Our 1st Baby

Most of you who know me really well know I love my dog, Bailey and talk about her often. So, I decided, it's time to include her on our blog. :) The first picture is of our little princess who thinks she owns the house (and yes, she crawls underneath the covers all by herself and gets situated just like a human) and the next two relate to the story I'm about to share...

So, I've felt exhausted all day long today and have had a headache, as well. I'm sure it's a combination of my allergies, the weather change, and hormones, but I have to say, my dog is a good cure. I got home from work today and walked in front door only to see my old tennis shoes stacked up on the couch on a blanket as if they were on display at the shoe store. Little Miss Bailey tends to be more mischievious when she's getting less attention. So, apparently she thought it would be cute to conviscate my tennis shoes and put them on display. I have to say, it did make me laugh and forget about my fatigue and headache for awhile and has made me smile several times throughout the evening tonight. God bless her little heart as she's so creative at times! (The first picture of her with the shoes is as if she's not fessing up to doing what she did and finally the second picture I was able to get her to sit next to her creation)

3 more weeks until we find out if we're having a boy or girl! In case, I haven't mentioned that already! :) We sooooooooooooo can't wait!

Also, on Saturday Nate and I sat down and made a list of baby things we will need. Being first time parents, we're kind of clueless, so for any of you mommies who are reading this have any input, please help us out! It's hard to know what you need and how many of what versus what you want, etc.

So, there really isn't anything new to report, other than a couple of new pictures of me at 4 months and 1 week (mostly for Nathan since he says he misses seeing my baby bump).

Thanks for reading and being on this journey with us!

Much love!

Joy & Baby

Craving of the Day...

Well, I've had a bag of sauerkraut in the fridge for awhile and have been eyeing up, but today...I can't resist it any longer. I'm hoping to have some this evening with my in-laws because Nate won't touch the stuff and I hate to fix it just for myself (maybe it's the fear that I'd eat it all myself). Mmmmm...mmmmm! Sauerkraut here I come! Gotta love pregnancy cravings!
Love,
Joy (& Baby Anderson)

4 months and truckin' along...

Well, it's hard to believe we are 4 months along today (which in turn means exactly 4 weeks from today that we find out if we're having a girl or a boy)! Not too much to add since I last wrote other than a few extra pounds! :)

I'd say the most exciting thing to add is I was able to feel our precious baby move for the first time on Friday, October 17th. I was laying in bed watching TV when I felt this tap several times in a row. It was incredible. It's funny though, I layed there wondering, "Was that what I think it was? Or was it something else? But what else could it be? Yes, it must have been the baby. No way was it the baby! but yes! It has to be the baby!" :) I felt the same thing the next day, but haven't felt the little one since. I long for the weeks to come when Nathan is able to feel the baby, too. I think that will be such a neat experience for him and I look forward to being able to share that with him.

We did have an OB appointment last week in which we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat again. It was at 160bpm. Everything seems to be progressing just fine.

Yesterday I woke up with some severe pain on my right side and called the doctor right away. I described my pain and they had me come into the office right away (which is so nice because they are right up the street from our home and it takes 30 seconds or less to get there). They determined it's just "round ligament pain," which in short is from the baby growing and everything inside of me stretching out to accomodate the little one. They did say the pain can be severe, yet very normal, especially for a smaller framed person (though I am not feeling so small anymore). And...oh did it hurt with every move I made. So, I was sent home to bed for the entire day to rest. The pain is still there today, but not to the extent as yesterday. We also got to hear the heartbeat yesterday and it was at 154bpm.

I think that's it in a nutshell for now! Here are the 4 month pictures we just took tonight. We were encouraged to take belly shots each month against the same wall and wearing the same shirt. However...that shirt isn't going to make it through many more months without the seams busting out! ;)

Much love!

Joy (Nate & Baby Anderson)

OH...and PS...this Baby Mama turned the big 3-0 this past week! Craziness!

Highlights (and perhaps lowlights) of our first trimester

Joy says...

-Finding out on July 28, 2008 we were pregnant!

-Sharing our exciting news in a fun way with our family and friends. Nathan came up with the idea of taking pictures and it resembling the Mastercard priceless commercials. So, we took a picture of some different money figures (made up numbers from acupuncture, doctor appts, fertility drugs, etc.) then took pictures of ourselves holding up a sign that said, "Finding out we are pregnant...PRICELESS." Nathan's Mom won the award for loudest reaction! :) and with my parents we gave them books called, "I Love You, Grandma" and "I Love you, Grandpa" with a special message written on the inside.

