Grace Mackenzie Weaver

She's finally here! I am filled with joy to be blogging out our little baby girl, Gracie Weaver! She arrived in a flurry at 4:38 pm on Wednesday, June 8th - one day past her due date. She weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 20 and 3/4 inches long. A healthy little lady who so far has been absolutely perfect! She even has red hair, which I adore!

Here are the highlights of the labor and delivery. Things didn't go how I had thought they would, but it all worked out how it was supposed to.

Checked in Tuesday night for cervical ripening via cytotec, which everyone said would most likely take a few days.

Woke up with intense contractions at 4:30 am.Began pitocin at 5:00 am - which only intensified the contractions.

Checked by doctor at 7:30 am - during which he stripped my membranes and explained that we would probably be doing this labor-thing again tomorrow. I cried.

Labored intensely while Ryan and my mom tried desperately to help.

9:45 am - doctor said I'd made enough progress to break my water and get my epidural - Thank you, Lord Jesus! Seriously...

10:15 - Got my epidural. Best decision of my life!

All afternoon we fiddled with contraction monitors, fluctuating blood pressure, heart rate drops, etc. My body finally kicked in with regular contractions so no more pitocin (who cared at this point since I couldn't feel them anyway, but good to know my body finally decided to show up!)

3:30 pm - checked by doctor, probably dilated to a 7 or so.

3:35 pm - I tell the nurse that I'm pretty sure there's a cantaloupe between my legs. The pressure below my pelvis was so intense.

3:36 pm - Nurse checks me and says I'm a 10.

For the next 30 minutes I labored-down - meaning breathed through the cantaloupe-pains between by legs until my body pushed the baby out further. Less chance of tearing and fewer pushes.

4:00 pm or so - Go time! After 3 clear directions from the doctor - harder, softer, or stop - we began pushing. My final prediction was Little Weaver girl. Ryan's was Little Weaver boy. But neither of us a had a clue!

4:38 pm - I watched as Grace Weaver arrived into the world. Her first cry was on my chest... mommy cried, too! A wonderful moment for our family.

Tired, relieved, amazed!

A quick pic of Daddy falling in love with his daughter

Happy girl!

When we left the hospital everything was great! Gracie was eating well and thriving. All the nurses were telling us how great of an eater she was. We were breasfeeding and Gracie would chow down for 45 minutes to an hour and still want to suck everything she could get her hands on.

Our first night home from the hospital was a sleepless one. Gracie seemed to be consipated. She would tighten her belly and thrash and cry for minutes at a time. Neither one of us knew how to help her. She'd nurse and it still didn't help her go to the bathroom. We were 22 hours from her last dirty diaper and I was panicked. I called the maternity floor at the hospital and the pediatricians nurse help line. Neither could offer any advice that worked.

Finally at 6:45 Saturday morning, my mother's instincts kicked in and I gave her a formula bottle... which went against everything I had hoped for in the early days home. I was hoping for no formula, but definitely no bottles. Well... out the window with that. Daddy got to give her a bottle and she DOWNED it. Ten minutes and 55 mL later, she pooped. A short while later, she pooped again.

That morning we began supplementing breastfeeding with formula via a tube during nursing. This helped a lot. I also spoke to the lactaction nurses from NKCH (loved all the nurses there!) and they had me start pumping right away after every feeding to bring in my milk supply.

Thankfully, it worked! 24 hours later, my milk is in and Gracie can chow down as much as she needs to. She is much happier and so are we.

First bottle

What an unbelievable week. Ryan and I are working together to figure out our new normal. He is doing an amazing job juggling husband and Daddy duties. It's true that you fall in love with your husband all over again. My hormones are bit out of control and my body is sore, just like they said. I am in love with Gracie-girl. I can stare at her feet for hours. When she's alert, I love to look into her big blue eyes and tell her all the great things we have to look forward to. She has the cutest red hair and sweetest long fingers. Her skin is the softest and I kiss her every time I get the chance. She is such a blessing to us. Hence the name, Grace. Both Daddy and I are so thankful that God gave us this precious baby girl.

