Baby Ellis

Pregnancy

2010-02-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well, Friday is the BIG day! As the day approaches I am constantly thinking about the exciting changes coming up and the changes with my body that come along with it. Here is a list of what's going through my head:

- I can't wait to give Brady a hug without a big belly in the way

- I am going to miss feeling Cooper kicking and wiggling all day long

- I can't wait to lay on my back or belly...or just be comfortable in general

- I am going to miss having the "pregnant belly"...crazy I know but I think woman are adorable with them

- I can't wait to wear my wedding rings

- I am going to miss all the attention and questions like "when is your baby due?"

- I can't wait to not have to pee every hour

- I am going to miss Brady touching my belly and seeing the excitement in his eyes

- I can't wait to hold Cooper, snuggle him, kiss him, watch him grow, and all the excitement that comes along with a growing family

Overall, this pregnancy has been an amazing experience and an easy one compared to our first. I really have had it easy and I am going to miss the joy of having a growing child inside me. I look forward to all the new experiences that are coming our way and am anxious to meet this little man of ours.

Here are a few pictures- Enjoy!

Dad in the comfy chair

Do I look tired or what?? 38 weeks

More of his room

Ready for Cooper!

2010-01-22T14:21:00.001-08:00

3 Weeks from today is my scheduled c-section! Things have been crazy busy but seem to be going ok. I just got home from a routine check up and things are progressing fairly quickly! I am 1 cm dilated and 90% effaced. We all hope that he can hold out for at least another 2 weeks. I requested an ultrasound, since I had to go through that uncomfortable procedure, and my doctor happily did the ultrasound. He is definitely still a boy! He weighs approximately 6.5 pounds. His head is way, way, way down into my pelvis...we couldn't even get a good view of his face because he was down too far (that explains the constant pain down there). He has chubby cheeks that are easily seen on the screen! He loves to suck on his arm...every time we have had an ultrasound done, his arm is over his face and you can see his lips just sucking away at it! I hope he doesn't come out with hickeys! But maybe that means he'll be a good eater. He still is moving all over the place and my belly never really looks completely round anymore. I am tired and extremely anxious to hold our little man and kiss his squishy cheeks!

Less than 5 weeks!

2010-01-12T10:30:00.001-08:00

Picture taken at Baldwin Beach, Maui-34 weeks

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday...I am measuring at 33 weeks (so a week behind) and Cooper's heart rate is strong and steady! I just got confirmation this morning that our C-section has been scheduled for February 12th at 7:30 am. I was hoping for around noon but there is a higher chance that the surgery would be bumped to a different time if there are several emergency surgeries that come in. So to be safe my doctor scheduled it for the morning. We enjoyed our vacation to Hawaii and have been EXTREMELY busy since then so I am not sure when pictures will be posted. Cooper's room is still in the works...school has taken priority over all the fun stuff that I want to do :( I am feeling the aches and pains of being 34 weeks pregnant and I am not looking forward to them for the next 4 weeks. My ankles have started to swell as well as my face! Yuck! Oh well, our little man is worth it all...I just hope my body can make it through 6 12 hour shifts at the hospital before he comes! YIKES!

32 weeks!

2009-12-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today I had a routine check up before we head to Hawaii for 10 days. I am measuring at 30 weeks and the little guy is breech! It's a good thing I will be having a c-section. Things seem to be going great and I can't complain about that!

His room is coming along very very slowly. We're still trying to transition the "spare/collect all" bedroom to a nursery and it's taking longer than we would have liked. It's amazing to me how much junk two people can collect over the years!

Once we get back from Hawaii I will be starting school and the crazy schedule starts up again. I will be going to class 2 days a week, clinical at the hospital 2 days a week, online classes AND two doctor's appointments of my own a week. My doctor wants to monitor me closely since I went into preterm labor with my last pregnancy, which means one office visit with him and an addition non-stress test every week! On the upside...I get to hear our little man's heart beat many many times and will be taken care of if something doesn't seem right.

