3.17.04 - Nearly 7 months old
We took Molly in for her 6.5 month check up last week and she weighed 14 lbs. 6 oz. and was 25 inches tall. She fell in the 15th percentile for her weight and height. Her head circumference fell within the 10th percentile. So we have a petite little girl. Don't know where she got that from. Big news since last post - she can sit up all by herself and can roll in both directions - over and over and over again. She's going places. She's getting so close to crawling! She has also been babbling a lot. She says, "Ba ba ba ba ba" and she did say, "Ma ma" a few times, although she doesn't realize what she is saying yet. She laughs a lot more and greets everyone with a big gummy smile. We're getting to the point now where I can feed her and lay her down in her crib at night and she'll put herself to sleep! Yeah!! Oh, and we also started her on baby food - she loves sweet potatoes and squash. She hates peas. She loves yogurt too. She also enjoys water. In fact, the other night at bathtime, she dipped her head down and took a big gulp of soapy water - yum! She is still fussy at night which makes me sad because that's the most time I get to spend with her. But hopefully she'll grow out of that soon. I'm so excited for summer and all the cute clothes I have lined up for her to wear. I love dressing little girls!

2.13.04 - 5.5 months old
Little miss Molly is growing up so fast. It makes me sad. But she is soooo adorable. I love her to death! Well since last month, she's had croup twice, fluid behind her ears, and her head rash continued. But luckily her head rash mysteriously disappeared and she's back to her porcelain doll face. However, she is still coughing but I think it's just the winter weather. Also since last month, we have her back to sleeping through the night in her crib! We successfully transitioned her from our bed to her crib (which is still in our room though). So I've been getting plenty of rest again. I think what really helped the transition was swaddling her again. I quit swaddling her while she slept in bed with us and she woke up a lot. But now that I've started to do that again, she sleeps soundly. She still hasn't rolled over from her back to her stomach yet. But she is sitting up quite well on her own. I don't leave her alone though - she'll fall backwards or forwards really easily. But soon, she will be sitting up consistently unassisted no doubt! We experimented with letting her sip out of a glass (just water for now) and she loved it. Everytime we drink something, she wants it! We're anxious to start feeding her baby food. But I still cherish my time with her when I nurse.

1.11.04 - 4.5 months old
Time flies when you are having fun! This is probably one of the best stages so far. Molly is so inquisitive and curious of her surroundings. She is starting to recognize people and gets really excited when she sees Peter or I. She can roll over from her stomach to her back - watch the rolling over video here. And she's learned how to buzz her lips and spit and blow bubbles. You can watch the spitting video here. She can almost sit up now. She is getting so big too! At her last Dr.'s appointment on Dec. 23rd, she weighed 12 lbs. 12 oz. and was 24.5 inches long. (She's doubled her weight since birth - it only took 4 months). She is in about the 30% for girls her age. So she's a little petite. She is finally into her 3-6 months clothes and I have a closetful! They are so cute too!

I've abandoned my promise to never have her sleep in bed with me. She outgrew her bassinet and I couldn't bear to put her in her crib all the way across the house. So she goes to bed with us now. I don't plan to keep doing this but it's so sweet and cozy. So needless to say, she doesn't sleep through the night anymore. Since I'm so convenient, she wants to eat!! But of course I'm pretty much asleep anyway so it requires little to no effort.

Molly is growing some hair but not much. Not enough to get a bow in yet. Still in headbands. Speaking of the head, she's developed a head rash of some sort - that has spread to her neck and face. It's not baby acne because it irritates her and she scratches at it. Her right ear is bothering her now too - it sometimes seems as if she's going to rip it off. I've heard that tugging at the ear could be a sign of an ear infection. But she doesn't have any other symtoms. So I can't tell if it's the rash that is bothering her or her actual ear.

We took our second road trip to Colorado for Molly's first Christmas! She got a lot of toys and clothes and had lots of fun! And she's the BEST traveller. She just sleeps the entire time - literally! Well I'm off to put Molly to bed so until next time..

