I love being pregnant?

Yesterday morning, Jasper and I were driving home from Costco.  We were talking about our plans for the day; put away groceries, have lunch with his parents, chores, etc.  As we were chatting I remember we were stopped at a stop light when little JP began to press and push pretty hard out.  Jasper reached over and met push with a playful press back, which began to make me feel like peeing.  :)

When Jasper was playing with little JP, I told him how often I feel him moving and shaking throughout my day at work.  What kind of made Jasper and me laugh was how i followed up my comment with, "This is my favorite part about being pregnant.  I just am constantly reminded he is there and I feel very close to him, and I know this something I am going to miss."

Jasper started to laugh.  I was not sure why at first, but he turned to me and recalled just a few months ago my firmly stating, "I don't want to do this [get pregnant] again!  You know with all the morning sickness and stuff.  How can other women do this more than once?"

I've heard that woment forget the woes of pregnancy 

once the baby is born.  And I know in my heart that it is worth it.  I think about the "morning sickness"  yeah right all day sickness and nausea (getting in car, in car, after car ride, brushing teeth, waking up, sleeping, thinking about the next car ride, standing up, sitting down... you name it I was most likely feeling pretty nauseous...) 1st trimester cramping, and 3rd trimester sleepless nights.

And now I'm stating that I love being pregnant, being able to feel the baby moving, kicking, hiccuping.  It amazes me how quickly time passes.  I am g

oing to cherish every last moment I have while pregnant.  I am sure I could feel so much more comfortable doing the normal tasks of life.  But I sometimes forget this is an answered prayer and most certainly a blessing from God.

Thank you again to all of my family and friends who have been very supportive.  Please feel free to leave any of your comments or questions for me.  

God bless you.

JPW3- What's in a Name?

Naming a child is an important decision for any parent to make.  You have to think about teasing potential, meaning, nick names, and making sure you're not stealing your best friend's dream name.   As a teacher, I've heard my share of interesting names.  Some that are perfect for the child, and some that make me giggle. There are even a few that I know I will never name my child because of spending a school year with a particular "special" friend.  

Fortunately, Jasper and I didn't have to struggle over picking the perfect name.  I had always loved the name Josie for a girl and Jasper knew and was happy with that.  Of course we had the conversation about Jasmine.  Jasper explained to me that he liked that name too and it wasn't just because it had "Jas" in the beginning of it.  So it was set, Josie if a girl.  There was never a boy's name that stuck with me, so when Jasper suggested naming a boy after him, I thought it was perfect.  

Jasper had always liked the idea of honoring his grandfather by naming our son Jasper Prentiss Welsh III.  I think it's a great name too and here's Jasper to explain further about that decision:

3D/4D Ultrasound - Life in Progress

On January 10, 2009, Jasper and I headed over to Peek of You to get a 3/4D Ultrasound of JP.  I am just about 28 weeks and this is the time most people will reccommend getting these amazing little pictures because babies now have more fat on their bodies and look a little more human.  

As big as I feel I am, I was excited to see his fat face and body.  I can feel him moving and kicking inside and I couldn't wait to be able to put a face on my little kickboxer.  

My thoughtful sister, Diane (who lives in San Diego and didn't want to miss a beat with this new baby) gave us a Flip camera for Christmas which Jasper used to record this memorable event.   We had breakfast and he interviewed me and my thoughts before the ultrasound.  

When we arrived to "Peek of You"  we were able to look at other 3D pictures displayed in the waiting area.  It's so neat that we have this technology to see what our little ones are doing in there.  

Our room had a bed for me and a couch for any guests that we invited to share this moment with.  While the technician used her monitor, I got to watch it projected onto a big screen.  We confirmed the sex, and yes we still have JP on his way, and finally got to see the face of our sweet baby.  He made the cutest sucking lips, and yawned for us.  But this great view of our little one only lasted about five minutes before JP got camera shy and put his hands up to block his face. The tech did everything she could, practically jiggling and poking on my belly, to get him to move.  Jasper suggested I get up and walk around which I did, but he was just way to comfortable with his arms up in that position.  

Fortunately, we were able to get a few perfect shots of baby.  The whole session was put on a dvd for us and we were ok with that.  So, without further ado, here is our JP-his Life in Progress:

The Little Dance In My Belly

As you may already know, my first few months have been trying. But now that I'm approaching my 6th month, I can honestly say pregnancy is not half as bad as I had originally thought. I would even say that I'm enjoying it.

For the last month, I've been feeling an occasional "flutter" in my belly. I wasn't always sure if that was J.P. or if I just had gas. In the last week, I am certain that I am feeling J.P. and it is the neatest feeling to know that my little one is in there.

