Viva Olivia!

Tiffany's Pictures from DC

2009-04-12T15:21:00.006-05:00

Our friend, Tiffany Cross, agreed to take some pictures of us while we were in DC during the Cherry Blossom Festival and I am so thrilled with the results! Here's a couple of my favorites:

You should visit her photography blog, Tiffany Cross Photography, to see the rest! Thanks again, Tiff!

Holy Monkey, That's a LOT of Clothes!!!

2009-04-11T21:08:00.003-05:00

So I finally sorted through, folded, and binned up Olivia's clothes from preemie through 9 months. It felt so nice to stack these bins up ready to go in the attic. Last weekend Dave and my FIL, Paul, got so much done around the house. They transplanted two trees, finished installing the child locks downstairs and put all the infant gear into the attic (swing, papasan, exersaucer, etc.).

It is so strange to be putting away these things from Olivia infanthood which seemed to last the blink of an eye. I do have to say though, it's nice to have the space back!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLIVIA!!!

2009-01-29T14:31:00.011-06:00

Olivia is now one year old. She enjoyed a wonderful cowgirl-themed party full of family and friends the weekend before. We had a nice family dinner the day of her actual birthday. It has been such a fun and exciting time. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from her party:

This photo montage was made by my super creative photographic Dad:

Here's Dave & his little Cowgirl:

I decorated these overalls myself. Partly out of necessity since they don't make birthday outifts in size 6/9 months and partly because I wanted her to have some handmade from me on her special day. I thought they turned out really adorable!

Singing Happy Birthday! It was such a happy day and I think this picture conveys the love in the room at that moment.

Chocolate-covered Birthday Girl!!!

We had her one year well-child checkup today so I'll post soon with all that info!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T18:24:00.002-06:00

Olivia has begun the year by becoming an independent walker! She took her first real steps on Christmas Eve while we visited her grandparents in Wisconsin and on New Year's Eve she became much more confident and is now walking all over the place - turning, taking curves and everything!

This is such an exciting time because it seems like Olivia is learning new things so quickly! She now says "uh-oh," "mama," and "puh" (which means puppy). She now signs "eat," "more," and "finished." It is truly awesome to watch her think and figure things out.

Our holiday break was wonderful. We saw so many friends and relatives in town and out. Olivia was overwhelmed by love, attention, and gifts. Our next big thing is her birthday & the accompanying party. Fun, fun, fun!

10 1/2 months old & sick again

2008-12-13T17:06:00.002-06:00

Olivia just got over a terrible stomach bug a month ago that lasted 13 days, caused her to lose weight, and sent us to the ER twice for dehydration. Thankfully, she's regained the weight (plus quite a bit - yay!) and has been growing and learning like crazy. Unfortunately though, she's sick again and this time it's RSV. Since she's normally a healthy child, this RSV will probably be no worse than a bad cold. So far she's had fever, constant clear runny nose, and some deep hoarse coughs. Last night she developed a loud barking cough and I was convinced she had croup. She's still coughing but it doesn't sound so croupy today.

RSV can be contagious for 7-21 days so that means I'm starting my holiday break a whole week early (goodbye, personal days) and Olivia won't be back to daycare until 2009. As for our Christmas visit with all the cousins up North, I guess we'll just play that by ear.

I hate to end on a negative, so to cheer you all up, here is a beautiful picture of our Christmas angel. (Thanks to my Dad, the photographer.) Hopefully, I'll be able to post an update soon, but in case I don't, Merry Christmas to all of you!

Fall Photos

2008-11-09T16:02:00.006-06:00

Okay, so Olivia was not a fan of the pumpkin patch at first, but overall, our Halloween was great.

Three-quarters of a year old!

2008-10-23T13:20:00.001-05:00

Olivia turned 9 months old yesterday and met with Dr. S's nurse-practitioner for her well-baby checkup today. Here's how she measured in - Weight: 16lbs. 12oz. (15th percentile) & Height: 27.5 inches (48th percentile). If you remember at her 6 month check-up she was at the 15th percentile & 50th percentile respectively so her growth is holding steady, which is good.

The nurse-practitioner completed a developmental profile assessing Olivia's language, fine motor, gross motor, and social skills. It was so cool to watch Olivia take blocks from her, watch her tap the together, and then tap her own blocks together in response. It seems like a little thing but it's amazing to watch her figuring out the world around her in this way on a daily basis. Thankfully, Olivia is at or above all the developmental markers for her age and soon we can expect her to attempt walking and begin using her "ma-ma" and "da-da" sounds purposefully instead of just babbling.

