Here are those ultrasound pictures I promised!!!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Appointment Day!!!
Matt & I met with Annie (our midwife) this morning and all is well in Baby Russell land =) We were able to get the results of our ultrasound and everything came back normal - which was a huge relief to Matt!! Baby was very active while we checked for the heart beat - even kicking the doppler a few times but I am still unable to feel anything diffinitive =( but Annie says that is normal and that I'm most likely looking for the kicks and nudges that Madison gave me towards the end of pregnancy! We're all set up for our next appointment, September 15th! Can't wait!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Novice Horse Camp
Madison & Jackson
Today is the last day of Madison's week long horse camp! She has had such a great time being with the horses from 9:00am-4:00pm everyday! It was a larger group this year, 14 kids in all, but they spent their time reading about horses, feeding them, riding and cleaning out their stalls! Madison was paired up with Jackson this week and the two of them had a great time together!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Family Fun Weekend
We had an amazing weekend! We took advantage of the cooler summer weather and had a bonfire at the house and Sunday was deemed "Family Adventure Day" by Madison and I =) Madison had more than enough energy to burn so we loaded up and traveled to Empire for some trail hiking, dune climbing, a cold swim (Madison only) and dinner at the Friendly Tavern! The 1.5 mi hike was a bit challenging for me but we all made it to the beautiful overlook! The hike was no match for the dune climb - Madison was up to the top in no time and Matt thought he could follow closely after her (silly man) and I eventually hauled my pregnant body up there too!! It was a lot of fun and I think all the hiking/climbing finally wore Madison out!!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
20w5d
I know I'm a little late but our lives hit super speed yesterday after the ultrasound! Madison couldn't wait to get to the Northwestern Michigan Fair with Grandma-Grandma!!
The ultrasound went great and while Baby Russell didn't give us any super great pictures we did get a video of the whole thing!! I think Madison was a little bored (she was also present for her little brother's ultrasound) and Matt was overwhelmed by the whole thing =)
Everything that the ultrasound tech did was great and she has us right on track for a Christmas baby - I was quick to correct her and tell her that our due date was actually December 22nd!
I'll make an attempt to post the ultrasound pictures soon but for now we are off for some shopping!!!
The ultrasound went great and while Baby Russell didn't give us any super great pictures we did get a video of the whole thing!! I think Madison was a little bored (she was also present for her little brother's ultrasound) and Matt was overwhelmed by the whole thing =)
Everything that the ultrasound tech did was great and she has us right on track for a Christmas baby - I was quick to correct her and tell her that our due date was actually December 22nd!
I'll make an attempt to post the ultrasound pictures soon but for now we are off for some shopping!!!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Ultrasound Today!!
Super excited for today!! We (Matt, Madison & I) get to see baby today!! My hope is that we'll get a great picture and I'll post it just as soon as I can!! Wish us luck!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Pictures
Davis-Livingston Wedding 20w Pregnant!
Chicago Weekend 7/19/08
Madison and the Saleen Mustang =)
Cherry Festival 2008 w/ SPARTY!
Previous Post from BabyHomePages =)
August 4, 2008 (20w1d) - Found this online and HAD to share it with the rest of you...too funny!!
Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.
1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an &*@!!!
2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.
4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5) Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".
6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
7) There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.
8) Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
July 22, 2008 (18w2d) - We had another great appointment with Annie (my midwife) today! We had a very strong HB of 140 bpm (I can hear you screaming BOY! out there but remember we are not finding out the sex of the baby) and little Baby Russell measured right on schedule! Matt joined me this morning and had a short list of questions - mostly which medications I was allowed to take during pregnancy! We were also able to schedule our ultrasound appointment for August 8th - so excited to see the baby!!
July 14, 2008 (17w1d) - Man o man did we have a crazy weekend! Madison rode the Eastern Elem. float in the big parade for the Cherry Festival - our float was "Night of the Ninjas" and they were able to rock out to some kung fu music while rolling down the parade route! Matt & I are really glad that all the float building is over - Matt really put in more work that I did on this one and THANK GOODNESS he did!! The float looked great and all the kids did a great job! On a Baby Russell note, we have movement and I'll use that term lightly because I'm not sure Matt could feel anything if he placed his hand on my belly. This afternoon baby was having a little dance party - fell like my stomach was stuck on a roller coaster that just went up and down with out stopping for a while! Its crazy!!