12.5.03 - 3.5 months old
Where does the time go? Molly is already 3.5 months old and growing bigger everyday. She is inbetween 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes. They're either too big or too small. She has discovered her hands and her voice. About mid-November she started clasping her hands together and taking the pacifier out of her mouth (but can't figure out how to put it back in). And just a few days ago, she realized that is was her who was making all the sounds and now all she does is say, "Oooooooo, Ohhhhhhh" over and over and over again. Right before Thanksgiving she laughed for the first time - at guess who? Her Opa (grandpa). No, not mom and dad. Here is her video. But she finally laughed for me last night as I squeezed her cheeks and said, "Ma ma". She thought that was amusing. She isn't rolling over yet but we're working on getting more tummy time in. She is about to outgrow her bassinet and I'm having issues with moving her to her crib. I love her sleeping in our room. And the other night she slept all night in bed with us - that's a no no for me but I couldn't resist. I still worry though. So she's been sleeping in bed with us. I get a terrible nights sleep because she flails her arms around and puches Peter and I. And I get kicked a lot. But the sweetest thing in the world when she is in her bassinet is that when she wakes up in the morning, I lean over and she gives me the BIGGEST smile. It's so sweet.

If you're reading this and you're a girl (first of all) and debating breastfeeding, I have an opinion on the issue. Do it! It's the best bonding you could ever ask for. At first, I wasn't quite sure about it. Even after Molly was born, I wasn't still sure. And at the beginning, I'll admit, it was really tough and I didn't feel the bonding. But now that she's 3 months old, it's so awesome. She just strokes my skin or shirt back and forth and it's the sweetest thing. She's no getting distracted by my voice and unlatching to watch me talk. So cute. And I know that I'll always have that special time with her. I really love putting her to sleep at night. We lie down together in bed and I feed her to sleep. Maybe that's why she sleeps through the night. Who knows.

Well, her 4 month appointment is scheduled for Dec. 23rd and that happens to be the day that we leave for Colorado - what a fun trip that will be. Shots, tylenol and car ride! I'll keep you posted.

10.28.03 - Molly 10 weeks old
Today was her 2 month old Dr. appointment - yes, that means SHOTS! She got 3 total - 2 in her right thigh and 1 in her left. She screamed bloody murder, held her breath, turned bright red, gagged, and choked. She screamed so loud that we couldn't even hear her scream. Poor baby. She was really happy when she got to the Dr. office - smiling, cooing, flailing her arms around. What a grand day, she thought...Until the GIANT needle attacked her. But all for a good cause. You know, I'm not even sure what the shots were. I know they were vaccinations but the Dr. didn't say what they were. I guess I could have asked too.

Anyway, we found out that she weighs 10 lbs. 12 oz. and is 22 and a 1/4" long. She is in the 50th percentile for her height and weight. And my beautiful baby is in the 25th percentile for her head. Molly has a small head, but we're hoping she inherited Peter's genius genes. I guess a small head is better than " an orange on a toothpick" (direct quote from So I Married an Axe Murderer).

I think Molly discovered her hands today too. She kept staring at her right hand and moving it closer and further away from her face. It was quite amusing to watch. She's such a cutie.

Tonight, we're taking turns holding Molly while she is sleeping. She freaked out with Peter about an hour ago and started screaming like she did in the Dr. office. So I calmed her down and gave her baby tylenol and now she's knocked out. Off in la la land.

Last Monday, we went to get Molly's 2 month old pictures taken. What an experience! She was fussy that morning with all the comotion and changing clothes but we had 3 shots that turned out beautiful. And I caved and bought the entire picture package. Next time, we'll go to Sear's where it will be much cheaper! I'll post more this weekend after Halloween. Molly is going to be a pea in a pod! Happy Halloween!

10.14.03 - Molly 8 weeks old and I'm back to work
My little girl is growing so much! She seems to be getting bigger everyday - even though some of her 0-3 month clothes are still too big. Well I'm back to work full-time. I'm sad... But I get to see Molly at lunch everyday and sometimes more often than that. So I'm grateful. And, my wonderful babysitter is my sister! I can't get any better than that (unless I stayed home). And Molly can play with her cousin Rielyn everyday. I lend my camera out everyday to Chrissey so she can snap photos of what I'm missing out on. Today, they went to the pumpkin patch. She is such a cutie. She is definitely a morning person. She wakes up between 6 and 7 and just smiles and coos. It has turned me into a morning person too. She is taking her bottles nicely during the day when I'm at work which is good. However, she is a really really gassy baby. We're surviving on Mylicon Drops! I can't tell if it's a particular food that makes her gassy but even if I eat a granola bar in the morning, she still gets gas. We think she might have a tad bit of colic at night. She fusses from about 8 until 10. Not screaming or anything - just constant whines and cries. I usually try to feed her and sometimes that works. It's a challenge. It makes going anywhere at night really hard. She's still going to bed between 10 and 11 at night and sleeping through the night. I can't believe I have such a good baby. What a doll!

