A Precious Little Flower...a CAULIFLOWER to be Exact!!! (Week 27)

Well...this week has been a flood of emotions.  From the highest of the high to the lowest of the low.

The week started off absolutely amazing because my dear, sweet, precious friends threw us a fabulous baby shower!!!  Amie, Abbie, Bria, Britain, Jacki, Julie Pruitt, and Leah were all hostesses for our baby shower on Sunday.  Everything was perfect.  From the invitations, to the food, drinks, decorations, people that came, and all the love and support that we got from everyone.  It was an absolute overwhelming feeling to be surrounded by so many people that blessed us with so many things for Seiden.  There was not a single thing that I didn't like.  I can't wait for her to wear all the clothes, shoes, hats, and headbands she got.  I can't wait to read her the books that she received and I can't wait for her to play with all her toys.  And I can't wait to use everything that will help make our lives so much easier when she comes.  From a diaper pail, bobby, bumbo, video monitor, breast pump, diapers, wipes, etc...we are now officially ready for our precious little girl to arrive!!!  It was such an amazing day.  I had so much fun opening up every single present and seeing all the precious people there that came.  I could never thank my precious friends enough for going above and beyond to throw us and Seiden such an absolutely perfect shower.  I sure do love them more than I could ever express!!!  We are truly blessed!

On Monday, I had another doctors appointment in Ft. Worth with Dr. Tabor.  Cody had to work all weekend long, so he wasn't able to come in.  Plus, the appointment was scheduled for 10:30 in the morning...and it would have been a long day of driving or even flying for him to make it in.  So, my mom went with me!  Cody was on the phone the whole time...I had him on speaker.  So, he didn't miss anything.  He just wasn't physically there.  Before Dr. Tabor came in, the sonogram technician came in and did a very thorough sonogram.  Which was awesome because we got to watch her for nearly 15 minutes!  She was so, so active!  The technician kept trying to get measurements of her head and Seiden kept wiggling around so much that she finally had to come back at the very end to get the measurement!  Let me tell you...this girl has LONG legs!!!  I guess that explains her big feet :-)  But I can honestly say that she comes by it naturally.  I'm only 5'3" and my legs are only about an inch shorter than Cody's...who is 6'1"!  I have the shortest trousseau on the planet...so I'm just all legs...and I have a feeling she may be the same way after seeing her legs stuck straight out in the sonogram!  She weighed 2 pounds and 4 ounces...so she had gained 4 ounces in just one week!  Her heart rate was 155 and it was absolutely wonderful to see it...all 4 chambers of it...working perfectly.  It is just such a sweet sound to hear that baby's heartbeat pumping so strongly inside of you!  All her other organs were growing and developing just as they should with her growth and she couldn't be more healthy!  The technician also stayed on her chest and tummy area for a little bit to make sure that she was swallowing and breathing normally.  The scare with the cyst is that it could put pressure on her esophagus and windpipe and cause those two things to become difficult for her.  But she was steadily swallowing and breathing...just like she should be.  Then, the technician measured my amniotic fluid to be absolutely certain that the cyst on Seiden's neck wasn't causing her breathing and swallowing to become inhibited.  It was perfect and measured just as it should be.  All in all...everything about Seiden is perfect!  She is growing, developing, breathing, and swallowing perfectly!  After the technician left, we just had to wait on Dr. Tabor to come in and give us a run down on the growth (or non-growth) of the cyst.

I am not a very patient person...and I was getting really hungry and desperately had to pee!  When there is a 2 pound 4 ounce baby pushing on your bladder...it starts to get bad after awhile!  But, we waited on Dr. Tabor to come in for about 45 minutes.  When he came in, he seemed very pleased with how wonderful everything looked.  As far as everything besides this cyst goes...it couldn't be more perfect.  He started to do a sonogram and I could tell by the look on his face and his tone of voice that he was suddenly not pleased with something.  My heart started beating a mile a minute wondering what he had seen and what was about to come out of his mouth.  The news that he told us, wasn't new news from the previous time we had seen him.  But, it was just more confirmed that this wasn't going to be a "normal" delivery.  He said things like, "I'm not as optimistic" and "This is more concerning" than it was 4 weeks ago.  I could feel the lump in my throat starting to form and all I could think was, "hold it together Mel...just get through the rest of this appointment before you break down."  I just have this mentality that I have to be strong and suck it up and just push through.  Well...I made it through the rest of the appointment...but as soon as mom and I stopped in the restroom before we headed out of the building...I absolutely lost it.  I think everything that I have been hearing since we found out about this cyst just sank in and hit me all at once.  More than that, he said that he felt like the cyst had grown and there was also another little place where it looked like it could possibly put more pressure on her esophagus and windpipe.  He also said that we were really looking at probably doing an exit C-section.  Which is where I will be put completely under (Cody won't be able to be in the room), the will start the procedure, get her head out, then clamp my uterus, figure out if she needs a breathing tube or a tracheotomy, then finish the rest of the delivery.  They want her to still be connected to me while they figure out if she needs help breathing based on the size of the cyst.  That way, I am still supplying her with oxygen if she does have trouble breathing while the doctors are working on getting her assistance with breathing.

And then...the next part is probably what got to me the most.  She could possibly be at Cook's for months while the cyst is treated.  MONTHS!!!  And the part that is the worst is that we have no idea how many months.  However, they won't be doing surgery.  Which is great...but the reason she could be there for so long.  I can't remember what exactly what the fluid is that they will inject into the cyst.  But, it basically causes the cyst to harden up and then be reabsorbed into her body.  And, they won't let us go home with her until it is showing no signs of causing her breathing problems and is completely gone.  I was absolutely heartbroken thinking about our tiny, sweet, precious baby girl spending the first months of her life in a hospital, hooked up to machines, and not at home.  Even though she will be in the absolute best possible hospital with the best doctors worldwide...it was still a gut wrenching feeling.  All anyone wants to do when they have a baby on the way is spend the standard 1-4 days in the hospital and take their baby home.  I had been thinking about the holidays...Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's...all being at home with her and celebrating these joyous times as a brand new family.  It was like those "plans" were just taken from me.  All not a big deal in the scheme of things...but just one of the many things I thought about when I was thinking about what our future might be like.  And of course...I broke down again when I was talking to my mom about the dogs.  Seiden is our absolute priority and will be from now on.  But, I couldn't help but be heartbroken at thinking what the dogs will think.  I told my mom, "they'll think we abandoned and neglected them!"  Of course...they wouldn't be alone.  We have so many family and friends that would be here to love on them while we're gone.  And my mom even said that she would bring them to us...even if she had to go and come in a day with them or stay in a pet friendly hotel over night.  Precious, precious.

