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| View from the deck at the house with Lake Atagahi below. |
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| Someone wanted to snuggle. |
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| Stroll around the lake. |
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| Connestee Falls |
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| Little River |
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| Hooker Falls |
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| Buddy exploring the river. |
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Sunday, March 4, 2012
Anniversary Weekend Getaway
This weekend, Barrett and I had a nice little weekend getaway. Someone I know from the hospital (a very nice, thoughtful someone) has a house in Brevard, NC. They graciously loaned it to us for a weekend treat. Bonus - Buddy got to come along too! It was so nice to get away for a couple of days and just relax. We were pretty much off the grid, with zero cell service, so we really got to enjoy each other's company. Friday night we enjoyed dinner at this great little Italian place called Marco Trattoria. It's set up in an old house and was very quaint and cozy. We had an amazing dinner and then headed back up the mountain to the house. It stormed like crazy on Friday night! We slept like rocks though and were ready to take on the day on Saturday. The morning started off kind of cloudy and dreary, but by mid-morning there were little peaks of sunshine coming through the clouds! We took Buddy on a nice walk by the lake and then headed out to do a little hiking (very mild, easy hiking!) and see some of the famous waterfalls of Transylvania County! After our outing, we spent the afternoon playing Gin and taking naps...well, Buddy and I took naps. :-) We then went out for another great dinner at Falls Landing. We took dessert to go and cuddled up with Buddy by a fire. We really had a lovely weekend. It is so nice when we get to just enjoy each other's company with very little distraction. We're looking forward to having another weekend getaway soon! Here are a few pics from the weekend...
First Trimester Screen Results Appointment
On Friday, March 2 (can you believe it's March by the way?) we had our follow up appointment to the First Trimester Screen. The results all came back great with a 1 in greater than 10, 000 chance (that's the lowest they report) of having Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, and some other significant fetal abnormalities. Yay!
We got to hear baby's heartbeat again...holding strong and steady at 161 BPM. Barrett sprung to action and snapped a little video that captures that sweet, sweet sound. (Side note - don't mind my pasty white, winter belly in the video!)
We got to hear baby's heartbeat again...holding strong and steady at 161 BPM. Barrett sprung to action and snapped a little video that captures that sweet, sweet sound. (Side note - don't mind my pasty white, winter belly in the video!)
We scheduled our next two appointments also. The next one is on March 16 and it will be for my blood work for multiple marker screening. It will again screen for some of the Trisomies but will mainly be looking for any neural tube defects such as Spina Bifida. I think Barrett's going to skip this appointment...no sense in him leaving work for 10 minutes of blood work! The next appointment will be on April 4...and this will definitely not be one to miss...because it's when we'll find out if Baby Brooks is definitely a boy or a girl! That ultrasound will also check for major organ development (heart, kidneys, lungs, etc.)
Can't wait! :-)
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
13 Weeks!
Dear Baby Brooks,
You are 13 weeks old now! You are just about the size of a peach and are (according to the latest ultrasound) just about 6.75 cm and weigh about an ounce. You now have your very own set of tiny fingerprints! Here are the little details of the week...
How Far Along? Thirteen Weeks...189 days to go!
Weight Gain? I'm finally up about 1.5 pounds.
Sleep? Sleep is still pretty great. I may be getting close to the point where I might invest in a body pillow to start practicing sleeping on my side. I am a belly sleeper and it's going to be a pretty difficult transition to make!
Miss Anything? Not too much really...just my jeans. :-)
Movement? Not that I can feel, but the ultrasound said otherwise!
Food Cravings? Still into salty foods and carbs. Better get a handle on that.
Any Aversions? I'm getting to the point where things are starting to sound a little better to me. I had a fish sandwich from Wendy's today that was actually pretty good. I still don't want chicken and eggs sound kind of terrible. Nothing (knock on wood) has made me actually sick yet, so it's definitely all in my head!
Gender? We have a little feeling!! :-)
Symptoms? Feeling great! I have been having very vivid dreams though! They are the kind of dreams where I can wake up, take a potty break, fall back asleep, and pick up right where I left off.
