Pregnancy highlights: 19 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks today, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Size of baby: Baby C is the size of a mango, weighing in at around 8.5 ounces, and measuring approximately 6  inches.

Gender: Girl!! Kennedy Brooke. :)

Maternity Clothes: most definitely!

Weight: I have gained 15 pounds so far. Although I am only 122 lbs, which is the weight I should be when not pregnant, my doctor is happy to see me packing on the pounds. I have no problem stuffing my face. You have no idea how excited I am about eating ALL day today. Ha!

Movement: Yes!! Little miss kicks all the time!! I love feeling her move. I have already figured out her sleep schedule, I hope it changes soon after birth. Ha! She loves when I rub my belly, have worship music on, and when daddy talks to her. Such a sweet feeling!

Sleep: I have a difficult time staying awake past 9 pm, and I am up by 5:30 am (with no alarm clock). I wake up at least 2 times a night to use the restroom...and so it begins! I really think God allows our bodies to do this to prepare for middle of the night feedings in the upcoming months! ;)

Symptoms: I have some contractions when I over due it, but they stop as soon as I sit down and rest. I have been getting progesterone shots the past 3 weeks, since I was 16 weeks in order to help prevent preterm labor. I have been seeing a Perinatologist (high risk OB) since I was 16 weeks pregnant. I was originally with a group of midwives who delivered in a hospital in Fort Worth, but they referred me over to the Peri. I go in every Friday for the progesterone shot, and every other week for a sonogram to check my cervix, fluid, and of course, baby girl! Everything has been looking be-autiful! I love getting to see her so much! Dwight and I decided to switch my care over to the Perinatologist full time, and let her deliver Kennedy. She is such an amazing doctor, and comfortable with the natural/organic things I want to do, she is also a friend of one of the midwives I was seeing. 

Cravings: Mexican food, chocolate, and anything random things that come out of no where, but I need right.that.minute. I eat nonstop! 

Best moment this week: I haven't shared this on the blog, but They found a cyst on Kennedy's brain during our 16 week sonogram. The doctor said it was either benign or the sign of 1 of 3 different genetic disorders. They ordered a new, state of the art blood test to see if she had any of the disorders, and told us they would let us know in 10 days. After much prayer, and totally surrendering ourselves to the perfect will of God, we found peace in the fact that God loves Kennedy so much more than us, and he made her fearfully and wonderfully in my womb. The nurse called when I was at work, my heart dropped as I listened to the voicemail. I was so nervous! The nurse explained that they got the tests back and the results were 99.9% negative for all disorders!! She said the cysts was benign and would go away on its own! I was so relieved, and SO thankful. Definitely an amazing moment! 

***I was looking over the blog and read my "about me" section; it was way out-dated!! So, if you read it recently and though, "Huh?", it is now fixed! ;)****

Catch up!

*I thought I posted this a couple weeks ago, but I guess I didn't...so here it is!*

Saturday,  my sister and I took Tristan on a day of fun! On the agenda was lunch at Chipotle (to curve mama's craving), going to the movies, the mall, out for dessert, and shopping. Now of course I could not shop and not get Kennedy a few "necessities"!!

One of our stops was my favorite antique store. It has a baby boutique that is to die for. I got K her first super frilly outfit there.

Mimi and Poppy met us there an pointed out this pink hutch. Dwight was in Mexico over the weekend playing in a tournament, but I emailed him about our find. He agreed little miss needed it for her nursery! Speaking of which...I have finalized all of her room decor selections. I have had the best time planning my girl's room. The colors are soft pink, white, and cream. I'm going for an elegant, traditional theme. I found all her bedding and most of the decor at Pottery Barn Kids. 

A few more finds... My due date is 4 days after Easter, which my Dr (and I) don't anticipate me making, so we had to get a bunny knitted hat for her to wear! Santa bloomers we could NOT pass up. They are size 6 to 12 months so she will be able to wear them next year. Of course no girl's wardrobe is complete without a pair of skinny jeans! I'm having too much fun shopping for this girl! Her closet is already growing with clothes. :)

We had so much fun with aunt Natalie!

Wednesday, Tristan had dental surgery. Poor guy had to get a tooth extracted. Not fun! His procedure was done at a surgery center so he was fully sedated. Waking up was very difficult for him, which I was prepared for based on his previous two surgeries he has had. Even still, there is nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain. When he came out to recovery I could hear him crying from the waiting room. I found a nurse and told her "I know I'm going to sound like an over-protective mother, but I know that cry...that's my baby. Can we go back there yet?" Thankfully we were able to after about 2 minutes.

I worked from home after the procedure so I could be there for little man

ICE 2013

I, being the festive (corny) mom that I am typed out a "Coleman Christmas" list of fun. The kids are enjoying checking things off as we complete them, we have lots more to do! 