I went back and forth for the rest of the day with being ok and holding it together to just breaking down and sobbing on my mom's shoulder.  After the appointment, we went to lunch, then to a couple of stores.  We were in the middle of Macy's when I completely lost it.  I had just talked to Cody and he told me he was in the process of coming home for the night.  He knew I needed him there with me after the news from the doctor.  After I got off the phone with him, I was just overcome with emotion.  I was so thankful that I have a husband who knows me.  He knows that I try to be strong and hold it together.  When really, I just need to be hugged, and cry, and let it all out.  He was also shaken up after hearing everything.  Like I said, it wasn't new news when it came to the exit C-section or possible long hospital stay.  It was just the news that these were more likely going to be the case for us and for Seiden...and that is the last thing we want for our daughter.  We just want to have everything be prefect and go smoothly...and this is so beyond our control.  But after I hung up with him and I found my mom, she could tell I was on the verge of tears, and she just hugged me in the middle of the store and I cried on her shoulder until the tears stopped.  I lost it a couple more times on the way home when we would talk about everything, but by the time we got home I was better.  And...when I got home...one of our precious friends, Abbie, had left us a sweet present on our doorstep.  She had written us a sweet note full of kind and encouraging words, a pink bunny lovie for Seiden, and a bag of some of my favorite cookies.  When I read the note she had written, it brought me to tears.  It is such an overwhelming, wonderful feeling to be surrounded by so many precious friends.  We are truly blessed by them each and everyday.  When Cody got home, I was doing better.  He wrapped me up in his arms and we just stood there with the dogs standing beside us for a long time.  Then, we ran and got dinner, watched some TV, talked, looked at everything we had gotten at the shower, and went to bed.  He got up on Tuesday morning to go back to Amarillo right after I had gotten back from working out.  Even though he wasn't there for long, him being there meant more than I could ever put into words.  As the day went on on Tuesday, I still had some up and down moments.  I did a lot of research on Cooks NICU, looked into my insurance and what my policy was, and called my school to let them know that about the possibility of not coming back for longer than I had originally thought.

Most of the day was good.  I cried a lot of happy tears when I was looking at all the information on Cooks NICU.  I knew Cooks was amazing.  But I had NO idea just how absolutely wonderful the people that work there are.  Not only are the doctors and nurses the best in the world, but they are also wonderful people who truly care about you and your baby.  You are not just another patient.  They make you a priority and you are special to them and their team.  It even says in there that they want the parents to be absolutely involved in every aspect of what's going on.  They leave no stone unturned...and you know every tiny detail about what's going on.  They also have single family rooms where parents stay when they are there for long periods of time.  There's a couch that pulls out into a queen sized bed, lighting that you can adjust for you and baby, a full shower and bathroom, Wi-Fi, a breast pump, and the baby stays in there with you when they are well enough to come out of the NICU nursery.  There's also a place where you can store food...it's basically a mini kitchen.  It's for all families that are staying in those single rooms, but it's just nice to know that we can bring food from home and keep it up there.  She will literally be in the best hands known to this world when it comes to her medical care and there will be a whole team of doctors and nurses there to make sure that every one of her needs is met and they have skipped no step in making sure that she is on the road to recovery.  And as far as the insurance goes...I have FirstCare through school.  And it is an amazing policy!  Of course...if it cost an infinity amount of dollars...we would find a way to make it work.  We would pay any amount of money to make sure she was taken care of and that cyst is gone.  But, just knowing that our absolute maximum out of pocket amount is something that we will be able to afford was just an answer to our prayers.  One of many answers I was soon to be finding out.  And I talked to my school and even though it's going to be a little difficult on us all...they said that I need to do whatever I need to do and be gone for however long I need to until Seiden is home and that cyst is gone.  Not only do I work with amazing people and have amazing administrators...but God was just starting the healing process for me with looking into those three things.

There was one point in time on Tuesday where I just let my mind start to wander and I totally opened the door for the enemy to come in and start telling me lies.  I started worrying that there might be more wrong than just this cyst.  I thought, "what if it's a genetic, trisomy, or chromosomal issue and we just haven't been told?"  Tell me that's not the enemy sneaking in when I am most vulnerable and weak.  I sure as heck know it wasn't from God.  I was sitting on the couch whenever this happened and the dogs immediately came over to me to see what was wrong.  Faith was nuzzled under my neck and Trigger was sitting in my lap with her head on my head and Sarge sitting on the floor looking very concerned.  I really started to loose it and got up to put them outside because they were starting to get worked up too.  After I put them outside, I went into our bedroom and literally fell to my hands and knees.  The only thing that I could do was surrender this entire situation to God, which I hadn't done.  I was still trying to be in control and make "plans."  I jus started praying out loud.  I prayed against the enemy coming into my mind and telling me these lies, I declared that I was giving this situation to Him, and I prayed in Jesus' name that He would heal Seiden while she was still in my womb.  I cried and prayed down on my knees for a long time and I started to feel this sense of comfort and peace wash over me.  My tears started drying up and I was able to stand up.  When I did, I took a deep breath and I just knew that He had this.  It was never mine to try to handle alone and once I fully surrendered Seiden and the cyst and this pregnancy to Him, I knew that He was in full control and His hands were all over all of us.  I felt such a comfort and peace and I knew it was God telling me that Seiden was going to be fine and He would heal her.  Even if that means that it's through these doctors that He's placed us in the hands of and given these talents and abilities too...He will heal her.  I love that my amazing God is the King over this entire universe and He cares enough about me, Cody, and Seiden to take the time to come over us and give us comfort and peace in a situation that is scary and unknown.  The thing is, is that with God's presence and His sense of peace and comfort, I'm not scared and I know that He's got this and will take care of Seiden and will heal her.  Cody and I are both finding that this has become a greater blessing in more ways than we'll ever know.  But, as of right now, our relationship is stronger, our prayer life is stronger, our individual and marital relationship with God is stronger, our family is becoming stronger and closer, our friends are surrounding us and loving us in ways that we could never have imagined, and we are growing in our faith and trust in God more and more everyday.  We give all the glory to Him each and everyday and we couldn't be more thankful for how He's taken care of Seiden and continues to grow and develop her into the perfect little girl that she is.

After Tuesday, I felt more like myself and I continued to just feel a sense of peace and comfort from God.  I had to go and do some lab work before my next appointment with Dr. Tadvick and after I did that, I went up to mom's office for a bit.  We watched a video about Cooks NICU and I started crying happy tears knowing that if that's where we'll be...then I know for sure God has placed us right where we should be.  She and I went and had lunch and then ran into Kid's Village to look around a bit, then I dropped her back off at her office, and came home.  Early afternoon, I got a phone call from both Dr. Maberry and Dr. Tadvick.  I absolutely know that God was telling them to call me.  They were both calling to check on me and see if we had any questions about all that was going on.  They had both just gotten Dr. Tabor's notes back and wanted to just talk about everything.  Both of them said the same thing.  That Seiden has absolutely nothing wrong with her and this cyst is just a fluke that will be healed.  It will cause her no problems and once it's gone, it will be as if it never happened.  She is growing and developing, her heart is perfect, and all her organs are functioning perfectly.  They also both talked about the fact that if I can't deliver here, that Dr. Tabor is the best of the best.  They told me that he is an expert in doing exit C-sections and he knows exactly what the best possible options will be to ensure that Seiden gets here smoothly.  It was just so nice to talk to them both and to hear such good news from them about Seiden and to know that we couldn't be in better hands.  Which...of course we couldn't be in better hands.  God has placed us exactly where He wants us and in the hands of these, more than capable, doctors.  It is all part of His plan and His will and they are all perfect.  Seiden Grace...we are so very thankful for you.  You are a blessing and a miracle sent to us from our amazing Heavenly Father.  We cannot wait to meet you, love you, and care for you for the rest of your life.  We love you so, so much!!!

