Tessa's Birth Story

Sheeeee's heeerrrrreeeee!  Tessa Joann was born on Friday, August 3rd, 2012 at 11:10 AM.

Tessa's birth story begins really on Thursday, August 2nd.  I had an O/B appointment that afternoon and I was really praying for progress.  I had been at 2cm/70% effaced since 35 weeks.  When I met with my OB on that Thursday afternoon, despite all the walking and random contractions that I had been having, I had made no progress.  I was really disappointed because I knew that he would not let me go past my due date of Sunday, August 5th.  Because of my last baby weighing 10lbs and fast labors, my doctors were not comfortable letting me go past my due date.  We had agreed earlier in the pregnancy on an induction if necessary.  

So the doctor gave me the choice of Friday morning or Monday morning.  I chose Friday simply because I didn't want to get dressed in my work clothes another day.  Ha!  

So Brandon and I left, went home to have dinner with our boys and get ready for a looooonnnnggg  day ahead on Friday.  The boys spent the night with their grandparents and Brandon and I tossed and turned all night.

At 4:15AM I finally got up and got a shower.  I fixed my hair and finished packing our bags.  We left our house at 5:30 to be at the hospital by 6.  We got to the hospital right on time and went through the routine - I changed into a gown and signed our lives away.  The doctor came in and talked to us.  He advised us not to be planning on a quick delivery despite my two previous fast labors because every labor was different and the baby's head was still very high (-3 Station).

I started getting fluids and the doctor agreed to let me have an epidural before he started the pitocin because of my history in labors (I could tell he was very skeptical and thought I would be in labor for the longer part of the day though).

By 8:30, the epidural was in, but the goal was to only "make my legs tingly."  Because I was not having any painful contractions, they didn't administer the "bolis"  (I was told this is a big dose of pain meds that comes with an epidural).  The pitocin was started on level 2 and the waiting game began.  

About 9:30 my doctor came in to check on me and found me at 5 cm dilated.  He broke my water at that point and told me "he would be around."  I joked with him that both of my boys were born between 11AM and Noon and he told me that I would win the gold medal if I could progress that quickly.  I was still -2 station.  

Brandon, my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law were all in the labor room with me.  We were watching the Olympics and making small talk.  I had the shakes pretty badly - not from the meds, but from my nerves.  I had been shaking since I checked in that morning.  My mom got there around 10AM and we continued chatting about nothing in particular.  

I could feel every contraction, not in a painful oh-my-I'm-dying kind of way, but in a punched in the gut, take my breath kind of way.  I knew that my contractions were getting stronger and closer together, but the monitor was behind me (I was sitting indian-style in the bed!) and I couldn't see how strong or specifically how far apart they were.  

By 10:45 I was really hurting in my left hip and back every 30 seconds.  It was definitely a can't-talk-through-this kind of pain, so I pressed the call button for my nurse and she came in.  She said "well maybe it's time for that bolis.  That should really help with your pain."  We agreed and she turned up the epi.  

At 11AM, the pains were coming much faster and much stronger, despite having turned up the pain meds.  I called my nurse again and she agreed to check me.  She sat down on the bed beside me and checked my cervix.  She made a funny expression and asked me to try and push.  Surprised, I gave a half hearted push.  She immediately told me to stop.  Her eyes were wide and she reached across my chest and pushed the nurses call button.  I ask what was wrong and she said, "I'm holding her head in.  She's crowning."  It all happened very quickly after that....

The nurses all came in, Brandon, my sister-in-law and my mom came in.  The nurses advised that my OB was assisting a hysterectomy and they had called him to leave.  He was on his way.  The other nurses prepped the room, my bed was taken apart, things moved and got shifted around.  

