Correction

Ever since we decided to name our our baby after Kevin's grandmother's I have been spelling Statia wrong. For some reason, I keep wanting to spell it "Stasia" instead of "Statia." I guess I am thinking Anastasia when I spell it. So, I must apologize to my readers as well as my unborn daughter for misspelling her name. I hope that this doesn't make me a bad mother. The other dilemma we are facing with her name is how to spell Lily. We plan to give her a nickname like Sammy has. Kevin likes Lilli (just drop the -an), I prefer Lily, and if I were going with Kevin's logic, I would either spell it Lilly or Lillie not Lilli...so we are having a bit of a discussion on how we should handle that. At this rate, we may just drop the nickname altogether and just call her Lillian. We shall see.

It's A Girl!!!

Wow....what a day! We had our detailed ultrasound today and we are pleased to report that we are going to be the proud parents of Lillian Ella-Stasia Atchley!! I have suspected that she was a girl the whole time, but I also thought that Sammy was a girl up until I was proven wrong at his ultrasound so I wanted to have definitive proof before getting my hopes up too much. I will say that everything I did prior to the ultrasound supported my gut feeling of girl....I will name a few...

1) Old Wives Tales - there are a bazillion out there on the internet and most of the ones that leaned toward girl held true for me and this pregnancy such as...heart rate greater than 140, sweet cravings, husband's weight gain (don't tell Kevin that I told you he was gaining a few pounds along with me), round and full face on me, pregnancy acne, etc.

2) Chinese Birth Chart - This is a chart that allegedly determines the sex of your baby based on the mother's age at conception and the month of conception. In my case, this also said girl.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns/0,,j736,00.html

3)The Needle/Necklace tests - You're supposed to dangle a needle from a piece of thread over your palm. If it goes back and forth, it's a boy and if it goes in a circle it's a girl. This test is also supposed to show you the kids you had before the one you're carrying now. So I did it and it went back and forth, stopped, and then went in a circle. So, according to the test, I had a boy first and then a girl. The necklace test is similar. You dangle a necklace over your belly and if it goes in a circle, it's a boy and if it goes back and forth it's a girl. Sure enough, mine went back and forth which meant girl.

4)Intelligender - This is a test you can take at home that allegedly with something like 90% accuracy predicts the gender of your baby after 10 weeks. You pee in a cup and then put it in a test kit. It changes color in 10 minutes - green if it's a boy and stays the same or turns orange if it's a girl. Mine indicated girl. I know it was silly of me to pay money for something that wasn't guaranteed, but it was still fun. :)
www.intelligender.com

So back to today. The ultrasound technician found out her gender first thing for us...Lillian was very cooperative as you will be able to tell from the pictures. She wiggled around the whole time for us. The sweetest moments were looking at her profile with her mouth open and watching her curled up in a ball with her hands on her knees. The ultrasound technician told us that she has really long arms, legs, fingers and feet. We also looked at her brain, spine, heart, kidneys, bladder, and stomach and everything appears to be developing just like it should be. There were no red flags so thank God for a healthy report on our little one! Kevin, Sammy, and I are super excited about our little girl. We cannot wait for her arrival in February. Here are some pictures in the meantime...

Profile shot with mouth closed


Profile shot with mouth open


Leg


Leg again


Girl Parts


Foot


Fingers and Legs


Face


Arm on Knee


Arm on Knee again

Preggo Pics

Here are some preggo pics of me. The first ones are from week 7....



The next ones are from week 18 (Sammy was the photographer - I think he did a good job)




I am starting to get a baby bump. Although, I mostly feel like I have put the weight on in my face, butt and thighs. That's where I tell most of the difference. :)

Sick/Update

I have had the crud this week, and I am hoping that I am over the worst part of it. I started out with laryngitis which then traveled to my sinuses and into my upper chest. Fortunately, I developed this in my second trimester instead of the first which made my medication choices a little bit better....SUDAFED!!! Sudafed normally clears this junk up for me (or at least lets me tolerate things while the sickness runs its course). I had something similar when I was pregnant with Sammy except that I was in my first trimester, miserable, and ended up losing several pounds because I had this on top of morning sickness (or as I used to affectionately call it...all day sickness).

