Granny H.

My Granny H. lost her battle with bone cancer this evening.

Along with many other things, I will always remember how funny my Granny was, she always made me laugh and always had a smile on her face.  When I was little my mom would take us to visit her and I would look forward to playing at the park in her subdivision and having "ice cream soup".  She got me my first real cabbage patch kid and told me once, "kissing gets rid of the hiccups".  She always had King Vitamin cereal at her house and I still love that cereal to this day, just because it reminds me of her.  She was a wonderful story teller and I remember looking through photo albums with her and listening to stories about my mom and all of her brothers.  I could go on and on about this strong and amazing woman. I feel lucky to have had her in my life.

Rest in peace Granny, I love you, you will be missed ♥

You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she's gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

~ David Harkins

24 Weeks

How far along: 24 weeks today - 112 days to go! Sometimes I wake up in the morning and feel like this has all been a dream.  Steve and I are always playing the "remember when" game.  Remember when we were just starting injections?  Remember when we went for the retrieval? Remember when we got our BFP? I can't say it enough, I'm so thankful every day.

What baby is up to: Baby girl is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. She's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), 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".

She is still rolling around, kicking, and punching like a champ! I can tell she is getting stronger in there and it makes me so happy!

What we've been up to: Not a whole lot- we've been taking it easy since our trip to PA.  We did go to a consignment baby store last night and found a changing table that works perfectly in baby girl's room!  It was super inexpensive and we just couldn't pass it up!  Then we went to BRU and found a glider on sale for 75% off- another awesome deal!!

This weekend we have a lot of yard work and weeding to do in our flower beds (ugh, not fun) they have definitely been neglected.

Other than that we are just going to have a relaxing holiday weekend.

What we're looking forward to:  Our OB appointment next week, getting more done around the house and in baby girl's room, meeting my new niece (hopefully soon!!), and having another baby shower at the end of July ♥

Belly pic:

Feeling blessed

We had such a great time in PA visiting family and friends!

Friday we had our first baby shower at a local country club.  I cannot thank my mother in law (Jeanne) and family friend (Michelle) enough for planning our shower, everything was beautiful!  We had a delicious dinner and opened our gifts with about 35 family and friends.  Being surrounded by people who care that much about you is a great feeling.  Thanks again to everyone who came out!

our cake- yum!

one of the beautiful tables

so cute!!

Saturday I got to meet Danielle from Journey Through IF and I have gained a life long friend.  I can't say enough good things about her and her husband- amazing, amazing people.  We had a great lunch and the conversation could have gone on for hours!  She even had the sweetest onesie made for our baby girl...it literally brought tears to my eyes.  Danielle, thank you so much- there are no words for how much this meant to me.

Danielle & I

Steve and I also went to a couples shower for Steve's best friend from childhood.  He is getting married in October and we couldn't be happier for him & his sweet fiance!  It was so nice to catch up with friends that we don't get to see that often.

Now here I am on my couch, watching a movie, catching up on blogs & relaxing.  Life is Good!

23 Weeks

How far along: 23 weeks today!  119 days to go!

What baby is up to: Baby girl is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that 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.

I'm pretty sure she has had hiccups a couple of times this week, it feels like little jumps in the same spot over and over- I love it!  There have also been a few times that my belly has been lopsided when she gets curled up in a strange spot :)

What we've been up to: This week we put her crib together (awesomeness), celebrated Father's Day, and we have seen (not just felt) her kick!

My feet and ankles are swollen and after a long day of sitting at my desk my tail bone is beyond painful.  I'm going back to my acupuncturist next week to see what she can do.

If anyone has any ideas for swollen feet I would be so grateful!!

What we're looking forward to:  A 3 day weekend full of family and friends ♥

weekend happenings

This past weekend we had a ton of fun stuff going on. 

Friday we went and picked up our crib and put it together.  It was exciting and I was so happy, but my "infertile mind" turned on about half way through the process and I blurted out to Steve,  "What are we going to do with this if something bad happens?"  I felt bad as soon as I said it, but I couldn't help it.  I needed some reassurance that everything is going to turn out ok.  Of course Steve had the right thing to say (as always) and I felt better.  



don't mind the mess!

of course Sadie had to help!

all put together!

