Feels Like Old Times...

The old times refers to the remodeling/updating projects. We haven't really done any in over a year and it is kinda nice to see a change in the place. Derek has been hard at work over the past week/weekends in the nursery. He has finished the closet system (even the custom shelves i had him make), painted in the closet, painted the walls with two coast of "pale sky", and painted the ceiling. On a side note, we painted the ceiling in there when we moved in 5 years ago and with this new coat of paint i wondered what the hell was going on in there over the past 5 years! Uncle Randy helped out this weekend by trimming down the closet doors (THANKS!) so that we can get those painted and hung. Also on the list for the week is the ceiling fan and looks like this coming weekend windows! It will be so nice to have these projects done and out of the way in time for summer! (i am sure i speak for Derek on the DONE part) He has done such a great job so far!

Yea! Now time to fill it up!

This is what our bedroom looked like for a few days while construction was going on...it even spilled out into the hallway...errr

While he was busy IN the nursery, I was busy getting stuff organized and ready to be put in the nursery. I sorted the mountains of clothes we already have for this little one by size, then washed, and either placed on hangers or folded. I also sorted through the various misc items that a baby amazingly needs and didn't like that it was all going to be placed into the cubbies in the closet. So I got a little impatient and headed to Babies R Us and picked up some canvas totes that go great in the room. Now everything looks much more organized and hidden!

Lookin' good so far!

All this stuff is ready for it's rightful place in the dresser when it arrives

I am reading that the little bambino is about the size of a large banana this week and weighs in at 3/4 of a pound. His eyelids and eyebrows are now present. His skin has gone from translucent to opaque. His tongue is fully formed and strengthening his muscles with movement. He is also now swallowing a little bit of amniotic fluid everyday and getting a taste of whatever I am eating. Hope he likes the menu!

As for movement, I think that I am feeling him for sure. It doesn't really feel like gas bubbles but more of a muscle twitch, sometimes an extended muscle twitch. The books says that since i can now feel him i will start to find out if i have a night owl or morning bird...well so far, he likes both times of day and that's a little scary. :) Here is an updated picture of his home for at least the next 4 months.

One last note. I want to congratulate the Trojan family on the arrival of Brodie Dean on April 23rd. From the pictures he looks just like his older brother!

Half-Way There Baby!

20 Weeks! What an amazing milestone to reach. I am still amazed and feel very blessed to be pregnant everyday. Becoming pregnant was such a dream that Derek and I had literally worked for with all the appointments, ultrasounds, blood draws, and injections. It is hard to believe we are half way through this journey to welcoming our child into our arms.

I had my 20 week OB appointment yesterday and it went well. Blood pressure is good and weight is up again (as it should). Although she is not too concerned with my weight, she hopes not to see a repeat of that number. oops! Baby boy's heart rate was in the 150's and the uterus is right where it should be. When I had lifted my shirt for her to use the doppler, she say's "ooh, what a cute round little belly." I guess I never thought I looked "round". She also discussed the results of the ultrasound and felt there was nothing to worry about. I'll go back in 4 weeks and get my sweet orange drink on!

After the appointment I headed over to Babies R Us to add some items to the registry. I had a plan walking in and well, that all went to hell. I ended up there for 4 hours! I just decided that i kept finding "cute" items and then turning the aisle and find another "cute" item that I would just edit later online. So much for the plan!

Derek has been hard at work on the nursery. He has the first coat of "Pale Sky" on the wall and part of the closet organizer up. He has had two good supervisors!

Baby this week is the size of a small cantaloupe measuring in at about 6 1/2 inches long. Little bambino's testicles have begun to descent from the abdomen. His skin is getting thicker. He is hearing sounds now that are becoming familiar and that may be comforting to him after birth. I do keep telling Derek that I think that baby is going to good friends with Mia because she likes to lay on me and purr away...It will be interesting to test the comforting theory out when i start feeling little bambino more regularly!

Oh and one last thing...I think I may have felt the little bambino. I really don't know how to describe the feeling, but Dr. Young said that since i felt it below my belly button that it most likely was! Yeah! I felt the same thing last night. I can't lie...it does feel a little weird, but reassuring!

Baby's First Brewers Tee...

Derek and I headed to Lowe's today to order the new windows for the nursery and office. Since we were in the area, we decided to stop by the two children's consignment stores just to see what they had. I must say it sure is nice to finally be able to head to these stores or stop at rummages with lots of kids stuff! Derek quickly found this 12-month-sized tee for $3.50 in the Sports clothing section, a "no-brainier", he said. He's still on the hunt for Michigan gear!

The nursery has a new color and Derek is working on installing the closet system. I poked my head in to lend an opinion or two and he responded with a smile, "sure glad my supervisor showed up." Always good for laugh he is! :) More updates coming. I have my official 20 week OB appointment tomorrow in which we will discuss the results of the ultrasound and have an otherwise regular appointment. Well off to conduct some more "supervision!" :)

A Shopping Extravaganza at 19 Weeks!

