NYE 2013

NYE 2013 was low key and fun.  We hung out with Jess & Bryan Dawson.  They came over to see our place and have some champagne (sparkling apple cider for me).  After they told us how much they loved our house, we went to dinner at Grotto which was delicious.  Then it was on to Dave & Busters for games.  We played a lot of games and I even came in first during a racing game! The clock struck midnight and we rang in the New Year with shouting and kisses.  Then we exchanged our tickets in for a giant pug to go in the nursery and a soccer ball.  It was nice to actually get things we could use instead of just junk.  Finished off the night back at our house with drinks and conversing.  It was a good night and I was proud of myself for staying up :)   

25 Weeks

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — 1 1/2 pounds — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

 from babycenter

Doctor's Visit

Had a doctor's visit today.  Heard David's heartbeat.  It was around 150 bpm which is good, range is 120-160.  Doctor said everything looks good.

Merry Christmas!

"Maybe Christmas", he thought, "doesn't come from a store."  "Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!" - Dr Seuss

Merry Christmas! - Love, Lucas, Jean, David (middle name Lucas), and Peanut

24 Weeks

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since he's almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

 from babycenter

First Diaper Change

Changed my first diaper today. Wasn't that hard and it was for this cute little guy, our nephew/godson Walker. 

Santa or Elf?

In preparation of Christmas 2014, I bought this onesie for Speck.  Now I just have to decided what hat to go along with it.  Santa or Elf?  Lucas says Santa cause of what it says but I'm thinking Elf cause it would be funny.  Plus we all have Santa hats, so Elf hat would make him unique.  Good thing I have a whole year to decide! 

23 Weeks

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, he can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about the size of a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him.

 from babycenter

Sonogram

Here's the sonogram video from December 2, 2013.  They take a lot of measurements.  Unfortunately the sound was not recorded so you can't hear the heartbeat.

Leg Cramps

A few days ago, the alarm went off and I woke up almost in tears.  My calf muscles hurt so bad!  Thankfully I could wake Lucas up to message them for me.  He told me it was because I was dehydrated and not drinking enough water, which is a total possibility because plain water is sadly not that appealing to me since I've been preggo.  So I upped my water intake.  Woke up on Tuesday, in tears again!  Friend at work told me to get more potassium in my diet, so I decided to go to the store that evening and get some bananas.  Later that day, my baby update email came in.  At the bottom was a link to an article called "What causes leg cramps?"  Of course it would be pregnancy related!  All my pains/sicknesses now a days are.  Why didn't I think of that in the first place?

According to research ".. the lower portion of the back is pushed forward. This posture frequently pinches the motor nerve which runs from the spine down the leg — and that pinching is what causes leg cramps.."  So basically the baby is pushing my back, which causes me back pain, which in turn is pinching a nerve and causing me terrible leg cramps.  Oh joy.  The only thing that helps is stretching.  Well Speck, I'll say it again, you better be cute!

22 Weeks

At 11 inches and almost 1 pound (about the size of a spaghetti squash), your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

from babycenter

Bedding

Baby bedding/decor had been a huge problem for us.  We just couldn't find exactly the right one.  So we decided on something neutral and then we are going to add blue (royal blue if possible) accents through sheets, pillows, curtains, etc.

To see more detail, click here.

By Request

I've had some request for a picture of me and my belly.  Well here I am at almost 22 weeks!

Speck's First Onesie

Speck got his first gender specific onesie!  Laurel is a great friend and I'm excited to have her and her family in our lives.  She said she was in Target when I texted her that it was a boy and she bought it right then and there.  I love it and think that it fits with being Lucas's son.    

Oh Boy!

I am super excited that Speck is a boy!  For some reason I have always wanted a boy, maybe it was the fact that I only have an older sister but not a brother.  As sad as this may sound, I think I would have been slightly disappointed if Speck had been a girl.  I would have loved her with all my heart, don't get me wrong, but my heart was set on a boy.  I also really like the idea of the older brother taking care of his younger sister.  If we have more kids, I would like a girl next time.