10.1.03 - Molly 6 weeks old
So...you must be wondering how I find the time to update this website?? Well, I update it while Molly goes to sleep at night. She goes to bed between 9 and 11 (for the night) so I have an hour or two to update the site or spend some time to myself or with Peter. Now Molly is 6 weeks old! Can you believe it? Last post was smiling, this week is cooing and gurgling noises. How cute! We are also trying to develop our lungs more by CRYING a lot more. Today was a rough day. She cried most of the day and didn't want to eat - either by me or a bottle. Oh, by the way, we started her on one bottle a day to get her used to me going back to work next week.... :-( Breastmilk bottle of course. Anyway, today was tough - I finally got her to eat at 7 and now she's asleep. I'm trying to wake her up now to feed her one last time before the wakeup call at 7. Not much new news - we're going to my postpartum checkup this Thursday and we're also going to weigh Molly again. Hopefully she's plumping up! I've made major changes to the website - added a photos section and reworked the front page a little. So check it out! Be back later. Hasta!

9.18.03 - Molly 4 weeks old
I thought I'd never have a chance to update the website. I'm still behind but I guess that is to be expected. So Molly is 4 weeks old - WOW! And she has grown and changed in so many ways. There was a lot to get used to in the beginning. Where can I start?

Well, when we left the hospital she had lost 8 ounces - which is normal. I was still getting used to breastfeeding and my milk had yet to come in. I found out that right when my milk was coming in, I had a blocked duct - PAINFUL! I had to use hot compresses, pump and take lots of hot showers. Finally after a few days, it went away. I never experienced engorgement though which is good. I can't believe that my body can produce milk - that just blows me away! About a week later, I experienced another blocked duct - OUCH again. But that went away within a day. So that's my experience breastfeeding so far. Now it's pretty much routine. But the BEST part of all this is that SHE SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! AMAZING. I have such a perfect child - I don't know how I got so lucky. The sleeping through the night part didn't start until she was 3 weeks old though. But she's kept it up.

Her cord fell off at about 1 week. It still looked weird so we asked the doctor at our 2 week checkup -he just put some solution on it and it turned black and fixed itself. When we took Molly to her 2 week checkup, she weighed an astounding 7 lbs. 7 oz. so the doctor said that I don't have to wake her up to eat and she can just eat on demand. But I still wake her up at least at 3 hours for my benefit.

She is such a good baby. At 4 weeks, she is starting to smile and be awake a lot more. She tends to stay awake a lot during the day. She keeps mine and Peter's late night hours - stays up with us until 12 and 1 sometimes. I'm going to get her 1 month old pictures taken next week. I'll post them up on the website as well. I'm working on a better way to organize the pictures because I have a lot to put on and want to show everyone!

I'm really enjoying my 6 weeks off. I've gotten into Dr. Phil, Oprah, and the Sharon Osbourne show. I take Molly to visit Peter at work for lunch and we just have a good old time. I'm over my baby blues - those weren't fun. I really got depressed and sad at night. During the day I was just fine though. Well I'm off to feed Molly now. I'll write more later, I promise.

8.25.2003 - The Birth Story
Well here goes my birth story... My contractions started Monday the 18th at lunch at 10 minutes apart. They stayed consistent for about the next 15 hours. I went to work Tuesday and had contractions all day long about 8-9 minutes apart - WHY DID I GO TO WORK???? Anyway, I'd be in a meeting and have to stop and breathe through my contraction. I honestly didn't think I would go into labor by Wednesday. I mean it was my due date - babies never come on their due date right?

So Tuesday night, we ordered out pizza and I wanted to go walk at Target to help induce the labor. We walked around Target for an hour and a half. The employees must have seen us walk every isle about 6 times. I picked up some magazines thinking that I would be able to read them at the hospital but that didn't happen. We got home from Target and my contractions were getting worse. I decided to take a warm bath to relax - didn't help. So I tried to go to bed. Peter said we could time my contractions for the next hour because I kept begging him to take me to the hospital. So I started reading my book about labor and then the contractions starting getting more intense - really intense but they were still a good 6 minutes apart.

