names.

First I'd like to say that I am so in love with this little boy!  Just look at how incredibly adorable he is =)

I know this little boy was not a part of my "plan" but now I can't picture my life any other way.  We are truly blessed.

Many people have been asking about names.. Steven and I had recently been talking a lot about girl names, which is funny because we both really felt Gum Drop was a boy.  I really liked the first names Cora, Lila, Layla and the middle names Jo or Joy.  I liked Jo as a middle name a lot because many people called Steven's dad Joe even though his name was Arthur.  His dad passed away in 2000 so I thought it would be a nice way to honor him.  I also really like the name Joy, not because of any family member or memory, just because it's a pretty name with a beautiful meaning.  We also like the 'letter' nicknames - CJ or LJ - I think they are adorable, even for little girls!  BUT none of that matters now since Gum Drop is not a baby girl!  [we could not find a 'G' girl name that Steven and I both loved, hence the non-G names!]

It is likely Gum Drop's middle name will be Samuel, after my father.  He is a man of little emotion and he and I are very different people but he is still my dad and I will always be his little girl.  I think it would be sweet to honor my dad and I know it would be meaningful to him.  We haven't figured out a first name yet, which is fine with me since we still have a good bit of time!  - 170 days to be exact! - Several of the boy 'G' names I like Steven does not, such as Grant, Garrett, Gareth and Garrick.  We have one name in mind we both like but it's not set in stone yet.

A couple of weeks ago we took a little baby boy into our interim care right from the hospital and his birthmother did not name him.  My coworker and I chose a name for him until he is placed with his adoptive family.  All I did was open the bible and say the first name I read - this time I turned to the book of Jeremiah and that was it - his name is Jeremiah until he joins his forever family, unless they decide to keep this as his name.  Why can't it be this easy to name my little man - I wish I could just open the bible and run with the first name I see =)

There really was no point to this post - other than to share my adorable photo again, acknowledge how blessed I feel and to share about names - that's it!

15 weeks = an orange & a FUN surprise!!

If you look back on my 15 week post with Gabby I have the same images - sorry if that bores you but it's neat for me to post them again to see the changes.

this cartoon cracks me up -- it's SO true!!

 15 weeks 3 days - I do have a little belly but it's not too noticeable in the photo
 

It's been a good week - I had a great visit with the midwife on Friday and my ultrasound today was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!  I really wasn't sure if I'd get to see Gum Drop much since the ultrasound was to check on the ovarian cyst but the ultrasound tech was super sweet and spent a lot of time checking out Gum Drop.  I got to see the baby's heart, brain, bladder, stomach, legs, arms, nose.. just about everything.. even the baby's PENIS!!!!  GUM DROP IS A BABY BOY!!!  

My cyst has not grown at all (thank God!) but it hasn't gotten any smaller either.  She said it looks fine, it's not leaking any fluids and there are no signs of hemorrhage, which is good.  Rachel, the ultrasound tech said it will hopefully begin shrinking and should be smaller by my 20 week ultrasound.  I'm not counting on that considering it's still almost the exact same size it was during my pregnancy with Gabby. 

How far along: 15 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: Now I'm holding steady at +0.  It's hard to believe I haven't gained any weight but I'm thankful since I still have an extra 15 lbs from Miss Gabby.  (and I feel okay about it since my midwife wasn't concerned.)

Maternity clothes: I'm still in some normal clothes - I used a hair tie on my jeans this weekend but today I am wearing normal pants with not much problem.  I'm sure in a couple of weeks my 'normal' pants will be out the door!

New baby items: YES - I bought a couple of items today after my ultrasound.. couldn't help myself.

Sleep: I'm tossing and turning but it hasn't been too bad recently - still having pain from the cyst but I guess I can deal with it a little better now knowing it's nothing 'major'

Best moment this week: seeing Gum Drop during the ultrasound =)

Movement: no, I could see Gum Drop moving on the screen but can't feel it yet.. hopefully in the next few weeks!!

Food cravings: Thanks to my dear friends Ashley and Beth I'm craving Tastycake Chocolate Chip cookie bars.. SO good!!!

Gender: BOY.. it's fun to be right =)

Labor Signs: no thanks..

Belly Button in or out: in.

What I miss: this gets old week after week - it's always the same stuff - I could have really enjoyed a nice glass of wine at the bridal shower I went to on Saturday..

What I am looking forward to: BOY stuff!!!

Weekly Wisdom: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13
Milestones: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces . She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl!

DR visit recap!

The prenatal visit went very well today!!  We got to meet with Barb, who was the midwife that delivered Gabby - I really like her, and I think Steven does too.  [Yes, hubbs goes to my prenatal visits too, he's only missed 2 appointments with all 3 kiddos!] 