39 weeks

I'm just 2 days from the due date and I'm hoping Little Weaver decides to make an appearance on time.

This past week has been a bit of a rollercoaster of doctor's appointments and tests. The short story is that my blood pressure was elevated (130/90) when I went in for my Tuesday appointment. They went ahead and drew some blood and sent me home as long as I promised to put my feet up. After another appointment on Thursday (BP still up) they sent me to labor and delivery to have a non-stress test. The baby and I passed 'the test' and my blood pressure looked great. Then my assignment for Friday was to collect my urine for 24 hours (that was a lovely experience) and bring it to labor and delivery while I got another non-stress test on Saturday. Again, we passed the test and my urine came out fine, too.

At this point, we're just hoping my body kicks into gear and begins to thin/dilate on its own. The doctor called my cervix 'unfavorable' for an induction because I'm not thinning or dilating yet. She also explained that if they were to induce me (and they might) it could take 48 hours or more to get the prize. Eeek... that seems like a long time, to me. When I asked the labor and delivery nurse about it, she said not to worry because some women thin and dilate in a few hours. I'm hoping I'm one of those girls! So... if Ican keep my blood pressure under control at my appointment on Monday, then we can avoid an induction on Monday night. With my due date being Tuesday, I'd rather just wait till later in the week to see if my body figures things out. But if my blood pressure doesn't cooperate, then they'll most likely begin an induction on Monday evening.

I'll keep you all posted. Pray that I'm okay with whatever God's plan for the delivery is. His plans are always better than my own anyway!

An eventful month

It's been about a month since I last blogged. So much has happened in that time, so I'll try to fill you in as best I can.

As for a baby update, I'm 38 weeks now and things are progressing just as they should. I've been going to weekly appointments since 36 weeks. The baby's heartrate has fluctuated between the 140s and 150s, but always super strong and steady. At our appointment on Tuesday, the doctor checked to see if I am dilating at all. She said I might be just a little bit... a very little bit. My cervix is thinning, although the baby's head is still high. She said that I've dropped about 3 cm, which is good, but the baby isn't "engaged" yet. Not to worry though, she assured me that you can be dilated for weeks or you can go from zero to fully in a matter of hours.

These last weeks haven't been too bad for me. I'll admit that I get uncomfortable with the swelling and my joints seem to fill with fluid, which makes me stiff, but other than that, it hasn't been too bad. I can't paint my toes anymore, which is why I'm going for a pedicure this afternoon. I took today off work because it's Field Day today... normally one of my favorite days of the year. But I figured it might kill me to be outside for an entire day on my feet. Either that or send me into labor. I wouldn't mind the labor option, so maybe I should have just done it!

I feel really ready to have this baby. I think I'm a little more gung-ho about it than Ryan, although I can tell that he's getting antsy, too. We're both excited to start the next phase of our lives and meet our son/daughter. The nine months has gone quickly, but I think we're as ready as we're going to be. Our bags are in the car and we've pre-registered at the hospital. The car seat is installed, baby swing is assembled and in place, cradle and crib are ready. The only thing we have left to buy is the boppy and a boy and girl outfit for hospital pictures. We're going to Babies R Us tonight to finish that up and then we're officially ready.

So for the events I didn't have time to blog about...

#1 Easter

Easter this year was super-fun! We had my family over for kabobs and an egg hunt on Easter Sunday. Kyle was just the perfect age for a fun egg hunt. The Easter Bunny hid eggs in our backyard and Kianna even got to find a few. Inside one egg, the Easter Bunny left a clue as to where he hid the kids' basket. One clue led to another and another and another, until finally Kyle was able to find their Easter basket in the dryer! After the egg hunt, we all watched Tangled, but all the ladies in the house fell asleep. Ryan, John, and Kyle thoroughly enjoyed the movie though!

