Catching Up

Picture: Coming tomorrow!
How far along? 21 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up 3 lbs. since becoming pregnant
Maternity clothes? Wore a lot of comfy non-maternity this week
Sleep: Got a new pillow=sleeping great!
Best moment this week: Hearing all the congrats on our girl
Movement: She is always on the right side, Tom thinks she will be right handed
Food cravings: Sweets..as usual
Gender: A beautiful little princess
Labor Signs: Nope..not ready for that
Belly Button in or out? Slowly becoming less of an innie
What I miss: Holding Tyler in the Baby Bjorn..hehe
What I am looking forward to: Hospital tour tomorrow
Weekly Wisdom: There is a lot to get done, but it WILL be done..don't stress!
Milestones: Baby is size of a banana..I LOVE bananas

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So, I left off with Fathers Day. It was a super relaxing day spent at the beach and on the boat. I reveled in watching Tom hang out with my niece and nephews. I could go on and on about how he is going to be the best Daddy..but I don't need to. It goes without saying. He is an amazing man, husband and soon to be father. Peanut already has power over this man. :)

Digging a hole for Tyler

He's not too sure of this..

Who needs a Bumbo seat when you have sand?

Burying the kiddos

Delaney and Braydon

To explain that last picture...Mikey isn't fond of the water and was putting up a fight about tubing. We talked him into it under the condition that I went with him. I told him they couldn't go fast with me on it, so he would be safe. We were pulled at idle speed for about 5 minutes. He was hilarious on the tube..talking about how he was facing his fears. Then, he wanted to go faster. No such luck with a pregnant girl!

We also had a cake for Mikey's bday. His big party is actually today.

10 years old, breaks my heart

Happy Fathers Day!

For Fathers Day, I got him and baby matching White Sox shirts. We cant wait to take her to a game next Spring. Also, he got a golf set to share his passion with his child. Lastly, I bought him the Willow Tree figure named New Dad. Okay, that gift was more for me..to display with my Pregnant one..but he appreciated it.

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I am trying to get a million things done before we leave for Florida. We did find a photographer and I'm super excited for her to take our pics. Only 5 days until we leave!!

Now for a little show and tell. The first pic is her Thanksgiving outfit. Mama is a big fan of pink and brown! Now, I need to find her a special dress to wear to a wedding the weekend before. The second picture is her first blanket from me. I make one for each niece/nephew. They are wonderful for winter in Chicago. We will use it to place over her car seat. I was determined to find those two patterns..the zebra took calling about 6 stores. I sat my butt on the floor Wednesday night for 2 hours straight to complete it. I cant wait to wrap her up tight!

I hope everyone enjoys their last June weekend..can you believe its over?

The Big Reveal

Saturday was one of the best days of our life. I was bursting with excitement and couldn't wait to tell our big news. We loaded the car up for the cottage and were on our way. We stopped at Jewel to get a big Its a Girl balloon with a few tiny ones. Then, we stopped at Starbucks where Toms twin sister works. We walked in, she turned around, looked confused for a minute and then screamed! She was so surprised! I felt proud to be telling our family members about our daughter.

We drove over to Toms moms house and used the balloons to share the news with Mom and Stefanie. They were also thrilled and kept talking about going shopping! We left there and began driving to Wisconsin. After sitting in the car a while, I thought..why don't we tell my family tonight instead of tomorrow? Everyone was going to be there tonight, so why wait!? I called the bakery and the woman said she could have it ready at 3 pm! We discreetly drove and picked it up and hid it in a dresser drawer. It was difficult keeping the secret for a few hours, knowing the cake was in the house!

I was hoping we were having dinner at home, but everyone wanted to go to a local fest to eat. So, we waited for everyone to finish getting ready and were ushering family members on the deck. It was hard to get everyone to stay in one place. I told them I had a gift for Dad that was for the whole family. :) No one was cooperating..my sister was going downstairs, where Tom was with the cake, so he had to make a mad dash to avoid being seen. My dad had gone to get in the car and it took some persuading to get him to come back up.. We finally managed to get everyone together! I was afraid they were going to catch on, but that didn't happen!! Luckily, our friend Katie was at the house, so she had the video camera ready. She zooms in funny at the beginning, but at least you hear the initial screams and excitement!

The rest of the night, everyone was just in disbelief that a little girl would be joining our family. She is going to be spoiled!

I'll write about Fathers Day later..

