Progress, Progress

We started painting the pink stripe in your room, baby girl.

It looks great so far, just waiting to put on a second coat and touch up a few places where the tape failed us. 

I was surprised your daddy was so eager to get started on it, he usually hates painting. But right after his morning coffee, he went to work!

Daddy marked the lines on the wall for the stripe, and I followed behind him with the tape. About halfway through taping I got too tired/light-headed to finish, so Daddy took over. 

Yesterday we went with Nona to order your furniture and work on the registry a little. 

We had a bit of difficulty finding a set we all liked, but finally decided on a the Taylor Lifetime Crib in White by Baby Cache, and the matching dresser. I think it will look great in your room!

We were also planning on ordering the glider this weekend as well, but found out the "sale" at USA Baby is not much of a sale at all. In fact, for the model we want, the quoted us the same "sale price" as we were quoted in-store a few weeks ago, not on sale. 

So Nona is going to wait til next weekend to call and order it because we were running out of time yesterday and she is leaving on business for the whole week. 

The other progress I have been meaning to make note of is in regards to Mommy's belly button. Not only can we see the back of it these days (which was never the case prePG), but when I am standing up, the top half sticks out!!! I was rubbing my belly the other day, feeling you move around, and my hand sort of caught my belly button... it was the strangest feeling! You are changing Mommy's body in so many ways, Sweet Girl!

Our Baby Girl...

..is still our Baby Girl. 

I'm not sure why I had any anxiety about the ultrasound today, but I really had this nagging feeling that they would announce "Woops! It's a BOY after all."

But, nope. 

We were thrilled to confirm that Camryn Louise is in fact Camryn Louise. 

And she's just beautiful. More beautiful than the last time we got a peek at her.

Today's ultrasound was supposed to be to check her heart one more time (they couldn't get a close up last time), check the end of her spine (because she was sitting funny last time), and check for all 10 toes. 

Instead, the tech treated us to another full anatomy scan, and we loved every minute of it. 

Our "money shot" this time very clearly confirmed that she is a girl. 

We got to see an amazing, perfect profile and just sat there watching her move her tongue, open her mouth, and swallow. I had a permanent ear-to-ear grin plastered on my face.

We checked out her feet, which she had crossed at her ankles -- so cute! We saw her perfect, beautiful spine, her abdomen with all its necessary organs tucked right where they should be, and  we finally got some great close-up shots of her heart (even though she was moving away from us/the wand by that point!). 

It really was an amazing ultrasound. I'll upload our pics sometime tomorrow.

The appt went great as well. This was the first appt (ever at this office!) that I was able to walk in with a smile on my face and no questions or concerns. It was a wonderful feeling. We were told what to expect over the next 4 weeks, what to be vigilant about (rest and hydration), and scheduled our Glucose Screen for May 29.

I'm really struggling with the fact that we won't have an ultrasound at that appt. That will be our first appt without one. :( But thats ok, just 2 short weeks after that appt, we go for our 3D ultrasound at the downtown office. :) That is part of our anniversary gift to each other! 

At this point, 22 w 3 d, I have gained 15 pounds. EEK. And that's 15 from my pre-PG weight, meaning all that weight I lost in 1st Tri has already come back, and I am UP 15 pounds. I guess that's right on par for being beyond the halfway mark and needing to gain between 25-35 pounds by our EDD. I just worry about how much or how quickly I will gain when the baby hits her big growth spurt there at the end! Yikes.

We were told sweet Camy Lou weighs over a pound now, and is sitting right between the 50th and 60th percentile for babies at her same gestational age. Right on track! Her heartrate was 146 and she was approx 28-29 cm! WOW.

After our appt tonight, we celebrated with dinner at Jardin's (mommy's favorite!) and headed to Lowe's where we bought the pink paint for Camryn's room, the new white fan for her room, and the blinds for our bathroom. Tomorrow morning we are going with Nona (my mom) to order all her furniture, and to finish our registries. We cannot wait!!! 

It was a great, great day today.

 

Kick Kick....

Well, I'm assuming they're kicks. 

I'm sitting here in the recliner (you know, my special spot!) with the laptop on my lap... just the very front edge of the keyboard is resting on my lower belly, and as I was reading an article about one of my shows, the computer jumped!

It's cracking me up to see Camy kicking the computer. 

Does that mean she wants me to put away and go to bed?

Does that mean she can feel the warmth?

Does that mean she wants to play on the interwebs, too?

It's so funny.

:)

I love these little moments with her.