At 11:05 my doctor came in and made a joke about needing to catch up on the Olympics, which was playing on the flat screen above his head.  He turned to face me and said "Wow - she's got a ton of hair."  That was it.  The nurse who had been holding her head asked me to push and with one 8 second push, Tessa literally came flying into this world at 11:10AM.  My doctor literally caught her with a cradled two-handed catch and she immediately peed on him.  My nurse cut the cord because Brandon said he couldn't (too squeamish I think) and they placed my sweet baby girl on my chest.  

She was a screamer.  She screamed and screamed and screamed.  After about 20 mins on my chest, they took Tessa right beside the bed and weighed her.  Our guesses were right on - she weighed 9lbs, 1.7oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.  Still screaming, the nurses did her Apgar tests, which she scored 9s on, and then they gave her a little bath.  She screamed the whole time.  

My doctor gave me the gold medal for fastest delivery (they officially called it "precipitous", which means a little too fast I guess) and gave his congrats before he left us to recovery.  

Although I was very nervous going into this delivery because of my lack of progress, I really couldn't have asked for a better labor.  Tessa is such a miracle - a true blessing sent to our family and we couldn't be happier :)

What NOT to Say to a Pregnant Lady

Okay, this seems like common sense to me, but I've discovered that the common sense gene is not so widely spread these days.  I've really only made this discovery since I have worked very closely with the general public for the last two years.  I just canNOT believe the things that grown adults let come out of their mouths on a daily basis.  In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that my FOUR YEAR OLD has better filtering skills than some of the people I deal with.  So let's discuss specifics...

Let's start with you girls -

For HEAVEN'S SAKE ladies, what is the matter with you?  You should know better than to make any sorts of comments to a pregnant lady on her appearance, stature, posture or walk.  Even if you think you are saying something nice, it probably will not come out the way you intend it to.  For example - when this 38.5 week pregnant lady walks into the children's clothing store that you are working at, dressed in a black dress and flat sandals on a 95 degree day in July with her BANK NAME TAG on at lunch time, it would be obvious to me that this lady is shopping on her lunch break.  This means she is still working and based on her attire, has put some degree of effort into her appearance that day.  This would NOT be a good time to say "Well don't you look comfortable?"  WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?  WHAT DO YOU MEAN?  Because, to me (the 38.5 week preggo that just waddled into your store) it means Why didn't you just throw on some pajama pants and come on in because you look like you just rolled out of bed and into Gymboree? Of course I'm not comfortable!  I'm not even comfortable when I AM in fact lying around in my pajama pants.  And that was my cutest outfit that still fits!  Ugh. 

It is also never appropriate to say anything similar to "You look tired", "You look exhausted" or "You look like you're ready to have that baby."  What does that mean?  Of course I'm ready to have this baby.  And I am secretly praying that my water breaks on your cute little unswollen pedicured toes :)

OK men (although I doubt I have many male readers - ladies PLEASE make sure your man knows better than this) -

Unless you are actually wearing a white coat with the initials M.D. on it at the time of conversation, it is NEVER EVER appropriate for a man to even speak the words dilation, cervix, vaginal delivery, or mucus plug.  Yes.  I said mucus plug.  This happened to me today.  From a customer.  I (in a very professional manner) gagged right into the phone.

I also do not want to discuss breastfeeding or episiotomies with you.  This is likely something you know absolutely NOTHING about, no matter how many times you have seen your wife do it or watched it happen on Grey's Anatomy. 

And men - it's always best just to keep your comments to yourself when dealing with a pregnant lady.  Comments such as "You haven't had that baby yet?" or "Are you sure you're not having twins?" are not taken well.  Unless there is a leg hanging from my crotch, do NOT comment.  And then you may only offer me a place to sit. 

I'm not making this stuff up people.  There are soooo many opportunities for you to make a pregnant girl's day by saying something nice.  If you are a woman, it is always nice to LIE to a pregnant lady and say things such as "You look so great!"  or "You are all baby!" or "Gosh I wished I looked as good as you at ____ weeks pregnant!"  I don't care if you looked like Molly Sims at 9 months pregnant, LIE.

