Everything Is Ok

 My beautiful daughter in 4d at 26 weeks and 4 days

So yesterday we ended up having an unscheduled ultrasound. Yesterday morning I called my midwife and expressed to her that I was feeling concerned because I hadn't felt any movement from Chloe since Saturday afternoon. I was really worried because I feel my baby's movements everyday, and her movements have been getting much stronger to the point were I can see my belly move when she is kicking. So it was really scary to all of a sudden not be able to feel anything for several days. My midwife told me to come in at 12:30 to possibly do a non stress test and to hear the baby's heartbeat. I called Mike while he was at work and told him that our midwife wanted us to come in that afternoon. Mike left work early and came home and we were able to go to our appointment together which was such a huge relief to have him there with me.

When we got to the birth center my midwife had me lay down immediately so we could check for the baby's heartbeat. She found Chloe's heartbeat right away, and it sounded nice and strong. It was such a huge relief to her heartbeat! My midwife suggested though that we go to the hospital next door where we had gotten our 20 week ultrasound and have another ultrasound done to really see what was going on with our baby.

Luckily there was an opening right away at the hospital and we didn't have to wait to be seen. It was amazing to see Chloe again through the ultrasound, she already looked so much bigger then the last time we saw her almost 7 weeks ago. The ultrasound technician took all of Chloe's measurements and looked at all the necessary things to make a complete assessment on Chloe's health. We could clearly see that Chloe was moving around, kicking her little legs and feet, and moving her arms and hands. At one point in the ultrasound we could see that Chloe had her feet all the way up by her head lol, It was so cute! We also got to see Chloe's face in 4d which was beyond the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Seriously I cant even describe how incredible it was to see my daughter's face so clearly, it really was so touching and it left me completely in awe!

The doctor came in a little bit later to go over the ultrasound. She said Chloe looks completely perfect, that she weighs 2.4 lbs and is moving around a lot. The doctor told us that baby's usually don't have a routine yet until at around 28 weeks and that most mothers do not feel all of their baby's movements. She also told us that I have a little more amniotic fluid then I had before which could be what is causing me to feel less of Chloe's movements. I asked the doctor what is causing me to have more fluid, and she said that the extra fluid is Urine from Chloe which could mean that I have gestational diabetes because Chloe is peeing more then she should. I am scheduled to take the glucose screening test next Tuesday with my midwife but the doctor I saw today suggested that I take the test sometime this week instead. She kept reassuring me that Chloe is completely healthy though, and that she is not worried at all but that she does want me to come in again next Tuesday for another ultrasound and a non stress test.

Mike and I both felt so relieved that we were able to see Chloe, hear her heartbeat, and to know that she is perfectly fine and healthy. I will admit though that I am really worried about taking the glucose test, and I am worried that they are going to tell me I have gestational diabetes. All I want is for my baby to be healthy.

One Year Anniversary

On Sunday the 27th Mike and I celebrated our one year anniversary! We had a relaxing day at home and in the evening we got dressed up and had dinner at the space needle. We had such a great time! The restaurant is really beautiful and romantic and the view of Seattle is amazing, I really was not expecting the restaurant to be so beautiful, and for the food to be so good! It was so nice to be able to get all dressed up and go on a romantic date with my husband, especially to celebrate our one year anniversary!

Its so crazy to think that exactly a year from yesterday Mike and I got married and had a beautiful wedding where all our family and friends were there to celebrate such a special day with us. This year has gone by so quickly but it has been filled with so many changes. I am excited for this next year of marriage, I really feel like God has a lot in store for us.

25 Weeks

Today I am exactly 25 weeks pregnant, which means I have 105 days left until my due date! According to babycenter.com Chloe is now measuring at about 13 1/2 inches, and weighs about a pound and a half now. I also read that Chloe is getting more fat on her body this week and is starting to look more and more like a newborn. She is also getting more hair this week, and if I could see inside my womb right now I would be able to see the color and texture of her hair. Mike and I cant wait to see our daughter for the first time. We are so excited to see what she looks like and to discover what her personality is like. I wonder what kind of hair she will have, if it will be curly like mine or straight like Mike's, if her hair color will be brown, or blonde, or even red. Soon we will find out!

