Bebs' Baby Shower!

Mommy asking Daddy, "Are you ready for the shower?"

Daddy's favorite present--my pink princess spa!

Mommy and Daddy checking out a book for me

I love my Mommy and Daddy.

"Home For A Bunny" was Mommy's favorite book when she was little.

"I Am A Bunny" was Daddy's favorite book when he was little.
Who knew they both loved bunnies?

GiGi made this for me to hang in my nursery!
Mommy showed a brave face here, but cried later. :)

My Aunt Kate measuring how big Mommy's belly is!

Kisses from Daddy! I can't wait until he kisses my face!
Although Mommy tells me it is "scratchy." I'm not sure what that means!

Yummy cake that Mommy's friend Rachael made!

Mommy and Daddy with their best girlfriends

Mommy and her 4 best friends,
Jess, Rachael, Brie and Schlupp!

GiGi, Mommy and me with the dessert table
and my new bedding!

GiGi, Mommy and me!
I can't wait til you can see my face in pictures!

Mommy and her BFF Rachael with the delicious cake!

**Photos taken by the wonderful Heather Schlupp
**Captions written by Bebs ;)

My wonderful mom threw Jason, Bebs and I a beautiful baby shower this past weekend! Mom, Nana and Debbie decorated my aunt's house like a little girl's nursery--it was adorable! They hung up the crib bedding we registered for, and even put up the valences in the windows!

My Nana made adorable little bassinet baskets filled with candy for the ladies to take home as favors. So cute!

My friend Rachael, "the baker," made a delicious vanilla cake with raspberry filling. Yum! Jess made her famous chicken salad, and there were lots of little finger foods, including Jason's favorite--Doreen's devilled eggs. :)

We received SO many beautiful presents from everyone! I can't believe it. Our house looks like a Babies R Us now! Bedding, glider, carseat, swing, high chair, stroller, monitors, boppy, spa, swaddles, daddy diaper bag, play mat, diaper genie, Ergo carrier, bottles, toys, stuffed animals, first aid items, awesome owl night light, sound machine and lots of absolutely adorable clothes! Instead of bringing a card, everyone was asked to bring a book instead. Bebs' library is instantly filled! She got so many wonderful books that we can't wait to read to her!

**HUGE Thank you to Mom, Debbie and Donna for loading up the truck and delivering our gifts the next day!! We love you ladies!

I am so grateful and so touched by not only the wonderful gifts we received, but also the love and support that we've been given during this whole pregnancy! Hubs and I are truly blessed with wonderful families and friends and couldn't be happier that the same people who have helped shape and influence us, will be able to do the same for our daughter.

20 Weeks

Ohhhh oh! We're halfway there...

Bebs: Baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. S/he's also around 6.5 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against the torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of the head to his/her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, s/he's measured from head to toe.) Bebs is swallowing more these days, which is good practice for the digestive system. S/he's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in the bowels, and we'll see it in his/her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

What's going on in there?

Hebs and Hubs: We went out shopping this past weekend to take advantage of some Labor Day sales. We were on a mission for a new couch for our upstairs awkward living room (not the room the TV is in). We found an awesome red couch at Ashley Furniture! Hopefully we are able to pick the couch up this weekend and can bid adieu to the flowered couch, AKA "the pee couch." Unfortunately Dex has marked his territory one too many times on that poor couch. He won't be allowed anywhere NEAR our new red couch!

Hubs on the couch! (No, those pillows will not be coming home with us!)

After our couch find, Jason and I headed to Ikea. OMG! Have you ever been to an Ikea? It was an airport! There was even a cafe and a child care center! We could not believe how huge it was. We looked at some of the living room furniture before making our way to the baby furniture. Adorable, functional, affordable...we were in love! We found a crib, changing table, and two dressers that we'd like to get for the nursery!

Crib and changing table we liked!

