Mommyology

2 Months Old!

2012-01-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

Weight: 15 pounds 5 ounces, ~97th percentile
Height: 24 inches, ~80th percentile

Charlie is a healthy and growing boy! He's a big boy, too! The appointment today went well. He got three shots and an oral vaccine. He cried just a little bit, but big sister Anna cried even more - poor girl! One thing to note is that Charlie has an enlarged testicle (hydrocele testis). The pediatrician noticed it at birth and it's still there. If it doesn't clear up by 4 months, then we'll have to see a urologist. (Also, it can cause a hernia.) I hope it clears up. I can't imagine what kind of procedure would be used to drain that fluid. :( Please say a prayer for our little man. It doesn't hurt him thankfully - he just looks very endowed!

Anna's Birth Story

2011-11-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

I wrote this after Anna was born:

Anna Daisy P______
November 19, 2006
8:10 p.m.
7 lbs 11 oz
19 inches long

(Sorry if this seems short, I'm exhausted.) I went in to be induced on Sunday morning 5am. The doctor checked me and I was already 3cm dilated and 80% efffaced, so they broke my water to see if that alone would stimulate contractions, but it didn't. They gave me pitocin at like 8 am-ish. It really wasn't bad at all at first. They checked me, I was still very comfortable and when they checked me I was 4cm and 100% effaced. I actually remember thinking how "easy" it was at this point and the nursing staff was impressed that I wasn't begging for the epidural yet. I asked for one some time later when I was like 6 cm but only because it would take 20 minutes to kick in and I wanted it to work once I was fully dilated. Well, I got the epidural and the first dose did not work at all, I wasn't concerned at this point... then I got the second dose and I was able to sleep a little because it dulled the pain enough... THEN I woke up in terrible pain not 1 hour after the second dose. They gave me a third dose of the epidural and it STILL wasn't working. I was numb from the knees down and my butt was numb (gee, if I were giving birth through my toes it would have been very nice!) The anesthesiologist said that the epidural is equal to ones' height and by then they had given me the dose of a 6 foot 2 inch person! Unfortunately, Anna was also posterior, so I had the worst back labor as well. At last I was checked and I was 9 cm, then they checked me a half an hour later and I was +2. They asked me if I wanted to start pushing and I said YES! I was in so much pain, I just wanted it to end! So I pushed for an hour and I was so exhausted from hunger (I had only had a bowl of cereal at 5am that morning and by then it was 7. I pushed so hard for so long and it hurt so bad that I kept throwing up. The contractions were coming one after another. Finally my OBGYN came in and he said that he would try to use the vacuum to pull her out and if it didn't work I'd need a C-Section. Anna was stuck in the birth canal because of her posterior position and because I was too exhausted to push very hard or very consistently. I was so tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open and I was even resting during contractions. So, finally the doctor put on the pump and I pushed as hard as I could and some time during this the doctor gave me a "generous" episiotomy--I didn't even notice! The vacuum released which made my body pop back, then the doctor put it back on and pulled her out. I didn't even know that she was born until she was put on my stomach. I kept my eyes closed for most of the labor (I was too exhausted to keep them open...) She was screaming and everything and she is so cute. The only thing that hurts is the episiotomy. It was pretty big, too. I asked the doctor how many stitches I had and he said, "We're up to six so far." and he wasn't even close to being done yet!

Anyhow, I'm in a ton of pain and the Percocet only helps a little with the pain, but Anna makes it all worth it! She is so beautiful! She has dark black hair and a poor scabby red mark from when the vacuum popped off. She's just adorable! It was all worth it. I'll just try not to relive that delivery, though!

Anna is a great little breastfeeder, too! She caught on right away and the nurses said that babies who have traumatic deliveries usually don't feed very well, but she caught on right away. I was able to try to feed her just an hour or two after she delivered.

_____

To add to the story, I was 39 weeks 2 days pregnant with Anna when I had her. After she was born, I had issues with the Percocet. At 6 days postpartum, I went into the hospital because of a bowel obstruction caused by the medication. That was fun... not. More like humiliating and horrifying! I think the emotional healing after her birth took the longest. I didn't have a very good experience. I couldn't remember much of her birth because of being so exhausted and it took forever to feel like myself again. I can tell the difference between Charlie and Anna's births. The difference is huge! I was up and walking around immediately. I was able to get up with relative ease after Charlie's birth, go to the bathroom without issue (#1 and #2), go on walks within a few days of birth, go to church 5 days post-birth, etc., etc., etc. I feel like I can be a better mom, although juggling is difficult. I remember crying because I couldn't do anything for Anna for so long except for feed her. I'm glad to be able to have a better experience the second time around, even if it wasn't perfect. Even if it wasn't one of those births where baby and mom both come out unscathed - ah, well. God protected us both times. Both times c-sections were strong possibilities, especially in Charlie's case and both times we were healthy and alive afterward. I'm thankful for that. God is good!

Just Two

2011-11-23T20:09:00.001-08:00

Paul (hubby) and I are fairly certain that we just want two. And to even think about getting pregnant again is a little frightening to me. Thankfully both pregnancies have been fairly complication free (with the exception of having high BP during my pregnancy with Anna), but it's just the delivery part! Both babies have been posterior and have needed to be vacuum-extracted. Charlie had the added fun of having the cord around his neck and shoulder dystocia because of being nearly 10 pounds. And let me tell you, carrying a nearly 10 pound baby was no walk in the park. I had pubic symphysis pain for weeks before delivery and for a week or two after - I'm still sensitive down there. Recovery was hell after having Anna and not too fun this time around, although much better. After having Charlie, the first to hold him was a warming bassinet surrounded by the NICU staff. Thankfully, I got to hold Anna first after having her. The point is, I'll never be one of those two-pushes-and-they're-out ladies. I'll never be a homebirth candidate (not that that's on my list, but still!). I'll never been one of those ladies who goes out and runs a mile a few weeks after birth.

But after having Charlie, the epidural actually worked and I was able to enjoy those first moments of his life, remember them, remember holding him for the first time, cuddling him, remember nursing him for the first time... it was wonderful! The recovery hasn't been too bad, although there have been a few bumps in the road... and I find that I'm sad that this is likely our last baby. I'm sad I won't experience that first moment ever again. At the same time, I don't want to go through what it takes to experience that first moment.

So, here I am. A mama of two. Maybe there'll be adoption in our future, just as I had always dreamed, but for now, it's just the four of us. And there will be plenty of firsts ahead of us... first smiles, first days at preschool, Anna getting married, Charlie getting married, first grandchildren... lots of firsts.

Photos - Anna and Charlie (10 days old)

2011-11-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Charlie is now 2 weeks and 5 days old. He is well over 10 pounds and we'll be retiring newborn clothes this week. (They look so short on his arms and legs!!! Also, they're short on his long torso.) He is a great breastfeeder, just like his sister! I'm so thankful for that. I loved nursing Anna and I'm loving nursing this little guy. :)
Anna just had her 5th birthday party. She got lots of My Little Ponies, Littlest Petshop and Squinkies. She had a great day. We went to the Children's Museum with her and enjoyed her experiencing something new. :)
Anna loves being a big sister. Charlie is crying now, so this was a short update, but here it is. :)

BIRTH STORY! :)

2011-11-02T15:57:00.001-07:00

Charles David, born 11/1/11 at 5:21 PM PST, 9 lbs 13 oz (12.6 oz), 21 1/4 inches, head 15.25, 41 weeks gestation

2:30 AM - Paul (DH) woke me up because my nose was wheezing. I got up, feeling like I had to pee, but every time I sat down, it hurt really badly and my back was hurting. I woke up about every 1/2 hour until around 4 when I gave up and stayed awake.

5:45 AM - Left for the hospital, scheduled induction. My back was killing me, my pelvis hurting. I wanted to kill DH for stopping for coffee.

6:00 AM - Checked in to L&D - it was the exact same room that Anna (our daughter) was born in! They attached the monitors and I was already in labor! Here I thought I was having the most horrible back ache ever (just as it was on "false alarm day", but worse). I guess it was meant to be this little guy's birthday! Contractions were around every 2-3 minutes. I labored on my hands and knees to relieve the pain. I went into the whirl pool until that didn't help any more. I kept trying to go pee, but it was way too painful. DH kept saying, "Maybe you don't have to pee? Maybe he's just pushing on your bladder." Maybe, I agreed.

I was checked and I was 2-3 cm and my cervix was way posterior! What?! I had actually regressed?! How could that be with all of this horrible pain? (I had been 4 cm, 70% for the last two appts and anterior for the last appt.)

8:30 - Given 1/2 dose Phentanol for the pain. Ah, it felt nice.

9:30 - Made wise choice to have epidural. I could tell it was back labor all over again. I prayed the epi would work this time and it did!!! :)

The doctor came in finally and checked me. He was also feeling a posterior cervix and then he thought the baby was breech! He had an ultrasound machine brought in and it was hard to see the baby. He realized the problem and had the nurse give me a catheter. I had over a liter of urine in my bladder! I knew I had to go!!! He could see that the baby was actually head-down, not breech! Whew! I was praying so hard that he wasn't!

After that, the doctor checked me and I was actually 5 cm and 80% effaced! I knew I had made progress!

10:00 - My contractions were alright, but needed to be augmented with Pitocin. Yay for having a working epidural on board! I kept checking the machine to make sure I was still in labor!

11:00 - 6 cm, 80% effaced, -2 station

12:10 - 6 cm still, water broken. This part was hilarious. I had so much fluid that it was gushing out, soaked the doctor's sleeves and the sheets all the way up to my ribs! I had "copius amounts" of fluid, according to the nurse. My stomach actually deflated quite a bit with that. I did not have that experience with my daughter!

There was meconium staining in the fluid. :(

1:00 PM - 7 cm, 90% effaced

2:15 - 8-9 cm, 100% effaced. I couldn't believe how fast this was going!

