And here are the results of the cake cutting.......

Here is the video with our results! We had such a wonderful time with the cake reveal!!!! I got a glimpse with the first cut of the cake, but I didn't notice until I started cutting the second cut, and then it was revealed when I pulled out the slice.
The code:
White Cake with Strawberry Filling = Girl
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Filling = Boy



And here are a few pictures!!!!!!
This first one is when I was slicing in the second time and I saw the filling on the knife from the first cut. You can see the excitement on my face. :)

And here is the first piece of cake coming out!!!!!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Prediction time!!!!

Casey came home today. Yay! He got in about an hour earlier than originally scheduled, so that was really nice. I asked him to bring gifts home because he's never done that before. He didn't have time to shop until he was at the airport for his flight today because the shops in the town he was in were open from 10 to 5 and they worked 7:30ish to 7 everyday. He brought the girls each a stuffed bear.... one is a castle guard and the other is a police bear. So cute! And I got an apron with typical London things on it, and also a Swardoski necklace - a shamrock! Were we really surprised?! Well, yes, because I wasn't expecting it, but as Casey said, since I'm married to him, I get the shamrock. :)

Tomorrow is the big day!!! We are busy most of the day, it seems. Starting with a chiropractor appointment for me (just to keep things aligned, even though I haven't really been hurting, but more preventative), then at 1 in the afternoon we are going to see the home preschool where Jacqueline will be going in the Fall and taking Casey's mom with us to see it to see what she thinks, followed by my hair appointment (woohoo!) for a cut and highlights!!! I am getting my first real style ever, so I am really excited. I'm going kind of short, not crazy short, but I don't like the way my hair looks pulled into a pony tail, and I can't stand it on my neck, so short it is. Casey's not super thrilled, but I can't wait! After I am done there, it's time to pick up the cake, come home for dinner, and then it'll be time to cut into the cake!!!!!

And now, time to find out what you think! Do you think we are having a boy or a girl?

What Will It Be, He or She?

Before supper, the girls and I went to Karen's Cakes and Limousine Services and ordered the cake. I didn't want to find out the gender without Casey, so the tech wrote it on a piece of paper, stuck it in a sealed envelope, and I gave it to the cake lady.

We took the little colored B-A-B-Y blocks from the cake that we had at Jacqueline's baby shower for the top and they are also going to write "What will it be, He or She?" on it too. If it's a girl we will find strawberry cake with Bavarian Cream filling, and if it's a boy, there will be Red Velvet with Cream Cheese filling. I let Jacqueline choose the strawberry, but I think I am going to call and see if I can change it to white cake with strawberry filling. I am picking up the cake Tuesday around 5. Even though I love the surprise, being prepared, and knowing if I need to move Leah to Jac's room, or move the guest room downstairs to paint for a boy, I think finding out is the way to go this time around.

We will post the video Tuesday night or Wednesday for all to see!

ULTRASOUND!!!

Today was the big day!!!! Jacqueline was in my room early, but I was already awake, so I got up and showered, and then got the girls ready. We went to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast, which was super yummy, and then it was time to go. We dropped Leah off at my friend Cathy's house to play with her day care kids, and then Jacqueline and I headed to Boulder for my appointment. We waited for about 20 minutes, even though we were only 5 minutes early, but finally we got called back. Our ultrasound tech introduced herself as we were walking back, and I had to giggle.... her name is Tina!!! How funny, and coincidental, is it that Jacqueline calls our baby Tina, and the tech's name is Tina?! Tina was saying that the name isn't very common, and asked where Jacqueline got it. The only thing I have figured out is that Tina is the lady renting our old house with her husband Jeff; I don't know any other ladies named Tina.

Jacqueline was excited at first, and then quickly got bored, because it really isn't the easiest thing to make out something on the screen unless you know what you are looking for. Baby looks great! All measurements were good, and even though I saw some that were measuring big, I didn't see all of them, and Dr. Shimoda said they weren't going to change my date, which I guess is November 8, and not the 5th like I thought.

We got to see all body parts, and Tina was in a great position so Tina (the tech) was able to see everything she needed to see, including the gender (which is concealed in an envelope for later viewing). She got some really good pictures. We brought home 5 - three of the profile, one of the face, and 1 of the feet, because Jacqueline thought they were really neat, after she was able to figure out what they were.
(The pics are a little blurry because I was taking a picture of them with our camera to post.)

Face... Tina is looking at you with an arm up and a hand on the head.

Profile view with feet way over the head. The legs are up and feet are clear to the left pointing down.