And...one more thing.  Faith turned 5 years old on August 6th!!!  I can't believe that we have had our precious Faithy girl for 5 whole years.  She is absolutely my baby and I love her so!!!  I love all three of our babies...so so much!  But, Faith holds a special place in my heart and always will.  I know that when Seiden comes, she is going to be like another momma to her.  She already loves this sweet baby so much!  She lays her head on my tummy, and when I can't find her, I know she is in Seiden's room.  Usually laying in front of her crib.  I can't wait for them to meet!  Faith gives the sweetest sugars, snuggles up to you when you are down or not feeling good in such a precious way, loves to go swimming, loves to go on runs, loves Starbuck's runs, loves to go see Mimi in Hamilton, she is very much a daddy's girl, and she is so very precious to me!  Happy 5th Birthday precious Faith!!!  We love you so much!!!

Seiden Grace at 27 Weeks:

• You are the size of a head of a cauliflower!
• You weigh 2.5 pounds and are 16 inches long!!!
• You are having sweet, precious dreams because your brain wave activity has increased and could also be measured by your different sleep cycles, including rapid eye movement. 
• You are now blinking your beautiful little eyes!
• You are also coughing, sucking, and breathing better and better as you grow.
• Your lungs have almost reached the point of full maturity.
• You are waking and sleeping at regular intervals...and mommy always knows when you are awake!
• You are so very active and I LOVE feeling you wiggle, bump, stretch, and somersault inside me!
• Your daddy loves feeling you move too and he just talks to you and loves on you all the time.
• Your Bella also got to feel you move this week!  She had her hand on mommy's tummy and you pushed right up on it and made her hand move!  You are very strong!!!
• You are growing more and more everyday and you are absolutely beautiful and perfect in everyday.
• Mommy and Daddy love you so, so much Seiden Grace!!!  We can't wait to meet you!!!

Only 13 More Weeks To Go!!!



Sprucing Up A Salad...With A CUCUMBER!!! (Week 26)

This pregnancy is literally flying by faster than I can blink my eyes!  I seriously look up and it's a new week and every week seems to be busier than the week before.  And with summer winding down and the first of school getting ready to start, I have a feeling it's only going to go faster!  Which is good because that means we will blink and our precious Seiden will be here!  And her nursery is almost done...which is amazing because I wanted it to be absolutely complete before I went back to school.  I know I will be so busy during the week that when the weekends roll around...I'm going to want to rest and get those chores and errands run before a new week starts.  The only thing that is still left to go in there is the furniture that we bought for her.  It's a dresser and armoire that is about 50 years old and is absolutely gorgeous.  Some of our friends are re-doing it for us...so hopefully it will be done soon and we can move it in her room!  They are painting it the teal blue that is in her bedding, distressing it, and putting a brown glaze over it to soften it a bit.  And I also bought some gorgeous white rose knobs at Hobby Lobby that will be absolutely beautiful on the furniture.  All the other décor that mom and I have been working on will sit on top of the furniture.  So, we really are almost done with everything!  I can't wait to get the furniture in there to see it fully complete and put together...her nursery is going to be so beautiful!!!

And an update on our sweet girl and that little cyst that's on her neck:  God is so good and He is answering our prayers each and everyday!!!  We went in on Monday afternoon to see Dr. Maberry...who is absolutely amazing by the way.  The sonogram technician did a scan on my belly and we got to see our growing girl.  And let me say...she is growing!  She weighs about 2lbs and is 13 inches long...which is right on track for 26 weeks along!  When we went to see Dr. Tabor in Ft. Worth on July 10th, she was only 1lb, 9 oz and about 10 inches long...so she has grown a lot in just a few weeks!  All her organs were perfect and her heart was beating at a good rate of 155 BPM.  She has been pretty consistent with that.  I went back and looked at the past month's sonograms and all but one was 155, the one that wasn't was 157.  So, she has got a good, strong, precious little heart!  Her sweet little face is just getting more and more beautiful and her profile is getting to where we can really see her precious little features.  And her feet...well...they are so big!  She is going to be a runner.  I'm calling it now...there are no if's, and's, or butt's about it!  We have thought they were pretty big for her size for a long time now...but they just keep getting bigger and bigger!  And they are so precious...we can't wait to tickle them and kiss them!  It's absolutely amazing to me how detailed these sonograms are.  We didn't get a picture of her hand this time, but we did see them when she was in full out wiggle mode for a couple of seconds.  You can see every single one of her fingers and the lines on the palms of her hand.  And in the picture we got of one of her feet, you can see her tiny toes and all the lines on her foot too.  I mean...it's crazy how detailed these sonograms and pictures are...and so wonderful too!

Ok...so about the cyst.  It hasn't grown a single bit since about June 24th!!!  So, that means that she has almost doubled in size in the last month and that cyst has stayed the same size.  That is absolutely wonderful news...we were in complete joy when Dr. Maberry told us the news on Monday!  It was an overwhelming feeling and we just couldn't be happier with hearing those words.  Dr. Maberry was also so very excited for how it is looking.  You could see it in his face that he felt so much better about the development (or lack there of) of the cyst.  He also had to measure the amniotic fluid to make sure that it was increasing.  If it doesn't increase, that is a sign that the cyst is pushing on her esophagus and windpipe and is actually causing her problems in the womb...which would have to be addressed before we deliver.  But, he measured it and it was increasing and said that it really couldn't be more perfect.  He absolutely reassured us that this couldn't be going better...unless it goes away of course!  He also told us that he felt like if something more serious was going to happen, like the cyst getting bigger or pushing on her esophagus and windpipe, that it would have already happened by now.  With only 14 weeks to go and how much she is growing at this point, and the cyst hasn't gotten bigger, it's all a sign that Seiden will continue to grow and the cyst will not!  If I had to say that any part of this is a bummer, I would have to say that it's having to deliver in Ft. Worth.  At this point, I will still be having a C-section at Cook's.  The only reason it's such a bummer is because our doctor, Dr. Tadvick won't be delivering.  And that makes us both sad...he is absolutely amazing and his love for Christ is unwavering!  He prays with us after every time we see him and he has prayed with me over the phone when he's gotten reports from the other doctors we've seen.  I'm really thinking about finding a way for him to come to Ft. Worth and be in the room when she's being born!  Seriously...  But, because I will be delivering at Cook's, Seiden will have the absolute best care in the world.  The doctor that will be watching over her is world renowned and we couldn't be in better hands.  Just another way God is watching over us!

I can't tell you how thankful that we both are.  We truly saw God's healing powers in the sonogram room that day.  We have been desperately praying that He will take the cyst away, make it smaller, or just not let it grow and keep it the same size as she continues to grow.  It's amazing to see God's work and to see His hands being laid on our precious daughter.  He has been taking care of her before we even knew we were pregnant and He is continuing to do so each and everyday and will for the rest of her life.  She is His precious child and we are just beyond blessed that He has given her to us and trusted us with her life while here on this earth.  We have so many precious family, friends, and people we don't even know praying for us, this pregnancy, and for Seiden.  I can't tell you how amazing it is to see followers of Christ come together from all over the state to pray for one precious child.  Especially when that child is yours.  I have never felt so blessed by anything and the overwhelming feeling I have is an emotion I could never describe.  We are so fortunate, thankful, and truly blessed beyond all measures.  We absolutely can't wait to tell Seiden how many people have been praying for her since the day we found out about her and how many people have come into her life through this cyst and have been lifting her up each and every day.  When we really look at the big picture of all of this, it truly is a blessing.  Cody and I have become even closer than we already were, our relationship with God has gotten closer, our prayer life has gotten stronger, and we are going to have an amazing testimony to share showing God's blessings and faithfulness.  Not only that, but we are going to have a precious, beautiful, perfect little girl to love, protect, raise, and bring her to know Christ.  We are truly blessed!

