We are having a girl!!

TJ and I went to an ultrasound center yesterday. We were supposed to have a 20 week sonogram with our OB, however, due to work commitments, I was not able to go until 22 weeks. There was NO way that I could wait that long to confirm the gender of the baby. So, we opted to have a 4D sonogram session at 18 weeks.

The session was fairly interesting since the baby was sleeping. I had to shake and roll on my side, then to the other side. Finally, the baby flipped. When that happened, I thought to myself, "I've felt that before!" The baby has been flipping inside for about a week, and I did not know it.

In previous visits, the baby's heartbeat had been 156, 148 and 146. Typically with that range of heartbeat, the baby is a boy. In my mind, TJ and I thought that we already knew what we should be expecting. However, we had a little curve ball come our way. We are having a baby girl!!

Prior to our appointment, we had our boy's name all set. However, we had been going back and forth with a middle name for the girl. The first name, TJ and I set when we were married a year ago. I was looking online trying to find the perfect name and meaning. Abigail, cited in the Old Testament, means "a father's joy." And that she is, already! Then, suddenly I found the perfect name and meaning! Her name is Abigail Elise Owens. Put together, her name means, "a father's joy consecrated to God." This was exactly what we were looking for!! She is expected to arrive December 7th.

Here are a few pictures from the 4D ultrasound. We did not really get a good shot of her face, since she was sleeping.

stretching (above)

her little feet (above)

View the latest "Bump-date!"

Why, hello!

I did not include this story last night, because I was extremely tired. However, I did want to share this news with everyone -
I felt the baby move for the first time the other day! It was Father's Day. I was lying in bed, after just waking up. I was thinking of all the things that I needed to do before church. Then, there it was, I felt this little bubbly affect from the lower left part of my belly. It was almost as if my stomach was coughing. I know that I will know for sure, once the baby gets bigger whether that was it, or not. Until then, I am happy believing that it was the baby.
I have also began writing a journal of these types firsts, purchases, and OB experiences for our child. I am printing them out on cardstock and placing them in a baby scrapbook. I hope that this is something that our children will treasure forever!
As I said in an earlier blog. We have our 3D sonogram on the 12th of July. This is, of course, elective. Our OB prefers to wait until 20 weeks to confirm the gender to make sure that it's certain. Due to my work schedule, we would not find out until 22 weeks. Given that I am impatient, I have scheduled an appointment with the 3D sono center at 18 weeks. We will have the 3D experience and the gender determination that we are wanting. Everyone wins!
I will not wait so long to blog after that appointment! :)

"Bump-dates"

One of the greatest signs of a healthy baby is the healthy grow of a baby bump...or, so I've heard! :) I will be adding to this each month.

8 months

7 months

This was during the time that I had lost our camera - 5 1/2 months (22 weeks)

4 months

3 months

2 months - I know, I didn't keep the same pose, but you get the idea.
3lbs added from the previous picture, lol.

1 month - just after we had found out that we were expecting

Baby Talk

As of today, I am currently 4 months along. Oh, how time flies! Thus far, 'pre-motherhood' has been such a blessing. Being the first to know our child and to take care of it is joyous and overwhelming, at the same time. I have been extremely lucky, in regards to sickness, and I have never felt healthier. I know that this is directly due to the prayers of our friends and family. Thank you to all of you!


Here are pictures of our little miracle:




8 weeks sonogram - our little Teddy Graham!

12 week sonogram


***On July the 12th we go in for a 3D sonogram. Hopefully, we will be able to find out if we are having a boy or a girl.

Starting a family!

