Week 21 - Tummy

Aimee pointed out today that it seems her belly is noticably bigger than a few days ago. The last time we took a picture and compared it with the previous one, it wasn't a huge difference, so we didn't post it. But now it is definitely more noticeable, so here she is!

Her dress is the closest thing we will get to seeing the leaves change color down here in Florida. After a brutal summer we are looking forward to the milder weather which should be here in October.

We sincerely hope some of our family can come visit when the baby is here! It might be difficult for us to come to you!

The Baby is Moving!

I know this doesn't seem like new news because of my previous posting, but this IS new news! Aimee had thought she felt the baby move a few times lately, but every time she asked me to feel her belly I couldn't feel any movement. Not that I didn't believe her, but the baby isn't inside of me, so I can't feel it like she can. Tonight however was a different story. I felt the baby move several times, and I think I even saw the baby push or kick enough to see it from the outside! There is definitely someone in there!

Aimee still has not gained much weight, but the baby is gaining okay as of the last doctor visit, so we're not worried. I'm sure labor will be easier with as little extra weight as possible.

We need to start writing up our birth plan soon. We hope it won't be so complicated that the hospital won't follow it - our doctor advised us to keep it to one page if possible. Beyond that, he said, and everything will probably go out the window. This is important to us because we don't agree with many of the procedures that are done immediately following birth. We don't want to be control freaks, but we do want to be wise about the decisions made if we can help it. Please pray for wisdom for us in this area.

Sweet Sleep

Tonight after work Aimee and I ate some cornish hens that we cooked in the crock pot, went for a brief walk, sorted the never-ending pile of junk mail to be recycled, and then she crashed. I cleaned up, did some chores, downloaded some songs, paid the bills, and she was out like a light on the couch the whole time. Then about an hour an a half later, she woke up, went upstairs and crashed on the bed. I can only hope that tomorrow she will feel that she caught up on some sleep!

Aimee has been tired lately, a bit stressed at work, and while she isn't having any 'sickness' she still gets a little nauseaus here and there, and some foods still taste funny to her. We would appreciate your prayers, as the magic 'second trimester', the one where she is suddenly supposed to get her energy back, still isn't here and is obviously overdue!

One thing we are both excited about is that just about everyone we know seems to be having another baby! This is exciting because many of these other babies will be our child's friends most likley, as we will be around our friends, and so our child will be around theirs. It is great to know we have such good friends and a great church to support us. I can't imagine things any other way.

Week 18 Ultrasound Pictures

I finally got around to scanning in the ultrasound images. The main reason I wasn't in a hurry is because as I said before, they don't show anything much different than the previous ultrasound picture unfortunately. I was under the impression we were going to get one of those fancy 4-D ultrasounds, or that this one would be in more detail (since they sent us to a special office to get it done) but it is the same or less quality than the previous picture. I thought the nurse would at least give us the picture that shows the gender, but she didn't even give us that. Oh well. One really cute thing that happened and is captured in one of the pictures is that our little baby girl appeared to be waving to us, as you can see in the 1st picture!

The report is that she is nice and healthy, which is great. As for Aimee, she hasn't been sick in a few weeks now, however she still gets a little nauseas from time to time. Her belly is growing too! We'll get another belly picture up soon.

We are getting the feeling that the baby may be coming a little earlier than the original January 9 due date. For one, Aimee already felt the baby move, which doesn't usually happen this early. And two, at our second and third ultrasound appointments, each time they measured the baby's length, they said she was 3 days ahead. Of course they say it could easily be a week before or after the original due date, so we'll know for sure when the baby is here.

Aimee had another Doctor visit today, and this time we got to meet Dr. Kaufmann, the last of the three doctors to be met. I'm happy to say that they all seem like great doctors, but we especially like Drs. Kaufmann and Litt and we are totally comfortable with them. They are very respectful of how Aimee and I want to have the baby (naturally) and seem very willing to work with any special requests. We hear so many stories about doctors just telling the woman how they are going to do everything with no options, and that bothers me. If our doctor was like that, I think we would find a new one. But thankfully they seem great.

