Week 29: "Butternut Squash"

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day. (www.babycenter.com)

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Bebita has been moving around lots these days. So much so that it keeps me awake at night sometimes. The past couple nights I've gotten very little sleep -- partially because it has been so warm in our apartment (we don't control our heat) and partly because Bebita thought it was play time. I guess she is preparing me for when she makes her debut. It makes me happy to feel her moving so consistently though.

Here is my 29 week belly pic.

We have lots of exciting things planned this month, which will make it go by fast. My parents are coming for New Years and staying until the following Tuesday. We have our first birthing class on January 5, which we will have once a week through the end of January. Teirney's parents are coming next weekend to help us paint the nursery. Our nursery furniture and bedding should be delivered sometime this month as well. I still feel overwhelmed when I think of everything that still needs to be done, but I'm sure it will all get done in time.

A couple of my friends from Foley are throwing a baby shower for me next weekend (January 11). They were so sweet to think of me. Here is the picture that was in the Evite they sent out. I feel so blessed to have such sweet friends!

My appointments with the midwife have switched to every two weeks instead of every four. It makes it feel all that more real. My next appointment is on Monday and since my mom will be here, I think she will come with me to hear the heartbeat.

Here's to hoping your New Year is filled with many blessings!

Christmas 2008

It's hard to believe Christmas has come and gone and New Years is right around the corner. Here are a few Christmas pictures from our time in Marshfield this past week. My two sisters, Jackie and Josie, came up. We were just missing my brother, Jeff, and sister, Amy. We hope to spend some time with them over New Years.

Week 28: "Chinese Cabbage"

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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Yay for the third and final trimester...I finally made it! This post is a little late in coming due to Christmas. We headed up to Marshfield on Tuesday night and we'll be here until Sunday. Here is my 28 week belly pic. I feel huge and yet I have three more months to go!

We had a good Christmas and look forward to the next few days with family. I had my 28 week appointment this past Monday as well as my glucose test. I passed!!! I was so excited to find out that I don't need to go on a GD diet during this pregnancy. My blood pressure was still good (120/78) and everything seems to be going great so far. They did, however, put me on an iron supplement because my iron was a little low. Anything below 11 they have to treat and I was a 10, so they weren't too worried, but they told me to take an iron supplement every three days or so. I have also gained a total of 9 pounds from my last appointment, which was 4 weeks ago. That was a bit alarming, but the midwife was not concerned. I'm just hoping that I don't gain too much weight in these last three months. Oh well, we'll see.

Bebita is getting bigger and stronger. I can feel her stretch all the way across my belly now and her kicks and rolls are much more evident and at times can be quite uncomfortable. The other day I literally thought she was going to try and come out of my belly button -- she was banging on it pretty hard. I love it though!

Well, I'm making this short because my sister is sitting here right now and it is pretty late. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Love you sweet, Bebita! Hope you enjoyed your first Christmas -- you sure acted like you did with all the kicks and rolls you were doing this morning.

Our Christmas Greeting!

Year-in-Review 2008

- Work, work, work, and School, school, school (January-May 2008)
- Teirney published article Fish on Morphine in Wisconsin Law Review (March 2008)
- Teirney accepted position at Gass Weber Mullins LLC in Milwaukee (April 2008)
- Remember the house we bought just last year that was on last year’s Christmas photo? Yeah, we put that up for sale. (May 2008)
- And accepted an offer on it 3 weeks later (May 2008)
- Teirney graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School (May 16, 2008)
- Teirney sworn in to practice law in Wisconsin at the Wisconsin Supreme Court (June 11, 2008)
- Took celebratory vacation to Boston and Cape Cod (June 21-29, 2008)
- Teirney moved to Milwaukee and slept on a friend’s couch during the first 3 weeks of his new job (July 7, 2008)
- Leah stayed behind to work and pack (July 2008)
- Found out our family will have a little addition around March 17, 2009 – yippee!!! (July 10, 2008)
- Leah’s last day at Foley & Lardner LLP (July 11, 2008)
- Officially moved into our new apartment in Milwaukee (July 25, 2008)
- Leah has morning sickness that lasts all day (July-October, 2008)
- Closed on our house in Cross Plains (August 28, 2008)
- Attended Brewer playoff games - thoroughly enjoyed the first one (October 4 and 5, 2008)
- Leah started feeling better (October 2008)
- Leah started volunteering at City on a Hill (October 21, 2008)
- Found out we’re having a baby girl (October 30, 2008)
- Teirney’s first out of state work trip to Miami (November 12-14, 2008)
- Marshfield for Thanksgiving (November 27-30)
- Leah expands her baking skills to include Christmas cookies in Marshfield
(November 30-December 6, 2008)
- Marshfield for Christmas (December 23-28, 2008)

