(almost) wordless Wednesday.

When did my little sweet potato get this big…??

she just sits in her highchair like a big girl now.. hard to believe she will be 6 months old on Saturday.. wow, an entire half a year old already =)

it can’t hurt.

I am entering yet another giveaway.. I’ve entered about 10 in the past couple weeks and haven’t won any of them but I’m not giving up.. it can’t hurt to enter!!  Kelly is doing a Vintage Pearl giveaway.. of course I am going to enter.  I ordered their a flower and a circle necklace and just LOVE it.  Of course I am going to have to order another charm when Gum Drop arrives so this gift card would certainly come in handy!!

20 weeks & weekend photos!

This weekend was great!!  It was full of fun times with family and lots of yummy picnic/cook-out food!  Gabby enjoyed her first swim and I turned the big 2-7!  The 3 day weekend flew by, it was not relaxing at all but it certainly was very very enjoyable!!  A BIG thank you to my family for the birthday cards, gifts and yummy cakes =)

 

 

20 week pregnancy quiz:
How far along: 20 weeks 3 day
Weight gain: I'm up about 3-4 pounds
Maternity clothes: mostly pants, some tops – I haven’t purchased any new maternity clothes recently.. except a couple swim suits.. too much $ on suits that I will only wear this summer, but oh well!
Stretch marks: now new ones.. hoping it stays that way!! =)
Sleep: I’m definitely having more trouble getting comfortable, even though my belly isn’t too big yet it still can complicate things a little!!  The trips to the potty are increasing.
Best moment of the week: our ultrasound on Friday was AMAZING!!  and we did have one great weekend with family =)
Movement: yeppers.. it’s not very strong yet but I can feel him!
Food cravings: still loving diet coke with lemon; I’ve also been craving Air Heads.. ya know, the yummy flavored taffy.. kinda strange =)
Gender: absolutely a BOY!!!
Labor signs: no!
Belly button in or out: still in but getting flatter as my tummy grows
What I miss: just having my body to myself.. don’t get me wrong, I’m blessed to be pregnant and love knowing I am the one responsible for helping Gum Drop grow but I do also miss having my body to myself.. I feel like it hasn’t been ‘my’ body for over a year now.. it’s been my babies’ body!!
What I'm looking forward to: our trip to OCMD in 2 weeks; continuing to watch Gabby and Gavin grow and interact more with one another!!
Weekly wisdom: wear sunscreen! ;)
Milestones: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel - the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper.

grab bag!

I just came across Mama M.'s 5 Question Friday and thought it would be fun to play along.  Basically she posts 5 questions each Friday and anyone who wants can answer them.. so here goes!

1. Is there something you've always wanted to try but just can't muster up the courage to actually do yet?  I’d say sky diving – I enjoy flying so the height doesn’t bother me but the free-falling through the sky is pretty scary.  (and it’s probably safe to say I will never muster up the courage to do it!)

2. If you had $100 handed to you in cash without your significant other knowing about it, what would you spend it on? Hopefully I would put it right into the bank and pay some bills but if I didn’t make it to the bank I’d probably spend it on random stuff – clothes for myself, clothes for the kiddos, a new Pandora charm for my bracelet, trinkets for the house and some stuff for Gum Drop!

3. What was your favorite piece of playground equipment as a child? Our elementary school had this really really awesome huge tire swing (it was a bunch of tires attached to one another) and it was a blast.. that was definitely my favorite!!

4. Do you prefer a sweet or hearty breakfast? I’ve never been a huge fan of breakfast foods but lately it’s been sweet – chocolate chip pancakes (yummy!) or some sugary cereal

5. Are you a Neat Freak or a Messy Bessy? oh I hate clutter, I hate mess – it drives me crazy.. but I don’t clean as much as I should so although we don’t have a bunch of junk and clutter lying around you will likely find more dust and dirt than I’d like you to.

Next subject – our big ultrasound today!!  We got to watch Gum Drop on ‘tv’ for about 35 minutes today and it was so fun =)  The sonographer, Rachel, was great.. she explained things very well and seemed very into our little man.. what even “awing and oh that’s so cute” right along with me!  I am so insanely excited to share that he is healthy healthy healthy – everything is measuring right on track and each part was in it’s proper place.  The amniotic fluid levels are great, my placenta looks healthy and they actually think my cyst got a little smaller.  And of course, Gum Drop is definitely a boy.. got the ‘money shot’ to prove it!!

 

Rachel tried to get some 4D shots of him but he was nuzzled nicely into the placenta so it was hard to get a good shot of his face.

Although Mr. Gum Drop was a surprise I am certainly feeling very blessed and excited to meet him and see his adorable face.  It looks like he has a cute little button nose, just like Gavin and Gabby’s!!

And the last subject for today – an answer to a question that has been asked a lot lately – Kiley, how did you get pregnant again so quickly – aren’t you suppose to wait at least 6 weeks before doing anything??  Well, here’s your answer – yes, you are supposed to wait at least 6 weeks and we did, believe it or not.  I had my 6 week post baby check up on a Tuesday and was told that everything was normal and I had healed very well.  I was cleared for normal activity again.  The next day Steven and I, well you know, and that was it.. we made another baby!  Yes, it only takes one time and yes, although it took us almost a year to get pregnant with Gabrielle it only took us, well, no time at all to get pregnant with Gum Drop.  So there ya have it – maybe a little personal for me to share but it’s the truth =)

Okay, I lied, here’s the last subject.. my adorable kiddos!!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend =)

19 weeks!