And on a fun, exciting note...Cody was home from Friday night through Monday after the appointment!  We got to hang out with each other, family, and friends, go to church together, watch movies, lay on the couch, and spend time with the dogs and each other all weekend and it was wonderful!  The CrossFit Games were also on...so we spent a lot of the weekend watching those together.  On Saturday night, we went over to Britain and Dallas's house to watch the Saturday WODs and of course...grill out and spend time together!  Brent and Bria were there and so were some of our very dear friends; Cary, Marla, and their 3 precious kiddos, Shelby, Alli, and Zach.  We had so much fun spending the afternoon and evening together...we sure do love all of them so much!  It was absolutely wonderful to have Cody home.  I wished I could clone him so he could be both places at once! I think the best part about him being home though was how much he got to feel Seiden moving around.  I know she was so excited to have her daddy home and she must have been doing somersaults in my tummy!  He had his head and his hands on my tummy one time and she kept bumping him so hard, she was making his head and hands kinda come off my tummy a little bit!  And she still loves to push-up on my tummy...with what parts of her little body...we have no idea!  But when she pushes, you can very vividly see where she is...she is not shy and love to make her sweet little appearance known!  I love seeing the look on his face when he feels her moving.  I wished he could be home more so he could feel her all the time.  She is quite the little wiggle worm and loves to shake, rattle, and roll all around!  And all the time!!!  Amarillo has been such a blessing though...and just another answered prayer from our amazing Father.  It's been tough with him being gone...just because I miss him so much.  But, it is only temporary and with Seiden coming soon...he'll be home sooner!  Week 26 has been a big week for all 3 of us...but we are so happy to report that we are all doing perfectly!!!  Seiden Grace...you are simply perfect and an answer to our prayers in more ways than we could ever imagine.  God is doing things in your life that we don't even know about and His will and plan for you is perfect.  We love you more than words could express!!!

Seiden Grace at 26 Weeks:

• You are the size of a cucumber!
• You weigh 2 whole pounds and are 13 inches long!!!
• You have doubled in weight from 4 weeks ago!
• You have made momma's uterus grow to the size of a basket-ball!  And seriously...it looks like I swallowed one!
• You are still quite a little snuggle bug...loving to curl up in a tight little ball and in the fetal position.
• But when you are wiggling around...you are a strong little girl and Mommy and Daddy can both feel you squirming around!
• Your auditory development is continuing to grow and your hearing is becoming more and more acute.
• Your taste buds are also very developed now too.  I sure hope you like what I'm eating...cause you are getting a full fledge flavor explosion!
• You are also continuing to put some of that sweet baby fat on your precious little body.  You are one healthy little girl and are developing into such a beautiful, precious baby!
• Seiden Grace...you are more than we could have ever imagined.  We can't wait to hold you in our arms, love on you, and kiss you.  We love you so very much precious girl!!!

Only 14 More Weeks To Go!!!

Her pretty little face!!!  Every time we have a sonogram it gets more and more distinct...beautiful!

Her beautiful profile.  I think we could stare at this all day long!

Look at those precious (big) feet!!!



A Tasty Little Rutabaga!!! (Week 25)

Ok...so it is really crazy to say that we are in week 25 and there are only 15 weeks left until we meet our precious girl!  It will probably be more like 13-14 weeks...so that is REALLY crazy!  I remember when we were just 13-15 weeks into this pregnancy...and it feels like so long ago.  And yet...it's gone by so fast.  This has been a really fun week though!  Mom has been helping me put together a bunch of stuff for the nursery.  So, we've had several craft days around here!  And when I say we, I mean, I came up with the ideas, bought the stuff, and mom put it all together!  I'm the shopper and money spender and she's the executor when it comes to putting everything together.  She is truly talented when it comes to looking at a picture and completely recreating whatever it is she's going off of.  And really, what she makes usually looks way better than the picture I've found!  Some of the ideas that I had found through Pinterest and Etsy were to put Seiden's name on the wall behind her crib.  I found these adorable letters that cost $17 a piece and so we trucked it to Hobby Lobby and bought the exact same things to recreate them.  I got everything half off, the letters, scrapbook paper, jewels, flowers, and other crystals and pearls to make them and probably spent $50 or less.  If I would have bought them, it would have probably been close to $120 with tax and shipping...crazy!  She also made 2 big flower arrangements, 1 nosegay, and 6 little single stem arrangements that are going to go in various places in the nursery.  All the accents are white, so the flowers and flower pots are also white or we found a few vintage milk white pieces at garage and estate sales.  She took 4 huge bunches of white peonies apart and glued rhinestones, pearls, buttons, and pins in the center of every single one so that they would all have a little bling to them.  I also bought a crown off of a website I found and she spray painted it white and blinged it up a bit!  I had in mind to go with a vintage/shabby chic look.  But it's kinda turning into a mixture of vintage/shabby chic and glamorous/fancy theme!  Which I love...it's got a good mix of sweet, soft, bling, and fancy.  It's all looking so good and I can't wait for it to be done so that I can do a huge nursery reveal post!  Some of our very dear friends are re-doing the furniture we bought, which was an armoire, dresser, and nightstand.  As soon as that's done, we will be able to put all the décor out, hang some things, and then it will be done.  So...it's almost there!!!

We were also supposed to have a 2 week check-up with Dr. Maberry this week, but we had to reschedule if for Monday.  He was going to be out of the state...so that was not going to work out very well!  But, the good news on it being rescheduled is that Cody is coming home this weekend and he is going to be able to stay through Monday and be at the appointment!  This is so exciting and wonderful for so many reasons.  One: he hasn't been home since the weekend of the 4th...so it's definitely time for him to be home and for us to see each other!  I sure do miss him!  Two: he will get to see how much she's grown and how beautiful she is!  He hasn't seen her since June 24th...so it's been over a month and she has grown so much since then!  Three: it just allows for another few days for God to continue to heal her and make that cyst smaller or remove it completely!  There are lots of other reasons it's so good to have him home...but I'm so thankful that I have such an amazing husband that works so hard and makes so many sacrifices for his family.  He truly is a gift from God and I am so blessed by him each and everyday. 

