Week 33

Christmas 2010 was a blast. Noelle received far too many gifts and I ate far too many Christmas treats, but it was wonderful. We spent Christmas Eve with the Gardner and Wild clans and then Christmas Day with the Mayfield's and Buchanan's. I was reminded how absolutely blessed we are to have all of the family so close. Noelle and her brother get to grow up with their Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins which is something neither Aaron or I got the chance to do.

I've definitely started my nesting stage. The Christmas decorations are put away until next year and now it's very much starting to hit me that baby boy is coming soon! His room is pretty much done - but there is SO much that is needed for his arrival. I'm sure I'll feel more prepared after my shower next Saturday. Something that I wish was not apart of the nesting phase is the overwhelming need to organize everything. Other than that things are going well. :)

How far along? 33 weeks

Weight gain? +18 pounds total.

Sleep? I've been very tired around 8:30pm every night - unfortunately I don't get to sleep that early but I am getting a good nights rest. Noelle faithfully wakes up at 7:30am every morning.

Best moment this week? Spending time with my little family. Aaron, Noelle and I have been having a fun time with each other during his time off.

Food cravings? Hearty comfort food.

What I miss. I have to say I'm pretty content this week with being pregnant.

What I'm looking forward to. I'm looking forward to my shower on January 8th and getting everything ready for our little boy.

31 Weeks

We had an appointment with Dr. T yesterday and it didn't exactly go as planned. Dr. T had to go to an emergency c-section so we were delayed 30 minutes....then were told he wasn't going to make it back at all.

So we stayed to see the other doctor in the office. An hour and a half later I was being examined and everything looks great. Baby is measuring right on schedule and his heartbeat was 143. I asked if he could tell what position baby is in and after some tugging and pushing the answer was no. But to our excitement we were taken back to the ultrasound room to check him out. He's head down and definitely a boy! It was so fun to see him wiggling around in there.

How far along? 31 weeks, 4 days

Weight gain? +18 pounds total. Not happy about this. I vowed to start walking everyday and of course we are expecting rain for the next 5 days. Maybe I'll use the Wii Fit for once.

Sleep? Between Noelle refusing to stay in her room because of her new fear of being alone and Aaron snoring louder than a train, there's not much sleep for me.

Best moment this week? Today is Aaron's last day of work for three weeks! We're blessed to have this family time together. And I just realized that when he goes back to work there will only be 4 weeks until baby is due.

Food cravings? Can't think of anything other than soda - what's new? I think I may have a problem.

What I miss. I'm starting to become short-tempered again - like I was during the first trimester. Hopefully I can keep it under control while Aaron is home. I usually start to loose it when I have too much house work and no help.

What I'm looking forward to. I'm very much looking forward to making memories with my family and friends during the next few weeks.

Baby Bump:

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks

Weight gain? +14 pounds total

Sleep? I'm not getting as much as I'd like but I've been able to take a nap during the day lately which is great!

Best moment this week? Last week my mother-in-law was hospitalized with a blocked artery. It was very scary but the doctor was able to put in a stent and she is at home recovering. We are so thankful the procedure was a success. It was a reminder that life is a gift and truly unpredictable.

Food cravings? Water. I'm thirsty all the time.

What I miss. Having enough energy to do Christmas shopping. I went out from 7pm-10pm last night and was completely exhausted when I got home. Actually I was exhausted at 8pm.

What I'm looking forward to. I'm looking forward to wrapping presents tonight with a cup of hot chocolate and Christmas movies.

Milestones? Only 10 (or so) weeks to go!!

28 weeks

How far along? 28 Weeks (7 months)

Weight gain? +14 pounds total

Sleep? Wishing for more but thankful for what I get.

Best moment this week? Spending Thanksgiving with family. Aaron and I hosted at our home this year which I wouldn't recommend doing at 7 months pregnant. I was exhausted by the end of the day but it turned out great - tons of food and laughs.

Food cravings? Dr. Pepper -- in a can

What I miss. Drinking as much Dr. Pepper as I want

What I'm looking forward to. Everything CHRISTMAS. My favorite time of the year.

Milestones? I'm now in the 7th month and feeling...well huge and uncomfortable...but all around pretty good.

Baby Bump

Monthly Appointment

Well actually now it's the "every 3 weeks" appointment. I got my test results from Dr. T today and found out that I'm anemic again so I'm taking extra Iron pills. Hopefully I'll get more energy and start feeling better in a few days. My diabetes test came back perfect as well as all my blood work to check my thyroid (praise Jesus!).

