We had a "rash" of activity this weekend.....

Boy, where do I start? Dad and Thomas were down for the weekend and between the whole team we accomplished a ton!!!

Dad washed all of the bedding and baby clothes, he washed and organized all of the bottles, finished some last minute decorating, fixed the blinds, got the crib completely ready and drove me around all weekend to shop (a task which is increasingly difficult with this belly in the way).

On a related note, I was telling Dad about the scar I have on my stomach from a boiling water incident. Josh adds his two cents and says, "Yeah, on Mom's big, HUGE belly!" Nice, huh?

Dustin mowed, fixed another mower and re-sealed the driveway.





Let me tell you...the driveway looks amazing!! Dustin did a great job!

Sunday morning was the March of Dimes walk and Josh and I went down to help hand out water at the K-mart stop. Josh had so much fun.





It was a perfect morning and as each walker passed I was reminded how blessed we are to have a healthy son and a healthy baby on the way. Seeing all these moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, brothers and sisters walk for this cause was truly inspiring. Most had "Team" shirts with names of babies who didn't have a chance to live in this world. Again...I was overwhelmed with appreciation.

The best part of the walk is shown below...


Way to go, Titi!!

With such a big weekend everyone was WIPED by last night. Dad and I found the "boy" outfit and came home to find this...


Pretty much says everything!

Now this morning I take Josh to Jaime's and as I turn onto her street he says his neck itches. I assume he just got a bug bite. Uh, nope. He has an awful rash all over his neck and ears. So I call the doctor's office from Jaime's.

They said to give him some Benedryl and watch to see if it spreads to his face. So I put him back in the car and we stopped to pick up the medicine and a couple of movies. I have to admit, after such a busy weekend, it couldn't be better timing for an unexpected day off!!

Finally, 5 weeks from today I should be in recovery right now and holding a brand new baby!!! I should take some of Josh's Benedryl, because I am literally "itching" with anticipation!!!

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream!

Well, Josh had preschool yesterday and they had an exciting field trip planned. A Cedar Rapids city bus was going to come and pick up the kids and drive around Hiawatha. Josh was very excited and talked about it all morning.

Well, I dropped him off and told him to be a good boy and make sure he went potty on the potty. We've started having problems with him having accidents during the day. I completely expected this once the baby came but I was completely caught off guard with it starting this early. Anyway, Dustin went to pick him up and the teacher came out and called Dustin into the classroom.

Immediaely Dustin assumed Josh had wet himself. So Dustin walks in and all the kids were laughing. The teacher informed Dustin that he had to go over to Dairy Queen and settle up the tab. Confused, Dustin says, "Okay?".

She informed him that as the bus drove by the Dairy Queen Josh screamed, "LET'S STOP!!!". Mrs. Switzer told Josh that they didn't have enough money for everyone to get ice cream and Josh replied, "I have enough money's for everyone in my train bank!!".

Dustin called me laughing and informed me that maybe we'd been going to Diary Queen a little too much lately. Uh...ya think?

Officially less than 6 weeks!!!

Well, the title should say it all. We are on official "Baby Watch"! Seems so unreal, so close, so far away and so many other things all at once!

I hadn't posted a picture of my gorgeous men from Easter so here it is...


Aren't they adorable?!?! This picture was taken at about 5:45 am (hence Josh rubbing his eyes). It's amazing how fast a child will get ready when he knows there's candy downstairs!

These last few weeks are going to be filled with last minute projects and tasks. This weekend we officially finished the foyer. The tile is down and grouted, the doors are replaced and the trim is officially up and nailed! We were up until 11:30 Friday night getting the last bit of moulding up. I was at the saw and Dustin used his mighty nail gun. Baby did NOT like the sound of the saw. Every time I made a cut it would squirm around.

Then Saturday was Grandma Verabeth's 80th birthday party. Josh had SOOOOO much fun. My body was still throbbing from the night before so I didn't get any pictures of him playing with the animals and cousins. Sorry.

Then Sunday we refinished and painted the front door. Josh got to help and it was a small price to pay for a few minutes of quiet.



I think Josh realizes that something big is about to happen. He is so HYPER lately! I will have to admit, however, that there is a small chance my perspective on what is HYPER has changed. My new definition of hyper is someone who moves more in 10 minutes than I do all day. Lugging this body around is proving to be more difficult every day and poor Josh doesn't really have 100% of his mommy right now.

He has become quite the helper. I had some difficulty getting propped up in bed on Saturday morning and in positioning all of the pillows I knocked the remote off the bed. After I stopped crying with frustration, I called out to my son who was playing in his room. I asked him to come in and pick up the remote for mommy.

He said, "Why sure!". Picks it up and sets in by my hand and then touches my hand and says, "Mommy, you let me know if you need something else. Okay? Am I a good helper?". Isn't he going to be the greatest big brother?

This weeks update on baby said this:
Your baby now measures about 20.25 inches (45cm) in total length and weighs around 5.5 lbs (2550g). Crown to rump measurement is about 13.2 inches (33cm).

He continues to grow and fatten up, especially in the shoulder area, and kicks regularly.

The fine lanugo hair that covered your baby is shedding, though some may still be present when your baby is born.

Your baby's eyes are blue, though this may change soon after birth or much later after birth.

Your baby's fingernails are growing. They already reach the tips of his fingers and they may even look quite long and pointy by the time he is born. Your baby may even have some scratch marks from scratching his face with his fingernails.

Your baby is probably feeling quite cramped right now and his movements are restricted by his growing size.

I am now going to the doctor every 2 weeks. My last appointment was on Thursday. I am still not at the weight I was when I first found out I was pregnant, but I'm getting there! Baby's heart rate was 135 (exactly what Josh's was at my 34 week appointment). Otherwise everything looked good!! Thank God!

And it's been another month.....

Good, God!

Well, tax season is over in T minus 2 weeks. THANK THE HEAVENS! I'm still working Saturdays but knowing that I only have 2 more certainly make life more enjoyable. Then I get to ride the pregnancy easy train until the arrival of the ENORMOUS child growing in my stomach.

Yes, I am huge! My last doctor's appointment was March 20th and I measured 39 weeks pregnant. Do the math people. I measured 42 weeks when I was pregnant with Josh...WHEN I WAS FULL TERM! Sleeping is becoming impossible, I had to go buy "stretchier" shirts because the knit one's I had were becoming constricting, and I am having hot flashes like a menopausal woman. Oh...and here is a little known fact. When a woman is pregnant her body produces this hormone that helps relax the tissue in joints. This is supposed to help things be more "flexible" when the time comes to bear a child. While I am 100% positive that women appreciate this hormone at the exact moment of birth, every other time during a pregnancy this hormone causes pain. Let me explain.

Think of how much it would hurt to put all of your weight on a fractured hip or pelvis. Think of all the different joints in your body and if all of them were a little more "loose". This hormone is why pregnant women tend to have problems with carpal tunnel syndrome and is also the reason I can't move my legs from side to side.

In other news I am not diabetic, I am significantly anemic (which explains why I've been so short of breath), I fell on my stomach about a month ago and was in labor and delivery for about 4 hours but everything is fine and Josh is still excited to have a baby!

I got my 31 week update today and can't believe how much has happened...

Your baby now weighs about 3.5 lbs (1600g) and measures about 18 inches (40cm) in total and about 11.2 inches (28cm) from crown to rump.

Your baby's increasing size means that she has less room to move around in your uterus.

Your baby could already be moving into the head-down position.

Your baby's lungs are maturing and their lining, which prevents air sacs from collapsing, is growing. This lung development means that your baby would have a much greater chance of survival if he were born prematurely.

