cats, horses and babies

Hey!

2011-11-25T16:00:00.003-05:00

Only been a little while since I last posted on here. Arabella will be three next month, Kevin will be, shhh, thirty and Lissandra is 10 months old. Wow. Other than feeling completely exhausted and scatter brained, I've been doing good. I've been told I have adrenal fatigue and am taking some herbs to try and get that under control. Until then here are some pictures to enjoy.

I've had a can of red hair spray for two or three years and finally decided to use it. Arabella Loved it. My mom called me when she saw the picture on face book, she thought it was a die.

My parents came down well it was warm out and we went to see the castles and ohio cave. That was a fun day, we went to the cold stone creamery, a first for me.

My handsome hubby, need I say more?

Our blue eyed beauty. Such a pain, but worth it most days.

And this hen hatched her own eggs. Sad part is she hatched nine chicks and only three of them made it past the first two weeks. It was a lot of fun watching them grow.

Without further ado, goodbye.

So much

2011-03-21T12:01:00.003-04:00

So much has happened since my last post. Christmas, Arabella's birthday and Lissandra's birth.

This is my big belly I believe on Christmas day, about the time I got my first stretch marks on my belly.

Here is our second daughter. Lissandra Nichole Threewits, 1-22-11, 9lbs 4oz and 21 inches long. Born at 6:05 after only an hour and a half labor. I woke up at midnight thinking my water may have broken. Went back to sleep and woke up at 4:30 with a braxton hicks contraction (at that point they were a four letter word to me). I was really cold so I got into a very warm shower and realized I was in labor. I timed the contractions (one to two minutes apart and 35 seconds long) and walked around till 5:30. I woke Kevin up and called the midwife, she told me to wait until the contractions were 45 seconds long and call her back. Kevin asked if he should make breakfast or put some plastic on the floor, my vote was for breakfast, he put the plastic down. Meanwhile, I got really warm and was pacing all over, I was sitting on the toilet when I had a pushing contraction, I don't think I could have stood up any faster. My only thought was that that shouldn't be happening yet. At that point I couldn't walk for a contraction and the next two were sitting on the toilet, with the third one Lissandra crowned. I freaked out, took a deep breath and said "Kevin, she's coming". He told me later he could hear panic in my voice. I waddled to the bedroom holding her head and laid on the bed. Kevin got the phone and called the midwife then got a towel. With the next contraction and a little push her head and shoulders came out. She was a stargazer and my thought was boy does she look like her daddy. I told Kevin he could pull her out, I don't think he heard me, so I gave a little push and out she came. I pray never to labor that quickly again. At 7 weeks old Lissandra was 11lbs 7oz.
Proud Daddy

One last note, today is down syndrome day, 3-21. Goodnight all.

Warning: may contain random things.

2010-11-19T13:21:00.005-05:00

I'll start with cats, we have three. two are outdoor cats, we inherited their mother when we bought our place, she and most of their siblings are no longer with us. One is named squirt, he was the smallest but is now quit muscular, the other, sad to say, really doesn't have a name that's stuck. just the black cat. I think they are 3 years old, maybe. Our indoor cat is a recently gained kitty, sadly we haven't been able to come up with a name for her either . Probably stick with Lily, that's what my in-laws called her before we stole her.

She and Arabella are getting along really good.

On to horses, well one horse. She's doing good, I think she's enjoying life as a yard ornament. The past two weeks Kevin was working on her fence, she got out 3 times in 4 days, now she's stuck. That's about all there is to that.

And babies, Arabella is doing really good, starting to walk, about 4 ft at a time. She's wearing glasses do to crossing her eyes. I think I hate them, she does really well leaving them on.

She's doing pretty good learning sign language, she can sign, dad, eat, more, all done, dog, cat, cracker, milk, drink, outside, nods her head for yes and shakes it for no, sometimes she signs mom but she signs it the same as eat. so glad she remembers what I'm for. We are working on potty, it's a little early for potty training but she will go in the bathroom and try to put her toilet seat on the toilet. and when put on she goes most of the time. We've recently done the first hair cut thing, now Bella has bangs. We went somewhere to have it done but I think I could have done better. ( my mother or mother in-law would have done better than me) It's hair, it'll grow.

Our second bundle of..... thinking......thinking....... ok so it's hard to be really nice when i feel like I'm going to be split open. My ribs are really hurting and this kid likes to stretch. It's painful and I'm whiny. We had an ultrasound done umm, I think I was 19 and a half weeks. everything looks normal. Only 8 and a half weeks left, doesn't sound so long when you say it like that. That's two months or 59 days. The good thing about another girl, we have almost everything we'll need, the bad, my husband wants three boys.

Here I am at 29 weeks.

I think that's it.

want to

2010-11-08T16:36:00.001-05:00

I want to have lots to say and leave you with a picture of my growing baby bump, but the picture is at home and so should I be.

more bump

2010-09-20T15:15:00.003-04:00

this is me at 22 weeks.

been a while

2010-09-08T13:00:00.002-04:00

So, um, I don't have a lot to say, or a lot of time to say it in. Arabella is getting around easily, though not walking, and likes to try and explore the library. We found our in may that we are going to have another little one. Found out last month it's a girl. This is a picture of me at 12 weeks, we are trying to remember to take another one before I go into labor.

Our addition on the house is almost done, we just need trim and carpet and we get to move up! That's all for now, I'll try to have more later... Maybe.

This, that and the other thing.

2010-04-25T17:09:00.003-04:00

I don't have one thing to blog about today so here are a lot of little things.
I have noticed how my interest in books is changing. I use to like reading all the time and reading fiction. Now I've been reading a lot about things like Down Syndrome, biblical womanhood and Revelations.
We are working on starting our garden, I think I've spent more time outside this year than I did all of last year. Kevin is hoping to sell produce, we'll see how that goes.
We are starting on the inside of our addition, soon Arabella will have her own bedroom. And when it's done we are going to look into adoption.
Our fifth anniversary is coming up next month, we are planing a trip to Mackinac Island, that's where we met. It will be our first night away from Bella but I think it's time.
Arabella has had an EKG, her eyes checked, hearing checked and tubes put in, and thyroid checked. On May 10th she will be having a sleep test. All this on top of regular check ups.
I am still trying to lose weight and failing miserably, haven't lost a pound.
Kevin and I are trying for our next child, trying to stay busy and still find time for fun.
I have no big thoughts today, do I ever?