Jason and I went out for dinner with my grandparents, Nana and Pop-Pop, this past week, too. They spoiled us and gave us gifts: a changing table, boxes of diapers, and even a breast pump for me! I think we may keep this changing table downstairs (to make it easier on us), and then have another changing table in the baby's nursery. I've been reading on my birth board that a lot of moms don't feel the need for one, but a changing table was one thing I was weirdly looking forward to! So I plan on having two. :)

I also hung out with my parents this past weekend, too, while Jason was at his fantasy football draft. We went to Olive Garden for lunch (yum!) and then looked around Babies R Us for awhile. After wrestling with it and reading the instructions, we figured out how to collapse and re-position the stroller I wanted to register for. I also found the carseat I liked. Bonus: the carseat will fit into the stroller! Once we knew what we were doing, it was very easy to manuever. :) Then of course, we had to check out the adorable little outfits! Thank you for an awesome afternoon, Mom and Dad!

Pug keychain for the diaper bag and beanie baby pug for Bebs!

Hebs: I cannot believe that I am already 20 weeks! I feel like the first 20 weeks just flew by, which makes me hopeful that the next 20 weeks will fly by! Well, they can start flying on by AFTER the nursery is painted and decorated. ;)

The morning sickness and headaches seem to have stopped--knock on wood! Feeling my skin stretch around my belly has been weird, but usually lotion helps. I'm still having skin issues, which is incredibly annoying. I'd like to know when the glowing phase starts? I thought pregnant ladies were supposed to glow?! My face is breaking out worse than when I was a teenager, my already thick hair is basically now a bush growing on top of my head, and I already feel like I am waddling a bit! Ah, pregnancy. :)

Exciting News: Hubs and I are able to find out this Friday what the gender of Bebs is!!! We cannot wait! Ever since I took the pregnancy test, and it was positive!, I've been so sure that Bebs is a boy. If it is a boy, we already have a name picked, nursery theme idea, etc. We are totally set. If Bebs is a girl, we will still be ecstatic, but will need to get moving on nursery ideas and a name!

While I've been picturing Bebs as a boy this entire time, the many times I've dreamed about the baby, it's always been a girl. I have a very vivid recurring dream of Jason, Dexter, and a toddler girl (wearing a teal jacket, pink hat, and pink pants!) playing in the leaves in our backyard. (The backyard is also fenced in, which ours isn't now, but we'd like to do it in the future). I'm watching them play from the deck and then I yell "Jason! *girl name!* Time for dinner!" and they come running in. The girl has blue eyes like Jason and thick, wavy hair like me. Weird? Cool? Foreshadowing what is to come? I don't know. I definitely like having that dream, though. :) Oh, and it is totally true what they say about your dreams being incredibly more vivid during pregnancy!

Gender Reveal: Hubs and I decided to have a small get together Friday night for our parents, siblings (that are in the area!), and a handful of friends to tell them Bebs' gender! We asked everyone to wear pink or blue to show their guess, and I made a few props as well. I will definitely post the news and pictures after we're able to call the rest of our family to tell them the news! :)

Introducing a new segment....
At our yoga class, the instructor told us about keeping a "gratitude journal," where we just jot down things at the end of each day that we were thankful for. They can be little things, silly things, big things, important things...it doesn't matter. I think it is a good exercise in helping me keep in mind that pregnancy and the little banana inside of me is a miracle and that each day I have so many things to be thankful for that sometimes are taken for granted.

List of Gratitude

1. My parents and grand-parents. They have been a huge support emotionally and even financially, by purchasing some baby things for us. They do it out of the goodness of their heart and I wish I could express just how much I love my family and what they mean to me.

2. Jason. I know I've been super irritable lately, especially about my appearance, but I appreciate that you still tell me I'm beautiful and that you love me. I appreciate that you also have been helping me a great deal with housework and taking care of Dexter when I just don't have the energy.

3. My home. I'm beyond thankful that I am able to live in a beautiful home and have people willing to help us make it even better by moving furniture, painting, doing yardwork, etc. It's just a huge weight off of my shoulders that we have wonderful friends and family who are willing to help us.

***A big CONGRATULATIONS to our friend Jeff on becoming an uncle! His sister Lisa and brother-in-law Steve welcomed their daughter, Lily, into the world this morning! Happy Birthday, Lily!***

19 Weeks

19 week bump!

Bebs: Bebs' sensory development is exploding! The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that s/he may be able to hear my voice now! The baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his/her body now. The kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his/her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

How's it lookin' in there?

