IT'S A GIRL!!

After what seemed like an eternity we finally had our ultrasound on Thursday!  Most importantly I wanted to make sure the baby was healthy and then I was dying to know "who" was in there!  We saw a perfect 4 chamber heart, 3 vessel cord, normal brain and measurements were all right where they should be.  Then the ultrasound tech said "are you sure you wanna know?" Ummm...YES!  So she moved around for just a few seconds and said "You see those three lines?" AHHH!  Another girl! Brian wasn't sure what the three lines meant until I said "Haylea had three lines!"  I think I am still in shock...I thought for sure it was a boy this time.  I think it is wonderful though.  I can't wait for Haylea and her little sister to grow up and hopefully be best friends!  They are so close in age that I hope they will have a lot of fun together as the years go on. 

I think we may have a name but we are waiting to announce it until we are sure.  I would say right now we are 95% set but...I might need a few days to let it sink in!  Today we moved my craft room into the guest bedroom and all the stuff that was in there for storage went down to the basement.  So this little girl is getting her own room and I can't wait to start decorating it and getting ready!  Daddy is going to build her furniture just like he did for Haylea so I can't wait for him to get started on that as well.  I went through all the baby clothes today and re-washed them all.  I forgot how stinkin cute newborn onesies are!  Haylea had some really cute outfits that I hated to put away when she outgrew them and now I get to use them again!  Of course, we will have to buy a few new things as well. ;)  I am halfway through this pregnancy so we better get going before I am so big I can't do anything anymore!

As I was clearing out the craft room and Brian was moving things downstairs for storage, we also had to bring out the baby gear.  Brian all of a sudden said "Oh No...It came back to haunt us!"  When I asked what he was talking about all I had to do was look into our bedroom where he had put the swing.  And there she was...giggling and loving that stupid thing!  We had a love-hate relationship with that dang thing.  For MONTHS it was the only place she would sleep.  Yeah, she slept in it so that was great but we just wanted her to sleep in her BED!  But you do what you have to do and it got us through those months so for that I am grateful.  So here she is...in the dang swing!

Snow Day...and Picture Day!

We went out and played in the snow today...as you can see, Haylea didn't really care for it much!  I don't think she really knew what to do.  She just sat there and pouted.  Ginger didn't mind though!

Earlier in the day I was supposed to have a photo shoot but because of all the snow we cancelled for now.  So instead I decided it was time to take some new pictures of Haylea!  She isn't really interested in that either.  The only things she is interested in lately are her Ellie, the dog (doh), and food!  I was able to get some shots though and she looked so cute in her little jean dress!  Here are just a few of them with a cool vintage edit that I wanted to try out.



And a bunch from this week...we have been busy! 

Ready to go shopping with mommy in my new super cool hat!

Haylea's new favorite thing to do is stand on a chair at the island to "help" us cook.  Here she is helping daddy make mozzarella sticks for mommy's birthday party! YUMMY!

We have been giving Haylea a fork to eat with lately...not much food goes on it but she sure does try!

 Haylea spent the day with Aunt BB and this is what happened!  She actually let her put her hair in a piggy!  I have been trying but she just hated it and threw a fit so I just stopped trying.  Well not anymore...if BB can do it so can Mommy!

Daddy was cutting up fruit so Haylea was helping by putting this banana in a bowl for us.  She just couldn't figure out how to get it to fit!  Such a good helper.

This is what our hair looks like after we take the piggy down!  Oh well...she is still stinkin cute even with her hair all wonky!

Cookin...with wonky hair.

Ultrasound is coming up!

Our 20 week ultrasound to see how Gummy Bear is doing is one week from today!!  I am so anxious to know "who" is growing in there.  I can't wait to find out and start preparing the new nursery and getting clothes gathered and put away.  Now that it is the first of the year and I am halfway through this pregnancy I am getting really excited to get everything ready for this baby.  I am going to be a mommy of 2 in just a few months!  Work has been hard the past few weeks...I am talking about seeing all the ultrasound machines and not being able to use them!  It seems like everyday I work I see the ultrasound techs pushing around their machines to patient bedsides.  I just want to grab their little probe and put it on my belly...just for a minute!

I am starting to prepare myself for sleepless nights and now that I have Haylea too, I will also have sleepless days because I won't be able to nap with the baby!  I vaguely remember how exhausted I was with Haylea but I do remember how much I loved her naptime because it meant that I could rest too.  Haylea will be starting preschool in the fall (makes me sad to think about it though!).  It will be twice a week 9a-1p.  Four hours is a long time to leave my baby girl!  But I think it will give me a chance to get things done or rest with the baby.  Hopefully that will be baby's naptime! 

Expecting Baby #2!

I decided to start a new blog for baby #2.  It is a fresh start to a new life and one step closer to completing our family.  At one time I never thought I would even be thinking about baby #2 let alone carrying that baby.  After Haylea's first birthday we decided it was time to try again.  Of course, given our history of miscarriages and fertility struggles, we were nervous but excited at the same time.  We know how blessed we are to have Haylea and how much she changed our lives for the better and we just couldn't wait to add to the family.  After spending the majority of 2 years trying to conceive our first, we thought we should get started as soon as possible because who knows how long it would take this time. In September, 2010 we went back to our fertility Dr. who agreed that we should stick to what worked to conceive Haylea.  We went into that first cycle not expecting to conceive right away but hopeful that we would.  We assumed it would take a few tries.  However, on Sunday, September 12, 2010 I found the faintest of lines on my home pregnancy test.  It was very early, but if you know me you know I CAN'T wait when it comes to testing!  Each day after the line got darker and darker.  It worked!!  We were pregnant again!  Now let the obsessing and worrying begin! 

We wanted it to be a surprise this time.  We didn't even tell anyone we went back to the Dr. to discuss trying again.  My goal was to wait until we saw a heartbeat on ultrasound before telling anyone.  When you find out you are pregnant when you are only 3 1/2 weeks along and your first ultrasound isn't until you are almost 7 weeks it is torture not telling your close family and friends!  At least it is for me...I have no willpower with these sorts of things.  I caved and we told our parents and my sister after my second set of labs came back with great results.  I figured these people will know either way if something happens so I could use all the prayers I could get.  Those prayers worked because at that first ultrasound we saw the most amazing little heartbeat.  I had seen it with Haylea but you never forget that first ultrasound.  Yes, the ones later on are fun because you see baby moving and kicking around and you can find out the gender.  But the best by FAR is that first time you see that little flicker on the screen.  At least it is for us...we went twice before with our first and third pregnancies hoping and praying to see it and unfortunately we didn't.  It was horrible to look at that screen and see nothing moving.  So after that experience we never thought we would see a heartbeat on that screen...and now we have seen two! 

The next few weeks were rough.  I was like a zombie.  So exhausted and nauseous.  Brian took over most of the household and parenting duties while I spent time in bed or on the couch.  You would think such a tiny little person growing inside wouldn't take up so much of your energy but that is definitely not the case!  The good thing was, as exhausted and sick as I felt, I rarely got sick which was a relief because with Haylea I was throwing up almost every day up until she was born! 

So here we are.  It is 1/1/11 and the start to a new year full of excitement for our family.  I am currently 19 weeks pregnant (due May 27, 2011) and I can't wait to see what the year brings for us.  Watching Haylea continue to grow and learn new things and in a few months welcoming our new bundle of joy into the world.  It is going to be crazy and so much fun!

Here are a few pics to recap the past few months and begin the next step in our journey!

 6 weeks...Beautiful Heartbeat!

8 weeks...Gummy Bear!

12 weeks...Waving Hi!

First Belly Pic...18 Weeks on Christmas Day 2010