It's about time!!!

Well... friends and family, 17 more days until our sweet little girl will be arriving, but who's counting? Steve and I have had quite an exhausting past couple months as the reality of Addisyn's arrival is quickly approaching. Hospital tour, child birth classes, nesting, baby shower, spending money, school, work and the holidays have made these past two months FLY by. We are finally getting to a point where we can sit back, relax, and enjoy each other. The Christmas tree is up, the nursery is ready and absolutely beautiful (if I do say so myself) and we are enjoying our last couple of weeks of giving our puppies all the attention and sleeping in on the weekends. Yet, we realize that even though it is likely we will lose our solid sleep, our excessive cuddling times with puppies, and our clean house - we are feeling very blessed this Christmas to be given the greatest gift from God. Steve and I look forward to seeing our beautiful child and raising her in a loving home.

A big big big thank you to my mom and sisters for throwing me an amazing and special baby shower over Thanksgiving weekend. They did such a great job and it was very special having some of my Ohio family there and friends come in from all different locations.

LOVE YOU!

31 weeks and growing....and growing...and growing

Hi family and friends,

Well I am sure you can tell by the lack of Blogging that things have been busy at the Hart household. Work, School, and little "Addisyn preparing" has been taking up a huge majority of our time. Not to mention I am lugging around 27 lbs in my belly so RESTING is very much a part of my weekend routine. My hope is to update this blog atleast two or three more times before we meet little Addy and then try to update this as often as possible once she has been born.

Today, Steve, me, Sam, and mom and dad went to see what little Addisyn looks like so far. I think it is safe to say that she definitely has my lips. I am very excited to see what color eyes and hair she will have. I can't believe we have only nine more weeks until we get to see her. Sometimes it seems so soon and sometimes I want it to be here RIGHT NOW!!!

Steve and I have pretty much everything finished in the nursery. We are waiting on a few more little items but my next blog will include pictures of our beautiful little girl's room. It all seems so surreal. I am sure everything will sink in this next month (Novemeber). We have so much going on to include a hospital tour, a childbirth and delivery class, and Thanksgiving and baby shower weekend and making sure we are ready to meet our little girl in December.

I hope we get to show you pictures of the nursery in the next two weeks! Miss all our friends and family and we hope this blog will keep you updated on how we are doing.

Changes with me.....

1.) can't wear my wedding ring any more :-(

2.) 27-30lbs weight gain

3.)lower back issues

4.) crazy dreams at night

5.) more tired and hormones are raging

6.) hunger pains more frequently

7.) and frequent pushing from the little miss Addy which causes a brief amount of pain

Week Thirty One: Baby detects light

You are 31 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 29 weeks)
Baby weighs 3.5 pounds and measures 16.5 inches from the head to heel.
Baby's weight is about 1.6 kg and length around 42cm.
The eyes have now completely opened and are responding to light and darkness.
A loud noise near you may cause your little one to jump.Your baby continues to grow. Baby's lungs and digestive tract are very near to being mature. Now that almost all of the major organs are functioning, growth will focus on maturing those organs and growing muscle mass and fat stores. Baby's weight gain will exceed its growth in length from now on. He or she should more than double their weight again between now and birth. It weighs about 3.5 pounds (1.6kg), and crown to rump length is 11 inches (28cm). Its total length is 16.5 inches (42cm).A loud noise near you may cause your little one to jump. Baby may move to the rhythm of music. Studies with heart rates show that they may also prefer some types of music to others at this stage. The eyes can now completely open and the irises are now responsive to light, dilating and contracting as needed.You will probably find that though you have been feeling pretty energetic throughout your second trimester, you are beginning to slow down now. Pay attention to your body's signals and rest when you need to. Exercise is still an important activity for you, even though it gets harder as you get larger and heavier. Try swimming, stretching and walking all excellent options for pregnant women. Your total pregnancy weight gain by this time should be between 21 and 28 pounds (9.5 and 12.5kg).

LOVE YOU!

Scratching and Itching and Burning...Oh my!

Hi friends and family,

Just a quick update to let you know that everything is well at the Hart household. Although our 22-23rd week brought me a horrible rash all over my belly and chest, We pushed through and thanks to Aveeno, ice packs, and cold showers- I have managed to keep it under control. The rash still flares it's evil head every once and a while but it is not nearly as bad as it was the last week. I am praying that the rash is not the early stages to a condition known as PUPPP which is a severe rash that usually occurs in the third trimester. On the up side, Addisyn is kicking like crazy and Steve just felt her for the first time a few nights ago. I think it feels like she is doing kicks in a swimming pool. Sometimes she kicks so hard, I swear you can see it.