If you are a man, it's just best to keep your mouth closed and only offer material gifts of substantial value :) Because I hate to tell you this, but the swollen, aggravated, waddling woman in front of you is growing a person, and that is something you could never do, no matter how many times you google mucus plugs.

38 Weeks Pregnant

Friends, I apologize for all my lack-luster blogging these days - what can I say?  I'm 38 months weeks pregnant in the 100 degree July heat and I'm tired.  I can NOT wait to have this baby.  All 10lbs of her probably.... 

So let's see what you've missed:

How am I feeling?:  eh.  I feel okay.  I can't honestly say that I feel great.  I can't honestly say that I feel horrid.  Some days are better than others - we're watching my blood pressure slowly creep up and on the days that I feel the worst, I know that it's because of my blood pressure (headaches, swelling, tiredness).

Swelling?:  I used to only have swollen ankles on the days that I was on my feet a lot at work, but now they're pretty consistently swollen each afternoon.  My hands and face have stayed the same though, thank goodness!

Any signs of labor?:  I'm having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions - some of them actually take my breath but none that I would classify as painful.  Sometimes I feel really crampy in my lower back, sides and hips - similar to the way it feels when a contraction starts, but then it goes away without becoming a full-blown contraction.  Either way - As of last Thursday, I'm 2cm dilated.

Are we ready?:  We're getting there!  We have the essentials nailed down - you know- the carseat, the diapers and the wipes.  We have a place for her to sleep for the first few weeks.  The nursery is still in progress and I'm 99% certain it won't be finished by the time she gets here.  Oh well - we have a heirloom cradle in our room, as well as the snugabunny infant seat - both of which my boys used for the first several weeks anyway.  I finally ordered her baby swing and baby monitor this week, so those should be here at least by the time she is ;)  Oh yea!  We also got a new (to us) vehicle to transport our daycare family in.  We were very very fortunate to be able to buy a family member's Yukon XL after they downsized.  The vehicle is in near-perfect condition and is a perfect fit for our family.  It has the captain's chairs in the middle section so I can easily get to the back seat for buckling/unbuckling.  That was a huge must for us in the car search, as well as ample storage room.  Basically, it came down to something like a Yukon XL or a mini van and neither Brandon or I were to enthused on the van idea....

I'm going to be honest though, I'm really tired of being pregnant.  My left hip is tired of being slept on all the time, my clothes are at that point where even they are straining to keep me covered, and I'm even more tired of everyone's cute comments.  Everyone always has something really original to say like "you haven't had that baby yet!?"  I really want to be a jerk and say "Yes - she's 4 weeks old."  and then fake cry, but this is coming mostly from customers at the bank and I think getting fired days before my maternity leave wouldn't benefit anyone either.

Maybe my next post will be a birth announcement of some sort ;)....................

Sweet Summertime

We've been way too busy for me to slow down long enough to blog.  I'm really sorry about that because I really do enjoy keeping this blog, but I'm not sorry for the fun memories we've been making in our last summer as a family of four :)  

Nearly every evening after work, we take the boys to the pool.  It has been sooooo hot and steamy here in GA the past few weeks and the boys have been stuck inside mostly until the evenings when the temps finally dip back down into double digits.  After a few hours of pool time in the evening, they drift off to sweet sleep pretty easily.  They are both doing really well in the pool.  Brooks is a jumping machine and we really have to be on our toes with him near the pool.  He has jumped into the 10 ft deep end without his floaties, causing his mommy to have a heart attack and his daddy to ruin his change of clothes for the day :/  Will has made the most improvement this year - he is pretty comfortable in the pool now and will swim both with his floaties and without (this depends on how many adults are in the pool and how well I can really supervise him).  He can hold his breath for a reallllly long time and loves to practice swimming under water.  He still doesn't really like to jump in, but I'm okay with that - one less kid to chase in and out of the water.  