We have our 22 week appt tomorrow.  Somehow we got off track and are off by 2 weeks (from the typical 8w, 12w, 16w, 20w, etc)... I think that happened when I got sick and was going to the doctor every week.  Anyhow, we go tomorrow and we can't wait to see baby girl again! I hope we get another DVD like last time. :)

And now I'm going to take Camy kicking the comp to mean she's ready for me to go to bed... 

So g'nite Baby Girl. Sleep Well, and let Mommy sleep well too, please. 

Holy Big Belly!!

It has been so fun watching my belly grow... and I really cannot even imagine how much more it will expand!! 

A isn't home tonight, but I realized we haven't taken a belly pic in a while.. so rather than wait for him to take some, I did the obligatory mirror shots. :)

**Forgive the bare belly shots, I have no idea when or if those dreaded stretch marks may appear.. I wanted some photos to look back on fondly!!**

22 weeks.

Crazy!!

Wonderful!

Exciting!!

I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by. 

I cannot believe how happy it makes me just to look at my belly. 

I cannot believe that in 18 short weeks, we will have our sweet baby girl in our arms. 

You know what else I cannot believe?

We SAW you move. Mommy has been feeling you move for about 6 weeks, Daddy has been feeling you for 3 or 4, but tonight we saw you.

Mommy was sitting in the recliner (where she spends most of her evenings these days) and kept feeling your big wave-like movements, so Daddy kept reaching over to feel, too.

I wondered out loud how long it would be before we actually SAW you move, and Daddy said with these big movements we may be able to see you tonight.

He was right!!

I sat staring at my belly for a few minutes and sure enough, saw some body part move across my skin, just below and to the right of my belly button. I gasped in excitement and got a little emotional.. then kept staring. After seeing a couple kicks Daddy came over to get in on the fun, and we both just sat there with our eyes fixed on my tummy... then you kicked and we both jumped. Daddy saw it too, and got so excited!!! Then you kicked again, and again. It was the most amazing thing, to feel you move and SEE you move and to share that moment with Daddy!!! I feel like there is so much he misses everyday while he's at work, your dances and pokes and jabs -- I was so glad he was home to see you wiggle. 

I will never forget this night, this time with you and Daddy.

According to my weekly email, you are about a pound now and almost a foot in length from head to toe. You are growing so big, sweet girl, and I am so glad you have been such a healthy little babe!! 

We get to peek in at you in just a few days, and we can.not.wait!!

Be sure you show us that dance you've been practicing, okay? 

We love you baby girl!

22 weeks down, only 18 to go!!!

How far along? 22 weeks
Maternity clothes? I have finally retired my last pair of prePG jeans, so my pants/shorts are all maternity at this point. I can still wear a couple of prePG tops, but usually have to wear a long tank underneath.
Stretch marks? Not yet. Knock on wood!
Sleep: Sleep is iffy. I can usually get a couple hours in at a time without waking up to switch positions (which is a chore with all the support pillows I use now) or dash to the potty.
Best moment this week: Seeing Camy make my belly move!!
Movement: Feeling lots of movement at all times of day - and the movements are getting bigger and more pronounced. Its not just the little flutters and pokes anymore, its big kicks and big jabs and feeling like she's rolling around. 
Food cravings: I've been doing great with food this week! No specific cravings though.
Gender: As far as we know, she's still a she. Guess we'll confirm on Friday!
Labor Signs: Definitely Not. Camy, no labor signs allowed for at least another 15 or more weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in though it is much shallower, which is amusing to me.
What I miss: Sleeping soundly (though I know that would have changed eventually!), standing up without looking like a stiff old lady!
What I am looking forward to: Friday's Dr's appt and ultrasound, furniture shopping this weekend.
Weekly Wisdom: Hmm.. I've learned walking helps my back and so does "my best friend Clay" - the heating pad!! :)

Milestones: Seeing her move! 

A night for the record book!

Mommy slept through the night last night!!!!

I seriously cannot even remember the last time I was able to do that, and I was totally med-free (not that Tylenol PM helped me a few weeks ago, I still woke up several times).

I was in the best mood this morning when I woke up, rolled over, and saw that it was actually after 6am and time to wake up Daddy. It wasn't 1130, it wasn't 1am, it wasn't 3 or 4am... it was 605!!! YAY!!!!

Happy Friday!

20 WEEKS, Baby Girl!

I can hardly believe we've hit the halfway point!

I vividly remember our wonderful surprise Christmas BFP, and it doesn't seem like all that long ago.

I vividly remember being bedridden for weeks, sicker than I've ever been and feeling like time could not go by quickly enough!

I vividly remember the anticipation leading up to our first ultrasound in the hospital, and the rush of emotions that came over me when the little blob that was Camy appeared on the screen.