-Funny cravings that I had to have or I thought I'd die! One specifically being fried pickles. I had fried pickles 4 days in a row and on day 4 I incorporated eggrolls (so all I had for dinner was fried pickles and deep fried eggrolls), I ended up feeling so sick I could hardly move. Needless to say, I haven't had any since and I can hardly even type out the word, "pickles" without cringing!

-Not doing the dishes because the smell of the dishwaster detergent made me gag and even throw up. Also, experiencing that same thing with Bailey's dog food. So giving up those 2 chores to Nathan. :) I have to admit, I'm kind of thankful for getting sick because of the smell. It's been nice not doing dishes! Ha!

-Having our first ultrasound on August 12th at 6 weeks (much earlier than most people) and hearing the heartbeat

-Having another ultrasound at 9 weeks and seeing the tiny arm and leg buds

-Another ultrasound at 11 weeks and seeing the arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth!

-ANOTHER ultrasound at 12 weeks (we had so many ultrasounds due to some concerns of fluid being around the baby's chest/abdomen) and seeing the baby bounce all over the place. The sonographer was trying to get measurements of the baby, however the baby was having playtime and wouldn't be still long enough for her to measure. Then...the baby decided it was nap time and was very still. Of course, the baby was still not in a good position for measurements, so the sonographer had to keep bouncing the doppler up and down on my belly to get the baby to move...and well, it wouldn't move! Nathan and I were laughing as we were reminded our baby has already picked up one of our traits---stubbornness! :)

-Receiving gifts and how fun and exciting that was! 3 outfits from Aunt Danielle and Uncle Matt, 2 onesies, a bib, and maternity clothes from Grandma and Grandpa Moore, a gift basket full of goodies from our friend, Jess, flowers from our friends, Aaron and Heather, and a baby washcloth and flip flop decoration from our sweet friend, John Walsh.

-Also receiving cards in the mail from Jess Nevergall, Carrie Rausch, Karen and Larry Marttila, Aunt Nancy and Uncle Mel, the Walsh Family, and our church

-Reading the book, "Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mothers Soul"

-My sister-in-law, Danielle let me borrow books on pregnancy, so reading and learning more through those

-Meeting a new friend (Tracy) after running into each other at the doctor's office in Dayton a couple of times and communicating almost daily, sharing our pregnancy stories with one another

-Watching my belly grow!

-Having our nephew Alex tell us he hopes we have a Japanese baby and then a few weeks later he said he hopes we have a Pakistan baby or a French baby or a Russian baby or a Chinese baby or a Mexican baby. Ha! Where do kids get these ideas? He may be disappointed to find out we're having a plain white baby! ;)

-Our nephew, Garner saying, "Wow! You're huge" when I was only 12 weeks pregnant and me wondering what that child is going to think in a few months as the pregnancy continues and grows! :)

-Our nephew, Caden touching my belly saying, "You better be a girl and your name is going to be Elizabeth," asking questions about the baby and being very interested, and then sharing with me as he stretched out his arms how big the baby was going to be when it was born (his arms were stretched out about 3 feet and I admit, I shuttered imagining giving birth to a baby that big!).

-The names people are calling the baby (Junior---thanks to my boss...he's so determined it's a boy), Pappoosa by my Office Manager, Janet at work, and Bambino by our Pastor). I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that really made me chuckle.

-"Morning sickness" all throughout the day and smiling after getting sick each time knowing it's all because of a big blessing growing inside of me.

-Having Nathan pat and kiss my belly each day and praying over the baby and I

-Having people share what they think the gender is going to be:

Me-boy

Nate-girl

My dad-girl

Nate's mom-girl

My sister-in-law, Danielle-boy (though she's pulling to have a girl on that side of the family)

My friend, Nicole-first a girl, then changing her mind to a boy

My boss, Paul-boy

Our friend, John-girl

My co-worker/friend, Nikki-girl (though I think she may have changed her mind to a boy)

My acupuncturist, Lisa-boy (my forgetfulness has lead her to believe this)

My friend, Elizabeth-girl

Our nephew, Caden-girl

Our nephew, Alex-boy

*Feel free to add your guess or gut feeling by hitting "comment" at the end of this blog entry and adding it! It's so fun to hear what others say. :)

Nathan says...

Wow! Ok is there anything left to add?! Here are a few more highlights....

- Dinner at Wendy's. We're conveniently close to a Wendy's and for some reason think that Wendy's is the healthier fast food joint in town. We hit that place up like it was leaving town. Everytime I sat down to balance the check book I had to chuckle because it seemed like every other entry I was writing down "Wendy's".

