Elizabeth Ann Austerman

Our sweet little girl is here!

Elizabeth Ann Austerman
September 13, 2012 at 1:08 PM
6 lbs 7 oz. 19 inches long
Lots of dark brown hair
Zay is a proud big brother and we are all so in love with her!

waiting...anticipating...reflecting

I haven't had a whole lot of time to write on here lately.

Honestly, I haven't had a whole lot of time for anything...unless you count remodeling, moving, cleaning, organizing, scheduling, unpacking, attending appointments, squeezing in very few precious and 'normal' days for Zay and I, and embracing the rare moments of uninterrupted and meaningful conversation with Shane! We have pretty well been stretched to our limits the past few weeks. And through it all, I am so thankful.

We've plugged away and we are finally at a point where I feel like we are ready to bring our baby girl home...to a new home, a beautiful home we've put our very own blood, sweat, and tears into. We have an amazing backyard where Zay already runs off ample amounts of energy. All of our neighbors have been very kind and generous. We are more than content with our decision on our new home and community, even if the timing wasn't ideal.

But I don't want to write about our new home today.

My post today is a bit more meaningful than a house. Today it's our children that are on my heart.

I've had some emotions come over me this past week, that I honestly wasn't expecting. This entire pregnancy I've been so excited. Excited for another child to join our family, excited for Zay to become a big brother, excited to have a little girl, excited to see Shane become a father again...just plain excited.

Then the last few weeks I've found myself feeling other things. Like a little guilty or sad for Zay. Weird. I guess before the last few weeks, I never even considered I would feel these things. Whenever I've read things about "cherishing the last moments" with the first born as an only child, I've almost always dismissed them. I suppose I've always been eager to think in terms of how the other children feel. And being the second born among my own siblings, I think to myself, well the second born (and any children after) never get that one-on-one attention from mom and dad! Therefore the first born is so fortunate! There is no point in feeling bad that they are going to have to share that attention now...

I guess it proves that there probably is something to be said about birth order and how it affects us.

None-the-less, I've been extra thankful for my first born these past few days. As I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy I am fully aware that my days of just hanging out with Zay are limited. I am so appreciative of Zay and his sweet personality. Yes, of course there are moments when he is just a typical two-year-old...but I also get to see him be the sweetest of sweet little boys. He still wants to snuggle on my ever shrinking lap-space. He smiles so big and bright when he sees me enter the house/room/car. He yells a "love you, bye-bye daddy" that is so full of meaning, as Shane is leaving for work. He rarely fusses when going down for his nap and/or bedtime. He requests to pray for certain people before bed, it absolutely melts my heart when he says he wants to pray for 'mommy' or 'daddy'. He gets it...most days probably better than some adults understand the power of prayer. Child-like faith - love it! And it never fails...if mommy and daddy forget to mention Bailey and Bongo in their prayers, we must add an addendum to that prayer and ask God to bless those puppies! Our dogs are the most prayed for pups in the world! :) And the sweetest little "AH-MEAN" at the end makes me so happy.

I just can't say enough of how proud and overwhelmed I am with God's gift of Zay to our family. I can't imagine how another child will bless our family as well. It should only be a few short days before we get to hold our sweet little girl and see Zay become a big brother. What an exciting time for our family. Thanking God for both of our blessings today!

Children are a blessing from the Lord. -Psalm 127 

Baby Girl Austerman...updated pics!

I thought I would post some quick pictures of our little girl...hoping these are the last ultrasound pictures and the next ones are of her in our arms!!! Shouldn't be long now...I'm now dilated between 4-5cm...nearly half way there, but no painful contractions (just braxton hicks)! Maybe this will make for a quick and easy labor...I won't get too excited - ha!

I also have some major catching up to do on this blog...our new house, renovating the entire main floor in our new house, moving into our new house, and my husband changing positions at his job...I'm thinking by the time I get around to catching up on those things, our baby girl will be here!

We obviously don't mess around when it comes to doing exciting events all-at-once in our life! :)

For now...enjoy the pics of our little gal!

Check out this little girl's hair! The questions is...is it red like her brother's???

Profile

Look at her chubby little cheeks!

Not sure if you can tell, but she's touching her hands to her toes!

And her mouth/nose!