I just can't believe we have made it this far already, and that we only have 20 weeks left before we get to hold our sweet baby girl in our arms. 

Of course today is an exciting day for me, and I have been walking around with a permanent smile all day long (even after nearly flashing the UPS man!). But on the flip side of that is the realization that we only have 20 weeks to finish our preparations for Little Miss. Of course there's lots of work to be done on her nursery, but we have other projects we'd like to (need to) finish up around the house and yard before her arrival as well. We need to light a fire under Daddy's butt to get moving on those honey-do tasks, huh Camryn?

I feel her little (sometimes BIG) movements on a daily basis this point, and can almost pick up on her patterns of activity. She's very active as I wake up in the morning, and I often spend too much time just laying in bed with my hands on my belly when I should be up and getting ready. She's very active about an hour after breakfast, but doesn't care too much when I eat lunch. She likes it when I eat Frosted Flakes or oatmeal, but not so much when I eat an english muffin or toast (she's a sweets fiend like her Mommy, I guess). She's always squirming around just before dinner, probably telling me its time to eat again. And she's always squirming while I watch my evening TV. But she's usually calm and still by the time I crawl into bed.. that's when Daddy always tries to feel her move, and that's when he's least likely to succeed. Too bad he leaves so early in the morning, he always has to miss her dance performances. :(

My weekly email tells me that Camryn weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. That's so amazing to me. It also says she measures about 6 1/2 inches head-to-rump, and about 10 inches head to toe.. though I wouldn't be surprised if she was a bit bigger than that at this point. She's always been an overachiever. :) It also says she's swallowing more these days (warming up that digestive system!) and we are really hoping to catch a glimpse of that on our next ultrasound. Wouldn't that be so neat to see!? We get to see her again in just a couple weeks, on May 1. We can't wait! 

Camryn, baby love, we are so thrilled to know each day that you are growing and dancing in my belly. You are such a blessing in our lives already, and I can only imagine how that sentiment will grow over the years. 

We love you sweet girl. 

This was amusing to me....

We've all heard the silly gender-predicting old wives' tales, have we not? 

Here is where they stood with us... keep in mind, Camryn let her girly bits be seen quite clearly the other day!

Shape of Mom's Belly: big/round = Girl, smaller/sticking straight out = Boy -- A says I am sticking straight out (he's a good husband!) so that's our first FAIL. 

Height of Mom's Belly: Carrying High = Girl, Carrying Low = Boy -- I think I'm carrying high, A swears I'm carrying low... so we're at a dead lock on this one. 

Ring Test: Back & Forth = Girl, Around in Circles = Boy -- Um, what? It depends on how you get the ring in motion to begin with, one attempt was GIRL for us, the other was BOY. This test is inconclusive. ;)

Heart Rate: ~170 = Girl, ~150 = Boy -- At 9wks, Camy's HR was in the 170's (win!), at 13wks it was 140's (fail), and at 18wks it was 130's (fail). We were 1 for 3 on the HR test. But all babys' hearts start out quick and slow down after first tri.. so I don't get this one either. 

Shape of Mom's Face: Round  = Girl, Long & Narrow = Boy -- my face hasn't changed at all yet.. I've always had a long, narrow face so here's another FAIL. 

The Key Test: Mom picks it up by the round part = Boy, by the narrow key part = Girl -- I always pick up keys by the round part. FAIL.

Drain-O/Pee Test: Green = Girl, Blue = Boy -- We skipped this test. ICK. 

Acne: Increased Acne = Girl -- Finally we have a clear WIN!!

Cravings: Sweet = Girl, Salty = Boy -- I have definitely been eating more salty foods than sweets, mmmm pickles. FAIL.

Hair Growth: Same as before = Girl, Faster = Boy -- Another WIN!

Eating Bread: Refuse to eat the heel of the loaf = Girl -- Yay for win #3!

Cold Feet: Same as before = Girl, Colder Feet = Boy -- WIN!

Morning Sickness: Early in PG = Girl, From time to time = Boy -- HUGE WIN, by a landslide!!

Chest Development: Dramatic Growth = Girl, Slow, Minimal Growth = Boy -- Definitely all girl! WIN!

Headaches: No = Girl, Yes = Boy -- Darn it, we were on a roll. FAIL. 

Showing your hands: Palm Up = Girl, Palm Down = Boy -- Yay, we end on a winning note!! WIN!

So the finally score: Out of 16 OWT's total, 7 were definite GIRL answers, 5 were Boy, and 4 were Inconclusive. So I guess that means we should have guessed we were having a girl since we had more definite girl than boy results.. but overall there were more boy & inconclusive answers than girl. So who knows. 

