Baby Blessing Has Arrived!!

It's a GIRL!!!

Gianna Rose

Born Thursday, February 17th

7 lbs. 2 oz.

20 1/2 inches

5:49 am


More details soon! Thanks for the prayers!

Wordless Wednesday: 40+

In Case You're Wondering

No baby yet. I'm still at home. Still pregnant. Still waiting.

Not really a startling revelation, but it's further proof that God's plan and timing are all in His hands and not mine. He and baby apparently are in cahoots together.

There must still be a lot for me to learn on waiting and patience. This baby has been a long time coming and while we spent so much time/effort making sure baby stayed in long enough, now we can't get him/her to come out!!

Ah, the humor in it all.

In other news, baby's heart rate is around 150-160, I am dilated to 5 cm and baby is sitting nice and low so when the time does come, it will hopefully go fast. Well, not TOO FAST. I am also scheduled for induction on Friday if nothing happens before them.

Either way, Baby Blessing should arrive by the weekend!! Hooray!! I can't wait to lay my eyes on little one and hold him/her safely in my arms.

Boy Or Girl?

Any guesses?

With Baby Blessing being the 'tie-breaker' in our household, I certainly am anxious to see which gender God sent us!

I am so eager to find out and to finally put a name with this little one. With several names on our list for each gender, it certainly will be interesting to see him or her and finally call them by name.

That alone will make labor & delivery all worth it.

Humor me and let me know what you think! Leave a comment with any last guesses!

What I Know For Sure

It's February!!

That means that THIS MONTH at some point:

Reed will rush me to the hospital (ahem, have I mentioned I'm already at 3cm??).

We'll deliver a precious little one.

We'll finally meet our new baby boy OR girl.

My arms will once again hold a newborn.

Life will drastically change.

Our household may be turned upside down.


But man, I sure am looking forward to it!!

I think the amethyst birthstone will be a beautiful addition to my Mother & Child pendant.


**Pardon the giddiness with all the baby postings. Sorry to keep mentioning it, but I just can't help it!

Preparing A Place

We've kicked things into high gear here in the last week or so to make room for baby. All of those final things I've been waiting to finish have finally all come to fruition.

And now we wait.

Fittingly, the kids and I were talking about the virtue of Patience last week at school. The book's definition was simple: Waiting with a happy spirit. We have that reminder on the fridge and we are actively trying to remember patience in all things these days.

The last details of the baby's room are complete

The clothes are washed

And a couple of new ones are waiting (Lily and I couldn't help ourselves)

Stripes and Hearts!!

With a happy spirit we'll wait for the precious baby boy or baby girl that will fill the cozy car seat.

Counting down the days!!

Wordless Wednesday

Reality Check

This arrived at our house last Friday:

And it's amazing to me how its presence suddenly made the reality of baby's birth so much more real. I mean, I'm carrying around an extra 20-something pounds and I feel the baby move daily. But, the reminder that this little one will soon be in our arms and in this car seat. Wow!

In case you're wondering, the car seat we chose is this one.



Okay, I will try to lay off the baby related posts for those of you who may be getting tired of them. It's hard though since it's kind of on the front burner at our house. Bear with me.

Boyhood Baby Wonders

All things baby seem to be topics of conversation these days and most often in unexpected ways. It's kind of fun to hear how my children perceive pregnancy, labor/delivery and babies. And a lot of times, downright funny.

My little man has occasionally let us inside some of those dear little thoughts going on in his head. So precious that I had to post them so I remember them later.



Recently, he was lamenting how even when the baby is born that we will have no idea of its gender.

Me: Well, of course we'll know baby's gender after he or she is born. Then there will be no more questions.

Him: No, we still won't be able to tell. It might not even have hair. We have to wait to see if it gets long hair and then we'll know if it's a girl and if it doesn't and the hair is like mine, it's a boy.

Me: Um, really? Are you sure about that? Can you think of ANY WAY that we'd know right away after birth if you had a brother or sister?

Him: No....????

Me: (laughing) Can you think of ANY differences that you and your sister have?

Him: No....well, she wears pink sometimes.....that's all....