The Miracle Factory

2010-03-25T12:48:00.001-04:00

I found this on another blog that I follow. T-cubed three boys, twins & trisomy 21

Once upon a time, three angels were busily working in the miracle factory. They were responsible for wrapping up all the little miracles and sending them on their way. Normally they wrapped each one in bright, sturdy paper with big, shiny ribbons. They stamped it with a delivery date and away it would go to the parents who eagerly awaited its arrival. Things usually ran pretty smoothly. One day, however, down the conveyer belt came a little miracle that made the angels pause. "Oh my," said the first angel "this one's uhm...well.. .different. " "Yes, he is unique" said the second angel. "Well I think he is quite special," said the first angel "but I don't think he will quite fit our standard wrapping procedures." And the second angel added, "And we know he's special, but will everyone else?" "Not a problem," said the third angel "obliviously a special miracle deserves extra special wrapping; and of course we'll send him off with our most heartfelt blessings. Then everyone will see how special he is." "What a wonderful idea!" replied the others. So they searched the shelves high and low for their finest paper, and their most delicate ribbons. When they were done, they stood back and admired their work. "Beautiful!" thay all agreed. "Now for our blessings," said the third angel "for it is time for him to go." "I will bless him with innocence and happiness," said the first angel. "And I will bless him with strength to face the many challenges that lie ahead" said the second angel. "And I will bless him with an inner beauty that will shine on all who look upon him" said the third angel. Before sending him off the third angel, who was very wise, gently tucked a note inside.
And it said:
Dear Parents, Today you have received a very special gift.
It may not be what you were expecting,
And you may be disappointed, angry and hurt.
But please know that he comes with many blessings,
And, while there may be pain, he will bring you much joy
He will take you in a very difficult journey,
But you will meet many wonderful people.
He will teach you patience and understanding
And make you reach deep inside yourselves
to find a source of strength and faith you never knew you had.
He will enrich your lives,
And will touch the hearts of all who meet him.
He may be fragile,
But he has great inner strength.
So please handle him with care,
Give him lots of attention,
Shower him with hugs and kisses,
Love him with all your heart,
And he will blossom before your eyes.
His spirit will shine like the brightest star for all to see,
And you will know that you are truly blessed.

Author Unknown

1 year

2010-01-05T15:41:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's already been a year, crazy. To all who attended Arabella's party's Thank you for coming and if you get a thank you note, and you gave a gift, and I don't mention it, it's not that we aren't thankful for every thing she got, I just forgot who gave what. So thank you.
We started a diet on the 2nd, and it's not the blood type diet but the south beach and I tell you what, the food, what little we've tried is Good. I am still thinking we might still try the blood diet but, what do I know.
Also, after borrowing a book from my father in-law, I am fascinated with God given gifts. It is an intriguing search. I can't think of the title but the authors are Don and Katie Fortune.
Condolences to my cousin Amber and her family, who lost a valued member of the family.

Arabella's wish list

2009-12-10T16:54:00.001-05:00

Please keep in mind, despite recent photos, the part of the house we live in is small.
Vertically challenged clothing (shorter in arms & legs)
12 month winter / 18 month spring
Rechargeable AA batteries (for her toys)
Mega blocks
Exploratory / Sensory toys
Signing Time DVD's
Kid songs (CD's)
Gift cards; Walmart, Kmart, Lowes (she needs daddy to build a toy box)
Lincoln logs
Balls
If you search "Down Syndrome Toys" you will find tons of stuff

yaa

2009-11-27T19:08:00.001-05:00

Just this evening Arabella sat up all by herself and I almost missed it. I am sooooo excited. I am jumping up and down. Also, I forgot to mention that she has six teeth and is working on two more.

update on Bella

2009-11-26T23:00:00.002-05:00

Arabella is scootin' all over, she's not crawling yet but she's working on that. We are still trying to learn how to sit on her own and pull to stand, but that will come with time. I took her to the Doctor Wednesday for a fever and throwing up a little. He didn't see anything to worry about but gave us some antibiotics for a possible ear infection. I think she will be feeling better tomorrow. She weighed in at 19lbs and 5 oz. She is growing so fast, it's fun to look back at the different things we have worked with on her. Reaching for things, looking at things, babling, getting out of sitting and her laugh. I love to hear her laugh, sometimes it's hard to get it out, but so worth the work to hear it. I am excited, she is so close to being able to sit up on her own, that will be a thrilling day for me. We are trying to teach her to pull to stand from a half kneel, but I think it will be a little while before she can pull to stand on her own. Imitating is another thing to work on, trying to get her to bable more adult like, ba ma da rather than ba ba ba. We also need to start teaching her how to follow commands, things like let go of mommy's hair ( which she does fairly well) and play peek a boo or patty cake (without being shown anything first). Getting her to stay on her hands and knees to try and crawl, the little mess flop. She likes to straighten her legs and flop forward which makes it hard to get her to crawl. It's really neat to learn all the steps to sitting and standing but a lot of work.
As far as me and my weight, well.... not so good, but at least I'm not putting on more:P We (meaning me) have been talking about doing the blood type diet (no, we haven't started yet) but I started looking into the south beach life style and like that better. With all the party's coming up (birthday and Christmas) we might wait until the first of the year to really start but we are trying to cut out some starchy carbs and sweets. Not that I think we eat to many sweets. and we have added an excersize to our day, stairs. now that our house has a set of stairs, we have been going up and down them 6 or so times at a time, each day. Wow it's Way past my bed time, later.

weight lose

2009-10-29T14:27:00.002-04:00

I laugh, more like weight gain. 5 more pounds and I'll be the same weight I was when Arabella was born. I have no self control when it comes to sweets and cheese. It doesn't help that I'm a little bloated :P. I think the best thing is to keep the too tempting foods out of the house, and not to go shopping when hungry.
The garage is up and shingled. when we get the siding on it the outside it will be completely enclosed, ya.
We still have Kittens that need homes :P they are cute.

to long,

2009-10-12T13:59:00.002-04:00

Since it's taking a while to put pictures on here I'm going to try face book. The weight doesn't come off too easy when you eat to many deserts. Arabella is starting to get on her knees and rock. I feel a little scatter brained today so I'm going to keep it short. Goodbye.

down it comes

2009-09-17T12:39:00.002-04:00

nope, not the weight, the garage. There is next to nothing left of it, some boards and cement. As for the weight I think I gained some. oops. I'm still trying to eat healthy, I would be walking but besides the fact that I'm lazy, I twisted my knee helping kick down the garage. Maybe next month I can walk until it gets to cold. As to eating healthy, we are going to try the blood type diet, this is easy for us to do together as we are all A-. it's a veggie type of diet, low carb without the meat. we'll see, I think that's all for now, pics later.

just some fun pics

2009-08-19T13:10:00.002-04:00

silly cat, always looking for a warm spot.
my own pony

ready to learn

there are more videos on youtube.
we still have three kittens and a cat to give away, that's right their free.

teeth

2009-08-13T11:05:00.002-04:00

That's right, teeth, she just popped another one out before I told you about the first. They sure are sharp. She is 16lbs. and about 24 1/2'' long. she is eating good.
I keep track of everything I ate since the last post and I have found I don]'t (Arabella is trying to help) eat a lot of veggies or fruit, so I am going to try and replace my unhealthy snacks with healthier choices. maybe even get some exercise in.

pounds

2009-07-30T15:23:00.002-04:00

Arabella is almost 16 pounds, and very healthy(fat). I have 5 pounds left to loose and would like some help. This week I am going to start a food journal to keep track of everything I eat. I snack a lot. then I am going to try and eat healthier and add exercise. If you would like, feel free to join me and give me tips. If anyone wants a kitten please let me know.

things

2009-07-16T14:26:00.001-04:00

even the dog is helping

thanks grandma W.
bff

can't wait

2009-07-09T12:02:00.003-04:00

She is so big and fat!

some day she will be able to do more with the camera

If you look close enough you can see the dirt, Daddy had her out in the garden. I look out to call him in for dinner and she is holding and chewing on a piece of swiss chard (looks a lot like leaf lettuce) apparently she was trying to get the weeds and beans so Kevin gave her something he knows is edible

Arabella is doing very good, she can sit by herself and is trying so hard to crawl it's funny to watch.
I have a question, what does God think about how many children a family should have? Kevin's answer " go forth and be fruitful" Not helpful.

thanks Ma for loaning me the book, i'm not done yet. Get out of that pit by Beth Moore.

