June 23, 2009 - 21 Week Update

This past week was another busy week! Now that we know just "who" we have on board, it's officially time to start planning the nursery! We have so many great ideas! We have also started looking at cribs and furniture for the baby's room! We hope to have our final choices picked out within the next few weeks! In a perfect world, the nursery would be mostly done before school started back up! We'll just have to see how our "brilliant" ideas pan out and how quickly we can get everything accomplished! I can already see our home turning into an HGTV marathon during the next few months! We're having so much fun already! It's so exciting to be at this stage of the pregnancy where everything really starts to feel "real". With a little help from my OCD, I just want everything to be so very perfect for our little man! I'm sure everything will come together eventually. I'm already looking forward to sitting in our finished nursery imagining how it will finally be complete when our baby is here. Until then, paint, carpet, and window treatment samples, along with stacks of decorating magazines, will be filling the nursery for now!

We had a doctor's appointment this week which included an ultrasound! Wahoo!! We live and breathe for these appointments! Our doctor was extremely pleased with his growth and was surprised to see how active he was already! She literally had to chase him around with the ultrasound wand to get her measurements! He had his arms behind his head again and kicked back each time she pressed down on my belly. She noticed how long his fingers were and how perfectly round his little nose and bottom was! He is actually measuring a little bigger than expected but she decided to keep the Nov. 6th due date the same. If his performance over the last few weeks tells us anything, I have a feeling that he's planning on his grand arrival on his own time and not when he is "supposed" to be here! She was also pleased to see that my blood pressure and weight were both very healthy. At 21 weeks, I am now at a grand total of nearly 9 pounds. With the heat of living at the beach, I'm learning that the heat, humidity, swelling, the stretching of my hips, and water retention sometimes make me feel as though I've gained about 100 so far. I couldn't help but laugh when I walked past a mirror in our house and I actually startled myself because I didn't realize just how much my profile has changed in the past few weeks! All in all, I absolutely love being pregnant! All of the swelling and aches and pains in the world could never make me forget what a blessing from God this child is. More than ever, I'm so incredibly thankful.

On Saturday, June 27th (Nana and Puppa's 28th Wedding Anniversary) we saw my belly move for the first time! I was soooo excited for Garrett to get to experience movement for the first time! He was able to see for himself what I have been feeling for several weeks now! It was an unforgettable moment! I am learning that if I lay down after eating or drinking something cold I can now SEE him move and wiggle around, instead of only feeling him! Everyday seems to bring a list of "firsts" for us and I know that our lives will forever be changed and blessed with countless new memories as we prepare for, welcome, and begin to share our life with our son!

I know that all of our loyal fans are just dying to know our little guy's name! I've had so many of you guess and suggest names and we are loving every one of them! Garrett and I have finally found what we feel is the perfect name for him! Because we decided to find out whether our little one was a boy or a girl, we wanted to keep SOMETHING a surprise! So, we've decided that the name we have chosen will be kept a secret until he arrives this fall! If you know anything about Garrett, you know that secrets just aren't his thing! It will be difficult to encourage him to keep the secret but we are committed to the mission of operation, "Keep the Name a Secret"! Hopefully our will power will last for nearly 4 more months! So please no bribes! (Unless of course they concern candy apples or lemonade) :-)

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch. The baby is about the size of a banana this week!

June 16, 2009 - 20 Week Update

"Little hands and little feet, Little toothless grins so sweet, Little eyes that shine so bright,Little arms to hug you tight - Everything is little except the joy when you find you are having a baby boy."

