Micah Baby in 3D!

I woke up early yesterday just like I did as a child on Christmas morning. I couldn't help but smile as I was getting ready just thinking about what we were about the experience. Mike and I have literally referred to Micah for so many years before she ever existed and there are still times that I pinch myself over the fact that she is actually going to be here in 13 weeks! We are about to finally see this little angel that we somehow knew would be in our lives someday. I feel so blessed and thankful at this time in my life. What an incredible year this has been. Yesterday was our 6 month anniversary. I purposely scheduled the 3D ultrasound for that day as a little gift to ourselves. (We also went to a nice dinner and a movie that evening to celebrate!)

I ate waffles and orange juice for breakfast. Then before I walked out the door I grabbed two mini chocolate donuts and another glass of orange juice with a bottled water. I was doing everything I could to get her up and alert for her shining moment. We picked my parents up that morning and Mike's mom met us there. I was a little nervous walking in that we wouldn't be able to see much due to my anterior placenta. I read on their website that the placement of the placenta can really effect the quality of pictures that you get.

We walked into this really nice boutique in Kansas and the backroom was basically a mini movie theatre with a huge screen, two couches and a bed for me to lay on. I loved the feel of the room and knew right away it was going to be a good experience. The music that was playing when we walked in captured our attention. It was Nat King Cole and his daughter singing "Unforgettable" which has meaning to our family. Then the Kenny Loggins song "How Sweet It Is" came on that my sister and dad did their father/daughter dance to at her wedding, which just topped it off. I am a big believer in signs and I couldn't help but think that is was my mom's way of saying she was there. I hope I feel her presence more and more as I become a mother.

Once the tech started the ultrasound we could tell Micah needed to be moved into a better position so she had me lay on my side to get her to move around the placenta so we could see her face. Her head was down and her feet were up towards my ribs. She said that she should stay that way until I deliver but as we know she can also turn at any given moment and become breech. As the tech pushed on my stomach it was cool watching her react to what was going on outside the womb.

She moved into place pretty quickly and as soon as I saw her I thought "holy lips!" She has really full, nicely shaped lips. Her nose was distorted the whole time so we couldn't really tell what it looked like. It appeared to be much larger than I expected. We were all laughing because in the pictures she totally looks like a little sista with her full lips and nose. Ha! The tech explained to us that her nose will look nothing like this and it's the only feature that doesn't come in clearly because of it's shape. The next feature that I noticed right away were her cheeks. She definitely without a doubt has mama's mammoth cheeks. Papa couldn't help but laugh since I inherited those beauties from him. I guess those squeezable cheek genes are strong!

The tech checked for her lady parts and confirmed that she is indeed a girl! Her little legs were crossed at her ankles and at one point she spread her long toes out really far and we thought we saw a gap between her big toe and second toe, yet another trait from mom. It was so neat to watch her open her mouth, practice inhaling, rub her eyes, kick her feet, etc. My favorite part was when the tech would hold the wand still and we'd just all watch her movements. I'm still in awe of this 3D technology. Both grandmas swore they saw a dimple! I didn't get a glimpse of it but I'd love it if they were right.

My gut says that she has Mike's lips (only fuller), chin and nose with my cheeks and feet. The tech said she had a really nice face shape and that her features were well proportioned (she probably says that to everybody but it made me feel good). Her eyes were always kind of blurry but the tech said she opened them a few times. I'll take her word for it.

I like the idea of writing down all of our feature descriptions/guesses so we can compare when she's actually here and see what was right and what was way off.  We looked at Mike and my newborn pictures when we got home and neither of us really look like ourselves until we're a few months old. Babies just change so much so who knows who she will look like in the end, but for now it's fun to guess! Without seeing her eye shape, my guess is that she will look mostly like Mike in the end. Many of my friends look like their dads, including myself, so I think Micah will be the same way.

Overall it was a good experience! I'm glad our parents were able to be there with us. The tech said that we got some really good pictures, considering the location of my placenta, so I was happy. The pictures honestly don't do it a bit of justice but the DVD is really neat! It gives you a much better idea of what she may look like than the still shots.