Bits

2009-06-24T10:51:00.004-04:00

First of all it's Hot.

The straw building is coming along nicely, if you want to help Please call. There are different ways to do this, we (Kevin) built a frame and filled it in with straw. Now we are in the process of putting mud on it. To fill the cracks mix clay, straw and water. to cover the bales it's just clay and water. I don't know for sure what happens with the next coat but I think we will add sand or lime stone to clay and water. It does stay fairly nice in there oh to have a house built like that. Someday

Oh joy, a soon to be mommy cat. anyone want a kitten?

He's soo big. and addicted to the toy in front of him.

Peas, so much fun. she thinks she can feed herself.

She didn't know I was taking this, out for a nap.

People keep asking how we are doing with the DS, to those who are wondering, we are lucky. Arabella doesn't have any of the major health issues that comes with DS. She is on track as far as development goes, and she is a happy baby. we know hat there will be trials in the future and I pray that God gives us the strength and patince to handle everything. We know there is a very high chance of us having more children with DS and we are ok with that (right now). I only have one thing to say, I may have my baby with me for my whole life. na na na na na. :P I so hope that one day she will be able to live on her own, but I will be happy to have her with me.
Right now I am dealing with something bigger than upturned blue eyes. Deppression, and a very nasty rash.

it won't blow down, I think.

2009-06-15T12:33:00.004-04:00

the beginning of our new shed, yes it's built of straw

even Arabella is helping

pictures

2009-06-11T11:26:00.002-04:00

Kevin with his homemade hammer aka bale conformer

Arabella is starting to sleep in her crib, this is what i saw when i went to check on her yesterday.

There she is.

Misc

2009-06-08T14:54:00.002-04:00

ahh life, the good the bad and the ugly. the good, I am at the library on my own laptop, Arabella is sleeping on the table beside me, the bad, we don't have internet at home, the ugly, I am addicted to the computer. Life has been busy, Kevin is trying to make a straw building and it's a lot of work. We are going to coat it with a clay plaster, Kevin is sorting and crushing the clay as I type. The house is a neglected mess, at lest most of the clothes are clean. I am soo tired I am having trouble keeping my mind in one place. The garden is coming in nicely, I have peas waiting to be shelled. This past weekend we went garage saleing, I think we hit about 12 sales, I bought a couple of outfites for Arabella and a little purse and a sewing machine that is older than my mom I think. Kevin got a stack of 25 timelife books for 10 dollars. This week we have a cookout, a theripist visit, an eye doctor visit in dayton, an icecream social for my suport group and some thing else i'm sure of it, I just can't remember what.
If anyone has any questions about Down Syndrome no matter how silly you think it sounds, feel free to ask me.

We have

2009-06-01T12:55:00.003-04:00

A new laptop it's awesome. now i don't have to wait for a computer at the library and i can put pictures on here right of the laptop. these pictures are courtesy of Jackie Threewits

5 months

2009-05-23T10:36:00.002-04:00

Arabella is just over 5 months, it's crazy and I think I'm in love. she is now 12lbs and doing good. The Early Intervention lady Leslie, was over on the 19th and says that Arabella is doing great in gross moter skills and lacking just a little in rattle play. They are going to have a language therapist check her out sometime in the fall. and I have to ask about getting her eyes checked to make sure they are focusing properly and the muscles aren't loose. Kevin is off for the week, he left yesterday to go to a workshop for making straw buildings. He would like to build a house out of straw someday, it's not as crazy as it sounds. I am trying to start a down syndrome support group, so far so good, I am meeting a lot of people and hope to meet more. once agian I can't put pictures on here, and I have some really good ones. We are getting a laptop this week (YAAA) and it has a webcam, so maybe I will have less trouble posting pics. we'll see. later ya'll

stuff

2009-05-14T15:00:00.004-04:00

She's rolling and teething and oh the fun!

This first picture I just gave her some little pills for the teething, they desolve quickly but can make a mess

Ma told me to do it!!

I wonder if it taste good?

Hands at 4 months and 3 weeks

at one week old

Same ages with the feet

Every time I turn around, they are sleeping

Love the smile.

too long

2009-05-05T14:03:00.002-04:00

I keep thinking of things i could type but when i get to the library I can't think of what to type, not that I'm all that great at putting my thoughts in order ever. so I have been here three times to get a video on you tube, third time a charm. Arabella is giggling!! and rolling over, no video of that yet. Pictures are on facebook. later ya'll

do I have to have a title?

2009-04-11T10:01:00.003-04:00

This is such a cute face, I think she's trying to tell me something.

Our chubby hairy dog, I still think of him as a puppy, I think he's two.

The view out the kitchen door for something different.

I like to take pictures of her in different outfits. This is the first time she's had shoes on.

cutie

2009-04-06T10:06:00.002-04:00

I think she needs to grow some more hair before this will work.

tough

2009-04-01T13:42:00.002-04:00

Life can sure throw some curve balls. I have always wanted a largesh family, have two of my own then adopt. Kevin wants 6 kids of his own. I have been willing to have that many. Things change. We found out that I am a balanced carrier, this simply means two of my chromosomes are stuck together. Our chances of having another child with ds is a 10 to 15% chance, and almost 30 to 35% chance of miscarriage. The rest is split between a normal child and a child that is a balanced carrier. I do want to have more children and if I have one with Ds how much harder will it be with two? but I am not sure, I think I will be very worried about it for a while. We have at least six months before we think about trying for another and I am trying not to think about it yet, today has enough worries without adding more. I need to go home, till next time.

sweetness

2009-03-30T15:53:00.003-04:00

She is just soo sweet
Hanging out with Grandma

Her mom wore this

cuddle buddies

I did not put her there

The crib is up for good

Look, she's in it

She still sleeps in a basinet beside our bed I don't like doing any more work than I have to, soon within the next couple of months she will start spending her nights in the crib.

Today I have no voice, it's gone. Not fun.

the first day

2009-03-11T09:28:00.004-04:00

These are some of the pictures from Dec. 19 2008
By 6:30 am we knew I was in labor and called my parents so they could start down. Then we called the midwife to let her know. It was just crampy at first, till almost noon, the contractions slowly got stronger. Shortly after my parents got there ( it took them close to 7 hours because of weather, normally it's a 5 hour drive) I was on my knees rocking for the contractions. At about 6pm I told Kevin to call the midwife to come and His mom. From that point on I was in the bedroom.

