August

Sarah Ella at ChurchSarah Ella dressed as a bible character at daycare. dont know how to flip this.

I cannot believe that I haven't posted in over a month! Sarah Ella is just great! She is 5 months old now. She likes to coo and laugh out loud when you buzz her cheek. She is loving her exersaucer and play gym. She still is very content just to stay where she it put - not rolling over much and some scooting. She is on a pretty regular schedule for eating and napping which makes us very happy. I have played with oatmeal, oatmeal w/ applesauce and just a hint of sweet potato. She told me she wasn't really excited about the whole spoon thing and would like to wait for that. I was eating the sweet potato for dinner and she was reaching for it. So I mashed up some and put it on my finger and she sucked it right off! She thought that was fun, but really wasn't interested in having that as a meal. The other day Adam brought SE home from daycare and I told him that she wasn't mine! I had a tiny, short baby and the one he brought home was very tall! It seems like she grows overnight! We are still loving daycare. She is moving to the Advanced Infant Class at the end of the month. I think that has something to do with IQ, but they insist it just has to do with the age. She will be with 3 other babies that are closer to her age so they will be doing the same activities. She did her first finger painting a few weeks ago and I thought it was beautiful- it is already in a frame and at her Daddy's office.
We will be taking a trip to Portland, OR over Labor Day Weekend to see Misha and Jason Garey. Misha was my big sis in dental school. They are expecting in December and I'm so excited that baby Garey will be so close to SE's age. We love taking vacations with The Garey's!
I am a business owner as of August 1st! It is very exciting and it couldn't be going better! I'm learning a lot about accounting and business management which I find terribly boring, but it's part of being a grown-up. I have been keeping SE at the office with me while I work late and that is so much fun! I look forward to when she can be at the daycare across the street (she has to be 2) and I can watch her play while I work!
Adam is keeping very busy with his work. He loves what he does too so he finds himself at the office late often. Luckily, we are both understanding and supportive of each others work schedules. He is also still playing tennis and softball once a week and golf when he can. I don't see how he does it!

Summer fun

This week has been full of firsts for Sarah Ella. She had her first taste of cereal yesterday. She has been sooo hungry lately that I thought I would just see if she was telling me she was ready for something else. I sat her in the Bumbo chair and mixed 1/2 ounce of mommy's milk with just a touch of rice cereal. I kinda wanted to just see how she would respond to the spoon. The first few tries she squinched up her face and moved it out with her tongue. Then she would move some of it out with her tongue and swallow the rest. I might try it again this week, but I dont think we are going to put it into our daily routine yet. Another first was to roll over! She was laying on her back and kicked her little feet around and wound up on her left side! Shes only done it that one time so far, but I was so excited! Tonight we are in Jackson, MS for Adam's mothers side family reunion (The Growers.) Sarah Ella went to Mary Beths baby shower (Adam's 2nd cousin) who is due with her little boy, AJ in October. She met some Aunts and other cousins. Now we are at a hotel and Sarah Ella is making so many different noises and laughing out loud! It is a great Friday night! Tomorrow we are going to the official family reunion where Sarah Ella will meet her Great Grandparents, Nana and Papa and her Aunt Honor and Uncle Drew! We will head back to Pulaski tomorrow. On Tuesday we will fly to Tampa, FL to meet Sarah Ella's other set of Great Grandparents, Grandmother and pops. Her Pops, Granny Mac,
Great Uncle Doug and Great Aunt Sandy will be there too! We will be there until Saturday. I'm excited for her to meet all of her family because family is so important, but I'm nervous about the traveling. I hope she doesnt get uncomfortable on the plane ride and that we are able to take all the items she needs to keep her comfortable.

