Life's Little Surprises

We got the surprise of our life today:  baby #2 is going to be a BOY! Woohooo! OK, so it wasn't a complete surprise... This pregnancy from the get-go has been SO different from Jo. I was sick until 16 weeks with Jo-and not just sick but dangerously ill. This time I had occasional nausea just until 10 weeks. Piece of cake. There have been times I have almost forgotten I was pregnant! So this one has definitely been different. Not to mention all the crazy wives tales and tests I have done!! I checked the Chinese Gender Predictor: Boy. I did the needle/string over the palm test: Boy. I did the chain/charm over the palm test: Boy. I did the needle/string over the belly test: Boy. But I don't really believe in any of those tests... unless I can physically SEE parts (or lack thereof...), I am not buying clothes!

Tada! Boy Parts!

This morning it was confirmed for us: we saw boy parts! When the technician casually said "...and...It's a boy"~ I started crying. I had a feeling it would be, but you never really know for sure! I was thinking there was a chance we would be that couple with 4 girls and no boys... which would have been fine but both of us wanted a little boy to play sports and protect his sister. Of course there's the whole "carry on the family name" and pride issue for Adam too. So needless to say we are THRILLED with our little man.

Here's our handsome little man at 16 weeks gestation <3

Much to our surprise we got plenty of 4D Ultrasound images to adore. I can't help but wonder what he will look like when he is born. That's going to have to be one of the surprises of his arrival :) 

We also chose to keep another element of his arrival a surprise: his name! There's not really any reason other than we like the idea of keeping some suspense in the mix. It's one of the few surprises we can control! 

*Other Updates* Along with learning that our little man is indeed a boy, I was also assured that (assuming no complications or health concerns) I will be allowed to hold our little man immediately following his arrival until I decide it is OK for him to go be weighed and cleaned up and such. That was such a relief. It was a shock that I was able to hold Jo immediately and for as long as I did (about an hour and a half!), but a wonderful shock and I wanted that special bonding time with this baby too. I was also reassured that there were drugs besides an epidural that could be administered to control nausea during delivery. It was mainly fear of continued nausea (and lack of time to make a decision! lol) during delivery that made me make the decision to have an epidural with Jo. I don't regret that decision, but I am coming to terms with the fact that I most likely won't have the opportunity for an epidural this time around, so I wanted to be prepared to ask for other medications now that I knew they were available (and safe). 

That's pretty much it as far as our growing family updates go! Hope ya'll are having a wonderful week! As Jo would say, "Bye, Ya'll!"

Baby G #2: Pink or Blue?

Oops, we did it again! Not oops at all, actually. We have wanted another baby ever since Jo was born, but had agreed to wait until she was 2 (potty-trained) and we were out of debt (I don't consider a house payment "debt"...I mean credit cards and other revolving debts). Well of course as soon as I see the light at the end of the debt tunnel, I start getting excited. We jumped the gun a little, but you remember we had a hard time getting pregnant with Jo-there was specialists and testing and medications and all sorts of fun stuff... in my mind, this time would be just as difficult (or at least take a good six months). WRONG. Best Surprise Ever!

The doctor's office I ended up with in Indiana immediately got me in for bloodwork, which I really appreciated. They also gave me an ultrasound at 6 weeks and another at 8. Seeing that tiny heartbeat is the biggest relief in my mind. I actually like morning sickness (as much as you can like it) because to me it means that things are still going well. So here's the ultrasounds I got at 6 and 8 weeks:

6 weeks

8 weeks

Just one week later (9 weeks) we moved to Alabama. We had wanted to wait until I was obviously showing or we knew the sex of the baby to tell anyone we were expecting another baby, simply because we were moving and I wanted to safely be in my second trimester where the risk of miscarriage has decreased significantly before we started spreading the news. BUT at my 8 week appointment I was advised not to exercise, lift, or do so much as elevate my heart rate. Boo. So with a 12 hour move we decided to go ahead and tell family-I didn't want to be the brat standing in the corner not helping pack or move her own stuff without a valid excuse! So I made Jo a big sister shirt

It took the family who came to pack a few minutes before they read the shirt and figured it out, but I'm glad that's how we told everyone. It's much more fun than a phone call :D

Sorry for the terrible picture! It's the only one I have of her in the shirt

Once we finally got all packed up, loaded, and moved, the next challenge was to find a doctor in Mobile. I'm pretty picky about my doctor's offices. I want them to understand my previous complications and be willing to do those few little extra things that put a Mommy's mind at ease. So I turned to a Facebook page I found called "Mobile Mommies"... it was a buying/selling site but I figured who better to ask about OB/GYN's than mommies who had delivered in Mobile? I picked the most recommended Doc and scheduled my first appointment.
My doctor is FANTASTIC! At every appointment they do a complimentary ultrasound with a handheld device similar in size to an iPhone. Even if you don't get a big ultrasound on the T.V. screen with a printout (or 10), you get to see your baby and see that precious heartbeat. He had reviewed my chart and noticed things that I didn't realize had even happened, and we discussed how we were going to manage things this time around. For instance, I had Jo VERY fast and easily. Apparently, this is actually called "Precipitous Labor" and can cause you to labor so quickly you don't get to the hospital in time for delivery. Bring on the "have the baby in the back of the car" nightmares. The chance of laboring even faster with baby #2 is very high, so he reassured me that I would be monitored very closely so that I made it to the hospital :) He's very nice.

14 weeks! 

We scheduled my next appointment at 16 weeks (less than 2 weeks from now, Sept. 18) - this appointment will answer the big question on mine and Adam's minds: Pink or Blue??? I haven't been sick for about a month now (YAY!) where as I was dangerously sick with Jo until about 16 weeks. So that has Adam thinking boy. I've been saying "he" but I think it is more because Adam calls baby a boy, but who knows. So what do you think baby G is going to be?