Kevin was holding a hot water bottle on my back and pushing most of the time.

Then the midwife arrived around 8:30 pm and checked me, I was at 9 centimeters. The day before I was 3.

She broke my water and I started to push, I don't have pictures of that, Ma had the camcorder. 20 minutes of pushing and we saw are precious little girl for the first time.

Kevin was able to cut the cord, the midwife told him it would be hard, I asked him later if it was, he just shrugged.

Welcome home little Arabella Starr Threewits

another week

2009-03-05T10:44:00.002-05:00

Oh the things you can do to a small child, it's crazy to think that she will be 11 weeks tomorrow. The pictures posted are from last week, someday it will be months then years. Then decades, scary. I have put more videos on you tube if anyone is interested in watching her instead of just looking at pictures.

Ever day I thank God for my little sweet crying and pooping baby.

Ll' miss fussbucket

2009-02-25T12:10:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I feel like the human pacifier. Other than that we are doing good. Arabella had an appt. with the Dr. yesterday, she was 8lbs and 11oz. Two weeks ago she was 8lbs, I'm happy with that. They didn't try to get her length, so at home I pulled out a measuring taped and taped her at 20.5". We have an appt. on march 19th to get her heart checked and meet with a genetic councilor at Childrens in Dayton. That was in the morning, in the afternoon we had an appt. with help me grow, Ohio's early intervention program. They said she is on track and doing good, They will be coming out twice a month to see how she's doing and keep and eye on her development. Right now all we are going to work on is getting Arabella to turn her head to the left and tummy time. It is going to be fun trying to keep track of all the appointments, I need to start using the calender in my purse. So far I have appts on march 11, 12, 19 and 24 I might be forgetting one. Plus I am starting a support group on the 28 and am meeting another mom of a down syndrome child tomorrow and someone else (maybe) on Friday. Also Le lechea league meetings the second Tuesday of every month and a mom's group at the church. That's just the stuff for Arabella, I need to go get stuff done.

more pictures

2009-02-20T10:34:00.005-05:00

Not much to write about yet, Kevin's making maple syrup and Arabella has a Dr. appt. on tue. along with a Help me grow. They will be the people helping us with early intervention. We had her weighed last week and she was eight pounds. Here are some pictures.

This outfit fits her so much better, the first is 24 hrs old and the other is 8 weeks, she's still in newborn clothes.

These next couple were me having some fun. This is what happens when you are alone with someone cute.

I love this face, she is too cute.

all of the face pictures and the next one are eight weeks

the next ones are nine weeks

These ones are out of order, but that's ok.

This is an outfit that I wore, one day I will put a picture of me in it on here. My mom loves the way she yawns and this is the best picture I have gotten so far.

I have more videos on you tube if you feel like watching those. Later.

Pictures

2009-02-10T14:16:00.002-05:00

Just some quick pics, most are from today. There's not a lot going on so I don't have a lot to type. I just want to ask if you are reading this please click on "follow this blog" I want to know who is checking in on me. If you can't follow me just leave a comment. I think I might be bored. Later ya'll.

The past week and a little

2009-02-07T06:54:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday we went to Michigan to visit my folks. What normally takes five hours to drive took almost eight. Friday was uneventful and on sat my mom's family had planed a big get together to have pictures. We left the house at two to go get something to eat before the pictures, about fifteen minutes into the car ride I wasn't feeling so good. Before we got to the restaurant I threw up. At the restaurant I threw up again and on the way to the pictures and well we were there. I felt like crap the whole time and I don't know what it was. sometimes I get motion sickness but I'm not sure that's what this was. It really sucked because I wasn't able to socialize with people I haven't seen in forever. By Sunday morning I was feeling fine. Then Ma stole Arabella while I was getting ready for church. She couldn't wait to show off her grand baby. Other than that Sunday went good. then Sunday night Kevin was throwing up and my brother was in the bathroom with the runs. That lasted all of Monday with my dad joining them in the afternoon. We're not sure what it was but they are thinking food poisoning from the restaurant. Monday was a good day for me, Arabella latched on and started nursing. Not just trying but actually nursing, it was kool. We were planing on coming home on Tuesday, but the car wasn't ready till almost two O'clock. ( it needed a new thermostat and was giving dad and Kevin trouble) and i didn't want to be home that late. So we left Wednesday morning and after seven and a half hours we were home. And then Thursday afternoon I was sick, this time both ends and a fever, it lasted all day Friday and today I feel much better.

Results

2009-01-31T09:19:00.002-05:00

Arabella's test results are in, I will try to explain them to you, what I can understand anyway. The results read

46,xx,der(14;21) (q10;q10),21
Interpretation; Abnormal Cytogenetic result
An unbalanced female karyotype with a Robertsonian
translocation involving chromosomes 14 and 21 and an
additional chromosome 21, resulting in trisomy 21, was
observed in 100% of metaphases examined.

Arabella has Down Syndrome (DS). The type she has is translocation.
Most people have 46 chromosomes, a person with DS has 47. The most commen type of DS is called nondisjuction. This happens when a faulty egg or sperm has an extra chromosome. 95% of people with DS have nondisjuction. Translocation occurs when a piece of chromosome or a whole chromosome breaks off during meiosis (cell division) and attaches itself to another chromosome, usually 14. This makes up 4 to 5 % of all DS. Three forths of transloction are spontaneous, the other forth are inherited. (I've heard this number the other way around) Mosaicism happens after the cells start to divide, this is only 1% of DS.

Kevin and I will get tested sometime before we start trying to get pregnant to see if one of us is a "carrier" of DS. If I am, our chances of having another DS baby are 1 in 10, if it's Kevin, 1 in 20.
If it was an accident we have a 1 in 100 chance.

Also, our little angel is getting better at latching on. We are still practicing, it works great in the shower, the water helps keep her awake.

Since this post has taken me three days ( I keep walking away) I will post it and anything else will have to wait, or get forgoten.

too cute

2009-01-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

Good news, we got a couple more latch on's, and swallowage. Not much but enough to keep me going. We will keep working on it and when she's ready, she'll do it. I don't have a lot else to type, I'm boring sometimes like that. If you are bored, check out Arabellasmommy on you tube. It's kool.

Had to happen sometime

2009-01-21T10:22:00.005-05:00

Why I'm telling all of you this I don't know. Last night I went to a meeting for the le lachea league(sp?), it was really nice to meet the women there and talk with them. I borrowed a book that has a lot of info. On my way there and home I had a little trouble seeing out my windshield because it was dirty and too cold to clean it, not that the windshield wipers are that good anyway. And it was late, I was tired. I went past a cop and he pulled out behind me, oh great I thought, Please don't pull l me over. Not that I was doing anything wrong, I was even going the speed limit, but the light over our licence plate is out. It's the little things I worry about. So, on go the lights, I have no clue why, but like a good girl I pulled off the road. Apparently I had gone over the white line one too many times for him. He took my licence and insurance and when he came back informed me the tags on the car had expired. Luck was with me, he gave me a warning and sent me on my way. I know this isn't a big deal or anything but out of the two tickets I've had this is the first time I've been pulled over. And it wasn't for speeding, which is what I have always thought I would get pulled over for.