Urine: no trace of protein or glucose (sweet!)

Blood pressure: 114/72 (normal!)

Weight: down 1/2 pound (the midwife wasn't at all concerned that I had lost a half a pound)

Heartbeat: Gum Drop's heartbeat was about 152 bpm!!!  (It was music to my ears!!!!)

Questions: I told Barb about all the pain I've been having on my left side, likely from the cyst, and she suggested I get an ultrasound just to make sure everything is okay.  I also asked her about my hair loss - I don't know that I've posted much about this but I am loosing my hair like crazy!!  I figured it was just from having Gabby but thought it would have subsided some by now - nope - it's still falling out. (and I actually have some bald spots in my head.. not cool.. not cool at all.)  She ordered some extra blood work to check things out.

Next appointment: I go on Tuesday, April 27th for an ultrasound to check on my cyst; I have to go for blood work the week after next; and our BIG anatomy ultrasound is scheduled for Friday, May 28th!!!!!  We will have our next prenatal visit after the ultrasound on the 28th.

baby wish list.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about baby stuff - there are some things we will definitely need to get for baby Gum Drop and there are other items we don't need but would love to have for him/her.  Actually some of the items below I've been thinking about for Gabby and could pass on to Gum Drop.  If you have any of these items and can give me some feedback that would be great.

Here's my baby wish list:

 a crib = need

boy bedding (haven't discussed with hubbs!)

girl bedding (also haven't discussed with hubbs!)

bedding = need

new pack-n-play (different pattern) = a really really BIG want
the higher changing table would be lovely - and our pack-n-play from 2006 no longer vibrates or plays music

double stroller = NEED!

We like this one (in a different pattern) - it's the only one in the stores that I even remotely like - I'm too chicken to order one on line without testing it out first.

swing = a really BIG want!

I wanted to get a new one for Gabby but couldn't afford it - we have one from 06 when Gav was a baby but it's very boring [and not nearly this cute!]

jumperoo = a really BIG want!

Gav had a car stationary entertainer that wasn't that entertaining - this jumperoo looks like a big jumper ball of fun!  (I'd love to get this for Gabby!)

play mat = a BIG want!

The one we had for Gav wasn't stored properly and is no longer usable - so we've been talking about getting one for Gabby, but man they are pricey!

I am so ready for my prenatal visit on Friday - I can't wait to hear Gum Drop's heartbeat!! =)

*most of these photos are from random sites found through google.. if it really matters*

14 weeks = a lemon.

How far along: 14 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: I'm down 1 pound on my scale - we will see what the DR's scale says on Friday.

Maternity clothes: here and there - I got a new shirt from Kohl's the other day for $3.00!

New baby items: nothing new - we've been checking out double strollers and cribs but haven't made any purchases just yet.

Sleep: terrible - the cyst on my left ovary has been causing me so much pain I can't even sleep on my left side - my options are already limited so now it's either my right side or my back

Best moment this week: watching Gavin and Gabby play together; seeing Gabby roll over for the first time =)

Movement: not yet - I'm really excited to feel Gum Drop move, just so I know he/she is okay in there!

Food cravings: fresh fruit.

Gender: Boy, but I could be wrong - don't forget to cast your vote on the left side!

Labor Signs: no thanks..

Belly Button in or out: in.

What I miss: sleeping on my tummy, my old clothes, my cute little tiny cherry tattoo is now growing again.

What I am looking forward to: my next prenatal visit Friday =)

Weekly Wisdom: Dream big.
Milestones: This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

14 weeks 3 days

I

I think my belly shows more in this photo (yes, I'm striking a pose for myself in the mirror but I will love having these photos 10 years from now!!  I already love looking through all my belly photos from Gabby.)

fun photos!

Gabby on her tummy after rolling over for the first time - we missed the actual roll but got to see the 'end result'

 

trying hard to roll again! 

Gabby & Gavin! 

Gav at the Barnstormers Fan Fest! (this is his 'it's cold' smile!)

Gabby's 1st trip to the ball field =)

tummy time =)

goofy face!

 

check out those pretty blue eyes and long lashes =)

enough tummy time mommy!

rollin' rollin' rollin'

My little Gabby girl rolled from her back to her belly today!!  Steven and I were sitting on the floor next to her chatting - she was laying on her mat playing and wiggling around - we continue chatting - I look over at her and she is on her belly!!  All I can say is "oh my goodness, oh my goodness!!"  Then I instantly run to get my camera, thinking she'd do it again, yea right!  I did get a couple photos of her attempts to roll again so I'll post those soon.  Oh my she's growing so fast =)  I thought babies usually rolled from their belly to their back first but Gabby seems to have skipped that!

just for fun!