We are so excited to meet our baby girl and look forward to all the exciting new adventures that will hold for us. We hope this greeting finds you and your family well and hope that our paths will cross again soon.

Until then…may God bless you and your family and may you all enjoy a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Love,

Teirney, Leah, and Baby Christenson

Week 27: "Cauliflower"

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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So from what I gather, third trimester technically starts at 28 weeks, which is next week. Some people say it starts at 27 weeks, so it can be very confusing. Either way, I'm practically there, but I guess I'll start celebrating next week. Here is my 27 week belly pic.

I've been getting lots of stares at my belly lately. We were at the mall the other week with my parents and my dad said he noticed all these women looking at my belly -- most likely because of my HUGE belly button! I still haven't gotten an official "stranger comment" (where a complete stranger starts talking to you out of the blue about your pregnancy). But what I have gotten are people saying things like "I assume you want the non-smoking section..." while eyeing my belly. It is really quite funny. What I wanted to say was, "no, I plan on smoking tonight." Just kidding.

Pregnancy has been such a fascinating journey. I sometimes find myself wanting to skip to the part where my baby is peacefully sleeping in my arms. But then I remember I need to live in the moment and try to treasure each and every day of having her inside me. So I'm trying to consciously remind myself of that. Especially because I know she won't always be "sleeping peacefully in my arms" -- she could be screaming in my arms. As I write this, she is kicking away...so cute!

Speaking of kicking, her kicks have gotten significantly stronger in the last week. It has even startled me at times -- I've literally jumped a couple times when she kicked and I wasn't expecting it. I wish I could take a peek inside from time to time to see what she is up to. I often wonder what she is actually doing. It's still a little hard to tell what position she is in. It's pretty roomy in there yet so she can move around quite a bit, but it would be fun to know for sure where her head, hands, and feet are.

With Christmas and the third trimester just around the corner, reality has begun to sink in that we will have a little baby to take care of in a few short months. As much as I have looked forward to the day I become a mommy (since I was 6 or so), I am all of a sudden petrified. We will be responsible to raise a little baby and she will be a teenager one day! We don't have a clue what we're doing. Oh my...so nerve-wracking! I guess we can only pray for wisdom, grace, and patience in the process. I also realized recently that Teirney and I will have been married for 7 years when Bebita is born, which means we've had 7 years to get into a groove of having no kids and doing whatever we want, whenever we want. Ah yes, that will all change. Life will be so different and yet we both look forward to it and will embrace the change. Ready or not, here she comes!

I feel like I'm making some progress in our apartment. I need to rearrange some closets to make room for some things we still have in boxes, but after that, we'll be ready to tackle the nursery. Yay! Probably just in time to move again. Well, not really, but we are keeping our eyes open for a house to buy. It would be hard to move right after we have Bebita, so I think we'll get our use out of the nursery for a bit before that happens.

Teirney has some depositions in Hudson Thursday and Friday, so I plan on going with him tomorrow night and staying at the hotel. Then we'll travel to the Cities on Friday afternoon to visit with Marah. It will be a fun and busy next couple weeks.

Since it's almost Midnight here, I really need to sign off...until next time.

Week 26: "Cucumber"

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days. (www.babycenter.com)

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I am in complete disbelief as to how fast these weeks are going -- my third trimester is quickly approaching. Here is my 26 week belly pic -- not as good as last week since I'm back to propping the camera up and running to the wall -- it's quite a sight to see (my mom took last week's picture).

