DR visit recap

Our doctor visit went well yesterday - here were some highlights -

• the nurse confirmed Gummy Bear is a girl!
• I have a trace of protien in my urine so I need to up my water intake.. oh fun.
• I gained 6 pounds since my last visit 4 weeks ago
• The nurse wasn't concerned about the weight gain and said at that this phase of the pregnancy myself and the baby will experience a "real growth spurt"
• My blood pressure is still really good - 102/60
• Gummy Bear's heart beat was 144 bpm - it sounded amazing!!!  Gavin just loves to hear his little "sisser's" heart beat =)
  
• I go back in 4 weeks for my 28 week appointment and the 1 hour glucose drink/lab test
• After my 28 week appointment I will start going every 2 weeks until I hit 36 weeks, then the appointments will be weekly

On to the name situation.. I thought I had it all figured out.. Gabrielle Louise, final answer.  Until this morning when Steven comes home from work and says "I see on the blog her name is Gabrielle, what happeneded to Kelsey?"  He goes on to say that he doesn't want me to pick Gabrielle just because it's his favorite and he would be just as happy with the name Kelsey too.  So this gets my wheels aturnin' - and I just don't know - maybe I shouldn't commit to any name yet since I really can't make up my mind.  I love them both, equally, and for different reasons.  So for now she has two names, Gabrielle and Kelsey, and I want you to vote on your favorite.  I have a poll on the side of the blog where the gender poll used to be.  

 Pros for Gabrielle

• two "G" names
• lots of cute nicknames
• "classy" sound
• very powerful meaning
  

Cons for Gabrielle

• too long for a little girl to learn to spell
• too "common"
• too long when she is filling out forms/tests - remember those stupid bubble sheets for exams - she will hate us for giving her a name with 9 letters when she has to sit and color in those dumb bubbles
  

Pros for Kelsey

• she and I will have the same initials = KLA!
  
• fun, spunky name
• not as common as Gabrielle - at least I don't think it is - is it??

Cons for Kelsey

• no cute nicknames
• maybe having the same initials will be more of a pain than fun??

Please vote - and leave comments on here too - it's fun to heard what people think!  I will add another name badge so I can visualize both names - maybe that will help me - I'm stupid, I know!

24 weeks = as long as an ear of corn!

*belly photos now added - check the end of the post!

So I think Gummy Bear has a name ---> Gabrielle Louise Anderson!!

I have done a lot of searching and have learned that the origin of the name is either French or Hebrew and it means God Gives Strength, Woman of God, God is My Strength. The origin and meaning vary depending on what website you look at but man, what a great meaning for a name. I do hope that she is a Woman of God, she has definitely helped me to become a stronger Woman of God, so I feel it's very fitting. My hubby thought of the name.. he originally really liked the name Brielle, then one day said, what about Gabrielle. (this was long before we were even pregnant with Gummy Bear) I of course liked it but wasn't 100% sold on it. I've really been liking the name Kelsey lately, it's just such a cute and spunky name, but there really aren't many fun nicknames that accompany it, and while I do love the meaning (Brave) I just can't quite let go of Gabrielle. While at Knoe.bels the other weekend my niece Shayna says to me, "isn't Kelsey a blond girls name?" Too funny!! I guess the only Kelsey I knew was a blond! It will be fun to have two "G" name kids and she can have many nicknames from Gabrielle - Gabby, Brie, Elle, Brielle, Gummy Bear =) So, yes, my husband wins!! =)

Yep, I am definitely feeling pregnant these days. My belly is growing and getting "heavier" by the minute. I have become much more "uncomfortable" but I know I have a long way to go!! I do just feel so incredibly blessed to be pregnant and to have a healthy little lady in my tummy so I really do not want to complain. I will survive and the "prize" at the end will be 100% worth all the discomfort in the world!

