With it being a week to go until we find out whether Baby G will be a little Mr. or a little Miss, and it being our anniversary week off, we decided to start our baby registry. We decided to go with (3) different stores in order to give our Baby Shower guests options. Also, you can never be sure which stores may be closest or convenient for them. All three of our choices have different pros and cons and offer quite a few perks in different ways. We decided to go with Target, Babies R Us, and Buy Buy Baby.
With each of them, we had very different experiences, but all of them turned out to be great in their own ways. So, I wanted to take the time to talk about our experience with each place and the pros and cons!
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
20 Weeks - It's A....
Here we are at the Halfway mark and a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. Last Thursday we had our 20 week ultrasound and on Saturday we had a gender reveal party where we, along with our friends and family found out the sex of Baby Gordon =)
We are super excited to announce that...
We are super excited to announce that...
It's A Baby Girl!
I have to say that I was excited to get to this ultrasound and see our baby girl again, which, was amazing of course, but turns out that baby girl is quite stubborn. We had to go back twice in the same day. The tech was having a super difficult time getting the photos and measurements that she needed. The first time we were in the ultrasound for 2 hours. Talk about hating to hold my urine...I was pretty sure at one point I thought I was going to pee on the poor tech. After she let me pee, I had a little relief. The first two hours, baby was spine up and refusing to cooperate. (Despite the nudges from the tech) I was up on my sides, on my back, tilted here and there annnnnd...Nothing. We ended up having to come back a second time that day. Thankfully less this time, however, even though I ate, walked around, and even picked up a soda on the way, Baby Girl decided to get even more comfortable and curl up in a little ball! [Insert Frustrated, Not Amused Emoji Here] Needless to say, with all the pressing and prodding, my abdomen was not feeling great the next couple of days...But we got to see pictures of her beautiful little profile and feet, and the tech was able to seal an envelope with the secret contents of our little one's gender!
How far along? 20 Weeks!
How big is baby? Baby Girl is the length of a Banana
Total weight gain/loss: Up about 5 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Some comfy maternity shorts and Target Tanks
Sleep: Sleeping a little bit better now, but I'm guessing it's because I'm so exhausted most of the time.
Best moment this week: Finding out we are having a baby GIRL!
Movement: I felt baby Girl move for the first time about a week and a half ago =) It's like popcorn! Daddy felt her move for the first time Saturday night after we found out she was a girl!
Food cravings: Fruits and some Sweets
Food Aversions: None in particular; if she's like her daddy, if it's food, she'll take it!
Gender: BABY GIRL!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Pregnancy Symptoms: EXHAUSTION, gas, lower back pain (Thanks, Scoliosis..)
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Sleeping on my Tummy
What I am looking forward to: Buying some cute outfits for little Miss!
Upcoming appointments/events:We recently found out that I may have a smaller cervix, so we will be having an ultrasound weekly to make sure that it is not shortening.
Milestones: Finding out we're having a Baby Girl, First Kicks (For Mommy and Daddy)
I have to say that I was excited to get to this ultrasound and see our baby girl again, which, was amazing of course, but turns out that baby girl is quite stubborn. We had to go back twice in the same day. The tech was having a super difficult time getting the photos and measurements that she needed. The first time we were in the ultrasound for 2 hours. Talk about hating to hold my urine...I was pretty sure at one point I thought I was going to pee on the poor tech. After she let me pee, I had a little relief. The first two hours, baby was spine up and refusing to cooperate. (Despite the nudges from the tech) I was up on my sides, on my back, tilted here and there annnnnd...Nothing. We ended up having to come back a second time that day. Thankfully less this time, however, even though I ate, walked around, and even picked up a soda on the way, Baby Girl decided to get even more comfortable and curl up in a little ball! [Insert Frustrated, Not Amused Emoji Here] Needless to say, with all the pressing and prodding, my abdomen was not feeling great the next couple of days...But we got to see pictures of her beautiful little profile and feet, and the tech was able to seal an envelope with the secret contents of our little one's gender!
How far along? 20 Weeks!
How big is baby? Baby Girl is the length of a Banana
Total weight gain/loss: Up about 5 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Some comfy maternity shorts and Target Tanks
Sleep: Sleeping a little bit better now, but I'm guessing it's because I'm so exhausted most of the time.
Best moment this week: Finding out we are having a baby GIRL!
Movement: I felt baby Girl move for the first time about a week and a half ago =) It's like popcorn! Daddy felt her move for the first time Saturday night after we found out she was a girl!