My belly on Easter... somewhere around 33 weeks

#2 Weaver-Side Baby Shower

Brandi and Tena teamed up to throw me a Dr. Seuss baby shower with all the friends and family from Ryan's side. We had such a good time at the shower and the decor was super-cute! See for yourself below. The theme was One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Brandi made the cake herself, which turned out perfectly adorable and YUMMY! So many friends and family showed up to spoil us. I don't get to see many of them very often, so getting time to catch up and visit was so nice.

It was quite funny because several of Ryan's lake friends didn't know we were expecting. This all happened in the 'off season' so they were all surprised! There a group of them that'll be down when Ryan and I make our first trip to the lake with the baby. I already warned them that they may get a late-night knock on the door from me!

Super-delish cake and table decorations (The diaper cake had about 5,000 diapers for us!)

More decorations!



We got several homemade blankets at the shower.
Tena even crocheted a shawl for the baby.

Again, I was just floored at everyone's generosity and kindess at our shower. Ryan and I are so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives!

#3 My 30th Birthday

On May 7th, we celebrated my 30th birthday! At this point the tired phase had set in and I wasn't feeling like partying too hard, but I still wanted to do something fun! Luckily the Royals had a home game that night, so my whole family headed out to the stadium. We had such a good time! It was a perfect night and the Royals won in the 9th inning. The other great thing about my 30th was that I got an iPhone! Those of you who know me well know that I never answer my cell phone and it takes about 3 days for me to reply to a text. But not anymore! The iPhone is super-cool and I use it for everything now! Grocery list, to do list, checking email, calendar, etc. I figure if we're spending $30 a month for me to have internet on my phone, I better use it A LOT! So I have been!

My birthday weekend was made even more special because my first Mother's Day was the following day. Although there is some controversy as to whether I should have the privelege of being called a "Mother" yet... I made the decision that I have earned the title this year. Ryan spoiled me by getting me a manicure and pedicure. Always a good choice!

#4 Ryan's Grandpa

The biggest downer of the past month was the passing of Ryan's Grandpa. This was Ryan's last living grandfather and they were really close. Ryan grew up spending Saturday nights at their house so his parents could be in a bowling league. Over the years he has maintained a close relationship with both grandparents, so losing Grandpa was really rough for Ryan.

We were fortunate enough to visit with his Grandpa on May 7th for quite a while. He passed away almost a week later on Friday, May 13th. We were thankful that he went quickly and didn't have to suffer down the road that many of his illnesses would have taken him.

Spending a week with family was good for Ryan and helped to make everyone feel better. Many stories of Grandpa were told, which always make us laugh! He was always a quiet observer, very patient and easy-going, but his family knew how to push his buttons. And trust me, Ryan's family is all about getting-a-rise out of people! We will miss his Grandpa and trust that God will help the family to make it through this tough time.

#5 Ryan's Fainting Spell

Wednesday morning, Ryan was up and beginning to get ready for the day. I was still in bed watching the news when he called out from the bathroom, "I don't think I'm okay. I think I'm going to..." and then all of the sudden he fell out of the bathroom. Literally, he FELL OUT of the bathroom headfirst. He had passed out cold.

Me and my pregnant belly jump out of bed (as quickly as you can at 38 weeks) and I rushed to his side. He was breathing, but completely out of it. When he came to, he was talking and whining, but not making much sense. As I was trying to figure out what happened, I noticed he was sweating profusely and had no color in his face. Then all of sudden, he started convulsing on the floor. All his muscles were shaking and Ryan was literally flopping on the bathroom floor.

By this point I was completely scared, but keeping my whits about me. I grabbed his cell phone and dialed 911. Just before I could press 'Send', Ryan came to and said, "I'm okay, I'm okay." I decided not to call 911, but rolled him onto his back and put cold washcloths on his head and neck. I took his blood pressure, which was 96/46... very, very low. I also had him drink a big glass of orange juice.

About 5 minutes after the episode, his color was coming back and he was able to sit up. I wanted to take him to the ER, but of course, Ryan Kanan would have no part of that. We ended up at the doctor a few hours later and they determined that he probably passed out because of low blood sugar, coupled with his phobia of medical procedures.

