Bethany was right!

We are excited to announce that half of you from the poll were right and baby #3 is a girl!  Ever since I posted the last post I have been wondering if my initial intuition was right that this was a girl, or if I would be wrong.  The last few days I've told people I would have been really surprised if it was a boy, and during the ultrasound today we definitely found out that Miss wiggle worm is all girl!  She was VERY active during the ultrasound and moved and kicked and showed us a lot of really good images for the tech.  The tech even said she was a textbook baby and some of the images she was able to get she was going to show off to others because they turned out so well.  Everything looks great and the Dr feels very confident that we have a very healthy baby in there.  It was so fun Dan could come along and see the ultrasound with me and see how cute she was :)

When we told Bethany she was excited but not that surprised!  She has been talking for weeks about how the baby is a girl and wondering what we would name her.  Now we can start thinking about that for the second half of this pregnancy!  April just smiled and patted my belly when she found out but I'm sure will be thrilled to have a playmate so close in age.  

It really is going to be fun to have the girls growing up together and we hope and pray they will always be good friends!  I love having a mid-point surprise and now look forward to spring to meet our newest sweet little girl!

Merry Christmas everyone (I didn't make you wait until Christmas to tell you the big news :)!

Baby #3 is on board!

If you've noticed my new ticker on our blog you may have guessed that we are expecting baby #3 coming in May 2013!  Our due date is May 17th officially, so the picture is at just over 17 weeks.  It has been going by really quickly this time with two little girls running around to keep us busy, but we are so thankful and excited about our new addition.  On December 21st we are having our anatomy ultrasound and hopefully we'll find out if we'll be adding a new baby girl to our family, or a little boy.  The last few weeks have been fun thinking about what #3 will be and it is hard to wait even though it is less than two weeks now!

I found this picture of me at 18 weeks pregnant with Bethany in 2009 if that helps for comparison and guessing :)



And here is a 18.5 week picture of me with April in 2011, do they all look the same to you?

I've seen different old wives tales that try to predict whether you are going to have a girl or a boy so I thought it would be fun to post a few of them and my results.  I'll see if I can post a poll here too so you can tell me what you think baby #3 will be!

1.  Carrying high or low - you can guess based on the picture, but at only 17 weeks it is sort of hard to tell how I am carrying.  Some days I think I am carrying high like I did with both girls and other days I feel like my belly is a "little" lower than the last times.  I am definitely showing earlier which is probably from the third pregnancy.  I also wonder if being tall means that I always look like I carry a little higher?  I think I'll guess high for this though as "lower than the others" doesn't really count. Result = girl

2.  Heartbeat - previous guesses have been that if the heartbeat is below 140 then it is a boy and over  140 is a girl.  I did hear that when the baby is younger the heartbeat is higher for both boys and girls and as you progress through pregnancy the heartbeat gets lower when this old wives tale is probably more accurate.  So, based on a website I found, at 17 weeks the average heartbeat is 157 and at my apt on Friday the baby was at 150 (close but below the "average").  Result = boy (but girl if you go with the original method)

3.  Mother's skin - the guess is that girls steal their mom's beauty so if you have bad skin or just look worse pregnant then you are supposedly having a girl.  If you look radiant and glowing it is probably a boy.  I definitely haven't been feeling beautiful this pregnancy so result = girl

4.  Morning sickness - most people say that girls bring more morning sickness than boys, but with both of my girls I felt a little sick and this time I'm feeling even more sick.  The result is kind of tricky because sometimes things may be the opposite for some moms which would mean this is a boy, but if I go with the official trend it is a girl.  I also count feeling down in this category and while I feel more down this time, it could go with the overall sickness being more likely a girl.  Result = tie (girl if you use original method)

5.  Ring or needle test - this one is a little strange but again this is all for fun!  If you hold your ring or needle on a string over your belly it will swing back and forth if a boy and around in a circle for a girl.  This worked for both girls and this time it says boy.  Result = boy

6.  Age + Year - if your age plus year is an even number then you are having a girl, odd then a boy.  This was wrong for Bethany but right for April.  Result = girl. 

7.  Cravings - if you crave sweet things or fruit it is a girl, salty or more meat it is a boy.  I haven't had cravings much yet and because I've felt a little more sick and haven't gained a lot of weight yet this is hard to guess.  I don't dislike either of them but don't crave anything either.  Result = tie

8.  Weight gain - this is more of a guess based on my past pregnancies, but with both Bethany and April I did gain weight by this point and this time I haven't hit the 5 lb mark yet.  Some old wives tales say you are bigger overall with girls and boys you gain the weight in the belly which makes sense for gaining later on.  Result = boy.