36.5 Weeks...

Oh my...I can hardly believe that in a few short days I'll be FULL TERM! And this baby girl will be joining us very, very soon! 

I'm so excited, but very nervous as well. We have so many things we are juggling right now, with renovating our new house and getting moved in the next couple weeks, not to mention the most important thing weighing on our mind...our little girl's health. 

We have continued to have ultrasounds every 2 weeks to monitor her growth. Even though we thought we would be done with these, the doctors have recommended we keep a close eye on her. The main area they are watching is her head size. They believe that she has a small head basically due to familial reasons, however we won't know anything for sure until she is here with us. The ultrasounds do not show any other markers or indicators that she is unhealthy in any way, so we are all hoping that she is just on the low end of the spectrum for head size. This has been very hard for me to release my worry, but I know that God is forming her just the way he has planned. We are certain that she will be perfect, regardless of anything that might pop up. As expected we have everything in line for her PKU and hypothyroid screenings to be rushed and we will know if she has either as soon as possible. Beyond that, we declined doing any prenatal screenings, etc so we don't know any further information at this point. 

My prayers have been consistently that God help Shane, Zay and I be the perfect family to this little girl. I know he has hand picked us to love her! Each day I'm amazed at how Zay's presence in our family is perfect! He's brought so much joy and love and perspective and humor to our family, only God could have orchestrated something so special. I know that our little girl will bring about the same perfection. I know there might be some issues that come up...expected and/or unexpected. I pray that we can handle all the emotions and know that God is with us each and every step of the way. 

My appointments are down to weekly now too! And this week I was dilated to 2cm. Yay! Although I don't put a lot of weight in that number, knowing that I was 1.5cm at 36 weeks with Zay...then went overdue! But it is still exciting to know that my body is preparing!

And here is what is will probably be my last prego-pic. I'm nearing the size that I'm just uncomfortable and big and not enjoying having my picture taken anymore! :) 

Stay tuned! I hope to have a post up on our new house soon...given that I don't have a baby or anything! :) Thanks to all our friends and family praying for our little girl and helping us with all the transitions we have going on in our life right now. Even with uncertainty, we are blessed beyond words!

This Moment

With a lot of BIG events coming up in our near future I thought we should get some pictures taken this last weekend before all the craziness starts! 

Zay, Family, Maternity...all of the above! 

Seeing these pictures makes me love this moment in our lives...Zay is such an energetic little boy, with big amounts of sweetness shining through his contagious smile! He can wear out his prego mama in a hurry, but we are living up these last few weeks before his world changes in a big way...along with ours! I'm overjoyed for him to become a big brother to our sweet little girl. I know they will adore each other, and Shane and I will be beyond happy having two little ones in our family! 

The next step in our lives is coming fast and I'm just plain thrilled...maybe a little nervous too! :) I'm sure I will look back on these pictures and think about how fast life changes! God has blessed us abundantly! 

Enjoy the pics! 

FAMILY

ZAY

MATERNITY

ZAY & DADDY

(My boys picking a flower for mama...such sweetness)

This morning's adventure...

Well we had what we thought was going to be our final ultrasound of this little girl's pregnancy, however I guess not...

It actually turned out to be quite an entertaining morning!

Our appointment was first thing in the morning, so we thought we'd be 'in and out' in no time. And I decided that Zay could just come along with us again, rather than lining up someone to watch him.

We did fairly well getting out of the house on time (Why is it that for nearly 2 years we used to all be out of the house by 7am, diaper bag packed, lunches made & packed, and each family member looking presentable...but now when we need to go somewhere that early it's an ordeal to make sure everyone and everything is ready?)

Anyway, thankfully Shane remembers that a bridge on our way to IC is out of commission starting today. No worries, Shane knows a way to get around it...ah hem - a Level B road! No worries though...we haven't had rain here in months, so he knew it was fine! However, we were able to recognize as we were turning off our 'secondary path' that the bridge that was 'not passable' was NOT being worked on like the sign stated...not very nice of them to trick us!

We finally get to UofI, get checked in and then our least favorite ultrasound technician calls us back. I guess after you've gone for so many, you start to develop your favorite techs and not-so-much-your-favorite techs. It was ok though, she was actually very pleasant today!