Aside from my lack of agility and some aches and pains, I'm feeling really good and I realize that this is probably the best I will feel in my pregnancy, so I should be stepping it up a notch to get lots done now while I feel this good. I was hoping we would be able to paint the nursery this month, but realistically I think it will be the first part of January. The crib and dresser should be delivered shortly thereafter. My goal is to have the nursery completely done in January, so that I'm not saving anything for February, since you never know what can happen.

Bebita has been such a good little girl -- she has her active days and then she has her quieter days. We have a game we like to play called "belly poke." When she is squirming around in there, I'll poke my belly where I feel some kicks and then she responds back...it's so cute! My belly is also starting to itch a lot more -- last week especially. Guess that's a good sign. Just hoping I'll be one of the lucky ones and not grow too fast at one time -- I'd love to avoid the stretch marks, but we'll see.

I'm trying to stay away from sugar as much as possible, but I was so bad last week. My mom and I did Christmas baking -- I think that says it all. I couldn't waste the broken cookies, so I had to eat them. Poor Bebita didn't know what hit her. And when her daddy found out, he was quick to give me a loving scolding -- he's going to be a protective daddy. My mom and I had such a good time though and I was so glad to have been able to spend the week with her. We did lots of Christmas decorating and since I'm not decorating our apartment this year, I was so glad I was able to get my "decorating fix" in there.

Good news! Yesterday I had my endocrinology appointment and the doctor said that I don't need to come back. My last two lab results had come back normal and he didn't see a reason for me to keep coming back to get it checked. He said to take note of any changes that may indicate my thyroid isn't working and if I notice anything to come in, but otherwise, no need to go back!!! Yay! He said he thought it could've just been a fluke that the August lab results came back abnormal...lets hope so.

One shocking truth at my appointment was my weight. Since my last appointment with the midwife only a week and a half ago, I had gained 6 pounds! Yes, 6 pounds in a week and half. That sounds like an awful lot to me. I realize everyone is different, but I'm hoping that it slows down in the next few weeks as I don't want to get "the talk" from my midwife. My next appointment is Christmas Eve morning -- I'll be 28 weeks. I'm scheduled to have the 1-hour glucose test that day as well. I'm praying I pass! If not, I'm on to the 3-hour test...ugh.

Teirney's work Christmas party is on Friday night and I will be meeting some of the attorneys he works with for the first time. The food options sound fantastic, so Bebita and I are looking forward to it very much.

Well, until next time, goodnight!

Dearest Bebita, we love you so much! "Baby it's cold outside..." so stay snug and warm inside for as long as possible - okay? You are our little treasure and we continue to pray for you daily. May God bless you!

Week 25: "Rutabaga"

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture. (www.babycenter.com)

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was nice, but very busy. The Friday after Thanksgiving I left to go to the Cities with my parents for a cousin's wedding. It was great to be able to spend some quality time with some of my cousins I haven't seen in years. Teirney had stayed in Marshfield to spend the rest of the weekend with his family. I came back to Marshfield on Sunday and will stay through the rest of the week. Teirney went back to Milwaukee on Sunday. I feel so blessed that I'm not working and have been able to be flexible to do all this traveling. However, I miss Teirney very much, who says he also misses me...so sad! Everyone together now say, "awww, how cute!"

So I'm 25 weeks today! I'm continually amazed at how fast the weeks are flying by. Here is my 25 week belly pic (I have officially retired the gray tank top).

One of the biggest things that has replaced my morning sickness is my lack of sleep. Typically, that isn't supposed to get bad until later on in the pregnancy, but apparently Bebita wants me to be fully prepared for her arrival. I suspect lack of sleep will continue as long as I'm a parent. There was one night in the Cities that I didn't sleep the entire night until about 5:00 a.m.-6:30 a.m. Bebita was doing acrobats all night long (I think it was due to the hot chocolate I drank at 9:00 p.m. that night -- lesson learned). We spent the next day at the Mall of America...probably not the best idea in the world. But it was fun regardless of how tired I was, and at least I was able to sleep that night.

Another factor in my lack of sleep has been heartburn. I had it pretty bad early on in the first trimester and then it disappeared. It has officially reappeared in full force now. I'm able to take Tums and that has helped tremendously.

I feel extremely blessed and grateful that aside from the common aches and pains pregnancy brings, I have had no complications and Bebita seems to be growing healthy, which is the most important thing.

