36/37 Weeks

Here we are almost 37 weeks...a little late on the monthly picture. But we have made it to 9 months...only 4 weeks until my due date. However, I have a c-section scheduled for 39 weeks. I will take one more picture wearing this blue shirt right before going to the hospital. Unless of course I go into labor before my c-section date then I may not get a last belly shot in the blue shirt.

I haven't posted too much about really wanting a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarean) or the plan that has been set by my doctors. I may post that this week. The c-section being scheduled at 39 weeks isn't the ideal situation, but it is the way my doctors office works. I am given an opportunity to have a vbac if I go into labor on my own before 39 weeks. Other wise I will have a repeat c-section.

I am still feeling pretty good even at 36 weeks. Over the last week or so I must have really started looking big. I am getting comments almost every time I am out. It really is shocking to me how often people say things. And it almost seems like I am getting more comments from men then women. Things like "you must be miserable", "are there 2 babies in there?", "you look like you are due any day." I suppose these are all fine things to say to a 9 month pregnant girl. But the truth is I really haven't been miserable yet(yes, my almost all day heart burn might make things a little tough). I am actually enjoying being pregnant and trying to enjoy every moment I have left. Jake was born a few days after 37 weeks so I know that this can be over any day now. I want to remember every moment of our sweet Lily when she was in my belly.

I am doing much better this pregnancy then I did with Jake. At this point my blood pressure was up and I had been put on moderate bed rest. The 2nd time around seems a little easier.

I may get one more post up before she is born, but we will see how it all plays out. But if not my c-section is scheduled for Jan. 23rd. And I am sure I will have an update posted later that week

Lily's Room...finished

Here are pictures of Lily's finished room. However, I would like to do a little more on the wall with her name...I have a few ideas. And after taking these pictures it looks a little plain on that side of the room.

 Looking in from the door

 The guest "book" from her baby shower...each guest placed their finger print on the tree

Paint...part 1

Finally in just a few days I will be posting pictures of Lily's finished room. But I decided instead of all one post I should do it in a couple. I guess I could have shared this post a month ago, but alas here is part 1 of getting Lily's room ready. (disclaimer:I know babies don't need elaborately decorated rooms, but I love doing it & wanted to decorate the room just for her).

Lily's room used to be our "office"...where the computer was. Along with the room that anything that didn't have a place went into that room. It was extra storage for us...and 9 times out of 10 was a HUGE disaster. Oh and we used to have a snake in the room too. Right after we found out Lily would be on her way Jason found someone to take the snake(thank goodness)!

So we cleaned out her room and then picked out a pink for the walls. Painting was the next step to getting it ready. Jake was so excited to be able to help paint the pink walls.

I had been searching the internet for girl room ideas and saw several rooms with trees. After we picked out her bedding I knew a tree would look great in Lily's room. Thank goodness for a wonderful high school friends who also happens to be an amazing artist(or really good at anything creative). I showed her a couple pictures of what I liked and away she went. Sketching a tree on the wall free hand and then painting it. Thank you Marisa...if you want something painted on your wall let me know & I will pass her along your way.

Just about the time the tree was finished we got the call that some of her furniture was in.

I love how curvy & girly her bed is!! And hopefully when she is a teenager her big dresser will make up for the fact that she has the room with a tiny closet. Jake's room has a closet that could almost count as a whole other bedroom.

Stay tuned part 2 the finished room will be up a little later this week.

32 weeks

I am now 8 months pregnant. I really can't believe how close we are to meeting our little Lily Kate.

My c-section is scheduled for January 23rd. I am still holding out that she will come on her own & I will have a chance at a vbac. Because of my previous c-section my doctor's office won't induce & they won't let me go to my due date. Which leaves everything up to Lily to be ready to come on her own. I am a little more ok with the c-section now. However, it is still not my ideal way to welcome our baby girl. I want a vbac so that my baby can be handed directly to me when she comes out. Not just shown to me all wrapped up as her & her Daddy leave the operating room. The recovery from a vaginal delivery is so much easier than a c-section. I really wonder about taking care of a baby & Jake after a c-section. I know Jason will be here to help & of course my parents & Jason's parents are going to be able to help too.

Sorry about this months pictures...we are still using our half broken camera & of course this is the best picture we could get today.

