Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and enjoyed celebrating with family and friends!

My mom, sister, brother, and sister-in-law visited us this weekend. We truly appreciated them coming to see us, and had a great visit. They even held up the family tradition of a "sword fight" with the empty wrapping paper rolls! Don't worry, I didn't participate - I did catch it all on tape though! ;) YouTube, here we come...

We also enjoyed visits from Dara, Jennifer and Jonathan, Sarah and Matthew, and Dawn, Jason, and Kayden. It was the first time we got to meet Kayden, and he is such a cutie! I quickly discovered that the way to a 17-month old's heart is food...bananas to be specific! It was great to see friends and enjoy time with everyone - especially since I have had to spend so much time resting at the house.

Unfortunately, Keith's family is sick and couldn't visit on Christmas Day as we'd planned. We hope to get to see them really soon, though - and we wish them a speedy recovery! Keith's grandfather (his dad's father) was in the hospital recently and has been moved to a convalescent center for now - he is doing better, but not yet well enough to go home. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Keith was really sweet and made a wonderful Christmas Day breakfast and supper (we were so full from breakfast that we skipped lunch!). We relaxed for most of the day, and took a short walk in the warm weather - it sure wasn't a snowy Christmas this year!

The other news is that we had another appointment with the doctor last week. While nothing else has changed (which is good news!), we did find out that Peanut is "engaged" and has dropped. The doctor said that while it is unusual for 29 weeks, many women can go for weeks once their baby engages. We go back for another appointment in about a week, just to keep a close eye on everything.

Our neighbors across the street had their little baby boy just before Christmas. He is adorable, and we are excited about the thought of our little boys growing up together!

That's all for now - we'll post again after our next appointment. Again, we hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and we are sending you warm wishes for a very Happy New Year!

Week 28

Christmas is fast approaching and we are very excited. It is neat to think about how we will be enjoying next year with our little boy, and all the traditions we want to start, and fun we hope to have!

For this year, we've been prescribed a quiet at-home Christmas - we're sad that we won't get to visit our families, but they are graciously coming to us around Christmas time! Even though we won't get to have our "normal" Christmas, we are excited that we will get to see everyone within a few days of Dec 25.

The new guidelines from the doctor have helped - I have been following them the best I can and it seems to have made a big difference in the number of contractions I am having as well as keeping me out of the hospital. One pre-term labor trip to the hospital is enough for anyone! Keith has been holding down the fort and helping me stay on track.

The nursery is coming together - we bought the mattress for the crib, and so the major furniture pieces (crib and dresser) are all set up. Baby has been given lots of clothes and burp cloths/receiving blankets (love those hand-me-downs!!), and so many sweet things at the shower to help us with the nursery.

The biggest news, though, is that we had our 3D/4D ultrasound. It was really fun and we loved seeing Peanut. It was so great to be able to peek in and see that he is doing ok. We already love the little pout he gave us and his cute button nose. He spent a lot of the time with his feet and hands in his face, so we have a little gymnast on our hands!

Week 27

Hope everyone is having a wonderful time preparing for the holidays! We are doing well - we did make another trip to the doctor for a check-up and we are hanging in there. His hope is that we can go at least 6 more weeks (to 33 weeks) before Peanut decides to make his grand debut. I am doing my best to stay off my feet and drink plenty of water. Keith has done an amazing job of keeping things running at the house since I am not able to do as much as I once was.

This past weekend, my family gave us a baby shower at my sister's place. Keith went with me, as I am not allowed to drive very far alone anymore. He kept a good eye on me and didn't even complain when we had to stop at every restroom on the way. ;)

We had a great time and we were blessed to be able to enjoy celebrating with everyone. We truly appreciated all the support and love that was shared! Peanut received many sweet gifts to help prepare Mom and Dad for his arrival. One of my aunts shared with us a blanket that my Granny made about 28 years ago - we know Peanut will treasure this as much as we treasured Granny's influence in our lives.

Keith put up our Christmas tree this week, and that brings a big smile to our faces each night! We can't believe that next year Christmas will be so different...it is exciting to think of the changes the next year will bring (and a little intimidating!).