Me: Are you sure there's no body part that would tell the two of you apart?

Him: (clearly thinking VERY HARD) Hmm. (he's got nothin')


Well, that was interesting. I guess we're more modest in this household than I thought!

------

He's got my best interests at heart too, because he came up with this one at the table:

Boy: Mom, just so you know, it's gonna hurt A LOT when the baby comes out. They'll pull it out of a hole in your belly and it will hurt but then it will be done. And there. The baby will be here.

Mom: Oh really? You do realize I've done this before and know that it will hurt, don't you? But yet, mommy still wants to do it again so we can have another member in our family. By the way, mommy doesn't have c-sections and they don't make a hole. You've seen my belly. No scars.

(In enters sister in the conversation)

Her: About that...I still haven't figured it out. How does the baby get out??

Mom: You know what, that's a different conversation for a different day.


Thankfully, she was good with that answer. For now.

---------

And lastly:

"Wow! Then there will be THREE children in our family. I can't believe it!! I think I'm going to pass out when there's three of us. It's so surprising!! "


You've got it buddy, we're all just as amazed as you are. It's been a long time coming.

Mommy Matters: Diapers

Today I'm wondering about all things DIAPERS!!

In the past we've used disposables all the way and never questioned further. While not a fan of pricey designs, styles and brands, we always opted for something inexpensive from Target or Walmart. I mean, c'mon, these things hold bodily fluids from priceless little people, but really I'm not crazy enough to spend a fortune!!

As we progressed into quite a number of years without diaper wearers at our house, we're now preparing to be thrown back into full-on diapering routines again. While contemplating and waiting for this baby over the years, we've heard and read about gDiapers, FuzziBunz, Bum Genius and the like. We really thought that was the route we'd go when a baby arrived again. It seemed like a lot of work, but expense-wise even with the initial sticker shock prices we'd still come out way ahead.

BUT, now we're sitting almost 10 weeks away from EDD and we're still undecided. We've gone back and forth in this area. In fact, I've already starting stocking up on the disposables. But, that's also because I've heard that either way, disposables are the way to go in the beginning because the reusable, washable, eco-friendly types are just plain difficult to get to fit just right on those newborns.

It's crunch time ladies and we've got a decision to make!!

I'm looking for pros and cons and any input on the eco-friendly types. I'm looking for deals. I need to know how you save on disposables. Where do you find great prices or coupons? I'll take any and all of your suggestions you're willing to pass on.

I know there are a bunch of you frugal, moms of many out there who have done your homework. Would you mind sharing your tips?

Early Morning

I am awake much too early, but cannot sleep.

Baby and I cozy up on the couch in the chilly morning and we enjoy the stillness here.

Together we await the morning light.

He/she stirs and wiggles about while I silently type.

A little one so small and yet so strong that every movement is felt.

It's hard to imagine what it was like before.

A weary heart longing for this moment.

Silent hours shared between the two of us getting to know each other.

Mother and child.

My mind skips ahead several months.

We are here again, but baby is sleeping cradled in my arms.

Imagine the time we will spend together.

Precious moments that we will share.

And perhaps some very sleepless, unhappy nights.

Changes ahead for all of us, but so worth it.

I try to imagine it all, but can't.

So in awe am I of this little wonder and of the God who chose to bring him/her to bless our family.

November Daybook

For Today...11.9.10

Outside My Window...another nice day on tap before the cold air hits again later this week.

I Am Thinking...about Christmas lists and Baby names. What a combination!

I Am Thankful For...family time over the weekend; free movie matinee of Marmaduke at the theatre; lunch with grandpa & grandma at Pizza Hut; numerous odds and ends completed around home. Sweetness!

I Am Praying...for a mom from our homeschool group who is due with triplets (all girls) around the same time I am. I know she'd appreciate any extra prayers we can send her way.

I Am Reading...A Gathering of Angels by Katherine Valentine

Baby This Week...26 weeks and moving around regularly with frequent jabs that catch mommy off guard; enjoys responding to big brother and big sister by kicking back; he/she should weigh around 2 lbs. by now.

Favorite Pregnancy Foods...summer sausage, bagels and any cereal. Nothing fancy.

