A Much Needed Update

Our little Peanut is 29 weeks today. Well I guess little might not be the correct description, length is suppose to be over 16 inches and weight could be 3 lbs. Yikes this baby is growing like crazy! I think I've noticed a difference over the past week. Sleep is definitely starting to become more interrupted with discomfort and bathroom breaks. I feel like I look down on Tim when I am sleeping because I am on a fortress of pillows. Speaking of Tim, me and Peanut are so lucky to have him in our lives because he shows/tells us how much we are loved everyday. I couldn't have asked for a better father to my child. I hope Peanut follows in daddy's footsteps when it comes to character and compassion because he is an incredible person - most people who know him can't agree more I'm sure!

We decided to take some updated pictures of our nursery and my belly since it's been a while. The first picture is with the cutest little bib, it says Lil Peanut and has a little elephant on it. Obviously we had to get it for Peanut. As you can also see in the picture, there is definitely a "lil" Peanut in there.

This picture is a little better showing just how big Peanut has gotten. I swear my belly wasn't this big last week. Unfortunately this is not after eating dinner, I'm hoping my maternity pants and sweater exaggerate a little. Although I'm not sure at 29 weeks you can blame clothing?!?

For those of you wanting to see an update of our nursery, don't get your hopes up. We are keeping it neutral and simple, but we still need to hang a picture and decide where we are going to put a couple of clings for the walls. The furniture appears black in the photos, but it is actually espresso or a deep chocolate. The crib is almost complete, we are just waiting for the mattress cover and a crib sheet before it is done. There is a bumper in there, but that is just for pictures. I'm going to remove that once Peanut arrives and starts sleeping in the crib. The little froggie chair to the left of the crib is going to be our measure of Peanut's growth month to month. We plan on taking monthly pictures with it, as a bed for early months and eventually a chair when Peanut gets bigger.

We received our glider and ottoman this week, so we are complete for big furniture in the nursery. It is incredibly comfortable and very supportive. We have to purchase a better cloth for the nightstand next to the ottoman, and decide on window valence/treatment. The dresser has a couple of little things here and there, probably not final locations except the little piggy bank - which we are happy to say already has money in it. We have started putting loose change in the little piggy.
Finally a photo of our Chicco stroller and car seat. Everyone was a little reluctant when I picked out the color because it was so bright, but once it was put together I had the support. We don't even have a lot of "big" things for the baby, but we are already finding out that this little person comes with a lot of baggage.

We are so excited for Peanut's arrival and thank everyone for their support! We are also counting our blessings because several public health employees at Tim's work were just deployed to Pine Ridge (over 6 hours away) for 3 months with less than 24 hour notice. Tim called me panicking, but somehow I was the calm one and assured Tim we would handle whatever came our direction. I also promised him he would not miss the arrival of his first child. We are so fortunate that he was not deployed especially since he is one of four remaining public health officers left at his station. We look forward to celebrating the New Year and all it has to bring to our new family. We wish you a Happy New Year, and hope all your dreams come true in 2011.

Peanut is Entertaining!

As you can tell we are pretty boring people because we are excited by every little thing that Peanut does these days. The other night while we were lying in bed, I had my computer on my lap and noticed Peanut actively moving. So I told Tim to watch my stomach, and sure enough Peanut was active enough for us to watch the movements. Tim even said, "Jeez, I can't believe Peanut is that active already. S/He is going crazy in there." The weird thing is I am not having a lot of caffeine or sugar in the evening. Tim keeps saying that this is definitely my kid because the most action is happening at night. This little one is definitely a night owl because I don't notice much movement until the middle of the morning, but things really get going in the evening. The other day Mommy and Daddy went on a dinner/movie date. During the movie, Peanut was moving around probably because I was drinking pop and laughing quite a bit at the movie. Tim put his hand on my stomach, and I sware Peanut gave Daddy a high five. I haven't felt a kick that strong yet, Tim even looked at me like wow that was a strong one. Needless to say, actions like these are the highlight of our days now. We are really excited to begin the third trimester this week too! Thanks to everyone for your support and interest in our family. Special shout out to Sam for the sweet comments! It is nice to have some feedback on these posts every once in awhile. We hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas!