I saw these fun questionnaires on Taylor's blog - The Undomestic Momma - enjoy!!

 

A. AREA CODE : currently 717 - I've also had 215, 610, 910 and 304 

B. BED SIZE: queen.

C. CHORE YOU HATE: vacuuming the stairs, weeding, putting laundry away.

D. DOG'S NAME: Abby & Lucy.

E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: kisses from my hubbs and kiddos =)  (and my prenatal vitamin!)

F. FAVORITE COLOR: navy blue & red.

G. GOLD OR SILVER: silver - I haven't worn gold since 5th grade - about 17 years!

H. HEIGHT: 5'4" 

I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: I played clarinet, alto sax & baritone sax in middle school, high school and my freshman year in college

J. JOB: pregnancy counselor - I counsel expectant parents who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and are considering adoption - I help them through the decision making process then help them through the adoption planning process should that be the decision they make - it's very stressful and emotional but extremely rewarding.

K. KIDS: 2 with a 3rd surprise baby on the way!

L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: hubbs, me, Gavin, Gabby and our 2 doggies!

M. MOM'S NAME: Carolyn

N. NICKNAME: Ky, WeezieBug

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: surgery when I was a toddler for a tumor in my arm, tonsils & adnoids, labor & delivery with Gav & Gabby

P. PET PEEVE: poor grammar, pants hanging down around people's knees, bad drivers, burping/farting and not saying excuse me 

Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE:  "Get busy living or get busy dying." - Shawshank Redemption
"Dear Darla - I hate your stinkin' guts. You make me vomit. You are scum between my toes. Love, Alfalfa" - The Little Rascals!


R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: righty.

S. SIBLINGS: 2 older brothers - Chris (35) & Andy (33)

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: around 7 a.m. - really just depends on the kiddos.

U. UNDERWEAR: big ugly "old lady" underwear - it's all that's comfortable right now!

V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: ALL of them =) except corn.

W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: 2 kids and 2 dogs.

X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: teeth, both ankles, fingers, hand, elbow.

Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: the only things I can make well are pasta salad, baked ziti and buffalo chicken dip - I really need to work on my cooking skills!!

Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: camels, giraffes, zebras, hippos 

The Game of Tag about your MAN:


Who is your man? Steven Arthur


How long have you been together? 5 years on June 11th.


How long did you date? 50 days =)


How old is your man? 32.


Who eats more? Steven.


Who said "I love you" first? Steven did.


Who is taller? He is about 9 inches taller than me.


Who sings better? Steven does.


Who is smarter? we argue about this sometimes but I do think he is smarter.


Whose temper is worse?  Steven's.


Who does the laundry?  I do.


Who takes out the garbage?  we both do - he does it a little more than I do.


Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? if you're lying in bed I am on the right but if you're standing and looking at the bed Steven is on the right.


Who pays the bills? me.


Who is better with the computer? hmmm.. I think it's pretty equal - I do more on the computer but he could certainly figure it all out if he needed to.


Who mows the lawn? Steven - he's picky about how it's done =)


Who cooks dinner? haha - we both do - he's a good cook - I am not.


Who drives when you are together?  Steven.


Who pays when you go out?  it depends.. doesn't really matter since we have a joint account.


Who is most stubborn?  Steven.


Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?  definitely me.


Whose parents do you see the most?  we see his mom more because she watches the kids 2 mornings a week but we do see my parents pretty often too.


Who asked who out? his aunt!  She asked me if I'd be interested in a blind date - so neither of us really asked the other out - she set it all up!

Who proposed?  Steven did - and the teddy bear with the shirt he embroidered himself =)

Who wears the pants in the family? Steven.. but he will usually share the pants with me!

13 weeks!

I took the day off today because we all had doctor and dentist appointments.  Gabby went today for her 4 month check up - she now weighs 15 lbs. 13 ounces and is 27 inches long - 95th percentile for weight and off the charts for height.  Our doctor says "she is a very big 4 month old, someone give this girl a basketball!"  He noted she looks very healthy and he has no concerns.  Gavin went to the dentist and has his teeth cleaned - he did awesome!!  He let Noelle clean his teeth with no problems then let the dentist come in and examine his teeth - such a big boy through all of it!  He was so excited when he got to pick out a prize!!

I'm still adjusting to this pregnancy - I am excited and I know it's going to be wonderful and everything is going to work out - but I am still full of fear and very anxious.  It still seems somewhat strange when I talk to people about it - I feel like I've been pregnant for the past year - its pretty weird!  Anyway, here is my 13 week quiz - I will post my belly photo later.  {I am doing a belly book for Gum Drop too!)