So anyway here are some pictures.

This first on was taken on 12/30 she was out.

1/3/09 Daddy was trying to burp her, she can burp like a sailor.

also taken on 1/3

Her in her cloth diaper and plastic pants 1/4/09

1/5/09

1/6/09 the cat weighs more than Arabella

The next three where all1/11/09

1/12/09 save the finger!

This one has no date, I think it was the earliest, but I don't want to move it :P

why we took up the toilet

and another one of Kevin's sunrises

Before I let you go, I wanted to let you know. yesterday while I was in the shower with Arabella I tried to let her nurse. she grabbed hold and sucked for maybe thirty seconds. Long enough for me to thing Yes, I should call Kevin in here, but I don't want to startle her. You go girl. then she let go and lost the mouthful of milk she had. I think we are getting somewhere.

Later

pictures on facebook

2009-01-17T14:56:00.003-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14746&l=e666d&id=1267721667

I am not a writer, feel free to read the last post and scratch your head. The above link should take you to some pictures on face book, hope it works.

In the last post I said I was using a breast shield, I got tired of being screamed at for 10 minutes before she would start sucking for five. and I wasn't pumping like I should have been, every two hours. Since I have trouble working on more than one thing at a time, I'm concentrating on trying to get more milk. I still try to offer her a boob once in a while. I'm getting two ounces every two hours ( four when I sleep to long) and she's eating most of it. I'm getting a little put in the fridge. A very nice lady by the name of Kim contacted me last week, she has a daughter with down syndrome and is offering me a little hope and encouragement. Her daughter didn't start nursing until she was 6.5 weeks old and then nursed for two years.
Once again it's time to pump, moo.
(my spell check isn't working, oh well)

there goes the toliet

2009-01-12T19:00:00.003-05:00

It ran away for a couple of hours. Our toilet has been leaking for a while,very slowly, and today I gave Kevin a reason to fix it. I flushed a diaper. That's what I get for trying to do four things at once. I wanted a shower and was taking Arabella in with me, right before I hopped in, I thought I would rinse her diaper in the toilet (cloth diapers) it was nasty. I wanted to flush the toilet so I could rinse the diaper out twice. Since I was holding Bella I left the diaper in the toilet and flushed it, thinking to grab the diaper before it went anywhere. After I flushed, I saw poor Arabella's head was hanging off my arm, so I fixed her head. I looked back at the toilet and realized I had forgotten to grab the diaper. Bye bye diaper. Kevin looked under the house to see what he could see and saw wet wood. So, he took the toilet out side, fixed the floor and put a new ring on the toilet, hopefully it fixed the problem.
In other news, in no order,
we are using cloth diapers, if you didn't guess that already. Arabella is sucking on a paci, she seems to like it, although I do have to feed her. She is sleeping four to five hours at night and three to four the rest of the time. I am using a breast shield to feed her for the most part, a couple times a day I still finger feed her. last night she latched on and sucked for about thirty seconds without the shield, I was on a high, till the next feeding. I am typing with one hand and my back is starting to hurt. and I still can't get pictures to upload. grrrrrr.
Later Ya'll

I don't want to grow up

2009-01-05T08:53:00.004-05:00

I'm a toys r us kid. I just wanted to say that I have a knight in shining armor in the house. Two nights now, my lovely husband has gotten up at 3 am and fed Arabella for me. He can be awesome sometimes. I think I'm getting the hang of feed, burp, change and pump. I am down to 45 min. if Arabella eats good. If I didn't say, her jaundice level is good. Last Wednesday, we got a call from the hospital saying that Arabella's PKU (newborn test) came back abnormal. the day that was done she was dehydrated and her jaundice was high. I called the Dr's office and asked if they could order the test for down syndrome ( the Dr we've been seeing wanted us to go to Dayton or Indy to get the test done so we could talk to a genetic counselor). The office said that wouldn't be a problem, as soon as they found out what test it was. so, off to the hospital we go, again. They cut her heel for the PKU and told us they would have to draw from a vein for the other test. I didn't think this would be a problem, they didn't have any trouble with the IV or drawing blood while we were in the hospital. I couldn't have been more wrong. They tried to get her arm on the little changing table thing, they got a little blood but were having trouble getting her arm straight enough. so I got to hold her on the arm of the chair while the stuck her other arm, that didn't work. So we went over to the ER side and found a bed, maybe they could get her arm straighter. that didn't work They told us that the three partial vials might be enough blood but they didn't think so, so we could keep trying or come back another day. call me mean, but I didn't want to go back to the hospital. They brought in a Dr. and stuck the back of a hand the top of a foot and then in on last attempt her groin area. That one got it. the poor girl has a bruise every place they stuck her. Hopefully we get the results on Tuesday when we go for her Dr's appt. I am praying that the test works and she's done giving blood. Other things on my list of prayers, that she would start breastfeeding(soon), for patience, for Kevin, for sleep, and wisdom. and lots more but I sadly can't think of them all.

my pictures

2008-12-30T15:21:00.002-05:00

here are some pictures frome the last couple of days.

Ready to go

so cute

fast asleep

adorable

has anyone seen my sleep?

2008-12-30T12:26:00.002-05:00

I actually got two hours in at one time last night, it was really nice. I just wanted to say a big thanks to everyone for your help and prayers, especially to my in-laws for cleaning my house well we were in the hospital. Arabella's jaundice is doing really good, and other than not breastfeeding, we are doing pretty good for now.I will see what I can do to put pictures on here rather than having my mom do it for me. it's time to eat so off I go.

More Pictures!!

2008-12-29T09:41:00.004-05:00

Grandma Mel here, a little late but better late than never. Heather asked me if I could post some more pictures (I think on Saturday), I got busy and then Sunday, no power... So here they are.

Here is a picture of how this beautiful little girl gets her nutrition.