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I had an OB appointment yesterday and it went great. I met the third doc and adore her. So, now I love 2, dislike 1 and haven't met one. She was friendly, kind and didn't make me feel rushed. I am measuring on track and the heartbeat was beautiful. I have only gained 3 lbs, but she said it doesn't seem to be a problem. She joked that if all patients were like me, she would be on time every day. I said it was so rough getting to this point, I am thankful it has been easy. Oh, how very thankful I am. I go back in 4 weeks.

Afterward, I went by my sisters to sort through baby girl clothes. It will be so cute to see our little girl in all the outfits Delaney wore. I cant wait!

I think we are 99% sure of her name...I guess I will share it when we are 100% positive.

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Oh yeah, we booked our trip to Florida! I am really looking forward to it. We fly down next Thursday and will rent a car. Tom will go take the exam at 1 pm and then we will be able to relax the rest of the trip! I plan on laying by the pool the majority of the time. I debated finding someone to take our pics on the beach..I need to look some more. We will return that Sunday. We need this time away to relax and enjoy each others company before our life is taken over..by the miracle Peanut!

Ultrasound Details

After not sleeping well, due to extreme excitement, Friday went by surprisingly fast. We arrived at the hospital and checked in with no problems. After about 5 minutes, my name is called by an elderly man. He spoke broken English and I could barely understand Erin being called. My first thought was, Please let him just take us to our room and not be our tech. Sure enough, he was our tech. I layed on the bed and got prepped for the ultrasound. After him asking me my due date, the silence began. For about 45 minutes, he scanned and measure away. Placenta, stomach, kidneys, brain, etc. The only reason we knew what we were viewing was from him typing the labels at the bottom. I was so miserable. Seriously, you could have heard crickets in that room; it was so awkward! He says he will be right back and I look at Tom and start crying. We waited two months for this ultrasound, and had to fight to have it and this was the experience we get? I kept it together when he returned. Sure enough, 5 minutes later he left again. You could tell he was new and didn't know what he was doing.

He walked back in with a young girl who was very friendly. She re-did a few of his measurements and then showed us all the cute stuff..her mouth open, feet, profile, and so on. After over an hour on the table, she asked if we knew the gender. I said no, can you pleeeease tell us. She scanned for a minute and said, "Its a little girl!" Tom and I just looked at each other with this beaming smiles. We knew it!! She is measuring right on track and currently weighs 11 oz! We wanted to run from the hospital and shout it from the rooftops..

I cant wait to hold that hand!

Her long legs

That's what has been kicking me!

They had predicted severe storms all day Friday, but I had yet to see a raindrop. Of course, it started pouring while we were driving to the outdoor mall to pick out our outfits. There is some coverage and we had an umbrella, so we figured why not? We walked into Gymboree, Tom picked out a cute onesie, and then we looked outside to see how bad the storm got in a matter of 5 minutes. Branches were falling, people were running, it was chaos! We walked to a few more stores and just said forget it. We drove over to Cheesecake Factory, which is within the parking lot. The wait was 40 minutes and we were starving, so we just got some cheesecake to go. We decided to go to Target to print out the ultrasound pics, since they put them on a disc. We walk in and the sign says-Print in seconds is out of order. Ahh! What else could go wrong? We went to the indoor mall right there for Panda Express. What a romantic celebration dinner! We drive home and THE POWER IS OUT! We couldn't believe it. Everything was horrible that night other than finding out about our Princess in the womb.

I wanted to do a bunch of stuff when we got home..laundry, balance the checkbook, blog, pack..none of which was done. It was steaming hot and I knew there was no way I could fall asleep. Tom lays down and is sleeping in 5 minutes, but I probably slept 2 hours that night.

Thankfully, Saturday and Sunday were much better. :) I need to upload the video on here and will share that story tomorrow..

20 Weeks

How far along? 20 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes
Sleep: Was off this week, too much excitement!
Best moment this week: ULTRASOUND
Movement: Feeling her will never get old
Food cravings: Hmm..nothing special
Gender: A sweet little beautiful baby GIRL

Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? Still an innie
What I miss: Nothing is as great as this..
What I am looking forward to: Registering
Weekly Wisdom: THINK PINK! Tee-hee
Milestones: Reaching the halfway point and finding out the gender

*I have SO much more to say, but am exhausted after the weekend. Ill have to find lots of time to blog this week. *

It's A...

I apologize for keeping you waiting. You wouldn't believe the night Tom and I had. It included tears from a terrible ultrasound tech, a tsunami in the suburbs and a power outage. Details and more pictures to come..

