Updates!

First, and probably the biggest, update is the outcome from Aaron's second job interview on Friday. I'm pleased to say that they offered him the job and he wholeheartedly accepted!! He starts on July 6th so now we have to find appropriate daycare for Jaxson for the month of July since both of us will be working. We could put him at the same daycare as Jayden, which will most likely happen, but we are trying to avoid that as it would mean that we would pretty much exhaust our savings to do so until Aaron's mom is back from Gig Harbor. It sucks that the timing worked out that way because we were hoping to use that for expenses related to having baby #3 and the need to expand, but oh well. In the meantime, I'm hoping I can find a friend or family member who would be willing to watch him for less. If you know of anyone, let me know!!

Second (and last) pertains to Little Sprout. I officially told my dad and stepmom on Saturday. They were a little surprised, but they didn't seem upset, so I think it actually went better than I had expected. My dad just chuckled-- I think it was a mixture of excitement and "oh boy, another one?". I also announced it on Facebook to friends and extended family yesterday after our first midwife appointment.

Speaking of the appointment, everything went really well and I'm pleased with how it turned out. I felt really comfortable and at ease. Unfortunately we didn't have a sitter for this visit so Jaxson had to come with us, so I forgot to ask her a lot of the questions that I had, but hopefully next time we can have someone watch him for a few hours. I'm really looking forward to my next visit and this whole journey of trying something new.

Next appointment with my midwife is July 26th, which is the same day as our NT scan at MFM so it will be a busy and exciting day!

MIA

I'm still here but it's been a hectic week. Both kids came down with the stomach flu (Aaron and I were lucky enough to avoid it so far...) and so I was working from home earlier this week, which proved to be extremely difficult. I'm also just slammed at work, so needless to say I'm definitely looking forward to relaxing this weekend. Also, morning sickness has been whooping my butt the last couple nights. Even now I feel "sick". Nothing sounds appetizing. What I thought would be a good lunch...well, apparently baby doesn't agree. The only thing I want is a big, fat chocolate chip cookie. Sweets have taken over my diet for sure. That and I really want a French dip from Arby's.

Tomorrow I'll be back at home because we have to take Jayden to the doctor to have a "stool study" done. He's pretty much over the flu, but we cannot get his diarrhea under control for anything, so they have to find out what is going on. It seems like he's lost a good amount of weight from being sick too. :(

Also, Aaron has his 2nd interview with the CEO and the SPM of the company he interviewed with last week. Aaron caught wind of some feedback the headhunter had received from the VP that Aaron interviewed with and it looks really good--- essentially they said the job is his. As long as the CEO and SPM agree, he'll be hired and the good thing is that there is a lot of potential for movement within the company. They want to groom him to become the new SPM, so that's fantastic. I'm honestly not worried about tomorrow as I know that Aaron will do a fantastic job. I'm so happy for him...and proud of him too!

I'll be back with an update within the next few days, so stay tuned!

Introducing Little Sprout!

Without much further ado, here are the first sneak peeks at our newest addition, "Little Sprout"!

** I blurred out my personal info like name, DOB, and facility because you never know who's looking...***

We had our 2nd ultrasound this morning since the first one didn't yield much and the heartbeat was low. With the spotting I had, they just wanted to do an extra confirmation. Little Sprout was definitely bigger this week and even though I didn't actually see the flickering of the heart this time, they were able to capture a heart rate on the monitor and it's a healthy 133 BPM so that was fantastic! They also said they can hear it this early too, but they don't turn the sound on the monitor until 12 weeks, so we didn't get to hear it but I definitely thought it was cool that it was possible this soon. The doctor said that Little Sprout also had perfect growth over the last week and is right on track so that was really good to hear. No more spotting or cramping, and while I'm not out of the woods yet, things look really wonderful so I definitely praise God for that.

Also, and we don't know for certain, but according to that placenta theory I posted about a week or two ago, it looks like we might have more blue in our house. The yolk sac, which I was told turns into the placenta, was on the right side which supposedly indicates a boy. I'm holding out hope for a girl, but unless the placenta changes position and/or this theory is wrong, I'm looking at a house full of boys. Lord, have mercy on me...