Hebs: I gained 2 pounds!! It must be that one avocado and all the donuts I ate! ;) For the most part I've been feeling ok. Feeling my belly skin stretching is weird, pregnancy acne issues are back and I've been super irritable lately. Fun! Morning sickness, nausea and headaches seem to have passed, though...knock on wood!

Hubs and I were fortunate to see our family from Maryland this past weekend! Shane, Tara and baby Seth came to stay with us to visit their family and friends in PA. Tara, who gave birth in March, looked absolutely fantastic! (you do, Mama!) It was great to be around a baby and see all of the funny faces and smiles that Seth makes. He just seems like SUCH a happy baby. He seemed to enjoy checking out Dexter and would rub his chubby little hands in Dexter's fur when he got the chance. Dexter didn't seem to notice Seth....except when I was rocking him in his rock n' play. Then all of a sudden, Dexter, who is a total Daddy's boy, wanted to sit in my lap and steal all of my attention. I think he will be in for a rude awakening come January!

Dexter freely jumped up on the couch all on his own for this picture!
Ebersole babies!

Uncle Jason, Aunt Heather and their nephew Seth!

I can't wait to have a picture like this with my own little girl or boy!

Seth babbling to Uncle Jason

Om nom nom... Uncle Jason's glasses are yummy!

 

The song "In My Life" by the Beatles came on the radio during my drive in to work this morning and I immediately got all misty-eyed. I started thinking about how much I love Bebs and began wondering who Bebs would look like and take after. Will our baby be logical like Daddy or an emotional mess like Mommy? Will our baby ride bikes after school with neighborhood friends like Daddy did growing up, or will s/he keep a flashlight and chapter book hidden under the bed so s/he can read under the covers like Mommy did when she was little? Will Bebs have Daddy's blue eyes or Mommy's brown eyes?

Maybe our child will be musical like Uncle Shane, or be an excellent public speaker like Uncle Ryan? Maybe Bebs will take after one of his/her grandparents and be kind and independent like Mimi or be a drummer in a rock band like Pop-pop? I can only hope Bebs will take after Gramps by being hard-working and generous, or have the ability to light up a room with his/her smile like Grammy.

We are able to find out the gender in 9 short days! Both of us are beyond excited. We are planning on having a little party to reveal the gender. Still deciding if we want to find out at the ultrasound, and then just tell everyone the news; or if we want to have the tech write the gender on a piece of paper for us to have revealed to us in a creative way in front of everyone? Balloons? Confetti? Baby outfits? Decisions, decisions. :)



16 Weeks

4 months down, 5 to go!

Bebs: Bebs is experiencing a growth spurt! In the next few weeks, baby will double his/her weight and add inches to his/her length. Bebs is about the size of an avocado--about 4 1/2 inches long and weighs about 3 1/2 ounces. Legs are much more developed, the head is more erect than it has been, and his/her eyes have moved closer to the front of the head. Ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of the scalp has begun. Bebs even started growing toenails! And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, the heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as Bebs continues to develop.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think I've been feeling Bebs squirm around in there. Occasionally I will feel little bubbles or flutters. I definitely feel pressure in there, pretty much all the time. The other day I was eating strawberries and all of a sudden I felt this weird, almost barrel roll type movement in my uterus; like Bebs flipped over or something. It was crazy! Maybe s/he either really likes or really dislikes strawberries?!



Hebs: I will take back the nausea, dry heaving, vomitting, metal mouth taste, and food adversions if I can get rid of these headaches. Seriously. Please? Any pregnant ladies out there want to trade symptoms? I feel like I've had the same headache for two weeks straight. It's never really gone; some days its just less and bearable, and other days all I want to do is just lay there and try to numb the pain with ice. It feels like my brain is too big and is expanding outwards to crush my skull. It's just awful. I've tried Tylenol (the only medication you can take while pregnant), icing my neck and forehead, massaging Emu oil into my neck and forehead, both drinking caffeine and avoiding caffeine, and drowning myself with water. The only way I've gotten relief so far is by taking two Tylenol PM's at night and sleeping in a cold, dark room. But even then I wake up with a headache.

