We wish you a Merry Christmas!!

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. It seems like we prepare for so long and then it's gone with the blink of an eye! Andy and I enjoyed our time together and with my family this year. Christmas Eve we spent with my dad's side of the family (which has become tradition). We went down to my aunt and uncle's in Montesano where we enjoyed spending some quality with my cousins, aunts and uncles, dad, sisters, brother and grandparents! We played some fun 'games' that my aunt put together, had a delicious Prime Rib dinner and opened some presents. As usual, my grandma went all out and got everyone tons of gifts. Andy and I got a food processor (which I asked for, to help make my own baby food later..), a Walmart gift card, some lotions/body washes and Hudson even got a cute little puppy jacket and some CD's.

After opening presents we headed back to Puyallup for celebration #2 at Nancy and Kenny's house. We stayed a couple hours and caught up with some relatives we hadn't seen since last Christmas. We then headed home to let Maverick out for a couple minutes before heading to the 10 pm church service at Calvary Community Church that we have attended off and on since moving to Puyallup. The church service was perfect, we sang some traditional Christmas carols, watched as the children told the youth pastor what they wanted for Christmas and he read them a story, then listened to a short sermon on "Hope." It was wonderful to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas. I've always wanted to start a new tradition of going to church on Christmas Eve and I hope going this year has started that.

Christmas Day was more low key. Andy and I woke up around 9:30 and opened our presents from eachother and from his family that they mailed. We were thrilled to get a Canon video camera from Andy's parents!!! What a perfect gift to have just before Hudson is born. We can't wait to try it out and be able to capture all his milestones throughout his life. This will also make it much easier to share things with Andy's family since they all live across the state.

After opening presents we headed up to my mom's house for Christmas brunch. We enjoyed her delicious breakfast casserole with Nancy and Kenny, Mom and Dean, Steve, Shey, Bryce, Todd, Aunt Sharene and Tom and one of their neighbors. It was nice to spend more time with them since we hadn't seen them for long the night before. We finished off the morning/early afternoon opening a few presents and visiting before Andy and I headed home to relax before I had to come to work that night.

Overall we had a good couple days celebrating Christmas but we both agree that next year will be MUCH better with a little one around! Christmas really is about celebrating Jesus and children!!!

Andy finally got what he asks me for every year!!

Sisters!

Grandpa with a few of his granddaughters :)

Dad and Steve with matching sweaters from Grandma

Bryce and Cody playing football with Andy :)

Dean with Shey and Bryce

Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Kenny with Shey and Bryce

Cody loved the rawhide from Maverick! He didn't stop chewing it until it was gone!

Weeks 25 and 26

The last couple weeks have been filled with getting ready for Christmas. My shopping and wrapping is done and I just have a couple more things to bake tomorrow and we are ready for Christmas Eve!! I'm excited because tonight we're going to go look at Christmas lights then come home and watch a Christmas movie :) (probably The Grinch). This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year, even though it is filled with spending way too much money and eating way too much food!!



Baby Hudson is still doing great, he's been VERY active the last few days, especially when I'm at work. I was watching my stomach literally lurching from his kicks!! It's so amazing how strong he's getting. Another huge milestone we hit this week is hitting the DOUBLE DIGITS until his due date!! I can't believe in just over 3 months (give or take) we will have our SON here with us!! It's still so surreal :)



We've gotten some more done in the nursery, Andy put a second shelf in the closet and we put the valance and bedding on to see what it looks like. Now I really need to start organizing...it's just overwhelming to even think about how I want to do it. If you have any websites or blogs with organizing inspiration please let me know!!




How far along are you? 26 weeks!!! Where does the time go??



How much does baby weigh? Almost 2 pounds



Maternity clothes? Most definitely!! There's no getting regular pants (or even most shirts) around this belly anymore



Stretch marks? None yet...keeping my fingers crossed



Sleep? Finally adjusted to my shift at work, still sleeping ok, I just seem to wake up with a lot of back pain



Best moment this week? Feeling and seeing Hudson's kicks so much more often :)



Movement? ALL the time!! And I can't get enough of it. I love feeling this kicks, flutters and stretching out ..it's so amazing.



