The Middle Name Decision

Quinn's middle name is now officially official, so I'm ready to share it with you! It's a little unique, but we're in love with it. Her name will be Quinn Analeigh. 

It's a very meaningful name to us. My father-in-law passed away last year, just a few months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was the most amazing man and was so close with my husband. He is greatly missed every single day. His middle name was Lee, so the "Leigh" portion of Analeigh is in honor of him. It gives us great joy to bless Quinn with part of his name. My mother-in-law and my sister both have the middle name Ann, so obviously "Ana" is in honor of them.

[Analeigh means grace and devoted to God]

We just bought Quinn Analeigh her first girly outfits. I will admit that I totally cried in the store as soon as I saw this outfit set. I can't wait to have a closet full of girly clothes and boxes full of ribbons. I love you already little girl!

Cloth Diaper Cuteness

Prepare your eyes for some serious freaking cuteness! Laura with 123 Cloth Me makes the worlds cutest cloth diapers and I just became aware of some that she makes called a rufflebutt diaper. EEEEKKKKKK! Okay, seriously prepare yourself because here it is! Have you ever seen a cuter diaper?! I can already imagine Quinn's little adorable tush adorned in this diaper and I want to squeal with excitement.

She of course makes other types and prints, but I'm in love with these! Kristin, at Our Growing Garden, is hosting a giveaway of 123 Cloth Me diapers. YAY! Head over there and check out the cuteness!

19 Weeks

 I'm feeling pretty good lately, just the usual fatigue. I often think back on my all-afternoon naps that I took when I was pregnant with C.orben. Those were amazing! Luckily though I've had a few bursts of energy and actually did a little cleaning and laundry this week. I also managed a trip to the store to get some new maternity skinny jeans. I wasn't able to find exactly what I was looking for, but I think I'll be happy with my purchase. I must say I think my butt looks amazing in them, haha. Hopefully the energy sticks around because I signed C up for a weekly story time at the library that you actually have to register for because they only have a certain amount of spots available. I also joined a mom meetup group and have committed to some activities. 

I'm only up  4 lbs so far, although my wedding ring is getting tight :(.   I'm so happy because by this point with C I was up freaking 20 lbs! Yes, you will hear a pregnancy long comparison of my weight gain because I'm determined to do better this time. It was hard getting 50 lbs off.

I have been having a lot of anxiety though. I often wake up in the morning with panic attacks. With both this pregnancy and the last I have an anterior placenta. It never impacted my pregnancy with C though and I started feeling flutters at 13 weeks and full on, all day, kicks on the outside by 18 weeks. With Quinn I started feeling flutters at 13 weeks as well, and since then I've felt a few rolls and stronger movement, but it's honestly been awhile since I've felt anything more than flutters. These days I usually only feel the flutters a few times a day. I know it's because of my anterior placenta because I only feel her on the sides and way down low... basically anywhere where my placenta is not. During every ultrasound they always comment on how active she is and I always hear a strong, fast heartbeat on my doppler at home. That doesn't stop me from worrying though. Losing my last baby really did a number on me. My mind runs with thoughts that something must be wrong with Quinn and that things aren't going to end well. I just really want to feel regular, strong movement for my own peace of mind. Deep breath. It will come, I just need to remain prayerful and patient.

In news from Battle of the Middle Name, we have picked a name! I think taking the advice to pray on it really helped us come up with it. I'll announce it after a few days when I'm sure the husband isn't going to change his mind... again.

* I know I said that I probably wasn't going to keep doing this updates every week; I don't want to bore everyone. I think I'm going to do at least a picture and a little update weekly. I really enjoyed documenting everything with Cor.ben and having the ability to go back and read details of my pregnancy with him.

Battle of the Middle Name

Even though we still have plenty of time, I really just want to settle on Quinn's middle name already. The husband is making this quite difficult as he likes to mull over things for eternity before he makes a decision and apparently he hates every name I love. I fell in love with Quinn Harper and he said it was a definite no. Quinn Hadley met the same fate. I then suggested Quinn Abigail. Abigail means "A Father's Joy", which I found to be perfection. He didn't like it, but found the similar name Avigail and it seemed like he finally agreed to a name. Then a few days later he decided he didn't like how the name sounded when he heard other people say it. AGHHH just pick a name already! 

Feel free to give us some suggestions. As you can see we like names that are a little bit unique and it's important that they don't have a horrendous meaning. I was digging Delaney until I found out it meant "child of dark defiance" or "enemy's child". NO THANK YOU!

18 Weeks & 4D Ultrasound Surprise

I can't believe I'm 18 weeks already! 