We've really been diligent about getting them in the water as often as possible because I am afraid once miss Tessa makes her appearance, Mommy won't be able to enjoy the pool as much as she would like :)    Speaking of Tessa - things are moving right along with the now weekly doctor appointments.  This past week's appointment found me 2 cm dilated at 36 weeks.  I've had enough babies to know that doesn't always mean anything, but the doctors are also pretty concerned about her size.  Because Brooks was such a whopper, they've been watching her through regular growth ultrasounds.  At 34 weeks, they estimated Tessa already weighed around 6 lbs and 14 oz.  We have another ultrasound coming up at the end of this week to check her growth again.  I also know these are not always accurate, but it's hard to argue with getting to see her all the time :)  My doctors have really stressed not letting me go over due (like with Brooks) because of her size, and since I'm already making "progress", we've discussed an induction around the 39 week mark if she hasn't made her appearance by then.  I'm okay with that.  I know some people really hate inductions, but I've had two wonderful inductions and considering how fast I labor (1.5 hours with Will and about 50 mins with Brooks), and how far I am from the hospital (30 miles) - I'm okay with the induction theory.  

We also had a very laid-back 4th of July.  We visited my parents in the afternoon for some pool time and then took the boys to see the local fireworks.  With the holiday falling right smack in the middle of the week, there wasn't much more to it than that.  Here are a few pics of our holiday -

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

My DIY Crib Bedding

Attention professional sewers!!  Don't judge.  This was actually my very first time ever sitting down at a sewing machine.  I know - why did I think I could tackle something like crib bumpers and a 6 layered ruffle crib skirt if I'd never sewn before??  Because that's how I roll - I just kind of jump on these tasks and go with it (much to my husband's constant amusement...)  Anyhoo -

So I knew I couldn't tackle this without some guidance, especially given the fact that I don't own a sewing machine ;)  so I enlisted a sweet lady here in our hometown who sews for a living and has an in-home sewing studio.  She agreed to give me sewing lessons, during which time we would make Tessa's baby bedding.  So every Sunday (and some Saturday) afternoons, when the boys laid down for naps and daddy was occupied with his Playstation 3, I went to her studio for lessons.

First came the cutting.  Oh my goodness.  I would never have guessed how much time we would spend just simply cutting the fabric - bumper pieces, bumper ties, ruffles, cording....  we spent at least two afternoons just cutting the fabric into sections and strips.  My second surprise was the amount of ironing I would be doing.  Holy moly!  We pressed seam after seam.  Finally, on about my 2nd or 3rd lesson, I got to sit down at the sewing machine.  I'll admit, it was VERY intimidating at first.  I constantly felt like I was about to make a major boo boo.  I went VERY SLOWLY at first.  I think this is when my teacher probably realized just what a project she had taken on ;)  But after a few sessions, and more and more time in the hot seat, I did become more comfortable.

Eventually, the fabric started to actually form pieces that looked very similar to crib bedding -

A couple more sessions later  (and a lots of time stuffing 15" foam into an opening the size of my fist), we had our bumpers!

After the bumpers were finished, we tackled my favorite part of the whole bedding - the ruffled crib skirt.  Now although this is my favorite part of the bedding, this was my LEAST favorite part of sewing the bedding.  Whew!  Those ruffles wore me out!  The sewing, scrunching, pinning and sewing again.... by the end of those two days, I could have seriously done without seeing another ruffle for a WHILE.  After day one - our bed skirt looked like this -

Doesn't look like much, but after another day dedicated to ruffles, we had ourselves a crib skirt -

I couldn't wait to run home and put it on the crib, but the crib was disassembled until last weekend.  After Brandon got the room painted, we put the crib together, and put our girl's bedding on.  So here it is, my first ever sewing project, Tessa's hand-made crib bedding:

(excuse the poorly-tied bows - I had a few "helpers during this photo op)

Now I realize the bed would look better if it were in a girly antique white, but "you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit!"  So we'll just stick with the expresso colored crib just as it was when we bought it for the Willster :)    

