Explaining to Lucy

I apologize for beating this horse. It is still weighing heavily on my heart. But, I am hopeful that one day we will find comfort, and perhaps add another beautiful baby to our family.

I did want to share a story with you all though. I am not sure what you think about this, or what I think about it. But, it strikes me as eerily comforting.

When we first told Lucy about the baby, she was excited. She had told us that Olive was a girl before we found out, and had been generally right about guessing genders of babies. So, we, of course, asked her what the baby's gender was. Her reply was, "A girl and a boy."

We obviously took this as twins. So, we would laugh. I would ask, "How many babies are in mommy's tummy?"

She insisted, "One."

But, she would always follow-up with, "Then, a boy."

We just shrugged her off as a three-year-old who was misunderstanding things. I asked her again a couple of days later. Same story.

"A girl, then a boy."

"One baby."

So, she was consistent. But, I just dropped it.

When we found out that our little one went to Heaven, I thought about Lucy's comments. I didn't know what to think about them.

The sad day then came that Lucy said something to me about the baby in my belly. I sat down with her and told her that mommy didn't have a baby in her tummy anymore and that the baby went to Heaven to be with Jesus.

"The baby went to Heaven? To be with Jesus?"

"Yes, hunny." I started to cry.

"Why are you crying, Momma?"

"It just makes me sad."

Then, she said something that reached my soul. I'll never forget it. She bowed her head down in sadness and asked me...

"Momma, the boy is coming now?"

I just hugged her and told her, "Someday, maybe."

I didn't know what to think or do. Could it be that Lucy knew? Could it be that she was to provide us with comfort? For some reason it does bring me comfort, like this was God's plan and he let Lucy in on the secret.

Just felt like sharing...

19 Week Update

How far along?
I am 19 weeks and 4 days (139 days to go); I am 49.3% through my pregnancy! Yay! Half way there!


Baby is the size of a...
large, heirloom tomato? She is 6 inches from head to rump and 8.5 oz (although at our appointment the ultrasound tech said she was 11 oz!). We could have a chubby baby on our hands again! :) Here is a picture of an heirloom tomato:

Symptoms:
Thank you for all of the concern about my hips. They haven't been bothering me as bad the last few nights (knock on wood). It must be an on-and-off thing for now. I hope it stays away! It is really painful! I feel really good otherwise. I had been sleeping pretty well too; however, last night wasn't very good. I dream like crazy! I just wish I could get some real rest. Also, I got up to go pee four times! No more water for me late in the evening.

I also made the mistake of eating some chocolate candy around 10 pm... :[ I knew that I shouldn't have. I had indigestion then for about an hour following. Blech.

I feel like I am getting to be way to big for only five months of pregnancy. I also feel like I waddle a bit. :{ Already.

Anything new?
There really isn't much, since I have been writing about the baby every post lately. :) The big thing was to find out that it was a girl! :) I am still very excited and love being able to imagine life four months from now. :) Is that enough smiley faces for you? I guess I'm happy and getting a little crazy with them...sorry. 

I wore my first pair of maternity pants last Friday. Ehh...I hate maternity pants. I really do. They are just so baggy looking around the crotch area, especially the khaki ones. I immediately went back to wearing my regular ones with belly bands. We will see how long I can do this. I think I was around 24 weeks with Lucy before I had to give in. Then again, my body was very different back then.

Oh, but I did get a few pairs of yoga capris from Motherhood. They are super comfy! :) 'A+' purchase!

New with Heath?
He has started calling the baby by name and telling people about the name. So, it looks like a name post may be sent out this week. :) I think we will be telling my blog readers, family, and friends; but, we will probably keep the name off of Facebook, for now at least. Many of my family members, who hate the name, don't think anyone would steal it. But, I don't want to chance it. (Paranoid!)

I think being able to call her by name makes it more real to Heath too. It is so nice being able to say, "when the girls get older," and phrases like that. When I say, "Girls," I immediately think of my mom. When she would yell at my sister and I as children, it was always that term.

"Girls! Get away from there!"
"Girls! Don't touch that!"
"Girls! Come inside!"

