The Mango: Some Assembly Required

We've made it to week 23! Adelynn is now about 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, about the size of a large mango. One big development this week is the fact that she can feel Jamie move and dance. So, in honor of the picture above, we've created a dance called the Mango. It's a combination of the always popular Macarena and the classic Tango. Don't ask. What happens behind the doors of our house stays behind the doors of our house!!!

I got to feel her kick for the first time last week, which was great. She seems to really get excited after supper, so I've been trying to cook some of Jamie's favorites for her. Jamie tells me that Adelynn really likes spaghetti, but I think that that is just her way of telling me that she likes it. Oh, well. At least I like spaghetti, too. I'd better, considering we've had it twice a week for several weeks now!!!

I tried to talk Jamie into using the middle name of Flurry for Adelynn, but I see that it didn't quite make the list above. It's pretty amazing to me that we are already to the point of coming up with names and such. Only about 17 more weeks to go, and we'll have a little mango in the house.

In other news, I found out what "Some Assembly Required" means over the weekend. We ordered our stroller (Thanks, Grandma Phegley) and our Pack 'n Play, and they came last week. So, being the father, the job naturally fell upon my shoulders to assemble these things. The stroller was a piece of cake, considering all I had to do was snap the wheels on. But the Pack 'n Play may very well have been one of the most annoying things I've ever set my eyes upon!!! After finally getting the thing put together, we decided to move it to the living room. Guess what didn't fit through the doorway!!! Luckily I learned a few things the first time I put it together. There are just enough weeks of this pregnancy left to forget everything I learned in time to move it back to the family room!!! Such are the perils of fatherhood!!! Take care.

Ryan

A Middle Name

Well, Ryan and I have narrowed down the names for our little girl and have settled on a first name. Her name will be Adelynn (Addy for short). We have been set on this name for some time now, but have been hesitant to reveal it in case we changed our minds. Now, we have the tough decision of deciding on a middle name for our little princess. There is a poll to the right where you can vote on which middle name you like the most. We are definitely not set on any of these, but they are the names in the running. We will try to make up our minds soon and let you know what her full name will be!!!!

Happy Monday!

Father of the Bride

We upgraded our Dish to HD this week, so Ryan has been rewinding and taping things like crazy. This weekend he recorded "Father of the Bride" and "Father of the Bride Part II" for me. I love those two movies and now they are forever stored on my TV!!!! What a great invention! I think Ryan even got a little misty-eyed this afternoon as we were watching the 2nd movie when the babies were born. He is a tad sentimental at times! We spent the entire afternoon today watching movies and sleeping. I guess we are going to enjoy our quiet afternoons for as long as we can!

Ryan was able to feel the baby kick this week for the first time. She is getting much stronger these days and likes to jump up and down on Mommy's bladder most of the time. He was pretty excited to feel the movements that I have been feeling for awhile now. I think he is reassured that there is actually something in there and his wife's belly is not just growing for no reason.

No big plans for the week. I am going to try to get our house cleaned because I start clinical again in 2 weeks and then I will be very busy until the end of June. I wore heels to church this morning and when we got home my feet were so swollen I had cankles (calves+ankles). I can't wait to see what they look like after being at clinical for 8 hours!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Grandma Phegley

My Grandma Phegley has moved in with my parents for the time-being. She was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday morning and has been living with them since then. My parents took down their dining room table and have created a mini condo for her in their dining room. She seems to being ok, but is still very weak and gets tired easily. This living situation is temporary for right now, but could turn into a more permanent fix if needed. It has been nice to be able to spend some time with her as she recuperates.

Huntington University

Well, today I had an interview for a possible nursing faculty position with Huntington University. I attended HU for my freshman year of college and loved it! I only left because they did not have a nursing program. I have always said that if I could return someday, I would jump at the chance. About a week ago, the director of the nursing program emailed me and asked if I was still interested in a position with HU as part of their new nursing faculty. As excited as I was, I informed the director that I was pregnant and due in August which I figured would deter her. Much to my surprise, she was looking for candidates to begin in Jan. 2009. I went for the interview today not knowing exactly what to expect and not sure of where I really want to be in January. The interview went really well, however, the job is for a full-time position. We always thought I would work part-time while our kids were little. I will have another interview this fall and then potentially be offered the job to begin in January. Of course, I am thankful to have this as an option, however, I am a little hesitant about it being full-time. Ryan and I will be praying for God's direction in this as we look to the future. We thank you in advance for your prayers and support during this time of great transition in our lives.