We are madly in love with our DAUGHTER!

Twenty Six Hours

I really can't believe tomorrow is our big day. I cant control my excitement!
There are NO cons to either sex, but I do think there is a major pro for each. It would be great to have a girl, for Delaney's sake. She is the only girl grandchild, with 3 boys surrounding her. Shes getting a little too comfortable being the Princess...In all seriousness, Id love to give her a girl cousin. On the other hand, Tom and I always have said we would like a boy for our first child. Tom is the bigger brother, granted its by a minute, and I have a big brother. I guess we think everyone deserves a protective big brother.
...Either way, I know we will be the happiest two people in the world!...

Rainy Day

As always, I have tons to update on. The weekend turned out great, even though we weren't expecting much. We have had one of the coolest summers ever here in Chicago. Not only that, it has rained and rained for weeks now. We checked the weather at the cottage all week and it was looking grim. 68/70 degrees and cloudy doesn't sound like a great weekend in the sun. We drove up Friday and just relaxed. Saturday, we woke up to rain and decided to make the best of the day. We went to Lake Geneva, browsed shops, stopped at Wal-Mart, got a camcorder case from Best Buy, ate at Domino's(Toms craving!), and finally went to see The Hangover. *Sidenote-that movie was hilarious!!* The weather took a huge turn for the better at one point, thank goodness. We went to the beach and hung out the rest of the night. Some of the family drove up Saturday night, but everyone pretty much went to bed. Sunday was gorgeous! We were on the boat for hours and yes, I braved wearing a bikini..Tom showed me how to drive the boat and I really liked it! That will come in handy this summer when he wants to tube. We had a little BBQ and made plans for Fathers Day weekend.

Cooper relaxing on the beach

Guinness, too cute

Tyler's first boat ride..he was asleep in 30 seconds

Tom and Delaney, braving the frigid waters

Braydon

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~The doctors office finally sorted out the ultrasound drama and I am scheduled to have it at 4:30 pm on Friday. I will go to the hospital, rather than the maternal fetal medicine. I cant believe we are 3 days away from knowing if we have a son or daughter..

~I signed up for that prenatal aquacise class, which starts next Tuesday. I'm excited to meet pregnant women and get some exercise!

~Our house has been listed with a realtor for about 2 weeks now. The first open house was this past Sunday. We did already receive one offer, but what they wanted to be included with the house was laughable.

~We haven't heard back from the Cook County police exam yet. Tom thinks it may have gone on a freeze again, meaning we wont hear any news for a while.

~Tom wants to test for the department in Florida, near his grandparents condo. That's the potential 4th of July trip. He figures, we could live at the condo for cheap, if he were to get the job. I think there is no harm in trying..The trip is still up in the air. I am waiting to see if my friend can get us some pink passes.

~In the past week, I have turned into the stereotypical irritable, hungry pregnant woman that always has to pee. Hence the weight gain, I assume.

~As far as Godparents go, I still have no clue who to choose. I had never heard that Godparents were considered guardians if something were to happen to us. I always viewed them as someone to look to for guidance and love. I will keep all of your thoughts in mind when we narrow down a list of candidates.

~Speaking of guardians, I thought it was a given that my sister and brother in law would be asked to take over our child/ren, if needed. My sister has the rights to our frozen embryos. When I mentioned this to Tom, he expressed concern over them already having 3 children and likely having one more before they're done. I guess its another subject we have to cover.

~I drive by the hospital I will be having the Peanut at almost every day. I was telling Tommy this weekend that I cant believe we will be there having a baby there soon. People will be calling to congratulate us. Gifts will be brought for us. Flowers and balloons will be give to us. Family and friends will come to congratulate us and see our precious miracle. I still cant believe it. We feel so incredibly lucky.

~Speaking of having a baby, I am going to try to have the baby naturally. I really think I can do it. If not, I wont feel bad about having an epidural. I just want to try it on my own, first. :)

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up 2 lbs, finally
Maternity clothes? Yep
Sleep: Was horrible this week
Best moment this week: Daddy feeling the baby!!
Movement: I feel it multiple times a day

Food cravings: Ice cream
Gender: We will know THIS week

Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? I think its a matter of weeks before its no longer an innie
What I miss: Tubing
What I am looking forward to: Our big ultrasound, however that may happen

Weekly Wisdom: The only opinions that matter are mine and Toms
Milestones: Feeling kicks on the outside

Insurance Problems

I had a voicemail this morning and saw it was from the maternal fetal medicine office I am supposed to have my ultrasound at. I presumed it was to confirm my much anticipated appointment for next Friday. Apparently not...