Steven and I registered at Babies.R.Us on Sunday. We had fun and it really didn't take too long. I was a little surprised by the amount of stuff we needed/want. We need everything for the nursery since we aren't using the ugly stuff I had in Gav's nursery (sorry buddy!). A new crib mattress is a must along with new linens. We also need/want girlie towels, wash cloths, bibs, socks, clothes, hangers, toys and some other random girlie items. I hate to "ask" for things since this is our 2nd baby and I don't know how people feel about buying items for baby #2.. it sort of puts us in an awkward position.. and I don't want people to feel obligated to buy something.. but I figure if people want to get us/Gummy Bear something at least now they know what we need. I also registered at Tar.get. I heard that they give you a $20 gift card to shutterfly.com along with several coupons and free samples so I took full advantage of that! I don't have much on that registry, only about 7 items, but I did notice that a lot of what we registered for a Babies.R.Us is available at Tar.get and is sometimes a little cheaper. If our bedding/nursery stuff was available at Tar.get I probably would have just registered there for everything.. but oh well! I hope people don't think I'm being greedy by having 2 registries for Gummy Bear, now that I think about it it may be a little overboard, but I really wanted the free stuff!! Oh well, I guess people will think what they want and I can't help that. You can view our registries by going to the Babies.R.Us website and the Tar.get website and searching my name. I still haven't registered for any feeding supplies. I am really thinking about trying to breastfeed again.. I did for about 3 days with Gavin and hated every second of it. Really long story that I won't get into now, but I do think I want to give it another shot! I will most likely be taking a "learning to breastfeed" class in October, which I do think will help. (I was not at all prepared with Gavin and this was a big part of the problem.) I am hoping for success this time but that means that I have no idea what to register for. Do I ask for a pump and all the milk storage supplies, do I just assume it won't work and just register for the same bottles we used with Gavin (play.tex drop.ins - which I really loved!) or do I wait it out and see what happens in the hospital. I guess the later would be the smartest, huh?! (wow, this ended up being a much longer paragraph then originally planned!)

On a completely random note, I am trying to figure out how to print my blog.. I'd like to print each entry so I can keep them in a binder for Gummy Bear.. but I can't figure out how to do it. Each time I go to print it only prints the first page of the entry and chops all the photos up. If anyone has any suggestions about this feel free to help!

24 week pregnancy quiz - I have made some changes to the quiz so it's not so redundant each week!

How far along: 24 weeks 1 day

Any new maternity clothes: nope, nothing new.

Any new baby clothes/items: yes, we bought some clothes for Gummy Bear at the Carter's outlet, my mom bought her some clothes, an adorable elephant security blanket, and a light switch plate and a window valance for the nursery (thank you Grammie!!) and my mother-in-law bought a couple of cute outfits for her! (thank you MeeMaw!!)

Weight gain: well I am up about 15 pounds or so at this point - and I can definitely tell.

Sleep: I've had a lot of trouble falling asleep lately - and I had a creepy dream the other night that Gummy Bear was trying to crawl out of my tummy.. yikes!

Best moment of the week: watching Steven look at little baby girl clothes; doing our registry; finally starting to go through and organize items so we can start getting the nursery together

Movement: yes, this lady is moving a lot - sometimes you can see my belly move!

Food cravings: nothing specific, I'm just hungry all the time (I guess this is where the weight gain comes in..)

Gender: Girl - and she has a name now!!

Labor signs: nope - but I do know that braxton hicks contractions can start any time now..

Belly button in or out: still in, still a funny shape - when I sit down it's almost an outtie!

What I miss: running - I really miss getting completely sweaty and yucky on the treadmill listening to my iPod and feeling like I am going to die..

What I'm looking forward to: our doctor appointment this afternoon; continuing to work on the nursery/house to prepare for Gummy Bear; the Barnstormers game this weekend!!

Weekly wisdom: Money doesn't grow on trees so be wise...

Milestones: This is another big week for your magical growing baby! Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) (if you have a boy) testicles: taking their 3-4 day trip from the abdominal wall to the scrotum; and 4) lungs walls: secreting “surfactant”. What’s that? Well, surfactant is sort of what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat whose main purpose is to assist the your baby's little lungs during inflation (as in, filling with air, not getting more expensive). Just in case you’re curious, your submerged baby is still breathing in amniotic fluid, preparing and rehearsing the lungs an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. By the end of this week, your child will be weighing around 2 lbs and 14 inches long. Your cutie-patootie may even be a little more plump, but isn't anywhere near their full baby-fatted cute-self. Most of the “filling out” is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo! Get ready!

*24 weeks also is the first marks of viability - that means that if Gummy Bear were to be born this week or beyond she would actually have a "good" chance at survival - but obviously we want her to hold out for at least another 13 weeks or so until we are full term =) (holy cow, only 13 weeks until we're full term, how did that happen?!)