About 16 fluid ounces of blood are flowing through the wall of your uterus to the site of the placenta, though your blood never mixes with your baby's blood. It is separated by the placental barrier which is a very thin wall. Water, nutrients and waste are exchanged across this barrier at a rate of 0.3 fluid ounces per second.

Your baby swallows amniotic fluid and urinates.

Your baby's ears are sufficiently developed to hear and recognize your voice, the voices of other family members as well as familiar musical tunes.

Has it really almost been a month?!?!?

Oh, my. Time flies when you work 60+ hours a week and sleep every moment you have a chance!

First...I have to do a baby update!!! On March 6th I will officially be in the third trimester!! Isn't that unbelievable? I'm actually starting to gain weight and trying really hard not to take it personally. :-) I don't care if you're pregnant or not, but when you've struggled with weight your entire life, watching the scale go up is not fun....whether you have an excuse or not.

Josh got to go with me to my last doctor's appointment. Him and I got to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time together. We've only tracked the heartbeats through ultrasound before and you don't actually get to "hear" it with those machines. I was so glad he got to be there. He said, 'That sound makes me tired.'.

I haven't been paying attention to my weekly updates lately and today I read this weeks and was floored with the changes with baby. Check this out!!!

Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, she would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term.

Your baby's eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open.

Your baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple.

Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than she will be at birth.

I think I can finally relax and believe that this baby will be born and we will actually have another member in our family. With all the problems in getting pregnant, the spotting (which still occurs) and every other stress in this pregnancy, I don't think that deep down I believed this would really happen for us.

Well, I'll take that 85% chance of survival and add another 15%!!

Ya'll, I'm sorry.....It's tax season!

I KNOW it's been forever since I've posted but you all had to know that tax season was going to put a damper on my posting. That being said, I've got to find the time to do this because I miss it!!!

Anyway...today is 23 weeks pregnant!!!! Can you believe it?!?!? I've got to get Dustin to take a picture of me because I can't believe how much baby is growing!! Here was my update today....

Your baby is now about 8.4 inches from crown to rump (21cm) and weighs about 1.2 pounds (530g).

Your baby's face and body now look more like a full-term baby. She now looks close to how she will look at birth.

The eyes, though they are still closed, are now close together on the front of the face and the ears are in their final position. Eyelashes are fairly well-developed and hair is growing on your baby's head.

Your baby's movements are becoming more restricted now as she fills up the uterus more. Cartwheels and somersaults inside the amniotic sac are no longer possible, but she can still hold the umbilical cord and touch and feel around her. Though your baby is already living in tight quarters in the amniotic sac, she will soon have even less room to move around.

Her vital organs are now quite mature. However, since the lungs are not yet fully formed, your baby would have breathing problems if born prematurely at this stage.

Your baby is becoming increasingly conscious of the world outside and may feel startled when you are startled.

Your baby may alternate between having very active and very calm periods.

Your baby may have facial expressions such as frowning, squinting and pursing of the lips.

My feet have offically begun to swell a little. I try and keep off my feet as much as possible and I have a pair of slippers under my desk for during the day. Jim looked at me one day and shook his head. I told him it was this or I was going to start calling in sick. He said I could wear them as much as I wanted. You'd think after 6+ years of working with me he'd know not to mess with me! Especially when I'm pregnant!

It's snowing like crazy here today and the high is -1 degree. Gotta love Iowa!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

This week has been absolutely crazy. No other way to describe it. Last weekend we finished Josh's bedroom. He's happy with it and we're glad it's done. Here were the results...


Josh had been running a wicked temperature all weekend and I actually was able to capture the one time he played. He kept fluctuating between 102 and 103 degrees. I thought that the fever had finally started to break on its own on Monday and had Grandpa Larry watch him.

Monday night when Dustin brought him home he was still not himself so I came home from work early and we made a doctor's appointment with his pediatrician. We headed off to the doctor's office only to find out that the poor child had Strep Throat. I felt AWFUL! His throat was all bloody and red. I swear he only complained about a sore throat a few times all weekend. In fact he seemed to complain of an upset stomach more than a sore throat. After three years of being a mother there are days when I don't feel like I've learned a thing. Monday was another one of those days.

That brings us to Tuesday. Well, obviously we couldn't take him to daycare. So Titi was nice enough to come over and watch him for the day. Only to get a phone call from our daycare provider on Tuesday night....she was in labor. I swear when it rains it pours. So Titi came back on Wednesday, Josh went back to Larry for Thursday and Friday Grandma Toni watched him. Talk about a frenzy.

Thursday I had my doctor's appointment and ultrasound. I'll post the pictures tomorrow, but someone had his/her legs tight and crossed at the ankles so determining the sex was IMPOSSIBLE! I was so disappointed. I had looked so forward to that appointment for weeks only to leave with no answer. So as every pregnant woman does...I cried. I'll give the rest of the details with the pictures from the ultrasound.

I went to work for awhile on Saturday (tax season is here again!) and once I got off work we went to the timber to pick up the plow for Dustin's quad. We had a great time and Josh had fun playing in the snow.




There were rumors of a snowstorm for today but we had NO idea that we were going to get what actually came!! I think we have about 7 inches of snow and Josh, Mattie and Daddy had a ton of fun in the white stuff!!

We plowed out our house and then drove over to Dustin's work to plow over there. Josh and I followed him in the truck and I snapped this photo at the stop light. It was hysterical.

Then we went over and plowed out Mom and then Titi. We got home and tried to take a nap but never seemed to actually fall asleep. It was a full day and we are busy picking up the house so Grandma Cathy can watch Josh all week.

Anyway, here's a few more pics from today!



FYI - The picture above is of Josh making "Joshie Angels"...not "Snow Angels". I was corrected a number of times.

Speak and He listens

I have been so swamped with work lately that I've had numerous "blog worthy" experiences but just haven't had the time to get online. Tax season has started very early this year...that is for sure!

Like I said, I've already been working long, demanding hours and this weekend was no exception. Bad things started happening the minute I picked Josh up from Angie's and kept happening until I finally hit rock bottom on Monday at about 2:00 pm. So many awful things occurred this weekend that I couldn't even begin to start mentioning them all. I started spotting...again, my daycare provider threw a big curve ball at me, Josh found his Gameboy, then threw his first MAJOR temper tantrum since the stupid thing had first disappeared (It has officially been removed from his possession...permanently), I worked way too much, we didn't get Josh's room finished, etc., etc., etc. It just kept coming. Then I went back to work and I literally got dumped on by 8:03 Monday morning.

Honestly, the fact that my breakdown didn't occur until Monday at 2:00 pm shows that I am doing better with some relaxation techniques. ;-) However, I went into Amy's office and just started crying. I told her that I have been feeling so inadequate lately and that I'm killing myself and still don't feel I'm doing a good job in any area of my life. I don't feel like my work is getting the dedication it deserves, I don't feel like my husband is getting the help he deserves and I don't feel like my son is getting the attention he deserves. After a 15 minute rant, I literally raised my hands to the sky and looked up and cried, "I just want someone to pat me on the back and tell me that I'm doing a good job." I cried a bit more, got back to work and called Dustin to tell him that I wasn't in the mood to cook.