Last night we took the kids to see ICE at the Gaylord Texan Hotel. It is such a breathtaking place to be during the holidays. At a chilling 8 degrees, you have to BUNDLE up, plus wear parkas that they provide, and you're still freezing!! Even still, it is amazing, fun, and unbelievable what these ice sculptures create. They are flown in every year from China and they never disappoint. 

Before the show we walked around the hotel and enjoyed all the beautiful decorations. Trains, Christmas trees, hardworking elves, gingerbread houses and more adorned the hotel. It was spectacular. 

The theme of ICE this year was The Nutcracker! Everything you are about to see is made purely of ice! 

*we all had in sweaters, full sized coats, scarfs and hats under these parkas. Brrr!!

The kid's (and Dwight's) favorite thing was the ice slide, they went down twice! Kennedy and I sat out on this one. ;)

At the end of the exhibit they had a New York section where the Statue of Liberty, a yellow cab, and time square were recreated. 

Dancing ballerinas!

No matter what the theme is, ICE always ends with the nativity scene. It is the most beautiful thing, and such an important reminder of what Christmas is all about.

Dwight and I were looking back on last year; how he was still in Finland at this time, I was still in grad school and wanting to get pregnant...life was so all over the place. Now here we are, one year later; in America (woohoo!), together, expecting a baby girl, and enjoying the FULLNESS of life. 

Tristan eyeing the gingerbread house! We will be making one of these next week, it probably won't look this pretty. Ha!

I get so excited when I think about a chubby baby girl joining these pictures next year. We really are blessed and cherish these little ones God has blessed us with!

It's Friday!

So happy to welcome in the weekend! It's freezing (literally, not just by my Texan standards) here in Dallas/Fort Worth. I have plans to sit by the fire most of the weekend. :) 

But first....a few things! Tristan giving his baby sister kisses. This is his favorite things to do. :) I have an OB appointment today in about an hour, I can't wait to see my girl on sonogram!

Tristan had his thanksgiving party at school this week and was super excited about. He has recovered well from his dental surgery!

Tonight, Dwight and I are taking the kids to ICE at the Gaylord. I can't wait to see how excited they will be!! 

Happy Friday! 

Little glimpses of our week!

Last weekend we had Brianna and Amari. It is always fun to have the whole crew together! :) 

Here they are before church on Sunday. I feel like we have such a rhythm down now, I can't imagine adding another beat with baby Kennedy coming in a few months. I'm sure she will just slide right in like she has always been here!

After church the kids went home, Dwight went to workout and Tristan and I met up with my sisters for lunch and shopping in Southlake! We also made a stop at Starbucks (Tristan has my hot chocolate). Sister/aunt time is always fun!

Saturday night Dwight's dad and step mom had us all over for dinner and dessert. My father in law can cook! It makes sense why Dwight is such a "little" chef. There is nothing more delicious than when he grills and makes his famous baked beans. Yum! Of course our little individual bundt cakes make the night even better. I may or may not have sent Dwight out mid-dinner to get Bluebell vanilla ice cream to go with dessert. Ha!

Not the best picture, but D's step-mom framed Kennedy's sonogram and had it out. Can you tell which kid is most excited to be having a sister?!? Look at Bri's face...pure joy!

I attended the most amazing conference for work on Monday. The entire thing was on trauma in pediatric aged clients. SO good. The key-note speaker was one of the leading pediatricians in the U.S. He was so funny, so full of knowledge, and brought so much to the table. It reminded me why I love doing my job; working with children in Fort Worth ISD that have severe behavioral/psychological problems.

I have to brag on my husband for a minute. Seriously, he has been the absolute best through this pregnancy. I cannot tell you (seriously) the last time I cooked a meal. He cooks dinner almost every night, or orders whatever I'm craving (Wingstop one day this week). He does dishes/laundry/cleans/gets Tristan bathed, cooks breakfast, makes my lunch, and more. I know he is loving being apart of every aspect of this pregnancy, and it shows. I feel SO taken care of and SO loved. It's awesome what God can do, I pray we are a testimony of that! Anyway, he looks up recipes online (seriously how precious is that) and cooks. This was one of his creations last week. It was DELICIOUS. It was a mixture of 7 layer dip, but with taco meat, crushed shells and a few more fixings on top. 

My sister brought over a gift that her and Mimi got the baby. A couple of outfits and a sweet boa bonnet that she will be wearing in newborn pics. :)

I woke up this mornings at 5am and couldn't sleep...so what was I to do other than online shopping? Ha! I browsed on over to my absolute favorite children's clothes designer and saw several outfits that Kennedy HAD to have. I mean seriously, does it get any cuter than this?! Ralph Lauren gets me every time....

It's FRIDAY! Woohoo, welcome weekend!! Dwight is out of town until Sunday playing in a tournament in Mexico (I just got off the phone with him and he said they had just left a restaurant with live chickens caged outside...haha). Tristan and I will be spending time with my family and getting some holiday preparations in order. Happy Weekend!

She has a name!