Practicing To Be the Toothfairy

Well, this week Flurry is about the length of a spaghetti squash. For those of you who do not know what a spaghetti squash is (like me), I have included a picture. She is about 11 inches long, and is starting to look like a human now. Thank goodness. Flurry weighs almost 1 pound now, and is kicking and moving like crazy. Jamie has been telling me all about her movements and her water ballet classes. Her lips are forming and little tooth buds are starting to form, although her teeth won't start coming in until she's 4 to 7 months old. Maybe it's just a father thing, but I'm already dreading the dentist bill! Another worry of mine is how to get Flurry's first lost tooth out from under the pillow without waking her. Maybe I'll practice on Jamie tonight. In my thorough research on baby development (Ha! Ha!), I've learned that it is possible for some babies to be born with teeth!!! I'm sure that would make breastfeeding a little more difficult. On that note, I had better sign off. Take care!

Shake, Rattle & Roll

Well, it seems that I was just hitting the snooze button for the second time this morning about 5:35 and all of a sudden the house was shaking!!! Jamie and I both woke up to what we thought was an earthquake!!! We both kind of brushed it off to early morning hallucinations, especially since Jamie didn't get home til after 2:00 this morning after being down at her Grandma's all night. But, then I turned on the news and there really was an earthquake. Or so it seems. There's not a whole lot of details out yet, but we felt it. Our first earthquake. How exciting.

Babies 'R Us

Well, we survived the registering experience at Babies 'R Us last night! I let Ryan operate the gun, which kept him occupied while I tried to decipher all we needed. I just wish there could be one more brand of bottles to choose from! HA! I think companies just like to invent 18 different ways for a new parent to bathe their child to try to confuse the already overwhelmed parents. I bet we stood in the tub aisle for 10 minutes trying to decide which one would be the best for us. Luckily, I have a patient husband who enjoys bath toys and was busy scanning items like the penguin toy while I was trying to make a decision. I haven't really looked to see what else he might have scanned while I wasn't watching! After we got home I realized all the things I had forgotten, but figured we had some time to finish up later.

In other news, my Grandma Phegley is back in the hospital. My mom and I spent most of today in the ER waiting for test results when they decided to admit her around 3:30. She has the beginning of a bowel obstruction. She had some exploratory surgery done on Monday and her bowel has just not started up again like it should. Hopefully some fluids and electrolytes will help reverse the problem. We are all praying for a speedy recovery. I was able to read almost the entire book written by the families affected by the Taylor University crash 2 years ago while sitting in the ER today. What an incredible story of faith and hope in the midst of crisis! The book is called "Mistaken Identity" and it is a really fast read for anyone who is interested.

One other thing, our nephew, Jacob, made me laugh so hard yesterday. He is learning to wave and clap right now and has mastered both of them fairly well. Yesterday, his mom opened the front door to let him watch the cars go by and he was so happy that he was waving and clapping as they watched. It wasn't too long before Abby realized he was waving and clapping for a funeral procession!!!!! Oh well, hopefully he brought a smile to someone's face who was having a rough day! He is so darn cute!!!! Aunt Jamie thought it was pretty funny that he enjoyed the parade of cars so much!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I get to work... only 19 more weekends to work before the baby comes! YIPPEE!!!!

Carrots and Fajitas

Time for the weekly growth report. Flurry is now the length of a 10 1/2-inch carrot and weighs about 3/4 of a pound. Oh, and great news...Flurry's eyebrows have come in!!! What a relief! Jamie is feeling her move quite a bit now. The experts say that she will move about 50 times an hour, even while she's sleeping!!! Also, good news!!! Jamie has not been sick since last Thursday!!! Praises for that!

I need prayers for tonight. I am entering into a world where I'm not quite sure how to act. Baby's R' Us. That's right...we're going to register tonight. I will probaby defer to Jamie on a lot of things tonight. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will be interesting to go, but I just have a feeling that I won't be able to pick the right bottles out of the 2 million choices!! The thing that I'm holding onto the most is the possibility of going to Carlos O' Kelly's afterwards!!! Yum!