Food cravings? Surprisingly I haven't really had any. I still prefer salty foods to sweets



Milestones: In the double digits till our due date. Hudson could possibly survive outside the womb (although he can stay in there at least a couple more months)


(I'll update again after Christmas with belly pictures and Christmas pictures!)

24 weeks...and still growing strong!

Decorating Gingerbread Houses!

Me and Joy (me at 23 weeks 3 days, Joy at 26 weeks 1 day)
Daddy is so proud of the nursery he built! :)

Wow..where did this baby come from??!!

Week 23: Baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs about 1 lb! About the size of a large mango. He is able to hear things outside the womb, so all of Maverick's barking and our yelling at him will be familar when he's born! :) This week I have been starting to feel more and more movement. Some kicks have even been strong enough to see them on the outside of my stomach and through my shirt! Everytime I feel him kicking it puts a smile on my face. I just love knowing he is healthy and strong.

I also had my 23 week appointment this week. Just a routine checkup where I was weighed and the dr. listened to Hudson's heartbeat. She asked if I had any questions or concerns and I was on my way!

Week 24: Baby has gained about 4 oz. since last week and now weighs just over 1 lb. He's also about a foot long, the size of an ear of corn. His body is beginning to fill out as he adds fat in the coming weeks and his lungs are developing so he can breathe outside the womb. Another big milestone his this week is what many call "V-day"--(or viability day) at this point in the pregnancy the baby COULD be viable outside the womb...although I'd prefer him to stay in there at least a couple more months :)

I can't believe how much my stomach has been growing the past few weeks. It's amazing how fast the changes take place. Hudson is still kicking and moving like crazy. This last week Andy had an awesome surprise for me. While I was gone at a get-together he painted the entire nursery, took the furniture out of the boxes and put the crib together!! I was so surprised and excited when I saw it. Now we can start decorating and getting it all set up for the little guy!! Next on the agenda...getting another shelf put in the closet so we can get the clothes organized.

Aside from the pregnancy progress Christmas is in full swing around here. Last week I pulled out the Christmas decorations and got most of them set up. Then Saturday Andy and I went and picked out a beautiful Christmas tree. Saturday night we went to Joy and Dan's Christmas party. Joy made a delicious dinner with all the fixings and afterwards we decorated Gingerbread houses! Unfortunately mine and Andy's house didn't want to stay standing, so it didn't turn out how we envisioned it, but we still had a blast.. thanks guys!

Now I'm just trying to finish up my Christmas shopping so I can get it all wrapped and done with early this year! I hate trying to last minute shop :)

...Happy Thanksgiving...

Week 21...

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long —the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges

Well, the day after our big ultrasound I felt the first baby kicks!!! (20 weeks 2 days along). I had felt what I assumed was movement before, but these were the first obvious kicks. I was at work and had just had a occupied stolen vehicle and pursuit. After the adrenaline rush was starting to subside I felt an obvious kick in my lower stomach, then 3 more right in the same place, I knew it was him!! :) Since then I have felt him daily, at first only a couple times a day but the last few days its been a lot more often. I love feeling him moving and kicking, it makes things so real and makes me know he is still doing well in there!!

Other big news, we have decided on his name. It's Hudson Andrew :) I heard the name Hudson a few months ago and I just knew it was the one if it was a boy, I just had to convince Andy of that! He finally agreed and we both thought Andrew sounded the best for the middle name and Andy got the final decision and chose it.

Since finding out we are having a boy, we've been getting more excited to get the ball rolling on the room. So Andy finished putting the wainscoating up and we got all the seams caulked and bought the paint. He finally started painting this weekend and will hopefully get it all finished this weekend or next so we can put the crib together and pull the dresser/changer out of the box and start getting the room all arranged!!

