Pop! Goes my belly!

Well, I think I have officially “popped”. I noticed this morning how wide I am getting! Ugh. It’s depressing. Even when I know it’s a good thing, and that means I’m healthy, it’s still hard to look in the mirror and see such a wide silhouette! My friend Carla, who had her baby last week, returned my maternity clothes she had borrowed yesterday and it couldn’t have been better timing! I was running out of options (and getting tired of wearing the few things that did fit)! I got a new pair of jeans Friday at Gap in Little Rock and I have already worn them 3 times! They are comfy, and look nice which is fabulous!! I like that I am starting to look visibly pregnant, and not like I just put a little weight on! Maybe people will stop giving me judgmental looks when they see me clean my plate!!

And even though I look fabulous [haha- yeah, not so much] and seem to be feeling pretty good, I still failed the one hour glucose test. I got the call Tuesday morning. I was hopeful that I’d pass this time, since I passed the initial one I had a few months ago, but it looks like I may be on the road to a diagnosis of gestational diabetes again. Ugh. So I have another 3 hour glucose test on Monday. I was lucky that my Dr. in Little Rock arranged for me to have the 3 hour test here in Jonesboro! That would have been one long day if I had to go to LR for it!! I’ll have to go in “fasting” -no food or drink after midnight Sunday, and they’ll give me some more yummy [not so much] stuff to drink, and then they’ll draw blood after one hour, two hours, and three hours. I’m not at all hopeful that I’ll pass this one. I knew the chance was really high for me to have it again from the start, so I might as well just get over it and start to deal with it. My guess is that if I fail this one, they will send me to a nutritionist , like before and I’ll just be put on a diet of very little carbs and sugar and have to check my blood sugar 4 times a day. We’ll see though, who knows. As long as I don’t have to give myself shots of insulin all the time, I’ll be ok!

So, we’re having a girl. {breathe in. . . .breathe out. . . } It’s starting to sink in. And so far I have remained pretty calm about it. I have ordered a few things for her but all in all I am keeping my composure. . . for now!  I ordered this diaper clutch, bib and burp cloth set on etsy.com yesterday, I think I will get them monogrammed when they come in, but HOW CUTE are they?! You know I love me some pink and green!!!

Update on a name. . .she’s still Fred. Actually now it’s “Fiddle Fred”, according to Stratton. When we ask him what he wants to name the baby he’ll say “it’s Fiddle Fred, ok?!”. Not okay. We’ve narrowed it down to three names. Maybe we’ll figure it out soon! It’s just so hard!!

Stratton is going to spend the weekend with my parent’s and Jarrod and I are planning on finishing up the Target registry and if I feel up to it, going to Memphis tomorrow to do a little shopping, and eating! Then we’ll go to HR on Sunday afternoon for my uncle’s bday lunch and pick to Stratton up. I am hoping the weather stays nice and cool like it is today! It’s wonderful!! I’m not ready for summer!

Archer’s Birthday Party

I can’t believe he’s already 2?! It just doesn’t seem possible! Jennifer and Daniel had the ENTIRE family out to celebrate! Jennifer did such an awesome job with the decorations, Mickey Mouse Club house themed! And the cake was adorable!! I wish I had gotten a  picture of it to share with you, it was so cute. We had a great time! Stratton had loads of fun! I had my small camera and it didn’t take any good pictures in the house- bummer.

We tried to get a shot of all the “great” grands with Memaw, but you know how that goes!

Landon, Avery, Kylie, Archer & Stratton!

Poor Archer! He looks miserable! And you gotta love his boots! He got those from his other aunt for his bday and immediately had to put them on! So cute! Notice my child- again with no shoes!

2 of us taking pictures and 2 trying to keep the kids attention! And a lot of spectators laughing!

After a lot of people had left, we sat outside on their back porch (no bugs!) Anyway the boys had a couple of balls they were throwing and chasing, and getting quite hot and sweaty! First they both shed their shirts, then Archer started pulling off his pants, and of course Stratton had to do it too! But he’s a lot faster than Archer as you can see! And about 2 seconds after I snapped this picture he decided to pull down his undies as well! I couldn’t get a picture of that, as we were all laughing so hard we were crying?! I mean we were out in the county, but really?! He is such a mess! And apparently Archer and Stratton already have a secret language. They just jabber and “talk” to each other, but it makes no sense to any of us?! Silly boys!