3:15 - Just a lip of cervix left. They noticed he was ROP (right occiput posterior) and had me start pushing to get him to turn on his own. I pushed like this for a couple 1 hour, 45 minutes. He didn't turn on his own, just a little bit, but not all the way. I had to keep turning from my left side, to the back, to the right because of heartrate decels, while keeping an oxygen mask on. I was praying the whole time this didn't turn into a c-section situation.

5:00 - The doctor came in and had me start actual pushing. I could definitely feel pain and pressure as he moved down the birth canal. The doctor wanted to get him out of there, especially after noticing more meconium. The doctor talked about using a vacuum. I was so afraid of the same thing that happened with DD (Anna), vacuum and gigantic episiotomy. I asked immediately if it was possible to use the vacuum and not need an episiotomy and he said yes. As I pushed, he used the vacuum to turn him from ROP to anterior. Thankfully he did turn with this help! Once the vacuum was on, it only took two sets of four pushes for him to come into the world at 5:21. :) The doctor noticed that the cord was around his neck. Paul said the doctor was sweating as he pried the cord off from his neck. Paul cut the cord and blood sprayed across the room and soaked a nurse. haha :)

He was immediately brought to the pediatric team who assessed him because of the cord around the neck, the vacuum and the meconium. It took several minutes before I could actually see him. But he was a healthy boy. I was shocked at how huge he was - we all were! No wonder I was so uncomfortable. I gave up my evening one-mile walks a few days before he was born - it was just too hard any more. He's doing such a great job nursing! He always wants to suckle on things - his hands, me, or a pacifier. He likes to be warm and swaddled. He has tons of dark hair.He's fine with sleeping in the bassinet as well. He's wearing size 1 diapers lol! He has a little bruise on his head from the vacuum.

I made off with a 2nd degree tear and I'm doing great with 800 mg of Ibuprofen. I feel pretty great, considering. I feel so lucky. It was a great birth and it's making off to be a great recovery! So many things are working better this time around, compared to last. :) So many things could have gone wrong, but didn't. We are very, very blessed. God answered many of our prayers yesterday - from the breech situation to the healing thing. Very blessed!!!

Oh, and Anna loves her little brother so much! She's currently holding him and singing Twinkle Twinkle to him. That's the song I always sung to her. :)

ETA: I had to add that because of his surprising size, they've checked his blood sugar three times! Paul overheard them say, "Everything's OK. He's just a big boy!" haha :)

ETA2: I forgot to add that his shoulders also got stuck when he was coming out. Another "big boy" situation!

40 Week Appointment

2011-10-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

40 Weeks 2 Days

My posts are getting shorter and shorter. Mostly because I'm so exhausted. I'm beyond the point of being excited and now I'm just exhausted and hoping for the end. Charlie's still hanging out... stubborn little boy! Anyway...

BP is still looking good, still 4 centimeters and 70% effaced, bag of waters is still bulging. Still no baby. This kid is stubborn! :) Anyway, I had my membranes stripped, so I've had a lot of contractions since. Hopefully that leads to something. If all else fails, he'll be evicted on 11/1/11 at 6:00 AM (induction). Having an end in sight is helping me to stay sane. If there was none, I'd be... well, like I was two days ago, bawling, upset all the time, etc. I'm in so much pain any more and to top it all off, I've gotten about a million new stretch marks that wouldn't have been there had Charlie made his grand appearance a week ago. :( I'm trying not to think about that any more. That was so not helping my mental health!

Well, I'm looking forward to new mommy things... breastfeeding, cuddling, kissing.
Not looking forward to... pain, pain meds, not being mobile for a few days... not that my mobility is very awesome right now... I can hardly get out of bed! Ugh. Time to come out, Charlie. I'll brave the pain!

In Labor! NOT!!!

2011-10-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last night was my first ever trip to L&D for false labor. Anyway, I was having real contractions, but they were really inconsistent. I have made progress, though. I'm a "strong 4 cm" dilated, 70% effaced and I have a bulging bag of waters. My stubborn little man is still hanging out in my uterus... torturing me. haha They said they wouldn't be surprised if they saw me soon, so hopefully they're right. Owww...!

(39 w 3 d)

39 Week Appointment

2011-10-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

39 Weeks 2 Days
Weight: 153
BP: 110/68

I'm 3, almost 4 centimeters (just like last week), but stretchy up to 5 cm, so that's new. I'm still 60% effaced. Charlie is still -3 station. The only real change is that my cervix is now at an anterior position. (It was mid-position last week.) That bumped my Bishop's score from a 7 to an 8. I hope this is the week. I'm just having a hard time emotionally right now, dealing with pain and discomfort. I'm just done, done, done.

I've had a few good contractions this week. That's always fun when nothing is stinking happening. ;) I think I need more distractions. I wish grad school had worked out this semester, I'd have plenty to keep my mind occupied. Ah, well.

38 Week Appointment Stats

2011-10-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Weight: 152
BP: 124/70
Charlie's heart rate is in the 120s
-3 Station
Almost 4 cm dilated
60% effaced
Flu shot: Check!

I'm feeling... like crap. I'm ready for this little boy to come into this world! Hopefully he will soon. It seems that after 4 cm, things should get going, right? Last week I was 2-3 cm and 50-60% and too high to tell a station, so things are moving along... sometimes much slower than my liking. I'm tired. I pulled a tendon in my leg/crotch yesterday and I'm in pain from that and the pubic symphysis issue. Ah, well. I keep saying it'll be any day. The sad part is that at this point, I'm not sure if I'm more excited to just not be pregnant any more or to meet Charlie. I guess I'm at the bummer end of pregnancy. I'm not Little Miss Chippy Chipperson today!

37 Week Appointment

2011-10-06T13:46:00.001-07:00

Today I met with a midwife named Jody in Newberg. I was so nervous about changing providers so late in the game, but it turned out great. She was really kind and smart. I felt comfortable. As it turns out, I think we should get ready for Charlie soon! That kind of makes me nervous. You'll see shortly why I say that... So, here are the stats:

2-3 centimeters dilated, 50-60% effaced.
BP: 120/68 (I had just jumped off the table and was nervous, so it's a tad higher than my usual, but still actually considered "normal".)
Weight: 150.5 lbs
Measuring... I don't know, but it looked like a little higher than usual. The midwife didn't say anything.
He is still "high" and needs to drop. I'm sure that once he drops, things will progress pretty quickly.

I Laughed 'Til I Cried

2011-09-28T21:04:00.001-07:00

Anna has been learning how to spell. Sometimes I ask her how to spell a word and she usually gets the first letter right, then she completely makes up the rest of the word. (I think because she doesn't want to "play" the game.) Today, I had a nice little conversation with my four-year ten-month old daughter. It went something like this...

Me: Anna, how do you spell 'ball'?

Anna: B-O-N-E-R.

I laughed until I cried. I laughed so hard that I couldn't tell Paul or my mom-in-law why I was laughing so hard. It's been a while since I've laughed like that!

36 Weeks (and 1 day)!

2011-09-28T13:47:00.001-07:00

(Above: Overlain 26 week/36 week photos)

36 weeks!

36 Weeks! (The look says either, "Take the photo already" or "If I pop, I hope you have an umbrella.")

Here we are! Less than a month to go. Am I in denial? You betcha! Am I freaked out about labor? Absolutely! Am I terrified of the recovery? YES! But mostly I can't wait to see my little guy... and my toes again! I can't wait for those new baby things... snuggling, nursing, baby kisses!

Here are the stats...

36 weeks, second baby - Charles...
107/59 BP
148 pounds
I'm up around 25-28 pounds. I gained 40 total with Anna. Including swelling.

Compared to 36 weeks pregnant with Anna...
140/80 BP
152 pounds

How am I feeling?
My pubic symphysis feels like it's going to split in two. It hurts so much to walk and to turn in bed. I'm getting a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions, some painful, most uncomfortable. I'm just really uncomfortable and basically done with being pregnant. I'm past the point of Happy Pregnant Lady. Now I'm at the Complaining Pregnant Lady stage. I'll be full term in 6 days. Charlie is free to make his grand appearance starting next Tuesday. Let's hope he isn't fashionably late!!!

34 Weeks

2011-09-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

(Above: Week 33)

Weight: 144 - It looks like I'm right on with the 1 lb-per-week thing. :)
BP: 112/53 - Still nice and low. I hope it stays that way.

Charlie weighs about 5 lbs and 18 inches this week. That explains the discomfort! I feel so heavy out in front and my back has begun to ache when I walk for long periods of time. I love walking! I love exercise! It's such a bummer for it to be painful or uncomfortable. The other day I was walking and I had such terrible pressure and pain down there! Two days ago, I was watching TV and I had contractions, some painful some not, every 3-7 minutes. They subsided and were never regular, so nothing to worry about quite yet thankfully.

More news. I'm switching providers mid-pregnancy. Fun, fun. That means my next appointment won't be until October 6th. I'll be 37 weeks pregnant and ready to go by then. Argh. Oh, well. At least I can keep an eye on my BP and weight until then. As long as both are steady, there's no need to worry.

32 Weeks - Pictures, Plus Beautiful Anna

2011-09-01T22:28:00.001-07:00

(Above: Anna Daisy, age 4 1/2)

(Above: 32 weeks 2 days)

32 Week Appointment

2011-08-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

As far as the due date post previously, yes they have my due date as October 25th in their records. (I thought it was the 27th because of online calculators, which are apparently wrong!)

Gestation: 31 weeks 6 days
Weight (me): 142 pounds (haha... let's hope that's NOT Charlie's weight... hehehe)

Interesting fact: at 33 weeks in my pregnancy with Anna, I was 149 pounds - 7 pounds heavier. Goodness gracious. My everything hurts right now. No wonder my back was killing me throughout that pregnancy. So far, no back pain here (OK, so not my everything...). However, I have some wonderful crotch pain - it feels like I've done a few dozen thigh presses on a thigh machine at the gym. I feel seriously sore! But, that might be because of this next bit of news...