Derek and I are getting more and more excited everyday to be having a boy. Still no for sure agreed upon name, but between you and me I think my favorite is starting to sound better and better each day to a one Mr. Umnus. But, it still is a long ways to go, who knows i may even hear another name that i like and change the whole game plan! It is a woman's prerogative you know.

Well, after we found out the great news on Thursday, I took off to Eau Claire. I know I know...we just found out this great news and away i go! But as plans would have it, it's how it worked out. I was off to meet my mom first at the Dent and Bents in the middle of the state and then to the pre sale for Here We Grow Again children's consignment sale. All I have to say is HOLY SMOKES! Women are crazy...I should know because I am one of them. We arrived about 2 hours late and there was soooo much stuff and sooo many women. The prices were pretty good for the most part. My mom, i mean, Grandma, was so excited to be having a grandchild she treated to whatever i wanted from the sale and what she found too. It is soooooo very appreciated beyond what words can describe. Derek and I are just so very thankful and grateful! Thanks Mom!!!! Well, i mainly went looking for some larger items, but most were sold by the time we got there. So here is a look at what we got! Warning! Warning! Warning!

Okay so, it wasn't all from the sale. We hit up some Rummage sales in Eau Claire on Friday and Saturday as well as Once Upon A Child in Onalaska. Derek was a bit surprised to say the least when he came out to the car to carry everything in the house. There is soo much there and hard to believe that we still require so much more! But i think we are good or pretty close on clothes through the 12 month mark!

My most exciting item picked up was the bedding set. I saw it on Thursday night and loved it but didn't get it because of two reasons: 1. I wanted Derek to see it and get his feedback and 2. i didn't want to make an impulse buy because it was the first set that i had seen that i liked. Well, when we went back on Sunday for the 50% off sale i had figured it was meant to be if it was still there...and it was!

While I was away Derek had his little "Honey Do List" and was a champ! He has been working on the nursery prepping it for windows, paint, and closet system. So he finished up the demo (what little there was), hole patching from the nails, and painting the closet! We got all the needed items last night from the trusty Home Depot for the closet system, paint, and ceiling fan. I just hope i like the color of the walls! We tend to have a habit of painting a color and then going back for a different color a few days later! The best quote of the night at Home Depot came from Derek..."that looks like a cart full of projects for me." to which i responded "yes dear." Soon as the closet system is installed I can start to organize....YEA!! He also got all the molding painted and ready for install. He is so wonderful that he even did another little project that has been on the project list for a year...he painted my chalk board so it will fit in better with the kitchen...so sweet he is!

Also while I was away, the in-laws flew back from North Carolina and brought back our stroller system with two bases with them! Not sure how many funny looks they got since there was no child with them, but we wish to extend a big thanks to them for doing that! And an even bigger thanks to the North Carolina branch of Umnus's for allowing us to use the system! It works perfect and we won't have to put on hot pink wheels since we found out it's a boy! Again Mia seems to think that it her's! I have even found her sleeping in it. But to be fair we had borrowed the Herbst's cat stroller awhile back...so maybe she thinks if she sits in it long enough we will take her for a walk!

Derek's mom also took Derek to pick up a Father/Son item at Kohl's over the weekend too! Now they can match on game days!

At 19 weeks baby is weighing in at 9oz or little more since that is what he was a week ago and is measuring 6 inches in length. His permanent teeth buds are forming and overall body growth will start to become rapid now. He is also starting to store iron in preparation for making his own red blood cells. The most amazing thing that baby boy can do now is dream in REM. I am not sure how "they" know this but it's pretty cool! No movement felt yet either. During the ultrasound, it showed that the placenta is attached in the front of my body, so i was informed it may take a little longer for me to feel kicks and punches...bummer. Here I am at 19 weeks...Derek said after not seeing me for a few days that I looked bigger...I then promptly schooled him on words not to say to a pregnant woman. :) I feel like I am carrying all the weight up front and can't imagine how much bigger i am going to get...now i understand why pregnant women say they feel like a whale towards the end!

Sorry this post has been a few days late. I had started my new job at the Rehab Hospital and spent a few days in orientation and it wore me out! It's okay to laugh at that because i hadn't needed to use that much brain power in awhile or get up that early! But I must say I am excited and already have a lot of dates set for the month of May to come in! I like the being around adults during the day and Derek will like the paycheck! :) Talk to you all real soon!

It's a ................BOY!!!!!

Here is out little one's handsome profile!

We had our appointment this morning at 8:30am. We are sooooo thrilled that we are having a boy. I had been leaning that way and so was Derek. So when it came time to see boy or girl i asked the technician to just show us the view and let us guess first...Well there was NO mistaking and i blurted out BOY without giving Derek time to respond..oops! I do however think our son has my personality. She was trying to get a better look at the heart and he kept moving his arm and putting it in the way. She would wiggle my stomach to try and try to get him to move it and it took some time. The same happened when she was trying to get a better look at the left arm/hand. He was just chillaxing with his arm up and hand behind the head...ironically the same way i was laying! His heartbeat was 160bpm and strong. He is weighing in a hefty 9 ounces and is measuring right on track...except for his head. His head is measuring about a week ahead of schedule but nothing to worry about, he just has a big head like his father! oye vay! Delivering that should be fun!