She is doing great at daycare and loves watching all the action in her classroom. She is definitely the nosiest baby there! I've begun weaning her, after her first full day home with Daddy - it went so well with him feeding her formula from the sippy and she ended up sleeping 7 hours that night! I'm now nursing her 3 or 4 times a day and the rest of her "milk" comes from the sippy. She is still very strong-willed about it though and frequently refuses to drink so we'll just see how this whole process goes!

The photos are from this past weekend with My Dad (Olivia's Pawpaw) came to take photos of Olivia. These are just a few of my favorites. He took some of her in her Halloween costume but I'm not going to post those just yet! Check back to see them soon!

A Fresh Look

2008-09-06T21:39:00.003-05:00

I felt it was time for a fresh look for the blog. Hope you like. I've also added a "Followers" button on the sidebar. It's a new blogger thing where they will keep track of the blogs you read and give you updates. Sounds cool to me - I've tried to become a "follower" of most of your blogs. We'll see how it works...

It has been a crazy few weeks in our house but mostly good. I've started back to school and am getting used to our new routine which includes earlier rising, daycare three times a week, and trying to get organized with my work! Olivia is doing well in daycare. I really like her preschool and the caregivers in her infant room. She really enjoys being around the other babies and the different toys they have there. We've found a sippy cup she'll use (the Nuby cup from the dollar bin a Walmart - go figure...) but she's still not taking very much from it. I spoke with our pediatrician and she assures me that as long as Olivia is having at least 6 wet diapers in a 24 hour period, she'll be fine.

We've had lots of family in town the last little while, some from previously planned visits but several due to Hurricane Gustav. Thankfully, everyone is well but not everyone has electricity. It was so much fun to see Olivia interact with family members she doesn't get to see every day.

Olivia cut her first tooth last weekend and then three days ago we noticed that her second tooth has broken through as well! Add that to the runny/stuffy nose she's had lately and it's been superfun around here during the night. Her hair is really growing quickly now that it's finally coming in and I just love to rub her fuzzy little head.

We had a day last week of wonderfully cooler weather and it made me realize how ready for fall I am. We have so much to look forward to!

Some of my faves

2008-08-29T22:24:00.007-05:00

Here are some of my favorites of our recent Olivia photos:

Olivia loves peas!

Pretty in pink at Peace Arch Park at the Canadian border

With Daddy at the Experience Music Project in Seattle

With Mama on Fourth of July

A New Development

2008-08-29T22:21:00.002-05:00

Today for the first time, I could feel the sharpness of a tiny new tooth cutting through the gums in Olivia's mouth. Her first tooth! So far we can't see anything but something's definitely coming in. Such a big girl!

We're still here

2008-08-24T13:22:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the long delay in getting new posts added! We have been so very busy here that it's just one of those things that gets overlooked.

Olivia turned 7 months old on Friday! Incredible, huh? She continues to grow, learn and amaze us with her new skills. Most recently, she's scooting all over the place, rocking on her hands and knees, and she's started to say "ba-ba-ba." Just yesterday, she started making a new face when she's happy or excited with a big smile and she wrinkles her nose. SOOOOOOO CUTE!

That's all I have time for right now but I promise to post more soon about going back to work, beginning daycare, food stuff, and all with pictures, I promise!

All About Olivia - 5 1/2 Months

2008-07-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

LOVES
*Being sung to - especially the Alphabet Song
*Having her ribs tickled and kissed
*Diaper changes
*Watching the dog run around the house
*Being independent in her exersaucer
*Grabbing her feet and trying to get her toes into her mouth.

HATES
*Hiccups
*The 5 to 10 minutes before she finally falls asleep
*Getting her fingernails clipped. (Mama has resorted to biting them - it may be gross but totally effective!)

NOT SURE ABOUT
*Baby food - especially apples. She much prefers sweet potatoes at the moment.

Status Update

2008-07-11T15:14:00.001-05:00

It is so amazing that Olivia will be halfway to her first birthday in just a matter of weeks! Unbelievable!!!

She is a sweet, happy baby and a total joy to be around 99% of the time. She is still not a great sleeper - taking an average of 2 short naps during the day and only sleeping 3 to 3.5 hours in a stretch at night. Her refux has really seemed to be much better. She still throws up sometime - but more and more it's just a normal amount of spit up rather than the huge projectile pukes we used to get.

She rolls quite a bit now but still has a preference of which way she rolls. I don't know what constitutes "sitting up" for a baby, but she can prop herself up without tumping over for about 10 seconds. I wouldn't say she's upright so much but we're on our way there! :)

We've started a little baby food - some sweet potatoes and most recently apples. We'll try some oatmeal cereal mixed with breastmilk next. I'm also excited about making pureed avocado for her to try. I read here that the LLL recommends it as a good food choice for breastfed babies.

