The 4th Leonard

Growing Boy

2011-03-12T13:14:00.001-08:00

Christian & His Girlies

2011-02-07T21:37:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we had our annual Birthday Bowl at my parents' house. Adriana & Matt were there with Kylie and Josh & Angela were there with Emmy. There were cute babies everywhere!

Bathing Babes

2011-01-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

Micah and Matt celebrated their birthdays by have a man-kend (that's a "man weekend"). Ady and I gave them their space and I took the kids to her house to spend the night. While there, we had fun giving the little ones a bath in the kitchen sink. Aren't they cute? :)

Recent Photos of Our Little Man

2011-01-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

Flying High!

2010-12-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

4 months old!

2010-12-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

Today, our Little Man is 4 months old! I can't believe it's been 4 months already. Christian is such a sweet boy and he is always ready to give a dimpled smile to whoever talks to him. He's begin teething and drools like CRAZY! He loves to chew on two fingers and is getting more and more mobile. (I swear this kid is going to be crawling by 5 months! LOL!) He needs to be strapped into his bouncy seat or swing because he'd wiggle out if he wasn't. He can almost arch his back eough to get out of his Bumbo seat too!

He's eating about 5-6 oz. every 3-4 hours and sleeps in 4-5 hour stretches at night. He's only giggled once (when I was tickling his neck) but I think he'll be laughing regularly pretty soon. He wears 6-9 month clothing and size 3 diapers. He weighed in at a hefty 17.5 pounds yesterday! He's also getting better at controlling his limbs. He reaches for anything I'm holding and brings everything to his mouth.

Christian is still completely enamored with Kaitlyn and he smiles and is completely focused on her whenever she's in his view. I can't wait to see their relationship grow as they each get older.

3 months old

2010-11-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

Our little son is officially 3 months old now! This is a photo of him at his 3-month doctor appointment. He loved having a handful of that crinkly paper on the exam table. He weighed in at 15 pounds, 10.2 ounces and measured 24.25 inches long. The doctor said he's doing excellent! Yay! Christian was all smiles until the nurse poked him with a needle - one in each leg! Poor guy.

Christian is getting better at controlling his hands. He is practicing reaching for things and loves to chew on his hands. He drools a lot! He is very generous with his smiles and likes to "talk" to me. He's on the verge of laughing. When I tickle his belly, he almost does it and I can't wait for the day! He is almost growing out of his size 2 diapers and wears 3-6 month (or sometimes 6-9 month) clothing. He is absolutely IN LOVE with his sister. Anytime Kaitlyn is around, he is following her with his eyes and smiling at her even if she's not looking at him. He is happy sitting in his Bumbo seat watching her play, read, or do her homework. He's still eating Similac Alimentum formula and usually has 4-5 ounces every 3 hours. He's sleeping well and only wakes up once between 8:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. to eat.

We love you so much, Mr. Stinkypants!

Playdate

2010-11-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we had a playdate at Kylie's house! Here is Christian with his new friend Maddox (5 months old):

Kylie, our little hostess, was sleeping most of the time! :) She was very happy being close to mommy in her Sleepy Wrap.

Ashlyn, just 4 days older than Miss Kylie, looked so fashionable in her skinny jeans!

When it came time for a group photo, Christian was ready to go.

But eventually he calmed down and looked decent for the photo. I can't fail to mention sweet little Aubrey, the oldest of the group at 17 months. She was so helpful and wanted to throw away everyone's trash! :)

Homework Time

2010-11-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

Christian is excellent at surpervising Kaitlyn while she does her homework. :)

My Little Bubble-Blower

2010-10-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

Emily & Christian

2010-10-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

Today, Angela & Josh stopped by for a visit with their little girl Emily. Emily is exactly 2 months older than Christian, but Christian is almost bigger than her already! We had a fun time trying to get them both smiling for a photo. Christian's face cracks me up in this picture!

Dressed for the weather

2010-10-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

I just love this knit sweater one-piece that Aunt Sarah got for Christian! He looks so cute and cozy in it!

Tummy Time!

2010-10-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Looking like his sister

2010-10-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

I compared these photos this afternoon and was surprised by how much hair Kaitlyn had! In this photo she is 2 months, 11 days old. In his photo, Christian is 2 months, 4 days old. I think you can definitely tell they're related.