Lastly, they moved my due date back yet again. My official due date that is for sure sticking and will not change unless they magically show that their measurements are off by astronomical proportions is... February 7, 2011. So, I'm currently 6 weeks and 4 days along. The last couple weeks sure have felt long getting bumped back a couple days each time, haha!

Oh, and this is completely off topic, but I also wanted to let you know that Aaron had a job interview on Wednesday with a company in downtown Seattle. He met with the Director of Project Management as well as the VP of Operations (which the PM department is under) and they were very impressed with him. Aaron said he felt the interview went really well. He got a call back from the agency that had placed him for the interview and the hiring company had told them that they want Aaron to come back next week to meet with their Senior Project Manager and the CEO of the company!!! WOW! We are pretty confident that if all goes well with the CEO and SPM next Friday that they will offer him a job. I sure hope that this is Aaron's break! This would be such a wonderful thing for him to be working again and especially with baby #3 on the way, this is just huge for us! Once again, a testament to the fact that God truly answers prayers and will continue to provide. I just feel so lucky and blessed right now! I'll make sure to keep all of you posted as I hear more. :)

Happy Friday!

Don't Mess with Mama Bear!!

Ok, you just don't mess with a Mama or her cubs...

What is spurring this? Let me break it down for you.

Last night after we got home from my sister's, we put Jayden to bed but Jaxson woke up. He was tired, but being the fighter he is...he just wouldn't relent and go back to sleep. Jax is our high maintenance, "diva" child. He knows what he wants and he wants it NOW. He wants it when he wants it, how he wants it and that's that. If he doesn't get it, he pitches a fit. A BIG fit... We live in an apartment. Apartment living doesn't allow for privacy when it comes to temper tantrums and I'm pretty sure everyone heard Jaxson's hysterical screaming fit last night because I wouldn't walk around the house with him strapped to my back for a half hour. I know one person heard for sure and she was definitely vocal about it.

Because of living in an apartment and not wanting to disturb my neighbors with my kid's incessant screaming I usually give in to his demands. However, I don't want to have a spoiled brat for a child, so I'm getting to the point where he needs a hard lesson to show him he doesn't always get what he wants. Even his doctor knows this is his personality and it's fine to just let him cry and scream for a while. It won't hurt him. He's dramatic and over the top, but that's okay. So last night, I let him cry. I picked him up and held him in my lap, tried to give him his milk and his binky and his blanket. Nothing. He just cried... tears streaming, face red, throwing himself on the floor, ear-piercing cries and screams. Drama, drama, drama. I sang to him, patted his back, talked to him... anything to calm him down. But I wasn't about to pace back and forth through my house all night holding him. He wanted me to hold him, but he wanted me to do it standing up. Sitting down wasn't good enough.

All of a sudden one of the neighbors who is in the neighboring building screams out at us, "Take care of your baby!!". Um, what the fuck do you think I was doing you idiot? All I have to say is that she's damn lucky that Aaron was the one who went out there to tell her to be quiet and mind her business. Even as a Christian woman I would have had more than just a few choice words for her. Who the hell judges someone's parenting on the fact that a child cries? Did she see me sitting there cuddling my baby, trying to feed him and soothe him, but still parent/discipline him?? No. The only damn thing she cared about was that it "broke her heart" that MY child was crying... so she just assumed I was beating the tar out of him or abandoning him. That's just one thing you don't mess with when it comes to me. I'm a damn good mom and I'm proud of it. I'm not perfect, but I take care of my children and love them more than anything, so to even make a snide comment like that not even knowing the situation or child pisses me off to no end.

Honestly, if it really bothered her that much, she could have just wheeled her crippled ass back inside her apartment. She made the choice to sit outside and listen. Sorry, but I'm not going to curb my parenting style because you can't handle my kid's cries. Guess what? Kids cry. Especially young ones. And I've got two of them and will have three come February. You don't have to deal with the outcome of giving in to my child's every whim to keep him quiet just so I don't have to worry about people thinking I'm hurting him or something. I do. I will have to deal with the spoiled brat that he will become because he thinks he can get what he wants when he wants it ALL THE TIME. Kids have to learn sometime and somewhere. Apparently an apartment isn't a good environment for that. Seriously, I even had someone call the cops to check on us at like 10:00 at night because Jax was crying. Um, yeah. It was his bed time and he was excessively tired. WTF? I guess we just can't catch a break. At the same time, I shouldn't even have to defend my parenting or explain myself to anyone!

