Hatteline Faith Weaver

She's finally here!  Sweet Hatteline Faith decided to show her face on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 11:51 am.  She weighed in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20.5 inches long.  She is such a gift to our family!  We are completely in love with our newest blessing!  

As for her name, it's pronounced HAT-uh-LINE (as opposed to HAT-uh-LYNN).  She will go by Hattie, which is a name Momma has adored for years.  Her middle name, Faith, was chosen for a multitude of reasons.  The largest of which is the meaning of the word.  After losing two babies between Hattie and Gracie, our faith in God's plan has been strengthened and we pray that Hattie's faith in God is strong throughout her life, as well.  

Here are the highlights of my labor and delivery with Hattie.  If you're not into the nitty gritty of childbirth, you should probably just scroll down to the cute pictures!

Thursday, September 10 was my last day of work.  I had a friend snap a picture of Emily Cesonis and I because I knew I wouldn't be returning to work again until my baby bump was gone.  Emily was due 3 weeks after me!  I'm still anxiously awaiting the arrival of her baby boy!  I knew I wouldn't be returning to work because I had talked to my doctor about a scheduled induction on Tuesday, September 15, if Hattie didn't decide to come earlier.  With Gracie, I had to be induced, but I was really hoping that I would go into labor with this one.  I was pretty sure, however, that I'd be induced again on Tuesday morning.  

After a long work day on Thursday, I put my feet up and relaxed most of the evening Thursday night.  Before heading to bed around 10:00, I realized I was bleeding.  I was losing my mucus plug (ewww!) and was really crampy.  It's a concerning feeling when you haven't had any bleeding for 9 months and then all of the sudden, it looks and feels like you're starting your period.  Hattie was still moving often, so I tried not to worry.  I also Googled it and all of what I was experiencing was completely normal for early labor. 

When I woke up Friday morning, I was only slightly bleeding, but continued to lose more of my mucus plug.  Again... ewwwww!!!!  After dropping off Gracie at Pre-Kindergarten, I headed to my last doctor's appointment.  I was 40 weeks + 3 days on Friday.  The doctor checked my cervix and told me I was thinning and dilated to a 3.  YAY!  I was making progress without medicine... maybe I would go into labor after all!  He also scheduled me for an ultrasound later that afternoon to check on the size of the baby.  He said that because we were post-term, he wanted to make sure Hattie wasn't too big.  He explained that non-diabetic women can deliver babies estimated to be less than 11 lbs (Holy cow!  Please be less than 11 lbs, baby girl!)  And diabetic women should only deliver babies less than 10 lbs.  I was pretty sure that Hattie was less than 11 lbs, and the ultrasound verified my hunch.  The tech guesstimated her weight to be 8 lbs. 8 oz.  They said they're usually accurate within 15% either way.  Dr. Riojas also mentioned that my contractions might intensify throughout the day and he made it clear that if I had any concerns, just go to the hospital.  He also said that he was on call all weekend and he would not send me home if I went to the hospital.  Because I love Dr. Riojas and because he delivered Gracie, I was really hoping I'd go into labor over the weekend.  

So he was right, my contractions intensified throughout the day.  They were more of a nagging pain than anything with intensity, although my belly would get hard and I'd feel uncomfortable for 30-60 seconds every 10-20 minutes throughout the day.  

Stephanie and I took the girls to the Oak Park Homecoming Parade and we stood across the street from Kyle's second grade class!  It was a special day for Kyle because it was his 8th birthday!  In fact, I got to pick him up from school that day and I told him I thought the baby might be coming soon!  He very simply requested that I not have her on his birthday.  I explained that I would do my best, but the contractions were coming closer together.  He didn't really know what that meant, but he just said, "Well, don't let her come out till after midnight.  I don't want to share my birthday!"  I just giggled and said I'd try!

Before heading out to Kyle's birthday dinner at Red Robin, Gracie and Kianna went with me to get pedicures.  The last time I painted my own toes, I told Ryan that he was going to have to paint them the next time, or I was going to get a pedicure.  He quickly decided that we had enough extra money for me to get a pedicure!  Us girls made a date of it and had a great time!  I continued to have contractions through the pedicure and all the ladies at the nail salon were so excited I was having another girl!  

