Stationery Card

34 Weeks; Update

Today I am 34 weeks!

 

 

6 more weeks! We are getting so anxious to meet this little girl that dances (or practices karate) every night at bedtime.

 

I've had a few doctors appointments since my last post. At my 30 week appointment I started measuring a little behind (1 to 2 weeks). We also did a non-stress test at that appointment because I had noticed decreased movement. He asked if I felt the baby kick around 10 times every 2 hours and at that time I might go 2 hours before I felt her kick once. But everything was fine and she was responsive right away. The nurse at the hospital said that it could be that my placenta is anterior. Meaning that it is towards the front of my body which would block me from feeling a lot of her movement. Posterior is towards the spine. It made perfect sense as to why I only felt her kick on the sides and not in the center of my belly.

 

I have had two appointments since and am still measuring two weeks behind. The doctor is not concerned about this. He said that some women start to drop off some from their measurement after 30 weeks. He also thinks (and everyone else) that I am carrying her low in my pelvic region. Some days Birdie is extremely active and seems to never sit still for long and then the next day I may not feel her but a few times during the day. I guess she wears herself out one day and sleeps the next. She is most active between 8:00 and 10:00 at night. We've had a few bad nights of sleep but a couple of bad nights are usually followed by a couple of good nights. I still have constant swelling in my feet and ankles, some back pain and pressure on my sides and groin area from sitting all day, and acid reflux as soon as I lay down. But nothing too bad at all! I still haven't experienced any cravings all of my pregnancy and don't have really bad heart burn all the time like lots of women do. I know they say it means a hairy baby but I don't know if our little girl has much of chance of being bald because her daddy has tons of it!

 

A couple of weeks ago we went to a childbirth class. It was an all day class. Some of it was common knowledge but we learned a lot about what they do after you get to the hospital. This week we went to a breastfeeding class. It was very informative! I was so glad I didn't skip it. I really want to breastfeed and stick to it as long as I can, even after going back to work. I know it can be one of the most frustrating things about being a new mother but I think the class has gave us a little heads up as to what to expect. I would suggest it to anyone wanting to breastfeed.

 

I start going to the doctor every week now! At our next appointment on Thursday the doctor will start checking to see if I have dilated any and check the position of the baby. Praying for head down even though that could change several times between now and delivery!

 

We also have had two beautiful baby showers! Birdie got so many great things. We are so lucky to have such good friends and family.

 

Shower from my great friends at work

 

 

Shower from my good friend Kay and my two sisters

 

 

 

I think that sums it up since the last post! Her room is finally finished (will post pictures of it soon). I have been slowly taking tags off and unboxing her things and washing them. Does a baby really need that much stuff?! I cannot wait to see! 

 

 

 

 

 

28 Weeks and One Year Ago...

28 Weeks Looks Like....

 

Petie thought he needed to be in this one with his momma :)

 

Baby is: approximately 2 1/4 lbs, 14 3/4 inches long head to heel (according to apps)

 

Baby can: blink her eyes, has eyelashes, may be able to see light through the womb

 

I passed my 3 hour glucose test!! It wasn't as awful as I thought it would be. The time went by fairly fast. Ryan went with me. I love him for that. I didn't even ask him. When I told him I failed the first one he just said, "Well when do we go back?" He is amazing, Birdie and I are lucky, lucky girsl! However, by the time we sat down to eat I broke out in a full body sweat and my hands were shaking so bad. I am so thankful I passed and that that is behind us! Birdie can still have her sweets, yay!