My mom and I have been doing some Christmas baking this week and I plan on helping putting up the Christmas tree with her later this week. I have decided not to decorate for Christmas at our apartment this year. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to decorate, especially for Christmas. But with the apartment still not completely in order and me being pregnant, I decided to give Teirney the best Christmas he's ever had...a Christmas with no decorations! He dreads the whole decorating process every year and since this will probably be the only year we can skip it, I figured there was no better time. So I'm glad I can get my "Christmas fix" at my parents house this year. I'm actually quite relieved I don't need to worry about it at our house.

Since it's late and I still need to say goodnight to my cute hubby, I should sign off.

Dear, sweet Bebita -- you are precious, you are a gift, and we are so grateful for your little life. I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving meal the other day. Stay healthy and strong -- and may God hold your little hand through your entire journey into this world. Please know your daddy loves you very much, even though you haven't heard his voice around too much these last couple weeks. We both love you so very, very much! Goodnight little angel!

Week 24: "Ear of Corn"

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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The weeks seem to be flying by for me, especially with all the holidays coming up. This will be a quick post because we're about to walk out the door and head to Marshfield for Thanksgiving.

Here is my 24 week belly pic...yay for viability!!! :-)

We registered this past weekend, which was fun and overwhelming all at the same time. I will post links on the blog whenever I get a chance.

I had my 24 week appointment with the midwife this morning. All is well and my belly grew 3 inches since my last appointment four weeks ago. My belly is a whopping 23 centimeters! Bebita was moving around a lot so she didn't get an accurate read on her heartbeat, but she said it was in the 130's. I asked if that was okay because at my last appointment her heart rate was in the 150's, she said it fluctuates and that was fine.

Teirney is now home and I need to go, but if I get a chance to blog more in the next day or two, I will. I will be in Marshfield staying with my parents for the entire week after Thanksgiving -- I'm excited to visit with them, but will miss Teirney once again.

Signing off as Teirney unplugged my computer. :-)

HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!!!

V-Day!!!

Happy Viability Day, Bebita!!! But you still need to stay cozy and warm inside for a few more months, okay? You have been so active yesterday and today...that always make mommy happy! You've been such a little trooper through all this growing you've been doing. Mommy and Daddy can't wait to meet you and are so happy you've made it to this big milestone in your little life. So, in your honor, we're going to go celebrate with an ice cream sundae...mmmm, such a yummy treat for you!

Love you mucho! xoxo

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For those of you wondering, 24 weeks equals viability. Meaning, your baby has a greater chance of survival outside the womb...everyday counts at this point.

My weekly post and picture is going to have to wait until tomorrow...I'm going to go celebrate with my two honeys.

Week 23: "Mango"

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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Big news this week -- I saw Bebita dancing around in my belly for the first time last Wednesday! It was so cute! I was sick and just laying on the couch -- I think she was trying to cheer me up (especially because Teirney was already in Miami). Teirney hasn't seen her bustin' out a move yet, but I'm sure he will soon.

Here is my 23 week belly pic...yep, the belly button is still there.

On top of being sick this last week, I had a lot of back pain. I broke down and went to the chiropractor on Wednesday morning to see if there was anything she could do. I had a pain behind my right shoulder blade which was causing me a ton of pain whenever I would take a deep breath. It was the weirdest thing. But when I went in and told her what was happening, she seemed to know what I was talking about. She did a couple adjustments and told me I should be feeling better by Friday, but if not, I should go back in. I felt worse all day Wednesday and part of Thursday, but by Thursday night it felt like it might be getting better. By Friday, it was gone altogether, which I was so thankful for. She said it actually had something to do with my ribs, which was causing a pain in my back, but she said it is common during pregnancy. I still have my tailbone issue, but I don't think that will be eliminated during this pregnancy...alleviated maybe, but not eliminated until I pop this little one out. At least, I hope this won't be a lifelong thing.

I'm so excited that I'm over my morning sickness/all day sickness. I sometimes feel like it might be coming on, but it will usually go away after eating something. I'm told it can sometimes come back later on in your pregnancy...fun, fun.