Since taking Kaitlyn's photo, I've also learned the proper way to carry a baby in a Baby Bjorn. :)

Big Smile in the Bouncy Chair

2010-10-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Wait for it... It comes right about 40 seconds in. :)

2 months old

2010-10-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

Don't mind Kait's hair... I took this photo just before I finished getting her ready for school. :)

Christian is 2 months old now and our family is getting used to being 4 Leonards instead of just 3. At his doctor appointment, Christian weighed in at a healthy and robust 13 lbs. 10 oz. (84th percentile) and measured 24 inches long (80th percentile). While he is big for his age - he wears size 3-6 month clothing - he's proportionate in weight and height so the doctor said he's just going to be a big boy. :)

Christian is smiling more readily and he coos when he gets really excited. He recognizes his mommy & daddy's voices and is especially interested in anything Kaitlyn is saying or doing. He's eating every three hours and sleeping better now. He generally has his last bottle at 11:00, wakes up about 3:30 or 4:00 to eat again, and then wakes up again a little after 6:00. After his 6:00 feeding, he goes back to sleep until 8:00 when I have to put him in the carseat so we can take Kaitlyn to school.

When he's awake, he's much happier in my arms than anywhere else. He has his tummy-time and sometimes enjoys swinging in his swing, but he prefers by far to be in the carrier (we alternate between a Moby Wrap, Ergo, and Baby Bjorn) or being held. This makes housework, errands, and napping or relaxing a little difficult for me sometimes, but I make it work.

Recent pics of my Little Man

2010-10-14T10:09:00.001-07:00

Sleeping peacefully on the couch.

Having lunch at Dickey's BBQ with Auntie Ashley.

Napping in the Moby while mommy does housework.

Christian's Birth Announcement

2010-09-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord.

Psalm 127:3 (CEV)

One month old!

2010-09-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a month already. We've been through what seems like a lot already with this little guy - hospitalization with jaundice, formula woes, suspected thrush (false alarm)... We're just happy that he's healthy and ours. Kaitlyn has even come to call him "our little son."

Christian weighs 11 pounds, 7 ounces now (81st percentile) and he wears 0-3 month clothes. He wears size 1 diapers but can also wear size 2. He eats about every 2.5-3 hours and usually sleeps for 4 hours at a time at night. He loves listening to people talk and I swear he smiled at me today as I was talking to him. He's held his head up pretty much from birth and he is very strong - he can stand up on his legs already!

Happy one-month birthday, Christian!

New Mommy Confessions

2010-09-14T01:44:00.000-07:00

Because some readers are a little, shall we say "sensitive," I am now including the following disclaimer on this post:

If you are sensitive to the word "nipple" or any reference to a boob or breastfeeding, reader discretion is advised.

- - - - - - - - - -

For quite a while, I was ashamed to admit it, but...I'm not breastfeeding Christian.

*gasp*

I know.

Let me say in my defense, though: It's not by choice.

Right after Christian was born, I put him to my breast and he latched on. I thought all was right in the world and we'd have no problems. I soon realized I was wrong. Without going into too much detail here, I'll just say that my body and his mouth were incompatible. My nipples were very quickly cracked & bleeding and breastfeeding was an EXTREMELY painful process for me. When Christian was 3 days old, he was admitted to the hospital for elevated bilirubin levels and his jaundice was treated with round-the-clock phototherapy. While he and I were in the hospital, the doctor wanted him to be fed only formula so we could keep track of exactly how much fluid he was taking in. (More fluid intake also assisted with the excretion of the bilirubin.)

For the 36 or so hours we were at the hospital, I was pumping and freezing my breastmilk. However, even pumping was painful for me. (At one point, I pumped pure blood. Yuck!) So I visited a lactation consultant and she recommended a different-sized flange for the breast pump. This was helpful but didn't solve one of my other problems: I didn't produce a whole lot of milk. This was not a new problem though; I had similar issues with Kaitlyn. At best, I was spending 45 minutes to get 1 ounce from one breast and half an ounce from the other. Pumping was a time-consuming process, but I was able to spend the majority of my time doing it while in the hospital with Christian.

Once we were discharged, though, I could only find time to pump a couple times a day when we were at home. At the recommendation of the pediatrician, I was still supplementing with formula but also feeding him my pumped breastmilk. I could never pump enough to keep up with the demand and unfortunately, my milk supply was slowly diminishing. After a couple weeks, I would pump for 30-45 minutes and wasn't able to get one drop of milk.

So that was the end of that.

To further compound the issue, we realized Christian was developing hives on his face after each feeding. Since Kait has a milk protein allergy, we quickly realized Christian would benefit from switching to a formula like Enfamil Gentlease, which has a reduced amount of lactose. He did better with that but was still fussy, very gassy, and seemed to have an upset tummy often. He didn't develop hives as often but they still popped up every once in a while. We tried switching to a soy formula, which is completely milk-free, but he threw it all up after just one feeding.