I've attached a few of the best pictures below so you get the idea. I wish I could post the whole DVD.

Showing off her flexibility



Sweet little face



Arm and fingers are all there!

You can see the cord over her right shoulder

Making a funny face

Big yawn with those big lips!

Eye rub

Good cheek shot!

26 Week Happenings

 Mike finally got to meet my favorite doc, Dr. Spell, at our 25 week check-up last week! It was great to see her and catch-up. I just love her energy and she's truly a calming force. She looked at everything and it all checked out fine. Micah's heart rate and my weight gain are normal. She said my belly was measuring a little small but that's probably because she was laying breach across my belly as opposed to all curled up. Dr. Spell also informed us that my placenta is on the outside of my belly versus behind the baby. This is determined by where the egg decides to implant in the uterus. The risk to this fact is that my placenta is more exposed and so the threat of it being hit or bumped is greater. She told me to steer clear of car wrecks, intense exercise (no prob), falling down and any other activities that may affect my stomach area. I guess if the placenta is damaged then the pregnancy fails because it's the life line to everything. Kinda scary but I'm not too worried about it. Apparently I won't be able to feel Micah kick as strongly due to the placenta placement. It's like having a pillow over her so all her movements are muffled in the middle of my belly. Dr. Spell said that I would still be able to feel her on the top, sides and underneath though.  I always have the best luck feeling her on my sides so far. Renee was able to feel her last night for the first time. It was a special Nannie moment. :)

I signed up for a prenatal yoga class last week. I thought it would be good to take some time out to relax my brain and also stretch a little again. I have to admit that I get a little nervous during class that I may pass gas or something embarrassing while we're in complete silence holding our warrior pose or transitioning to a down dog. It's become increasing harder to hold in the toots lately. I make myself feel better by remembering that the other 4 women in the class are probably all experiencing the same issue so there's no need to fret. Regardless, it wouldn't be an ideal experience. My sis started a Pilates ImX class a few weeks ago and I plan to join her a few months after Micah is here. It's supposed to really whip your bootie into shape and I have a feeling I'll need it when it's all said and done. Judging by how sore my sister is, I think it's safe to say it's not going to be easy! No pain no gain!

Mike and I are counting down the days until we get to see Micah's face on the 3D ultrasound screen this Friday. I'm SO excited for the whole experience. I've been with my friends before and it's so unreal! I only have a 4 day work week this week because I decided I wouldn't want to go to work after the ultrasound at 10am. I'm planning on drinking some caffeine or eating some chocolate that morning so she's moving and grooving for us! I'll post the best pics of the bunch on here next weekend.

The PUPPPS rash has come back but the itch isn't as intense this time. I can still get through the day without any meds or reapplying oatmeal lotion so that's good. In the morning and at night are when the itch attacks so poor Mike has walked in to our room on multiple occasions as I'm sprawled out across the bed in my birthday suit letting the fan blow on me and itching myself vigorously. He just laughs. I don't find it quite as amusing.  

I have the sugar test at my 28 week appointment coming up. I'm crossing my fingers that I won't have gestational diabetes. I still want to be able to eat freely for the next 14 weeks! Ahhhh...only 14 weeks left!

THANK YOU MIKEY!

WARNING - A gaggy, mushy, "you have to be kidding me" post is about to explode from my heart onto this blog. Read at your own risk. I would say it's a pregnancy side effect but I really do feel all of these things on a regular basis and just felt the need to express them.

When I woke up this morning I felt compelled to dedicate a post to my lovely hubby. I want him to know just how much I appreciate ALL that he has been doing for me emotionally and physically during our pregnancy. I've always known that he would be so good to me during this time in our lives because he's simply a good person but I want him to know that there is literally not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for blessing me with a partner as wonderful as he.

