Dr. Visit Today

Today was our normal 4 wk check up, and everything is right on track. The results from the AFP (Alpha-feta protein) test, which tests for neural tube defects, can detect Downs Syndrome, among other things. All is negative! Yay! We also got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, still loud, fast, and strong. It is fun to have a audio remind of what is causing all that movement in my belly. :) I am also finally gaining a few pounds, 3 to be exact. Dr. P says that I am doing just fine in the weight gain dept, and reminded Jason that "Eating for Two" is really a fallacy. She says that I just need to eat until I am full... I made her tell Jason a few more times, just to make sure he understood. Lol. Other than that, we spent 3/4 of the time talking about our dogs, yes, our dogs. She has 2 Labs of her own, and she is as big a dog lover as we are! She has insisted from the day that we met her that we bring Wiley into the office, and we just brushed it off, not taking her seriously. But every visit we share our latest pics of our crazy little guy. Well, at the end of this visit she said, "I would REALLY like to meet him, will you PLEASE bring him in next visit." She even has the receptionist reminding us to bring him next time! So it looks like May 26th all 3 of us will be heading to see Dr. P!! My latest obsession are Rockabye Baby CDs!!!! I found them this weekend and they are Rock Songs, turn into lullabies... OMG they are so freakin cute!! Each CD features one artist/band, and they have Journey (NEED it), Dave Matthews Band (NEED it NOW), AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Bob Marley (Have to Have It), and many more. I want them all!!! :) I haven't bought any yet, but I only discovered them yesterday... so they will soon be in my possession! Here are two of the album covers:

Can't wait for Baby G to listen to them!

Our love to you all.

Making process...

So today we began the clearing out of the baby's room, hopefully it will be completely empty by the middle of this week! Here's what the room looks like now...

And here are some current belly pics, week 18. I have to start remembering to take week by week pics.

What's in a name?

With our big gender reveal right around the corner, I have been thinking about our name choices a lot. We really love both of them, and have been using them more frequently when talking about baby "G." All of this led me to wonder what the baby's possible names mean... and even our own names. I find it so interesting that some people choose their children's names with their meanings being the most important part... and we have no clue what our picks mean. So here is what I have found via Babynamer.com:

Jason ~ Its source is Iason, a Greek name meaning "Healer"

Samantha ~ Its source is Samuel, an English name meaning "God Heard"

Gavin ~ Its source is gwalch, a Welsh name meaning "White Hawk." The name could also mean "Little Falcon." It first appeared in writing in the French form of Gauvain, though its ultimate source was probably the Welsh legends of King Aurthur's knights.

Gwen ~ Its source is a Welsh expression meaning "Blessed." Even though the actress Gwenyth Paltrow made this name famous, it is still far from popular. (Fine by us!)

Good to know, if we are ever asked... lol. But we most certainly did not know any of this while deciding on names. We were just happy that we agreed on two so quickly, that we stuck with them!

We are also starting to clear out the baby's room today, slowly. We will definitely be taking/posting pics of our process. Here are some "before" pictures:

Wish us luck!

Our love to you all.

Mommy-To-Be Quiz @ 18 Weeks :)

• How far along? 18 Weeks

• Total weight gain/loss: Unofficially I think that I have gained about 2-3 lbs, but I will know for sure on Wednesday

• Maternity clothes: I haven't found anything that fits me correctly yet, maybe when my bump grows a little bit more.

• Stretch Marks: I'm just not going to talk about them at all... that seems to be doing me well so far :)

• Sleep: Still doing well in this department, but there are definitely only a few positions that I am comfortable in. I am most likely going to invest in a maternity pillow, like the Boppy, soon.

• Best Moment of the Week: Feeling Baby G (that's the current nickname since both our boy and girl name begin with G) moving all around in my belly! At first I wasn't sure if I was just making it up and that it was actually just gas, but it wasn't and I can now easily distinguish when its the baby. And according to what I am feeling, this baby is a mover and a shaker!

• Food Cravings: Still going strong with anything spicy, banana peppers (Jason is now fully addicted also), and this week I was really in the mood for green olives. Yup, polished off a jar, lol.

• Gender: Ok, now Jason is beyond convinced that it is a boy, and I am completely unsure! We do agree that the suspense is KILLING us!!!!!

• Labor Signs: Not even close to that time yet.

• Belly Button In or Out? In, but I have been noticed a change in it lately. It doesn't seem as deep as it once was, so it is probably on its way out.

• What I miss this week: Sleeping in. Between Wiley and Baby G I seem to have lost the ability to sleep past 7am (the latest!). Yet, I am extremely talented at napping these days... go figure!