We've settled into our new house and it's wonderful. About 20 minutes from where we previously lived but close enough to everyone and everything in our daily lives. When the school year begins again, it will be the first time that I've had a commute longer than 5 minutes! I know, I've been spoiled.

I've been researching and visiting daycare centers. Since I work 2.5 days a week, I'll be putting Olivia somewhere for 3 days each week. The fact that someone else will be caring for your child certainly seems more real when you visit the centers and see all the babies there! I'm doing o-kay with the idea at this point but I'm most worried about the fact that Olivia still isn't taking a bottle right now. I've bought the Breastflow bottles available at Target but we really haven't tried it yet. Since I'm home with her all day it's so easy and convenient for me to just nurse her. I really don't have a plan to make this work, y'all - have any of you mommies out there dealt with this? Help!

4 Month Checkup

2008-05-29T16:06:00.003-05:00

Olivia had her 4-month checkup today and here are her stats: Weight: 12lbs. 14oz (27 %ile) Height: 25in. (72 %ile) Head: 16.25in. (52 %ile)

She's hitting all of her developmental milestones so everything looks good! Instead of posting new pictures, I decided to go a step further - video! Here is Miss Olivia showing off her mad rolling skillz. The still shot that Blogger picked for the video screen is a little odd, don't you think? My mouth was too close to the mike on my camera so beware of excessive volume. :) Enjoy!

Prayer Request

2008-05-27T14:36:00.003-05:00

Thankfully, Olivia is just fine at the moment. She'll be seeing her pediatrician on Thursday for her 4-month checkup. I'll post her updated stats once we go. However, I do have a prayer request. Please say a prayer for my friend's two-week-old son who is in the hospital with breathing difficulties for which they have not yet found a cause. As they rule things out, the possible diagnoses are getting scarier and more severe. Please add your prayers to ours that he is healed. Thank you.

Sweet sweet laughter

2008-05-19T21:07:00.003-05:00

Olivia laughed on Friday for the first time and I have to say that for me it was one of the sweetest moments ever. This evening she laughed again a couple times and it was just as awesome.

Thank you Jesus for the amazing gift you have given me in my daughter.

3 1/2 months!

2008-05-12T13:25:00.008-05:00

I apologize for letting so long go between posts. Things have been crazy busy around here. Since the last time I posted Olivia has been baptised and spent time with most of the family members she hadn't met yet, I went back to work, we bought a house (but haven't moved yet) and we have our house on the market.

Like I said we've been crazy busy!

Going back to work hasn't been as bad as I expected primarily due to the wonderful family, friends, and coworkers who have helped us make the transition. Olivia is cared for at home on the 2 1/2 days a week that I work. Thankfully, since it's the end of the school year things are a little more laid back than usual and I can get away with a little slacking.

We're going to be moving next month about 20 minutes away from where we currently live which is very exciting, if more than a little bit stressful. In just a few weeks school will be over, we'll be in our new house and I'll have all summer to thoroughly enjoy my amazing daughter. Until then, here are a few recent pictures of my big girl!

9 weeks old

2008-04-04T00:14:00.009-05:00

My baby is getting SO big! She's nine weeks old now and every day she grows and changes. Here are some of the things she can do now:

Focus in on people's faces - especially their lips when they speak to her
Focus on and intently watch the light-up sun on her activity mat
Smile when someone talks to her or when she recognizes Mama's face
Hold her head up almost all the time - when you hold her or when she has tummy time
Roll over from her tummy to her back

Here is one of her beautiful smiles.

Another milestone we recently hit is her first round of vaccinations. Here is a picture of an angry Olivia when we got home from her doctor's appointment. Notice the bandaids on her thighs. She got 3 shots in one leg and 2 in the other. You can definitely tell it hurt!Another issue we've been dealing with her diagnosis of Acid Reflux. There were a few weeks that were very hard for her and us. Thankfully, her medication has really seemed to kick in and the last few days have been a huge improvement. Besides taking medicine twice a day, Olivia sleeps in her Tucker Sling. It helps to prevent her from spitting up in her sleep and keeps her safe from choking. We're very glad she has it!

In the next few weeks, Olivia will be baptized. We are so very excited for this blessed sacrament and also for the opportunity it gives us to introduce her to many family members who don't live nearby. It will be a special event and a great party! The week after that brings my return to work - boo! With all the changes & events, I'll be sure to update as frequently as I can get around to it.