There will be another nursery post eventually, when we get a little closer to the finish line.  I still have curtains and wall decor to finalize, but I wanted to share my project with you.  Be sure and let me know what you think :))

30 Weeks & Counting...

I went for my 30 week OB appointment this week.  I had to do the follow-up 3 hour glucose test because (of course) I failed the one hour.  That test sucks soooo bad :/  This time, because I had already done this test two times before and knew the ins and outs, my OB said I could leave between blood draws.  So for one hour I had my OB appointment.  For the 2nd hour I walked across the street to the hospital and pre-registered for labor & delivery.  For the 3rd hour, I drove to TJ Maxx!  Not too bad I must say.  Maybe I'll have the results tomorrow....

A few highlights from this appointment:

• I only gained ONE pound!!! Hallelujah!  I actually acted like an idiot and made the nurse give me a high five.  I considered it jump-up-and-down worthy, but was afraid doing so would result in a baby on the floor, so I stuck with the high five ;)
• Baby is head down and will hopefully stay that way.
• I don't have syphilis (ha! I didn't even know they tested me for that, but apparently I'm good...)
• Next appointment is in 2 weeks!  This is when it always hits me that we are in the "homestretch".
• I'm still trying to decide whether I want the tubal ligation or the new "Essure" procedure done.  Either way is a permanent baby-stopping procedure.  The tubal is obviously a small incision done while you're in the hospital after delivery.  The Essure procedure is where they insert two small spring-like thingies into your tubes at your post-delivery appointment.  After the springs are inserted, you wait several weeks and go back in to see if your tubes have in fact "closed in around" the springs.  The Essure process is considerably less invasive but is also pretty new and I've heard mixed reviews....

How am I feeling??
I'm still feeling pretty good.  Sleep is non-existent thanks to a baby girl who likes to hang out on my sciatic nerve.  I spend most nights tossing and turning and somewhere between 1 & 3 AM, I end up on the sofa.  I am still walking 2.5 miles 2 or 3 times a week with my neighbor friend.  It's getting more and more difficult to carry on conversations during our walks (and that's really what I walk for ;))  and the last time we walked I had some pretty fun braxton hicks contractions afterward.  Fun times.  Most people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I'm still walking but as long as it's not too hot, I want to keep it up.  It's good for my soul and good for my sugar issues.

Are we ready for her to get here??
We're still trying to get started on Tessa's nursery.  Unfortunately, this has been such a slow process thanks to our work schedules.  We're also trying to nail down a *bigger* vehicle for our growing family.  We've been car payment free for two years now and we're a little spoiled :/  A couple of my sweet friends are throwing me a small baby shower in a few weeks and I'm getting excited.  I certainly didn't expect one, but I'm very grateful to have friends who love me enough to do something so sweet for us.  I'm excited to see my friends in a couple of weeks and celebrate this crazy miracle baby :)

I think that's it for now friends.  I've got supper to cook, a walk to take, and two little boys to love on :)

Hello from Tessa!

This post will be a short one.  I'll try to give you a better update after this holiday weekend, but for now here's a little "Hello!" from our little girl at 30 weeks.  She spent most of her "screen time" with her hand directly in front of her little face.  

This is the best shot of her face.  She just moved her hand long enough for us to tell that she has a perfectly sweet little mouth and a little turned up nose.  

Her hand in front of her face.  Camera shy?

More hand in face.

Her little nose and mouth

A big yawn :)

Here are a couple of short videos...

More yawning and sucking on her hand...

She was either stretching or practicing her cheer moves.  If she has my coordination, it was a stretch..

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Hello 3rd Trimester!