 

Yesterday when I opened the mail I had a bill from my doctor's office. It was for embryo storage. For a second I thought they sure were sending that early but then I realized it HAD been a year since our first retrieval and freeze! That just almost doesn't seem possible. A year from tomorrow we had our first retrieval. When I think back on that week I tear up. It was such a happy and scary time for us. We were so nervous but yet so excited to be one step closer. My retrieval was on a Friday and I was so anxious all that weekend. Then Monday afternoon when we got the call. We were happier than we had been in almost 2 years! We had four babies! Makes me cry and gives me goose bumps. I am so thankful for those four babies and the four that came from September's retrieval. We were so lucky and blessed during the IVF process. I am so thankful for all of it: the happy, sad and hard times, the baby that is growing, the babies waiting on us, the baby with Jesus, the way Ryan and I have become closer and the bond that has resulted, the friendships I have made that I wouldn't have, the support system we have, and the way He has used it all to shape us into the parents He wants us to be.

 

Another something from the room, a DIY ribbon mobile made from new and old ribbon and lace:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Catch Up!

It's been a while since my last post. I haven't done a very good job at documenting pregnancy like I figured I would. So I am making a catch up post.

We chose a name! She is Birdie Claire Walker!

I first felt her move on April 21st and daddy felt her on April 24th. Two of the best days of this pregnancy! She moves a lot now. At first it seemed she really had a pattern of kicking and dancing, usually around 8:00 in the morning, 4:00 in the afternoon and right at bedtime but now it is still those times plus many more times during the day. Even after feeling movement, it still seems a little unreal that a baby is growing in my belly.

Mother's Day was a good day. Last year at Mother's Day I had so many emotions, I was thinking about the baby we lost and how far along in that pregnancy I would have been, about my sister being able to celebrate the growing baby in her belly, about our upcoming IVF plans.... This year I thought about both our babies, the one still growing and the one with Jesus. I cried tears of sadness when I thought about how big he or she may be now and how fun it would be to see our baby with our niece Harley (due about a month apart). I cried tears of joy knowing that baby was safe and happy and where God intended it to be. I cried and thanked God for the baby that is here and growing still. But mostly I thought about all the wonderful people out there still waiting for God to unfold His plan to grow their families and I cried for and prayed for them. I thought about all the blog gals I follow, the ones who have experienced losses in the last year, the ones who are now expecting, the ones who are still fighting to achieve their first pregnancy, the ones who have moved on to another step (different doctors, embryo adoptions, starting the adoption process) and I prayed that they would have a good day.

Ryan surprised me with a gift that day. I have wanted a windmill for my yard for a long time and he finally got me one! We put it together after church that Sunday.

 

23 weeks, 2 days on Mother's Day

 

A few weeks ago was our 5 year anniversary! We celebrated our anniversary the way we do every year, a Cardinal's game! It was Birdie's first trip back to St. Louis, the first of many for our future Cardinal fan. I can't wait to see her in red sitting on her daddy's lap at the games! And her first game was a win!

 

 

24 weeks, 1 day



Her room has been a work in progress for the last month: bead board and trim installed and painted, my friend Dawnesea sewed all her crib bedding (crib skirt, sheet, quilt, pillows, and changing pad cover, she's also making a poof and adding some ruffles on curtains for me! Birdie's so lucky to have her as a buddy), a new light fixture went up, crib got put together, the glider came in, and a new closet system was installed to maximize space.

 

Here's a couple of sneak peek pictures:

 

I love how the bead board turned out (no we didn't do that part ourselves), the wall color is Sherwin Williams Dewey

 

The first thing hung in her closet had to be the very first baby item I bought 3 summers ago, her first Cardinal shirt :)

 

I love her bed and bedding. This phone picture doesn't do it justice.

 

Other pregnancy related happenings....

 

I've started experiencing big feet and ankles! My feet and ankles started swelling up 2 weeks ago. I was worried that it was too early for me to start swelling but the doctor says it is normal as long as I didn't have other side effects with it and I don't. I decided to go back to the chiropractor and get adjusted and that helped a lot. The swelling comes and goes, however I am pretty sure my feet have grew a 1/2 or whole size. Most of my shoes are too tight to wear. I tried on several sandals this weekend and no luck, they are too tight on the top of my feet. So it is probably going to be a summer of flip flops everyday. 