While we ate Kyle's birthday dinner at Red Robin, my contractions got a little more regular, coming at 10-15 minutes intervals.  My sister offered to keep Gracie for the night, just in case I ended up needing to go to the hospital in the middle of the night.  

After talking with Grandma Sandy (my brother-in-law's mom) who also happens to be a retired labor and delivery nurse, I took a warm bath and headed to bed before 9:00 that night.  Grandma Sandy said that relaxing and resting might slow the contractions and allow me to get some rest.  I was super tired after such a busy day.  

I tried to fall asleep, but at 9:46 pm, I could tell that I should begin timing contractions.  They were coming every 6 minutes and lasting about 1 minute.  Grandma Sandy explained that they were probably longer than 1 minute, because you don't feel the entire contraction from beginning to end, you only feel the most intense part.  By 11:55, I woke up Ryan and explained what was happening.  Neither of us was sure that this was it, but neither of us was sure that it wasn't either.  We changed into clothes and put the fresh fruit we usually leave sitting on the counter into the fridge (I didn't want to come home to a house full of fruit flies) and headed out the door.  Tysie seemed super confused... probably because we're almost never awake at midnight, let alone leaving the house at such an hour!

We went in through the Emergency Room and were up in labor and delivery by 12:30 am.  When the nurse checked my cervix, I was still at a 3 and she said in order for them to keep me, I'd have a few hours to make progress.  She recommended that we walk the halls to get labor progressing.  So we did!  At this point, we hadn't even gotten our bags out of the car because I wasn't sure we'd get to stay.  

By 3 am, I was super tired and so was Ryan.  I began to worry that if I did get myself into real labor that I'd be way too tired to push.  When the nurse came to check me for progress, I told her about my fears of being too exhausted with being up nearly 24 hours.  She checked me again and said I hadn't made any progress, although by this point the contractions were killing me every 2-6 minutes.  I told her what Dr. Riojas had said earlier that day about not sending me home and she said she'd ask him.  We continued to walk the halls while we waited for her to get in touch with Riojas.  About 10 minutes later, we walked past the nurse's station and she told me that Riojas said he wasn't going to send me home!  "Thank you, Jesus!" I said out loud!  

Within 10 minutes I had my blood drawn and the IV started.  I wasn't on any drugs, just a bag of fluids.  The nurse also offered me a sleeping drug that starts with a V.  I'm not sure what it was.  I told her I didn't want to feel drunk or crazy and she said it would just knock me out so I could sleep.  She mentioned that she takes one of these and it knocks her out for the whole night.  So when she gave me 3 pills, I was a little worried I'd never wake up!  But I didn't really care at that point because I was so exhausted. 

Well, it turns out she pretty much lied that it would knock me out.  I was able to sleep every 2-6 minutes, but the contractions still woke me up, I just had no idea what planet I was on or what was happening.  By the time the contraction was over, I was back asleep.  I was glad for the 3 hours of sleep I did get, although I'm not sure I'd take that pill again.  Easy to say now that I'm not a zombie having contractions!

They started me on 1 cc of pitocin around 5:30 and just that tiny bit of a labor-inducing drug sent me into real deal labor.  I was hurting for sure.  When the new nurse came in to check me around 7:00 am, she said that I was still a 3.  I told her that I was hurting pretty bad and I was ready for an epidural.  She was a super sweet lady, so don't misread me, but when she replied with, "Oh no.  You don't want your epidural yet.  Then we'll have to rotate you like a rotisserie chicken."  I should have told her that I didn't give a rip what they'd have to do to me, all I wanted was relief from the contractions that had been bothersome since noon the previous day and pretty uncomfortable since 9:46 the night before.  But I didn't say that, I asked her what I'd have to do to get the epidural.  She told me more walking.  Awesome.  Cause who doesn't want to walk when their back and pelvis have a baby's head wedged between them?

Dr. Riojas came in just a half hour later, around 7:45 am and checked me.  He said I was dilated to a 5.  Yes!  A five!  His exact words were, "Let's get her an epidural, increase the pitocin just a bit, and then break her water."  Do you see why I love this man?!  EPIDURAL!