Other than being sick this week, the pregnancy is going well. We are 18 weeks along and we find out what we are having in one week(assuming peanut cooperates)! I cannot believe that this pregnancy is almost halfway done. I still don't look overly pregnant...if you didn't know, you would probably just think I had put on a few pounds (6 to be exact). My butt and thighs appear to be blossoming and I have a small baby bump. I need to take some pictures and post them, but Kevin is not home to do that for me at the moment so that will have to come a little bit later. I have started wearing some maternity clothes, mainly for comfort. I am at that awkward stage where my normal clothes just don't quite fit right anymore, but the maternity clothes look a little silly. I am still having cravings that seem to change by the week...the one and only craving that has remained consistent throughout pregnancy has been ice cream! In addition to ice cream, I have also had cravings for Hardees' gravy biscuits, McDonald's fries, juice (apple and cranberry grape) and ketchup. I think that I have been able to feel the baby move a few times...it's just a little fluttering still. I am looking forward to the movement being more pronounced so that Kevin and Sammy can share in it with me. My doctor's appointments have been going well. The heartbeat has been ranging from the 150's to the 160's and all of my labwork has turned out good (my hemoglobin is a little bit low, but that is normal for me...if it is still low at 28 weeks, I will probably have to take some iron supplements).

On a slightly different note, Sammy is doing well in second grade. He has not gotten written up in his behavior folder all year long (we are almost halfway through the first nine weeks). All I can say is PRAISE THE LORD!!! I think that he has matured some and I also think that the way his teacher handles discipline gives him enough incentives throughout the week to do the right thing. I just hope and pray that this trend continues. He really likes his teacher too. He also starts soccer tonight assuming the weather holds out.

Kevin is still wonderful as usual. He has been really busy getting our new computer desk situated so that we can get Sammy moved into our old computer room. Hopefully, when things settle down, he'll be able to edit the videos of us telling our parents so I can get them posted on here. I still have the blog written and ready, just need the video.

I will try to get some baby bump pictures on here in the next couple of days while I am off work. Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I really need to get back into the swing of things.

Technical Difficulties

I am having some trouble getting the video uploaded. Kevin is going to have to help me edit it down tomorrow so it won't be posted until then. I was so hoping to get that posted tonight...at least the blog part is written and all it's waiting for is the video file. :)

Slacker

I have been a slacker over the past couple of weeks where the blog is concerned. I hope to do better over the next few days and actually post the videos of us telling our parents (assuming I am actually able to get the videos to upload). I hope everyone has a great weekend. Sammy and I are spending this last Friday together before he starts school on Tuesday. We are going to sign up for fall soccer, play at the park, eat somewhere fun (but not Chuck E. Cheese), and run a few errands. We are then going to play some UNO this afternoon - Sammy loves that game. I can't believe that he is going into the second grade. We met his teacher last night and I think he is going to enjoy his year. He really likes both his teacher and her assistant. Well, we're off to start our day. Hopefully I will start posting the video blogs later tonight or tomorrow.

Last Night of Work

I must admit that I absolutely love working the Sunday through Tuesday schedule. After I finish up tonight, I am off again until next Sunday...it feels like I have the whole week left (which I kind of do). I haven't posted much this week due to that. I will start a series of posts over the next few days entitled...telling the fam. I will try to upload the videos from each of the grandparents as well as Sammy so you can see their reactions. They are great.

On another note, I am 13 weeks today. I only have one more week left in the first trimester. I am starting to feel much better, and I have not been consistently queasy in about a week (Thank God for that). I am still tired, and I usually feel the worst on the first full day I have off...so my tired day this week will most likely be Thursday if the pattern holds. It is all worth it though! I will take any amount of nausea and fatigue to bring this sweet little baby into this world.