Food cravings: Fruits and some Sweets
Food Aversions: None in particular; if she's like her daddy, if it's food, she'll take it!
Gender: BABY GIRL!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Pregnancy Symptoms: EXHAUSTION, gas, lower back pain (Thanks, Scoliosis..)
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Sleeping on my Tummy
What I am looking forward to: Buying some cute outfits for little Miss!
Upcoming appointments/events:We recently found out that I may have a smaller cervix, so we will be having an ultrasound weekly to make sure that it is not shortening.
Milestones: Finding out we're having a Baby Girl, First Kicks (For Mommy and Daddy)
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
17 Weeks
Beginnings of the Nursery:
How big is baby? The Size of a Pear!
Total weight gain/loss: Still only up about 3 lbs.
Maternity clothes? I haven't bought any more Maternity clothes just yet but picked up some comfy fitted tanks from Target this week.
Sleep: Having hard time sleeping, a little painful in the sciatic region when I wake up on my back.
Best moment this week: Working on the baby's room and putting together the closet space.
Movement: Not yet, but I'm hoping it's coming soon =)
Food cravings: Fruits and Gouda cheese at the moment
Food Aversions: Just not a hearty appetite in general...
Gender: Couple of Weeks
Labor Signs: Nope!
Pregnancy Symptoms: Beginning of a baby bump, bathroom trips, EXHAUSTION
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: A good night's sleep, Feta Cheese
What I am looking forward to: Feeling baby move for the first time =)
Upcoming appointments/events: 20 Week Ultrasound on August 20th, Gender Reveal on August 22nd
Milestones: Taking Pregnancy Announcement Photos, Starting to put together baby G's room, Starting to show =)
15 Weeks
Last Thursday marked 15 weeks for our little Apple Baby. I am just getting over some awful awful nausea. We began working on the baby's bedroom as Daddy is seemingly more anxious and in nesting mode than I am. I'm not going to lie, it's the sweetest thing I've ever seen and I admire him for wanting to be "ready." I'm trying to take in and remember as much of this as possible. Though, I'll admit, I'm not doing anywhere near as much as I'd hoped. My plan was to blog, take weekly pictures, write down every memory, and maybe even keep a journal. So far, not so much. But, I guess that's what happens when you're in the thick of it. We are so very excited, even though I'll admit that it still is a very surreal situation for me. I'm hoping when I feel the baby move within the next couple of weeks, this little baby that we've been waiting for will finally feel real to me.
We saw the baby for the first time at about 11 weeks. My sweet Sean was so excited that he pratically jumped up on the table behind me. There the baby was, our sweet little one bouncing up and down and all over the place inside me. What an active little baby! The doctor told us that the baby was right on track with growth and the heartbeat was great. Last week, we got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. The nurse practitioner let us know that baby's heartbeat was around 150.
How far along? 15 Weeks
How big is baby? The Size of an Apple!
Total weight gain/loss: After losing about 4-5lbs during the first trimester due to the nausea, I'm now up 3 lbs from my pre-baby weight.
Maternity clothes? I just bought my first pair of maternity shorts this weekend and two comfy shirts =)
Sleep: Sleep is touch and go again. I find myself waking up around the same times. 3am is a pretty constant time. I live for the nights when I sleep super deep (aside from getting up to use the bathroom)
Best moment this week: Having Sean paint the baby's room and scheduling our 20 week ultrasound!
Movement: Not yet, but Grandma keeps asking me everyday. I'm waiting!
Food cravings: Food is still touch and go, but I do love any type of fruit!
Food Aversions: Nothing super specific just yet...
Gender: We'll find out in a couple weeks!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Pregnancy Symptoms: Light Nausea, Frequent Trips to the Bathroom, Headaches, and my bump starting to stick out =)
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: A good night's sleep!
What I am looking forward to: Feeling baby move for the first time =)
Upcoming appointments/events: 20 Week Ultrasound on August 20th, Gender Reveal on August 22nd if baby is hopefully cooperative!
Milestones: Taking Pregnancy Announcement Photos, Starting to put together baby G's room, Starting to show =)
We saw the baby for the first time at about 11 weeks. My sweet Sean was so excited that he pratically jumped up on the table behind me. There the baby was, our sweet little one bouncing up and down and all over the place inside me. What an active little baby! The doctor told us that the baby was right on track with growth and the heartbeat was great. Last week, we got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. The nurse practitioner let us know that baby's heartbeat was around 150.
How big is baby? The Size of an Apple!
Total weight gain/loss: After losing about 4-5lbs during the first trimester due to the nausea, I'm now up 3 lbs from my pre-baby weight.
