Artfully Said

That's what she said...

So yep, that is the rather surprising news our sonographer bestowed us with today. She said it appeared pretty text book. I asked her "really???" three times. We are indeed going to be the parents of a little girl. I still cannot believe it although it is starting to click and come together. I guess I just always thought I'd have all boys. Guess that is not the plan after all.

Grady lost interest pretty quickly with the ultasound and asked to go out in the hall with Grandma. After the appointment, Jason talked with Grady and asked him if he was excited to be having a sister. His response? "No. I'm just glad to have something to play with!" When I heard this I just hugged him. He has waited so long to be a big brother I'm not sure he would care if it was to an alien, just make it something!

I'm amazed as I start looking over the last 9 months or so and wonder how much God's hand was in all this. I mean, I KNOW this little girl is God's blessing and plan for us. But I think back to the antique felted wool baby shoes I picked up months before being pregnant - I just loved them and had to have them. And now they can go on my sweet baby's feet. Oh and the cute little dolly high chair I got from my in-laws has sat in my garage since about a year ago. My ideas for fixing it up a bit running around in my head. Now I have some incentive. Baby M and I will share the same birth month. Over the years, Jason has gotten me quite the collection of blue topaz jewelry and now I will have a daughter to pass it onto. It just feels right. It feels planned. Which makes me smile deep within because my whole struggle with deciding to find out stemmed from my concern that our human nature is to try and control as much as we can. And I really did not want to do that. After all, babies are one of God's great miracles and I want to enjoy that as much as possible. What a wonderful feeling this is to know that even when we think we might be in control, we're not. I'm humbled really.

So now...20 weeks to go. December 24 here we come.

Can someone help me with these ankes??!!

Serioulsy! It is ridiculous. The have puffed up like something out of a circus freak show. They frighten small children. I have little sausage tootsies. OK - strike the "little" in that sentence. And honestly - they are NOT very comfortable. Although - and here is the silver lining - they have given me an excuse to wear flip flips to my office every day. Because I cannot wear some of my other shoes. And when I do, the swollen skin puffs right up over the tops of my shoes and I feel oh so very ooo-la-la, let me tell you. So really - does anyone have advice on how to make these swollen little piggies and ankles return to normal despite being pregnant? Let me tell you what I have tried: 1) Guzzled lots of water. 2) Sleep with a pillow under my feet. 3) Sit in front of the TV for an entire evening with my feet up. 4) Gone for walks.

So here is the scoop - if you have a solution for me, please share it in the comments section below. And if it works - I promise I will dig up some kind of fabulous prize for you mail it right to your front door. Happy Friday everyone!

To peek or not to peek...

We have decided to peek. On August 8 we have our 20 week ultrasound. After much deliberating back and forth we have come to the decision to find out what we are having at our ultrasound appointment! When I was pregnant with Grady, his father and I did not find out. So this experience may be a bit different...or maybe it really won't. So I'm curious - did you find out with your pregnancies? Why or why not? And the question I really have is for those of you that have done it both ways. How was the experience different??? Looking forward to your answers - just click on commens below here and leave them there!

And she’s back…

It’s been a long, long time. And I do apologize. It was a long winter I guess. I don’t even know now why I stopped blogging. Lack of inspiration??? Who knows. It doesn’t matter. Because I’m here now. And I have a guest. That’s right, a guest. What is the crazy girl talking about you might be wondering?? Well today is the first day of my 2^nd trimester… of pregnancy!!

That’s right I have a little bun in the oven, a pea in the pod. We’re having a baby and Grady is finally going to be a big brother. The poor kiddo will be 8 years old by the time Baby M arrives. And I’m sure they baby will torture him for a few years as he or she gets older. But he wanted to be a big brother and now he will be.

So yep, I’ve been a little quite the last little bit. Because I have been sick. And I have been tired. Growing a human takes a lot out of a girl. Oh and because getting to this day has been a little bit of a challenge. Not a huge challenge but a challenge none the less. We miscarried last fall at about 9 ½ weeks into another pregnancy. Now that takes a lot out of girl. Much more than I could have anticipated or prepared for. And then it took many months for my hormone levels to return to normal for us to get the green light again. And then it took a couple months for things to “take.” And then it took. And we have patiently been watching the days pass, hoping everything would be okay. And other than one very, very long weekend with just the tiniest bit of spotting followed by a whole lot of cramping, followed by a trip to the doctor for an ultrasound that Monday morning to assure us everything was just fine. Everything has been just fine. Except I have been sick. And I have been tired. Did I mention how much growing a human takes out of a girl??

So that is the big excitement in our world. We got to go last week for an ultrasound at our hospital for our first trimester screen (it screens for higher risk of Down’s Syndrome and a couple few other genetic things). They measure the amount of fluid right around the neck area and do a blood test. All has been in the normal range for someone like me for someone of “advanced maternal age.” For Pete’s sake. I'm 35 and that is the magic number. Here is a little peek at the little one. S/he was quite active kinda moving and bouncing around in there. It was very fun to watch and a little surreal. Heartbeat was 151 BPM. When they took the heart rate with the Doppler thingy at the doctors office the week before it was like 171. So quite the range. Okay so I had planned on just sharing our news, not writing a novel. I’ll quit rambling on.

OOOOOhhhh but I almost forfor the best part. So that would be Baby M's due date. That would be December 24. As in Christmas Eve. As in Dad-to-be's (who is a minister remember) single biggest work day of the  year. How is THAT for planning??? We just laugh and know that God really does have a sense of humor.