It's funny, cause now that I know for sure it's a boy, I'm kinda freaked out about somethings.  He will have parts that I don't have.  How do you even clean a penis?  And then there are the stories about little boys peeing everywhere and on you when you change their diaper.  I know it's a learn as you go process no matter what gender, but it's still scary.  At least I'll have Lucas around to teach him most things. 

Ultrasound Pictures

21 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the size of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

from babycenter

Gender Reveal

Thankful Day 30

Today I'm thankful for the thankful posts.  It's been nice to look back and reflect on what/who I'm thankful for this month.  It also reminds me that I need to be more grateful for the things I have.   We are very fortunate to be born when, where, and to whom.  I know others aren't as fortunate and I hope that I can remember to be more grateful in life.

Kicking

Speck has definitely been kicking more.  This evening it was kicking up a storm.  At one point I actually some my stomach move from a kick.  First time I've seen that.  It was neat.  Unfortunately, Speck likes to stop whenever people put their hands on my belly.  Lucas still hasn't really felt him kick.  We are hoping soon though, I think he's getting a little impatient!

Thankful Day 29

Today I'm thankful for restaurants and the people who work at them.  My grandparents love to go out to eat and it's something easy to do, so we end up doing it a lot. 

We went to Joe's Crabshack for dinner tonight.  Food was good, even better where the bibs some of us got.

Early Black Friday

Yes I know it's terrible, but Lucas and I went to Walmart on Thanksgiving night.  The family was sitting around doing nothing so we decided to go ahead and get it over with.  It was crazy!  Parking was insane.  People were crowding around items waiting for the employees to unlock them.  We were lucky and got everything we wanted!  Scored 4 bar stools (one had a rip, so we will be exchanging it), Despicable Me for my Mom, and Just Dance Wii game.  The whole trip took an hour from when we left our house to arrive back home.  We have already been having tons of fun with Just Dance.  My Mom loves it and really gets into it. 

Do I think it's unfortunate that people have to work on Thanksgiving night?  Yes, I agree that they should be with their families.  I also think of it as most people get paid extra to work on holidays and maybe they need the money or don't really have a place to go.  I assume that Walmart tells employees in advance so they can ask off if they want. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our family and friends!  Thank you for being in our lives and supporting us. 

Thankful Day 28

Today I'm thankful for everything and everyone.  I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am for this life and the people that are in it. 

Thankful Day 27

Today I'm thankful for games.  Board games, card games, video games, even computer games.  Games bring people/families together.  They also let me have a break from entertaining Lucas all the time :)

Thankful Day 26

Today I'm thankful for technology.  Technology that lets me do this blog, share it with friends, and keep track of things I'll forget about soon.  Also thankful for the technology that sends me baby updates so that I can keep track of Speck's growth easily.  

Halfway There!

"Whooah, we're half way there.  Livin' on a prayer. Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear. Livin' on a prayer"  20 wks today aka halfway there!  Excited to have it halfway done. 

20 Weeks

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — about the size of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

from babycenter

Thankful Day 25

Today I'm thankful for heat.  It's been cold and rainy here so we have been putting our new heater to the test.  Also our new fireplace.  Grandpa has parked himself in front of it in the recliner and has claimed his spot :)

Thankful Day 24

Today I'm thankful for our church and the people that we have met there.  With not having any family around, it's nice to have our church family.   

Thankful Day 23

Today I'm thankful for our amazing new house!  We closed yesterday, so it's officially ours.  We have decided to refer to it at Hilliard Manor.  It's big and beautiful. 

Thankful Day 22

Today I'm thankful for my car. I know this one is a bit weird but hey why not.  With all the moving, I'm thankful that we can fit a lot of stuff in there and still have the 2 of us and Peanut.  Also thankful for the height of it so that I don't feel threatened by the bigger cars. 