 

Yesterday was marked by a special occasion, making it even better! I called the ultrasound clinic where at 15 weeks they said I was having a boy. I let them know that at my anatomy scan we found out that we're actually having a girl. I was calling just to let them know for their own purposes, figuring that they probably like to keep record of their accuracy. Much to my surprise they booked me for a free 4D ultrasound last night AND I get to come back when I'm further along for the expensive 4D ultrasound session for FREE! I'm shocked and so appreciate their generosity. So, here's the 4D picture of Quinn (and they also verified again that she is in fact a she). 

I take it back: IT'S A GIRL!

We had our anatomy scan today and found out that (as I suspected) the 15 week gender prediction was wrong and WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!!!! Check out my doubts HERE. I'm absolutely over the moon! She's so pretty too and measuring at almost 1/2 lb. Most importantly she's as healthy as can be. Here is my precious Quinn!

Freezer Stash- Veggie Edition

When it comes to having a toddler I've learned that it's important to have precooked meals in the freezer for times when you need something quick because your child has become immediately starving or you're making something for dinner that he won't like... or OOPS you got so busy during the day that at dinner time you realize that you completely forgot to plan or prepare anything.

I just started making a little freezer stash of easy meals and snacks. Right now they are all veggie based because the only way I can get C.orben to eat vegetables lately is to hide them in his food. I love being sneaky, hehe! It's also great being able to just grab something nutritious that I've made and pop it in the microwave.

I have more ideas in the works, but this is what I've made this week:

Veggie Pizza: I've posted about this before HERE. It's still a favorite around my house.

Low Calorie Crustless Quiche: These are great and made in muffin tins, making them the perfect size. I omitted the mushrooms in mine and added broccoli. Really there are tons of options with this recipe (get it HERE)

I forgot to take a picture of mine, so this is from google, but it looks the same.

Veggie Muffins: These are so good and you wouldn't immediately suspect they are veggie based. The main ingredients (besides the obvious flour, etc) is bananas, broccoli, carrots, and prune juice. Yum! If you want to make it even healthier you can substitute 1 cup of the regular flour with whole wheat flour and instead of sugar you can use molasses or something similar. I just used what it called for because that's what I had at hand. I did chop the carrots up a lot finer than the recipe stated because I know C would spit them out if I didn't. HERE is the recipe.

I've had a lot of fun building my little freezer stash and I can't wait to add to it! I definitely want to add in several dinners. Do you have any yummy freezer meals?

17 Weeks

I don't know if I'll keep doing updates every week, but if I do I'll have to find some way to change it up and make it more fun.

The beginning of the week was pretty scary for me. I started having constant braxton hicks contractions every minute or two. They started Monday evening and not even laying down made them go away. I tried to just relax because I knew they weren't serious because they didn't hurt. Well, technically no matter what they don't want you having more than 4 an hour, but in my heart I knew everything was okay. BUT I was still having them Tuesday morning, and besides it being exhausting and freaking me out, I had one that hurt.

I went into my doctor and thank God my cervix was normal. He had no explanation for why I was having them so early and so frequently, but told me to drink a ton of water and to sit down as much as possible. Laughing at him, I pointed to my rambunctious toddler and asked him how sitting down a lot was possible. Oh and let me tell ya, getting your cervix checked while your toddler is providing background music of his most impressive fussing and whining is so much fun. Even more fun is trying to talk to your doctor about what's going on while the whining progresses to wailing and you can't get up to calm him down because your lower half is only covered by a thin paper drape and you surely don't want to give the doctor more of a show than you already have. I must find a babysitter!

Anyways, I've been drinking a lot more water and so far it has kept the contractions at bay. Those things are not fun! If you guys remember (HERE is a refresher) with Corbe.n I started having contractions at 33 weeks and had them pretty much constantly until I delivered him. Hopefully I won't be a frequent contractor this time because it's so draining.

Quiz time!
How far along? 17 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +1: confirmed at my doctor's appointment this week. I'm quite happy! We'll see if this continues because I celebrated by eating an entire box of ice cream sandwiches within just a few days. I've been putting off that craving for a long time!

Maternity clothes? Maternity shirts and for pants I have one pair of regular jeans that I wear with a belly band most of the time and I also wear a few of my maternity pants.

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep: Still the same as a few weeks ago.

Best moment this week: My Mom is coming to visit on Friday! She bought her ticket forever ago and I remember being excited that I would already be 17 weeks pregnant & Co.rben would be 17 months old when she came and now here we are!

Movement: Flutters and light kicks. Once this week it was like the baby jumped in there. Must have been a hiccup? I'm still waiting on those big kicks though. I'm so excited for those!

Food cravings: Ice cream sandwiches, fruit, popcorn dipped in mustard, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, burritos, chips and salsa.

Gender: We should find out at our anatomy scan in 6 days! YAY!

Belly Button in or out? In, but shallow.

Wedding rings on or off? On

What I miss: Caffeinated coffee.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out if baby is a boy or girl and for movement to progress to those big kicks and rolls.