So here is an unmistakable view of son's wee wee! He's not shy!

She also took a look at my ovaries to see she what kind of shape they were in. She couldn't even see my left ovary because the uterus had pushed it out of the way so much. So it obviously is not even large enough to be pushing back. My right ovary she was able to find and noticed a cyst with measurements of 2.1...but nothing to be concerned with...MUCH smaller then a few months ago!

We have now officially tied up the Dinner club count again...3 boys and 3 girls. And according to Lauren we were going to have a boy and name him Bruce! We will have to keep that name on the list i guess! :)

So now the fun begins! Shopping for blue, blue, and more blue!

It's a....girl? boy? kangaroo?

Sorry, you'll have to wait until Thursday like the rest of us to find out! Well, this coming week is going to be an exciting one! Only a few more days until we find out if our little one is going to be wearing pink or blue!!!!

Hope everyone had a great Easter! Ours was pretty low key with some family over for a lunch meal on Saturday. I did try to imagine a few times during the weekend what next Easter will be like with a little one around to spoil. I think it will be a whole new and amazing experience!

We had really got a good start on the nursery this past week. We now have all the molding off the windows and the base boards, closet is empty and ready for a little demo and paint (on Derek's to do list this weekend), we moved the bookcase downstairs for the time being, took down the ugly ceiling fan, sold the couch (yea!!!), took out a window to measure for replacements, and now have correct measurements of said windows thanks to the father-in-law!

having a little fun with the window pulled out...with the weird look on my face, i am serving Derek his Dr. Pepper he ordered through the window! :)

Dave hard at work and Derek...well...not so much! j/k...he was a good helper!

Window back in for the time being..but looking like a work in progress!

The room is looking big again without anything in it! I have already gone in there several times and sat on the floor imagining what it will look like and be like to hold our little one in there in 5 short/long months!

I also (with the help of aunt Kris and my mother-in-law) took a drive to the land of amazingly awful and rude drivers (excluding you Angela!)...aka Illinois on Friday to pick up an awesome deal Derek and I found on Ebay...our baby swing!

Love it and the price!

We got it used, but looks almost new from a guy who had twin daughters. A great deal for $100 off the retail price! That was less that half price! Derek's favorite feature of the swing is that we can hook up his Zune to play music! Boys and their baby's toys! We also stopped at IKEA since it was only a 10 min drive from there. I found a bookcase that i really liked for the baby's room but they were all out. The guys offered to have it shipped to us but when shipping alone is $249...i think i will just head back to IKEA another time!

As for how I am doing at 18 weeks....same as last week but with more excitement as Thursday draws near! I have been noticing a lot more of the round ligament pains...those are just annoying, but i know well worth it! My appetite has waxed and waned a little this past week. I usually am most hungry in the morning...sometimes eating supper leftovers (that i had planned to eat at lunch) around 10:30am, of course this is after i ate breakfast at 8 or 8:30am! The appetite does start to fizzle by the afternoon and picks back up again later after supper! Last night a few hours after supper was a whole package of strawberries! mmmm tasty! So happy those are starting to get closer to in season! I am still enjoying the teenage angst of acne, but i suppose most people are starting to look at the budda belly instead of my face anyway...so that is a good thing! The only other thing is the sleep...i know i know it is not going to get any better, but i am pregnant dammit and can complain about it all i want! :) I do find myself waking up on my back alot even with those pillow nicely stacked around me....this might be a battle till the end! Here is picture of said buddah this week.

Still able to "fit" into 1 & 1/2 pairs of jeans, but i bought about 8 shirts that I can wear now but will be able to grow into this summer. I love that they are non-maternity shirts...i just don't see many maternity items that make me wanna wear them.

As for the our little one...he/she is now about 5 1/2 inches long and "growing like a weed" ...funny, i imagine saying that phrase for many more years to come! The uterus is the size of a cantaloupe now, so the baby should hopefully have some play room. The baby is weighing in at a hefty 5 ounces (about the weight of a boneless chicken breast)! I haven't been able to feel it yet, but baby is developing/practicing yawning and hiccuping skills. Also, his/her unique set of finger prints are making themselves present now.

just a funny picture i wanted to share...our neighbors are remolding their bathroom and there was lot of action outside...so like father, like son...they got a closer look from the comfort of our living room couch! too funny!

Well, that is all for now...check back Thursday for the big announcement...will it be a boy, girl, or kangaroo!

17 Week and Baby Can Hear You Now!

Well, here we are again. Another week and another post. I have been feeling pretty good this week now that i am getting over that cold! I was telling Derek last night that i am a little surprised at how big my stomach has gotten. You see, i spend the majority of my time in my comfy pants and a sweatshirt, so when i get dressed to go out that is when i notice how different my clothes are fitting. I keep trying to squeeze into my two pairs of jeans that i CAN still squeeze into only trying to delay the inevitable. As for my shirts, well those are still fitting okay, but some are starting to get tighter. It is exciting to say the least. Here is a picture of where our little one is hiding out at 17 weeks...