Well, I've officially entered the home stretch folks.  I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by, but I guess that's kind of what happens when you're too busy to count the days and/or weeks like I did with my first pregnancy (and a little with the second, but I eventually gave up on that too).  When people ask me how far along I am, I have to refer to my planner where I so ingeniously wrote down my due date 7 months ago.  I almost think I would forget that too if I hadn't written it down :/

I had an OB appointment last week and everything is looking great!  I did have to succumb to the ol' glucose screening, which is soooo gross.  I guess part of the reason why I dread it so badly is also because I have always failed them.  With Will I failed both the 1 hour AND the 3 hour test, and was officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  I was able to keep it well under control just by changing my diet though.  I remember how badly I cried and felt like my whole world was crumbling down when I got that phone call and then had to go to meet with a nutritionist.  They definitely made me feel like something was wrong with me and that he would surely have two heads, but alas he was a perfect 7lbs and 4oz :)  I failed the 1 hour with Brooks, but passed the 3 hour test.  3 months later, Brooks came into the world 1 week late and weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 15.5oz.  So I'm pretty sure I had diabetes and went undiagnosed with him.  He's also perfectly healthy - and has been since day one.  This go round, I'm definitely expecting to fail it, but I'm not stressing myself out.  I will just go ahead and restrict my sugar intake on my own even if they don't officially diagnose me.  I'm still waiting on the results from the 1 hour screening...

We also had a follow up ultrasound to check on my previously mentioned low-lying placenta.  Everything looks great there as well.  As this pregnancy has progressed, the placenta has naturally moved away from the cervix just enough that they feel comfortable saying that it won't be an issue.  Little Tessa was quite hyped-up from the sugar drink and showed off for us.  She sucked her thumb and wiggled all around.  The ultrasound tech said her measurements indicated that she probably weighs right around 2lbs right now and that is right on track.  My goofy husband said "Is that all?" when she told us this and I chose to take the high road and forget he said that.... ;)

We're certainly trying to get our home and boys prepared for little bit to arrive in 3 months, but it's a sllllloooowwww process.  The boys are officially sharing a room now - we moved them into their new twin beds nearly two weeks ago and I finally combined their closets last weekend.  This has proven to be an interesting transition.  Will has taken it in stride, Brooks however has not.  He cried the first night, asking to go to his old bed.  After that, he hasn't cried anymore, but he spends at least an hour getting up, trying to get in Will's bed, playing with toys and just generally being rambunctious (kicking his headboard, knocking on the wall, etc...)  Poor Will usually tries to tell on him for the first 20 minutes or so and then gives up, turns over and goes to sleep in the middle of his brother's shenanigans.  When asked about his brother sharing a room with him at school, Will told his teacher that he doesn't get to sleep anymore! Ha!  This is so untrue... he is the first to sleep every night.  (He also told his grandmother one day this week that we put them to bed without supper the night before because we didn't have any food.  This is such a tall tale and although it's funny, I'm just glad he told that story to his grandmother who knew better and not a teacher who would have probably been justified in confronting me about it...)  I plan on showing you what their new room looks like as soon as I tie up all the "loose ends" - framed prints, bed skirts, etc...

I am still in the process of sewing Tessa's bedding.  I like about two more good sewing days which is proving quite difficult to set aside with t-ball, mother's day, our upcoming 6 year wedding anniversary, etc.... but I'm hoping to wrap it up soon.  We need to at least get her room primed so that we can start trying to find that perfect shade of paint.  I've got one picked out that is a perfect match to the fabric in her bumper, but I'm afraid it may be too vibrant on the wall, so we'll be sampling a few shades just to make sure.  I also need to get moving on window treatments and fabric for the glider.  Another day that needs to be dedicated to fabric shopping seems so far fetched for me....  I also really want the espresso colored (very expensive) furniture to be a pretty antique white, but I'm not sure I have the time/energy to dedicate to that (and I'm pretty partial to Will's teething marks on the side rail).  We'll see what becomes a priority and what takes a back seat :)  I know one thing is for sure - I'm NOT buying new furniture, so we'll have to make this gorgeous set work.  I've also been perusing Etsy for those perfect accessories/prints for her room. 