(I cannot get this font un-bolded, which is irritating me but I am not rewriting it!)  So I have never been late with a belly post (I always post them on Tuesday) – not even during my pregnancy with Gabby – but this one is late – and I have good reason!  I spent all afternoon and evening at the hospital.. 6 hours actually.  I had been having a lot of pain and discomfort the entire day, mostly on my left side and where my cyst is.  At times the pain would shoot across my tummy.  I tried to drink water, rest and take Tylenol but for some reason yesterday nothing was helping so I called my OBGYN.  They tried to get me in to one of their offices to be seen but had no openings so they told me to go to triage at Women & Babies.  I had 4 different ultrasounds, a urine sample and blood work done.  The results from the ultrasounds showed that everything appears ‘pretty normal.’  I had a scan of basically everything from my cervix up – my lungs, my kidneys, my gallbladder, my spleen – pretty much everything.  I also had an internal ultrasound done because they wanted to check my cervix - I was having some contractions and they wanted to make sure those contractions weren't changing my cervix at all.  I didn’t get to see the baby at all – bummer – but I did hear his heart beat which sounded lovely – and was a HUGE relief.  Steven got to see the baby for a minute or two but I couldn’t see the screen.  Oh well, we have our ultrasound on Friday and I know I’ll be able to see him then! =)  I’m happy to know everything is okay and the pain is actually gone today, go figure.  I wish I would have just ‘sucked it up’ yesterday but I was worried and in pain.

I seriously could have punched the one nurse in the face.  She was hooking me up to the contraction monitor but told me she wasn't going to worry about the baby's heart rate monitor because at this point it's not a viable pregnancy and the baby would die if he was born today.  Thanks..a lot..I'm scared, in pain and emotional and you feel the need to throw in my face that if my Gum Drop is born today he will die.. how nice of you.

Here's my weekly quiz - just a day late =)

How far along: 19 weeks 4 days
Weight gain: I'm up about 3 pounds
Maternity clothes: pants = yes.  some maternity shirts are still a little too big.  I finally went through my closet and sorted through all my maternity clothes to figure out what still fits and what needs to hit the road =)
Stretch marks: I haven't spotted any new ones.
Sleep: never enough.. won't ever feel like enough =)
Best moment of the week: I definitely felt Gum Drop move Monday night.  I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep and I felt a couple kicks.  I could even feel them with my hand on my tummy which was very exciting!!

Movement: see best moment!
Food cravings: diner food - I've been wanting to go to the Gap Diner recently - who knows why, I'm just craving it - and I haven't been there in.. at least 4 1/2 years!
Gender: boy!
Labor signs: no no no.
Belly button in or out: in.
What I miss: same old stuff - this week it's really been my pre-Gabby clothes - I feel so frumpy and 'out of style' in my maternity/fat clothes =)
What I'm looking forward to: our BIG ultrasound on Friday!!!  Although we already know the gender it will still be so exciting to see our Gum Drop again!  And to find out if he is growing and developing just the way he should!
Weekly wisdom:  one step at a time..
Milestones: Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you. Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now.

giveaway – fingers crossed!

I’ve been entering a lot of giveaways lately but haven’t won.. yet!  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Kelly’s current giveaway!  The winner gets a free vinyl of their choice from Magically Made.  I love the Treasure Life’s Little Moment vinyl!

no boring days.

Remember a couple of weeks ago I posted about a client who lost her baby a couple hours after birth.. well to make this devastating situation even more heart-wrenching last week the coroner who preformed the baby’s autopsy was killed in a car accident.  This obviously has complicated the process of obtaining the baby’s body for her funeral.  I just can’t believe all that has happened in regards to this situation.. it’s just all so sad.  A Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep photographer got some beautiful photos of the baby and I know her mother will cherish those for the rest of her life.

I am working on a case right now with two birthparents who are 16 years old.  Long story short the mom called us from the hospital after giving birth and wanted to make an adoption plan for the baby.  Since there is a lot of kinks to work out in the case before involving an adoptive family the baby was placed in interim care.  Part of the ‘kinks’ was contacting the birthfather.. but with them both being high school students that was pretty easy.. he found out through friends who I believe found out on.. where else.. Facebook.  He is not in agreement with the adoption plan and wants to parent the baby.  I met with him and his family this morning – Monday morning at 9 a.m. – not my favorite meeting time but in this case certainly necessary.  I became incredibly agitated early on in the meeting because he family kept speaking for him.  I kept asking what his parenting plan would be, at 16 and still a sophomore in high school, and with each question I posed his family answered while he had this smart-alec grin on his face.  The step-dad starting talking and I tried to explain that I really wanted to hear from the birthfather directly since he is technically the only one, besides the birthmother, with any legal rights to the child.  Well I must have hit a nerve because he became very irritated and disrespectful towards me.  I said, as nicely as possible, please calm down, there is no reason to be disrespectful.  He stated [in a raised voice] that he was going to act how he wanted because the situation is bullsh*t and makes no sense.  Then, it happened, (and I am SO proud of myself!) I told him to leave my office.  I said, if you are going to continue to raise your voice and disrespect me then you can leave my office.. and he did.. and of course, as he was leaving he says, “I’ll see you in court.”  Right, okay, sounds good, because you can sue me for telling you to leave my office, enjoy your time in the parking lot sir, have a nice day.

Some days this job is just too emotional for me (especially with my hormones being heightened due to this munchkin in my tummy.)  I know I do God’s work and I know the work I do is powerful and life-changing but there are some days when I just wish I had another job.. a simple job with regular hours, no phones ringing at 11 p.m. with client crises, no emotional involvement.. oh but what would I do.. who in the world knows.. but for now I will continue my journey as a pregnancy counselor and pray the Lord uses me where he needs me.

I hope everyone has a blessed week – I’ll be back tomorrow with my 19 WEEK belly post!!