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!