I went to the bathroom while the nurse got everything set up for the anesthesiologist.  By this time it was around 8:15 and I was beyond ready for some pain relief.  She had me sit on the bed and assume the epidural position.  Then she went out to the hallway to get the anesthesiologist.  A few minutes later she came back in and said something about Murphy's Law, explaining that he got called for another procedure.  He'd be back as soon as he could.  Seriously?  

So she lowered my bed and I tried laying down to sleep a little longer, but it was impossible to lay down through the contractions.  My back was hurting so bad.  So we walked.  And as we walked, I stopped to hold onto the rails along the edge of halls every time I had a contraction.  By 8:45, I was hurting so bad, I was about to start crying.  Seriously.  And for those of you who know me well, you know that for me to cry, it must be serious.  Trust me.  It was serious.  But God is gracious and as we rounded the corner, my nurse waved us down and said, "He's here!"  I practically ran back to my room to get that needle in my back!

The sweet anesthesiologist was foreign and I barely understood a word he said.  He'd said something like, "There be burning."  I'm not sure if he was saying, "There's going to be burning."  or "Is there any burning?"  but I didn't really care.  The hardest part of it all was holding still during the contractions while I knew he was putting needles in my back.  I just held still and tried not to cry... or moan too loud.  When I was done, I looked up to Ryan's pale face.  I told him he'd better sit down.  He was okay, but crazy-guy watched the big needles.... eww!

As the epidural took about 10 minutes to take full effect, I was finally able to relax and wrap my head around the fact that my baby girl was on her way!  Dr. Riojas checked me at that point and I was dilated to a 7.  So I guess if I could've made it 3 more cm, I could have gone drug-free.  Darn.  Not really... I don't think that sounds like fun at all!  While he was checking me, he broke my water, which revealed that she had pooped a little in the bag of water.  He said that she needed to cry as soon as she was born and if she did, he'd place her on my chest.  But if she didn't, he'd have them take her to the warmer to suction her before we could snuggle.   

The nurse "rotated me like  rotisserie chicken" every 45 minutes.  But after 2 rotations, it was go time!  With Gracie I really felt like there was a cantaloupe between my legs when it was time to push.  But with Hattie, I felt like I had to go to the bathroom really bad.  Either way, by 11:45 I had labored down until she was ready to meet us and it was time to push!  After 4 pushes, Hatteline Faith made her debut!  She let out one cry.  Just one.  Dr. Riojas kept patting her, trying to get her to cry again, but she wouldn't.  He put her on my chest and the nurses and I tried to get her to cry again.  She just wouldn't.  They took her over to the warmer to suction her she just wouldn't cry.  Even in the picture below, it looks like she's crying, but I don't think she ever made a sound over there.  They gave her the Apgar and she scored a perfect 9.  She was red and her oxygen level was good, she just wasn't a crier, I guess.  So they put her on my chest and we just snuggled for a couple of hours.  She nursed for almost an hour and just gazed into my eyes.  She was super content and so sweet and calm, from the very beginning.  

After some skin-to-skin snuggle time, Hattie met her grandparents and then her big sister!  Introducing Gracie to her new baby sister was something I'd looked forward to since I found out I was pregnant.  And the moment did not disappoint.  We didn't take any video and only a few pictures.  I just wanted to be in the moment and enjoy such a special time in Gracie's life.  She was so, so sweet with Hattie and very gentle.  We got Hattie dressed together, into her Little Sister shirt.  Then we snuggled together and watched a little Pippi Longstocking. 

Later that evening, the Hurt family came down to meet baby Hattie.  All the cousins got to hold her.  And I made sure Kyle knew I did everything I could to make sure they didn't share a birthday!  It was such a wonderful day!  

All day Sunday was pretty quiet in the hospital.  I guess that having a baby over the weekend isn't such a bad thing.  Lactation doesn't bother you, the picture-taking people don't bother you, we were able to nap and relax throughout the day without interruption.  