I know I have issues with my neck thanks to my double vision as a child (my head was constantly tilted to the right to try to see correctly--it wasn't until after my surgery that my doctor realized I did that!) and the car accident I was in last year (hitting an airbag feels more like hitting a brick wall than a cloud, which is what I always thought!). The new chiropractor I'm seeing is definitely helping with that aspect. I was adjusted last night by the other doctor in the practice and he actually did a mini eye exam on me when he heard about how severe my headaches have been. Never did that with a chiropractor before! He seemed a little concerned until I told him I wear glasses, had surgery, etc. and that this was as good as it was going to get. He "massaged" (aka dug his hand into my muscle until tears came to my eyes) the right side of my neck, upper back and shoulder to try to get that muscle to relax. Apparently that muscle (I believe it's the trapezius muscle if I remember back to my chiropractic assisting days ;)) is wound too tight from years of supporting my weird head tilt and horrible posture! We also talked about how I sit at the computer and how I need to move things closer to me so I stop straining my neck muscles, and my eyes for that matter. Interesting stuff!

I have an appointment with the OBGYN tonight so I will definitely be asking if there is another medication I could take to help with these headaches.

Ok, since I did enough complaining, here are some things I am thankful for!

1. My awesome Dad for painting our new bedroom for us. It was SUCH a huge help, I can't even express how grateful we are. My Dad is a rare breed--he genuinely enjoys helping others. I don't think he knows how to sit still!

2. My mom for buying me maternity clothes, listening to me complain, and always reminding me to drink water. :)

"Just keep drinking" is our motto! Water, that is!

3. My cousin Christi for letting me borrow all of her maternity clothes. I officially do not fit in ANY of my pants unless I'm wearing a belly band or have maternity pants on. I truly appreciate it!

4. My girlfriends, the dom5, for sending me a gorgeous flower arrangement last month.

5. My boys. Just because. I've been irritable and cranky and both of you continue to put up with me and want to lick my face. Well, sometimes. :)

13 Weeks

Here I am at my desk!

Bebs: Baby is the size of a shrimp this week...which is probably fitting because I've been craving seafood lately! This past week I've had crab cakes, crab legs, crab dip, shrimp and lobster bisque...oh my! :) Bebs now has fingerprints on the tips of his/her tiny fingertips! Veins and organs are also clearly visible through his/her thin layer of skin. Bebs' head makes up just a third of his/her body size now. Bebs is 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. I still don't believe I've felt any definite movement yet, but I can tell something is going on in there!

What's going on in there?

 Hebs:  I felt pretty sick this week. I stayed home from work on Monday due to some morning sickness issues and an intense migraine. Hubs and I went to the beach over the weekend with my family and I wonder if I got over-heated or dehydrated? So I spent most of my time Monday in the bathroom or on the couch. I also called the chiropractor a few times (with no answer) to see if I could get in to get adjusted to help relieve my headache. I am going to call back later this week and hopefully get through so I can make an appointment. I've been having headaches everyday and Tylenol just isn't doing it for me, and I am unable to take anything stronger.

Aside from feeling a bit sick, Hubs and I had a great time at the beach with my family! We played games under the "E-Z Up," got a few slices at "Macko's," and enjoyed time on the beach, boardwalk, and mini-golf!

Sequential Screening, Part 1: July 10

Bebs had a photoshoot last week! We went to the hospital to the Maternal Fetal Medicine department to do the first part of our two-part sequential screening. A sequential screening is an ultrasound and bloodwork that is done in your first and second trimesters to determine if there is a chance your baby may have a genetic disorder, such as Down's Syndrom or Trisomy 18. The ultrasound tech measures the thickness of the baby's neck; the more fluid in the neck, the higher the chance of the baby having an abnormality. The ultrasound results, as well as bloodwork from the Mommy, are then sent to a lab to be analyzed.

Bebs at 11 weeks 6 days. Big difference than the first ultrasound!