She gets to work looking at baby girl's cord, etc. She explains that for the most part everything looks good, and there was just one spot where there was the intermittent absence of flow. She said that she didn't think it was a big deal though, because it was good everywhere else she checked. After looking and measuring fluids, etc, she gives us a quick peak at our little girl's hair that was standing straight up! Shane asked if she could transfer that into color-mode, to see if her hair was red like Zay's! :)

Then comes the waiting...I guess the doctor's were busy and backed up because we had to wait 45 minutes for them. And as we are sitting there, all of the sudden I start feeling really light headed. I finally look at Shane and tell him that I'm going to be sick! I haven't been feeling the greatest the past few days, and I think I might be one of the lucky ones that has morning sickness return in the 3rd trimester...yay.

So, Shane pulls the trash can over next to me...and then Zay immediately starts yelling "Pee-Pee...Pee-Pee...Pee-Pee". He has to go...NOW! Shane's trying to figure out if he's safe to leave me (I have a bad history of passing out right before I throw up, so he's usually concerned if I get that sick). I tell him to go ahead and take Zay. They come back into the room and Zay is running circles around me...as if the room isn't already spinning! And I'm just mortified thinking about the doctors coming in and finding me with my head in the trash!

So...Shane gets Zay settled down. But immediately Zay assumes his 'pooping-position' and does his second order of business for the day. (Remember...for some reason un-be-knownst to me, he feels he should still poop in his pull-up/diaper, even though he pees perfectly in the toilet!) So back to the potty they go to clean up that mess, while I'm going back and forth from head over the trash, to sweating bullets, to drastic chills...just praying that we can get our act together before the doctors barge in to take a look at our sweet little girl!

Thankfully, we did get it all under control. I started feeling better. Shane had Zay cleaned up. The room surprisingly didn't smell. We were in good shape, well in the best shape we could be in assuming the series of events that had just taken place!

So, the team of docs come in, tell us that little girl is looking good today, but they would suggest we come back for another growth check in 2 weeks. (This was a different doctor than the one that read our ultrasound last time...so I guess, different doctors=different opinions). I still feel at ease that our little girl is fine and will be fine, but I'm not going to argue with the doctor's about wanting to keep an eye on her! I would much rather have them watch her closely, given our history of different concerns!

After meeting with them, I go see my regular OB, and she asks me how I'm feeling. I tell her about my little episode in the ultrasound room, the fact that I haven't been feeling the greatest the past few days, and having lots of braxton hicks. She decides she better check me, just to be sure nothing is progressing. (My poor husband...he is entertaining our 2 year old, still worried about his wife tossing her cookies, passing out, or both! All while trying to remain calm at the fact that he has a meeting back at the office in less than 1/2 hour...) Thankfully...our little girl cooperated and she is low with her head down, but not rushing us into labor! I was only dilated a very tiny bit, if at all. Phew!

And just to put a cherry on top of our already over-flowing series of situations.....Shane gets pulled over as we are leaving UofI! I was following him, and felt so bad! They had put out a temporary stop sign in a construction area and Shane saw it at the last minute, and stopped but Mr. Police Officer didn't think it was a complete stop. (No ticket, so that's good news!)

All-in-all......Zay and I made it home. Shane made it to work. And I'm so happy that looking back this is comical rather than discouraging. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself and the predicaments you end up in! I honestly couldn't have been happier to have gone through the craziness of the day with anyone other than my husband, my son, and the baby girl inside me! :)

Nesting...

I think the nesting urge has hit me! Although, I have 7 weeks to go, I know that there is a lot that needs to happen in those 7 weeks! 

If everything goes as planned, we will be moving right before our little girl is born. However, up until this point things haven't really been working out as planned (issues with our new house that are completely out of our control) so we might be moving AFTER she is born...we will see! 

Either way, I'm trying very hard to take things in stride and know that even if we don't get moved beforehand, I'm blessed that this time after having a baby I will be staying home rather than returning to work. This will allow me time to unpack, organize, and decorate when I have time and not be rushed. I'm also counting on having my mom and my mother-in-law around for some extra hands...and to help me stay sane with all the moving, renovating, entertaining a 2 year old and getting to know a brand-new baby! Thank goodness for family!!!

In the mean time all I can do is pack and prepare...so I'm finding myself coming up with small ways to fulfill my need to nest! :)

With the renovations we are doing to our new house, Shane and I found a picture of these shelves and spice racks that we will incorporate into our new kitchen! I like how clean and organized they look! And so much nicer than storing our spices in the plastic containers they come in!