Heartburn

Well, the latest development with this pregnancy is heartburn! I seem to be experiencing indigestion after eating lately. I am not sure if it was the supreme pizza or the chocolate last night, but it felt like I swallowed something with lots of acid in it right before we went to bed. Fortunately, Flurry's dance classes are not interrupted by this new development.

I was able to read our ultrasound at work over the weekend (the perks of working where you have it done, I guess), and according to the report, there were no abnormalities reported. We are thankful for this and looking forward to getting the full report from the doctor at our next visit.

Flurry is already collecting lots of adorable little outfits... thanks to some generous people in our lives. Not to worry, not all of her clothes are pink! I am pretty sure this little girl will have more clothes than Mommy and Daddy one of these days. I must admit I had to buy her a few little outfits. I can see how someone could get in trouble ordering online! I have only ordered items that are on sale!!!! We had to go buy hangers last night so we could see the comforter on the bed again. Ryan has two favorite outfits right now: the pink St. Louis Cardinals onesie he received for his birthday and the little onesie that says, "My finger might be small but I can still wrap Daddy around it." I have a feeling he is going to be pushover when it comes to this little girl!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Pickles and Chocolate Milk!

Well, last night I had a new craving!!! About nine o'clock I was hungry and thought pickles sounded good. So, I got the jar of Kosher dills out of the fridge and ate a few huge pickles and rinsed them down with a glass of chocolate milk! Ryan thinks I am gross! They were yummy!!!! I did not sleep well last night, so I am wondering if my belly is just getting in the way or if the pickles had something to do with it!

Halfway There...

We're at the halfway mark of this pregnancy, and all seems well. Jamie is feeling Flurry kick quite a bit, now that she knows that that is what it is!!! Flurry is about the size of a 10-inch long banana from head to toe and weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. The next part of this blog comes straight from the email that I get every week, so bear with me.

"A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats your baby's entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance made of dead cells, digestive secretions, and swallowed amniotic fluid, which will accumulate in her bowels and end up in her first diaper."

I just can't WAIT for that first diaper!!! Several words come to mind when thinking about it. Eww is one of them. On the bright side, I am starting to warm up to the color pink. Especially the St. Louis Cardinals onesie that Jamie got Flurry for my birthday!!!

Doctor Update

We went to a doctor's appointment this afternoon hoping to hear the results of our ultrasound, however, my physician was out helping deliver a new life into the world. We saw the nurse practitioner who listened to the heartbeat and measured my belly, but didn't have the results of my ultrasound. Flurry was dancing all over the place while she was trying to listen, but did cooperate after a little persistence. So, at this point, we have decided that no news is good news and we will get the results at next month's appointment. The scales have started moving up... I have gained about 3-4 pounds and can no longer use my weight loss as an excuse to eat whatever I want (especially sweets!). Flurry and I are going to try to start going on walks around the block since it is nice outside now. I went up one flight of stairs at school today and was out of breath, so I am sure these walks will be rather short in length (at least to start). No other news to report.... we will try to get a shot of my belly on here later this week... our camera has been out of batteries for about a week. I am sure we will not be so slow on getting new ones once little Flurry makes her appearance! Have a great week!

Water Ballet

Little Flurry has decided that bedtime is a good time to practice her water ballet! Last night, she was fluttering around all over the place while Mommy was trying to go to sleep! Maybe it was in anticipation of Daddy's birthday today! Happy Birthday, Ryan! Mommy and Flurry made Daddy cupcakes last night to take to work today. She is a good little helper in the kitchen already! Maybe we will be able to coordinate her ballet and cooking classes one of these days!

Have a great week!

Prayers for Alan

We have a dear friend who is in the hospital and having lots of tests run. If you have a moment today, if you could just send a prayer up on his behalf for healing and strength during this difficult time. He is married and has 2 daughters... I am sure they would all appreciate your prayers. Thanks in advance!!!

Daddy tales...

Well, in case some of you don’t already know, I have an incredible husband! I am so blessed to have such a caring and wonderful man in my life. He makes me laugh and takes such good care of me (even though I like to imagine that I am quite self-sufficient)! My favorite thing he is doing right now is talking to my belly. He gets this really cute, squeaky voice and tells the baby all kinds of fun stories! He says that the baby is going to learn our voices, however, I am not sure she will recognize his unless this is going to be his new tone! Maybe he will talk to you in his cute little voice if you ask real nice! I love you, Ryan! Flurry is going to have an amazing Daddy!