You see, Ryan had been researching hernias (because we thought he might have one) when the fainting feeling set in. But he said he couldn't shake it and just passed out. The doctor said the low blood sugar probably made it worse. We had eaten an early dinner the night before and Ryan hadn't eaten anything for over 12 hours. I guess the shaking is fairly common, it's your brain's way of re-setting itself. I have no idea, but it was super-scary to me. Turns out, he doesn't have a hernia, just swollen lymph nodes in his abdomen. The doctor is going to take blood (hopefully doesn't cause Ryan to pass out again) and do an full physical in a few weeks. He said this whole episode is nothing to worry about, unless it happens often. And let's just pray that it doesn't!

Here is the battle wound left by the bathroom floor!
Looks like I beat him up, huh?!

So I think that's the end of the updates for the month of May. It was a crazy-busy month, which made it fly by. We're looking forward to next month. Several great things are happening for us. We're getting new windows, going to a good friend's wedding, and most importantly - we're finally going to meet our Little Weaver.

We'll keep you posted!

33 Weeks

Our 33 week appointment was last week... not much to report, from our short doctor's visit. The baby's heartrate was 148 and he/she is still head down. I'm measuring just a little bit small, but nothing to get concerned about. I'm definitely not concerned because I can feel by the movements in my belly that Little Weaver is still growing! My weight gain is still on the rise... a total of 31 pounds so far. While pregnancy has been great so far, I must admit that I'm getting excited to lose some weight after the baby is born. It's not the big belly that bothers me - it's the cottage cheese legs, chubby face, and flabby arms.


I don't have a great 33 week picture to share, but here's one that gives you an idea of how big I'm getting!

Small soccer ball, but still a little scary!

Baby Shower

This Saturday was my first baby shower! Of course it was the best baby shower I've ever been to! I had such a great time! My sister worked with my cousin Laurie and good friends Meghan and Sarah to pull the whole thing off. Just like the nursery, the shower had a Dr. Seuss theme, which turned out way cute! I am so thankful to the girls for their hard work and all the money they spent to make this party a success! I have the best family and friends, for sure!

Sevedge Girls (Kianna, Kristy, Stephanie, Becky)

The mantle was decorated with a variety of essentials

The entry felt very Seussy. Laurie painted the frame and Sarah's friend made the sucker-pops! Guests made gender/birth date predictions on the red & white hats. (I'm happy to report that most predicted I'd go early - hopefully! Also... the large majority are expecting Lil' Weaver to be a boy!)

My mom found this cute idea for the cake! It was almost too cute to cut into... almost, I said! It was delish!

I was overwhelmed with gratitude because everyone totally spoiled us! This little froggie from Aunt Sue made me laugh! I don't know why he's so hilarious to me?!

Someone (Laurie, I think) thought of this creative idea to have a photobooth where guests could get their picture taken. There were tons of props that made each shot look like it was taken in Who-ville! This is Sarah and I being silly!

Kim, Aunt Sue, and Laurie I think the photobooth pics were too cute!

When all was said and done, I was totally wiped out, but even more excited about everything we have to look forward to. Ryan was out of town on a boy's weekend, so when he got home, it was fun to show him everything we were showered with. He too was overwhelmed with gratitude!

The room is beginning to feel more like a nursery now that there's baby gear to fill it up. I'll have to say that it was totally fun doing an entire load of baby laundry. Then folding and putting away hooded towels, socks, blankets, diapers, and shampoo was so fun! Almost like playing house! I'm sure in a few months I'll look back on the "happy laundry" moments and think I was crazy!

The night before the shower was a cousin's night. Laurie, Kim, Steph, and Kianna all spent the night at my house. We worked to get the house decorated and the food cooked. Kim and I tried our hand at giving Kianna a bath while the other two shopped. I'd say we were very successful because Kianna was the wettest person at the end of the bath (although not much wetter than me). After bath I fed and rocked Kianna until she was asleep. Then I she got to 'break in' the crib for Little Weaver. She slept like a baby until her next feeding. As I was taking care of Kianna, it started to hit me just how much Ryan's and my lives will be changing in 8 weeks (hopefully more like 6 or 7). I know we can handle all the changes and I know we will love our new roles as mommy and daddy. It's just so fun being Aunt Nerned and Uncle Ry-Ry... only doing the daily routine stuff every once in a while... it only makes me a little apprehensive to think about doing it full time.