I have also bought Hudson quite a few cute outfits and clothes. We went to Babies R Us last weekend and I couldn't resist the extra 30% off clearance clothing so I got about $60 worth there. But, I am trying to be good because I know my showers are going to bring in a TON more clothing!

Week 22...

At 11 inches (the length of a spagetti squash or papaya) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.

This year Andy was able to take the entire week of Thanksgiving off, so we were able to spend it with his family. We flew into Spokane Tues morning and stayed until Friday morning. Then it was back to work for me Friday night since I didn't want to take any extra time off (I have to save it all for maternity leave otherwise I will have to take leave without pay). We had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with Andys 2 brothers, parents, aunt, uncle and cousins. Unfortunately his sister and brother in law were with Kyle's family so they weren't there for dinner, but they did make it in time to go see "A Christmas Carol" in 3-D with us. It was a great way to kick-off the Christmas season!! Overall we had a nice visit, we just wish it could've been longer...maybe next time!

Now it's time to gear up for Christmas and start shopping, decorating, baking and all the other fun festivities that come along with this time of the season!! I'm looking forward to enjoying the holidays as much as possible again this year..it's definitely one of my favorite times of year :)

Fun Questions:

How far along are you? 22 weeks 4 days today :)

How much does baby weigh? About 1 lb!

Maternity Clothes? Definitely!! And I've actually gotten quite a few cute things to wear :)

Stretch Marks? Nope...

Sleep? It's ok ....it's just my work schedule that's making it hard :(

Best Moment this week? Got a nice Jeep jogging stroller off craigslist, ordered the crib mattress....and had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Spokane!!

Movement? Every day!! Its my favorite feeling :) He's getting more and more active every day...I love feeling his kicks and flips.

Food Cravings? Not many real cravings...still wanting salty foods (especially french fries)

Milestones? Feeling more kicks and movement every day!

20 weeks...It's a ....

BOY!!!! :) Just as I knew from the very beginning!! He looked perfect and healthy!

Now for an update on the last 2 weeks...

19 weeks: Baby measures 6 inches (crown to rump) and weighs about 8 1/2 oz., about the size of an heirloom tomato or a mango. Research also indicates the baby can now hear sounds outside the womb. We've been trying to talk to him/her more and have read a few stories aloud. Maybe we'll even start listening to some more music!

20 weeks: Wow..I can't believe we've already reached the 1/2 way mark!! Time seems to be flying by..before we know it we'll be holding our little bundle of joy in our arms. At 20 weeks our baby measures 6 1/2 inches from crown to rump and 10 inches from head to heel and weighs about 10 1/2 oz. This is about the length of a cantaloupe!

I had a somewhat eventful day just before I hit the 20 week mark on Monday. I was picking up a couple things at the grocery store, I finished and was going through the self-checkout lane when I suddenly started to feel dizzy and my vision was getting dark. This was about the 4th time this happened and usually I can sit or squat down to alleviate the dizziness and feel better. Well unfortunately I wasn't able to do that this time. The checker came to ask if I was feeling ok, and when I said I wasn't she started helping me to a chair to sit down when apparently I collapsed. I 'woke up' surrounded by employees who were yelling about calling 911. I tried to tell them I was fine and didn't need it, but they had already made the call. So the Fire Department came out and took my blood pressure and talked to me about how I was feeling, my medical history, etc. I told them I was pregnant and had nearly passed out a couple times. They said all my vitals looked ok (this was about 10 mins after the incident) and that I should just talk to my dr. about it at my next visit.

I'm sure the reason it happened this time was due to the fact that I hadn't eaten much that morning and had just finished working out at the gym. When I talked to my nurse she just told me to make sure I am staying hydrated and eating snacks between meals so that my blood sugar doesn't drop too low. My blood pressure is also normally on the low end and I'm anemic, so this is something I'm going to have to pay close attention to so this doesn't happen again! Talk about embarrassing ... lol.