A few weeks ago we picked up the jars/shelves while on a trip to Ikea with my parents. Along with my little helper, I washed, labeled and transferred the spices over! 

Screwing the lids on was the perfect job for this little guy!

All done! Aren't they pretty! Just have to pick up a few more jars, but they are all ready to be put on the shelves in our new kitchen! Yay!

Positive news!!!

I am absolutely thrilled to be writing this post with positive news on our little girl! We got the best news at our ultrasound and doctor's appointment today! 

Basically the specialists told us that their concerns are gone and that they truly believe that she is going to be a petite little gal. She has shown consistent growth patterns which leads them to believe that even though she is on the lower end of the charts, from what they can see, she is proportional and healthy!!! 

One of the doctor's asked how tall both Shane and I were, and then said his prediction would be that she's going to take after Mom. :) What a relief to get a hug from my regular OB today because she was so happy for us, rather than trying to comfort me! 

I feel like God has blessed us beyond what I could imagine! We've been praying so much for this little girl and also praying that whatever the news would be today that we would accept it and know that it is all in God's plan. And He has calmed our fears once again! I wish I could say that I was always steady and strong through all of these appointments, but I think my husband would argue those characteristics. Being pregnant and getting news that escalates the emotions is not my strong point...but God is good and he got me through! 

I'm also so thankful to all of you that have been praying for our little girl. It means the world to me that we have such genuine friends that love and support us and already love our little babe. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Now, even with all this great news, we do have to go back in 2 weeks again for what should be our last ultrasound. They need to check the fluids and dopplers again to...in the doctor's words "cross their t's and dot their i's". Basically, since the concerns were there with the cord and her size they need to check it, but if everything looks good, which they fully expect we won't see our little girl again until she's born! Yay!!!

What a blessing today has been! 

30 weeks...only 10 more to go!

I can hardly believe we only have 10 weeks until we meet our little girl...practically only 9 weeks since I'm getting this post up so late! AND we have a lot going on between now and then! I thought having a baby around Christmas (Zay's bday is Dec 16) was busy, but oh my...summertime, particularly this summer for us, seems to be quite busy as well! (I haven't had a chance to update the blog, but we are in the process of buying an acreage that we will be moving into, probably right before our little girl is born...busy, busy, busy!)

I've been feeling really good. Honestly, I can't complain...but if I were to analyze my discomforts they'd be lower back aches and the fact that I have to pee. All. The. Time. (This actually does come in handy while having a 2 year old...I have to remind him to use the potty often, so when I go, he goes!) I do notice that my lungs are getting crowded too, but I think the heat and humidity are to blame for a little bit for that discomfort. I've been preparing myself for swollen hands and feet, but I haven't had to deal with that much - yay! I really do feel good, just big. :)

As the days pass, I honestly can't believe how soon we will get to hold our little girl! It's going to be a busy Fall for us, but all with amazing blessings God has provided for us. We continue to pray and feel blessed by those who are praying with us for our little girl's health. We have another ultrasound coming up this next week and are hoping she's grown and is looking healthy! I can't see her and measure all of her little body parts, but I sure do feel like she has been growing...if not, I guess it's just me growing! ;) 

And...we have a name! Well, we have 2 names...but there is definitely a front runner and Zay knows how to say it. So if we change our minds and decide to go with our #2 choice, we'll have to explain to Zay what his little sister's name is all over again. Although, he prefers to just refer to her as 'baby' anyway. And if you ask him...yes he is going to have a little sister, but she's not going to be living here with us. I'm positive he will change his mind eventually!

Here is a fun comparison photo...30 weeks prego with both of my babies! I would say it appears she is right on track with her brother's growth...

Baby Girl Update

I'm finally getting around to writing an update on our little girl. The past couple of weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for us.

We had another ultrasound June 26th to check our little girl's growth and see how she is doing overall. Unfortunately, we weren't presented with any re-assuring news, rather the doctors found another thing they want to monitor...

Our sweet little gal is still small. Particularly her head size is the concern, but she is small all over too. I'm told that this is good. The fact that she is proportionate is a good thing, in contrast to if she had a small head and bigger body. So I'm grateful that she is petite all over! However, the doctors still do not have any answers for this, and we are all hoping and praying that she is just developing and growing on her own growth curve. 

