Nursery

Ok, so the nursery is finally ready (except the clothes are just put in the drawers and not put away where they go, but since you can't see that, lets all pretend)! The way the room is, I can't get a good all around pic, so you will just have to work your way around the room to see everything! I hope you like it as much as we do!

It is nice to have one thing marked off my to do list! Now I need to get a bag packed just in case she decides to come early! At my appointment today, I found out I am already dialated to a three. My mom dialated early, so that isn't really any indication of how soon she will come. My Dr. even said it could be any day, or if left to her own decision, she could still be late. Since we are being induced two weeks from today (did anyone else's heart skip a beat at that thought), we know it won't be any later than that! I just hope she doesn't come early so that everyone that has already booked their ticket to come will be here for her grand arrival!

We went and took the hospital tour and got pre-registered this week. We did learn one thing that could be important for you to know about the hospital, it is a latex-free hospital. They don't allow any latex balloons to be delivered or brought in to the hospital. They said alot of people have been mad or frustrated when they show up and they cut the balloons off at the nurses desk!

Well, I think that is all for now! If something changes, I will let you know, but now we are just on the countdown until she gets here!

It is official!

I had my weekly Dr. appointment yesterday and he is a little concerned about how big she is getting. We talked about some options and had somewhat of a plan together, and then he called this morning and changed it. He decided that he just was going to schedule a day to induce and so January 10th it is! So, three weeks from Thursday (if she doesn't come on her own before then)! She will be 38 weeks at that point, so they aren't concerned about her development and he said that she would be too big if I go any further! I am really excited to know a day for sure so that I can plan accordingly, but a little freaked out that it is so close! I need to get my act together! The best part about having a date is now our families can plan when they are going to come out to see her and hopefully my parents will be here for the delivery!

As far as the diabetes, I am still on track. My body is becoming more insulin resistant, which they said would happen, so they put me on Humalog (fast acting insulin) when I test and am too high after meals. So far, I have only had to give myself three shots extra, so most of the time I am within range!


The nursery is almost done and I am so excited about how cute it is! I am waiting until I get the last thing hung on the wall to take the pics for everyone to see! In the meantime, here is a new belly pic. It is getting bigger by the day!

December 1st

We went today for our second 3-D ultrasound and of course, Hannah decided not to play nice. I am really hoping this is no indication of how she will act once she gets out of there! She kept her arm or hand across her face and she had her foot up there in the way too! SO, these are the best pics that he could get of her face and they aren't fabulous, but the poor guy tried as hard as he could. Hopefully you can see her nose or chubby cheeks in each of them since they are kinda hard to interpret!

I had a ton of appointments this week (two non-stress tests, two appointments at diabetic care center, an ultrasound, and an OB appointment), but everything still looks good! They measured Hannah at the ultrasound and she is measuring within a week of where she should be which is how she has measured the whole time. My OB said that we will continue to watch her development before they make any final decisions, but as of now they are thinking that they will want to induce at 39 weeks if I don't deliver before then. Until then, I will now be going for the non-stress tests twice a week, my OB appointment once a week and to diabetic care every two weeks. It is nice to be monitored so closely, but I feel bad for all the work that I am having to miss.

Once again, my husband was able to surprise me and make my day. This week on Wednesday when I came home from AWANA, there was a decorated tree sitting in our living room! He had gone and bought a tree, strung the lights and put on the ornaments, he even bought a tree skirt! I know that for people that don't know my husband well, this doesn't seem like a big deal, but those of you who do know him know my husband is somewhat of a Scrooge and we haven't had anything bigger than a 12 inch tree since we have been married! Since we usually don't spend Christmas at our own house, he hasn't thought that we needed a tree (and we have always lived in small places so we haven't had a place for one even if I wanted it), but since he knew that not going home for Christmas was going to be hard for me, he decided to get a tree for us to have to enjoy this year.

