Baby Notch: The Sequel

Finally! After what seems like forever (but was really just a little over a year), Ryan and I can happily announce that we're expecting another baby! We've had so much support throughout our journey, and want to officially thank everyone who was there for us through all of the ups and downs - especially the downs.
We love you!

Quick preggie stats:

- At just about 12 weeks, I am already showing! Big time! At three months now, I look like I did at four or five months with Ethan.
- I'm super sick. Ryan says that I was this sick with Ethan, and thinks I blocked those memories out. I maintain that this time around is worse. Either way, no fun.
- I'm also super tired. In addition to the pregnancy fatigue, I'm working full-time, going to grad school full-time, and chasing after a toddler. I'm usually asleep before the sun goes down.
- Notice that "being a wife" is not on the list of things I'm tackling above. Poor Ryan has to pull his weight and mine around here. Cooking? Forget it. Grocery shopping? I can't stand the look/smell of food. Cleaning? Ha! Best. Husband. Ever.
- We do want to find out the gender, but won't be able to until July 27th. Just like last time, we'll tell you if the baby is a boy or a girl, but will be keeping the name a secret.
- Our due date is December 15th, but since we'll be having a repeat C-section, we'll likely get to meet this little one a week earlier.
- Ethan does not yet know that his world will soon be turned upside down. We've started talking more about babies around here, but he has no idea what he's in for.

Come to think of it, Ryan and I don't have any idea what we're in for, either! From jealousy issues with the firstborn to how to manage two kiddos at one time... anyone with good 2nd baby tips is welcome to send them our way!

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.

Monkeying Around

We had another doctor's appointment today, and the baby once again earned a great report! Each time we go in, the doctor comments on how active he is and how his heartbeat is really strong. We're so thankful that he's healthy and growing right on track. Our next ultrasound will be on May 13th, and we're counting the days until we get to see him again!

After our doctor's appointment, we took a tour of the Birth Center at the hospital. We are so lucky to live about a mile away from the only state-designated Level III infant trauma center in our area. If this little guy does arrive early, our hospital is the best possible place he could be! If the baby ends up in the NICU, there are video phones that the parents have access to from the postpartum rooms that allow them to see the baby with the touch of a button. We learned that all of the rooms are private, with state of the art features and amenities including a flat screen TV, large wraparound balcony, and a huge master bathroom. We thought we'd pass the "babies in a box" section of the hospital and get a good peek at all of the little newborns. This, however, was the only feature completely missing from our hospital. We were thrilled to learn that instead of being kept in a nursery, the baby stays in the mother's room! Especially considering that our recovery period in the hospital will be be a bit longer due to the C-section, we're glad that the baby will be with us instead of behind a pane of glass!

We're in between preggie photo shoots, so we thought we'd post a silly picture of Sarah's latest completed "bed rest project." Since our nursery colors are baby blue and brown, Sarah thought it would be fun to make a blue and brown sock monkey for the baby.


Mommy Update:
- Can't wait to spend some quality sister time with Aunt Mary when she arrives on May 1st for a visit!
- Thinking a lot about her Pa-Pa, and can't wait to share all of her memories of him with the baby.
- Waiting for the perfect pool day to lounge with a good book in her new maternity bathing suit!
- Feels like everything is more "real" now that she's had the behind the scenes tour of the hospital.

Still Resting!

As expected, no big news from our last appointment. Everything looks great with both baby and Mommy! Sarah has officially stopped looking at the scale when she weighs in, and the nurse is kind enough not to announce the numbers aloud, which is much appreciated! We've received a few questions regarding the C-section since our last posting. The need for the C-section is due to the previa, which makes a natural birth impossible. There is always the chance that the previa will resolve itself, but with the degree to which Sarah has the condition it's quite unlikely. That said, the doctors will hold off on scheduling the C-section until after the 30-week ultrasound, just in case we fall in that lucky small percentile. We're keeping our fingers crossed, but are okay with whatever the outcome needs to be - all we want is a healthy little boy!