So going into week 24, Steve and I have been very busy preparing three rooms in our town home. We have organized, arranged and decluttered our Master bedroom, our 1st floor entertainment/family room and Addisyn's nursery/guest room/day room. We feel we are well on our way to having the house ready for little Addisyn Faith. The nursery is painted, the crib is set up, and now we are just waiting on a few more items to purchase before we call it, "complete". I will post pictures as soon as we finish it.

What else is going on.....

This past weekend was my first week of class for my MFA in Photography and it was a huge reality shock. Graduate school is a lot different than undergrad and a lot more work. Yikes! It might be an emotional third trimester. I am just praying that I can keep all my emotions in check with this extra stress. What was I thinking? I am just gonna have to evaluate the workload before going into each semester.

Steve took his AFOQT test last week. If he scores a high enough score, we are going to move forward with the process of him applying to become an officer. I am very very excited to see where this road takes us in the future and I will be sure to update you all.

Until next time.....here is what is going on this week.

Week Twenty Four: Practices breathing

You are 24 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 22 weeks)
The child is now gaining around 3 ounces (90 grams) a week.
Baby weighs about 1.3 pounds and is 12 inches long.
Baby weighs about 600 grams and is 30cm (crown to heel) long.
The eyelids can be seen very clearly.
If born at this stage is officially considered viable, they may well be able to survive.Your baby is producing surfactant. This is stuff that keeps the small air sacs in our lungs from collapsing. The unborn baby is covered with a fine, downy hair and the skin is protected by a waxy substance. Some of this substance may still be on the child's skin at birth at which time it will be quickly absorbed. The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into developing lungs.Baby gains about 3 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs. The body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn. Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his or her distaste. Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of the hands has improved as they sucks their thumb. Over the next week or so, the sweat glands will be forming in the skin. The lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. After this week your baby is officially considered viable. 36% of babies can survive premature birth at 24 weeks - However, serious complications are still possible. Baby now weighs about 1.3 pound (600gm) and is around 12 inches (30cm) long.

We are at the half way point

Not a good pic but it is Addy's first concert (20 weeks)



Baby bump in California (19 weeks)

Baby bump in Ohio visiting my extended family (18 weeks)

Hello loved ones!

Just a quick update to let you know that we are having a little girly! Steve and I agreed on the name, Addisyn Faith Hart. We are very excited to meet our little love bug. I have put up a few pictures of my belly from our two week vacation. We visited three different states to see our family. The pictures are from Virginia, California, and Ohio.

Love you!

16 weeks: the good, the bad, and the lovely

Taken three weeks ago at 13 weeks! The baby is relaxing!

Guess what? I am two days away from WEEK 16!!! Sweet...Sweet 2nd trimester

The good thing is that I almost love ALL food again. There are few items I can't go near but for the most part, I have 85% of my appetite back. Here are a few items I can't get enough of:

1.) SALT (anything salty)

2.) Buffalo Wings (spicy please)

3.) nutty bars

4.) Sunflower seeds (BBQ)

5.) Chips and dip

Yep, I just noticed....not one of the things I mentioned are healthy...but they are good, oh sooooo good.

The bad thing....I split my my pants the other day at work. Talk about an obvious sign for me to go to Motherhood Maternity to get new pants. I am still within the healthy weight gain but my belly has popped the past week. Very exciting!

The lovely thing.....I'M PREGNANT! Steve and I are very excited about meeting our little love bug and even more excited to see what adventures parenthood will bring us. Call it mother's intuition but I think we are having a girl (uh oh, Steve). I think I have narrowed my girl names down to two choices but Steve and I still have to discuss. Tell me what you think.

1.)Ryleigh Lillian Hart

2.) Hayden Reese Hart

So here is what is going on with our little boy or girl this week.....

Week Sixteen: Facial expressions are possible

You are 16 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 14 weeks)
The fetus measures nearly 5 inches (12cm) from head to buttocks.
The fetus weighs about 3.5 ounces (100 grams).
The fetus is covered with a protective soft down to regulate its temperature.
Fat begins to form underneath skin.
Baby hears external voices, sleeps and dreams.Your baby has learned to breathe. This is apparent from the regular movements of his chest, inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid. These actions help the lungs to develop and grow. More developed facial muscles may lead to various expressions, such as squinting and frowning. Your baby nows weighs more than their afterbirth. The baby can grasp with his hands, kick, or even somersault.You are showing more now and have an obvious swelling in your lower abdomen. The rest of your body is still changing. A total of 5 to 10 pound (2.25 to 4.5 kg) weight gain by this point in your pregnancy is normal.The crown to rump length of your baby is 4.4 to 4.8 inches (11 to 12 cm). Fetal weight has doubled in 2 weeks and is about 3.5 ounces (100g).