Just today, I was doing further research on milk protein allergies and realized that many of the symptoms in infants were those that Christian was exhibiting despite the low-lactose formula: fussiness, colic-like behavior, hives, irritability, and congestion. I also learned that children with a milk protein allergy are almost always allergic to soy too. The only completely hypoallergenic formula option available is Enfaml's Nutramigen - which also happens to be one of the most expensive. Of course. So I called the pediatrician and asked if they had samples they could give us so we didn't have to fork out the money to see if this formula would work for him. Fortunately, they did have samples and gave me two cans of powdered formula! We gave him his first feeding on the Nutramigen this afternoon and there is a noticeable difference in our little man!

He is much less fussy, doesn't kick his legs or arch his back, and - get this - he slept from 6:30 pm to 12:30 am!!! I did get him up once to eat at 10:00 because I wanted him to eat, but he only took an ounce and went right back to sleep. It's as if he is finally able to get some rest now that his tummy isn't bothering him. I'm so thankful!

So that's the story. I initially felt really, really guilty about not breastfeeding. I know it's what's best for babies, among many other benefits. But it just didn't work out for us this time, and I'm over the guilt. I'm focusing on the positives: my husband and daughter get to share in the feeding and can bond with Christian that way too, he's getting adequate amounts of food and growing nicely, and he's able to have food that is free of milk proteins.

So as my son sleeps peacefully even now, I am grateful for a healthy boy. God is good.

Baby vs. Cat

2010-09-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

This is Christian today. He is 3 weeks, 4 days old and he weighs 11 pounds (he's in the 82nd percentile)!

He's doing great holding his head up already, by the way!

Compare our 11-pound baby to our pet... This is our fat cat, Mr. Mitts. We weighed him today and he is a hefty 16 pounds!

Check out our cutie pie!

2010-09-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to have a photo session with Danielle Simone Photography this past weekend and Danielle surprised me today with a sneak peek photo on Facebook.

Isn't he cute?! I'm so excited to see the rest of the photos!

Christian & Kylie Meet

2010-09-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

My best friend Adriana had a baby just a little over a week ago. She & Matt named their little girl Kylie and we've all decided that Christian and Kylie will get married when they're older. :) Today Christian and Kylie met for the first time. Christian is only 12 days older than Kylie but he seems so much bigger than her already!

Christian's First Bath

2010-09-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent photo of our little man...

Also, I plan on posting the story of his birth soon, but haven't gotten around to typing it up yet.

Today, Kaitlyn and I decided to give Christian his first real bath.

I fully expected lots of crying from Christian but he didn't seem to mind the bath. I took Angela's advice and made sure the water was nice & warm. Here's Kait trying to get him to look at the camera.

He was all clean just in time for Daddy to come home from work!

False Alarm

2010-08-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

After dinner last night, I began having some pretty painful contractions. They were about 3-5 minutes apart so we thought it would be a good idea to head to the hospital.

Finally!

The nurse hooked me up to the monitor and checked me. I was still only about 1cm dilated but my contractions were much stronger than they ever had been so we really thought THIS WAS IT. After being monitored for a little while, we walked around the maternity ward to see if that would get me dilated more.

It didn't. Still at 1cm, the nurse didn't think contractions that were now 2-5 minutes apart warranted me being admitted. We were a little disappointed when we were sent home at about 1am.

At home, I took a nice hot shower and went to bed. I woke up a few times to painful contractions but was able to sleep until 8:00.

My contractions have actually died down - disappointing again. I think I'll go for a walk this morning to see if we can get things started again.

Come on, Christian!! We're all so anxious to meet you!!!

10 months or 40 weeks or 280 days or 403,200 minutes

2010-08-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

However you want to look at it, today's D-day. And...Christian is still cozy in my womb.

*sigh*

Here's the full-term belly:

I went to the doctor today and found out that I am currently 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. I'm having contractions every day (and have been for the last couple months) but nothing consistent yet. They're definitely getting stronger though.

My AFI is 9.9cm, which is still in the normal range. My NST was good, although Christian is moving around less than he used to. Hopefully that's an indication that it's getting to be pretty squished in there and he'll decide to come out soon.

Next appointment is on Monday the 16th. I'm hoping I'll have to cancel it. :)

38-week OB appt.

2010-07-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I went for an ultrasound and regular check-up with my OB. The ultrasound told us a few things:

Christian's weight is currently about 7 lbs. 6oz. and he has the potential to grow another pound in the next 2 weeks.
He has a chubby belly that's measuring in the 95th percentile!
He doesn't have a whole lot of hair on his head right now.
My amniotic fluid levels are low, which was a bit of a concern to the doctor.