Maternity clothes? I just bought my first pair of maternity shorts this weekend and two comfy shirts =)
Sleep: Sleep is touch and go again. I find myself waking up around the same times. 3am is a pretty constant time. I live for the nights when I sleep super deep (aside from getting up to use the bathroom)
Best moment this week: Having Sean paint the baby's room and scheduling our 20 week ultrasound!
Movement: Not yet, but Grandma keeps asking me everyday. I'm waiting!
Food cravings: Food is still touch and go, but I do love any type of fruit!
Food Aversions: Nothing super specific just yet...
Gender: We'll find out in a couple weeks!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Pregnancy Symptoms: Light Nausea, Frequent Trips to the Bathroom, Headaches, and my bump starting to stick out =)
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: A good night's sleep!
What I am looking forward to: Feeling baby move for the first time =)
Upcoming appointments/events: 20 Week Ultrasound on August 20th, Gender Reveal on August 22nd if baby is hopefully cooperative!
Milestones: Taking Pregnancy Announcement Photos, Starting to put together baby G's room, Starting to show =)
Sunday, May 24, 2015
...And Then There Were Three
Two weeks ago, while watching my baby niece, I decided it was time to test again. As I sat there watching the lines appear, I couldn't believe what I saw. 2 lines appeared. The two lines I've been waiting to see for over 3 years. With my niece in the doorway, I was in disbelief. It seemed surreal; and still does. We did it, finally!
I'm not sure what finally clicked for us. We had decided to take a short break. I had decided to switch my OBGYN. My new OBGYN was finally being more proactive. I ended up having an HSG procedure to make sure my tubes weren't blocked. The good news? They weren't. However I did spend the next month and a half healing and dealing with the after effects of the procedure. We decided it was time to try again. After jump starting my cycle with Progestin, I started another round of Clomid. This time, we had an ultrasound which showed two follicles, a good sized one and one still developing. I tested positive with an Ovulation Predictor kit! This time, I went in for an HCG shot. I experienced some light cramping within the next couple of weeks, but it felt different. 3 weeks later, a positive test =)
I told my Sean first. I had bought 49er onesies about 6 months ago. He was very excited when he realized. =)
How far along? 7 Weeks
How big is baby? The Size of a BLUEBERRY!
Total weight gain/loss: None yet!
Maternity clothes? Not yet!
Sleep: I initially had some trouble with restlessness, but recently I've been sleeping pretty great (aside from getting up to pee multiple times during the night)
Best moment this week: Getting closer to our first ultrasound date! It seems like so far away!
Movement: Not yet!
Food cravings: Not especially yet. I've had a hard time eating foods.
Food Aversions: Most foods, due to the nausea.
Gender: Too soon to tell!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Pregnancy Symptoms: Nausea, Exhaustion, Gas, Twinges
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Deli Meats and Sushi
What I am looking forward to: Our first ultrasound =)
Upcoming appointments/events: Our first appointment this Wednesday and first ultrasound June 18th!
Milestones: Telling Immediate Family
I told my Sean first. I had bought 49er onesies about 6 months ago. He was very excited when he realized. =)
How far along? 7 Weeks
How big is baby? The Size of a BLUEBERRY!
Total weight gain/loss: None yet!
Maternity clothes? Not yet!
Sleep: I initially had some trouble with restlessness, but recently I've been sleeping pretty great (aside from getting up to pee multiple times during the night)
Best moment this week: Getting closer to our first ultrasound date! It seems like so far away!
Movement: Not yet!
Food cravings: Not especially yet. I've had a hard time eating foods.
Food Aversions: Most foods, due to the nausea.
Gender: Too soon to tell!
Labor Signs: Nope!
Pregnancy Symptoms: Nausea, Exhaustion, Gas, Twinges
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Deli Meats and Sushi
What I am looking forward to: Our first ultrasound =)
Upcoming appointments/events: Our first appointment this Wednesday and first ultrasound June 18th!
Milestones: Telling Immediate Family
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
New Year, New Beginnings...Hello 2015!
It's been awhile since I've posted. The end of last year got pretty hectic for us. In October we put on our annual Gordon Haunted House where we seriously spooked more than 500 people! We're very excited about the expansion of our once small expirement which has now grown to be a haunted house of over 2000 square feet through our property! We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with our family-November brought a visit from my cousin Sarah and her husband Isaiah for Thanksgiving.