I am sure that you may have heard by now...WE ARE HAVING A BABY! TJ and I found out on the same day that Casey, TJ's sister, had her son - April 1st. He was born a little after 3:30 that morning, and we had all only had a few hours of sleep. So naturally, I thought that me feeling tired was a result to the lack of sleep, and from the hours spent at the office from the end of the month.
However, that evening, I had the inclination to make sure...and the test was positive!!! I screamed for TJ and made sure that I was reading the test correctly - it was digital and said "YES+," so there was not much room for error, lol.
TJ and I were headed to my mother's house, so I wrapped the test and handed it to her. She did not have her glasses on, so she immediately thought it was a candy bar, and tried to open it. TJ and I flew out of our chairs and stopped her. We shouted that we are pregnant, and she started crying because she was so happy! We were a bit disappointed, because my father was getting home late that evening from work. We were able to tell him the next day, and he was excited, too!
We told TJ's family that Sunday. We waited a bit, because we wanted his sister to get settled in. We just could not wait any longer. We are extremely happy to be 'in the family way,' as TJ's Papa would say. :)


Casey & Shane with our beautiful new nephew. He was definitely worth waiting up for!!!


At my mother's house, after finding out. Some April Fool's!! Ha!


This is how I confirmed to TJ that the test was positive with a second test. Since the first was positive, and it was 'April Fool's Day,' I wanted to confirm it, fearing that the supersticion traveled all the way to digital technology.

Catching up...

Okay, so I have let my blog go a bit, however, with the new changes in our lives, I hope to pick this up again! Here are a few pictures from the last few months to get you caught up on our lives:


Texas Snow:

2-12-2010


...making a snow man


Michelle making snow angels


Halley walking through the snow


12-24-2009








Hardwood Floors:


TJ and Shane (our brother-in-law) installed the new floors in our house.
Thank you, again, Shane!!





Our new living room!

Christmas 2009:


Casey and Ella

Heather and TJ competing in Rock Band

...opening presents

Boo at the Zoo 2009:

Ella and her Supermen

Labor Day Weekend

I love this picture!

Stuck in the mud!

It is almost deer hunting season, and my husband, his brother-in-law, and a good friend of their's have all been going down to the deer lease to setup and get the land ready for hunting. A few weeks ago they went to setup deer stands that they had built, but they were not able to completely finished - for some reason they are NEVER finished, there is ALWAYS something else to do! Nonetheless, they went up to the land again last weekend. With the high and steady rainfall, they were forced to work in the barn and carry everything out to set it up. On Saturday, TJ called me and informed me that they were coming home - this was about 12 hours earlier than we were expecting. However, our truck was stuck in the mud. He drove on the land to the furthest point to setup one of the deer stands. This just so happened to be next to a pond on the land, and on the day of record breaking rainfall for the month of September in the state of Texas! Great plan!! lol

The next day, they all went out to get the truck and bring it home. Six hours later, the truck was out of the mud, but was stuck in 4 wheel drive low - as I have learned, you can not drive faster than 10 MPH. They waited 2 hours to let it cool down, hoping that it would still not release from 4 wheel drive. They left the truck over night, again, and got home at 3 am that morning - this was Monday. Knowing how upset that I was about the truck having been driven on the land, in the first place, and then, getting stuck in the mud, TJ arranged for me to drive the car all day. Since he drives so much, he takes the car to work, and I take the truck on a normal basis - NOT THIS WEEK! Monday night, they were all supposed to go out there again; however, at this point, TJ and has brother-in-law, have been riding on 4 hours of sleep a night for the last 4 days, and my father-in-law, likewise, for the last two nights. We all decided that them getting rest would be more beneficial than going back out to get the truck. This meant that I and my sister-in-law would finally get some sleep, now, too. Neither one of us can sleep without the guys there!

Wednesday night came around, and the all went back out to get the truck and BRING IT HOME! We were praying really hard about it, because we were afraid of it remaining in 4 wheel drive low, and that we were going to have to put it in the shop. At about 10 pm that night, TJ called me and said, that they were on there way back and he figured out what went wrong. It was operator error, he did not realize that he had to manually disengage the 4 wheel drive. A lot of trucks will have the 4 wheel drive that you have to engage, but once the truck feels like the 4 wheel drive is no longer needed, it takes it back of; similar to the drifting feature on vehicles. So, I asked him, "What did we learn here?" And he said, "I learned that I don't have the 4 wheel drive that I thought I did!"

I was so tired, that I just let that one go.