Still not feeling of movement yet, but it's not for a lack of trying! I am anxiously awaiting that moment, but oddly weirded out by it as well. Now this doesn't sound very motherly, but i was telling Derek recently how weird it is to think that there is something growing inside of me that i will soon be able to feel. I just keep replaying those awful alien movies in my head and thinking "good lord, please don't pop out of my stomach and look like that!"..okay bad motherly rant over.

The baby has grown to about 5 inches this week, about the size of your open hand (well i guess this depends on the hand!). His/Her body fat is starting to form and soon i will start feeling the effects of my temporary built in furnace! I'm not sure if i am too excited for summer. The baby's eyes are in their final location, are making small movements side to side, and can even sense some light. (imagine flashlight pressed up against my stomach...now what would be the sense in that.) He/she is also practicing their swallowing and sucking movements. But, what i find most amazing about this week is that our little one can hear us now! This just blows my mind. The baby will also startle/respond to loud abrupt noises (think car horn, etc). I guess it is time to start singing in the shower! Only 9 more days until we can finally say He or She!!!

We have started getting things in order for the nursery. Most everything is moved out of the nursery except the couch (which reminds me...anyone wanna buy a fold out couch or a "beautiful" baseball ceiling fan? see pictures below) and the book case. We have the windows measured and will be ordered in a few days. But until we know boy or girl, we must wait to paint! I have the closet system designed and the furniture blueprint on the ground! Like i said..i'm a planner!

One other piece of info to share. I was hired to do some social work/discharge planning/case management at the Rehab Hospital of Wisconsin today. It is a per diem position that was left open to possibly become part time! It is a foot in the door! I was flattered by this because i had originally interviewed for the full time position back in January and was told i was a "close second". Then i got a call out of the blue last week about this position...they were not even posting it because i was the first person she thought of for it! I was a little hesitate today telling them that i was pregnant (i know legally it shouldn't matter..but...) But she was so excited for me and said that everything will work out great with the position. Derek's excited too! :)

Well, off to make supper for the hubby, like a good little house wife that i have become!

16 week Dr. Appointment and a Find!

As expected all went well at the doctors this morning. My blood pressure is good and my weight went up 5 pounds. I must say that knowingly gaining weight is both nice and scary at the same time. As a woman (most that is) are looking at the scale all too often to see the number go down or at least stay the same, but i know this is one time that i want the number to go up. I have a goal weight to not exceed which is still in the normal range of what i "should gain". Let's not hope to overachieve that goal! :) I also have been graced with a lovely congested, sore throat, hard to breath cold as of the past day or so. Derek was kind enough to run to Walgreen's last night at 10:30pm to pick up a humidifier and Vick's Vapor rub. Not sure what i would do without this wonderful man! It helped some with the breathing..thankfully because i was getting myself all worked up which was not helping the situation.

Baby's heartbeat was in the 150's-160's range which continues to be normal. I also asked the doctor to show me where my uterus actually is, because all these books say it located here or there and that i should be able to feel the darn thing but i haven't. Well, come to find out i was pressing in the correct place but not hard enough through the belly fat. I still have some tenderness in the right ovary area, but she said that even if it is a residual ovarian cyst there is nothing we can do about it. Lovely! Luckily, it only hurts when i press on it, so i guess i will not press on it any longer...yeah right!

Next appointment with her is on April 19th. But, what Derek and I are most excited about (along with a few future grandparents and others) is the "20 week ultrasound". Well I asked if it could be a bit sooner than the week before my appointment with her (i have to have to go to Waukesha Memorial Perinatal Assessment clinic for it, therefore she wants it done a week before we see her.) She seemed to think that it would be alright...So Thursday April 8th we will be able to find out if we will be having a little boy or girl....that means only two more weeks! yea!!!

While Derek was on a run to pick some items up for work, he stopped in at New To You Kids in Greenfield (it is basically right next door) just to see if they had anything new since their stock changes so frequently. Well, low and behold, there was a bassinet that I checking out at Babies r Us at the same time. Derek inspected it and then wanted me to come take a look, so i drove down to take a look. It is only a year old, looks new, makes musical & nature sounds, and was only $30! I said SOLD!

Unfortunately, Mia has already decided that it is her new bed! So we will have to start with the teaching of spaces that are not hers...wish us luck on that one because we have created a spoiled monster!

16 weeks and getting excited...

Well, Hello World! The past few weeks have brought some changes, good changes that is. There is no hiding it now! Looks like I have finally gotten the proverbial baby bump because people have been noticing!

I am in that inbetween stage where I feel like I go back and forth from feeling like I drank a few too many shamrock shakes to looking pregnant. I am still wearing my jeans, thanks to the invention of low-rise, (2 pairs only) but i feel that is only going to happen for a few short weeks/days longer. So the time has come to start looking for dum dum dum...maternity clothes. While Derek and I were out this weekend we hit a few new shops "just to look" and walked away with a few new things!

Yes, we do have some names picked out but they are not "for sure's"...so we got a book that breaks them down and not just into lists...found a few more that we like!

we actually got this a few weeks back at a resale shop but never posted about it...Sophia has one just like it and I really liked it and the price was right!