Names are so important to me. I love something unique, but not too different. Since the day we found out I was pregnant we started thinking of names. The first name came quickly, Dwight picked it and I loved it right away. This was at around 6 weeks of pregnancy. We could not agree on a boy name, and never did...so we were extra relieved when we found out we didn't need one! :) The middle name was harder and something we went back and forth on for a while. I told D that I needed to know her full name, that we HAD to figure it out!! So, with no further ado....our sweet girl's name is.....

        Kennedy Brooke Coleman

Pregnancy highlights:16 weeks

How far along: 16 weeks and 3 days

Size of baby: Baby C is the size of an Alvacado, weighing in at around 7 ounces, and measuring approximately 4.6 inches.

Gender: Girl!! I had a feeling, as did Dwight that baby was a girl, but until I saw it for sure on the ultrasound, I couldn't believe it. The sonographer at our 14 week appointment guessed girl, but again...I needed to know for sure!! 

Maternity Clothes: oh yes, I have to wear maternity clothes or stretchy regular clothes. I am so much bigger and faster this time around than I was with T.

Weight: I have gained 10 pounds so far. I am very proud of this, seeing as I gained 12 my entire pregnancy with Tristan. I have no problem eating and packing on the pounds this time!

Movement: Yes!! I felt little flutters a couple times last week. Yesterday, I felt strong movement while I played worship music close to my belly. She is already praising The Lord! 

Sleep: I am exhausted by 7:30 pm, in bed by 8:30pm, and up by 6am...every.single.day.

Symptoms: I am still slightly nauseas but weaning myself off Zofran. I didn't take it twice this week and was fine!

Cravings: Pineapples,Strawberries, apple juice, Mexican food. I literally cannot stop eating. I don't think ill have any problem reaching that 40lb weight gain goal my dr set for me. :)

Best moment this week: Finding out the baby is a girl! Seeing her on 3D sonogram for over 30 minutes (I'm blogging about this appointment this week). Finalizing her first name, and closing in on her middle name. Watching Dwight's  face as we found out it was a girl, he wanted another daughter SO bad. Registering for all things frilly, pink, and dainty after our appointment.

 

Baby C is a ....

SHE!!!!!!!!! I just can't believe it, I am having a little GIRL! Words cannot express the complete joy in my heart. I feel so blessed and entirely undeserving. The Lord is so gracious and kind.

About to find out....

It's official! Dwight and I are so elated! We can't wipe these smiles off our faces. :)

I will do another update soon with more details, but I couldn't leave my faithful blog readers hanging! ;) 

10 Things I am thankful for

I love the idea of writing what I am thankful for. It is a great reminder to slow down and look at what The Lord has blessed us with! 

I am thankful...

1.) To serve a God who extends grace, love, mercy, and more to me each day!

2.) For my husband. I love our story and how God never gave up on us even when we did.

3.) for Tristan. I love that little boy so much it hurts. I cannot imagine life without him, and I really don't know that I would be where I am now, if I didn't have him. He made me want to be a better person.

4.) for baby C!! I love that God knew we would get this baby, even when we didn't. Dwight and I tried for several months to get pregnant with no results. I remember crying, praying, and begging God for a baby. We finally decided it must not be time and we would just wait a couple more years...literally within a month of making that decision, I found out I was pregnant!

5.) That God saw me fit to be Brianna and Amari's stepmom. Being a step mom is a joy but can also be a challenge. I am thankful that God has helped me navigate this journey and for the extra love it has brought our family!

6.) That I was able to get my education and use it to do a job that I LOVE!

7.) For a flexible work schedule. I don't know that I could have a career if I wasn't  able to still be at all the school events, appointments, and important stuff that is important to me as a mother.

8.) for extended family and the love and support they bring us.

9.) for a healthy pregnancy. I definitely forgot what it was like to be pregnant, but every ache and pain is worth it; especially when baby is thriving!

10.) for life long friends. I can count on one hand the people in my life who I consider true, true friends. The kind you can call at any hour of the day/night and they will be there. I love doing life with these people. :) 

I can't believe it is November...Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, especially now that I am pregnant! Ha. I will be eating everything in sight. ;)

 In three days we will know the gender of our sweet baby...any guesses?!? 

The weekend

I LOVE all things holiday related! Every year I make a list of fun holiday things I want to do as a family, last night we checked one thing off: s'mores by the fire. Yum! 

I literally eat ALL the time. It seems like no matter what, I can't get full. It wasn't like this with T. You can only imagine how happy I was to eat this! ;)

My little helpers!

Dwight is quite the cook and honestly cooks at least 4 nights a week. Last night he grilled hamburgers and made homemade fries. So good!

Friday night, my MIL and SIL surprised me and came over to pick me up for maternity clothes shopping. We had so much fun! This belly is getting bigger by the day! 

I 'm counting down the days till Friday so we can shout from the roof tops the gender of our baby! Seems like the past 4 weeks have flown by (thankfully). I am ready to shop, decorate and start preparing for this precious little miracle. 

Happy Sunday!