8 weeks old - Happy Easter

2008-03-23T18:49:00.003-05:00

Olivia says, "Guh."

I'm sure what she means is: "Happy Easter, everyone!"

7 weeks old

2008-03-11T18:20:00.002-05:00

Olivia is 7 weeks old. Wow.

Each day she continues to grow, change, and develop. She has increasing control of her head and holds it up often to look around. Her legs are really strengthening as well. Now when you hold her up she'll press down and hold some of her weight. We notice now that she can really focus in on our faces rather than just scanning around. It's just amazing when she turns and nails us with her serious little stare.

We'll be going for her 2-month checkup soon where she'll get her first big round of immunizations. I'm glad she'll be building her immunity but I am definitely not looking forward to her distress at getting the shots.

The next few weeks will be very busy - including St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and Olivia's baptism. I can hardly wait for all the hreat memories we'll be making!

Baby Care

2008-02-24T15:09:00.003-06:00

Dooce linked to a great baby care article in her latest post. It's a bunch of graphics contatining "Do/Do Not" guidelines on how to care for your baby. You MUST check it out!!!

High-larious!

Photopolooza!

2008-02-11T21:25:00.001-06:00

Viva Olivia!

2008-01-26T21:12:00.000-06:00

Well folks, she's here!
Olivia Frances was born weighing in at a whopping 5 lb. 11 oz. We're all doing well.

Our beautiful baby girl

We are blessed beyond belief!

36 weeks Here we come!

2008-01-17T21:55:00.000-06:00

Our appointment today with Dr. M-M was really exciting. She confirmed that everything on Olivia's sonogram looked good. She's measuring in the 40th percentile for size. The exam showed that Olivia is very low & I'm already having some cervical changes so things are really cooking!

Our doctor has reserved a spot for us at the hospital on the night of Feb. 11th if Olivia hasn't arrived by then (as a backup plan) but stated that she was dubious that we'd last that long. Somehow I think Olivia will be coming sometime before then.

Very exciting!

Tonight I got my hair trimmed & a pedicure. This weekend, we're installing the car seat. Bags are packed & ready to go. At this point, I just need to wrap things up at work and we'll really be as ready as we can be. Wahoo!!!

35 weeks - Sonogram!

2008-01-14T15:39:00.000-06:00

Today we saw the sonographer to estimate Olivia's size and find out how she's positioned. We meet with Dr. M-M on Thursday and she'll give us more details and implications for the final leg of our pregnancy.

As of today, Olivia is estimated to weigh 5 lb. 2 oz. and is about 17.5 inches long! Totally amazing. She's head down, facing my right side which means that her bottom is in my left ribs and her feet are in my right!

It was great to see her again and it's hard to believe that we've got only a month or less to go! Wow!

34 weeks - Springtime in Winter

2008-01-06T17:25:00.000-06:00

Well folks, it is January and it's 73 degrees outside! Unbelievable!

David and I took advantage of the nice weather and went to the Dallas Arboretum. Despite the significant wind, we had a nice lunch and a great time walking around the gardens.

Olivia's nursery is now complete - her glider has been purchased and is in her room! Thanks to the generosity of friends and family, we now have the vast majority of items we'd need for our hospital stay or first few weeks. We still have to get some miscellaneous nursing supplies, the diaper pail & stroller frame, but we have her diaper bag (packed), her car seat (not yet installed), and thanks to a wonderful baby shower this weekend, she now has three new pairs of shoes! What else could a girl possibly want?

32 weeks - Pictures, Finally!

2007-12-22T13:13:00.001-06:00

Okay, here's the photo-update. Enjoy!

Belly Pic at 32 weeks Here is Olivia's nursery - starting from the view looking in from the doorway and rotating clockwise.

The changer and hutch

Her crib with homemade bedskirt, blanket (folded), and pillow The valance that matches the bedding
Her chest of drawers (Notice the pretty diaper cake from one of my showers)
Her closet (the clothes!) and her bookshelf full of fabulous books

We've attended our baptism class, chosen Olivia's godparents, interviewed and have selected a pediatrician for her arrival. Our childbirth class is over. We're still going to attend the Infant care & CPR class and a breastfeeding class in January.

The big thing that we've yet to do - and it's not essential at all - is choose & buy a glider for her room. Really we're in great shape - as prepared as we can be at this time! Thanks to everyone for the prayers, blessings & gifts. We are truly overwhelmed & blessed.

Update to come featuring Olivia's Christmas presents. David swears he's bought her the Best. Gift. Ever. but won't tell me what it is. I'll post after Christmas to let you know and end the suspense!