We are having the 3D/4D ultrasound soon and are very excited to see Peanut after all the commotion he has caused the past few weeks. I go back next week for a quick appointment, and then a full appointment during the week of Christmas.

Week 26

Well, we were hoping for a less eventful week but Peanut had other things in mind. We had a little scare this week that Peanut might come super early, but we think things are back under control for now. We are happy to say that, although very tired, Peanut and I are both ok.

I have been given a "modified routine" and a strong warning to take it easy, significantly lower my activity level, travel, and stress...and drink more water than I ever thought humanly possible! I'll take that over bedrest any day, though.

We will also be going to the doctor more frequently now so that he can keep his eye on things.

The gestational diabetes test went well - they have not called to say I have to do the 3-hour test, so no news is good news! The other happy news is that we decided to do the 3D/4D ultrasound. We weren't sure we wanted to do it, but after this week we felt like we really want to peek in on him and make sure he is doing ok. We hope to schedule that in the next few weeks.

Hope you are all doing well, and preparing for a very Merry Christmas!

An Eventful Week - Giving Thanks...

It was an eventful week here in the casa de Lisa and Keith...

We are still missing PaPa but giving thanks for the good memories and the love and life he shared with us.

On Tuesday, I had a minor mishap doing the dishes in the early morning...which resulted in an ER trip and 4 stitches! Let's just say that I am thankful and happy to leave the knife washing to the dishwasher (and I don't mean Keith) from here on out.

Wednesday, Keith's birthday, was low-key but fun! We celebrated our last "couple" birthday...meaning next year it will be baby and us! We are looking forward to sharing the special days with Peanut and thankful for the blessing of a baby.

Thursday was full of fun and family as we traveled to both sides of the family for Thanksgiving. It tired Peanut and I out (and Keith!) but we enjoyed seeing everyone. We are thankful to have had safe travels and see our family and share the day together, but we are most especially thankful that Keith's father is doing well. We spent a little bit of Thanksgiving in the hospital with him as he is fighting an infection that is a little stubborn. The good news is that he is back home now, and we are hoping he is on the mend. Please keep him in your prayers.

So, two ER trips in one week means we are giving thanks that a new week is beginning and we are hopeful for it to be a lot less eventful than the last.

In nursery news, we have gotten our crib together and now baby's dresser! The room is coming together, and we are excited to see it take shape. We have cleaned out Peanut's closet (well, for the most part), and started hanging some of the clothes we've received as gifts! It's just about 3 months away and is a little surreal at this point...we feel a mixture of "wow" and "uh oh" at the same time!

Peanut is still "on the move" - wiggling and kicking in my belly. It's not quite strong enough yet for Keith to feel again, but we are hoping he will be able to feel the baby kick again soon. We have our next appointment in just a few days. It's the "fun" one where I get to drink the sugar liquid and take a test for gestational diabetes.

I'll post again after the appointment!

Family News

I am saddened to say that Keith's grandfather passed away last week. We were hoping that our little baby boy would be able to meet him and get to know his great-grandfather as he grew up. The funeral service was very moving, and included a military burial with a 21-gun salute, which meant a lot to everyone. He will be missed greatly, and we look forward to to sharing the stories and memories with our little boy as he grows up.

Week 23 Update and Vacation Photos

We made it to our 23 week mark and all is well! We had a doctor's appointment last week that went well - not too much to report there, except that he reviewed the latest ultrasound and said all looks good. We are on track and things are progressing nicely!

Peanut is growing and wiggling like a frog! He is especially active in the early morning and when I eat supper. I get the feeling that he's going to give his Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Kenneth a run for their money - he doesn't like to sleep late! :)

Strangers have certainly started to comment on my pregnancy - I have people ask me things like when I am due, whether baby is a boy or a girl, and so forth. Two weeks ago, I received my first finger poke from someone as well as the first stranger patting my belly. Just a small tip for you - poking is especially not welcome! ;) It's very weird to experience - I don't think there's anyone else in the world that they would poke or pat, except an expectant mom. I have gotten pretty used to the questions, and for the most part it has been nice to share the joy of our pregnancy with others...although I may be buying a "Hands Off" t-shirt in the near future!