Around The House...little by little hubby is adding the finishing touches on the family room/playroom in the basement. This should allow for Baby's Room to be rid of the Little People/Polly Pocket World it has become.

From The School Room...steady days starting 2nd quarter and a number of fall/Thanksgiving projects will adorn the bulletin board once again.

From The Kitchen...going day by day lately with the menu plans, but I'm frequently using my Betty Crocker app on the iPod Touch for recipe ideas. I've found quite a few keepers lately.

For The Rest Of The Week...Norwex party tonight; visit to a Poor Clare's convent an hour away tomorrow with our Little Flowers group; Reed is off from work for Veterans Day on Thursday.

One Of My Favorite Things...the way my growing belly has become a bongo drum and source of entertainment for the kids. Not to mention Jonah's growing fascination and love for baby. Too sweet.

Picture Thought I Am Sharing...





Check out more Daybooks at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

100 Days (More Or Less)

Check out my Baby Ticker on the sidebar!

We're officially just 100 days from our due date. Hooray!!

I know, it's still a ways off, but I know with the holidays ahead that the weeks are going to fly by. We're so excited....and I've got some work to do in baby's room and some shopping to be done too yet. Yikes.

Most importantly, we cannot wait to meet our healthy baby boy or girl and be amazed at the preciousness of a new little one in our home once again.

Mommy Matters: Infant Car Seats

We're in the market for a new infant car seat for baby. We had a Graco Snugride with our other two children and I saved it because it was in such good condition. I then found out that due to our lengthy wait on baby news, it was far beyond the suggested time for upgrading.

So, we've got some car seat shopping to do. It's not exactly the most fun thing to do in the grand scheme of baby preparation shopping, but it does come down to my child's safety so it's kind of important, right? Except, that when I'm looking at car seats it goes beyond safety. It becomes about carrying comfort, color, style and fabric. Oh, and price. We are talking about putting precious cargo in this little thing, but seriously I'm not gonna pay $300 for one of these! I'm more in the less than $125 range.

I'm also finding it difficult to find neutral/unisex fabrics in these car seats. Does everyone find out baby's gender before birth and buy a gender specific car seat?? Good gracious. And then there are just plain ones that have black or gray, but I'd like to have a little bit of color/style in the fabric. And of course there are themed ones (jungle, Pooh, animals, etc.) which I personally just don't care for. I also want to like (no, I don't need to LOVE it) the thing since I will be lugging it around for a while and hope to use it again for another child.

I think we've narrowed it down to either another Graco Snugride or the Baby Trend brand since they seem to fit all of my criteria.

Here are a couple I've found online that I kind of like, but am not particularly attached to:

Graco Snugride in Lively Dots


Baby Trend in Mesa



Hubby doesn't really have a preference in this sort of thing and will be fine with whatever I choose. I could use your suggestions.

I'm wondering if you have a favorite brand? What's worked for you? Any current deals out there you're aware of and can share?

Hibernation And Nesting

You know, I think we could learn a lot from the animals. I don't think we give them enough credit for their instinctive actions. Most of the birds from around here fly south for the winter. As do retirees and we call them 'snowbirds', but I call them wise. Other animals find a warm, cozy place for their fluffy, overweight selves to hibernate. Best idea yet.

Oh sure, we're not animals and we do have obligations and duties that make us the responsible humans that we are. But when the wind starts howling, the temperature drops and weather forecasts give indications of first snowfalls, this mom starts getting in hibernating/hunkered down mode. You're right, I am not made to live in Minnesota. We come from hardy descendants though and we are tied with resilient heart-strings to our families and we just can't bear to leave this wonderful state.

Until the first snow flies...

So, when the first flurries began and the winds were howling and moaning out my window, creating slushy roads and reminders of winter realities, I couldn't help but think. You know, because I'm starting to feel like a mama bear these days. Big and rounded and testy. It's those hormones of course.

