14 weeks

so didn't take a 14 week pic till Saturday 5/22, but here it is.

On Thurs I went with my mom to my OB appt and we got to hear the heartbeat. It was between 140-150. I made my appt for the Ultrasound for June 17 (exactly 18 weeks) which I'm very excited about, but also slightly nervous. I have in my mind that Bean is a girl, so I'd be surprised if it was a boy. Everytime I buy Embry some clothes, I think, 'oh good, baby bean can wear this too!'

We went to Phoenix this weekend and had lots of fun. Thurs was Tony's sister's high school graduation, which in itself, was fine. Beforehand though I got to take some senior type pictures of her which was lots of fun! Afterward there was a mini get together at Tony's mom's apt and we tried to put embry down to bed, but she wanted to be in on the action so she freaked herself out and threw up all over the carpet. So, about an hour later, Tony went in there to get the tripod and she was standing there, awake, and moaning. So he took her out, we got a group picture, and then went swimming. Friday we went to Canyon Lake and after asking people, making multiple turn arounds, and talking to more people, we got down to a really nice swimming/camping area. Tony grilled some breakfast burritos and we swam and took a walk. It was fantastic and I'd love to go camping there sometime this summer which we're planning for the end of June. Also on the agenda for this summer...tubing down the salt river finally. :) Saturday we went for a bbq and swimming at Tony's aunt/uncle's community which was lots of fun. Then his mom watched Embry while we went to see the new Shrek movie (liked the other ones a lot better), then went to motherhood maternity (where I spent my $100 giftcard, yay), and then out to eat at a place in Scottsdale called the Chop and Wok. It was like a bar with some tables outside, but the food was incredibly delicious and Tony was impressed with their extensive beer selection. We stopped at wine store on the way back to the apt and Tony got a bottle of Mead (he's been talking about mead for like a year now) and cooked that up once we got back. I had a few sips (yes, call cps) and I have to say, it was actually quite good. Tastes kinda like apple cider. Sunday we went to church, met up with Jamie at Culvers for lunch (mmmmmm), and then went to the outlets at Anthem where I got Embry some clothes for cheap. Once we got back to the apt, I played a game of Cranium (where I lost, naturally) and then I drove us home.

Embry had her 18 month check up today. She's in about the 35% for weight (at 23lbs) and 75% for height. Dr said I'd be lucky to get 1-2 good meals in her a day, so don't worry about her not eating as much as I think she needs to. It was pretty uneventful and the next appt is at 2 years, so I'll take her and baby bean in at the same time. :) Fun fun!

Better Belly Shot

Here's a better 13 week belly pic taken today.

Oh and just a funny pic of me kissing Embry on the cheek.

18 Months!

Embry turned 18 months old yesterday. She's getting to be such a big girl! She kinda runs now. It's more like a gallop/hop where one foot is always in front of the other. It's adorable. She's absolutely obsessed with Elmo. When she watched it, she goes into some sort of trance and can't be bothered by anything. She says probably about 50 words now, way too many to list and is quite talkative. She doesn't string together sentences yet, but it is fun to hear her say 'hi baby' or 'hi mama' or 'hi dada'. She also picked up 'See ya' recently which is darn cute. She's gone pee pee in the potty 3 times so far, twice for me and once for my mom. I think after we get back from Maryland we'll start potty training hard core. I'm going to get some pull ups for at night and hopefully we'll be out of diapers before baby bean arrives. We spend part of every morning outside. I'm so glad we have a nice grassy back yard for Embry to play in while I sit and read. She loves being outside, loves playing with sidewalk chalk (on the cement and on herself and sometimes me too), loves picking up as many rocks as she can carry, loves kicking and throwing balls, and loves looking at the blooming bouganvilla bushes. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I thank God for her everyday.

I was somewhat concerned with how she'd act around a baby, but my fears were partially put to rest yesterday. I watched my friend's baby for a couple hours and Embry was so sweet to her. She kept going up and saying 'hi baby', rocking her, giving her toys, cuddling her, and giving her lots of kisses. I hope she's just as nice to baby bean. We shall see.

