of milk and a couple of slices of whole-wheat toast instead.

Don't get too hung up on numbers, though. As long as you're making healthy food choices and your provider is happy with your weight gain, there's no need to agonize over calories.

Q2.
What are some important nutrients?

Protein, iron, and calcium are three nutrients you need now to keep you healthy and fuel your baby's development.

Protein: Aim for 71 grams a day. Lean meats, eggs, and dairy products, as well as nuts, beans, and soy products like tofu, are all good sources. Three servings a day should help you meet your goal. Fish is a good source of protein (as well as vital omega-3 fatty acids), but because of concerns about contamination, experts debate how much and what type of fish you should eat.

Iron: Getting 27 milligrams of iron every day is especially important to help ward off iron-deficiency anemia, a common problem among pregnant women. Iron found in animal products (called heme iron) is absorbed more easily by your body than iron found in plants (nonheme iron). The best source? Lean red meat. If you're a vegetarian or can't stomach meat, you can get some iron from vegetables such as spinach and legumes like lentils. It can be tough to get enough iron from these sources, though, so your provider may recommend an iron supplement. (Hint: Vitamin C enhances the absorption of nonheme iron, so eat foods rich in vitamin C — such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and sweet peppers — at the same time you eat non-meat iron-rich foods, or down your iron supplement with a glass of orange juice.)

Calcium: Four servings a day of dairy products will help you get the 1,000 mg of calcium you need (1,300 mg if you're 18 or younger). Your baby needs calcium for the formation of his bones and teeth. If you don't get enough of this nutrient, he'll take what he needs from your body and you'll lose calcium stored in your bones.

Q3.
If I'm already taking a prenatal vitamin, do I need to pay much attention to what I eat?

Yes! While a prenatal vitamin can help fill in any nutritional gaps in your diet, it isn't meant to take the place of healthy eating. For one thing, prenatal vitamins don't have the full day's supply of the calcium you need right now. For another, it's important to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber — for aiding digestion and avoiding constipation, a common pregnancy complaint. In fact, if you're a healthy woman who's well informed about nutrition, eats a balanced diet, and has no specific risk factors, not all experts agree that you even need to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. However, all agree that you need to take folic acid supplements before conception and during the first trimester, and many believe it's important to take iron in the second and third trimesters.

•Most healthcare providers recommend taking a vitamin supplement from the time you decide to start trying to get pregnant through the end your pregnancy.

12 weeks!

How your baby's growing:
The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Your uterus has grown to the point where your healthcare provider can now feel the top of it (the fundus) low in your abdomen, just above your pubic bone. You may already be into maternity clothes, especially if this isn't your first pregnancy. If you're still fairly small and not yet ready for maternity clothes, you've no doubt noticed that your waist is thickening and that you're more comfortable in loose, less restrictive clothing.

You may begin to feel heartburn (also called acid indigestion), a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat. Many women get heartburn for the first time during pregnancy, and those who've previously had bouts of heartburn may find that it gets worse. During pregnancy, the placenta produces a lot of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Particularly when you're lying down, gastric acid can seep back up the pipe, which causes the uncomfortable burning sensation. For many women the problem doesn't begin (or get worse) until later in pregnancy, when your growing uterus starts to push up on your stomach. The discomfort may range from mildly annoying to intense and distracting.