Thankful Day 21

Today I'm thankful for photography.  It's something I love to do and am proud of how far I've come in learning about it.  Also thankful for the people that let me photograph them :)

Thankful Day 20

Ashley, Sarah, Jean in Singapore

Today I'm thankful for the McAuley's and Earharts.  The 6 of us have moved all over the world (Kansas, Singapore, Norway) and have still remained close.  They both have daughters now and are hoping the Speck is a girl :)

19 Weeks

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of an heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

from babycenter

Thankful Day 19

Today I'm thankful for the Dawsons and the fact that they came to Norway and we became good friends.  It's always hard to find a couple where the girls and the guys click.  Thankful we have that with them.  Also love that they are willing to try new things and restaurants.  And that Jess is teaching me how to be a better bargain shopper :)

Cravings so Far

My first craving started in Istanbul in September and it was for Cool Ranch Doritos.  It went on for a few weeks.  This was a hard one for Lucas, cause he ended up eating a bunch of them :)

My next craving was for pie.  All kinds of pie but mainly Hershey's sundae pie. 

 Then came fried mozzarella sticks and with it carbs.  Give me all the pasta and bread you can find and I was a happy camper.

Pineapple is going on right now, been craving that for about 2 weeks.  It's the juicy, wetness of it that is the most appealing for me.

Saturday I really wanted a snowcome, mainly cause I saw a friend post on facebook that they were getting one, so natually I
wanted one.  Sadly Lucas wouldn't stop to get me one, so I had to settle for an icee at Target instead.  Had 5 sips and I was done.  In case anyone was wondering, icee < snowcone.

Today at work I saw pudding in the fridge, so now I want butterscotch pudding with whipped cream on top.  Luckily I'm going to the store tonight :)

Moral of the post, cravings are weird and you can't predict them.  Luckily for me, if I have a few bits, then craving satisfied.

Reading = Love

One of the things I'm worried about when the baby comes, is that I won't have sufficient time to read.  I love reading and how it transports you to different worlds/times.  I think I'll have to make time for myself to read, hello Daddy & Baby time!

Finished the Divergent Series a few weeks ago.  I've never been obsessed with a book as I was with this series.  I won't even let Lucas talk to me while I was reading.  Read the first 2 in 4 days and then had to wait almost 2 months for the third, which I finished in a day.  Not sure if I approve of the ending but it makes sense.  Looking forward to seeing the movie, but nervous it will be terrible. 

Thankful Day 18

Today I'm thankful for PugHearts pug rescue.  They have saved over 1300 pugs and it really is more of a family than a organization. 

Thankful Day 17

Today I'm thankful for the Coopers aka "my step family".  They have been great friends even since we met back in 2009.  They are also one of the few friends that kept in touch while we lived in Norway.

Thankful Day 16

Today I'm thankful for the opportunity we had to live in Oslo, Norway, for 18 months.  It was a great experience and we got to travel A LOT.  I loved meeting people from different countries and hearing about their experiences and lives abroad. 

Definitely Movement

Definitely felt movement tonight!  It was exciting.  It felt like it was something poking through a jello/gel mold.  Which I assume is the popcorn feeling people are telling me about.  Lucas is bummed he hasn't felt anything yet, but hopefully soon!

Movement or Gas

People keep asking me if I can feel the baby move yet.  I probably can but I have no idea what it feels like.  Resources say it feels like butterflies fluttering in your stomach or a popcorn kernel softly popping.  But really, what does that feel like?  I've felt some things but is it gas or movement?  It's frustrating and hard to tell.  Guess I just need to be patient and I'll know when I'll know.   

I can feel where the baby is though.  One part of my stomach will feel different than the rest.  Also if I'm getting pressure in a place, I push back and the pressure goes away.  Lucas experienced this last night.  I found the baby and told him to press down.  He got weirded out and quickly stopped and the kid moved.  He said he felt bad cause the baby probably didn't like that.  I told him to suck it up and I do it all the time.

Thankful Day 15

Today I'm thankful that Toni and Marti are in my life.  We've had a crazy past 18 months together but it's made us stronger.  Glad that Speck will have these ladies as aunts that live close! 

Thankful Day 14

Today I'm thankful for Nikki (friends since 1999) and Amanda (friends since 2000) who are definitely more sisters than friends.  They are the girls that it doesn't matter how long it's been since we've talked or see each other, we just pick up where we left off.   