At the risk of exposing just how lazy I am right now, I'd like to list all of the things that I notice him doing all on his own and without complaint so I remember just how good I had it:
-Having dinner on the table on the week nights when I come home from work (I do the shopping/meal planning and he does the cooking...that counts for something, right?) :)
-Cleaning up the kitchen and doing all the dishes afterwards (even though he cooked).
-Emptying the dishwasher multiple times a week.
-Playing with and/or walking our dog every night (yet another good dad sign).
-Getting up at 5:00am to take our dog outside when he starts whining every morning.
-Picking up the smelly dog poop in the yard every Tuesday before the trash man comes.
-Gathering all the trash in the house and setting it out on the curb (along with the recycle tub) every week.
-Putting up with my constant budgeting, savings and financial planning conversations.
-Getting things for me once I've already sat down and don't feel like getting back up (drink, napkin, etc).
-Encouraging me to express my emotion and to release my stress to him in such an incredibly selfless way.
-Feeling deep compassion for me when the rash flares up and loving me extra on those weeks.
-Trusting me completely with the life of our child and never questioning a decision I've made thus far.
-Coming with me to every single doctor's appointment just so he can hear Micah's heart beat.
-Patiently watching my "reality shows" with me until I get tired and he can turn it to Sports Center.
-Being understanding about my increasingly intense nesting to-do lists and helping in any way he can.
-Consisting telling me how cute he thinks I am and how I don't even look pregnant until you see my belly.
-Watering my beloved potted plants (there are many) every day, sometimes twice a day.
-Bringing me unsolicited breakfasts in bed just the way I like it (Eggo waffles - light on the syrup, bagel - light on the peanut butter, toaster strudels - light on the icing...all with a half glass of milk to top it off).
-Being just as excited as I am to take a picture of my growing belly every Thursday night.
-Best of all: Lightly tickling me every single night until I fall asleep because he knows I love it so dang much!

Thank you Mikey for just being you. I can never pay you back for all that you have done and are to me on a daily basis. I try and show you every chance I can just how much I appreciate it. I hope that you feel my immense gratitude every day.

I've never loved anyone the way that I love you.
I love you more than cinnamon rolls - Jilly

Long time no post!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this! I've been quite the blog slacker lately. We've had lots of social events going on between birthdays, baby/bridal showers. weddings, etc. It's been fun but Mike and I are both anxious to take the next 3 weekends and get some baby prep stuff done around here!

Warning: This post is probably going to be a long one so brace yourself!

We recently went to register at Babies R Us and Target. Mike insisted on going with me for the BRU run despite the fact that I told him it would take 3-4 hours at least and he probably won't enjoy it too much. He wanted to be there to help me pick out the big stuff. I thought it was sweet but I knew he'd regret it after 30 minutes. My sis went with us for part of it and it was nice to have her there since she has so much experience with babies, due to her profession. We had fun! Of course I had lists galore of recommendations from my friends. It was super helpful to have those but it still took a while to pick everything out. It made me SO EXCITED to meet Micah! It's so crazy that she will be in the infant carrier that we picked out in 3-3.5 months!! Ahhhh! Mike fell asleep in the glider section at BRU for about 20 minutes while I wrapped up the last few items on my list. I just had to laugh at how low his tolerance was for the detail of registering! I guess my nesting instinct started kicking in and I was a machine running around that place trying to get the best stuff for our little girl. Needless to say we were both exhausted afterwards. My thighs literally hurt from being on my feet that long and my brain was on overload! Mike came home and took a nap afterwards (men!). 

Now that registering is checked off the list it's time to move on to the nursery.

I've been brainstorming, planning and ordering stuff for Micah's nursery for weeks now. We have decided to do her room in a light gray/white and accent with lavender. The theme of the room is whales because we wanted to tie in something from our honeymoon. We went whale watching on the last day of our trip to Hawaii and little did we know that Micah was already underway at the time. Mike and I also thought it would be a good idea to keep the room as neutral as we can so we can use it for the next child and move Micah into a big girl room. Plus my mom did my nursery in whales so I liked the idea of including the idea that she had used for her first daughter.  When it comes to decorating I know exactly what I want and I always have a vision but I just need help getting there...that's where Marsha and Renee come in! Let's just call them my nursery dream makers. I have shared my vision with them in great detail and they have jumped right into painting the nursery. It already looks fantastic! I'll upload pictures as we go to you can see the progress.  Renee, Megan and I ordered all of Micah's baby furniture a few weeks ago from USA Baby out in Kansas. We got her a crib, mattress, two dressers and a glider. The furniture should all be delivered in the next couple of weeks. Although we've done some of the big stuff I feel like we've only scratched the surface of what all needs to be done before her arrival. I know these next few months are going to fly by! 