This weekend was a fabulous weekend! I fell asleep on Saturday night thinking about how blessed I am right now. Sometimes life moves so quickly that I forget to thank God for everything he has provided me with... things I sometimes take for granted. Days like Saturday remind me that I have been given so much more than I deserve.

Dr. Seussville

The nursery has been Dr. Seussified thanks to the amazing creativity of a good friend's dad. I'm so grateful to Mr. Kennedy for turning my vision into a reality in the nursery. He did a fantastic job, see for yourself!

28 weeks

Yesterday was my 27 week doctor's appointment, but today begins week 28 - and the third trimester! Testing for gestational diabetes was the main purpose of the appointment yesterday, but I did meet with the doctor, too.

Everything looks good with the baby. The heartrate was still in the 150s and was very strong. The baby was pretty wiggly because I had just drank the sugar-drink for the glucose tolerance, but I got a good listen at its ticker anyhow! My belly was measuring 27 centimeters, right on schedule. My weight gain slowed a little this appointment, but unfortunately, I still gained 5 pounds. I expressed my concerns to the doctor and she didn't seem to think it was a big deal. That puts my grand total at 26 pounds. I'm getting nervous because I've really tried to eat healthy foods in the past 3 weeks and I still gained way more than I should've. Oh well... I'll just have to deal with the weight after the baby gets here, not much I can do now.

The doctor answered a few of my questions... the largest of which was 'How soon can we go camping?' She assured me that there's no reason we can't take the baby camping with us this summer. Ryan and I have 3 trips planned for July and August. Since our style of camping isn't really roughin' it much, I don't think it'll be a problem. I'm still going to check with the pediatrician once the baby is born, but the doctor said it shouldn't be a big deal as long as we're comfortable.

My assignment for the next few weeks is to sit quietly at the same time each day and track how long it takes the baby to move/kick 10 times. She said it would take about 1-2 hours to get to 10 kicks. I am supposed to do this at about the same time each day and keep track of the information. She said if I notice a drastic change in how long it takes (specifically if it's taking a long time) then I should call right away. She didn't really say why, but I have a feeling it's about making sure the umbilical cord isn't wrapped around the baby or pinched or something. I guess Little Weaver is an over-achiever... or maybe our baby just has ADHD, but last night it took 19 minutes to feel 10 kicks. I keep saying this baby is so active! Ryan has even been able to feel baby movements often... which is has been so fun for us! Actually, as I lay awake this morning from 6:30-6:40, I felt 16 kicks... probably why I was awake, instead of sleeping-in on my spring break!

Sorry there's no picture for 28 weeks just yet! I'll get that up very soon! I'm holding out for my new digital camera... Ryan and I are shopping for it later this week!

25 weeks

Even though I'm 26 weeks pregnant now, I never posted about our 25 week appointment last Wednesday. Everything looks great at this point. Well, almost everything, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Little Weaver's heartrate was 140 bpm and I'm measuring right on schedule. It was 26 cm from my pelvic bone to the top of my uterus. Apparently some genius doctor figured out that after about 20 weeks of pregnancy, a woman should measure in centimeters how many weeks along she is, give or take 2 cm. Since I was 25 weeks, 26 cm was right on target. My blood pressure was good and Little Weaver was moving like crazy! It's pretty much been a circus in there for the past couple of weeks. It's pretty fun! I can even feel the baby move in multiple places now... I'll get kicked on the left side and then right away I'll feel a punch up near my belly button. I guess Little Weaver's gettin' strong enough to make his/her presence known.

Unfortunately for Papa Weaver, every time he puts his hand to my belly to feel movement, Little Weaver settles down. I joke and tell him that the baby is probably in there saying, "Shhh... be quiet. My dad's standing right there!"