We didn't look into these before finding out, because we knew it had zero basis or impact on our 50-50 chance, but looking back now, its fun to analyze these silly theories. I certainly hope nobody actually buys into them! :)

Dear Our Sweet Camy, 

Today has been such a fun day with you, certainly one for your scrapbook. We woke up and laid in bed with our hands on my belly, waiting to see if you'd tell us 'Good Morning' (just like we start every day), and we noticed right away that you were snuggled off to the left side of my belly. It didn't look lopsided, but it was certainly harder and felt more round/uniform off the left. I rolled over a little to see if you would move (and if Daddy could feel it), but you liked it in that little corner of your world, and you didn't budge. Later in the morning we went to church (first time for you and Mommy since we found out about you!) and you really liked the music. I felt little pokes and jabs every couple minutes whenever the music was playing. Then after lunch, while Mommy was relaxing on the couch and working on your registry online, you gave me a good 25 minutes of solid movement!! Kick and jabs and rolls.. it was amazing. It was the most movement I've ever felt at one time from you.. you must have really enjoyed the Olive Garden Daddy got for us for lunch! Thank you for making Mommy crave minestrone.. and thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it too! :) Now as I sit here typing this, I can actually SEE that my belly is lopsided. There you are nestled in on the left again. Where is the camera when I need it? I really want a picture of this silly baby bump you're giving me!

I love you sweet girl, and I love love getting to feel you moving around in there!!

Hope you sleep well tonight Baby Love, and hope you (finally) let me sleep well, too!

Wish I could give you a g'nite kiss, Camryn. 

We adore you already, Baby Girl!

18w5d

About the Mommy!
Name: B
Age: 24
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
First Child: YES!

About the Daddy!
Name: A
Age: 24
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
First Child: YES!

Finding Out!!
What day did you find out?: Christmas 2008
How did you feel when you found out?: Shocked (because I thought that cycle was a bust), Excited, Shocked, Excited again!
Who was with you?: Nobody knew I was testing right then, but my husband was in the next room, and my sister and BIL were staying at our house.
Who was the first person you told?: My husband! I yelled for him to come into the bathroom.
How did they react?: He was in a little bit of shock (like I said, we thought that cycle was a bust!), but grinning ear to ear and kept asking "Are you sure?" "It says PREGNANT?" "Really?" :)
How did Daddy react?: Well, I already answered that, but I can go on to say that my older sister (who is also pregnant) and BIL were staying with us that week, so I went and woke her up to show her the test and she was very excited for us as well!

Telling the Grandparents!!!
How did your parents react?: I called my mom right away and she was very happy for us, though she wanted me to verify the pregnancy with a blood test soon.
How did his parents react?: We told them 2 days after Christmas by giving them "an extra gift we found under the tree" that was 2 onesies with grandparent quotes, and a picture of the positive digital test. They said they already knew because I wasn't drinking on Christmas.. but I WAS drinking on Christmas because I didn't test until that night and thought we were out of luck that cycle. It was funny.
Are they helping with baby names?: Not really.. A and I wanted to make that decision ourselves.
Have they bought anything for the baby yet?: My mom has offered to buy all the furniture for the nursery, but we haven't ordered it yet. A's mom bought me a maternity outfit and a set of onesies/pants that say "Daddy loves me".
How often do they call to check on you?: A's parents ask about every week or so, I see my mom everyday so she just gets daily updates.

About the Pregnancy!!!
When was your first appointment?: First ACTUAL appt was Jan 27.. but I had already seen my OB several times before then for Hyperemesis and had already been hospitalized in labor & delivery twice by that point.
When is your due date?: Sept 1
How far along are you?: 18 weeks 5 days
Pre-pregnancy weight?: 135ish
Weight now?: 140ish
Have you had any ultrasounds?: I have had 4 so far: One in the hospital at (what we thought was) 8ish weeks, one at my OB's the very next day to verify what the hospital saw (we were then bumped up to 9weeks), the NT Scan at 13 weeks, and the big anatomy scan at 18w2d. We will have another u/s at 22w3d.
Have you heard the heartbeat?: Three times via ultrasound and once via doppler.
What was the heartbeat?: The first 2 u/s showed HB in the 170s, NT Scan showed 140's, Anatomy scan showed high 130's.

Sex of the baby!!
Are you finding out or will you wait until birth?: We found out at our anatomy scan.
What do you want?: Neither one of us "wanted" either sex, just a healthy baby.
What does Daddy want?: See above, but he always said he had a feeling it was a girl.
What do you think you are having?: I always thought it was a boy.
Have you had your big ultrasound yet?: Yes, at 18w2d!
If so, what are you having?: A BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY GIRL!
Are you and Daddy happy with what you are having?: We are thrilled, really couldn't be happier!!!