I try to think back to myself as a child and I never imagined having two girls, just like my family, growing up. :) Heath probably didn't imagine it either! haha. Last night, Lucy and I were laying in mine and Heath's bed. We were snuggling, along with her baby doll, Aurora, and her stuffed horse, Bonnie. He looked at us, smiled, and said, "What am I going to do with three girls?"

New with Lucy?
I wish that I could say that we were closer to achieving all of our goals before baby is born. 1) Get Lucy moved to her big girl room and have her stay in bed at night. 2) Get Lucy potty-trained. 3) Get rid of the binkie.

I think Lucy is getting used to her big girl room and doing a bit better at night. But, the binkie isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I know it needs to be gone at least a couple of months before the baby is using one in front of her. It is just tough. I don't think Heath and I are ready for that battle.  The potty-training was looking pretty promising there for a while. But, now she is lying to us about it. When we ask her if she has to go or if she did go, she says, "No."  It is totally obvious though! Still working on it...

We have her practice saying the baby's name. She is really good at pronouncing it. :) Ahh...I can't wait to see them interact. I hope it is a smooth and happy transition for Lucy - being the baby, to sharing the spotlight!

Anything else?
Not really...we are pretty boring these days. We continue to prep the house and financially prepare for the baby. But, it still seems like forever from now. I tell you though, once September hits, it'll be the first of the year before we know it! Maternity leave, football season, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, winter break...I cannot wait!


Have a great day!

Ultrasound Pictures

I thought I would share the rest of our adorable ultrasound pictures of baby girl #2. I will also post them on Facebook; but, I wanted to share them with family who do not have an account.

As I mentioned yesterday, I am not usually very good with ultrasounds. So, I totally understand if you don't "see it." Being there and having the technician tell you what everything is makes it a lot easier. Nevertheless, I will try my best at describing them...

Oh, and I should mention that we had an ultrasound tech that loved little, baby feet. Who doesn't? But, seriously, she took a lot of pictures of the feet. :)

Here was our very first foot picture. You can kind of see the heel, just to the right of the word "foot." The toe bones are really easy to see. :)

This one is a little creepy. It is the baby laying on it's side - forehead to the far right. The eye socket is dark and you can kind of see the profile. The hump to the left is the body, or what looks like a baby belly. :)

This was our best profile picture. I don't know how you couldn't see this one...with a little fist ball to the left. :)

Here are some more cute, little feet! :) They are side by side, which the tech. said was unique to get a photo of. The baby had her legs crossed too at one point, lounging. :)

Another picture of the feet - this time they are in a "walking" form. 

Okay, this one is the creepiest. It is supposed to be the face. Which with these ultrasounds always looks like an alien face. :{ I'm not really sure I can help you out with this one either. The baby is supposed to be looking at the camera. And, the top of the head is on the right.

Here is a forearm and hand. The elbow is the pointy thing on the left, bottom. You can see the arm bones and the hand bones. She was waving them around like crazy too!

And, finally, here is a hand. With Lucy, we never got a clear look at the fingers. This little girl was showing off her hands and feet like crazy!

I have a few others, like the "Girl Parts" ones I showed you yesterday. I also have one of her foot and her big toe. Her toe is totally taking over the picture! If you are familiar with the "Harmon big toe," then you should find this comical.

The "Harmon big toe" is a dominant gene in our family. The big toe has a particular shape and is...well, big! It seems like it is bigger than the average big toe. haha. My dad's and mine are more prominent than most. I got made fun of a lot about it in high school. It isn't very feminine or pretty.  But, poor Lucy got "the toe." It looks like baby girl #2 may have it as well. haha. The toe continues...

The 19 Week update will be posted next week. Hope you have a great weekend everyone! :)

It's a...

GIRL! :)

Just in case you didn't catch that, we are...

I am so excited and love being able to say, "she..." Saying he/she was getting kind of old.

The first question I asked and I'm sure you are all thinking, "How sure was the ultrasound tech that it was a girl?"

Well, she was pretty confident. We have two separate photos that she labeled "girl parts," see below.

