1/2 way there!!!!

I have been seriously neglecting updating this blog, but not because I haven't thought about it. I started back to work and my goodness I am so busy and SO TIRED!!! Pregnancy is so hard on my old body and then workin full time makes me totally spent by the end of the day. 

But things are going really well on this journey to our sweet Jacob!!!  Last Thursday, I officially hit the 20 week (1/2 way) mark!!!!!  

It is so hard to believe that we are already  1/2 way through!!! It seems like it has flown by in many aspects, but also creeping by in others.  I am still nauseated pretty much 24/7, but have very few bouts of actual vomiting anymore which I am so thankful for!  

Because I didn't do a post at 19 weeks, I am including both my 19 and 20 week bump pictures on this post...... So here they are!!!!!

For the first time I think I finally am seeing a difference in the bump pictures!!  It looks like I finally popped at 20 weeks!!  The most exciting thing that has happened is that I finally feel sweet baby moving around!!! At first I wasn't sure if that was really it, but I gently pushed in on my far right side and he sure did push right back! It was such a surreal moment!  That happened on the exact day I was 19 weeks along, April 23rd. Now at 20 weeks and 3 days, he is moving everywhere. Even as I sit here and type this, he is kicking all around!  What a glorious feeling I never thought I would ever get a chance to experience. I am just so humbled and so grateful for this gift!!!!

In other news, we have just about got Jacob's room completed. The last finishing touches I purchased this past weekend when out shopping with Sweetness. We found the perfect frames for the pictures I ordered on Etsy to go over his crib. So we just need to get those hung up and then I will take pictures and do a post on here to show you guys how adorable it all turned out!!!  It really is my favorite room in the house right now!!

But not to leave out my sweet Chloe, we have also redone her room and rearranged it as well. In fact just yesterday I ordered her new twin bed from Pottery Barn Kids, after we spent most of Saturday looking in every furniture store around our house and no cute white wood twin beds were to be found!!!  We could not believe how hard it was to find one that we liked!  Here is a picture of the bed we ordered for her........

And then we ordered this amazing bedding set from Pottery Barn Kids as well.  I got this gorgeous ruffle quilt, pillow shams and adorable matching mermaid sheets to complete her new bedroom's look!!!

Don't you just LOVE these colors?!?!?  I saw it and HAD to have it for my girl. I thought it was cute and sweet but not overly babyish and will be a good set to carry her well into her childhood years!!  I have always wanted to get her a Pottery Barn Kids bedroom but never would spend the money, but I finally caved in and just did it, with the help of some coupons, and got what I really wanted and I am so happy I did!!!  The bedding is amazing in person!!!!  I'll snap a few pictures and post them once we get her bed and get it all set up next week!!!!  I can't wait!!!

But that is about all the news for now.  I am enjoying my new job, out and about meeting new people each day and getting out of the house!!!  It's also nice to have spending money now to get cute things for my precious little children and to begin our savings account again!!!   

Sweetness has been so wonderful, as he always is, while I have been out of work and so sick in the beginning of this pregnancy. He really does treat me like a queen, waiting on me hand and foot while taking amazing care of Chloe in the evenings when I need to rest, all the while working 40+ hours a week!!  I am so blessed in this life to share it with this man I love so much and loves us so much!!!   

18 weeks!!!!

My goodness it has been one crazy week!!!  I started my new job last Monday, and then Sunday I left at the crack of dawn to fly to the home office for 4 days of training. Last night there were serious thunderstorms and my flights were all delayed as I tried to get home!!!!  

I was scheduled to arrive home so late I had made arrangements for Mom to pick me up at the airport so Sweetness could get Chloe to bed etc. well while I was sitting at the airport waiting to board my first flight I was chatting with my mom on the phone when someone rear ends her at a high rate of speed while she is sitting at a stop light.  I was helpless and could

not get to her!!  The rescue came and took her to the ER because her head and neck were really hurting.  Thankfully all checked out fine and she is just sore by it was pure torture to have to turn off my phone and could get no updates while

flying. Just felt helpless!!!

And everything was running so late I almost missed my connecting flight at the Charlotte airport. I was cramping bad in my lower pelvis and wasn't about to try to run, so I actually spoke up and they put me on one of those carts and I mean that lady was flying through there trying to get me to my gate. I don't think my gates could have been any further apart in that airport!!  It was over a mile walk for sure. I am so thankful for her and her understanding of my predicament and helped me make that flight!!!!!