5 weeks

24 weeks

thoughts about having a daughter..

So it's finally starting to sink in that we're having a girl - and I have had a lot of random thoughts lately about having a daughter - here's my list..

• I need to learn how to french braid and do other fun hair styles! (oh I can't wait for pig-tails!)
• She will know about boys and how much they stink from a very young age!! =)
• Do we get her ears pierced when she's a baby or do we wait until she's old enough to decide for herself?
• I hope she doesn't get my stubby little toes or my short/fat fingers.
• I hope she does get my long eyelashes - and Steven's perfect eye sight!
• I need to learn how to cook, garden, sew, iron.. do domestic things.. so I can teach her right from the start.
• We are in trouble if she likes to shop as much as I do.
• I can't wait for sleepovers, makeovers, manicures and pedicures.
• Her big brother better protect her!
• Will she hate the name we give her??
• I really hope my Grammie is still living when she is born - oh how I'd love for my Grammie to meet my daughter.
• How young is too young for hair bows and head bands?
• Oh, and what about nail polish?
• She better like sports or she's in trouble - I do definitely hope she gets her daddy's athletic talents - Mommy sure doesn't have much!
• What will her first prom dress look like?

Oh man, I could go on and on - I'm sure I will have another list soon, or maybe I will just keep adding to this list. Can you tell I'm excited?! We are so BLESSED!!

23 weeks = a large mango

The past week has gone by fairly quickly. I've been feeling pretty good lately but would love to have a little more energy! My tummy is growing but I can still hide it if I need/want to (not that I want to hide it). I have not had any strangers ask me yet when I am due. I am really getting excited about the fall - I love the cooler weather, Gavin's 3rd birthday is in October, then it's Halloween, then it's Thanksgiving, then Gummy Bear's due date, then Christmas, then Steven's birthday and New Year's Eve.. wahoo!!! But I guess I am really looking forward to the fall because I cannot stand this heat... blahhh!

23 week pregnancy quiz:
How far along: 23 weeks 1 day
Maternity clothes: yes, I wish I had $ to buy more because a lot of the pants I wear have the big belly coverings that go up to your boobs and they really just are not that comfortable
Weight gain: I'm up about 12 pounds or so - I need to exercise more!
Stretch marks: an oldie from Gav, some on my hips and maybe on my lower tummy - nothing I am freaking out about... yet!
Sleep: sleeping has been good, I am only getting up about once to use the potty!
Best moment of the week: buying some adorable stuff for Gummy Bear, sharing with family and friends that Gummy Bear is healthy and is a baby girl!
Movement: yes!! She is very active and I even could see my belly moving last night when she was kicking me.
Food cravings: Turkey.Hill iced tea - wish it were something healthier.
Gender: GIRL!
Labor signs: no way!
Belly button in or out: innie but a funny shape!
What I miss: oh I miss a lot about not being pregnant - but I know that it is all completely worth it! And I have to remember that this will most likely be the last time I am pregnant so I should enjoy it!
What I'm looking forward to: doing our registry - we don't need a lot but do need some "girlie" stuff and nursery/bedding stuff; our doctor appointment next Tuesday; starting to prepare for Gummy Bear; possibly figuring out a name for this little lady some time soon!
Weekly wisdom: babies like Rita's water ice - especially the Swedish.Fish flavor! (haha, it really made Gummy Bear go crazy on Sunday!)
Milestones: Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, about as much as a large mango, you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Gav was trying to figure out what Mommy was doing!

photos!

2 posts in one day - go me =) Instead of editing my last post I just figured I would put all these photos into one. Here are my 22 week belly photos and photos of almost all of the baby stuff we have purchased so far. There are a couple of things in Gav's closet but he's sleeping right now and I didn't want to wake him.

I can't believe I'm posting this - here is the nursery in it's current state =) Yea, we've got a long way to go!!

I bought this on April 24th - I could not resist the cherries and I really felt deep down that Gummy Bear was a girl - I LOVE this outfit!!

This shirt was $3.99 - how could I resist!!

Adorable - one of my favorites!!

$3.99 at Carters - and I am a big fan of pink and brown!