I will be honest; I am not very good with these things. I don't necessarily see "girl parts"; however, I know that I don't see boy parts.

It is absolutely crazy though, when everyone thought it was a boy....well, 23 of my readers, Heath, and I were all convinced. Again, my intuition is way off! haha. If we ever decide to have a third, I know that it will be exactly opposite of what I think or feel. ha.

Watching her kick and swing her arms (a ton!) was so joyful! :) I could watch it all day. I love watching her be so active. However, she is feisty! She kept kicking at the ultrasound...wand? monitor? You know what I am talking about. She kept hitting it and causing me some discomfort. If her movement and feistiness is any indication of what she will be like in the future, we may be in trouble! :)  Or, as Heath said later, "If she is even half as dramatic as Lucy, we will have our hands full!"

As soon as the technician said it was a girl, I looked at Heath and smiled. :) I was truly overjoyed and almost to tears. I love girls and another one is fine with me. :)  Heath smiled and said, "We'll have a house full of girls."  I wanted to remind him that he still had Chico, who has enough male dominance and testosterone for 3 males.

On the way home he commented on how expensive girls are. haha. I know girls can be expensive with their makeup, clothes, jewelry, hair products, shoes, etc. However, boys can be just as bad with all of their "toys." And, if they are as metro-sexual as Heath, they can have just as expensive shopping trips too!

It was a wonderful day! :) I couldn't have asked for a better one.  All of my family members were excited too! Oh, and I also got a call from the hospital that said all of the blood tests came back normal and all looked good! No abnormalities at all! Whew! :) More good news!

I am literally on a cloud this week. Hopefully work won't get me down. It's almost the weekend! :)

18 Week Update

 
Apparently I only have one shirt...I say that because I was wearing this shirt for my 17 week photo too. Oops...I'm a creature of habit; what can I say?

How far along?
I am 18 weeks and 5 days (149 days left!)


Baby is the size of a...
large bell pepper, 5.6 inches from head to rump, and 6.7 oz 

Symptoms:
I am feeling really good. My appetite is back, and out of control. I am trying to talk myself out of constant eating though, especially dairy. Yum! But, I do give into a large glass of milk almost every night. It's good for the baby right? :) I'm sure that is why Lucy was so chubby!

My hips are really starting to ache when I sleep. I am even putting a pillow between my legs and it isn't helping. It was helping for a few nights, but isn't anymore. I had this problem with Lucy too. I always thought that it could be attributed to the extra weight I had gained. I've only gained 4 pounds though, so far, so that can't be it! It just has to be the stretching and widening going on. :{ I'm ready to sleep well again! That isn't going to happen for a long while...

One other odd thing is that my boobs itch something terrible! That is weird right? I forgot to ask about it at my last appointment. They itch so bad though. This isn't a common symptom that I've heard of and it didn't happen with Lucy. I just keep making sure my skin isn't dry and try not to itch in public...isn't pregnancy great guys?

Anything New?
Well, we had our doctor's appointment last Friday, the 13th. It went really well. She found the heartbeat right away this time, which is what I prefer! I admit it was pretty uneventful, besides hearing the heartbeat. I did ask how fast the beating was and she said around 150. That doesn't help with the old wives tale. Oh well, we will find out soon. Actually, we will find out sooner than later! :) We have the ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday afternoon!! :) Can you believe that? It is almost here! I'm pee-pants excited.


I did get blood drawn too, to check for abnormalities. It is always really nerve-racking! We just want to know ahead of time, to see if we need to prepare for special needs. It is such a scary topic; but, that is reality sometimes. I hadn't really prepared to have my blood taken though and hadn't drank too much water that day. The nurse still did really well and I barely felt a thing; however, four days later and I still have this ugly bruise...

