19 weeks today!

On one hand, I cannot believe that I am already at 19 weeks, just one week shy of my half-way point! On the other, waiting to find out what we're having feels like it has been an eternity!! The one great lesson of pregnancy, I'm finding out, is patience. Patience is not something I'm great at. You could say I am the "I want it and I want it now" type personality!!! No one knows more about this than my Steve-O! (well, besides Mom & Dad) He has been so supportive, and so patient for the both of us, reminding me when it's best to just chill and let it be! So I will now prepare myself for 2 VERY LONG weeks of waiting.....as patiently as possible! :)

19 weeks goes like this inside my tummy:
"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." - courtesy of babycenter.com

In a sadder note, please send your prayers for the Roessler family. My dad's long time friend, Marlin, and his daughter had to rush back to Minnesota early this morning with the news that his mother would probably not make it through the day. My prayers are with him and Megan and the entire Roessler family...

Remembering Brock...

Happy 7th Birthday to my sweet Brock-a-boo. Although she's no longer here with us on Earth, I know she's still here in spirit. I haven't come across a day since her death that I don't think of her, and miss her. It get's easier, but I just assumed that we'd have more time with her. The one great thing that came about after her death is that I fell more in love with all my other furry babies. They bring so much happiness into our lives, and ask so little in return. What a great blessing to have dogs in your life!!!!! So today I'll celebrate the ones that are with me; My Sasha, Stella, Shiner - and of course, Baby Schoff who is on the way, and happily remember the wonderful times Brock and I had in her almost seven short years! I know that one of the first pictures in the baby's room will be of Brock....thank you Brock, I Love You!

We love you,

Daddy, Mommy, Sasha, Stella & Shiner

18 Weeks, Angel Sounds!!

Every day we get one day closer to knowing if we'll be welcoming Violet or Frank in August!! I am so excited to find out! I have been feeling really good lately, and Steve and I even went back to the gym this week to start working out. I hope if I continue it will really be helpful during labor and delivery....we all know that my tolerance for pain is LOW (and that's putting it nicely)!!

After a bit of persuasion, we ordered an Angel Sounds fetal heart doppler. I have to tell you it has been the best $30.00 we have ever spent! I listen to the baby almost every day, it's such a comforting sound to hear that re-assuring heartbeat! This last Sunday we took it to Mamaw & Papaw's for coffee. We hooked up some speakers to it so that everyone could hear the heartbeat without using headphones!! Of course Baby Schoff was moving all over the place and the heartbeat was difficult to track down, but we finally did. Mom took some pictures of us setting it up and then me intently trying to search for the heartbeat...



...and now for your weekly report:
"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" - courtesy of babycenter.com

17 Weeks and 2 days

Here is a photo taken by Daddy, to add to the 4 months collection....

17 Weeks ~ Luck of the Irish!

Happy 17 Weeks Darlin' baby Schoff! The luck of the Irish is with us....we got our genetic testing results back today - all negative. Which means you are perfectly healthy, and we have so much to be thankful for today!!

This last weekend we spent some quality time with our Great-nephew Julian, which will be the baby's cousin. We loved having him stay over, he is so much fun!! Here are some photos of our day at the park:

Here is the scoop on 17 weeks:

"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." - courtesy of babycenter.com

16 Weeks!

I love Wednesday's!! That's the day where I get to say my baby is one week closer to being in my arms!! I feel so very blessed. I love my little "avocado"....

Here is what's happening in there this week:
"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." - courtesy of babycenter.com

Shopping Day!

This weekend we went shopping with Mom to Babies R Us, Burlington, and Motherhood Maternity. I was in desperate need of maternity pants! I'm not very big yet, but I was done leaving button indentions on our baby's forehead!! LOL I can say it is very nice to be able to breathe in my work clothes again - THANKS MOM!!! Here is a picture of me and Steve shopping for rocking chairs at Babies R Us....do we look like we're ready to be parents or what?!?!!

Yesterday, we had our first Doctor appointment with Dr. Abbott! I was a little weary about if I would like her or not, but I really did. She laughed as she tried to find the heartbeat, telling us that our little one is "very active". Baby Schoff was moving all over the place so it took her a second to chase down the heartbeat.....this made Daddy VERY excited! Our next appointment is the one we've been waiting for, our Anatomy ultrasound!! yay! I can't wait until April 14th!!!!

Hello Everyone it's Steve.........To my beautiful "baby mama" & bride to be......

I just wanted you to know how much I appericate you and love you, as I sit here with Stella licking my face I can't imagine where I would be with out you. All the trials and tributes we have been through have made us stronger as a couple. I look foward to spending the next eternity with you, and with you by my side there is nothing that I, we can't accomplish.
Here we are 15 weeks prego..........babe you have nothing to worry about, you will start showing soon, then you'll be caught up with my belly full jelly..........:)............Then we can wear the same clothes and we don't have to go shopping for maternity clothes.

Love Ya Boo.............................

15 Weeks

Happy 15 weeks Baby Schoff!! Momma & Daddy already love you so VERY much, and can't wait to meet you!!! Here's what's happening this week:
"Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")" - courtesy of babycenter.com

Here are my tummy photos that my Mom has been taking at 2, 3 & 4 months! I'll try to get some better ones of 4 months...and yes, I am well aware that practically look like a homeless person in each one! LOL Mom has a knack at catching me at my best. (haha) My child is going to wonder if I ever knew what makeup was!!

Giving my worries to God

I'm not sure if it's every first time mother, or just a select few, but the past weeks have brought on serious fears. I read about other women's pregnancies and see their photos, and it sometimes brings in the worries! Why am I not showing like the other women (some of which are huge by the way)? Is the baby growing enough? Is the baby's heartbeat still strong?....and the list goes on and on. I was sharing this with a pregnant co-worker of mine, and got some really great advice. She said, "You have to believe that everything is okay, and if it's somehow not okay - it will all work out". This reminds me of the book I read months ago, Traveling Light by Max Lucado. It stated how you can't carry around all this baggage all the time, you have to let go of the fears, the worries, and give them to God. No amount of worrying ever prevented anything from happening. So today, I make the promise to myself, and to Baby Schoff that I will put my worries into God's hands and trust that He will take care of all of us. I love you Baby Schoff.....Momma can't wait to meet you!!!

Intelligender, or UN-intelligender!?

After much discussion, (aka - me begging steve) we decided to go ahead and try Intelligender! For a mere $30.00 at walgreens you are supposed to be able to tell if you are having a girl or boy in as little as 10 minutes. Sounds great, right!? So, Sunday morning I collect my FIRST mornings urine - fun...lol! Then I fill up the stopper, deposit it into the tester, SWIRL it around for 10 seconds, set my timer for 10 minutes and we are OFF! The test says if it stays clear or turns a more yellow or orange it's a girl result. If it turns cloudy or dark then it's a boy result. Well, I will let you guys judge for yourself! My result was clear in the middle and dark on the top and bottom...hmmmmmm. Thinking I will email this to the smarties and Intelligender and see what they think of my result! I'll let you all know if I get an answer. So, as you can imagine, I got at least a dozen, "I told you so's" from my Honey.....dang, don't you just hate being wrong! LOL......Live and Learn!

(p.s. I had this turned to the girl side because right off the bat it looked clear to me, but hey - who knows?)