Monday was discharge day.  Dr. Riojas came in early to release me and Hattie's pediatrician had released her by 9:00, as well.  The nurse still had paperwork to finish up, so we just waited around and snuggled some more.  

Ready of the ride home!

Once we got home, Grandma dropped Gracie off at home and our new normal began.  We started our time with a family movie and we all snuggled on the couch.  Gracie had plenty of time to hold her sister and Momma and Daddy tried to doze.  It was quiet and peaceful.

Our second day home was Hattie's first doctor's appointment.  We met with lactation and did a weighed feeing.  My milk wasn't in yet, so she was only taking in half an ounce off each side.  We had been supplementing with formula for an entire day by this point, and they said that was a good idea.  The lactation consultant encouraged me to begin pumping after each feeding to help my milk come in faster.  Sure enough, by midnight that night, my milk was in full force.  Even though she hadn't lost much since birth, they still wanted me to wake her at least ever 4 hours to feed her.  In fact, at midnight when I woke Hattie to feed her, I ended up having to undress her to get her to latch on.  She was sacked out and not interested in nursing.  Here's a picture of nearly naked Hattie, in an attempt to get her to wake up!

Just two days later, we had our next lactation appointment.  The consultant had told me that they hope for a weight gain of 1 ounce per day.  Since Hattie weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. at her previous appointment, they hoped she was up to 7 lbs. 14 oz. at this appointment.  They also weighed her after nursing to see how much she was taking in and if my milk was enough for her.  I already knew she was nursing enough, but I like to know exactly how much she was taking in.  After nursing on both sides, sweet little Hattie had taken in just shy of 3.5 oz... that's a lot for a 6 day old.  And she weighed 8 lbs. 4.5 oz... almost back to birth weight and a gain of 8 oz. in 2 days.  Apparently she's a good eater!
Here's she is all filled up!

Below are a few pictures from our first 2 weeks home!  We've done as much as we could, although my days are mostly spent nursing.  She eats every 2 hours during the day and then sleeps in two 6-hours stretches at night.  I can't complain for sure, but nursing every 2 hours doesn't leave time for much else!

Thinkin' about a poop!

First walk and bike ride with Gracie!

Snuggling with Grandma!

First vist to Kate's Kitchen!  Yum!

Zoned out... trying to fall asleep!

Sweet sisters!

Snuggling sisters!

Our beautiful girls!

Sleeping in the swing!

Milk drunk and happy!

We're so overjoyed that Hattie is here!  She's such a sweet baby and she has found her place in our little family very quickly.  Gracie is absolutely in love with her little sister and just can't wait for her to be big enough to really play with.  Unfortunately, I know all too well that it won't be long and Hattie will be big like Gracie.  Although I won't lie... Gracie quite enjoys holding her as often as she can until then.  I'm also enjoying all the snuggle time, even in the middle of the night.  I love to rub her soft head and stare at her sweet cheeks.  I can tell that there's so much fun in store for our family as Hattie begins to show us her personality.  I pray that as she grows bigger and bigger, her faith in our Creator grows stronger and stronger.  We are so thankful for this giant gift from God in our tiny baby girl.  We are over-the-moon to get the opportunity to call her ours.  Our sweet, sweet baby.

Big Sister Class

Last weekend it was finally time for big sister class!  Gracie has been waiting since April for August 15th to get here. North Kansas City Hospital offers a Sibling Class each month. It was an hour and a half of pure bliss for our baby-crazed big girl!  Here she is before we left the house. 

During the class the big siblings got to make and decorate a toy-safety tester. We've already tested many toys in our house to find out what Little Sissy can play with. They also read a book about how to help with the baby. Then it was time to learn how to properly hold a tiny one. Gracie was pretty much an expert at this by the time she was 3, so she rocked this part of class!  Nurse Dixie taught the kids about soft spots and other fragile areas to avoid poking and touching. When it was time to give the babies back, Gracie politely said that she'd hold onto her's for a bit longer. This kid!

Following snack, we headed upstairs to the maternity floor where we got a tour of the nursery and maternity rooms. We even saw a real baby boy, just one day old. We scouted out the 'amenities' and G was glad there's a DVD player in the room. She said, "That should keep me busy for a while."  So I guess she approved. We've already packed a few DVDs in case her sister isn't enough entertainment when she visits us in the hospital. 