You say tomato, I say tomoto

Well, with all the big news about the gender of Flurry this week, I almost forgot to do the size report. At 19 weeks, Flurry is about the size of a large heirloom tomato. I'll have to ask Grandpa what an heirloom tomato is, exactly. SHE weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and is about 6 inches long. HER brain is developing very rapidly at this point, and SHE can hear us talk to her. They say that Flurry will get a preference for the voices she hears the most, most of all being Jamie's. So already, she's a mama's girl!!! It was so great to see the ultrasound pictures on Monday, and to be able to watch our little girl moving around so well. At one point, she showed off both of her little feet to the camera. Seeing all of that made it a little more real for me on Monday. Not that it wasn't real before, but seeing that little baby inside of her mother puts a new perspective on things. After reading this week on how much more expensive it is to raise a girl than a boy, I've checked into part-time jobs around the area. Just kidding!!! It will be a lot of fun in the next few months as we get ready for a little one. Take care, all. Thanks for all the prayers!!!

Sugar and Spice, and Everything Nice!!!

IT'S A GIRL!!! I'm sure you all could tell from the new background. I'm going to have to really get to like the color pink!!! As you can tell from the pictures above, little Flurry is a very healthy black and white blob!!! She was really moving a lot at the ultrasound, and the technician said she was pretty sure that she was a girl. We both said, "Pretty sure???" Another technician came in and verified. The top picture shows her facing the camera, and the bottom picture shows her spine very clearly. By the way, it's so nice to not have to type he/she anymore!!!

We're both really excited to learn even more about Flurry as the pregnancy goes along. Jamie has already informed me that she is going to Baby's R Us tomorrow to go shopping.

This is Mommy typing now! I already LOVE the color PINK, so that won't be an adjustment at all for me! I am going to try not to go too overboard, however, I think both sets of grandparents are pretty excited about having a little girl! My mom already wanted to know what the colors for the nursery would be!!! HA! Baby Flurry looked healthy (from what we could tell) and had her legs above her head most of the time! At least we will have a flexible little girl! We will find out more results from the ultrasound next week at the doctor! Until then, think PINK!

My Dream Last Night

Well, I haven't had too many weird dreams throughout this pregnancy, however, last night was an exception. I had a dream that Ryan and I went to our ultrasound and they performed it in the lobby of Lutheran Hospital. Randy Grimes (a funeral home director in Columbia City) and Loren Fry (a man who is an acquaintance of ours) were watching it. The ultrasound was fine... they told us we were having a little girl and she was healthy. We took our pictures with us and as we were getting in our car, the ultrasound tech came out and asked us to come back in for a minute. We went back and she wanted to take another look. Ryan had to go to the bathroom, so I sat there while she put more of the cold gel on my belly. To our surprise, this time the baby was a boy. However, his boy parts were in his mouth!!!!!! Ryan missed the big reveal because he was in the bathroom and when he returned the baby wouldn't open his mouth to show us again! The dream ended when Ryan's alarm went off this morning. I was telling Ryan about it when I realized how absurd it all sounded!!!!! Needless to say, our ultrasound must have been on my mind last night before going to sleep! YIKES!

The Final Exam

Well, this weekend at work, one of my co-workers tried the string test on me. She says she does it with 100% accuracy. The problem is: the last time she did it, she came up with a different answer than she did this time around.... and I know I haven't been pregnant before! The first time... the string test said "BOY!" This time, the string test says "GIRL!" We are getting very excited and a little anxious about tomorrow! We are praying for a healthy little baby... boy or girl! Check back tomorrow night for the results!

First Time Father

Like all expecting dads, I really have no idea what to expect when our little one comes into this world. So, where would you expect me to go for resources? Why, the internet, of course!!! I have found so much information that will be very useful once Flurry gets here. For example, look at this picture telling me how to wake a baby.




How useful!!! I'll have to find a new use for that air horn, though. Next, like all dads before me, I am not quite sure how to check for a dirty diaper. Let's see what my friends on the internet tell me.


I guess that makes sense!!! Finally, I want Flurry to be a healthy baby, so I decided to see how to exercise him/her. Let's take a look!



I'm so glad that we now have the internet to help us in times like these!!!

5 days to go!