I have my next doctors appointment on December 12th with another ultrasound. At my last appointment she was breech...I think she might still be that way. I still feel all her movement in the same spot as before...so I am thinking she hasn't turned. But I could be wrong. Starting with my appointment on the 12th I will then be going to the doctor twice a week until she is born. Monday's will be an ultrasound & then on Thursday I go back for an NST. This is all because of my gestational diabetes. I had the same thing with Jake. At the end they want to keep a closer watch that she is not getting too big.

Holy heart burn...I have the worst heart burn of my life. It has been bad throughout my pregnancy, but now it is pretty much an all day thing. But it is the small inconveniences to having a baby.

Everything else is going great! Trying to take it all in before it is all over. I missed Jake being in my belly after he was born & I am sure I will miss having Lily all to myself too once she is here. 

Surrounded by Love(shower)

Here are some other pictures from Lily's shower.

We are so blessed to be surrounded by so many people who love us and already love our sweet girl. It couldn't not have been better to celebrate Lily with all these wonderful people(and those who couldn't be there too).

 Jake showing all his sister's new pink & pretty stuff

 Just had to share...trying to get a picture with Jake...and in Jake fashion had to make silly faces in them all

 A group of wonderful ladies...family & friends

 My mom & sisters

 The beautiful lady who put it all together...Thank You Vickie!!!

Amber...who was taking pictures and wasn't in our group shot.

Showered with Love(details)

My friend Vickie threw us the most beautiful girly baby shower. It was so exciting to see all the details she put together. She blessed us with a knitting themed baby shower with a touch of vintage to go along with it.

Started from Psalm 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

She really is that creative to make a whole shower from a Bible verse. And it all looked so beautiful together.
Because breakfast might be one of my favorite types of food(is that a type or just a meal?) Vickie served   delicious breakfast food. And some may think baby shower games are cheesy, but I happen to think they are fun. And it seemed everyone enjoyed the games Vickie put together too.

3rd Trimester

28 weeks...we have started the 3rd trimester!! That means Lily is almost here.

I have probably said this with every monthly update, but I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. And I know with Thanksgiving only 2 weeks away and then Christmas it is going to seem even faster. This time of year always goes so fast...I am determined to try and slow down to enjoy every minute. I want to take in all the Holiday fun with Jake since this is his last as an only child. I also want to take in every minute of this pregnancy(especially since it seems this could be the last). I want to remember every kick, every feeling, & even every discomfort.

My goal is to have her room finished by Thanksgiving. With last weeks painting and this weeks furniture delivery it looks like we will accomplish that goal. This will definitely help in being able to enjoy this season and not have to worry about getting everything finished in time for Lily to be here.

Are you wondering about her name? If we aren't friends on facebook you may have missed the official announcement. By a very small 1 vote we have a name winner....LILY KATE is our baby girl's name. As I have said she has been Lily for a long time, but we weren't sure about spelling or middle name.

Everything is going great with only a few discomforts. The biggest being heart burn. I had some heart burn with Jake, but it has been terrible this time. Over the last couple weeks it seems no matter what I eat, or drink I am likely to get heart burn. I have to say I am so glad that the only time I get heart burn is when I am pregnant...not sure how people deal with it all the time. It is so painful!!!

She is moving a lot, but already seems to be in a schedule. She moves a little in the morning when I first get up. I occasionally feel her throughout the day. Then just as it has been for a while she moves a whole bunch in the evening. I am excited to go to my Dr. appointment on Friday. I will get another ultrasound and will be able to see how she is positioned. At my last appointment her head was on my right side and butt was on my left, going all the across my belly. I can't tell if she has moved to be head down...I feel her moving all over my belly making it hard to tell which is what moving.

My wonderful best friend is hosting a baby shower for us this weekend. I am so excited to celebrate our sweet girl with our family & friends. I am sure I will have pictures to share from then.

Am I missing anything? Do you have any questions about this pregnancy?

It is all in a Name

The latest picture of our sweet girl...kind of hard to see! It is a profile view with her knee up to her chin. It was nice to have another confirmation that she is indeed a girl. I had been so worried they were going to tell me they had been wrong at my last visit.

But now we have come to her name. Jason didn't want to talk too  much about names before we knew if we were having a boy or girl. As soon as we were told she is a girl Jason knew he wanted to name her Lily. So it was set.

Our sweet girl will be Lily, but we aren't for sure on the spelling. Lily is the typical way to spell her name, but I also like Lillie. However, we know she will always have to tell people how to spell her name and correcting the spelling.

And then you have her middle name our 2 choices are Grace or Kate. We both like them and would be happy with either, but we are kind of at a stand still. The time is coming when I might want to start getting some things monogrammed and of course we will be putting her name on the wall in her room. So it has come to a time when we need to make a decision.

