In this picture she is frowning...I guess we made her mad!!! Click on the pictures to make them larger 

The Yawn picture...she was tired of us messing with her and she let out a huge yawn! 

Sweet face...look to the left side for the face shot...her face is pressed up to her arm (which is on the right). 

4D Ultrasound...

I tried not to get too excited for the 4D ultrasound but I still had pretty high expectations...only to be disappointed with the results. Of course I wanted to see this wonderful first picture of Sydney...unlike the alien looking ultrasound pictures we had in the past. Don't get me wrong I love my alien looking pictures of Sydney but I'm dying to know what this little girl looks like!! The best part of the ultrasound on Friday...we were reassured that Sydney is healthy...everything looks like she is progressing normal. Sydney was not exactly in the best position to get a good picture of her face...she was looking straight at us and we needed her to look up...so as all good parents we start trying to make her mad so she'll move. Todd started pushing on her from all sides...we could see her being rocked around on the ultrasound machine...we decided she's already inherited the stubborn gene...she would not turn or move her arm! She kept looking straight at us as if to say, "Leave me alone...I'm trying to sleep!". Sydney continued to put her arm up to her face...it turns out she was sucking on her arm...we could see her mouth moving. The best moment of all (after we were pushing on her) she looked straight at us and let out a big yawn! How cool is that...
So even though we didn't get some great photo moment the time we spent starring at that ultrasound machine was priceless...to see our little one moving around in my stomach was so neat(of course I feel it all the time but to actually see it is a total different experience)...you walk away thinking God is so good to us. He gives us this precious little gift and then lets us take a peek at her before she actually arrives in our arms.
I'm posting the pictures next...her face is pressed up against either her arm or my uterus. So look to the left side to see her face. These pictures did show us one thing...this little girl has cheeks...just like her daddy! Love to All!
Jenn

Week 27....

Finally!! We have made it to the 3rd trimester...only 3 more months to go until Sydney arrives. In two weeks we will be having a 4-D ultrasound...which means we will actually see Sydney's face and little body before she comes into this world. How cool is that..of course I'll post the pictures on the Blog for everyone to see. I guess I really feel pregnant these days...I have strangers coming up to me asking me when my baby is due or to tell me I'm carrying my baby like their sister did and there are some people who have been giving me parenting advice. Why would you say these things to a stranger?

Sydney is doing great! We went to the doctor last week and she is measuring right at 27 weeks...her heart rate is good...and she's moving around like crazy! The other night Todd and I were watching TV in the bed and I had a magazine on my stomach. All of a sudden the magazine was kicked off my stomach...I'm telling you this girl is going to be an athlete. She also may have a talent her mother has never had...at church this Sunday during the praise and worship she was moving...better yet I like to say she was dancing!

Sydney's nursery is coming together...we now have a crib and a glider! Her room is lime green with pink accessories. I'll post a picture when we get it all done. Make sure you check back by May 2nd...I'll have her 4-D ultrasound pictures posted by then. Love you Friends!
Jenn

Here's me at 26 weeks with my grandmother! This is at my grandmother's 80th birthday party...doesn't she look great! 

25 weeks...

25 weeks and still growing!! I'm starting to think my Sydney Kate is going to be an active child...she just moves all the time. Which I love to feel...you know when you feel her move everything is okay and she's just hanging out. I went to the beach this past weekend. It's kind of fun wearing a pregnancy bathing suit...your stomach sticks out for a reason...and not because you ate too much during the winter!

Today (April 5th) is our 2nd year wedding anniversary. Sometimes I feel like Todd and I have been married forever and sometimes it seems like yesterday that I was wearing my wedding dress. A lot has changed over the last two years...and of course the major change is on her way in July. Overall, the last two years have been amazing! There is not a day that goes by that I'm not completely overwhelmed by the many blessings Todd and I have been given. I'm very thankful for my husband...his laughter and spontaneous way of life keeps me on my toes.

I just figured up that since I'm 25 weeks along...I only have 15 more weeks to go!! 15 weeks sounds like a long time...but if I think Sydney is coming in July it seems so much sooner. I can't wait to meet her!

Finally we have a name...

After months of going back and forth with several names Todd and I have found the perfect name for our little girl.

Sydney Kate Ervin

You know how easy it was when you use to sit around with your girl friends and pick names for your future children...Well, we never discussed the possibility that our husbands may have an opinion! I'm just so thankful we now have a name - and I think the perfect name. I mean she can be a basketball star with that name or she could even be a girly-girly with that sweet name.
I'm 23 weeks along (almost 6 months) and really feeling great! I've been completely blessed during this pregnancy...and pray that continues. The only real pain so far is back problems. But that's not so bad either because then my sweet husband gives me massages...so I can't complain! Sydney is very active these days...she usually starts really moving at night after dinner. One night last week she was kicking pretty hard...she is beyond the flutter feelings...and Todd could actually feel her! It is the coolest thing to feel this little baby move inside of you!
Also now everyone is starting to notice that I'm actually pregnant and not just gaining stomach weight. I've had several strangers ask when I'm due - I'm now wearing maternity clothes everyday which I'm sure helps with the pregnancy look. For those of you who know about my clothing crisis days...well I'm completely cured!! I've decided you can't have a crisis when you rotate between six outfits...so my problem all along was I had too many clothes!! I love you all...until next time!

I hate single shots!! Belly at 22wks 

22 weeks and my belly continues to grow!! 

ANXIETY...

