Dance Pictures

Brynn's recital is getting closer and closer and she's getting more and more excited each day! Last night was picture night. It was so much fun to see the girls get in their costumes and make-up and see each other all made up for the first time. It was a a great, chaotic, exhausting two hours. Brynn was a trooper and was thankfully very well behaved!

Memorial Day

I wish I could say I spent most of the day actually remembering those who have served and died for our country and praying for the families that miss them. It was mostly a day to get more housework done, spend more time with Brynn, and have some friends over for games...May God continue to comfort those who mourn over lost loved ones. May God continue to be with those who are still actively serving our country. I still shudder over the tragedy of 9/11. Let each day be better than the previous.

I am truly grateful to be able to live in a country that I can play with my precious child outside without any imminent fear of being harmed. Thank you for those that serve to protect that freedom.

Hodge-Podge

So, it's been a few weeks already since my last post. Things are busier than ever around here. Work never seems to slow down nor the people leaving!...I was blessed (I think!) this week to be promoted from the Associate Director of Financial Aid to actual Director of Financial Aid. It's a ton of responsibility but I think I am up for the challenge.

Matt is busy at work too and working some extra hours. He finally is getting to some of the 'real' work he was hired for. He'll also be doing some side work for a company he used to work for.

Pregnancy is going well. I am 21 weeks now, over halfway there! I had another check-up this week which was the first since my ultrasound 2 weeks ago. My dr said the ultrasound report was great, the heart looked great, my weight gain in right on, great blood pressure. I am truly grateful that I have been blessed with a healthy pregnancy so far and praying that all continues to go well! I do have so much pressure though, ugh. The little guy is quite active and moves around a lot and you can even see and feel it. The last two days I felt like I needed to eat all day long (and pretty much did) and I can definitely tell the belly has grown, he must be in a big growth spurt right now.

Brynn keeps us on our toes and never without laughter. She says the silliest things and tells the greatest stories. It's such a joy to listen to her! She is a month away from her dance recital and we are all getting excited. She got her costume last week. It is SO cute. She'll also have a veil that she will wear. She has tried it on twice and we played her song, Chapel of Love, so she could practice. I think she did it pretty well. I am looking forward to her getting her professional costume pictures done soon.

Survey Says.......

It's a BOY!!!! Our ultrasound went well this morning and the technician thought everything looked good. We are very excited about having a boy, especially Matt. I know it's it's everyone's dream to have a child of their own sex, so now we'll have both! Brynn was there too. I am not sure how much she actually understands but we were glad she could see the pictures with us.

Here are the ultrasound pictures

Legs

Foot

Nose pickin' already!

Ms Wanda was so nice, she brought Brynn and the other little girls she watches up to my office and brought me a little gift to celebrate. I asked Brynn what the cookie said when they came in and her reply was, "I-love-you-mommy!". That was just as special as what it actually said. Thank you Wanda!!




As promised, a picture of me (at 19 weeks). Big I know, I tried my best to crop out the ever-expanding behind. :-) Ah well, not everyone is blessed with keeping that little cute figure while pregnant. I am my own worst critic!



Please continue praying for us.

Sinus Irrigation

Sinus what, you say?! This is an oddball post, but once again I am plagued with a sinus infection. I either have sympathy for Brynn getting ear infections or both of our bodies just revolt to the change in weather, but I seem to get sick within a day or two of her. My doctor gave me this home remedy to help clear out the sinuses and boy, does it work. Effective yet disgusting.

If any of you happen to share in having allergies, or know of someone who could benefit from this remedy make sure to pass the 'recipe' on. Basically, you boil a cup of water. Let it cool to lukewarm temperature. Add a pinch of baking soda, one-third teaspoon of non-iodized salt, and stir. (Plain water will burn your nose, this solution is close to the body's normal pH.) Over a sink and with a syringe (i.e. one you would use to give a child medicine), hold one nostril closed and then squirt the solution up the other nostril. You will need to try and suck it up the nose and it will drain back down your throat. It can make you gag a little. Use 1/2 cup solution per nostril. The lovely snot will either work it's way out the nose or back down the throat for you to spit out. As bad as that may sound it has provided much relief. Keep Kleenex handy to blow out the loosened snot :-)

...3 more days until the ultrasound! I'll probably post an update Tues. evening.

LibEARation

Ah, at last a peace of mind! I had been talking about it for at least a year and a half, but for some reason held back and didn't want to seem like one of those obsessive crazy mothers. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and didn't care if I was an obsessive crazy mother. I bought a $40 otoscope three weeks ago off of eBay that claimed to be the 'Very Best Otoscope' to check Brynn's ears. After Brynn's last double ear infection I knew I needed to be able to monitor her ears at home.

It came just a few days after ordering it and Matt was my first case study. We won't talk about what I saw in his ears! Brynn was next and she sat very still and didn't mind at all that I was looking around in her ears. I have looked at them about twice a week just to get practice seeing what is 'normal' for her. She's been a little snotty since Tuesday but hasn't been complaining her ears hurting. I last looked at them Wednesday night after her bath and they looked fine. Today after being outside doing yard work and playing for awhile she seemed all allergied up. I checked her ears and was like Whoa! Both ears looked really red, the left eardrum still looked ok, but the right did look infected to my novice eyes. She was way overdue for her nap time and said her ears didn't hurt so I just gave her some more Sudafed and some Motrin.

When she woke up I checked again and the left wasn't red anymore and the right still looked ouchy! I was convinced that she had an infection so off to Urgent Care we went. The Dr. looked in the left first and said that looks good, got the to right ear and said "Oooh. Yeah, infected!". I was right! As Dr. Mom I diagnosed my first ear infection. She started on a new antibiotic tonight. They were afraid of giving her the same one as last time since it was only two months ago and that it wouldn't work. Hopefully she won't be allergic to it!

I have been oddly giddy about the whole thing. I am very sad that Brynn is now on her 8th ear infection, but just knowing that I can help catch it at home feels like such a HUGE relief. As many ear infections as she's had we've had just as many 'false alarms'. She'll have all the same symptoms and it's just a cold. It's been so nerve-wracking to debate is this just a cold, is it now an ear infection, should I take her in, wait it out, etc.? Ahhh!!!

I highly suggest investing in an Otoscope! This is the website we were given to look at examples of how the ear should look: http://oto-scope.com/pictures.htm.

17 Weeks

Ok, Ok, I will make a new post about a baby update! I am feeling much better than two months ago and my energy is returning. I have been doing really good and my allergies haven't been as bad as I expected. So far, I have been able to take my allergy medication every other day which was impossible several months ago. Guess my hormones finally have changed back to my more 'normal' allergy state before my first pregnancy. We'll see how I fair as nature starts blooming :-)

I had another check up yesterday and the baby still has a strong heartbeat and all is well. I have had my countdown going since the first of April for my ultrasound...only 11 more days!! I am really looking forward to finding out what we are having. I am definitely not one of those people who can wait in anticipation the whole pregnancy. That just seems so much more nerve-wracking to me to not know! We will be taking Brynn with us to the ultrasound appt. I think she will enjoy it and hopefully make it a little more understandable. She does talk about the baby and occasionally will come up and kiss my belly. My belly, by the way, has POPPED! I cannot believe how much I am showing right now, no more disguising it. Please continue to pray with us for a healthy baby.

I am sure there will be another update in 11 days! Pray that the baby won't be shy and will show us that it's a he or a she!