Best Moment this Week? Seeing the ultrasound again! Watching you jump around like crazy was so fun and your Daddy and I were grinning from ear to ear! It was also pretty awesome to get a little unexpected hint as to whether you are a boy or a girl! We'll see if the prediction holds up in another month or so.
Looking Forward To... Finally telling people!! Tomorrow (Monday, 2/27) we'll tell our managers at work, send out an email to our close friends and family, finally give our parents and siblings permission to tell, and then blast it out on Facebook to the rest of the world!! Can't wait! I don't know that I've ever had to keep a good secret this long! It's been so tough!! Can't wait to share our wonderful news with all the people we love.
You are 13 weeks old now! You are just about the size of a peach and are (according to the latest ultrasound) just about 6.75 cm and weigh about an ounce. You now have your very own set of tiny fingerprints! Here are the little details of the week...
How Far Along? Thirteen Weeks...189 days to go!
Weight Gain? I'm finally up about 1.5 pounds.
Sleep? Sleep is still pretty great. I may be getting close to the point where I might invest in a body pillow to start practicing sleeping on my side. I am a belly sleeper and it's going to be a pretty difficult transition to make!
Miss Anything? Not too much really...just my jeans. :-)
Movement? Not that I can feel, but the ultrasound said otherwise!
Food Cravings? Still into salty foods and carbs. Better get a handle on that.
Any Aversions? I'm getting to the point where things are starting to sound a little better to me. I had a fish sandwich from Wendy's today that was actually pretty good. I still don't want chicken and eggs sound kind of terrible. Nothing (knock on wood) has made me actually sick yet, so it's definitely all in my head!
Gender? We have a little feeling!! :-)
Symptoms? Feeling great! I have been having very vivid dreams though! They are the kind of dreams where I can wake up, take a potty break, fall back asleep, and pick up right where I left off.
Best Moment this Week? Seeing the ultrasound again! Watching you jump around like crazy was so fun and your Daddy and I were grinning from ear to ear! It was also pretty awesome to get a little unexpected hint as to whether you are a boy or a girl! We'll see if the prediction holds up in another month or so.
Looking Forward To... Finally telling people!! Tomorrow (Monday, 2/27) we'll tell our managers at work, send out an email to our close friends and family, finally give our parents and siblings permission to tell, and then blast it out on Facebook to the rest of the world!! Can't wait! I don't know that I've ever had to keep a good secret this long! It's been so tough!! Can't wait to share our wonderful news with all the people we love.
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| Buddy wanted to get in on this too. :-) |
First Trimester Screening & A Little Hint
On Friday, February 24 we had our First Trimester Screening and got our second peek at this little peanut. This was our ultrasound to measure nuchal translucency, which along with blood work will be a determinant of the likelihood of our baby having Down Syndrome or a few other congenital disorders. Barrett met me at the appointment again...his goal is to make it to every single appointment which I am super excited about. He is going to be such an amazing Daddy. :-) Just as it was the first time, the ultrasound was such a treat! Baby's hearbeat was nice and strong at 161 BPM. This little munchkin is going to be a gymnast! Baby was literally bouncing around like a jumping bean! Flips, twists, kicks, barrel rolls, body rolls, and a lot of waving was going on! I can only imagine what may have been going on if I hadn't cold turkeyed caffeine! The ultrasound tech said that all that acticity was a good sign because it meant that baby was happy. It was quite the show. It is so amazing to me that all of that motion is happening in there and I can't feel a single thing!! Can't wait to feel those first butterfly flutters. :-)
Towards the end of the ultrasound, the tech asked if we were interested in having a hint about the baby being a boy or a girl. We said sure! The tech then said, "Actually, it would be a really good hint." Sold. So, even though we know it's not definitive, and we're not going shopping for pink or blue anytime soon, it's so fun to have a little prediction! She said she's never been wrong and that she wouldn't have mentioned it if she wasn't almost positive. We're not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet becuase I think it's fun to have people guessing and I don't want anyone influenced. :-) Like I said, we are super excited to have our little hint, but I'm not getting my heart set one way or another just yet! Any guesses?