We decided to meet at a restaurant. We sat down, they brought our salads and Josh reminded me to not take a bite before we all prayed. On a side note, the boy has become the little Prayer Police. We ate our dinner and just sat and all talked about what we would do later that evening. We were almost done and this couple got up and got ready to leave. The woman comes over and puts her hands on Dustin and my shoulder and looked at Josh and said, "I just have to tell you that you are the most well behaved little boy I have ever seen in a restaurant. You're parents have done a good job teaching you what is appropriate behavior. So, GOOD JOB Mom and Dad!" I'm telling you, I felt like I was slapped by God. We all thanked her for her kind words and she told us that she taught Kindergarten for 30+ years so she was absolutely qualified to make that statement. We all laughed and they went on their way.

I didn't even tell Dustin about what an impact that woman had on me until the next day. I haven't had an experience like that before. So blatant, so obvious. So many times we ask for God's help, His advice, His strength, a sign from Him...anything. Sometimes we don't think he's listening but on January 8, 2006, I was personally reminded that he is indeed listening. We just need to be ready to hear him.

If only all His messages were that easy!

With all the hoopla of the week I've completely missed my 19-week update and I'm actually closer to 20 weeks! Well, here was my update this week...

Your baby weighs about 9 ounces (260g) and measures about 5.6 to 6.4 inches (14 to 16cm) from crown to rump.

Her skin is thickening and developing multiple layers- the epidermis and the dermis, the deeper layer where it will form fat. Your baby is now also developing a waxy protective coating for her skin called vernix caseosa. The vernix protects your baby's skin which is continuously submersed in amniotic fluid. Vernix, which is particularly thick around the eyebrows is held in place by tiny downy hairs called lanugo.

Your baby can now grip with her fists. Toenails and scalp hair are growing.

At this point, it may be possible to determine the baby's sex by ultrasound, if the baby cooperates, but the ultrasound technician will rarely guarantee the sex based on the ultrasound results as mistakes are sometimes made at an early ultrasound.

You can hear the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler ultrasound device or a stethoscope.

Sing it, baby!!

I have attempted to infuse music in my son's life since he was still in the womb. I remember laying in bed and playing Mozart to my tummy, I loved singing to him in church when he was just a baby and I continue to find ways to encourage him to listen to all types of music. Even with all my hard work he is not how I was at his age. My mom tells me stories of when I was just 1 or 2 and I would dance like crazy to Aretha Franklin or when I would sit at a parade and bop back and forth when the marching band would come by.

I had put to the wayside any hopes that he would share the same passion for music that I have; however, I think he's just a late bloomer!!! We were going to Angie's the other morning and I saw him nodding his head to the song on the radio and attempting to sing with it. It's one of my favorite songs right now and I just about started crying.

We went right out and bought the cd and now we listen to it over and over again in the morning. I've posted a link to the song below. It just warms my heart to hear a little child sing, "Waiting on the world to change." He tries so hard and it is the cutest thing ever. If I thought he'd let me tape it, I would.

This is gonna be a long one, folks!

Boy, I think with the holidays I'm just a bit behind. We've been so busy lately and it doesn't seem to be slowing down.

First things first, we certainly hope that everyone had a wonderful New Year's and that 2007 is a going to be a great year for everyone. We didn't make it to midnight but instead watched the ball drop in New York and called it a night.

This weekend Dad and Thomas came down and we did a TOTAL transformation of the nursery. Saturday Dustin, Josh and I worked on cleaning out the room and painted the ceiling.





Dad and Thomas arrived around noon on Sunday and we had already installed the new ceiling fan. We went out and got paint, installed the plantation blinds and look at the "almost" finished product!!!







I don't think I could possibly be happier with the way it turned out. The only thing we have to do is paint a horizontal stripe for the "chair rail" in either a pink or blue.

We also did a total transformation in our bedroom; however, there are no pictures in existence to verify that activity. We cleaned our hearts out and poor Josh looked at us like he completely understood he was getting the raw end of the deal. I wanted to say so badly, "Yes, I know we make you clean your own room. Yes, I understand you'd rather be watching cartoons. Yes, Mom and Dad should be able to do this by ourselves. But isn't this fun?" He's a good sport and an even bigger help.

This weekend Josh's room will be the one getting a makeover. He unintentionally made his mother and father feel awful about the fact that we didn't paint his room. So we're going to paint his ceiling, replace his fan, get plantation blinds and paint a cool strip around his room. I'm hoping it will make all of us feel better.

With all this excitement, it's hard to believe that yet another week has passed by. Yesterday I hit the 18-week mark and now my half-way point is a mere two weeks away!!! AHHH!!! Anyway, here's the update I received...

Your baby measures about 5.2 to 6 inches (13-15cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces (200g).

The buds for the permanent teeth are forming behind those that have already developed for the first teeth.

Your baby's nervous system and brain development continue at a spectacular pace. By this week, your baby's motor neurons, which connect muscle to the brain, have grown into place so that your baby can consciously direct her movements. Millions of neurons inside your baby's brain are growing and forming connections and the nerves in her body are being covered in a fatty substance called myelin.

Your baby's ears are now placed on the sides of her head and her limbs are now in proportion. Your baby's tiny foot is just one inch long, but is in perfect proportion to the rest of her leg.

Your baby can hear your voice and recognize it.

I think the biggest thing for me about this week's update is the fact that the baby can hear us and recognize our voices. That is absolutely amazing to me!

Merry Belated Christmas!!

I certainly hope everyone had as wonderful of a Christmas as we did. Josh was overjoyed by Santa and didn't even balk at the fact he didn't receive a black Gameboy and a Pokemon game. Friday on my way to work he decided that he wanted to go see Santa. I hesitated but told him we would give it a whirl. The picture isn't the greatest, but he didn't realize they were taking the picture and he was still giving poor Santa his list of requests. Anyway, here it is....


Every year at this time I get all down and want to cry every time I see a bagged Christmas tree on the side of the road. I love relishing in the excitement of Christmas and hold onto the message of the season as long as possible. Hence, I am not one of those people who take their decorations down the second the clock strikes midnight on December 25th. I think the Jewish religion has it right by spreading it out over more than one day. Dustin would say that my reasoning is really a facade and that the real reason my decorations stay up is because I'm lazy. Well, there may be a bit of truth to that.

With all the Christmas celebration I've almost completely missed the 17 week update. That's right, I am officially in the 5th month of pregnancy. For some reason as soon as January 2007 gets here I think it will all seem more real to me. January to May doesn't seem like that long of time and God knows how fast tax season makes things go. Yeah, I'm starting to psych myself out. I'm really hoping that Dad will come down here and help me whip this nursery into shape. I want to help paint and decorate and organize. I know I won't get to do any of that if I wait for tax season to be over, because by then I won't exactly be moving at warp speed. Not that I am now.

At 17 weeks...

Your baby weighs about 5.25 ounces (150g) and now measures 5 to 5.6 inches (12.5 to 14cm) from crown to rump. He is practicing breathing by gulping amniotic fluid into its lungs. This helps the lung's development so they will function at birth. Your baby may also be sucking his thumb.

Meconium is present in your baby's bowels. There is hair present on your baby's scalp and sweat glands are developing.

Your baby is becoming more sensitive to the outside world and is moving around, kicking and punching. As there is still plenty of space in your uterus, your baby can move around a lot, sitting cross-legged, reclining or even turning somersaults!

He can probably hear by now as the ossicles (the bones that pass sound to the inner ear) have hardened and the portion of the brain that receives signals from the brain is under development. Your baby is getting used to the sound of your heartbeat and blood passing through the umbilical cord, but may be startled by loud noises. Your baby is aware of some things in the outside world, including sounds and light. If you let the sun shine on your belly, your baby may be able to perceive a warm red glow.