As class came to a close, the kids earned a graduation certificate. It was pretty special for Gracie!  She is also excited to finish decorating her sister's first birthday card, which she will give to her on the day she is born. 

We decided to have a family date after Big Sister Class.  We headed to lunch in North Kansas City. While we waited for our table at First Watch, we walked down to La Monde Bakery and shared an apple cinnamon something. It was divine!  Starting with dessert is always a fun treat on a family date!  As we sat outside eating our pastry, Gracie commented that it didn't feel like we were in Kansas City. It felt more like vacation. We all agreed that we want to do that more often!  Once our bellies were full at First Watch, we finished our date at Babies R Us picking out a Baby Sister present from Gracie. She also tried to pick out her Big Sister present from the baby, but I told her that Sissy and Momma will take care of that together so it'll still be a surprise for Gracie. She is still hard core lobbying for the Baby Margaret doll from Daniel Tiger. We'll just have to wait and see if Little Sis decided that's what she wants to get her!

The whole day was so fun!  We're so excited to expand to a family of four, but these last few weeks as a family of three have been memorable and sweet, as well!  I sure do love my big girl!

Sisters Outfits!

A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to make matching sisters outfits for the girls. I was thinking of making an easy skirt and shirt for each of them, but my opinionated four year old had other ideas. She wanted a dress. Not a skirt, Momma, a dress. So I found the easiest idea I could and got started working. 

Gracie's dress is just letters appliqued onto a shirt with a skirt sewn to it. I added the belt-tie to give it a finished look. She can wear it with leggings and a sweater as it gets chilly. I forgot to get a picture of her purple hair bow, but it has polka dots too!

Little Sis' is just the letters on a onesie, legwarmers, and a homemade headband. Super easy and cheap!

Here's the result!  I think they'll be so cute in them!  Gracie is hoping to wear them when they meet for the first time. So we will see if I can work that out?!

Good News For Our Little Family!

It's impossible to express the joy that I'm feeling as I share the latest baby news!  The ultrasound on Wednesday revealed that a tiny little girl is growing inside me in all the ways she's supposed to be!  Lots of good news in that one sentence.  A tiny little girl... I am over the moon to have another little lady joining the Weaver family.  And she's growing inside me in all the ways she's supposed to be... quite possibly the best news I could've heard from the ultrasound was that she is healthy!  Another Perinatologist came in during the scan and asked questions about my history.  He offered his own opinion on the loss, specifically saying that my thyroid condition is the least likely cause of the later miscarriage.  Instead he believes that it's more likely that my placenta wasn't functioning properly.  But the good news is, the blood flow and pressure during this ultrasound show that my placenta is fully-functioning and that our daughter is growing and forming appropriately!  Thanks to our Creator for orchestrating all of that!  When the ultrasound tech was done looking her over, she said that she'd go visit with the doctor for a bit because he usually wants to see people in our position around 24 weeks to monitor things.  When she came back, she had good news and bad news.  The good news is that the doctor doesn't want to see me again.  He said that he wouldn't know what to look for if he did another scan.  Everything that he needs to see, he's already seen!  The bad news is that because I'm not considered high risk anymore, I won't be getting all the extra ultrasounds and screen time with my tiny girl.  But all things considered, I'm not that bummed to be out of the high risk category!  He said this pregnancy looks as normal as they come.  My pregnancy with Gracie was also "as normal as they come" and the result of that experience was a happy ending.  I'm hoping for a happy ending this time as well, so "as normal as they come" is perfect!

So yes, we're having another girl!  It's super exciting to think about!  I could list 100 reasons why I hoped this sweet baby would be a girl.  I could've listed 100 reasons why I hoped this sweet baby was a boy, too.  But God chose another girl for our family and Daddy, Gracie, and I are so, so happy He did!  Sisters!  I get to raise sisters!  Sweet Gracie gets to experience one of the most special relationships in this life.  I imagine there will be plenty of ups and downs along the way, but in the end, the sister relationship is so precious.  I know that my sister and I are bit of an anomaly because our lives overlap in so many ways.  But the closeness and friendship that we share is something I'm confident Gracie and her baby sister will also share.  There's so much to look forward to!