The woman was calling to let me know that they contacted my insurance and Aetna doesn't think a 20 week scan is necessary. Uhm, are you kidding me? This is the scan that they measure every little detail of the baby, right? HOW is it considered elective to check if my child is healthy and growing properly?!

The lady on the phone was very helpful and said to contact my doctors office and try to work this out. I called the there and explained my situation. The girl immediately told me that we would take care of this and that they usually have problems with Aetna. I also made sure she knew that I was an IVF patient. I paid quite a bit for my NT scan, even though they told me it should be covered after going through IVF. Perhaps the insurance company isn't aware of my IVF status..then again, how could they not know?

I am waiting on a call back from them. One option mentioned was going to radiology in the hospital rather than the mat/fet. medicine. I don't care where I go, as long as I see my sweet baby next week!

This whole situation really bothers me. Next thing you know, they will be telling me that a hospital stay after giving birth isnt necessary..

Milestone and Products

Peanut-Last night, Daddy felt you moving around for the very first time! He was beaming as held his hand still, waiting for you to make your presence known. It was our first special moment as a family of 3. We have a lifetime of special moments ahead of us. I know each one will be better than the last.

I have loved every second of providing for you and having you all to myself. But, I know that when I see you in your Daddy's arms, my heart will be whole.

I love you and I cant wait to see how much you've grown.

Mama

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I have been obsessed with choosing baby products lately. I am simply ecstatic that we are looking for our baby. Having worked with children for years, I know exactly what I want.

For the stroller, I wanted a big basket, cup holders and a good price. I don't want to splurge on a pricey single stroller because if all goes well, we will need a double stroller shortly after Peanut arrives. I have looked at a few stores, browsed online and researched in our Baby Bargains book. I found the perfect stroller and I am in love with it. It has the highest rating, is neutral, has cup holders and one of the biggest baskets I have ever seen! Plus, its way cheaper than expected. It is the Graco Stylus travel system, meaning it comes with the matching infant carrier.

We are also going to purchase the Snap and Go. It will be convenient for quick trips and tight spaces, such as the mall. It also has a big basket and cup holders. Woo-hoo!

For the convertible car seat, we are going to go with the Britax Roundabout. I am smitten over the Cow print.

Looking at the pictures..that's a lot of black! I will be sure to add color when we find out if were going pink or blue.

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Tom and I have decided how we want to spend the evening after we have our ultrasound. It is scheduled for 4 pm next Friday. Afterward, we are going to the mall and each choosing one outfit. Then, we will have dinner at Cheesecake Factory. We told our friends we were expecting at dinner there; it seems appropriate to celebrate there again. Some friends know we are finding out on the 19th and our families think its the following week. We will not be sharing the news on Friday, as we want it to be our secret for one day. *I'm not sure where I stand as far as posting here..I may spill the beans Friday* We are going to tell his family, Mom and Dad require two trips, on Saturday and tell my family on Sunday. It is a weekend I have been dreaming of for years, I am so thankful.

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Apparently we are going to be spending 4th of July weekend out of state..? Plans are still being finalized, but there is a good chance it will work out. Any guesses on where were going?

Busiest Weekend

It's Tuesday and I am dragging. We had what we hope was the busiest weekend of our summer. Plus, I haven't slept well the past two nights, even though I am exhausted all day.

Thankfully, Friday night was low key. I ran errands and tried to get last minute gifts. Tommy worked security for a few hours. We ended the night watching some CSI. Saturday, Toms younger sister, Stefanie graduated 8th grade. We arrived at his Moms house early, so we could give her the gift we chose. We bought her a beautiful diamond cross necklace back in December and have been excited for her to finally wear it on her graduation day. She loved it and it looked perfect. Note to self-get a picture of her wearing it! The ceremony was really nice. We had dinner afterward and headed back home to change, as the temperature was rapidly dropping.

Getting that diploma

Proud parents

Our next stop was my friend Raeann's graduation party. We were there for a little over an hour and it was nice to catch up. I felt bad making such a brief appearance, but I guess it was better than not going. Lastly, we had to drive 40 minutes to my friend Michelle's graduation party. A ton of my good friends were there and we had a really nice time. We didn't leave there until after midnight and went straight to bed when we got home.

Sunday, we had my cousins, Stephanie's graduation lunch. Again, we made an hour long appearance and had to head home to get ready. That evening, we went to our friends wedding celebration. The couple got married in November, the 7th to be exact!, and decided to have a reception now. It was a beautiful night, the food was great and we saw a lot of friends we hadn't seen in a while.