It's just fine though because I've got a baby in my belly that is gonna start growing like crazy in these next 15 or so weeks. There are holidays, holy days and happy days that will fill our calendar just enough to keep us busy. I've already begun all of the nesting and preparing. Trust me, even hubby was questioning my sanity when it all began last weekend. Why was I wandering around tearing into numerous projects, re-organizing and throwing things away like a mad woman? It's the change of season, the chilly weather and general nesting hitting me full throttle.

I started to wonder aloud, ponder and fret while hubby listened and chuckled. Why does it matter what we get the kids for Christmas RIGHT NOW? Why does it matter what kind of gifts we'll buy for this baby in a few years because we have so many 'things' already? What do you mean will this baby feel loved? Oh yes, I was all over the map and ever-patient-one that my dear husband is, he took it all in stride. You know, sometimes it's overwhelming (my new favorite word, just ask hubby) being so planned and organized.

In making plans for the coming months and Christmas preparations, I re-read my post from last year. It reminded me of how much I enjoyed the Advent season last year. I stayed out of the stores and we focused together as a family on the true meaning of Christmas. I think this will work out perfectly for my hibernation-while-baby-is-growing scenario and will also allow for some more wonderful memories and days at home.

I guess I better get plugging away at that Christmas shopping list, even though I'm planning on keeping it rather simplified and gifts more thought out/meaningful rather than spendy. I've got a little over a month to do it in an effort to keep with my December 1st deadline. I think I'm up for the challenge.

There's sure to be more nesting ahead too amidst my restful hibernation. After all, we all know that the state of every nook and cranny along with every closet in our house will really matter to this precious little one we are awaiting. Um, sure it will.

Wordless Wednesday: My Birthday And 24 Weeks Edition

Baby Blessing: 20 Weeks

Half way this week!

What makes it even better was that all of us got to sit in for the ultrasound on Monday. It was so fun to watch the littlest member of our family wiggle around. Although I've known this for a while and my last OB appointment confirmed it, this baby is content to sit very low. Even the ultrasound tech had a tough time getting a good look at baby's head since he/she is sitting way down in my pelvis. It added to the fun of the ultrasound experience when the tech had to keep tilting the bed that I was on, until finally she got the views she needed by having my legs W-A-Y up in the air! Baby just was not going to cooperate for nothing.

In even more exciting news, I just heard back yesterday from Dr. K with the results from my ultrasound regarding the marginal placenta previa condition. The placenta has moved up and is in a much better position, so things should be back to normal. Hooray!! I got the green light to resume my normal activities again! Everything is looking great once again and normal. I am so looking forward to getting outside some more and enjoying autumn walks with my family. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for all of your prayers you sent our way in the last four weeks. I know that we were blessed by them immensely.

Lily was especially looking forward to the ultrasound and couldn't wait. Ever since our early look at baby when I was in ER a few weeks ago, I think she's somehow felt left out and so disappointed that she missed it. Poor girl. Over the last four weeks since our little hospital stay, Lily has also been asking me several times a day whether I have felt the baby moving or not. It's cute, really. I do think though that she just wants to be sure that everything is okay with her sibling and knows that if I'm feeling movement it's a good thing. She's eight now, so she is so in tune with this sort of thing.

Both of the kids regularly acknowledge baby most every day now. I blame the growing belly and the reminder that is quite obvious. Lily has no problem patting or rubbing my belly, even outside of our house. The kids will even tell baby good-bye if one of us is leaving the house or we'll be apart for a little while. We also make sure that baby gets hugs and kisses at bedtime too. Although Jonah is still working on his aim for kissing my belly. Depending on where I'm sitting at bed time (most often lazing on the love seat) I may get kissed much higher or much lower than my belly (*ahem* if you get my drift). And Lily, well, she's also noticing that other things grow much bigger during pregnancy as well. I suppose she's at that age to be aware of that kind of stuff. It does catch me off guard though, especially since it's becoming ABUNDANTLY clear that things are getting much bigger. Yup, we're all in for some changes around here.

Here are the latest updated photos. Yes, I've grown! I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I realize that I.AM.PREGNANT. Only mere months ago, I was uncertain whether I'd ever feel a little one stirring within me again. We have not forgotten how truly blessed we are to be expecting and waiting on baby.

For This Child....