Towards the end of the ultrasound, the tech asked if we were interested in having a hint about the baby being a boy or a girl. We said sure! The tech then said, "Actually, it would be a really good hint." Sold. So, even though we know it's not definitive, and we're not going shopping for pink or blue anytime soon, it's so fun to have a little prediction! She said she's never been wrong and that she wouldn't have mentioned it if she wasn't almost positive. We're not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet becuase I think it's fun to have people guessing and I don't want anyone influenced. :-) Like I said, we are super excited to have our little hint, but I'm not getting my heart set one way or another just yet! Any guesses?
12 Weeks
Dear Baby Brooks,
You are 12 weeks old now! You are just about the size of a lime which means you're a little over 2 inches long and weigh just about a half of an ounce! You're starting to develop your reflexes this week. So, even though I can't feel you, if I poke at you a little bit, you may start to wiggle around. Here are the little details of the week...
How Far Along? Twelve Weeks...196 days to go!
Weight Gain? Still holding pretty steady.
Sleep? I'm sleeping great! I am definitely waking up once in the middle of the night to pee, but other than that, I'm having no trouble snoozing.
Miss Anything? Easy lunches. I have had the hardest time trying to figure out what to bring for lunch to work. A girl can only eat PB & J so many times before she starts to lose her mind! Like I've said, I hope that veggies, chicken, and fish will start sounding better to me in the next couple of weeks and then I won't have as many issues. I definitely miss throwing together an easy turkey or tuna sandwich!
Movement? Not a peep.
Food Cravings? Salty things. This is a little different for me becuase I've always had a raging sweet tooth. Now, instead of reaching for a cookie I head for the pickle jar. I have just had to keep telling myself to drink more water so I don't get puffy from all the sodium!
Any Aversions? Adding to all the other things....fish. I know I should be eating it because it's good for me and baby, but the though of it makes my tummy flip.
Gender? ?????
Symptoms? Still pretty sleepy, especially after a long day at work, but other than that I really feel pretty good!
Best Moment this Week? I woke up a couple of mornings feeling really good! No nausea and I didn't need to head straight for the saltine crackers as soon as I put my feet on the floor! Makes me excited that the second trimester is just around the corner!
Looking Forward To... We have our 12 week ultrasound this week, so we'll get to see your sweet face again! This time, you're going to look much more like a baby than a tadpole! We'll get to hear your heartbeat again which will be so amazing! And...only a week or so till we FINALLY get to shout our big news from the rooftops!
You are 12 weeks old now! You are just about the size of a lime which means you're a little over 2 inches long and weigh just about a half of an ounce! You're starting to develop your reflexes this week. So, even though I can't feel you, if I poke at you a little bit, you may start to wiggle around. Here are the little details of the week...
How Far Along? Twelve Weeks...196 days to go!
Weight Gain? Still holding pretty steady.
Sleep? I'm sleeping great! I am definitely waking up once in the middle of the night to pee, but other than that, I'm having no trouble snoozing.
Miss Anything? Easy lunches. I have had the hardest time trying to figure out what to bring for lunch to work. A girl can only eat PB & J so many times before she starts to lose her mind! Like I've said, I hope that veggies, chicken, and fish will start sounding better to me in the next couple of weeks and then I won't have as many issues. I definitely miss throwing together an easy turkey or tuna sandwich!
Movement? Not a peep.
Food Cravings? Salty things. This is a little different for me becuase I've always had a raging sweet tooth. Now, instead of reaching for a cookie I head for the pickle jar. I have just had to keep telling myself to drink more water so I don't get puffy from all the sodium!
Any Aversions? Adding to all the other things....fish. I know I should be eating it because it's good for me and baby, but the though of it makes my tummy flip.
Gender? ?????
Symptoms? Still pretty sleepy, especially after a long day at work, but other than that I really feel pretty good!
Best Moment this Week? I woke up a couple of mornings feeling really good! No nausea and I didn't need to head straight for the saltine crackers as soon as I put my feet on the floor! Makes me excited that the second trimester is just around the corner!
Looking Forward To... We have our 12 week ultrasound this week, so we'll get to see your sweet face again! This time, you're going to look much more like a baby than a tadpole! We'll get to hear your heartbeat again which will be so amazing! And...only a week or so till we FINALLY get to shout our big news from the rooftops!