Saturday we went to Warrior Dash.  If you have never heard of it- I highly suggest you go here and watch the video on the front page. The best way I can describe it is a 3.25 mile race through the woods with obstacles to get through.  This was my sister's second year running it and Steve decided he wanted to try it out.  It was so much fun to watch everyone competing and having a good time.  I couldn't believe how many people participated- I am so doing it next year! 

before the race

after the race

Sunday of course was father's day so we went out to my dad's farm and had a cookout with the family.  We had a nice visit and there was tons of great food to eat!

Not a lot happening this week.  I'm patiently waiting for the end of work on Thursday so we can start our 3 day weekend in PA.  We have a lot planned and I'm looking forward to all of it!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy father's day to my dad, Mark, the toughest guy I know. 

Thinking back on my childhood there are a lot of things you taught me that have stuck with me to this day...  check your oil, get up early, get your chores done, don't do anything half ass, and last but not least...always have good music playing. In all seriousness dad, you are the hardest working man I have ever met.  Farming takes so many talents and sacrifices and I am in awe of everything you do.  You always provided the things we needed and even the things we wanted but didn't necessarily need.  Thank you for everything dad, and happy father's day!

And of course, happy father's day to my wonderful husband. 


Future daddy on transfer day


I know our baby girl may not be here yet, but I still consider you a father. You are already providing for her and working hard to create a wonderful home to bring her into.  We have been through a lot to get to where we are and I couldn't ask for a better partner in all of this.  I've said it before and I will say it again, you are going to be an amazing dad and we are lucky to have you!

Steve's father's day present :)

Whether you are a father already, waiting to be a father, or are a father at heart... happy father's day to all the great men out there!!

Advice for my 20 year old self...

I saw this idea on lovely Mag's page this morning and I thought, what advice would I give my younger self if I could?  It's strange to think back on the silly/crazy/stupid things I did in college and the things I thought were so important at that time in my life.  I know college is the time you grow, learn things about yourself, meet new people, and create your own life but I wonder how my life would look now if I had done things differently....or maybe, everything happens for a reason.

Advice I would give my 20 year old self:

1.  Never take your mom for granted. Life is short and you will miss her very much one day, sooner than you think. Soak up all her wisdom, learn her recipes, talk about her life before you, and ask her advice about being a mother. 

2.  Thank your dad for everything he has done for you.  You will soon learn that not everyone has a dad as great as you do.

3.  Listen to your sister's advice, she's "been there, done that", she knows what she's talking about, and she only wants what is best for you.

4.  Have more confidence and self-respect.  If a guy doesn't call you back, it is not the end of the world.  If he calls you at 2am, don't answer the phone.

5.  You don't always have to do what your friends do, sometimes it's ok to say no.  If they are true friends, they won't care. And you will meet some really fantastic, true friends who will be in your life for a long time.

6.  Trust your instinct.  Always.

7.  Although it may seem like there are no good guys left, you will find one and you won't be expecting it.  He is amazing.

8.  One of your biggest problems is you care too much what people think about you.  Remember this quote:  When you become immobilized by what anybody else thinks of you, what you're saying is: "Your opinion of me is more important than my own opinion of myself." Wayne Dyer

9.  You will struggle with whether or not to move home, don't worry.... everything happens for a reason.

10.  Live life, be happy, you'll be fine.

What advice would you give your 20 year old self??

22 weeks!

How far along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: Baby's now the size of a papaya! 10.5 to 11.8 inches and 12.7 to 20.8 oz.  Baby is settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day.


Weight Gain/Loss:  I have been trying not to look at the scale. If you haven't read it yet, check out Elphaba's most recent post, I couldn't have said it better myself!  

Maternity clothes: All maternity pants, almost all maternity shirts.