Yes - I have hairy arms. I've come to terms with it, since I got made fun of in elementary school. Whomp, whomp. :{

New with Heath?
He has been really stressing out about work and his graduate class, not to mention the weather distractions. I just try to stay out of his way for the most part. He did do another "gender test" with Lucy this last weekend. He put two post-it notes on my tummy and told Lucy to pick one. On the other side, one said "G" and the other said "B." Lucy first chose girl, then he repeated it over and over again. I think it was best out of three, then best out of five. He ended up with two picks for boy and three for girl. He summed that up as, "pretty close, either way."  Haha. Of course he wouldn't just concede and say Lucy picked girl, again.

He will be done with a big class presentation after Tuesday night, so hopefully he can fully enjoy Wednesday. And, hopefully the baby cooperates with us too!

New with Lucy?
Lucy will be a terrific big sister! I just know it! Yes - she gets jealous. She absolutely hates when Heath holds a baby. Me? She doesn't care if I hold one at all. (Sigh)...daddy's girl. Well, it looks like this next baby could be a momma's girl or momma's boy. :) Until they get old enough and daddy becomes the "fun one" and he steals them too! :-\ Oh well, I know Heath is the fun one. I understand.


Anything else?
I am still in my regular clothes, with the belly band occasionally. I had mentioned last week that I'm in the awkward stage of too small for maternity clothes and too big for my regular clothes, and then I got this cartoon from BabyCenter.com.

It's like they read my mind sometimes. I feel the pain. No, literally. I feel pain when I try to wear my regular pants. They put a lot of pressure on my tummy. I will definitely be looking for some maternity yoga pants! Lots of pairs! :)

Well, hopefully when you hear from me again, I will be telling you the sex of the baby! :) :) I can't wait! I will be sure to tell my blog readers before Facebook, so check your email!

Pregnancy & Old Wives Tale

Well, I guess this is a week all about the gender of Baby #2. Can you handle that? Or, did I immediately lose you since I've been blabbing about the same thing for...well...ever? You have to understand though, that with an upcoming ultrasound, I can't get it off of my mind. Plus, I'm a planner. Once I know the gender, we can start making a lot more plans (i.e. name, finances, nursery, additional baby products, etc.). So, I'm dying to know!

I took a little time this week to round up as many gender telling wives tales that I could. Below is what I came up with. Now, I understand some of these make no sense or aren't true for everyone; but, it's still fun to look into! :)

Wives Tale: Carrying the baby high means it is a girl. Carrying the baby low means it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I am carrying the baby high, in my opinion. However, it is lower than where I carried Lucy. So, I declare this one as Inconclusive.

Wives Tale: If the mother craves salty or sour things, it is a boy. If she craves sweets, then it is a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? I am craving salty snacks and have enjoy pickles more than in months past. Boy


Wives Tale: Put toilet cleaner in the toilet and go to the bathroom (#1). If the water turns green, it is a girl. If it remains blue, it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I actually tried this. The color was a teal color. I deemed it Inconclusive.

Wives Tale: If both the year you conceived and the age of the mother at the time of conception are odd or even, then it is a girl. If one is odd and the other is even, then it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I conceived in 2011 and I was 25 - both odd. Girl

Wives Tale: If your skin breaks out, then it is a girl. She is "stealing her mother's beauty." If you have clear skin, it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I have about the same amount of break-outs on my face. But, grossly enough, my back and shoulders have had break-outs now, unlike when I was pregnant with Lucy. Inconclusive

Wives Tale: If you have bad morning sickness, then it is a girl. If you feel fine, it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I felt much better than when I was pregnant with Lucy, that's for sure! Boy

Wives Tale: If your leg hair seems to grow faster than usual, it is a boy. If it slows or remains the same, it is a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? No joke, this one took me by surprise. Because I just thought the other day that my leg hair was growing faster! Boy

Wives Tale: If the mother has a high libido, then the baby is a girl. If it is lower or the same, it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I am the same, in my opinion. Boy

 Wives Tale: If the mother is moodier throughout the pregnancy, then it is a girl. If she isn't, it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I really need to ask Heath about this one. I am not sure. I think I am moodier though. Girl

Wives Tale: If the mother is clumsier, then it is a boy. If she is graceful, it is a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? I doubt I would call myself graceful; but, I don't think I'm clumsier. Girl

Wives Tale: If the mother has dry skin, then it is a boy. If it regular, it is a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? I do have dry skin. I think it is the weather; but, no arguing with old wives...Boy

Wives Tale: If your hair is shiny and healthy, it is a boy. If it becomes wiry and greasy, it is a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? At first my hair was really healthy and shiny. Well, now it is all of a sudden gross feeling. :( So, it is Inconclusive.