Because of the low amnio fluid level, I had to undergo a non-stress test (NST). I sat in a chair and was hooked up to 2 monitors - one monitored Christian's heart rate and the other monitored uterine contractions. During the monitoring, I pressed a button every time I felt Christian move. The test ensures the baby's heart rate is going up as it should when he moves, and also makes sure he's moving around enough. The results were good but the doctor put me on a kind of modified best rest. I don't need to stay in bed all day but she asked me to rest until my follow-up NST on Thursday. She also advised me to drink plenty of fluids, which will help to increase the levels of amniotic fluid.

I'm having a hard time resting. We just moved this past weekend and there are boxes that still need unpacking. Plus, I feel this urgency to get it all done before Christian's arrival. Fortunately, I have an amazing family. Micah has been so helpful with getting things cleaned up and out of the old apartment and assembling and moving things in the new apartment. My parents have been so helpful - they've come over to help wherever we need it and to make dinner for us. Even my sister came over today to finish up the cleaning in the old apartment and to make dinner for us tonight! I feel so incredibly blessed. :)

I'll keep you posted on the results of the NST in a couple days. Only 13 days until my due date!!

Sibling Class

2010-07-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we attended a Sibling Class at San Antonio Community Hospital. It's a class geared towards kids who are going to be big brothers or sisters.

We were all excited for the class but were surprised to find out when we arrived that we were the only ones who signed up for the class! The one-on-one attention didn't seem too bad, but we soon realized that we were shorted a bit because of the small class size. It was moved to a conference room (with no TV) instead of the auditorium, so we didn't get to watch the videos a normal class would. The class also ran about an hour shorter than scheduled. We just felt like we missed out on some things.

In the end, Kaitlyn enjoyed getting to hold the pretend baby and she did get some good information from the teacher about being a big sister. I think the thing she remembered the most was that babies can choke on anything that can fit in a paper towel tube so she needs to make sure all her small toys are kept off the floor. Good info, I suppose. :)

Here are a couple pics we took while at the hospital:

Next class on the list is the Maternity Tour this week. (Micah wanted a "refresher" on where to go when The Big Day comes.) :) We took an Infant Care Class a few months ago, but decided to forgo the Prepared Childbirth and Breastfeeding Classes since we took them when I was pregnant with Kaitlyn.

Twenty-eight days until my due date...!!!

Why?

2010-07-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

One of Kaitlyn's friends from school has a mom named Andrea. She and I were just weeks apart in our pregnancy - she was due to have a scheduled c-section on the 6th. I just found out today that the baby (a beautiful little girl named Bethany) died last night. I don't know any details.

Why do horrible things like that happen? That innocent little baby barely had a chance at a life. Why would Andrea have to go through her entire pregnancy only to have it end so tragically? How will her parents explain this to her 6-year-old big sister?

I don't know the answers to these questions. But I do know this: We still serve a good God and this family will see their sweet Bethany again one day.

Please pray for this family as they go through this very difficult time. Pray that they can rely on their faith and the support of their family and friends. Pray for healing.

Six More Weeks

2010-06-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

I snapped this photo while laying in bed watching TV tonight. I thought I'd share it since I haven't posted a belly shot in a while.

"You're due any day, aren't you?"

"Wow!"

"Are there 2 babies in there?"

And yes, even...

"You're belly is HUGE!"

All things that a pregnant woman loves to hear, right? Um...no. Believe me, I know how large my baby bump is. I don't need people reminding me of it every day. All I've gotta say is: This better be one LARGE baby.

My appointments are every two weeks now, with my next one being next week. I'm going to ask about Christian's size. I don't know if they can estimate accurately at this point or not. We'll see.

Long Overdue Update

2010-06-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

I've been a little lazy about posting to my blog lately. We've had a lot going on so blogging (and all things computer-related, really), have been pushed to the back-burner.

So here's the latest...

Update on Mr. Christian
Yesterday I had an appointment with my OB. He said my uterus is measuring right where it should be and alleviated my concerns regarding my seemingly-huge belly. He said that I would carry lower with each subsequent pregnancy so that explains why my belly feels so low. Christian is probably about 4-5 pounds right now and his heart rate was very strong at about 148 BPM. From now on, I'll have my OB appointments every 2 weeks and during the last month of pregnancy, the appointments will be weekly.