CHARLIE IS HEAD-DOWN! Thank you, Jesus! Now, stay that way, young man! Don't make me ground you to your... erm... womb? Anyway... :) I was on top of the moon leaving that appointment. Every day he's head down gives me hope that he's going to stay that way and I won't need a c-section. :)

Blood pressure: 102/58

Still looking great! Every day my BP stays low is assurance that I won't need to be induced due to pre-e like I did with Anna. At my 36 week appointment, my BP was 140-something over 70-something. Eeep! So, by the time that milestone comes, I'll be doing some comparisons. Thank God that every pregnancy is different. I definitely have hope that I'll be able to give birth naturally like I want to.

Fundal height - right on! 32 centimeters!

Heartbeat - 150 bpm, 160s when he was squirming.

I had so many Braxton-Hicks contractions today from sitting in the car for hours that I started to worry about what was too many and what was safe. Our lovely midwife (I'll miss the midwives at this hospital, sniff sniff) said anything over 6/hour was of concern, just as I read online. I was easily having that or more today in the car, but because I wasn't able to change positions, I didn't worry about it (usually they tell you to drink water and change positions to check to see if they're consistent). Anyway, now that we're home I haven't had one. It's been about an hour, so I'm not so worried.

Overall, it was a great appointment. :) It's always great to hear this little guy's heartbeat and be reassured that he's doing well.

Miss Anna Daisy

2011-08-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took some photos of our little girl. Here are some of my favorites. :)

Anna: What do trees turn into?
Us: What?
Anna: Pencils!

30 Weeks

2011-08-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

30 Weeks Pregnant today! It's hard to believe that he'll be here in just ten weeks!

Weight: 139 lbs
Feeling: Big, tired, lots of BH contractions, no new stretch marks so far, guzzling water.

Charlie: Stretching, squirming, occasionally kicking. Most likely still breech. Sigh.

Next appointment: Next week!

Quick facts:
* Baby will gain about 1/2 a pound between here and week 38.
*Average weight gain for mom: about a pound a week.
* Baby can control its own body temp.

28 Week Appointment

2011-08-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

For some reason they have me down as 28 weeks 4 days. That might be going off my ultrasound, though. (I'm 28 weeks 1 day according to LMP.) Interesting. Anyway, here are the stats...

Results of the Glucose Tolerance Test: Not diabetic! :) However, I am a little anemic. I was with Anna, too. To tell you the truth, I might always be... I don't like red meats or sea food... or a lot of foods that are rich in iron. Go figure.

My weight: 138. :) Up 2 lbs from last appointment. The average is a pound a week, so I'm averaging 1/2 lb per week. That's still within the norm. No worries there. I need ice cream. hmmm Might need to fix that.

My BP: 108/58

Charlie...

Fundus: 29.5, big jump from last time, but that's probably because... (see below)

Charlie is breech this week. Sigh. I freaked out on the way home. I do not want a Caesarian! I had a hard time with my recovery from having Anna (episiotomy) and the pain meds they gave me. Pain meds are not optional with abdominal surgery. Please, God, turn this little guy vertex!

Heartbeat: 128-132 bpm

That was the gist of the appointment. Eat more iron-rich foods. Find foods that I like that contain iron or take a supplement. Blueberries, spinach, nuts, beans, oatmeal. Good thing they don't check for calcium. I don't like to drink milk or eat yogurt and I rarely eat cheese... if only ice cream was a healthy food! Oh, ice cream sounds good... frozen yogurt? Is that a good alternative? Hmmm... I think I'll have to do some Googling.

Zoo Day Pics!

2011-07-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the Oregon Zoo after my Glucose test (bad idea on my part, by the way, but a good idea overall). I was tired and didn't have a lot of energy - of course that could just be a pregnancy thing - but Anna had a wonderful time! Above are some of my favorite pictures from that morning. :)

27 Weeks: Third Trimester!

2011-07-28T21:54:00.001-07:00

The fetus weighs almost 2 pounds now and is about 14.5 inches long.
Baby now weighs about 875 grams and is 36.5 cm in length.
The head is over 2.5 inches (7cm) in diameter.
Your baby's hearing continues to develop.
The eyes can blink, open and close.

Me:
Weight: 135 in the morning, 138 in the afternoon
Size: Large and in charge!
Feeling: Tired. Back hurts, stomach muscles are struggling to hang on, toes can no longer be seen (picture above is deceptive), belly button threatens to pop out (evidence above), multiple pee-stops at night. Waiting for results of Glucose Tolerance Test. 28 week appointment is scheduled for next week - then bimonthly appointments begin! :) I need more maternity shirts - With Anna, she was tucked in for a long time and I carried her deeply. Charlie is out there for the world to see!
Charlie: He does a lot of rolling and stretching, but rarely do I feel any sharp kicks or jabs. He's most active late at night.
Anna: Thinks Charlie will come out ready to climb trees with her. I think she doesn't realize he will have very little mobility for a while!
Wishful thinking birthday: I hope he comes on October 16th so I will only miss one class and will have more than a week to recover. :)

26 Weeks

2011-07-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Gestation: 26 Weeks
Time left: 14 weeks, 98 days
Weight: 136.5
Feeling: OK. I am actually liking my cute little bump!
Cute Anna thing: Anna wakes up in the morning, hugs my tummy and kisses it, then says, "Good morning, baby Charlie." :)

25 Weeks

2011-07-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

I measured my natural waist today, around my belly button. I'll post that measurement below. Not a whole lot to report on this end. I feel so sleepy and thirsty all of the time. I am making middle-of-the-night pee trips already. This is going to be a long 3-4 more months! Meanwhile, we're going through our household items and planning on a garage sale to raise money for a grad school fee (350 dollars... ugh). Hopefully we meet and/or exceed that goal. I really need to go to school this fall!

Natural waist: 36 inches
Weight: 137.5
Gestation: 25 weeks today
Glucose tolerance test: tomorrow. Wish me luck! I'm hoping to take the test here in Oregon (we're visiting) and transfer the info up to Washington. We'll see if they care about that. It was my MIL's idea and I really don't think it's as cut-n-dry as she thinks it is. Then again, going outside the rules or norms makes me uncomfortable naturally, so we'll see if it's just me or not. haha. :)

In other baby news, my sister-in-law CJ has been feeling dizzy and yucky for a while now. She's 37 weeks and we'll see if she has pre-e and will be induced tomorrow. Wishing her luck! She's tired and feels like crap, so maybe we'll get to meet little Isaiah a tad early!

24 Week Appointment Stats

2011-07-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Me...
136 pounds
BP 110/60

Charlie...
Fundal height/measurement - 23 weeks
150 bpm heart rate

The midwife let Anna help measure my tummy and as the the MW held the doppler up to my tummy, Anna talked into the doppler like a walkie-talkie and said, "Hi, Baby Charlie!" So cute! And when I said we were going to the doctor to check on Charlie, Anna asked if I was going to push him out yet. She's really excited. :)

Fourth of July Photos

2011-07-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately my camera died early in the day, but here are a couple of my favorites. :)
The little boy pictured is Anna's second cousin Elijah. He was waiting for Anna out front when we pulled into the driveway. When they saw each other, they were calling each other's names and ran toward one another and hugged - too cute. :)

24 Weeks (in two days)

2011-07-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

We have been so busy lately that I've really neglected updating. Anyway, I'm 23 weeks 5 days right now. I'll be 24 weeks in two days. Charlie is technically already there, but ah, well... Thursday is still my day to say that I'm officially in the next week. :) Charlie is quite the kicker. He does have quiet days, though - and those days make me nervous! I love this little guy and I can't wait to meet him on the outside. Anna wakes up and hugs my belly every morning and kisses it and says, "Good morning, baby Charlie." When that happens, I must be very careful not to rub her back too much or she'll say, "I'm hugging baby Charlie, not you." Out of the mouths of babes. haha :) She's going to be a fantastic big sister!!!

As for symptoms... most bad symptoms have disappeared, with the exception of back and hip aches. I guess that's the magic of having your second baby - you get to be in more pain earlier! Wahoo? I guess it's for a good cause. hehe ;)

For the most part, I'm just enjoying my cute new bump. Soon I'll be much more uncomfortable and large. I'll take it all in stride, just as I take all of life - that's the secret, you know.

This photo was taken yesterday on the Fourth of July. I'm on the left and my beautiful sister-in-law CJ is on the right. Shes' 36 weeks - nearly full term! We're both having little boys. I think they'll have fun playing together someday. :)

Bed Trained... on Her Own!

2011-06-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Just like many of the things Anna has done in her life, she has done it on her own. No fuss from mom and dad! A few days ago, Anna decided she wanted to sleep in her own bed (usually she sleeps in our bed). Ever since, she's been sleeping in her bed all night long. It's been almost a week now. She did this with potty training, too. She was so easy to potty train! She was so easy to get to eat solids and to wean. She is just such an easy child. I'm pretty sure the next one will be trouble! haha!

22 Weeks 3 Days

2011-06-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

Today I'm 22 weeks 3 days along, but since Charlie is measuring +4 days, I might as well be 23 weeks! The bump is growing quite a bit. Yesterday, I swear I was larger than this and two days ago I was huge! He must have switched positions again. I think he's still in the breech position, so sometimes I don't feel his kicks too consistently which is worrisome, but thanks to the magical internet, I know that this is normal. By this time with Anna (22 weeks), I could see her foot jutting out and running across my tummy. No go this time around. I guess every pregnancy really is different. I'm just praying that Mr. C goes head-down before go time. I do not want to be cut open! I'm actually hoping for a natural birth (no meds, no episiotomy, nothing). We'll see if I get my wish. Just pray for me.

Symptoms: Aching hips and tummy seem to be my biggest complaints lately. Between 19 and 24 weeks, baby doubles in size... that basically translates to a lot of discomfort on this end. Ah, well. :) I guess it's all for a good cause.