Also this week Michael and I were able to go to Wal-Mart and Babies R Us to get the things we still needed with the gift cards from the showers. I think we are finally getting close to having all the important things! Hopefully in the next few weeks we will be able to finish getting the nursery put together and get some pictures posted for everyone to see. Right now, it is all in nice organized stacks waiting to be put in it's place! I can't wait to have it all put together and ready for her to come home to. Six or seven weeks isn't long to get it ready with all the holiday festivities!

Oklahoma

Well, Michael and I made it safely to and back from Oklahoma! We had a great time, but of course for me, it is never long enough. The shower was fabulous and we got tons of cute stuff! Instead of cake, we had a chocolate fountain and it was alot of fun to play in! The girls even got a few sugar free things for me to use in the fountain!Here is a pic of me and the hostesses! From L-R: Sharla, Carrie, Andi, Me, Shayla, Leanna, Kathy and Tammie. Missing from the pic- Starla and Heather. My mom and sisters and I! (L-R)Kristen, me, Mom, and Carla.

Other updates: I am going to tons of appointments these days! I went in today (Monday) to Diabetes Management again to go on the insulin shot. The medication was not working as well as they hoped, so we went to plan B! Now we will try the shot and see how it goes. I also went for my first non-stress test which I will be going every Monday and Thursday from now until delivery for these tests. They measure the amniotic fluid, my blood pressure, the baby's heartbeat and any contractions. Hannah of course did not want to cooperate (those of you that have unsuccessfully wanted to feel her move should not be surprised by this) and so it took longer than I expected. All the results came back great and so it doesn't matter that she didn't cooperate well, except that I don't want it to take an hour and a half two days a week! Maybe she will do much better on Thursday. On Thursday I also go for an ultrasound and for my regular OB appointment. I am ready to see that she is still measuring on target and not getting too big too fast! I know it will be a pain to keep up with all of the appointments, but it is so great to know that I will get to listen to and see Hannah twice a week from here on out! I know that her moving lets me know that she is alive and well, but this way, I also get to know that she is healthy and on target!

The Weekend

Well, this weekend was really good! We had our first shower at the church and it was incredible! I can't tell you how much work went into it and it was everything I could have hoped for and SO much more! The girls had so many homemade touches everywhere, which made it so special for me. We had a great turnout and Michael and I got lots of great stuff for baby Hannah! Here are some pics!

Pic of me with the hostesses (L to R): Stacia, Cindi, Ginny, Me, Yolonda, Angie, and Christina.

The girls had a surprise for me and Michael. When he showed up toward the end to thank everyone for coming and all they had done, they had this "Daddy Duty" apron for him that had everything you can imagine shoved in all the pockets! It had a pacifier hanging off it, teething toy, baby food with spoons, bottle, diapers, wipes, booties, hair bands, bath time soap and lotion, toys, hand sanitizer, diaper cream...you name it, and it was there! Michael was a good sport and wore it during the remainder of the shower. Of course, I think part of that is because he liked the toy!

We feel so blessed to be loved by so many people here in Utah! I never thought that living here less than two years we could make such great friends and have a church we truly feel a part of. God is truly a great God!

Prayer of the week:

"He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled." Joshua 24:17b

Michael and I are very much looking forward to being in Oklahoma to spend some time over the holiday with family and friends and have a shower for Miss Hannah! However, we are not overly excited about the drive there! Pray that we would have safe travel and that we would be able to get the rest we need along the way. Pray that my blood sugar levels would be within the limits. I will be going on oral insulin this week and really want to get my number where they are supposed to be so that Hannah stays healthy.