These onsies sets were only $6.00 a piece at Boscov's - I bought these before we knew the gender too - I just couldn't resist the cuteness or the price!!

We bought these blankets yesterday - both on clearance!!

Steven spotted these bibs =)

How could I pass this sweater up for $5.39 - I still can't believe I'm buying pink!!

$2.39 - seriously!! I hope it will fit her in the spring/summer - it's 6 months so we will see!

50% Mommy 50% Daddy - 100% perfect - too stinkin' cute!!

22 weeks!

First I'd like to say that I am having trouble finding a girlie blog design that I really like.. so just bare with me while I try new ones. I like the current purple one, because I love purple and it reminds me of my Grammie, but it's not very "baby"looking.

Wow.. 22 weeks.. this pregnancy is moving right along! Although back in May I really didn't feel that way! So now we know Gummy Bear is a girl - and I am still in complete shock!! I keep asking myself, how did we get so lucky, to have a boy and a girl, why are we worthy of having our dreams come true.. does this make sense to anyone or am I just nuts!? I just feel so blessed and so excited I cannot even put it into words!

Yes, we went to Babies.R.Us last night and bought some adorable purple blankets (only because they were on clearance) and a pack of bibs, one which says I Love My Daddy (we had a coupon for these) so we did fairly well. The Babies.R.Us near us has a pretty poor selection of clothing and mostly everything else but it's just so close. I will be sure to post some photos of the items we've purchased for Gummy Bear so far. We also talked about what color to paint the nursery - we haven't decided but we know that this is the bedding set we will buy - I've been admiring this bedding set since March 2008 when I stopped taking my birth control bills - I'm crazy, I know!!

How far along: 22 weeks 2 days
Weight gain: at least +10 - probably more at this point because I am constantly eating..
Maternity clothes: yes - although the only thing that is really comfortable is my hubby's sweat pants or my huge maternity sweat pants from Old.Navy - the next 4 months should be fun =)
Stretch marks: I am spotting a couple on my lower tummy, but they are super light, hopefully they will stay that way!!
Sleep: been doing well lately - but I still can't get enough sleep
Best moment of the week: oh so simple --> seeing Gummy Bear on "tv" - learning that SHE is healthy and growing right on track - and of course learning that SHE is a SHE!!!!
Movement: yes, her schedule is not quite predictable yet but I do feel her often =)
Food cravings: I haven't been very picky lately, I just want to eat all the time!
Gender: wow.. GIRL!!!
Labor signs: no no no.
Belly button in or out: still in but changing.
What I miss: having energy to work out, sleeping on my tummy, wearing "normal" clothes, being able to roll over easily in bed... but trust me it is all worth it!!!
What I'm looking forward to: beginning to really start preparing for Gummy Bear!
Weekly wisdom: there is always a plan - you may not know it or understand it but there is a plan... God is good!!!
Milestones: At 11 inches and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily... I love reading these weekly updates, it's just so amazing =)

TOO CUTE!!

She's the size of a spaghetti squash this week!

This is exactly what Gummy Bear looked like in my belly yesterday!!

I will post belly photos tonight - as long as my computer is cooperating. It wasn't doing so last night so I apologize for the late post!

Gummy Bear = GIRL!!!

3D image - she has her hand at her mouth

another 3D image - she is just adorable!!

side profile, arm and leg bone there on the left

this is the weird alien shot we had with Gavin too - this is straight on looking at her face!

Gummy Bear is a GIRL!!! My little Weezie Bug =)

Oh, God is good!! I am so grateful and feel so blessed right now, I am going to have a daughter. I will have a son and a daughter, that is just incredible!!! The scan this morning lasted about 45 minutes and the first thing the tech asked was if we want to know the gender - I immediately said YES, we want to know anything you can tell us! She started her scan and could tell almost right away - that's when she said it - "this baby looks like a girl!" I started crying and was asking if she was serious (which I asked about 10 times), and she said yep! She gave us a good look at her cute little butt and her girlie parts =) I could not hold back the tears, she must have thought I was crazy!! My husband of course says, "see I told you, I knew it was a girl!" I will definitely need to apologize to this little lady for always calling her a "he."