The other concern we found on the 26th was with the cord. There was concern with the systolic/diastolic ratio being intermittently absent. Basically meaning our little girl was having to work harder to get the nutrients from the placenta.

We were told that we needed to come back in a week so they could take another look at the cord and fluids. If the S/D ratio gets worse, we would then need to be monitored weekly in order to assess when baby girl would need to be delivered (basically if it reaches a certain point, it's not safe for baby to be inside me anymore, and we would need to be induced). Praise God a week later - everything looked perfect in three different locations on the cord!!!!

That follow-up appointment was this last Tuesday and like I said before. Everything went as good as we could have hoped. Although, I still don't feel like we are out of the woods yet...we go back again in 2 weeks for yet another ultrasound to check on EVERYTHING again. Her size, the cord, the fluids, etc.



We are praying that she is growing and healthy and we ride out these last two months with less concern than the previous months have been.

There is no doubt that the power of our friend's and family's prayers have sustained us through these uncertainties. I feel like I've been through some of the same emotions I went through when we found out about Zay's PKU/thyroid...only this time I'm pregnant, have EXTRA hormones involved and do not have any answers. This feeling of being so far out-of-control to what is happening to your child is very humbling. Through God's strength, my husband's unwavering reassurance, my little boy's outpouring of love & joy and the support of our family/friends I've truly felt blessed.

I know that our little girl is absolutely perfect, regardless of what they see on an ultrasound or what the outcomes might be. I will do everything I can do to give her the best care I can right now, knowing that God is watching over us and He ultimately knows what is best...for her, for me, and for our family. And right now that is enough for me to get through another two weeks of not knowing any more information.

One good thing about having to have so many ultrasounds...we have an amazing amount of pictures of our little gal! When I look back at all these, I'm amazed at how much she changes in just a matter of weeks/months! We love our little girl so much and we are so excited for the day we get to hold her in our arms!

6 months prego...yay!

A fun little comparison of the 6 month prego belly! I'm not good at taking weekly pics of my pregnancies, however I'm glad I did take some throughout Zay's pregnancy...it's fun to compare what his pregnancy was like to this one! And it's fun to look back and see that this particular pair of jeans must be my favorite...they aren't even maternity jeans, but they seem to work great well into 6 months of pregnancy! :)

Some differences between Zay's pregnancy and this little girl's pregnancy....

1. I was much more sick the first trimester with little girl...

2. I was much more active (running, walking, exercising in general) with Zay's pregnancy...

3. I stopped playing volleyball very early on when I was pregnant with Zay (doctor's recommendation)...I'm fairly certain having a 2-year-old is much more dangerous to a baby in utero than the chances of a flying ball hitting my protruding belly. However, my doc never recommended I do away with caring for my 2-year-old.  :)

4. I have eaten a comparable amount of sweets with each pregnancy...hmmm, about the same as I do when I'm NOT pregnant. Maybe this isn't a pregnancy symptom at all! 

5. It has been equally exciting feeling the little baby move...there is just nothing that compares to having a little one kicking away inside you! 

6. Little girl is the first time I think I've had a breach baby. At the last two ultrasounds she's been head up...Zay was always head down. Really hoping the little lady flips around once we start getting closer to 'go time'! 

7. I'm sensing that I'll be dealing with swelling this time around. Not that I've noticed it yet, but with the heat that comes with summer time and my continual weight gain, I think it's inevitable.

8. I hang out in t-shirts....a lot. Most of my maternity clothes I had from Zay were dress clothes for work. And having him in December, they were all warm weather clothes too! So thankful for another mom from our new church that gave me a couple bags of maternity shirts she was done with. Yay!

9. Shopping...I actually think I did more shopping for Zay at this point in my pregnancy! There obviously was so much more to buy when it's your first. However, I have yet to really buy any clothes for little girl! (We have some...gifts, garage sales, etc) I just don't want to go overboard with all the clothes...for a couple different reasons. 1.) I stay home now, so laundry happens nearly everyday...I can wash clothes more and don't need nearly the stash! 2.) As of right now, we still haven't found a house...so for the short term Zay and baby girl might be sharing a room - and that means sharing a closet too! Clutter tends to stress me out, so hopefully I can survive this transition time for our family! 

