Week 16 - 4 months!!

Once again, courtesy of baby gaga:
Your little one is nearly five inches in length and weighs over three ounces! This week is the beginning of an impressive three-week growth spurt for them which you'll soon be feeling. If you haven't yet, you'll soon be feeling those first exciting fluttering "kicks". It's also time to head in for that critical ultrasound if you're up for knowing whether you've got a little boy or girl.

Friday, March 21st

Woo hoo!! We have our BIG ultrasound scheduled for the 21st at 3:15! I'm SO excited, I can't even stand it! I'm just SO glad to have a date in mind so I can stop obsessing about it. Mom and Piper will be with us (in the waiting room) and will get to come in at the end for the "fun" stuff. Woo hoo!!! Hope that baby cooperates and shows us the goods!

What Happened Here??

Is this what "they" mean when they say "You'll suddenly pop"? I swear, I look bigger today than I did Thursday. Am I losing my mind??

Just For Katy

Shield your eyes for the bare belly!

Week 15

Courtesy of baby gaga:

Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Still, many women don't feel anything until the 17th week or later. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events. Yay! You’ve got yourself one active healthy baby! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.

I Got the Call

It's official: my baby girl is registered for preschool this fall. I bawled like a baby on and off all day Friday; I just can't believe she's going to SCHOOL!! I know it's "just" preschool, but next year is kindergarten and then, before we know it, she'll be graduating. Ugh. She'll be going to Kinderfarm, which we're all pretty excited about. Though she keeps saying "I hate school, Mommy", I think she'll change her tune when we go for our visit in the spring.

Our baby is growing up, and just in time for a new baby to come into our lives! Wow.

Something Close To My Heart

Today, Valentine's Day, is a day to show your love for your husband or wife, right? Well, in my eyes, a perfect world would allow everyone to LEGALLY use those words "husband" and "wife", regardless of their sexual orientation. I think a man or a woman should be able to marry the man or woman he/she loves and have all the same rights as hetero couples. Before I go off on some scary rant, I'll just post this link and hope some of you use it. Million For Marriage.

Much love to everyone.

So...

...who's voting on my poll?? I thought I'd be able to check it periodically to see who's stopping in but I can't! 'Fess up, people!

Not Much to Report

As predicted, yesterday's appointment was pretty blah. I peed in a cup, got weighed (shocked to learn I haven't gained any weight), listened to LO's hearbeat (in the 150s) and was "yelled" at about my iron level. I always seem to teeter back and forth into anemia and it gets worse when I'm pregnant. So, I need to keep taking my iron pills (which I HATE) and up my red meat intake. Blah, blah, blah.

Piper came with me but seemed very unimpressed with the whole thing. We've listened to LO's heartbeat enough at home that she was all "What's the big deal?" She cracks me up. Dr. W has only seen Piper once since she was born and was really shocked to see how big she is! Dr. W also has a daughter named Piper so they had a lot to talk about.

My next appointment is March 12th and I will *hopefully* be able to schedule my BIG ultrasound then. My good friend Katy is due on the 9th and finds out on March 17th - I'm so excited for her and her family! Two of my other friends are due in June so this is turning out to be the summer of babies! Kristin and Laura are both due June 28th - Laura is having boy/girl twins and Kris found out today but is being coy in her emails. I'm pretty sure it's a boy... (Okay, I'm wrong. Looks like Aiden will be having a sister!!)

In other news, it seems Ryan's side of the family is having a rough go with sickness. Missy and her three boys are all suffering from Influenza B and it sounds like they've had a few really bad days. Poor Brennen had to go to the ER for fluids - he's only 2. :( If you could keep all of them in your thoughts, I'd really appreciate it!

Love,
Kelli

New(er) Pictures of Piper

Showing off her lovely dress at my cousin Eric's wedding reception. He married the lovely Amy in Florida on December 1st and then had a reception for the Iowa clan on the 29th!

The SpongeBob Squarepants birthday cake she just HAD to have!

Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Today Is A Good Day!

For two reasons:

1) I'm 13 weeks so I'm OFFICIALLY in the 2nd trimester. There's a discrepancy as to when the 2nd tri actually starts - is it 12 weeks? Is it 13? Blah, blah, blah. I'm there so WHATEVER. I can't believe it.

2) No later than 6 MONTHS FROM TODAY, my little one will be here. Wow, that totally blows my mind. If everything goes according to "plan" (ha ha) and Little One doesn't surprise us like his sister did, then his birthday will be August 7th. I'm saying "he" and "him" all the time now, as it just seems to fit. Like I told Mom yesterday, I'll call him that until/unless I'm proven wrong!

My next appointment is on Monday but it's just a boring routine check-up (get weighed, pee in a cup) so there won't be much to report.

It's kind of scary to me that at just 13 weeks, I can say "This little guy is so active!" What will the rest of the pregnancy be like?? He's moving around a lot and I feel pokes and jabs and head butts throughout the day. Very reassuring - oh, how the mind wanders at night... - but also alarming at times. What'll it be like when he's KICKING me? Ack!

I guess that's all for now. We were snowed in yesterday so my desk is a bit scary today. Later!

Love,
Kelli

I Can't Believe It's February!!

I have absolutely nothing to report except the fact that my shirts are ever so slightly getting too short and I'm sick to death of constantly yanking them down. I went to target and got the most beautiful - and comfortable! - sweater today and just *had* to take my picture in it. This is today, 12w1d.

OH! How could I forget?? I felt the Little One move the other night. It was a light tapping sensation and I instantly froze, just waiting for it to come back. A few minutes later, "tap tap tap" right under my belly button. Oh my goodness, it was SO cool and made me feel so connected to baby. This all feels so real to me now. I know that sounds silly but I never let my mind go so far as thinking about actually HAVING a baby. Now I can start planning and thinking up names (which Ryan will immediately veto) and dream about holding him (yes, I think it's a boy.)

I'M PREGNANT!!!