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound. The ultrasound tech checked all baby's measurements, we saw his little heartbeating like crazy, saw his arm bones, legs, spine and even his brain!! It was so amazing to see everything so clearly and be reassured that he is growing perfectly and healthy! We even saw him swallowing the amniotic fluid and getting ready to suck his thumb, it was so cute! Towards the end of the scan she zoomed in on his 'boy parts' and confirmed what I was so sure of from the beginning, it's a healthy baby BOY!! To celebrate my mother in law and sister in law flew in from Spokane for the day and my mom and I picked them up for a girl's day of shopping!! We spent the day at the Supermall where we found some AMAZING deals at Carters, Oshkosh, Children's Place, GAP, Old Navy and Burlington Coat Factory. Let me tell you, I'm gonna have the best dressed little man around! And he's gonna be a bit spoiled my everyone I'm afraid! :) I guess that's what happens with the first grand baby!

Well after a long week and long day of shopping I'm exhausted. Time for me to rest up the rest of the night before I start another work week tomorrow :)

Check out a free giveaway!

If you are pregnant, have babies or know someone who is/does you might want to check out my friend Keren's giveaway on her blog! She's giving away a set of bibs and a nursing cover. Check i out and enter to win!! :)

www.seahawkfanforlife.blogspot.com

Happy Halloween

This past week we had some fun with some festive Fall/Halloween activities. Last week I bought Maverick's costume (a shark) and of course had to dress him up in it right away, which he hated!! (but he was just soo cute!!)

Andy and I also decided to visit the pumpkin patch in Orting-Spooner Farms- where we got a pumpkin and some gourds, we didn't do any of the other 'activities' but it was still a fun thing to do, I always want to go to the pumpkin patch and we never end up going.

Tuesday night we had dinner with my mom and Dean since my mom had been gone in Vegas for the past 3 weeks taking care of her dad that was sick :( It was so nice to have her home and have a family dinner. After we ate we decided to carve our pumpkins. Although most of ours didn't turn out how we had hoped, we still had a lot of fun doing it!

And a quick pregnancy update--we hit the 18 week mark Wednesday and had our monthly checkup. Everything was normal, the doctor answered a couple questions I had, we heard the baby's heartbeat (at a nice steady 140bpm) then I was given the h1n1 vaccine and had some blood drawn for the Quad screen. I can't believe only 2 more weeks till we find out boy or girl and the pregnancy is half over!! Time is already flying and I'm sure it's just going to go faster through the holidays.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween, I will be at work dispatching all the 'fun' calls I'm sure we'll get... :)

Weeks 16 & 17

Week 16:

Tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length!! Right now he's about the size of an avocado (4 1/2 inches head to rump and 3 1/2 ounces).

This week has gone pretty good. Not too many changes, my belly is starting to look 'rounder' finally and I'm really starting to feel pregnant (especially since my non-maternity clothes definitely don't fit the same!) I've been having a lot of lower abdominal pressure, I'm assuming it's just all the growing my uterus and the baby are doing!!

We've also made some progress on the nursery. Andy started putting the wainscoating up around the bottom half of the room and is about half done with that. Once he has another weekend off he's going to finish that and then once we find out if it's a boy or girl we will finish painting the room! :) We also ordered our crib and dresser/changer because it was on sale and the dresser already came! So Andy picked that up on Saturday and it's sitting in the box in the baby's room for now until the painting is done and it doesn't need to be protected :)

Week 17:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartlidge to bone, and the umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 oz now (about as much as a turnip) and is about 5 inches long from head to bottom. He can move his joints , and the sweat glands are starting to develop.

Weeks 14 & 15...baby's making an appearance :)

Week 14...baby measures about the size of a lemon --3 1/2 inches from crown to rump :) Not many changes with me this week. Still feeling good, the nausea and fatigue are gone, no real cravings, just getting anxious to have a baby bump!!