So anyways, I was so happy to see my two luvs when I got home...... Chloe said she missed me and wanted me to come home with her!!  I told her I would be happy to!!!!

But as far as baby Jacob goes, I think he is doing pretty good in there. I am finally starting to show a baby bump and feel pregnant. I listened to his heartbeat today with my Doppler because I hadn't done so in about a week and it was a good 135+. Next Wednesday is our big detailed anatomy scan!!!!  I can hardly wait to see him for such a long sonogram.  My Mom, aunt, Chloe and of course Sweetness will all be there to see our sweet little man!!!

So finally here are some belly progression pics. I have been so hesitant to post them but I will do it here for documentation sake. I have decided to try to wear the same shirt each week so the progression is easier to see.  So without further ado......

So there you have them.  I don't see much difference from week to week but I am definitely feeling a ton of cramping and pulling and lots of pressure!!! 

I had the PICC line out and have been off the IV Zofran for about a week now and I think I really still need it but I am trying hard to soldier through and hoping all this horrible nausea ends very soon.  I was so sick while away for work, it was so embarrassing having to puke while with new Coworkers. But it is definitely better--no where near as much actual vomiting  but the nausea just won't let up so I have to eat constantly!! And I don't want to do that!!!  I'm not trying to blow up big as a house with this pregnancy.  

But that's about all for now. I will post again after our big anatomy scan next week!!!  We should have some awesome new pictures of our angel to show!!!  

Have a great week everyone!!!

17 weeks!!!!!

Wow!!!  I can not believe we are already 17 weeks along!!! It really is flying by!!  

Today was a big day for me!!  I went to the hospital and had my PICC line removed!!!  I am so thrilled to be free from that thing, and more importantly be feeling well enough that I could be without it. So I am off all IV fluids, and I am off Zofran all together. I could still take it by mouth if needed and I am leaving that option open if I should need it but I feel like I am handling the nausea okay for now. Don't get me wrong I am definitely still VERY nauseated, but if I continuously try to keep something in my stomach it really helps take that feeling away.  And no vomiting in over 2 weeks!!! That my friends is heaven!!!  

So now I am turning the corner finally, starting to feel like a human being again and ready to really enjoy being pregnant and really starting to look like I have a bump now as well!!!!  

Also, on Monday of this week I started my new job. I am still doing pharmaceutical sales just with a much smaller Company than I was previously with. I was devastated to be laid off from my job last fall, but the Lord knew what He was doing, because had I been employed during this first trimester, there is NO way I would  have been able to work as sick as I was. Truly I would never have been able to. And then right when I started to feel better this opportunity came along, and I am thrilled to be with a small company that is very family-oriented and to be able to help financially provide for our growing family!!!!  

Sunday I fly out early in the morning to North Carolina to spend the week there at the home office with several other new reps doing more intensive training.  Then when I return, I get to get out there and make it happen!!!

I have not told them I am pregnant yet, but I plan to do that while face to face next week. I pray they receive it well, and I feel that they will bring as family minded as the upper management is and have expressed many times how much they want their employees to have a true work-life balance.  So please pray about that for me!!!

And Miss Chloe has had a great week. She is asking more and more about Jacob daily. How big is he?  Is he coming out your belly button? And other cute little innocent questions.  She even wanted to kiss my belly out of the blue one day while I was laying on the couch. It was so sweet and then she was off playing again!!!

Here is a little snap I took of her yesterday and she just looks so grown up to me!!! When I see pictures of her on my TimeHop app from just a year ago, I can hardly believe the transformation!!!  

Here she is a year ago this week.....

Her hair has grown so much and her face is loosing that baby look as she matures into a beautiful young lady.  

And look at this picture from 2 years ago this week.....!!!!!!!

Wanting to be so independent at 18 months old carrying her lunch box from school!!  I just loved this age!!!  

And then 3 years ago this week......

Amazing to see how she has grown, and become more and more beautiful when I didn't even think it could be possible!!!  I love this angel more than life itself and I have loved being her Mommy these last 3 1/2 years!!!! She has changed so much 

but she is still our sweet little miracle from the Lord that we prayed endlessly for and we will NEVER forget what a miracle she truly is!!!

Well that is all the update for today...... Next post I will show some weekly belly pics in progression.  I don't see much of a difference week to week but I will post them here just for documentation sake of how our sweet little boy is growing!!!

Thanks for coming on this journey with us !!!!

