Ultrasound Today

Today was the big ultrasound, the one we had been waiting for. Well here is lil' kicker's profile...

Here is lil' kicker sucking a thumb...


So you may be wondering if we are having a boy or girl, so are we! What we do know is the baby is perfectly healthy, all organs (minus the ones of sexual nature)are accounted for! We will try to take another peak in about 12 weeks, but may end up waiting till the baby is born to find out! We feel really blessed :D

16 Weeks

Well the past 16 weeks have been a new experience and do not know how else to put it. I can say that people and even the books leave a lot of unpleasant details out, and we will leave it at that. So far this pregnancy has turned into a rather good diet plan, so far I have lost around 15 pounds! I am hoping to start gaining some of that back at some point, but for now I am not complaining. We have had a few minor ER visits these first 16 weeks, and Nate has asked me to cut that out. I think he is tired of all the trips to the hospital, and I agree. The amusing thing is I was never hospitalized or taken to the ER until I was pregnant, so this pregnancy has brought a lot of first.

On to the good news, my energy levels have started picking up. Although, the nausea and morning sickness are still around, they to not physically drain me as much as they used to. My clothes still don't fit as my pre-pregnancy clothes are too small and my maternity clothes are still too big.

The date for our anatomy scan has been moved to Feb. 3rd, exactly 5 months before our due date. We are both excited to find out, but my Mom is sure that it is a boy. I of course flip flop back in forth. I have started preparing as much as I can for baby and for now that means compiling the list of names. We have decided to make a list of our favorite names and bring it to the hospital and name the baby after we meat him/her... so the name will be our little surprise.

In other news, I started school again and am now going part time at Penn State. So far I am enjoying my classes, but that story may change in a few weeks. Nate starts school again on Thursday and although he is not thrilled he is dedicated to getting his education. We, but mostly Nate, has started reorganizing the house to be ready for lil' kickers arrival. Nate is anxious to get the baby's room set up and I can not say that I blame him. We have picked out the crib that we would like, finances allowing, and every time we are at Babysrus we sit and stare at it for a while. Here is the link... http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3535422. Part of the appeal is the fact that the crib is lower to the ground so I would not need a step ladder to get into it.

Anyways lil' kicker and I are doing well. Although I do not feel constant kicks I do feel him/her having a dance party in my tummy from time to time.

I will try to update this more!

Allie

Countdown to gender!

We are so excited that the baby is still healthy, now the next milestone is finding out the gender :D Thank you all for your prayers, check my facebook for ultrasound pictures!

Countdown Clock by Zoodu.com

Dedication

"You'll always be my first!"



There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of my angel. As I progress through this pregnancy I only fall more in love with the idea of being a mother, but the truth is I already am. I am a mother to my angel and I am a mother to the baby growing within me. I am grateful to know how blessed I am, Heavenly Father has given me constant reminders.

Counting our Blessings

Yesterday, after a visit to the ER, we found out that Baby B had stopped growing. I just sat there as the ER tech kept trying to find Baby B's heartbeat, she tried for over 30 minutes. I kept asking her if she could see the heartbeat hoping that the little blueberry was just being shy. She lied, for my benefit, and said that she could see it. As she began to measure the baby I knew, Baby A took up more space and was beginning to take a human shape. Baby B stopped growing at 7 weeks when it was only the size of a blueberry, it is now our angel baby. Baby A is right on track for growth and has a heartbeat of 185.

My question has always been how does someone deal with loss of the life inside them? Even more importantly how do you mourn the loss of one and celebrate the health of them other? Our way has been to find the good in the entire situation and I would like to share that.

1. Heavenly Father never gives us anything we can not handle, he has prepared us for this through our faith and the friends/family that we have.

2. Baby B has returned to Heaven, for a reason we are not aware of this baby was not ready to come to this earth but will continue to watch over us from Heaven.

3. Something was wrong with Baby B, either it's heart of nervous system was not strong enough to sustain life and Heavenly Father knew that.

4. Baby B will always be our baby.

5. Baby A is healthy and strong providing us with overwhelming hope of what the future holds.

6. Our marriage is only being strengthened through this experience and we are blessed to have each other.

7. The blessings of the Priesthood surround me providing me comfort I never thought was possible.

8. Our blessings are limitless

In short we are choosing to celebrate both our babies. They will both forever be apart of our lives for their own special reasons. Please continue to pray for Baby A and remember there is always more to thankful for in our lives, sometimes it is just harder to find.

With all my love for your continued support,
Allie

Baby A and Baby B

These are my babies, cute as they can possibly be @ only 5 weeks and 6 days. The nurse was able to see both babies, although the pictures do not show both we did see them. We honestly feel so incredibly blessed! In addition the love and support we have received from family and friends has been amazing, more than I ever anticipated. We will most likely be seeing a great deal of our babies over the next few weeks and I will continue to update with pictures. It is only 34 weeks until I am able to hold my babies, my gift from Heavenly Father! I am just filled with gratitude that he has given me such a wonderful blessing!

Allie

For Good

As this wonderful, yet scary time in my life begins I can not help thinking of all the people that I have been blessed to know. People that may have only come into my life for a "season" but have changed my life, and continue to change my life. Thank you to everyone who continues to help me and remind me just how blessed I am.
This song had always made me think of these people in my life...

FOR GOOD- WICKED
(Glinda) I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba) It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

(Glinda) Because I knew you

(Both) I have been changed for good

(Elphaba) And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the thing I've done you blame me for

(Glinda) But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

(Both) And none of it seems to matter anymore

(Glinda) Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

(Elphaba) Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

(Both) Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

(Glinda) And because I knew you...

(Elphaba) Because I knew you...

(Both) Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good.