IT'S A GIRL!

After so much anticipation, a crossed leg incident and five long days of waiting we had our Level 2 Ultra sound which revealed A BABY GIRL! More importantly the doctor told us the small cyst although still present, is 99% a non issue. He reviewed additional blood work which revealed 1 in 2 million chance for trisomy 18. We declined the genetic counseling and feel very confident our little girl is healthy. 

Finding out the gender was bittersweet. We went into the appointment both hoping for a very different outcome, me a girl and Rob a boy. I was overjoyed when we found out but he was a little more quite. I think two babies 14 months apart just need to be the same gender. Rob thinks he already has five kids and now definitly needs to go for a sixth! We could both agree that we are so, so, so happy our little one is healthy.

After we celebrated with breakfast and started thinking about names. When we had Brooklyn there was no back-up name so we are at the very beginning again in the name hunt. We know we are going to do Taylor (Rob's mom's maiden name) for the middle name we just need to find a first name that matches. When I was pregnant with Brooklyn I always imaged what she would look like. Now when I think of this baby I assume it will just look the same. I'm still holding out hope there could be a mini me clone inside. I am so excited to have another little girl and watch these two grow together and develop the same amazing relationship me and my sister have. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

So much has been going on for our family I got a little behind on the blog!

Mother's day this year was May 12th and my first "official" year to celebrate being a mother. Rob was so sweet planning every detail from the moment I woke up until bed. He took care of Brooklyn, who was a little sickish and woke up a few times in the night. This is actually a pretty big deal because of my overnight travel schedule any night I am home I am responsible for night time duty. He also woke up with her at 8:30 and let me sleep until 10. And for those of you who know my week day schedule sleeping in on the weekends is a precious thing. Next he made me breakfast, in bed before we headed to church. For lunch we meet his sister's family in Carmel for a beautiful French meal and walked around the town, got ice-cream and hung out on the beach. When we got home he presented me with a sparkly red KitchenAid mixer that I have had my eye on for over a year now. We ended the evening on the couch together watching "my" shows aka reality trash. It was such a great day. I am so thankful for my little Brooklyn and awesome husband. I think every day should be mother's day!

^^cottage of sweets, my dream

^^little beach princess

^^i smile every time i pass this in my kitchen

BROOKLYN'S CARDIOLOGY APPOINTMENT

Last Friday was filled with appointments for our family. After we finished with the gender screen (or lack of!) we went to Brooklyn's cardiology appointment. At her nine month doctor appointment a heart murmur was discovered. The doctor recommended we see a cardiologist to confirm the murmur was "innocent," basically not causing any problems. He explained almost all children have one at one time or another. I actually had one discovered at a physical when I was in college. Brooklyn did so good during the EKG and a second exam, staying very still. She looked so cute, big and brave on that Dr. Suess table. The results were read quickly and revealed an innocent murmur and a perfectly healthy heart!

^^showing us how still she could be before the EKG^^ 

^^concentrating on a bird wind chime on the ceiling^^

^^waiting for the results...^^

^^a perfect heart!^^

ITS A ...

Last Friday morning Rob and I excitedly got ready for the doctor appointment where the gender would be revealed! We arrived a few minutes early and then waited. And waited and waited. Once we were seen the woman hurried through our exam, quickly pointing out the major landmarks and taking notes. I gasped when I saw two little feet neatly crossed over one another. The technician told me to lay on my left side while she finished the notes. As soon as she was done I returned to my back, she poked at my stomach for about 10 seconds then said sorry we have done all we can today, the legs are crossed we will not be able to determine the gender. Nooooooo!!! I actually almost started crying. 

Feeling devastated, we walked with the notes to go review with the doctor. My doctor had a family emergency so someone else would be reviewing the ultrasound but this meant waiting again for 30 minutes. At this point Rob needed to go back to work and I was left with an overly active child, no gender for our unborn baby and to hear the results of the ultrasound alone. :( The doctor met with me for less than 20 seconds and said a choroid plexus cyst had been found in the brain and we would need to go for a level two ultrasound. Here she said they would be able to tell us the gender. Having gone through this with Brooklyn I remained calm and proceed to schedule the appointment. 

