Baby's firsts...

When you are only 6.5 weeks old, you get a lot of chances to have your "first" things. Like Anberlin had her first Friday the 13th last Friday. It was also the start of her first road trip, through her first set of different states, to her first baseball game where she saw her first homerun. She had a pretty awesome set of firsts this weekend. :) She was suuuuch a good baby on the road trip too. We were able to drive about 2-2.5 hours before needing to stop and she would sleep pretty much the whole time. Then when we stopped for the night in a hotel, she would sleep in her pack and play with ease and would only want to be fed once in the night. We couldn't have asked for an easier time with her. 

We found her a little STL Cardinals hat!

Hanging out inside.

After the Cardinals won! :)

Hanging out inside with dad.

Playing in the hotel room.

Smile!

Crying baby

Still so cute, even when she is crying.

Playing in the trunk after a diaper change.

WHEW. Roadtripping is hard!

And then on Wednesday, she had another set of firsts... her first shots! :( The appointment started out with a basic check up. She is now 12.6 lbs and almost 23 inches long and healthy as can be. They had us fill out this assessment of things that she does, or should be doing at 2 months, and she is well off the charts AND she is only 7 weeks old! :) After the appointment part, it was time for her to get her shots. I sent Brad into the room with her for that because I KNEW I wouldn't be able to handle it. So they walk over to the room where they give the shots. It's pretty far from me, but I could see inside the room still. And then out of nowhere I hear an ear piercing scream and I KNEW it was my little baby and so I started crying. The way it went down in the room according to Brad was that she was just laying on the table all smiles. Brad was behind her head holding her arms and she had two corpsmen on either side of her legs. She was looking up at the smiling and completely unaware of what was about to happen, then BAM they both shoot her at the same time. Then it was a one, two, three kind of reaction from Anberlin, like she was processing what happened before screaming and crying. Then they bandaged her up and sent her on her way. When she came out of the room she was fine, not even crying anymore. Me, on the other hand, still crying. Haha.

One of the battle wounds. :(

Little Anberlin has had a very eventful week and right now her grandma and grandpa (Jenna's parents) are here visiting. :)

Until next time....
<3 Brad, Jenna, and Anby

#BeanWatch {40 weeks!}

By now, you would think that you would finally be meeting our little Bean. Well, welcome to the club. Haha. Now, I know that babies don't normally ever make their arrival on their due date, I have accepted that fact. But I would like to think that some progress would be made by now. Instead we are now on what we have coined as "Bean Watch"!

We had an OB appointment on Wednesday with one of the doctors that we really like. I had my cervix checked again this week and I am still not dilated but she said that I was 50% effaced and the baby was at -2 station in my pelvis. (And now that I think about it, maybe the lady said that last week as well but I might have misheard her... Who knows.) In any case, the doctor said that in first pregnancies it is normal to efface before dilating. I am not sure if she was just trying to make me feel better or not, but I'll take it. Also, the nurse who checked us in said that what I have been experiencing could very well be mild contractions and not just braxton hicks, so that's good. I guess I have been expecting pain more so than just tightness and pressure, but maybe that means this won't be as painful as I am imagining. Haha! One other thing is that the doctor did not force me to pick an induction date this week. She was on board with me wanting to wait it out and she seemed excited that I was hoping for a natural birth, so that was really reassuring.

This week has been really on edge for us. With her due date coming and going, we are seriously trying to relax and spend time together and get last minute things done... but all that is on our mind is when is this little girl going to make her appearance into the world!? The 18th was Brad's dad's birthday and he really wanted a granddaughter for his birthday but she had other plans. (Haha, sorry Dad!) And my birthday is this Sunday, so maybe she is aiming to steal my birthday from me! Only time will tell. I have been walking every day and that seems to make my belly get really tight (and it's also making my legs really sore, ugh). After I post this, I am going to pump up my exercise ball and get to bouncing on that because a few people told me that worked for them. Spicy food doesn't do anything for me because I've been eating spicy food for the past 9 months, haha. So, I have tried all the natural ways to jump start this thing, but I must make a really comfy living quarters. And as long as she is happy and healthy, I am okay with her staying in there. We are just getting really anxious to finally meet her! <3

Not much room left in there, maybe you should come out. ;)

From BabyCenter.com:
It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds and is about 20 inches long. Her skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

So like I said, not much left to do but wait... And finish packing the hospital bag. And finish the thank you cards. And finish the mobile I'm making. And maybe clean the house. Haha.

