We're Moving!

No, your eyes do not deceive you - we've decided to move in Sarah's ninth month of pregnancy! The lease on our current apartment is up soon and the rent was raised to much more than we are willing to pay. We've been in our one-bedroom, 600 square foot apartment for the past several years, and the increased rent on top of the baby's fast approaching arrival was the push we needed to search for a bigger place. We tackled this task with a bit of sadness, however, as we really love the location of where we live now. Lucky for us, we found the perfect solution! We will be moving into a townhouse that is twice the size and located practically next door to us. We'll have two bedrooms, tons of storage space, and even a backyard complete with a doggie door for Mr. Max! While the timing isn't great considering that Sarah can't lift any boxes, it will be well worth it in the end. We can't wait to get everything set up in our new home, hopefully in time for the arrival of both the baby and the grandparents. We'll post a few pictures once everything is moved in, but for now here's a sneak peak of our new abode:


Our official move-in date is June 7th, and we're simultaneously counting the days and dreading the chaos. With so many benefits to moving, however, we're willing to deal with the madness!

Mommy Update:
- Super excited about the fact that she'll have a washer and dryer now... bye bye, laundromats!
- While getting more uncomfortable as the weeks go on, still enjoys every minute of this experience.
- Is happy to have the doctor's clearance to swim now, especially with the hot days we've been having!
- Can't wait to take advantage of her longer leash and venture out beyond a five mile radius of the hospital.

Baby Notch Goes High-Def!

Well, it's not quite high-def, but it's definitely better than our previous images! We had our 4-D ultrasound today and were quite pleased with the results. The baby had his arm in front of half of his face the entire time and was holding on to his foot. He was playing with his toes and having a grand old time - it was really interesting to watch and get a glimpse of his personality!

Here's a quick clip of the baby moving around and yawning:



We received a ton of still images as well. It was hard to choose which one to post! Here's a shot of baby boy's favorite toy - his foot!


More news to come soon!

Defying the Odds!

We had our 30-week ultrasound yesterday and received some fantastic news. The placenta previa has completely resolved itself and is no longer a factor in our pregnancy! The odds were so stacked against this happening, only a 3 - 5% chance, that we were quite shocked. In addition to a significant decrease in the risks to Sarah and baby's health, the news also means that we no longer need a C-section. Guess we'll need to sign up for childbirth classes after all!

The baby currently weighs about three and a half pounds, and apparently has a head full of hair already. As with our 20-week ultrasound, we did not get fantastic images, but the one below is our favorite. The perspective is looking up at his face, as he shields his eyes with his hand. You can see his nostrils and little mouth, post yawn.


Since we've been somewhat disappointed with our first baby pictures, we decided to make an appointment for a 4-D ultrasound. We'll be going in on Tuesday and are looking forward to catching a better glimpse of baby boy! We can't wait to *hopefully* get some good pictures that don't need as much explanation. We'll be sure to post them soon after our appointment, so be on the lookout for another blog entry soon!

Mommy Update:
- No C-section? Woo hoo! Wait a minute... natural childbirth? Uh-oh!
- A bit scared, but excited about the labor and delivery experience.
- After ten weeks of bed rest and worry, so relieved that all is well!
- Getting lots of attention from Max... he knows something's up.

Lots of Excitement! - Part Two

Our last doctor's appointment was full of lots of new experiences and information. After getting Sarah's vitals, the doctor turned to Ryan and offered a challenge. "Come on, Daddy, let's see if you can find your baby," he remarked, and handed Ryan the Doppler. Ryan quickly and skillfully located the baby's heartbeat, and we quietly listened to it together for about a minute. It was a great moment for both of us!

We'll visit the Perinatal Specialist on Tuesday for our 30-week ultrasound. We're so excited to see our little boy again, and can't wait to find out how much he has grown! The ultrasound will also check for whether or not the placenta previa is still present. Our doctor says that there is only about a 5% chance that the condition has resolved itself, so while we're hopeful, we're remaining realistic and preparing ourselves for the news that it is still a factor in our pregnancy.

At our next doctor's appointment on May 22nd, we will be scheduling the C-section. We were excited to learn at our last appointment that we'll get to choose the baby's birthday. We had assumed that the date of the procedure was strictly up to our doctor. We'll keep everyone posted once we finalize the date. Of course, the baby could disagree with our choice and decide to arrive early... with as active as he is we have a feeling that he's quite the independent spirit!

We also recently shot the seven month preggie belly photos. Once again, Sarah was astounded by how much she has grown in just four short weeks! The latest pics are below - click on the images to view them in a larger size.

Months three through seven... what an incredible journey so far!
*A special note for the Redskins fan family members in Washington D.C. - don't worry, those are not Dallas Cowboys booties!

Mommy Update:
- Absolutely overwhelmed by the baby shower surprise and finding it impossible to express her gratitude in words!
- Loved seeing Mary, Daddy, and Cheryl, and can't wait to have both families together in July.
- Feeling huge and awkward, and getting used to her new nicknames (Orca, Big Mama, etc.)... all in good fun!
- Counting the days (about two months!!!) until she gets to see her little man's sweet face for the first time.

Lots of Excitement! - Part One

Compared to all of our inactivity over the last two months, the past few weeks have been an absolute whirlwind! So much has happened, in fact, that we'll be posting a part two to this update in the next few days.

We had some very important guests in town recently. Sarah's sister, Mary, flew in for a visit on Thursday. About a week before her arrival, Sarah's dad and stepmom, Cheryl, decided to fly out for a visit and arrived a day after Mary! It was so great to see them and to have the opportunity to show them how much Sarah has grown. Mary was able to feel a baby kick for the first time, and spent a good part of her visit with one hand glued to Sarah's belly. Luckily for Max, she had a free hand left to give him lots of pets and cuddles!



Just when Sarah thought that things couldn't get any more exciting, she was surprised with an incredible baby shower on Saturday! She was blindfolded and driven to a secret location (which was still very close to the hospital, just in case). While the paparazzi, AKA Ryan, was snapping pictures, Sarah's dad and sister led her up the path to the site.



When the blindfold was removed, Sarah found herself standing in the middle of Castle Rock Park, surrounded by a ton of friends in a beautifully decorated picnic area! It was quite overwhelming, and a lot to take in all at once - she was very surprised and happy to see her friends and loved ones!



Sarah was so wrapped up in processing the experience that she almost missed two VIP surprise guests. Candace and Leslie, two fantastic friends from Los Angeles, were tucked away in the crowd and seeing them brought Sarah to tears. As it turns out, Candace and Leslie have been in cahoots with Ryan and Ingrid since January planning this whole shindig. It has been a few years since we've seen the two of them, so it made the day extra special!



As with any good party, we had a few uninvited guests show up. Shortly after the festivities got underway, our friend Jessica spotted a rattlesnake slithering toward our tables. Thankfully, a ranger was on hand to capture and relocate the snake to a better environment. It was super exciting for everyone, and a crowd of people with cameras soon formed around the reptilian rascal.



Not long after, another rattler was spotted on the trail about ten yards away! Almost as if to round out our critter experience, a few coyotes appeared on the hillside behind us. Luckily for us though, they were not enticed by the wonderful smells coming from our buffet spread, and stayed out of our way. We continued our eating, drinking, and merry making uninterrupted by any more crashers for the duration of the party.



We received some incredible gifts, and are so thankful for everyone's kindness and generosity! The best gift of all was to be able to spend such a wonderful day with people that we care so much about. This is definitely a day that we will remember forever!



Stay tuned for Part Two, which will include updates from our latest doctor's appointments and month seven preggie belly photos!

To be continued...