Her she is with the froggie Grandma Mel got her (after Christmas sale)

This is Arabella and Uncle Troy

And here is one of the last pictures her momma took of her before Grandma Mel had to go home again (which is really, really hard, can you blame me, just look at that face!)

today

2008-12-27T13:06:00.003-05:00

my mom was here for Christmas, my brother stoped by the day after. it was a good Christmas. Friday we had Arabella's jaundice level tested again and they were still good. she is eating and pooping and peeing like mad. it makes life crazy when you are trying to feed a baby every two hours when that baby doesn't want to nurse yet. the finger feeding is going nicely but takes a long time. first i have to pump, for now I'm using a hand pump, sooo much fun, then feed her, then burp her and change her, sometimes more than once. this all takes about an hour and a half. so i get a half hour or so to rest. I'm not complaining, but I'm learning there's more than one type of frustration.she is worth all of it and then some. my half an hour is up, I'm off to pump. hope you all had a merry Christmas.
PS feel free to call and see if we are up for a visitors, no viruses please :)

my new life

2008-12-25T21:33:00.002-05:00

Forgive my spelling.
Friday as you know I had Arabella, the midwife informed us she likely has down syndrome. Due to the roof of her mouth being high we are having trouble feeding her. Monday we went to see a Dr and were sent to the hospital to have a newborn work up done and her jaundice level checked. The Dr called us that night and told us her blood had been to thick to get a result on the jaundice. We waited until Tuesday morning and went back to the hospital to retest and the level was 23, normal is around 10, and 25 is dangerous. We had her admitted and put under lights to help break down the billyrubin that causes jaundice. That was NOT easy. Thankfully, her level went down nicely and we got out of the hospital at 10 pm on Wednesday night. (Home for Christmas) We have been working with her to eat every two hours, doing finger feeding, taping a tube on a finger and a syringe on a shoulder. That means I get to try to get her to breastfeed, pump and then feed her with the tube. Tomorrow we get to go back to the hospital for another jaundice test. That will tell us if we need to get a blanket to put on her, it will help break down the billyrubin. I am not looking forward to tomorrow.
Please keep us in your prayers, that the test goes well and that we handle everything good.
She is a wonderful baby, hardly fussing and beautiful, we are sooooo thankful for her already.

Arabella Starr Threewits

2008-12-24T12:11:00.005-05:00

Grandma Mel is fillin' in for Heather, Arabella went into the hospital in the morning on December 23 due to jaundice, She is doing much better this morning. Any prayers you could send her way would be greatly appreciated!!

Here are some photos of her at a day old.

Isn't she just the most beautiful...

She's Here

2008-12-23T10:36:00.002-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard, Arabella Starr Threewits joined us Dec. 19th at 9:12 pm.
She was 6 lbs, 18 and 1/4 inches. I will try to post pictures soon.

pictures

2008-12-15T12:48:00.007-05:00

To start we have some lovely pictures of the moon and sun rise and sun set taken by Kevin

Then we became bored with the pictures of me that we were taking and thought to have some fun. These are the ones I thought to let you see of me at around 36 weeks.

next are some fun toys

Couldn't let Kevin feel left out

and then me at 39 weeks

This is a lovely needlepoint done by one of Kevin's Aunt's

and here is the corner we plan on keeping our kid in

Kevin was bored and carved this beefy boy from a potato

Here is my evil looking kitty

And our Christmas tree, we are still working on getting it decorated

We are still waiting to see what baby decides to do next, I will try to keep all of you updated.

Just waiting

2008-12-09T10:17:00.002-05:00

Only one week left till the big due date, then we wait. I am ready, I am tired of the aches, pains and heartburn and belly. That is going to be my update for today.
Today is Kevin's birthday, he is 27 years old.
Later.

snow?

2008-12-03T18:05:00.003-05:00

When you go to cut down your Christmas tree, isn't there supposed to be snow on the ground? I thought I saw a patch of icy looking slushy snow. There may not have been snow but there was some rain and we picked out the perfect tree. I'll have pictures on here someday, maybe in May :P Just so ya know, no belly shot for this week. I think we are getting tired of remembering to take them. I have found the joys of bidding on eBay and have three bids on the same type of item at this moment. Lets hope I don't get them all.

How your baby's growing:
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

See what your baby looks like this week.

37 weeks down 3 weeks left

2008-11-25T12:46:00.005-05:00

We have Pictures!!

Here we are at 34 weeks

and 35 weeks

and 36 weeks

still 36 weeks

Just for kicks, this is Kevin,

This is from this morning at 37 weeks.

How your baby's growing:Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.See what your baby looks like this week.
Just thought I would let you know, Kevin's favorite color is blue.

Date night

2008-11-24T13:28:00.003-05:00

Saturday night we went on a date and it was awesome. I told Kevin he would be the one to plan it and I provided the money ( point for premier jewelry). He took me to rent a movie, Wall-e, ( and we bought a movie) and then to my complete surprise, we went to the bistro off Broadway. I was thinking it would be bob evens. Then we went to Wal-mart and picked out our movie candy,( we didn't feel the need to sit out in the cold and watch the horse parade) and then went home and watched wall-e, it's a cute movie. I had a great time and was thanking God for a wonderful husband, then we went out and did firewood on Sunday after lunch, not so fun.
I will try to get pictures on here sometime this week, maybe it will be next week, we'll see

4 weeks left

2008-11-20T14:38:00.002-05:00

I meant to put pictures on a disc and bring it with me to the library, but it wasn't on a list. It was forgotten until just now. Someday I will put them on here.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

35 weeks

2008-11-13T13:11:00.002-05:00

I feel as if my ribs are going to pop out. It's not fun. No pictures yet, I'm still fighting with the computer and it's winning.
How your baby's growing:Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.See what your baby looks like this week.

Advice

2008-11-11T08:12:00.002-05:00

I need some advice, first any good ideas for making five weeks fly by and second any idea how to help the computer upload pictures. And any other advice you think might be helpful at this time. I'm trying to play with the pictures to get them on here, maybe they'll be up by tomorrow. Maybe.

just a little late

2008-11-10T14:31:00.003-05:00

I'm only a couple days late putting this on here. I've been trying to put the picture on here, but the Internet connection at our house sucks. Ya for dial-up. Not a whole lot going on other than trying to find a spot for all the wonderful gifts we received. and munching on anything I can without having to cook it. Any of you reading this may think (unless you know) I'm weird, but I can't wait for the snow. I don't like it when it gets cold, in the 40's and just sits there. The rain is the worst this time of year, at least snow is dryer. It looks better than all this brown dead stuff, but once it snows I'm ready for it to warm up.
Now that all of you know I'm weird and strange, I was going through our receipts and found the one for the pregnancy test I bought. I think I'm going to keep it and hide it in some pictures somewhere. that way we will always have proof of the day we knew I was pregnant, April 14Th 2008.
How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.See what your baby looks like this week.

33 weeks

2008-10-29T16:05:00.002-04:00

Here we are at 33 weeks. Too lazy to change out of my pj's.

How your baby's growing:This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.See what your baby looks like this week.

Kevin gets to go camping, I get a sore throat and stuffy nose. Fun. I did get to pick out a very nice baby shower gift today, a rocker recliner from lazy boy. I was thinking of a glider but this chair reclines, very nice. Time to make dinner, I'm off like superwoman in a flurry of slowness.

Who shut my brain off?