• What I Am Looking Forward To: May 3rd!!!!!! And we are praying that the baby is cooperative and lets us find out the gender!

• Weekly Wisdom: Trust your instincts, it is very unlikely they will fail you.

• Milestones: 18 weeks, and some baby movement! Actually A LOT of baby movement, my only wish is that it was able to be felt from the outside, Jason should know how active his little one is!

• What is the Baby Up To? Head to rump the baby is about 5 1/2 inches long and weighs about 7 ounces. Baby's becoming amazingly mobile, yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. Ears are now in their final position. and baby is finally big enough to feel movement (Oh, isn't that the truth!)

Baby's First Yankee Gear

Lately, I have been feeling really good, round, but really good lol. Although, this allergy season has really been putting a damper in my day, but it happens EVERY year. My bump has definitely been growing, and my pants selection was shrinking by the day, so I recently went out and purchased the BeBand. What an amazing invention!! It allows me to wear all the pants that still fit without having to button them... without this, I think that I would be going insane. I use it everyday, well, unless I am in sweatpants. Man, I can't wait until it is warmer and I can just wear dresses all the time. I did try shopping for some Maternity Pants, but I am just not quite that big yet. So for now, the BeBand and I are BEST FRIENDS!

Other exciting news ~ Jason bought the baby's first Yankee Gear, actually it is the baby's first clothing all together! We were recently at a Yankees game, and when Jason was taking a little longer to return from the bathroom I just assumed that he was waiting in line for a beer. But I was wrong!! He came back with an adorable little onesie, the Baby's First! It is so cute, and would be suitable, for a boy or a girl. <- (I don't believe that girls have to wear pink Yanks gear, although cute, I don't think that it is a MUST) Here it is:

If you can't see, it says "Yankees little fan club," I love it! But I love the fact that Jason bought it even more!!!!

I think that I am actually MORE excited about May 3rd then my birthday (May 1st)! I am sooooo anxious to know what we are having, and want so badly to start on the baby's room. I have started looking at room decor and have narrowed it down to 3 for a girl and 3 for a boy. They range from Pirates to Strawberries and Watermelons, lol, but I love them all!

We can't wait, actually that is an understatement!

Lots of love to you all.

Mommy-To-Be Quiz @ 16 Weeks! (4 months!)

• How far along? 16 weeks... 4 months prego!! :)

• Total weight gain/loss: I have been on vacation all week so I have avoided the scale, lol, but I am pretty sure I am still the same.

• Maternity clothes: Still not in them yet, but am feeling like my regular clothes are ever so tight.

• Stretch Marks: Still not talking about them, lol. Maybe if I don't mention them, they will stay away.

• Sleep: We are ALL sleeping better these days, including Wiley which is a BIG help!

• Best Moment of the Week: Starting to clean out the baby's room, slowly but surely. And finding out that all of our tests came back negative (a good thing!)

• Food Cravings: Hot sliced banana peppers, I have always like them on my sandwiches, but I am currently either snacking on them alone or putting them on everything that I can. AND I have gotten Jason hooked on them, but he did know enough not to eat the last one! Lol!

• Gender: We are counting the days until May 3rd, and now I am starting to second guess myself, I guess it will be a surprise that day!

• Labor Signs: Not even close!

• Belly Button In or Out? In still.

• What I miss this week: Not much really, maybe Tanning, even though I know how bad it is for you even when you aren't pregnant. I need more warm weather so I can sit out in the sun!!! I hate being so pale!

• What I Am Looking Forward To: May 3rd, May 3rd, May 3rd. We are DYING to know!!!!!

• Weekly Wisdom: No matter what, wear comfortable pants lol!

• Milestones: Four months prego!!! Almost half way there!

• What is the Baby Up To? Tiny bones forming in the baby's ears means he/she can now pick up our voices. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

Busting at the seams!

Today was gorgeous in Bayonne, so we decided to take Wiley to the park. It was a lot of fun, he is so good THERE. Lol! Anyway, when we came home, I was stepping over the gate, and I ripped, actually split my pants!!!! And I'm losing weight?!?!? No way. :) Guess I should have been wearing my oh-so-comfortable yoga pants! I must admit that I do see and feel a change in my belly... and I guess my pants too. Haha. Here is a pic of me at the 15 week mark (today).

I have officially started a "Baby Bank." I went to AC Moore after work yesterday and bought a piggy bank and decorated it. I placed it on our dresser and scoured the house for change... that piggy made a pretty penny its first day in our house. Jason ALWAYS has change, and now we have something wonderful to save for!!!