Pumped up kicks

Baby boy has been kicking up a STORM the past couple days!! Sheesh. I've been feeling punches and jabs all over the place lately. I keep trying to get Lenny to feel it, but every time I put his hand on my belly, the baby stops moving. Lil stinker! He's doing that on purpose, i just know it! If i knew which end was up and which was down, I would spank his lil bottom!!! ;P

P.S. How come when anybody else kicks you, you get mad and want to punch their face in, but when your baby kicks you, it's the coolest feeling in the whole wide world?

Christmas 2011

I'm a couple days late posting this, but I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Here is a little recap of our weekend:

On Christmas Eve, we met Keith and my parents at church for the candlelight service, then they came over for dinner and a rousing game of Pictionary by the fireplace. So fun! It was me and Soney against the boys, and unfortunately they kicked our butts. Oh well...we'll get em next time!

Christmas afternoon, we all met out at Dean and Stacey's for Christmas dinner and presents. Paul and Linda joined us as well. It was so nice to celebrate with both families together!

Monday we were both off work and I wasn't feeling all that great, so I slept pretty much all afternoon while Lenny went to go get Bella. Didn't do a whole lot that night other than dinner and a couple games before bath and bedtime.

Tues we woke up and opened the presents we had gotten each other, then the 3 of us (well, 3.5 I guess) headed over to Paul and Linda's to have our traditional Christmas breakfast with them and watch Bellz open her gifts.

It's always nice to be able to spend the time with our families around this time of year. It's funny that the older you get, the less important the gifts are. I enjoy all our time together more than anything. All in all, another great Christmas is in the books!   

Gretch: "Oh, the plate looks so cute! Who decorated that, Carson?"  Stace: "I DID." hahah. Love ya Stace! :)



Poor Keith has a case of kidney stones and hasn't been feeling well, so he didn't have much to eat that day :(


 

Family pic - Attempt #1

Family pic - Attempt #2 (Nice Len!!!)

Family pic - Attempt #3. We finally have a winner!

And one with Paul and Linda, too.



22 weeks

How your baby's growing:



At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his 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 his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

21 weeks

How your baby's growing:



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, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well. (Guess we don't have to worry about this one)

Frogs n snails and puppy dogs' tails...

Well, we had our 20 week ultrasound on Thursday, and it looks like baby U is a BOY!!! Although we would have been thrilled with a lil girl, we were both secretly hoping for a boy on this one, so it worked out perfectly. If all goes as planned, a lil girl will follow a few years down the road. Guess we'll see what God has in store for us. ;)

Everything looked great at the ultrasound. The lil guy was moving all over the place, to the point where the ultrasound tech had to say, "You little stinker! Sit STILL for a minute so I can get your picture!" several times. Ha! She said his brain, heart, and all other major organs looked just as they should at this point in his development.

The doc did say my placenta is sitting kind of close to my cervix right now, but it's nothing to be alarmed about. Apparently it's fine if the placenta is near the cervix, but when it is covering the cervix (a condition known as Placenta Previa), it blocks the baby from getting to the birth canal. In this case there's a higher chance that you may have to have a C section. She said as my uterus grows, the placenta will likely grow with it, so it will be moving further and further away from the cervix as I get bigger and bigger. I guess that's good news.

Have a definite baby bump now. Seems to have really gotten bigger this week!

Here are a couple pics of the lil guy:

Profile of the head and belly

Here he is sitting and you are looking at his bottom and legs from underneath. Definitely a boy. LOL!

I'm gonna have a birl?!?!

I am beginning week 20 of my pregnancy today, which means we have "the big" ultrasound this week to find out the baby's gender! Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to cast our votes and make some guesses as to what the baby's sex is going to be. I just spent all morning taking several different gender prediction quizzes, and the results cracked me up. Half of them say I'm having a boy and half of them say I'm having a girl. Ha! Well I would sure hope it's one of those! Lol.

Check this out. Here are the results of one of the quizzes I just took:
 
Will your baby be a Girl or a Boy?


Q1 - Are you carrying the weight out front or around the hips and bottom?

I went with around the hips and bottom for this one, cuz my belly isn't sticking out too much yet. Plus, unfortunately, I've always had mongo hips. *sigh*

Q2 - Is the hair on your legs growing more quickly or the same as before you got pregnant?
 
Same as before.

Q3 - Are you carrying your baby high or low?

I'll go with low on this one.

Q4 - Do you sleep in your bed with your pillow to the north or south?

What the #%!^??? What does that have to do with anything? I'm no Magellan, but I think my pillow is more north than south. Gay.

Q5 - Are your feet colder than before pregnancy or the same as before?

Samezies.

Q6 - Do you refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread or do you  prefer the heel?

Another dumb question. But umm, I always throw that part of the loaf of bread away. So wasteful, I know.