Crossing our fingers that next week's blog will be featuring our new addition.

<3 Brad, Jenna, & Bean

Probably not this week... {39 weeks!}

With our due date only 6 days away, you would think I would be feeling something... ANYTHING... right about now. But no. I am as snug as a bug in a rug. Well, actually, that's Bean. She is far too comfortable where she is, which is fine by me, but apparently frowned upon to the professionals. Our last two appointments they doctors have brought up setting a date for induction. Finally today I told them that I don't want to be induced and boy was she shocked. I mean, sure at this point I am sure most normal women are ready for their pregnancy to be over, but I love being pregnant and it's not bothering me to keep her in there until she is ready. So I am hoping that she will come when she is ready but before the doctors force me into induction. Come on Bean, you have 2 more weeks until they evict you, pick your day wisely. ;)

So on top of the fact that we are 6 days away from our due date and I am not feeling any onset of labor, neither are the doctors. This morning I was told that I was negative 2 dilated. I don't even know what that means. Haha. I didn't think you could be negative amounts dilated. But I am. Awesome. Everything else looks good though. No high blood pressure. Bean is still in the correct position. We are really just waiting on her. So she will either be on time, which does not run in this family at all, or late... just like we normally are. Haha. The hardest part of all of this is that we have NO IDEA when it is going to happen and that makes me a little nervous. Sometimes I am afraid to leave the house in fear that my water will break in the most inopportune place. Oh! That reminds me of a funny story actually. Last week, I was walking into my office at work and I noticed that water was leaking from me. I kind of freaked out a little bit trying to figure out if it was from me or not... But after a second I realized that one of my water bottles had opened and was leaking from my bag. HUGE sigh of relief followed by a lot of laughter on my part. Not the way I wanted to start my Friday. Hahaha. In any case, I am now working from home so I can get some rest and finish up things around the house. It is nice to not have to worry about getting up early and sitting at work being constantly asked if I had the baby yet. Really, people? Does it look like I had the baby yet?... I have been taking advantage of this time to get in as many naps as I can before sleep becomes a thing of the past to me.

As for being prepared... I guess we are as ready as we can be. We have the essentials that we need to get by and I think it would be better to wait until she gets here to stock up on things like diapers. We have enough for now, I hope. We have a car seat to get her home in, some clothes for her to wear, a crib for her to sleep in, and a monitor to watch her sleep. Ha. I don't have the hospital bag packed yet, but it's on my to do list. I am not too concerned about that. I don't plan on rushing straight to the hospital upon the onset of labor. I want to spend as much of my early labor as possible at home, so I should have time between contractions to throw things in a bag. ;)

Brad has been the biggest support to me. He isn't expecting a lot out of me nowadays and is really appreciative when I do get something done no matter how small the task. I am lucky to have him as my husband and soon to be father of our child. <3

He even painted my toenails for me this week:

I picked up some Red Raspberry Leaf tea this week, which is suppose to help promote strong uterine muscles and make labor easier. I think I also read that it helps bring labor into motion. We have planned long walks over the weekend and I have got some advice to bounce on an exercise ball, do squats, and have sex to help move labor along. It can't hurt, right? Just giving Bean a little encouragement. ;)

As for the belly... I thought it was dropping but maybe it isn't? 

I can't tell anymore. Haha.

Info from BabyCenter.com:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

That's really all that we have going on right now. We have two more date nights planned, one tonight and one on Friday night. We are trying to spend as much time as we can as just the two of us before we move on to the next adventure of our life. :)

Hopefully next week's blog post will have a picture of Bean out of my belly. ;)

<3 Brad, Jenna, & Bean

The holiday season... {30 & 31 weeks}

Looks like I am doing another double week post this week, sorry about that. Unfortunately, both Brad and I got sick last week and although we are still battling the end of the cold, we are both feeling MUCH better.
So let's recap last week...