At the end of October, I decided I would be taking the last of the horomones and Clomid. Nothing had worked for us up to this point and I really just felt like my body needed a reset perhaps. It would be nice to not have to stress about the meticulous charting and marking of the calendar. Mid November, I was talking with my brother's fiance Monique (who should be having their baby any day now!) and she didn't have a shortage of nicer things to say about her doctor. I had looked up their information and decided to go in for a second opinion.
The doctor I had been working with previously had been less than responsive. I would send her detailed recounts of how my cycles were going to which she would respond that we would see how next cycle went. I was getting frustrated that she wasn't checking my levels, I had only received two ultrasounds during the five cycles of Clomid, and was just overall unresponsive. When I simply stopped writing her providing her with updates, that was that and I just simply never heard from her.
I needed someone who was going to be more proactive.
Beginning of December, we went in for an appointment with Doctor Gordon (yes, same last name =) ) We talked about what I had been through previously, took a look at my charting, etc. She suggested bloodwork to start on specific days during my cycle. This, was already more than I had experienced with my last doctor. My cycles had defaulted back to their original sporadic timing despite the Progesterone discipline over the last year so this new doctor had me start taking Progestin-this time a synthetic form of Progesterone. That got things moving again, and I am now just shortly after the first blood test I was instructed to do...Mid January, I will go in for the second round and then hopefully we'll have some answers.....
That's all for the baby journey update for now. Among other things, Sean and I had a bout of less than unfortunate luck at the end of 2014. (I find that actually a lot of people had a very difficult ending to last year) On Sean's birthday we came home that evening to our ceiling "bubbled" up. "SHIT" we thought. What is going on? We had just experienced some pretty heavy rainfall (though quite insignificant in comparison to what the news stations were predicting-but a lot of rain nontheless considering we've been in a drought) and now our ceiling looked like it might have decided to take on an excess of water to make up for the dryness. (Way to overcompensate Home..)
It turns out, not only did we have some serious roof leakage around the AC unit on the roof, but we had also had a pipe burst in our attic. Wonderful. The insurance company that we're with has been less than helpful. I've never been more disappointed by a lack of communication in my life. You know when a nasty rumor spreads in high school and the situation becomes so overwhelmed with he said, she said and seriously lacking in actual FACT? Yeah, it's kind of like that. Anyway, long story short, we were left with crazy loud dehumidifiers that didn't work, dried out our Christmas tree, and left our wood flooring in the kitchen warped (for which the company replied that there was no problem at all) and are currently having our kitchen walls and ceiling knocked out completely. Awesome.
The good news is that we have my baby niece arriving any time soon! I'm hoping that this year brings new beginnings and and promise. My goal for this year is to push my optimism to new limits. I have a way of letting certain thing get me down and have a hard time fighting my mind that certain things are possible. Sean and I are a good team. I believe we're tested with adversity and that it's the down times in life that help us appreciate the good ones.
Happy New Year =)
At the end of October, I decided I would be taking the last of the horomones and Clomid. Nothing had worked for us up to this point and I really just felt like my body needed a reset perhaps. It would be nice to not have to stress about the meticulous charting and marking of the calendar. Mid November, I was talking with my brother's fiance Monique (who should be having their baby any day now!) and she didn't have a shortage of nicer things to say about her doctor. I had looked up their information and decided to go in for a second opinion.
The doctor I had been working with previously had been less than responsive. I would send her detailed recounts of how my cycles were going to which she would respond that we would see how next cycle went. I was getting frustrated that she wasn't checking my levels, I had only received two ultrasounds during the five cycles of Clomid, and was just overall unresponsive. When I simply stopped writing her providing her with updates, that was that and I just simply never heard from her.
I needed someone who was going to be more proactive.
Beginning of December, we went in for an appointment with Doctor Gordon (yes, same last name =) ) We talked about what I had been through previously, took a look at my charting, etc. She suggested bloodwork to start on specific days during my cycle. This, was already more than I had experienced with my last doctor. My cycles had defaulted back to their original sporadic timing despite the Progesterone discipline over the last year so this new doctor had me start taking Progestin-this time a synthetic form of Progesterone. That got things moving again, and I am now just shortly after the first blood test I was instructed to do...Mid January, I will go in for the second round and then hopefully we'll have some answers.....
That's all for the baby journey update for now. Among other things, Sean and I had a bout of less than unfortunate luck at the end of 2014. (I find that actually a lot of people had a very difficult ending to last year) On Sean's birthday we came home that evening to our ceiling "bubbled" up. "SHIT" we thought. What is going on? We had just experienced some pretty heavy rainfall (though quite insignificant in comparison to what the news stations were predicting-but a lot of rain nontheless considering we've been in a drought) and now our ceiling looked like it might have decided to take on an excess of water to make up for the dryness. (Way to overcompensate Home..)