It was really cute when she asked to see the ears. Tina said that was a request she'd never gotten before. :) We didn't get to see them though, probably because Tina was busy looking at other things, and also because Jacqueline soon lost interest. We got to hear the heartbeat, which was much clearer than with the doppler the doctor uses, and during the ultrasound it was 139 bpm.

Weight today was 125/126, so I've only gained 5 lbs in 5 weeks. Yay me! And my blood pressure was super low (sorry Nae!) at 98/56. The appointment with Dr. Shimoda was brief, but I feel like I got a lot of questions answered. I asked her about Pitosin, which is supposed to help regulate contractions, because I had it with both of the girls, and it didn't do me any good. She said that with VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) births, they try to avoid that if possible. That made me really excited because this time around I may be able to have normal early labor!!! She did say that there is a small chance (1%) that my scar from the c-section may burst, but she isn't too worried. Also, I will have to have a line for an IV available in case they need it. Baby Tina will need to be monitored the entire time, so possibly not much of a chance for me to get up and walk - I guess I'll have to wait and see.

We also talked about how I have been having comments that I am carrying low. There was nothing in my chart about the sex of the baby, so general word is that carrying position has nothing to do with it. And it is common, with a 2nd or 3rd, etc, pregnancy that baby does just sit lower. As my MIL put it today, "After the first, things just aren't where they were before."

Since Leah was breech, and they didn't know until I was 10 cm dilated, Dr. Shimoda did say that they will do an ultrasound in the final weeks to check position so I don't have another surprise during labor. And then it was time to climb on the table so she could listen to the heartbeat since she didn't get to hear it before, and this time we were up to 150 bpm.

Stay tuned next week (after Monday) to find out the gender of Baby Tina!

20 weeks!

We've made it to halfway! According the babycenter.com, Tina is the length of banana! And really, I don't feel very different from how I have been feeling... so no big "I'm halfway" excitement going on. Tina is moving lots, and I am trying to drink my water, but as most pregnant women know, when you have a lot to do, it's hard to think about what you have to do for yourself. I think especially with being a SAHM, and always doing something different, I don't always have the cup right next to me to remind me to drink. And for me, I fill my cup, but forget to drink. I'm trying to do better, but thus is life.

Tomorrow is the big ultrasound!!! Casey is in England for work - he left Sunday evening and comes back next Monday, so he won't be there. They already scheduled me five weeks out from my last appointment so I would be at 20 weeks, and I decided not to try and push it another week. The girls and I are going to breakfast at Mimi's tomorrow morning around 8, and then we will drop Leah off at my friend Cathy's house to play with her day care kids around 9:15. Ultrasound is scheduled for 10 with the doctor appt at 10:45. I am taking Jacqueline with me because I know she will do well with me, and we keep talking about how she gets to see Tina on a TV and we get to bring pictures home too. She also is now saying that Tina is a baby brother, so I'm not sure if she thinks she gets to decide or what, but either way I think she will be happy. In a way I'm hoping for a boy because a boy would be so much easier to name. Our trend seems to be that our girls go nameless for a couple days, but I do have a boy name picked out already. If it's a girl, I will start making a list of first names, and then also we'll have to decide which family member the middle name will come from.

I have also decided that we will find out the sex of the baby, as it will make life a little easier in preparing for Tina's arrival. Casey said I can just call him and tell him, but I really don't like that idea. I am definitely going to have the tech put the results in an envelope so we can find out together.... and I'm still leaning towards the cake idea, so I should probably call the cake place. :)

Results of the ultrasound (everything but gender), along with a picture, will be up tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to see Baby Tina on the screen and find out how he/she is measuring!

Family Pictures!!!!!

Boy am I in Heaven right now!!! This morning we went to JCPenny Portraits and had family pictures taken. They turned out so well, and it always makes me think, "Why did we wait so long?!! This is the first family pictures we have had taken with Leah, and she's 19 months old! The same thing happened with Jacqueline, we didn't have family pictures taken until the session when we had her 18 month pictures taken. I've definitely decided that the kids (right now "the girls," but that could change very soon!) will be going every 6 months probably until the youngest one (whoever that may be!) is in school, then at least every year. I was looking at the picture of the girls that I had taken back in December and Leah has changed so much since then! So, taking them every 6 months, and family pictures once a year, has become a priority in my book! The picture here in the one that will be going up over our fireplace. I love how good we all look wearing the ISU colors. We had some pictures taken in different outfits, and those look good too, but they were taken at the end and Leah wasn't being as cooperative. I just love how good pictures look when everyone is wearing similar colors. Thanks, Michelle, for instilling this in me! :)