Diabetes Update

Well, I went in and met with a diabetic specialist yesterday and got the 411 on the plan of action. I have to admit it was alot different than what I expected, but much easier to watch and keep track of than it used to be! I was given a meal plan guideline of how many carbs and proteins to eat at each meal and snack. I am now supposed to eat 6 times a day, three meals and three snacks, and check my blood sugar levels 4 times a day. I am sure it will take a few days of trial and error to get it all balanced like it is supposed to be, but I wrote out a plan for every meal and every snack up until we get back to Oklahoma and then went to the grocery store. Hopefully I have everything I need and that it will all go smoothly! The specialist kept telling me that I was making it harder than it has to be, but I just wanted all the details possible so that I could do well. I felt like I was back in school and wanted to know all the ways to be the teacher's pet! I go back to my OB next Thursday (the day we leave for OK), so I will find out what his plan of action is now for the rest of the pregnancy. They mentioned they would monitor me a little more, but I don't know if that is by ultrasound, non-stress tests, or what, so I am anxious to see what more we are going to do to make sure Hannah is doing alright in there!

Results

Well, I never posted after my last Dr. appointment because I was waiting on my test results. I got the call on Tuesday that I failed my 1 hour glucose tolerance test so I went in on Wednesday for the three hour fasting glucose test. I got the results on Friday morning that I failed it too! SO, I officially have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I will go on Tuesday to Diabetes Management for an appointment to find out how bad my numbers were and what the plan of action will be. Luckily, I am somewhat knowledgeable of diabetes with having an insulin dependent sister, so I am not as shocked and scared as most people when they get the diagnosis. I luckily know there are alternative ways to cook some of the sweets that we all love and my mom made alot of adjustments to recipes until she got them to taste pretty close the high sugar ones so I have some good resources to help through the holiday months! I was pretty prepared for this news since I knew that I had two of the biggest markers (being overweight and having diabetic family members) for it before I ever got pregnant! They say that there is only a 2% chance of having it after the baby is born, but if it doesn't go away, I know it isn't the end of the world. At this point, I just want to make sure that Hannah is healthy and that I do not grow a 10 pound baby, so I will do whatever it takes!

Michael and I went this weekend on the Deacon Retreat and we had a great time. We played a game on Friday night that was hilarious and based on information that the wives had turned in about their husbands. Then on Saturday (today) we had a speaker that I thought was highly entertaining and then we went to lunch with a bunch of people in Midway. I was kinda dreading going because I thought it might be boring, but all the people made it really fun! Next week we have the church baby shower in Utah and I am so excited! I have not bought Hannah one thing since I have been pregnant because I wanted to wait and see what we needed after the showers, so I have all these ideas of what I want for the nursery and for the baby in general, but I have resisted so far! The week after that (the 18th) is our shower at the church in Oklahoma and we are going to leave out that Thursday before and drive. Not looking forward to the 36 hours in the car, but glad that we are driving so that we will have a vehicle the week we are there and a way to get presents home! Plus it is a good way to force myself to do the Thank You's from both the showers since I won't have much else to do in the car!

The Utah Baby Boom has begun! We have 6 of us pregnant and due within three months of each other and Holly Malec was the first one to pop! She had a little girl, Isabella Marie, on Friday and Crystal Harper had her cerclage removed so she should go into labor any day now with little Ava! I think her scheduled C-Section is sometime this week, so if she hasn't gone on her own, I imagine they will still keep that date planned! I think that there is only one boy expected out of the six of us! Well, that is all for now! Hope you have a great week!

Prayer of the week:
"They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong." Psalms 73:4
Pray that I will be able to keep my blood sugar under control and have the self discipline needed to make it through the holiday temptations. Pray that Hannah will not be affected and that she will continue to grow into a healthy, happy, regular size baby!

Week 27

Well, there isn't a whole lot to report right now, but I thought that the least I could do is post a pic! I went to the Dr. again on Thursday and did my glucose tolerance test. I won't get the results for a few days, and I may not hear anything at all. They will only call me if my iron is low or my sugar is high, so hopefully I won't hear anything! This weekend is the only weeked until the end of November that we don't have plans, so we are just going to hang out, relax and enjoy it!