Yes, I'm sure you've noticed by now my hair is always in a ponytail. It's because my hair has suddenly become way too long (you can't tell in this picture) and I can not stand to have it down. It's so hard to make time for yourself to do things like getting your hair cut when you have a toddler and your husband works a lot. I just need to do it. I want to cut it similar to this.

Holy tan and over-filled eyebrows

...or maybe I'll go crazy and cut it like this again...

Fun Day

We've been blessed with some good weather lately and I want to take full advantage of it! We have a great park not too far from our house that is 250 acres, has over 2 miles of trails, and of course a playground. The hubs and I took Corbe.n there this morning to play and it was so much fun. He played on the playground for a bit and then we hit the trails. I just joined a mom's meetup group that goes there frequently, so hopefully Cor.ben meets some new friends to play and interact with and I get to meet some other Mom's as well.

The Parent's Prayer

Dear God,
Thank you for my little one,
I know we will have lots of fun.
Help me to be firm and wise
and see things through my child's eyes.
Give me courage and patience too
so I'll know the right things to do.
Please show me what I need to know
so I can help my child grow.
Thank you for this life you've shared
trusting me to take great care.
Help me please to always see
the blessing you have given me!

16 Weeks

Although I cannot see you,

I still know your are there.

You are warm and snug inside me,

and require gentle care.

 

Although I cannot hold you,

or give you a hug goodnight.

I feel you move inside me

and know that you are alright.

 

Although I cannot kiss you,

or show you how I feel.

I know you share my feelings

and that our bond is real.

 

.....you are with me all the time

and always on my mind.

Already I have fallen in love

with my precious gift from up above.

17 months old- What's New

Cor.ben has been up to so much lately, especially recently. Because he doesn't have a full vocabulary you don't know what all he's absorbing until he just busts out with something and then you're left with your jaw hanging open thinking "how in the world did he know that!" 

For example, I have these hanging candles in the guest bathroom that he likes to point to and I tell him what they are. Today he pointed at them and I said "Yes, those are candles. Can you show me where the other candle is" and he pointed to another candle I have on a free standing cabinet in the bathroom. Jaw. Floor.
This one will make you laugh... Okay, I have a doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat with and Cor.ben has seen me use it, but it's been awhile. Yesterday he was sitting on my bed while I was getting dressed and he points to my doppler stash and insistently is saying "This, this". So I handed him my stuff, he lays on his back on the bed, lifts up his shirt, turns the gel bottle upside down and acts like he's squirting it on his belly. He then takes my hand-towel and pretends to wipe the gel off his belly. HAHAHA! What a little mimicker! I was in awe! 

He just amazes me with how much he understands and how many directions I give him that he follows. My baby is growing up. He has also added "eat", "dog", and "snack" to his list of words that he can say. Hearing him say snack is my favorite... it sounds like "snaa, snaa"... just pretend you can hear his little voice saying it.

He has learned to open the fridge (sigh). He opens it ALL DAY LONG and is constantly getting things out of it. I will be getting baby gates for the kitchen this weekend. Between the fridge and him being anywhere near the stove freaking me out, oh and his ability to reach on the counters, he needs to be kicked out of the kitchen.

He also has become quite the climber. His cousin that's 6 weeks older than him has been an insane climber for the longest time and C.orben never showed any interest in it, so I thought I was in the clear, but no such luck. He now climbs the couch, my storage tote, his glider, and the dishwasher. Here's to hoping he doesn't try to climb the kitchen chairs and table anytime soon.

He has developed a love for meat. He loves brisket and chicken more than any other toddler I've seen. Now if I can get him to redevelop his love of vegetables. Some day.

Now for the fun part! Pictures!

I love his long eyelashes.

My Climber

His first masterpiece

Can you tell what it is? ;)

Is my boy really a boy?

Is my boy really a boy? I'm doubting things now. This is why the logical side of me told me not to get an early prediction, but the emotional side of me wanted to experience this with my husband since he's unable to come to my anatomy scan on the 18th. Either way it was an awesome experience and seeing my baby was amazing!

I just want to be able to accurately prepare and when they said the baby was a boy it just didn't feel right and the nub they were claiming was a penis didn't look like what I remember from Co.rben. Instead of popping up from the side view it was oblong and parallel with the spine. I remember from THIS website that in early predictions boy's nubs are at an angle of 30* and girls are parallel. I also read that nubs can be present in boys and girls until 17 weeks. 

Here are my "boy" shots from my ultrasound:

Here's some info for the previous mentioned website:

Male gender


With the male fetus, the genital tubercle usually
creates an angle of greater than 30° with the lower
part of the spine.





Female gender


In the female fetuses, the genital tubercle protrudes
in the same direction as the lower portion of the spine
with an angle of less than 30° relative to the backbone.





So, now I'm not feeling so confident in the gender prediction. We'll see what they say on the 18th!