Anna's Preschool Graduation Day

2011-06-24T21:42:00.001-07:00

Anna actually "graduated" at the beginning of the month, but I'm a slacker. :) Anyway, it was so much fun. It's always fun to see her in her little world with all of her friends and her teachers. There was a pinata, which she loved. There was food and candy and all kinds of good things. This wasn't a true graduation for Anna. Unfortunately she has to wait another year before going to kindergarten due to her birthday. Paul and I personally believe she's smart enough to go on, but she's still too young. I'm sure she'll miss her friends next year and it breaks my heart that she won't have her best friend Clark by her side next year, but I'm sure she'll make a new best friend and she'll make many more between now and the time she graduates from college. I'll just try not to worry about it much. :)

Dear Daughter

2011-06-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Anna,

You are four now, but you'll always be my baby girl. When you graduate from kindergarten, you'll be my baby girl. When you graduate high school and college, I'll weep because you're my baby girl. When you hold your own children, freshly born, I'll look on you in pride - because you are my baby girl.

I'm proud of you. It's as simple as that. I've snapped thousands of pictures of you over the years because the years just keep flying by. Seeing you grow is both wonderful and horrifying. Horrifying, why? Because it's going by so fast! It's a blur! It truly is. You're my darling girl. I love you so much. Sometimes I've been afraid that I could possibly love another child like I love you. I love you that much. Of course, seeing your baby brother has changed all of that. It's a different love, but an equal love. Motherhood is a mystery, I suppose. It's a mystery followed by a mystery followed by more mysteries. You wonder how you'll possibly be able to do something and then it magically works out. Well, maybe it's not magic. It's just motherhood. It's one of those amazing things. One of those inexplicable things.

My wishes for you, my child, my first born, the one who taught me how to mother are as follows: I want for you to never forget your Father. People come and out of our lives. They come, they leave, they die. Sometimes they hurt you. Sometimes they don't. But there is One who never hurts and never leaves. I'm not perfect. I've forgotten on many occasions, but when I remember or come around to remembering, the clouds part.

Earthly things. Deep friendships, wonderful memories, love and family, fulfilling missions, forgiveness, peace, education, learning, people to look up to academically and spiritually, a friendship that is deep and lasting with your brother, a realization that no matter what there is always something worse (not better... worse... why? because thankfulness is a good perspective in life), kindness, charity... And every good thing in life.

I love you, my spunky, silly, smart, athletic, goofy, artistic and wonderful daughter.

Love,
Mom

Dear Son

2011-06-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Charles,

My wish for you is to be a strong and centered man someday. I want you to have a love for the Lord. I want you to do things better than I did. I want for you to have an excellent education and to pursue the things you love. I want you to know that it's OK for a man to cry. I want you to do those things in this world, but to never forget the Things that matter most. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the ephemeral, sweet boy. Don't let it take your spirit away. Cars and houses may be nice, but in the end there are things that matter much more than these. I pray you know the difference. Most of all, I pray I can do a good job at showing you that difference.

I want for you to be friends with your sister. You may be opposites, but I hope that you two cling to the things that are the same. I want your relationship to be meaningful. I want it to be a deep friendship.

I want love to touch your life. I know that pain will touch it - it touches everyone's, but I hope you bounce back. "Joy comes with the morning", Charlie. Sometimes we have terrible things happen to us. Sometimes people we love die. Sometimes it seems like the world is falling down around our ears, but inevitably joy rebounds - inevitably something good comes along and the bad things are just a terrible and vague memory. When the bad things happen, don't forget this. It's OK to question and to run - we're only human - and I think that in the end it makes us stronger. It makes our Faith stronger.

Most of all, I hope and pray that I can be a good mother to you. I love you already. I don't want to fail you. I'm not sure yet what it takes to raise a son right. Thankfully I'm not alone in this. Your dad is an amazing man and he is so excited to have a son - just as he was excited to have a daughter. Our love for you two is equal but different. I'm sure we'll spend the rest of our lives figuring out how to parent you two. I'm sure that when I'm sixty I'll snap my fingers and say, "I've figured it out!" I'll make mistakes along the way and I'll make triumphs. Either way, everything will be done in love.

Love,
Mom

20 Weeks: Pics

2011-06-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

20 weeks 1 day. Charlie is measuring +4 days.
Anna loves to be in these pictures... my little cutie. hehe :)

Anna: Preschool and Summer Pictures

2011-06-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

(Above: This is Anna with her best friend Clark. Real cuties, these two.)

20 Weeks: Some Ultrasound Pictures!

2011-06-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

Proof that he's a boy...

My sweet little Charlie... it's so good to finally meet you. :)

I'll post a couple (but not all) of the ultrasound pictures of Charlie. I must mention too, before I forget it - Charlie was trying to suck on his fingers toward the end - he failed, though. Then he tried to suck on his toes! So cute!!! Cuteness overload. :)
Also, he had a full bladder and was already practicing drinking. He weighs 12 oz and is measuring 20 weeks 4 days. Let's hope that means he's planning on coming 4 days early. ;) Everything looks great! He's a healthy boy and I'm a proud mama! Paul came up to me today and rubbed my tummy and talked to Charlie... awww... I have a great Anna story in the below writings. I have such a wonderful family!

How far along? 20 Weeks 1 Day (today)
Weight: 131 pounds, as of yesterday.
Wardrobe? All maternity, baby... except for the shirt I'm wearing at the moment... But honestly, it isn't too good-looking on me. ;)
Stretch marks? Same ol'.
Sleep? Restful... Not too shabby, I guess.
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Anna has been saying that she wants a baby sister and that she doesn't like baby brothers, but today she came off the bus wanting to see the DVD of Charlie's ultrasound, saying she wanted to see him wave at her again... she tried to show the video a little toy, but I had to explain it was just a movie. Anyway, she sat back and said, "I like baby boys!" I'm glad she feels that way, because we won't be trading him any time soon! ;)
Belly button in or out? Innie. It's getting shallower...
Movement? My cervix sure is getting kicked a lot these days...
Nausea: Feelin' good!
Symptoms: BH contractions, big boobs, big tummy, tired (!!!), dealing with an unusually unseasonal cold... Oh, the usual pregnancy complaints. :)

It's a Boy!

2011-06-09T15:57:00.001-07:00

We're having a little boy and his name is Charles! I'll post pictures and a regular update later, but for now I didn't want to lose this information:

My BP: 110/60
My Weight: 131
Baby's HR: 148 bpm
Baby's weight: 12 oz.
Measuring: 20 weeks 4 days (big boy!)

19 Weeks and Grad School

2011-06-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

How far along? 19 Weeks
Weight gain/loss: N/A
Wardrobe? I'm currently lounging in a pair of yoga pants and a black exercise top. In the picture above I am wearing a pair of size 9 non-maternity slacks (usually swimming on me), a black tank top and a non-maternity top. I was getting ready for my grad school interview.
Stretch marks? Nothin' new.
Sleep? So far it has been restful, but lacking.
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? In the above pictures, I asked Paul to snap some photos. Anna was very excited about being in the pictures. She wanted to be in all of them and touch my belly. Gosh, I have a lovely daughter.
Boy or girl? We find out in 6 days! (June 9th)
Belly button in or out? Innie.
Movement? Lots of kicks to my cervix. You know that's fun, right?
Nausea: Done! Although, there have been times where I've eaten something and not finished because it tastes awful to me.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, kicking, feeling like a small house... Good times. :)

On an unrelated note...
Yesterday (the day of the above photos), I had an interview for graduate school. The interview went splendidly. The lady who interviewed me told me that I have a personality of someone who would pursue a doctorate and asked why I wasn't applying for that program! That boosted my confidence. I know I can do well in the program... I'm a total geek and I can't get enough psychology... but I guess I have low confidence in myself sometimes. I didn't think I could do well enough to pursue a doctorate. That's a five-year program... how old would I be? 32? Goodness... that would take a while. With the MA program, I'll be done in 2 years flat. I'm sure once I'm done with this program, I'll crave the PhD. For now, though, I think this is the next step that I need to take. I will find out if I've been accepted into the program on June 17th.

Also, Paul's job is looking hopeful... We're praying he gets it. Things are looking up!!!

As for Anna, her preschool picnic is tomorrow and on Monday, we'll be attending her class trip to the zoo. This will be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to getting a peek into her little world and meeting all of the friends she talks about. :)

Anna and the Worm

2011-05-31T21:11:00.001-07:00

Weight

2011-05-29T15:04:00.001-07:00

Weight is such a funny thing. Scales weren't even available for the average consumer until the sometime last century. Women all over the world, even today, go throughout their pregnancies, give birth, and never look at a scale. So why do mothers and women focus on numbers so much? Our interpretations of these numbers are so subjective - subjective to our modern culture. Thinness is beauty, our culture cries. Whether we choose to listen to or ignore those images and words are our choice alone. However, it's easy to say that even when we choose to say those numbers are unimportant, that we do feel some sort of pride when we are thin and shame when we are fat. It's a shame, really, but it's the truth.

Last summer I began running. It was mainly for stress-relief and because I wanted to see if I could do it (I've always considered myself a non-runner). Although I would win no marathons, by the end of the summer, I ran 2 1/2 miles with my friend Olga beside the lake. I did it! The girl who could hardly run a mile all her life, even in her best shape! It was empowering! But I still looked at the scale. I was thrilled to see that I was down to 117 pounds by the time August came around and Olga hurt her foot and I stopped running. School began and there simply wasn't time (or energy) to run. I know I gained (and subsequently lost) a lot of muscle in that time because by January, I was 118 pounds (120 being the average). Now that I'm pregnant, I'm 127 pounds and it's definitely hard to see the scale creeping upward. I've checked online calculators and I have gained a healthy weight so far. I'm happy for that. I know that my baby is growing inside of me and is doing well. I also know I'll need that extra fat for breastfeeding afterward. There's a bit of anxiety in me that wonders if I'll ever get back down to that weight. After I had Anna, I was obviously still holding onto pregnancy weight, but I told myself that I wouldn't and couldn't lose that weight completely. I threw out a lot of clothing. No, I'm wasn't even the same shape in August as I was before I had Anna. I was certainly lighter, though! My hips are wider, definitely. I'm just not a child any more and my body certainly reflects that. I have a woman's body. My husband tells me that I'm beautiful. He scoffs at women who hide their womanhood, saying that a mother's body is more beautiful than any girl's (how did I find such a man?). I am certainly among the lucky in a lot of ways. No, I won't have my fifteen-year-old body back (thank God) and yes, I'm sure that I'll be able to get out there and run again and feel the breeze through my hair, no matter how much I weigh or how much my body has changed.