Baby is Active!

Today while sitting with my computer on my lap, I felt several movements from Peanut. Some of which were really strong that I thought I saw the blanket move. So I lowered the blanket so I could see my belly through my clothing, and there Peanut went again. Two or three strong kicks or movements because my belly was dancing, which is probably one of the most strange sensations of pregnancy. Watching your body do something that you should be in control of, and you can only sit and watch the show. Over the last couple of days some the movements were less intense and more frequent, almost predictable. So I think this week little Peanut was having some hiccups. Last night Ginger was lying with me while Peanut was exercising, and she kept lifting you ears or tilting her head each time I felt a kick. Finally after a couple of minutes of this, she moved to go sit with Tim. I'm just waiting for the time when Peanut stops with the doggie love taps and decides to kick so hard that Baxter or Ginger actually move. Although it is still funny watching their reactions to movements when they are laying with their heads on me. Our family is really excited for Peanut's arrival, and time seems to be going by so quickly. Tomorrow marks 27 weeks! I often catch Tim staring at my belly, to which he just smiles and says he likes looking at Peanut and watching his/her home grow. Thanks sweetheart!

Thank You Peanut!

Yesterday was a milestone in the Sass household! Finally after weeks of trying, Tim was able to feel Peanut kick! Each time Peanut was playing soccer in my belly, I would have Tim feel my stomach in hopes that he could feel the movement. Most of the time the kicks would stop, I think because Peanut could sense the calmness that Tim exudes. It might also be that Peanut was continuing to mess around with Tim since s/he has been doing that since the beginning of this journey. :) We were lying in bed last night and Tim was drifting off to sleep. I started feeling consistent movement, and I felt it from the outside so I grabbed Tim's hand. He had his hand there for a few moments, and wasn't able to feel the kicks I could feel on the outside. Then Tim said, "Why is Peanut kicking me?" He had a huge smile on his face and he was able to feel 3 or 4 kicks, he was so excited to finally feel the baby! I was almost in tears because aside from the ultrasound (and the rounding of my belly), this was the first proof for Tim that there is a baby growing in there. Needless to say we are glowing today because we are so excited that Peanut finally decided to let Daddy know that something is really going on in there. I also like to think it was Peanut's way of showing love to Daddy because last week I was writing an email to Tim and out of nowhere I had crazy kicks going on until I told Tim that Peanut said hello, and then the movement settled down. I guess this 9 months of waiting thing just makes your mind do crazy things! Either way we are excited to see how these next 14 weeks go, and await the arrival of our baby!

**As a side note, today we are officially under 100 days until March 17th**

Waiting for a Playmate!

Baxter and Ginger can't hide their excitement for a new playmate! Well maybe they don't seem really excited here, but any time we bring something home or a package arrives for Peanut they are really interested. Probably only because they want presents too! They do sense something is going on because they are more calm around me and like to play a little harder with Tim. When we listen to the baby on the doppler, they are more interested now. It is really cute having the doggies around us on the bed while we listen to Peanut. Our new little family all together on one bed! Somehow I don't think that will be changing much come March. It's crazy to think we have only 3 more weeks and then we are into the 3rd and final trimester. Next week we say goodbye to triple digits as the countdown goes below 100 days! This time has gone by so quickly, and we are so excited to meet our baby!

Photo Updates

This past weekend we scored an incredible find, we just couldn't pass it up. This adorable peanut ornament with a baby's face and the name Peanut on it, perfect for our Peanut's first ornament.

Over Halloween weekend we wanted to carve a pumpkin and decided we would test our creative abilities. It turned out really cute and it was a fun little project for us to work on together. We are so excited to be on this journey together, and already have so much love for our baby. We don't want to sound pompous, but we think our baby is going to be very lucky to be welcomed into such a loving home between two people very much in love with one another.