June

It has been a busy and difficult couple of weeks for our family. About three weeks ago I enrolled Sarah Ella into a daycare with the intentions of taking her only about 2 days a week. I was orignally on the wait list and was told a spot would not open until August. By the Grace of God we got in early and it was perfect timing. The following week by boss passed away from a massive heart attack. Dr. Sisk was only 51! That week I worked everyday (although it wasnt always treating patients.) So at least I had a great place to take Sarah Ella during the day. That week I also became sick (found out it was Strep throat) and lost my voice. Adam and my mom were also sick. Luckily, Sarah Ella was as healthy as can be. Then towards the end of the week Adam's first dog ever, Gracie, was shot by a distant neighbor. The neighbor claimed Gracie was killing his chickens. Adam was devastated. So our four dog family is down two dogs in one year (my first little dog, Murphy, was hit by a car last June.) For a dog loving family it has been very difficult. Now I'm working 4 days a week and seeing a lot more patiens. I am paid partly on production so my paycheck likes me being busy, but I'm just exhausted. I'm having to not only work with patients, but now I'm trying to figure out how to put a price on a dental practice and deciding if I should buy Dr. Sisk's practice or build one. Adam has been working in Memphis the past 4 days. I realize how much I depend on his help with the baby when he is gone. He comes home tomorrow (he wanted to play some golf with his buddies over the weekend) and then the week will start again. Hopefully, the practice stuff will be resolved soon so that I can just focus on the dentistry.

11 weeks old!!

May 7th we went for our 2 month check-up and vaccinatons. Sarah Ella weighed 10lbs and 13oz and was 23" long. This put her in the 50th percentile for both height and weight. I decided to go ahead and give Sarah Ella all the recommened vaccines but we didn't give them all in one visit. I wanted to see if she was going to have any reaction to each vaccine. She did great! She did have an elevated temp. and some fussiness, but I think anyone would after getting those shots!

We went to Florida (Grayton Beach) last weekend for my friend Sam and Jason's wedding. We took Fefe, Grandpa and Aunt KK to watch Sarah Ella while Adam and I enjoyed wedding activities. Sarah Ella did great on her first road trip. It took about 7hrs and we stopped only once each way to feed her. I had bought all this baby gear to take her on the beach and wound up not using any of it! It was too windy and hot for such a little baby. Maybe next year we will let her get some sand between her toes.

Sarah Ella is getting stronger everyday! She likes to stand up now and look around (of course while being supported!) She also can lift her head pretty far when she is on her tummy. She is smiling a lot and makes happy/squeaky/laughing noises!! It is precious. She still sticks her bottom lip out when she is unhappy which is so cute! She has been sleeping through the night since mother's day. During the day she is starting to be awake a lot more. I will put her down for a nap and when I go to check on her she is wide awake - not making a peep! She is just the best baby ever!

Visit with Taylor Rogers

Taylor Rogers came for a visit last night- she brought her Cookie and Grandpa with her. Sarah Ella looks a little sassy in this picture with Taylor and I hope it's not a indication of what to expect from her when she is older! However, being my daughter it probably is!
Sarah Ella is awake a lot more now. Last night she chose to be really awake from 9pm-1am which is not normal for her. She usually goes to sleep at 11am and then wakes up at 4am. I go to work at 7:30am and of course I give her a lot of kisses before I leave (and Adam gets one too!) Then about 8am she wakes her daddy up to feed her. Adam will watch her until 10am. Then either Fefe, Grandpa or our housekeeper, Ms. Kay, will watch her until I get done working at 5pm. I am only working about 3 days a week so I get to be with her 4 days a week! Sarah Ella has just started to notice her mobile and loves her reflection! She also loves the itsy bitsy spider song. The other day I asked Adam to sing her a song. He decided to sing the entire Vanilla Ice song Ice Ice Baby! It was so funny! Sarah Ella just stared at him!
Our big news last week is that she has graduated from new born diapers to size ones! I was a little sad, but I'm so happy she is growing well. We will got this week for our 2 months check-up and vaccinations :( I wonder how much she will weigh...we are guessing about 11lbs.

Easter Weekend

Lots of family came to church to see Sarah Ella baptized! Adam, Grandpa, Nana, Pops, Granny Mac, Godfather West , Mommy, Godmother Teresa, Aunt KK and Fefe

In the Jogging stoller - lots of room to grow!

We walked a mile and arrived at Grandpa and Fefe's house!

This is where Sarah Ella lives!

Classic baby bath in the sink!

One Month Update

I cannot believe it has been a month since Sarah Ella AKA (rah-rah or Sugar Ella) has made her debut! I was updating her baby book today and realized I hadn't posted anything on here for awhile. We are still waiting for the proofs from the photographer and I cannot wait to see all her cute pictues. We had our one month visit with the pediatrician. Sarah Ella's current stats: weight 8lbs 7oz (6lbs 10oz at birth) , length 21" (20" at birth) and head circum. 14.5" (13.5 at birth). So she is growing good! We are bapitizing Sarah Ella on Easter Sunday. We are expecting all of the grandparents to be there and we are so looking forward to it!

We are doing great!

Sarah Ella weighs 7lbs 10oz and is a very healthy little girl! She sleeps so well at night. I have to wake her up to eat! We usually wake up at 5:30am and then she naps until 10ish. When she wakes up again she usually stays alert for about an hour before she heads off to dreamland again. Late at night is when she is most alert. She really enjoys being held, having her feet and head massaged and sucking on her pacifier. She is a joy and time just flies when I'm with her! We have our newborn photo session scheduled with Mac Brown a photographer in Lawrenceburg. The website is http://www.macbrownphoto.com/.
I'm returning to work tomorrow, but only for a half day. I'm excited to get back to work. I knew it would be easier to go back sooner than later. I didn't want to forget how much I enjoyed working and be tempted to stay with Sarah Ella all the time. My sister is going to drive up from school in Florence, AL so she can help my mom watch Sarah Ella for those 4 hours!

We are home!

We just had our first Dr visit! Sarah Ella has gained 2 oz since we left the hospital. So she is up to 6 lbs 4 oz! She is doing great. I'll update and add more pictures when I have time! If you have facebook you can see more pictures there because I can upload from my cell phone.

This was RIGHT AFTER the baby was born. The thought of Peperroni Pizza is what got Momma through all the hard work!

I am here! My name is Sarah Ella Reeves. I am 6 lb, 10 oz and 20 inches long! I am in great health and so is my Momma. Momma will put up more pictures as soon as she gets out of the hospital!

38 weeks

I just got back from my appointment with Beth. Everything looks great. Sarah Ella's heart beat was in the 140 range. Beth wants me to go to the hospital Thursday evening to start the induction. If I fall into the category of average first time mom's then we can expect to see Sarah Ella Friday evening between 5pm-10pm! That is just one week away!
Here is a picture of the master bedroom and where we will keep Sarah Ella her first few weeks. The bear on the rocking chair is 'jingle bear.' My Grandparents gave the bear to me when I was 6 and I still cherish it!

Nursery Pictures!

Here are pictures of Sarah Ella's nursery. It is just about done! Judy is making really cute window treatments and I know they are going to be beautiful! Then all we need is a precious little girl to complete the nursery! Just ten more days!

37 Week Dr. Appt

Just got finished seeing Beth for our 37 week appointment. Adam is in Memphis for the week and could not be there. So he insisted he be on speaker phone during the appt! Beth let us know that I tested positive for group B strep. That was scary to hear, but after googling it I see that it is pretty common. It is just one of those things that up to 40% of healthy women have for no reason. The good thing is that we know to start IV antibiotics during labor so Sarah Ella will be protected. It will probably not affect either of us in an adverse way. Sarah Ella's heart beat was in the 150bpm range and sounded very healthy. Of course she is still head down, but has switched sides she is laying on. Her feet are now pointed at my left side. When Beth was feeling her she pushed her bottom out really far so we could see the outline very clearly! How cute?! Next week Beth will check to see if I have made any progress which will determine if I go to the hospital on Thursday night March 5th or on Friday morning March 6th. I can't believe it is just two weeks away now! Yay!

Baby Shower!

Pictures from the baby shower! What a beautiful diaper cake Robyn made!

Aunt Joy sent Sarah Ella some really pretty gifts!

Adam loved the "I love daddy" sleeper and the hairbows Robyn made!

Mom and Adam- Adam didn't think it was funny we were making fun of him!

Adam loved the idea of a hooded towel!

The beautiful bedding Judy (adam's mom) made!

Another view of the bedding! Love it!!!

Mom and Adam. Adam was soooo excited to go through all the gifts for Sarah Ella!

Krissy, Me, Adam and Grace (Adam's sister) Krissy and Grace drove all the way from Knoxville just for the day!

Judy gave Adam cigars to pass out at the hospital.

The beautiful quilts my Aunt Pat made! She is so talented!

Krissy, me, Grace and baby Grace (nikki's baby)

Aunt Katelin, Mom (Fefe), Judy (nana) and me!

Catherine, Bubba, Karen and Lisa

Opening the bedding Judy made - I just can't believe how perfect it was!

Opening the paintings my mom made for the nursery-one of the paintings is of the bunny brushing her teeth!

Pictures!!!

This was the 3-d pic from 1/29/09 This is the 3-d pic from today (2/19/09) She looks so much bigger! Her hand is next to her face!

I had such a wonderful experience today. This morning I woke up and was so worried! I called mom and told her I was concerned that the cord could be around Sarah Ella's neck I would never know until it was too late. Mom told me that those worries are normal, but unfounded and it would be ok. About 30mins later I got a call from Fleecy who said she could get me in for a 4-d ultrasound today. What an answered prayer from God! Adam is in Memphis until Saturday so he wasn't able to go. Mom came with me and we got to see Sarah Ella. She is perfectly fine - Fleecy even showed us that the cord is far away from her neck! We got a really cute profile picture of Sarah Ella. Her little hand is by her face. Fleecy was also able to print out the other cute picture from 1/29/09 in color (last time the color printer was not working.) So it is fun to compare pictures that are 3 weeks apart.

36 weeks

Our 36wk appt was on Friday and everything is going smoothly! I'm so excited to have Beth Gist deliver! She is so comfortable to be around and I know she is going to make the delivery be just perfect!
Sunday was the baby shower in Pulaski! I had so much fun! We received some really cool handmade gifts. I also had some friends and family travel from out of town which meant a lot to me! I was exhausted afterwards, but still wound up from the day so I didn't fall asleep until like midnight. Adam and I unloaded all the gifts in the nursery and it looks like the day after Christmas in there! Adam kept saying, "I want her to be here now!" I will post pictures soon of the shower!

35 week update

We just had our first appointment with Beth Gist who is the midwife that will deliver Sarah Ella. All my blood work looked great from the last visit. Sarah Ella's heartbeat was between 140 and 150bpm. Beth felt around on my tummy and we found all of Sarah Ellas body parts. She is still head down. Beth told us that March is a busy baby month this year. I asked about inducing labor and she said that it would be safe to do at 39wks, but that we should schedule soon because of the limited time slots available. We went ahead and scheduled induction for Friday March 6th at 5am! I can't believe that is just 4wks away! We will go next Friday for a check-up and routine exam.

Candi's shower pictures

Adam, Clay, Linda and Randy Paul Pookie, Candi and Emily

The diaper cake Robyn Pierce created!

The shower was at Terramisue (mom and dad's home)

Candi and me - her mom was just interested in the 'belly shot' :)

Ultrasound Day!

We just got back from having our ultrasound! West and Teresa Chiles (Sarah Ella's Godparents), Mom and Dad and of course Adam were all there during the sonogram. Fleecy Johnson was our technician and she was nice enough to let everyone stand around the room. All of her body parts look normal and her insides are normal too. She is estimated at 5lbs and 9oz. I will hit the 34 week mark tomorrow. However, when the baby was being measured I noticed that the estimate had her close to 36 weeks. So she might be making a debut early! Sarah Ella is head down and her little feet are planted under my ribs. I drank part of a Sun-drop and did some exercises so that Sarah Ella would be awake and in a good position. However, she slept the entire time (her lips did move a little) and she was in a position so that we could only get 3D profile shots of her face. My next appt is for Feb. 6th.

First visit

Yesterday we had our initial visit at our new OB's office. I just saw the nurse who took a health history and did some blood work. I will go back Friday for an actual visit with the doctor. We were excited to find out that this dr. wants to have another ultrasound done! So we will go next Thursday morning that that appt.

Prenatal class review

We had our first prenatal class last Thursday at the local hospital in Pulaski. We had a tour of the 'baby wing'. A great thing is that I can stay in the same room the whole time I'm in the hospital - there is no special delivery room. So the rooms are very big and well equipped. We went through a hand book and learned about what to expect when you go into labor. Adam was very interested in the numbers part (how many contractions you are suppose to have before going to the hospital.) I can see that we might have a problem with that. I will think it's time to go to the hospital and he's going to have a spreadsheet out on Excel telling me that I haven't reached my optimal contraction level :) One thing I was very surprised about was that there were a few high school students in the class. Their mothers were there with them. They looked so young and some of the questions they asked were so sad. It was like some of them were hearing where babies came from for the first time. I will post after our next class.

This weekend was Candi Rogers' baby shower. It was so much fun! Candi looked beautiful and she got a lot of cute things for Taylor! We played two fun shower games. One was "Winner takes All." There was a piggy bank and everyone was suppose to put some spare change in it. Then write down how much they think would be in the bank at the end of the shower. The winner won All - the laundry detergent! The other little game was just a drawing for a door prize. Everyone took a thank-you envelope and wrote their address on it. Then there was a drawing from that. I'm sure it will be easier for Candi to write her thank-you notes without having to hunt down addresses now! I'll post a few pics from the shower when I have a better connection!

32 weeks!

Tonight Adam and I have our first prenatal class at the hospital. The same woman who is teaching it taught it when my mom went through it in 1982! We are looking forward to it. Adam was in Memphis for the week. I kept busy with unpacking the house (yes- still!) and painting a cradle for Sarah Ella. The nursery is starting to come together. I will post pictures when it is finished. Next week we finally have our first OB appt. in Pulaski. I'm looking forward to it.

Happy New Year!

We have had a busy month! We are all moved in to the house in Pulaski. It's not cute yet, but it is functional at least. We traveled to Knoxville to see family and friends the week after Christmas. Adam is all moved in to his new office in Pulaski and is excited! I start work this Monday. Adam is literally two blocks away from my office! So we will be doing a lot of lunch dates. Adam put up Sarah Ellas crib last night. Adams mom, Judy, gave us a beautiful pink chair and ottoman for Christmas. So Sarah Ella's room is starting to come together! We still need a dresser/changing table and a crib mattress so let me know if anyone as suggestions about what and where to get those!
Sarah Ellas has hiccups A LOT! It is so cute! She hasn't really changed positions since the last ultrasound. Her little feet are cozy under my right side of ribs! I'm excited that we have hit the 30wk mark! For some reason that was a milestone for me! I feel like time should just fly now!

Doctors Appt

We had our doctors appt. in Memphis on Wednesday. I'll post the 3-d ultrasound picture as soon as we have a more reliable internet connection. Sarah Ella weighed 2lbs and 6 ounces! I couldn't believe how big she is already! Everything looked great in the ultrasound which is such a relief! I had my modified blood glucose test and we were surprised that I didn't pass it! My doctor wants a reading of 140mg/dl or less an hour after drinking the sugary drink. My modified glucose was 189mg/dl! I am actually in the low risk category for gestational diabetes and so my doctor wasn't concerened about this. However, normal procedure calls for a three hour fasting blood glucose test. I think I'm going to refuse this though. If I did have gestational diabetes I would just modify my diet. So I'm just going to eat like I have diabetes (which is healthy habity anyway) and have my blood sugar checked at my next doctors appt on Jan 22nd. Adam and I will start prenatal classes at the local hospital in January. So we are excited about that.
This month has flown by and I can't believe Christmas is next week. We still have a few unpacked boxes, but it's starting to come together at the house. We will be in Pulaski up until the day after Christmas then we are driving to Knoxville to see Adam's family.

Moving Weekend

Adam and I are packing up the Memphis house to move to my hometown- Pulaski, TN. We just put the Memphis house FSBO last week. Hopefully we will have luck selling it since it's right next to the Univ. of Memphis. Adam plans to commute the first month while he ties up his business in Memphis. He still is going to work for Shoemaker Financial and see his clients in Memphis (and Knoxville), but he will have a Shoemaker office in Pulaski. I still haven't finalized my work plans yet! I'm excited to start working, but I want to make sure I make a good decision of where to practice.

I've been gone for over 8 years now and I'm so excited to finally go back home! We are moving into the house I grew up in which is really neat. The painters have finished the interior and the carpet cleaners were there yesterday so it is like a brand new house. We will be less than a mile from my parents and we will also be closer to Adam's parents who live in Knoxville.

Sarah Ella is doing great. It feels like she is still really low when she moves. My back has been hurting - probably a rib. It's something that happens in some pregnancies from what I've read. It gets worse in the evening. Hopefully it won't progress or maybe it will just get better by itself! We are excited about our Dec. 17th doctor appt. It will be our last appt. in Memphis. I'm going to have to find another doctor this month that will be closer to home.

We won a stoller!

My last post I talked about babygizmo.com and how I love that site! I was just sent an e-mail today from the senior editor that we won a Mutsy Spider stoller!! It is the same one they used for the demo video. You can see it here http://www.babygizmo.com/news/mutsyspider.php It is suppose to ship this week. We are so excited! We also found out that the crib shipped today. So we are looking forward to setting that up too.

baby gizmo

I loved the baby gizmo site and they are having a really neat contest. For those moms and moms-to-be here it is.
http://www.babygizmo.com/news/12daysofchristmas.php
Baby Gizmo is playing Santa Claus! From adorable baby shoes to diaper bags to a luxury stroller, Baby Gizmo is having a holiday giveaway extravaganza! The Baby Gizmo 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Extravaganza celebrates the holidays by giving away twelve of our favorite items to lucky winners, one each day between December 1st and December 12th. Yes, we know this isn't technically the true "12 Days of Christmas" but when we are giving great things away, we make the rules! The best thing about the giveaways is that all you have to do is log in to be entered to win. For the first 11 days, a random winner will be picked from all the people that log in on that day. Prizes include products from: Maclaren, Svan, Kelty, JJ Cole, Mutsy, pediped, Stokke, Fisher Price, Moonlight Slumber, Kushies, Skip Hop, & Baby Bjorn. On the 12th day, a winner will be picked from everyone that logged in during the entire 12 days for a fabulous Mutsy 4Rider Lite Stroller (Seat & Frame). Easy as that! So, log in and let the giveaways begin starting December 1st!!

Hula Babies!

Jason, Misha, Me and Adam at the luau

I thought the rainbow eucalyptus tree was so cool!!

24 week baby bump!

Plantation golf course

We had so much fun in Maui! We were given some great tickets to the Oregon vs. Alabama game at the Maui Invitational. The half-time show was great because there were little hula dancers- too cute! We went snorkeling right off shore. We saw some amazing tropical fish and a sea turtle! Adam even touched the turtle. Later we found out that you aren't suppose to do that. We went to a luau with tons of food and enjoyed the professional hula dancers. One of Adams favorite things was going to breakfast. We would drive along the ocean to The Plantation golf course and have breakfast overlooking the course and ocean. The golf course is where the Mercedes Benz tourn. is held. Adam was going to play a round but after finding out it was $250 he decided he'd rather wait until he's older! Misha and Jason were so much fun! They spent two days doing other activities that I couldn't comfortably do like take the road to Hana and bike ride down a 10,000ft mountain. It was an amazing trip! I felt great the whole time! The long plane rides were not very comfortable for my back, but it's a small price to pay.

Oh Sugar!

This morning I was in the middle of seeing a pt when I started to feel really hot and dizzy. I called my doctor who wanted to see me right away to do bloodwork. Adam was at home studying for his CFP exam (it was at noon and then he goes all day sat. for the second part of the exam so pray for him) and I didn't want to worry him. So I drove myself to the doctor and waited for 2hrs to get seen. It turned out I had unusually low blood sugar. I had breakfast, but my sugar was showing that I was below fasting levels. Which probably means I won't have gestation diabetes- yay! My iron levels were great and my blood pressure was low (as usual.) I have gained a total of 14lbs. Sarah Ella's heart rate was perfect- 144bpm and she was kicking sooo hard while I was waiting. It was very comforting to know she was okay when I wasn't feeling so well. Now that I know that my sugar levels can get so low I just have to make sure I eat meals more frequentlyand include more protein. Which is so easy to do! I got home around noon, ate and then slept for 4hrs! I was so wiped out from the morning!
After Adam got home from his exam we had a date night. We went to a mexican restaurant and then to the movies. We saw the new James Bond movie and it was ok. It was a lot of fun to hang out with Adam and it helped him unwind from his day. He goes back tomorrow for the second part of the exam. I plan to pack for our trip and clean the house.

23 weeks!

I feel sooo big and not cute! That has been the theme for the last few days. I think Sarah Ella is doing some remodeling and decided to put a second level where my diaphragm use to enjoy deep inahles. My wardrobe has been limited to only maternity clothes. Katelin decided to take advantage of that and raided my closet over the weekend. It made me wonder if I'll ever be able to wear my normal clothes again. I think these are all normal pregnancy woes, but it is still hard to adjust to a changing body! On Sunday Adam and I are going to Maui with another couple (Misha and Jason Garey.) Misha was my dental school "big sis". I am so excited to go, but my activities will be limited and I'm not really anxious to jump into a swimsuit! Luckily Adam is so good about making me feel cute and tiny! My best friend Nikki said the best thing she could hear during her entire pregnancy is "you are sooo tiny!" Adam started saying that on day one! He's a smart cookie! I will post some belly pics at the end of the week so look for those!

Doctors appt 21weeks 5days

I thought that we weren't going to have an eventful dr. appt so I told Adam he didn't need to come with me. As soon as I got there I was told to go into the Ultrasound room! They said the last tech. I saw was a fill-in so they wanted the full-time one to verify gender. I was sooo excited! We verified that it was 100% a girl! Yay! Then I got to watch her on the screen for a little bit. I hadn't had lunch yet so Sarah Ella wasn't active at all. She was on her belly in a ball! She moved twice and it was so cool because I got to see the movement and feel it too! My iron levels were normal today as was my blood pressure and urine sample. Sarah Ella's heart rate was 144bpm. So far, I have gained a total of 10lbs during the pregnancy. My next appt is Dec. 17th. I will be checked for gestational diabetes then. The best part is that we will get a 3-d Ultrasound at that appt! Enjoy Sarah Ella's pictures! More to come in 6wks!

We have a name!!!!!

We have had lots of great suggestions from friends and family over the last few weeks and I'm excited to announce that we have picked out a name for our little girl....drumroll........ Sarah Ella Reeves! I was so close to both of my grandmothers and after they passed I had always hoped to honor them in some big way. My maternal grandmother was Sarah Gertrude Keller and my paternal grandmother was Fern Ella Harris. We decided that Gert and Fern weren't going to fly so that left us with Sarah and Ella. I look forward to sharing stories and pictures with Sarah Ella about her great grandmothers !

20 weeks!

We are in week 20 and everything is great! Today we received a letter from our doctor that said all of my lab tests (Serum Alpha Fetoprotein, BETA HCG and unconjugated estriol) were normal. So we are very grateful for such good news! I go back to the doctor Nov. 5th, but it will be a boring visit. Just a finger stick to check iron levels and a belly check from what I understand. I have been feeling the baby move a little more now - especially at night when I'm still. My books say that she can hear now and that she has fingerprints! I thought that was neat! We still aren't any closer to a name. It's hard to name a baby when you have TWO opinions! :) I will post again after the dr. visit next week!

Feeling Fluttery!

I am starting to feel flutters from our baby! It feels like she is taking her tiny fingers and thumping me! I really can pay attention and feel them more at night. I've heard it is usually about the 6month mark when you can feel her movements on the outside of the tummy so Adam will have to wait a little longer to get a high five from her.
I started crib shopping last week and fell in love with a Bratt wrought iron crib. Yesterday my parents called to tell me they have ordered the crib and it should be here in December!!! That is when we are planning to move back to Pulaski so it will be fun to get started on the nursery right away!
We are about 70% sure about what the name will be -I'm just waiting for Adam to be 100% sure until we announce it. Hopefully it will be soon so we can start the monogramming fun!

IT'S A GIRL!!

ITS A GIRL!! She had a great photoshoot today! Enjoy the pictures! See below for the story about our visit.

The confirmation that it's a girl! (looking up at her booty and legs)


She stretched out for this picture!


She is telling us "Shhh!"

Our doctors visit was very informative. The doctor drew blood for the AFP test (checking for neural tube defects and abnormalities). He checked my weight- I have gained 4 pounds. Then he checked the heart beat. It took about 30 seconds to find anything and it felt like hours! I was getting very concerned until I heard "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" - the baby was just sitting higher than the doctor expected. Her heart was beating at 144bpm (very healthy)! He measured my stomach and it was 18cm. He said that I was right on target. Your belly is suppose to correlate to the number of weeks you are pregnant. I dread 40! Then it was time for the ultrasound. I asked the girl if we were going to find out the sex today. As soon as the monitor picked the baby up she said "oh yah, we will be able to tell gender." I closed my eyes so I couldn't see the monitor. I told her my husband was in a prep class and couldn't come to the appointment. I asked if we could we put him on speaker phone so she could tell us both at the same time? She said that that was a first for her! Adam picked up on the first ring and I told him we were about to find out the gender. The girl said, "ok are y'all ready?! It's a GIRL! " Adam said - "really? Are you sure?" (he was excited!) and she said "yup, I'm pretty sure." Adam and I were thrilled! Adam went back into lecture and I got to watch our little girl on the tv screen for about 30min! She was playing with her hands (waving them around and putting them over her head) and kicking a lot too (I couldn't it feel though). Then she took a big stretch and tucked her chin back to her chest. Photos were taken of everything from her bladder to her fingers to make sure she was healthy. Her bones are starting to ossify so it kinda looked like she had her skeleton costume on for Halloween. During the ultrasound her heart was beating at 152bpm. She weighs 7 ounces. I was grinning like the village idiot when I walked out of the office! We are still working on names. Hopefully we will agree on one soon! My next visit is Nov. 6th. They will do a belly check and a finger stick for iron levels. At 28weeks our doctor offers a complimentary 4-d ultrasound. They said by that time the baby has some fat on it and looks cute. At that visit I will do a fasting glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. Hopefully my next post will be to tell you that I'm feeling her move!

Upcoming doctors appt.

Our doctors appt is now on Friday 10/10 (Adam's Birthday!) We decided to change doctors and the first time I could be seen just happened to be then. This doctor does the 4-d ultrasounds as part of the visit and usually determines gender between 16-20weeks. So we are excited that we might get a 4-d picture and that we might find out the gender this Friday!! Sadly, Adam is taking a review class from 8-5 for his CFP exam so he probably wont be at the appointment, but I'll have him on speaker phone if the doctor does an ultrasound for gender!

4 Months!

In my baby book there is a picture of mom's stomach and dad had written 3 1/2 months on the side. So I thought it would be fun to recreate that picture for our baby. When I asked Adam to write 4 months on my stomach with a Sharpie he gave me the strangest look! After I explained it to him he thought it was a neat idea!

I'm still feeling great. I told my mom that I know the baby comes from her gene pool because I'm already craving fruits and veggies! Adam took me to the grocery and I grabbed every produce item in sight! He kept murmuring something about we could always come back for more- but I needed all of them right then!

Welcome to our blog!

Hi friends and family!
Adam and I are so excited that we are expecting a baby! The due dates keep changing. My book says March 13, the doctor says March 14 and the sonogram says March 16. Whatever the date it will be almost certain we will be interrupting March Maddness. We had our first doctor visit at the beginning of September. After the blood work and exam the doctor told us everything seems to be going great. We heard the heart beat and it was 145bpm which is very healthy! I have been so fortunate not to experience any negative pregnancy symptoms so far. My stomach is not looking very flat anymore though. They said around this time I might start feeling flutters from the baby, but I haven't yet. At 14 weeks we had our first ultrasound. I couldn't see the screen very well, but Adam said the little one was moving around so much! I guess it was still dancing from the reception?! We were able to get a great profile picture. My family thinks it looks like a boy. We go for our next doctors visit in a few weeks for routine bloodwork. In November we will have our second ultrasound to find out if we are having a little boy or girl!