Excuse Me While I Gush...

2011-05-26T20:13:00.001-07:00

Today Anna's teachers came to our house for a little parent-teacher conference. We learned so many wonderful things that I just had to gush...

*She knows eight shapes from the list they gave her including: circle, square, rectangle, oval, star, triangle, heart and octagon. (She doesn't know the hexagon or pentagon... but what four year old even knows what an octagon is? Anna does!)

* She can rote count from 1 to 10. I know she also knows zero and she can count higher than this as well. She usually gets tripped up once she gets to 20. She recognizes most of the numbers (0-10) as well and mixes up 6 and 9.

*She can write her name very well. :)

*She knows her colors. At the beginning of the year, she didn't know black or brown, but now she does. :)

*She knows her ABCs and recognizes all of the letters in the alphabet. Her teachers actually said she didn't recognize the letter O, however we know for a fact she does and we were surprised that they said she knew W and V, which she mixes up when we practice at home! She also knows how to spell zoo.

*They said that she is very advanced for her age and she is doing very well (she's one of the youngest in her class and will have to take preschool again next year because of her late birthday).

*She is friends with everyone. Everyone wants to play with her. She tends to do dramatic things like faint in front of everyone and all of the kids will rush to her side (but if other kids try, the children won't rush to their sides haha). She is a little drama queen and she has "given birth" to a doll in class, in a very dramatic fashion. She has cried at a drop of a hat, convincing everyone around her that she ought to become an actress (not until you finish college, young lady)!

I just love my little girl and it's always good to hear praise of your child from someone else's lips. :)

18 Weeks

2011-05-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

How far along? 18 Weeks
Weight gain/loss: N/A
Wardrobe? Cozy maternity jeans and a non-maternity stretchy shirt (pictured). I almost wore a maternity dress my mom got me, but it's still huge on me. Go figure.
Stretch marks? Same ol', same ol'.
Sleep? A pillow between the knees seriously helps with hip pain. :)
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Paul was feeling for the baby's kicks today (no success). Anna turned and gave us this look that said, "Would you like me to leave the room?" haha! She's so expressive.
Belly button in or out? In.
Movement? I've felt some serious kicking this week. I even was able to feel the baby kicking from the outside, very lightly.
Nausea: Some food aversions, but it's mostly done! Wahoo! :)
Symptoms: Some sleep disturbances, feeling especially sleepy, etc.

Tap Tap Tappin' at My Front Door

2011-05-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

The baby was just now kicking away, so I kept following the kicks with my finger tips. It took a while (because he or she would move after I put my hand there), but eventually I felt some light little taps from the outside! So exciting. :) Lately I've been feeling most of the kicks in my cervix. Fun times. :) Thankfully, it's not painful... yet.

17 Weeks 5 Days

Funny Mom Tweets

2011-05-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Dressing Herself

2011-05-23T18:49:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend, I delayed dressing Anna for quite a few hours. I guess she got tired of waiting, because she came out dressed like this:

Later, on our walk, she picked me this lovely Northwest bouquet... :)

Ah, how I love my girl!

It's Science!

2011-05-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Degrees and Diapers

2011-05-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've written about our experience here at the university. It certainly is an unusual experience. Whenever I would tell someone that my husband and I were graduating on the same date, both going full time at the university, and had a daughter, I was often met with shock or surprise. I guess I didn't think about it like that. I didn't leave time to think about it being difficult. Life is difficult in general. This was just our own personal journey.

We certainly sacrificed a lot to be here. Paul worked full time while I watched Anna. We dropped out twice. We lived with family for a short time. We struggled. We returned to school. We have never been on a vacation - although we did go camping as a family when Anna was two. We have a lot of unpaid bills. We put off having another child for a very long time. We bought second-hand and lived on a tight budget. When was the last time I had a haircut, anyway? Paul gets plenty of haircuts via Salon du Sarah (ME! And I'm pretty dang good at it, if I might say so). I remember when I bought each of my pairs of shoes because I haven't bought that many. We could seriously use a new dresser - the drawers are falling off the tracks. Anna needs a mattress for her bed that isn't old and freaky.

And yet... there's not a whole lot to complain about.

I have gotten to see all of Anna's firsts. First laugh, first time she rolled over (both ways), first time she sat up, first time she stood and walked, first time she said my name, first time she stepped onto the bus for preschool. No, it isn't a fancy preschool - it's Head Start. Over the last two days, we constructed and painted a paper mache volcano, filled it with Baking Soda and vinegar, and set it off. Anna laughed and squealed! Today, we're making rock candy, in hopes of passing our love of education on to her. She asks, "Can we play science?" We walk to the beach on sunny days and Anna plays in the sand. We go on walks every evening - as a family. My husband is an amazing father to our little girl - what special memories she has of building Kinex machines with daddy!

No, joy is more than money. Real joy comes from family and memories. So, I don't mind the little sacrifices here and there. The truth is, I've never been richer in my life.

On to grad school!

Beach Pictures

2011-05-18T18:40:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the beach! It was a gorgeous 65 degrees and my little water baby kept splashing in the surf! She loves water. She wasn't cold at all, either. :)

17 Weeks Tomorrow

2011-05-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

How far along? 17 Weeks tomorrow!
Weight gain/loss: 127, down a pound from last month, but I think that's more from getting more exercise lately. :)
Wardrobe? Maternity! It's way more comfortable this way and I don't have to feel bad about not fitting into my size 5s.
Stretch marks? Nothing new.
Sleep? Hip pain keeps me up at night and side-sleeping makes my ears ache. I think I need one of those fancy side-sleeping pillows with the little hole for your ear...
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Today Anna drew a cute little picture of the baby today. Today she wants to name the baby Baby All-Gone. Heh. :)
Belly button in or out? In.
Movement? Lots of wiggling and stretching, especially at night when I'm relaxing.
Nausea: I have had a good week. I think I'm at the end of this. With Anna, I was done being sick at 17 weeks, so this is hopefully it. :)
Symptoms: I've been SOOOO THIRSTY this week! Also, still getting lots of Braxton-Hicks... hopefully that means baby won't be overdue. ;)

Appointment Update

2011-05-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

How pregnant? 16 weeks 4 days
Heart rate: 148 beats per minute
Weight: Down 1 pound from last. I'll be brave and say I was 127.
BP: 125/60

Anna was such a good helper! She held the doppler's speaker while the midwife found the heartrate. She is such a good girl. She is very excited to be a big sister!

We got great news today, aside from the appointment. We get to stay here in Washington until the end of June. Anna's school goes through June 14th. I was so heartbroken about yanking her from school and missing her class trip to the zoo. I'm glad everything has worked out so well!

Graduation... in Photos!

2011-05-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

(Above: Family!!!)

(Above: With our little grad!)

(Above: Olive Garden! Nom!!!)

Graduation went well! Paul and I have been catching up on sleep ever since. I think today is the first day that I've felt a little more like myself in a long time (exhaustion-wise).

16 Weeks

2011-05-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

How far along? 16 weeks... and hopefully just a couple of weeks from knowing if we are having a boy or a girl. :) I'm feeling bigger today than yesterday. I guess you've seen the "pop".
Weight gain/loss: Definitely I've gained. Not sure where I'm at, though. Probably somewhere in the 130s by now.
Wardrobe? I'm afraid to put on my old jeans this week. Mostly I find myself uncomfortable unless I'm wearing pajamas, so maybe it's time to go shopping... or pray for warmer weather.
Stretch marks? Just the old ones.
Sleep? Stomach sleeping for the most part. Sleeping on my back triggers Braxton-Hicks contractions. I try to stay on my sides for the most part, but I often wake on my stomach.
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Nothing too baby/Anna related. I should have written something down. Anna is always full of fun little sayings and phrases. :)
Belly button in or out? In.
Movement? I think I've been feeling some wiggling in there this week...
Nausea: Unfortunately, I still have bad days... I had an awful day on Monday, but now I'm thinking I may have had a touch of the flu... a let-down from the stress of finals and graduation.

Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.
Source: TheBump.com

15 Weeks vs. 15 Weeks

2011-05-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Week 14

2011-04-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

How far along? 14 weeks. Officially Peanut is a fetus... or in this household, a baby... just like last week and the week before. ;)
Weight gain/loss: I should delete this question. Who wants to fess up to that one?
Wardrobe? Regular ol' jeans and shirts. Occasional maternity stuff when my tummy's upset.
Stretch marks? Just the little ones from last pregnancy. They're still cute. Let's hope that it stays that way.
Sleep? Total stomach sleeper. Still able to be comfy on the tummy. Not sure how long that'll last!
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Surprisingly whenever people ask her if she's excited about a brother or sister this week, she hasn't yelled, "It's a sister!" Too many new faces this week, probably, with Easter and Joseph/Cassie's wedding. Anna was a flower girl and so darling. She figured out the basket/flower thing without practice and just instruction. She got to the end of the aisle, turned her basket upside down to make sure it was all gone, and then sat with daddy. lol!!!
Belly button in or out? In.
Movement? Nada. Sometimes I think I feel something, but I think it's all in my head... anticipation, y'know?
Nausea: Sometimes I feel like my stomach has stopped working and all food feels like a rock in my stomach. Today it hit me: Relaxin! It's a hormone produced both during and not during pregnancy, but during pregnancy it hits its peak at 14 weeks. It must be relaxing my stomach muscle to the point that it's making me feel like I can't properly digest a darn thing! I'm no OBGyn, but it sure makes sense to me. The good thing is that this hormone is supposed to decline a bit until right before delivery so hopefully I find some relief in this particular stomach issue soon. (Dear God, please let this be!!!)
Time until graduation: 9 Days!

Skunk-Eatin' Tale (Tail?)