Easter Weekend 2015

This past weekend was such a beautiful  Easter weekend- start to finish!!!  The weather was perfect here in Virginia and our family was over, great message at church and I am feeling SOOOO much better now!!! Spring is in the air!!!!  

We started the weekend by taking Chloe to see the Easter Bunny at the mall. Nothing like the last minute right?!?!  But she was so happy to see him, and for the first time we got a picture where she wasn't screaming!!!  

She just looks so grown up!!!!  My baby is  growing to such a big girl as she says!  After that we had a nice evening with friends, playing with their children and  eating Easter eggs and candy!!!  What could be better!!?!?

The Easter bunny of course came to see my little angel and she was so thrilled with the little things she received in her basket!!!  Mostly books and some figurines of her all time favorite cartoon called "Paw Patrol"!!!  She is obsessed with that show and we finally were able to find some merchandise at Target of the characters and she could not have been more happy!!!

We then went to church with my Mom and it was such a wonderful message and time spent worshiping the Lord! After church we changed clothes and mom gave Chloe her Easter basket filled with goodies from her!!!  And you guessed it, more Paw Patrol things were to be had!!!  MiMi was the hero for sure!  Here is a picture of the two of them before she dug into that basket!!!

Then Daddy and Chloe went out to the backyard to play and Mom and I began tackling the painting of the nursery.  One wall (the accent wall) we are painting in the same stripped pattern that is on the nursery bedding. We already went to Home Depot and got the light blue, dark blue and olive green paint to do the stripes. But the measuring and taping off of the lines is what was brutal!!!!

We finally had to recruit Sweetness to come help as well, because it really was a 3 person job. Someone had to hold the laser exactly perfect while the other two guided the tape down the perfect line.  I can not tell you how painstakingly tedious this was....... And after about 4 hours of doing it, this is how far we got on the wall, about 1/2 way done taping, haven't even gotten to the fun painting part yet !!!

I know it looks crazy in this picture but it's really going to be beautiful when it's done. So we will continue to work on it little by little each night this week and  I will keep posting pics of our progress

The pattern that we are mimicking looks like this, and hopefully the wall will look something very close when we get done!!!

The stripes are the inside pattern on the bumper pads and the elephants are the crib sheet. So here is a sneek peak of his nursery theme!!  Lol. 

Anyway, things are coming right along on all fronts really. I'm starting to get really excited about Jacob's arrival now that I am feeling somewhat human again.  I am weaning myself off the Zof.ran pump starting today because I have been able to eat and drink most anything I want and no vomiting. Still have bad bouts of nausea but I am going to try to push through those, and hopefully get my PICC line removed by this Friday!!!  

And today I started my new job. I am still doing pharmaceutical sales just with a new company. The Lord is just so amazing in His perfect timing in all things!!  It was probably a good thing I didn't have a job during the first trimester as I wouldn't have been able to work with as sick as I was, and now that I am feeling better, I can get out there and make some money to buy my little miracle all the pretties I want him to have and help Sweetness with the bills!!! 

Today began 1 week of home study, and then I fly to the home office on Sunday for 4 days of training there.  And then I come home and hit the ground running.  I am very excited about this company and the growth potential they have expressed when hiring me. They are wanting me to move up and advance as they continue to expand and grow as well and I love that!!!

Well that's all the update for now!!  Easter is over and spring is officially here!!!  Yippeeeee!!!!  Have a blessed week everyone!!!

16 weeks and already contractions!

Wow!!!  I can hardly believe we are a full 16 weeks and 1 day along already!!!  It has been an exciting week this week. Baby Jacob has been keeping me on my toes!!

Yesterday I awoke with what felt like horrible menstrual cramps so of course I panicked.  No blood or anything but they continued to worsen so much throughout the day that I finally called the dr office.  They had me come right in and did an ultrasound and the fluid levels look

good and Jacob was swimming all around just fine. So they then hooked me up to a monitor and you could see all the contractions I was having!!! Yikes they really hurt. 

Doc did a pelvic exam and my cervix was tight and closed and no rupture of my membranes or anything so he felt confidant they were Braxton Hicks and not preterm labor. Thank goodness!!!

So now I can't lift anything and no exercising. I have been just chilling and taking it easy!!  

I am really starting to feel pregnant now.  My belly is popping out there and I am miserable trying to sleep. My hips ache so bad and my back kills me. So tonight Sweetness and I stopped at Babies R Us and I got this.....

This "Snoogle" pillow comes highly rated from my friends who have been pregnant. So I am anxious to get it out and curl up and see if it makes a difference!!!