Crazy thing, we only have 3 free weekends until the end of the year (including this coming weekend). So there is a lot we need to try to fit into those weekends. After Christmas, I'll only have 2 1/2 more months...it's unbelievable how fast this pregnancy is going to me. I've started looking at paint colors for the nursery. I think I found a color that might work, but I'm going to do a little bit more looking before I commit. So one of the weekends, we'll have to paint the nursery -- yay!

To wrap it up, here's a little story for your entertainment from this week...well, at least it was entertaining to me for a few hours of my life the other night. I was on a pregnancy forum and someone posted that Target was selling a Britax carseat (originally $279.00 and a top rated brand) for $42.99. I immediately scarfed two of them up. Everyone knew it had to be a mistake, but no one was going to miss the opportunity in case Target didn't catch it. There were people buying this carseat left and right and it was the talk of message boards all over the place. Some people actually called Target to see if the deal was legit and some people got a "yes" response and some got a "no" response. So there were lots of mixed messages. In the end, I knew I would be getting an email the next day saying "sorry, we cannot honor the price of the Britax carseat..." Sure enough, I got the email yesterday. Major bummer! Oh well, it was worth a try.

My dear darling Bebita -- you are our angel baby! We love you so much and can't believe how fast you're growing. We're so glad the time is going by fast because the sooner we'll get to meet you. We're thankful you were a trooper this week as mommy was sick with a cold. I loved being able to watch you move the other day, it was so precious! Maybe you can show daddy your moves one of these days. :-) May God bless you and keep you, my little one. Love you mucho! xoxo

Week 22: Spaghetti Squash

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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I felt really great this past week. No sickness at all -- I'm beginning to think maybe it has subsided for good (I'm hoping). I am, however, beginning to get some sort of bug I think. I started getting a sore throat this morning and it has gotten progressively worse and I feel quite exhausted -- I can barely keep my eyes open. But with the drastic weather change we've had, it's really no surprise. I'm just hoping it won't get too bad.

Here is my 22 week belly picture (that belly button sticks out more and more everyday...hilarious).

Teirney leaves for Miami tomorrow. He will be there for work until Friday. I'm excited for him to have the opportunity, but kinda jealous I don't get to go (plus, I'm just going to miss him). I'm hoping I feel better because I'm supposed to go up to the Cities this weekend for a wedding reception and visiting Marah. I was planning on leaving Thursday and staying with Josie in Eau Claire that night to break up the trip a little. So hopefully this won't amount to anything.

I'm quite a mess actually because of my back issues. It has helped to go to the chiropractor, but my tailbone still hurts and on top of that I think I pulled a muscle behind my shoulder blade last night at yoga. It is killing me -- so with the sore throat and shoulder pain, I'm not doing so great today. You know you're out of shape when you pull a muscle at yoga. Ugh!

I was supposed to get together with Lisa and Jen today, but Jen was having contractions and is pretty close to giving birth and since I wasn't feeling so good, we cancelled. The next couple weeks are going to be busy ones and I probably won't get to see them for awhile. I'm going to miss the girl time. Jen will have her baby in the meantime, so hopefully we'll get to meet her the next time we get together.

Well, that is all the updates I have for now. If I think of anything else, I'll write again later.

Crib and Combo

We ordered Bebita's crib and combo (dresser/changing table) on Saturday...and I love it!!! Since the crib and combo we were going to order are both out of stock, and JCPenney gave no promises of restocking, I was on the hunt this weekend for alternative options. Instead of resuming my search online, I decided I wanted to actually look at some cribs in person. I had already looked at Babies-R-Us, but I hadn't checked out USA Baby yet. So Saturday, Teirney and I made the excursion to USA Baby and found a crib and combo that we both loved. I'm really excited about it because they're both Munire' (a really great brand in the baby furniture world) and got an "A" rating in Baby Bargains, which is much better than the "C-" rating that JCPenney got (which was mainly due to customer service -- the actual crib we were going to order got really good reviews online).