 

I can tell my hormones have changed, everything makes me cry, happy stuff and sad stuff, tv and songs, pretty much anything! I have never been much of a crier until now. Saturday I heard the song "I Loved Her First" and started crying immediately and that turned into a long sobbing boohoo! At the end of the song there is a line "someday you might know what I'm going through, when a miracle smiles up at you". Ahhh, I can't wait to see our miracle smiling up at her daddy and watch him fall in love that second. I am crying typing this.  

 

My last doctor appointment was last Thursday, it was also my glucose and anemia screening. The doctor appointment went fine, he said everything is going as expected. A friend that works at the clinic got the ultrasound tech to do a quick scan for us before we left. I was so excited. I thought surely we will get a good profile shot this time and a between the legs shot that didn't have a ? beside girl. Nope! She was laying in the same position as last time. She likes those hands over her face. I still couldn't make out any features on the screen except seeing her arm and mouth move. Also she had her legs closer together than last time, so the tech couldn't see anything in that area! Ha, stinker. Friday I got the call that I was borderline anemic and needed to start iron supplements and that I had failed my glucose screening by 3 points. I was afraid of that. I cried the entire drive home then I sucked it up and remembered how lucky I still am. So now I have to take the 3 hour test where you drink the gross koolaid 3 times and they draw your blood 3 times and you don't get to eat from bed to lunch the next day (that's the part I am dreading, no food!). I go Friday for it and I pray I pass it this time. Lots of women fail the first and pass the second one. If I fail it that will be ok too, I will sacrifice sweets and whatever else I have to!

 

I think that about catches me up. I am 26 weeks 4 days today. 2/3 of the way!!

 

 

21 Weeks Looks Like....

 

 

 

 

How far: 21 weeks

 

Baby is: the length of a carrot, about 10 1/2 inches

 

Best moment of this week: Feeling her move and actually being convinced that's what it was. Her crib and mattress coming in the mail. Makes it more real!

 

Food cravings: None so far, which is probably a good thing

 

Aversions: Not as bad, thankfully! Still don't like certain smells, strong lotions and perfumes about kill me still

 

Looking forward to: Starting on the nursery this weekend!

 

I am so excited to be half way to seeing this baby's sweet face!!

 

Plans have been underway for her nursery! Tomorrow Ryan and I are going to attempt hanging bead board up on the walls in her room.  I have a paint colored picked out, Sherwin Williams Dewey. A good friend (that has awesome sewing skills) is making her bedding from fabrics we picked out. The crib and mattress are still in the boxes and will stay that way until we get the walls painted. I will be posting updates on the room along the way and a full nursery post when finished. All so exciting!

And YES we have being trying to decide on a name for this little gal! After finding out it was a girl we narrowed it down to two names that have been on my list for 3 years. One day I think it is gonna be one and the next day I think the other. Ryan is putting it on me to make the final decision, the problem is that I really like both of them. Hopefully I can make a decision before she gets here so we can put her name up on the wall and monogram stuff! But if I can't decide I will when she makes her grand arrival!

 

So as of now baby Walker is either gonna be: Nola Claire Walker or Birdie Claire Walker. I am thinking we will call her by her first and middle.

 

 

 

Ultrasound and Gender Reveal!!!

Last Thursday I had my monthly doctor appointment and ultrasound at 18 weeks 6 days. My mom came with us and Ryan's mom came in from Nashville to be there too. We told the tech first thing that we didn't want to know the gender yet and for her to put it in an envelope for us. We had a cookout planned for Saturday at our house and had invited both our families for a gender reveal. So each time she needed a measurement close to the legs she told us to look away. Pretty sure Ryan and I wouldn't have been able to tell anyway. I wanted to peek so bad but didn't. Baby was not cooperating much at all! The tech kept saying "baby does not want to show it's face, baby has hands up around face" and when down around the legs "baby does not want to give me a good shot". Already a little stinker. She thought baby was sleeping. She had me empty my bladder half way (what is half way? ha) and had me turn side to side to try to get the baby in a better position. Pretty sure the only movement baby made was moving arms from front of face to back behind the head, like baby was stretching back. Maybe baby was asleep or maybe baby will be calm and cool like daddy! We sure hope so! We never got a good profile shot because of the way baby was laying but here are some of the ultrasound pictures.