It's a Girl!

Just over an hour ago we found out we're having a little girl, and people are already trying to scare me with notions of paying for weddings and not being able to retire. C'mon people! We are very happy, mostly because the baby is completely healthy. She even waved to us! It looks like our initial intuition (as well as many of our friends) were wrong, and the ancient Chinese calendar was right after all. Right now the baby already weighs half a pound! The nurse said we don't need to worry that Aimee hasn't gained much weight yet, since the baby is gaining okay.

We will post some pictures of the ultrasound later (they really don't show anything new unfortunately) but right now I'm at work and don't have the tools to put the pictures up.
Stay tuned!

The Baby Moved!

First thing this morning, Aimee felt a little movement in her tummy! It's about that time that the baby starts moving, which is so exciting. She asked me why I'm not acting more excited... and I said "Well, I didn't feel it move yet!" We should find out the sex in 4 days.

On a positive note, Aimee hasn't had any morning sickness in over a week I believe, and she's able to make it a little longer in between meals when necessary. As for me, my back was all messed up last week and finally feels a bit more normal - I'd say 80%, and I can almost stand up completely straight, which is nice. Talk about something we take for granted! If I believed in evolution I would feel very bad for our caveman/monkey ancestors. But I don't, so I don't feel bad at all!

We'll let you know as soon as we get the ultrasound results.

One Week Away!

We are one week away from finding out our baby's sex. We are excited! Some people are giving us grief about finding out ahead of time, but oh well. Aimee and I are on the same page and we both want to know... what can I say? We like to be prepared. We will let you all know as soon as possible!

Aimee's morning sickness is doing a little better, so thank you for your prayers. The other night I put my hand on her belly and I'm pretty sure I was able to feel the baby's heartbeat! Also, Aimee hasn't felt the baby move yet, but she can tell it is changing positions. So far mommy has only gained about 3 lbs - but we expect that number to start going up very soon! Her belly hasn't grown much more yet, but as soon as it does we'll put up another picture.

The Church is Our Family

It was Jesus, who said "Who are my mother and my brothers?" Looking around at those who sat around him, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!" That is how I feel about our church.

It is not that Jesus did not love his biological family, and it is not that we don't love ours dearly. It is because being part of a church means being part of God's family, the body of Christ. Jesus becomes the lowest common denominator even between strangers with the same beliefs. And this is an awesome thing.

Today at church, someone that we barely know gave us a stroller/car seat combo. It is to the point where our house already seems full of baby stuff, long before the baby is even here! The funny thing is someone else (that we barely know) already gave us a car seat - two car seats and we don't even have two cars! And we haven't had to pay a penny for any of it - it was all given to us by people from our church. Nothing was asked for, it was just offered to us. Who says God doesn't provide?

Now all I need is an able-bodied man to come over and help me move a desk and futon out of our spare room (which will become the baby's room) so we can steam clean the carpet and paint. This will help us get the crib, bassinet, changing table, etc out of our living room and into its permanent position. Any takers?

Flashback to about a year ago, when we were looking for a new vehicle, we were looking for something reliable, not too many miles, something with a little horsepower (I think every car should have at least 180 hp.) What we were not looking for was an SUV. Not that SUV's aren't nice, but they are usually out of our price range, so I didn't bother looking. At the car dealership, I was looking at some Toyota's and Honda's, and the sales guy points out a Hyundai Santa Fe in our price range (newer and less miles than the Toyota's and Honda's - and mark my words - Hyundai will be the new Toyota one day soon - get one while they are still cheap!). I drove it and liked it a lot (aside from the color), and the salesman actually said he had another one in maroon coming in soon.