So I called the hospital and asked them when I can come in and what can I do to help the pain. They told me not to come in until I was at 5 minutes apart so I waited about 45 more minutes and they were 5 1/2 minutes apart. That was enough for me. I was in so much pain and my water had not even broke yet. We drove to the hospital- it was about 2:00 am. We had to enter through the emergency room. They wheeled me upstairs to Labor and Delivery. Janice the nurse checked me and said, "Good news, you're dilated to a 3 and fully effaced. You're staying." I said, "Woo hoo!" So they got me all hooked up to an IV and I got my bloodwork done. Then I got an epidural! It wasn't that bad - the worst part was the numbing medicine that burned. I jerked a little - which was a NO NO - but everything worked out okay. My legs started getting all tingly and numb. My right leg didn't take very well to the epidural so I asked for more and they gave it to me. That worked.

I called my mom and Peter called his mom at about 3:30. We kind of tried to relax for a few hours. My contractions were at 4 minutes apart and I couldn't feel them - that was AWESOME! I couldn't imagine what natural childbirth feels like - OUCH! About 6:30 or 7:00 am, the nurse came in and started me on pitosin because my contractions went back to 6 minutes apart. I called her the pitosin happy nurse because within 30 minutes, I had dilated to a 8-9 with a bulging sac. They called my doctor to come break my water. By the time the doctor got there in about 10 minutes, I was at a 10 and ready to push. He broke my water and said, "start pushing". The time was about 9:30 am.

I pushed for about 25 minutes with threats of forceps and more. I didn't realize how long 10 seconds is to hold your breath and push as hard as you can. Wow! They put me on oxygen because they thought I was going to pass out. Further into the pushing, they told me I had a little meconium in my water that broke and that they were going to call the NICU in to check her out after she was born. They also told me that Molly would probably not cry when she came out if she had swallowed some meconium. I was a little scared at that point. So I kept pushing - Peter got a little faint when he saw the head coming out and then turning. We bypassed forceps only to get an episiotomy. What luck! Still didn't feel a thing - gotta love the epidurals!

Finally at 10:11 am on August 20th (my actual due date) Molly Renee Walden was born. The doctor had to tell me to open my eyes to see my little girl. I was still in pushing mode. Contrary to what they told me, Molly did let out a scream. They didn't put her on my stomach right away like I wanted because they wanted to make sure she was okay. All I was thinking was - she's so tiny! And her head was perfectly round and not a cone-head which was great! They took her to check her over and she scored a 9 on both the 1 and 5 minute apgar test. Weighing in at 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 18.5 inches long.

And my great little bundle of joy has arrived. She's so precious.

8.18.2003
Well yesterday wasn't the last journal entry. We had a pretty exciting day. I started feeling bad last night - back ache really bad and I got up more frequently to visit the restroom. Then today during lunch I was feeling really crampy. I called my doctor and the nurse said to go in to Labor and Delivery to be checked. I found out I was having contractions every 10-15 minutes. But I wasn't dilated anymore than a 1 still. So they sent me home. It was good hospital practice though. I plan on taking a walk tonight around Target - pick up a few last minute items. We spent all weekend painting the changing table that my sister found in the dumpster - great condition!! So Peter is putting that together now. Well, off to Target - I'll keep you posted...

8.17.03 - 39.5 weeks
WOW! I'm due in 3 days! Whether she'll actually come on time is a different story. I had my 39 week Dr. appt. and the news was not as I had hoped. The doctor told me I was dilated to a good 1 and effaced 70%. So a little more effaced but not dilated anymore. Needless to say I was bummed. The doc asked me if I wanted to be induced next week and I said not really. I honestly want my water to just break and I got into labor. It would give me much less time to panic and think things through. On the other hand, being induced means I can look good before I go to the hospital for those after birth pics!! How shallow is that? Well I've posted probably my last belly pic before I go to the hospital. And some great news that happened this week was that I got the crib set I wanted!!! Peter's boss's wife gave it to me as a gift - what a sweet lady! Here are some pics of the nursery. I've been feeling good for the most part. My back hurts a little but no more than usual. I can't wait to be able to sleep on my stomach again! I've been trying to walk more and not take elevators hoping that puts me into labor but it hasn't yet. I go in for my 40 wk doctor's appt. on Wednesday. We'll probably schedule an induction time then. I really wanted it to be Friday, Aug. 22 but the docs don't like to work over the weekend so it may be Thurs. or Monday the 25th. I'm pushing more for Monday but maybe I'll be ready sooner. I'm going back and forth between being nervous and being ready. Most of this week, I've been ready to go but just tonight I got freaked out a little bit thinking about labor. Just give me the EPIDURAL and lots of drugs and I think I'll pull through fine. Well hopefully the next time I write will be after Molly is born. Wish me luck....... Love to all!