9.  Early ultrasound - At my ultrasound at 13 weeks 1 day I tried to see if I could tell the gender but I couldn't and the technician said it was too early and that boys and girls look similar at that stage.  The pictures they gave me weren't able to be determined either.  However, I have heard of other people that can tell at that stage and boys may be more obvious than girls which makes me think girl.  But, it could be that we really didn't get a good image.  Result = unknown

10.  Intuition - I was right that both Bethany and April were going to be girls and this time I don't know!  At first I said it was a girl, more recently I've been wondering if it could be a boy.  Bethany on the other hand is convinced it is a girl.  "Mommy, I just like girls" she said while explaining why it is a girl and definitely not a boy.  Result = unknown (do we say girl and believe Bethany?)

I might come up with some more tests/results but of course out of these 10, 3 say girl, 3 say boy, 2 unknown and 2 are a tie with several that may lean towards girl!   We'll know soon and I'm trying to decide if we'll tell friends and family on the 21st if we're able to find out, or maybe make it a Christmas Day surprise :) 

With Dan's sister Melissa just having a little girl in November and Amber expecting a little girl in February, I'm thinking about how fun it would be for this little one to also be a girl and have playmates again just like Bethany did with Emily and Charlie.  Of course if it is a boy I will have more clothes to share with Amber since she will have to stock up after having Charlie!  We are praying for the healthy arrival of all these little babies and so thankful for Isabella's birth last month.

Baby has been kicking me for a few weeks so far and that feeling is unlike anything else in the world!  I love getting to this stage when I start feeling a little better (despite some headaches) and can feel reassured that this little life inside me is doing well with little kicks and squirms.  I also am excited for this Christmas season and being pregnant.  We have been talking about Jesus and how he was born in a stable and how Mary traveled a long way on a donkey with Bethany.  Thinking of Mary and her experience being chosen as Jesus' mom has new meaning for me this year.  What a wonderful story and as I ponder all of these things for our family this coming year I praise God for sending his Son to earth for all of us.

Fall pictures 2012

 We had an unfortunate issue with one of our cameras this fall which is why my posting and pictures have been fewer than usual.  Somehow when trying to transfer pictures from the end of summer, our vacation, April, Bethany's and some other fun pictures the picture disk was corrupted and none of the images were salvagable.  It was very dissapointing as I had a few really cute ones I was looking forward to posting and saving!  On our other camera we did find a few from Bethany's birthday which is great and now I need to get back into the picture taking mode :)

April playing with her favorite part of Bethany's birthday - a box

 Ah princesses, we do our best to limit their influence on our 3 year old, but sometimes it is so much fun to play dress up!  Bethany loved her crown, play shoes (not pictured), ear wings and wand and the couple of skirts that she received as gifts.  She wants to wear a skirt or dress every day!

 mommy and the 3rd birthday girl

 Bethany blowing out the candles on her cake

After decorating the Christmas tree it is always fun to pull out the Little People nativity set

Cute pics Kevin took this summer!

Bethany turns 3!

Oh, Bethany Claire, you are such a joy!  I can't believe you are already 3 years old.  Every day I laugh about what cute and funny things you say and try to remember to write them down.  So, in honor of your 3rd birthday I'm going to try and document some of the funny things you've said in the past few months.

We went in for your annual Dr visit and I was so proud that you hadn't had to be seen at the Dr since your 2 year appointment, an ENTIRE year, woo hoo!  The Dr was impressed that you can write over half the letters in your name by yourself, that you're potty trained, do so well with interacting with adults and that we can understand everything you say.  You are such a good big sister too because you try and help April learn some of the things you are learning right now and tell me when  April doesn't know something - "April can't say thank you yet, mommy".

3 year stats:
Height - 38 3/4 in 87%
Weight - 32.6 lbs 70%

Funny things you say:
What are you talking about?  Oh.  You like to know everything that is happening!

Silly daddy when he teases you

Learning to count in Spanish to 10!

Singing songs to April and holding April's hand to lead her around the house.  If we tell April not to touch something you try and help her not to do it too. If we say something pointed to not do something, Bethany is very concerned and goes over to April to hug her and tell us not to tellApril that - you are a little protector!