All I have to say is that I really hope we can get a house soon. I need my own four walls that are not shared in any close proximity to anyone else so that I don't have to deal with the SWAT team descending upon my living quarters when my child screams for longer than 10 minutes. I should be free to parent my kid any damn way I choose without interference from someone I've maybe said hi to once in three years. You know, because they know so much about me, my kids, and our parenting. That neighbor better watch herself if and when we cross paths again. If she ever says anything to me about how she thinks I need to take care of my children again, she better set her wheelchair to super speed and book it the hell out of there.

You just don't mess with Mama Bear or her cubs...


Oh, and speaking of moms: I told my mom that I was pregnant yesterday. I didn't do it face to face because I'm a chicken and I knew she'd be upset. I just didn't want to deal with it, honestly. I figured it would be better for her to have some alone time to process it, so I wrote a letter "from the baby" to Grandma for her birthday. She called me later that night, obviously upset, but she'll be okay. My mom worries over anything and everything, and I told her it's pretty sad that I can't be excited to tell my own parents I'm having a baby (you know, it's not like I'm single, broke, and sleeping around) but it is what it is. I know she'll come around and I feel a little more peaceful now that she knows. I hate secrets. Plus it's nice... I tell her and she tells everyone else for me so I don't have to go through the same song and dance and face the firing squad ten times over. Yay for me. Now to tackle my dad this coming weekend...

A Week In Pictures (Deconstructed)

Ok, so I didn't get around to Speechless Sunday this week. Not because I didn't have pictures I could post, but because this weekend I barely had time to do anything let alone find the time to post! We had two double birthday celebrations this weekend and spent a lot of time on the road or partying... we were all plain tuckered out.

Trust me, I've got tons of pictures to upload and share in the coming days, but I need some detox right now and to get back in the swing of things. My life at work has been just as crazy as my home life. :)

Anyway, were you wondering what all these pictures were from?? Let me break it down for you...

Monday and Tuesday were our pictures from Chuck E Cheese which has now become Jayden's favorite place on Earth. He asks us pretty much every weekend if we can go there. I think that we will probably end up having his 3rd birthday party there... I mean the kid LOVES the place! My childhood friend and old neighbor, Lyn, came back to Washington with her boyfriend and his two kids to visit friends and family. She moved to Connecticut a year ago to stay with her dad for a while and just get a change of scenery. It's worked well for her, but she misses home. And home misses her... it was so nice just to catch up and see her again. And Chuck E Cheese was the perfect venue since between the two of us we had four kids aged 1,2,3, & 4. Yeah, can you imagine a sit down restaurant with that? Ha!

Wednesday was from Aaron's 25th birthday dinner. He really wanted to go to the XXX Diner in Issaquah, WA. I've gotta say that it's a really cool place. I'd only been there a couple times before and it was a long time ago so I didn't remember much. They have the whole restaurant COVERED in old 1950's memorabilia-- a lot of which was donated or on loan from patrons who have been there. It's just really nostalgic... they even had Grease playing on the big screen! The food was DELICIOUS, but don't even think of going there if you are on a diet. The burgers are HUGE and I don't even want to know how many calories are in them... or their jumbo root beer floats (which are to die for!). Then I told the waitress that it was Aaron's birthday, not knowing what they were actually going to do, but I was pleasantly surprised when they embarrassed him in front of the whole restaurant by dressing him up (with a free XXX T-shirt too!) and singing to him. It was hilarious. :)

Thursday included some snapshots from the time I stayed at my Mom's house to watch her dogs while she was vacationing in Cancun. Jayden loved Grandma's glasses and high heels while Jaxson gravitated towards the toy shopping cart. It was too cute for me to resist! :)

Friday was just some more Andresen boys' bathtime fun!