8.08.03 - 38 weeks
A little under 2 weeks left! I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and he told me I was dialated to a 1 and I'm 50% effaced. So progess is good. I'm about right on target. He stirred things around a bit and I've been feeling crampy and not so great. So maybe labor isn't too far away! I found out Molly's exact position. All the jabs I've been getting on the right side are her feet. She is head down and her butt and back are on my left side. It's getting more and more uncomfortable every day. Sleep isn't so great either - more like a lack of sleep. I've been having sharp pains lately, I think it's my ligaments or Molly is sitting on a nerve. They are really painful when I get up or I'm walking but they only last for a few seconds. My back is also killing me but that's probably because I've been cleaning. But I can't complain too much because this has been a very great pregnancy and at this point - I would definitely do it again! I've posted a new belly photo and I've also put pictures of my past 2 showers up. So take a look. I had today off so I finally packed my bag for the hospital - talk about overpacking! But I think I'm finally ready. The nursery is not exactly as ready as I want but maybe this weekend I'll have a chance to fix it up more. I also cleaned up my house a bit - not as much as I want but it's decent. Peter's job is to clean up the office before Molly comes - but I really doubt that it will get done. We recently bought a glider rocker- the Walmart kind but it works. Not exactly my color scheme (blue denim) but it will work. It can be recovered so maybe I'll shoot for that.

8.02.03 - 37.5 weeks
It's been a few weeks since I've written and a lot has happened. I had another ultrasound at 34 weeks. We didn't get any pictures of it this time but we got a video. Peter showed it to everyone - that was really cute. On the video, we get a glimpse of Molly's face and take a few measurements. At the ultrasound, she weighed approximately 4 lbs. 9 oz. - a pretty average size for her gestational age. Also on the ultrasound is Peter's favorite part - when he pokes my side and you can actually see my stomach wall moving in and out as he pokes me. But the funniest part was when Molly got annoyed and her arm jerked up and punched him back! I also had 2 of my baby showers on July 19th and 20th. I brought in a ton of stuff. I finally posted pictures of the crib and I also posted another belly photo at 36 weeks. My next job is to post the pictures from the showers. I still have one more shower left - a work shower. But I plan to have that one after Molly is born so I can bring her. It will be a disposable shower because I really need diapers and wipes badly. I can't believe that I only have 2.5 weeks left.I have packed Molly's bag for the hospital but I have not yet packed mine. I'm getting very nervous. I've been very emotional the past few weeks. I want to cry at everything. I'm not so nervous about the labor and delivery part anymore but I'm more nervous about what to do with a newborn afterwards and it just blows my mind that I will be responsible for another life other than my own and Peter's. I'm so scared. But if everyone else can do it, so can I! We finished birthing classes - ours wasn't very exciting. I heard that my sister's class was a lot more exciting and they did more activities. I also don't feel prepared now that it's finished. I feel that the less I know, the better I will feel. :-) I've started my weekly Dr. appointments. And so far....nothing....no progress. I'm effaced but not dialated in the least. So my guess of delivering early seems to be a long lost hope. Oh well. Today, we installed the car seat into the Durango and we need to get it checked by the Fire dept. to make sure it's safe. Well, I'll write more next week in hopes that I have some great news!!