On another note...Sarge turned 8 years old on July 23rd!!!  He doesn't act like he's 8...he acts like he's still a puppy!  Which is amazing...our house wouldn't be the same if he wasn't so spunky!  He and Trigger are the best play mates.  She wouldn't know what to do without her big brother and best play buddy!  Faith is the little momma.  She plays sometimes.  But, she mainly likes to monitor them to make sure they are being as gentle as possible.  And if it gets a little rough, she'll go over to them and kinda get in-between them.  She is going to be such a good little momma and protector for Seiden!  I think Trigger and Sarge will think that we brought them home a new play mate and Faith will be super protective and watching her every move to make sure that she is happy and taken care of!  When mom and dad have been over and we've been in the nursery doing stuff, she either sits in front of the crib or stretches out and lays in front of it.  There's been a couple of times when I didn't know where she was and when I went in there to look for her, that's where she was!  Precious girl!  All the lovies are so excited about their baby sister.  They have all been really sniffing at my belly and are very interested in just exactly what she's doing in there.  When Trigger lays in my lap, there have been a couple of times when Seiden has been really moving and bumped Trigger.  Trigger turns around and gives me this, "What the heck was that?!?!" look.  Seiden has bumped Faith a couple of times too.  She was laying stretched out on the couch and had her head resting on my belly.  She couldn't quite get her head in a comfy position because Seiden was wiggling all around!  Our precious little girl is definitely a mover and I think she was just wanting to play with her brother and sisters!!!  We are so in love with this precious baby girl and we are so thankful everyday that God has blessed us with such an amazing gift!  Seiden Grace...we love you so, so much and we are beyond excited to meet you!!!

Seiden Grace at 25 Weeks:

• You are the size of a rutabaga!
• You are 10 inches long and weigh 2 whole pounds!
• Your beautiful eyes are beginning to open this week and we can't wait to see them looking back at us.
• Your brain-wave activity is in it's final stage of development.  You can now not only hear voices, but also respond to them.  We are talking to you and telling you how much we love you so much...and you are definitely responding to our voices!
• You are quite the gymnast inside mommy's tummy!  You are doing somersaults, kicking, and waving those precious arms around!  You are big enough and strong enough that we can now feel you from the outside!!!
• Your Uncle Michael was able to feel you kicking around in my tummy earlier this week.  He was so excited to feel you move and can't wait to meet you...he loves you so, so much!
• You are growing and developing more and more everyday and you are simply perfect and absolutely beautiful.  We love you so very much Seiden Grace!!!

Only 15 More Weeks To Go!!!

Happy 8th Birthday Sarge!!!

Faith sitting in front of Seiden's crib!  And...a sneak pic of the bedding!!!

Trigger wandered in there when we were finishing up...so we got a sissy shot of the two of them!

Our growing girl!

This one was taken just a few days later...she's already grown a little more!  Such a beautiful baby girl!

The Color Purple...An Eggplant!!! (Week 24)

Well our sweet Seiden Grace is 24 weeks old and is more than making her sweet, adorable, beautiful little presence known!  Not only does my belly look like I swallowed a soccer ball...but she is quite the active little girl!   And speaking of a soccer ball...my uterus is the size of one this week!  I guess it's no wonder it looks like I swallowed one :-) But I guess the fact that she's so active shouldn't surprise me.  If I sit still for more than a few minutes is usually because I'm watching a movie, about to go to bed and am just relaxing for a bit, or sleeping.  Needless to say...I go, go go all the time!  So, it makes perfect sense that our precious daughter would be quite the mover...like her momma!  I told Cody she is really starting to move a lot more and now that she's bigger, I can feel her when I'm not just sitting or laying down.  And let me just say...I LOVE feeling her wiggle around inside of me!  It is the coolest feeling in the entire world and I really can't get enough of it!  And because she's getting bigger, there are many, many times when I can feel her on the outside of my tummy!  Of course, every time I tell Cody or anyone else in my family that she's moving and they try to come feel...she gets shy (or stubborn...also like me!) and doesn't do it for them!  Little pill!  Cody did feel her pushing up against me last week during church, but he hasn't felt it when she kicks, punches, does somersaults, or other gymnastic moves!  One of these days, they'll get to feel her and I can't wait for that!  I've started to feel  her when I'm standing up, walking, and even working out!  The other day, I was doing a WOD that was 5 rounds for time of 15 overhead squats (65lbs) and run 400m.  I had already run a mile before I started the WOD, but I could feel her pushing up against my abs (or where they used to be!) every time I was running!  She wasn't doing it when I was squatting...just when I was running!  I think she's telling me she likes to run...so run we will!  On the workout note...I'm still running and CrossFitting every single day.  I am taking it a lot easier than I used to...which has been an adjustment.  But I'm counting my lucky stars that I am able to workout as well as feel so great and want to workout everyday. 

In fact, we had a 4 week check-up with Dr. Tadvick on Monday and he said just keep on working out...no reason to stop!  My mom went with me to this check-up since all we did was listen to her heart beat, talk about the appointment in Ft. Worth, and just talk about anything that I had questions about.  What brought up all the talk about working out was that my mom asked how my weight gain was.  Since I'm working out and eating so healthy, she was worried that I wasn't gaining enough.  So, when she asked him and told him about my eating and working out...he said keep it up!  YAY!!!  But, not to worry.  I have gained about 8-9 pounds at 24 weeks...I still kinda fluctuate through pregnancy.  He said I was right on track to gain between 20-25 lbs...which is right where he wanted me.  He actually said I'll probably be a little under since I'll possibly be having a C-section a week to two weeks before her actual due date.  But, he was more than happy with how my weight gain was and how I've been eating.  He also measured my stomach to make sure that I was growing how I should be for 24 weeks.  It was all perfect!  He said that both Seiden and I were just as healthy as we could be, right on track for weight gain, measuring how we should be, and Seiden couldn't look or sound more healthy!  Her heart rate was 155...which is right around where she has been through the entire pregnancy.  When we talked about the doctor's appointment in Ft. Worth, Dr. Tadvick just confirmed what we've been told and how we've felt the entire time.  That this little cyst is really just a bump in the road and absolutely nothing that we should be concerned or worried about.  He was more bummed about they possibility of him not delivering her than anything else! Which we love.  He is truly an amazing doctor and we are so blessed that God led him to us.  I told him that if we do wind up delivering in Ft. Worth...he'll just have to come with us.  I wonder if we could make that work?!?  After our appointment, he prayed with us and over Seiden.  It's absolutely wonderfully amazing to have a doctor that prays with you, for you, over you, and over your child.  We feel so blessed in so many ways by Seiden and are faithful, trusting, and have such a sense of peace about what is going on with this little cyst.  Or as Dr. Tadvick calls it...a "bump in the road!"  We know God's healing powers are more than we could ever imagine and we have absolutely no doubt that he will perform miraculous healing on Seiden.  He is her heavenly father and He loves her more than we could wrap our minds around.  We just have so much faith in Him for her that we are at ease with all of this.  More than anything, we are just honored that He chose us to be her parents and to be the ones that provide for her and care for her here on this earth.  We just can't wait to meet her, hold her, kiss her, and love her for the rest of our lives!  Seiden Grace...you are so precious to us...we can't put into words how much we love you and how much you have consumed every bit of our lives...and we love every second of it!

Seiden Grace at 24 Weeks:

• You are 10 inches long and weigh 1.7 pounds!!!
• You are the size of an eggplant!!!
• You  have gained 4 ounces just since last week!
• Your skin is turning pinker because blood vessels are forming under you sweet and soft skin.
• Blood vessels will also develop in your lungs so that they will be fully formed and perfect when you are born.
• Your nostrils are beginning to open up this week...I know that little nose of yours is just one of the many adorable things on your perfect little body!!!
• Your brain is growing more quickly now and your taste buds are developing more and more.  I hope you like all the yummy food I've been feeding you!!!
• You are absolutely the light of our lives and we can't even imagine how amazing it will be when we are holding you in our arms!
• We love you so much precious girl!!!