A Full Friday!

After the doctor's appointment we took Stratton to All Aboard for lunch. He loved it!

After lunch we went to the mall for a couple of hours and did some shopping. Stratton took a short nap in the stroller. I even bought baby girl a fabulous frilly dress for next spring!

 

We had a "double doozie" cookie break, finished up our shopping  at the mall and headed for Gene Lockwoods. We got Stratton the cutest pair of Chaco's! I just love Gene Lockwoods! I refrained from buying the itty bitty Toms. . .this time anyway! Next stop was Gander Mountain before meeting up with Jarrod's parents and Jennifer, Daniel and Archer for dinner. Then we all went back to Terry and Margie's house so Margie could open her Mother's day gifts (finally!). The boys played for awhile before Jen and Daniel took Archer home. It was such a fun (and- whew!-Full) day. I was exhausted!! I think I went to bed around 10pm? Even though I was tired, it was still hard to relax from the day's excitement!

It's a GIRL?!!

Our 24 week appointment: We got right in at the Dr.'s office. I knew I was scheduled to have my glucose test, so I asked the nurse if she could get my yummy glu-cola drink so that we wouldn't have to be there any longer than necessary! With Stratton, you just never know. . .So I chugged the drink and then we went in for our ultrasound. The tech was super nice, we had never had her before so we filled her in on the past few appointments, and the past ultrasound problems. . . .no pressure! Luckily she found what exactly what she needed to to tell us the news we'd been waiting so long to hear!! And wow! I was shocked! I was mostly shocked because the baby was in the perfect position to see the "money shot" and the tech had no problem with seeing everything she needed. But the second shock was the news that we are for sure- 100% having a girl!!

Everything looked great! Her hb was at 144, and she weighs about 1 lb 5 oz!  She's right on track! I am also doing pretty good. I've gained 6 lbs since my last check-up which brings the grand total to 13 lbs. I did my glucose test and they should have those results in the next couple of days. If I do fail, I will have to go back for a 3 hour test, but hopefully we won't have to cross that bridge!

We are excited, but I don't think Stratton is very happy. But I think he'll come around! He did tell us right after the u/s that he would love on her, so I think we'll be ok. But when we got back into the car and called my mom and dad he wouldn't talk to them and tell them the news. I think he was in denial for awhile!! 

Pregnancy Stats:
How Far Along: 24 weeks
Size of baby: About the size of an cantaloupe, 
Gender: It's a GIRL!! Finally we know!!
Movement: She is rockin' and rolling in there!
Sleep: Maybe getting a little better, but I think that's because I'm so tired at the end of the day!
Cravings:Cravings have slacked off a bit, but I'm still really hungry most of the time!
Symptoms: Leg Cramps and other cramps, backaches, and allergies!
Best Moment This Week: Finally getting to find out the gender!!

Pictures from last weekend. . .

We've been gone so much and also have been re-arranging the "office" to make that room into the baby's room. . . that I've just now downloaded pictures from my camera!

Laney's birthday party last Friday night:

 

 

Our visit with Matt, Carla and baby Sawyer:

Will tomorrow finally be the day??

We are cautiously excited about tomorrow- MAYBE we will finally find out what this baby is!! I’m trying not to get my hopes up again. Being disappointed twice already has made me skeptical. And if we don’t find out this time, I’m afraid by my next appointment the baby will be too big to really tell! You know it gets kinda cramped in there! Please say a prayer for us! I am dying to know! It’s driving me crazy!! And I also have another glucose test, so please also say a little prayer that I pass! I am optimistic about it, since I feel so good. . .but as Jarrod {so kindly} reminded me, I felt good when I was pregnant with Stratton and took the test and failed. . .thanks honey. My appointment is at 9:30 in the morning so since Jarrod is already in Little Rock this week, Stratton and I are heading to Searcy tonight and going to stay with Jarrod’s parent’s, leaving their house at 8:30 am is WAY better than us leaving ours at 7:00 am!!