Last night Josh told me he was excited to hold baby and wanted to make sure we would let him hold the baby. I told him, "Of course. You're the big brother." He was so proud and said, "Yeah, I'm the big brother." I just had to squeeze his cute, chubby cheeks and give him a hug. He's going to be the best big brother!

REWARD!

First I must show everyone our beautiful cookies for Santa and his reindeer.



He had so much fun decorating the cookies and picked up every sprinkle that didn't stick to the cookie for a little snack.

Last night on our way to church, we were discussing baby names with Josh and he was a little confused at first because the only baby we seem to be talking about lately is baby Jesus. So we asked him what we should call the baby inside mommy's tummy, he said......Baby Jesus 2. Yeah, we'll have to think about that. Maybe we'll call him/her J.J. for Jesus, Jr.

Josh had a milestone today. Every Tuesday and Thursday when I pick him up from Angie's to take him to school he asks if I am going to pick him up. It starts when I buckle him in his seat to leave Angie's and ends when I give him a "thumbs up" at the door on my way back to work. Today was the first day he didn't ask. Yippee!!! Our little boy's growing up!

We do have some other news at our house.....the Gameboy is missing. Josh had it on Saturday morning and I told him to pick up his toys and now we can't find it. He is absolutely convinced that we shouldn't be worrying about this because Santa is certain to replace it with a brand new black one. Tonight I had the audacity to insinuate that Santa may not bring him a Gameboy for Christmas. Upon hearing this he collapsed on the kitchen floor and wailed. Oh my. I woke him up on Monday morning and instead of saying, "Good Morning!" he said, "Mom, my Gameboy is missing because I losed it."

Obviously I am not as heart-broken as my poor son has been. Josh and I actually don't argue in the morning anymore and we have nice conversations on the way to and from work. He's not so pre-occupied by that stupid thing and his world isn't revolving around it. However, everytime Josh brings it up Dustin looks at me with a raised brow because I think he's convinced I'm just hiding it.

What kind of mother does he think I am? Of course I have an idea of where it is, but I've told that boy a million times that I am not responsible for that thing. I'm teaching him a very good lesson and getting a nice return for my investment....PEACE AND QUIET!

16 week update!!

Well, my update today said this....
It's the end of your fourth month, and your baby now weighs 2 ½ ounces. She's able to kick her legs, which are measurably longer than the arms that she often swings about as she floats in a sea--actually, 7 ½ ounces--of amniotic fluid. You may be able to discern some of her movements now; some women say they're like butterfly wings flapping gently. Some first-time moms don't feel anything, though, until the 24th week.

I can verify that our little one is kicking his/her legs! He/she was kicking up a storm during the ultrasound yesterday.

I told Dustin that mom and I didn't see anything between the legs yesterday, but that it's still early. So I was asking Josh last night what he would think of a baby girl. He seemed okay with it and but wasn't overly excited by any means.

Then this morning. He went running into Angie's front door and yelled, "We have a baby girl!" I explained what actually happaned and told her that it was still early, but there is a good chance it's a girl. I guess he's excited.

That was one sick emotional roller coaster!

I've had a few very scary moments in my life. Scariest moment was May 8, 2003, when I thought I was losing Josh. Second scariest was the first time I spotted with this pregnancy. Third scariest was when they couldn't find Josh's heartbeat. All of those have officially moved down a notch today.

I began spotting again this weekend at almost 16 weeks pregnant. Today I went into the doctor's office. They used the doppler and couldn't find the heartbeat. Then they used the portable ultrasound machine and did an external scan. The doctor could find the bleed. Basically the placenta is pulling away and there is a small bleed underneath it. I am to avoid stress, anxiety and heavy lifting for the next 24 weeks. For Josh that means I can't carry him and for everyone else that means don't stress me out! :-)

Well, after finding the bleed the doctor still couldn't find the baby. So she went to an internal ultrasound. Still no baby. At this point she had looked for about 30 minutes. I said, "I don't see a baby." and she said, "I don't either. And I should at 16 weeks." Basically, at that point I was hysterical. She went back to do another external scan. She found a flickering of a heart, but no baby. Just a mass. So I lay there sobbing thinking that I am going to have to face the decision of having to terminate this "non-viable" pregnancy when there is still a heartbeat or wait until the baby dies and I miscarry.

The doctor stopped the examination and said she was going to send me to ultrasound downstairs. The machinery is way more sensitive and would be able to see more. By then I'd been in there for over an hour and it was 12:20. I got dressed and the nurse said she could get me in for an ultrasound at 1:00. Still crying, I said, "Thank You." I walked out and immediately called Dustin.

He only heard me crying and kept asking what happened. I told him and he said he'd try to get there as soon as possible. I called mom's office and she was at lunch. I walked the agonizing walk down to ultrasound and checked in. The woman at the counter could tell I'd been crying and said she'd tell the tech I was there. I had just enough time to tell mom where I was and the tech left her lunch early to come save me from waiting any longer. I'm telling you, I HAVE THE BEST OB-GYN OFFICE IN THE WORLD!

She got started and mom miraculously appeared at my side and this is what we saw....






A perfect baby. The heartbeat was at 154 and baby is measuring exactly to date; 15 weeks, 6 days. I am completely drained from emotion today. As low as I felt at 12:20, it was the polar opposite by 12:35.

I am so glad mom got to be there. She got to see all those kicks, the stomach, the heart, the hands and arms flailing, the spine....everything! Tonight I am going to go home to my beautiful son and make cookies for Santa with him.

Then I am going to go to bed and thank God again for giving me Josh and then thank him again for keeping me pregnant. My children are my world and the thought of losing one, even an unborn one, is unbearable.

Whoops....missed the 15 week update!

With all the hilarity of the Christmas program I completely forgot to do my 15 week update and now I'm almost to 16 weeks. Goodness!

According to my email update....
Fine hair called lanugo covers your baby, who now measures about 4.3 to 4.6 inches (10.8 to 11.6cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 2.8 ounces (80g).

Fingernails are well formed and the arms and legs may be seen moving on an ultrasound. Your baby already has his own unique fingerprint pattern!

Your baby can hold his head erect and he can also make faces with his slightly developed facial muscles. Your baby may practice squinting, frowning and opening and closing his mouth.

Your baby's bones have enough calcium deposits to show on an X-ray. If your baby is female, her ovaries will be in place in her pelvis and more than five million ova (some of which may be fertilized to become your own grandchildren in another generation!) have formed.

I'm still having a problem with sleeping lately. I'm up around three and can't seem to fall back asleep. Yesterday was no different and I was up watching the movie The Aviator. Anyway, as I'm laying there on my side all of a sudden a feel this swoosh feeling. Well, swoosh with a little "roll". I'm guessing someone changed positions in there. It totally reminded of me when Josh would move around and you could just feel a big "roll". Then last night we had a very late supper and I had a pop with caffeine. Well, that must have woken someone up because then I started feeling all these taps and flutters. I don't feel much very often at this stage, but when I do there is no denying what it is!!!

My next doctor's appointment is Wednesday and I'm down another 5 pounds. I'm really hoping that we get another ultrasound this time. And I'm really, really hoping that we get it before Christmas! The last real picture I have of this child is where it looks like a dot.

Well, it wouldn't look like a dot anymore!!!

My God that's a big three-year old!!

Well last night was Josh's first Christmas program. It pretty much feel to crap the second he walked down the aisle and saw us. The tears came and he ran right to my lap screaming, "I want to stay with you". Dustin was busy throwing out any promise he could make in order to get him up there. With each promise came more tears. I told Dustin to stop and I whispered in his ear, "If you go up there you can get something Star Wars". At that point he was ready to bargain. Anyway, he ended up there.....and so did Dustin.