Only 16 More Weeks To Go!!!

Just another belly shot!  I can't get enough of taking them of our girl!!!

A Yummy Ear of Corn!!! (Week 23)

I have to say that it is a crazy thing to be closer to having Seiden than it is to be at the beginning or nearing the middle of this pregnancy!  Cody and I were talking about how it's so insane to think that in just 17 weeks...probably sooner...we will be holding our precious baby girl.  It's truly an amazing thing knowing that in just a few short weeks she will be home with us and our lovies.  If these next 17 weeks fly by as fast as the first 23 weeks did...we'll blink and she'll be here!  And I have no doubt that these last 17 weeks will definitely fly.  It's already almost the middle of July, summer is almost over (sniff, sniff :-( ), and when school starts, I will be so busy I won't be able to see straight!  Not only will I be getting ready for school to start, but when it does, there are a million things to do in those first few weeks of school.  I'll also be preparing to have a long term sub come in for me during the weeks that I'm off for maternity leave.  So, I'll have to start thinking about where my kiddos will need to be when I come back from maternity leave at the beginning of February so that I make sure and teach them enough skills, tricks, and give them enough information so that they will be ready when the long term sub comes in.  That way they are prepared for me to come back and hit it hard in February.  It's going to be crazy...but that just means that it won't be long till our precious girl is in our arms!

And I do have a big update on Seiden and the cyst that Dr. Maberry found on June 11th.  He first found that cyst on the 11th, then we went back on the 24th to see if it had gotten smaller.  It hadn't, so he referred us to an OB/GYN in Ft. Worth that has dealt with cysts like this before.  The appointment was on July 10th, and we found out SO much more information about what is really going on as well as the steps that will be taken for delivery in much greater detail.  The cyst that she has is on her neck, very close to her esophagus and windpipe.  It is just a lymphatic cyst and is filled with fluid.  It has no blood flow to it and is not cancerous or has any other thing wrong with it that will cause her harm now in the future.  He basically described it as a structural issue.  When I asked him what causes things like this...he said, "There's a medical term for that."  I was all ears thinking...oh man...we're gonna get technical here.  Well...he just turned and looked at me, smiled, and said sh**t happens!  I just burst out laughing because, in that moment, he made me feel so comfortable with him as well as gave me extreme reassurance that this little cyst is just a tiny bump in the road for her precious little life.

There are some risks involved, of course.  But, we truly believe that the possible "worst case scenario" won't even come close to happening.  He told me that he's seen these cysts take up almost 50% of the baby's body at 23 weeks.  Which, of course, is scary news.  But, he went on to say that those babies were able to have surgery and be completely fine and healed.  Of course, there is a possibility that her cyst could continue to grow as she grows...but grow at a faster rate.  If that happens, it could begin to push on her esophagus and windpipe while she is still inside me and cause her problems swallowing.  The way they test that is to continue to monitor the amniotic fluid.  They do that by measuring how much fluid she is surrounded by as well as look at the consistency of it.  If she isn't swallowing as she should be, it will be very obvious.  Also, if that happens, then the C-section delivery will be different than a regular C-section.  They call it an "exit C-section."  I will have to be put under general anesthesia, Cody wouldn't be able to be in the room, it would be an actual surgery.  But they would get her head out first, then clamp my uterus so that the rest of her body is still inside me, attached to the umbilical cord, and she would still be getting everything she needed from my placenta.  The reason for this, is because they would need to insert a breathing tube or possibly do a tracheotomy so that they could stabilize her breathing before they proceed getting the rest of her sweet body out.  BUT...that's the absolute worst case scenario.  He said with as small as her little cyst is, there is a greater chance that this could completely dissolve and go away before the cyst became so big that it obstructed her swallowing and breathing in the womb and have to do an exit C-section.

I will definitely be having a C-section though...and most likely it will be in Ft. Worth.  Dr. Tabor did tell me that if the cyst does go away, then I will be able to deliver in Abilene!  Which would be absolute wonderful news...but I would still want to do a C-section at this point.  I would just feel more comfortable at this point going that route than have a vaginal birth and delivery.  So, this is basically what he told me: the cyst could go completely away and I can deliver in Abilene, the cyst will stay the same size as it is now (but I will still deliver in Ft. Worth), the cyst could get bigger but not obstruct her in any way and the C-section will be normal (still delivering in Ft. Worth), or the cyst could become so big that it causes her to not be able to swallow and require a more intense surgery for her and an exit C-section for me (but we believe this won't happen...and he even said it's very, highly unlikely it will come to that).  If I do wind up delivering in Ft. Worth, if the cyst doesn't go away, I will actually be having the C-section in an OR at Cook's Children's Hospital.  Which, is world renowned for the amazing doctors and treatments that they have for babies and children.  We already know the name of the doctor that will be taking care of her, and we will probably get to meet him when we go in August for another appointment.  His name is Dr. Miller, and Dr. Tabor told me that they always team up together when they are dealing with a baby that has on of these fluid filled, lymphatic cysts.  He said that of course this is not normal, and it is rare, but he has seen this many times before and every single baby has been just fine, healed perfectly, and had amazing, normal, healthy lives.  We feel that God has placed us in the hands of amazing doctors who are going to take amazing care of me, but more importantly, take exceptional care of our precious Seiden.  We are truly blessed that we have the technology that found this so that we can be proactive and it will be completely taken care of and she will be just fine!

And let me say...she is just getting more and more beautiful!  Of course...we are so partial...but she is just so perfect in every way.  The plus side of all of this is that we are getting to see our precious girl every couple of weeks.  We are getting to see how much she is developing, how much she has grown (which is a ton in two weeks!), and how much more she continues to wiggle around.  She is quite the little wiggle worm gymnast!!!  Her heart rate was 157 and the chambers of her heart were just going a mile a minute.  It was amazing to see him zoom in on her heart and see the four chambers so perfectly.  They were so beautiful and working perfectly...all the veins to and from her heart were also working just as they should.  Her organs were also absolutely perfect.  We got to see how the blood was flowing to and from them, and he said that they were all working perfectly and measuring just how they should for how far along I am and how much she weighs and is measuring.  What's crazy is that she is weighing and measuring exactly spot on for how far along I am.  We figured we were probably off by a few days...even a week maybe.  But on Wednesday when we went, I was 23 weeks and 3 days and that's exactly what she was measuring!  The only stinky part was that Cody wasn't able to go to this appointment.  He was on speaker phone the whole time...but there was no way he could get to Ft. Worth from Amarillo on a Wednesday afternoon.  But, my parents were there with me...so they got to see Seiden for the first time during the actual sonogram!  They've seen the pics from the others of course.  But, this was the first time that they got to see her inside me and moving and wiggling all around...they absolutely loved it!  It was really nice to have them there and be two more sets of ears along with Cody on speaker phone to fully absorb what Dr. Tabor was saying.  It was also fun spending the day with them...cause you know we did some shopping for the nursery after the appointment!  We also went to Cabela's...which is always fun!  Our precious girl is growing perfectly, developing normally, healthy as can be, and absolutely perfect and beautiful in every way.  Seiden Grace...we fall more and more in love with you every single second of every day.  You have captured our hearts in more ways than you will ever know and we love you more than words could ever express!

