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...

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.

We Have the Greatest Friends!

Just a quick post to thank some of our friends who have been able to come out to visit lately. Being so far away from home, we're really lucky to have a great group of friends that have become like family to us! Thanks for keeping us company while Sarah's all cooped up in the apartment. You're the best!








Sarah with Megan



















Thanks for the stroller, Nelson!!!










Sarah with Allison, MacKay, Nelson, and Ingrid

Six Months Down!

We began our seventh month of this adventure with another good report from our doctor's visit today. Our doctor had one other patient with complete placenta previa, but she found out at a recent ultrasound that her condition has resolved and everything has returned to normal! Since that is so rare, it was comforting to hear and it gives us hope of the possibility that we could have the same outcome.

The baby was very active during our six-month photo shoot last night. Ryan could even see him kicking from across the room behind the lens! We're happy that our little man is so strong, and that we get a daily reminder between doctor's appointments that he's doing really well.

*Click on the images if you would like to view them in a larger size*

Since the belly is getting so big now, we took a few extra pictures for fun in addition to our usuals. Here's one of our favorites:


Mommy Update:
- Was happy to have Megan over for dinner and is looking forward to a visit from Nelson, Allison, Ingrid, and MacKay this weekend!
- Was shocked to learn that her uterus is now the size of a soccer ball and that it has completely displaced her stomach.
- Is only mildly uncomfortable now, but is hanging on to her hat as she hears the road will get bumpier in the third trimester.
- Is having trouble thinking of new updates since she spends most of her time on the couch... but sometimes no news is good news!

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).