Now for the bad news... I guess it's official that I'm 'Big Mama Weaver' because I gained 10 pounds in the past month! Oops! I probably ate one too many donuts... or maybe 10 to many donuts. I'm not sure why, but I have craved them for about 4 weeks now, and apparently they just add pounds faster than anything! The doctor was so nice about it though. He didn't get onto me, just said that I could try to walk 5 times per week for 30 minutes. I'm trying not to feel too bad about things, but I have gained 21 pounds already. This could get bad. But I will say, I've only had 1 donut since the appointment last week. I know I don't deserve a medal, but at least it's a step in the right direction. My biggest problem is that once I start thinking about something yummy (usually sweet, although not always) I can't stop thinking about it until I get it. It's bit of a problem!

25 week picture
It's pretty easy to see my newest 10 pounds...

Although I have to be honest...
Here's what 25 weeks really looks like at my house...

Baby shopping!

Getting ready for the baby is getting so fun! I'll have to say that I'm a little out of control with my spending habits lately. It seems like I keep thinking of more things I need for the nursery or for the baby's arrival. I'm making a promise to myself to get things under control here soon (I'm hoping Daddy Weaver doesn't read our blog though, cause then no one can hold me to that promise - wink, wink!) But seriously, baby stuff is just too exciting! I think 'they' prey upon us expecting moms because they know we can't help ourselves.

I've gotten quite a few outfits already... some from thrift stores (doesn't gross me out, athough I know some think that's criminal), others are hand-me-downs, and then the rest are brand new, super-cute things I just couldn't resist. Now I know most people think gender neutral shopping isn't quite as fun as shopping for pink and blue, but I have enjoyed the challenge!

One of my favorites is this personalized onesie from Inktastic.com.

In fact, I got a little carried away on the Inktastic website and ended up with gear for the whole family. The only bummer was the lack of options for Tysie. I wanted a bandana or something, but all they had where doggie-shirts - which Daddy Weaver would never permit! The orange pants were on sale at Oshkosh... so far, I don't think I've paid full price for anything (still a bargain-shopper, despite the mommy-to-be vulnerability!)

I'm not really sure where we'll wear these super-cool orange outfits, but I'm stoked just the same! I know there's at least one member of our family who will look cute in the orange gear, but he/she isn't ready to wear it just yet!

A big day!

Today we had our 21 week ultrasound. It was so amazing and so fun! Ryan and I were in awe as we saw our baby on the 'big screen' for the first time (well, since it looked like a tadpole at 6 weeks)! It's just unbelievable how God has designed our bodies. All of this happens without any effort from Ryan or I. God does it all, but we get to be a part of it. It's just miraculous! It's also quite unbelievable that technology lets us a get a sneak peek at it all.


The baby was so cute and well behaved during the ultrasound. Lil' Weaver was kicking its feet, almost as if it were swimming. We just watched in amazement at she measured everything and pointed out the organs. The sonographer told us to look away as she checked to make sure the lower regions were developing okay. Our baby cooperated and even revealed his/her gender to the sonographer. Ryan and I didn't want to know, but I was proud that our baby complied because most mommies and daddies look forward to the 'big screen' to find out what they're having and Little Weaver didn't disappoint. According to all the measurements, Little Weaver weighs 14 ounces and looks to be 'fully cooked' on June 8th. They didn't change our original due date because it's just the day before.


Here's my favorite picture from the ultrasound today. A profile shot... the head is on the right side (whitish/grayish blob) and the belly is on the left. You can see hands and fingers between the head and belly. Don't Ryan and I make cute babies?!

I also put together a video (about a minute long) of all the ultrasound pics.

Following the ultrasound, we had our regular doctor's appointment. After waiting for nearly an hour, I weighed in, which wasn't as painful as it could have been. 5 lbs in 5 weeks... right on schedule, for a total of 11. Then we heard the heartbeat - 155 bpm... waited some more and finally talked to the doctor for a whopping two minutes. It was pretty much a waste, but from what I understand, that's what most of these second trimester appointments are like.