We got a really good deal on them because they were both on sale, so I'm really happy with the way things turned out in the end. In addition, they will deliver and set it up for us, which was a huge relief to Teirney. He was dreading picking up the heavy furniture from the store, hauling it to our apartment, up the stairs, and then putting it all together (most of the other places, JCPenney included, make you pick up the furniture at the store and put it together yourself). This is a lifetime convertible crib, so we can use it as a toddler bed and as a full sized bed as Bebita gets older -- or we may decide to just use it as a crib for the next baby, either way, we have options. There is a picture of the crib and combo below (however, we did not order the hutch that is on top of the combo).


They won't be delivered until January, which gives us plenty of time to clean out the nursery and paint. We'll pretty much have walking room only in our nursery since that room is so small, but oh well, what else are we going to do? The convenient thing is that I will be able to stand in one spot to take the baby out of the crib and then turn to change her on the combo -- I'll barely need to move...literally. ;-) The more I think about moving into a house, the more I wish we could do it before the baby comes, but I know that won't be possible since our Lease isn't up until February anyway. Oh well, we'll just have to figure it out. That's a whole other subject.

Today we met up with some of Teirney's law school friends at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Packer game (which we won't talk about the game). While there, I had this really sharp pain a couple inches to the right of my belly button. It felt like it was on the outside of my skin, not inside. It felt like a needle was being poked into my skin and the pain would fluctuate based on my movements. It was the strangest thing and very uncomfortable...and painful really. I was wearing maternity pants that covered my belly, so at first I thought maybe that was it. But it kept happening even after I pulled the panel down. It lasted the entire game, but went away when we left. I was worried of course, but at least I had been feeling Bebita moving quite a bit all day today, so that gave me some reassurance. It's a mystery what that pain was, but I just hope I never get it back again. We'll see if it happens while watching another Packer game where they're playing bad, then I'll just know it's related to that. :-)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I need to go take my sweet hubby to bed (who has been sleeping on the couch for a couple hours now already).

Finally...Bedding!!!

I have been looking everywhere (and I mean countless hours...literally) for bedding that has gray, chocolate brown, and pink (or green), and I didn't want anything too babyish. Yes, I had lots of criteria, and yes, I'm picky. Believe me, I completely frustrated myself that I knew what I wanted in my head before I had seen it. I actually found this bedding when I found the boy bedding that I posted a picture of awhile ago, but when I showed it to Teirney, he wasn't crazy about it. After being frustrated with not being able to find anything else that I loved, I went ahead and ordered fabric swatches of it. I got the swatches yesterday and I made up my mind instantly that this was it, and I was crossing my fingers that Teirney would think the same after seeing the fabric in real life. Thankfully he put my search to an end when he said "I like it." Yay!!!

It is even prettier in person. The white is somewhat creamy and the gray and pink leaves are actually velvet...I absolutely adore it! I have been wanting to paint the walls a grayish color and we are getting an espresso colored crib, so all the colors should blend nicely.

I just found out today that the crib we were going to order is out of stock and they don't know if they'll be getting anymore in. I was very disappointed, but I'm hoping for the best. It is currently on sale at JCPenney and has free shipping, so I'm sure that is why they are out of stock. I'm just hoping they'll be getting some more in soon. There is a picture of it below, however, the crib in the picture is in cherry finish, ours will be espresso (if they ever get anymore in).

Week 21: "Carrot"

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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I'm getting bigger by the week! Here is my 21 week picture (my belly button has officially "popped").

We are so excited that we are able to call our baby a "her" -- it makes it so much more real and we already feel like we're starting to get to know our sweet daughter...wow, "our daughter"...hard to believe!

I'm really starting to feel Bebita kick a lot more. As I mentioned in my last post, Teirney got to feel her for the first time on the day of our ultrasound, and he has felt her several more times since. This morning after he felt her kick he said, "she is so special." He is so sweet to his girls and of course that made my heart melt. We both love her so much already and can't imagine our lives without her anymore. We continue to pray God's protection on her. She has especially needed it lately because I've given her a couple sugar highs the past couple days...bad, bad mommy. The other night, we went out to eat and I had a shake at dinner, then we went to a movie and of course I had to get an Icee (it's my favorite thing at the theater), and I ate a half a bag of Skittles on top of that. Oh my, big mistake!!! She was going nuts in there during the entire movie...I've never felt her move that much. I told Teirney to remind me never to eat that much sugar in one setting.