Sorry the picture isn't great, but between me laughing and the kids moving around it's the best I could get.


I couldn't even really watch him because everytime I'd make eye contact with him he'd start crying. I totally have to give Dustin credit because he even helped with ringing the jingle bells during one song. God, I'm sure he wanted to die, you all know how he is.

Anyway, as I say every year when I break another diet.....There's always next year!

What a nice weekend!

With everything we accomplished this weekend, you'd think I'd be more tired today. Maybe I'm still on some high from the paint yesterday.

I finished decorating the tree and Dustin hung my new star on my foyer wall. Josh and I worked on a Christmas project yesterday and we had such a great time. We decorated Styrofoam cups and baked them. They turn into hard little plastic shaped "bells" and then we hot glued little jingle bells inside and put some pretty ribbon on top. They will be his gift to pretty much everyone who reads this blog.

Every time the cups would get hot in the oven and expand and then shrink rapidly, he just squealed with delight. Here's a few pictures Daddy took for us!




We had my office Christmas party on Saturday night so Dustin and I were all dressed up for the holidays. I decided to try and get a nice family picture for a Christmas card. I got Josh in his suit, found the perfect spot in the house and got everything else all ready. Josh practiced with the camera's remote control and I will say, much to my surprise we actually accomplished the mission! It was quite a feat but in the end, I won. Sorry, but with all the work it took to get that thing, you're going to have to wait to get it in the mail!!

I do have to share one other picture though. There is a cute one of Josh and I when we were finishing the tree and practicing using the remote for the camera. There are a bunch of goofy ones but this is my favorite (excuse the hair).



Now for a nice family moment this weekend. Dustin and I both had a vision of what Josh will be like as a teenager. We had gone out to lunch at Wendy's on Saturday while doing some Christmas shopping. Josh got the kids meal and the toy was a cd from Goosebumps. He kept yelling, "It's a movie! It's a movie". Without even looking at it Dustin assured him that it must be a computer game. I concurred and reinforced our belief that this was indeed a computer game. This went on for about the length of our lunch. We had finally convinced him that it was for the computer and then last night he finds this cd again. I put it in my laptop and spent the next 45 minutes trying to figure out why my computer didn't have the right software to run the game. Dustin picked up the packaging and read that it was actually a DVD. Our son ridiculed us like a trained professional with years of experience. "I told you so, Mom. I told you so, Dad. I was right. Josh was right." God, having to admit your wrong to anyone is not fun, but having to do it to a three-year old is down right awful.

We watched Prancer on tv last night and then the boys and Mattie headed off to bed. After I finished a few projects I came upstairs only to find this. Pretty much sums up everything. Even the dog was snoring!

Mommy always wins, you should know that by now!

Well, this weekend was full of exciting and tiring moments. Dad was in town and he got to experience Josh's "Independent Phase" first hand. I think it frightened him and amused him all at the same time. It took that child 3 timeouts and numerous threats to get him to say, "I'm sorry" to the dog. But in the end, Mommy always wins. You'd think that his father would have taught him that lesson long ago, but somehow Josh just hasn't caught on yet.

Friday night we went out to dinner at Culver's when Dad got into town. I wanted a burger with Thousand Island dressing on it. I know it sounds disgusting, but that creamy dressing and chunks of pickle....need I say more? We sat down as my brother, husband and father were all gagging at my meal and I was trying to enjoy it. Dad joked and said that I am officially pregnant. And then I gave him my desert order; an eggnog shake with chocolate chip cookie dough. Yeah, as I'm typing this right now I'm not quite sure how I thought of combining those two ingredients. Nonetheless, it was delicious and I'm certain that Dustin will have to order me another one in the future.

I got my 14 week update today and I had to chuckle.
Most of the discomforts of early pregnancy, such as nausea and fatigue are behind you for now and you are probably feeling better.

All I can say is, WHO WRITES THIS SHIT? Probably a man.

The baby's update was much more exciting....
Make a fist--that's how big your baby is now.

At week 14, he weighs close to an ounce and measures between three and four inches from top to bottom. Like you, he can make a fist, too, with fingers that have a unique set of prints; an epidermal layer in his skin shows genetically determined ridges on the tips and palms.

Keep drinking those glasses of skim milk, because in the next eight weeks the bones throughout his body will harden as calcium gets deposited. Your son's neck is now getting longer too, which means his chin doesn't have to rest on his chest anymore.

It's Friday!!!

I have offically been up for 12 hours! Lately I have been waking up in the middle of the night and my mind starts churning and I can't go back to sleep. This morning I managed to watch a marathon of Designing Women, an episode of Emeril, A Different World, Mad About You and a bunch of news channels. Really, there isn't much on at that time of night except a bunch of advertisements for sleeping aids.

Well Josh had another morning like Wednesday and I had even less sleep this time around. I really am hoping that this is just a phase for the small boy. He couldn't find his Gameboy this morning and instead of looking for it, he just sat and cried. Well, screamed and cried. Pretty much from the time I told him to take of his pajamas off to the time I told Angie and him to have a nice day. Nothing makes you feel like a "Mother of the Year" like a child screaming at you, "You mean, mom. You mean." as you head off to work. I've decided that instead of saving for Josh's college education we should really be saving for his future therapy sessions. Amy at work keeps reminding me that we are a completely normal family and if I'm lucky he's still too young to remember anything. I'm wondering when exactly he will start to remember....18?

I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it. I want it.

The title says what I heard from 6:30 this morning until a little after 7:30 this morning. Add a little whine to it and you've got it down pat. The item being desired was a Gameboy, the person desiring it was Josh and the person listening to the relentless chant was ME.

I had just read the day before where the "Super Nanny" from tv suggested repeating the whine back at the child. Yeah. It became apparent to me that after following her first suggestion, I should have also read on to see what she suggested to do after the child reacts to you immitating them. The phrase "bitch fit" is about all I can say. Holy Moses. The fact that Josh is still breathing and that I didn't run myself off the road this morning is just proof that there is such a thing as a modern day miracle.

I called Dustin when I turned onto East Post Road so that I could share some of the love I was receiving from his son. I held the phone out so he could clearly hear his son, he just laughed and said, "Uh, how'd the morning go?" You can imagine my response.

The whole reason Josh was so cranky this morning and had his Gameboy taken away from him was that he screamed and cried from 9:30 pm to past 11:00 for a popsicle. And instead of whining "I want it" it was "I want a pa-sicle". A phrase which is no less annoying and even more so given the time of day.

I have a rule. I will tell him once. I will tell him again since he probably couldn't hear me over his own screaming. I will even tell him a third time. But after that....he's used his three wishes. So I went back to bed and listened to my dear husband toss and turn and moan something about his lack of sleep and that we should all have to get up at 3 (when he gets up).

I didn't care to hear his rant and turned over so that my plethora of pillows built a small wall between his mouth and my ear. This morning was my punishment. Damn karma.

Et tu?

Well, all I can say today is that I am so glad I get a Joshie break this afternoon when I get to take him to preschool. The last few days have been completely draining and I realized this morning, when I woke up at 3 am and couldn't fall back asleep, that I have too much on my mind. It seems to be coming at me from every direction right now. In turn, my first priority should be my health and this pregnancy and somehow that all seems to take a back seat to the stress.

Top all these problems off with an uncooperative 3-year old and a muddy dog and your morning just ends up in the "crapper". So I'm left fighting like "you know what" to turn this day around.

On a completely happier note, I am officially in the second trimester!!