A few days ago, Sarah saw a bump sticking up by her belly button (or what is left of her belly button). When she pushed on it to investigate, she felt it move away. We're guessing that it was a little baby foot, arm, or elbow. We're now anxiously awaiting another opportunity to "feel" the baby, and are amazed by each and every exciting new experience we have with the pregnancy!

Mommy Update:
- Looking forward to the next round of belly pics this weekend, and is anticipating how much bigger she will look this month.
- Is finally realizing that she's not just home on vacation, since all of her teacher friends have returned to work from Spring Break.
- Has developed an obsession with frozen yogurt, and thanks Ingrid for being her Yogurt Castle partner whenever she visits.
- Has started "nesting," and feels the need to reorganize every closet in the apartment (Ryan will be doing all of the lifting, lucky guy).

Look at that Belly Grow!

Our month five preggie photo shoot revealed an even BIGGER belly than last time... not sure why it's so shocking to see the expansion every month, but it is! Here are the shots from months three, four, and five, composited together so you can compare how much has changed!





We had a doctor's appointment yesterday to review the results of our 20-week ultrasound. The baby looks AMAZING and is growing perfectly in every way! Unfortunately, there's a bit of a complication for Sarah, called placenta previa. Due to the risks associated with this condition, the doctor ordered her to immediate bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy - working, traveling, and even taking the dog for a walk around the block are all off limits. It's certainly not the original plan that we had in mind, but if this is what we need to do to give our baby boy the best chance of a healthy delivery, so be it! The doctor said that he runs into this condition every two or three years, and in each of his cases if the mothers held to the recommendations of significantly limited activity, everything ended up as a happily ever after! We'll keep everyone posted as we learn more.

Mommy Update:
- Feeling a bit nervous about the placenta previa, but following the doctor's orders to the letter with the support of her incredible husband!
- Can't help but be uplifted every time she feels her strong little boy kicking... he even woke her up the other morning with all of his movement!
- Excited that Aunt Mary will be coming out for a visit in May, and can't wait to see everyone else and share in this experience with them!
- So grateful for all of the support, encouragement, and optimism from everyone... it really does a gal good when she is surrounded by such positive, caring people!

Latest Pics of Baby Boy!

As promised, here are the latest ultrasound pictures! The appointment took a long time, as the doctor measured everything from the ventricles of his heart to the bones in his arm. One of our favorite pictures is this one, where the little man gave us the "thumbs up" sign:



He was moving around a lot, and as mentioned in the last post not interested in posing for pictures! While it's not as clear as the last round, here's the best of the profile shots:



The latest round of belly pictures will be shot tonight and added in the next few days. We also wanted to thank everyone for joining us on this journey - we can't tell you how much all of your excitement and enthusiasm means. Our son will be born into a world full of people that love him, and we are forever grateful to all of you for that!

It's a BOY!!!

Very exciting news today - we learned that we will welcome a baby boy in July! The doctor's visit went really well, and our little man looks fantastic! We learned that he is camera shy, though... every time the doctor attempted to get a good profile shot he would turn his head away. Ryan will break him of that habit soon enough after he is born! He was also positioned in such a way that most of his body fell in a shadow, so the ultrasound pictures aren't great this time. We'll be sure to post the best of the bunch within the next few days!

Mommy Update:
- Getting bigger every day, feeling well, and enjoying the second trimester much more than the first!
- Excited to add one more male to her house full of boys (she's already outnumbered by Ryan and Max)!
- Feeling lots of kicks and movement lately, and looking forward to when Ryan will be able to feel them, too!
- Finding that those famous San Francisco hills are getting harder and harder to climb!

Boy or Girl?

No, we don't know yet... but March 5th is just around the corner! Our next post will probably be the big gender reveal! Until then, we are happily taking predictions, but refusing to speculate ourselves. We had another fantastic report from our doctor today - the heartbeat sounds great, weight gain is right on track, and belly measurements look good. We took round two of the belly portraits last night - it was kind of shocking to see the amount of growth that has taken place in just a few short weeks!







Sarah at four months - and she thought she was big last month!
















Yeah, we're probably going to have to buy new jeans for next month's photo shoot...







