Twenty Weeks

How far along? Twenty weeks - 12/31/10

We're HALFWAY there!

How big is baby?

Let me just say that this is one of the few times I will allow cantaloupe in my body. Eww.

 

Next appointment: January 4th

Symptoms: None at the moment. I am finally getting a belly, though! Well, one that isn't just made of fat, anyway. :)

Reflections on this week: I think this week should be appropriately titled, "We Survived Christmas. Now What?" It's been a struggle to get back into the routine that is so crucial around here. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

The most important thing that happened this week, by far, is just that Baby made it to this week! We are halfway through the journey to meet our newest little one, and I am so thrilled to be at this point. I honestly didn't think we would make it this far (ever again), and I am so encouraged. Tuesday is the big day. We'll go make sure all the parts are where they're supposed to be, and that there aren't any problems apparent. I'm still somewhat nervous, but my overall anxiety has lessened a bit.

 

What I'm looking forward to: Tuesday, of course! More importantly, a new year. A new start. This year was rough, and I'm only too happy to see it coming to a close, with some positive things happening now.

Happy New Year to each and every one of you. May 2011 be a year of joy and abundant blessings for us all!

Christmas #3 of 4

For our last Christmas of this year, we loaded up the car and headed over to the Alexanders' to celebrate with Nathan's family. It was pretty cold outside, but the rain stayed away, thank goodness.

We ate barbecue with all the trimmings, and tons of super-yummy desserts, courtesy of Beth and her fabulous skills in the kitchen. Mmmm...

Bailey and Zoe, having some sausage and other yummies!

 My new favorite picture of Nicholas.

 "More food? Yes, please!"

Then, time for gifts!!

Zoe's new accessories.

Puzzles!

Sparkly purse for Zoe.

 Some new socks for Nicky.

Bailey can cook with her Mommy now.

 Monster hat for Christopher!

I couldn't resist...it was too cute!

I'm not sure he liked it that much, though.

 Fun project for the munchkins.

What to do with gift bags when they're empty.

 Even Baby got a gift!

Awww...

The kids were getting a little restless after the gifts had all been opened, and they wanted to go outside. It was so super cold and really windy, that no one wanted to take them! Plus, we were still munching on desserts and feeling lazy and full. :)

"Now what?"

Hannah and I finally agreed to go out with Bailey and Nicholas, but we only stayed out for about five minutes before we came charging back into the house to thaw out! 

Bailey, all bundled up in Aunt Beth's clothes.

It was a good day. We had to leave a little sooner than originally planned, because all the kids were in desperate need of a nap. We barely made it out onto the highway before they were all snoozing in their seats.

Christmas #4, coming in mid-January! Stay tuned.

Christmas #2 of 4

On Christmas Eve, we went to my parents' house for another "White" Christmas. Traditionally, it's just us, my parents, my brother, and my grandmother, so it's pretty small and relaxed. We had a really good evening.

Just as we were leaving the house, our expected cold front blew in, bringing with it torrential rain. It had been breezy and sunny all day long, and right when we were walking out the door, we got drenched! Go figure. We didn't let it dampen our spirits, though! *Rim shot* Sorry, couldn't resist.

Anyway, we munched on sandwiches and my mother's heavenly, almost-famous sausage-cheese dip, and then we let the kids rip into their gifts.

We let Grammy open her birthday gifts first.

Zoe's gift from Great-Grandma. She was SO excited!

 Nicky looks so confused.

Uncle Brandon got the boys some remote-controlled cars. I'm not sure who was the most excited about them, actually. I think the adults enjoyed them more than the kids!

 Zoe got a new kitchen from Grammy and Granddad.

She LOVES it!

"MY kitchen! MY KITCHEN!!"

More fun stuff.

You know I have a million more pictures, but I'll spare you. Once you've seen kids open one gift, you've pretty much seen them all. We did have lots of fun, and the most exciting part was trying to figure out where to put the new stuff when we got it home. My house looked like Toys 'R' Us threw up all over it. Totally worth it, though, because the kids are having a blast playing with all their new things.

Merry Christmas (late) from us all!

Nineteen Weeks

How far along? Nineteen weeks - 12/24/10

How big is baby?

Next appointment: January 4th - coming soon!

Symptoms: Indigestion

Reflections on this week: Trying to keep the kids calm and well-behaved has been a challenge for the past few days. They knew that Christmas was coming, and they were super excited about it. Additionally, we've had a lot of events lately that have messed up our daily routine, and I think that had an effect on the kids as well. Several days without naps, lots of fun things going on, etc. It's been a little crazy at our house. Perhaps a post-holiday vacation is in order?