On Wednesday we will be taking a closer look to see if there are any other "markers" that would indicate trisomy 18- a very, very rare genetic defeat associated with choroid plexus cyst. Fortunately having the cyst is actually pretty common (about 1 in 50) in healthy, perfect babies. I think because my pregnancies are so physically easy I needed to be given some kind of worry to really prepare me for motherhood. Keep our little baby in your prayers! 

^^waiting to see if the baby would uncross its little legs!^^

^^baby!^^

BABY SUNBURN

Growing up I wore 90 SPF, applied several times per day and was taught if you get a sunburn you will get skin cancer and you will die. Over the years I have always followed my parents counsel and sat in the shade, wore extra sunblock and covered up. Of course I have done the same for Brooklyn. She wears sunscreen, stays in the shade, only goes in the sun for short periods of time and wears a sunhat to protect the top of her head and face. We have now added a water shirt to that mix. 

After a long pool day with friends and then a full week of water parks in Orlando I was feeling pretty confident I had this protect my baby from the sun thing down. That was until the beach last week. It was a gorgeous day at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz, sunny and 90 degrees. This was actually Brooklyn's first trip to the beach as a mobile baby. We went a few times last summer when she was first born but she just stayed inside the stroller. She love, love, loved the ocean water and screamed in delight each time a wave pushed toward her. We had an umbrella but unfortunately she wanted to sit in the water or walk around in the sand. I think the below pictures were before I put her suit on and after I took it off but she did have a bathing suit and got a little pink burn on both her shoulders and the part of her back that the suit did not cover. I discovered this when I gave her a bath after we got home and nearly started crying. 

Fortunately Brooklyn wasn't bothered by the light burn but I did read that chances of skin cancer rise dramatically if an infant is burned by the sun. Now I know her light little skin cannot be in the sun almost at all. This is just another reason she should have got my skin! We will be covering her up like the very bottom picture moving forward :)

^^ all smiles before the sunburn set in 

^^hanging out at the pool. burn free

^^well protected in orlando

MAJOR ANTICIPATION

We find out ONE WEEK from today if this sweet baby is a girl or boy. We thought about having a "gender reveal" party (because we love any excuse for a party) until I imagined Rob storming off if it is a girl or me running away crying if it is a boy. But really, all joking aside we are just thankful for another baby and hope this little one is healthy. Whichever gender is revealed next week will be amazing and beautiful and of course a blessing. As the day gets closer I feel content with whatever news we are told and know I can rise to the challenge of raising a little boy. Little baby we love you and cannot wait to find out if your a she or he!  

18 WEEKS

please excuse the no make up, post workout face

I am 18 weeks along today! It seems insane I am almost half way through this pregnancy. The second trimester is such a glorious time- still small enough to be comfortable yet no more morning sickness. This pregnancy has been similar to my past one: Easy. So far I have had two easy pregnancies and one easy baby, fingers crossed I get a second easy baby. We find out the sex in just a week and a half on May 10^th! I am so anxious to find out weather it is a boy or girl. I actually thought the other day: the sex of this baby is going to change my entire life. So dramatic! I think part of me so badly wants a girl because I am frightened of raising a boy.

I have been really focusing on working out this pregnancy and keeping my activity level high- running and lifting classes at the gym. I have also been focusing on keeping my stress level low. This time last year I was brand new at my job and needed to prove myself. Over the last year and a half I feel I have done that so I can relax a little more and concentrate on staying calm for the baby. I have actually heard several times lately your mood while pregnant can affect that of your baby’s after she is born?! I feel blessed I have been in high spirits thus far. I do remember being angry the last month and just wanting Brooklyn out. Maybe that is why she has a little feisty side to her.

I am beyond excited for Brooklyn to have a sibling. She loves to move around and is so active. Having a built in playmate so close in age will be ideal for her. There are a lot of times Rob and I are sitting on the couch relaxing and she is bopping around the living room like a little dog looking for attention. I rub my belly and smile knowing in just a few months she will have a little friend to play with.

Time seems to be moving so quickly this pregnancy however that could be because Brooklyn is growing so fast. I am really enjoying things this time around and hope the second half of this nine months is as good as the first!