Mommy Update:
- Getting used to being told, "You're big for four months!" right after she hears, "You're small for four months!" from someone else... everyone's an expert!
- Feeling GREAT! No more morning sickness, and all of the current symptoms are sooooo minor compared to that!
- Can't wait to feel the little one kick and stretch - also super excited about finding out the gender in a few weeks!
- Has picked up a new habit in preparation for her upcoming role as a mother: she cooks real, microwave-free meals on a regular basis now!

Yes, Sir, That's Our Baby!

Fantastic news!!! Our test results came back, and the baby is in the lowest risk category (1 in 10,000) for genetic defects! We are so happy and relieved!

Everything is on track and progressing nicely! As promised, here's the latest ultrasound picture - doesn't the baby look like an actual baby now?




You can see the baby's profile, with the little fist balled up next to the mouth. It's already trying to suck its thumb! The legs fade back into the darkness, but we verified - they're there! During the ultrasound, the little one was super active, and kept flipping around the wrong way. A few gentle taps on Mommy's belly guided it to flip back over - we were shocked that it was responding to touch! It also kept opening and closing its mouth, kicking its feet, and moving its arms. The skin is so translucent at this point that we could see the full spinal cord. It's still small, measuring at about 3.5 inches from crown to rump (not head to toes, as I originally thought - they don't even attempt to measure those active little legs!). It was incredible to learn that all major components of the body have been formed already! From now on, the baby's development will consist primarily of organ maturity, growth, and body refinement.

We find out the gender on March 5th. Those who are willing to put their guess on the table are generally saying boy... which means it has as much, if not more of a chance of being a girl! :) Our next appointment is on February 11th, which will be about the same time as round two of the belly pics. That's also about when we may first be able to feel the baby moving! So exciting!

Mommy Update:
- Happy to have the all clear from the doctor to use the foot massager Grandpa and Grandma Emerson sent for Christmas!
- Excited about the baby presents from Aunt Kelly, especially the dog sound desensitization CD to get Max used to hearing baby cries!
- Wondering if she should load the sound desensitization CD into her iPod so that she can get used to hearing baby cries!
- Has gained only 3 to 5 pounds (depending on the day she steps on the scale), and wonders how that is possible with her new body shape!

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to everyone for sending your congratulations and well wishes! We hope you're having a very happy holiday season, and send our love to all!

We had our second ultrasound today, and were shocked by all of the changes! The baby's arms and legs were moving around, which we didn't see during the last visit! Also, the umbilical cord is now visible, and we could even make out fingers and some emerging facial features! Goodbye blob, hello baby! Unfortunately, the doctor didn't freeze-frame the ultrasound at a good angle, so all of these exciting differences are not visible in our picture. Our next appointment is in four weeks, so we'll wait until then to upload another ultrasound. Ryan will also be shooting the first installment of the belly portraits soon!

Mommy Update:
- Still feeling all typical symptoms and driving Ryan batty with the frequency of Mexican food requests
- Super sniffer spreading holiday cheer as Christmas tree can be smelled from all rooms of the apartment (yay!)
- Happy to be on vacation and able to spend time resting on the couch in comfy PJ pants

Here's Looking at You, Kid!

We are overjoyed to announce that a new member of our family will arrive in July 2008! We will be documenting the experience through postings and pictures, and invite you to share in our journey! Let the countdown begin!

We had our first ultrasound on December 12th. It was the most amazing thing! Our little one has a strong heartbeat, and though it doesn't look like much yet, everything looks great so far! In case you can't make heads or tails of what you're seeing, the little legs are at the top, and the baby is in (surprise, surprise) the fetal position!

Mommy Update:

-Not really showing yet, but developing a nice layer of cushioning that makes fitting into certain pants a bit tricky!

-Has developed a super sense of smell and consequently a strict anti-air freshener policy - also avoiding certain aisles in the supermarket!

-Nauseous, tired, and hungry all the time (a wonderful sign, according to Grandpa Pete!)

-Currently craving Mexican food, yogurt, and bananas