What's in a Name?

With only a few days left until Christmas, we are both busy getting ready to come home to Stoughton for the last time without a child. She seems to be doing well, is the size of an eggplant, and has longer periods of being active. It is really strange to look down while I'm teaching and notice that she has shifted from one side to other in the course of the lesson.

Tuesday starts our third trimester which makes the second trimester seem like it has just flown by. The anticipation is definitely building now that we know she's a she. I can't wait to see her! In this little time that's left, we also have to figure out the name situation. Giving a person the name that they'll have for the rest of their life is a huge deal and feels like a lot of pressure but we'll get it figured out. I think we're going to go into the hospital with a few names and choose once we hold her. I know babies are all squished up when they come out anyway but I'm hoping that seeing will give us a better idea of which to choose. If you have suggestions for the list at the right, please let me know and I'll add them. Some of the ones listed are from students too.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

It's a Girl!

We had another ultrasound today and the baby decided to reveal its big secret. It's a girl!

Brian's Christmas list has changed somewhat in the last few hours.... It now includes a gun and lessons on how to threaten his daughter's gentleman callers by cleaning it at the kitchen table. His comment was "There's a little boy gestating somewhere right now that has no idea what he's in for." I'm not sure if he was talking about our daughter or him as a father-in-law. He doesn't need the gun for a while since he said she won't be dating until 30. Oh, he's a dreamer.

We're both really happy about the news and excited to use a gender specific pronoun when referring to the baby. I think this year may turn out to be a pink Christmas around our house. :)

As far as a baby update, she's (hehe - see it's fun to use pronouns) kicking a lot. I hope she enjoys it while there's still ample room in there. Apparently, she's gotten most of her length now - about 14 inches - and from now on will spend most of her time gaining that cute baby fat. She is only 2 pounds now so we have a long way to go in just 15 weeks. As I told some of you at Thanksgiving, her new game is to wait until I've been sitting for a while and then throw all of her weight to my front left side when I get up. It honestly feels like she's going to fall out even though I know it's a physical impossibility. She's got a personality already - I love that!

Here's the newest picture of Baby Girl Stensaas:

Round 2?

We had the ultrasound follow up appointment today. Everything is great. We're measuring right on time and the heartbeat is a strong 155 beats per minute.

Another ultrasound has been scheduled for December 3 so perhaps the baby will show us the goods then. I'm gonna drink some orange juice before we go in to wake it up. :)

20 Week Ultrasound Photos

Here are the images we were able to get of the little one on Monday.

A little foot with 5 little toes.














The face of Baby Stensaas with his or her hand above their head.

Oh, We're Halfway There

Today marks 20 weeks. I can't believe it has gone this fast.

We had the 20 week ultrasound yesterday. The baby is measuring exactly where it is supposed to and has 10 toes from what I counted on the screen. S/he was apparently sleeping when we did the ultrasound which was good because it wasn't moving around too much.

And what about the gender? Well, like I said, the baby wasn't moving around a whole lot to show us what gender it is but the ultrasound tech had a theory on what it might be. If you want to find that out, call us. :)

She gave us two pictures - one of his/her profile and one of his/her foot. I'll post those pictures later today.

Furniture Fun

We put the baby furniture together this weekend. Luckily, the baby's room was already green so no painting was needed. How's that for thinking ahead? :)

Sara working on the dresser/changing table

We'll let Dash think she's the baby for now.

The baby doesn't have many clothes yet but does have
the essentials (Dave Matthews, Packers and Badgers).
The crib with its bedding on. The blankets and the bumpers will
obviously have to come off before the bambino sleeps in here.

It's a Boy Today?

Just a quick update. We had a check up today.

For those of you keeping track of the heart rate for deciding whether it's a boy or girl, the heart rate today was 146. And we have a feisty child who liked to move once she had its heart beat on the monitor.

Two weeks until the ultrasound!

Party At Our Crib

The crib arrived today, furthering the transformation of what was my office into the baby's room. Granted the crib is still in the box but having it sitting there in the living room is a not so gentle reminder that this person will be here faster than I think.

I'm loving second trimester and I think Brian is too. I'm still ready to go to bed at 8:30 at night but at least eating isn't such a problem. Last Friday, on the way to Stoughton, I think I felt the baby for the first time. It felt like butterflies. As my cousin said, you'll really know when you stop and say "I think I just got punched from the inside." That hasn't happened yet but we're only in the 16th week.

Speaking of the bambino, Brian and I have to be a little more careful about what we say because the baby can now hear. Another bonus this week is that his/her eyes have also moved to their correct spots, facing forward instead of to the sides.

Swish, Swish, Swish

We met with our actual doctor for the first time yesterday and got to hear the baby's heartbeat (154 beats per minute). All is well and everything is measuring where it should be.