Baby boy sounded great. I just love hearing his heartbeat. Dr. T always giggles at my huge smile when I get to hear it and let's me listen for a few minutes. With Noelle I had many ultrasounds including two in 3D and with Baby Brother I've only seen him once at the gender reveal and even then we only saw his boy parts - no face, profile, hands, feet, etc. I can't wait to see him and kiss his face!

Baby Naming

Naming a child is not easy for Aaron and I. We always say how jealous we are of people who have had their children's names picked out for years. We over think everything about every name. On our night stands are piles of baby naming books that we read through over and over. Nothing ever stood out for us so we eventually stopped reading them and prayed to have a name epiphany.

We had the name narrowed to two earlier this week and I made the final decision yesterday. We have a winner!!! It's a relief to have his name picked. Now we can start calling him by his name and really getting ready for his arrival. I love the name, always have, and it's the only name I can see myself calling my son. I'll reveal it soon! The second runner up was Coleson. We decided against it because we have a nephew named Cason and it might be hard for my in-laws to have a Cason and Coleson as grandson's.

Comparison Picture

I gained far too much weight when I was pregnant with Noelle. A total of 65 lbs! This is my sister and I on my birthday in 2008. I was about 27 weeks pregnant.


Here I am with Baby Boy at 27 weeks. I feel great!

26 weeks

How far along? 26 weeks

Weight gain? +12

Sleep? Daylight Savings is one of my least favorite things. It's sunny way too early and dark way too early. Nothing about it makes me happy. Noelle wakes up before 7am every day so my quiet morning time has come to an end. Now I jump out of bed when I hear her door open so I can help her make it to the bathroom in time.

Food cravings? I still crave sweets. Aaron, bless his heart, brought me home a box of my favorite Holiday treat - White Chocolate Covered Oreos! YUM! I'm going to need to hide them from myself soon.

What I miss. Medicine. I thought I was starting to feel better but woke up this morning feeling horrible.

What I'm looking forward to. Monday night we started decorating for Christmas. I love everything about Christmas and think the decorations deserve more than just a month. I was hesitant to put them out early this year because Thanksgiving is going to held at our house so I decided to leave out the tree until the day after Thanksgiving.

What I love about being pregnant this week. I love feeling baby boy move around and actually watch him moving in my belly.

Milestones? 3rd Trimester! Baby brother is going to be here soon!

I will be.

My blogger friend, Papps, has this poem up on her blog. She and her husband have been struggling with IF for a long time. It took Aaron and I an entire year (May 09 - May '10) to get pregnant again and although looking back I would not have been ready for a second child when we first started planning, at the time I wanted nothing more. The year was long and tireless. Time went by in 2 week increments. Two weeks until ovulation, then lots of prayer, two weeks until my period started again - repeat 12 times.

My heart broke every month and although I was upset I prayed that God would fulfill our desire to grow our family and trusted that He would. When I finally saw the two pink lines I fell to my knees and thanked Jesus for blessing us yet again.

I WILL BE

There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better.

I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have read more books but because I have struggled and toiled for this child. I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed. I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.
I will notice everything about my child.
I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover.
I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.
I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that I have been given me this insight,
this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see.

Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that I am led to, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured.
I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain.I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed. I have succeeded. I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.
I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life. Yes I will be a wonderful mother.

-Author Unknown

25 weeks!

Goodness this pregnancy is going by fast! We had our monthly appointment on Wednesday and everything is perfect. So much easier than with Noelle. At 25 weeks with her I was hospitalized overnight and was always in pain. This pregnancy is going so much smoother - thank you Jesus!

Baby boy's heartbeat sounded great and he is measuring right on track.

The nursery is coming together nicely. I'm keeping my eyes open for a white dresser but other than that we have all the furniture. I plan on painting the glider I got on Craigslist this week and painting a picture for his room. A quick trip to Babies R Us will take care of the rest of the necessities (crib mattress, changing pad cover, and rug).

Still working on picking a name :)

Week 23

How far along? 23 weeks, 5 days

Weight gain? +8 pounds total

Sleep? Nope. I usually get about 3 hours of good sleep, then I'm in and out the rest of the night.

Best moment this week? Cuddling with my family on the couch watching a movie and eating popcorn with peanut butter m&ms.

Food cravings? Sweets.

What I miss. Moving without pain. My tailbone is acting up again.

What I'm looking forward to. We finished painting baby boys room so now I'm looking forward to getting the furniture set up and decorating.

Baby Bump

21 weeks

Belly picture - 21 weeks, 4 days

How far along? 21 weeks :)

Weight gain? +8 pounds total

Sleep? I've been sleeping very well these past couple of weeks. Noelle is sleeping great in her big girl bed now - she no longer gets out in the middle of the night and comes to our room.