We have been calling her Lily/Lillie for several weeks now because the spelling doesn't change what her name is. It has been nice to have a name, and be able to call her by it.

Here is where you our wonderful family, friends, and blog readers come into play...we are putting her name to a vote. Yes, you read that right a VOTE. We will most likely choose what has the highest number of votes, but being that we are her parents we do have final say!! If you look at the top right of the blog just below the header you will see the poll. Click your favorite and get your vote in. Please feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think along with your vote. Can't wait to see what you guys pick.

24 Weeks

24 Weeks pregnant!!

Things are going great.
She moves around a lot. I think she already misses Jake when he is not awake. Given that Jake talks all day long she gets used to hearing his voice. Once Jake goes to bed and it is quiet for awhile she notices. Usually around 8 or 8:30 she starts moving like crazy. I imagine she is thinking where did Jake go...or anyone for that matter. It is usually just me & some nights the tv at that time so it is very quiet. I enjoy this time of her moving around. Jason still hasn't felt her from the outside yet. She does most of her moving when he isn't home so he hasn't really had a chance.

We ordered her furniture this week. It is beautiful and curvy and girly. So excited to see it in her room. Although it is going to take 8-10 weeks to arrive which kind of gave me a small panic. But I am hoping it comes in early. My goal is to have her room finished by Thanksgiving.

I have a doctors appointment and another scheduled ultrasound. I am looking forward to seeing our girl again...and if I am being honest one more confirmation that she really is a girl.

We are still talking about names. Well, if you asked Jason he would say it is set. And we do have her 1st name picked, but haven't settled on how we will spell it. And the middle name is between 2. I have joked it is going to come down to a blog vote, and maybe it really will.

Baby Items

I know a baby doesn't need much. Especially with this being our 2nd baby. We saved a lot of the big stuff from Jake.

There are a few things I am super excited about getting and using for our baby girl. A couple are for fun because I have seen them on line and love them & some are what I consider must haves for a baby. And now I get to buy them in super cute girly patterns.

The Baby Be Blessed Doll...these dolls look so cute and cuddly. But one of the best parts is their tummies have a Bible verse stitched on them. I need to get to picking out a Bible verse for our girl.

I started baby wearing with Jake around when he was 6 months old. I only had a mei tai carrier with him. I am very excited to start wearing this baby from the very beginning. But then there is the choice of a carrier(or several) to choose from. Do you have a recommendation? I would love to hear your favorite carrier...especially for a newborn.  I am leaning toward a pouch sling and a ring sling. But I hear great things about several other carriers. Heavenly Hold  

{Images of slings from Heavenly Hold }

Along with a diaper bag I am also want a small bag for diaper and wipes. I love the Gussy Sews diaper/wipe wristlet. 

Lastly for the moment( I am sure I will see several more things online).  A nursing cover. I used the Bebe Au Lait hooter hider with Jake and really liked it. I will use it again, but am excited to pick out a girly pattern.

Pink, Bows, & Ruffles

We are so excited to share that we are expecting a GIRL!!! Yes, you read that right. Our lives are going to be filled with pink, hair bows, & ruffley things.

I went into our 20 week ultrasound really having no idea whether we would hear pink or blue. So when she said it is a Girl...I was surprised. In fact I think as I write this I am still a little surprised that we will be welcoming a precious bundle of PINK!!! Jason was pretty shocked too, but has already been talking girl names, picking out girl things, and is excited to welcome Daddy's little girl.
Her profile

It took Jake the majority of the day to be excited about having a sister. Because his cousin is having a brother(on Monday) Jake thought for sure his baby would be a boy too. His first reaction was "I wish she would have told me I was having a brother." Then he was very worried about not having toys for a girl. We saved all of Jake's baby toys in our attic(all of which are completely gender neutral). But Jake then said "we don't have girl baby toys in our attic and Nana doesn't have girl toys either." Later as we drove down the road I heard him say several times "I am so excited to have a sister." And then his finally remark before turning the corning and being totally excited to pick out all things pink was "but, Mommy, I drew a boy baby in our family picture." I assured him it was ok and soon as the day went on and into today he is very excited to have a baby sister. He has kissed and rubbed his sister(my belly) several times today.

Our girl is breaking the boy chain. On my side of the family including Jake my parents have 7 grandsons!!! And now will be welcoming their 8th grandchild a GIRL!