13w, 2d

Here's the 13 week belly shot.

so I have to apologize for the swimming suit shot here. On Thurs when I was supposed to take the belly shot, I had a migraine and went straight to bed. So we took the pic yesterday after I had been swimming. Hope it's sufficient.

Cutie

Ok, I just have to post this picture. I LOVE it!

12w1d

Here is my 12 week belly shot from last night.
5/6/10

12 Week Appt

My appointment is today. I'm nervous. I really hope we hear a good strong heartbeat.

I was sick with the stomach flu, I haven't gained any weight, I normally feel my pulse through my back when I lay flat on my back (while pregnant) and I haven't lately, I haven't been as tired, I haven't been nauseous at all, my poo is back to normal.

I hope these are all the diminished symptoms just mean that I'm moving into the 2T and it's smooth sailing for the next 12 weeks, but of course, I can't help that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that maybe there's some other reason for feeling better.

Appt is at 11am. Tony's meeting me there. I'll update afterwards.

UPDATE:

Baby bean is alive! Woohooo! The nurse weighed me and goes, 'um you've lost weight' and I told her how I had the stomach flu. Then my BP was 114/60 and the dr measured my uterus (12.75 cm). She did the dopplar, we heard a heartbeat, yay! Then Tony started video taping, so here you go!




Beforehand I was nice and optimistic and went to Kohl's to find Embry a 'Big Sister' shirt. They only had 1, it was on clearance, but it is size 3T, so it's a smidge big. I took some pics of her in it after I got home and I must say, she's freakin adorable. I love my baby girl. Baby Bean is gonna be in serious trouble if he/she isn't as cute as Embry. ;)

Potty Training

We recently moved Embry's potty chair into the downstairs bathroom, so she can come in with me while I go and hopefully it would inspire her to go as well. Tonight, it worked! She went pee pee in the potty for the first time...I'm so proud of her! I hope this is a sign of good things to come! I'd love to have her fully potty trained by the time Baby Bean arrives.

My parents came over today. My mom brought along two Bert and Ernie dolls. Now Embry is walking around cuddling them, kissing them, trying to feed them, trying to brush their teeth, and saying 'Bert, Ernie!' It is quite adorable.

11W, 1D

Here's my 11 week belly shot from last night. I should find the 11 week pic from when I was pregnant with Embry and compare them. I'm pretty sure I didn't look even remotely pregnant then and now, poof, I definitely have a baby bump.

11 weeks
Taken 4/29/10

and for comparison:
pregnant with Embry at 11 weeks
(btw, see how much chubbier my face was? Eeek)

Well, Embry won't eat anything but junk food. It's ridiculous and I'm going to lose my mind. Anytime she takes a bit of something remotely nutritious, I feel like jumping up and down and running to write a blog post about how accomplished I feel.

I'm really nervous about baby bean. I haven't been feeling quite as tired the past few days (which is good) but makes me wonder if something might be wrong. I'm just counting down the days (6 now) until the next Doppler heartbeat check on May 6.

We have to get our garage door replaced. The spring broke (which was very loud, and I thought someone was breaking in) and the top 3 panels are cracked due to wear and tear. Sooo, rather that just getting the spring replaced (for about $120) we've decided to get a new door (for $610) since the old one will probably end up completely falling apart within the next year. With our trip to Maryland coming up next month, finances are obviously at the forefront of my mind. I just need to believe that God will provide like he always does. :)

Great Grandpa Joe

Tony's grandpa Joe came to visit for a few days and here are some pictures from that time. Embry really took a liking to him and they had lots of fun together.

I think we're all better...

I cross my fingers while saying that because I hope it doesn't come back to bite me. Embry and I have been sick the past weekend. She started with diarrhea on Thurs, then threw up on Fri (luckily I heard it coming and held her over the tile floor for easy cleanup). She still had diarrhea/eating issues till now (Tues). Then Sat overnight I was up all night vomiting and laid in bed pretty much all day Sunday. Tony watched Embry most of the day and cleaned a bit since his grandpa was on his way out here. Yesterday I was feeling almost all better and today I think both of us are doing A-Ok. We're both eating normal food and acting like our normal selves. Yay! Although, now Tony says he's feeling a little 'off', but he never actually gets all the way sick, he's got a good immune system. I am slightly worried about baby bean after being sick. I'm hoping she didn't suffer and ill effects from the virus. :/

Tony's grandpa arrived yesterday. He drove a van out here full of Tony's dad's tools for his job. It sounds like Tony's dad might be renting part of a duplex up near his job starting the beginning of May, but it's not exactly a for sure thing yet.