So a few days later we went to check out that one, and not only was it maroon (the color I wanted) but also had leather, heated seats and a V6! I got upset when I looked at the sticker and it was $4,000 more than he said it was...thinking he was pulling a bait and switch on me, but he came out and said, "What can I say? It's over-priced." And he dropped the price $4,000 on the spot. So we ended up paying exactly the amount we wanted to, but got a lot more car for our money! God knew we were having a kid before we did! And I'll tell you - just needing to haul around a stroller is reason enough to have an SUV. Yes, God provides abundantly.

I'm Feeling So "First Trimester"...

That's what Aimee said today. Unfortunately the magic moment when the vomiting stops and the energy comes back just has not happened yet, even though she is a few weeks into her 2nd trimester now. She has been getting sick about once a week lately, but got sick twice today and was tired all day long. So by all means, we would appreciate your prayers for the morning sickness to go away! This isn't a vomitorium!

Ancient Chinese Secret!
On another note, a co-worker showed us something interesting this week: A Chinese birth calendar. The calendar was buried in a tomb near Beijing for 700 years and now can be viewed at the Institute of Science in Beijing. Surprisingly, although the claim is 99% accuracy, Aimee and I have asked a bunch of friends and family and the thing really does seem to be about 75% accurate.

Using the date of conception (not birth, but conception - about 9 months before birth), you look up the Mother's age when the baby will be born, and the month conception would have occurred, and it will supposedly tell you the gender of the baby you will have. Go ahead and try it for yourself! We'd love to hear if it is accurate for you or anyone you know! Remember, its not based on the baby's birth date, but approximately 9 months before that date. It is on the web at:

http://www.webwomb.com/chinesechart.htm

If this ancient Chinese wisdom is right, we'll be having a little girl! Hopefully we'll find out for sure within the next three weeks.

30th Birthday Surprise Party!

My wife had apparently been scheming over the past few months planning me a surprise party. I must say it was an awesome sight when I walked into the restaurant. At first glance I didn't even think I knew that many people! There was almost 50 people! Friends from church... friends from work... even my chiropractor was there! And if that wasn't enough, my good friend James from NJ showed up too!


I must admit, part way through the party when I noticed a lot of beer and not a lot of checks I got a little nervous, because I knew the work crew can really put 'em down. (The church group, incidentally, did not do likewise.) But, I did not let my mind wander too far as to worry. Even if the party was expensive, so what! I'm sure my wife knew what she was doing. I'd never had a surprise party before. I can't remember a time in my life when I've had so many good friends, and it was great to see them all in one place. Can you put a price on that?

The Suspense is Killing Us!

Aimee had another doctor visit yesterday just to see how things are coming along. They took the obligatory urine sample to ensure there's still a baby in her belly. Also we got to hear the heartbeat again, which was nice and strong just like before. Plus, now the baby has moved up to her abdomen so it can start kicking her ribs in due time.

We were hoping that the stage 2 ultrasound would be scheduled quite quickly after this visit (within a few days) so we could find out if we'll be having a little boy or a little girl, but unfortunately they can't get us in until August 7! What a buzzkill.

Little known fact (at least, according to our doctor): The stage 2 ultrasound isn't scheduled to find out the baby's sex as is commonly thought. It's actually done to ensure the baby is forming properly with no defects or abnormalities. Finding out the sex is usually just something that happens while everything else is being checked out. It makes me happy to know that we have the technology to look into things so thoroughly now! Please pray for a healthy baby, boy or girl.

Everyone keeps asking me: So do you want a boy or a girl? Typically it seems the woman wants a girl and the man wants a boy. Oddly enough, Aimee wants a boy. Don't get me wrong, we're okay either way. I want a boy too, but my mind is wondering from things I've heard...that little boys have a closer bond to their Mothers, whereas little girls have a closer relationship to their Fathers. This is a curious thing but I do not doubt if it is true. I can either have a little boy to throw a football around with and teach him to play guitar or drums, or I can have a little girl and be her hero. I'm almost teary-eyed right now thinking about that. That's a tough choice - thankfully God gets to make that one!

We promise to let everyone know the minute we find out what we're having... so hopefully that will be no later than August 7!