Q7 - Is the dad-to-be gaining weight right along with you or has his weight remained the same?

Lenny has maintained his girlish figure so far.

Q8 - Is your mother's hair grey or another color (natural or dyed)?

Soney's pretty grey. As am I if I haven't hit up the salon in a while. *another sigh*

Q9 - Did you have morning sickness early in your pregnancy?

Nope, not a smidge of morning sickness for this chick. Woo hoo!!!

Q10 - Are you looking particularly good or not so good during your pregnancy?

Ugh, I dunno! I have my days I guess. Some days I feel like a cross between a water buffalo and an elephant, but others I like my cute lil bump. I'll stick with looking good on this one :)

Q11 - During pregnancy, has your chest development been quite dramatic or not too dramatic?

Eh, sad to report it hasn't been too dramatic thus far. The girls have gotten a lil bigger, but nothing major. Still waiting for that pregnancy perk.

Q12 - What was your age at the time of conception?

Big bad 33.

Q13 - Conception took place in the month of ______?

July. TMI??? Deal widdit.

Q14 - Hang a necklace over your belly. Does the chain move in cirles or from side to side?

Tried this and the chain moved from side to side. Oh, and I used my lucky 4 leaf clover necklace for this test, btw. Duh.

Q15 - Is your urine a bright neon yellow color or a dull yellow?

I'd say more of a neon yellow for this one. I attribute that to those wonderful prenatal vitamins.

Q16 - What do you crave more - sweets or salty/sour food?

Definitely sweets on this one. I could eat a cupcake/cookies/candy every day if you let me. And before pregnancy I was always craving the salty snacks. Weird.

Q17 - Has your nose spread during pregnancy or stayed the same?

My hips may be spreading, but my nose has stayed the same. So THERE.

Q18 - Do you crave more meats and cheese or fruit?

Fruit. Definitely.

Q19 - What is your baby's heart rate? Above 140 beats per minute or less than 140?
 
At my doctor's appointments, the heart rate has always been 150+.

Q20 - How do you feel about OJ? Do you not like it or have to have it every day?

Ooh this is a tricky one. I DO like OJ, but I wouldn't say I've been craving it?!? Guess I'd gave to say have it every day on this one.

Q21 - Are you having headaches?

Yep. I've been having them almost every day for the last couple weeks.

Q22 - Does your abdomen look more like a watermelon or a basketball?

Watermelon. MMMM...watermelon sounds really good right now.

Q23 - If someone asks you to show them your hands, you show them palm up or palm down?

Palm up. Strange question.

Q24 - Last question! Do you pck up a mug by the handle or the body of the mug?

Another weird one! I always pick it up by the handle. Doesn't everyone? Otherwise you'd get burnt.

And the results are in........drumroll please........

Congratulations!



You have a 55% chance of having a girl!

And you have a 44% chance of having a boy.

My mother's intuition tells me I'm having a boy, but I don't have a great track record when it comes to guessing the sex of friends' babies, so I guess we'll see...  What do you think? Boy or girl???

19 week update - just for J to the 9er

How your baby's growing:



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. < Ooh, this baby is in LUCK! I mean, have you heard this chick sing???>

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

You want a bredo with that bodlwadr?

Bella was practicing writing words this weekend and wrote the words "BREDO, JREK, BODLWATER, and BOBLGUM." Translation?  Burrito, drink, bottled water, and bubble gum. Hahahah! Luv me sum fonix! She should get a kick out of this post when she's a little older. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer


Saw this quote on FB and I really liked it. It's a good reminder that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for, no matter how bad things may seem at times. This year, I'm thankful for this little miracle growing inside my belly. So happy that God has given me a chance to experience motherhood; I can't wait to meet this lil baby in Spring and see what he or she is like! Also thankful for such a hardworking and loving husband. I couldn't imagine living life with anyone other than my Lenster. Love you baby!!! XOXO

Here we go loopty loo

Exciting stuff going on the past few days....I felt the baby move for the first time!!! Yay! It's such a weird feeling. You know how when you ride a roller coaster or drive over a hill real quick and your stomach does a little flip flop? Well that's what it feels like. I kept thinking it was gas at first but when it started happening every couple minutes consistently, I knew it was the babe. So fun! Have I mentioned I heart being pregnant? Lovzies!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I took down all my Halloween decor (a lil late, i know) and cleaned the entire house yesterday. Although I am usually not a big believer in putting up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, this year I broke my own rule. I just figured since the house was clean and I had nothing else to do today, I may as well  use the free time to put one of our trees up. Yes I said tree(s). Plural. Last year, we began a new tradition - we put our fake tree upstairs in the living room and then we went and cut down a real tree and put that one downstairs in our family room. I decorated the one upstairs with white lights and all our pretty ornaments and then I let Lenny and Bella decorate the one downstairs with colored lights and all our 'fun' ornaments. It worked out well! Everyone got a chance to participate and I was okay with the ornaments on the tree downstairs being all at Bella level. lol