I'm still on the hunt for girl bedding. Nothing has jumped out at me that I've just loved (like it did when I found the boy bedding). I ordered some swatches of a few different patterns, but I'm not convinced I'll like any of them. We'll see. Those who know me well, know that I won't give up until I find the perfect thing -- I frustrate myself. Oh well.

This past weekend we met Teirney's parents in Appleton and did a little shopping for our baby girl. We had so much fun -- even Teirney's dad got into it. I mainly browsed the clearance racks for good deals. We bought some newborn sleepers and several outfits she'll be able to wear this summer. We went to Babies-R-Us and found a great deal on the summer clothes. They had a rack of clearance items with an additional 30% off the marked down price, so I went a little bit nuts there, but I couldn't pass up the $2.00-$3.00 outfits.

I've gone to the chiropractor a couple times now and it seems to be helping. I go again next Monday. I still get a little freaked out hearing my bones crack, especially since I've never cracked anything on my body in my life until I went a week ago. But as long as Bebita is comfortable that is all that matters.

Dear sweet Bebita, you continue to amaze us! Just like daddy said, you're so special and we love you very much! Please keep moving around lots so mommy knows you're okay in there. Love you! xoxo

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Teirney and I are thrilled! We both thought she was a he, as did most of our family, but we are so excited to add another girl to the family (on my side, it's 10 to 1...poor Jackson)! The ultrasound went extremely well and the tech (later confirmed by the midwife) said everything looks great and perfectly normal. She is measuring right on time and weighs 12 ounces, which the tech said was excellent. Her heart rate was 150 bpm.

She was extremely active very early this morning (she is obviously a daddy's girl since it appears she is a morning person just like him). I felt her more than I ever had, so today was a very big day for her. And to make it even more special, she decided she would let daddy be able to feel her kick this morning. Yep, Teirney felt her for the first time this morning. That was very exciting!

All the morning activity must have tuckered her out because she was sleeping during the ultrasound, so we didn't get to see too much activity. We did see her have the hiccups and she was putting her hand in her mouth. At the beginning of the ultrasound, she had her feet above her head so the tech was able to check the gender, but shortly thereafter she curled up into a ball for the rest of the ultrasound, so we wouldn't have been able to see what we were having had the tech not checked right away (thank goodness).

Teirney ended up having to work this afternoon, so we didn't get to go shopping together for her like we had planned, but we intend to do some this weekend together. Now, I need to find girl bedding I like. :-)

I know you're probably wondering if we've picked a name yet. We have, however, we're not sharing until she is born -- we had to keep some element of surprise alive. :-) So until then, she will now be referred to as "Bebita," instead of Bebito (so sorry for the confusion -- Teirney insists we be technical).

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Public Service Announcement from Teirney himself:

In spanish, words that end with "o" are either masculine or gender-neutral. Words that end with "a" are feminine. There are some exceptions, but I won't get into those. Because we did not know the gender of our baby until now, Bebito was the appropriate name. However, now that we know the gender, it would be very strange to continue to call our baby "Bebito" - it would essentially be like calling our little girl "little baby boy." So, by changing one letter, we are now appropriately referring to our child as "little baby girl." Please keep in mind that I will not be very happy if I ever hear my daughter being referred to as "Bebito." Thank you.

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Here are some pictures from the ultrasound of our sweet little angel baby.

Dear sweet Bebita, thank you so much for cooperating for mommy and daddy today. You did such a good job and I think I will reward you with an ice cream cone tonight...mmmm. You are so beautiful and we cannot wait until we can hold you in our arms...but please stay cozy and warm in there for several more months because we want you to stay healthy. You are our precious baby girl and we love you so, so much! Daddy is very excited to be having his daddy's girl. :-) We love you. xoxo

Week 20: "Banana"

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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Mmmm...banana...I actually had one of those today. So sorry, Bebito.