Mike has been feeling Chloe move a lot more lately which is so sweet and special. Last Sunday Mike's younger sister Brittany was able to feel Chloe move a little bit. Then on Tuesday I got together with my friend Jessica and Chloe was moving so much while her and I were talking that Jessica put her hands on my belly and was able to feel Chloe move and kick a bunch of times! Also I can see my belly move now when Chloe is moving, that's been really exciting! It never gets old being able to feel your baby's movements. There are times when she is moving so much and her movements are so strong that I just start laughing, because no one else sitting around me is feeling what I am feeling.

6 Months Down

Today I am exactly 6 months pregnant! I really cant believe how fast this pregnancy has gone so far. Our little girl will be here before we know it! I have been feeling pretty good at this point in my pregnancy and only have morning sickness once or twice a week now. My energy level is much better these days but no where near what it was like before I got pregnant. I am however struggling a lot with leg cramps and back pain, but I know that's a normal symptom of pregnancy. I am also struggling with bending over now that my belly has gotten much bigger, its pretty funny actually to see me try to bend down and pick something up off of the floor, its not an easy task these days.

Yesterday Mike and I had an appointment with my midwife. While we were at the birth center there were 2 births going on. We didn't see anything obviously but they always light a candle that's on the front desk when a baby is being born, and Mike and I heard one of the newborns crying!

Our appointment was great, we talked about how I was feeling and any questions Mike and I had for her. For my next appointment which is on March 10th I have to take the glucose screening test to find out if I have gestational diabetes. I'm not looking forward to taking that test at all, I have to make sure not to eat anything for 2 hours before my appointment and then 30 minutes before my appointment starts I have to drink a really sugary drink that they give me in 5 minutes, then 30 minutes later they draw my blood. It's not that bad, I have it really easy because most people I have taken with say that when they took that test they were not allowed to eat all day.

 My midwife measured me, checked my blood pressure, we got to hear Chloe's heartbeat, which is always my favorite part. Chloe's heartbeat sounded strong and beautiful, and with the doppler we could hear her kicking in there! My midwife also showed us by pressing into my belly how Chloe was positioned in my womb. That was really amazing to be able to know where her head is, back, and cute little legs and feet!! After my next appointment which is in 4 weeks, my appointments will then move to every two weeks instead of 4!

Our childbirth class starts March 30th, we are so excited about starting that class. So many people have told me that the class we are taking is amazing and eased a lot of their fears about having a natural childbirth. Oh, and some other really exciting news, Mike finally felt Chloe move for the first time last Friday evening. That was so exciting to be able to share that experience together. Since then he has felt our daughter move a couple more times!

22 Weeks

Can you believe it in 2 weeks I will officially be 6 months pregnant! Everyday that goes by I am amazed at how fast this pregnancy is going. In 5 weeks I will be 27 weeks along which means that I will be in my 3rd trimester! I just cant believe it, I know I keep saying that over and over again but it's true. Chloe will be here in my arms before I know it! I think it is finally hitting me more and more everyday that I am a Mother now, and I have this little baby that is completely dependent on me, my needs don't come first anymore. Having my own child has made me think a lot about my own Mother and how much she has sacrificed for my brother and sister and I. I think about everything she has done  for us, the way she always put our needs before hers , and the unconditional love she has poured upon us through out our whole lives. I never really realized all the my Mother has done for us until now.

Some other exciting news this week, a lot of people have been telling me that I am really showing a lot now, and on Saturday Mike and I went to the bank to set up a joint account (only took almost a year of being married to do it) and the bank teller who helped us said "and I see your expecting a baby". I was totally taken off guard when she said that because I haven't had any strangers yet say anything to me about my pregnancy. So that was really exciting, I'm finally starting to really look pregnant. I feel Chloe kick and move all the time, she is getting stronger everyday and I think she finally weighs 1 pound now! I used to be able to only feel her on the right side but now I can feel her all over and I also feel her really high up now. Last week I bought Chloe's baby book off of Amazon, it came in the mail on Saturday. Mike and I love it, it is so cute and unique. I started working on it right away! I think that is really all that has happened last week, we are just doing lots of reading and planning, and getting ready for our sweet little girl to get here. I love seeing Mike so excited about becoming a father!

Cravings and Aversions

Image Via

I realized I have written anything yet about the cravings I have had while being pregnant. So I thought it would be fun to make a post about it.

Here are some of the cravings I have had so far:

:: V8 Vegetable juice

:: Apples

:: Tomatoes

:: Soup, I have been loving soup through out my whole pregnancy, I love all different kinds of soup but my all time favorite right now is cream of mushroom! In fact I just had some for lunch today.