I hope that everyone is having a blessed week, and I look forward to sharing our family's videos with you real soon.

Found A Peanut

So, after we had our first two positive pregnancy tests on June 13, 2009, we headed to our local Ingles for groceries the following day. As we were walking through the produce section, Kevin found a bin of peanuts in the store. Since we had already started referring to the baby as either Peanut (by me) or Weenut(by Kevin), Kevin thought it would be neat to pick up a peanut and give it to me to commemorate our news (awwww). According to Kevin, he diligently searched through the bin until he found the perfect Weenut. Well, I was really focused on getting the grocery shopping done so when Kevin came up to me and handed me a peanut, I just thought he had gotten me a sample to try. Ingles typically has lots of free samples in the produce and deli departments so I just assumed I looked hungry or something to him. As soon as he put the peanut in my hand, I proceeded to thank him for it and started to try to crack it open. Kevin gave me a look of utter shock and horror to which I realized there must be more to this than a free sample. It finally dawned on me that he had gotten a peanut to represent our peanut...the peanut that I had tried to "bash in it's little head" according to my dear husband. I immediately felt bad for not getting his gesture immediately, and fortunately, I stopped myself before actually bashing in the peanut. We took the peanut home and it has been our little game to hide it in various places around the house and find it. I have included a picture of the little peanut in its most recent "hiding place." Once Kevin finds it, he should hide it from me again and the game will continue. :) Yes, I realize that Kevin and I are weird, corny, and sappy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Glad I am Wired Differently

I have discovered a love for google reader. I can enter all of the websites and blogs that I follow and it goes out and gets new stories and posts for me to read and puts it in one central location! My hubby has used it for quite some time, and I never really saw the point until I asked him how it worked and what it did...boy, am I glad that I did. I have been using it for about a week now and it has really helped me surf more effectively (since according to him, I have a computer addiction problem. There is probably some truth to that comment, but I am not willing to totally own up to it just yet cause that would mean that I would have to do something about it.) Anyway, foxnews had an article that intrigued me - the headline was "Women Wired to Dislike Mothers-In-Law." Here's a link if that headline intrigues you as much as it did me... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,537902,00.html

Apparently, the article claims that women are predisposed to think that they are not going to get along with their mother-in-law, which causes friction and tension in that relationship. The wife and mother-in-law are allegedly fighting over the role of primary woman in the family. I must say that I am so thankful that there is either absolutely no truth to this study and someone just happened upon some data that made them think this or that God just made me to not fit the mold. I know that I have an amazing mother-in-law who loves me for me, and we get along beautifully. I view her as my second mother and I regard her highly. I also love and respect her for who she is! I am doubly blessed because I also have a terrific step-mother-in-law who is super talented and crafty and we also get along extremely well. We live further apart so I don't get to spend as much time with her, but when I do, I am always amazed at the crafts and hobbies she has picked up from the last time I saw her. Both of my mothers-in-law are also phenomenal grandmothers, and I know that little peanut is going to be blessed by having these Godly women in his/her life.

I think that scripture can also help wives and mothers-in-laws get along. I think that when a marriage is Biblically based and the husband and wife both leave their families and cleave to the spouse and the families involved know and understand this, then much of this tension can be averted(Genesis 2:24). I believe that Kevin and I have worked really hard to strive for this and I think that it helps in these extended relationships. Our families also understand this concept and again, I think it just makes things work!

I realize that not every wife and mother-in-law relationship is ideal because of personality conflicts and many other issues so there could be some truth to the study after all. I hope that this is not your case, but if it is, at least you have a study to help explain what's going on. I prefer to think in my little rose-colored glasses, glass half full world that everyone has relationships with their mother-in-law that is as good as the one I have with mine. Again, I just have to say that I am truly blessed that the study does not seem to apply to me. :)

I must also add that I love my mother very much as well. I realize that the article is about in-laws, so I failed to mention my actual mother in this post, but I want her to know how much she means to me as well. You are a wonderful, God-fearing lady and I am so blessed to have been given a wonderful foundation by you(and daddy). I thank God every day for giving me such special earthly parents who are Christian and just plain ol' good people (as Kevin would say).