I ended up with two new shirts and a Dress that I am hoping to "grow" into a little for the summer wedding events! I know what you are thinking...."Sara in a Dress?!?!?" Sadly, this may be a common scene this summer as I get big as a whale with a built in human heater! In other Sara news, nothing really new to report. I have only the occasional nausea with dry heaving. I just close my eyes and go to my happy place (a beach on St. Thomas) to make it stop.

This is similar to the image I have in my head....not that you really cared. :)

I have been trying to be more careful when sleeping as well. I have always been a stomach sleeper and that has gone totally out the window and now back sleeping (which i have surprisingly found comfortable) is now not an option. So, it's a good thing that Derek is deep sleeper because I am not sure if he would still be sleeping next to me if he knew how MUCH I am moving and bumping him. The one other pregnancy "symptom" that has been fun has been the acne...so i am embracing my teen days again! :) Eventhough, this is occuring and has occured for millions of women over the years, I am just so incrediably greatful for this experince. Everyday, I wake up and go to bed thanking God for giving us this opportunity to bring a child into this crazy messed up world.

Baby this week is the size of an avacado or naval orange ( about 4 1/2 inches) depending on where you get the info. His/Her heart is now pumping 25 quarts of blood a day and the bladder is emptying every 45 minutes! He/She is very active in the womb moving with increased coordination. The hair on the scalp is just starting to form.

Many People have asked if I have felt any movement. That answer is a big ol' NO, but not for lack of trying to feel for it. I know it may be a bit early since this our first pregnancy, but "they" say i could start feeling baby between now and 22 weeks. I will try to lay still and try to see if I sense anything. However, if you know me, i don't lay still for more than a few minutes so, I guess i will have to wait for a while longer to feel our baby doing aerobics.

I have my 16 week appointment with Dr. Young on Thursday, so I will have some additional info then. I am excited and nervous to hear our little ones heartbeat again. It is weird to think that it has been a whole month since we last saw a doctor. Still getting used to that concept. Although, it has taught us some additional patience and trust is the process. At the appointment I am going to try and convince Dr. Young to let me have our "20 week" ultrasound the second week of April and not the third week. I just hope the little one cooperates and lets us see his/her "parts". Then the fun can start with getting the nursery ready with either blue or pink!

Here are a few pictures of what Derek and I found at our new favorite Children Consignment store in West Allis. It is big with alot of stuff above and beyond clothes. We couldn't help ourselves and found a few things that the baby won't use for at least 6 months but the price was right and we were excited for baby!

Andy and Tim feel free to come play with these bloks anytime your little hearts desire! :)

We know it will be a while before our little on can play with this but the price was too good to pass up and well, we were excited to be buying "baby" stuff.

And last but not least...a big Congrats to Tim and Stef on the long awaited arrive of Ella! She was 7 days late and in the words of Jackie "about frickin' time!" :) The majority of the Dinner Club had the chance to welcome Ella to the group in Friday night at the hospital. Welcome to the Club Ella!

This clearly is not Ella, you'll have to visit her blog to see pictures. As everyone knows, this is Mia enjoying her cat nip grass. She wouldn't leave it alone for a few days!

14 weeks and not much to report

Well, we are 14 weeks along as of Monday. Nothing really much to report on the pregnancy to report. I have been feeling better (i.e. not much nausea) in the past 5 days. My energy level is increasing, although i still get winded easily, and my appetite has also picked up. I hope that I have not just jinxed myself as I have in past postings! Derek is happy that I am finally getting back to doing laundry, dishes, and cleaning!

As for little baby Umnus, the books always differ a little but most agree that the baby is about the size of my fist and he/she is nestled in a melon size uterus. I become amazed every week when i read about the development of our little one. The baby's body is finally catching up to the size proportion of the head. The head is starting to raise off the chest as the neck elongates.

We have two more weeks until our next appointment and then hopefully only two-three more weeks until we finally put the question of boy or girl to rest. Then the real fun can start! Pink or Blue? What is your guess?

On a side note, we are all very anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Blaha! Ella has decided that she likes the warmth of her mom's belly and has stayed 2 extra days so far. Come on Ella, we are all waiting to meet you!

Rubber Ducky Your The One...

Well a quick post about our new Rubber Ducky that tells the bath temp! I was feeling crummy this evening (funny thing how i always post i am feeling good and then I am not) so Derek encouraged me to take a nice relaxing bath. Remember how I told you that I like my baths HOT...well even before i got in there i felt the water with my hands and arms....i didn't feel it was warm enough yet, but we decided to put the duck in first before adding more hot water...That's right it hit 103 degrees at that point. So in went the cold water to get it under 100 degrees! Makes me really wonder what temp i used to take baths at...Well off to bed, bath make sara very sleepy...

13 weeks...