How far along: 13 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: my home scale says I haven't gained any weight yet but I was up 1 pound at my last DR visit - this makes me happy because I was already up 5 lbs at my 13th week with Gabby!

Maternity clothes: yep.. I bought a nice maternity skirt on clearance but haven't worn it yet, it's still a little big.  I also got a couple maternity shirts from a consignment shop but they are also a little big - although I don't think it will be long before I'm wearing them!

New baby items: I did buy a little boy one-piece outfit that has a whale on it and says "Mommy Whaley Loves Me" - I will try to get a photo of it and post it later - it's adorable!! I know we don't know the gender yet but I could resist for $2 at tar.get

Sleep: sleep has been pretty good the past week - I've just accepted the fact that I am always going to be tired and that's going to last for the next 20 plus years!!

Best moment this week: eating pizza from pizza.box on Sunday =) and hanging out with family!

Movement: nope - hopefully in the next 5 weeks or so.

Food cravings: still diet pepsi/coke with lemon and I'm really wanting some cheese fries from the Lancaster.Barnstormers!

Gender: I'm saying boy - so is Steven - but I am curious what everyone's hunch is - VOTE on the poll on the left side of the blog =)

Labor Signs: nope.

Belly Button in or out: in.

What I miss: wine, energy, my old clothes and running.

What I am looking forward to: my next prenatal visit next Friday =)

Weekly Wisdom: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. 

 Milestones: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce.

13 weeks 3 days

Congratulations to Ashleigh & Brett who learned today their baby Peanut is a BOY!! 

<--------------- Vote on the gender poll =) 

Here are some photos from our weekend..

Gabby with her Uncle Wayne!

Go Flyers!

Miss Fluffy Hair =)

I wonder if her eyes will stay blue..

I love the flower on her butt!

(thank you Uncle Mike for taking this photo!)

a little behind.

It's been a few days since my last post.. sorry!  Things are very busy around here and I've been exhausted so my normal night-blog time has turned into bed no-blog time.  The kiddos are great - Gavin is quite the silly boy.  Tonight we went to Carter's and he decided to moon everyone there.  SO funny but SO not funny at the same time - I made sure to discipline him but inside I was cracking up!  His new favorite thing is to watch Sesame.Street at night.  He has actually memorized parts of the show and the promotional ads before and after the show.. is that bad?!  Gav is still a great big brother - he loves helping with Gabby and plays with her often but he also really enjoys playing on his own with his big boy toys.  He's a great kid, I hope he stays that way =)

Gabby is also doing very well!!  She is growing so fast.  She discovered her feet today and spent about 20 minutes laying on the floor holding on to her feet - so cute!  I'm hoping to try cereal with her tomorrow night.  She had been sleeping through the night but in the past couple of weeks she has started to get up around 3 - 4 a.m. wanting a bottle, so I am hoping giving her some cereal in the evening will help her to skip that early am feeding! [selfish momma, I know!]  She is such a doll - so easy going and laid back - we really lucked out with 2 amazing kiddos!

We did some crib and double stroller shopping the other day.  I really hate the thought of a double stroller - they are just so big and bulky - I have a hard enough time folding and packing up our single stroller - but I know a double stroller is necessary.  I'm also not thrilled about having to dish out money for another crib but we obvioulsy will need one of those too =)  We found a couple that we like so now I need to do more research on them to see what the 'mom' scoop is.

Okay, I'm really behind on photos so here ya go.. and if anyone would like to give me some camera pointers I am all ears.  I don't have much time to fool around with my settings and I have horrible shadows all the time - help!!

Gavin - Gabby - Gum Drop

Gav's *purple* egg!

Gav with the Easter bunny aka Uncle Chris =)

Gav making a cookie with Aunt Christy!

the Easter bunny came! {he should have brought bigger pj's for Gav!}

love my little lady's face!

Gav is on an Easter egg hunt mission!

Gabby & Rylee - they will be great friends!

*smooches*

or is he trying to eat her?!

such a goof ball =)

trying so hard to roll over!

pre-Easter bunny photos - see the shadows?

Gabrielle's first pair of shoes!

waiting for the bunny at the mall.

daddy & his biker kids!

this was on my small point & shoot camera - it's probably a month or so old.

lunch @ Phillip's in Baltimore for our 4th wedding anniversary =)

she is asleep - she napped like this for about 10 minutes on Wednesday

how do I get rid of these shadows???

Gav playing on my 'puter' with chocolate pudding all over his face!

Gabby found her feet!!!

So cute and so big =)

Now it's time for bed - I hope everyone has a great weekend!!