In only 5 days we will know the gender of our little baby. I know this is not nearly as exciting for all of you as it is for us, but we cannot wait! My appointment is not till 3:30 on Monday, so we will not be posting until later that night! It looks like more people think the baby is a girl... Ryan and I really don't have a strong feeling either way. We have both had dreams that it is a girl, but we haven't done this before so we're waiting for the experts to tell us.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for the sickness to go away. I am still getting sick, but it is sooooo much better than it was. I am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight and having more good days than bad at this point.

I finished my clinical hours this week. I am done with clinical now until May, then I only have 150 hours to complete this summer and I am FINISHED! It is so nice to have some time to get my house in order and catch up on some sleep! Now I am not sure what my excuse will be for not having the laundry folded! Hope everything is going well in your corner of the world. Have a great Wednesday!

Pepper Peppler

As you can see, Flurry is about the size of a bell pepper this week. You don't realize how hard it is to type the word "pepper" when my last name is "Peppler". Every time that I've typed it, there has been an extra "l". This week, Flurry's genitals are forming, which is good considering we are supposed to find out next Monday if Flurry is a boy or girl. Flurry's ears are now standing out from his/her head. Don't ask me where they were before. Flurry is starting to move around a lot more and stretch and kick. Jamie has yet to feel the baby kick, and she is still getting sick, so continue to pray for her and Flurry. We're hoping the sickness leaves soon!
Only 22 more weeks to go!!!

Laughing Baby

Howdy, all. I came across this on YouTube the other day, and wanted to share with all. Just click on the following link. I hope our child is as happy as this one!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk

Turnip the Volume!!!

Well, here we are in week 17. Jamie thought she was starting to feel better this weekend, but lo and behold, Monday came, and so did her sickness. I have to say, though, that she is doing so well with it. I've never heard somebody say, "I just puked!" and still have a smile on her face!!! What a trooper.

As far as Flurry is concerned, he/she weighs about 5 ounces (about the size of a turnip). Flurry is also about 5 inches long. Only 6 or 7 feet more til we have an NBA player on our hands!!! Dad can dream, can't I?! Flurry's cartilage is hardening more and more. Little known fact here: A newborn's skeleton has 300 parts (bones and cartilage). As the child grows, some parts harden and fuse together. As an adult, Flurry will have just 206 bones!!! And hopefully we'll avoid any broken ones.

Happy Easter!

Well, I thought the sickness was over! I had two great days over the weekend! Saturday and Sunday I felt wonderful, was able to eat Easter dinner with my family and didn't feel bad once. I didn't even require any medication to curb the nausea! I felt like myself again! Well, that is, until this morning! The sickness returned in full swing! I woke up not feeling well and thought if I just go back to sleep for awhile it will go away! HA! I guess not! Oh well, at least I know there is the possibility of feeling normal again one of these days!

We would like to wish everyone a blessed Easter, and we would especially like to thank our cousins Mollie and Mallorie for the delightful little surprise they left on our doorstep yesterday (YUM!). Have a great week!

The Chinese Calendar

According to the Chinese calendar, based on the mother's age at conception and the month of conception, we should be expecting a little girl in August! Can't wait to see if we will be decorating with pink or blue! Stay tuned for more test results soon!

The Quiz

Well, the next test to determine if we are having little boy or little girl was a quiz. The questions supposedly determine what the sex of our baby is. There were 20 questions and after submitting the quiz the likelihood of a little girl is 57% and the likelihood of a little boy is 43%. So, according to this test, we will have a little princess in August.

One of the scientific questions on the quiz was whether I choose the heel of a loaf of bread or whether I avoid it. Knowing this, you can decide for yourselves whether this is an accurate measure or not! Take care!

The Key Test

Here's another test I tried on Jamie last night. It's called the Key Test and it goes like this...

Have the mother-to-be pick up a a single key. If she picks it up by the round part it will be a boy. If she picks up the long narrow part it will be a girl. If she picks it up in the middle she is supposedly having twins.

What did she do?

She picked up the key by the round part, which, according to the Key Test, means we'll be having a boy in August.

Holy Guacamole!!! A New Baby!!!

Well, week 16 is here! There was a rumor that all of Jamie's sickness would be gone by now. So far, that seems to only be a rumor. As far as growth of Flurry is concerned, Flurry is now the size of an avacado. I'll never look at guacamole the same way again!!! In the next three weeks, Flurry will double in weight and grow inches in length. Flurry is starting to grow fingernails and toenails as we speak. I've been reading horror stories about trying to trim nails on a baby this week. Can't wait to do that.