Week 20 has been the most exciting week so far! At an incredible 3d/4d imaging session, my motherly intuition proved to be true! Garrett and I walked into the imaging room with total excitement and anticipation! The room was decorated so beautifully! It had large comfy chairs for everyone to sit in and a big fluffy recliner for me to sit in while we had the ultrasounds done. There were lullabies playing and quotes about babies painted on the walls. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I thought for sure that I would want to know whether we were having a boy or a girl looooong before we ever knew we had a miracle on the way. However, as I sat in the chair preparing for the cold ultrasound gel, I realized that, ultimately, whoever was in there had already captured such a huge part of my heart and soul that it truly didn't matter if I ever found out. Garrett, on the other hand, was bursting at the seams and just couldn't wait. We decided to just see how it goes at first before deciding if we wanted to get the "tell all shot". As always, God had different plans for us! As soon as the lovely ultrasound lady began the very first thing we saw were unmistakable "family jewels" if you will! His "little boy parts" were right there for all to see and I literally screamed out loud from the excitement! Garrett and I immediately began to cry as we realized for the first time that our hearts had been right all along, we were having a son. Although the love that I have felt for this child since the very beginning seemed as though it couldn't possibly grow, at that very minute I felt a bond with this little miracle that I had never thought possible. He was so very active, rolling, kicking, punching, smiling, and yawning. At one point he even put his little arms behind his head (like daddy does) and took a little nap. My favorite part was when he put his little legs up above his head and rolled into a little ball! He has so much room in there now you would think that he would be all spread out...but nope....like me, he likes to be all curled up! To make the session even more special, Bubby, Pa, Katie, and Charlie were invited to come into the room after we saw for ourselves just who we had on the way. It took Bubby all of 3 seconds to see exactly what we had seen minutes before! Bubby, Pa, and the girls were so excited! Everyone cheered, and cried, and laughed! Charlie had been hoping for a girl, but she made it a point to come up to me and say, "Aunt Dee Dee, you know that even though it's a boy I love him so much already!" That will always be special little moment that I'll always remember! Katie had wanted a little boy so she was so happy that her prediction was right! We had an hour and a half session and we probably only got to see his sweet little face for maybe 10 or 15 minutes of the whole appointment! In the meantime, we saw all of his little acrobatic moves! It was incredible for me to see him on the screen as I felt him inside. I could actually see what he's doing when I'm feeling what I feel! It was amazing! Throughout the appointment, I drank lots of cold beverages, and nibbled on chocolate, hoping that it would stimulate our little guy to roll over so we could see his face....but....like his parents, he has already proven to be stubborn and wasn't about to do something just because someone else wanted him to! We already have a little rebel on our hands! After the big show, we all went out to dinner to celebrate! Our family was here just over a week, and we were so happy to get to share so many special days (especially this one!) with them!
Here are some of the 20 2d and 3d pictures we were able to take home after our session. We were also given a 45 minute dvd of our little guy moving around! We'll treasure that day forever! We are already excited to go back in August for more 3d fun when my mom comes to visit! These are some of our favorites!

His sweet little profile and his legs up over the head!

If you look closely, you can see his little eyes, nose, chin, smile and his
arm up above his head!

The tell all shot! I hope he's
not mortified someday when
he realizes that his mom posted
this on the web! :-)


















The happy crew after the session was over!

















Finally!! Garrett found a place that had candy apples!!
(Newest craving for the past few weeks!)

















Our little love bugs Katie an Charlie!















Week 20 was an exciting week for several reasons! A wonderful family visit, an amazing ultrasound appointment, my first baby clothes shopping trip with Bubby and the girls, and the celebration of Father's Day! Father's Day, like Mother's Day, brought a new day of celebration to our home. I can't wait to see both of my special guys in the same picture on Father's Day next year!

Here are the pictures of all of the fun things "Daddy" got on his special day and a picture of the fun things we bought on our first shopping trip!





















YAY for baby shopping!


















Some of Daddy's special gifts and

a special engraved picture

frame that says, "Daddy's
first Father's Day" June 21,
2009 Love, Your Little Man
































Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed! This week the baby is about the size of a cantaloupe!

June 9, 2009 - 19 Weeks

Week 19 was spent wondering what a girl has to do for a candy apple around here! The search continues....stay tuned! Until then, the lemons and slushies will do just fine. I've started eating an obscene amount of apples though. I've always loved apples, but now...it's just ridiculous! I can devour a whole bag of granny smith apples in just a few days. Well, at least they are healthy...it could be a bag of double cheese burgers! Speaking of which, that sounds good right about now too! Obviously, the good ol appetite is not just back but it's here with a vengeance, it's best just not to get in it's way. Consider yourself warned! lol :-) The last time I was at the doctor I weighed in with a whopping weight gain of a whole 8 pounds! I was shocked! I would have thought I gained much more, but thanks to the miracle of carrying a child, I've stretched and grown sideways a lot. (although no stretch marks yet, knock on wood!) My naivety spoke for me when I said to the nurse, "Well, maybe since I've gotten wider delivery will be a lot easier now!" lol Yes, that really did come out of my mouth. The poor nurse just shook her head and smiled as she gave me a hug and said, "Aww, bless your heart, you are just too cute." So that wasn't very comforting. Let's just worry about that later! lol :-) Most importantly, I spent most of this week with Ann and her family at the Outer Banks. We had a super wonderful time and they didn't even laugh when they saw me in my bikini! Now, those are true friends! :-) It was great to spend that time together and I was so thankful they included me in their family trip. Bubby, Pa, Easton, Katie, and Charlie came at the end of this week...stay tuned for next week's update to read about our adventures!




























...Part 1 of our pretend maternity photo shoot!



































...Part 2 of our pretend maternity photo shoot...
to most of you this won't come as much of a surprise!
LOL This is very typical Dee/Ann behavior :-)


































...Ann and I at the dunes. Yes, Mama Miller climbed
one of the mountains of sand and lived to tell the tale!












It's getting rather tropical here at the Miller household just in time for summer! Mango anyone?

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature. The baby is about the size of a mango this week.