 

 



Baby was measuring 3 days ahead at 19 weeks and 2 days. Heartbeat was 145. After the ultrasound we met with the doctor. My pelvic measurement was between 17 1/2 to 18 weeks. We chatted a little about upcoming things like the glucose test, talked about how we decided against all testing for genetic abnormalities and set up our next appointment. On the way home we met my sister and handed her the envelope with our baby's gender picture. Aunt Kolette was in charge of the gender reveal. Good thing she met us because I was so tempted to peek!

 

Saturday we cooked out and all our families came over. I think we had close to 30 people there. Even though the wind was trying to blow us away it was so nice having them all together. We had everyone right down their guesses.

 

 

Daddy's guess: Boy! (Momma's guess was boy too)

 

Total Tally: Boy - 18; Girl - 7

 

 

I wasn't nervous all day and didn't have too much time to think about the big reveal. Not until after everyone had ate and Kolette started carrying that box out!

 

 

 

Hearts were racing at this point:

 

Here we go.....

 

And IT'S A........

 

 

 

A GIRL!!!!!

 

So I guess I don't have a mother's intuition. In the beginning we kept thinking it would probably be a girl, just seems like we are surrounded by them so why wouldn't we have one too. Then I started getting a feeling it was a boy in the last 3 weeks or so. So Ryan started thinking it too, after all one surely is due to this family but nope another little precious girl!! I have to say we were a little in shock that night and next day but now it's like it's just meant to be! :)

 

Here's one of the pictures that was in the sealed envelope:

 

 

(We didn't much care for the ?)



 

 

 

She and her cousin due in 2 weeks will be joining these two little squirts (Harley driving and Layla the dog lover) very soon!! They will all grow up together! Oh my, the adventures ahead are endless! I don't have a picture of her bigger cousin Kenzie at the party because she and the other bigger kids were running all over the place.

 

Ryan's mom bought these little cowboy boots (and a boy pair too) so baby girl can be like her daddy!

 

 

 

We are so excited for what the future holds!!

 

 

This little girl is so loved already. We thank God for the opportunity to be her momma and daddy! It truly was a special, special day that we have dreamt and prayed for!

 

{Aunt Sylvia did a great job capturing our special moment; Aunt Kolette did a great job on the box; there were videos too but I can't figure out how to post a video from my phone}



 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



14 weeks!

 

We have made it to 14 weeks!

 

 

This is the first bump picture we've taken. I woke up this morning and thought my belly had grew considerably over night. I showed Ryan and he agreed. Actually he said "yes! I have been waiting for this." He's been telling me he can't wait until I have a bump and look pregnant. He was the one that said he wanted to take a picture. Pretty sure that is the first time I have ever heard those words come out of his mouth (except for maybe to snap one of a baby calf, goat or goat dog puppy). Of course it took us several takes to get one that was okay.

 

I have started feeling better this week. Still have moments of feeling green. Last week I threw up several times but before that I had only one day of throwing up. I just felt nauseous every day (most days all day) from 6 weeks to 13 weeks. So I have been much happier this week!

 

I have mentally been making plans for the nursery. Two weeks ago I ordered a Little Castle Cottage glider with a gift certificate I won from a Rosenberry Rooms design contest in March of 2012! I have been waiting two years to use it! They custom make the glider according to your fabric choices and it takes 8 to 9 weeks so I went ahead and ordered one. It should arrive around the time we find out baby's gender. After lots of looking I also purchased a diaper bag. I ended up choosing the Skip Hop Duo bag. It's super cute and roomy and gender neutral. It should arrive today! Two weekends ago I bought one boy and one girl item just for fun.