Friends since kindergarten..Colleen, Monique, Me

Anthony, CC, Eric, Monique, Me, Tom

The beautiful Christina and Me

Boomer lovin' on his Joey

It was a fun, exhausting, busy and expensive weekend! We plan to spend this coming weekend at the cottage, doing the exact opposite. If the weather cooperates, boating, bbq-ing and beer(water for me!) are in our future.

Last night I went out for Mexican food with some girlfriends for Jill's birthday. Tonight, we took Tyler to buybuyBaby as our test baby. I found a stroller combo I am in love with, as well as girl bedding. I already know what boy bedding I want, so now I am set. There are a few things I want from there and I'm trying to decide if we should register there too.

Hopefully tonight I will sleep better. Tomorrow is my nephew Mikey's big 10th birthday! I still cant believe he is that old. I have been an Auntie for 10 years! We are celebrating on the 27th.

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I finally broke down and called a nurse at my office yesterday. My headaches have been ridiculous lately. Most days, Ill treat one and have a few good hours and then have to deal with a second headache in one day. I cant function like that. I told her that I usually drink my one pop a day when I feel it coming on. Sometimes that's all I need, but most of the time it doesn't help. Some days I will just suffer through it. Some days I will take regular strength Tylonel. She said I was doing what they would suggest as the first steps. Obviously, that isn't working well. She suggested trying Excedrin Migraine or taking more doses of Tylonel. Apparently Tylonel is safe as long as it doesn't exceed 1000 mg/6 hours. The nurse told me to try those and if they are still bad in 2 weeks when I go back, we can talk about taking one step further. I really hope I get some relief soon.

We are pretty much decided on a girl name. Yes, it is one that I have mentioned before. Now, we are throwing around middle names to see what the perfect fit would be. Boys names are still up in the air. We figure we will worry about that when we need to. There is so much I want to do as soon as we find out what our lil baby is. I want to go get my diaper bag, make the baby its blanket, shop for clothes, register, etc.

10 days and counting.......

Godparents

I have a subject I am hoping to get opinions about..Godparents.

The main question here is-do we use family members or friends? I see pros and cons to each. I have always felt that friends were a great choice, since you are bringing that many more important people to the child's life. However, that doesn't always work out. I am the perfect example. My Godmother was my moms friend and after they had a falling out when I was little, I never heard from her again. Luckily, one of my aunts filled in as my fairy-Godmother. She would sent me packages in the mail for my birthday and Christmas. I truly didn't find out who it was until I was 18 years old!

The other option would be to choose a family member. The problem there is, who do we pick first? I have 1 sister, 2 brothers and 1 brother-in-law. Tom has 2 sisters. Someone is going to be disappointed if they are not chosen for our first child. We are dreading dealing with anything negative that may come from this. The bottom line is this is our child that we worked our butts off to bring into this world. We will choose who we want and do not need to hear anyones opinions on the matter.

Except yours, of course. =) So, who did you use? Do you have a story that would support family or friends? What do you think?

Thank you in advance. You have no idea how much I value your input!!

18 Weeks

How far along? 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: No pregnancy weight gain

Maternity clothes? I wear them more often then regular clothes now. I pretty much dress is comfy clothes all week and dresses on the weekend
Stretch marks? Nope.. I do need to be better about using the cocoa butter
Sleep: Better this week, thankfully
Best moment this week: Every morning, I lay on my back and just hold my hardening tummy..and smile :)
Movement: Is the best feeling ever. We are anxiously waiting for the day Daddy can feel it!

Food cravings: I had to get a Pizza hut mini pizza when I was at Target
Gender: My gut says girl, still
Labor Signs: Nope, not ready for that yet
Belly Button in or out? In, but getting rounder
What I miss: Being able to wear a bikini

What I am looking forward to: Our big announcement in 2 weeks
Weekly Wisdom: As Mrs. Hammer said, "Have faith that everything is just fine with your little peanut."
Milestones: Feeling hiccups for the first time

Thank you all for your sweet comments on my last post. I hope I didn't come off as ungrateful. Its just..sometimes I worry. I am blessed to have a "normal" pregnancy following infertility. The thing is, I may be normal physically, but I am anything but normal in my head and in my heart. I don't have the same thoughts, fears, concerns, joys, outlook as someone who became pregnant easily may. These 12 days cant pass quickly enough..