Lots of friends have asked me to post belly pics, so I guess I will start doing that next week at 17 weeks. 

And last but not least, Sunday is EASTER and tomorrow we are going to take Chloe to her third EASTER egg hunt of the season!! We are meeting our sweet friends and their little girls there and it should be tons of fun!! I will pay some pictures of my sweet girl in her beautiful Easter dress and basket on Sunday morning!!!

Hope everyone has a glorious Easter holiday and thank you for your continued prayers for our miracle baby on this journey!!!!

Hello second trimester!!!!!

So yesterday was such a busy day for me. I traveled to Raleigh, NC for an interview and flew back the same day and boy was I exhausted!!!!  So today I am kind of paying for it.....

But yesterday we officially hit 14 weeks along!!  It's going so fast already!!  And at 14 weeks we are officially in the second trimester!  So exciting!  

I went to my regular OB appt this past Tuesday on St. Patrick's Day, and everything looked great!  They did a quick US and baby Jacob was moving all around in there and his fluid levels and his HB looked really good. So Dr. DeVenciana was very pleased with my progress and improvements from when I was in the hospital last week. 

Not too much else to report right now.  Things are starting to feel more like we have a baby coming...... We are moving along on his room and I promise to do a post on that real soon!  Oh and my Mom and I went shopping for maternity clothes Tuesday evening and that was a lot of fun. I was able to find some great work pants and 5 fun summer maternity shorts. They even had a fake belly to strap on to see how you are going to look and boy was that funny and shocking. I can't believe I will actually look like that!!!  Bring it on I say!!!  

I will start posting belly pics soon so I can look back and see my transformation.  I'm not really showing too much right now, I just can't suck my gut in so that's how I can tell!!  Lol!!!

Anyways, thanks for the prayers and I will update again soon!!!

WE ARE HAVING A BABY BOY!!!!!!

Yes it's true. We did get back the results of our NIPT genetics testing from my doctor. Thankfully, it should no trisomies, so no Down syndrome, or Trisomy 18 or 13, the most common ones that are fatal.  

This test isolates the baby's DNA which is apparently floating around in my blood. And they then take the baby's DNA and examine the chromosomes and of course having the chromosomes, they can see the sex chromosome pair and it came back we are having a sweet BABY BOY!!!  

His name will be Jacob Christopher after his Daddy and we are so thrilled to find out so early the sex and that he is healthy because I sure have many risk factors. 

So with that said, I mentioned in my last post that I had my OB visit 2 days ago before I landed in the hospital. At that visit they did the 12 week sonogram and I am AMAZED at the pictures we have of our sweet Jacob. So I will post a few of them here for you to see!!

This one is my favorite!!!

 

 

I can not believe the detail they can see in these images. He was 12 weeks and 5 days along here. But something else that is also plainly evident in this picture is the low levels of amniotic fluid. They fixed that while I was in the hospital so he now is happy and floating all around in plenty of fluid. 

His beautiful little profile shot. Sweet!!!  

 

    A full body shot, he was moving all around like crazy in there- but I can't feel any of it yet!!

And last but not least, we already had total chromosomal confirmation that he is a boy, but we got a good look at the goods- so there is no doubt!!!  LOL!!!  

  Aren't they just amazing!?!?  I am so glad our high risk group takes lots of pictures. It sure makes it more fun to follow the pregnancy as we can see him progressing from a small blob on the screen at 6weeks to now a fully formed little boy!!!  What a miracle life is!!!

Once we found out we were having a boy, we decided to tell Chloe.  We video taped on my phone the conversation I had with her and it was/is so precious as she reached out to touch my tummy so tenderly. She is still trying to grasp why he is in my tummy but she is warming up to the idea of a baby brother and she has thoroughly enjoyed helping us put the crib together and wash little baby clothes!!!!  She is gonna be such a great big sister and this will be her little baby I have no doubt!!!!  

After the dr visit on Tuesday, I picked Chloe up from preschool and I took her to the park because It was finally a nice spring day and we were itching to go outside. Here is a little snap of I took of her while she was playing on the monkey bars. My sweet angel!!  Man she is so grown up now but soooooo beautiful!!!!

In my next post I will show you the progress we have made so far on his room.  It's coming together so cute!!  I chose elephants because to me little boys and elephants go together perfectly!!! 

Again thanks for all the prayers that have gotten us this far!!  What a loved little boy we have!!!    💙👶💙👶💙