We had our routine appointment on Wednesday where we got to hear the little peanut's heartbeat for the first time!! (We had seen it on the u/s a few times, but this was the first time we actually heard it...sooo amazing!!) Not much notable at the appointment. The dr. answered a few questions for me and we were sent on our way! On the plus side I scheduled my next 2 appointments...our regular 18 week check up and our 20 week ultrasound, where we finally get to find out the gender!!! Although I just KNOW it's a little boy in there! :)

The highlight of our week was going to see Wicked at the Paramount in Seattle!!! Andy, my mom and I all went to dinner, then to the show which was amazing. If you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend seeing it next time they are here (or you are somewhere where it's showing). The storyline is awesome and pretty funny! Overall it made for a fun evening out.

Week 15...baby measures the size of an orange (or apple depending on what you're reading)--4 inches crown to rump. And my belly seems to have 'popped' a bit the last 2 days...I kinda actually look pregnant now..although to me it just looks like I have a fat belly..I can't wait till it's obvous that I'm pregnant to everyone!! :) I'm sure it won't be too much longer!

I had another fun day off today. I went with my friend Karina's first grade class on a field trip to Lattins Farm where we learned how they make cider, fed farm animals and picked out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch!! I had so much fun and can't wait till I have kids old enough to do all these fun traditions with! I will definitely be visiting this farm again someday and would highly recommend it if you have little ones!

{12 and 13 weeks...hello 2nd trimester!!!}

12 weeks:

13 weeks:

Well, I didn't update last week as not much had changed since the week before. The best thing that's happened since the last post is my nausea has almostly completely subsided!! I am soo relieved to be finally feeling better. I was having some headaches also, but those have also gotten better since seeing my chiropracter :) She is seriously amazing! Other than that, me and baby are doing GREAT! My tummy is growing (still just looks fat to me though..) and I have a feeling I will 'look' pregnant sooner rather than later..I'm excited to have a 'baby bump' though!! :)

Here are some excerpts on whats happening with me and baby since my last post:

Week 12:

Your baby's now the size of a plum. As you move into the 2nd trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development phase all her systems are fully formed.

Week 13:
Baby is now the size of a peach. Your fetus is now forming teeth and vocal cords..savor this, their nonfunctional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with his head now only one third the size of his body. And intestines are in the process of moving from umbilical cord to baby's tummy--much more convenient.

Fun Questions:

How far along are you? 13 weeks 1 day



Total weight gain? Still at about 5 lbs



How much does baby weigh? appx .81 oz



Maternity clothes? The pants are DEFINITELY way more comfy now :)



Stretch marks? Not yet...still crossing my fingers!



Sleep? Getting better, it's mostly crappy due to working night shift again..



Best moment this week? Hitting the 2nd trimester mark!! Woohoo! :)



Movement: Not yet, they say I should start feeling it in a couple weeks, I'm looking forward to it!



Food cravings: Not much really..



Milestones: Made it successfully to the 2nd trimester!! And I'm finally feeling better, no more nausea and not as much fatigue :)

{11 week update}

Baby's now the size of a lime. The fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent the blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming. (excerpt from "The Bump")

11 weeks yesterday! I can't believe how fast it's already going, but at the same time I'm excited about it because I can't wait to LOOK pregnant and to find out if baby is a girl or boy!! Then the fun can really get started and we can make decisions regarding the nursery and start buying stuff!! :)

So not much has changed this week, I didn't take a belly pic cuz it looks the same as last week and I decided I'd start taking them more when I start 'looking' pregnant. If you're reading this post, you should also take my poll to the right, I'm curious to how many boy vs. girl votes we have out there! :)

Ok..here's the poll questions:

How far along are you? 11 weeks 1 day

Total Weight Gain? Holding steady at about 5 lbs.

How much does baby weigh? .25 oz (about the size of a lime or fig)

Maternity clothes? I have bought some, don't have to wear them yet, but I'm thinking the pants will be much more comfy VERY soon!