Finally some early pictures of the nursery. More to follow as updates occur, but for now here is a picture of the dresser/armoire piece (along with the proud parents-to-be).

Here is a photo of the crib were hopefully our baby will spend many a peaceful nights! We are happy to report that since this picture was taken we have purchased a mattress, so Peanut will not have to sleep on those coils. :)

The only other news has been the increased activity of Peanut. Last week, I felt a kick from the outside of my belly. So I grabbed Tim's hand and placed it on my belly and asked him if he could feel anything each time I felt a kick or movement. Unfortunately he wasn't able to feel anything stronger than a twitch, but I told him there is plenty of time. During the last couple of weeks, Peanut has been pretty active reminding Mommy that the growth is continuing. Most of the movement I notice is during work while I'm sitting and during the evening while relaxing or lying in bed. It is incredible how each day brings new sensations of movement, and exciting emotions about our future! Crazy to think that this week we begin our 6th month, time is flying by and I have a feeling it will only go by faster these next few months.

Halfway There!

This past week we hit a milestone reaching 20 weeks down in the pregnancy, 20 weeks to go! With this milestone came the anatomy scan/ultrasound. We were able to watch Peanut for 30 to 40 minutes while they measured the organs. Peanut is right on schedule weighing in at 12 ounces. I had to complete the one hour glucose tolerance test an hour prior to the ultrasound, so needless to say Peanut was moving around a bit! Fortunately they were able to see and measure everything that was necessary. The tech did mention that our kid was ornery because it wouldn't cooperate very well. Its funny how everyone that interacts with Peanut has said s/he was ornery, sounds like we are going to have our hands full.

As you can see, Peanut was even crossing its ankles so the tech had to work to get a good measurement of the legs. Luckily Peanut was cooperating with Mommy and Daddy because we were hoping to wait to find out the sex of Peanut until delivery. It was also fun watching Peanut's mouth move like it was blowing bubbles. The doctor decided we barely met the requirements for another ultrasound in 12 weeks due to a miniscule amount of fluid in one of the kidneys. She said not to worry, but come back in after 12 weeks so maybe by then Peanut will be a little more cooperative for better pictures. She did emphasize to us not to worry, mark the calendar I'm not worrying much about it. It does help that this was the last picture we got of Peanut, it is a thumbs up from our baby letting us know not worry. We were very pleased with how things went this past week at our appointment and the ultrasound. We are halfway there and something tells us this part is going to go much faster than the past 20 weeks! We can't wait to meet you little Peanut, even if you are ornery. :)

First Kick!

A huge pregnancy milestone occurred this afternoon with Peanut's first kick. The last couple of weeks I have felt light fluttering that I suppose should be attributed to the baby movement, but today it was a definite kick. I was sitting at a computer doing some training when I felt a pinch of pain followed by a tap from the inside along the same spot as the pinch. I tried to see if I could notice any more movements, but Peanut decided one kick was enough for today. It was very exciting because I was actually able to distinguish the kick from other sensations of movement. We have also been noticing the last several times we have listened to Peanut on the Doppler that there is obvious movements going on in there. We will be listening to the heartbeat and then a loud swoosh will sound like a limb moving by the probe. It is apparent Peanut is growing because it is getting much easier to find the heartbeat right away and maintaining the sound without it trailing away and having to search again. I guess I could have guessed on this growth too because my belly is starting to round!

Hopefully soon we will get some pictures up of the start of Peanut's room. Thanks to the help of Grandma Andrews, we have cleaned out the baby room and shampooed the carpet several times. This past weekend we also (I guess I really shouldn't say we because I was just reading directions while Tim was doing the manual labor) put together the crib and dresser. We probably won't be doing a theme or any major decorating because we both want the room to have a subtle, sophisticated feel. Now when we walk down the hallway from our bedroom we see the dresser/hutch in the baby room and it is a strange feeling knowing that Peanut will occupy that room in less than 5 months!