So, with 7 weeks left I feel pretty great and I'm still pretty small! Hopefully that means less baby weight that I need to loose once he's born :)

Little Update

2009-12-21T22:03:00.001-08:00

Not too much has happened in the last little while. I keep growing and Cooper is pretty relaxed and enjoys rolling around. He doesn't kick very often, which is pretty great because when he does it can be pretty painful. His room is slowly coming along. I am SO anxious to get it done but my time has been put into finishing Christmas presents and sewing blankets for upcoming babies and for Cooper.

31 weeks!

Newest project as of today! Cute stuffed animals...this is a giraffe and an elephant is soon to come!

10 Reasons I know I'm pregnant

2009-12-14T14:31:00.001-08:00

I would like to share my top 10 things that I have noticed over the past 30 weeks:

10. I now have a reason to sleep whenever I want for however long I want!

9. Brady looks at me funny when I crave carbonated drinks

8. I wake up every morning around 3:30 to empty my bladder (and I'm not joking about the time either. It's always within 10 minutes of 3:30)

7. No one can stop me from eating!

6. There's an extra pillow on our bed that is used to help support my hips

5. There are water bottles everywhere around our house and I forget where I put them (SEE NUMBER 4)

4. I seem to forget EVERYTHING and find myself asking Brady all the time where things are

3. Kidney stones are one of the worst things I have ever had to endure

2. I get to stuff my bra with something called "nursing pads!"

and...

1. People comment on my "cute" belly. Any other time it would just be a "fat" belly and how dare someone say anything about that!

About 2 months to go!

2009-12-02T15:38:00.001-08:00

Well, things have been going pretty great with Cooper. He's very active and loves to play with my bladder! He keeps growing and it's so fun to feel him and watch him move around in my belly. Brady is able to feel him whenever, which makes it more exciting for him. I am 29 weeks pregnant and about 8-9 weeks to go (depends on the c-section date)! We have a doctor's appointment this Friday to set the date! I am so anxious to finally meet this little boy of ours!

His room is slowly being put together. Right now Brady is painting, the crib is put together, we have a rocker, the changing table is still in the box and all the clothes we have are in the closet hanging up. We bought some curtains to go up over the windows and that's about it! I will not be posting any pictures until it is done.

Woo Hoo!

2009-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

Take a look at my little ticker/floating fetus...

Less than 100 days!!!

Everything seems to be going great! Cooper moves ALL the time and it's so fun to sit in class and watch my belly move. I am starting to get really big and actually feel like a pregnant woman! Lately, I think I have symptoms of hypoglycemia. Without any kind of sugar food I get really shaky, have a headache, and just not feel well. But after a glass of pop or some candy I feel better. I have my glucose test this coming appointment so hopefully we'll get things figured out! In the mean time...I am trying to get lots of sleep, eat enough to stay healthy, drink lots of water, and get through this craZy semester.

New Project

2009-10-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to figure out the colors of baby Cooper's room and we have decided on brown, tan, and blue. Of course there will be others but those are the main ones. So, I started a new project: a baby blanket!

I only started on this a few days ago and will continue to work on it on my "free" time. These are pretty much the exact colors we are going to do. The walls will be somewhat like the tan with brown and blue accents. We've been slowly looking for room decorations and it's so hard to decide so early...but our time is running short with the holiday's coming, our trip to Hawaii, and with the new semester starting in January. Our only time to do his room is during winter break which starts soon after Thanksgiving!

Large and in charge!

2009-10-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

Brady and I can't seem to get over how fast I have grown in the last two weeks! I wonder how big I am going to get towards the end?? Things are still going great! We just registered today at Target and WalMart. Baby boy is moving tons and seems to be having a great time in my belly! As for names...we're pretty set on Cooper. We just can't think of a middle name...so we are up for any suggestions!

Grateful

2009-10-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I am enjoying this pregnancy?? I am sooo grateful to finally have a healthy baby that is growing and kicking me like craZy! Last night Brady and I were laying in bed just watching my belly move with all of his kicks and punches and we were discussing how our love for each other created a human that is growing INSIDE of me. It's such a miracle how things seem to work and it blows my mind how perfectly everything has to happen. How can anyone deny a Higher Power after being pregnant? The experiences that I have lived through as a mother has strengthened my testimony of the gospel and I feel a greater appreciation of the sacrifice that God gave His only begotten Son. I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been. For all you mother's out there...be grateful for all the experiences (either good or bad) that you have gone or going through. You never know when you are taking something for granted until it's gone.