Playing with princess and dress up clothes and spinning around and around.  We try not to encourage it, but it is something that you love right now!

Make believe - you be the baby mommy, and I'll be the mommy. Or sometimes you like to be the teacher "ok kids, today we are going to learn about where food comes from"

When I was a baby - you like hearing stories when you were little and then retell them, tonight you said "when I was a baby I wore April's pjs and slept in April's crib and when I woke up I played with my baby toys and ate my baby food like April"

Laughs and giggles while covering your mouth

You're my best friend, sometimes followed by and daddy and April are my best friend too

When stirring food that we put eggs in you have heard me say that we don't lick the spoon when we have eggs but if we don't have eggs you can lick the spoon.  "no mommy, remember we can't lick the spoon this time because we put eggs in there and we could get sick!"

You are particular about people's things;  "No that is mommy's food daddy, you can't eat it.  Please get your own food."

You recognize places we drive by.  On our way to small group you ask 'Are we going to church?  or This is not Alyce's house!"

It is such a wonderful dady, mommy"

You are very caring of others:
"Are you having a good day?"

"Are you feeling better?"

When Jan Carlson was helping in the preschool room at church she told Bethany she liked her sparkly shoes and wished she had some.  Bethany said "Maybe you can grow down to my size and have a 3rd birthday party so you can get some sparkly shoes too!"

When watching the Vikings game you were very concerned for awhile "why do the Vikings have to go into a timeout?"

Happy 1st Birthday April!

You are already one!  What joy you bring to our family!  Your sweet smile and cute "mwahh" kisses are so adorable and I love it when you run into my arms for a big April bear hug.  Last week we went in for your Dr. visit and you are growing up!

Weight:  19 lbs, 14 oz - 50%
Height:  29 3/4 in - 65%

Now that you are mobile you love toddling around and grabbing toys, blankets, purses, shoes to bring along with you.  Running around in circles with sister is one of your favorite activities and although it makes mommy and daddy nervous when sister tackles you routinely to the floor for a hug, you love it and always break out into belly laughs.  You find any square object and hold it to your ear to say hi like it is a phone.  You love to say mommy, dada, night-night, uh oh, all done, Bet-da-de (Bethany), hi, bye-bye, up and say lots of animal noises.  Puppies are your favorite animal and you pant like a dog with your tongue out and point at books, tv or dogs that we see outside and squeal with delight.  No, we aren't going to get you a dog anytime soon but it is cute that you love them so much especially since Bethany is still a little nervous around them.

April we love you so much.  When we get ready for dinner, we pray and you immediately fold your little hands and then cheer when we are done praying - so cute.  When songs come on the radio that you like you bob your head to the beat and ''dance" a little bit.  We're starting to transition you to sippy cups which you don't like as much, but are starting to get used to it.  You love bath time with Bethany, and pretty much anything with Bethany!  When we ride in the car you can see Bethany and that is a fun part of riding together, when you ride alone you get a little sad and bored!

We can't wait to see what you discover next, every day we praise God that we have the opportunity to parent such a beautiful, sweet little girl.  We love you April Faith!

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

You'll love award-winning Shutterfly photo books. Start your own today.

April is 11 months old - next month is the big 1st birthday!

How is my baby already 11 months old and walking?  She took her first steps on Saturday, August 18th, 4 days shy of her 11 month birthday.  Big sister Bethany started walking 3 days before she turned 11 months so April just beat her.  Slowly but surely April is perfecting her walking skill and even holds toys in both hands while she methodically steps around the room.  It is so cute to see her concentrating so hard while squealing with delight.  I don't know if she also decided to become more vocal at the same time, but ever since she started walking she has been louder and LOUDER.  I'm hoping it is maybe just another tooth trying to pop through??  Otherwise we'll have our hands full with two "Bethany-type" talkers in a few years.

She says many new words now in addition to mama, dada, hi, bye, including night-night, uh-oh, cracker, ba-ba (bottle), no to name a few.

We are starting to plan her first birthday next month and are so excited to see what new things she will discover next.  We love you April!

More summer 2012 adventures

April is 10 months

Bethany singing - summer 2012

A few weekends ago we went to my hometown to Town and Country Days and to visit with my grandma while going through her home before it is sold.  It was a fun time to talk with old friends and Bethany had a great time watching Morfar in the parade and hearing stories about mommy playing in grandma's house when she was little.  While we were there Bethany sang songs to grandma and so when we got home I had her repeat it so that grandma could watch it from our blog.  Here you go grandma, thanks for the fun time in Kerkhoven!