This week....
Your baby measures about 3.2 to 3.5 inches (7.6 to 8.9cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 0.9 ounces (25g). Your baby is now nourished by the placenta.

His face is developing and his cheeks and the bridge of his nose are appearing. His ears are moving from the sides of his neck to higher on his head and his eyes are moving closer together. Your baby's external genitals are now distinct and may be recognized on an ultrasound. Your baby will move away from stimuli near your tummy, such as noise and light.

Your baby's eyebrows have formed and a small amount of hair, called lanugo, has appeared all over his body. Lanugo, which will be shed before birth and replaced with the hairs with which your baby will be born, is thought to have a protective function.

Insulin is present in your baby's pancreas. Some bones may be well outlined. Your baby's thyroid gland, already developed by this week, begins to make hormones.

Baby boys begin to develop the prostate gland at this time and the ovaries of baby girls descend from the abdomen into the pelvis.


See, after reading all that my day is turning around!

Follow the light....

Well, the Bricker's are just about fully prepared for the arrival of Christmas once again. I will fully admit that being tired and sick most of the time caused the decorating process to drag on over a few days. It also caused it to be WAY more stressful than God ever intended it to be. On a side note, everytime Josh walks in the house he screams "Happy Birthday!" to baby Jesus.

Anyway, I have almost doubled the amount of lights my father put on our big tree last year. The thing honestly glows and puts off such a nice heat that I'm sure we'll save on our gas bill this winter. I learned from the best, right Dad? Since it took me about 15 hours (this includes chasing the dog, getting Josh to get off of the dog and me asking Dustin why he ever took the lights off the stupid tree last year) over a period of 3 days, I do not have it completely decorated; however, check out this glow....



While Dustin was being productive in the garage, Josh and I decorated a gingerbread house. We had so much fun and it honestly couldn't have been easier. He told me where to put the icing and he put the candy on. We had such a great time and he is so proud of his "box". Don't ask.




I'm reaching that point in this pregnancy where every day is an emotional roller coaster. I'm really hoping that Josh won't remember his mother's hormonal moments with this pregnancy and that by the time we have a third child I will either be drugged or have learned some relaxation techniques. You should see my husband, he's a trained professional. I'll be crying and hysterical and he just looks at me and shakes his head. (Which at the moment is completely infuriating!) Maybe I'm just bi-polar. Seriously.

I was in such a good mood on Saturday afternoon/evening. I woke Josh up from his nap and he began screaming for juice. I stayed calm. Then he was screaming because he didn't want to take a bath and I even put on a brave face and got him through a bath without freaking out. I got him dressed and then realized that my husband made the mistake of washing my two red sweaters with my two white sweaters. All I can say is....

Everyone, pray for Dustin.

Save the date....May 29, 2007!

12 week update....

You're reaching an important milestone--the end of the first trimester. Your baby is about the size of a peach and is growing rapidly. Crown to rump, your baby measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches (6.5 to 7.8cm) and weighs 0.5 to 0.7 ounces (14 to 20g).

Your baby's legs are longer than her arms and her skin is red and transparent. Her eyelids are fused together and won't open for about four more months. Her arms are long enough to reach her mouth and she may begin to place her thumb in her mouth. Her sucking reflex, however, is not yet developed.

The tissue that will become your baby's bones is being laid out, especially around her head and her arms and legs. Some ribs may be distinguished at this time. The nose and chin are more prominent now.

Your baby will begin to practice breathing in the next few weeks as her chest rises and falls in mock breathing motions. She will also swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid which will be passed as urine.

Your placenta is providing all of your baby's needs for nutrition, oxygen and waste disposal, though the amniotic fluid will become more important later on.

All major components of the body are formed and now must grow and mature. From now on, your baby's development will consist primarily of organ maturity and growth and body refinement.

Now onto the good stuff....
Everything went very well at my first doctor's appointment. I have said it many times before, but I am so thankful to the man upstairs for providing me with such wonderful, kind, intelligent doctors. I thought I would never find a doctor as wonderful as Dr. Cada, but I think I have.

All right, enough about my doc! Baby is doing wonderful! I did have an ultrasound today, but it was only on a portable machine, hence no pictures to show. :-( But I will say, that I got to see our little bean kicking around and the flicker of the heart. IT'S AMAZING!!!! We didn't get any measurements, but she said that I will probably have a full ultrasound next time. Yippee!

I am measuring a bit large. (Are we surprised?) In fact her quote was, "Wow, I can't believe that's the top of your uterus right there!". Yup. It's right there under my belly button already. It was funny because she reminded me that the risk of twins from Clomid is only about 10%. I reminded her that I had already had an ultrasound and that there was only one. She actually looked relieved! :-)

It certainly explains why my pants are tighter and that I really do have an expanding belly. I'm down 11 pounds and my blood pressure was perfect (let's hope it stays that way). I did find out an interesting fact, though. They always test preganant women for their reisitance to the measels and apparantly my vaccine has worn off. Therefore, if you have the measels, STAY AWAY FROM ME! Before I leave the hospital they will give me a new vaccine. Funny, huh?

Her and I talked about having another c-section or if I would want to try a VBAC and we both decided to just go ahead and plan on another c-section. She reminded me that Josh was a good size (no need of reminding me) and that succeeding children tend to be a bit larger. She said we'll schedule a week before my due date and a squeeled, "That's my birthday!" She laughed and said, "Well, do you want that?", I said, "OF COURSE!" She said, "Then that's the date!" I'm so excited!!!! As I sat there on the exam table I flashed to the night that I layed in bed with Dustin. I was on the internet and all depressed because our first round with Clomid didn't work and that month 15 of trying to conceive was a bust. I had a ritual of checking what my due date would be if I got pregnant each cycle and subtracted a week for the scheduled c-section. When it popped up and said MAY 29, 2007, I turned to Dustin and started crying. I told him that if God gave me a child for my birthday all of this waiting and failure would be worth it.

God knew, because it was!!

Think of me tomorrow...

With any luck at all, I'll have an updated picture of our little bean!!! Can you believe it?

Holy Milestones, Batman!

Boy, the closer we get to Christmas the faster the weeks fly by.

Milestone #1 -
Well, Dustin and I have officially been married for over 5 years!! Seriously! Am I the only one who cannot believe how fast five years have gone? It's funny, because I remember when we were dating like it was yesterday but I can't really remember what our life was like before Josh. Does that make any sense? Josh was such a natural addition to our family that I really don't know how we ever lived without him. What did we ever talk about? :-) I'm sure there will be a time when I can't remember what it was like with just Josh. Ha....."Just Josh". Dad asked him this weekend if he was someone, I can't remember who, and he said, "No, I'm just Josh." I totally died because it reminded me of Will and Grace - Just Jack!

Anyway, I won't give details (per Dustin's request), but I received the nicest card I have ever received, in the history of card giving, from him this year. He wrote such thoughtful and kind words to me. I read it and immediately my eyes started filling up with tears. Now, normally I would blame it on the hormones, but that is not what happened. Dustin is a man of few words (everyone who knows him will verify) so I know how difficult it is for him to say exactly what he's feeling/thinking. I was deeply touched and it was definitely the best gift ever!

Milestone #2 -
I am almost out of the first trimester!!! Yippee!!! My next doctor's appointment is less than a week away and I am getting so excited!! Can you tell?

Here are the latest developments...

