Week 23

A mover and a shaker! That's what this little boy is! I love feeling him move all over the place and last night Jimmy got to feel him for the first time. For weeks we have been playing that little game where the mom tells the dad to hurry over because the baby is moving and as soon as the dad puts his hand on the belly, the baby stops! It was fun to have Jimmy feel his little son moving around and feel how real he is. One of my favorite things is feeling Baby Boy move while I'm holding my baby Ali. I love knowing that I have both of my babies right there. It will be fun to have her understand what's going on... maybe with the next one. For now she doesn't even seem to react when he "kicks her".
I can't wait to see how he and Ali will get along. I'm sure it will be hard for her to adjust. She is so attached to me and doesn't like anyone else getting attention from me, but that's just one of those things we will work through. She is growing up and learning so much. I want to start dong more learning activities with her as she seems to be getting to that age. I have found SO many awesome sites while looking around Pinterst. I love that thing! So I've decided to add those sites to the side of this blog so I can have a quick reference of activities for Ali. I can't wait to collect materials and start this new phase with her!
So back to Baby Boy- I already have heartburn. If the rumors are true, and they're usually not, he is going to have a lot of hair. I think he'll have hair anyway, but that is probably not causing my heartburn. I had it a little with Ali right at the end but it's already starting. It's mostly at night and probably because I drink water before I go to bed. It's no big deal though. And sleeping on these Chinese beds does a number on my poor pregnant hips. But Jimmy requested some extra blankets for me to lay on to try to soften up the wood, I mean matress. =)

Weeks 19, 20, 21 and 22!

We've been so busy, but I haven't stopped thinking about this little sweety in my belly! Before we left for China I had a doctor's appointment. My doctor hadn't planned on doing an ultra sound, even though she knew we were leaving a week later, so Jimmy didn't come to the appointment. However, as soon as she walked into the room she asked where he was and then expressed how sad it was that he would miss the ultra sound! Yes! It is sad, and I wish he would have been there! But I am very grateful that we got one before we left just to check in on the baby to make sure things were looking ok before we crossed the ocean to a new place. The baby was crossing it's legs at first but later the doctor was able to get a very clear shot to tell us that we are having a BOY! I was so happy and so excited to get home and tell Jimmy! I stopped by the store and got a little sleeper that said, "Little Brother" on it and had Ali pull it out of the bag when I got home. Everything else in the ultra sound looked good too, so that's great. I have been so much more relaxed about this pregnancy than lthe ast one. It helps to have a successful pregnancy. I have been back to read some posts from when I was pregnant with Ali and I just do not feel the same way as I did then. (maybe I've already mentioned this, but it amazes me ever time I read old posts.) I'm still so excited to hold our little baby boy and to cuddle him and love him, but I feel very calm about it too. I don't wait around all day, counting the number of times he has moved, or worry that he's not alive in there. It's been great walking around so much! I was afraid I would be so tired, and I was the first few days we got to Shanghai, but now I feel fantastic! Even with carrying Ali around so much, I still feel great. I know it will be quite an adjustment but I'm getting way excited to be a mother of two!(These face shots are freaky... unless it's your own baby, then it's just so cute!)

18 weeks!

We are 18 weeks and 2 days! Baby is already half a foot and half a pound! Wow! Time flies when you're having fun and really busy! I like pregnancy #2! If I feel this great in my future pregnancies I wouldn't mind having 5 more! I'm so excited to get to China and find a doctor. By that time we'll only have a little over 4 months till the baby comes.
Every day I wonder how Ali is going to handle another baby coming into the family. She is the center of our universe and we like it that way. But I plan on having the two kids be our universe in a few months... I'm just not sure Ali will know what to think about having to share the center of the universe! Luckily she LOVES kids and I'm hoping she'll enjoy having a little playmate. Plus I really hope we meet some fun people in China that she can play with.
I'm so happy that we're having another baby in January! I get so excited thinking about all my children and about them growing up together and the fun things we can do! I'm working on a quiet book right now and I love thinking back on the quiet book that my mom made for us and how much we loved it. It's been fun looking through her quiet book patterns and remembering all those Sundays sitting at church and enjoying all the different pages! I also love dreaming about the holidays and birthdays with my children! I can't wait to see their little faces when they wake up and come down to the Christmas tree to see if Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk! I love the "magical ages"- the ages when children still believe in magic! So cute! Then of course there is the first day of school- and just as fun, the last day of school... soccer practice, piano recitals, etc. (There aren't any whiny or fighting kids when I'm dreaming...that's what dreams are for!)

Welcome to the NEW Ballyhoo!

I'm 17 weeks and 1 day and the news is finally out.... it's a good thing because it's becoming impossible to deny.... most of the "baby belly" is really "cookie belly" for now, but it is beginning to pop! Oh fun!! Can't wait till January!

16 weeks....

I'm 16 weeks already?!! Amazing to think that I'm almost halfway there. The update is that I feel GREAT! I haven't been sick at all which is such a blessing! There was one week when I was really tired and if I didn't get to sleep I felt sick, but that happens even when I'm not pregnant so it's no big deal. I missed the opportunity to do a DNA test during the 1st trimester to find out the gender so we'll have to wait and see. We are moving to China before my doctor plans on doing the 20 week ultrasound so we might not get to know the gender until January 14th-ish when this little sweetie is born. It's illegal in China to find out the gender of your baby. I'm hoping that our doctor will be nice and do the ultrasound early. I'm guessing it's a boy, and I'm basing this guess entirely on the fact that I wasn't nauseous this time.
We broke the news to the Newton grandparents a couple weeks ago when we were in Utah and this week to the Hrncirik grandparents; my mom came into town and then we skyped my dad with the news.
Today I had my first stanger ask if I was pregnant. It was gutsy of her but I liked it! It's good to know that I'm starting to look pregnant, it means that we're progressing! I can't wait to see this little one and squeeze its little baby goodness!