...we've waited, hoped, wept and prayed for so long...we are so in love with this little one and can't wait to meet him or her!

This week we are half way there! 20 weeks!

30-60-90....Countdown!

For planners like myself who thrive on numbers:

30 days until my 32nd Birthday!!

60 days until Thanksgiving!!

AND, My Personal Favorite,

90 days until Christmas!!!


What do these numbers mean?

Well, (besides counting down days left for shopping) because after we get through these next 90 days I am only 6-7 weeks out from my due date. Woo-hoo!! Now that is something we're all really looking forward to!


Not that you'd ordinarily catch me counting down the days and weeks leading into winter, but this one is completely different.

What I've Learned

**Otherwise titled: Thoughts From The Couch (and by couch I mean the couch in my living room, not the cushy couch in a doctor's office. Just so you know.)

Life is different here. Days are unique in our home. And that is okay. It's just gotta be for now.

Perhaps no exciting revelations from my little corner of the world, but spending this much time resting and just 'being' allows for more thought than a normal day as a wife and mom might.

Hope and Pray. Of course I knew how much both of these were an important and meaningful part of my daily life, but they've become even more of a source of strength. It took us four years of struggling to begin a new life within me and if I learned anything, I learned hope. Despite many uncertainties during that time, I could not lose hope and trust that God would see us through. Last week as we drove to ER, I faltered and questioned, but I knew that I could not give in and give up hope for this child. In the days that have followed, I have drawn on that hope and faith so that each day seems brighter and more manageable.

Life is Precious. Again, obvious. But with each time that I hear the sweet heartbeat of our little one and feel the little flutters, I realize just how precious that gift is. Oh how we all have fallen in love with this child! My time on the couch resting is for baby as well as for myself. It decreases risks to both of us immensely. I know that it is necessary. From here, I also see differently my growing children. They are able to adapt and move through their day needing me only minimally. I get to just watch them play and converse in their own little world with their toys because I am not rushed in the to-do's of daily life. Almost nothing goes unnoticed or under appreciated. From here, I can see it all. (Well, except for the pantry and refrigerator which seem to be Jonah's go-to places these days since he is ALWAYS hungry)

I am Blessed. There are more things laying on the floor than I normally can tolerate, my dining room table is full of the temporary residents of Little People-ville and the weather outside my window is dreary. But, I am blessed. Although the children don't quite understand the full meaning of my time of bed rest, they are doing their best. Quarreling seems to be at a minimum, restlessness barely evident and whining seems to be in check. We are surviving. My husband is being as devoted as always, sacrificing as necessary and doing his best to care for all of us in addition to returning back to work. Although things around home aren't done perfectly (read: MY way), I'm okay with that since they are done with perfect love. In the end, some of it just doesn't matter, does it? We are blessed to have family who live close enough that have supported us through many small ways and bigger ways too. None of that goes unnoticed when mom is out of commission. Gratefully blessed, we certainly are!

Time marches on: With each day that passes, it has turned into a week and into another week that baby is doing well. Each week will lead us to week 20 when we will have another ultrasound to check if the placenta previa has improved and we'll be half way! My oldest 'baby' will find her seventh year coming to a close and I will quickly have an eight year old in my household. Jonah is not so much my 'baby' any more with our new baby on his/her way. I've spent five wonderful years seeing and treating my little man as my forever baby. He's ready to grow up and finally, with a new arrival on the distant horizon I am ready to let him. Reed and I celebrated our ninth anniversary this past week and in so many ways it is unbelievable that we are nearly to year ten. We are already thinking about next year's anniversary and perhaps a small family trip in-state that will allow our family of five to spend time away together. And time marches on.


Finally, I've also been contemplating a few words that were a part of the prayer that Dr. K prayed with us in the ER: 'if this has happened in order for us to stop and draw us closer to You, then use this time to be reminded of Your presence in our lives' (or something close to that effect). May this time be sent to us as a gift to strengthen our bond with God, as well as in our family.

Things are all but normal around our house for the next couple of weeks at least, but we're adjusting. We are all in some way preparing for a new life in our household and God's just being sure that we keep that in mind.