Sorry about the late post. Last Thursday Derek and I went to our first official OB appointment. It was exciting and nerve wracking all in the same big ball of wax. We really liked Dr. Young and we really liked the fact that she took a lot of time talking with us and answering our page full of questions. She really had set my mind at ease which helps. The appointment went well and it was so very different than the appointments we have had up until this point. First of all the appointment lasted more than 10 minutes! Second, there was no ultrasound. :( We have gotten so used to being able to see our little one every time we go in for an appointment that it felt a little weird not to. But we did get to hear the heartbeat, which is always when i hold my breath and say a little prayer that the doc can find it. She did and it was in the 160's. The other thing she informed us about was that we will only be getting one more ultrasound until birth unless anything would warrant another. That was kinda a bummer but i think once i can feel the little one moving around i will probably be feeling a little more okay with it. The one ultrasound will be the BIG one sometime during the week of April 12th! We will be finding the gender so that we can start making bigger plans. If you know me, i like a plan. We can't wait for that day. There are many predictions already for both boy and girl...and all i know is that it won't be both.

Derek and I have been hitting up the children's resale shops in the area to just get an idea of what they have and the prices. I know some may disagree, but it just feels wrong to buy all brand new stuff when the kid is only gonna use it for a little while. We are excited for Rummage season to start! Here is a picture of one of the things we found at New To You Kidz in Brookfield...it's a duck that you can put in the tub to take the temp. It was only $3.50 in the original packaging! To be honest it is really for me so i know that i am not taking too hot of baths in order to not "cook the baby" (Doctors words not mine)! I like to take baths so hot that my skin turns red, so probably a little to hot for baby!

As for how I have been feeling...well the past few days have been much better. I still get a little tinge of nausea but haven't thrown up my supper like the past few weeks! So i am hoping/crossing my fingers/knocking on wood that maybe the all day sickness has gone on a permanent vacation! I still get tired out easily and end up napping in the afternoon for a few hours and end up back in back by 9:30-10pm. I know I know, enjoy it now while i can! I also have enjoyed the fact that Dr. Young said that my uterus "is nice and big" but is moving higher off my bladder. So i have been able to only enjoy nighttime trips once or twice a night instead of the 3-5! Yea for baby moving north! Here is a picture of my belly at 13 weeks. I still feel like my belly is a little smaller than it was just a few weeks ago! Kinda figured that would happen due to the swelling ovaries that have decreased (not normal size yet, but getting there!)

Here is a picture I lifted from Carla's Blog from the night I announced baby Umnus to the Dinner Club ladies. (Thanks Carla!) It sure was fun finally letting them all in on the secret. Later Derek had told me that he only a few minutes to tell Jason and Tim in person before the wives started calling to see if they heard the news! Derek and I are just so excited that we no longer feel like odd man out with out a kid to talk about or play with when the group is together. Honestly, as silly as it sounds...it feels liberating! We could not have asked for a better Dinner Club! You have all been so amazing and supportive and we love you all!

Here is one last picture for your viewing pleasure. Mia has learned a new "trick". She will actually try to get my attention in the hallway and lead me to the bathroom so that i can turn the faucet on for her to drink! It is actually very comical to watch because she doesn't just stick her tongue out to lick the water, she feels the need to bite at the water and it ends up all over her face and none in her mouth! She eventually figures it out and licks the water, but sometimes it can take a few minutes. And yes, she does have a bowl of water.

And for all you name mongers out there...We have some names that we are putting on and taking off our list constantly. However, when we decide on a name we will be keeping it a secret until we see our little one, so you will just have to wait on that detail about another 189 days! :)

P.S. i have fixed the pictures on the past few posts so they are now visible...sorry for the inconvenience Jackie! :)

Good-bye 1st trimester and Hello 2nd trimester!

Well I am a day behind but i figure that's okay because we still have a long way to go. It is amazing to me that we are a third of the way through this pregnancy. I have to say that it has gone pretty fast since we had so much commotion up to this point. We are also starting to feel more relaxed and excited for this pregnancy now that we hit the crucial 12 week mark. It is stated that the risk for miscarriage drops to less that 1% now. So that helps relieve some of the stress.

As for how I have been feeling...Well, I can say that morning sickness has not been my friend. I never really had much nausea until a few weeks ago, just as i was feeling better from the OHSS. Perhaps that pain just masked the nausea? Within the last week I have become much more sensitive to some smells. Which smells you ask? I never know until it hits me. At this point if i start to feel nauseous, i know something is coming up whereas I was just nauseous before. So meal times are always fun in the Umnus household. I never know what I want to eat and even after it is prepared i may not eat it. Derek has been very patient with me around meal time! So that is the biggest thing to report this week for me. Other than that I still get tired and out of breath easily. Hopefully after our first appointment on Thursday the doctor will lift these restrictions I have had since January 8th and I can start walking again to regain some of my lost muscle and cardio capacity.

Over the past week we have had many congrats over our little bundle of joy. We just feel so blessed to have some many supportive, loving, and caring family and friends. Thank you all for being so excited, because it has helped raise our excitement. We have gotten a few gifts for baby over the past week and I am pretty sure that our child will never go naked.

Derek had the joy of finally telling his co-workers the great news. He took the picture frame with the latest ultrasound picture in it and handed out cupcakes. I can only imagine the big smile he had on his face the whole day.