We're also verrrrryyyy behind on all the necessary items for a newborn - car seat, baby monitor, bottles, burp cloths, bibs, receiving blankets.....you get the idea.  I'm having a hard time choosing a car seat.  We need something on the smaller side, since both boys are still in their car seats.  We had a Chicco Keyfit 30 with them and I loved the safety, look, ease of use but it was quite huge and I'm not sure that something that large will work in our forth-coming crammed vehicle.  The only other gripe I had with that car seat was the sun canopy - it could have standed to be a little larger.  It never really seemed to serve its purpose because it was so short (that's not a deal-breaker, but for $180....)  I've looked at lots of options this time around - the Graco Snugride, Britax B-Safe, etc... but they're either HUGE or not rated well for safety.  I'm also fighting the fabric issue - Tessa will be born in hottttttt August, so I'm not crazy about all black or velvety-type fabrics.  And if they're not black, they're soooo pink that they look like pepto.  And ya'll know how I feel about all that pink.... (I'm slowly but surely coming around to pink, but I just wish they offered more purple/aqua/yellow/minty greens for girls!)

So that's all I've got today.  I want to spend my weekends perusing baby shops, Ikea, and Homegoods to get our house and/or lives in order, but most of my weekends are consumed with work, boys and a husband who wants to work in the yard most weekends (I don't blame him - I love yardwork too).  I just hope we can nail down the essentials before peanut gets here!  Stay tuned!

Bean 3 Has a Name!

Well after much debate and discussion, Brandon and I have finally agreed on a name for our little girl.  You have to understand... Brandon and I have never really had to seriously consider what we would name a girl.  Sure, in the early stages of each pregnancy we had various names that we thought were "cute" for a girl, but we never had to really think about a little girl's name.  And now that we are having a girl, and this baby will be our last, we've spent lots of time making sure that this name is perfect for our one and only little girl.

When naming our boys, I wanted names that were strong, classic, do-anything names.  For example, I could see a "Will" as teacher, athlete, banker, lawyer, etc....  and I feel the same way about the name "Brooks".  For a girl's name, I want the same - a strong but pretty name.  I thought about how each name we considered would look on the desk of a writer, a banker, a doctor, and how it would look on her wedding invitations.  And then of course, I ran each name by our boys to see how they could pronounce each possibility.  Some were pretty funny - for instance, Caroline was "Caw-wow-wine" and Greer was "Gweeawr" - so although cute, those had to be eliminated.  Will was hung up on naming her Cheryl.  I found this hilarious, because I swear he doesn't know one single Cheryl - not a teacher, not a cartoon character, not even one of those obnoxious kids on Barney was named Cheryl.  After weeks and even months of insisting, much to my delight, he finally let it go.  Knowing my kid like I do, he would have totally called (and told everyone we know) that her name was Cheryl no matter what her name really was, so I'm glad he's over it.

Let's start with her middle name.  This one came to me one day while we were in the car.  My mama's middle name is "Jo" - named after her daddy and my grandfather.  Just "Jo".  Brandon's mama's middle name is "Ann" .... sooooo what better middle name for our little Bean than "Joann"?  That way, she has a piece of each grandmother (and a little bit of her great grandfather) in her name.  So sweet :)  There was no debating over that one.  We both agreed pretty quickly on her middle name - Joann.

We went 'round and 'round with the first name, but we eventually landed on a name that I believe is pretty and sweet, yet a little unexpected - Tessa :)

So our little Bean's name will be Tessa Joann Rutledge.

Why do I suddenly have the urge to go have something monogrammed??  Perhaps to make it more official??

18 Weeks & Counting

Brandon and I went in to check on Bean 3 this week.  She's still a girl :)  And everything looks great with the baby.  Two arms, two legs, two little feet and two little hands, 3 vessel umbilical cord, 4 chambers of the heart, kidneys, stomach, noggin... she's just as healthy as can be so far! 