:: Peanut butter

:: Chips, lately I have been craving chips everyday especially the salt and vinegar ones (which by the way I never used to like those that much)

:: Eggs

:: Jolly ranchers, during all those months of morning sickness I became addicted to jolly ranchers and basically any sweet candy

:: Milk, I craved milk all the time during those months of morning sickness as well

As of today I am able to eat more of a variety of food, but I'm still not really liking meat, especially chicken. The only things on that list that I don't crave anymore are vegetable juice, eggs, milk, and jolly ranchers.

21 Weeks

I am 21 weeks today! Time is just flying by, I feel like June will be here before I know it which is why I have been spending a lot of time focusing on all the things I need to do and take care of before Chloe gets here. Mike and I signed up for our childbirth class, it starts March 30th and goes until May 11th. We both are really looking forward to all that we will learn in that class.

I have started a baby registry at Target, and Pottery barn kids, and tomorrow Mike and I are going to go to Babies r us to register there. Mike and I started our research on vaccines. I bought the book The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears, my midwife told me that it's very informative and detailed and also completely unbiased so Mike and I can make the best informed decisions for our child. I also bought a book called Attached at the Heart by Barbara Nicholson and Lysa Parker which is all about attachment parenting.

In other news I am feeling Chloe move and kick everyday now! I love being able to feel her move all the time, but it's definitely a very interesting feeling, and her kicks and movements have gotten a lot stronger since the first time I felt them. I read that in a couple weeks Mike should be able to start feeling her movements, I know he cant wait for that! Chloe knows her daddy's voice, she always starts moving and kicking a lot when Mike gets really close to my belly and starts talking to her, it's so cute!

Baby Buys: Part 1

Our friends Pat and Rose are so sweet and bought Chloe a couple sleeper outfits, they are adorable!

Yesterday my friend Erika and I went to Target to check out there baby section, and also I wanted to get a couple outfits for Chloe. It was so much to look at all the baby clothes, everything is so cute and tiny. The whole time we were at target both Erika and I kept saying awww to everything we picked up! Another customer walked by us, smiled and said "it's so hard to just pick one outfit, isn't it?" haha it really is so hard to pick only one outfit when they all are so cute! Anyways here are a couple pictures of what I got at target yesterday, I cant wait to see Chloe in them!

We Are Having A.....

Yesterday we had our first ultrasound. It was so amazing to be able to see our baby for the first time! We found out that we are having a baby girl! Mike and I are so excited, and just feel so blessed to be having a daughter, we have decided to name her, Chloe Madison!! The doctor said that she is perfect and growing right on track! She is quite the little mover already, the ultrasound technician had a difficult time getting a picture of her face because she wouldn't stop moving, and putting her little hands in front of her face. It was so cute! We did get a couple pictures of Chloe's profile, and a picture of the bottom of her little feet. They also made a dvd for us to take home of our ultrasound! I love looking at my daughters first pictures! Mike said that he thinks Chloe's feet look like mine, and that from the picture of her profile, that her face looks like his! I really cant tell who she looks like yet.

18 Weeks And The New Year

At 18 weeks pregnant my baby now weighs almost 7 ounces, and is about 5 1/2 inches long. I cant believe how much my baby has grown over the months, and how much more he or she will continue to grow in the next 4 months. It's so exciting to me, I love seeing my baby bump grow each week. It's been a slow growth but my belly definitely has gotten bigger and rounder.

On January 13th my husband and I go in for our first ultrasound, I cant even express how excited I am to be able to see my baby for the first time!

It is officially 2011 now, so much has happened in 2010, good, bad, sometimes uneventful, lot's of changing and growing and maturing. God has really helped me to grow so much this past year. I have learned how to trust him more, to know that he is always there for me, always will provide for me exactly what I need, and to pray about everything whether it be big or small, because nothing is to big for God to handle nor to small for God to care about. I can say now that I am a lot more proud of the woman I am becoming.

I really believe that 2011 will be filled with even more blessing and surprises. On February 27th my husband and I will be celebrating our 1 year wedding anniversary. It has been an amazing first year of marriage, we have shared so many special moments together, and have gone through some really difficult times together. I feel like we have really grown as a couple this past year, and look forward to growing even more in love in 2011. In June our baby will be born and we will be able to hold him or her in our arms for the first time and look into his or her eyes and think WOW we created this little precious baby. I know our lives will never be the same after that. Yep, 2011 is going to be an exciting year!