Also at this appointment, we made the appointment for our 20 week ultrasound. We'll find out the sex of the baby on October 27th!

Today marks the beginning of the second trimester so the queasiness should be subsiding pretty soon. It is hard to believe that we are one third of the way done with this pregnancy. We better get going on that baby room...

This week the baby is about the size of a clenched fist. S/he is practicing wiggling its toes and possibly sucking its thumb. Speaking of fingers, the baby has fingerprints.

Jumping Jellybean

We had a perinatal appointment today for my blood issue that apparently is pretty common. Good news - I only have to take baby aspirin instead of giving myself shots.

Brian and I got to see the kid again. It had a strong heartbeat at 158 beats per minute. It has discernible eyes, a nose, a mouth, and little limbs now. Looking at the mouth on some of these pictures, I think I may be giving birth to the Grinch. The baby is 3.8 cm long and measuring almost exactly at where our due date would place it. It is truly amazing how much it has changed in just 17 days.

Today is also the first time we got to see the baby move. Sometimes when the nurse would press down the baby would flip over. Then when she did the side shot, she held the ultrasound still and we watched the baby bounce around on its own. Here are the new pictures:

And so it begins...

Today was the first appointment with the fetus (it graduated from an embryo today). All is well. Brian came to appointment and his face was precious when he saw the sonogram screen. He got to see it before I did because he was standing up next to me. Awesome moment. Here are the pictures from this visit:

The Parents Have Been Officially Notified

Tonight we miraculously got all of our parents and our brothers together in the same place to tell them all the news. I'm so thankful that everyone could be together. A few people had figured it out but a couple were truly surprised. My dad and Brian's mom were pretty shocked. It was very sweet to see everyone so happy. My mom was the first one to touch my belly but I guess I better get familiar with that happening and she even forgave me to lying to her.

There are of course logistical concerns like the fact that I'll be 8 months pregnant for Brian's brother's wedding. I'm a bridesmaid in it but at least the dresses are empire waist so I can make it work.

Overall, the telling of the family went very well despite our nervousness about it.

Telling People

Well the baby is the size of a blueberry now and I'm apparently making 100 brain cells a minute. Wow, I work quickly. I officially have afternoon sickness which often leaves me feeling like I've been on a catamaran all day- no puking yet though, thank goodness.

We've known now for almost three weeks and it's been torture not telling our parents. My mom came out and asked if I was pregnant last week which I denied (sorry Mom!). Her mother's instinct is good. I think we've got all our parents and siblings on board to meet us at Springers when we are home so we can tell everyone together. Brian's dad is on his way to our house right now for a visit and I don't think we'll be able to get through the weekend without him figuring it out.

I'm feeling better about telling everyone but it still doesn't seem real. Maybe once we go to the doctor on the 12th it'll sink in.

The Basics

The baby is due on March 18, 2009 according to the online due date calculators. We have decided to find out the gender of the baby before it's born. Our first doctor's appointment is August 12. We are currently six weeks along and the baby is the size of a sweet pea.

How We Found Out

On Sunday, July 13 I decided to finally mow the back yard. Brian left with Neighbor Dave to watch the race at Old Chicago. I came in from mowing and started washing dishes. I knew I was four days late but I had taken a pregnancy test earlier in the week and it had come back negative.

I decided to take another one for whatever reason. Sure that it would be negative, I took the test and didn't really look at it. To my shock and awe, two pink lines appeared. Being home alone, I sat on the couch holding the stick in my hand and said "Oh my God, you're kidding me" about 50 times. That's when Dash started batting at it. I'm not sure if she doesn't want a baby in the house or if she just wanted to play.

A half hour later I took another test. Two pink lines. I was pregnant.

So then I had to decide how I wanted to tell Brian. It is our first baby after all - oh the pressure. We already had plans to go out for dinner that night so I could tell him then. However, I knew he was going to be able to tell something was going on as soon as he saw me.

When he came home, I was down in the basement looking up due dates and what in the world I was supposed to do now. I told Brian to sit on the couch because I had a surprise for him. With the positive tests in my back pocket, I held out the baby Brett Favre jersey we bought at Lambeau a year ago (back when I thought he was retiring for good) and told him that we may need it soon. Brian's eyes got huge and he didn't say anything but "Really?" for a long time. I started crying which is not a total shocker to those of you who were at our wedding. He finally hugged me when it sank in.

But then, he was skeptical. He insisted that I take another test by a different company. We went to dinner and stopped at Target to buy another pregnancy test on the way home. I took it and it was positive.

We have yet to tell our parents but I refuse to give them this news over the phone. They will have to wait until the next time we come home which will be in two weeks.