19 weeks

I've really started showing, lately.... only maternity clothes for me! After Casey took these pictures, I looked at them and said, I really don't look very big! I look much bigger when I am looking down at myself, or when I look in a mirror, so maybe when Casey gets back from England, around 21 weeks, I will have him take a picture of the front view.
This is a new top that I got last week when Casey and Leah were in D.C. I don't have many summer clothes, because Jacqueline was a winter pregnancy, and then with Leah, I borrowed from Monica. I thought I had all the clothes still, but nope! So I've gone out and bought a few tops, but couldn't find any shorts I liked. I'm hoping when my in-laws come out in a couple weeks, they can fit some maternity clothes from Monica.
Tina is doing great! Moving around a lot, which is a lot of fun for me. I am looking forward to the ultrasound, which is June 23, one day before our 4 year anniversary. I will be taking Jacqueline with me, which I am super excited about!
As for me, I'm feeling great too! Still in the crazy cleaning phase, but so far, it seems to be working out. :)

Baby stuff

Not much new on the baby front. I will be 19 weeks tomorrow, so I have Casey take a picture for me to post. I went to have Meryt take one when she was over last Tuesday, but I forgot, so we will go with a 19 weeks photo tomorrow.

A funny story... I saw a lady at the flower nursery 2 weeks ago, and she looked about as big as me, so I asked her how far along she was. Her answer: 39 weeks!!! It was her first, but still! She was about my same height and build, and she was so tiny compared to me during any of the three pregnancies! I couldn't believe it!

"Tina" has been pretty active today, but has been quiet the last few days. I've been doing some shopping because I have no summer clothes! With Leah, I borrowed stuff from Monica, but then gave it back, and now I have very little.... 4-5 tops, one pair of shorts, and 2 pairs of capris. And when we now do laundry in the new fancy machines every two weeks, that doesn't leave much for me! I'm feeling really good, just occasionally tired. I really need to remember to drink my water, but it seems not to be at the top of my list, which I keep hearing that is where Tina and I need to be right now because to take care of everyone else, I need to be at my best!

Well, look for a picture to be up tomorrow!

To Know or Not To Know.....

That is the question! I have been asked this a lot lately, so here is my latest take.

Well, Casey will be in England when I have the ultrasound, which will be a week from Wednesday (June 23). But part of me doesn't care because he only went to the ultrasound appt when I was prego with Leah, just to find out. And with Jac, he stopped going after the ultrasound because we didn't find out. And with this one, he had the afternoon off the day I had my first appt, and they did an ultrasound, but he chose to stay home and go buy alcohol with Monica..... I'm still really pissed off about that one! The plan is to take Leah to a friend's house for the morning, and take Jacqueline with me because I know she will love to be able to see the baby on the screen.

From where I stand, it would be really easy for me not to find out, but Jac says she wants to know, even though she is determined that it's "another sister." So, I think what I am going to do is have them put the gender in an envelope, then I can easily shred it if I decide I don't want to know! But I was thinking we could do a cake thing since his parents will be here when he gets back. My vision for the cake is to decorate the outside neutral, then if it's a girl have it be a white cake, and red cake for a boy (since Casey doesn't like chocolate). Or we could go with white cake for both, and colored frosting between the inside layers.... so many ideas, so I guess I can see what the cake lady says. And we could have something during the week in the evening, or a weekend afternoon or evening, and have Casey's parents and grandma, and some close friends over and everyone can be there when we find out. I think that sounds really fun.

As much as I like the idea of a surprise, knowing would help out a lot. Like if it's a girl, I want to move Leah in with Jac and give the baby Leah's room (and moving Leah before the baby comes, would be much easier!). If it's a boy, Casey's mom said they would paint the guest room for us, and since his name will be Thomas, I love the idea of the bottom half of the room being dark blue, top a light blue, with a Thomas the Train border/theme for the room, which would be different than the Winnie the Pooh theme both of the girls had.

So, now it's time for you to weigh in.... Do we find out or let it be a surprise? Do you think it's a boy or a girl? Any ideas for girls' names? That has gotten us both times so far! With a boy, we are set... Thomas Michael. But a girl is a little harder.

What a time we've had!

Well, Leah came home yesterday, late last night around 10. She fell asleep in the car, and when they came in the house she didn't want me. It broke my heart that she was choosing Daddy because that rarely happens! But today she was back to her normal self, and super happy to see me. yay!