About the birth!!
Do you know what you are taking with you?: To the hospital? My husband, my laptop, my camera, my bag..?
Who is going to be with you?: My husband will likely be the only one in the room, if my friend K (who is due the same day!) hasn't had her baby yet, she may take birth photos for us.
Are you going to videotape it?: Nope, but I hope to have photos taken of the process. (None below the belt though!)
Natural or Medicated?: I go back and forth on this.. I want to say natural, but I am not opposed to getting an epidural if I feel like I need to.
Do you think you will need a c-section?: I don't think so, and I'll hope not. My mom delivered 4 babies naturally, no drugs or anything.. my MIL delivered 4 babies naturally, my 2 SILs had wonderful birth experience with their 4 kids, and my sister had a wonderful birth as well. If genetics has anything to do with it (I know, every woman is different!), than odds are in our favor that all will be well.
Will you cry when you hold your baby for the first time?: I guarantee it!
Do you think Daddy will cry?: Yes. I think so.
Do you know what you will say to the baby when you first hold him/her?: I haven't really scripted anything..haha.. but I'm sure we'll both be in a state of shock and just tell her how much we love her.
Are you scared about the labor?: Sometimes, I worry about the pain and how well I will tolerate it, other times I am very confident in my body's ability to handle the birth.

Names!!
Do you have a name picked out?: Yep.
Girl names: Camryn Louise
Boy names: Would have been Landon Michael.
Is your baby going to be named after someone?: Middle names are passed on from me and A (per family tradition), first names are not after anyone.

Other Random Questions!!
Have you felt the baby move?: Yep!
What race(s) will your baby be? From you and Daddy?: We are both as white as they come.
What was your first symptom?: Sore breasts, quickly followed by extreme nausea and vomiting.
Will your baby have God-Parents?: I don't know yet...
What is the baby's room theme?: Just Pink and Brown polka dots.
What was the first thing you bought for the baby?: Before we were pregnant, we already had a couple cloth diapers, a Moby Wrap, and a diaper bag (all from clearance sales or Mama Bargains). Since getting PG, we bought a few outfits for both genders, and since finding out she's a she, we've bought 4 more girly outfits.
Will you cloth diaper?: That's the plan.
BFing or Formula?: I hope to be able to BF, but I will not beat myself up over it if we need to switch to or supplement with formula.
What is your favorite pregnancy book?: What to Expect When You're Expecting has been fun to read, and Baby Bargains (not really a pregnancy book) has been a big help!
What do you look forward to doing again once you are no longer pregnant?: Eating without having to worry about getting sick! Shopping without having to sit down because I may pass out. Drinking Wine. Sleeping more then 2-3 hours at a time (though I know that still won't happen for a while). Wearing jeans that actually have buttons and zippers.
What physical features do you hope baby will get from Daddy?: His gorgeous blue eyes, and straight teeth.
What physical features do you hope baby will get from you?: I haven't given that one as much thought...
Is he ready to be a Daddy?: Yes, he is! :)
Are you ready to be a Mommy?: Absolutely.

We're seeing PINK! Everywhere. Already.

We decided on crib bedding. And I looooove it. It is so simple, and so pretty. Camryn will love it! :)

I can't seem to add a photo for some reason, so here is a link.

We are only getting the bed set, and the blanket. We will be making our own lamp shade and valance (because I didn't care for the ones they offered), and we are skipping the diaper stacker, mobile, and wall hangings.

I know a lot of people feel like bed sets are unnecessary because they feel you don't use the comforter and bumper. Well, folks, we will be using both of those items. The comforter will be draped over our glider and we will use the bumpers until Baby Camryn is standing up in the crib. Terrible parents, I know. 

After deciding on the bedding, we also decided on how to complete the painting in the nursery. Over the crib, we will paint a pink block and add the brown scalloped border to match the bedding. In the middle of that block we will put our vinyl wall words, "I love to watch you laugh & smile.. I love to watch you dream." That is a lyric from one of our favorite songs by Wade Bowen. :) Around the rest of the walls in the room, we will paint a horizontal pink stripe. I can't wait to see it all come together!!! 

This is what I've been waiting for.. forward momentum!! Now we can shop with a purpose.. that purpose being our precious daughter. We aren't just aimlessly perusing baby websites and stores anymore, we are planning and preparing for the arrival of our princess Camy. 

Feels good. :)