In other news, I still have a lot of anxiety about Baby. I feel some movement occasionally, but not enough to keep me convinced that everything is okay. There are moments where I'm sure that they'll find something wrong during my ultrasound in January, and I have to try to calm myself down and remember that, 1. the chances of something being wrong are very slim, and 2. that it's out of my control anyway. I just keep taking the best care of myself that I can, and I'm trying to hang on until we can get some news.

There are many women that I'm in contact with that have been discussing problems with their unborn babies. One woman in particular just discovered that her baby has anencephaly (do NOT Google that unless you want horrible images to haunt your dreams forever) and won't live once it's born (if it even makes it to term). I know that is an extremely remote possibility, but after several ugly reality checks this year and learning in detail about all the things that can go wrong in a seemingly low-risk pregnancy, I can't help but worry. Anyway, prayers for peace of mind are appreciated.

What I'm looking forward to: Christmas, obviously! Tonight is Christmas Eve, which we traditionally celebrate with my parents. Tomorrow, we'll head to the Alexanders' for Christmas Day with them. It should be lots of fun, and I can't wait to see everyone!

Christmas #1 of 4

On Saturday, we all got together with my dad's side of the family to celebrate Christmas a little early. My uncle's work schedule only allows him to be home a couple of days here and there, so we had to grab some time when we knew he could make it.

It was great to see my aunt, uncle and cousins again. My oldest cousin's little girls are too adorable, and all the kids had a good time playing together. Zoe really liked having girls around to play with! The best part was getting to spend some time with my grandparents. They are the sweetest people in the whole world, and they love the kids so much.

Me-ma was singing to Zoe, and she loved it.

Zoe and Pa-pa were watching Frosty the Snowman together.

While we were waiting to eat, Grammy told the kids the story of Jesus' birth.

We ate lots of delicious food (Mexican-themed Christmas lunch this year!), and then we had a time of opening gifts.

New jackets for the boys...

Zoe got a super cute outfit! It's somewhere in that bag...

New trucks! Oh, boy!

And dart guns...oh, great. That's what we call an "outside toy."

 

"I have this cool computer, but this fire truck looks like fun, too!"

I think we all had fun, especially while watching the kids. This part of my family doesn't get together very often, so when we're all able to meet, it's always a special time. Plus, we get to make the requisite "White" jokes when we're at my parents'. 

So, in keeping with tradition, here we have the Whites at The White House (plus a few Alexanders sprinkled in for good measure).

 Merry Christmas, everyone!

Happy Happy Birthday Birthday!

As if December weren't already crazy/busy enough, we decided it would be fun to have two children with birthdays this month. Now, we have the added joy of working around holiday schedules and family obligations to try and plan birthday parties for our boys, which is extremely difficult. After all, my kids deserve to celebrate, too! The easiest thing to do is have one party for both boys. As long as this works (and until they're old enough to care), this is our plan.

My big Ethan is going to be four years old on the 22nd, and Nicholas just turned three on the 4th! Time goes so quickly, I can't even believe it.

Last Thursday, we all headed over to Giggle and Jump (our local bounce house) to take over. Lucky for us, the place was completely dead, so we had it all to ourselves! We brought some pizza for lunch, and cake and cupcakes for dessert. It was lots of fun!

The birthday cake was, well, pathetic. What can I say? I had three kids climbing my legs and a very limited amount of time to make one. I would have ordered a cake and saved myself some trouble, but Zoe's dairy allergy presents a challenge in regard to all things store-bought. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it definitely could have been cuter. The boys liked it, and that's all that matters.

 They just wanted to rip off the dinosaurs and play with them.

Zoe liked it!

After some pizza and cake, we had presents! There were some really neat gifts, and Ethan and Nicholas were so excited about all the things they got.

 

The best part about having a birthday party in a bounce house is, of course, the bouncing! Since the place was basically deserted (except for our group), the owner told us she didn't care if the adults wanted to bounce, too. Normally, no one over 11 is allowed, so we were excited! Mom and I had a race down the big double slide, and then Nathan wanted to race with me as well. I won!

Victory!

Climbing up those big inflatable slides is definitely harder than it looks. I need to exercise more, I guess. I wore myself out! I suppose I could use the pregnancy excuse, but I'm not sure that's my whole problem. :)

 Zoe had so much fun sliding with her Daddy!