10. And one more difference from Zay to baby girl.....I think we are going to do cloth diapers this time around! I've been talking with a friend it's been a lot of fun learn about this. I've been so hesitant, but once again...since I'm home now it seems like a no brainer to at least give it a try! As we are navigating potty training with Zay right now (which he's doing great with...most days!) I still cringe at the cost of disposable diapers...yikes!!! We will see how it goes! 

Ultrasound Update...

We had our level 2 ultrasound today.....and I'm not sure if we actually received good news or bad news. What I do know, is that they said that overall she looks good, but she's still small. Not small enough to categorize her as in danger, but small enough that they need to monitor her growth....

So...in four weeks we will be back to have another ultrasound. I can't honestly say that I hate the ultrasounds. It's so much fun to see her and watch her move around in there...but I could most definitely do without the added concerns. Today when the ultrasound tech left to get the doctor and then she returned with three different doctors, I was NERVOUS. I honestly didn't suspect anything to be wrong until that moment when 3 people filed in after her. And really...they assured us that she looked great, but she has gone from measuring about a week behind, to measuring about 11 days behind. :( 

I don't really know what this means or might mean, and I'm trying hard to not let my mind wander. I'm so thankful to be at the University of Iowa Hospital with great physicians! And like my unshaken husband says, "This is in God's hands". We've said this many times before when dealing with our children! And I know in my heart he's right. God will take care of her. And He will take care of me...nerves and all. 

Here are some pics of our little gal...LOVE this first one. She's got her little foot all the way up to her mouth! 

And to lighten the mood a bit...as we are sitting in the ultrasound room waiting around for them to gather all the docs to come talk to us, I'm completely miserable. I had had my regular appointment, then we met with a genetic counselor, and then a informational little sign told me I could not empty my bladder before the ultrasound. Well, level 2 ultrasounds are not quick...and then waiting for doctors is not quick...so I was utterly uncomfortable and then my dear husband starts discussing my discomfort. He tells me that he's picturing the movie Baby Mama, and I should just hop up on the sink because I can't take it any longer...thank you, sweet, lovable, charming husband of mine, you truly are so thoughtful...and so mature. :) (For the record, I can't deny that I love the laughter and amusement we have together when we are put in uncomfortable situations...we are such a team!) And also for the record...I did NOT imitate the picture below. :)

Unexpected...but it's all good!

Not long after our 20 week appointment with our little Miss, I received a phone call from my OB. First to tell me  I needed to change my thyroid medication and then she went on to tell me the doctor that had reviewed our ultrasound recommended we come in for genetic counseling. 

I had to chuckle, because at our last appointment, Shane and I explained further in depth to my OB what PKU was, what it means, why there is a chance for our next child to have it, and how we handle it with Isaiah. Who needs 'counseling' on the topic? We've got this. ;)

And I should clarify, I would not expect my OB to know this information. She takes care of me and baby right now. And right now we are perfect and healthy! There is no evidence of PKU. PKU is something that we find out about after our bundle of joy is born! 24 hours after her first meal to be exact.

However, my heart sank when she mentioned the doctor advised we be seen again for another ultrasound. I think I started giving her twenty questions...wondering why we would need to be seen if everything on the first ultrasound was fine?

Well....it seems that since we know there is a chance for our little girl to have a genetic disorder, my pregnancy is considered high risk. And therefore my ultrasound was flagged because of the history of PKU. Even though our little girl looks great. 

Yesterday I received another call, from the genetic counselor this time, who further explained to me that we had options of having an amniocentesis done to find out if our little girl has PKU before she is born. Shane and I discussed this, and decided that there was no point in taking a risk, even if it was only a small risk just to know sooner. The newborn screening is very effective and we have asked if we can have her tested at least twice for PKU after she is born just to be sure. I think our plan is to discuss with the genetic counselor if there could be any sort of rush on her test, since we know there is a 25% chance that she will have it. I would prefer to not have to come home, only to have to go back to the hospital like we did for Zay. The biggest relief for me is that we are the most emotionally prepared we can be for news of PKU. Physically I know the challenges of PKU will still be there with the extra work involved, but this time around I know we can do it and I know the amazing outcomes of our hardwork. 