So, this was not anything like what I had planned to blog on today, but that article just struck me and I felt like I needed to talk about it instead for some reason. My original blog was going to be titled "Found a Peanut." I suppose I will save that one for tomorrow.

Our New Baby

Well, Kevin and I are expecting and we couldn't be happier. This is something we have wanted for quite some time, but it was finally God's time for it to happen! We had talked about having a baby during my last year of nursing school, but with me not working, it was obviously not the right time. We think the newest Atchley either debuted during our Cancun trip or shortly thereafter since he/she is due around February 16, 2010. I am approximately 12 weeks according to the ultrasound, and I am so thankful that the first trimester is coming to a close. I have been miserable and exhausted for these past several weeks, but I know that everything I am going through is totally worth it and hopefully it will all abate once I hit the second trimester.

We took our first pregnancy test on June 13, 2009 and it had one really dark line and a second very very faint line. I called Kevin into the bathroom to make sure I wasn't imagining things, and sure enough, there were two lines according to his eyes too. I then researched pregnancy tests on consumerreports.com and found the most reliable one according to their standards since the first test was a dollar tree special. We headed to Wal-Mart and picked up a two pack, and I took another test later that night. It was also positive. Kevin and I were very excited, although, we did take a few days to let it all sink it. I had just finished nursing school, gotten my license and was about to start a brand new job in a very busy ER(on night shift)...add to that a pregnancy, and wow, that could be a bit overwhelming (in a good sort of way).

We told all of our parents over the Father's Day weekend. I would like to thank them all for doing a great job of keeping our little secret. Of the three sets of parents, I think Kevin's mom wins the prize of most shocked and excited...hands down! We had my parents take a picture of our family when we had dinner with them for my birthday, and we photoshopped Sammy's shirt to say World's Best Big Brother. We framed the picture and gave it to each set of grandparents as part of their Father's Day present. Shirley opened the picture and started reading Sammy's shirt...when she got to the word brother, she only got the word Bruh out of her mouth before hooting and hollering. It was classic (and we do have it on video). When I am having a slow blogging day, I'll post that instead. We did the same thing for my parents and for Kevin's dad and stepmom. I thought we were going to have to spell it out for Kevin's dad, but they eventually caught on, and my parents got it pretty quickly too! Everyone is really excited and I know they are going to spoil this baby rotten.

We did not plan on telling Sammy until after he came home from his summer trip, but since he came home in early July instead of early August, we told him when he got home. I had not been feeling well, so I knew he would suspect that something was going on with me. He was very excited, although, we had to pretty much spell it out for him too. We gave him a Big Brother t-shirt, and he just didn't quite get it. He kept saying that he was going to make a good big brother, but never put two in two together to realize that he was going to be a big brother real soon. Once he figured it out, he was ecstatic. He has wanted to touch the baby, but I am not quite showing enough yet for that to happen. Hopefully, soon. He prays for me and the baby every night and that just touches my heart so. I have also developed pregnancy acne (joy joy) and Sammy calls them my baby dots. He looked at me the other day and said, "You sure do have a lot of baby dots on your face." Kids say the darndest.

We had our first doctor's appointment yesterday (yes, I know I am a little late, but I was waiting on my new insurance to kick in because as everyone knows, the insurance I previously had was less than stellar). We had our first ultrasound and we were able to see the sweet little angel firsthand. She/he did not disappoint. The baby even did a little dance for us at the end. I am looking forward to our next big ultrasound in approximately 6-8 weeks. I will try to post regularly, although, when I am working, all I seem to do is sleep and work. I hope that you will enjoy this journey alongside us.