34 weeks

I had my follow-up ultrasound yesterday since I was measuring small and I'm happy to report all is well!   Thankfully we got another look because of course now I'm measuring only 29 weeks, even though we're obviously at 34....so five weeks behind would normally freak me out.  But the babe was nice and big (and fluid levels were good) - measuring in the 70th percentile (estimated weight is at 5 lbs, 8 ozs) and all measurements were actually a few weeks ahead....first thing my buddy Susan (the ultrasound tech whom I've now seen almost 8 times between this pregnancy and Reese) said was 'whoa, this child definitely is not small' as she got a peak at the head.  And speaking of head.....the nugget is head down!  Huge relief.   Although that could always change, the chances are pretty good that he/she should stay put for the remainder of the baking.    Heartbeat was still on the low side (130's), weight gain was +3 pounds for a total of about 23 pounds.   And Grant and I have switched over to the 'boy' side....I feel like this mug is that of a little dude.  And our child does not have 7 fingers.....the hand was moving as the shot was taken so you get a little bit of a motion effect.
And should our dude, be a dudette, no harm in looking like a boy in ultrasound pics as a few people thought Reese was going to be a boy based on her in utero photo shoots.

My trusty helpers with the latest bump shot:
We've been in full on baby prep mode....crib is up, car seat is ready, clothes are washed, diapers are stocked (thank you Ella!) and the girls have been helping me every step of the way. Helping is sometimes up for interpretation but they mean well.   Lately they love testing out the crib.

24 weeks

I got a bonus round of ultrasounds at my appointment this week.  Last time around the little mover/shaker wasn't fully cooperating and the tech did not get a couple of measurements she needed.   Her nonchalance (as well as my doctors) at the previous appointment had me excited for the extra glance inside.  Fast forward till I was getting in my car that day and heading away that I started mildly freaking out "why couldn't they see what they needed to see around my baby's heart"......  I was very anxious to get back in there and put my mind at ease.   And ease it, she did.  She got what she needed and all looked good.  The best bonus....I brought my mom along so she could see her first ultrasound since 1980.   Things have changed quite a bit in 30+ years - it was fun to see her reaction to the crazy coolness that is a 4D ultrasound.
Stats: I am up another 4 pounds (total is roughly 12-13 pounds),  heartbeat was 139 and while the tech said babies at this stage are just about to start putting on some fat, no surprise here, but the newest Stiffler was already a meaty looking baby.
Monthly belly pic:

21 weeks

We've passed the halfway point of numero tres!  We just had our 20 week ultrasound (at 21 weeks, baby was on vacation after all) and all looked good.  We stuck to our guns and didn't succumb to finding out so all guesses are welcome...
Our little nugget with hand next to his/her head:
Can't be bothered with photos, already blocking us out (and/or lamenting the fact that Ryan and Reese await on the other side)...
Self explanatory but precious nonetheless...
At 21 weeks I'm feeling pretty good but I will admit that physically I am slowing down way faster than I did with the other pregnancies.  I blame two people.  Pint-sized people.  Needy, pint-sized people.  No, not Grant.  You can guess who.  R&R would be a hint.  Ironic how a little R&R couldn't be further from the truth:)   Total weight gain is now at 8 pounds and I am happily trying to increase that (bring on dessert!).  Oh yes, heart rate for all you 'boy' fans out there was in the 130s.  Still low. Very unlike the ladies were.
A little scuffle may have occurred before I could touch up the chalk or fix the settings on my camera. Reese may or may not have dropped the chalk board on Ryan's toes and then decided to jump on it while said toes were still trapped.  It was fun.  Take my word for it.  Anywho, one last pic, sans troublemakers and chalk board but with decent camera settings.

Bun in the oven

That's right.....the Stiff's are expanding by one come January!
The above pic is our little nugget at the 9 week mark. I'm currently cruising along and just about to start week 12. You may have noticed a blog shortage in mid-May, early June....well you may thank the newest Stiffler for the morning sickness and lack of energy. For about three weeks, we did nothing but this, group naps on the couch:
This time around has been a hoot now that Ryan 'get's it' and can talk about the baby with me. She's been practicing a lot herself.
We are super psyched to add to the craziness and no, we will not be finding out the sex.  Surprise city come 2013.

Baby #2!

The countdown begins.....we are only 6 weeks away from Ryan's sister making her grand appearance. As the picture below will show, we think we're in for another precious little chubber!

Bonus Photos!

We are adding one more ultrasound photo from the other day. For those of you who keep trying to guess the sex of the baby and spoil the surprise (Peg), shame on you. If you can tell from any of these photos, you deserve a doctorate.

Halfway there!

We just had our 20 week ultra-sound appointment today. Although technically the baby is 19 weeks, two days old. All is well with little Stiffler! He/she is healthy and while the doctor looked for a number of possible oddities with the ultrasound, he couldn't find any. Our baby is growing as he/she should and the heart, brain, heartbeat, etc. were all strong. The baby had the hiccups during the test which was pretty precious to watch the little body jumping around. Little Stiffler is about 6.5 inches (crown to rump) and 10 ounces. Our Doctor now knows the sex of our little baby, but we have elected to keep it a surprise.

You'll see our little guy/gal is already highly intellectual (just like mom) and perhaps contemplating the results of Super Tuesday with the hand to the chin.

And, we're throwing in a belly shot for good measure, against better judgement.