Best moment this week? I've had a blast going on walks with Noelle and enjoying this lovely Fall weather. Today we made leaf bracelets on our walk to the park.

Food cravings? Sweets - which is very new to me. I typically do not have a sweet tooth.

What I miss. Drinking Dr. Pepper without getting a headache. White wine.

What I'm looking forward to. Buying baby boy clothes and painting his room this weekend.

What I love about being pregnant this week. I can feel baby moving all day now. He is very active.

Milestones? More than half way there!! February will be here in no time ;)

We had our monthly appointment with Dr. T yesterday. All of the tests came back perfect. Another answer to prayer :) We also heard little boys heartbeat - he sounded great.

Dr. T is still concerned about my tailbone pain for delivery, as am I. But it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did during the 1st trimester. I'm still planning on a natural birth.

Pink or Blue??

Last night we had our families over for a Pink or Blue Dessert Party. We were so excited to share the news with everyone.
I made cupcakes and stuck a jelly bean in the middle of each one, then frosted them. The pink or blue jelly bean would reveal the baby's gender.

The chalkboard says "Girl or Boy, which will it be? Bite a cupcake and you will see!"

Everyone was examining the cupcakes before the reveal but the jellies were hidden too well!

The guests picked a pink or blue pin to wear to represent what team they were on.
Here is Team Pink

Team Blue
The Big Reveal - everyone split the cupcake open except for my dad. Go big or go home!

IT'S A BOY!!!
We are over the moon! Aaron and I both cried during the ultrasound when we found out that we are going to have a son.

19 week belly

Here's my baby belly at 19 weeks! I am amazed at how fast this pregnancy is going by. Almost half way there - well...definitely half way there. No way I'm going to 40 weeks. That's just nuts.

Such an active little one

Baby Gardner has been very active this week. A few nights ago, Aaron fell asleep with his hand on my belly feeling baby kick around. Lately just when I lay down at night baby starts to do flips for an hour straight. Sometimes it feels like I'm popping a bag of popcorn in my belly!

Pregnancy: Week 18

Your baby is now about 6.29 inches long and weighs 5 ½ ounces.

• A protective covering called myelin is beginning to form around his/her nerves. This covering will continue to form up until your baby’s first birthday.
• If you are having a little girl, her fallopian tubes and uterus have positioned themselves into the correct place.
• If you are having a little boy, then his genitals may be noticed on your next ultrasound.
• Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing.
• Baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

Week 17!

How far along? 17 Weeks

Weight gain? A total of 5 pounds

Sleep? Gradually losing sleep at night. I usually wake up around 3am.

Best moment this week? We got to hear baby's heartbeat again this week!

Food cravings? Chocolate. I never have a sweet tooth so it has been strange. Snickers anyone?

What I miss. Medicine. I have the worst cold.

What I'm looking forward to. Finding out baby's gender at the end of the month! Also the crib and changing table came today! Can't wait to get that room going.

What I love about being pregnant this week. Watching my belly grow.

Milestones? Baby is listening to me and Noelle sing!

Appointment today

Noelle and I went to my regular monthly appointment today. We heard the heartbeat (153) and had a routine visit with Dr. T. His birthday is on the 13th so we brought him a bottle of wine and a card which Noelle decorated with happy faces.

We will schedule the anatomy scan around the end of the month! Can't wait to find out if Baby Gardner is a girl or boy!

15 Weeks :)

How far along? 15 weeks

Weight gain? +2 pounds

Sleep? I've been consistently waking up at around 3am to use the bathroom and not getting back to sleep until around 6. I'm praying that this sleep schedule is temporary and I'll be able to get back to sleep soon after my bathroom run.

Best moment this week? Getting tickled by baby during the day and when I lay down at night.

Food cravings? Nothing comes to mind.

What I miss. Soda.

What I'm looking forward to. Finding out if baby is a girl or boy! Probably in late September/early October :)

What I love about being pregnant this week. Super cute maternity jeans.

Milestones? Feeling baby move around!

Week 15

By the end of this week, your baby will be 4 ¾ inches long and weigh a whole 2 ounces.

• Your baby’s skin is very thin, and his/her blood vessels can actually be seen through the skin.
• Your baby’s ears are continuing to develop externally and continue to look more like normal ears.
• The baby’s bones are beginning to ossify, which means that if an x-ray was taken the skeleton would be visible.
• Your baby’s eyes are continuing to move towards the nose from the sides of his/her head.
• Babies at this age have also been caught sucking their thumbs on ultrasound pictures.
• Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms.
• And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints.
• Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements

Feeling baby move!