Thankful Day 13

Today I'm thankful for Laura, a friend who is definitely more of a sister.  We've been best friends since we were 5, I think, she would know better than me!  Been through so much together and have remained close even with me moving all around. 

18 Weeks

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long, and he weighs almost 7 ounces (about the size of a bell pepper). He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

from babycenter

Thankful Day 12

Today I'm thankful for my Mom's parents who are still with us and my Dad's parents who are looking down on us from Heaven.

Walk Thru and Calming the Nerves

We had the walk thru with our builder today.  He went over every item on the inspectors report and made us feel a lot better.  The foam installer guy was there to calm our fears from the inspection. They are going to fix some things but overall we are satisfied with what happened. 

I discovered today that Speck does not like it when I do a lot of bending.  Thank God we are hiring movers!

Thankful Day 11

Today I'm thankful for Luke's sister Erica, husband Jud, son (and our Godson!) Walker, and dogs: Jake and Ralphie.  Very thankful and honored that they named us Godparents to such an adorable little boy.

Thankful Day 10

 Today I'm thankful for Luke's sister Heather, 

husband Ralph, son Blake, and dogs: Tiger and Bolt.

Thankful Day 9

Today I'm thankful for Luke's brother Matt, 

his wife Renee, and their son Logan. 

Thankful Day 8

Today I am thankful for my in-laws.  My MIL who will never buy anything unless it's a great deal.  My FIL who likes me more when I  get him beer or make fun of his son.  Mostly I'm thankful to them for raising Lucas and moving to Florida so we could meet.

Scary Inspection

We had our inspector walk the house today.  He said it looked pretty good but he predicts that it will fall in on us in 5-10 years!  Apparently the foam wasn't installed correctly, hot water heaters weren't sealed, and we need a new return/vent in the attic.  Needless to say we are freaked out.  Lucas is doing major research and calling around to see if he can find a 3rd party foam specialist to come check it out.  We are remembering to breathe.

Thankful Day 7

Today I am thankful for my sister, Sarah.  Even though we don't always get along and are super different people, we are always there for each other.  I admire how you pull through the tough times and always try to look on the bright side of things.

Morning Nemesis

Brushing my teeth has become a difficult thing for me.  Every morning I have to brush very slowly and carefully while sitting down, otherwise I gag which can lead to throwing up.  It's so annoying cause it's something I have to do every day and every day I dread it.  I really hope this doesn't mean I'm going to have to struggle with the kid in the future to get their teeth brushed! 

Thankful Day 6

Today I am thankful for my mom.  She is the most caring person I know.  Always willing to serve and put others ahead of herself.  Always willing to help people out.  Plus she survived raising and home schooling my sister and I!

Baby Stuff

Every time I look at baby stuff (strollers, car seats, etc), I think I'm not ready for this.  It's so overwhelming!  Strollers range in price from $20 to over $300! Not to mention the different types to choose from.  Many women get excited about picking color and choosing fabrics, not me.  I truly wish there was 1 of each item that you need.  Luckily Lucas researches everything before he buys it.  Sounds like he's going to have a big project on his hands once we get moved into the house!

I got Bitstripped

Thankful Day 5

Today I'm thankful for my dad.  He's always someone I can count on no matter what, someone I want to share exciting news on, and someone who will always be there for me no matter what.  He's always proud of me and always knows what to say. 

17 Weeks

 Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

from babycenter

Thankful Day 4

Today I am thankful for our pug Peanut.  I never thought I could love a dog as much as I love her.  She is completely our child and she knows it.  She can be the sweetest cuddliest dog and then turn around and be a total brat.  But I wouldn't change a thing about her.  Love you Peanut Baby Angel Pumpkin Head!

4th Doctor's Visit

Had the 4th doctor's visit today.  Everything is going well.  She's a little concerned that I'm losing weight but since it's cause I'm not hungry it's nothing to be too concerned about.  Heard the heartbeat.  It was about 144bpm, the range to shoot for is 120-180.

Thankful Day 3

Today I'm thankful for baby Speck.  It's exciting to know that I have something growing inside me that will change my life forever and make me a better person.  Even though Speck makes me sick and uncomfortable!