In other news, our good friends, Jake and Lindsie had their baby!!! A little girl named Grace Susanne. I'm sure big sister Ava is excited to welcome home a new little sister. Congrats, guys!!!

Sex Test

We have decided that it would be fun to try all the old wives tales to determine whether we are having a boy or girl. We will post the results of the different tests every couple days as we finish them. You can check back often and see if you can decide which tests are accurate and which ones are not! Good luck!

Today's test: The eye exam. According to an engineer, a pregnant women can tell what the sex of her baby is by looking at the blood vessels in her left eye. X=girl, Y=boy. We tried to post a picture to let you decide, but to no avail! I have a Y! If you would like to see evidence, just ask!

Refills

Well, I am a little disappointed. I had to refill my nausea medicine for the 3rd time today. I was trying to make the final two pills last as long as possible and avoid needing to refill it, but no such luck! Oh well, as long as Flurry is okay, Mommy will survive. The scales are not moving up yet. I have a friend who said she lost 13 pounds during her pregnancy... I am hoping that doesn't happen to me! I am sure one of these days I will be hoping that the scales would go down! I am off to work... have a great weekend!

Porkchops and Applesauce

Growth report...

This week, Flurry is about 4 inches long, weighing about 2 1/2 ounces, about the size of an apple. Something that Flurry is doing this week that is quite interesting is that he/she is breathing the amniotic fluid through his/her nose, which help the air sacs in the lungs develop. Who knew? Oh, and more good news. Flurry's legs are now longer than his/her arms. What a relief!!! One other cool tidbit of information...Even though Flurry's eyelids are still fused shut, Flurry can sense light. If you shine a light toward Jamie's belly, Flurry is likely to move away from the light. I am on my way to Wal-Mart to get a flashlight right after I get done with this!!!

Cruising Right Along...

Well, it's week 15 and we're off to a good start! I have transitioned almost entirely to maternity clothes at this point except for the occasional pair of oversized sweats that still are comfortable. I really don't feel like I am showing too much, but my regular clothes are definitely not fitting anymore! Some of the maternity tops I have make me look 8 months pregnant, so I will be folding those and putting them away for awhile longer. I am excited to start looking pregnant! I was handing out bulletins at church last week and there was a girl standing in the foyer who hollered in at me, "Hey Jamie! You look pregnant!" I am not sure whether she knew I was pregnant or not, but I was certainly glad that I am with child! Otherwise, I might have had a meltdown right there. It was almost like the time I was checking blood pressures at church and a lady said to me, "Oh my, you've gained weight!" I was not pregnant at the time and I must say her little outburst made me want to cry and scream all at the same time. Instead, I got to pray for her... I asked God to help her be an encouragement and ray of sunshine to all the people she met that day! I think God had his work cut out for him on that one!

Other than my waist size expanding, we are just cruising along. Spaghetti is my favorite food right now (with Prego Fresh Mushroom sauce) and I have started drinking Gatorade (orange) again. I had been drinking this by the gallon early on in my pregnancy, but took a brief hiatus for awhile. Now, Gatorade and milk are my drinks of choice. My doctor told me last week that hopefully by week 20, the nausea and sickness will be completely gone! Trust me, we are counting down and hoping she is right! Hope all is well with everyone! Have a great week!

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Rachel! Happy birthday to you! Happy 25th, Rachel!!! Hope you have a great one!!!

Doctor's Appointment

Well, everything went great at the doctor's office yesterday. Much better, if you ask me (Ryan), considering the wait was about 15 minutes, rather than the 1 hour and 15 minute wait the last time! The most trouble we had was with the receptionist who did her best impression of the airline receptionist on Meet the Parents!!! If you haven't seen that movie, let me know, and I'll do my best impression!!!
Anyway, back to the doctor...
Dr. Bellavance was most concerned with Jamie's weight loss, but when Jamie informed her just how sick she's been getting, she understood. Hopefully, this sickness will end soon, and she can start enjoying this pregnancy a lot more. Flurry's heartbeat was easy to find this time, and the doctor said all seemed well!!! We are now scheduled for an ultrasound on March 31, where we will finally find out if Flurry is a HE or a SHE!!! We would love to hear of any "old wives tales" on how we can tell Flurry's gender. You can vote on whether you think Flurry will be a little girl or a little boy to the right. But until next time, pray for Jamie and Flurry and for her sickness to go away.