I started feeling baby move last week. It's usually when I sit down after moving around for several hours or when I lay down for bed. I'm trying to get used to feeling a baby inside my belly again. Each time it's happened so far I've tensed up because it is so unexpected - but wonderful!

Coccydynia

Coccydynia is the inflammation of the coccyx and is very painful. I experienced it when pregnant with Noelle and even more so after giving birth to her and unfortunately have had severe tailbone pain since about 8 weeks this time. Dr. T believes that my coccyx never healed after Noelle and therefore became irritated early on with this baby.

I've found that the best position to deal with it is laying on my side or sitting with my feet elevated - but not for more than 30 minutes. Long periods of sitting make it very difficult to move around. Yesterday was probably the worst it has been so far. I rearranged kitchen cabinet contents and afterward was in tears from the pain. Aside from the coccydynia I would have no idea that I'm pregnant. I am feeling great - not nauseous or overly exhausted anymore. Thank goodness for 2nd trimester!

August Appointment

I had my monthly appointment with Dr. T today and it went very well. Noelle was an angel during the entire visit. She and I got to listen to the baby's heartbeat (166). It was wonderful!

Baby is the size of a lemon this week - growing, growing, growing!

How far along? 13 weeks

Weight gain? Weight is the same as last month

Sleep? Sleep is great, especially since the weather has been cooling off at night.

Best moment this week? Hearing the baby's heartbeat again today. It's always a relief.

Food cravings? Pasta, fish sandwich, ice cream

What I miss. Energy

What I'm looking forward to. Cool weather, taking Noelle out in the bike trailer I got today, and the anatomy scan next month!

What I love about being pregnant this week. Being in love with this new baby.

Milestones? 2nd Trimester!

Mat Fashion

My fabulous, amazing, generous, loving sister, Tina brought over 4 containers of maternity clothes a couple of weeks ago. Clothes I had when pregnant with Noelle that she borrowed and clothes she accumulated when pregnant with her two precious babies. I was working full-time for 8 months when pregnant the first time so my maternity wardrobe is going to be much different with this baby. No more maternity slacks and uncomfortable "work" tops. I'm going comfortable all the way - but super cute, of course. I went online looking the other day and here is a couple of things I love. Simple fitted tees and a great pair of jeans (it will be fall/winter).

First off, I must get this simple long sleeve white tee. Perfect with these Citizen of Humanity jeans.

I also love the look of pairing a tunic like the one below or long fitted top with an open cardigan and these skinny jeans from Forever 21's new Maternity line.

I'm flirting with the idea of leggings. I always say no girl should wear them unless she is in kindergarten or pregnant. I think they will come in handy in the fall when the weather is around 70 degrees.

Week 10

How far along? 10 weeks.

Weight gain? Nope.

Sleep? Going well.

Best moment this week? Taking a nap with my sweet little girl. She falls asleep SO fast - just like her daddy. I probably stared at her for 30 minutes before I actually got to sleep. She's such a beautiful baby.

Food cravings? Bean Burrito.

What I miss. Dr. Pepper - I had a few gulps today. Yummmm

What I'm looking forward to. Maternity clothes. I went to Forever 21 today to check out their new maternity line. Cute stuff!

What I love about being pregnant this week. Not feeling guilty about napping instead of cleaning.

Milestones? It's been a week without Aaron home and Noelle and I are still alive!

Baby bump?

How big is baby?

About the size of a green olive this week :) Noelle goes back and forth between saying she wants a baby brother or baby sister. This week it is a baby sister.

I had an appt yesterday with Dr. T which was uneventful. We mostly chatted about our upcoming vacations to San Diego. My only concern so far is the sharp tailbone pain that has already made sitting, walking and laying down very uncomfortable. The same pain made my pregnancy with Noelle miserable about half way through to the end. I'm praying it doesn't get much worse. I'm also looking forward to the end of morning sickness, the fall because it's 105 degrees outside this week, and wearing cute (and comfortable) maternity clothes.

While your baby is still extremely small, he/she is now ready for rapid weight gain. The baby is beginning to look more like a little person since the embryonic tail is completely gone by week 9.

• All the baby's joints such as the knees, elbows, shoulders, ankles, and wrists are working and allowing the baby to move about freely within the amniotic sac.
• Your baby's heart began beating around day 24, but now his/her heart has divided into four chambers, and the valves are beginning to develop.
• Your baby can also make a fist, and he/she may begin sucking his/her thumb.
• Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood.
• The sex organs are beginning to develop although not discernible until about 18-20 weeks.

