another giveaway!

Tanya at Keep It Real is hosting a giveaway that ends today!  The winner gets a custom card design or a bow holder by Kelly at Your Loving Memories.  I would LOVE to have her customize birth announcements when Baby Gum Drop arrives - they are SO nice and classy =)  Go check 'em out!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Gavin.

I was looking through all my old facebook photos trying to find a photo of Gavin from when he was 10 months old - I am trying to envision how big Gabby is going to be when Gum Drop arrives.  I came across some adorable photos (well, they are all adorable!) and thought I'd share.  I can't believe Gavin went from this..

to this..

to this..

to this..

what a handsome boy!!

I can't believe that in 5 months he will be 4 years old.. that seems SO old to me!  He is a boy now, not a toddler and while I am so excited to see him grow it makes me so sad that he is no longer my sweet baby boy..

He is an AWESOME big brother.. seriously couldn't have asked for a better adjustment.  Gabby truly adores him and has started to 'talk' to him, which he just thinks it the coolest thing!!  Gavin has such a sweet disposition, I hope that doesn't change.  He's so loving and thoughtful - even tells me thank you for making him dinner (when I do make it!)  He has great manners and is just a joy.  I am excitied to see how he reacts to his little brother - who he refers to as his baby boy that he is going to name Abby's Flying Fairy School (it's a clip on Sesame Street).. what a silly goose.  I'm so lucky to be his mommy =)

The Vintage Pearl Giveaway!

I typically don't get into giveaways but I can't resist this one.  Mrs. F at As the Forest[e] Grows is hosting a giveaway - the winner receives a $50 gift certificate to use at The Vintage Pearl website.  Back in late January I ordered the 'a flower and a circle' necklace with Gavin and Gabby on them.. only to find out about 2 1/2 weeks later that surprise baby Gum Drop was on the way.  I'd love to win the gift certificate so I can get an additional charm with Gum Drop's name.  There are also several other things I'd LOVE to buy from this site - it's just all so beautiful!!

Keep your fingers crossed that I win =)

Gabby is 5 months old!!

Holy smokes, almost half a year has passed with our beautiful little lady!  She is truly a joy and I feel so blessed to be her mama!!  Everything seems to be going so quickly - before we know it her little brother will be here =)  I love Gabby more each day; being a mommy is simply incredible.  She really is a daddy's girl but I'm holding out and hoping she'll be 'my girl' when she's older!  [I am picturing shopping trips, salon days and sleepovers!]

• I'm sure you weigh at least 16 pounds, probably more
• You drool like crazy but no sign of any teeth yet
• Pacifiers aren't nearly as fun to suck on as your shirt and/or bib
• Daddy can make you laugh like crazy!! You don't give mommy such loud, happy laughs but that's okay
• Your hair is growing and is a pretty light shade of brown
• Your eyes are still a beautiful blue and you have gorgeous long eye lashes - I wonder if they will change color or stay blue - personally I hope they stay just the way they are - but that's completely out of my hands =)
• Bath time = lots of smiles!
• You are still in size 2 diapers; I bought a box of size 3 and they are just a tad too big
• Many of your outfits are 3-6 months but with this warmer weather I've been putting you in dresses and they are 6-9 months; many of them are mini skirts since you are so long!
• Tonight was the first night I put cereal in your bottle; hopefully it will keep you asleep!
• You are eating 6 to 8 ounces per feeding and are still eating about 6 bottles a day
• On April 16th you rolled from your back to your belly and now you're a pro!  You still haven't rolled from your belly to your back; probably because you hate being on your tummy!
• You are great at holding toys and already seem to have a couple favorites
• I have a feeling you will be sitting by yourself in the next month or so; you are getting stronger each day!

 oh yes, I snapped this just at the right moment  - needless to say this was our last photo =)

16 weeks.

Sorry - not much time to type tonight; here's the normal weekly quiz & belly post!  I will be back tomorrow with Gabby's 5 month post!!!

 

How far along: 16 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: I was +1 lb on the scale this morning - at this point with Gabby I was up about 6 or  7 lbs so I am happy with 1!

Maternity clothes: It won't be long until I am completely into my maternity clothes - I wore a maternity skirt today and it was so comfortable!

New baby items: nothing new.. I did go through all the clothes I kept from when Gav was a baby so I have some piles of laundry!  (I sold a good bit of his good clothing when I found out Gabby was a girl, which I am sad about now but I honestly never thought I would need them again!)

Sleep: it's been rough lately since Miss Gabby has been waking up in the middle of the night to eat

Best moment this week: not one particular moment but watching Gabby and Gavin play and 'talk' to each other has been a lot of fun to watch =)

Movement: not yet.

Food cravings: pickles!

Gender: boy!!!

Labor Signs: no.

Belly Button in or out: in.

What I miss: energy & wine.

What I am looking forward to: getting some yard work done this weekend - I'm not looking forward to the 'working' part but I am looking forward to the 'accomplished' feeling when it's all done!

Weekly Wisdom: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Milestones:  Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

 

 16 weeks 3 days.

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!