I started getting sick around two Fridays ago. I stuck it out through the weekend because I knew that there really wasn't anything that I could take for it, but on Monday I went to the OB just to be safe. And naturally they said that they couldn't give me anything but they did give me the rest of the day off from work! So I spent the day in bed, but sleeping without taking any medicine just didn't help me. I went to work the following day and got sent home again. Finally by Wednesday I didn't feel like dying and now I just have some sniffles. Hooray. Last week we also received a handmade blanket from Brad's grandma. We actually have two handmade blankets now, one from Brad's Nana and one from Brad's grandma. They are so cute.

 

And the belly:

From BabyCenter.com:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

And now on to this week...
Two Fridays ago I caught a cold. Last Friday, I thought I was going into pre-term labor. Yeah, it's been a pretty exciting two weeks for us. Haha. I woke up on Friday night with really bad cramps, so I went into the bathroom and the cramps got worse. I am already blessed with Braxton Hicks, so I know what mild contractions feel like, but these felt like full blown contractions. After about 10 minutes they went away though and I was able to go back to sleep. The rest of the weekend I just tried to lay low and not move around too much.
Monday we had our OB appointment. I brought up what happened on Friday and the doctor said that I handled the situation perfectly. Only if my contractions continue on a regular basis for an hour then I would go to labor & delivery. Bean is doing well. Her heartbeat was strong and she was moving like crazy at the appointment. The doctor had the hardest time finding and holding her heartbeat and Brad got to see her jabs to my stomach while the doctor was trying. Our next appointment is 4 weeks away, sigh. That will put us at 35 weeks. After that I think we will be seen at 37 weeks, which is technically full term, and then every week after that until she comes. That leaves us with about 5 more appointments to go! Holy moly! And yes, she is staying in there until 40 weeks at least. As long as she is on time or late then I will be happy.
We finally have all of her big furniture ordered and on the way here. We should have her nursery done by the end on January. It looks cute so far and with the rest of the stuff we got it will easily be the cutest room in our house. :) We also got a box from Brad's parents full of stuff for her. Lots of cute clothes and our first package of diapers. Haha.

My belly is growing and growing and oh yeah, growing. It now takes me a few tries to get out of bed in the morning. I imagine that I look like Randy from A Christmas Story when he falls in the snow. "I can't get up!!!" Yup, that's me. Haha. I have some stretch marks but I do my best to keep them lotioned. I know that they are inevitable, but I am hoping to keep them at a minimum. ;)

 

From BabyCenter.com:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

And since we have been sick and busy trying to get ready for the holidays and the baby, we are behind on getting our Christmas cards out. They will be more like Happy New Year cards at this rate. Haha.

Gah, someone reminded me that I wanted to do a progression picture, so here it is!:

Until next week...

<3 Brad, Jenna, & Bean

Swollen, but Thankful {27 & 28 weeks!}

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did. We went to a friend's house for Thanksgiving and got to see lots of people who we were stationed with in Belgium that we haven't seen in forever. It was a really nice reunion with great food and awesome company. {Thank you Stacey for inviting us to your house!}
I do just want to mention also that we are so thankful to finally have this blessing in our life. It's been a long time coming, but we are still over the moon excited. <3
Since it was a holiday last week, I kind of skipped last weeks blog (please forgive me). But I will make it up today! So let's start with last week....

We had an OB appointment last Tuesday. It was another quick in and out kind of appointment. My belly is at the correct size and Bean's heartbeat is super strong and fast. After we saw the nurse, she reminded me that I had to get labs done. Greeeaaatttt. This wasn't just normal pee in a cup and take some blood kind of lab. This was a lab to test me for gestational diabetes. So I went to the lab (completely unprepared, I should have brought a book) and they handed me this bottle of sugary something or another that I was told to drink in 5 minutes. Luckily, it actually didn't taste that bad, just like flat Sprite. Then after I drank it, I had to wait for an hour until they could draw my blood. I had no cell phone reception and nothing to read. It was a really boring hour. But it's done now and I haven't heard anything back so I am hoping that no news is good news.
Besides our appointment and Thanksgiving, we just enjoyed our long weekend that we both had and did some things around the house. We bought some things on Black Friday and we got our Christmas Tree. I can't believe that tomorrow is December! Whoa.

My belly is getting large and in charge. And by "in charge" I mean, I keep running into things with it. Like if I take a corner too sharp or turn while standing around people. Hahaha. Yeah I have hit it on people and things. Go me!
Info from BabyCenter.com:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds 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.

