Only 15 weeks to go!

It's hard to believe that I'm 4 to 6 weeks further a long than my doctor thought I was (if you don't know what I'm talking about read the previous post). It's amazing to me that I'm already 6 months pregnant, only 15 more weeks to go! My due date went from January 13th to somewhere around December 11th (I'll have a more accurate date once I have my next ultrasound on Tuesday). I'm still in shock that we're going to have a new baby by Christmas, what a special & memorable Christmas it'll be! Pregnancy still isn't agreeing with me but after everything we've been through it's the last thing on my mind. Kyle's been online ordering stuff for the nursery, once it's finished I'll be sure to post some pictures. The baby has been moving a lot, especially after I eat or drink something. My belly is slowly getting bigger, when I wear a tight top you can now tell I'm pregnant. I'll try and post a picture soon of the baby belly (since people keep asking :) ).

from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing ...
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.

The worst 4 days of my life!!!!

I haven't blogged in a while. Well theres been a reason. On August 13th I had my quad screening test done on the baby which checks for any abnormalities, such as spina bifida, down syndrome, ect... On Tuesday August 18th I got a call from my Dr.'s office saying that my test came back positive and I have to go see a genetics counselor. Kyle & I made an appointment for Friday and went down and spoke to the counselor, she told us our test came back kinda high for spina bifida and that she wanted me to have a level 2 ultrasound (which would actually be my first ultrasound!). I was a complete mess! I don't know what I would've done without Kyle. I couldn't stop crying. So after waiting a little over an hour I finally had an ultrasound, what a bittersweet moment. I was finally getting to see my baby for the first time but I also had the worry that something might be wrong. After the ultrasound we had to wait another 40 minutes for the genetics doctor to look over the pictures of the baby. We finally got a call (while waiting in the hospital) that the baby did not have spina bifida, but the lady continued to say that the baby's arms & legs looked a little short for how far along I was. OH and that I was 24 weeks pregnant not 18 like my doctor thought I was!!! Short arms & legs are a sign of down syndrome, so now they are thinking that the baby might have Downs. But they couldn't be sure if the baby just had a big head (which runs in the family) or if the arms & legs are in fact behind schedule. The only way to find out for sure was to have an amnio, and if I wanted to have an amnio that day I had to do it ASAP because the doctor was leaving. So in 2 minutes I had to decide to have a long ass needle stuck in my belly. And I did. It really wasn't painful, just a long procedure and pretty uncomfortable. Mind you I'm still a complete mess. Oh, it gets better... since the amnio was done on a Friday afternoon we would have to wait until Monday for the preliminary results (which are 96% accurate) and 10 days for the final results (which are 100%). Needless to say Kyle and I (and most of our friends & family) had the weekend from hell, I've never been so scared in my life! I seriously don't know what I would've done without Kyle. So... Monday comes and by noon theres no phone call, I call and leave a message. Three O'clock, still no phone call. I call back. Finally the counselor calls at about 3:30 and says our results aren't done yet and they might not be done until Tuesday morning. She says she's going to wait until 5:00 and if she hears anything she'll call us (this woman was amazing!). About 4:45 the phone rings, I start panicking, the woman's voice on the other end proceeds to tell me that everything looks good and the results came back normal!!!!!! The wait of the world has been lifted from our shoulders! I can't even tell you how happy & relieved we were, are prayers had been answered!
So now instead of having a January 2010 baby we are going to have a baby before Christmas! I can't begin to thank everyone for their thoughts & prayers, we are very lucky to have such wonderful friends & family-we love you guys!

Congratulations Kris & Melissa!

One of Kyle's best friends & his wife had their first baby last Sunday! We went to the hospital yesterday to visit them, she is one of the cutest, tiniest babies I've ever seen!! She only weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces, they named her Kendall Rae Block. These pictures don't do her justice, she is absolutely gorgeous (just like her Mommy!).

"Welcome to the world baby girl, we love you!"

Kendall & her Mommy

Kendall & her Daddy

Kyle and Kendall (I love the smile on Kyle's face!)

Pismo 2009

Every summer Kyle and I take and annual camping trip to Pismo Beach to go riding. This year was a little bittersweet for me since I couldn't ride. It was nice getting out of the 100 degree weather and actually having to wear a jacket. As always the dogs had a great time!

Levi loves to go camping!

we had shaved Diesel a few weeks before Pismo so he really felt the cold!

everyone dug this huge pit to sit in to block the camp fire from the wind
Madison & Kaitlyn having fun digging in the sand

the beautiful Pismo sunsets!

We had a good time but it's nice to be home...

I'm almost half way there!

I'm at 18 weeks, only 2 more weeks at I'll be at the half way point! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, I'm hoping they're going to do an ultrasound. I've had some lower abdominal pain this week, some of the books said it's normal due to the changes my body is going through. I'll make sure and mention it at my appointment tomorrow. Kyle and I went to Pismo last week for 5 days, it was really nice getting some fresh air, it kept my mind off of how crappy I was feeling. Well I'll make sure and let you know how the doctor's appointment goes tomorrow...

babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

17 weeks!!!

This week I really started getting a "pregnant belly", my goal right now is finding clothes that are comfortable. I'm still able to feel the baby move every night, I can't wait until Kyle can feel it too!
babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

I can feel the baby move!

I'm sixteen weeks pregnant, all the books say you might be able to start feeling the baby move by now. Ever since I found out I was pregnant I lay in bed at night with my hands on my stomach, the other night I felt the little "flutter" in my lower abdomen. I've been able to feel it every night since. It's been pretty exciting! I'm still struggling with the heart burn, nauseousness, head aches and everything else that comes along with pregnancy but I've just come to the realization that I won't feel "normal" again until after the baby is born, so I've just learned to live with it.

babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.