Congrats Tim

The same day we got the good news of having a girl, Tim got more good news....a job offer! We wish it was back home, but thrilled that he will be working for a great district. The district is Cupertino which is a nice area near San Jose. I am so proud of him. The job market sucks as most of you know and he had a lot of competition. After much contemplation and weighing the pros and cons, we have decided to move yet again. This will be our third move in 1 1/2 years of marriage. I'm dreading the stress that comes with packing and moving and unpacking etc... but Tim has been great and says he will take care of it all, I just have to take care of the baby. While our crazy, always uncertain life continues, the good news is 1. we will be closer to work (I can take side streets the whole way!) and 2. Out little girl gets her own room. I was okay making due in a one bedroom apartment and had already thought of ways to make room for the little one's arrival, but I am sooooo happy that she will have her own space. We move the end of August and I will post pics once were settled.

Think PINK!

It's a GIRL!!!! Wow still in shock, and soooo happy. Today we are 14.1 weeks which is early to learn about the gender, but our doctor said he is 80% confident it's a girl. I have said girl from day one so maybe there is something to a mother's instinct, although I will admit there were plenty of times I would think boy. I really wouldn't have cared either way because both bring such different and special moments to your life, but when he said that I started crying. Our Dr. told Tim that he has two daughters and loves it. Everything is looking good and we are very pleased at how the pregnancy is progressing. We are just so happy to know our little precious princess is healthy. It's scary how quick your mind starts to think of the future. I've only known for about 3 hours and I've already pictured her dancing around in a tutu, bringing a boyfriend home for the first time, and Tim walking her down the aisle. Life moves too fast as is, so I need to just take the current moment in and know that our home is about to get a lot more pink!!! We go in for a detailed anatomy ultrasound in 3 weeks which they will then be able to confirm 100%. In the picture below you can see the little profile with her hand up by her forehead. You can also see the brain (the lighter region) which I think is cool.

Big Baby, Good Genes

Today I went to a Genetics Center to get a detailed prenatal screening to rule in/out any serious genetic problems. It's a fairly new process that includes blood work and a special ultrasound. Prior to going to the appointment I felt confident everything would be fine since we have no family history of problems and I'm young. However, once I got there, I started getting very nervous. The waiting room was full of young children with severe disabilities and it made me very sad. I couldn't help but think that those mothers once sat where I was with hopes of a healthy baby. First I met with a counselor who went over a full family history. Then I had an ultrasound. Tot was not cooperative and decided to show us his or her back the whole time. The tech made me jump up and down, pretend to hula dance, and cough in hopes of waking the baby up because she needed a very specific view to calculate the odds of a problem. After much song and dance the tech got what she needed, but sadly the pictures I got aren't very good (clearly tot doesn't realize how important scrap booking is to mommy). Good news is, they gave me the results right then and there. Tot was negative for Down Syndrome, negative for Trisomy 18 and negative for Cystic Fibrosis :) So happy every thing is okay and thanks mom and dad for healthy genes. The other info I received was that tot is measuring 5 days longer than expected. I guess with a 6'6'' daddy this shouldn't surprise me. So my brother will be happy that I think tot has the Tatum height and he is one step closer to getting that 'athletic' nephew he's been hoping for. Next appointment is one week from Wednesday.

Tot Makes a Showing

Today I have officially completed 13 weeks which is the end of the 1st trimester. I am feeling much better and starting to eat again (thank goodness). Much to my surprise, the baby is already making a showing. Okay, your average person on the street wouldn't be able to tell yet, but I can. Here is the first bump watch picture...

10 Weeks Down, 30 to Go...

Today Tim and I had our 3rd ultrasound and the tot finally looks like a little baby. The doctor said everything looks perfect, exactly what he would want to see at this point. The heart was strong and the little arms and legs were moving. He said we were lucky to see movement this early because during the first trimester the baby sleeps the majority of the time. All of my blood work came back normal as well so we are off to a great start. We love having appointments because it is so neat to see how our baby grows. Today the baby measured 1 1/2 inches (10 weeks and 3 days). We love the little profile pic we got today. I think it has my big head (lol) and we like how it looks like it has hair (ps. it's not hair, it's the baby's arm reaching up on the other side). Thank you for all your prayers. I've had so much anxiety and now that we've reached 11 weeks with a perfect baby I just want to relax and enjoy. Our next appointment is in 4 weeks and we look forward to hearing the heart beat. We can find out the gender in about 7 more weeks... stay tuned

It's All Worth It

Now that I've shared the joys of being pregnant, I figured I should do at least one post on some of the tough realities that come with this little blessing. While it is all completely worth it, there have been some tough days/weeks. I'm officially starting the 10th week and while you may be wondering if I'm showing at all, I've actually lost 3 lbs. The sight, thought, smell, and taste of food is not enjoyable. Due to this, I've had trouble eating. It makes me nervous that the baby isn't getting enough nutrients, but I've been assured that this is normal. And I'm not the only one who has suffered due to morning/afternoon/night sickness...Tim jokes that he has reverted back to bachelorhood because I don't cook and keep very little food around so he is left scrounging up things to eat. In addition to nausea, there's the walking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, and other body changes that will be left unsaid. While I don't feel my best, I know women who have felt worse. They made it, and so will I because in the end it is completely worth it. I watch my mother and mother in law everyday make sacrifices for their children and I think the little speed bumps in pregnancy is God's way of teaching us early on that as a mother there is nothing you wouldn't do for your child.

There's a Tater Tot in the Oven

Tim and I had our first appointment at 6 weeks. It was so amazing to hear confirmation from the doctor that everything looks good. For the first time, I think my eyes actually witnessed a miracle. There on the screen, we saw the baby's heart beat. The baby was only the size of a grain of rice at this point, not even visible on the ultrasound, but the heart lit up like a little firefly flashing on and off. The doctor said it was beating 120 beats per minute which was a strong, fast heart rate for this early, which is a good thing. We also learned our due date, January 18, 2011. We really couldn't be happier to have witnessed our precious miracle.