It's still a girl! :)

Ok, so I can't get the video to load yet, but I am working on it! Here are the two best pictures from the 3D ultrasound this past weekend. The video is pretty much all 2D, but it is fun to watch her move around! I just am not sure how long it will take me to figure out the video...

The tech decided that I was really too early to get any good video and pics, so I get to go back for free between 30-36 weeks for another look in 3D! He said they are chubbier and less mobile so it is easier to get them to cooperate and they look a little less alien.

My mom, dad, and sister were here for the weekend and it was so good to see them! I wish they could have stayed longer, but rarely is it ever long enough when we are all together! While they were here, my parents bought us the baby room furniture. Michael and I were so excited, he put it all together last night! It is so cute! I can't wait until we get rid of our extra bedroom suit so we can put the nursery together and start getting it all cute! Here are pics of the pieces of furniture:

Week 24

I am so excited to be having so many visitors these days! It was great getting caught up with Goose! Michael joined us for lunch and the rest of the time Goose and I just chatted. It had been 4 years or so since our last visit, way too long! Here is a pic of us in front of his jet:

The funny/bizarre part of the whole day was when we were back at the airport waiting on his passengers and another jet lands. Off the jet walks the pilot, Amy Cathey (a girl from my sunday school class back in OK)! Goose knew her from working with her husband so we had a small Durant reunion at the Ogden airport! Amy now lives in Dallas, Goose lives in Arkansas and me here in Utah all meeting up at the airport!

After the visit, I drove down to the scrapbooking expo and stayed there until midnight. We scrapped the next day from 10-5:30 and then went to the circus! It was so much fun, but very exhausting! I am still not sure I am fully recovered! Here is what our tables looked like at the expo!

These are the scrapbooking girls (L to R): Me, Tamara, Cindi, Holly (seated) and Stacia. We had so much fun! Tamara even won the dance contest (twice) and was on TV!

This coming week, I will have my mom, dad, and little sister, Kristen, here in Utah! I can't wait! I haven't seen them since we went back to Oklahoma for graduation in May. We are going on Saturday to get a 3D/4D ultrasound so hopefully I will have some good baby pics to post next week.

Prayer for this week:
" The Lord is my strength and my song;he has given me victory.This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him!" Exodus 15:2

I just want to thank God this week for making it this far and having the chance to be at peace during this journey. It is so encouraging to feel the baby move more and know that she(he) is doing well. I pray that I will continue to give him the praise and exalt him even when I don't feel as confident.

Greatest Husband

Moments like tonight remind me once again why I adore my husband! This is what I came home to on my kitchen table. I mentioned it in passing that I love the Willow Tree stuff and that I wanted some of them, especially the pregnant one and so...

Week 23

Ok, so I am two weeks behind now! I struggle knowing what to say on the weeks between appointments that nothing major happens and then I feel bad that I haven't updated anything. We went to an appointment last Thursday and the Dr. had to go to a delivery so his nurse did all the stuff for him. We got to hear the heartbeat again and she actually measured me for the first time. She said everything was on track and so far I have only gained 9 pounds, which I am content with. Next visit I have to drink the orange stuff for the glucose tolerance test so they sent me home with it so I don't have to sit there for an hour! Hopefully it will all go well.

I have finally started to feel the baby move! I thought I was feeling her a few weeks ago, but I couldn't decide if it was baby or internal shifting. Now I know for sure it is the baby moving! Last night I was laying in the bed with my hands on my belly trying to feel her move (like I have done every night forever) and I actually felt her kick on my hand! It was so exciting I made Michael put his hand where I felt her to see if she would cooperate and kick again and she did. He got to feel her kick for the first time! I know it will get harder and more consistent as time goes on, but it is nice to feel it even if it is inconsistent at this point!

Carrie came to visit this past weekend and we had a blast (as expected)! Lots of shopping and chatting! This weekend is the scrapbooking expo so I will be spending most of my free time there! There is also a chance that I will get to see Goose this weekend, which would be really fun! Here is a pic of me and Carrie out on our balcony and a pic of the 22 1/2 week belly!