...and Saturday included the boys' wagon ride (Jayden calls it the "dragon"). They get to be pulled around and I get some exercise. Haha! It also contained our recent trip to Nana Joan's house for a belated birthday dinner. Jayden ended up with food and other things all over his clothes so he was stripped down, bathed, and put in one of Nana Joan's shirts for the time being. It looked like a dress on him and he thought it was hilarious, as did we all, so I snapped a few pictures. That and Jaxson looked pretty darn cute in his jammies too!

So, that was our week in pictures!

Silent Saturday

First Peek at Little Sprout!

So, we had our ultrasound this morning at 10:00. Everything went really well! With this being very early in the pregnancy we were unsure of what they would be able to see... which wasn't much. They were able to see the gestational sac very clearly and a small fetal pole (the baby). Even though there wasn't much to see at that point, there was one thing I saw clearly that I'd been anticipating all week... Little Sprout's heartbeat!! It was very faint, just a tiny flicker, but still very much there. All my fears were put to rest. The doctor said the heart rate was 70 BPM which is low for a fetus, but with being just shy of 6 weeks he said that's completely normal and that as the baby gets bigger, the heart rate will get faster. He's asked that I come back in a week to have another ultrasound because the baby should be double the size by then. Wow!

They also checked to see if they could find the source of the spotting I'd had and they didn't see any clots or subchorionic hemorrhaging so for now it looks like the spotting I was having was just normal pregnancy spotting. They say it occurs in roughly 25% of pregnant women. I'm not out of the woods for a miscarriage yet, but the doctor said the risk will go down significantly after 12 weeks so I only have 6 more weeks to go! Grow, Little Sprout...grow! Stay healthy in there!

So I have another ultrasound scheduled for... Friday, June 18th at 9:05am! I didn't get pictures at this ultrasound, but I will ask if I can get pictures and a CD for the next one on the 18th. Even if I got pictures this time, you wouldn't be able to see much of anything. So stay tuned... next week I hope to debut Little Sprout's first (or technically second) pictures!

I also just got off the phone with my doctor's office regarding my beta test from this morning. I needed the number to be at least 10,600 to be doubling every 72 hours and the final result is... 12,995! YAY! No more betas for me! I'm now fully convinced that this pregnancy is going just fine and I've got nothing to worry about, but what a week, huh??!!

Also, they moved my due date. By LMP, I was supposed to be due February 1st, but by the conception date I was due February 4th. The date we are tentatively going with right now based upon Little Sprout's measurements today is... February 5, 2011! Doctor said that could change based on the results of next Friday's scan, but all looks well! I'm super excited! Little Sprout is due on the same day his/her cousin, Brayden, was due in 2008! Must be a good day. :)

Well, I will keep you updated on more Little Sprout news as it comes to me! Have a great Friday!

Chatter Free Friday

No Talk Thursday

In The Clear?

So, here's the update on "Little Sprout" and I...

So far, so good. The bleeding/spotting tapered off after Monday. I still had some yesterday and have a small amount today...so small I don't even know if it technically counts. On Monday it was reddish-brown and the largest amount out of all the days. Yesterday was less and still reddish-brown (more brown than red, which is usually a good thing). I did have some dull cramping and sharp pains yesterday but those have subsided as well.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that we are in the clear yet, but things are looking good and I actually have a lot of hope. There's sometimes no rhyme or reason for bleeding during pregnancy, and it can be completely normal, but as we also know there could be a problem, so it's definitely something to always keep your eye on. I was feeling kind of down and had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was losing Little Sprout, but I think this thing is going to turn out to be a huge scare. I won't have the true confirmation until Friday's ultrasound, but for now I've got my head up and I feel safe enough to say that I think things are just fine.

I had my 3rd beta drawn yesterday and had the results by that afternoon. I'd done the math in my head and for my numbers to have doubled at the minimum of 72 hours, I should have been looking at a number in the 1,152 range---give or take. I'm pleased to announce that my levels yesterday were... 5,273!! Wahoo!! That means that they are doubling roughly every 38 hours. This doesn't mean a whole lot in regards to the bleeding as they'd have to confirm with another test in a couple days (which I won't have them do unless there's an indication of something wrong on Friday) to make sure the numbers are still doubling, but at least they are going up. And right now, that's enough for me and Little Sprout.

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. I hope to have a good update (and maybe some pictures!) come Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

Tacid Tuesday

Mute Monday