Going into week 12: One year down with a lifetime to go......

Well, it has been almost a month since my last blog but I didn't want to bore you all by saying week after week that I feel the same symptoms of tiredness and food aversions. So now that I am eleven weeks, I have a lot more to tell you and I hope my symptoms will start subsiding.

Steve and I have experienced a lot the past couple of weeks. We had our first sonogram and saw a cute little heart beating at 158bpm. That was a great experience for both of us and has been a topic of many conversation. Just last week we met our Doctor and actually heard the little pitter patter of the heart at 161bpm. Hearing that heart beat made all my symptoms totally worth it.

I have started to show just a little bit but to an unknowing person I look like I have a bloated belly. My symptoms are still extreme fatigue and food aversions. The food aversions are worse than the tiredness. I can't think of any food that I actually enjoy eating, only foods that feel better in my tummy. This makes for a rough day because I often accidentally let myself get too hungry and then I am haunted with nausea the rest of the day. On the days I remember to eat something every two hours, I am talking myself through every bite. I can't wait to get to the stage of being hungry all the time.

One year down with a lifetime to go......

Steve and I celebrated our one year anniversary yesterday! We didn't have a huge celebration or even a little one but it was perfect for us. I am so proud and blessed to be his wife and very excited to see my wonderful husband become a father. I can't wait to bring a little one into the world to experience the love that Steve and I share.

So this is what is going on with baby Hart this week.....


Week Twelve: Fingernails and toenails appear

You are 12 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 10 weeks)
The fetus is now about 2.5 inches (6cm) length and weighs about 0.7 ounce (20 g).
The feet are almost half an inch (1cm) long.
The fetus starts moving spontaneously.
The face is beginning to look like a baby's face.
The pancreas is functioning and producing insulin.
Fingernails and toenails appear.

The baby can suck his thumb, and get hiccups. From this week you may well be able to hear the baby's heart beat through a Doppler monitor on your tummy. You will notice that the rate is up to 160 a minute, double that of a normal adult. Your baby now has a chin and a nose and a facial profile. Vocal chords are complete, and the baby can and does sometimes cry silently. The brain is fully formed, and the baby can also feel pain. The fetus may even suck his thumb. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers. The hair is on the head and the fingers and toes have developed soft nails. The kidneys are developed and begin to secrete urine. Your baby weighs between 0.5 and 0.7 ounce (14 to 20g), and crown-to-rump length is almost 2.5 inches (63mm). Your baby's size has almost doubled in the past 3 weeks.

http://www.baby2see.com/development/week12.html

Going into week 8 - Can I escape "morning sickness"?

Hi Friends and Family and Happy Mother's Day!

This past week has been pretty uneventful. I had my first doctor's appt. on Tuesday and it went very well. I didn't get to see the heart beat but they did some tests and asked lots of questions and I guess everything is as it should be this week. I have my first sonogram set up for two weeks from now and a second one set up two weeks after that.

Extreme tiredness and nausea are the two symptoms that stand out in my mind the most. I think I can only do about two hours of any activity at a time before I need to stop, rest, and lay my head down. This makes for a long day at work. Seriously I am absolutely spent by 11:00am and ready to go home at 1:00pm. All last week, I was laying in bed by 8:00pm. I haven't had the "morning sickness" but I have nausea all day. Nothing sounds good to eat and few things taste good. The only thing that I like eating are french fries, nachos, and fruit and vegetables. But I liked all these things before I was pregnant so I don't think they are cravings. The good thing about this is that this loss of appetite is helping me easily avoid Coca-Cola Classic and Coffee, which up until recently have been addictions of mine. I have heard from several people to eat something every couple hours so my stomach does not get too full or empty. I have been doing just that this past weekend and it seems to be working. If I haven't had morning sickness at this point, do you think I can avoid it?

I hope I will have pictures by next weekend. Steve is graduating from college next weekend so this is very exciting for us. I am so proud of him! He wants to go into business consulting and has been doing some networking with people up north. He plans to get out the military less than 2 years from now so we are pretty sure, we are officially Delawareans (which I am very happy about).

Our house is on the market and hasn't had much success. I think it is because of the current housing market and/or it is only a 2 bedroom. We also are in the process of putting a contingency offer on a house in Middletown Delaware. If all goes well, we will sell our house in the next couple months and they will start building our dream house in Middletown. I am trying not to stress about it because if it was meant to be, it will be. We will leave it in God's hands.