SUrpRiSE!!

2009-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today we had another check up on our growing little baby. Everything looks PERFECT-except for one tiny little thing... our little girl suddenly became our little boy!! We are SO excited and shocked at the same time. It's kind of sad that we've been calling him a her for the past month, bought some girl stuff, and had everything figured out for a little girl. My mom even sent me this huge box full of adorable things she's made in the last month. I'm kind of disappointed that we are no longer thinking pinks and purples, but super excited that our handsome boy is healthy and growing strong! AND we are 100% sure it's a boy this time...it's no mistaking his man parts!

I wasn't going to post a picture of his boy parts but I felt that I needed to prove that it's a boy for sure.

Pictures

2009-10-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

We finally have taken some pictures of our growing little girl. I don't really enjoy having them taken of me but I regret not taking them with our first...so I guess this is a good way to make Brady take some! And of course my Mom needs to see pictures so here's just about everything we have for our little girl for her to see

21 weeks

First clothes that we bought specifically for a girl! It has a matching hat that goes with it.

Cute little blue jeans that have a lining it them so they'll be warm in February.

Fun burp cloths that Tara made us! Brady LOVES them!

I've been feeling pretty awesome these past few weeks! I am exhausted all the time and my hips are out of place but it's tolerable. I had my first 12 hour clinical this past week and I think I handled the long hours running around on my feet pretty well! The nurses didn't even know I was pregnant until some patient asked me :)

Half Way!

2009-10-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Things are AMAZING! I still keep growing and so does she. The morning sickness is pretty much under control except for the early mornings that I need to get up for clinical (which is around 5). But it doesn't last very long and Zofran has become a great friend of mine. I don't leave the house without it! Heartburn is still a major factor in my everyday life but it's something that I can handle and of course a little Prilosec goes a long way! I am always super tired which means bedtime can't come quick enough in our house...although it still seems to be around 12 because of school work. I still have not craved anything yet - which I have learned in my Nursing class that a craving means I'm lacking something in my diet - so I must be feeding this baby girl okay. I guess the only thing I can't seem to get enough of is water - I am constantly feeling thirsty even though I drink about 5-6 bottles of water a day. Sweets are also NOT on my grocery list...they make me feel terrible which is odd because every girl LOVES sweets.

Brady was FINALLY able to feel her kick this weekend. Anytime that he would try she would stop moving so we were pretty excited that he was able to feel how strong his little girl is. After a few strong kicks he goes "that's my girl!" He will be a wonderful daddy! He is so amazing and is just as excited as I am! After this little girl is born, I have about 6 weeks left of school until I graduate. During that time, Brady will be home to take care of her and help around the house. He is pretty excited that he gets this opportunity to stay home and spend a great deal of time with her. I am pretty jealous but I will have lots of time once I graduate!

So that's about it. I don't have any recent pictures to update you with but I will get some soon!

End of 18 weeks!

2009-09-22T18:10:00.001-07:00

Things are going GREAT! This little girl is active as ever and I secretly hope that she calms down a bit before she's born. Brady still hasn't been able to feel her yet but he is patiently waiting :) My morning sickness is strictly morning now-which is amazing! It makes school much easier. There's really not much else to report..everything is going as it should be and I am feeling pretty anxious for things to get more exciting-like decorating the nursery, building a crib, buying clothes!! We just have no reason to go and buy stuff when she's still so far away.

Some people have been curious about names. Now we have liked a certain name for awhile now but it's not a for sure thing (but most likely). We REALLY like the name Kenley Rae. It's girly and she'd have my middle name. So that's it for now. We haven't really found anything better...but I'd be open for suggestions!

I also HAVE to tell you this story. So if you read one of my previous posts...we bought the baby a Michigan onesie. This onesie is navy blue with yellow writing on it (Michigan's colors of course). Well, the first thing Brady said when we got home after we found out we're having a girl was..

"She can't wear that."