Much love to you all. We wish you a very merry Christmas as we anxiously prepare for the blessing of our own child and the celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. What a wonderful time of year!

30 weeks - Bad blogger

2007-12-09T12:25:00.001-06:00

I am very sorry to be so remiss in posts lately. I'll give a quick update post to kick off a blog-a-ssance.

Dave has finally felt Olivia move! It is great! I felt her first at about 17 weeks and he got to feel her at about 28 weeks. She remains a very active baby and seems to be getting a pretty consistant schedule. She jabs me a few times when I very first wake up and start moving. She's quiet for most of the morning, perks up after I eat lunch and sleeps through the afternoon. Usually her most active time is when I settle down in the evening - usually between 6 and 9 pm. I mostly feel her at the highest part of my belly but every once and a while she gives me a good kick in the side. Feeling her movements is absolutely the best!
Olivia's nursery is almost finished (pictures to come). We received her bedding so she now has a bedskirt, blanket, pillow & window valance. I know the blanket and pillow are just for decoration at this point, but it looks so nice! All we need now is a glider/rocker.
I hit 30 weeks on Friday! Yay! We're now going to our OB's office for checkups every two weeks and so far everything looks good. I've been diagnosed with anemia and am taking iron supplements. Once I hit 36 weeks, we'll go weekly.
Dave & I attended our first childbirth class. It was great. We both really like our childbirth educator who is a former L & D nurse and is also a lactaction consultant. She'll be running our breastfeeding class in January as well.
We are going to be picking a pediatrician for Olivia in the upcoming weeks. We have an prenatal consultation with one recommended by my obstetrician on Wednesday. I'll let you know how it goes.
Christmas decorations are up. The tree looks so pretty & already has lots of wrapped gifts laying beneath it. We've decided to not put up any outside lights since we'll just have to take them down & it's SO much work. We are very blessed to have lots of family and friends visiting for the holidays.

Hope everyone is doing well. Keep checking back because I know I have so much to catch everyone up on!

26 weeks - Less than 100 days to go!

2007-11-08T22:22:00.000-06:00

(My friend Amy admonished me for not posting often enough & she's right. Plus, I forgot to call her on her birthday so she deserves a blog shoutout! Hi Amy!) :)

An amazing milestone - less than 100 days to go until Olivia is evicted from her current cozy home! :) I'm feeling well. Definitely getting bigger, a bit more uncomfortable, get tired more quickly, but loving being pregnant. Feeling Olivia move (which happens often - she's an active baby) is the absolute best thing ever!

We've been blessed to have already received many gifts to celebrate Olivia's addition to our family. A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to visit my family in Louisiana before I was grounded from traveling. It was fabulous! This past weekend, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law hosted a shower for us as well. Everything was perfect and beautiful. Pictures to be posted soon. We are a little overwhelmed by the amount of space that all the baby stuff is taking up so far and know that we have a LONG way to go! Our house is shrinking as I type!!!

Our plan is to get Olivia's bedroom painted this weekend. My Mom is going to help with that. Once that's finished we can take all the furniture out of the boxes & plastic wrap and I'm guessing it will begin looking like a real nursery. So exciting!

I had a doctor's check-up on Tuesday - took my 1-hr glucose tolerance test (standard test for all pregnant women to check for gestational diabetes) and that went well. At this point I begin seeing my OB every two weeks.

Here are the current list of things to do:

Sign up for the infant CPR class
Register for the tour of the hospital (We're delivering at Las Colinas Medical Center)
Interview potential pediatricians

It is all so exciting. We are so blessed.

22 weeks - New belly shot!

2007-10-11T22:20:00.001-05:00

Okay, here I am in all of my bellyrific glory!

21w4d - Dr's Appt & Nursery Update

2007-10-09T14:57:00.000-05:00

We went to see Dr. M-M today and everything looks great. She said to continue to drink lots of water to prevent the Braxton Hicks contractions and to take it easy if they worsen. The nurse's comment today was, "You have a very active baby!" While she was trying to get Olivia's heartbeat with the doppler, Olivia had other ideas. She was flipping & turning & basically refusing to stay still long enough for them to get a read on her! Eventually they did get a reading of a beautiful 150 bpm

The nursery is coming together! Here are some pictures. I promise to post another belly picture soon since I've grown quite a bit since the last time I posted one!

The drop side is not yet assembled onto the crib. That's why it's touching the floor.

This is the matching chest of drawers. Her changer hasn't come in yet.

These are the fabrics that will make up her blanket, bedskirt, and valance.