2011-04-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Anna: I ate a skunk. He pooped on me.
Daddy: Wow. What a tale!
Anna: I don't have a tail.

Week 13

2011-04-21T16:11:00.001-07:00

How far along? 13 weeks 0 days, second trimester!
Weight gain/loss: I'm taking the 5th on that one.
Wardrobe? Once comfy jeans are starting to feel snug. Good ol' rubberband-through-the-button hole trick!
Stretch marks? Just the old ones.
Sleep? Meh.
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? This week I got a call from Anna's teacher (message machine) that said, "First of all congratulations. Second of all, I have a funny story to tell you." Through guesswork and asking questions, we discovered that Anna "gave birth to" a doll at school that day. Oh, boy!
Belly button in or out? Still in. It never went out with Anna, but it got pretty flat.
Movement? Nada.
Nausea: I had a couple of nasty days this week. I decided to try to stop snacking so much. I ended up vomiting instead. I guess having an empty tummy really triggers the nausea. :(
Time until graduation: 2 weeks.

Baby: Your fully formed fetus, now in about its 11th week of development, measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches from crown to rump and weighs between half an ounce and seven-tenths of an ounce -- about the size of a peach. The head is still disproportionately bigger than the body, but the rest of the body is starting to catch up. In fact, your baby is growing rapidly these days. The face is starting to look more human, with eyes moving closer together. Toes and fingers are clearly separate, and ankles and wrists have formed. External genitalia are becoming visible. Intestines are shifting into their proper place, too.

Mom-to-be: Your uterus has grown a lot. It's filling your pelvis now and starting to grow upward into your abdomen. It probably feels like a soft, smooth ball. If you haven't put on any weight yet because of morning sickness, you'll begin to now as you start to feel better.

Source: WebMD

12 Week Appoitnment

2011-04-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

Weight: Nunya Biznezz ;)
Baby's heartbeat: 160 (right on)
Fundal height: Right on target!

Everything looks great! Anna and Paul came along. Anna wore her Big Sister tee shirt that Colleen bought for her the other day. She did such a great job waiting. She wanted to bring her toy shot toy - from a toy medical kit - to the hospital to show the doctor (midwife, actually). I think she forgot or got side tracked. haha It was a good appointment. It's good to hear the heartbeat - it's always reassuring and it makes this seem more real. Two kiddos! It's crazy to imagine. Well, if the second is as wonderful as the first, then I have nothing to worry about when it comes to having two kiddos. :)

12 Weeks 0 Days

2011-04-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

How far along? 12 weeks 0 days
Weight gain/loss: Not certain, but I have an appointment tomorrow.
Wardrobe? I've abandoned the maternity clothes I've been wearing, with the exception of the occasional size small shirt. I guess it was a fad. haha Actually, my tummy is becoming less sensitive, so looser clothing isn't so necessary.

Stretch marks? Just the old ones.
Sleep? What's that?
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? For the first time in weeks, Anna got off the bus this week and asked, "Did you push the baby out yet?"
Belly button in or out? Still in. It never went out with Anna, but it got pretty flat.
Movement? Nada.
Nausea: Most days are good days. There are definite bad days, though. This week I had a day where I threw up twice and felt cold and shivery all day. I may have been sick. It's hard to say.
What I miss? Going a day without snacking a million times a day. :( I'm not a big fan of snacking a lot. Irony. *sigh*
Time until graduation: 3 weeks.

Just About 11 Weeks

2011-04-06T09:23:00.001-07:00

In two more weeks I'll be in the second trimester. That's hard to believe! In the meantime, I should get some more reading done while I have the time. Graduation is sneaking up on me... I don't feel prepared at all!

Wisdom From a Four-Year-Old

2011-04-04T20:11:00.001-07:00

Me: "Anna, why are you crying so much?"
Anna: "Everyone cries sometimes."

A Little Scare

2011-04-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I started bleeding. I was so frightened! Today we went in for an ultrasound to check on everything. So many people were praying and it worked! Baby Peanut's heart was beating away, cervix was closed and long, ovaries looked normal - there was no obvious reason for my bleeding! Thank you, Jesus! Here's a little peek at our little one!
It's amazing how much he/she has grown in just two weeks! Anna is so excited and keeps asking if I've pushed the baby out yet - her words! She's also pretty certain it's a little girl still. :) Again, we're happy either way.

Zoo Days

2011-03-30T18:51:00.001-07:00

6 vs. 10

2011-03-30T18:47:00.001-07:00

(above) I may have splurged just a little bit already. But they weren't expensive and I might be buckin' on a boy. ;) Isn't Anna cute? She's lovin' on her baby! She really wants a little sister. I'd explain to her that statistically speaking she has a 50% chance of getting that sister, but I'm pretty sure she won't understand what I'm saying.

It looks a little like I had a big meal or I'm about to have my period, but hey! I count it. ;)

Fiesta Birthday Party Dream

2011-03-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

I had a dream the other night that we were celebrating Anna's 5th birthday and we were having a Dora Fiesta Birthday Party with a taco bar! What a great idea! Why do the best ideas come in dreams? I think I'll have to pull this one off. :) Of course her birthday isn't until November, but I think we can hold off...

9 Weeks 2 Days

2011-03-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

How far along? 9 weeks 2 days
Weight gain/loss: Not sure, but last I checked I was 125, so up a few pounds.
Wardrobe? I happily sport maternity pants/shirts whenever I want. They are cozy and add to my meager wardrobe, what can I say? On days that my tummy is especially upset, they are loose enough that I feel like I'm in pajamas, but I'm not and few people in my classes know that I'm actually wearing maternity clothes. I still wear my regular clothes comfortably. Right now I'm not sporting maternity clothing. I'm wearing a purple long sleeve tee and jeans. I'm wearing larger bras now - that's the main difference in sizes. Unfortunately the 34B I bought is still a tad large, but I did find a roomy 34A that was in my drawers that fits nicely. :) I knew I saved it for something!

Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep? I have strange, vivid dreams and I often wake up when I roll on a sore, swollen boob. I've been going to bed early to avoid nausea, so I've been getting plenty of rest.
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Anna is insistent that it's a girl baby. When she asks if it's a boy or a girl and I say that I don't know, she says, "No, it's a girl baby!" What will she say if it's a boy?
Gender: Most days I think it's a boy, but I honestly don't feel like I did last pregnancy when I was sure from day 1 (before day 1 to be truthful) that I was having a girl.
Belly button in or out? In. It never went out with Anna, but it got pretty flat.
Movement? Twinges, but nothing I could call quickening quite yet. I first felt quickening at 15 weeks with Anna, so I wonder if it'll be earlier with this one.
Nausea: It's much better than when I was pregnant with Anna, but I do have bad days and good days. I'm taking B6 (50 mg/day) and wearing Sea Bands every day to ward off nausea. So far I think it's working. I mean, things aren't worse and I'm not going to stop for fear that it'll come back again with a vengeance.
What I miss? Energy and the ability to stay awake past 9:00 PM.

First Appointment

2011-03-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had our first appointment for Peanut #2. The midwife said I was measuring right on for my due date (October 25). I was 8 weeks 1 day yesterday and thankfully it was a very comfortable appointment. I have been so nervous and scared... maybe some of my anxiety stems from having TWO kids! And how will I share that love? It seems so impossible at this point, but I don't want this second kiddo to feel left behind, either. I know it's possible somehow. Plenty of parents have two kids (or more). Don't misunderstand me. I love this new kiddo that's on the way, it just... I don't know. I guess it will take time to adjust to this whole new family of ours. Maybe it'll become more real once I get bigger? Or maybe it won't set in until after the baby is born? Well, to keep myself sane, I will try not think about that for now.

Guess What

2011-03-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Today I'm 6 weeks and 5 days along with our second and possibly last. I should try to drink in every second of this pregnancy for that reason. Anna is really excited to be a big sister and Paul is thrilled to have another. So am I, of course. :)

Poor, Abandoned Blog and School's Sucking My Lifeblood from Me

2011-01-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

My poor abandoned personal blog! How sad. How alone! I think that it deserves a post, don't you think?

What has life been like lately? Well, as this is our last semester here at NU, it has been nothing short of crazy! By 7:00 AM, we're out the door, trying to get Anna on the bus. We come back and lay in our own filth for an hour or so, then we read! Then classes! Then back to the bus, then home again! I keep looking at the calendar (evil calendar!!!) and all I see are days being crossed off! How can I find enough time in the next three months to write a thesis, conduct an experiment and write a paper for Research Methods, and do it all well? Ack!!! I'm so tired. Graduation will be a total blessing!!! Thank you, Lord! We're almost done!

Interviewing a Four-Year-Old

2011-01-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

Do trees talk? No.

Do dolls talk to each other? No.

How are babies born? In your tummy and the doctor.

What does the doctor do? They push the babies out with mommies and they take the babies out.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Um, a doctor.

Really? Uh-huh.

Tell me a princess story. I don't know how to the words.

Who is your best friend at school? Clark.

Why is he your best friend? Because I love him. Because I say bye to him.

What do you like to play on the playground? I like to climb on the slide, but I slip because of the water. There's lots of water on the playground in school.

Do you want a pet? I want a kitty cat and a dog, too. I want two of them.

What would you name your kitty? Etty.

What would you name your doggy? Leo.

What is your favorite thing to do in the summer? I like the summer.

If you're a mom, you know that...

2010-12-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

If you're a mom, you know that...

1. Spray n Wash is da bomb.
2. At any given moment, you might have a rock, a pine cone and a dirty tissue in your pocket.
3. Speaking of which, you also know that it really isn't THAT gross to pick your daughter's nose and wipe it on the inside of your pocket.
4. That really isn't spit-up in your hair.
5. Jean sizes aren't written in stone.
6. Mac N Cheese can be made in 150 different ways and they'll STILL eat it!
7. People who whine about TVs being babysitters don't really have children. Either that, or they have nannies - the rich jerks! :P
8. Poop can fly. So can vomit, urine and boogers.
9. "A night to myself" includes sitting in a bathtub in lukewarm water while your little one pounds on the door and yells, "Are you going poop?!"
10. The house is in an almost constant state of chaos... unless company is expected - then you're Martha Stewart and no one is the wiser.

