Laiken's Comforter!!!

Here is a picture of Laiken's comforter...isn't it precious!! Thank you so much Barbara, it looks even better than I could have imagined!! And special thanks goes to Laiken's Nana Bev for buying it for her! We really appreciate all you have done Bev!!




This is just an up close of the fabric so you can see the detail!!

Only about 12 more weeks until Laiken gets to take her new room for a spin!! I think she will be very pleased and very comfy!!

Third Trimester!!!

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.


We can tell that Laiken is getting stronger, since her activity can no longer be ignored. She has these little spurts of energy a couple times throughout the day that just crack us up. My whole belly will move from her now and we still have 13 weeks to go!!

Obviously, we didn't get any pictures from our last Doctor's appointment but they did measure her and she is measuring a few days behind but Dr. Thigpen said since we are both "small people" he is not surprised that she would be a little small too. Still didn't see any "downs markers" but that doesn't really mean much either way. I did start to question our decision not to do an amnio but after talking to the Dr. we decided once and for all that we will just wait until delivery day to find out anything else. Speaking of delivery day, I can't believe we only have 13 weeks to go!! We are on the last leg of this journey and I can't wait until we meet our baby girl!!! We love you Miss Laiken!!!

26 Weeks!!

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

I found out that I passed my second glucose test (YAY!) but that now I am anemic (BOO). Now I get to take these giant iron pills that are about a dollar a pill. Nice huh?!? Hopefully, I can try to adjust my diet and not have to take them the rest of my pregnancy. Bring on the steak dinners!! =) Anyhow, everything has been going well and we see our perinatologist again tomorrow so I will try to see if he can give me any new pictures of Laiken. Roddy and I are thinking about doing the 3D sono in a few weeks...we keep going back and forth since it is kind of expensive. Then again everything is expensive when it comes to babies and weddings...people know where you'll spend a little extra huh?!? =)

99 days left...

WOO-HOO...only 99 more days until Miss Laiken's arrival!!! I say 99 but it probably a little sooner than that since the perinatologist told us we were going to induce a little early. Since we don't know when that will be we are going to continue to celebrate her original due date. I still can't believe how quickly this is all going by, we are so excited knowing that everyday is one closer to meeting you Laiken and one day closer to a "real" family and one day closer to the best part of mine and your daddy's life together. You have no idea how much we have wanted you and waited for you to finally be in our lives, we already feel so blessed. We can't wait to hold you little girl and finally have this new part of our souls opened when we see your precious face for the first time, touch your skin, look into your eyes, count your little toes...all of these things that we can never do without you. So take your time sweetheart but hurry up, we all want to meet you!!

Did you notice the video was 99 red balloons?!? We love Scrubs!!=)

25 Weeks!!

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Little Miss Laiken has been quite the busy bee lately...she has her favorite times of the day to go crazy. One of those being after dinner, I like to think she is trying remind me to have some dessert! =) We had our monthly checkup today and everything looked good, I also had to do another glucose test for some reason. I passed the last one but I had to do another...who knows, I will ask about it more when I find out my results again. I gained 4 pounds since our last visit, bringing my total to 7 pounds so far. We have our next appt in three weeks and then every two weeks until 36 weeks when we go to every week. I can't believe how fast it has gone by, it seems like just yesterday we were in the bathroom taking pictures of pregnancy tests in the flowers!! =) We go to the perinatologist again next Friday so hopefully we will get a few new pictures, we kind of got spoiled when we were seeing her every week!!

Cardiologist Appointment

We went in for the fetal echocardiogram and we were expecting to get some answers to all the questions running through our heads. Although we did get some answers they weren't all exactly what we wanted to hear. It just seems that with every doctors appointment we go to a little more wind gets taken out of our sails. We understand that there is something wrong with her heart and that because of that she is at a higher risk for downs but it seemed as though this lady really wanted to drive that point in. She asked what the perinatologist told us and I said he told she had a 50/50 chance and her response was oh no it's more like 70/30, okay...I know as a dr. maybe she felt we need to know what we are up against but damn, I got it lady! I fully understand that she might have downs and she went on to let us know that the majority of kids with this particular heart defect also have downs...on and on, I wanted to scream. Needless to say I was not at all impressed with her bed-side manner, I don't want to be lied to or have this sugar coated for us but seriously she reminded us of the new cardiologist on Grey's Anatomy...you know the one with no soul. Oh and she reminded us that since we have decided not to do an amnio that they would run the test after she is born for downs but that since they have so much experience with downs babies "they could just look at her and pretty much be able to tell by her facial features" ~ thanks, that's what every parent wants to hear ~ as soon as we look her we'll know ~ because the general public judging her isn't hard enough but the very people who are supposed to help us through all of this as well. Awesome.

Anyway, she confirmed that Laiken does indeed have Atrioventricular Canal Defect and that we can expect her to have surgery at about four months old. As long as she is eating okay she does get to come home with us, so that was our glimmer of good news, I was worried about her not coming home with us until after surgery. Of course when we asked if I could still breastfeed she told us that downs babies do not latch on as easily but that I could pump either way. All in all, she didn't tell us too much that we didn't already know but that the surgeons that will help Laiken are very familiar with canals and valves and I thank God that we live in the time that we do with the resources that we have because otherwise her prognosis would be grim. Downs or no downs she has an excellent chance of making it through this surgery just fine and for that we are so thankful, thirty years ago she may not have made it long past delivery.

I meant to write this right after we came home but that lady and her "roughness" has made this all that much harder to deal with let alone write about. So, I apologize but that is the reason there haven't been pictures and more to talk about. I don't want a pity party but we are trying to deal with this whole dark cloud that has been put over everything. Thank you all again for all the support and prayers, we appreciate them all so much!

24 Weeks!!

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

I also read that my uterus is the size of a soccer ball now!! WHOA!! I am still feeling great although sleeping is no where near as comfortable as it used to be since I normally sleep on my stomach. Laiken is definitely getting stronger and she amazes Roddy and I every day . Her kicks are now broken down into regular and super kicks. You have to be lucky to catch a super kick, so far only Roddy and her Uncle Scott have felt those!

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and that everyone has a wonderful 2009!!