Here is Stratton holding his pretend “baby” which he named Sawyer! Haha! The funniest thing about it is he told me to hold the baby, but when I did he said I was making it mad and to give it back! Haha!! What a funny boy!

We have had a busy/crazy week this past week . . .I’m exhausted!! But more on that later. And I have some really cute pictures from Laney’s bday party last Saturday and from our visit with Matt and Carla and their new baby Sawyer on Sunday. But I still need to get the pics off my camera!

We are looking forward to a busy weekend in Searcy! We will be doing Mother’s day dinner with Margie & Archer’s 2nd birthday! I’m sure I’ll have some cute pics of Stratton and Archer- they are a mess when they get together!!

Never a dull moment

Jarrod has been looking for a gun safe since we moved to Jonesboro, but hasn’t been able to find what he was looking for at the price he wanted to pay. . .isn’t that always the story? Anyway he came across one yesterday at Orscheln’s Farm store in Paragould, so after work we went to pick it up. Stratton loves any sort of farm supply store. He likes TSC and asks to go all the time. He of course likes that they have a ton of John Deere toys/tractors, ect. . Last night he got to take home a set of monster trucks. That’s his current new favorite thing. His favorite things to play or play with seem to go in phases- Tractors/Monster Trucks/Baseball and Football. . . He also picked out a little plastic snow owl from the Schleich animal display. There were every kind of animal you could think of- cows, horses, all sorts of farm animals and then just about any and every animal you would see at the zoo. What does my kid pick? A creepy looking owl sitting on a branch?! And it was $7!! Strange kid. I think we lost before we even got home. Oh well.

One funny thing he said about the owl, was when I asked him what an owl eats. . .Jarrod suggested worms? “Nooo!” he said “birds eat worms, owls eat porcu-noes!”.(prounouced ‘pork-you-knows’) I don’t know if he was trying to say porcupines? And if so, what in the world?! Then we asked him where porcunoe’s live and he said “the farm- there are some on Pops’ farm!” Hmmm. . .I have going to have to ask my dad about that!

After we picked up the safe we ran to Lenny’s and got a sandwich then headed home. Our friend Matt came over and helped Jarrod unload and unbox the new safe. Stratton liked playing in the box (of course) and we told him he could just sleep in it outside- guess what? He was totally ok with that?! Silly boy?! Matt was calling him a hobo since he didn’t have shoes on (he is always barefoot) so the box home fits him! After playing in the box he was filthy! His feet were black. I can’t get over how dirty he can get?! Sometimes when I pick him up at school he looks like he has rolled in the dirt- which from what some of his teachers tell me sometimes isn’t too far from the truth. One day they told him he was sitting at the bottom of the slide raking pea-gravel in his shorts? If he wears anything with pockets you can bet he’s going to come home with rocks in them. Boys?!

Stratton the hobo. . .

Popping the bubble wrap

He demonstrated how he could sleep in his new home. . .

The new safe in the garage

I can’t believe we’ve been back from vacation for a week now. Things are busy for both Jarrod and I at work, and we have something going on every weekend for the next several weeks, plus our friends Matt and Carla will be having their baby (she’s being induced)on Friday! We are also looking forward to next Friday (the 25th) when I go back to the doctor. I am anxious to get another ultrasound! By this time in my first pregnancy we had a name picked out and I think we even had announcements ready to mail?!!! Stratton is doing fantastic with his potty training. He is no longer wearing pull-ups to bed and has been doing great!

He hasn’t said much about the baby lately. Last week on vacation, when we were talking about it maybe being a girl (we try to talk about it and prepare him!), I asked him “What are you going to do if it is a girl?” His response? “I’m gonna throw her in the trash can!”. Then he laughed. And he told my mom the same thing, so he wasn’t just being silly. Hmmm. . . .well we might have some work to do!

Another funny thing he said to me this morning. . .my stomach growled while we were sitting in the chair watching the Disney Channel while he was drinking his chocolate milk, I said “did you hear my stomach growl?!” He said “Mommy, that’s the new baby tooting!!”.

Where in the world does he come up with this stuff?!