Could it be....

Last night after dinner Mike and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie, and I think I felt the baby move for the first time!! It felt like little flutters going on inside my stomach. I have been waiting in anticipation for that moment throughout my whole pregnancy, and am so excited that I finally got to experience it!!!! I cant wait for the day when I can feel my baby move all the time, and for Mike to finally be able to feel our baby kick. I know it's not to far away from now!

16 Weeks

Today I am exactly 4 months and 6 days pregnant! I cant believe how fast time is going. In 3 weeks I will be 20 weeks, which is halfway through my pregnancy! December 16th I had an appointment with my midwife, which went really well. They said my blood pressure was perfect, and everything feels right on track. I also got to hear the baby's heartbeat! My midwife said the heartbeat sounded strong and healthy, and she said it felt like the baby was moving around a lot! I haven't felt the baby's movements yet, I keep waiting in anticipation for it everyday. My midwife said that I probably wont feel the baby until I am around 18-20 weeks.

 I also asked her how far along I need to be for Mike and I to get an ultrasound to find out the gender, she said she would like me to wait until 20 weeks to get an ultrasound. We are so excited to be able to see our baby for the first time through an ultrasound, and to finally find out what we are having! Everyone we have asked has said they think we are having a boy, which has also been my guess, but ya never know, we could all be completely wrong. Either way I am so excited whether we have a boy or girl.

Everyday I am feeling better and better, which is so amazing. I finally have energy again and can actually be productive. I am enjoying life a lot more now!

Second Trimester

I am now in my second trimester! I am so excited about that, and I am really, really hoping that the morning sickness will soon come to an end. On Thursday our midwife asked for us to come into the office. Mike had called them on Wednesday to let them know that I am not able to keep much food down (this has been going on for a couple months now), and he told them I have lost about 20 lbs.

Mike and I were really worried, and just wanted to make sure everything is ok with our baby. Our midwife told us that the baby will take what it needs first, and that experiencing morning sickness into the second trimester is normal for some woman. She gave me a lot of different tricks to try out to help with the nausea and vomiting. She also said that if I cant keep anything down (food and water) for 24 hrs to call them immediately.

We got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the second time, it is already starting to sound so much stronger and louder then the first time we got to hear our baby's heartbeat. It was so reassuring to be able to hear the heartbeat, I felt like I could breath again. The first time we heard the heartbeat the heart rate was 160, now it's 120. I am pretty convinced it's a boy, but we wont know for sure for another couple weeks.

This week is a busy week for our baby, lot's of growing! Our baby is now 3 1/2 inches long and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. He/She can now squint, frown, pee, and suck his/her thumb. It's amazing how fast our little baby is growing everyday. I cant wait till I can hold him/her in my arms, look into their eyes and give them lots of kisses all over!

Our Chicago Trip

We had a great time in Chicago, spent a lot of time with my family which was so nice since we don't get to see them very often. Mike got to spend some time with one of his good friends, and I got to see a good friend of mine and her husband, who by the way is also expecting! We had a great time at thanksgiving, my Grandma always makes the best dinner. Most of my cousins were there as well, I cant believe how fast they are all growing up. At dinner my Grandma made a toast, and announced to the family that Mike and I had some very exciting news to share. Before I could even get out that we were expecting, my uncle said Congratulations and started clapping, the rest of my family followed. It was pretty funny, I guess everyone already knew. On Wednesday me, Mike, and my Dad went over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for dinner. It was so good to see the family, we had a really good time and after dinner played a game of gin rummy with my cousins. I miss my family very much and sometimes it is really hard living so far away from everyone, I feel like I am missing out on so much, but I am very grateful that I got to spend time with everyone during Thanksgiving week.

Some other news, I am wearing glasses now, I have to take a long break from contacts. I got a really bad eye infection as soon as we arrived in Chicago, and spent the first 3 days not being able to see at all. My eye seems to be all healed now, and my Dad bought me a pair of glasses. I am still continuing to experience morning sickness, at least 2-3 times a day. Besides the morning sickness though, I am starting to feel better, and I seem to have more energy so that's really exciting. My husband has been so great, he takes care of me everyday. I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world that I am his wife!

It's nice to be back in Seattle, this month is going to be very busy. I cant wait for my husband and I to get our first Christmas tree and decorate it together!

Today I am 13 weeks and 4 days pregnant, my third prenatal appointment is December 14th.