Baby Shower
I had my baby shower on June 6th. It was so much fun and we got some wonderful gifts. Ashley, Adriana, and my mom hosted the shower and my Aunt Lisa made a beautiful diaper cake. We were even able to plan the shower around Jenn's trip to California so she was there too! Here are some photos from the party:

Getting Ready for Baby
Since we're moving next month, we've been busy packing and getting things we still need before Christian comes. We still needed a stroller and car seat and I found this awesome travel system almost new on Craigslist for 80% off retail:

We've also been blessed to have friends or family give us (or sell us very cheap) a jogging stroller, changing table, and glider. All are much appreciated because the only "leftover" gear we have from Kaitlyn is a crib and high chair!

At my shower, we also received the crib bedding we registered for:

Isn't it so cute? I'm really looking forward to getting Christian's bedroom set up when we move to the townhome.

Well, I guess that's it for now, folks. My feet are swelling, I've gotten a few new stretch marks on my belly, and I can't get comfortable sleeping... but it's all worth it. :) Proof:

This is Emily Grace. She was [finally] born to Josh & Angela just a little over a week ago. She is precious and absolute proof that any pain, discomfort, impatience, or frustration that we mommies go through before and during the birth of our little ones is totally worth it.

I passed the test!

2010-05-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm now 28 weeks along...so last week was time for the dreaded Glucose Tolerance Test, which tests for gestational diabetes The one-hour test isn't so bad, but if you don't "pass" that test then you have to move on to the three-hour test, which is - I've heard - HORRIBLE.

Fortunately, though, I tolerated the glucose just fine with the one-hour test and so I didn't need to do any additional testing.

At 7 months pregnant, I'm feeling good. Christian is a VERY active little boy and I feel him kicking, rolling, stretching, and wiggling pretty much all day long. My belly feels very large and very low. It's hard to imagine that I still have about 2-1/2 months to go still! I begun to wonder how large a baby he's going to be. Will he come early? Late? My due date is August 9, which is also the first day of school for Kaitlyn. We're moving on July 24th. With all that going on, when will Christian make his arrival? In God's perfect timing, right? :)

The Belly

2010-05-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

It's growing at an astounding rate! I've read that subsequent pregnancies can result in faster belly growth, but... wow! Here's a pic of my 25-week bump (mountain?) today:

I think that part of the problem is that I'm comparing my belly to other preggo bellies. My BFF is barely showing at all and she's only 3 weeks behind me. Another friend is a few weeks ahead of me and she's carrying much differently.

Here's a photo I took when Kait and I were on a walk. It's my view looking down at my feet. :)

I wear black a lot, don't I? Must have something to do with my large-preggo-belly-complex.

Angela's Baby Shower

2010-04-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Angela's baby shower. It was hosted by her sister Arlene and it was so fun! There was a candy buffet, fun games, great food, and quite a few other preggos and new mommies with babies. Here is an updated pic of our trio of pregnant friends:

Angela asked me to take photos at the shower and here's a slideshow of what I got in case you're interested...

Angela is due on May 31st and we're all so excited to meet baby Emily!

More baby pictures...and an announcement!

2010-03-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Since I was so disappointed with my ultrasound pictures last week, I made an appointment with my doctor's office to have another ultrasound. (Yay - our health insurance covers unlimited ultrasounds!)

So this afternoon, I went in and got these precious photos:

This photo is my favorite. The ultrasound tech is the mom of a friend of mine so she gave me this 3D photo as a friendly gesture. :) The baby is looking to the left a little and has his hands up by his face. You can see the umbilical cord on his belly.

Here's a side profile of the baby - he's looking up. You can also clearly see his little heart (we saw all 4 chambers!) in his chest.

Another profile. It almost looks like he's sucking his thumb!

This one is his leg, upside-down. On the left, you'll see where his bottom is and the knee is lower in the middle of the photo. Over where it says "ouch!" is where his foot is.

This is just another photo exploiting our son. We needed to make sure he's still a boy. :) This picture is looking up at his bottom; you'll see both hips marked (at the top & bottom of the photo) and the arrow is pointing at the scrotum. Micah was pleased to hear it's still a "he."

And now, for the important announcement!

We decided to share the baby's name this time instead of making everyone wait until the birth. We're doing this because we had told people what we would have named Kaitlyn if she were a boy and we're using the same name, so since some people know already it's only fair to share with everyone.

Our son will be named Christian Jacob.

We decided on that name even before we were married. Before we wed, we had talked about children of course and I mentioned I liked the name Christian Jacob for a boy. Micah was surprised and he asked if I knew about his brother. I only knew he had a sister at that point so I was a little confused. He explained that after his sister Sarah was born, his parents had another baby - a boy that they named Christian Jacob. Sadly, Christian passed away shortly after birth. Micah said he always wanted to name his first son after his brother. So, it was decided. Crazy coincidence, huh?

Our first gift!

