Baby Bump Update... Almost 13 weeks!

12 Weeks, 4 Days EXACTLY!

We have a confirmed due date! I am due February 7th! Although, since we'll have a scheduled C-section with this baby, we will plan on somewhere around 38 1/2 weeks for delivery of our baby!!! So expect another addition to the Gotts' Family between January 24-31!

I just got back from seeing our doctor with Brandon. We had our first ultrasound, and got to take home the very first pictures of our new baby! I couldn't believe how big he/she was already!!! It was so amazing... The heartbeat was right around 150 bpm. Right in the middle, giving us really no idea if it could be a boy or a girl! Darn... We kept our fingers crossed and let the Ultrasound Tech know that we would love to know the sex if she could see it. She told us that there was a slight chance... but it was too early to tell, we'll all have to wait 8 more weeks!!! We knew it was a long shot, but with us... the sooner the better! We're not very patient :)

Everything else has been great! My prenatal bloodwork all came back - baby and I are healthy and strong! Two things you want to hear at your check-ups! The nausea comes and goes... I'm ready for my food cravings to kick in. Part of the fun of being pregnant is getting to eat whatever you want (with of course still being healthy) but really enjoying your food and your sweet treats! So far this part of pregnancy hasn't quite gotten there, but I know it will be soon... My energy has started to spring back up a little, which is great news since I have a very busy little boy already to chase after!

Brady's list of tricks!!

Brady... Brady is growing up so quickly! Every day we come home and discover him doing new things... or "tricks" as Brandon and I fondly call them. We are really working on getting him to learn his body parts, blow kisses, and explore new words. Our work is paying off!!!

Brady's list of "tricks"
He gives a great Hi-Five!
He's walking
He can say "dog"
He can say "look"
He will point to his nose when you ask him, "Brady, where is your nose?"
He will point to my belly when you ask him, "Brady, where is the baby?"
He can say "Mama, Mommy, Mom, Dada..."
He will smell you and sniff a lot! He smells flowers, candles, food, you... just about anything really! It's too funny...
He can wave and say "bye bye"
He pretends to talk on the cell phone
He just started pointing to his own belly button when you ask him, "Brady, where's your belly button?"

I will post more updates as this list continues to grow with interesting, funny and cute, new things Brady is doing!! He's at such a fun age right now, every day is something new!

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special!

I had a great birthday over the weekend... a big one! I turned 25!!!

It can be hard living out here in Nebraska on our own without any of our family around... especially on birthdays! I miss being surrounded by my family and friends everyday and even more so on important days... such as my birthday!!

Birthdays have always been so important to me! Probably because growing up my parents always did such a good job of making them so special! My childhood birthday memories are filled with wonderful images of the time we had a puppet show in the backyard, the backyard, basement and/or garage covered with decorations from top to bottom ready for a party, Skateland parties (because that was the cool thing to do when I was young!), and my Barbie doll birthday cakes... the list can go on and on... The importance of making birthdays special was instilled in me at a young age and I've spent my adult years making them special for my loved ones, or at least trying to! It's the one day that is just yours, no one elses! And they should be special!

So... I turned 25 on Friday! I always am off work at noon on Fridays, so I got to go home and spend the afternoon with Brady. That is a birthday present in itself... any extra time I get to spend with him is a gift! Brandon did a great job of planning the rest of the day... starting with a romantic dinner at Magnolias! Followed by the movie of my choice (unknowingly a bad one) Mamma Mia. Brandon bought me perfume and indulged my latest obsession w/ Tori Spelling (Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood) and bought me her new book sTori Telling! He did such an amazing job making my birthday so special... I am so lucky to have him!!

My parents bought me a gorgeous Coach wallet and matching checkbook cover that goes w/ my Coach purse and sent me delicous cookies from a bakery back at home. My brother and sister did a great job picking out presents... Robbie and Britt sent me a Woodwick Candle (Cinnamon & Sugar, Yumm!!!), a Lolita "Birthday Girl" mug (not wine glass... good thinking Robbie) and Katie sent me "Mommy" coasters w/ really funny quotes on them and a much needed "pampering" gift... foot creams! My Mother-in-law took me shopping a couple of weeks ago for my "pre-bday" gifts and sent me the "Birthday Cakes" recipe book and "Party planning" book I had been wanting! My best friends sent me a couple very thoughtful gifts! My Grandparents and Aunts all sent me cards... It was just a GREAT birthday!!! I felt very loved... what else can you ask for on your birthday?!?!

Thank you to all of my friends and family who really went out of their way to make my day!! I love you... Muah!

Baby bump watch!!

Baby Bump Alert!!

It is true... your baby bump does appear much faster with your second pregnancy! Although, I could be a couple weeks further along than we had originally thought... My belly has appeared much more noticeably with this baby than it did with Brady.

I was nearly 18 weeks before an apparent bump started to show. Closer to 5 months before it was noticeable. I still have a little ways to go before my bump is completely "noticeable" or people actually realize I'm pregnant and not just a little soft around the middle... but I'm getting close to needing my Bella Bands!