Belly Profile - Week 14

Never make the mistake of telling a pregnant woman that she looks a little 'chunky' or is 'looking round' in the first trimester. It will just make her angry. Though I am not guilty of this, some people who shall remain unnamed are. In fact, Aimee has barely gained any weight so far. However, her body is changing, and weight is redistributing itself. She just 'started to show' the other day, so here's a picture!

Aimee's next doctor visit is July 16, but unfortunately we don't find out what the baby is that day. I believe we schedule the next ultrasound to find out the sex though. We are so eager to find out! We have our names already picked out (which is a secret unless we've told you personally!) but we'd like to know what to refer to the baby as!

So Many Books... So Little Time!

As most of you who know us probably know, we like to be prepared. Heck, we got pre-engagement and pre-marital counseling, and took a financial class before we even got married. So now with a baby on the way, there is no shortage of information to take in before it gets here. So we are reading (and planning to read) several books: What to Expect When You Are Expecting, Along the Infant Way, The Happiest Baby on the Block, and To Train Up a Child are all on the current list of books that we know have good solid information in them. Between these four books it seems to cover just about every aspect of having a baby (at least until they are about a year old.)

We already took a class that went through "Along the Infant Way" which is about getting the baby on a schedule so it can sleep through the night, but we will need a refresher right before the baby is here (I told you we like to be prepared... we actually took that class even before we found out we were pregnant!) So now we are just trying to find the time to make it through all the books, as well as researching information about the birthing process, immunizations, circumcision, epidurals and all that stuff. I'm told there are a few other classes that we should take as well... Daddy Boot Camp, and a few at the hospital, like Infant CPR, which I hope I never need to use.

Thanks to all of our friends who are encouraging us and just letting us ask questions like crazy. We really appreciate your time and the information is really helpful with our decision making.

Paint is Expensive, but People are Generous

So far we have been very blessed and we haven't had a ton of costs associated with the pregnancy aside from some snacks for food cravings, some prenatal vitamins and OB visits. But then this past weekend we bought the supplies to paint the baby's room -- $109! Somehow I don't think I'll feel any solace when the $10 rebate from Lowe's gets here, hopefully before the baby is born (stupid mail-in rebates take forever!) Since I know you are itching to know, here's the color:

And no, the color doesn't give anything away - we still don't know if the baby will be a boy or girl, we just like the color and figure we can make it work either way (pink goes with blue, right?)

However it is great to know that many of our friends and family also have had children and have useful items for the baby that they were willing to give us or let us borrow that will save us a lot of money (not to mention help get us prepared in time!) We have already received a bassinett, a car seat, a crib, a dresser with changing table, an electric breast pump (sorry guys), some clothes, some toys (including the baby's first teddy bear -- thanks Mom!) and other miscellaneous things. The best I can do now is show you some scattered pictures, since we have a lot of re-arranging (and painting!) to do before the baby's room is ready:

So thanks everyone, for your generosity and your prayers. Please pray for Aimee as she enters the second trimester officially, that her morning sickness will stop. From what I understand the second trimester is usually much better but some mothers have the morning sickness all 9 months, and that's no fun (for either of us!)

Busy Weekend!

My Mom and newphew came down from PA to visit and go to Sea World this past weekend and we had a great time. It started out a little rough... Aimee was just getting over a cold and I caught it, and at softball practice I pulled my back out of place. The next day it hurt so bad I couldn't move, literally! A few chiropractor visits later I was limping around at Sea World, a feat I thought impossible just hours earlier. Praise God! It's hard to believe how much better my back feels just a few days later.

Aimee also had a second ultrasound on Monday, in an effort to calculate our baby's due date with a little more accuracy. Here are the pictures -- click to see an enlarged version!



The picture on the left is the baby's face and belly, and the picture on the right is the baby's butt and little legs and feet! We also got to hear the heartbeat and I'm happy to report it was nice and strong. As for the due date, the new estimate was technically January 6, but since it was so close they are just keeping it at January 9. But we all know the baby is gonna come out when its ready anyway!