A Boy Name

I think we might have actually come to an agreement on a boy name...this is a miraculous moment in time! Here it is...are you ready?

Terran Walker Ciaravella

So basically I asked Tony if he liked Taryn and he said, 'you mean like from literature, that means earth? T-E-R-R-A-N?' I was like, 'um sure!' and he said he liked it. I guess it's used in his starcraft computer game a lot and no matter how you spell it, it's not popular for a boy. Walker of course is still after George W. Bush.

Then I thought we were going to stay with Reagan for a middle name for a girl (like Embry) but Tony does not like that idea. Tentatively we are going with ...

Nola Madison Ciaravella

The tentative part is Madison. It would be after James Madison. A founding father, writer of over 1/3 of the Federalist papers, and proponent for limited federal government. Oh and bonus is that Nola hasn't been on the radar since the beginning of the 20th century, except in 2008 it randomly appeared in the top 1000 girl names at #918. I swear, if I like a name, suddenly it will become popular. :/

10 wks

10 Weeks

Taken 4/22/10

I went in for my 10 week OB appt today and got to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler. It was nice and strong about 140 bpm. I'm going back in 2 weeks to hear it again and Tony will come with me then too. I haven't gained any weight as of yet and I'm eating a lot more than I was during Embry's pregnancy at this point. I find that even if I feel sick, eating will make me feel better even if I don't want to. I'm still tired, but trying to sleep when I can. My shoulders have started hurting (like they did during Embry's pregnancy) and I've been getting headaches, so I stocked up on the Tylenol.

Why 'Baby Bean'?

Here is the reason behind calling baby #2 'Baby Bean':

At about 6 weeks, I was lying in bed and Tony was moving our ladder from our bedroom down to the garage. Embry had really enjoyed climbing up and down the ladder when it was in our room and we often (and by often, I mean all the time) talk for Embry. So as Tony was taking the ladder I said in my high pitched Embry voice, 'Oh no dadas! Don't take my ladder! I love to climb on it! Noooooo!' Then Tony looks back at me and says in an extremely high pitched, very fragile little voice, 'Oh ho ho, but what can I climb on? I'm just a little beeeeeaaaaaan!'

I cracked up, it was so sweet.

9w2d

Here is my 9 week belly shot.

Taken on 4/15/10

I feel like I'm actually starting to look somewhat pregnant and I broke out the maternity clothes on Thurs. I'm kind of tired of unbuttoning all of my pants/skirts/shorts, so I figured I might as well just give in.

I got Embry one of those swimming suits with the foam inside so she can float. She's not a fan. We were in the pool trying it out and she was fine until I set her on the second step (which she can easily stand on) and turned around to grab my camera. I don't know what she did, but she ended up face down in the water and wouldn't lift her head up. I grabbed her and she was totally fine, didn't even cough, but I'm confused as to why she just laid there and didn't lift her head up. Well needless to say, she was clingy as all get out after that. I tried to swirl her around by the arms (which I did all the time last summer and she loved) but she would have none of that. The neighbors probably thought I was trying to kill her. I think I'm going to resort to trying to floaty seats that she used last summer and hope she doesn't try to climb out of them. :/

Latest Boy Name Convo

L: Geez, Graham was #323 in 2008!

T: Oh

L: You know what name wasn't in the top 1000, EVER?!

T: what?

L: Flynn! Are you sure you don't like Flynn?

T: No, it sounds like Fin. Like a fish.

L: Fin is also a good name but I didn't bring it up because I knew you wouldn't like it. Fin is in the top 1000, Fin is a popular name!

T: What? Who in the world is naming their children after fish orifices?! *shuts door* seconds later *opens door* I mean fish parts.