Prayer of the week:
"Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." Psalm 25:5

Help us to continue to be led by truth and to learn God's plan for our lives. I pray that we will be open to His guidance in all areas of our life. Help me to continually, all day long, put my hope in Him. I have finally reached a point of some peace and pray that it will continue as well!

It's A ...

Well, as of now, they are saying it is a GIRL! We are so excited! We didn't care either way, but girl clothes are much cuter! Since I have had a few friends that they have said girl and it has been a boy, I won't believe it until we have gone and had it confirmed! The plan as of now is to go in October for a 3-D ultrasound when mom and Kristen are here so we can make sure! I am posting the ultrasound pics and I will try to explain them the best I can because, as we all know, they are a little hard to interpret! Luckily the tech labeled them so it helps me!

This is obviously her profile. The tech was joking that he couldn't get it exact because she wouldn't turn her head all the way so he said her nose is bigger looking on the pic than it really is. Of course, with the Garrett nose, you never know for sure!

This is a front on view of the face, the traditional alien view! Hopefully the 3-D view shows her face a little better!This is the bottom of her feet (running left to right). You can see the little toes best on the top foot!

This is a view of the arm and a fuzzy view of the ear and profile. I have no idea what part is showing in the left half.


This is supposed to be a great view of this part, but how would I know! The arrow is pointing at her "girl parts" and then you can see her leg on the bottom side and bottoms of her feet to the left. The tech was pretty sure after this shot that she is a girl for sure, but like I said, they have been wrong before, so before we register for pink, we will check again!

Michael stopped on his way home from work and bought me baby pink and white roses for our pink baby girl! He also bought this cute pink and white stuffed animal for Hannah. We are for sure using Hannah for a girl (and Garrett if it turns out to be a boy), but the middle name is still to be determined. We were pretty sure, but we have started waffling!

Prayer for Hannah this week:
"For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth." Deuteronomy 7:6

Help us to make Hannah (or Garrett) feel the love of God and realize that she (he) is a special treasure to God and to our family.

Week 19

Michael went out of town for business to San Francisco from Sunday to Wednesday. Neither one of us sleep well when we are apart, so we are both pretty tired to start this week off! We are planning on staying in Salt Lake for the holiday weekend so hopefully we can catch up on some sleep then!

We are going to have some company coming soon and I can't wait! Carrie is planning on coming in September and my mom, dad, and Kristen are coming in October! It will be nice to have more people come here to see us in Utah.

Ok, so, since there isn't much going on here, I don't have much to say! I will make a post right after the ultrasound on Tuesday! This pic describes most of my recent shopping adventures. This in-between thing is tricky! Luckily, I have friends that have helped me find things to fill in the gap until maternity fits better!

Prayer of the Week:
"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." Isaiah 1:19-20

Pray that Little Bean will be an obedient and willing child that will not rebel. Pray that Bean would not only obey us, but also the Lord in all it does. Help us to be the kind of example that God would have us to be.

Mini Update 8-23-07

Went to the doctor and got to hear the heartbeat again! I just love that sound! It was between 150-160 so the Dr. joked about how it was a girl-Michael of course corrected him and let him know that it is a boy (even though we really don't care one way or the other)! It was pretty funny! I go back in 4 weeks and all looks good. I got the whole day "off" today because they are spraying paint and other things in the building and the fume levels are too high! It was a very productive day, so I was glad. Anyways, just though I would keep you updated. Hope to do another pregnancy pic with next weeks post!

Week 17 & 18- August 14-27

Ok, so I am a little behind/ahead with this update! It has been a crazy week! Michael went to Wyoming for a few days for work. He went to Laramie and Cheyenne and didn't get home until Wednesday. I had a work BBQ on Monday and it was my month to host Bunko on Tuesday, so I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off for about 5 hours! Luckily, I have great friends (Thank you Teri and Cindi) that came over and helped out, otherwise, it would have never come together !