As you all know, Gracie was pulling for a girl.  When the ultrasound tech said, "It looks like you guys make sweet girls!  It's a girl!"  Gracie about jumped out of her skin!  Everyone was all smiles in the room.  Even Daddy said he would've chosen a girl, if God had consulted him.  Most people expect Daddy to be disappointed because he probably wants his boy, but anyone who really knows Ryan and Gracie's relationship knows that there's not much more he could hope for out of his soccer-playing, dress-wearing, fish-catching, Bible-reading, nail-painting, dirt-digging, song-singing, camping girl!  I mean really, the only thing she can't do is carry on the family name... although that's up for debate these days!  As a Momma, I am looking forward to getting to know my youngest daughter and discovering who she is.  I can't wait for all the years we have to build a strong relationship that one day results in a friendship between two grown women.  I have a feeling Momma, Gracie, and this new lovely lady will be great friends someday!

As soon as we were done at the doctor's appointment, Daddy headed to work while Gracie and I got started with our Mommy/Gracie Day!  We began at Party City by purchasing tons of girly confetti.  Then we stopped by Babies R Us and Target to pick out some baby clothes.  Gracie had her eyes out for purple and yellow items.  We were able to find a few newborn sleepers and outfits that fit the bill.  It was sweet watching her work.  When she had to narrow things down, she would sing, "Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo"!  It was super cute!

Then we headed home to get started on a gender reveal craft I'd been planning.  Gracie had been responsible for saving all the toilet paper rolls in our house for several weeks.  We got started making homemade confetti poppers and Gracie had a great time making a mess playing with the confetti.   

Then we loosely followed the directions shared on this blog to stuff the toilet paper rolls with the confetti.  Instead of tissue paper, Gracie opened up birthday party napkins to wrap the poppers.

When we finished we had a pile of poppers waiting to be delivered!

Of course we had to try one out!  Nice and messy!  The perfect way to announce the news of our newest princess!

Once the poppers were complete, we put them inside white paper bags to deliver to some friends and family around town.  We started at Grammy's (Graham Cracker's newest nickname) work and continued to Grandma and Grandpa's house and about 10 other families.  If they were home, we excitedly watched them discover the good news.  If they were out, we left a little note along with the popper.  The note said...

A sign of our gratitude

For your support in prayer,

We bring you this gift,

Our excitement we share!

Little Weaver's gender,

A secret no more!

This gift of new life,

We're beyond grateful for!

Enclosed you will find a homemade confetti popper, made by Big Sister, Gracie.  Just twist the tube like you're wringing out a washcloth and confetti will fall from the center, revealing the gender of our tiny blessing.  You might want to open it over the trash can, unless you feel like vacuuming!

Gracie and I had the best time being "mailmans" and surprising some of our favorite people.  It was super special for Gracie to get the chance to be a part of everyone's excitement!  

After our exhausting, yet fulfilling day, we ordered pizza and hung out as a family before getting ready for bed.  I had a book for Gracie about becoming a big sister and we took a few pictures to remember the day.  I didn't take as many pictures as I'd hoped throughout our adventures that day, but I suppose I was just living in the moment, not worrying about documenting everything for our daughters to look at later.  Sorry girls.    

She wanted to hold the book just like she will hold her sister once she's born.
Sweet Sissy!

She also wanted to hold the sleeper the same way!

I read the book to her twice.  She read it herself a few more times.  

As I said before, we are simply overjoyed with the news of a healthy baby girl.  I've already ordered some matching jammies for the girls and have begun making plans for our growing family.  We're so grateful that God has blessed us with another daughter and continues to protect her as He prepares her for her role in this world.  God is good!