We will be busy posting those pictures as well as ultrasound photos from our anatomy scan next week! Woohoo!!! Yes it is true, I will be 20 weeks next week and halfway through this journey. Time is going by so quickly and I have been so blessed to have a fairly easy pregnancy! I only pray things will continue along this path.

Bradley GPhi Girls!

This weekend we were really excited to have a few BU girls come to Beresford. Although it was a short visit, it was still incredible spending quality time with them reminiscing as well as making plans for future reunions. Peanut definitely scored during the visit with this adorable little Bradley hoodie. Tim was even excited for the Peanut to wear the little sweatshirt. He even said he would have Peanut wear it while I was on the girls trip next year so s/he would know who Mommy was going to meet. Thank you girls for making the trip, it really meant a lot to me! I am so excited we have been friends for 12 years and look forward to many more! I'm also really excited to show our baby their new favorite hoodie. Thank you!

Monthly Checkup

Yesterday we went for our 16 week appointment. After doing the usual the appointment ritual it was time to listen to Peanut's heartbeat. Tim said he was thinking "Run Peanut Run". That way he wouldn't look so bad since he was having a hard time finding the heartbeat the last couple of times we searched for Peanut. The doctor searched for a minute or so and couldn't locate Peanut, so she decided to get he ultrasound machine so as not to freak us out. The moment she used the ultrasound she found Peanut right away and everything looked great. The heartbeat was strong, and she said no wonder she couldn't find the baby because s/he was moving around like crazy. She said I should be able to feel something soon because we watched Peanut punching hands around and moving legs all over the place. She did try to see what we were having but she said Peanut was keeping the legs together so she couldn't see. Afterwards, Tim and I were so thankful Peanut was being shy because we didn't want her to spill the beans at that moment. We were also excited because Peanut gave us a sneak peek before our next appointment. We scheduled our next appointment for the anatomy scan ultrasound at the end of October. That visit is going to be all day because we have the long ultrasound, 20 week appointment, and 1 hour glucose test. We can't believe we are just 3 weeks away from being at the halfway point. I am so blessed because things have been going so well!

Cat and Mouse!

Today we got back from our crazy busy weekend in Omaha, to find a new little toy in the mailbox. We received a fetal doppler that we couldn't wait to test out. Our last appointment was at 12 weeks, on Thursday I am 16 weeks, and our next appointment isn't until next Tuesday. Needless to say, little miss patience was having a hard time waiting to hear from Peanut. After quickly unpacking our things, we broke out the doppler. Tim was operating the wand while I stared at the ceiling waiting to hear the sound of Peanut's heartbeat. After about 15 minutes, he decided to let me have a try. We were successful in finding the sound of my blood flow, which I guess is always a good sound. Finally after 25 minutes, Tim was able to find Peanut. That was the beginning of the game. For the next 10 minutes, Tim chased Peanut with the wand. We were able to hear the heartbeat for a few seconds and then it would fade and move somewhere else. So then Tim would move toward the sound and we could listen for a little while before Peanut moved again. We weren't able to get a consistent number, but the heartbeat was usually in the 140s. Finally a little peace of mind until a week from Tuesday.

This weekend we were incredibly blessed with the love from our families. Peanut received several gifts from relatives that were very much appreciated. Thank you so much family for loving our new, little family so much, and showing your love with adorable gifts.

Secret's Out!

Tears were shed, hugs were had, and advice was given! We are so excited to have shared the news of Peanut with family and friends. Now we no longer have to hide our elation, and we have many ears willing to listen to our excitements and fears. Although we are still reveling in the excitement, this is thus far the worst part of the pregnancy. I am happy to report that many of the annoying symptoms of pregnancy that were present in the first trimester have now dissipated. On the other hand, we are impatiently waiting for some movement from Peanut. This in between stage is the most difficult because I don't "feel" pregnant, but I also know I will long for these days in just a few weeks. We are counting down the days until our 16 week appointment so we can hear Peanut's heartbeat again. In the meantime, we watch as our Lemon grows into a Naval Orange, and each week we read what Peanut did last week and what the activities will be for the next week. Tim sends text messages asking how Peanut and me are doing, so we are already feeling like a family. Peanut, mommy and daddy love you so much and can't wait for you to feel the love of our family; Baxter and Ginger want to give you kisses too!