I think I've mentioned this before, but after Isaiah was born and diagnosed I truly believed it meant no more children for us. And when I did think about having another baby, I was distraught with the thought that I would be putting another baby at risk for having PKU. Then, I met real life families that had LOTS of children! Some had PKU, some didn't and they were ALL thriving and doing so well! It gave me so much hope for our family! Some people may still judge us for expanding our family while knowing the risks, but Shane and I are confident that God will bless us with exactly what He has planned.

So after talking with the genetic counselor and her explaining the doctor's recommendations to us, we will have a level 2 ultrasound with my next appointment so they can check on our little girl again and make sure there are no concerns that would cause them to worry that she isn't perfectly normal and healthy. I don't expect them to see anything different than what they saw on the first ultrasound, but it's better to be certain! I'm not exactly sure what a level 2 ultrasound involves, but what I gathered from the genetic counselor was that a doctor will be present and they will just look at her with a little more detail. 

1 Peter 5:7 says: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. And that's just what I'll do. 

Expecting a daughter

Pink, baby dolls, bows and dresses. Baby girl, I am so ready for you! I am by no means a crazy 'girly-girl' myself and get a lot of pleasure out of playing with basketballs, trucks, trains and legos. (Most likely thanks to growing up with two brothers) And to be truthful, I didn't imagine our little babe to be a girl until the morning of our ultrasound. I've probably accidentally called her "he" or "him" more times than I'd like to admit! But since finding out that "she's" a "her"....I've been on a joyride of all things girl! 

Driving to our appointment yesterday morning both Shane and I had a feeling that for some reason, we'd find out that our precious little baby was in fact little girl that day. So weird, because if you've ever had a conversation with me about baby predictions, I've usually anticipated being a mom to all boys. So thankful that God is blessing us with an opportunity to raise both a boy and a girl! 

We went on our brunch date and revealed that we are in fact having a baby girl...do I look a little excited? I'm actually probably a more surprised than anything. :)

It was one of the funnest and most memorable mornings we've had. A day that I will remember always. The same exact kind of excitement that filled our day 3+ years ago when we discovered Isaiah was a little boy! Our ultrasound took a long time and we both enjoyed every meaningful moment of it! We will be delivering our little girl at University of Iowa Hospitals. I love that place. We've had unmatched hospitality there with Isaiah's doctors, so when I figured out I could deliver our next baby there, I signed up! I've been so pleased with their level of care, not just for medical, but from a relational angle as well. People are just plain nice there! 

During our ultrasound a UofI medical student accompanied us and was observing, and participating in the ultrasound. We really got to hear the technician explaining, in detail what they were seeing and looking for. How cool!  

And best of all, they found no concerns! Praise God! They did find our little girl to be measuring a little smaller than what my due date would suggest, but only about a week off, so they won't be changing any dates or worrying about this since it's within the normal range. Shane later told me that this made him further think that we were having a girl because she's petite. Zay measured bigger at our 20 week ultrasound. I guess maybe we'll have big boys and little girls! Although, she's got a lot of time to make up for that growth!

We immediately went shopping for a little girl's dress upon opening our envelope at our brunch date. I wanted to have something for Zay to open up and signify what his new little sibling would be! This was probably more for me more than my boys! Zay was excited to open a present, but then was really unsure of what to do with a dress! 

This face tells it all. "What do you want me to do with this Mom!?!?!" Admittedly, he was much more animated about the toy garage and cars he got as a "big brother" gift! He's going to be the best big brother to his little sister! 

Getting ready for the BIG reveal!

This last week Zay and I worked on a little art project! We prepared little cards for the ultrasound technician to put into an envelope during our ultrasound this next Tuesday. Mommy and Daddy will then go out on a date to celebrate the big reveal, just like we did for Zay's ultrasound! Of course then we will come home and share the exciting news with Zay! 

He was a super big help putting the appropriate colored stickers on the girl card and the boy card! 

Somehow Zay knows that pink equals girl. I don't think I've ever explicitly told Zay that pink is a girly color, but he's definitely picked up on it! When I asked him - "Zay, what do you think the baby in Mommy's belly is...boy or girl?" He immediately held up the PINK card! We will see if his prediction is correct next week! I know he will be a terrific big brother to a boy or girl! Can't wait to know for sure! :)