Tiny Baby Update

A few weeks ago (okay, so it was almost a month ago) I went to the OB for a monthly check-in. Things sounded great! Little Weaver's heart rate was 155 and beating strong. The doctor I saw is young and was kind of lacking in bedside manner. He explained that he thinks my thyroid is to blame for my last loss and I'm just as likely to miscarry this time. Thanks, Doc!  I explained that I was taking confidence in the fact that this baby seems to be growing right on track according all the ultrasounds. He explained that my hope is probably not grounded in science. And then I politely explained to him that I don't have much hope or trust in him, or any doctor for that matter, to keep this baby alive. I'm pretty much relying on God. He said he understood. Seriously though, who says that stuff to a pregnant Momma. It's a good thing I'm not a worrier by nature. 

Although I am trusting God, I did have a panic moment late last week when I hadn't felt the baby move for a few days (okay, so like a day and a half). But since I was 17.5 weeks, which is the time things went south last time, I scheduled myself a little appointment to hear the heartbeat. All was still good. The heart rate was  164 and my doctor let me listen for at least 2 straight minutes while we talked!

My sister brought over our cousin's doppler for me to use today and so far I've been able to hear the heartbeat 3 times. Even Gracie and Kianna got to have a listen. Kiki said, "I just love that sound!"  Gracie said, "Yes. Me too!"  So precious!

We're looking forward to our big ultrasound on Wednesday where we find out the gender, if Little Weaver cooperates. I'm hoping he/she is like Big Sis who revealed her gender to the ultrasound tech without hesitation. Even though Daddy and Momma didn't find out, Gracie let the tech see that all was developing as it should be.  

As for predictions, here's what people are thinking. 

Gracie - girl

Daddy - girl

Grandma Sevedge - boy

Aunt Steph - boy, but reserves the right to change her mind till 10 pm Tuesday night!

Uncle John - baby (such a John answer!)

Kyle - boy

Kia - girl 

Aunt B - no real guess, but maybe girl

Uncle Chad - girl

Grandma Tena - girl

Grandpa - boy

Momma - girl if I had to guess, but I'm about 51% girl and 49% boy, so nothing will surprise me!

I think several peoples' predictions are based solely on their desire for some testosterone in the family... which I'm kind of hoping for, as well. I want the opportunity to have a son and to develop that special bond. I want it for me and for Ryan. I also think the brother-sister relationship would be so sweet as the kids grow up. But I won't be disappointed if Gracie ends up getting a sister to share the rest of her life with either. Raising one girl has been a total blast and I adore the sweet bond she and I share. So I guess the truth is, I don't really care what it is... I'm just dying to know!

We'll keep you posted!

Gracie's Gonna Be a Big Sister!

Tonight was the night we finally let the cat out of the bag.  After an encouraging appointment with the perinatologist on Monday, we decided it was time to let big sister experience the joy we've been feeling for several weeks.  

Meeting with the perinatologist was interesting and informative.  We began with an ultrasound tech taking a closer look at the baby to see if he/she is growing on target.  They had us down for a couple of different due dates, ranging from September 6th to the 9th.  My reproductive endocrinologist calculated September 8th based on when I got the trigger shot and all the early ultrasounds.  Turns out he was right because our little bundle of joy was measuring exactly 13 weeks 6 days, which was the exact age he/she supposedly was.  This news was especially encouraging to Ryan and I because our last little peanut measured small at the 8 week ultrasound.  No one seemed to think it was a big deal at the time, but my Momma's intuition thinks that was probably a red flag.  This time, the baby's heart was beating clearly and arms were moving freely.  Pregnancy is truly miraculous.  God is amazing!  Little Weaver's heart rate was 157 and everything looked just as it should.  I was kind of hoping for early gender detection, but no such luck.  We did schedule our big ultrasound for 18 weeks though, so shortly after Easter we should know if it's a boy or girl!  

After the ultrasound, we met with the doctor, who was very, very nice, but definitely more of a scientist than an OB.  He talked with us quite extensively about our prior miscarriages, but mostly focused on the 17 week loss.  While there are no definite answers, it is likely that the late miscarriage was caused by one of two things.  Either high thyroid levels or exposure to a virus early on.  I could've been exposed to a virus that presented as a cold or even nothing in me, but it could've negatively affected the formation of my placenta or something else to cause a smaller baby.  The other option, high thyroid levels, is also a possibility considering my history, although I don't think it's very likely because I was working closely with my endocrinologist through the entire pregnancy.  Either way, what's done is done and I recognize that God has used it to reveal Himself to me more clearly than I've ever seen Him before.  And for that, I am thankful.  