6 weeks!

Sweet Little Baby,
You are still so small but so much is happening and you are already growing so quickly! Your little nose and eyes are forming! And so are your limbs! It's amazing to think that you are becoming the little person we will see in 34 weeks! We hope you are comfy and happy in my belly! We love you and can't wait to see you!
Love,
Mommy + Daddy

I'm still feeling really good this week. I am really tired but I can't tell if I'm more tired than normal or not. Ali is finally getting back to sleeping better after she got sick last month. She only wakes up once from 8 pm to 6 am. So whether I'm more tired or not, it's hard to gauge, but I do know that I am sleeping more soundly. Sometimes Jimmy will hear her before she wakes me up. That has never happened before. It feels nice to be sleeping soundly again... it's been a while. Ali is napping now and Jimmy and I were just talking over breakfast about how it doesn't seem real yet. I think until you hear that little heartbeat you just have to imagine that the baby is growing in you. Either that or the morning sickness hits! We'll see- but I am very happy about it. Could this be a little easier if Ali were almost 2 instead of not quite 1?...maybe. But I wouldn't have it any other way. This is when this little spirit is meant to come into this world and we are so happy to be its parents!

A NEW Ballyhoo!

That's right... we have a NEW reason to celebrate! What a surprise we had this past weekend when we learned that Ali is going to be a big sister! We had decided a few months ago that even though she is still young, we didn't want to waste any time bringing another sweet baby into our family, especially since we didn't know if we would be able to have another baby or not. So each month we waited to see if we would be pregnant and sure enough, on Friday I took a pregnancy test and saw those two little lines! Pregnant! Jimmy was out of town and so I had to wait till Saturday when he got back to tell him the news. Friday night I made a little flip book that said we were having a baby and when I had the chance, I gave him the flip book and watched his face as he read the message. He was so excited; he hugged and kissed me. We are so relieved and happy that we are expecting a new baby! I'm having a hard time not calling "it" a "he". I don't know why, I just keep saying "he"... maybe it's because we already have a girl or maybe it's because it really is a "he"! We'll see! The baby is due in January and we will have to wait till I go to the doctor to find out the exact due date. This is going to be an exciting ride! We'll see how it goes being pregnant with a 7 month old. I'm really hoping I don't get as sick as I did last time. But if I do, it will be a learning and growing experience for me! I can't wait to find out what we're having and especially to see this new little baby!!

October 21st!

Mary Alice came into this world this morning at 12:13 am! She is a beautiful little girl with lots of dark brown hair and grey-blue eyes. She is 8 pounds 3 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. She has been nothing but sweet from the moment she was born! She loves to be snuggled! We had great nurses and her baby nurses have been so helpful in teaching me how to nurse. Each time it's getting better and better! Right now she is sleeping in Daddy's arms- all swaddled up and loving life!

Week 39

This is the end of many things, and the beginning of other beautiful things! We are ending that carefree time of marriage that we've been living for the past 2 years, and all the carefree years before that. This is the end of uninterrupted sleep, being able to pack up and leave in 30 seconds or less, quiet days, and many other things that we will soon find out! We are entering a new phase in life. We get to be parents! Which seems so crazy to me! I'm going to be a mom?! My mom is a mom, my sister is a mom- but me? I never really thought this day would ever come! And it's coming- this week! I can't imagine all the beautiful things that will come with the birth of this little girl!

We are going into the hospital on Wednesday morning and hopefully sometime by Thursday (obviously I'm hoping it doesn't take that long!!!) we will be holding our new baby! Words can't express how we feel, or at least my words. We are so excited and grateful that she is coming!

I'll miss this belly! Of course I'd rather have a baby in my arms, but it's a sweet thing to have a baby growing in you. I have so enjoyed bonding with her and feeling her grow and move. I hope that we will get to have this experience again in the (not too distant) future.

Here are some photos of the baby's nursery. I will still be adding a couple finishing touches this week, but the main things are done. It's very PINK and very GIRLY! (Let's hope the ultrasounds were right or it will be one confused boy!)

Maybe I'm crazy and felt like my baby NEEDED a chandelier mobile. Can you believe they don't sell these? I had to buy a mobile, take it apart and string the beads.

Remember this rocker??

Here it is now! It was a lot of work but totally worth it!

One of our favorite things is this picture of the Salt Lake temple with the words "I'm going there someday.." The best part is we already had the frame and we got the picture for free (just the cost of printing at Costco)! We got it from a sweet girl who has a cute blog: http://www.lilluna.com/ She has a lot of other temple pictures for free on her blog! I think it's awesome that she offers these at no cost!

Week 38

Last week I was so sure that the baby was on her way SOON... as in maybe this week soon. Every night, as I was going to bed, I was sure that I would wake up to contractions. But on Wednesday we went to the doctor and he let us know that there is absolutely nothing going on in the dilation station. This was a tiny bit disappointing, but at the same time, really good to know. I have been able to get a lot more done this week without the thought that at the next moment I could be going into labor. It's probably good that I've been able to be a little more active this week because guess what decided to make a comeback after 9 months? My appetite! I have had such little interest in food my whole pregnancy until this week. Now I feel like I could polish off everything in the pantry in one evening. Luckily we only have two more weeks till the baby comes. I think I can keep my appetite at bay for 10 more days.
I am a little less nervous about the birthing process this week. I'm just getting so excited to see her! We sit in the nursery every night and just talk about how exciting it will be to actually have a baby in there with us in two short weeks!