And of course I questioned him because it's only his FAVORITE football team. His response...

"it's not girly enough for her. It's navy blue!"

haha I seriously about peed my pants! This little girl is going to be so spoiled by her daddy!

Drum Roll Please.....

2009-09-17T16:49:00.001-07:00

Well...can you tell what we're having???

A GIRL!!!

We are so excited! She is 85% positive that she is a girl :) According to how she is measuring, she is at the EXACT measurements for how far along I am. She wiggles and sucks on her arm..weird huh? Everything looks good and we are so anxious for February to get here!

Ultrasound Date

2009-09-15T17:12:00.001-07:00

Well, our original ultrasound was to be on October 2 but due to a school trip that day I had to reschedule our appointment. Brady has been sick the past two days and we wanted to make sure he didn't have the flu/swine flu (it's been going around here). He was tested negative AND our doctor said I could come in this coming Thursday for an ultrasound! I will be exactly 18 weeks along but he said that should be fine! We are SOO excited to finally know what we're having! So stay tuned for another update by the end of this week :)

update!

2009-09-13T12:12:00.001-07:00

16 weeks

Things have been going well since last I posted! The baby is growing appropriately and I keep getting bigger. I have gained a few pounds but I still weigh less than where I should be. I have felt some little flutters but I can't be 100% sure it's the baby. My next appointment will be the last week of September and that's when we'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl!!

Since I have been pregnant, I have been thinking about something that we could make that may be passed down through generations in our family. I originally wanted my Dad to make us a crib but he has settled for a bassinet which will be awesome but it's no crib. However, Brady has decided that he wants to make the crib! He has looked at the structure of our friend's crib and thinks that it wouldn't be too difficult to make one himself! I am so grateful for a handyman in my home and can't wait to see how it turns out.

Here is the onesie Brady picked out for the little one...

We are very anxious for this little one and cannot wait to hold him/her in our arms!

15 weeks...tomorrow

2009-08-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am one week away from being 4 months pregnant. Things are going surprisingly well (much better than last time)!!

Somethings that are not picture perfect is the nausea 24/7. With the nausea I lost 5 pounds in one week and haven't checked my weight since but I'm sure it hasn't increased much if at all. I can NOT be around raw chicken. The smell of it cooking, looking at it or tasting it makes me gag Another thing I have found I can't be around is anything grape! Brady LOVES grape kool-aid and I have actually thrown up from the smell of it. So anything grape is not allowed near my nose. I have had to wear maternity clothes since I am no longer able to squeeze into my regular jeans...but this is a good thing since it shows that Baby Ellis is growing!

Other than the nausea and sensitivity to foods...I have been GREAT!! We are anxious for things to start becoming more exciting. I haven't felt the baby yet (that I know of) and I can't wait to get out of the stage where I look like I could be over weight. My own grandmother told me "either you're pregnant or you're letting yourself go"! I was shocked at the comment but it's a good thing she told me that AFTER I had told her I was pregnant.

We bought this little baby a cute Michigan onesie. It can go either gender and Brady was anxious to finally be able to buy a cute little Michigan outfit.

Well, that's all for now. I have my 4 month check up on the 9th so hopefully everything is going well! I will post pictures later when I get some uploaded...

BABY #2 ON THE WAY!!

2009-08-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Since you all are reading this, you have heard our GREAT news!! Brady and I are expecting our second child on February 18th 2010! We have never been more excited than we are now. So I'll just take you through the past three months:

We found out I was pregnant on June 18th 2009! We were so excited that we called our good friends, Travis and Alisha, and then celebrated!!

A few weeks into July, I was diagnosed with having a kidney stone...not fun!! However, we did get to see our little "peanut" with my first visit to the ER and everything looked great!

3 weeks later I passed my kidney stone!

2 days after I passed my kidney stone, we had a little scare. I had started bleeding really bad and headed straight to the doctors office. Everything seemed fine and we got to see our baby this time!! He or She is no longer a "peanut"!

Now I am 12 weeks along and headed into my second trimester! Hopefully it's not as eventful as the first :) I have been feeling great ever since I passed that kidney stone and I hope that it continues to be a wonderful experience.