And now it is time to start shopping! ;) 

                                                               Her feet

Half Way

Wow...have I said this pregnancy is going so fast? Well, it is!! We are 20 weeks(5 months)!!! It seems so strange to already say 20 weeks. 

At about 16 weeks I finally reached the feeling good stage. No more sickness!! I can feel the baby moving several times a day. You know the small inside belly flutters. I am looking forward to Jason & Jake being able to feel the baby from the outside soon! It should be soon!

Cravings are all over the place. Ice cream has been the only constant. Everything else is all over. And some weeks nothing really sounds good. But usually the problem is I can't think of anything I want to eat,  but everything I hear or see sounds good.

I have started to have some heart burn at night...is it too early for this?
I take a picture every month wearing the same shirt
The downer...Gestational Diabetes! I had it with Jake & my doctor decided to test early. Sure enough both the 1 hour & 3 hour tests...failed. I was really hoping this time would be different and I wouldn't have it, but no such luck. With Jake my previous doctor went straight to insulin shots. I was so worried about doing shots again. I know if it came to it I would. But thankfully this doctor is letting me control it with diet for the time being. Of course I still have to check my sugar 4 times a day. Jake is mesmerized by me checking my sugar. And often ask me throughout the day if my sugar is too high. Of course having gestational diabetes puts a little damper on my ice cream craving(umm...not that I don't indulge sometimes).  If you think about it would you pray I can control this with diet.

Super exciting 20 week news...we go on Thursday to find out if baby #2 is a boy or girl!!! To say I have been counting down to this day would be an understatement!! We can't wait to know. And Jake is super excited about going to see the baby on the screen.

Avocado

16 weeks...hard to believe we are at 4 months. Wondering why avocado? Every week I get an update on our baby and each week they equate the size of our baby to some type of food. This week our baby is around the size of an avocado. It is always fun to see what food will be for that week.

I am feeling great these days which is a huge blessing! Jake & I have been able to play. I feel like a much better mom when I am not just lying on the couch.

Had my regular check up last week and everything looks great. Heart beat was in the 150's. Signed my consent for a vbac...so exciting to be in a practice that is going to at least give me the chance to try. I know it may not end up that way, but I checked with several other practices who said "no" for no reason.

Dying to know if we will be welcoming a boy or girl. The next time I go to the doctor will be for the ultrasound. I can't wait to name our baby & start decorating the nursery.

I am at the in between stage. Not looking pregnant, but questionable. At the point of feeling kind of fat & not pregnant. My pants are starting to get tight. I tried on a pair of maternity pants and they are still too big. Again the in between stage. Plus since being passed the sickness(thank God) and not really having any movement(I have felt a few flutters here and there) I have found myself questioning if I am really pregnant.

All 3 of us are still over the moon. It is so much fun to hear Jake talk about all the stuff he is going to do with the baby or show the baby once it gets here.

12 Weeks

My goodness it seems so surreal to already be at 12 weeks. Had a doctors appointment last week & everything looks great. They did an ultrasound to confirm my due date. Which was such a sweet surprise to see our tiny baby(now the size of a lime, according to baby center.) on the screen looking so perfect. It was great to be able to see & hear the heart beat...beating at a steady 169 BPM. They did change my due date from my estimated February 4th to now January 30th...but I am sure you all know how due dates go!

This pregnancy has been different from Jake's & I really have been feeling sick ALL THE TIME. The past couple weeks I have finally had a few days here and there that I feel ok. It is then followed by a day I feel horrible the whole day. So I have yet to get too excited about my feeling good days. (even though I did have a couple in a row this week)!

Looking forward to being at the end of the feeling sick...but torn between wishing my pregnancy away. I mostly enjoy being pregnant and want to soak in every moment of this time. Jason says 2 is good for us so it makes me want to remember every moment of this pregnancy and take it all in. What if I really never do it again? Of course nothing is set in stone yet.

I have had a few cravings...mashed potatoes(I think I might even dreams about them), ice cream & milk have stuck around for a little while. I have the super strong pregnancy nose(way worse then with Jake). I feel like I live in a permanent state of something stinking or just smelling way too strong. Some food has started to taste different too...like certain things stick out way more. Yesterdays grilled veggies were way too lemony even though I love grilled veggies.

Jake is super excited about the baby & talks about it all the time. He wants to rub my belly(not really baby yet), he talks to the baby & everything he does he can't wait to show the baby when it gets here. It is so fun to hear him talk about the baby so often. Praying his excitement sticks around once the baby is here.