I am so glad we decided to have the party at Giggle and Jump instead of trying to cram everyone into my tiny little house. It was definitely a lot more fun for the kids than just sitting around. I totally recommend it! I need to start thinking about what we could do for Zoe's birthday party now. I'm not sure I can top this one!

Eighteen Weeks

How far along? Eighteen weeks - 12/17/10

 

How big is baby?

Next appointment: January 4th

 

Symptoms: Killer indigestion and daily headaches. Ick.

Reflections on this week: We survived the boys' double birthday party! This was a major accomplishment. My goal for the next few days is to try to restore my house to some semblance of order. Oh, and we have to find somewhere to put all their new stuff. Aaaaaand try to get all the birthday pictures off my camera and organized. I'll have to get to work. Now.

We already have our first Christmas celebration tomorrow, and I can't believe that it's already here! I have to make some food, but I think I'm ready for it otherwise!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Seventeen Weeks

How far along? Seventeen weeks - 12/10/10

 

How big is baby?

Next appointment: January 4th

Movement: Oh, yeah!

What I'm Looking Forward To: The boys' birthday party next week, and Christmas (it's coming fast)! We finally got our tree up, so it looks a little more festive at our house.
 

Reflections on this week: Nathan and I went to an OB appointment on Tuesday, and we got to take a peek at Baby! The first thing I saw was that beautiful, beating heart. Then, as if on cue, Baby's hand appeared and gave us a "thumbs up!" I almost cried. 

 Torso (circle on left) with heart (dark spot in center) and thumbs up on the right!

We got a preliminary guess about whether we're having a boy or girl, but will wait for official confirmation at my next appointment (which includes our big 45-minute anatomy ultrasound). I can't wait to see if all is well! I can't believe we're almost halfway there already!

Sixteen weeks

How far along? Sixteen weeks - 12/3/10

 

How big is baby?

 Is it bad that this makes me think of guacamole?

Next appointment: Next Tuesday - the 7th!

Movement: Not often enough to make me happy, but it's there! 

What I'm Looking Forward To: My next appointment and some Zantac.
 

Reflections on this week: Decent week for a change, without too many disasters. I'm still feeling a little hesitant to get overly excited about all this, just due to my nervousness that the baby isn't going to be okay. I'm not sure when I'll be able to relax.

Catching up (again)

Where does the time go? Seriously?

I totally missed posting about Thanksgiving in a timely manner, and since I did not take one single picture during the entire holiday weekend, I'll give a brief overview. (Insert sigh of relief here.)

On Thanksgiving Day, we went to the Alexanders' to see Nathan's family. Great family time and excellent food made the day really special. My kids actually behaved fairly well (until the end, when it became obvious to everyone that they did not take a nap), so I was pleasantly surprised. Did I mention that the food was awesome?

We also managed to snap some family pictures for the Alexanders' Christmas cards. This one was the winner, and Joseph just e-mailed it to us yesterday. I like it!

 Back row (L to R): Peter, Beth, Nathan, ME, Hannah, and Joseph

Front row (L to R): Bailey, Tim, Christopher, Tiffany, John, Ethan, Zoe, Sharon, Nicholas, Marissa, and Ian

Yes. There are 17 of us (for now). Eat it up, people.

The following Saturday, we went to my parents' house to eat some more. Again, yummy food and good family time. No family picture, though. We'll take one at Christmas, most likely.

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Enough turkey talk for now. I'm much more excited about our recent appliance purchase. About three weeks ago, we bought a new washer and dryer!! If you guys have heard any of the horror stories about my old washer (not just the one tale I posted a little while back), then you'll understand my joy.

They're so pretty! The wonderful thing is: our clothes are actually getting clean and dry these days! Amazing, I know. My laundry room is way too small to allow for pictures of the real things, so you'll have to settle for these:

 So beautiful.

Since I'm on the subject of appliances, I would like to announce that my oven and I have officially been together for one year this month. Our relationship was a little rocky at first, but we've worked on our issues, sorted out our differences, and I think I may have a little crush now. :)

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Last thing, and you're totally going to laugh. I'm starting to get nervous about naming this child-to-be. Why? Well, it's my turn again (Nathan named Ethan, I named Nicholas, Nathan named Zoe...). The deal is, we both agreed completely on all the names for our kiddos, but whoever got the final say alternated for each birth. I seriously have no clue what I'm going to name this munchkin, boy or girl. Good thing I have lots of time to think about it.

Hope you're all having a great week!