If life gives you lemons, why not make lemonade?

Flurry is now the size of a lemon!!! He/she is now able to squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his/her thumb!!! And from the frequent trips to the bathroom that Flurry's mother is making, I can only assume that Flurry is peeing a lot!!! I think Flurry was upset at us last night. Probably not the last time he/she will be upset with us!!! Anyway, Jamie wanted some nachos, and instead of going to Taco Bell, I decided I would make them. Well, apparently, nachos are not Flurry's favorite meal, judging from the 2 a.m. trip to the bathroom. Soon, we'll be off to another doctor's appointment. Wish us well!

Hallelujah!

I almost hate to make this post for fear of it back-firing on me, but I am so excited I can't resist! I FELT GREAT TODAY! I haven't felt the least bit nauseous and haven't taken any medicine either! I even ate Applebee's BBQ chicken wings and salad that the drug rep brought for lunch! YIPPEE! Now, I am well aware that this could be a temporary situation, but I thought I would celebrate for the moment! Right now I am sitting here in my pajamas (it's 4:30 PM) enjoying some cinnamon gummi bears! Ryan is going to be thrilled when he gets home to see that I am ready for bed~sleeping is my new favorite hobby, especially after a day at clinical!

In other news, I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. Should just be a routine check, but hopefully we will be given the order to get our ultrasound at the next visit! HOORAY! Will post more after the appointment.

Twins, Hemorrhoids, or Kicking?

This was how I was greeted by someone at church this morning, "Congratulations! I just heard you were expecting yesterday and that you're having twins!" Word certainly travels fast! However, due to the high number of rumors, phone calls, and emails we have received over the past couple days, we have decided to let the cat out of the bag early! We are NOT expecting twins and I have NOT felt the baby kick, so now you can draw your own conclusions as to what the new development at our house is! From now on, I will have to be a little bit more cautious with revealing any new developments at our house. Sorry for the disappointment!

Weight Gain - A Husband's View . . .

It seems that there is this little known idea that the husband of a pregnant wife is known to gain a few extra pounds during the pregnancy. Whether this is because there is extra food around, or the husband doesn't want the wife to feel bad, chances are that he may put on a some extra poundage as the baby develops. As I was wolfing down my second brownie the other night (after finishing off a bag of Doritos) Jamie looked at me and just laughed. We came to realize that I, not her, had gained more weight this pregnancy!!! So, in an attempt to shed some of this unwanted "winter weight", as I call it, I jumped on the treadmill last night, and set it for 1 hour. After 25 minutes, my legs were hurting so bad, I had to jump off!!! Oh, well. Winter will be over soon, but in the mean time, I guess I'll just have to finish off those brownies!!!

Ryan

A New Development...

Well, there is a new development in the Peppler household! We are still trying to take it in! After much persistence we have finally begun to accept this news! You can bet this little addition will add a few more sleepless nights to Jamie's schedule over the next several months. One week from today we will tell the world our BIG news!

Myth or Fact?

Nausea subsides by the end of the first trimester?
Answer: Myth!!!
I was very prepared to start feeling much better yesterday morning! I figured a switch would flip and Flurry and I would start enjoying all kinds of different foods! HA! I was mistaken! Oh well, maybe next week!

Shrimp & Eggs

Well, week 13 is here, and it is time for a growth update. As you can see from the picture, Flurry is about the size of a 3-inch long shrimp. Flurry's skin is still so thin that you would be able to see the veins and organs right through the skin!!! Thankfully, Flurry's body is starting to catch up with the size of his/her head. Something I thought was especially interesting...If Flurry is a girl, she already has 2 million eggs in her ovaries, which is pretty amazing, considering she only weighs an ounce!!! Also, Flurry can be identified now, considering that his/her fingerprints have formed.

In other news, Jamie and I got to babysit for our nephew last night. I think we both decided we can hardly wait for our little one to get here!!!

Countdown to the 2nd trimester!

Well, in less than 24 hours we will have begun the 2nd trimester of this pregnancy! Despite all the sickness and sleepiness, I can say the past 3 months have gone quickly (Ryan probably disagrees). I am beginning to feel a little better each day. I haven't had to take any medicine today and only was sick one time yesterday! THAT IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!

