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).

Taking it Easy!

We're happy to report that everything is going really well! Sarah has been officially resting for ten days, and is so far only a *little* stir crazy. She's been keeping herself busy with books, movies, and craft projects - the latest of which is making sock monkeys for the baby. She's also spent a lot of time researching baby "stuff" online. For those of you who have asked, we have taken advantage of Sarah's free time to finish our registry, and included a link in the left-hand column of the blog page. What a process... who knew that there were so many baby items out there? We've decided on a monkey theme and a color scheme of baby blue and walnut. Even though we're months away, it seems as though July is fast approaching. There are so many preparations to make before the little man arrives, and we are loving every minute of it!

If we learn anything new at our next doctor's appointment on Monday we'll post another update. We don't expect to get any real news until our 30-week ultrasound on May 13th. We'll probably be given the date of our scheduled C-section shortly after that appointment, which will help everyone who wants to make travel plans!

Mommy Update:
- Always game for any good book or movie recommendations, as she has a ton of time on her hands to fill now!
- Slowly slipping into Ryan's nocturnal schedule since she doesn't need to wake up early, but still far from going to bed at 6am!
- Is lucky to have such a great family and group of friends that are visiting, emailing, calling, and sending goodies her way!
- Will be tackling a knitting project next, hopefully ending up with a hat and booties set for when we bring the baby home!

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!