Sleep: Lack of sleep would be the better term. Crazy dreams, waking up to pee, having a hard time rolling over, the list goes on.

Best moment of the week:  Let's see...painting baby girl's room, getting her crib and bedding (thank you Grandma & Grandpa G!), and hitting 22 weeks :)

Movement: I love the movement so much! There are certain times of the day that she is so active, it always puts a smile on my face.  Steve still sits with his hand on my belly every night to feel her move.

Symptoms: I haven't been too swollen this week but my tail bone is still very painful.

Food cravings/aversions: I've been craving sweets this week, my favorite is black cherry ice cream from the local ice cream shop- thanks to my friend Brad for introducing me to this amazing treat.

Gender: Girl ♥

Belly button in or out: Still in but very, very shallow.

Stretch marks: Nothing new

What I miss: Nothing, I am so happy and excited! (I do wish it wasn't so painful to sit though)

What I am looking forward to: Seeing our family and friends in PA, our first baby shower while we are there and meeting my wonderful blogger buddy at Journey Through IF :)

Weekly wisdom: I'm not sure if this is "wisdom" or not but I've been taking a deep water exercise class at work and it has been fantastic!  I feel so much better, have more energy, and I think it has been helping with the swelling.


Belly Pic:

The name game...

I thought for sure when we picked a name for our baby girl, that would be that.

Well....I spoke too soon.

We keep finding names that we like and our name list keeps growing!  The only thing we know for sure is that her middle name will be Bonnie.

Thinking about what we will call our little girl for the rest of her life is a bit daunting.  Nicknames, name meanings, initials, there are so many things to consider!!

So for now, we are back to square one...

Nursery pictures

We had a busy day of painting and hanging pictures in baby girl's room today!

Before paint....

Steve prepping the walls






















Mid-paint...

After paint....

Our flower picture wall that Steve worked so hard on.... (we still have to get two pictures printed and the hummingbird print is on the way!)

I'm pretty sure Steve had a smile on his face the whole time he was painting, what can I say- he's amazing! We are a little nervous about how bright the walls are (although you can't tell in the pictures) but I think once we get the furniture and everything else in the room it will be ok (I hope). 

21 Weeks

First off, I have to admit (even though I am ashamed) I watched Basketball Wives this week and I was ready to come unglued when I heard one of the "wives" say she was going to do IVF so she could have twins.  Um, really?  There are just no words.

How far along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: Baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. Her initial fluttering movements have now turned into full-fledged kicks and nudges. In other developments, baby's eyebrows and lids are present now and her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

Maternity clothes: Almost all maternity clothes at this point.

Sleep: Oh sleep, how I miss you. I think no sleep during pregnancy just prepares you for no sleep after the baby is born.

Best moment of the week:  The 20 week ultrasound was awesome!  It was so nice to see her again and know that everything is ok  ♥

Movement: Movement is getting stronger and I love it, I feel like it's her way of saying hi to me.

Symptoms: Still getting swollen feet/ankles when it's really hot, I have veins everywhere, and my tail bone still hurts.

Food cravings/aversions: BLT's are my favorite thing to eat right now- yum.

Gender: Girl ♥

Belly button in or out: Still in

Stretch marks: Nothing new

What I miss: I guess non-swollen feet but I can deal with it.

What I am looking forward to: Our first baby shower in a couple of weeks and meeting my wonderful blogger buddy at Journey Through IF :)

Weekly wisdom: hmmm, I don't have any this week.

Belly Pic:

nursery plans

I know I mentioned our nursery plans awhile ago and now that we are about to get started I thought I would share our ideas with you.  We are so excited to start decorating the space that will be our first baby's room!!

We decided the theme is going to be flowers.  We have asked our parents, my siblings, and a few other friends to take pictures of a flower or flowers to hang in the baby's room.  We have received so many great pictures- it was hard to choose just one from each person! We are working on getting them printed now and then we will pick out frames to hang them in a collage on one wall in her room.  In the middle of the collage will be this picture of a hummingbird, in remembrance of my mom.