A couple of night's ago, I was playing with Brady and I asked him "Brady, where's the baby?" He lifted up my shirt and pointed at my belly button! It's absolutely the cutest thing I've ever seen. He continues to do it every time we ask him "Where's the baby?" He's so smart... :) I think he's already figuring out that there will be another one of him soon!

I absolutely love being a Mom! Every day is a new adventure or surprise. Brady is always doing something new and cute... We're always getting the camera or camcorder out to record one of his many talents or to capture his precious smiles. He keeps us on our toes and forever happy! I can't wait to be a Mommy of two! To add to our Gotts Family which is already near perfection!!!

10 weeks, 11 weeks, 12 weeks... No one knows!!

Today I had my first Dr's appointment which included the whole works... check weight, height, blood pressure, physical exam, blood work, etc.

I've been excited about this appointment for weeks now for ONE THING! Listening to the baby's heartbeat for the very first time!!! I always looked forward to my Dr appointments with Brady. They were always so exciting for me... listening to the heart beat, seeing the ultrasounds or just the reassurance that, Yes. He is still in there! and Yes. He is healthy!!

So we're meeting with our Dr, Dr. Hutchins and she lifts of my sheet to check out my baby bump and she says, "Well you do have a little bump already! I think you could be further along than 10 1/2 weeks!" She measures me at 12 weeks, but we're still not quite sure how far along I am or what our due date will be. I will be going in for an ultrasound in two weeks! July 30th... we will solve the mystery!! How far along am I?????

Next, we get to listen to the most beautiful first sounds of our pregnancy... the little pitter patter of the heartbeat. It was only there for a split second but we did make out a strong, fast, steady heartbeat. He or She decided to hide for the rest of the exam, we think behind the placenta. But there was indeed a heartbeat and that's the important thing!

Pink Ladies...

Although I'm deliriously happy with the fact that I'm pregnant with my second, precious baby... I have been feeling so yucky! I'm tired ALL OF THE TIME... and have been so nauseous! Could this mean that I could possibly be pregnant with a baby girl this time?

It was different with Brady. I never really felt sick. I think I may have had the case of an upset stomach here and there but for the most part I felt great!

I loved to eat pineapple while I was pregnant with Brady... this time, it's apples! Like right now, I just finished a delicious Pink Lady Apple! It tasted so good, I ate it down to the core... really wishing I had brought a second one to work. One just wasn't enough. I find myself being very hungry in the late morning/early afternoon and then not being able to eat a bite of anything as night approaches. The thought of food towards dinner time makes my stomach turn. My solution is drinking lots of water... it's the only thing that doesn't make me feel sick.

Keeping track of our progress...

Brady's Birthday and The Big Reveal...

Brady is one year old! His birthday was last Saturday, July 5. So we packed up the SUV and drove home to celebrate with all of our friends and family! We also thought this would be the perfect opportunity to tell our loved ones that Brady is going to be a big brother... that I'm pregnant!!

Looking back a few weeks...
The symptoms began and since I have already done this before, I knew what it meant when I started falling asleep at 7 pm, midnight bathroom breaks and when my jeans wouldn't quite button over my belly bulge! We knew it was time to run to the drugstore to get a pregnancy test! We couldn't wait to become parents again... but thought it would take a few months and by that time Brady would be a little older... From my previous experience with the EPT test I knew that it would appear immediately if I was indeed pregnant... So I ran out of the bathroom w/out looking. I wanted Brandon and I to find out together. Brandon grabbed the test immediately, in excitement we both looked at the stick that would change our world as we knew it... Brandon looked baffled. One look and I knew... I was pregnant!! The two lines meant I was pregnant!!

Skipping forward to Brady's Birthday...

I am not a good secret keeper... at this point I have made it 4 weeks w/out telling anyone!! Well I did tell my best friend, Ashley (who was soooo excited to be the first to know). And I told my sister, Katie... She was out visiting when we found out, like I could go a whole week with being around her and not tell her! But I had made it 4 weeks w/out telling my Mom or Dad or any other close friends!! That's hard to do when I talk to my Mom everyday about everything! But I really wanted to tell everyone in person. Brandon and I came up with a really cute idea to put it on a shirt and see who would notice it first. On the front it read "I know something you don't know" and on the back "I'm going to be a BIG BROTHER! February 2009"

We had waited long enough! Finally the whole family was together for a early birthday dinner for Brady at Brandon's parent's house. We slipped the shirt on between dinner and cake... and no one noticed! We couldn't take the anticipation any longer... so Brandon told his Mom to read what was on Brady's shirt... Bill actually read it aloud and the secret was out!! Everyone was so excited for us! They could see the excitement in our faces and knew that we were ready for another baby.

Brady is such a good baby... we can only hope for another healthy, happy baby like Brady. He is the best thing that has ever happened to us and we can't wait to add more joy to our family!