Your baby is now almost 2.5 inches long (6.1cm) when measured from crown to rump, and weighs between 0.3 and 0.5 ounces (9 to 13g). Your baby's fingers and toes have separated and are getting longer. Your baby can open and close its mouth and drinks amniotic fluid which it passes out as urine. Its head is becoming more rounded, though it is still large in proportion to its body. It has eyelids. And you can now hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler Ultrasound device!
Your baby continues to grow rapidly and has doubled in size in the last three weeks alone.
The face is beginning to look more human, and all body structures are present with a few refinements still in progress. Fingernails and toenails begin to develop this week. Your baby's muscles are sufficiently developed to allow for involuntary movements at this time. The messages which control your baby's movements are sent from the spine, rather than the brain, which is not yet sufficiently developed.

Not much else is new in the Bricker household. We got to spend all weekend with Papa Thomas and Papa Adam. We were part of a surprise party for Thomas and Josh took his duty very seriously. He sat at the piano by the front door and played the piano to make sure no noises could be heard upstairs. Then as people started coming he shouted, "They're here!". That's my son.

This weekend the big plan is to put up Christmas trees. I've waited long enough and the suspense is beginning to kill me. I will also admit, I've been listening to Christmas music for weeks now. I love this time of year (however, most of my family does not share this sentiment). Well, they enjoy Christ's birth, but that's about it. ;-)

A quarter of the way done!!

Just thought I'd give you an update of where the baby is in its development.

This week, your baby measures about 1 ½ inches from top to bottom--about as big as a cocktail shrimp and similar in shape. Tooth buds are forming, bones are growing, and hair is starting to sprout. Her eyelids are fused shut and will remain closed until week 27, but she can hear you now since the inner workings of the ear are complete. Neurons appear at one end of the spinal cord, and the basic divisions of the brain are present. She can also bend her arms at the elbows and has distinct fingers. Genitals continue to form, but your doctor would not be able to determine the sex yet, even by sonogram.

This isn't my ultrasound, but it is a picture of a baby at 10 weeks.


Just one question to everyone....is it Friday yet?

Child labor laws

Well, we are in the midst of having our once wood burning, now gas burning fireplace converted back to wood burning. I will give you one guess what pyro wants it as wood burning. The only reason I'm caving is because it will only cost $130 to convert it and that should easily be recouped with using less gas for heat this winter.

Either way, Dustin went out to the timber bright and early to begin chopping and splitting wood. Josh and I had a few errands to run (Well, more than a few. In fact, I would have thought I made good time even if I hadn't had a 3 year-old in tow. He's a good shopper as long as there is an escalator.) Anyway, after we stopped at our fourth and final stop, we went home, unloaded groceries and made lunch for Daddy. Then we loaded up the car and went to eat our packed lunches.

After lunch we had to get straight to work loading the truck and trailer with all of Dustin's hard work. Needless to say, we got enough wood to probably last Dustin until January.

Trick or Treat!

Well, Josh's first REAL Halloween! He thinks it's the coolest holiday out there! The boy only made it to three houses and he got a bag full of candy, a bowl full of candy, coloring books, Hot Wheels, a tray of cookies and gum. I mean, does it get any better than this? Well, not for a three year-old.

Unfortunately, the preschool parade did not go as well as the evening did going door to door. I was the only parent who got to walk in the parade without a costume. If I was only thinking ahead I would have brought a broomstick or something. I will give the child credit, he did stand up and shout "I'm Buzz Lightyear!" when it was his turn to tell everyone about his costume.

I will admit that I am already thinking about theme costumes next year for the baby and Josh. Maybe something like Dr. Evil and Mini Me.

Here is Josh after getting all of his loot!! Can you tell he's on a sugar high?

9 weeks pregnant!

Tomorrow I will officially be 9 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy seems to be flying by. With Josh I remember feeling like my 1st doctor's appointment was 4 months away and with this one I can't believe I'm seeing Dr. Hocking in only 3 more weeks! Yikes!! By then I'll be in the second trimester already! Phew! Anyway, just thought you'd like to see where the bean is at developmentally at this point. Listen to this....

The embryo may now officially be called a fetus, which literally means "little one"--and he's about the size of a strawberry. An inch long, he has hands that can flex at the wrist, and he's able to fold them over his heart. Weighing in at one gram, your baby is very active, although you can't feel its movements yet. He or she now has all the major organs, muscles, and nerves; and a Doppler may be able to identify the heartbeat. While his or her testes or ovaries are formed, the external genitalia still appear sexless, which is why it is too early for an ultrasound to reveal its gender. Eyelids are beginning to form and the trunk is straightening and elongating, cartilage and bones are forming, the basic structures of the eyes are in place, and the tongue is beginning to develop. The fingers and thumb are visible, albeit short and webbed.

No wonder I'm tired all the time! :-)

"This is hard work!"

When God thought of autumn for a season, he had to imagine a day like today! It is beautiful out so we figured we'd work outside and get the yard ready for winter. Josh was a huge help as usual and about 10 'rakes' into the front lawn he stops and says, "Jeez, mom, this is hard work!". One of these days he'll realize that the whole reason we have children is to lessen the amount of work we have to do around the house.

Enjoy the pics from today! (Can you tell he just had blue juice?)

Tossin' cookies (or fries as the case may be)

Well, the title should say it all. I lost a pound and a half in one day!!! I'm down 6 pounds total. CRAZY! I shouldn't be surprised since this is the same path I was on with Josh, but somehow I don't remember it being like this. Yesterday I took Josh to preschool and had a momentary lapse in judgement because I actually felt like I could eat something. I stopped at McDonald's and ordered the two cheeseburger meal. Yes, I know, I said I felt hungry and when that chance comes, I load up. BIG MISTAKE!

Let me explain something to you before you judge me, when I'm hungry it lasts for about 10 minutes. So if I'm hungry, I need to eat and eat now! (Here's the part where you might judge me) I was on Blairs Ferry Road and began eating my lunch while I was driving because I figured by the time I actually got home the smell would have gotten to me and I won't want to eat it. So, I'm scarfing down this food as if I hadn't eaten in about two weeks (which actually is pretty accurate). Anyway, I get both the burgers down (no judgement) and about half the fries and I pull up to a stop sign on McGowan, only 10 blocks from home. The smell of the fries hit me and at about 32nd street I open my door only to throw $4.19 on the ground. (If ya know what I mean) Nice, huh?

It is just one big psychological game. If I eat something I have to keep my mind off of what I just did. Don't think about it. Focus on something else. That is not rice on my plate, it is not even food. If it is not food, it won't make me sick. I say this sort of thing all day. Yes I feel sick, but more importantly I feel bad because I can't sit at the dinner table with my family. The only thing worse than eating is watching others do it. Josh will ask, "Mommy, you not sit with us?". Talk about guilt.

On a brighter note, I looked in my pregnancy journal from Josh and I had written that the "morning, noon and night sickness" ended around 16 weeks. So, hopefully I only have about 7 1/2 weeks to go!

Let them eat cake!

Friday was Uncle Joel's birthday. Anyone who knows my family understands that the month of October will bleed you dry because of all the birthdays. Josh had celebrated Pop-pop's birthday just two weeks prior and Papa Adam's just the weekend before. When I told him it was Uncle Joel's birthday he looked at me like, "Lady, you must be crazy." With all of this practice he understands the purpose of a birthday.....cake and presents.

We went out to Joel's favorite restaurant for his birthday - the Outback. Josh had just finished discussing with us how Mommy has a baby in her tummy and that now he has a baby in his tummy as well. Uncle Joel decides to take this opportunity to test his nephew in a game we now call....Baby Jeopardy.

Uncle Joel: Josh, what is that in that picture?
Josh: A kangaroo.

Already I'm impressed because I have never spoken to him about this animal and at no time has he ever expressed interest in it. I'm thinking I have the brightest kid ever.