June 2, 2009 - 18 Weeks

Hellloooo 18 weeks and hellloooo energy!! Where have you been? I've missed you! During week 18 my energy made a surprise appearance just in time for the last week of school! Don't get me wrong, you won't find me running any marathons...maybe only as I run back and forth from the bathroom! As the baby is getting bigger, so much pressure as been added to my already sensitive bladder...you get the picture! I feel really very wonderful and have officially given up on anything that has anything to do with zippers and buttons...goodbye old friends! Sweet Pea has continued to be a mover and a shaker, especially at night. I think he/she is trying to get us ready for the sleepless nights ahead of us. Just when I think I'm in a comfortable position, "BAM" the baby decides it's time to practice country line dancing. Even though I'm not sleeping through the night, I enjoy the little (and sometimes startling) jabs I feel that remind me I'm not alone. Every day with this little miracle is certainly a blessing in itself. I had a routine doctor's appointment this week that was supposed to be just some regular blood work having to be done. Because it was not a "fun" appointment, I told Garrett that he didn't have to come to this one. I thought I would be just in and out. However, when I get there, our lovely nurses and doctor tell me, "You know, if you want to find out what the baby is today, we could do an ultrasound!" Do you see the irony yet? lol Garrett has been to every single appointment, big or small, and the one time he isn't there...they pull out the "tell all ultrasound" card. Of course, I said, "no" because I know how devastated Garrett would have been if I had gone ahead and found out by myself....eeeek....it would not have been a pretty picture at Chateau de Miller that night! The doctor instead said that we could listen to the baby's heartbeat. There's nothing in this world like the sound of your child's heart. The heartbeat was strong, 149 beats per minute this time. We have another big appointment (ultrasound included!!!) on June 24th!! We are already counting down the days until we can see our little guy/gal again!

One night this week I walked into our bedroom to find Garrett

reading one of the baby's books to Izzy. This particular book makes

a lot of baby animal sounds and has since been a favorite of Izzy's.

I think this might be one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen!

Our little Sweet Pea has been a busy little "sweet potato" this week!

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. The baby is about the size of a sweet potato.

May 26, 2009 - 17 Week Update

During week 17, little Sweet Pea and myself traveled to Pennsylvania to celebrate a very special birthday, engagement, and wedding! With each passing day I have felt more and more movement with the baby. I can start to see connections between the different foods that I eat and things that I do that provoke more movement! It was really amazing though as the plane took off for PA to feel the baby in full force. The same movements came when we landed. Our little one is already such a "jet setter". It's amazing how wonderfully accommodating and kind people are to expectant mothers. I had all kinds of people offering to carry anything and everything that I had that day. More than anything, this week was about sharing the excitement of our baby with family and friends that I haven't seen since we've gotten the big news in March. It really made everything feel so much more real to me in a very emotionally overwhelming sort of way! :-) I've already been caught sobbing at the most random things, i.e. a televised cheerleading competition where I felt such a huge sense of pride for those lovely girls and their parents...lol true story. As I begin to tear up at just the thought of those well constructed cheerleading pyramids, it's time to move on...:-) Friday, May 29th my dad, Heather, Jason, Jimmie and I (God bless Garrett, he wanted to come home with me so badly but couldn't make it home this time) surprised my mom with a super fun surprise party for her 50th birthday! It was a huge success and I think everyone had a really wonderful time! While everyone enjoyed a variety of appetizers and beverages, I enjoyed a plate of lemons, and strawberry cake.....yes....together.



















...Taking turns giving a toast!






















...Mom blowing out her
dynamite stick of a candle!


























... Aunt Heather and I with Auntie "M"
or "Gammy" (Great Aunt Maureen)




























...Me with Garrett's mom
and dad.. Pa and Bubby!

























...Uncle Jimmie, Me, Nana,
Aunt Heather, and Puppa
























...Cousin love with Paul!


























...Mom with her girls



























...Me with my lemons!




















...Uncle Jason and Aunt Heather
Heather asked me to be her Matron of Honor!!!!
Wahoo!!! Let the planning begin!



Day 2 of my trip to PA was spent celebrating the wedding of Molly and Curtis in Erie, PA with my Mercyhurst loves. It was so wonderful reminiscing our crazy college days. I have been so blessed with so many wonderful friends in my life. It has been so wonderful to have these girls and to be able to share all of our life changing moments together. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful bride, and beautiful memories.
























...Candace, Krissy, Molly, Linds,
Carla Ann, and Me

...My mom was my super hot date!

...The very special "Sweet Pea"
necklace my mom gave me!!!

...Krissy and I teaching the baby

some of our super crazy fun dance moves!

...On day 3 I was able to have a very special lunch date with Courtney. An amazing friend of mine since the 1st grade! We celebrated her engagement and wedding plans for the upcoming year!! Courtney is not only a wonderful friend, but she is also a wonderful photographer! I am so excited that she will be taking some maternity pictures of me this fall!!

Week 17 was a week full of reunions and celebrations! I am so excited for this little one to finally meet all our amazing family and friends!






Check out what our little "onion" is up to this week!


























Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints. The baby is about the size of an onion this week.