Seiden Grace at 23 Weeks:

• You are 9.5 inches long and weigh 1.5 pounds!!!
• You are the size of an ear of corn!
• Your gorgeous face is almost fully formed...and we think you have my nose and your sweet daddy's chin!
• You are gaining about 6 ounces a week...and I can tell when you are growing...and I love it!!!
• Your ears are also much more developed and you are hearing more and more things that are going on inside of me as well as in this world that you are about to grace with your beautiful presence.
• You are moving more and more and I can feel so much of it...and it's my favorite thing that happens all day!  There have even been a few times when you've bumped my arm and it's literally moved from your sweet little wiggles!
• You are the love of our lives precious girl!  You are loved by so many and there are so many amazing and precious people who are lifting you up in prayer each and everyday.  You are one lucky, special, and amazing little girl and we can't wait to see what big plans God has for you!  We love you so much Seiden Grace!!!

Only 17 More Weeks To Go!!!

Seiden's beautiful profile!!!  She gets more and more beautiful every time we see her!!!

We caught her sucking her thumb!  It's the first time that she's done that!  We also saw her grabbing at her feet and playing with her hands...precious baby!

Her beautiful little face!!!

Look at that foot!  I swear she's gonna be a runner...her feet are starting to get high arches like mine!  But...they're still so big...we don't know where she gets them!!!  So cute!!!



I LOVE Papayas...PAPAYAS!!! (Week 22)

Now that I'm officially halfway through this pregnancy...the weeks are truly flying by!  I can't believe that I'm into week 22 of being pregnant.  But...I am absolutely loving every second!  I feel so amazing and am truly blessed everyday that God has given me such an easy and wonderful pregnancy thus far.  I am still able to do all the things that I did pre-pregnancy, which is so wonderful.  The only thing that's different is the intensity of my workouts...which has been the case since day 1.  So, I've gotten used to taking it a little slower and paying close attention to my breathing and heart rate.  Other than that, my life is completely normal with the exception of this adorable growing bump with our precious daughter growing inside!

This week, we were all pretty busy.  Cody was able to come home from Amarillo from Thursday-Sunday.  So that was a treat for sure!  He was able to come home so early because of it being the July 4th holiday.  We spent a lot of time together as well as a lot of time with friends and family.  On Thursday night, we went over to Josh and Abbie's new house for the 4th.  They have an amazing home on 25 acres and it was the perfect place to grill out, chow down, spend time with precious friends, and shoot off fireworks.  It was such a fun night and we had so much fun spending time with our precious friends.  We also had some little chores to do...and we finally had time to register this weekend!!!  We spend Friday afternoon going to Kid's Village, Surprises, and Target picking out things that our precious Seiden Grace will need...and then just some things that were so adorable we couldn't not put them on the lists!!! We had so much fun doing it together and picking out things for our sweet daughter...it was definitely a time that will be truly cherished.  We also had a garage sale on Saturday.  Our guest bedroom is now the nursery.  So, we had all the furniture from there as well as some other decorative items and jewelry that we needed to get rid of and just do some summer cleaning.  It was a pretty successful garage sale and we got rid of all the furniture, several decorative items, and a few pieces of jewelry.  My mom and Mimi also got rid of some stuff that they had been needing to clean out for awhile...so we were all pretty happy!  Less clutter and more room...you can't beat that!!!  After that was over, we helped some dear friends move into a new house, ate burgers and swam at my parents, and vegged out in front of the TV with two good movies and just relaxed. It was a busy weekend...but we got lots done, spent lots of time together, and did some much needed resting!

Two other things that were absolute highlights of the weekend...Cody got a brand new truck and he finally got to feel Seiden wiggling around in my tummy!!!  His previous truck was amazing and so nice, but it would have been out of warranty in another 900 miles and he was feeling like the transmission was possibly starting to give him some problems.  He bought his truck, a Lariat Super Duty F250, brand new almost 3 years ago.  But, when you drive as much as he does, it doesn't take long for little things to start going wrong here and there.  Especially with him being in Amarillo and the truck almost being out of warranty, it was a smart decision to get something new that is under warranty.  He won't be stressing when he's driving around town or when he's on the 4 hour trip to and from Amarillo to Abilene.  His new truck is absolutely gorgeous and I love it and am so happy for him to have been able to get it!  He deserves it more than anyone I know.  He works so hard and makes so many sacrifices...there is no one more deserving!  Now, he is driving a F150 King Ranch truck!  It is black with a beige lower panel accent color with the King Ranch premium leather.  It is absolutely gorgeous and it will be perfect for him and our little growing family!!!  And to top off the entire weekend...little Seiden is quite the wiggle worm!  I've been feeling her for awhile now.  It's like little thumps from the inside and mostly when I'm sitting or laying down.  I'm so active 90% of the time, so it's been hard for me to even feel her because I'm not still enough for long enough to feel her!  What I've been feeling the most of, is when she pushes or stretches and where she is becomes hard as a rock and there is lots of pressure coming from the inside.  Whenever she moves, that part of my stomach gets a little softer and I can feel her moving away from wherever she had been.  So, on Sunday during church, we were sitting down listening to the sermon.  I had my legs crossed and Cody had his arm resting over my tummy and his hand on the opposite side of my leg.  All of a sudden, I knew she was moving and could feel that slight pressure coming from the inside.  She's usually always on the right side or right in the center...but her favorite place is anywhere on the right side...which is where Cody's arm was laying over my tummy.  I knew right when he could feel her because I saw him turning to me from the corner of my eye and when I looked at him, the look on his face was of pure joy and one of the most precious things I've ever seen in my life.  He had the biggest smile on his face and immediately starting feeling around to see how much more of her he could feel.  He also felt her when she moved away from where she was and was just in absolute amazement at how our sweet daughter felt inside of me.  She continued to do that off and on during church and he felt it every time she moved.  I'm SO glad that he was finally able to feel her precious little self moving all around inside of me!  It's been an amazing feeling for me to have felt if for some time now, but nothing will ever compare to the joy that was on his face when he was finally able to feel her moving too.  Seiden Grace...you have completely overwhelmed us with love and we just keep falling more and more in love with you everyday!!!

Seiden Grace at 22 Weeks:

• You are 9 inches long and weigh 1.2 pounds!!!
• You are the size of a papaya...and I know you are even sweeter!
• You are also the size of a small doll...which is so much more life size than I have ever imagined you!
• You will start to have some serious growth spurts from now through the next four weeks...doubling in size as well as weight.
• Your blood vessels are continuing to develop.
• Your lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more and more distinct.
• Your tiny tooth buds are also beginning to develop beneath your gums.
• Your beautiful irises have also formed, but still lack pigment.
• You have absolutely captivated us in every way and we cannot wait to meet you, hold you, and love you for the rest of our lives!!!

Only 18 More Weeks To Go!!!

Red, White, and Blue!!!  Me and Seiden at 22 weeks, Bria and Jenner at 31 weeks, and Britain and Quinn at 17 weeks!!!