The tech continued with the anatomy scan - we saw HER legs, arms, fingers, toes, kidneys, head, brain, stomach, heart - we saw it all - and she looks absolutely wonderful!!! After the tech was done the doctor came in and did more scanning. He explained a little about heart defects and shared that because of the heart defect my brother was born with we have about a 1% chance of Gummy Bear having the same defect. He did a very thorough scan of her heart and shared that everything looks exactly the way it should. Gummy Bear was not being very cooperative, she was playing camera shy with her back to us and her face nuzzled in her pillow! He did manage to get a couple cute 3D photos of her, oh they are priceless! The doctor said that she is growing very well and currently weighs 1 pound 1 ounce! After the scan was done and I finished getting all the goo off my belly Steven and I just hugged and cried. It was definitely one of those "moments" between a couple that just cannot be explained, it was a magical hug, one that I will never forget!

I cannot even begin to express how thankful and excited I am. She is healthy and growing well and looked absolutely perfect, oh we are so blessed! Steven and I will be doing a registry at some point and I can't wait to get started on the nursery! We will most likely be having a yard sale in the next month or so to clear out some space - and to sell some of Gavin's boy clothes since we won't be needing them for Gummy Bear. (this makes me actually really sad, I am not ready to part with his adorable baby stuff..) I know I need to get over that because we could use the extra cash and the extra space, but it will be hard!

Okay, I need to get some things done.. thanks for all the prayers and well wishes. I will be posting my normal weekly quiz and belly photos later tonight after work, so stay tuned!!

passing the time..

Which one will we need?!?!

Less than 18 hours until our ultrasound tomorrow!! I am SO ready to see Gummy Bear and check out his/her arms, legs, fingers, toes, spine, brain, heart, kidneys, tummy.. oh just everything!!! Steven and Gavin are going along, of course, so it will be a fun family experience. I am a little nervous about going to Maternal Fetal Medicine, only because I've never been there before and the name just sounds so serious, but I'm sure thing will be just fine. I promise to post a summary of the appointment as soon as I have time tomorrow.

This is a photo from the ultrasound we had done two weeks ago - the one that was done to check out the cyst on my left ovary. (which has been really acting up the past week - I hope they can give me more answers about that tomorrow too!) Gummy Bear had his/her hand up at their face.. too cute!!
Prayers and well wishes for tomorrow are greatly appreciated!!

21 weeks = a papaya!

The food images from thebump website now go every 4 weeks so I won't have a fun one each week. I will try to find another image to use for the other weeks. Things have been good this week. I've been having a lot of cramps (I'm assuming their growing cramps) and the cyst is still giving me trouble but I really cannot complain. I am definitely starting to feel the baby move a lot more - he/she even stopped me mid-sentence a few times yesterday with kicks!! We are now only one week away from our big ultrasound - that means my next post should be the one announcing the status of our Gummy Bear's health and the gender!! I will be so sad if he/she has their legs crossed and we can't see a thing - lets pray that doesn't happen =)

21 week quiz:
How far along: 21 weeks 1 day
Weight gain: + 10 pounds.. yuck.
Maternity clothes: hasn't changed much from last week - still wearing mostly pants and a few shirts here and there
Stretch marks: no new ones other than on my hips
Sleep: my dreams have been crazy again, I do remember purple onesies in last night's dream; it's definitley hard to move around at night (boy I have a long way to go!)
Best moment of the week: feeling Gummy Bear move more; Steven feeling Gummy Bear for the first time; getting a 30 second peak at the baby when I had the ultrasound done on my cyst on Wednesday! (I will try to post this photo as soon as I get it scanned!)
Movement: Yes!! It has become more noticable over the past couple of days, SO AWESOME!!
Food cravings: these were definitley stronger during the first trimester; I haven't really been craving much except pizza and cheese fries (this could be why I'm up 10 pounds!)
Gender: we will know in a week!!
Labor signs: no!
Belly button in or out: definitely changing
What I miss: same old stuff - but I am so happy to be pregnant that I will do without those things for the next 19 weeks!!
What I'm looking forward to: Ultrasound in 7 days!!!!!
Weekly wisdom: take advantage of the times you're feeling good to get things done; you never know when the "yucky" times will hit you
Milestones: Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long, the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

*Please don't mind the funky lotion spots on my right arm. I was weeding today and got some crazy rash stuff on my arm.. thankfully it's starting to go away, man did it hurt!!