Stretch Marks? Not yet...crossing my fingers and putting lotion on daily to avoid this!!

Sleep? EEh...ok, except when working nights which started on Sunday :(

Best moment this week? hasn't happened yet, but I get the weekend off to go to a wedding in Spokane!! :)

Movement: won't be able to feel the flutters for a few more weeks ..I can't wait!!!

Food Cravings: carbs, carbs, carbs!!! I'm also liking green apples a lot :)

Milestones: Nothing big this week....made it to week 11, only 2 weeks of the first trimester left!! Woohoo! :) Let the nausea subside!!

{Weekend in San Francisco!}

A couple weeks ago Andy had the week off, so for my 'weekend' we decided to take a quick trip to San Francisco :) We left early Tuesday morning and arrived at San Francisco International Airport around 9 or so. We took the tram to the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit--pretty much their version of the subway) and made it downtown around 11 or so. We walked to our hotel and got all checked in. The hotel was beautiful (the Hilton-Union Square). We got changed and decided to go grab some lunch. We spent the afternoon checking out some of the shopping, china town, then taking a double decker bus tour of the city. The tour was cool because it gave us a chance to see most of the city that we may not have otherwise seen in such a short visit. The tour took us down to Fisherman's Wharf, near Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the US), through many different neighborhoods and finally over the Golden Gate Bridge. Once we crossed the bridge we were able to get off the bus for a few minutes and take some pictures of the bridge from the other side. Although it was very windy and cold, it was a beautiful view of the bridge and the city.

That night we were pretty tired from getting up early and traveling so we had diner at "Lori's Diner" which was a 50's style diner and I finally got my Turkey Dinner I've been craving!!! It was sooo good :) After dinner we did some walking around, then headed back to our hotel room to watch a movie and call it a night! :)

Wednesday was Andy's Birthday, we woke up early to catch a taxi down to the pier for our 9:30 Alcatraz Tour!! This was defnitely the highlight of the trip. We took the ferry across the water to the Island where we were able to take a self-guided Audio tour of the prison. It was a really good recording with tons of information about the prison and history of the island. We both enjoyed walking through the cell blocks and imagining what it may have been like living in such a place 40 or more years ago.

After the tour we returned to the Wharf and walked around the many shops and restaurants. We had lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, then went to the Museum of Wax. It wasn't the best wax museum I've been to, but it was still fun! After that we walked up to Ghiradelli Square for some of their ice cream and famous chocolate!!! My hot fudge sundae was DELICIOUS!! And Andy got the waffle cone he had been wanting all day :) The rest of the day was spent riding the double decker bus again. We got off near the City Center in hopes of finding the "Painted Ladies" (the houses like the one on Full House) but after a TON of walking realized we must have been in the wrong area or something. So we made the couple mile trek back to our hotel area. We decided to relax for a while since we walked so much, then went to a late dinner at Puccini and Pinetti which was recommended to us by Andy's aunt who travels to San Francisco often. I wasn't all that hungry so I just had soup and salad which was ok. Andy had an interesting pizza. It wasn't really our style of restaurant, but it was ok. We then walked up to a bar that had a live piano player and listened while Andy had a couple birthday beers :)

The next and last day was spent with more wandering around Union Square as well as up to Chinatown again. We also did some shopping at Ross and Old Navy. After shopping we decided a trip to San Francisco wouldn't be complete without a ride on the Cable Cars! So we got tickets and waited in line for about an hour before finally getting to ride. We took the cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf where we had lunch at Boudini's (which is famous for their sourdough bread). I had some delicious clam chowder and a sandwich with sourdough..yum!! We made sure to buy any last minute souveniers before taking the cable car back to Union Square to get ready to head home.

Overall, we had a very eventful couple days and hope to someday come back to San Francisco,maybe with a little more time for more tours and possibly an excursion to Napa Valley for some wine tasting! But that will all have to wait until after the little one is here :)