2008-10-24T16:10:00.003-04:00

No pictures, again, and this is a little late, oops.
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.
See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

I've had a lot on my mind lately and this kinda gets pushed to the back of the back burner. Most of you know that Kevin is off camping in Kentucky, he left the house at 4:45 this morning. Then at 6:30 I got a call from the post office letting us know that the chicks we ordered were their. Nothing was ready for them. after that was taken care of I fed are animals then had hot coco and spent hours on line at home. Bored I thought I would try to update our registry at Wal-mart again (last wen. Kevin and I went but the thing was down) It's still down. I looked at the baby stuff then came here to the library. I saw a book at Wal-mart that I would like to read but the 4 copies they have here are all out. Other than the hot coco, this week ain't been good.
We had a baby shower in MI on the 18Th and got Lots of stuff, it took 3 and a half loads of laundry to get all the blankets and clothes washed. Thanks to all who came and for the fun stuff. Now I have to find room for all of it. We are also having two showers in OH, one with our church and a family shower.
Before I go off to try and add some stuff to our registry from here I thought I would let all of you know the names we have picked out Drake Alden and Arabella Starr. Till next time.

I forgot

2008-10-18T09:26:00.000-04:00

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

See what your baby looks like this week.

31 weeks

2008-10-16T12:11:00.002-04:00

my lovely belly, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and....

This morning, Kevin went out to do something and found a new friend. There is a little kitten hanging around our house. Anyone want her? She's cute and friendly and wants inside.

I have

2008-10-10T11:08:00.002-04:00

a cold. I do not like colds.

Other than that we are doing good. I had an appointment with the midwife on the 8th, she said the baby's heart rate was 164 (normal is 120 to 160) and it feels like the head is down. For those of you who don't know or can't remember, we are planning on having the baby at home. We feel this is the best for us, just as safe as a hospital and much more comfortable (I am trying not to think of the pain, please don't remind me :P ). If the midwife says we should go to the hospital, to the hospital we go. I've been trying to find a website I could share with you but they are all Very one sided.

We did the ring test, to see if it's a boy or girl (we aren't going to have an ultrasound to find out). To do the ring test, you put a gold or silver ring or a needle on a string and hold it over your hand until it starts moving (don't let it touch your hand), then you put it over the baby. If it goes back and forth it's a girl and circles is a boy. It is really weird to see this happen and to my dismay every time I hold the ring over the baby, it goes in circles. Kevin is happy about it. His boss says we are having a boy, I think it's a girl and my aunt who does reflexology says a girl. It's fun to hear what people think and what the old wives tales say.

I have also found out that if you have heartburn while pregnant you have an 86% chance of having a hairy baby. I have heartburn.

Also, if you divide how many weeks along you are by 4.44 that tells you how many months. At 31 weeks, next Tuesday I will have 7 months down and 2 months left.

Sad news

2008-10-08T09:22:00.003-04:00

We went to Kevin's folks Saturday night, when we came home an hour later, we found the oldest of our three outdoor cats, Spot, on the road. Sunday morning we buried him in the garden. He was the friendliest of the three and will be missed.

No bare belly this week, we were in a hurry.

How your baby's growing:Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)See what your baby looks like this week.

Very good for this week, it rained last night. We have gotten so far 4 tenths of an inch. Maybe we'll see some green before our yard turns to mud.

29 weeks, what have I done?

2008-10-01T09:43:00.005-04:00

Do you ever ask yourself if your ready for something, then realize it's a little to late to turn back now.
It reminds me of getting on a roller coaster, you get really exited, get in line, wait three hours then when you get up close you start to wonder if this was a smart idea. And your friends wont let you off that easy, before you know it they are checking the safety straps and there is no turning back. When your back on the ground, you think that was the best ride you have ever been on and your ready to try the next ride. I hope this ride of parenthood is one I enjoy, ups and downs, because we plan on doing it a lot.
We thought to keep the clothes on for this one. I think it makes me look bigger.

Well maybe not.
Just so you know, I'm holding the poof of pants down.

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

See what your baby looks like this week.

There you have it folks. 11 weeks left ( I hope it's only 11).

there she is

2008-09-25T12:43:00.005-04:00

this is her last belly photo.

so much fun

2008-09-25T11:54:00.003-04:00

These are my pictures for week 28, holy cow it's starting to fly by. I'm at the library so the pictures work real good. that's why there are lots. Just so you know, I think my innie is going to pop soon. In the next two weeks or so.

How your baby's growing:By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

This pictures from last week.

So, our excitement for the week, we were in a small fender bender.

Nothing to bad. The In-laws mail boxes suffered the most I think.

What happened, Kevin was making a left turn into his parent drive and forgot to turn on his blinker. He didn't think anyone was behind us and was a little distracted. (It wasn't me!) A lady in a SUV tried to pass us, she swerved to miss us and took out the mail boxes, then swerved back across the street and into the other ditch. She ended up facing the road when she stopped. No one was hurt, she was really shaken up. You could barely tell where the two cars hit on the SUV, the mailboxes took out the mirror on the driver side.

Not to much to tell, the officer was really nice, he didn't give anyone a ticket. No one used their blinker.

This is a picture of the sunrise at our house, Sun. I think. Kevin took it while I was still sleeping.

The best news is that my cousin, there are pictures of her in a previous post, had her baby! a beautiful little girl Natalie Renae Rymal was born on Monday, September 22, 2008 at 1:16pm. She's 7lbs 11oz and 21 inches long. I can't wait to see her pictures. I'll try and put them on here when I find some.
Have a good week.

third trimester

2008-09-16T08:51:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my third trimester.

I tried to put another picture on here, I am 36 inches around now.
How your baby's growing:This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.See what your baby looks like this week

I don't want to,

wake up

get up

get dressed

go outside

come inside

do the dishes

stay awake

eat what is in the house

go shopping

come home

clean the house

make dinner

eat dinner

go outside

come inside

take a shower

get out of the shower

go to bed

wake up.....

you get the idea.

this is a picture I thought I would share with you of our escape artist. She seems to like the green beans for some reason, it's a good thing we were done with them.

Have a great day!

26 weeks

2008-09-09T07:46:00.003-04:00

It rained!!!! I'm so happy. We got 0.7 inches, not to much but definitely needed. Now maybe the grass will grow a little, although that means mowing. And the weather is sooo much nicer, why it couldn't be 78 year round, wait that's in Hawaii.

How your baby's growing:The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.See what your baby looks like this week.

recipes

2008-09-08T10:53:00.006-04:00

I have a interesting recipe to share with all of you. a couple of weekends ago my Pa and Grandma came for a visit. While they were here we bought ice cream, chocolate and caramel syrup. Aren't we sweet? Of course the ice cream was gone before the toppings, so we've been drinking chocolate milk. The caramels just been sitting there staring at me with nothing to do. So I had the brilliant idea of using the caramel instead of the chocolate, it's good. Also while they were visiting, we made pizza. I use a tortilla shell recipe for the crust, makes a great thin crust pizza and it's easy. Then we had one normal pizza, sauce pepperoni, ham, onions, tomato's and cheese. The other pizza was more of a casserole, baked in a 2 inch deep pan loaded with anything Pa could find in the garden and fridge. Half of it had taco meat, hot peppers and lots, I don't remember what all was on that thing. They ( Pa and Kevin) said it was good, I'll have to take their word for it, I didn't go near that pizza.

for the crust it's 3 cups flour, 1 TBSP baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 3 TBSP veggie oil, and 1 cup Hot water. mix all together knead a little let set 5 min. and your ready to go.