21w2d - Braxton Hicks

2007-10-07T19:18:00.000-05:00

So I've officially begun having Braxton Hicks contractions. I began feeling the strange tightening sensation a couple of weeks ago but it was very infrequent and not very distinct. They are now happening much more often, throughout the whole day (and night), and they're hard to ignore. Not painful, just uncomfortable and hard to ignore. The nurse at my OB's office says it's no cause for worry but I'm glad that I already have an appointment to see Dr. M-M on Tuesday morning. A little extra reassurance never hurt anyone! At least not me!

In other exciting baby-related news, we now are in possession of a gorgeous cherry crib and chest of drawers for Olivia's nursery. We have her hutch as well but haven't assembled it quite yet since we're still waiting on the changer with which it goes.

David and I visited a seamstress who lives out in the country who specializes in nursery decor. We found some really cute fabric that we love. So we are in the process of ordering Olivia's bedding - a blanket, dust ruffle, pillow & valance. It was fun to be able to design and customize the look just for Olivia.

There is only three more weeks before I'm prohibited from traveling outside of the metroplex. In that time we'll be seeing friends in Houston and I'll be visiting family in Louisiana with my Mom. I'll try to post pictures soon of Olivia's nursery-in-progress & the fabrics we've chosen for her bedding.

20 weeks - Already halfway there

2007-09-28T15:56:00.002-05:00

Here's an update on fetal development in week 20. We're halfway through the pregnancy but Olivia still has lots of growing to do!

The little delicates bones continue to ossify and toughen while their itsy bitsy finger and toe pads are finishing up. Your little monkey now has teeth buds, although they’re hidden beneath the gum line. And finally! Their limbs have reached their relative proportions—no more alien baby! Their cute pink lips are more defined, and might be helping out in a bit of prenatal thumb-sucking. What’s more, eyelashes and eyebrows are also visible. At this point, your little one really looks like a miniature baby—and we do mean miniature as your little swimmer currently weighs a mere eighth of their final birth weight. With half the pregnancy behind you, the most significant gains are yet to come!

It's a...

2007-09-26T16:58:00.001-05:00

...GIRL!!!

Please meet our daughter, Olivia Frances McGuire.

18w5d - Eye Color?

2007-09-18T18:05:00.000-05:00

Another expectant mother recently posted a link to an eye color calculator from The Tech Museum that explains the genetics behind heredity of eye color. I don't remember much about genetics from high school other than some rather vague recollection of Mendel's pea plants but this puts thing pretty clearly. The other neat thing about it is that (if done correctly) it gives you the exact probability of the eye color of your children!

Interestingly, hazel eyes are not their own genetic thing, so if you have hazel eyes like I do, you have to choose the color they're closest to - blue, brown or green.

Here's what the eye color calculator had to say about our kids:

Cool, huh? Looks like our greatest chances are for brown, then green followed by a slim 18.7% chance of baby blues. Then again, we'll might just end up with 100% hazel!

18 weeks - Tap, tap

2007-09-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

I've started to feel the baby move and it's definitely the coolest thing ever! I've had two very different sensations that I've attributed to our little one. The first feels like a muscle twitch. (Like those annoying twitches you get under your eye every once in a while.) It's not as regular as a twitch but the sensation is very similar. The second is my favorite - the infrequent, random bump, tap. So far, I've only felt this while laying in bed or on the couch. It is SO neat. I really can't wait until I begin to feel the baby more regularly. What a blessing!

16w6d

2007-09-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

I hit 17 weeks tomorrow! Man, have I been busy!

Earlier in the week I had the handymen come over to install a new faucet & garbage disposal in our kitchen. (Faucets - so shiny! Disposal - so quiet!) They fixed our jacked up air vents that have never sat flush with wall. (It looks great!) And replaced the ceiling fan in our living room which hasn't worked for a couple of months since one of the big storms earlier this summer. (It is beautiful but it still doesn't work!) Apparently the problem was NOT in fact a burnt out motor in the old fan and instead has to do with some wiring difficulties. Ugh.

We're 9 days into the new school year. I love my new job! I hate that I'm ALREADY sick. When to the doctor today with some pretty significant sinus & ear pain and apparently I'm being attacked by our friend, the rhinovirus. (Can't we all just get along?) Got some OTC Tylenol congestion stuff that should help with the pain. The worst thing about the entire sickness is that I had a super fun weekend at the lake with the girls planned and I have to miss it. I know I'd feel even worse if I went and someone got sick (especially one of the babies!) but it really stinks to miss out on such a great time.