 

 

So cute!! I could see a dark haired, dark eyed Walker baby in either of them!! :)

 

 

 

 

How far: 14 weeks

 

Baby is: Size of a lemon

 

Best moment of this week: Stopping hormone treatments! Goodbye 1 1/2 inch needle to the rump, sticky patches on the belly and pills!

 

Food cravings: None so far but looking forward to being able to eat anything and wanting to eat more!

 

Aversions: SMELLS!!! Exhaust, perfume, lotion, smoke, stinky food, stinky people!!!

 

Looking forward to: Our appointment next week and hearing that heartbeat again!

 



11 Weeks

I am 11 weeks today!

Yesterday day was our 2nd OB appointment. It went great. They weighed and measured me. Doctor said I was measuring right at 11 weeks. We got to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler, it was 180! He said that around this time of pregnancy babies' hearts will beat faster. Everyone keeps telling me this means a girl. Ya know ''if it is over 140 it's a girl and under 140 a boy". However this is what comes up with a quick Google search on heartbeat gender prediction:

This has actually been a pretty popular theory in gender prediction for a long time.
The heart rate of your baby fluctuates as they grow and as they move. Fetal heart rates start out slower, and then by 8-10 weeks run in the range of 170-200 BPM (beats per minute).
As your approach mid-pregnancy the average heart rates run between 120 - 160 BPM.
If your baby moves, his or her heart rate goes up, just as your heart rate does with movement. However, none of these is related to the gender of your baby. A study was actually done to test this theory. The study actually shows that there is no correlation between gender and fetal heart rate.

So heartbeat theory, pencil test and any other wives tale I have heard still leaves me with no real feeling as to gender. I am really not leaning one way or the other in my thinking (like others are). :) We will have our 20 ultrasound middle of April and find out! I have thrown the idea of not finding out the gender around in my head in the past but when I mentioned that to Ryan he said no way! He wants to know. That is fine with me. If he didn't want to know I would probably be fine with that too. Either way we will be so tickled. I used to always picture us with boys but now I can see us with either.

My nausea seems to be getting a little better this week. I still have moments each day when I feel horrible but the time in between these moments seems to be getting better. I am thankful for that! Certain smells make me sick in an instant. I have no cravings but several food aversions. I am getting close to the 2nd trimester. Many people have told me that I will feel amazing then. I am praying so! I am looking forward to being past 12 weeks, as my doctor called it the danger zone. I am also looking forward to March 7th, my last day of shots and medication!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

One Baby!

Sorry this post is late. I actually had my ultrasound appointment on Monday.

All along I thought there was one but the week before my ultrasound I slowly started believing everyone around me saying they thought there were two. I could tell as soon as the tech started there was one. Then she said "there's your baby". We were just as excited as we would have been if there were two. We were not disappointed. How could we be? We know that it is a MIRACLE that we are pregnant with one and are just so thankful that we have a growing baby!

 

 

Best part: WE GOT TO HEAR THE HEARTBEAT!! 149 beats per minute! It was amazing. I wish I could hear that sound everyday!

 

The first thing Ryan said when we left the clinic "yes we don't have to get a minivan". I wonder what he would have said if there were two. I am certain something along the lines of "watch out Viola two Walker kids are headed to town." He's always got something goofy to say. Just one of the many things that will make him a great dad! :)

 

I will be 8 weeks tomorrow! It's hard to believe that I am 2 months pregnant. The nausea has really sit in. I am not throwing up. I just feel gross off and on all day without ever really feeling good. It seems to be worse at night. Sometimes I wish I could throw up. Some little things that have helped (& some that only did for a while): salt & vinegar chips, lemon drops, sea bands, pickles and pickle juice (healthy I know). Ask I type my husband is picking up Preggie Pop drops at the pharmacy. I am hoping those are great! I am also hoping like everyone keeps telling me after I hit 12 weeks this will go away. But if not I will make it!

 

Hopefully I will get better at posting again after I start feeling better!!