That pretty much wraps up the Hart household update. Looking forward to getting out of this first trimester so I can gain some energy back.

This is what is going on in my belly this next week:


Week Eight: Starts to practice moving

You are 8 weeks pregnant. (six weeks from conception)
The embryo is measures about 18 mm (3/4 inch) in length.
Their arms and legs are growing and location of the elbows and toes are visible..
The feet and hand buds have appeared.
Starts to practice moving (not felt by mom till week 20)
The stomach is being made from part of the gut.
The face is beginning to take shape.
Your baby's mouth and nostrils are starting to develop.
Teeth begin to develop under the gums.

The eyes can now be seen as small hollows on each side of the head.The arms and legs continue to develop - These limbs are stretching out more and more. Later on you will be feeling those feet and elbows up close and personal right in your bladder. The embryonic tail has almost disappeared. The pituitary gland is also forming and the embryo is beginning to grow muscle fibers. The heart has divided into the right and left chambers and is beating about 150 beats a minute which is about twice the rate of an adult. The baby's facial features are visible, including a mouth and tongue. The eyes have a retina and lens. The major muscle system is developed, and the baby starts to practice moving. The baby has its own blood type and the blood cells are produced by the liver now instead of the yolk sac.

http://www.baby2see.com/development/week8.html

Going into Week 7

Wow! I am one lucky girl to have Steve as my husband. I don't know if I would be able to put up with myself for 8 months. I have been a basket case. I am tired all the time, and my mood swings are craaazzzyyy...but somehow my husband still manages to make me laugh and not take me too seriously (even though I am being a major pain). This past week has been an emotional one and I heard it is going to be like this for awhile.

Tiredness: Okay, so today is Saturday and I went to bed at 10:00pm on Friday, slept in until 9:00 on Saturday, and then laid back on the couch from 1pm-5pm. Where am I now? The couch..and I have been on it since 7pm. I plan to go to bed at 10pm and no later. If you add that up I have been resting/sleeping 18 out of the last 24 hours. I was supposed to go to a Nascar race today and would have been up for 17hrs straight....so needless to say it was a good thing I didn't go.

Moodiness: Let me not fool you, moodiness is an under statement. Well I started out last week crying because Steve and I weren't going to the Nascar race (and I don't even like Nascar). Then I got mad at Steve for not showing enough desire to make me chicken, mashed potatoes, and asparagus on Tuesday evening. If someone doesn't say something exactly right, I take it offensively. Tonight I was two seconds away from making a scene at Pizza Hut because we had to wait 15 minutes for a server. I just wanted Pizza and salad! I am not sure it is safe to be around me.

Breasts: Seriously, should they already be getting bigger? I think I might have to go get new bras tomorrow.... and why can't I just wear sweat pants, sports bra, and a sweatshirt to work?
And I love my puppies, I do...but if they jump up on me and nail me where it hurts one more time....

This is what I want to know....I don't have any cravings, however, each day I know exactly what I want to eat and if I don't get what I am thinking about having then whatever I eat does not taste good to me. I also feel like my appetite has decreased but my stomach growls like every 2 hrs. Is this normal?

So that was my 6th week in a nutshell...Here is what I get to look forward to this next week
I have my first doctor's appt. on Tuesday. Hopefully with a great update ;-)


Week Seven: Arms and legs begin to grow

You are 7 weeks pregnant. (five weeks from conception)
The embryo is around 13 mm (1/2 inch) in length.
The heart is beating with one chamber.
A dividing wall is formed in the heart.
Arm and leg buds begin to grow.
The lower jaw and the vocal cords are beginning to form.
The mouth opening is formed.
The inner ear is being created.
The digestive tract is developing
The navel string is being created

The following organs are being formed: the lungs, the liver, the pancreas and the thyroid gland.The baby's eyes and inner ears are starting to develop. It is about now that your baby's major organs (heart, lungs liver, spleen, and kidneys) are beginning to develop. Your baby's digestive system is becoming more refined as the stomach and intestines develop. Remember the Folic Acid you should be taking? Well, since the Neural tube (later known as spinal cord) begins to fuse, folic acid is important in preventing neural tube defects. The embryo size is about a 1/8 inch (4mm) long. On the 26th day after fertilization, the embryo's tiny heart begins to beat. Other major organs, including the kidneys and liver, have begun to develop, and the neural tube, which connects the brain and spinal cord, closes. The physical sensations of pregnancy have started--nausea, fatigue, sore breasts and frequent urination. The embryo's arms and legs begin to grow from buds at each side. At first the hands and feet are shaped like paddles, but the fingers soon take shape. Lenses of the eyes appear - You would notice your baby's appearance is becoming increasing like a newborn's. Brain is growing well - Did you know that over the course of the remaining months that your baby's brain will develop over 100 billion neurons? This is just the beginning.