The ultrasound tech had a hard time getting Bean 3 to cooperate with having her picture taken.  She wiggled all over the place and before the tech could snap the pic, Bean had moved away.  The tech said "Well she's a wiggler!"  I laughed and told her I hope so - she'll need to be a mover and a shaker to survive our crazy household!  Similar to her brothers, Bean 3 was snuggled up nicely with her ankles crossed and her hands curled up under her chin.  She weighs in around 9 ounces so far - I wish I could say that's all the weight I've gained, but unfortunately it's not :/

(She opened her mouth soooo wide here - it looked like she was laughing!)

After the ultrasound we went on to see the doctor, where the he informed me that I do seem to have a little bit of a low-lying placenta.  He said that all that means for me right now is that I get another ultrasound in six weeks.  He said that as the pregnancy progresses and the uterus moves further up into the abdomen, most of these cases correct themselves.  If the placenta is still low at the next ultrasound, I will continue to have ultrasounds throughout the pregnancy to check on the position of the placenta.  If it doesn't correct itself, a vaginal delivery will be out of the question as the opening to the cervix will be blocked by the placenta.  If it does correct itself, we're good to go :)  I'm not too concerned, we'll do whatever it takes to get Bean 3 here as safely as possible. 

Brandon is still having a hard time processing the fact that we're having a girl.  He thinks all the ultrasounds are wrong and I'll give birth to a boy in August.  I've finally processed the fact that we're having 3 babies in 4 years and that this one is a little girl.  Now I'm starting to stress about moving the boys into one room and getting started on her room, which is going to be a little different this time since I'm making the bedding myself :/ (With the help of an experienced sewer!) 

The To-Do List looks a little something like this:

• Buy two twin mattress & box spring sets
• Buy multiple sets of twin sheets and covers
• Paint the twin beds & move the boys into one room
• Finish buying the fabric for Bean 3's bed
• Decide on curtains for her room
• Paint her room (and her furniture)
• Buy a bigger vehicle
• Buy an infant car seat
• Invest in a new baby monitor (our old one just bit the dust)
• Get the essentials - clothes, pjs, diapers, bottles, receiving blankets, burp cloths, etc...

Yeesh - I'm tired just thinking about it!

A Baby Girl is Coming to Our House!!

It's true!  I can't believe it but it's true!  We went down to Baby Vision in Atlanta this past weekend, where Bean 3 played shy.  It took the ultrasound technician about 20 minutes to determine the gender due to her crossed ankles and an umbilical cord between the legs.  I was a little nervous at first that she wouldn't let us see if she was a boy or a girl, but knowing now that she's a girl, I'm proud of her modesty! ;) 

Oh man - I'll be honest.  I have no idea what kind of mother I'll be to a little girl.  After two boys, I was kind of under the impression that we were "boy makers".  I guess that chemo did all sorts of crazy things to Brandon's DNA.  Now if she comes out with his post-chemo hair (thick and curly), we'll be in a lot of trouble!  No amount of detangler or hair bows could tame those tresses!

But seriously - I am in love with those little hair bows and clippies.  And I have wanted to buy one of those little romper bubble jumpsuits for a looonnnnnggggg time.  I'm excited for all of those things, but I'm also a little nervous.  I'm not too crazy about pink.  I can only take it in small doses.  I never played with Barbies or baby dolls and just walking down the Littlest Pet Shop aisle at Target makes me hyperventilate with all those little pieces.  I can only hope that I can learn to love that stuff. 

For her own sake, let's pray Baby Girl is tough.  I have a feeling that her two older brothers will make certain this happens.  When I close my eyes and dream of her, I picture her in her tutu and boots playing in the mud with her brothers.  I see her sticking her Barbies in her brother's rescue helicopters and firetrucks.  I want her to love pretty clothes, nice shoes, the great outdoors and a good game of neighborhood baseball.  But mostly, I just want her to be herself and be happy with that.  Let's hope I don't screw this up!