Couple pics of the Gretchie tree

17 weeks

Your pregnancy: 17 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

How your life's changing:

Starting to feel a bit off balance? As your belly grows, your center of gravity changes, so you may begin to occasionally feel a little unsteady on your feet. Try to avoid situations with a high risk of falling. Wear low-heeled shoes to reduce your risk of taking a tumble; trauma to your abdomen could be dangerous for you and your baby. You'll also want to be sure to buckle up when you're in a car — keep the lap portion of the seat belt under your belly, drawn snugly across your hips, and also use the shoulder harness, which should fit snugly between your breasts.

You may also notice your eyes becoming drier. Using over-the-counter lubricating drops may help. If your contact lenses become uncomfortable, try wearing them for shorter stretches of time. If you still have discomfort, switch to glasses until after you give birth.

16 weeks

Your pregnancy: 16 weeks

How your baby's growing:

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.

15 Weeks and feelin like a champ

Well here I am, 15 weeks prego, and still feelin like a million bucks. Whoo hoo! Guess I'm lucking out with this pregnancy. Of course it's pretty early still. Ask me again in another 15 weeks and I may have a few more complaints then :)

I'm going to start posting weekly updates on the baby's progress so that I have a personal journal of what's goin on with this little bundle of joy in me belly. This information is from http://www.babycenter.com/. It's a really cool website! Check it out if you get a min. That is, if you care about that kind of stuff. lol.

Week 15 - How your baby's growing:


Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). 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! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

Happy Halloween!

 My headless horseman pumpkin on the left and Lenny's evil pumpkin on the right.

PCP 2011

Yesterday was the annual Pumpkin Carving Party at J&J's. What fun! I be lovin errthing Autumn, so this is one of my fave activities of the whole year! Those Orfs always put on a great party!

Most memorable moment this year goes to Dean, who was a cheapo and bought a $2 pumpkin on the side of the road on his way to the party, only to find out it was rotten as all get out when he cut into it. Seriously, that thing was N-A-S-T-Y. The inside was about 1/2 liquified mush. And it had a LOVELY smell, too. Blech. Maybe next year he'll splurge and pay the extra $3 to get a non-rotted pumpkin!

Hard at work

Sam checkin out the inside of the pumpkin

 
Soney made a lil pumpkin (actually it was a squash) that had pink and blue flowers coming out of it with a sign that said "Miracle Grow." You know, for the baby. ;) Always the creative one!

I'll light up our punkins tonight and post those pics later.

Bella's reaction to the big news, Part 2

Bella's reaction to the big news, Part 1

Bun in the oven

So the time has finally come to share our good news...we are expecting! I am 13 weeks pregnant right now, due April 23rd, 2012. Lenny and I are both thrilled that our family is growing. We have known for a while, and it has been really hard to keep it a secret. We just wanted to make sure everything was okay and we were out of the first trimester before we told most people. Didn't want to jump the gun, you know? I had an ultrasound earlier this week and everything looked good, so we decided it was time to share the news with everyone! Yay for no longer having to make excuses for why I'm not drinking at happy hour! ;) Now everybody will know why!

So far, the pregnancy has been easy peasy lemon squeezy. I have had no morning sickness whatsoever (knock on wood), and other than being really tired the first month or two, I feel like a million bucks! Hopefully my good luck continues throughout the pregnancy.

Here are a couple pics from the 13w ultrasound.

Umm, I could very well be carrying an alien inside of me. Is that not freaky? lol

Much better. This one actually looks human.

Cool how you can see the spine in this one!

Best part about picking apples...

Yes, that is an apple pie. Made from scratch by yours truly. And it took forEVER! But so worth it :)

Apple Pickin

We spent the day yesterday at Eckert's in IL picking apples. Fun place! This may be a yearly tradition from now on, we really enoyed it.

Can't tell who is smiling bigger here, Bellz or the horse...



More pics from Bella's birfday

Bella turns 5

We had a birthday party for Bella at Laurel Park over the weekend and could not have asked for a better day. There is gazebo with two picnic tables right up on the playground where we set up shop, and it worked out perfectly! The kids were so dang cute playing together - think they are finally getting to the age where they are interested in each other and like to do stuff together as opposed to playing on their own, but right next to each other. ha. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate B's special day with us. Only one missing was her uncle Keify. :(

Here are some pics!

Drew checking out the escape balloon that floated up to the top of the gazebo

Kindall, you hold it like this, and then...

Swing it like this!

Coach Bailey checkin out the girls' stance

Sam Bones!