I am still photographing portraits and weddings, as well as doing business photography for local clients. With the Christmas season coming up, portrait sittings are ramping up! Keith has been working in the woods in our yard to get things cleaned up now that the snakes have gone in for the winter. He was finally able to cut down the giant hornet's nest!

We also had a little getaway to the mountains of Tennessee. We enjoyed relaxing and taking a step back from the work world, while soaking in the beautiful scenery. The leaves are still changing there, and I posted two photos of the view of the Smoky Mountains from one of the bridges near our cabin.

I hope you are all doing well as we get close to the holidays!

It's a BOY!

Well, the polls are closed...at least on this vote! The 65% of you that voted boy were correct!!!

We had our ultrasound this week, and baby peanut is a BOY!!! We are very excited to have gotten to see the baby again, and the ultrasound experience was just amazing.

The first ultrasound we had was so special because we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time, and see the little peanut that was growing inside me. When we switched doctors, we had a second ultrasound (10 1/2 weeks) and got to see how much baby had grown.

This third ultrasound was so incredible. Not only did we get to find out that we are having a boy, but we also got to see things like the spine and the position of the baby, and we could even count all the little fingers and toes! It was incredible to see how much he has grown, and to see all the details of our little miracle. I have posted the 3D photo that the ultrasound technician gave us so that you can see the face of our little boy. :)

We have been asked if we knew it was a boy, or had a hunch...we both actually did have a gut feeling that peanut was a boy peanut! We were just waiting for the confirmation from the ultrasound.

We have picked out names ... but you will have to wait for March to hear what name peanut will have! :)

19 Week Update

We are almost at the halfway mark! We updated the pictures on the left and are anxiously awaiting our next ultrasound where we can see the baby again. After that, we'll begin the process of planning the nursery and picking out items for baby!

We are also anxiously awaiting another mini-getaway - this time to the mountains! We didn't plan any vacations this year...and then decided we should getaway while the getting's good! We are looking forward to spending some time relaxing in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains and just enjoying time away together.

Week 18

We had our doctor's appointment this week and all is well! The baby's heartbeat is still strong and I am doing well. The ultrasound is scheduled for mid-October, so we will (we hope...) know soon whether we are Team Pink or Team Blue!

Keith and I also enjoyed a vacation to the beach for our wedding anniversary. We had a great time and got to see the sunrise each morning from our balcony overlooking the ocean! The pictures I posted are from the hotel balcony. It was so hard to leave and come back to reality...and work! ;)

On an even better note, we felt the baby move! It was the first time I felt a distinct movement that was unlike anything I'd felt before, and Keith was even able to feel a little nudge from baby. It was great that we were together for baby's first "hello!"

Week 16

Well, tomorrow we will be 16 weeks along! I can't believe how fast the time is passing. At first, it felt like March was so far away, but now I am amazed at how it's already Fall. Soon we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with our friends and family...and then our little peanut will arrive!

Keith has moved the guest bed into the bonus room, so we are slowly getting ready to make a nursery! Our next appointment at the doctor is Oct 7.

I have just a few more weddings to do this year, and then, of course, Christmas portrait season! My travel with my full-time job has slowed a bit for now, but will ramp up again in October and November.

Keith and I are looking forward to a much-needed vacation this Fall - we are planning to visit the beach and the mountains, and just relax and enjoy the idea of becoming parents!

Otherwise, things are going well. I am thinking of writing a "Top Ten Things No One Tells You About the First Trimester" because there is so much that the books say...and so much that they leave out! For example, who knew that your bellybutton could actually hurt!? :)

Welcome!

Welcome, friends and family, to our little peanut's blog. We are hoping to post updates from doctor's appointments and photos as my stomach grows with the baby. The due date is March 12, 2009, and we are so excited.

Up until now, it's been a whirlwind of getting the news, going to the doctor, waiting to share the news, going to the doctor some more, and then finally sharing the good news with each of you! We are excited that we can now share our joy with you, and are looking forward to the little one's arrival.

I am about 15 weeks along today, and our next appointment will be in early October. We will find out in mid- to late-October whether peanut is a boy or a girl!

Stay tuned...

Lisa and Keith