Jacqueline and I had a great week together! Our weekend was wonderful! We went to the gym, shopping, swimming and then to a friend's party, and came home and ended the day with UP and a bowl of popcorn. Sunday, we went to church, went to the mall for a little shopping, playing in the kids' area, and lunch, and also made a trip to the teacher store for some fun games, books of reprintables so we can start our preschool lessons, and a couple things for day care as well. Boy was I in heaven the minute I walked through the door!

Monday we went to the zoo, which was really quiet, and a wonderful day to be there! We got to have lunch with Meryt and walk around a little with her. Michelle Fox, you better watch out... Jacqueline has a substitute BFF, so you better come visit soon to stake your territory! :) And on Tuesday we went to story time at the library, and ended the evening with Meryt and her 3 year old Marissa over for dinner and the girls watched Sleeping Beauty together. A great way to end our run of free days before work started.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we had day care kids, so we didn't do much those days. Wednesday morning we went to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast before the twins came, and got some free muffins, which were so yummy! And the rest of our fun were just evening things, which were mostly bike rides on Jacqueline's new bike. She took a couple of spills, so we really need to find her helmet, but each time she got up, we brushed her off, and she got right back on. What a champ!

Saturday we went to the gym, stopped by Kohl's to find some summer clothes for her, and then came home for snack. That evening we got Jack in the Box for supper and had a picnic supper in the living room and watched Princess and The Frog, which Jacqueline plans to watch every day until we mail it back.

We got a lot of one-on-one time, which was great, but we both missed Casey and Leah a lot are really happy to have them home, even if Casey leaves again in a week for England. We will take all the time we can get!

Leah is going to D.C.! :(

Casey is going to D.C. next week for work, and as he did with Jacqueline in October 2008, he is taking Leah with him to spend a week with our friends who live out there. I really pushed him to leave Saturday so he would have Saturday night and Sunday to help her with the adjustment, as she has never really met the family she will be staying with. The last time the girls and I saw them was Christmas 2008, when Leah was a little over a month old. This is the longest I have ever gone without seeing My Jennie, and it makes me sad that I won't be going, but I am super happy that Leah is going, even though she will be away from me. She is such a momma's girl, so this will probably do her some good, but still it will be hard.
Jacqueline and I will have the week to ourselves. Saturday to Tuesday we will have entire days, and then Wednesday is afternoon and evening and Thursday and Friday are just evenings. We will be going shopping for both of us, to the pool a couple of times, to the zoo, out to eat just because we can, eating ice cream since we both love it, watching movies with supper picnics on the living room floor, taking her on bike rides to help her learn the workings of her new bike and hopefully getting together with a couple friends.
Part of it is that I have to keep busy to keep from missing Leah so much (hey! The baby is moving right now!), but also to just give Jacqueline a good ole' time! We'll post pictures of our fun, and hopefully of Leah's too!

What a weekend - it sure was memorial!

A lot has been going on!!!!! Not really with the baby, but with the family in general. Having a three day weekend, well, technically it was 4, but Casey was home with us for 3, was super nice. We got a lot done around the house... Casey worked outside and I worked in. I am really amazed at all that I have been getting done lately. I think I am going through some sort of nesting phase at 17 weeks. It's crazy. I've been doing so much and a lot of things that I don't normally do.... like cleaning the centerpiece on the dining room table and vacuuming the stairs. We have a central vac system, which is awesome, and I hadn't been doing more than just the floors because we don't have any attachments. Well, the attachments from our old vacuum fit it, which is super nice because now cleaning stairs and the furniture is super easy and not something that I dread. :)
Sunday night Casey set up the tent and he and Jacqueline camped out for the night. He also got a fire going in our new fire pit, and we all roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. It was really late for the girls, close to 10 before Leah got bed, but it was a lot of fun.
I have also decided that even though there is so much to do here at the house, inside and out, we really need to focus on the girls. We got Jacqueline a big girl bike, with training wheels - she loves going out and playing on it, even though she can't really peddle yet. I told her I would help her ride it on Monday, but I never did. :( So it kind of just came to me that I need to focus on the girls at least one day every weekend, and go out and do something with them... swimming, the zoo, the park, the mountains, something! These are the best times, and we really need to give them well-rounded experiences and new things to do, instead of just hanging out at home all weekend while we get stuff done around the house. The chores and such are always going to be there, but the girls won't! It makes me sentimental just thinking about it.

So word to the wise for all you new moms and future moms..... always make time for the kids, everything else can wait!
Perfect example - on Monday, Leah started saying "hug." It was so cute. I was working around the kitchen, but every time she walked towards me smiling and saying "hug," I stopped what I was doing, sat down, and hugged and kissed the bejeezus out of her. I loved it and so did she!