We had our ultrasound 2 weeks ago at my 23 week appointment. I MAY have drank 1/2 a Coke prior to the appointment in an attempt to make sure Walker was 'up and moving' - bad idea. He was so active, the ultrasound took an hour because the ultrasound tech couldn't get him to be still long enough to look at and measure everything she needed to. Oops. We did get a good look at him though, and it really never gets old. I'm still amazed that there's a real baby in there. I mean I know there is because he moves ALL THE TIME, but seeing him just took my breath away. The first thing I wanted to know (after hearing the heartbeat) was if we were 100% sure he was still a he!

Well thank goodness he's not shy:)  It's definitely a BOY!

And despite him moving so much and constantly facing away from the camera OR covering his face, we were able to get a few other good shots!  Here's our handsome man:

 I'm pretty sure he was getting a little mad with us - check out that wrinkle in the forehead:)

 Already posing for the camera!

 Yes, that's the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and no it's nothing to worry about (at least that's what they told us)!

Here's my current pregnancy stats:
How far along (at time of this ultrasound 2 weeks ago):  23 weeks
Weight gain:  9 pounds since my first doctor's appointment, but I'm back at my original weight that I started at the day I found out I was pregnant.
Maternity Clothes?  Absolutely, although I have found that I can wear some of my summer dresses:)
Sleep:  I can't complain.  It's not great, but at least I can still breathe when I lay down.
Best Moment this week:  Seeing our baby boy:)
Cravings:  These are really going away.  Every now and then I'll crave something salty, but for the most part, I just eat like normal.
Gender:  It's still a BOY!  Walker Brice Pyle
Size of the Baby:  At the ultrasound he was measuring 1 lb 7 oz.
Movement:  ALL THE TIME!  This child is an acrobat.  I think he likes to see how many ways he can flip and turn.
Randoms:  While doing the ultrasound, the tech kept going back to look at the stomach.  I noticed that there were two black areas  - one was his stomach because she had already pointed that out.  I started to get nervous, but I try really hard not to be 'one of those'.  The tech finally said she thought she knew what the other dark area was, but she wanted to get the opinion of another tech.  She left the room for what seemed like an hour (although I'm pretty sure it was less than a minute), and she was smiling as she said it was all nothing to worry about.  It was just his GALLBLADDER!  Really!  What are the chances.  This poor child doesn't stand a chance.  Evidently you don't normally see the gallbladder of a baby in utero.  Only my child:)

And just for fun, here are some comparisons of Becca and Walker.  Becca's ultrasound was done at 21 weeks and Walker's was done at 23 weeks, but they were close enough.

 I'm definitely thinking they don't look alike, but I guess we won't really know until he's here.

20 weeks and counting

So, this post is 2 weeks late, but that's mostly because I can't figure out how to blog from my iPad. O'well, better late than never. Here's a comparison shot of me at 20 weeks with Walker (on the left) and at 21 weeks with Becca (on the right).





+


I feel like my stomach is huge, and this picture just reiterates my thinking.
Anyways, Dr. Estes said everything looks great.  I'm measuring right on time, and we'll do our next ultrasound at 23 weeks (next week) to check on everything.  Overall, I'm feeling MUCH better!  Thanks to everyone who's prayed for me - for a while there I didn't think I was going to make it.  Here are my stats:
How far along?  20 weeks (at least I was in the picture)
Weight gain/loss?  I've gained 6 pounds since my 1st doctor's appointment, but I'm still down about 6 or 7 pounds from the day we found out.  YAY!  I'm pretty sure with Becca I had already passed the 20 pound mark!
Maternity clothes?  Yes - About 16 weeks I hit the point of no return.  I needed them much earlier in this pregnancy.
Sleep?  I'm sleeping, but it's not great.  I'm a stomach sleeper, so I struggle with that during pregnancy.
Best Moment This Week?  hearing that heartbeat - it was in the 140's.  That sound never ceases to be amazing!
Cravings?  Red meat (especially steak), vegetables, and salt:)  Totally opposite from my cravings with Becca.
Gender?  It's a BOY!  At least it had better be:)
Size of Baby?  the size of a banana (at 20 weeks)
Movement?  This child moves like crazy!!!!  JP was able to feel him at 17 weeks, and Becca a few days later.  He moves a lot when I first lay down at night - so much that you can watch my stomach move.  He also kicks a lot if I sit in certain positions.  He definitely prefers for me to be standing or laying.
Randoms:  I haven't actually thrown up in a few weeks, so that's definitely a positive.  I had an ultrasound done of my gallbladder at 12 weeks, and we found out that while I don't have gallstones, I do have 'sludge'.  Yuck!  For those of you who aren't aware, gallbladder problems run rampant on my  Mom's side of the family.  I knew it was just a matter of time before they hit me, I just wish it wasn't while I was pregnant since there's not much they can do.  Thankfully they've started me on a fantastic reflux medicine that seems to help a lot.  I just have to be really careful what I eat.
Check back next week - I'll be sure to post pictures of what Walker looks like now:)

Now I lay me down to sleep

I'm writing this tonight because I want to remember sweet moments like this forever. Tonight, while putting Becca to bed, we ended our nightly routine. I always begin our prayers with the ever popular: Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Angels guard me through the night, and keep me safe til morning light. I will then begin thanking God for various blessings in our life, and that's when Becca will begin interjecting her prayer requests. Tonight, this is what she prayed: "Thank you God for airplanes and skyscrapers." (side note - I had to stop and ask her what she thought skyscrapers were) "Thank you God for dogs. Thanks you for Molly Brown, Jack, and Grace. Thank you for our baby in Mommy's tummy." (She stops at this point to talk to Walker for a few seconds.) "Thank you for our tummies and our pants. Mommy, is baby Walker trying to get out of your belly button?" Me - No baby. Let's keep praying. "Ok, thank you God for baby Walker growing big in Mommy's tummy. Don't come out until you get big! Ok, Mommy! Now you pray." My heart melts when I hear her talking to God through prayer. I've prayed since I found out I was pregnant with her that she would know God and have a relationship with Him. While many of her 'thank you God for...' are silly, it reminds me of her innocence and how much we take for granted. When was the last time you thanked God for your pants?