Spring and Summer 2012 pics

April loves to clap and swing!

Bethany thinks she likes Starbucks at 2.5....hmmm

Bethany and Daddy at the T-wolves game

Did you want to go swimming Bethany?

bike ride!

Playing with cousin Charlie

Family pic "camping" with Momentum

April with Papa and Daddy on Father's Day

Mommy and her girls on the 4th

How big is April?

Summer pics - July 2012

2nd annual 4th of July fireworks on Lake Minnetonka

HOT 4th of July Delano parade family pic

American beauty - thanks for the cute dress Auntie Amber!

Matching cuties - thanks Mormor!

April is 9 months old

My baby is 9 months old - how did that happen?  She is having so much fun exploring her world now that this is extra mobile.  Her favorite thing right now is to climb stairs - yikes!  She laughes and laughes when you run after her and swoop in to pluck her mid-climb.  She is also pulling up on everything and even walks with a few walking toys or when holding onto hands.  She loves to swim and with the lake being so warm it probably feels just like her bath.  At her 9 month Dr apt she showed off by dropping her toys from my lap and saying uh-oh to the Dr.  The pediatrician was very impressed and also that April says mama and dada appropriately to us!  April responds to so many verbal things, like if we say yay to Bethany she immediately starts clapping!  Bye or hi results in waving and how big is April leads to big stretches above her head.  You are such a joy April and we love you so much!

9 month stats:
height 28 1/2 in - 80%
weight 18 lbs 6 oz - 50%
head 45 cm - 80%

April is 8 months old

This is a few weeks late, but April is now 8 months old!  Shortly after she started crawling so I definitely have my hands full trying to remember all the things we need to baby proof before she gets to them.  Already she has been opening drawers into her face, crawling under our chairs and getting stuck under the bed and coffee tables!  You are such a sweet, loveable, laid-back little cutie.  You love to shake your head no when you don't want something or when you're just trying to be silly and wave hi or bye-bye to people on command.  Even when we leave a room you start waving to whoever is still in there!  You bring so much joy to our lives, April Faith, we love you so much!

Look who's a big girl!

Bethany is!  Last weekend we tried the 3 day potty training method after cousin Charlie did so well with it a few weeks ago.  I had my doubts mainly because Bethany was "too busy" to go potty" and that "she'd do it later" or "tomorrow".  The book said that 22 months is a perfect age to potty train and since we were about ready to have April at that time we didn't get that done. 

Basically the plan was to throw all her diapers away (or in our case save them for April, but Bethany doesn't know that), give her the control to tell us when she needed to go, and stick it out the whole 3 days with a positive attitude.  Day 1 she thought it was funny to throw away her diapers but an hour later asked for them back.  It was an ok day with a couple of accidents.  Day 2 was worse, she was trying to dig her feet in and see if this was for real.  At one point we were both almost in tears and Bethany said, "mommy do you need a pacifier?"  I kind of did.  Monday I took the day off and as Day 3 it actually seemed to click that morning.  She wanted to keep her new underwear dry and started telling me when she needed to go.  The rest of the week also went surprisingly well and even with Koala Bear's and Grandma she only had 1 accident the entire week.  Even at night she was staying dry.  Now they say that some accidents will continue to happen once in awhile, but I'm impressed that it worked so well.  It is so nice to only have one kid in diapers now, yay for everyone!!

Bethany is so proud to be a big girl now and this coincided with her moving to the preschool room too.  She will ask us if we kept our underwear dry all day and once asked to see if we had Dora underwear too.  Alas, we did not, but it is so cute to hear her little mind work and be so excited that she can be just like Charlie wearing underwear!

Summer fun!

Me and my girls

April started crawling at 8 months, 5 days old!

Cutie pie out on the boat today 6/9/12

Checking out big island

Sisters!

Bethany and Charlie - cousins!

loving the look Bethany!

Chocolate covered strawberries for Mother's Day

Daddy and Bethany swimming 6/9/12

April and Mommy staying in the shade 6/9/12

We've been having a blast so far this summer!  I have lots of videos to upload but am having difficulties getting them to finalize so I guess we'll have to stick with pictures until I can get it to work.  With April crawling, and Bethany potty trained as of last weekend, things have been quite eventful around here!

Happy summer!