I went ahead and booked my breastfeeding class and our child birthing class at the hospital, as I have been told they fill up quickly. September will be here before we know it. I may enroll in a prenatal aquacise in the next few weeks. Of course, I want the exercise, but I also want to socialize with other pregnant women.

Tiny Whale

Most women would love to hear how great they look while pregnant.

Not this one.

I have been complimented twice in the past three days. They said how tiny and cute I am.

My reaction? WHY am I tiny? Is the baby not growing? We haven't seen baby in 6 weeks, maybe something is wrong?

I would so much rather look like a whale because my baby is growing big and healthy.

Ugh, these scars of infertility run deep. :/

Boy or Girl

Question of the day-What is the sex of our baby?

I googled and this is what I found-

It's a boy if:
You didn't experience morning sickness in early pregnancy
Your baby's heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute
You are carrying the extra weight out front
Your belly looks like a basketball
Your areolas have darkened considerably
You are carrying low
You are craving salty or sour foods
You are craving protein -- meats and cheese
Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy
The hair on your legs has grown faster during pregnancy
Your hands are very dry
Your pillow faces north when you sleep
Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you
Pregnancy has you looking better than ever
Your urine is bright yellow in color
Your nose is spreading
You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles
You are having headaches
You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number

It's a girl if:
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy
Your baby's heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute
You are carrying the weight in your hips and rear
Your left breast is larger than your right breast
Your hair develops red highlights
You are carrying high
Your belly looks like a watermelon
You are craving sweets
You are craving fruit
You crave orange juice
You don't look quite as good as normal during pregnancy
You are moodier than usual during pregnancy
Your face breaks out more than usual
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread
Your breasts have really blossomed!
Your pillow faces south when you sleep
Your urine is a dull yellow color
You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side
You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an odd number

I highlighted all the ones that apply to me. This didnt help at all! I dont know if my belly looks like a watermelon or a basketball. My urine ranges from yellow to dull, based on how much water I drink. I am not craving meat or fruit. I am craving sweets, but always have. I never eat the heel of a loaf of bread...

Based on the above information, there is a 50% chance I am having a boy and a 50% chance I am having a girl. 16 days and counting..

Two Parts

So much has been going on these past few weeks, I don't feel like I will ever catch up. Lets see, last Tuesday was my sisters 26th-and golden-birthday. Wednesday was my brothers 30th birthday! Yes, they are 1 day apart..plus 4 years. We didn't do much for them, as we celebrate over Memorial Day weekend each year. Usually their birthdays fall on the actual weekend, but it was early this year! I really cant believe I have a 30 year old brother. Sigh, life moves too fast.

Friday my younger brother graduated from high school. It was a nice ceremony and shorter than we expected. The baby extended its congratulations via kicking the whole time!

Walking back after getting his diploma

Hats off!

Proud parents

Tom, Jay, Me

Jay and his bud, Patrick

Saturday was his party with family and friends. My moms side of the family is so big, we rarely get together. It was wonderful to see everyone! We have more major events coming up and will be seeing them more often. One of those is my cousin, Molly's wedding in November. It is the 21st, which is 2 weeks after my due date. I'm not sure how I am going to pull that one off..






Baby graduate!

The girls, plus Ty-guy

Attempting a family pic..

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As of today, our baby is PAID OFF! I called to verify everything through our clinic was processed with our insurance and paid the remaining balance. Woo-hoo! Now we have our little love cookin' and storage for our 4 frozen possibilities for the next 5 years!

I booked our tour of the hospital for June 28th. We have been to the hospital a few times, the last one being my embarrassing crying incident when Tyler was born. I want to know my way around the labor and delivery unit, particularly where the nursery is.

My headaches have been unbearable lately. I have had one each day for about the past week or so. Some days, I wake up with one. I really hope these go away soon!

I will leave you with this poem from my Chicken Soup book.

Did you ever think, dear Mother,
As the seeds of me you sowed,
As you breathed new life inside of me,
And slowly watched me grow,
In all your dreams about me
When you planned me out so well,

When you couldn't wait to have me there
Inside your heart to dwell,
Did you ever think that maybe
I was planning for you, too,

And choosing for my very own
A mother just like you?

A mother who smelled sweet and who

Had hands so creamy white,
A tender loving creature
Who would soothe me in the night?

Did you ever think in all those days

While you were coming due,

That as you planned a life for me
I sought a life with you?
And now as I lay in your arms,

I wonder if you knew
While you were busy making me,

I was choosing you!