On the baby front:

Our genetic risk levels came back from the specialist's office at the lowest levels possible. The nurse said it was a perfect result. I went back today for round 2 of bloodwork which is required for all the patients who go through this screening.
I popped by my OB's office today (since it's in that same building) and got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. It was a beautiful, healthy 152. My next appointment with her is just a normal check up on Sept. 11.
We've scheduled our "anatomical screen" sonogram (also known as the answer to the cheeseburger or hot dog debate!) We've decided to keep that date a secret for now so that we can enjoy it for ourselves for a little while. We ABSOLUTELY promise to share the great news soon after we know & it will be this month for sure for all you anxious friends & family out there.

Da belly! Da belly!

2007-08-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

Okay folks, here it is...

Well actually two real quick things first. #1 - This is not a flattering pose or picture. Please overlook that. #2 - The belly is really quite more impressive in real life. The picture does not do it justice.

So without further ado:

14 weeks - The belly emerges

2007-08-17T18:38:00.000-05:00

So I am definitely getting a small little pregnancy pooch. My normal clothes are out and in some of the maternity shirts I definitely look pregnant (although I know I'll get MUCH bigger). I'll have Dave take a belly pic soon. We took one at 6 weeks so it will be interested to compare. Will post those soon.

Sonogram with labels

2007-08-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

13w3d - Clean Bill of Health!

2007-08-13T15:52:00.000-05:00

Our appointments today with the perinatologist & the obstetrician both went very well! Thanks be to God!

Our baby is measuring right on par for the gestational age. The heartbeat was a fabulous 147. The baby was moving about quite a bit! The sonographer had a difficult time at first trying to get the right angles because when she did the baby would roll over and move. Most of the time, the baby's hands were up by his face, knees bent and legs crossed at the ankles. Of course, it's very difficult to see all of that on the sonogram picture since there's no movement.

We're now open to sharing the news with all our friends, coworkers, and acquaintances. I'm really busting out of my normal clothes so I think I'll start wearing some maternity clothes since they are SO much more comfortable!

Here's the best sono picture. I'll post again later with some labels to help you see where everything is.

If this helps at all, the baby is laying with it's head toward the right, facing upwards.

12 weeks

2007-08-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

We are very excited to hit the 12 week mark. Different sources say different things, but it seems like when you hit 13 weeks you are out of the first trimester. It has seemed like forever since we saw the doctor last, so I'm glad that we have an appointment coming up. I don't think anything is wrong, it just that sometimes it's hard to believe there's really a baby in there, at this point. Seeing the baby on the ultrasound or hearing the heartbeat makes it a lot more real (and of course, reassuring).

I am very glad that the nausea (for the most part) has begun to abate but I am having some difficulty with back cramps. I'll tell you one thing - I have a great appreciation now for how difficult it is to sleep well with a backache!

David and I are also happy to hit another big mark tomorrow - our 6th anniversary. So, happy anniversary to us! :) Also, David will hit the big 2-9 on Monday. Happy birthday, Dave! If you have a chance, drop him a line to wish him well, but whatever you do - Don't get him a gift card to Chili's for his big day. If you want to know why, just ask him about his recent nightmare!

Hope you all are doing well. We send our love!

Prenatal Testing

2007-07-23T15:05:00.000-05:00

If you're interested, here is some information on the prenatal testing we're having done at 13 weeks. It tells a little about what they'll do (bloodwork & ultrasound) and what they're checking for. From the March of Dimes:

What is the first-trimester screening test?
Some providers offer a first-trimester screening test for Down syndrome and trisomy 18. This test also may show if a baby is at increased risk for heart defects.

This test is done between 11 and 13 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period. It is called the combined test because the test has two parts: a blood test and an ultrasound examination (a test that uses sound waves to take a picture of the fetus). The provider sends the blood sample to the lab, which measures the levels of two substances in the mother’s blood: free-beta hCG (a specific form of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin) and pregnancy-associated protein A (PAPP-A). Levels of PAPP-A tend to be decreased, and hCG increased, with Down syndrome.

The woman also will have a special ultrasound exam to measure the thickness at the back of the baby’s neck (called nuchal translucency). Increased thickness is associated with Down syndrome, other chromosomal abnormalities and heart defects. The ultrasound exam should be done by a health professional who is specifically certified, for example by the Nuchal Translucency Quality Review Program, because special training is required to do this test accurately (2). A woman’s provider can refer her to an appropriate facility.

The lab will calculate a woman’s risk of chromosomal birth defects, using the combined results of her blood test and ultrasound exam. Studies show that this test can detect about 82 to 87 percent of pregnancies affected by Down syndrome and up to 95 percent of those affected by trisomy 18 (1, 3, 4).