Belly pic at the gym!!!

I took a pic of my belly when I was laying down and Seiden was pushing or stretching on my right side.  If you look really close, you can see that the right side of my belly is higher than the left!  Sweet girl!!!

Cody's new truck!!!



Spaghetti...Squash That Is!!! (Week 21)

21 weeks pregnant and I couldn't feel more blessed or more amazing!  I swear...this second trimester has been absolutely wonderful!  Like I've said many times...I never felt terrible, sick, or even miserable.  But, I did have weeks where I didn't think I would ever get to a point where I would feel "normal" during pregnancy.  I was absolutely, completely exhausted and had some serious body image issues (which I laugh at now) during the first trimester.  However, this pregnancy has been more than I could have ever asked for, even with those tough times.  I have been able to work out the entire time.  In fact, running and CrossFit have been my saving grace.  Especially during those times when I was really down on myself.  Now, they just give me even more endorphins and feel good hormones that I had before.  I'm definitely taking it a lot easier during my workouts...but that doesn't even bother me one bit.  I am just loving being able to still be active and healthy during this pregnancy.  I do have to say...that she is really pushing on my bladder!  I mean...it's not like I didn't already have to pee all the time with how much water I drink.  But now, it seems like I can go to the restroom and then 5 minutes later I could go again!  And I really notice it when I'm running or jumping rope.  I can just feel the pressure and it gives me the sensation that I need to go...even if I really don't!  I still haven't had any cravings for specific foods...and my aversions to all the things before have pretty much gone away.  Although...I can't seem to get enough salads!  I have been loving eating huge salads with fruit, nuts, avocado, grilled chicken, and balsamic dressing or just plain old fruit infused balsamic vinegar.  I have literally been eating them for lunch and dinner almost everyday.  And a huge bowl of chocolate, peanut butter, banana oatmeal is my breakfast of choice!  So really...my appetite has been how it was before I got pregnant!  I am just eating more food at my meals and I absolutely cannot go without a snack...Miss Seiden likes to eat and makes it very well known when she is hungry!  She has, in fact, been waking me up in the middle of the night several times and wants Honey Nut Cheerios!  So, I guess if I had to pick out a craving...it would be for cereal in the middle of the night!

As for Seiden Grace...she is quite the little mover!  I have been feeling her wiggle around inside of me constantly and I LOVE it!  She mostly moves at night when I am actually still enough to feel our little gymnast.  In fact, she really moves most when I'm laying down to really go to sleep!  I told Cody she's just like her daddy!  He is more of a night person...and I am really starting to think that Miss Seiden is going to be just like him...which is perfectly fine with me!  If she takes after her daddy with any trait, she will be an amazing little girl and will have an amazing example from her daddy.  But...I told him if she is a little night owl...he gets night duty!  I guess I'll just have to start pumping early on so he can be prepared!  Totally kidding...sort of :-)  Not only have I been feeling her move inside of me, but there have been a few times when she's moved that I can feel her on the outside with my hand on my tummy.  It's truly amazing and I can't wait until she's big enough that I can feel her all the time...and Cody can too!  There have also been a couple of times when one part of my stomach will be hard as a rock and the other side is a little softer.  I'm going to assume that when it's like that, that's when she's pushing right up on that side of my tummy...which is incredible!

And...and update on that little cyst under her chin.  Cody and I had our follow up appointment on Monday, June 24th.  She has grown SO much!!!  She was absolutely precious and just beautiful.  You could see her complete profile, her little face when they had a view of her from front on, her hands and fingers, her feet and toes, and of course her sweet little arms, legs, and tummy.  We also got a really good picture of her heart...which is really amazing to see inside her sweet little chest!  And then...we saw the cyst.  We actually saw it first thing because it had obviously gotten bigger.  Of course, this isn't what we prayed or hoped for...so we were pretty bummed when we saw it and noticed how much bigger it had gotten.  However, it will absolutely NOT be a problem at all for her while I'm pregnant.  Even if it gets bigger (which we are praying against that), she will continue to grow healthy, strong, and normal for the rest of the pregnancy.  All it means is that I'll have to have a scheduled C-section and then they will put a breathing tube in her throat and either drain the cyst or surgically remove it.  We are going to see another doctor, not a specialist, in Ft. Worth on July 10th.  At first, we thought we were going to see a specialist...but he is just another OB/GYN.  Which was great news!  This isn't a serious enough situation that we need to see a specialist...just a regular doctor.  The reason that we need to go to Ft. Worth is because they have seen more cases like this where babies develop these cysts.  They know exactly how to deal with them and everything is right there all next to each other.  The other reason we're having to go is because I may possibly have to deliver there.  So, I need to get acquainted with the doctors and their staff as well as meet the Pediatric surgeons that will possibly be removing the cyst.  It all sounds kinda scary, and don't think that I'm brushing it off by talking about it so casually.  We are definitely worried...but more bummed than anything that Dr. Tadvick could possibly not be delivering Seiden.  But, since these doctors in Ft. Worth have dealt with cases like this time and time again, it is just easier and probably safer to deliver there where they know, and have a system down pat, exactly what the cyst is and how to go about taking the best care of her and of me.  We feel so blessed through all of this because we know that this could be something so much more serious.  And there are so many more things that could be going on, this just seems like a bump in the road.

Our sweet Seiden Grace is absolutely healthy and is growing more and more everyday!  I can definitely feel it!!! She is growing like a weed and we are falling more and more in love with her each and everyday.  I think the lovies are really starting to sense and maybe even feel her too.  They've been really nosing at my tummy...they are ready to meet their sweet sister!  They'll be the best big brother and sisters ever...so protective!  I can't believe what a miracle she is and that God has blessed us with having a sweet baby girl.  We both feel so honored that He has chosen and is trusting us to raise her, take care of her, provide for her, love her, and bring her to know Him.  I can't believe that we are less than halfway to getting to meet this precious gift from God.  She has just truly consumed our lives already!  We love talking about her, planning for her, getting her nursery ready, and praying for her and over her.  We love you so much Seiden Grace!!!

Seiden Grace at 21 Weeks:

• You are the size of a small spaghetti squash!!!
• You weigh ONE WHOLE POUND and are 8 inches long!!!
• This week, you are developing the sense of touch.  In fact...your grip is tight enough that you are probably grabbing onto my umbilical cord!
• Your sense of sight is also becoming more developed.
• You can perceive light and dark much better than you could before.
• Your beautiful eyelashes and eyebrows are fully formed by now.
• You may even be sprouting some gorgeous locks on top of that beautiful little head of yours!
• You are quite the little mover!  I am feeling you more and more...mostly at night.  And it is a welcomed and amazing feeling!  I love feeling you wiggle around inside of me!

Only 19 More Weeks To Go!!!

Our beautiful girl!!!  Her profile is just gorgeous!  And...in this one...you can really see that cyst :-( 

Her sweet and beautiful face!!!

Look at her precious hand!  It's like she's waving to us!!!

Cute little feet!!!

Here's her heart!  You can really see how amazing this pic is in person...but it was too precious not to post!

Cody brought home these beautiful flowers for me!  Such an amazing and sweet hubby!  He also brought Seiden home a stuffed animal zebra with a pink bow.  It is adorable! He sure loves his girl!!!