The ultrasound tech and the doctor both said that everything with the Bebs was looking great! S/he was SO incredibly wiggly in there! S/he kept moving around, kicking its tiny legs, and kept trying to cover his/her eyes with his/her hands! It was really adorable. We got to hear the heartbeat again--165 beats per minute--which the tech told us was normal. I then had to have one vial of blood taken to be tested. Thankfully, I didn't pass out! I may be getting better at this! :)


"Hi Mommy and Daddy! I'm doing ok in here!"
(Hubs's favorite picture)

OB/GYN Check-up: July 12

My visit to the doctor last week was pretty uneventful. They took my weight and blood pressure (both normal) and said the ultrasound from the sequential screening looked good! The doctor also used a doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat. It took her awhile to find it, since the baby kept squirming around and moving too much for her to get an accurate read. Once she found it, we heard the heartbeat loud and clear. I love hearing that sound!

Only 51 days until we find out if we're having a boy or a girl!! But, who's counting? ;-)

**Big thank you to Jeff, the photography guru, for editing the ultrasound pictures!**

12 weeks

The first trimester is over!!! Three months down, six months to go! :)

Baby bump! July 11, 2012

I can't believe the first three months are done! It seriously felt like that time FLEW by looking back on it. Compared to other stories I've heard from women and their pregnancies...I almost feel like I had it relatively easy! No extreme morning sickness, which I am SO thankful for!

Some symptoms I had and what (mostly) worked for me:

Dysgeusia (metal taste in mouth)--aside from brushing and flossing my teeth, sucking on hard candy, like Green Apple Jolly Ranchers, really helped.

Nausea--eating Saltine crackers, sour green grapes and getting fresh air was best. I felt better if I ate a lot of little snacks throughout the day, so I always had something in my stomach. Also, I had felt sick in the mornings after taking my prenatal vitamin. I switched to taking it at night, right before bed, and that made all the difference!

Bathroom issues--Tucks pads, drinking a TON of water.

Chest soreness--wearing a sports bra constantly!

Sensitive skin/breaking out--I had to switch my body and face wash since it all of a sudden felt like I was rubbing acid on my skin. I've been using the Aveeno skincare products for sensitive skin and they seem to be working great!

Cravings--Since I never craved anything too bizarre, I usually just gave in. :) The first month I was all about green grapes and spicy Mexican food, second month I wanted pickles and fruit, and the third month I wanted pickles, fruit and processed goodies! :-O

Weight-to-date--My pre-pregnancy weight was 111 lbs. I'm now 114 lbs. The doctor said I can expect to gain between 25 to 35 lbs!

Bebs: Baby is almost the size of a lime, weighs almost an ounce, and measures almost 2.5 inches!   Eyes are now positioned in the front of his/her face, and the ears are in position on the sides of his/her head. Reflexes have begun! Bebs' mouth is making sucking movements, clenching eye muscles, curling toes and fingers, hands open and close, and s/he may even begin to suck his thumb! His/her brain has been developing rapidly and the intestines are developing and will soon be moving into his/her stomach cavity.

We had our second ultrasound appointment last night, so we got to see the Bebs on the monitor! This ultrasound was for the first part of our "sequential screening" test. The doctor said that everything looked great so far! We got to hear the heartbeat again and it was a perfect 165! I will post the ultrasound pictures we got (we got 7 pictures!!) with a more detailed blog entry later this week!

Hebs, Hubs & Bebs at Raechel and Corey's wedding on July 7, 2012!
Adorable photo by the very talented Jeff! :)

...and baby makes three

...and baby makes three





We have an announcement to make...Hebs and Hubs are having a baby!!! To say we are thrilled, or excited, or "over the moon," is an understatement. There are no words for the sheer joy we are feeling right now. We've been on cloud nine since May 15, 2012, the day we found out that our world and our life together was expanding.

I decided that it would be fun (ha!) to keep track of my pregnancy journey through my blog. Don't worry, there will still be plenty of posts about our mischievious pug, Dexter, and he will still write his own posts, too. (I would love to hear what he thinks about having a baby in the house!) ;-)

My goal is to write at least one post per week, hopefully every Wednesday, and accompany it with a picture of my growing bump!

I just have one request of you, the three people who read this, if you have a comment/suggestion/tidbit, could you leave it as a comment on here? It'd just be easier for me to keep track of. I'd greatly appreciate it! :)

Check back later this week, as I will post my first "Pregnancy Journey" update on Wednesday, when I will be 10 weeks along.

The baby's due date is January 23, 2013!