As for the baby, the books say he/she is about the size of a plum, measuring between 2inches and 3.5 inches. When I look my book and it has a picture of "actual size" I am in disbelief every time. I am just so amazed at the size of our little one already. All the baby's organs are formed at this point and are now in the growing phase. The baby's intestines are now contracting in preparation for after birth. The baby is also now producing hormones from the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. The first time I read that I thought, perhaps that is why i feel so much more sick...thanks kid!

Just one more fun tidbit...as Stef had mentioned on her blog...Come September when the Dinner Club heads out to a restaurant we will have to ask for a table for 18! Derek thinks we will need to rent out a banquet room just to accommodate. No more just showing up at the door, reservations required!

The Secret's Out!

Today is officially 11 weeks and I have been feeling okay. Most of the pain I had with the ovaries really is gone. Gone enough that now I can enjoy the phenomenon called morning sickness. I really only had some light nausea previously but within the last week every morning like clockwork between the hours of 6am-7am i go running for porcelain goddess! Then throughout the day if a smell/thought/look of some food catches me in just the right way, bathroom here I come. Luckily, I have heard that at the 12 week mark this is supposed to let up. So, hopefully that is the case for me! I do get those occasional headaches at night as well, which I am hoping go away with the morning sickness! I know that I am not going to feel "normal" for the next 6 months, but i can't wait for the day that I can start feeling good. I can't remember the last time I felt "okay." However, as much as I dislike these "symptoms" I am so very grateful that I even am given the chance to experience them. It has been a long time waiting.As for Baby Umnus's progress...well all the books say now is the time for rapid growth. It amazes me that the baby will double in size within the next 3 weeks. Right now the baby is between 1.5in to 2.5in...about the size of a large lime.

Well, up until this point only a handful of people have known about our little secret. Tonight is the night when the Dinner Club ladies will be let in on our exciting news. We are all getting together for a ladies night at the Melting Pot. It is will so great to see them because it has been far too long since i have been cooped up in this house. I also sent out some emails to others instead of making a massive amount of phone calls. I can't wait and am happy yet still nervous to let the whole world in. Still nervous because there is still so much time until we meet the little one.

10 Weeks and graduation!

Well, I think the posts from here on out are going be a bit more fun and upbeat. Derek and I went to see Dr. Hayes for another ultrasound and blood work to see how the baby and my ovaries were doing. I am happy to announce that the ovaries are on the retreat! After 8 weeks of attacking me with pain, I have almost none! YEA! Here is a belly picture taken today (10weeks and 3 days). I still am swollen from the ovaries and i don't think it looks much different from a few weeks ago. I suppose it's a good thing though! I was able to get into my biggest pair of jeans today but chose not to button them, because the pressure was too much when i sat down!

My blood work came back good. Everything continues to become more normalized. I lost another 2 pounds so that puts me at a weight loss of 6.5 pounds over the course of this month. Not surprising though due to everything that I have gone through. Dr. Hayes wasn't concerned, it's not like i am a super thin if you know what i mean! The baby is doing good. Dr. says everything looked really good and normal. The baby was very active today (not that I can feel him/her yet) but like Dr. Hayes said he/she was doing aerobics in there. It was the first time we could see movement and it just reinforces what a miracle this whole thing is! It was amazing to see this time because now he/she is really starting to look human and not just a blob. Heartbeat was good at 168bpm as well. I had asked if we would see any lingering effects on the baby due to all the narcotics i had been taking and she said that there should be none. That was such a relief to hear because the first trimester is such an important time period for development. Well here are some pictures of the little one. The last one is a little alien looking because it is just the butt and legs.


And for the word Graduation...well much to our surprise today, we graduated from the Fertility clinic! I knew it was coming but I had thought there would be one more ultrasound and meeting with Dr. Hayes. However, she had said that everything looked really good and since my ovaries are on the retreat that "It looks like you really don't need us anymore." So after i got finished getting dressed and head to the nurses station, we saw this...


It was such an awesome sight to see. It was confirmation of the one thing we wanted to accomplish when we walked through those Clinic doors back in July. I of course got all tearful because I knew it was time to say my "thank you's" and "good bye's". Dr. Hayes and a few of the nurses were standing there to see us out. We are just so appreciative to all that they have done for us and the patience they had with us. I had even said to Dr. Hayes "I know i haven't been the best patient" referring to all the troubles we have had since conception. We already agreed we will be sending them a big thank you with a picture of the little one when it happens. It was also a little strange to be walking out those clinic and hospital doors for the last time. It strangely has become so familiar and routine, really like an extended family. You get to know them so well and vice versa. I guess that happens when you are there every week sometimes more than that!

Now onto the next chapter. We are now just another pregnant couple. That feels a little scary and wonderful at the same time. I really had gotten used to the personal attention we had received at the Fertility Clinic. I have found a new OB. Like I had posted earlier, my regular doctor no longer does OB so I had to look elsewhere. We have decided on Dr. M.S. Young from the Womencare office in the Waukesha area. We really liked and took comfort in the fact that the clinic also performs infertility services. Not that I would fault any other straight OB, but with all we have been through with the infertility, especially the OHSS, I took comfort in the fact that she has experience with it as well. I have heard good things about Womencare and Dr. Hayes seemed to agree. So this means I will be delivering at Waukesha Memorial Hospital, nice and close to home just in case we need to make any more trips to the E.R.! Fingers crossed that that is behind us!