2010-03-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Today, we received our first baby gift. My co-worker Ginny was so excited that we were having a boy, she went out and bought some absolutely adorable clothes for the baby. I love every piece of clothing but my favorite is the "Mommy Loves Me" bib. :)

I've always thought that it's more fun to buy clothes for baby girls... but these little items may have changed my mind! Little boy clothes are just as cute! I can't wait to see our little man dressed in this stuff...

It's a...

2010-03-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

...BOY!

We had our ultrasound this afternoon and were thrilled to finally find out the sex of the baby.

Micah and Kaitlyn were, of course, there with me and the technician showed us the baby's face, beating heart, little foot, legs...and then the goods. :)

This ultrasound photo is looking up at the baby's bottom. See where the arrow is pointing? That is a good indication we're having a boy!

We didn't get many good pictures of the baby's face, which I'm a little bummed about. Maybe they'll do another ultrasound at my doctor's office (this one was done at the hospital) and we'll get some better keepsake photos.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we're going to have a son. Baby boys are foreign territory to me... Yikes!

Now that we know what we're having, we'll need to update our registries. We're created registries at Babies R Us and Target. I've read that it's not as common to have a baby shower with the 2nd (or subsequent) child, but since it's been 6 years since our last one - who was also a girl - we pretty much need EVERYTHING all over again! And there are no boy clothes at all! (Last time, Micah's sister Sarah passed down a ton of girl clothes from her daughter who was born 7 months before Kaitlyn.)

So it's like we're first-timers all over again! I'm so excited!!!

My Facebook status...

2010-02-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

...should read:

Nicole Thompson Leonard is freaking out.

Whirling through my scatterbrained, forgetful-lately brain are these seemingly-unanswerable questions:

How much longer are we going to have to live in this tiny apartment?
Will we ever live in a house and have a backyard? I swear EVERY one of our friends are homeowners already.
How much longer will Micah have to work 2 jobs?
What if my employer doesn't extend my contract after March 31?
What will happen when I stop working part-time completely? How will we pay our bills?

I'm feeling discouraged, frightened, uncertain, doubtful... My heart is pounding and I am on the verge of tears.

I want to feel peaceful, hopeful, content, and encouraged.

How do I get from Point A to Point B?

All I know for sure right now is this: I have a beautiful little life growing within me - and that makes me smile.

Blessings upon blessings

2010-02-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

After recently posting about needing maternity clothes, guess what? People are offering to give me maternity clothes! It's such an amazing blessing!

First, my Girl Scouts troop co-leader Christiane gave me a huge bag of maternity shirts & blouses. (Blouses? Who uses that word anymore?? Me, apparently.)

Tonight, I went to visit my BFF Adriana and her friend Emily (who I can now call "my friend Emily") had dropped off two HUGE bags of maternity clothes for me. Everything from tops to dresses to camisoles (in EVERY color - yay!) to dress pants to totally AWESOME, perfectly-fitting jeans.

I am beyond grateful. And my ever-growing belly is pretty happy too. :)

So cheers to the generosity of friends and blessings from the Father who cares about even the smallest detail in my life (Matthew 10:29-31).

Working on my patience

2010-02-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today was my 2nd OB appointment. There are 4 doctors in the practice I go to and I met with Dr. Rodrigues today. He's very nice but he disappointed me today. I pointed out that my next appointment will be in 4 weeks, when I am 17 weeks along. I asked if we could find out the baby's gender then and he said that we'll probably have to wait until my April appointment for that - when I'm 20-21 weeks. The nerve of that man! :)

*sigh*

Oh well, it helps me to work on my patience.

Other news from this appointment:

Baby's heartbeat is strong.
I am not supposed to take baths over 100 degrees. Most of the baths I take are about 105-107 degrees. Guess I'm stuck with taking showers from now on. :(
It's OK for me to ride a bike.
If I get a headache, I can take Tylenol.

I've already gotten some maternity clothes and my belly is growing faster, I think, than it did with Kaitlyn! I think more maternity clothes will be on my birthday wishlist!

Loving you more and more each day, Little One...

Hmm...Interesting...

2010-01-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

OK, I don't put much stock in these types of things but I found it interesting that this ancient Chinese gender predictor chart says we'll be having a boy this time around.

I would also like to point out that this chart predicted Kaitlyn's gender correctly and has also predicted Angela will have a girl (which is what her ultrasounds have indicated).

I'll have my next ultrasound in March and we'll find out the baby's gender then. I'm anxious to see if this chart is right yet again!

By the way, if you're curious to check the chart yourself, you can find it here.