11 Weeks
Dear Baby Brooks -
You are 11 weeks old now! You are just about the size of a fig, which we have a much better picture in our heads of than your previous fruit comparisons. :-) That means you're a little over an inch nand a half long and weigh just about a quarter of an ounce! Here are the little details of the week...
How Far Along? Eleven Weeks
Weight Gain? Still just about the same. I definitely feel a little chunkier though...probably has something to do with the insane amount of carbohydrates I've been shoveling in during the last 6 weeks!!
Sleep? The exhaustion is actually getting a little better. I've had a TERRIBLE few weeks at work, so that's draining me physically/mentally/emotionally which doesn't help the pregnancy sleepiness, but I'm starting to be able to stay awake past 8:00! I see some exercise energy arriving in the future...
Miss Anything? Not too much actually. I have actually had too many bad days at work lately where it would have been nice to come home and enjoy a big glass (bottle) of red wine though!
Movement? Not a peep.
Food Cravings? No real cravings. There aren't a ton of things that are sitting pretty with me right now, so I'm sticking to bland basics!
Any Aversions? Still chicken. And the smell of coffee. And yogurt.
Gender? ?????
Symptoms? I've had a couple of scary seconds a few mornings when brushing my teeth sent me flying over the toilet for fear of my first actual vomit incident. Crisis averted though. I will not miss this part!
Best Moment this Week? I started snooping around on websites in search of baby bedding. There are so many options!! I really think I want to stick with something neutral and not go the pink or blue route...but, there are so many super cute gender specific options that I may change my mind! Either way, looking is definitely fun!
Looking Forward To... Valentine's Day is this week. We have a tradition of staying in and making spaghetti and meatballs, so that's what we'll be doing again this year. It's our last Valentine's Day for just the two of us! So surreal!
You are 11 weeks old now! You are just about the size of a fig, which we have a much better picture in our heads of than your previous fruit comparisons. :-) That means you're a little over an inch nand a half long and weigh just about a quarter of an ounce! Here are the little details of the week...
How Far Along? Eleven Weeks
Weight Gain? Still just about the same. I definitely feel a little chunkier though...probably has something to do with the insane amount of carbohydrates I've been shoveling in during the last 6 weeks!!
Sleep? The exhaustion is actually getting a little better. I've had a TERRIBLE few weeks at work, so that's draining me physically/mentally/emotionally which doesn't help the pregnancy sleepiness, but I'm starting to be able to stay awake past 8:00! I see some exercise energy arriving in the future...
Miss Anything? Not too much actually. I have actually had too many bad days at work lately where it would have been nice to come home and enjoy a big glass (bottle) of red wine though!
Movement? Not a peep.
Food Cravings? No real cravings. There aren't a ton of things that are sitting pretty with me right now, so I'm sticking to bland basics!
Any Aversions? Still chicken. And the smell of coffee. And yogurt.
Gender? ?????
Symptoms? I've had a couple of scary seconds a few mornings when brushing my teeth sent me flying over the toilet for fear of my first actual vomit incident. Crisis averted though. I will not miss this part!
Best Moment this Week? I started snooping around on websites in search of baby bedding. There are so many options!! I really think I want to stick with something neutral and not go the pink or blue route...but, there are so many super cute gender specific options that I may change my mind! Either way, looking is definitely fun!
Looking Forward To... Valentine's Day is this week. We have a tradition of staying in and making spaghetti and meatballs, so that's what we'll be doing again this year. It's our last Valentine's Day for just the two of us! So surreal!
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| That tiny picture of tiny you is from our first ultrasound. You were 8 weeks and 2 days. This is me at 11 weeks. |
Welcome Baby Lola!
Lola Kate Brooks has made her arrival!! LKB was born on January 30 about 6 days before her due date. She is absolutely perfect! Momma, Daddy, and big brother Landon are doing great!
I mean...Seriously...how cute is this child??!!
I mean...Seriously...how cute is this child??!!
Lola and our little peanut will only be about 7 months apart so we are so excited that they'll each have a cousin so close in age!
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