Progress...

Well, I have begun to think that this blog is a little more depressing then I first imagined it! On Monday, I went back in for more repeat blood work because on Friday my levels were abnormal and they were hoping that they would have gotten better. Well, this is Sara we are talking about...the problem pregnant lady from day one. It appeared that my liver enzymes were still elevated, but now my hemocrit was now dropping and the nurse said "it is very disconcerting." Dr. Hayes wanted me to come back in ASAP to have another ultrasound done, but this time down in Radiology because they have stronger equipment for what she wanted them to look for. There was a concern that i was bleeding internally somewhere. Needless to say I freaked out (probably because of hormones, stress/anxiety from the pain, and did I mention the pain?) So, because I was still taking the Percocet i could not drive, nor did i really want to. So i called Derek's mom in a sobbing mess asking her to take me to the hospital because i felt so bad Derek had taken so much time off already from work. Then i called Derek and he tried to calm me down over the phone and assure me that everything was going to be okay. Yeah right! You try being the one who might be bleeding out somewhere and pregnant! But he tried anyway. So, after another long 13.7 mile drive to West Allis Memorial due to the lovely bumps that must have been placed in the road just for me, we arrived to have more ultrasounds done! The Ultrasound was painful to say the least...my Percocet was wearing off, my bladder kept filling up (that's when i am in most pain), and i had to lay flat on my back (also not conducive to full bladder with someone pressing on/in it). It took an hour because they did an trans-vaginal and abdominal ultrasound along with checking my spleen/kidneys/gallbladder/etc. Come to find out...my ovaries are still HUGE and i had a "pocket" of blood that either was surrounding my ovary or a follicle in the ovary (i missed that part) and that is why they figure my blood count dropped. It doesn't appear to be bleeding any longer which is a very good thing. Doctors orders were to still keep resting , drinking ungodly amounts of fluids and wean myself off the Percocet. But the nice thing was to be able to see the baby again and hear the heart beating at 180bpm! We even got a few more pictures to take home.


I had more blood work on Thursday and everything is starting to normalize the nurse said. Thank the Lord! They also said that it looks like i probably hit rock bottom with last stint of pain. My ovaries should start to decrease in size for the remainder of the pregnancy due to certain hormones normalizing the second trimester. It was funny when we arrived in the back, everyone had smiles and appeared to be happy i was upright again. The last few times i have arrived via wheelchair due to the pain and the distance from the front door to the clinic. I had happily announced i was off the Percocet and walking, albeit very slowly, around the house. So we will have another ultrasound next Thursday with Dr. Hayes and it sounds like it sadly might be one of the last. I say that because we have gone through alot together and she technically got us to this point...even though we didn't listen to her at the end...but then again we wouldn't have our little bundle of joy arriving in September!

Here is a picture i took on at 9 weeks and 1 day. It shows how bloated and filled with Ovaries I am. I think i look so much further along and should be funny to see stomach pictures as the pregnancy continues. Perhaps I will just be stuck at this size for alittle while while my ovaries decrease in size and my uterus and baby grow! If that's the case, i need to go shopping because i do not fit into any of my pants and haven't for a few weeks now!


Now I hate to write about it and jinx myself again, but I AM feeling better as each day passes. The pain I was having was some of the worst pain i have EVER experienced. So I have decided that I am fully on board for the epidural train because as I see it i have fulfilled the "laboring" part of the pregnancy contract. That only seems fair right? Somehow i don't think I will get off that easy! Oh well, i just keep praying and keeping my eye on the prize and that has gotten me through. I have some lingering pain in my left side and lower back. I am now upright and walking around the house, able to stand up from a sitting position, able to get myself out of bed (with a little groaning and deep breathing), and able to take a shower on my own again. We have decided that we got alot closer this past week then we ever thought was possible at this stage in our marriage. Derek has been the most wonderful husband i could ask for. He has taken over all the house chores on top of being at my beck and call. I am tearing up just writing about how grateful I am for him. Words cannot express those feelings right now! Thank you so much Honey! I love you!

This is how the bed has looked since last Thursday, sadly Derek has been sleeping on the pullout couch in the spare bedroom partially because there is no room for him. The only way i can "sleep" somewhat "comfy" is basically almost sitting up on my back. It doesn't help that Derek gave me his cold, so this position allows me to not choke on my snot and decreases my coughing fits.

This is where i spend the other part of my day. Sitting in a chair with all my necessities around me so that i don't have to get up for everything and rest my back and belly.

Well, that's it so far. I am now looking for an OB because we only see Dr. Hayes until the 12 week mark and my family doctor no longer does the OB and delivery part. Which is a bummer because that is why i picked her 5 years ago! But this nice thing is that she will be able to be the baby's doctor as well. I really like that she will be treating the whole family, just feels more put together and reassuring!