Loving Preschool!

2010-09-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

Anna's first day!

Anna loves preschool. She comes home with stories each day and can't wait to get on the bus. I'm so happy that this transition has been so easy for her. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's been harder on mommy and daddy more than anything! Every step of the way, whenever we were anxious, God has made things work out to make us feel comfortable. The bus driver knows our university and is very kind. Anna just went two days this week, but beginning next week, she'll be going four times a week. :)

PRESCHOOL! And Stuff...

2010-09-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

A few items of business:

1. Anna starts preschool on Thursday! It's something new and exciting. I think she'll love it. She's so social and doesn't have a lot of playmates at home (for obvious reasons... only child). Tomorrow we have an orientation thing at the school. That should be a fun taste of preschool life for Ms. Anna!

2. Paul and I have started our last fall semester of our undergrad careers! It's... stressful! One week in and we've argued at least once, if not more (we almost never argue... unless stressed). *sigh* We're stressed and professors, so it seems, tend to be cruel and unusual when it comes to dealing out tests and reading and quizzes and papers and EXPERIMENTS (!?!?) to seniors. *head throbs* I just have to keep saying this will all be worth it in May when we finally walk!

3. My mom has been hanging with us for this semester and she's been such a help! I love her a lot. I'm not sure if I'll get to do anything but read psychology text books and stress between now and December, so... au revoir!

2 1/2 Weeks to Go

2010-08-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

In two and a half weeks, Paul and I will be beginning our next to last semester here at NU! I'm honestly very nervous. I'm anxious to get things started and I'm anxious about how crazy I know everything will be. Paul and I will both be going to school full time. Thankfully, my mom said she would come for the semester! What a blessing! My mom is a little loopy, but I love her and I think the help will be a huge weight off from our shoulders. :)

More on Running

2010-08-02T22:48:00.001-07:00

So, I'm still running. I try to run 4 times a week. My workout partner unfortunately hurt her leg, so now I'm doing it by my lonesome in the school's gym four times a week after my hubby gets home. I know it's slowing my progress. The day she got hurt, we ran for 2.4 miles and it felt great! Now it's hard to do 1 mile. BUT I am now running that 1 mile without stops and quite quickly, too. I've upped the speed on the treadmill to 6.0 (whatever that means) and up to 6.8 (steps per second maybe?). Anyhow I've also added weight training to my repertoire. I'm doing some weight lifting and leg... lifting? I'm really proud of myself for sticking it out for so long. I haven't stuck any exercise regime out since high school. I can tell a difference in my body, too. My abs are tighter. That little pooch under my belly button is almost gone (there wasn't much to begin with, but IT'S NEARLY GONE!) and my thighs and hips (where I gain and hold my weight) are slimmer, which is the very part of my body I've always wanted to tone. That alone makes me feel great. I'm wearing my spandex jogging pants and spandex tank top quite proudly and not feeling ashamed of my butt at all. :) Still needs some work, but I'm feeling confident! I'm also hoping it helps with stress management in the coming (and hectic!) semester. :)

9 months until graduation...!

Win: $100 Safeway GC

2010-08-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Mom Start is giving away a $100 Safeway Gift Certificate! I'm posting that on here because by blogging about it I'm getting 5 extra entries. I'm not ashamed. Being a college student is not friendly to a budget! We could use that extra money! So.... CLICK HERE if you want to go check out that giveaway. :)

Is it cheating that I don't get that many readers??? Hmm...

New Adventure: Running

2010-06-25T22:48:00.001-07:00

I've begun to run. I started four days ago - today being the fourth. I've made it up to a mile now, but it's a slow, sad, pathetic, gasping mile. I really had to push myself today. I'm hurting in a lot of new places lol. And I kicked the couch with my pinkie toe and thought I broke it - so that really hurt and made the running a LOT harder to do, but I did it anyway. I'm hoping I pass a point where I stop nearly dying with each run. I'm sure I'll get there. But you know, it really feels good when I'm done running. I haven't run a mile since high school and now I'm doing it again. And I have a goal. What's my goal? I want to be in a shape. And even better than that, I want to be in shape for when we try to have baby #2 next year. I want to be in shape so I can have a better birth. I mean, Anna's was good in some ways. I came in at 3 1/2 cm and didn't feel any contractions. I sometimes wonder if I had gone into labor naturally if things would have been different. I wonder if Anna would have had time to rotate from that posterior position. I wonder if I would have thought, "I'm in labor!" and then when I got to the hospital, I would be like 5 or 6 cm. I would love that for the next one. Plus, I know that being in shape means a better birth. And I want another natural birth - this time no failed epidural - just no epidural at all. I know I can do it now. I have no doubts about what my body can achieve. I actually fear getting an episiotomy more than giving birth. I don't want to take pain meds after birth because of an episiotomy like I did with Anna - the pain meds caused complications that I talked about on this blog once upon a time. I'd like to avoid that altogether. And I'm hoping these changes make that difference. I don't want to be Miss Skinny America. I don't think I even need to lose weight. I was 118 last time I was weighed. I would like to have more muscle and less fat on my tush, though. ;) But really, my goal is to get in shape. If anything else like that happens, well... that's just the cherry on top. I actually have a workout partner now - a college friend. We start together on Sunday. I'm really excited about that! I think it should be fun. :)

Soccer Graduation

2010-06-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

Anna graduated from Tot Soccer yesterday! She's done so well! The first couple of weeks she practically refused to kick the ball and hid behind the trees and gave up ten minutes into it. We thought we would have to quit, but she caught on and this last practice she didn't need me to hold her hand at all to keep playing and she dribbled... ACTUALLY DRIBBLED... the ball and participated in all of the games! At the end there's always goal time and she kicked TWO goals. Sometimes getting her to kick ONE is difficult. I'm very proud of her! My big girl! :)

Happy Oceanniversary!

2010-06-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Sandiversary? Oceanniversary? Anniverseary? :) Anyway, Paul and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on the 19th and there was nothing I wanted more than to spend time with my family! We watched Toy Story 3 with Anna on the 18th - her first movie in a theater. We sat on the handicapped-accessible aisle and it was a good thing because Anna kept jumping up and walking around. She did a good job, though! And she loved it! Then on the 19th we went to Lincoln City, OR and spent time at the beach. It was a beautiful day and Anna had a great time running into the waves. Eventually she fell and laughed and then started diving into the waves and running from the waves. We had such a blast! On the 20th there was a Father's Day barbeque at my in-laws' house. It was a lot of fun and a perfect weekend. It went by too quickly, though. I miss living close to family. Paul and I graduate in 11 months and then we'll be able to move back home to Oregon. :)

Cheap Things To Do

2010-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking of cheap things to do for fun this summer with Anna. Today I walked down to the waterfront with Anna until Paul got off from work. That was about a twenty-ish minute walk downhill with three hours at the beach. Hopefully that means Anna will sleep well tonight. Long story short, how can I entertain Anna this summer on a reallllllllllllllly tight budget? She gets so bored and ought to be in preschool. She's social and needs a lot of that socialization. So I guess we'll spend a lot of time at parks, the beach, and the McDonald's playplace. My mother in law gave me a nice list of things to do, so I might try them out. If you read this post, do you have any ideas? THING CHEAP OR FREE!!! ;)

Photoblog: Beach Day

2010-05-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a while! And for a good reason, too. The semester has been a blur. It's finally summertime. My hubby pulled off straight As this semester. I had all As and a B+ (would've gotten that A if it wasn't for that one test...) Anyhow, today we went to the beach. The forecast says that today was one of the only non-rainy days for a while. Now the forecast predicts two sunny days in ten days. I really need summer already!!! If only we could bargain with God for sunshine. I guess, even if I could, I'd save those bargains for serious things, more important things. So, these are photos of our adventure today. Enjoy! :0)

About Preston

2010-03-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

Preston is the little boy I was praying for. His little button is still on the sidebar. The family who was going to adopt him arrived in his home country and discovered that he had already been adopted by a family in his country. I'm still glad he's being adopted and it'll be an easier transition in his own country, I guess. The family will be adopting instead a beautiful little girl named Lizzy, also with dwarfism. I'm happy for that family! :D

New Photos

2010-03-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

My beautiful girl! I made her a tutu and a headband for Easter. She danced and danced and modeled and gussied for the camera. She's so silly and sweet! She's excited about preschool next fall. Hopefully she gets in! :)

I won a contest a Fox.com/bones and got this in the mail today: A signed Season 4 DVD (signed by TJ Thyne AKA Dr. Hodgins), a photo, and a pen shaped like a femur. haha It's great! Totally made my day! :)

It's March!

2010-03-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of May, it'll mark one year until we're OUTTA HERE! One year until Paul and I have our bachelors degrees in hand and one year until we are back in Oregon and amongst family. Visiting Oregon this last time really, I think, made us more homesick. *sigh* Plus, we've had issues with our financial aid--thankfully that looks like it'll be taken care of. It's so difficult with no outside support--no parents to cosign loans--no ability to do those things for ourselves. But we persevere. We want better lives for our kids. :)

Oh, and in case you didn't hear yet... Bones returns April 1st on Fox (Fringe airs directly after). Had to plug my fave show. :)

Well, Anna's napping for the first time IN THREE DAYS, so I'm going to do some ME STUFF. Watch a movie? An episode of SVU? The world is my oyster!

Gorgeous Spring-ish Days Here! ( Pics!)

2010-02-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

The weather has been unbelievable here! Absolutely incredible! I'll share some pictures for you to gawk at! It's been in the high fifties (Fahrenheit) over here and so sunny!!! :) We have been to the waterfront and on walks! Gorgeous!

That's Interesting...

2010-02-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

My background is all screwy. :/ I guess the photobucket bandwidth has been exceeded. My blog was designed by someone else.

First Ice Skating Adventure!