The border is unveiled!

Papa and Nannie team work!

On a work note: My boss and close friend Laura officially gave her resignation to our VP last week. Although I knew it was coming it was still a sad reality. Her twins were born at 26 weeks at the end of March so she and her husband have been on the roller coaster ride of having two babies in the NICU this entire spring/summer. I'm happy to report that after a long ride and a few bumps both babies are doing amazing! Anna has been home for a few weeks now and Reed is set to come home very soon. She hasn't been able to work the last 4.5 months and doesn't see how she can come back in September with the reality of the care taking of special needs twins setting in. I completely understand her decision and would do the exact same thing if the roles were reversed but I miss her dearly. After she resigned I met with our VP and she informed me that I'd be covering both her role and mine indefinitely. It doesn't sound like there's a plan to hire Laura's replacement before or after my maternity leave. Although it's not the best timing in the world to add another layer of stress into my life (busiest part of the year/beginning in my third trimester), I'm trying my hardest to make the best of the situation and stay positive. Everything happens for a reason, right? You take what life throws at you and decide the kind of attitude you want to have about it, instead of letting it decide for you. I have my moments where I get very overwhelmed with all that is going on with my personal and professional life but then I remember the miracle in my belly and I'm reminded that my family is all that really matters in this world and everything else is secondary!

Whose bump is bigger?



Lisa's baby shower - she's due the week after me!



Brooke, me and Rain enjoying the shower



Placks rehearsal dinner night

Dancing with Micah at the Placks reception

Health update:

We have our 24/25 week appointment this Wednesday with my favorite doctor in the practice (Dr. Angela Spell) and I made an appointment for a 3D ultrasound in 3 weeks on Friday, August 26th (our 6 month anniversary). We can't wait to see the features on her face, count all her fingers/toes and watch her move around for an hour! We've invited both set of parents to come along for the 3D ultrasound so they can share in that moment with us.

For some reason I keep thinking that I am going to go into labor a little early. If I had to bet right now I'd say at least 2 weeks early but then again I was totally convinced that I was having a boy so I don't trust my intuitions as much these days. My mom was 3 weeks early with me (5.1 lbs) and 2 weeks early with Megan (6.1 lbs) so I'm hoping I take after her.  I've gained a total of 16 pounds so far. I figure that's not too bad for being over half way done but then again my appetite increases with each passing week so we'll see where I end up in November. My goal is between 30-40 pounds total. I've been experiencing bloody noses most mornings and I can tell my ankles are starting to swell already. My dad said mom had lots of water weight during her pregnancies so I guess it's going to be the same for me. Oh the joys of being knocked up! 

Micah has been kicking up a storm the last few days. I felt her for the first time at 19 weeks and each day that goes by the movements get more powerful and I'm loving it!  She tends to move more right after I eat and likes to really practice her dance moves when I'm going to bed. She is a night owl like her parents! I've been trying to get Mike to feel her flutters the last few weeks but he didn't have any luck until this week. One night this week I was laying on my right side and she was moving a ton so I grabbed Mike's hand really quick and placed it on the spot. He would smile ear to ear each time she did it and was in amazement that there was actually a real kid in there. Ha! It was a moment that I will never forget with my baby daddy. This morning was the first time she actually woke me up with her kicks. It was the coolest thing!

The dreaded rash has not come back full blown (knock on wood) this month. The last cycle I had was pretty brutal so maybe it's taking a breakout break for a while (God willing). I have it a little bit on my chest, behind my legs and under my belly/arms but nothing like it was and so far I haven't had to do anything to treat it. I just itch it a couple of times a day and then it dies back down. Who knows what's going on with this dang thing. I stopped trying to figure it out and I'm just grateful that PUPPPS is pooped out for now.

Whew....as promised that was a long one. Until next time...