Our "Pumpkin" (aka Liz's first blog)

On August 4, 2007 we learned that our lives would never be the same! I took a pregnancy test early in the morning, and kept the good news secret from everyone except Caroline. (Really, who was she going to tell?) I hosted a shower for Rebecca L. that morning, ironically, and never gave a hint that I, too, was expecting. Later that afternoon…after the shower, after Patrick finished yard work at his parents’ house, after Caroline woke up from her nap (it felt like FOREVER!) she was finally able to tell her daddy her secret. Earlier that day we had made a little card for him that read on the outside: “Daddy, I have a secret”. On the inside was, “I’m going to be a big sister!”

I had the camcorder ready, though I didn’t quite get the response I expected. I think SHOCKED was the best way to describe his reaction. So I quickly turned off the camcorder to give him a chance to breathe again! Ha After the initial shock, I took a picture of the happy daddy x 2. And yes, that is Caroline playing with the pregnancy test, though don’t worry. The end was covered and completely sanitary :)

Then we decided to make Caroline a t-shirt to tell our parents the good news. My parents were leaving for Chicago in the morning and we really wanted to tell them before they left. Needless to say, both sets of parents were very excited! Once they finally read the shirt, that is.

Oh, on the way to Hobby Lobby we decided on 2 things: 1- the name that we would call this baby until it’s born, since we didn’t want to find out the sex this time either (we knew that Aunt Lolly would be pumped about that!!): Pumpkin (as you may recall Caroline was our Peanut) and 2- a boy and a girl name! Yep, we agreed immediately and knew what we wanted to call our precious child after it’s born. (Of course, being a woman, I reserve the right to change my mind at any point in time, but I doubt I will!)

August 9, 2007 My first belly shot w/ Pumpkin. 5 weeks

I swear that I am already growing!

September 7, 2007 My first doctor’s appt. 9 weeks
I asked the doctor why I was starting to show so much earlier than I did with Caroline. Patrick and I seriously thought that I was having twins b/c he even noticed that I was showing. Maybe she was just trying to make me feel better, but my doctor told me that it’s normal to show earlier with your later pregnancies. I felt a little relieved, I guess. But I still didn’t have clothes to fit me! Caroline attended our 1st doctor’s appt, but she didn’t exactly have fun. She wasn’t real interested in seeing her little brother or sister on the ultrasound :) We got to see that little heart beating just as fast as it could, and it was of course AMAZING.

My doctor told us our due date is April 10, 2008. We’re cutting it pretty close considering that my parents are going on a cruise to Greece with another church leaving March 24th returning April 2nd, and Patrick’s mother is going on a cruise to Greece with her church leaving April 15th!!! “What the heck, our parents think that since they’re retired that they can just travel all the time?? What about us? What about our plans? Who’s going to watch their granddaughter while I’m in the hospital popping out another grandchild for them???” Hahaha But seriously, my sister and I have pretty much decided that my parents will be out of the country when Pumpkin comes and she has already offered to watch Caroline for us. Though she will be in the delivery room again with me and Pat... Oh, I can’t worry about this stuff now. It will all fall into place when it needs to :)

We told our Sunday School class that we were pregnant. I think they were surprised but very excited for us! I knew we couldn’t keep it secret for long since I was already starting to show. Still, “mum” was the word!

I learned that I tested positive for group B strep/beta strep. Shouldn’t be a big deal, but I did have to take a round of antibiotics. Plus, whenever I go into labor I’m supposed to get 2 doses or 4 hours worth of antibiotics in my iv to make sure that the baby doesn’t catch it from me. “Uh, doctor, I didn’t even have an iv for 2 hours with Caroline, and don’t 2nd babies come even faster than the 1st one????” We’ll deal with that issue later. I did some research and it can be very scary if the baby gets group B strep. It can potentially be fatal. But I’m not worrying about it. I trust that Pumpkin and I are both in God’s hands and have faith that my prayers will be answered.

September 12, 2007 10 weeks
Starting to grow…

October 4, 2007 My 2nd doctor’s appt. 13 weeks
Caroline and her mama sharing some snacks while we waited on the doctor :) The doctor couldn’t hear Pumpkin’s heartbeat with the doppler (I wasn’t worried, b/c we couldn’t hear Caroline’s at that point, either.) Which means we got to have another ultrasound. And there was that little heart beating just as fast as it could! Amazing how much a baby grows in just 4 weeks…
The next day was when I told everyone at work that we were pregnant. Of course, I got a lot of laughs. Apparently several people had been asking around if I was pregnant (see, I’m not exaggerating. I really WAS showing!) but no one had the nerve to ask me! Ha!