6.24.03 - 32 weeks
8 weeks and counting... I have this strange feeling that I will deliver early. I'm ready and not ready - mixed feelings. I'm ready to get Molly out and get back to a normal body but at the same time, I'm not mentally or supply-wise ready. The nursery is not quite finished and I don't have anything to take care of a newborn - no diapers or wipes or bathtub. I guess that is what the showers are for. I just hope 4 weeks is enough time after the showers to prepare! Not too much has happened since last time I wrote. Molly is kicking wildy and HARD now. It actually hurts when she kicks hard. I feel her more on the left side - where before I felt her more on the right side. She's a mover and a shaker! I wonder how much she weighs now. I have a Dr. appt. this Friday. Last week my left foot was swelling. My left ankle was twice the size of my right ankle. It was really weird. I called my mom and she said - "Oh No! Toxemia!" She kind of freaked me out but I knew my blood pressure had been fine so I just elevated my feet and they went down by the morning. I think it's normal for my feet to start swelling towards the end and the heat doesn't help either. I've posted a new belly photo It's getting bigger! I feel pretty huge. A saw a girl who is due the same week as me and she was smaller - made me have a FAT complex. But that just means that Molly is healthy, right!! I think I've gained about 4 more lbs. since my Dr. appt. two weeks ago. So I think so far I've put on about 22-23 lbs. so I'm in the normal range for now. I'll post pics of the new crib soon. I've just been too lazy to take the pic.

6.10.03 - 30 weeks
Wow! 10 weeks left. I'm almost to the single digits here. Scary and exciting. I'm not sure if anyone is ever ready to have a baby - financially and emotionally. Well, these past few weeks have been exhausting. The camping trip was fun - not too comfortable sleeping on a blow up mattress but no different than the lack of sleep I get at home. It was very hot - 102 degrees! I thought I was going to die! But I made it. We painted the nursery a few weekends ago. I LOVE it! Check out the pictures. It's very cute. We decided on a stencil border when Chrissey told me that Rielyn was tearing off her wallpaper border while she was changing her. Fun times... We got the crib tonight from Babies-r-us. As soon as we get it put together, I'll post pics. It's a covertible 3 in1 crib so I'm happy that it will last longer than 1 year. I've been feeling great lately. I go in for my next Dr. appt. this Friday - not sure what to expect. I guess he'll measure me as usual, take my blood pressure and weight and send me on out. We started our birthing classes at Mercy Hospital. Not the lively bunch but very informative. We're learing the breathing techniques right now - CHOO CHOO or PANT PANT BLOW! Fun I tell ya! We got a lot of free samples so that's good. Free is always good. I had another dream the other night - the classic third trimester dream -about accidentally leaving your baby. I dreamed I left Molly 3 different times in one night - once I put in her in a plastic bag with groceries and then I left her at church on a pew and the third time was out in the woods. It was devastating! I can't believe I would be so stupid in my dream. She's been kicking a lot. I think I saw a foot come out my side the other day. Last week was the first time I realized how far across my belly she stretched. From side to side! Amazing those little ones can fit! My heartburn has subsided which I'm grateful for. It didn't last very long and I'm glad! And I can't make it through the night without getting up to go to the bathroom. We finally registered at Target and Babies-R-Us. That was tough to do - but thankfully I had a long Chrissey to tell me what I need. Well I'm off to bed for now.

5.22.03 - 27 weeks (who said 27 weeks was too late to start a journal!)
Little Molly has been quite active lately. I'm one week away from entering the dreaded third trimester (music - dun dun dun). I went to my doctor's apointment on Friday and OH MY GOSH I gained 8.5 lbs. in the last 4 weeks. They told me that I've gained 18 lbs. overall. Must be those ice cream cravings! I still feel pretty small though compared to others I see who are due around the same time. Her heart rate was 152 at my appointment. Poor girl doesn't like those dopplers or ultrasounds. She kicks and punches until they're over. Peter has been complaining that Molly is waking him up every morning. He lays his arm across my stomach and she kicks (or hits) him! So what does he expect! I've had to give up wearing my wedding ring as my fingers are a wee bit bigger. I've had some weird dreams lately. My latest dream was that Molly was born around the first of July and she was born with a full head of hair - 4 inch hair that stood straight up. She had two streaks of blonde on the side which was interesting. And she was born with a full set of teeth - freaky! In the dream, she was smiling and I kept trying to get a picture of her to take to work with me. And Peter was mad the whole time because it was his birthday and I totally forgot about it since I was so consumed with Molly. The end. We're going camping next weekend - our last trip before Molly gets here. I'm so excited.