10w3d

2007-07-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

Things are going well here. I've started to feel a little better in general, although I'm still very tired and achy. It's difficult to get comfortable and my back is definitely paying the price.

I saw my cardiologist on Friday to check with him about my heart stuff. I've definitely been having more palpitations & racing heartbeat than normal, which they said is because of the increased blood volume I have due to the pregnancy. They are not concerned - it's not really serious but even so, I'm going back on a medication that I've taken before that will bring my heartbeat into a more normal range. The medicine is very safe for me and the baby, so there are no worries there either. I'll recheck with him in November or before if I have any continuing symptoms while I'm on the meds.

My next appointments are on the same day - August 13. On that day I'll see the perinatologist for some prenatal screening testing (will post more about that seperately) and I'll see my obstetrician that same day for a check-up.

I'm still getting anxious between appointments but try to remain upbeat and hopeful overall. Please keep the prayers coming!

9 weeks - Baby looks great!

2007-07-12T15:24:00.000-05:00

Today we met our obstetrician, Dr. M-M, and got to see our baby again. That little baby was wriggling around! We got to hear the heartbeat which measured in at about 175 bpm which is great for right now. The baby is measuring right on schedule. Much less blobby than before.

They are going to keep me on my insulin-resistance medication in hopes of preventing gestational diabetes. I have to make an appointment with my cardiologist since the palpitations & racing heartbeat I'm diagnosed with will probably worsen in pregnancy - but nothing to seriously worry about.

In a few weeks I'll meet with a perinatologist who will do another sonogram and some bloodwork for some basic screen for the more common genetic problems. We don't have to go back to see Dr. M-M for another 4 weeks. They gave of LOTS of material to read through so I'll probably be busy until then anyway!

Sonogram Picture

2007-07-06T15:58:00.001-05:00

Here is the blurry little blob at 7w4d!

7w4d - Pefect sonogram

2007-07-02T22:03:00.000-05:00

Today's sonogram went great! YAAAYYY! We were able to see a perfect little baby (blob) with a beautiful flickering heartbeat. We are so blessed.

My reproductive endocrinologist said everything looks great and I am now going to be released to my regular obstetrician.

I really wanted to post the sono picture tonight but I don't have the appropriate technology. Hang in there, though, baby's first picture is sure to come soon.

7 weeks - Thank you God!

2007-06-28T13:03:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful to hit the 7 week mark. Sonogram in 4 days!

6w4d - Symptoms worsening (yay!)

2007-06-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

Last night after dinner, I had a bout of what could only be described as full-blown nausea. No throwing up, just that terrible sick feeling.

We had a busy weekend with family since we celebrated my Dad's 50th birthday. It was a good time, complete with Karaoke Revolution & board games.

I do have to say, though, it will be nice to just have some lazy, quiet time today!

Only one week til our first ultrasound!

New Blog Feature

2007-06-18T14:55:00.000-05:00

I just added a list on the right sidebar in order to keep track of my upcoming appointments. I spoke with my OB's office today and made appointments for an exam with the nurse-practitioner and my first obstetrical sonogram with the actual OB. Exciting!

5w2d - Fatigued

2007-06-16T15:16:00.000-05:00

So far, so good! For the last week, I have been very tired all day - I've pretty much been sleeping in, taking naps & going to bed early. I've had a few bouts of queasiness but no real nausea. That's all for the symptom update. Everyone have a happy Father's Day!

Sono Scheduled

2007-06-12T10:51:00.001-05:00

Our first sonogram to see the baby's heartbeat is scheduled for the morning of July 2nd. I should be about 7 weeks along at that time.

4w4d

2007-06-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

Well folks, it seems that I am pregnant!

I am approximately 4 weeks 4 days along. Here's what has happened so far...

May 12-26: Underwent fertility treatment including Clomid (pills), Repronex (injections) and an IUI.

Saturday 6.2.07: Took a home pregnancy test (HPT)- negative

Tuesday 6.5.07: Took another HPT - positive!!! Call doctor and go in for bloodwork. First blood test comes back at 109, a great number.

Thursday 6.7.07: Return to doctor for second blood test - comes back at 190. An okay number but not as high as we'd like.

Monday 6.11.07: Return for third blood test - a great 526!

For our next step, we schedule a sonogram to see the baby's heartbeat for the first week of July! So far, I am feeling fine just very, very tired. I plan on taking it easy for these first few weeks.

We'd very much like to thank everyone for the prayers. Please keep them coming!