TV

This is a miracle in itself...Embry is actually watching TV. I put on Sesame Street to see if she'd have any interest and she started shouting 'Elmo! Elmo!' and sat down to watch.

8w1d

Here is a pic of me after the ultrasound. The head is on the left there and then the body on the right. You can see two little white arm buds as well.

I went for my 8 week ob appt yesterday. It was extremely uneventful. All she did was measure my stomach and asked if I had any questions. I forgot to ask her where my placenta is, but I did ask how she felt about pictures being taken during and shortly after the delivery. She gave me a shpeel about the hospital's photo policy (can't take any of the waist and down of the mom) and said once she puts the baby on my chest then we can take whatever we want. She said the ultrasound looked good and she wants to see me in 2 weeks to hear the heartbeat on the fetal dopplar. My appt is on the 22nd.

In other news, Embry actually fell asleep on me yesterday morning. She hasn't done that since she was about 3 months old. It was great! Then I tried to put her in her crib and she immediately woke up. Tony's been a tremendous help the past week or so when I've needed to get some more rest. One day he came home early, took Embry and left so I could go to bed. I slept pretty much straight from 5:30pm-6am. Then Wed night he came home and I went straight to sleep before a meeting while he watched Embry and folded laundry. I'm so glad I have a husband who's so willing to help out. :)

Ultrasound

We have a heartbeat! Woohoo! It as 159 bpm and we got to see it flickering away and hear it too. Oh, it was great!

We got there a few minutes early and Embry needed her diaper changed, so I went into the bathroom to change it. Of course that is when they called us back, go figure. So we all went into the room and to begin with the ultrasound machine was zoomed out so far that I couldn't see the flickering of the heartbeat. I did a mini freak out in my head and then asked, 'is there a heartbeat?' The tech said there was and that she'd zoom in so we could see it and pointed it out on the monitor. She did some measuring and baby bean is about 1.5 cm long from crown to rump. I'm 7w5d today and the measurements put it at 8w1d, so we're right on target. Yay!

Afterward I went to MOPS and 'announced' that I am pregnant. Although some people already knew from this blog, I did manage to surprise a few people. :) I feel much more secure now that we've seen and heard the heartbeat, but I'm sure all my anxiety won't go away until after I'm holding baby bean in my arms. Then a whole new set of anxieties will set in, but that's a long time off.

I will post an ultrasound pic once I get it scanned in, but it really doesn't look much like a baby yet. More like a tadpole with some arm buds.

Goings On

I've decided that if this next kid has the same energy level as Embry, we may very well stop at 2. With me feeling perpetually nauseous (more-so than with Embry) and having to chase her around and constantly entertain her, I don't know how I'm going to make it through the rest of the first trimester. I'm 7 weeks today. That means I have about 5 weeks to go until this yuckiness subsides. Today has been much better than the past few days, so I'm very thankful for the break. I even got some loads of laundry put away...go me!

I see all these other kids that will sit on their parent's laps contently, or watch a movie, or play on their own without so much as a peep. I like to call them 'half asleep' kids. My child, is the opposite. Some say it's a sign of intelligence, I say it's a sign that I'm going to die early. :/

Embry's new wake up time is 6am. That's really all I can say about that.

We've been obsessively watching the show 'Lost' for about a month now. Started at season 1 and now we're on the last episode of season 5. When the intro comes on and the word 'Lost' glides across the screen and turns sideways, Embry turns her head sideways and smiles really big. Then when the end credits come on and the song plays, she goes 'do do do do do do' along with the tune. It's quite adorable, and a sign that we watch too much tv.

Embry used the kiddie pool that my sis Jen got her for the first time a few days ago. I did something very uncharacteristic for me and didn't take a single picture, but it was darn cute. She quickly learned how to tumble out onto the grass and back into the pool over the side. Of course, now it's back down to 55 and rainy so it will be a while before we set it up again.

I would take and post a belly pic, but oddly my clothes are already not fitting. That doesn't even make any sense though because my uterus isn't supposed to be above my pubic bone yet. Maybe it's just that I have to unbutton all my pants because my stomach hurts. Anyhow, it's not a pretty sight.