We headed to Hereford House for lunch after the appointments and stuffed ourselves beyond belief. YUMMY! It was fun to go out on a lunch date with Ryan in the middle of the week! A treat we almost never get!

After lunch we set out to register at Babies R Us! Holy Toledo! It was really fun choosing tons of stuff we wanted, but seriously, decisions, decisions, decisions. Battery powered or electric? Always electric! Monitors with sound, lights, and vibration - or is that more than we need? Bottles... how many choices are there? And don't even mention nipples! Six different options for baby bathtubs... 8 different bouncers... high chairs... swings... baby gates... the list goes on and on. We made decisions about all of them until we were so tired we could barely peel ourselves out of the rocking chairs! It was super fun, but by the end we were worn out. I'm sure we'll add more items later, but for now, we're registered and I'm content.

As promised, I took a belly shot today. Getting bigger by the week, but so far I'm still comfortable. My hands are swelling a bit, so the days of wearing my wedding ring are about over for the time being. And every time I have to tie my shoes, I wonder how much longer I'll choose shoestrings over slip-ons!

All in all, today was a great day! It was our first big ultrasound and our first chance to register for a baby! What a fun day! Now with 21 weeks down and 19 (maybe less or maybe more) to go, I feel like we're getting prepared and it's starting to sink in that we're actually having a baby!

People ask me all the time, "So when did it become real to you?" I'm not completely sure of the answer. It seemed real when I peed on a stick, but then it got more real when we saw a baby in my uterus at just 5 weeks. Then seeing the heart beating on the big screen at 6 weeks left no doubt that this is a real life. Over the next several weeks, I didn't have many pregnancy symptoms, although I knew things were happening that I just didn't know about. When I felt the baby move at 19 weeks and as it continues to move all the time, I am sure that a baby is really growing inside of me. This is real. But then today, when we saw a real-life, little baby on the screen, things definitely seemed real. But still, I don't think anything will sink in for sure until I hold our baby for the first time and see him/her with my own eyes in the flesh. By then, things will probably be too real and I'll freak out... just a little!

Getting ready for baby...

It's been over a month since I last posted, but that's only because we've been hard at work getting ready for the baby... well, that's not completely true - the 2010 holiday season kept us very busy as well.

But several things have happened on the baby front. I'm almost 19 weeks now, which means we're 1 week away from the halfway point. But back at 16 weeks, I had a checkup and everything looked good. The baby's heartrate was 160 and I had gained 6 pounds... not too bad, yet. I spoke to the doctor about how congested I have been (going on 8 weeks now) and how I've had a cough, too. She explained that it's most likely caused from elevated estrogen levels. I guess it causes swelling in the sinuses and nasal passages. It also causes your body to increase fluid production to help the baby (amniotic fluid, I think) but also fluid elsewhere... hence the congestion. She told me there's really nothing I can take to clear it up, but reassured me that it will go away when the baby is 2 or 3 months old. That sounds like an eternity to me, so I'm just choosing not to think about it.

Back at 16 weeks, I decided to take photos of my baby bump at each of our doctor's appointments. I'm quite a bit larger now, but here are the beginnings of what will most likely be a pretty large belly.

Our next appointment is at the end of this month (21 weeks), so I will post another picture then. We always keep up with the baby's growth and development on http://www.babycenter.com/. It's pretty fun to read how the baby is changing and how my body is changing as well. This week the baby is the size of a bell pepper or large tomato. I find it to be amazing that I have something that large living inside of my abdomen, but when I squish and push around, I can't ever feel it. In the past, I never believed it when I heard about people who go to the doctor and find out they've got a tumor the size of a melon. But seriously, I'm beginning to wonder if I wouldn't be the same way... under all the flab and muscle (yeah right) you really can't feel much. My belly just feels firmer than it used to, but I think that's because everything is pushed together and outward.