Going into Week 6

So this is what is happening inside my Belly this upcoming week. Just reading what has been going on week after week makes me wonder why anyone would not believe in God. What an amazing perfect process is laid out throughout these nine months.

To date, the only symptoms I have is the urinating frequently, sore breasts, and I am a little more emotional than normal. Good luck, Steve!



"Week Six: The heart begins to beat

You are 6 weeks pregnant. (four weeks from conception)
The embryo has reached a size of about 8 mm (1/4 inch) in length.
The spinal cord, which until now has been open, is beginning to close.
The first blood cells and blood vessels are developing.
Blood moves through these primitive vessels connected to the yolk sac.
A pipe-shaped heart is formed and begins to beat.
The brain begins to divide into 5 parts.
Optic pits form the start of the developing eye.

The cells destined to be the arms and legs are in place.You might not be able to stop yawning long enough to read this! Your baby develops rapidly during the first few weeks of pregnancy, which is why women tend to feel so tired in the first trimester. To help your baby thrive, you need plenty of rest and early nights, as well as fresh air, regular exercise and a healthy diet. Sleeping in a jog bra can help the breast soreness. Many of your symptoms are the same as last week. Some women may also get headaches from the rise in hormones. There are also a lot of women who will have none of these symptoms. They will sail through early pregnancy without vomiting or being light headed. For a lot of women this can be normal as well. Do not panic if you do not have pregnancy symptoms, although you should contact your care provider if you suddenly lose your pregnancy symptoms. At this time the embryo is still smaller than the size of a raisin. Low on the sides of the head are two folds of tissue that will become the ears. Although not completely developed, all the major body organs and systems are formed. The heart also forms, and it begins to beat on the 25th day after conception (about 6 weeks after the last menstrual period), and a heart beat can already be detected.The neural tube enlarges into three parts, that will soon to develop to become a very complex brain. Also the placenta begins functioning, known as the chorionic villi and the umbilical cord, through which the baby will receive nourishment and oxygen. The spine and spinal cord grows faster than the rest of the body at this stage and will give the appearance of a tail. This will disappear as the baby continues to grow"

http://www.baby2see.com/development/week6.html

It all started on Tuesday April 21, 2009

Steve and I have been trying for 5 months and since that time I have been on point, 28 days, with my period. So when I went through the whole 28th day (Sat. the 18th) with no period, I ran upstairs to secretly take a pregnancy test (I had one left from the last time I checked). Steve said that he has always wanted to be there when I did it...but I like to surprise people and for the last 5 months I have been daydreaming about what cool way I would tell him. Turns out--- it was negative. SUNDAY evening: I wanted to run out and buy another pregnancy test but decided I would wait to go to work and check my lotus notes calendar where I have marked the days I started my period. Monday evening: Still no period and my calendar said I was correct, I was three days late. TUESDAY at Work: I email my friend that works at a bank across the street from me "Marisa, go walk to Happy Harry's with me." I couldn't wait. I just new I was pregnant (at least that would explain the 4 lb weight gain in two weeks). I took the test as soon as I got back to work. Almost immediately two pink lines showed up. I was standing in the stall in my bank bathroom trying to take cell phone pictures of it to send to my girlfriends who knew I was thinking I was pregnant. So many things running through my mind: How am I going to tell Steve? Who can I call? Oh my gosh, I have something growing inside me, SO COOL! How am I going to go back to work and focus?

1 HOUR LONG DRIVE HOME: I called Krissy in hopes that she would keep me on the phone the whole time so I couldn't call anyone else before I tell Steve. She did.

HOW I TOLD HIM: I have heard crazy stories about how people have told their significant others that they are having a baby. I had a gazillion ideas in my mind leading up to this point and then lost them all on that day. I finally decided to stop and buy a bottle. I put the capped two positive pregnancy tests in the bottle and when I got home I snuck them next to the pickles in the fridge. The rest of the story is kind of funny but it is better on video tape. I asked Steve to get the pickles out of the fridge and he literally picked up the bottle and moved it aside to get to the pickles. He didn't even notice the bottle but once I convinced him to look in the fridge again...he found the bottle, picked it up to see inside and immediately hugged me. Yes, this is all on video tape. I tried to download the video but it is not working. Stay tuned for more updates.