Wives Tale: According to a Mayan Tale, if you add the year of conception and age of the mother at the time of conception, and it's even, it's a boy. If it is odd, it's a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? I added 2011 and 25, to equal 2036. Boy

Wives Tale: If you have cold feet throughout the pregnancy, it is a boy. If you don't notice a change, it is a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? I have seriously had really cold feet and hands lately. Boy

Wives Tale: A mother dreams about having the opposite sex.
Baby #2 Verdict? I have had dreams about having girls. Boy

Wives Tale: If the mother has headaches throughout the pregnancy, it is a boy. If she doesn't, it is a girl.
Baby #2 Verdict? I have had really bad headaches, consistently. It is letting up a bit now though. Boy

Wives Tale: If the daddy gains weight with you, it is a girl. If he stays the same weight, it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? Heath never gains weight...ever. Inconclusive

Wives Tale: If the heart rate is over 140 (I've also heard 150), then it is a girl. If it is under 140 (or 150), then it is a boy.
Baby #2 Verdict? I didn't ask at the last appointment how fast it was. So, I will have to get back to you on this one...Inconclusive

Two more things...  


Chinese Birth Chart: Basically, you just use the chart and it tells boy or girl. Google it. :)
Baby #2 Verdict? The chart said it was a Boy.

I had a reader contact me on Facebook. She told me to point at my mouth or nose. So, I did. She went on to type that if I pointed at my nose it was a boy and if I pointed at my mouth, it was a girl. She heard it from one of her nurses and the nurse claimed it was 85% accurate. :)  I pointed at my nose. Boy

Old Wives Tale Results are:  11 Boy, 3 Girl, 5 Inconclusive

We shall see how accurate these "tales" are...here is a couple of weeks! So excited! Have a great weekend everyone!

Gender Poll Results

The drum roll please...here are the results from Tuesday's Gender Poll. :) Enjoy! I know I did!

I was really surprised at how many of you said that you were really good guessers. haha. 

And, since I love graphs and wanted to show the results in actual numbers rather than percentages, here are some more...

The comments are what really cracked me up! :) Thank you for everyone who made comments.

The comment about my emotions had to be made by Heath. I don't know though... Also, my sister obviously made the last comment about naming the baby after her. haha.

The first comment I received was the first one, about my Uncle Matt rocking. haha. It made my day. 1) I love that he read it and took part in the survey. 2) I love that he self-proclaims that he "rocks." And, 3) I think that he pretty much rocks too. :) haha. Hope you don't mind that I posted your comment Uncle Matt!

The perverted comment made me laugh too. It does sound a little weird; but, I understand that you don't have any experience - neither do I!

Finally, the twins comment made me laugh. Yeah...I don't think so! They only heard one heart-beat! Whew!

Again, I hope you all enjoyed reading the results as much as I did. I can now mark my pregnancy journal to, "Everyone else thinks you are a...Boy."

Gender Guessing

I was filling in my weekly update in my Belly Book...

I really recommend this book, by the way. :)

I was filling in additional pages about the upcoming ultrasound and was asked, "What does everyone else think I am?"

Hmm...I don't know. With Lucy, everyone kept telling me, "I think it's a boy." But, with this one, no one had said anything really. So, I decided to do a poll. :) Would you all help me answer the question in my baby book?

I made a two question survey. You can click on it to answer the two questions, completely anonymously. :) Please, please, please take a second to answer them. It's easy.  Also, just so you know, I randomized the answers; so, "boy" or "girl" will change from listed first.  The color of the survey means nothing as well. I tried just green, but blue was added to the top. :-/


Click here to take survey

Again, I really appreciate you taking part in my craziness. I'll share the results later this week! :)

Thank you in advance!