My new favorite food is spaghetti!!!! I have eaten an entire box in the last 18 hours! I really only like Prego mushroom sauce, but Ryan is just glad that I have found something that tastes yummy! Our next doctor's appointment is a week from Tuesday, so hopefully there will be no drama between now and then! Hope everyone has a great week!

Key Lime Pie and Sunglasses

Well, it's time for the weekly growth chart picture. This week, Flurry is about the size of a lime. Now, for some of the developments going on: Flurry has started to produce urine, which is just fabulous. Also, if Jamie prods her stomach, Flurry will move, although Jamie won't be able to feel him/her. Flurry's ears have moved to their final resting place!!! But the best thing of all is that Flurry's eyes have moved from the side of his/her face to the front, making Flurry's face look definitively human!!! Which, if nothing else, means that Flurry will be able to wear sunglasses!!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud!!! Hope all is well with everyone!!!
Ryan

A New Experience

FAIR WARNING!!! THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! I love putting stuff like that at the beginning of posts because even those people who probably shouldn't read what I have to say cannot possibly resist the urge to read it anyway!

I was getting ready to leave work around 3:30 this morning and I didn't feel very good. Since this has become a typical experience over the last several weeks, I decided to start home and thought I could talk myself out of getting sick. Well... as I was veering onto I-69 I decided there was no way I was going to make it. Since it was so early in the morning, I did not want to pull off the road and throw up because I thought there might be a police officer who pulled me over because he/she thought I had been partying a little too hard, and I was not in the mood to try to explain myself. So, I pulled out my trusty Lutheran Hospital cup and proceeded to throw up as I was driving down 69 at 70 mph! Well, I threw up several times, each time making my deposit in the cup, until the last time! I went to grab the cup and before I knew it, there it was, fresh puke all over the front of me! What a mess! By now, I am ready to get off 69 and onto US 30 and I had nothing in the car to wipe myself off with. So, I decided to drive to the rest area (which I know and have been reminded several times that this was probably not the safest decision, however, desperate times call for desperate measures). I walked into the rest stop, dumping my cup in the grass as I went and, of course, there were no PAPER TOWELS! So, I proceeded to wipe myself off with toilet paper and wash my cup out for the rest of the journey home. Luckily, I made it home without having the urge to get sick again. Since this morning, I have stocked my car with paper towel, wet wipes, and a puke basin! I will be prepared the next time little Flurry decides to have a hiccup while I am driving!

199 days to go!

Look at the ticker at the top of the page! Less than 200 days to go! I feel like I am in elementary school again and the teacher has the countdown on the blackboard until summer vacation!

I think I am about over my nasty cold... or whatever I had. I am still coughing a little, but feeling well enough to go to work tonight, bummer!

I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 2.2 pounds! YAHOO! Now, for those of you who worry... losing weight in the first trimester is normal, especially if there has been morning sickness. There has been plenty of that! Today I got to revisit my Frosted Mini Wheats a second time.... that was disgusting! I am sure the scales will start going the other direction one of these days!

Hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend!

Yuck!

Well, this week has been full of sneezing, coughing, and sniffing. I have a sinus infection and can't quite seem to get rid of it! The main problem is that when I cough, I gag, so it has intensified my not feeling well. Hopefully this little annoyance will pass soon. I stayed home from clinical today to try to give myself a chance to get better. I am hoping by tomorrow I will be good as new!

As far as Flurry goes, he/she doesn't seem to be minding that mommy is sick. Nothing to eat really sounds too good, but that is nothing new! I am looking forward to getting my appetite back one of these days. No crazy cravings this week. I did have Ryan stop and get me some OJ earlier this week at the Kwik Mart. A 1/2 gallon of OJ cost $4.29!!!!! I don't think we will be going there anymore for my afternoon cravings. Will try to have a more lively post later!
Take care!

Sorry, honey!

Well, I definitely had a bit of an emotional meltdown last night. I have had a cold for the past couple days and Ryan got the brunt of me not feeling well and overreacting. Luckily, he handles these little setbacks in stride and remains calm when I am not at my best. Sorry, honey, for having to see the ugly cry... thanks for loving me anyway.

Did Someone Say Fig Newtons?

So, I've come up with yet another witty name for Flurry this week. In honor of Flurry being the size of a fig, I've decided my new favorite name is Newton!!! I'm sure Jamie is not quite as excited about the new choice of names, but we'll throw it into the mix!!!

Ryan