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.