October 24, 2007 16 weeks Caroline saying “Hi” to Pumpkin. She loves to play with my belly button! She thinks it’s hilarious (can you blame her?) and tries to pull on it. But she doesn’t realize that that doesn’t feel good :)

November 15, 2007 19 weeks My big ultrasound
The ultrasound was amazing. The tech saw immediately the sex of the baby. We had to turn our head several times! Apparently Pumpkin is not very bashful :) I was EXTREMELY disappointed when I learned that we would not get any pictures of our baby. Don’t get me started on that….some kind of legal blah, blah, blah. Oh, and she told us my due date was April 4, 2008. Not a big deal. My doctor won’t change my original due date of April 10, 2008.

It wasn’t until the next week when the nurse from my OB’s office called me with the ultrasound results: 1) I had fluid on my cervix: which means I could bleed or lose that fluid at any point in time or whenever I start to dilate. Doesn’t that sound lovely? The ultrasound tech didn’t tell me this.
2.) My baby had choroid plexus cysts on his brain…again, the ultrasound tech didn’t tell me. “Um, excuse me???? My baby has cysts on his brain???” That doesn’t sound good. The nurse told me that all babies have these and they normally dissolve at that point, and my baby’s hadn’t. No big deal, we’ll just schedule another ultrasound at 28 weeks to make sure they they’ve dissolved. Then I did a lot of research on the internet and talked to nurses about this, and basically these cysts can be tied to other birth defects like Trisomy, which is horrendous. Fortunately, my baby showed no other problems. According to my doctor, these cysts always dissolve unless the baby has other problems, which mine didn’t, in which case they don’t dissolve. So I had 9 weeks to fervently pray that these cysts would dissolve…

November 21, 2007 20 weeks

halfway point (but probably more than halfway, unless this baby takes after Jacob T.!)


November 29th, 2007 21 weeks
Another doctor’s appt

Christmas Day 2007 25 weeks
December 28, 2007 25 weeks
Another doctor’s appt. Caroline has gone with us to several of our doctor’s appointments. Even though the rooms are teeny tiny, she has done very well. She has even sat on the bed with me and watched while the doctor listened to Pumpkin’s heart beating! I pray that she will be a wonderful big sister. And I have high expectations, b/c I know how great a big sister can be. Other than the fact that my sister used to wake me when I was sleeping peacefully, jump over me when I was lying on the floor, and would never play with me, she’s the best big sister a girl could ever hope for!

I found out at this appt that my next ultrasound was not scheduled for 28 weeks, but rather 29 weeks. “I have to wait another whole week to make sure that the cysts have dissolved???” I wasn’t happy, but oh well.

January 14, 2008 28 weeks

January 25, 2008 29 weeks
What a busy day this was! I’ll spare you the boring and stressful details, b/c all that matters is that the cysts are gone!! Praise God! At least, the ultrasound tech and radiologist did not see them, which basically means they’re gone. And the rest of the baby checked out perfectly. This time the ultrasound tech said my due date was April 3, 2008. Alright, we’re starting to get REALLY close to my parents still being out of the country!!! That baby better hold on until they get back!

After the ultrasound I had the glucose screening (which I passed, no gestational diabetes. Yea!) and another OB appointment. All of this in the middle of bad weather, but we were all safe and I was extremely thankful.

I had to take a deep breath when my doc said, “Ok, I’ll see you again in 3 weeks, and then you’ll start coming every 2 weeks.” I was almost speechless (if you know me well, you know I’m never completely speechless.) Uhhh, that means the baby is coming SOON, right? Holy Cow! Before I know it, I’ll start going every week! Deep breaths, Elizabeth.

January 27, 2008 30 weeks
Caroline trying to pull on my belly button!

January 31, 2008 30 weeks
Wow, 30 weeks? Where has the time gone? I’m counting on less than 10 weeks to go…


Ok, so I hope I haven’t bored anyone, if anyone is still out there. You see why I can’t do this whole blog stuff? Once I start writing I CAN’T STOP! We have dial-up at home (stop laughing) so we’ll probably only update the blog during the week while we’re at work.
Can’t wait to show our Pumpkin off to all our friends and family in just a few more weeks!!!

BTW, tonight Caroline is offically a BIG GIRL!! She will be sleeping in her big girl bedroom for the first time tonight. We have a little family party planned with pizza, cupcakes, balloons, a gift, etc. I want to make this VERY special for her! She is such a sweet, good-natured little girl, and I know that she will make a wonderful big sister to Pumpkin :)