5.14.03 - 26 weeks
I went to an ultrasound today. I'm so glad that she's moved positions and she's not all curled upside down in some yoga pose. She looked more natural. Her measurements estimated that she weighs about 1 lb. 13 oz. right now which is average. We were lucky this time and got to try a 3D ultrasound. I was scared and excited! Her picture was very interesting but I'm sure she'll be an angel. We saw her opening her mouth and swallowing which I never thought could be so thrilling!

5.11.03 - 25.5 weeks
Exciting news today!! I actually heard Molly's heartbeat through one of those cheap prenatal monitors! It was faint but definitely a heartbeat! I also heard thumps as she was kicking or punching me. And of course my stomach growling for food again. I've been very lucky throughout the pregnancy with no morning sickness, no heartburn, no hot spells. It's been fairly easy - I told that to my doctor and he said I jinxed myself! Let's hope not. My back pain is starting to kick in and I have experience some memory lapses and of course the fatigue NEVER goes away. My hunger has gone full speed! I feel like I can't eat enough. I had 2 dinners one night this week - my gosh what I pig! I've been shopping a lot lately - on eBay for maternity clothes. What GREAT deals. I've only had one pair of pants not fit so far - which is good. I found a great shirt for $1.99 - what a steal. I think I've blown my budget this month for clothes! Molly has been moving around a lot lately. It's really weird to see your belly rise up on one side or jut out. The weirdest part is putting your hand on my belly and you can feel her whole body move across. It's freaky and feels really strange. Peter is fascinated with the movement. We both just sit there in amazement - it's more fun to watch my belly than t.v. these days.

4.3.03 - 20 weeks
I took the day off since my mom was in town and we headed for the ZOO! I was drinking A LOT of water for my 20 week ultrasound at 3:00. The water pushes my bladder against my uterus so the tech can see the baby's organs better. So when I arrived at the hospital, I was doing some interesting little pee dances. 5 minutes of waiting was like 5 hours to me. I couldn't do it! I had to run to the bathroom and sure enough they called my name while I was in there. Luckily the tech said that I'd probably be ok and she was right. She did the ultrasound really fast - got pictures of everything. We saw the four chambers of the heart, her brain and lots of other interesting stuff.

3.5.03 - 16.5 weeks
Super exciting news today! I felt the baby kick for the first time! It feels like something is tapping from the inside out. It is a very unique feeling. It's not as weird as I thought it would be. What a feeling! It's alive, it's alive!

3.3.03 - 16 weeks
Had my 16 week ultrasound today! This is the first time that I got to see an actual BABY and not a bean looking thing. And this is when we find out if it's a girl or a boy! So I was very excited needless to say. And it's a GIRL! I'm surprised it isn't a boy though since all my previous dreams had a little baby boy in them. So the name is Molly Renee and not Gavin. (I changed the website after this appointment - I wasn't THAT sure it was a girl.) Both Peter and I were amazed at how quickly everything had developed and I have hardly gained 3 lbs. However, I am wearing maternity clothes now - my waist is definitely getting thicker! I'm over the stage where morning sickness is supposed to subside but since I haven't been sick it's just a normal transition.

1.16.03 - 10 weeks
It's my very first ultrasound appointment today! I'm a bit nervous since I haven't had any signs of pregnancy besides the obvious missing my monthly cycle. But sure enough, there was a tiny sack inside me with a small bean looking thing. They said that this is the best time to get an accurate due date so my measurements all pointed toward August 20th! How exciting - but what a dreadful HOT summer! At least it's not July with both Peter and I's birthday.

1.3.03 - 8 weeks
I have my first doctor's appointment today with Dr. Melendez. And yes, I am pregnant! What a relief to know for sure. I kept my mouth shut while I was in Colorado over the New Year's and didn't tell my parents!! GASP!

12.27.02
I'm 4 days late! I bought a pregnancy test at Walgreens during lunch and went home with Chrissey and told Peter to meet us as the house. I took the test and there were 2 lines! But one was really faint so I wasn't sure. So I took the test again and same thing. So I really am not sure if I am pregnant at this point or not. I'm totally freaked out though. A lot of emotions are going through my head. I think Peter is actually more excited than I am at this point but he's still not sure until the doctor will confirm it with a blood test. I'm not going to tell anyone until at least 12 weeks in case anything happens. I secretly hope it's a girl!