Uncle Joel: Josh, what does a kangaroo say?
Me: Jeez, Joel must you be such a smart ass.
Josh: A kangaroo hops.

Uh....MY CHILD IS A GENIUS!!! I'm telling you he's brilliant!!!

Uncle Joel: Josh, where does a kangaroo put its baby?
Me: Good Lord, Joel. Are you trying to set my son up for failure? Does this make you feel smart? Ass.
Josh: In his pocket.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Move over Einstein, there's a new kid in town.

Okay, so as I descended from my high of having the smartest kid IN THE WORLD, we finish dinner and Josh and I head home. On the way home I hear him singing in the back. I turn down the radio and realize he's singing "Happy Birthday". I start singing with him and he stops and gasps. Now I understand that I am by no means Celine Dion, but come on!

He says, "MOM, we didn't have cake for Uncle Joel's birthday". We of course had to call Grandma and scold her for being so completely thoughtless. But more importantly, I was reminded that only my son would be so concerned with missing any excuse to eat cake. I'm telling you he's brilliant!

146 beats per minute!!

Now, I understand that this doesn't look like a baby, or much of anything for that fact, but this is HUGE to us! The sac is where it is supposed to be and everything seems to be right on track. It is absolutely amazing to me that at 6+ weeks gestation, a human already has a heartbeat. Whoever can say that the creation of life is not a miracle should have seen the ultrasound screen as we watched our child have some of "its" first heartbeats. Talk about getting your juices going for the rest of our 9 months!

I know it's kind of blurry, but if you can see the small arrow pointing to a white "bean" you can see our child. Right now it's a little smaller than a raspberry. Pretty amazing, huh?

Not much else is new here. Dustin got a huge raise yesterday and will be staying at Sprouts Unlimited, Inc. until further notice! :-) I'm so proud of him. Without getting into details, we had a stressful 24 hours. We're just so much happier with him working there. He loves the people, he loves the work and we love a happy Daddy.

Out damn spot!

I woke up this morning to a site that no pregnant woman wants to see. Spotting. I have been reassured by my doctor's office and numerous other sources (including several women who have had this), that what I had this morning is something many pregnant women experience and the vast majority go on to have completely normal pregnancies. That being said, anyone who would like join us in praying for the health and safety of our little bean is very much welcomed and would be much appreciated.

Dustin had already gone to work by the time I saw it and I called him panicing. I knew we had to stop by Dustin's work to grab Josh's bookbag this morning and it took me right back to May 8, 2003 - the day they rushed me to the hospital and I thought I was losing Josh. The minute I saw Dustin on the corner waiting for us I started sobbing. There are no words to describe my love for that man. I will spend the rest of my days loving him and thanking God that he is my husband. Because what I feel when I see him somehow becomes emphasized. When I have great news to share and I think I couldn't possibly be happier, somehow I do when I get to share the news with him. When I am sad and am trying to hold things together, I become a blubbering mess when I see him. For however much he frustrates me, he makes me feel twice as much loved and cared for. I'm a lucky woman and Josh is a lucky boy.

Speaking of that little guy, he did A-okay at school today!! We've been having problems getting him to go to school without crying and getting all upset. It is so stressful to try and drop off a child who is screaming, "Mommy, take me with you!". Talk about ripping your heart out. Well, today he didn't cry!!!! He wanted to for a moment, but he fought it off and took it like a big boy!! I am so proud of him. I can't wait to give him a big hug and tell him he earned a trip to Chuckee Cheese's!!!

Per doctor's orders, I am to go home and rest so anyone who would like to sign up for a shift of house cleaning, feel free to give Dustin a call because Beth is OFF DUTY! :-)

Drowning in paperwork (and freezing water)

Today was my first appointment with the nurse for my pre-natal informational appointment. I have a bag, yes, a bag full of information. Pamphlets with information about quad screening, cycstic fibrosis screening, books on things to avoid eating, doing, even saying!! (Just kidding on the last one) I had to fill out four different groups of paperwork with family medical history. These forms were so detailed that I even had to report a paper cut Dustin got back in the 2nd grade! I'm not quite sure how that event will affect our unborn child, but I certainly wasn't going to be blamed for leaving something out. ;-) Seriously!

I was not aware that Duct Tape had developed a new band-aid. After I had my blood drawn this morning, the tech insisted on giving me one. Considering it usually takes about 5 pokes (and plenty of digging) before anyone can find any blood to take from my arm, I'm assuming the only reason she gave me this was to cover up the fact that she had to poke me twice. I came back to work and immediately ripped off the band-aid only to find the top 10 layers of my skin on the back of it. Now instead of having two little pokes on my arm, it appears I am wearing a huge red band-aid! Nice.

We surprised Pop-pop this weekend with our announcement and I think I got him good! I'll post some pictures later but the weekend was very enjoyable and the birthday boy said it was his best birthday ever. Considering the man has had 80, I'd say that was a compliment!

Josh was so well behaved all weekend. Long car rides, long dinner conversations, a long party and a long church service make for a very long weekend for a little guy. His payoff was swimming in the hotel pool, which obviously did not have a heater. Josh and Dustin sat in the whirpool most of the time. Uncle Joel and I decided to brave the cold waters of the pool and see exactly how long it would take for hypothermia to set in. We lasted about 20 minutes and decided to eat some Little Ceasar's instead.

Dad and Thomas are coming this weekend. I see a trip to a pumpkin farm in our future!

Say "Cheese"!

My first ultrasound is scheduled for October 16, 2006. Hopefully by then we should be able to see a heartbeat! Isn't that just amazing?!?!? My doctor wants to make sure everything is where it should be and that we are on schedule. I have been a little worried with all the extra testing they've done with this one as compared to when I was pregnant with Josh. However, I was informed that this is all normal procedure when you get pregnant "with assistance". I don't think I'm going to relax much with this pregnancy. It's hard not think about all the things that could go wrong when it took so much out of us to get this far. We just need to have a little faith....and our wonderful doctor!

We are all getting ready for the big trip to Wisconsin this weekend. I've worked all night and most of today on a photo collage for Pop-pop's party. It was so funny looking back at all of the old pictures and realizing that Josh is the spitting image of his Uncle Joel. It really is uncanny. I can't believe I was EVER that skinny!

I'm hoping it will be a nice relaxing weekend. Josh is excited to go swimming and Mom and Dad are excited to get out of town for awhile. Pop-pop will be finding out about our future addition at his birthday party. That is, if the t-shirt I ordered ever arrives.

Definitely pregnant!

Well, I just got off the phone with the lab and the tech said that my results show that I am "definitely pregnant". I know I've literally taken about 20 tests in the last week (I have photos to prove it :-)) and that every one has come out positive. But, it's just nice to have yet another confirmation.

I have a funny "Josh" story for you. Now I understand the child is only 3-years old, but sometimes he says something and you'd swear he was a teenager. He had informed me that he needed to go potty....NOW! So we run upstairs and he pulls his pants down, hops up on the potty and I sit on the edge of the tub. We discuss the current day's events and chat about what game we are going to play next. He goes #1 and looks at me with a big smile and says, "Do you want to smell my poop?". While this question caught me a bit off guard, these types of questions have become quite the norm at the Bricker household. I thanked him for his offer but informed him that "No, I do not want to smell your poop." Without missing a beat he looks at me and chuckles, "Well, then get out!". I almost fell off the tub. Seriuosly, where does he get this stuff? I'd like to blame it on the older kids at daycare, but HE IS THE OLDER KID DAYCARE! Ugh.