It turns out, not only did we have some serious roof leakage around the AC unit on the roof, but we had also had a pipe burst in our attic. Wonderful. The insurance company that we're with has been less than helpful. I've never been more disappointed by a lack of communication in my life. You know when a nasty rumor spreads in high school and the situation becomes so overwhelmed with he said, she said and seriously lacking in actual FACT? Yeah, it's kind of like that. Anyway, long story short, we were left with crazy loud dehumidifiers that didn't work, dried out our Christmas tree, and left our wood flooring in the kitchen warped (for which the company replied that there was no problem at all) and are currently having our kitchen walls and ceiling knocked out completely. Awesome.
The good news is that we have my baby niece arriving any time soon! I'm hoping that this year brings new beginnings and and promise. My goal for this year is to push my optimism to new limits. I have a way of letting certain thing get me down and have a hard time fighting my mind that certain things are possible. Sean and I are a good team. I believe we're tested with adversity and that it's the down times in life that help us appreciate the good ones.
Happy New Year =)
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
3's a Charm?
If you have read my previous posts, you know that Sean and I have been trying to start our family for a while now. It turns out that I have PCOS and this journey is proving to be a little more difficult for us than we had originally anticipated. We decided early this summer to give Clomid a try. The first cycle didn't work for us, the second cycle (with a double dose) showed progress, but no baby and the return of the evil red lady, and now I'm heading into my third round of hoping...
Before the Clomid, we had been at this for quite sometime. I've been on progesterone to regulate my cycles, have used an endless amount of OVPK (ovulation predictor kits), have tried acupuncture, and have stared at many a negative pregnancy test. To say it's been frustrating is an understatement.
Right now, I feel like I'm at this very "indifferent" state. Who knows? Maybe it's me protecting myself from my own wishful thinking; from getting my hopes up. Maybe we've been focusing on this for too long. Most likely we'll be one of those couples who "give up" and then it just magically happens. I've decided to go through this round and see what happens. If we're not successful this time, maybe it's time for a break; a reset.
On a positive note, my brother is expecting his first little girl in January with his fiance Monique. We are so excited for them and can't wait to welcome this new little gift into our lives. I'm hoping this might give me a good dose of baby satisfaction. =)
Also, this weekend was my Mom and Dirk's 17th Anniversary! Sean and I got to spend Friday night through Monday morning with my two younger siblings. We got to "play house" with our pretend family of four. With a six year old who never stops talking and a 14 year old teenager permanently attached to electronic devices, it was exhausting! But, we had a really good time. We did crafts, watched movies and really enjoyed the Labor day weekend. I was able to give my sister a ton of my clothes from my High School years (you know, those jeans you're convinced you'll unrealistically fit into again someday) and we did face masks together while Sean and Zach spent 4 hours creating on Minecraft. A nice, welcome reality check =)
Here's to having something to look forward to and to more optimistic thinking...
Before the Clomid, we had been at this for quite sometime. I've been on progesterone to regulate my cycles, have used an endless amount of OVPK (ovulation predictor kits), have tried acupuncture, and have stared at many a negative pregnancy test. To say it's been frustrating is an understatement.
Right now, I feel like I'm at this very "indifferent" state. Who knows? Maybe it's me protecting myself from my own wishful thinking; from getting my hopes up. Maybe we've been focusing on this for too long. Most likely we'll be one of those couples who "give up" and then it just magically happens. I've decided to go through this round and see what happens. If we're not successful this time, maybe it's time for a break; a reset.
On a positive note, my brother is expecting his first little girl in January with his fiance Monique. We are so excited for them and can't wait to welcome this new little gift into our lives. I'm hoping this might give me a good dose of baby satisfaction. =)
Also, this weekend was my Mom and Dirk's 17th Anniversary! Sean and I got to spend Friday night through Monday morning with my two younger siblings. We got to "play house" with our pretend family of four. With a six year old who never stops talking and a 14 year old teenager permanently attached to electronic devices, it was exhausting! But, we had a really good time. We did crafts, watched movies and really enjoyed the Labor day weekend. I was able to give my sister a ton of my clothes from my High School years (you know, those jeans you're convinced you'll unrealistically fit into again someday) and we did face masks together while Sean and Zach spent 4 hours creating on Minecraft. A nice, welcome reality check =)
Here's to having something to look forward to and to more optimistic thinking...
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