I had no idea how many old wives tales there are regarding the sex of your baby! I have had a few people that have attempted to guess based on some of these things and I even have a friend that does handwriting analysis. The funny part is that they have come out 1/2 and 1/2. The handwriting and the dangling something over the belly both came out boy, the eyelid test(??) and the craving test came out girl! Only two more weeks before hopefully we will know!

I have added links to some of our friends here in UT that have websites for their families that you should check out. If you have a link that you would like me to add, let me know! We go back to the Dr. on Thursday for a regular check-up so I will add a little update after that! Hope you have a good week!

Prayer for Little Bean (and family):
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" Phil. 4:11-12

Pray this for Michael and I and for "Little Bean" as we continue to try to figure out what God's plan is for our life once this little one gets here. I am not sure financially how we are going to work out the daycare/stay-at-home/work part-time issue and I know that God has a plan for this and that we are not to worry, so I don't let my thoughts go there yet. However, I just pray that we will find God's will for our future and that we will be content and not be greedy for more. I also pray that our child will be content (and thrive) in whatever circumstances are in God's plans.

Week 16

Well, the last few days have been hard for me. I unfortunately sometimes let my fears get out of control and they kinda take over- SO- I broke down and went back to the Dr. on Monday to hear the heartbeat and reassure myself that the baby is still doing OK! Everything is going well and luckily I have a great Dr. that is willing to do whatever it takes to get me through this time. I am just really ready to be able to feel the baby so I don't have to wonder!

This past week I have started making a list of books that I want to read on parenting and have already finished one! If you have any suggestions on parenting books that you would highly recommend, please pass them along! I am looking for books about discipline, biblical child rearing, how to have fun with your kids, etc. I figure some of you have read and attempted to implement some of the techniques and know which ones are realistic and which are impossible to put into place! Since I think I have my pregnancy bases covered (What to expect when you are expecting, Pregnancy week by week, and the Girlfriends guide to pregnancy), it is time to start working on our plan of action for once the baby gets here!

Here it is, the 16 week pregnant pic!

Prayer for the week:
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." Psalms 62:5

Pray for Michael and I that we can rely on Him for rest and reassurance. (Michael is so much better at this than I am!) Pray that once "little bean" gets here that he/she will find it's hope in God alone as well.

Prayer for 7/29-8/4

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14

Pray that "little bean" will continue to be knit together perfectly with God's hands. Pray that my body will continue to be a happy and healthy dwelling place for our child to grow until full maturity.

Welcome to Our Family Blog!

Well, since we have so many family and friends that are so far away, I have decided create a site for our growing family so that people can keep up! I will hopefully keep this current weekly for you guys! I didn't want to use my myspace account because it is a personal thing and I don't want just anyone to have access to my pregnancy info!

I am hoping that my little ticker I put on the top will update like it should so that you can always keep up with where we are on our little journey! I am currently almost 15 weeks and doing great. For those that I haven't spoken to, I have had no morning sickness, no aversion to smells, no major naseau problems and now that we are out of the first trimester, I am hoping not to ever have to deal with any of those! I have had 5 ultrasounds with this pregnancy and in the first three we weren't able to see anything. We were nervous due to our history of 2 previous miscarriages, but we waited it out and even after a week of spotting, we finally saw our "little bean" and the heartbeat on June 11! We went again on June 28 and were able to see the baby and heartbeat again and it helped to ease my mind a little. We won't get another ultrasound until Sept. 4 when we go for the "big" ultrasound where they will check the development and hopefully find out if we need to think in pink or blue! Michael and I are both thinking boy at this point, but God may have a surprise in store for us! Be sure and add your guess on the side! This is the first glimpse we got of "little bean" at 7w6d. The little dark spot on the bottom half is the heart.