Well, I've officially reached the halfway point -- woohoo! It's quite surreal and will probably feel even more surreal on Thursday when we get to see the little munchkin. Yep, just 2 more days until the big ultrasound. I can barely think about anything else. But I'm trying my best not to get overly excited in the event Bebito doesn't show us what he/she is made of. Teirney is hoping to be able to take Thursday afternoon off work. The ultrasound is at 11:00 a.m., so we'll probably have a celebratory lunch and hopefully do a little shopping for Bebito afterward (can't wait for that). I have to admit though, I'm a little nervous about the ultrasound. It's the 20 weeks scan so they check the baby to make sure it is growing normally and on schedule, as well as make sure there are no signs of abnormalities. We just pray for a healthy baby, but no matter what Bebito will have all of our love!

I've been feeling a little better this week. Although, I did get sick twice this morning...hard to believe that is still happening -- I'm more than ready to be done with that part of the pregnancy. Here is the usual 20 week picture -- one in "uniform" and one in "normal" attire.

I had an appointment with the endocrinologist for my thyroid yesterday. He was very confused with the recent lab results that came back. He said my TSH was normal but there was another thyroid test he did (which I'm not sure the name of) that showed low numbers. He said that could just be normal for me, but there is no way of knowing if it is "normal" or "too low." So he did another round of labs and sent it out to an outside lab this time to see what comes back. Unfortunately, I did not ask what the actual results were, but he said they were in the range that told him I will most likely have problems with an under active thyroid in the future, but it doesn't necessarily mean it is a problem now. He didn't know what to do with me. He said he didn't want to put me on meds because it could be normal for me, but at the same time if it isn't normal for me, it's not healthy for the baby. So that was why he decided to do another round of labs. I'm supposed to call for the results on Thursday. I go back for another appointment on December 8.

Today was my first day of volunteering at City on a Hill. They needed me to work on a project that involved Excel. I do okay on Excel, but this involved lists, charts, and graphs, which I'm not familiar with at all. I felt like it took me forever to do a simple project, but I had to figure out how to do it first. I missed Foley this morning...I used to always be able to just call the Help Desk or Val for a quick lesson, but not today. I had to actually use the "Help" feature on Excel (I was so spoiled at Foley). I finally figured it out, but I don't think I got as much done this morning as they were hoping. I have my own office that I'll be working out of and it's nice and quiet. I'm supposed to attend a staff meeting next week so I can make some edits to a document they'll be discussing. I just hope that I'll be able to be a help to them.

This afternoon I met up with Jen, one of the mommies-to-be who I got together with last week, and we went to the Milwaukee Art Museum. It was my first time there and I loved it! We saw the feature exhibit, Act/React Interactive Art, which was really cool. However, being pregnant, we both got a little dizzy with some of the pieces. It was really incredible though to walk around the maze of hallways thinking about all the amazing artists and how each piece is an actual piece of themselves -- there was so much "time" represented in that place. It is mind boggling to think about the hours upon hours that some of those artists probably spent on one piece and then if you added all those hours together, what astonishing number it would amount to? I'm looking forward to going back sometime. It was a fun day, but I think we were both ready for a nap by the end of it.

I go to the chiropractor for the first time tomorrow morning. I've never been to a chiropractor so I'm a little nervous about it. I'm sure it will go fine.

Dear Bebito, please cooperate for us on Thursday, okay? Mommy wants to decorate your cute nursery and buy you some cute clothes, so we must know if we need to buy blue or pink. We can't wait to see you on Thursday!!! We only wish we had you in our arms, but that will come soon enough. First, you have lots of growing left to do. Did you enjoy daddy reading you to you last night? I know he enjoyed it -- there will be lots of that to come. We're still praying for you everyday -- you're our sweet baby! Love you mucho! xoxo

NBR: Update

I had my "blind date" yesterday and it went great! Both of the ladies that showed up were wonderful and we all got along really well. I'm so glad we got together and look forward to getting together again soon. AND...one of the ladies goes to a female chiropractor who specializes in pregnancy and children's chiropractics and she really likes her. She gave me her name and number and I'm going to make an appointment -- yay, problem solved!

I had my interview (not much of an interview, but that's what they called it) today for volunteering at City on a Hill. It went really well and I think I'm going to really enjoy it. I'll be working two days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) from 9:30-Noon. It will probably be more project-based and since it is a volunteer position it will be very flexible, so if there are days I can't come in it will be no problem. I'm really looking forward to it.

Here is a 19 week belly picture without the ugly tank top. :-)