2010-02-13T23:58:00.000-08:00

Today Anna and I went ice skating with my sister Jen's Girl Scout troop! It was a lot of fun, but it was very exhausting for me since Anna could barely stand by herself for more than a half a minute and I had to use all of my bodily strength to keep her upright. She may be three, but she wanted to be one of the big girls and skate across the ice like a pro. I took a three hour nap after coming home! haha :D It was so much fun, though!

My Little Shirley Temple

2010-02-07T23:37:00.000-08:00

The cutest thing I saw Anna do today was to copy the first scene of Shirley Temple's Bright Eyes. As cars passed, she stuck her little thumb out to hitch hike. As they passed by, she'd continue to walk with her hands in her pockets. LOL! You can see that first scene a few minutes in here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq4hnQMjaDM

Preston's Going Home!

2010-02-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

Candace just posted on my blog (I wish I knew more about her) that Preston is being adopted by her and her husband! I read the comment on my blog and immediately started crying! Thank you, Jesus! This little sweetie just stole my heart from day one! I'm so glad that he stole someone else's heart! :)

Candace, please keep me updated. If you blog, can I have your URL?

Thanks!!!

Mutterings of a Tired Undergrad

2010-02-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

Maybe I should title these posts after I write them. Sometimes I just write and have no real direction to go and I just GO there. We're doing fine. We've had some major hurdles concerning our financial aid that aren't really taken care of yet. :| I think Paul is just as stressed as I am. Today and yesterday we have argued way more often than we usually do. We actually don't argue too often, but I think we're just feeling this awful stress. I wish with all of my heart we could afford some sort of vacation. There are major drawbacks to going to college, sure, but I think that the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks. Right now there are days we just don't believe it. But logically thinking, we'll be able to afford more vacations post-Bachelor's than sans Bachelor's. Plus we'll be getting our MAs. I just need to take a breath. It sure would be nice to have a break, though.

As far as my education is going, I am immensely enjoying the psychology program! I love looking forward to my classes! I'm just afraid that my psych classes will keep having coinciding tests--ugh. The good news on that front is that I got a 98% on one of those tests and the next test I'm not sure yet. We'll get those results back next week. I think I'll be lucky to get a B. I was exhausted and my brain was mush by the time that second test came along and I struggled through it. I'm hoping I'm being my usual self--thinking that I did worse than I actually did. We'll see.

I think I'm going to take this time to sigh and hem and haw until I go to bed at around 3. Good-night.

I'm Back!

2010-01-25T23:48:00.000-08:00

Well... let's see how to start today's blog! I'm sitting here just before midnight with class starting tomorrow at 8... STATISTICS! That's not too bad of a class. I just need to get to bed in time to keep from being really tired on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Today was kind of a terrible day emotionally. I'm not even sure why. I guess there are a lot of things stressing me. Money is one of them. We could always use more. Especially when you and your husband are students. I'm hoping to work this summer and at least have some fun with my family over the summer months. I haven't worked since before Anna was born, so that'll be new.

Another one is baby stuff. This is something I haven't been saying out loud too often, but EVERYONE is getting pregnant! I guess my biological clock is ticking away again. Either that, or perhaps I'm just feeling out of the loop. Anna is 3 now and I feel like I can't give her the attention (and fun!) that she desires. For that reason, I can't wait for her to start preschool. That'll be next autumn. We're hoping to get her into a sport this spring. We missed the deadline for Little Tumblers :( so perhaps soccer? Hopefully we'll get our returns soon!

Another one is thinking about our Master's (is there an apostrophe???) Degrees. Paul is looking at school in California... working for NBC Universal and going through their MA program there. That'll be fun, but impossible with a new baby. So... Anna might be eight before she gets a sibling. I guess that isn't too bad. At least eight year olds are self reliant.

Classes are going great. I love and adore my psychology classes. I can't get enough of them. This is the right fit for me!

I'll add a picture of Princess Day. Anna and I played in my wedding dress. She loved it! She said she was a princess! So, it was dubbed Princess Day!

Smiles All Around

2010-01-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

Now I know why people invest their hearts into this ministry. Remember my first post about RR? I posted about Lera... and she was adopted! And then my second post was about Aloyna and guess what? She has a family now! They are calling her Aly and you can find her adoptive family's blog (Thanks Renee for the link!) HERE!

Photos: Oldies but Goodies

2010-01-06T19:00:00.001-08:00

These were taken when Anna was 11 months old. Let me tell you, it's hard to believe that she's already 3 and we're staring down the barrel of 4! I should probably chat about what's been happening around here. Next week Paul and I start classes. We were wanting to put Anna in Little Tumblers this spring, but surprise, surprise we wont' be able to pay for it on time and she won't be able to participate. :( However, I did find out that Pee-Wee soccer begins in March and we'll have the 54 dollars in time for that. So, not all is lost. I just wanted her to get into Little Tumblers and be a little daredevil in a safely padded arena. ;)

Angels: Corinna and Katie & a Little Rant

2010-01-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

KATIE
This week's Angel of the Week is this precious little one, Katie! She has such a gorgeous smile, doesn't she? How she will thrive when she gets home with her forever family! Could you be her family?

CORINNA
Corinna is a beautiful little girl who has spent the last 2 years of her life in a mental institution. She has SO much potential, and is close to walking, but spends much of her days lying in bed for lack of anything else to do. She was sent to this facility from another baby house we work in now, so it is imperative that she be saved!
The thought of this little girl escaping death and then not being adopted? It's just unthinkable! I pray to God that someone steps forward and becomes her mommy or daddy! Please, Father God.

Sometimes the thought of these children... innocent and alone in the world... going to institutions and dying... being tied to their beds... It makes me want to run around screaming like a madwoman! It's so painful. It's heartbreaking and heart-wrenching. But I don't want to give up thinking about and praying for these little ones just because it scares me. It's a reality for these kids. It ought to be for us, too. I hope and pray that Human Rights Advocacy groups are making a fuss about this!

Angel: Berkeley

2010-01-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Berkeley (36)

Girl, Born October 22, 2003

SIGNIFICANT RISK, PLEASE ADOPT ME SOON!!

What a stunning, happy little girl! Berkeley has long blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes. She was born with clubbed feet, but is able to walk holding on to a fence or hands or the wall. She is very determined and tries to do everything on her own. Surgery and therapy could change this little girl's life!

Berkeley does have strabismus (crossed eye), her records indicate hydrocephaly, but she certainly seems to be doing fine and not showing any signs of cognitive difficulty from that. She also has hypoplasia of her right kidney.

Source Page: Reece's Rainbow

I love this little girl's smile and big blue eyes. It just tears my heart out at the thought of her being transferred to an institution just because she can't walk! I pray someone adopts her soon!

I Need...

2010-01-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

to write! It's been so long since I've written and I really miss it! I follow a writer (NY Times Best Selling to boot!) on Twitter who was kind enough to write me several times through Direct Messaging who told me to write each day. Even if it's just a paragraph. I think I'll take that advice. I'm going to start another blog connected with this sign in to share bits of what I write. It'll be password protected and I'll share that vaguely through here (such as: "It's my last name" or something like that). I need to get back on the saddle. I really love writing and it brings me so much joy and relaxation!

Something Happy: Snow Pics

2010-01-03T01:43:00.000-08:00

I think I need to post something happy to combat the sadness of that last post. It's sad, but necessary, I guess. I should probably go to bed, too.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

2010-01-03T01:41:00.000-08:00

I switch between feeling really depressed about these kids and feeling hopeful for them. People are realizing this atrocity is going on and they're starting to do something... I hope! It's just heartbreaking and I tend to let things like this really REALLY get to me, especially now that I'm a mommy. Ugh.

Preston's Prayer Button

2010-01-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

I encourage everyone to choose a child from Reece's Rainbow to pray for. I want to help them ALL and take them ALL home, but I can't. So please consider this. If you blog, I don't mind helping you make a button. :)

Grab This Button

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T00:17:00.000-08:00

I must be getting older because I'm ready for bed and I have no interest in staying up any later. Anna on the other hand... she could stay up for hours yet!

Angel: Preston

2009-12-30T21:37:00.001-08:00

Preston (33)

BOY, born October 31, 2003

Preston is a darling little boy who was born with dwarfism/achondroplasia. He is very smart and very hopeful he will have a family of his own. Happy and active!

Contact Andrea directly for more information

Preston has $0 in his funds.

This little boy has stayed in my heart for a long time now. Isn't he a sweetheart? It breaks my heart to see so many children with $0 toward their adoption. Preston currently has no money towards his. Say a little prayer that he'll find his family. Meanwhile, I'll pray for him, too.

Source: Reece's Rainbow

Pics 12/28 and 12/29

2009-12-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

Anna eating and grinning and in the last photo, she's loving on her new baby my mom brought her.

Snow Day!

2009-12-29T16:34:00.000-08:00

It finally snowed! Not at home in Washington, though. We're still in Oregon, but I guess it was a good thing. We finally saw snow! Anna ran around saying, "I see snowflake!" We got dressed really fast and went outside to let her run around in the snow. She loved it. It didn't take long for it to turn to rain, though. Ironically enough, it began to snow harder once we were inside. Oh, well. Hopefully it's on the ground tomorrow so we can play in it. Anna has bathed and is in her jammies nice and cozy. :) Gosh, I love this girl! I love her so much!!! What did I do to deserve her? My beautiful girl.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T22:55:00.001-08:00

This morning, Anna woke me up talking about how Santa comes through the ceiling (her words, not mine) and has ponies (again, her words). I though it was so funny she was putting together such a complex little description about Santa Claus! A few weeks ago, she didn't know who Santa was, but she has been watching Christmas movies online... I've found a few great animated oldies but goodies online. She's so excited for Christmas! She keeps asking when we put a gift under the tree, "For me?" lol! It probably wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that I'm just as excited, if not more excited, as she is. I want to think about what she thinks of her gifts!

She has gotten a few gifts at from a family get-together... including roller skates... which she loves!

I'm fighting off a cold or something and I feel awful, but here are a couple of pics from before we left Washington for Oregon where we are currently visiting family. :)