Tracy ventured out with us last week and braved all the bugs and such to get some spring pictures for us.  We have taken note.  Bug spray is a MUST around our neighborhood creek in the spring and summer.  A must.

Anyway, we thought you all would enjoy a sneak peek at the pictures she got.  I have to say I can’t wait to see the rest!

We are excited, thrilled, surprised, and thrilled to announce that we will be adding to our bunch in December (or January)!

Yes, it is early.  Yes, we just found out.  But we believe every life is a gift and choose to celebrate it as long as we have that life.  Malachi and this baby will be 22 months (almost 23 months) apart.  That’s the biggest gap yet.  And we (meaning I) was just settled in enjoying our blessings and getting used to my baby not being a baby when lo, and behold, God gives us another one.

My first doctor’s appointment is this week.  I’m almost 100% that I’ll have my progesterone checked since it was low with the last two pregnancies and I had to go on supplements for the first trimester (not fun but willing to do what needs to be done to keep this little guy, or girl, growing).  So, please pray that my numbers are high.

A couple of prayer requests to go along with that:
1.  No subchorionic hematoma.  Not sure if the doctor will want to do an ultrasound so early but either way, whenever one is done, please pray there is no blood clot anywhere near the baby.
2.  VBAC.  Yes, no doubt about it, I want to try a VBAC.  I have a wonderful and amazing bestie who just so happens to be a L&D nurse who has VBAC’d.  She’s agreed to be a doula for me.  I’ve done this whole giving birth thing without a c-section six times but I know having her there comforting and supporting me will help.  Not to mention our laughter and conversation will distract me from the pain. One of the big VBAC prayers is that I can go in to labor on my own (which I haven’t done since Zoe was born).  Inductions are just not good for VBACs and I would really like to avoid that this time.  I am trusting the Lord to provide.
3.  My mystery pregnancy rash.  I got it very early with Malachi and it continued up until 30 weeks.  It just so happens that at 30 weeks I started drinking a Mama’s brew tea that had raspberry leaf, nettles leaf, peppermint, and alfalfa in it.  I’m already starting with this mystery rash again (really, they should name it after me).  I’m smathering myself with lotion twice a day and drinking one cup of tea a day.  Praying that this works to combat the rash before it gets really bad.

Thank you for your prayers for us and this sweet little blessing growing.

A friend said we should name the baby Seven in honor of a Seinfeld episode where George decides that his first child will be named Seven.  Go youtube it.  It’s totally there.

So, #7 will be nicknamed Seven until he/she gets a name which will hopefully be in about six weeks.  It works for a boy or a girl, see???

I had a checkup today and had to go it alone because a plague was attacking the kids and we didn’t want to share it with anyone until we felt we might be in the clear.

I’m just going to confess.  A dear friend let us borrow her doppler to listen to the baby’s heartbeat.  We tried it at 12 weeks and again on Monday night (at 13 weeks).  We both felt dumb as dirt because we were both certain the baby was still in there but we couldn’t find him/her.  We really weren’t too worried that something was wrong because, well, because I’m 13 weeks and still having a bit of nausea.  And it’s not fun.

I just knew that Dr. J’s nurse or Dr. J himself would be able to find the heartbeat and I was already to focus on the location so I could do the same at home and let the kids listen at their leisure.

Dr. J’s nurse tried and tried but just couldn’t find it.  She thought she heard it a couple of times, but then couldn’t get a good reading. So, since it was late in the afternoon, she checked to make sure the tech was in (because if she hadn’t been, I totally was going to demand that someone else do it and do it quickly).  She was.  And, because Seven was acting up, I totally got a sweet ultrasound, which I secretly wanted anyways.  Who doesn’t love seeing their baby on screen?  Especially since the last picture I had was a kidney bean with legs.

Baby was there, moving, wiggling, kicking his/her legs.  And the heart was just a going at 164 beats per minute.  And that is, I do believe, the highest little heartbeat we’ve seen in any of our kids (and I had not had any caffiene before I got there).  But, as the ultrasound tech put it, it was perfect.

It was a quick ultrasound but right as she was finishing up, she snapped a picture of this:

That would be that the baby just decided to take a rest and plopped himself/herself right down to get all cozy and snug.  Mark said it looks like the Dreamworks fishing kid at the intro of all their things (it’s on youtube as well).  Either way, I just think it’s adorable and we are all getting so excited that our baby looks like an actual baby.  

And, if you’re wondering, the hematoma is still there but very, very small.  I know where it is, but it is hard to see if you don’t know what you are looking for.

We rejoice that God’s blessed us and are looking forward to a fun second trimester!