And now on to this week...
We are officially in the THIRD trimester now, which is proof that time is flyyyying by.
Over the weekend we figured out that my wedding ring is officially stuck on my finger. :( We spent most of the weekend trying to figure out how to get it off. We tried soaking it in ice water (brrrr), using butter, olive oil, vasaline, dish soap, hand soap, tugging, pulling, twisting, praying, wrapping dental floss around the swollen part. But yeah, it's not going ANYWHERE. So we are going to go to Zale's and see if they can cut it and repair it for us. If not, we have a friend here who volunteers at the Fire Station that will cut it off for us. I just don't want my hands to get anymore swollen and cause any big problems. Siiiigh. I love my ring.
Bean has been moving around LIKE CRAZY nowadays. I love it. I love every kick and movement. I think it's because she hasn't found my bladder or my ribs yet. Thank you Jesus. Haha. Sometimes I like to play with her and I will push in on my tummy and she will kick back. It's super cute. Brad will sit on the couch with me and put his hand on my belly trying to feel her kicks. But she gets shy around him. I can now even see her move my belly which is realllllly weird. I am cherishing these moments because soon (12 weeks!!!) they will be gone. I really do love being pregnant.

Here is Brad trying to feel her kicks. And Kahlua because she loves sitting on my lap. And my belly button which is still an "innie" because I have the world's deepest belly button. Haha.

Info from BabyCenter.com:
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds 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.

I have also read that she can now smell the things I smell, which I thought was really weird.


Our next OB appointment won't be until closer to Christmas. But I think we get an ultrasound at the next appointment. I hope, I hope, I hope! :) And maybe we will even reveal her initals. But we aren't telling her name until she arrives.


<3 Brad, Jenna, and Bean

Oh boy!... Or girl! {20 weeks!}

This morning we had our 20 week anatomy scan, where they measured Bean all over and made sure that everything is good. They didn't tell us anything bad, so I guess no news is good news! Bean was measuring 2 days ahead, but the tech said that this will fluctuate a little throughout the pregnancy. The appointment was by far the longest we have had. They told me to come in with a full bladder, so before the appointment I drank somewhere around 40 ounces of water and juice. And naturally I was late to get called into the exam room. So for most of the morning I was an uncomfortable mess who was afraid to sneeze because I would probably wet myself. When I finally got into the exam room, the tech said that my bladder was SUPER full and that she would try to go as fast as she could to get her calculations. Then after about 15 minutes, she let me pee. It was almost the highlight of my morning. Almost. Haha. She told me to go grab Brad who was still in the waiting room while she talked to the radiologist. When she came back she let us take a look at Bean and I asked her to find out the gender for us. Unfortunately, Bean's legs were locked together. Haha. Which makes me glad that we paid for an early gender scan a few weeks ago. Then she took some pictures for us and sent us on our way.

Profile (my favorite):

 Face and fist pump:

 Arm and body:

And now, for the moment you all have been waiting for... the gender! We decided to have a little party with some friends to celebrate/reveal the gender of Bean. I had a cake made and the inside filling disclosed the goods. My friend Helene did an AWESOME job of decorating her house for the occasion and she even carved a pumpkin for Bean. It was the cutest thing ever!

And here is the video of the cake cutting:

(watch the video before scrolling down!)

The Proof:

So there you have it. Our little Bean is a girl! We were both expecting to see boy parts and when the tech showed us that she was a she, we both got really quite. The tech was like, "Are you guys okay?" Haha. We are totally happy because she is healthy and that is what matters. :)

This week Bean is the size of a small cantaloupe! Which I didn't buy because of that listeria scare, haha.

And some fun facts about Bean:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel. (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.) She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). If you're carrying a girl fetus, her uterus is fully formed this week and her vaginal canal is starting its development (which means that in about twenty-five or thirty-some-odd years, she could be just where you're at, Grandma!). She also has primitive eggs in her tiny little ovaries now, seven million of them — though by the time she's born, that number will be down to two million (still more than she could ever hope to use). And interestingly, your baby girl will be born with all the eggs she'll ever have. 

And finally, the bump. Which is getting more and more noticeable by the second. I had two people ask me when my due date was this week alone. I guess am actually looking pregnant now. Ha.

Until next week...

