9 Weeks pregnant

We are now 9 weeks pregnant and I still can't believe it! Sometimes during the day I'll have this thought, "Wow, I'm pregnant." It feels as if I had forgotten for a little bit. I think I'm having these thoughts and feelings now because all my pregnancy symptoms have subsided. I feel better than I've felt in a very long time! I've started walking/jogging which makes me feel better physically and mentally. I joked with Casey during the 1st pregnancy that I was born to be pregnant. :)

Gabe is growing up

He is just so darn cute! He can say "Yes" which is "es" which is the sweetest. He also says please which comes out "peas." And when Casey was putting him to bed the other night he asked Gabe to sing with him. Casey began singing the "Big Red Car" song by the Wiggles. One of the verses goes, "Beep, Beep, Chug, chug, Big Red Car." Gabe started singing "Beep, Beep." So cute! It's amazing how much they know at this age. I am the proudest mommy on the planet.

Mom's worry

I just heard the other day that Green Tea blocks folate absorption. I read this on my anencephaly support web site that I try to read once a week or so. I have not done my own research but was very saddened when I read this.
I started drinking green tea back in the beginning of December. I have to ashamedly admit that I had not been taking my 4 mg of folic acid, however I was taking a B vitamin. Of course it's natural for fear to creep in because I always wonder what if anything I could have done differently with my first pregnancy. Which in my heart I realize is ridiculous because God allowed Nathaniel to die and that was God's plan for our lives. He was my special baby boy who avoided all the pain and hurt of this life and went straight to heaven to be with Jesus, which is where we all hope to go someday. My dad said it perfectly in his eulogy of Nathaniel, "Nathaniel lived a virtually perfect life. He spent 8 months next to his twin brother Gabriel and then was welcomed into this world briefly by his loving parents, grandparents, and friends. He then went to heaven where he will never suffer from sin or hurt."
All that to say that I think as a mom it's my natural tendency to worry. But then my worry is magnified because of the experience we had in our first pregnancy. Our doctor has agreed to do a sonogram at our 12 week appointment so we can make sure everything is ok. (Nathaniel was diagnosed at 12 weeks).

Pregnancy Symptoms and Other Happenings

Well I am definitely feeling pregnant. For the past 3 weeks I have struggled with nausea and being very tired! I mean super tired!! Recently my symptoms have changed a little. Now in the morning I feel great! I don't feel nauseous and am full of energy. But then by the afternoon I feel very tired, dizzy and a little nauseous. The main symptom here that is very different from my first pregnancy with the boys is the dizziness! I feel like I'm going to pass out. Very strange. And by this time in my last pregnancy my symptoms had subsided, although I did take a nap daily.
So I'm guessing it's a girl. hee hee :)
And we already have a name picked out if it is a girl (we picked out the name while living in Chicago).

Chuck E. Cheeses

We took Gabe to Chuck E. Cheese's over on the west side tonight. My dad "Papo" brought cousin Em and Ab to join us. They all had a lot of fun, even Casey! :)

Here they are doing the Hokey Pokey. After the song the staff threw tickets up in the air, so they gathered up lots of tickets for a neat prize at the end.

Good News!

We are pregnant! I've been waiting to post this great news so I could speak to some people in person, but I couldn't wait any longer to make this announcement!
We are in awe of God's blessing! We were told back in August that due to results of some tests we would still have to go through IVF because we could not get pregnant naturally. We were going to start IVF in October but at that time found out we had additional fertility insurance coverage starting in January. We were planning on starting IVF in the next couple of months.
We are currently 6 weeks pregnant! It still has not sunk in. So this is what it feels like to get pregnant naturally. You are a week late and you take a pregnancy test and it's positive?? What? What happened to the month and a half of grueling shots and endless doctor appointments? Thank you Lord for such a blessing!

God knows all things and is incredibly sovereign! When we did our first IVF cycle I was so disappointed that we did not have any embryos to freeze. But I also knew that if we did have frozen "babies" we would absolutely have to give each of them a chance at life. God knew full well the outcome and now I am praising Him that we don't have frozen "babies." Amazing!

Out to Dinner

I decided that it would be fun if tonight we took Gabe to the Rainforest Cafe. Maybe not such a good idea. By the time Case got home, we got there about 6:30. Gabe was so tired that he ended up falling asleep at the table. He was also scared of the roaring lions. We'll have to try again another time.

New Year's Resolutions

Here are mine for 2008
1. Be more organized
2. Lose those last 20 pounds...or maybe 30. :)
3. Be the best mommy in the world!
4. Be the best wife in the world!
5. To be finished Christmas shopping by Dec. 15th!
6. To complete some 5Ks and a couple of 10Ks.
7. I resolve to Get in shape, stay in shape and get pregnant....that's an oxymoron I think. :)

I love the new year! I always feel that renewed sense of energy to tackle new projects and old ones for that matter. I love Christmas but it always is so stressful, and every year I vow to not be out shopping on Christmas Eve but end up shopping on Christmas Eve. 2007 was no exception!

Biggest Loser

I have entered the Biggest Loser contest...of Heritage. Our neighborhood is having a Biggest Loser contest. Everyone who enters pays $10 and then the winner, 2nd and 3rd place get a % of the kitty. I need something to motvate me so I'm going to be the Biggest Loser. :) Our first weigh-in is Sunday, Jan. 6th.

Amazing Love

These past several weeks have been to my surprise fairly difficult. I have been surprised by the grief over Nathaniel that I experienced. The first time it really came out of nowhere was a few days before Christmas. I walked into Garden Ridge in Hulen and began to cry. What?? Where did this come from?? Very bizarre. I called Casey and he reminded me that I was the Mommy so of course I would be sad. And he also reminded me that we found out that we were pregnant while we were in Garden Ridge. I had completely forgotten that. Perhaps that was it. I'm still not sure what it was.
Yesterday evening I was sitting checking email and watching TV after Gabe went to sleep and received an email from a new friend that completely overwhelmed me. It reminded me once again that God is sovereign and cares even about me and all the little things going on in my life. This friend offered to help make a scrapbook for Nathaniel. Wow. I sobbed as I read her email because I couldn't believe how incredibly amazing God is. The email came at the perfect time. I'm simply amazed right now. I can't even put into words the feeling I have. I'm grateful, in awe, amazed. It reminds me of the song, "Amazing Love." I cry everytime I sing it at church. It describes better than I ever could my amazement and awe of His Glory and Love!
Amazing Love, How can it be.