Greetings from Kevin and the large tree he found.

2008-09-02T19:57:00.003-04:00

We remembered to take pictures today. Kevin had a four day weekend. We canned applesauce, spaghetti sauce and tomato juice. The garage is clean and Kevin watched the little mermaid for the first time. Not a relaxing weekend, but good.

How your baby's growing Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.See what's going on in your uterus this week.

compare

2008-08-29T08:24:00.005-04:00

It worked!! I have been trying all week to get these on here. This is a cousin of mine due Sep. 24th. The first two pictures are us at 20 weeks and in the other two I'm 23 and she's 24. Just so you know she's taller than I am by several inches. It's exciting that we will both be having a baby in the same year.

It's a little late but this is the info from babycenter.com
How your baby's growing:Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

some days

2008-08-27T10:11:00.004-04:00

So, we forgot to take a picture for my 24 week, oops. The past couple of weeks have gone by quickly, I think thats good. We are staying busy, Kevin working and me resting :P I'm not going to put a whole lot on here because the computer and I are having a fight and I have to go help Kevin clean the garage out. Fun. Till later.

something other than me

2008-08-22T08:43:00.004-04:00

So, I thought some pictures of something other than my belly would be nice. These are pictures from our garden.

except for the zucchini this is one days worth of stuff, it's green beans in the bags,

this was the zucchini plant,

and one of the massive sunflowers.

I don't know about Kevin but I'm tired of picking green beans. Although it will be nice to have homegrown veggies this winter.

23 and growing

2008-08-19T07:48:00.004-04:00

The joys of being pregnant, heartburn, a bladder the size of a walnut, backaches, headaches, leg cramps, constipation, forgetfulness, clumsiness, stretching muscles and bellybutton and pimples. Top that off with being kicked and feeling like I have really bad gas (when the baby moves) and I'm to be able to enjoy this part of being pregnant?

Here is the lovely front view

And just for fun, me at 23 weeks and me at 6 weeks or there abouts. And I don't fit into either pair of jeans.

How your baby's growing:Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.See what your baby looks like this week.

I hope the pictures have reassured Ma that my belly is growing in the direction it's should. Ya'll have a good week now.

ducks and a roof

2008-08-13T15:01:00.003-04:00

Here is me at 22 weeks measuring 34 1/2 inches, I still have 1/2 an inch before I catch Kevin :) How your baby's growing:At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.See what your baby looks like this week.

and here are some of our ducks and our geese, they are getting big.

and this is our new almost finished porch.

leftovers

2008-08-06T16:59:00.003-04:00

Now that I'm having a better day I thought I would include the little bit from babycenter.com and let you know that Kevin was able to come to the midwife appointment today. It was interesting because we could hear the baby moving. We also heard the heartbeat, the first time for Kevin. That's all I got for now, Later.

How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.See what your baby looks like this week.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

21 weeks

2008-08-05T17:00:00.002-04:00

Here's me, in something other than shorts. I don't have a lot to say today, nether does Kevin. We are going to put our ducks and geese outside with a kiddie pool and see how they like it. I'll try to have pictures of that soon. Enjoy the belly.

Halfway there

2008-07-29T20:53:00.003-04:00

Today makes 20 weeks and puts us at the halfway mark. It's 9pm and I am so very tired. I do not like getting up at 5:30 in the morning. Kevin has admitted to feeling the baby move. It's hard for him because he doesn't like to sit around doing nothing and the baby doesn't like to move alot. It's not a great picture but I am in different shorts this time.

How your baby's growing:Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Tell next week.

19

2008-07-22T08:54:00.003-04:00

Only one more week till I'm half way there! Yesterday the baby was doing flips (I think), so when Kevin and I were sitting down to read I grabbed his hand and stuck it on my belly. It took about five minites before the baby moved agian, I asked him if he felt it and he thinks he did. He may not be thrilled but I am. Not alot of difference from last week, but it will be fun to compare with the next baby or two or three or...

How your baby's growing:Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom —about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.See what your baby looks like this week.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

IT WORKED!!!!! This is the forth time today I've tried to uplode pictures. So these are our new birds,

the big one is a goose and the little one is a chicken

this is a turkey

and here is a duck

We have 36 chickens, 2 geese, 2 turkeys (thankgiving and christmas according to Kevin) and 5 ducks. They are so cute, and fun to watch. The poor geese get walked on by everyone and the ducks don't know what to do with the chickens. Then everyone has to try and get what the other has in their beak. Wouldn't it be nice if all animals stayed babies?

18

2008-07-16T20:36:00.002-04:00

I'm a day late and a dollar short, but I think I'll live. I want you all to know I took this picture all by myself. This is 18 weeks, only 22 weeks left.

if everything liked me today, there would be pictures of a goose, chick, duck and turkey, all little baby's. They are so cute, I will keep trying to get them on here.

For now here are more facts from babycenter.com

How your baby's growing:Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. See what your baby looks like this week.
Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

stuff to laugh at

2008-07-10T09:35:00.006-04:00

The midwife rescheduled, because she was really busy, for the next day (yesterday). Kevin wasn't able to came, but I was able to hear the heartbeat. It was between 144 and 156, and the midwife said the baby was low. But she didn't seem worried. Here are your measurement pictures Mother Dear.

the first one is 31 inches the second picture is 33.

these next pictures are for your viewing enjoyment

This is our flowering yard.

Corn that is already taller than we are.

Just a few of our over 100 chickens.

The dog, hiding in the wood shed that was built for rabits and has been used for goats and chickens.

Our garage doors that you cann't use.

And our three outdoor cats. This is Squirt

Sadly we have yet to come up with a name that sticks to this one

and Spot, the oldest. He tried to be an inside cat, we got tired of the smell.

This ball of mad wet fur is Ki-Ki, our indoor cat. (she just had a shower)

17

2008-07-09T08:31:00.003-04:00

well, here's me at 17 weeks. not much has changed, although I'm starting to think i actually look pregnant and not just bloated. We thought Kevin would get a chance to hear the heart beat yesterday, but the midwife called and rescheduled my appointment. Now he wont be able to come, disappointing. I made some really good chocolate chocolate chip cookies though. chocolate fixes all. that and berry smoothies.

some info about the baby from babycenter.com

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

fun facts

2008-07-03T11:15:00.002-04:00

How your baby's growing:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

This comes from babycenter.com

moving

2008-07-01T11:03:00.000-04:00

Here's me at 16 weeks. I look bloated.

I can feel the baby move once in a while, if i pay really close attention. Not much else going on. I hope to have a new picture every tuesday or wensday.

here goes

2008-06-20T08:25:00.000-04:00

nothing. I don't know what to type. i'm doing this so my family can see pictures of my growing belly and in six month a little boy or girl. to start here are some pictures of my bely.

at the begining

at two months

and now at three months. and the best of them all

baby's first picture!

ignore this

2008-06-20T07:44:00.000-04:00

I'm just trying to figure out what I'm doing then there will be pictures of me and soon of baby.