Keeping the secret

The last seven days have been pretty rough for us, we lost our beloved grandma. Needless to say peanut was put on the back burner for a little while to focus on the rest of our mourning family. Peanut was not on the back burner for long, since each day we were in Omaha there was a family gathering at my aunt and uncle's house. With all the food and beverages it was hard to keep the secret since Emily does like to have the occasional glass of wine. Emily and I had our hands full trying to keep the focus on the family and not on the fact that Emily was not having any wine. Hanging with the family would have been a great time to spill the beans but we had planned to let the secret out this coming weekend, so we needed to keep quiet. It was really tough too since we heard Peanut's heartbeat last week, a steady 155 bpm!

I wish we could have told my grandma before she passed but it quickly came to our attention that grandpa could not keep the secret any longer. He must have wanted to tell her so bad that he persuaded her to come and hang out with him in heaven. Well the good thing is that they are together and they can watch over the whole family no matter where we are.

There were many stories shared and many discussions on grandma and grandpa's love for their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Uncle Kenny did remind me that another chapter has come to a close, and that we will have to make sure the book stays open. My dad also told Emily's mom that it was weird how God takes one loved one and gives you another one. How did he know peanut was on the way? A sneaky suspicion? Little did he know. Well, only one day left and we can't wait to tell everyone this weekend.

A Trip to Exhaustion

We managed to survive the Las Vegas trip, but we were all exhausted. We spent a couple of days at the pool complex, which was incredibly relaxing after all the walking and staying out late. It was much more fun with the group of people we had there with us, especially since we didn't spend much time gambling. We were unsuccessful in keeping our secret for the entire trip, but once we filled people in on Peanut I was given a pass for resting and turning in earlier than others. After all the craziness of Vegas, we were super excited to get home and rest with our puppies! Baxter and Ginger were a little reluctant to go home with us because they had such a good time at their resort, but when we got back to the house everyone crashed.

The other big event that has happened over the past week, is my preference for looser clothing including maternity pants. While we were in Vegas, I had to leave dinner early and buy some different pants because the pressure was starting to make me sick. The weekend we got back I had to work, so I definitely broke our the paneled khakis. I am only 10 weeks and 4 days, but sometimes regular pants just don't cut it. Our journey continues as we have successfully made it to double digit weeks, Hooray!!! We are so excited to tell our families in just a couple of weeks, we even ordered our bottles for sharing our secret!

Peanut's First Photo

Today we were able to meet our little Peanut. According to the doctor we are still on track for March 17, 2011. The most exciting part of the appointment came when we heard Peanut's heartbeat, going strong at 157 bpm. After the doctor took measurements, which wasn't easy because she said, "Your kid is moving around so I can't get a great picture," we were able to see Peanut. Wait your kid what? That definitely hit home with Tim, yikes this is real! We were able to see this image along with a little flashing light signifing a healthy heartbeat. Peanut is looking to the left here and the body arcs in a backward letter C. In a couple of weeks the picture should be a little easier to make out, and "look more like a gummy bear." This appointment put a lot of our worries to rest since it was confirmation of a little baby beginning to grow. It also was the first time we felt like parents, and the amazing love for someone we haven't even met yet. Only 1 more day until 9 weeks, and 4 weeks until the family shares this journey!