 

Here's a video my sister took with her phone. It's not a very good video but if you listen you can make out the heartbeat.

 



Our very first OB appointment..... 2.5 years in the waiting!

Yesterday was our very first OB appointment ever! We were very excited, we had been waiting for this day for a long time!

After talking to as many people as I possibly could get advice from we chose Dr. Robinson at Regional Family Medicine in Mountain Home. I had heard lots of good things about how nice he was and he delivered my niece, Harley, in August. I didn't get to meet him at the hospital that day but my other sister, Kolette, did and both sisters ensured me that I would like him. They were right!! He was definitely the right choice for us!

We went back to the exam room and the nurse entered all my info into the computer and had me give a urine sample. Dr. R came in and I instantly felt comfortable with him. I could tell he was a man that loved his job (and not burnt out or stiff like so many doctors are). He went over the basics of what to do and not to do and talked to me about my history. I asked a few questions. Just the routine stuff. Then I told him we were really hoping we could get an ultrasound today. He said sure we could do that. I told him we were so curious to see if there was one or two babies. He looked a little shocked and said "oh they put two in? Ya, let's go take a look." {yaaaaaaaayyyyy!!}

The ultrasound tech had already gone home for the day but he said he could do it. I laid down on the bed. There were two screens in the room, one for the ultrasound machine and another one on the wall for the patient to see. Ryan and Kolette stood under that screen. Ryan had a look on his face that was so sweet, nervousness and excitement in one. {I love him}. As he started he said "There's your bladder and it looks pretty empty." He asked if I was asked to give a urine sample and told him that nurse had taken one. He explained he may not be able to see anything since my bladder was too empty. He scanned around and then said "Well I think that is a septum." My heart jumped in my throat a bit, thinking that didn't sound good. Then he said something like "or the area separating the two sacs." as he moved the wand off my stomach. He said that he just wasn't able to tell for sure. WHAT?!?!  But then he came through with a great idea, how about he give me some water and come back in a little bit and try again? I was sooooo excited and kinda shocked he would go to that trouble for me!

We went back out to the phlebotomy waiting area and I drank a bottle of water while I waited for the phlebotomist. We started talking and I mentioned something to Kolette about two sacs. Ryan said "What?! Two sacs?" He hadn't heard the doctor say he thought there were two sacs. The look on his face: shocked excitement. I told him not to give me that look because this entire time all he has said is that he wouldn't be shocked to see two on the screen. But I could tell it really excited him.

I had my blood drawn (which took probably about 15 mins and 3 pokes). Then Dr. R took me back in the room. I was so excited, thinking this is it, I am gonna see my baby(ies)!!! But no my bladder was still too empty!! He told me to schedule an appointment with the tech in 2 weeks. I think he could tell I was a little bummed and laughed and said that there was nothing from stopping me coming in next week if I wanted to. He told me to also schedule a 4 week out appointment with him. He walked us out of the ultrasound room and there wasn't a single employee around besides maybe the girl who had just drew my blood. We were the only car in the parking lot. He had went out of his way to try and show us our baby(ies). That made me so happy. I knew without a doubt that we had made the right choice!!

So again we wait a little while longer!!! I am trying hard not to completely read into what Dr. R said and convince myself there are two. :) And I am probably going to take what he said about next week literally!

Appointment Change

I know it sounds crazy but I already changed doctors before even seeing the first one. I canceled my Friday appt because I decided to go with a different doctor. Therefore, the first appt is now scheduled for Monday the 13th at 4:20. I am still super excited!!! What's a few more days when I have been waiting for this appointment for over 2 1/2 years!

I am 5 weeks and 4 days today. I am still feeling fine. The dizzy spells are gone. No more symptoms so far. Well..... other than hormonal flare ups (my poor husband).

It still doesn't seem quite real to me. I am hoping after I actually see something on the ultrasound screen it will. I am still a bit nervous and cautious. But I don't expect those feelings to go away anytime soon.