We got some pictures of Little Weaver.  My favorite is the one below.  His/her head is at the top, looking toward the left, and his/her body is below.  The picture is actually rotated because he/she was actually laying flat on his/her back.  I simply can't wait to know if it's a he or a she!!  

After such a promising appointment, we made plans to tell Gracie the big news.  The one person I've wanted to tell for weeks and weeks is the one person I've had to hide it from.  I knew she'd been over the moon... and I was right!!  Here's what we did...

I ordered a baby carrier for myself and a matching one for Gracie.  We both got the Kangaroo pattern of the Boba 4g carrier (found here).  While she was resting for her quiet time this afternoon, the FedEx guy delivered them.  I wrapped them up and didn't put a tag on either of the gifts.  I simply laid them on the hearth to be discovered when rest time ended.

Of course she noticed them right away, what 3 year old would miss presents by the fireplace?!  She asked and searched for tags with names of who the gifts belonged to, but no clues were given.  I searched for answers with her, but none could be found.  Then Kyle and Kianna got involved and neither of them were able to determine who the gifts were for either.  We ended up texting Daddy and he explained that the one gift was for Gracie and one was for Momma.  We'd open them tonight on a family date to Cheddars.  

So while Daddy fought traffic to make it home, Gracie and I got changed and ready for our date.  She wanted to wear something fancy, but not as fancy as her Easter dress (her words!).  By the time Daddy pulled in the garage, Little Miss was down the stairs!  She brought her favorite baby along for the date!  Here they are on the way to Cheddars.  

Once we'd ordered at the restaurant, Gracie couldn't wait any longer.  Daddy let Gracie open her gift first.  It was her very own Boba baby carrier.  Which for those who know Gracie at all, you know that this was such a great gift for her.  See the video below.

She wanted to put it on right away, which of course we let her.  She was pretty stoked about the new baby carrier and just snuggled her baby tightly while she waited for me to open my gift.

As I was opening my gift (my Boba baby carrier) Gracie watched intently.  She was pretty sure it was a new scale for the bathroom.  I have no clue!  Maybe she was noticing my extra baby weight after all!  Daddy asked her why Momma might need a Boba?  She said, "For Nat!" and Daddy prompted her to think of who else might go in the Boba.  It didn't take long for her to figure it out, but then she thought I was teasing her!  See the video below. 

The moment was so special for our family.  Seeing the joy in Gracie and feeling that same joy inside me was priceless.  It was a lovely dinner full of lovely conversation.  We discussed baby names.  Miss Taylor (after her "friend" Taylor Dorrel) is at the top of her list for girls.  Others include Belle, Annabelle, and Liesl.  For boys, she quite likes James, King Rowland, Sven, and Kristoff.  Thank you very much, Disney!  We also talked about ways that she can help and how big the baby is right now.  It was so much fun dreaming with her and listening to all of her questions.    

We ended the date with chocolate cake and ice cream... which was divine!  Gracie also had 2 cups of water, so she found it funny to drink them both at the same time.  I'm sure we'll have a picture like this on her 21st birthday someday!  Sheesh!

When we got home, Gracie and Daddy tried out the Boba.  It is for for carrying up to 45 pounds, which Gracie is still under.

Then G and I took a turn.  It really is amazing how evenly the weight is distributed, even with a heavy 3 and a half year old!

So now that the cat's out of the bag, I don't have to run around in sweaters and scarves anymore.  I don't have to try to hide my baby bump and talk in code about pregnancy.  However, I do still request your prayers for a healthy baby.  Now that we've shared the news with Big Sis, I pray more than ever that things end happily.  So please, if you don't mind continuing the support, I know God hears each of your prayers and I feel the peace that He brings from them.

I know Gracie will be such a wonderful big sister.  I've often said that God designed her to be an older sister.  She's nurturing and tender with little ones... she's also bossy and likes to be in charge... definitely a big sister thing!  I look forward to the relationship these two will have as they grow up to become great friends.