11 Weeks Today

2010-01-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Fun facts about your growth this week:

- You're about the size of a fig. (See photo above.)
- Your crown-rump length (head to bottom) is a little over 1-1/2 inches.
- You are almost fully-formed!
- Your hands will soon begin to open and close in fists and tooth buds are beginning to appear under your gums.
- Your diaphragm is forming.
- You are already busy kicking and stretching but I probably won't feel your acrobatic movements for another couple months.

Overwhelmed

2010-01-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

This morning, during the worship in church, I became so incredibly overwhelmed by the beautiful gift of life God has laid within me. We sang the chorus of Cannons by Phil Wickham:

You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I'm so unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great You are

Tears streamed down my face as I thought about how unworthy I am but still, but still, but still... He loves me and has given me this incredible opportunity to carry a child and bring another life into this world. God is SO GREAT and I am so small. And yet... He creates such beauty within me. What a wonderful, awesome Creator we have.

All glory, honor, power is Yours, amen!

The best way to be pregnant...

2010-01-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

...is with your best friend. Or better yet - TWO of your best friends! I get to journey through this pregnancy with two of my best girlfriends: Adriana and Angela. Can you believe it?!

I'm so excited to watch our bellies grow together, to see our husbands grow in their roles as fathers, to share birth stories, to get together with our little bundles... We've already been able to provide wonderful support to each other through times of uncertainty and fear.

I am so blessed to call these two women my friends. They are prayer warriors, Godly wives, encouraging friends, and I can't wait to see them blossom in motherhood and take hold of all the blessings that come along with it.

Another Ultrasound Today

2010-01-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

The first ultrasound I had was to make sure you were OK after I had some spotting. My primary care physician sent me for that ultrasound. The ultrasound I had today was done by my OB to confirm my due date.

Micah and Kaitlyn came along for this appointment and we were all thrilled to see you on the screen. We learned that I am farther along in my pregnancy that we originally thought. I am 10 weeks along (instead of 9) and you are measuring in at 1-1/4 inches (crown-rump length). We saw your little heart beating and we could even see your tiny little arms moving. It was simply amazing. We also learned that the really white bones in your head on the ultrasound were your jaw bones - they are the first to begin ossification.

Here's the photo of you that we got today:

In this photo, head is on the left.

Since I'm farther along that we thought, my due date was moved up to 08/09/10.

I found this prayer online and I love it. I pray these words for you, my little one.

Father, in Jesus name I worship you. I bless you and give you praise. Father, I come to you in Jesus' name and through the blood of Jesus Christ to ask you to protect and bless the baby in my womb.

Thank you, Father, that every good and perfect gift comes from You. I am happy that I am pregnant. You have blessed me with a baby again.

Lord, You said all that You create or created is good (Genesis 1:25). I thank You, Father, that the baby already formed in my womb is your workmanship created in true perfection according to Your power.

Father, all Your works are beautiful and magnificent to behold. They are wonderfully finished. All Your works are perfect, for every good and perfect gift comes from You (James 1:17). I thank You for a perfect baby in Jesus' name.

I condemn every tongue that has risen against me and my baby, in accordance with Your Word.

My baby will grow well. I shall put to bed a very healthy child. I cover the baby in my womb with the precious blood of Jesus.

Amen.

First OB Appt. - 1/5/2010

2010-01-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

I had my first appointment with my obstetrician. It was a typical appointment: weight, blood pressure, pelvic exam, pee in the cup. You know, that kind of stuff. Since it was my first appointment, I just met with the office's nurse practitioner. (Each appointment after this will rotate between the 3 doctors in the practice.)

Kaitlyn was with me and she played video games on her Leapster or doodled most of the time. She was a good and patient big sister though.

Nurse practitioner said everything looks good and I am scheduled for an ultrasound on Monday, January 11th to confirm my due date.

So far, I'm feeling good. A little bit of morning sickness, but nothing too horrendous. I find myself having to get up frequently during the night to use the restroom, which is a slight annoyance. But it's all worth it. There is a life growing inside me! What an incredible miracle. Praying for safety and protection for you as you grow and eventually make your journey to the outside world...

Our First Photo of You

2009-12-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

You're so tiny - measuring just 0.6 centimeters inside a gestational sac that measures merely 1.8 centimeters - but your heart is beating strong and we all love you so much.

For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place.
   When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes saw my unformed body.
   All the days ordained for me
   were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

A Little Scare Today

2009-12-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

DISCLAIMER: This post contains what some may consider to be "TMI" (too much information). If you are one of those individuals, just skip this post, OK? :)

This morning, I woke up and, of course, had to use the restroom. (Even though I'd already gotten up more than four times during the night.) Apparently spotting during pregnancy is somewhat normal and can be caused by a variety of things, but when I saw blood this morning, I was terrified. My OB/GYN didn't open until 8:30 so I get ready for work and called them when the office opened. Since I wasn't an "established patient" (as in, I hadn't yet had my first appointment with them regarding this pregnancy), they were unwilling to give me advice over the phone and instead referred my to my primary care physician. (This really annoyed me and I'm thinking about finding another OB/GYN, but I digress.)