Last night was a milestone though... I felt the baby move for the first time! I was laying on belly... not for a long time, but because I heard that when you lay on your belly, you can feel the baby move. It worked! At first I just felt something in my belly, almost like I was laying on a rope or something, but when I laid still, I could feel fluttering and movement. It was super cool! Things are starting to feel more real as each day passes, but feeling the baby move got me really excited! I felt it twice throughout the night, just like bubbling or spasms just below my belly button. So fun!

We've also been working on the nursery quite a bit. I set a goal of having it done by the time my spring break is over - third week of March. Here's the before photo... plain and boring. Keep reading to see the progress we've made.

So what have we done to the nursery?! Lots! We've painted, cleaned the carpet, ordered and assembled furniture (still more to do), and bought a few accessories. The painting was a bit of a headache because it took 3 coats of Whisper Yellow to cover the builder-gray paint already on the walls. Ryan and I tag-teamed the painting, which made it go faster.

I am having such a blast decorating the Dr. Seuss-themed nursery (chosen by Ryan before I was even pregnant). The bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids (clearance!) and the crib (pictured below) and changing table are Bassett, but I ordered them from Amazon because they had Free Super Saver Shipping... even better! The toy storage is from Target, but we don't have too many toys to store just yet. I've also found some Dr. Seuss items at http://www.funtocollect.com/ and Kohls. The red rugs are from Hobby Lobby (50% off sale) and Tysie's zebra-print bed is Target (you can barely see it in the picture).

We assembled the crib last night and right away I ran out to buy the crib mattress and some baby laundry detergent. I washed all the bedding and put it together before I went to bed last night... I just wanted to see the final product! Below are some pics... what do you think?!

Like I said, there's still more to do! I'll keep you posted as we make progress. Check back soon to hear about our big ultrasound on January 27th. Even though we're not finding out the gender of the baby, we're still really excited to see the baby and find out if everything is developing properly.

12 Weeks

Yesterday we had our 12 week appointment. It was a big appointment because we finally got to hear the heartbeat, which was reassurance to us that Little Weaver is still growing.

After waiting for a while to be called back, the nurse used the doppler to listen to the heartbeat right away. It took her just a few seconds to locate our munchkin, but once she did, we listened to the heartbeat. It sounded so fast to us! I told the nurse that the baby needed to settle down, I thought he/she was over-working him/herself. Ryan jokingly wondered if we could get a blood pressure on the baby because we knew it would be through the roof!

The heart rate was 165 beats per minute, which really means nothing to me. All I know is that it's almost 3 beats per second, which is really, really quick! The nurse said that she thinks she can hear the difference between a boy's heartbeat and girl's. She described it as a gallop sound for boys, but not girls. If she were guessing, she said it sounds like a boy. But we all agreed that it's not an exact science. Boy or girl, it doesn't matter to us!

We recorded a little bit of the heartbeat for you to hear. What do you think, boy or girl?

So far the pregnancy has been fairly uneventful... which is a good thing! I'm feeling great and getting super-excited about all the surprises to come! I can't wait to begin work on the nursery! I'm even looking forward to getting a round belly! Most of all, I look forward to our expanding family and all the blessings that will bring!

I must say a big thank you to all our friends and family who have continued to pray for us. Your prayers for a healthy baby and peace of mind for Ryan and I have helped tremendously. For the mostpart, we've been able to take confidence in God's plan for our lives and trust that he knows best (Jeremiah 29:11).

Exciting News!

After much anticipation, we're happy to announce that we're having a baby! I'm 6 weeks 5 days along, and we saw the heartbeat on Thursday! Ryan and I are so excited and thankful as we embark on this new journey in our lives.

We realize that it's very early in the pregnancy to share the news, but we want the prayers and support of all of our friends and family. Please pray for a healthy baby and peace of mind for Ryan and I as we try not to worry about things that could go wrong. From what I hear, our lessons in trusting God are just beginning.

Here's a the first picture of Little Weaver... kind of looks like a tadpole at this point. The tiny baby is only about a quarter inch long. He/She is due on June 7th and we won't know whether it's a 'he' or 'she' until then!


I'll keep you posted as our journey continues. We go in again this week for another appointment.