Week 8

How far along? 8 weeks

Weight gain? I haven't stepped on a scale in a couple of weeks. But I hope not!

Sleep? Continue to feel exhausted all day and now I'm having crazy dreams at night that wake me up and keep me awake.

Best moment this week? Spending time with Aaron and Noelle at the pool.

Food cravings? Taco Supreme. Mostly food aversions this week - food is not my friend right now.

What I miss. Watching the Food Network (looking at meat makes me sick)

What I'm looking forward to. My appt on Thursday with Dr. T

What I love about being pregnant this week. Maternity clothes shopping. Although I don't need them right now it was fun to go to Destination Motherhood to look at the cute new clothes (I bought some adorable capri's).

Milestones? Nothing this week.

Week 7

How far along? 7 weeks

Weight gain? Not yet!

Sleep? I feel like I could sleep all day! I've taken a couple of naps this week. Sleep at night is pretty much the same.

Best moment this week? Seeing and hearing the heartbeat and watching Noelle look at the picture of her baby sister or brother and saying "baby in mommy's belly." It's SO precious.

Food cravings? Cottage cheese, Subway, artichokes, mangos.

What I miss. Cherry Coke and Bud Light Lime (it is 4th of July weekend, after all)

What I'm looking forward to. So many things! Feeling the baby move, having a belly, getting the house ready for another little blessing. I could go on and on!

What I love about being pregnant this week. Telling friends and family and seeing their joy and excitement for us.

Milestones? Baby has a heartbeat!

Call from Dr. T

He said everything on the ultrasound report looks perfect. The heart rate was 138 and the baby is right on track!

Heartbeat!!!

Such a beautiful sound. I teared up right away when I saw the flutter and heard the heartbeat pumping away. Noelle and Aaron were having a blast watching the screen and looking at baby brother or sister.

What a difference a week makes! I can't believe how much bigger baby is already.

Mommy, Daddy & Sissy love you very much!

I am feeling much better in the morning. Not too much morning sickness unless I don't eat toast right away. I started swimming while Aaron gives Noelle a swim lesson which has helped the overwhelming exhaustion. I don't fall asleep on the couch every time I sit down any more :)

Food cravings: Cottage cheese, Salt & Vinegar chips, Subway Chicken breast sandwich, Taco Supreme, Mangos

Food aversions: Meat.

Saw the Baby today :)

We had our first ultrasound today. It was wonderful to see the baby for the first time - it's definitely much more real now and we are so in love :)

Here's the baby's first picture!

We will have to have another ultrasound in a couple of weeks and I learned a good lesson for that time - don't drink the 32oz of water an hour before like they ask. The reason - they don't actually see you at your appointment time. Today I drank 32 oz at 8am and didn't go in until 11. Ouch!

1st Appointment

We went in to see Dr. Taksa yesterday which went very well - he greeted us with a big hug and "Congratulations!" Noelle came along so Dr. Taksa was able to see her for the first time since she was 4 weeks old. Of course he and Aaron talked about swimming most of the appointment but I did get some attention in there at some point. I left with a ton of reading material, a couple of prescriptions, an ultrasound appointment for 6/22, and a date with a needle (blood work).

It's only been a couple of days since my last post and already the morning sickness is much worse. I'm hungry all day but nothing really sounds appetizing - besides Sprite. Changing dirty diapers all day doesn't exactly help either but I'm not complaining.

The Thank You cards "from" Noelle announcing the good news came in today and I'm so excited to send them out. We've decided to do so after the ultrasound on Tuesday. We are both praying that everything is perfect and I'm praying there is only ONE baby in there! :)

Gardner Party of 4!

We are thrilled to announce that we are expecting our second bundle of joy! Baby Gardner is due on Valentine's Day 2011. If you are reading this, you received a Thank You card from Noelle with the good news. It's been so hard keeping it a secret for the past couple of weeks so I'm glad I can now share the excitement and you can follow the next 9 months and beyond.

I am currently 5 weeks and 1 day pregnant (meaning I have completed 5 weeks and am 1 day into the six week) and feeling great - other than being bloated and having "all day sickness." Whoever named it morning sickness was way off! No food aversions yet but I am having serious cravings for cottage cheese and Mexican food. Needless to say Aaron has made a few Taco Bell runs on his way home from work!

Right now the baby is approximately the size of an apple seed :)

I hope you enjoy reading along as the upcoming months fly by. Thank you in advance for your support and love.

Amanda, Aaron & Noelle