Fun Weekend ending on a Sour Note

This weekend marked the last weekend of our 2nd month, and unfortunately it was an eventful one. The good part of the weekend was having Brian and Melissa come to visit and bring their two little ones. It was their first visit to our home, so we were really excited to spend the weekend with them. The weekend was filled with golf, Wii, visiting the zoo, sun, and staying up much later than normal. We tried hard not to spill our secret, maybe they have their hunches but they didn't act like it around us. Fortunately they are really busy with their two little ones, so hopefully they didn't notice my strange behavior. First off, they brought some wine to try. Not being one to pass on a glass, I tried to push the beer over the wine for the boys so it wouldn't be so obvious if I didn't have a glass. We had plans for a cookout on Saturday night, right about the time dinner was ready I experienced a wonderful wave of nausea. I spent the dinner on the couch while everyone else ate. Sunday was much better in the morning, we played a round of golf. The best part was being outside enjoying the summer sun with a nice breeze. Unfortunately the time came for everyone to leave, after they packed up and headed out we enjoyed a quiet afternoon including a relaxing nap. Later that evening the nausea came back with a vengeance. After showering and getting ready for bed, my stomach starting aching. I took some Tums since that is the cure-all for tummy aches in our house, only to notice a little while later that it wasn't helping. I was lying in bed trying to relax to drift off to sleep only to have the sudden urge to get sick. This was the closest I have come so far to getting sick. I ate a couple of crackers and drank a little ginger ale, but the feeling didn't subside. I was so tired from the weekend, so I laid on my side and let my eyes close in the hopes of falling asleep and sleeping through the nausea. I woke up at 2am for my ritualistic bathroom run feeling much better. I am very happy that my nausea doesn't hit me early in the morning, but I wish this part of the pregnancy would end soon. My nausea comes late afternoon and lasts off and on throughout the evening. I also have a food aversion to almost everything, the thought of meal planning or preparation makes me sick to my stomach. I just hope I am eating enough good nutrients for peanut to continue to grow. Brian and Melissa thank you so much for making the trip to visit us, we had so much fun and can't wait to do it again soon. I apologize for my tiredness and bouts of nausea, I know you will understand in just a few weeks! Love you!

First Prenatal Visit

Today is 6 weeks and 5 days. Yesterday was our first prenatal visit which consisted of filling out paperwork and some lab tests. We received a gift bag of goodies for Peanut (and a few for me too)! I thought it was strange that they didn't do a confirmation pregnancy test, I guess they could do it with the labs. The nurse did say that she had my due date as March 17, 2011, but once we have our first ultrasound we should be able to have a better idea of the due date. We also received a binder of some helpful pearls and references. The nurse did mention taking Vit B6 25mg three times daily along with Unisom 25mg at night to help alleviate the nausea and "morning sickness" that seems to get worse during the day! It has only been one day, but I haven't had any nausea since our appointment. I think it also helped that I found out I was able to have a caffeinated beverage or two, which I'm sure Tim was happy about because its been a crazy week with no caffeine. One of the first questions the nurse asked us was if we had a pediatrician picked out for our baby. What? Are you kidding me? We just found out we were going to have a baby, how could we possibly have a pediatrician selected? After our appointment, we went home and played with our goodie bag. At one point, Tim held up the tiny Lil Snuggler diaper up and said "I hope Peanut will be small enough to fit into this". I do too sweetheart, probably more than you! We have our first O/B appointment with the doctor in two weeks where we have our first ultrasound, and we should hopefully be able to hear the heartbeat. We love you Peanut, and patiently await your arrival!

We Are Pregnant!

We did it! God has decided to give us a wonderful blessing. On Saturday morning, at 4am thanks to Ginger howls, I took the pregnancy test and much to our surprise we are pregnant! We spent a few minutes celebrating, but tried to go back to sleep as it was still dark outside. Tim fell back asleep right away, but I wasn't able to go back to bed until 5:30 because I was so excited. Sunday afternoon, Tim asked if we should test again just to make sure. We did another test on Sunday and sure enough we are pregnant! Tim is now referring to our baby as peanut! Tomorrow I am six weeks, so only 34 weeks to go! I'm more excited for the next 6 weeks to pass, so we can spread the news to the family!