<3 Brad & Jenna

Third OB Appt {19 weeks!}

Monday we had our pseudo-monthly baby appointment. It started off with my most favorite part... vitals! The guy who took me in for my vitals was really nice and funny though. First thing that happens is the weight check. I hop on the scale and to my surprise, I finally gained some weight! 4 pounds since July! And I am not complaining one bit. But when he was about to write down my weight he asked me if I wanted him to subtract any. I laughed and said no and asked if people normally say yes to that question. Apparently they do. Haha. Then we were taken into the exam room and the doctor came in. She told me that they were going to measure me, which they haven't done before. So she took this paper tape measure and placed it across my belly and then was shocked by the results. She said that I was measuring much farther than my due date (around 23 weeks, I think she said) and asked if I was sure of my dates. I said pretty sure, we had an IUI done and she replied, that is pretty accurate then, haha. So then she asked the tech to bring in an ultrasound machine so she could make sure that there wasn't more than one baby in there. I didn't mention that we had an ultrasound last week, because I am not going to turn down another time to see Bean. Everything looked good in the ultrasound, still only one baby and Bean was measuring at around 16 weeks 5 days (give or take 10 days), which baffled me because I am 19 weeks now. But everything is good and next week we have our big anatomy scan where they check everything else with Bean.

This week Bean is the size of a mango! I bought some mangoes, but didn't photograph them because they were smaller than they were supposed to be this week, and I am just going to make them into salsa this weekend. :)
This is what BabyCenter.com has to say:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

I also found out that I have an anterior placenta, which means that right now Bean is kicking my placenta around and not me, causing me to feel no kicks at all. :(

In other news, I feel like my belly is growing larger every day. 

I feel huge.

Next week is our big anatomy scan and our gender reveal! I know you all are so excited! ;)

<3 Brad & Jenna

First OB Appointment! {10 weeks}

We are home from our vacation in Arizona and I am still trying to catch up on my sleep. I am so exhausted and it worsens every single day. But it's okay, I know that every change my body is going through just reminds me that our bean is growing.

We had our first appointment with an OB today. I would say "our" OB, but it doesn't look like we will be able to have the same OB our whole pregnancy. I am not too bothered by that. As long as someone is there when this baby shows up, I will be fine. Haha. Our appointment went smoothly. I have heard that uneventful appointments are the best because it means that things are going good. We got to see the bean again. It was jumping around all over the place. The heartbeat was measured at 159bpm which is good. And if you believe in old wive's tales, that means we are having a girl. Haha. ;) (Anything under 140 = boy, over 140 = girl.)

While we were in Arizona we took a look at some baby stuff. Boy, walking around that baby section in Target was overwhelming. There is so much stuff you need. Why didn't any of you tell us this?! ;) But I can't wait until we can start really looking at stuff and getting the nursery put together. I think that is going to be so much fun!

Now, on to the important stuff.... The baby is the size of a PRUNE this week. And today while walking around the grocery store the thought of prunes turned my stomach so I didn't get any. You all should know what a prune looks like. Haha. But here is my bump:

Also, we have a video of the heartbeat that we heard on our doppler this weekend. I couldn't get a steady hold on where the bean was so the numbers are a little off but you can hear it!

Our next appointment is on August 22nd. I will be about 14 weeks and at the start of the second trimester. Hopefully by then the nausea that keeps coming and going will be gone for good!

Thanks for stopping by!
<3 Brad & Jenna

Two months down! :)

This morning we had to go to our Prenatal Orientation. It was a lot of information to take in and even more paperwork to fill out. We have our next appointment scheduled for July 27th, which the day after we get back from our mini vacation in Arizona. :)

Our little bean is now the size of a raspberry!

And of course, the belly picture! :)

Next week we will be on our way to Arizona for Brad's graduation ceremony! We are so excited to see our family and just get away for a bit. 

Oh! And I ordered a fetal doppler that came in today! Which means that in a few weeks we should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat whenever we want! And yes, I will be posting a video of it once I try out my doppler.

Got my numbers from my second blood draw!

We have been waiting for our numbers from my second blood draw since Friday... but we finally got a call today and my beta was at 308!! Yay! Everything is looking good!

The main reason we were waiting for this was because we now have a date for our first appointment & ultrasound: July 6th! 

Looks like we have some more waiting to do....

<3 Brad & Jenna