I have always felt these flutters from inside my belly, and not from the outside. This past Friday, while Jasper and I were watching t.v., I put my hand over my belly and actually felt J.P. kick. I told Jasper to put his hand over it, but I guess J.P. was shy because we couldn't feel him anymore.

Sunday morning, as Jasper rolled over to wish me and J.P. good morning, J.P. decided to respond and Jasper was finally able to feel him move inside of me. I thought it was a kick, and Jasper describes it more as if he was moving his hand or foot across. It was so exciting!

I think about J.P. a lot, and once I start to forget I am pregnant he gives me a little kick, dance, or punch to let me know he's still around. It always gives me a smile, and I know I'm not alone.

You Were Right if You Said It's a...

Jasper and I had our ultrasound appointment and saw the most beautiful baby hanging out in my belly! The ultrasound was displayed on a t.v. monitor on the wall so Jasper and I could comfortably see what the tech was looking for. Right away the tech asked us if we wanted to know the gender and he gave us a definite answer. He said to put money on it, his name on it, Nicolas, bet the house, double down because he was certain of what we are having! Then he showed us the evidence. He even warned me that my girlfriends will try to tell me not to be too certain and that I am not to listen to them.

Here's a video of our ultrasound visit:

Thanks for following our blog and come back for more as I plan to update regularly!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Old Wives Tales Tested.

"You're having a boy! I can just tell!" "I just know you're having a girl!" I have heard these comments during my pregnancy. And I love the different reasonings behind their prediction every time. Here are some Old Wives Tales that family and friends have used to support their theories:

Boy:
-You're carrying low.
-Your baby moves a lot.
-Your husband is 1 of 3 brothers and you're one of 2 girls--boys win.
-Your husband is a manly man.
-You have bad morning sickness.
-You're ankles look swollen (ouch! they do?)
-I'm Grandma. I just know.

Girl:
-You're carrying high
-You're baby moves a lot.
-You have really bad morning sickness.
-I see it in your face.
-Your breasts got huge fast.

Here are several recent pics of me. I would like to invite you to study them and tell me whether I will be having a baby girl or boy. Please feel free to add a comment to this post with your prediction and how exactly you arrived at that conclusion or guess. Also, participate in my poll on the left side of this blog, on what you believe my baby is.

Here is my close up.

This photo was take at approximately 13 weeks. Am I carrying high? low? wide?....

What can you tell from this photo?

Here I am at approximately 17 weeks. What do my ankles tell you? My belly? etc.

I am very interested in finding out what you believe I will be having and why you believe you can say with some certainty. I hope you have fun and I will keep all of you posted as to the results of the polling and our visit with the doctor. Feel free to also share this post with your friends and family. Have fun.

Morning Sickness

On week 6, I stated earlier that the cramping stopped. In exchange for one terrible discomfort, I got another, morning (more like all day) sickness. Don't get me wrong though. I understand that my new ailment is actually a great sign for a healthy pregnancy, but for the sake of my memory and sanity, I'm going to go ahead and vent about how miserable it felt. It started August 9, a Saturday evening. Our friends, Anthony and Krystal invited me and Jasper to dinner and a movie. We went to Olive Garden, and usually I can go to town with italian food, but as soon as the lasagna hit my table I felt gross. I went to the bathroom, and luckily I didn't throw up, I thought I would but I didn't. I went back to the table feeling queasy. Later we went to watch Batman Dark Night, and I actually sat through that ok. The next morning I was throwing up all day. The day after that was my first day back to work. I teach 1st grade, and it was the first day of school. Yeah...





Anywho, here are some things from americanpregnancy.org that are supposed to relieve morning sickness:

Eat small meals often

Drink fluids 1/2 hour before or after a meal, but not with meals

Drink small amounts of fluids during the day to avoid dehydration

Eat soda crackers 15 minutes before getting up in the morning

Avoid foods and smells that increase nausea

Ask someone else to cook for you and open the windows or turn on fans if the odor bothers you

Get plenty of rest and nap during the day

Avoid warm places (feeling hot adds to nausea)

Sniff lemons or ginger, drink lemonade, or eat watermelon to relieve nausea

Eat salty potato chips (they have been found to settle stomachs enough to eat a meal)

Exercise

Here are some that were suggested by veteran mother friends and family of mine:

Smell and/or suck on a lemon (preferebly before you get out of bed)

Eat a cracker an hour before you get out of bed (I could never get up this early)

Eat gingersnaps or drink real ginger ale

Let someone else cook for you