Sorry for the lack of updating the Blog! I'll do better I promise! You know how everyone tells you not to stress out when you're pregnant because its not good for the baby...Well, I'm afraid I stressed out our little one last week...or I like to say Todd did it. I'll try to shorten the story for reading purposes...Todd's been working out with a trainer. The trainer kept noticing how out of breath Todd would be just lifting weights and he would have a dry cough. His trainer suggested Todd go to a doctor friend of his who happened to work in the ER. Todd and I thought he would go and they would put him on some type of inhaler or allergy medicine. I got a call from Todd while he was at the hospital and he says...you need to come down here because my chest x-ray didn't look good and they're doing a CT scan. Now I was trying not to panic...I may have been doing a good job of this on the outside but on the inside I was scared to death. After the CT scan the doctor came in with a not so reassuring expression on her face. She said that according to the x-rays it appeared to be what is Sarcoid disease...she said this is not good news but at least she thought it wasn't cancer. However, she said she couldn't be sure and we needed to see a specialist as soon as possible to get the actual diagnosis. So I walked out of the hospital that night thinking...what in the world is Sarcoid and my second thought was please God don't let this be cancer!! Todd and I went to our normal family doctor the next day to get a referral to a pulmonary doctor. Our family doctor was nice but he still couldn't give us the full details on what this actually was hanging out all over Todd's lungs. So we had the weekend to fill ourselves with anxiety...We went to the pulmonary doctor on Monday (of last week)...how can I say this nice...he didn't have the compassion I wanted him to have! But the good thing was he was very honest. He couldn't give us a diagnosis based on x-rays alone...we needed to go for a lung biopsy. He did tell us that Todd's lung function was terrible...he's basically got 35% lung function. Which is pretty bad! So the next day we went to the hospital for the lung biopsy. I really can't capture the overwhelming anxiety both Todd and I felt at this time..we were both a nervous wreck. The lung biopsy went okay...It wasn't a pleasant experience for Todd...they put a scope down his nose and went all the way into his lungs...they did this while he was awake. But Todd got a little Morphine to help things. He was so funny afterwards drugged up on Morphine...he was telling every nurse that came into our room stories about whatever popped into his mind. It felt good to laugh!! So we had to wait for three days to find out the results...I got no work done...I was exhausted with stress...and finally Friday the doctor confirmed it was not cancer it was Sarcoid. Sarcoid is very treatable and in most cases goes into remission and goes away. Todd started taking medicine and we're opening he'll just be on the meds for three months. To end our week we went to the beach for the weekend...needless to say it was great to get away!! Please continue to pray for healing in Todd's lungs...Breathing is good...especially since he'll be chasing after a little girl in the near future! By the way our little girl kicked me for the first time...we were actually in the hospital after the biopsy...I told Todd she was wondering why in the heck I was so stressed out..so she kicked me!! It was a wonderful feeling...there is a baby in this growing stomach...and yes I am growing...no doubt I'm a pregnant lady now!! love you all!!

It's clear...she's a girl!!  

She's all tucked into a ball! 

This is our little girl with her hands crossed in front of her face!! 

The waiting is over....

Todd and I are soon to be parents to a precious baby GIRL!! The doctor said she looks great...key word is Healthy! She is on target as far as growth and all her measurements are exactly what they should be. The ultrasound tech said she's already posing for the camera...she was moving around...had her arms crossed by her face...and we almost got a yawn..but it turns out she was just talking (already like her dad).

We're both excited! I've already been asked not to do a nursery in the color pink...Todd apparently thinks I'm going to be real prissy. My response to that is When have I ever been prissy? I'm a basketball player for goodness sake..my mom had to fight me to wear a dress!! I think he's still getting over the shock...he was thinking little football player. He's already asked, "What do Father's do with little girls?"...I think He'll figure it out as soon as he sees that precious little face.

That's all for now...I'm going to try to post an ultrasound picture if I can figure it out. Thanks for praying!
Jenn

Three more days...

It feels like I've been waiting an eternity to find out what this baby is going to be...I'm a little nervous...A little anxious...and very, very excited!! Just thought I'd ask you guys to be praying for us and our little one Thursday at 11am. This ultrasound is really for the doctor's benefit...to make sure the baby is growing normally and to make sure there are no abnormalities. But we get to find out if we're having a boy or girl (if the baby is in the right position)!!! So please pray for us...again we're excited but also want to know everything is okay! I'll try to post on Thursday afternoon so I can give everyone the news.

Jenn

CRUISE PICTURES....

Here we are again...this time in Mexico! 

Last week Todd and I enjoyed a cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. This is us in Jamaica 

Week 17

The thought has been in my mind for some time to start writing down what's happening to my body as this little one continues to grow...
We are entering week 17...a glorious week...mainly because we have our second ultrasound next Thursday. Hopefully, we will find out boy or girl?? I'm starting to show...in fact I wore my first maternity pants today. Granted I had to wear a belt in order to hold them up! The sad thing is I don't fit in my normal clothes and maternity clothes are still too big. The doctor says this is my month to really grow...so I have a feeling I won't have this problem long!

Other than that I'm feeling great...no sickness so far...praise God! I'm trying to drink water...and cutting back on my coffee! I find it funny that I'm no longer craving coffee in the mornings...God's intervention I guess. I haven't had any funny cravings...Well I did go through a green bean time. Todd found it strange when I sat down and ate a whole can of green beans by myself...they tasted great for about a three week time span. The other day while at the grocery store I found myself buying dill pickles...never really liked them before...but when I got home I ate half the jar! Again, I got the same stare from my dear husband! I wouldn't say I'm craving them I just wanted them at that moment.

My future plans for this site is to add updated photos of my growing stomach and of course once the little one arrives I'll post regular pictures of him/her. This way all of our out of town friends and family can see how things are progressing!! Love you all -
Jenn