Here are the flower pictures we have gotten so far - are they beautiful or what?  I absolutely love that our baby girl's room will be decorated with pictures taken by family and friends, I think this is a very special way to show her how much her family loves her. And each one is so different and unique!

photo from Steve and I

photo from my best friend Courtney

photo from my Dad and Regina

photo from Steve's parents

photo from my sister Kelsey

photo from my sister Niki



The walls will be sage green and we will use pink for an accent color (rug, blankets etc.).

This is a picture of her bedding (that is on it's way to our house thanks to Grandma and Grandpa G.)

I just know she will love it!

Perfection

I'm so in love!!  Today was our 20 week ultrasound and I think I held my breath the whole time.  I can't accurately describe the feelings that come with each ultrasound I've had...nervousness, anticipation, fear, excitement- all rolled into one big ball of emotions.

I had wondered for a long time if I would ever be in this place...20 weeks pregnant and looking at my very own little girl on an ultrasound.

It is truly amazing how much she has grown since we last saw her!!

We got to see the four chambers of her little heart, her kidneys, the hemispheres of her brain, her spine, stomach and of course the cutest little face, hands and feet I've ever seen!  

I think she's smiling :)

tiny hands and feet

beautiful!

Although this journey has been a tough one so far, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I know that sounds a little crazy but I have so much appreciation for this little life and the science that helped make her possible. We are blessed to have parents who helped us get here and we are forever grateful. 
I also can't thank Steve enough for keeping me calm (and sane) through everything that has been thrown at us.  He always knows when I need to be reminded of what great parents we are going to be.  I know I have said it before, but he is going to be the most patient and caring dad in the world.  I know this because that's what kind of husband he is; always reassuring and kind. 







Spring Cleaning!

There's nothing quite like the feeling of completely cleaning house.

This weekend has been all about spring cleaning for us.  We had a ton of junk stuff in our basement, garage, and guest room...all of this needed to be cleaned out and rearranged to make room for baby girl.

So who do you call when you can't lift anything and you know your husband (no matter how amazing he is) can't possibly move furniture by himself?  Your family of course! My dad and his wife, Regina, came to our rescue today and helped us clear out the garage, move tons of furniture and empty out our spare bedroom (now known as the baby's room).  We cannot thank them enough and we couldn't have done it without their help- that is for sure. (Steve can already feel the soreness setting in, my legs and ankles are swollen to the max and I'm sure my dad and Regina are hurting too- but it was all worth it!)

Next project on the agenda will be to paint the baby's room and I cannot wait!!

20 weeks!

How far along: 20 weeks, we are half way there and beyond grateful. 140 days to go (give or take a few).

Size of baby: Baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now, the size of a cantaloupe! She'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 her torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of her head to her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.)

Maternity clothes: Almost all maternity clothes at this point. Has anyone found a maternity swimsuit that they like?  I ordered one from Old Navy but the bottoms seemed too small and the top is a little short (maybe I should just stick to being fully clothed this summer).

Sleep: Still tossing, turning and getting up to go to the bathroom.  For some reason I get the best sleep when I take naps, so weekends are my favorite!

Best moment of the week:  Steve being able to feel her kick. Feeling her move and kick is the best feeling, it's comforting and it makes me smile ♥

Movement: I feel like this happened over night!  All that movement I was unsure of before was definitely her- it is amazing.  She is most active when I'm hungry and after I eat- she goes nuts in there!

Symptoms: On really hot and humid days I feel swollen all over- it's going to be a fun summer! 

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing new this week, still loving fruit, especially melon.

Gender: Girl ♥

Belly button in or out: Still in but getting shallow.

Stretch marks: Nothing new

What I miss: Nothing, I am beyond happy.

What I am looking forward to: Our 20 week ultrasound!! It feels like it's been so long since I've seen her.  I just hope everything measures how it should and she is growing big and strong in there.

Weekly wisdom: Don't stay out in the sun too long- on Monday I sat outside while Steve mowed, for about an hour or so and I was so dizzy and exhausted afterwards.

Belly picture: