Hello 3rd trimester!

Well, here we are again!  I can't believe I'm already 28 weeks and this little girl will be here in 10 weeks or less.  Yikes!  Have I mentioned that she has no name??? I can count on one hand the number of conversations we've actually had about baby names.  I welcome any reasonable suggestions you may have (as long as they're not in the Top 10 most popular list from the past decade).

I go back to see my OB this week and then the perinatalogist next week.  At my last appointment, Baby Girl is healthy, weighs almost two pounds and is measuring a little above average. Each time I've had an ultrasound, the doctor or tech comments about how active she is and how much she moves around.  Same story, second baby! ;)  I've also started having Braxton Hicks (which I never experienced with Halley) for the past week or so.  It's not awful but I certainly wouldn't mind if they stopped.  I'm sleeping a little better than my first pregnancy (thanks to awesome new pillows from my mom) but the heartburn is still ever-present.  (Speaking of my mom, she was pregnant with triplets and claims she's never had heartburn in her life.  What gives?!)

(My computer is being difficult and won't let me crop the picture.)

And here is my Big Girl helping me make pancakes this morning.  I love that sweet face!

Halley & the fire pit

Halley discovered a new pre-dinner activity last night.  Pictures are worth a thousand words, right? 

 

Why we made her put on a rain coat, I have no idea.  She was drenched from head to toe when she was done.  And, for the record, the splashing session ended once she refused to stop lapping up the rain water.  The two of us, laughing hysterically while she did it and saying "No, stop it" the whole time, may or may not have sent mixed signals.  

Updates

Hello sweet people who come to check in on our not-so-exciting life,

Here's what's going on in our world.
 
The baby update:

When I went in for my 20 week ultrasound, not only did we find out we were NOT having a boy, but we were told that there are some slight complications with the umbilical cord.  Most women have a 'three vessel cord' consisting of two arteries and one vein.  In less than 1% of women, there is only one artery and one vein.  (It's called a Single Umbilical Artery.)  I fall into that 1%.  My doctor is not overly concerned but there are some increased risks involved so I'm now seeing a perinatalogist as well. Without boring you with all the details, it basically means I will start seeing doctors weekly at 34 weeks for a non-stress test and ultrasound.  They'll be monitoring my blood pressure and the baby's growth to make sure that she is continuing to grow on track.  With only one artery feeding her blood & nutrients, the doctors need to monitor weekly progress so we don't get into a precarious situation.  We also found out that my uterine artery is more constricted (it should be loose & free-flowing, I think?) which resulted in my blood pressure getting dangerously high when pregnant with Halley.  Some reassurances from the doctor: kidney & brain defects are among the risk and the ultrasound shows Baby Girl does NOT have these issues (praise Jesus) and this has nothing to do with the miscarriage I had earlier in the pregnancy.  I really haven't been very pre-occupied about this (except selfishly when I think about juggling two different doctors on a weekly basis) but I have heard the word "stillborn" a few times since this conversation started so we definitely covet your prayers if you think about us.  

If you're sitting at your computer bored and want to know more about SUA, click here. 

Okay, enough medical talk.


Here's our sweet girl:

Halley had her first haircut this week. She doesn't look very happy in this picture but she was so good and didn't want to leave!  No one else except her mama would be able to tell the difference but she was way overdue.

Daddy & Daughter date night at Chick-Fil-A (makes my heart melt!)

A few of my favorite Halley moments:

• At night, she says to me "Mommy hold you" so that I wrap my arms around her while we sing. 
• She loves to say "It just right" meaning the temperature (of her bath, food) isn't too hot or cold.
• Dozens of times a day, I hear "I do it" usually in terms of getting dressed.  She also coaches herself "Writing in back" so she knows which way her clothes go on. 
• For my wriggly baby who was never very cuddly, she is seriously making up for lost time over the past few months.  Every once in a while it's a little frustrating but I adore it 99.99% of the time. 
• Halley heard a little girl crying in a restaurant last night and her immediate comment was "She sad.  She fell out of the chair."...why she assumed that, I have no idea but it was really funny.
• Potty training is getting better.  Not perfect but at least better.  And after I used the bathroom a few days ago, Halley said to me "Good job Mommy!"  Haha.  At least she listens to me.

 Thanks for checking in on us!

"Smiling's my favorite"

Well, hello friends!  I found a stash of pictures I never shared so here's a random mess of things over the past few months.  Apparently, it's easy for Halley to get excited....

in the bathtub.....

 seeing a train...

 wearing purple pajamas....

 

 

 eating donuts for the first time on her 2nd birthday.....

 

wearing sunglasses in the car....

 dressed as Wilma Flintstone driving a tractor...

{Well, they're not really happy here.  

This is Halley with her friend, Luke, at Halloween and his cute mama, Haley.

(Note: felt Halloween costumes make for itchy skin & grouchy 2 year olds)}

 

 and watching her favorite movie, Doe a Deer (aka The Sound of Music).

 

Merry Christmas to me!  I just found this picture and it may be my new favorite.  All three of us are smiling-what a miracle!

And for you, Lorrie, here I am at 24 weeks.  I think I look bigger than this picture shows--maybe I'm just storing it all in my cheeks.  Haha!  Pregnant face is baaaaaaccckk.  At least I know that it eventually returns to normal. 

Happy weekend!