So I called Dr. Fakhoury and he said to come in right away. He performed a pelvic exam and verified that my cervix was still closed. He said that was a good sign but referred me to get an ultrasound just to be safe. He is a wonderful doctor - he was patient, realistically reassuring, and gentle with me as I cried big tears while sitting in his exam room. He encouraged me to bring Micah to the ultrasound appointment "so I would have some moral support."

Thankfully, Micah is on vacation this week so he was ready, willing, and able to come along for the ultrasound. They first did a regular ultrasound on top of the belly and verified there was a gestational sac and yolk sac. In other words, there was something in there! Since I'm only 6 weeks along, it's difficult to get clear pictures of the baby so the technician performed a trans-vaginal ultrasound too. (More about what that is here if you're curious.) We got to see clearer pictures of the baby and hear the heartbeat. It was amazing! Our little baby had a strong, steady heartbeat of 132 BPM and I measured at 6 weeks, 2 days gestation.

So I'm not exactly sure what the bleeding was caused by (I'll know more probably when I go to see Dr. Fakhoury tomorrow for a follow-up) but PRAISE GOD it was not serious and our little guy or girl is still safe in my womb, growing and developing every day.

I'll have pictures from my ultrasound to post tomorrow!

Grandma & Papa know now

2009-12-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

Last night, Grandma & Papa came over to pick something up. We had just received the shirt in the mail so Kaitlyn was wearing it proudly. At first, Grandma & Papa didn't even notice the new shirt. So Kaitlyn said, "Grandma, do you like my new shirt?" Grandma started at it and said, "What does that say?!"

Hugs & "congratulations" all around. Kaitlyn was beaming.

We decided we should text a picture of the shirt to Ashley to break the news. Here's what we sent.

Of course, Ashley called back within seconds, laughing and [I think] on the verge of tears. She said she had to restrain her excitement a little, though, because she was in El Torito with friends. ;)

Tonight, we're planning on seeing Nana & Bapi so we'll break the news to them.

I also told some close friends last night, some co-workers this morning, and Micah told Sarah today.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

2009-12-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

We still haven't told your grandparents abou you. We ordered this super-cute t-shirt online for Kaitlyn and we're still waiting to for it to arrive in the mail.

Kaitlyn is so excited to be the one who gets to "make the announcement!" Nana & Bapi and Grandma & Papa will be soooo thrilled!!

An Early Christmas Gift

2009-12-04T22:22:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy test #2 shouted POSITIVE once again. I'm feeling more and more convinced that it's true! I looked up your due date and it's August 13, 2010.

I called my primary care physician today and made an appointment to confirm your existence. I go to see him next week. I also made an appointment with my OB/GYN for January 5th.

I also figured I should let your daddy and sister in on the news! I nestled the pregnancy test in tissue paper in a box, and wrapped it in Christmas paper. I sat on the couch with Daddy & told him that I had a Christmas gift for him that couldn't wait until December 25th. He was confused but agreed to open the gift. Kaitlyn was upset that she didn't get to open a gift but she felt a little better when Daddy agreed to let her help rip the paper off the box. When he opened it, I think he stared at it for 3 seconds, speechless. Then he said, "It's not ready!"

"What?!" I said, "It says I'm pregnant!"

"It does?" he asked, excitedly. "I thought the results were supposed to appear between the two pink lines."

Oh brother... :)

"The 2 pink lines ARE the results!"

He kissed me. Kaitlyn hugged & kissed me.

We're so anxious to meet you.

On this day...

2009-12-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Little One, I found out you existed today. Let me start from the beginning.

In August, I stopped taking birth control pills because I found out that the brand I was taking may have contributed to my gall bladder disease and subsequent removal last year. Of course, we knew the possible implications of no birth control but we felt it was time to add to our family anyway. We decided to leave it up to God.

This morning, I felt it would be a good idea to take a pregnancy test, even though I wasn't supposed to start my period until tomorrow. This is what it told me:

To be quite honest, I was a little skeptical at first. I didn't want to get my hopes up. I told myself that maybe I took it too early and that it was somehow a false positive. I'm going to wait until tomorrow to see if I get my period. I'll take another test and if it's positive again, I'll tell Micah.

You're barely the size of a poppy seed and I want you so much.