- This is a repeat from Joy's list but is worth mentioning again - fried pickles! I got a call from Joy a few days in a row that she was on her way to try a new place in town that made fried pickles. She was so drawn to the taste that she went out and bought a small deep frier. After she spent the night throwing up we haven't had fried food again!

- Joy's appetite - It was amazing to see how much her appetite picked up.

- Increased appetite also means more gas!

- Watching Joy glow.

Dear Baby...

Dear Baby,
Wow! Where do I begin? You have been in my womb for 12 weeks now and Daddy and I already love you so very much! We can't wait to meet you...get a glimpse of your precious self...and hold you in our arms. I already know I will be kissing and hugging you like crazy! :)
We still do not know if you are a boy or a girl, but we have some names in mind for you already. We definitely have 3 names that Daddy and I agree on. We'll share our news about your gender, but will keep your name a surprise until you are born. Aawww...I can't wait until you are in my arms!
You know, we got to see you through an ultrasound on Tuesday. YOU are a very crazy active baby! You were bouncing up and down like you just drank 5 cups of coffee! Daddy and I just laughed! You wouldn't stay still long enough for the sonographer to get good measurements of you. Then...you decided you were tired and wouldn't move at all, yet you still weren't in a good position for measurements. Daddy and I laughed again! The sonographer kept pressing up and down on my belly to try to get you to move, but you refused. I mean, after all, you were tired after all the jumping you were doing! Daddy and I can't figure out where the stubbornness comes in?! Surely not either one of us!---and yes, that is sarcasm! :)
Anyway, we love you so much! We've waited a long time for you and feel so blessed! I love knowing you are growing inside of me! I love you so much, Baby Anderson!
Love & more love,
Mommy

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOOOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Good report!

12 week ultrasound...Little Baby Anderson's head/face...

Well, today we met with a genetics counselor and also a Maternal-Fetal Specialist down in Dayton to further assess this chest/abdomen fluid around the baby. Praise God the ultrasound showed nothing of concern! The doctor explained things that were over Nathan and I's head, but said everything looks normal. Praise God! Praise God! This means no more 4 hours in the car to appointments! We now will fully transition back to our doctor here in Findlay, which is literally right up the street from us. We also had the opportuntity to have a DVD made of our little one. What a crazy-active baby we have! The sonographer had a hard time getting measurements due to the baby bouncing up and down. The baby actually looked like it was doing lay ups. A basketball player in the making, perhaps? Then...of course, the baby decided it was tired and wouldn't move into the right position for her to get a good measurement. Stubborn? Oh wow...Nate and I can't figure out how this baby would be stubborn because neither one of us certainly are! ;) So, that's our update in a nutshell! We are so very thrilled and feel very blessed for this miracle!



Posted below are our first belly pictures right at 12 weeks. It's funny when I look at them on the camera, they don't seem like much, but looking down on my belly, I can definitely tell there has been some growth! :) Again, we're ecstatic and we hope you enjoy following us on our journey!
Much love!
Joy, Nate, and Crazy Baby Anderson! :)

Our little bean to our little baby!

Well, here are all of our pictures so far from our ultrasounds. So far, we've had one at 6 weeks, two at 9 weeks, and one at 11 weeks. The reason we had two at 9 weeks is because our doctor saw excess fluid around the baby's chest and abdomen, so he sent us to a hospital right away in Dayton to see a Maternal-Fetal Specialist. We will see the specialist again on Tuesday for a 12 week ultrasound as well as have the opportunity to meet with a genetics counselor to further discuss this fluid. Other than that concern, I'm feeling typical (tired, sick, and hungry). We plan to start posting belly pictures very soon, so stay tuned! :) Enjoy the pictures! I know we sure do! I have to admit, I look at them several times throughout each day because I love them so much!


6 week ultrasound (heart rate is 104.74 beats per minutes)

6 week ultrasound (the little bean is the baby and the circle is the yolk sac)

9 week ultrasound (heart rate is 179.10bpm)




11 week ultrasound (heart rate is 171bpm)The precious little hands (it's a picture looking down on the baby---you can see the little toes hanging out, too)!
Our absolute favorite picture so far! Baby Anderson just veggin out with its legs crossed. Check out the tiny little toes! :)
Baby Anderson's little face (we were able to see the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears).

If you look closely, you can see the 2 legs and the "in between" however, the doctor said it's too early to confirm if it'a boy or girl due to the boy part being really small at this point and the girl part being really big.