July 9, 2008 (16w3d) - Not a whole lot to report here! We are in the middle of the National Cherry Festival and Madison will be riding her school float on Saturday in the Grand Royale Parade (which for the parents is a grand pain in the booty)! But Matt did an amazing job being the "man" of the float and whenever something needed to be cut, nailed or drilled he was there and happy to help! THANK YOU MATT!!! Madison will be riding the "Night of the Ninja" float and will be a little ninja costume (hoping for mild weather that day) and she is really excited about it! Madison has the rest of the day all mapped out for us =) Should be an interesting Cherry Festival any way you cut it!!!! Hope this finds everyone enjoying the beautiful summer weather!!!
June 24, 2008 (14w2d) - Prenatal appointment went great!! Baby Russell has a strong heart beat of 160 bpm and was super active today! I'm still not able to feel the baby but Annie assures me that that milestone should come anyday now! A great surprise at the appointement today was the news that I had lost some weight - whoohooo! I had two visitors with me today, Madison and Grandma Maggie (Matt's Mom) and Madison was able to help Annie work the doppler and find the heart beat - Madison wanted to make sure the doppler really worked so she asked Annie to try it out on her!! They both had a great time and no worries Aunt Val and Grandma-Grandma, your turn will come =) but we need to make sure that Matt gets in there too!! Next appointment is scehdule for July 22nd (18w2d) and at that time we'll schedule an ultrasound for around 20 weeks!!!
June 11, 2008 - Today is the last day of school! At 12:19pm Madison will officially be a 2nd GRADER! I can't really believe it but I guess as much as you want them to stop growing they just won't!
June 5, 2008 - Only 200 days left! Whooohooo! That's something to celebrate...isn't it =)
May 27, 2008 - Baby Russell has a hearbeat of 150-160 beats per minute and our midwife, Annie, assured us that everything was great!! In the information age of today we tend to read about all the bad things that can and could happen but this appointment reduced our chance of miscarriage from 15% down to 6%-7% - for all you numbers people =) We'll be able to listen for the heartbeat at all of our appointments from now on and the ultrasound will be scheduled for the end of July sometime!! Exciting!!
May 22, 2008 - Sick and tired is the name of the game this week =( I think the baby is sucking any energy that I have been able to build up and to top things off I seem to be fighting off some sort of sinus head cold! I think my cold may have something to do with the drastic changes in weather around these parts! I'm bound to start feeling better soon....right???
May 15, 2008 - We had our first appointment today and everything looks great!! Scheduled to go back on May 27th to hear the heartbeat and we can't hardly wait! Whoohoo! Matt didn't attend this appointment (I didn't need a companion for a urine sample, bloodwork and a million questions) but he is excited to be there on the 27th! My internet website calulations were correct and we are due on/around the 22nd of December!
May 11, 2008 - We told our families today (Mother's Day)! We gave them a baby themed photo frame with the following poem:
I do not have a face to see,
Or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss,
I don't yet have a name.
You can't yet hold my tiny hands,
Nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song,
Or cuddle me so near.
But all will change come December,
That's when they say I'm due.
I'm your new grandson or granddaughter;
I can't wait till I meet you.
All I ask between now and then
Is your patience while I grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait,
Because of all the love we'll know.
So what I have to give you now,
Is a wish to you from me.
I cannot wait to be a part
Of this wonderful family!
~Baby Russell
Everyone was super excited and we were so proud of Madison, she was able to keep the secret and not tell anyone!
April 20, 2008 - I found out I was PREGNANT!!!
Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.
1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an &*@!!!
2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.
4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5) Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".
6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
7) There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.
8) Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
July 22, 2008 (18w2d) - We had another great appointment with Annie (my midwife) today! We had a very strong HB of 140 bpm (I can hear you screaming BOY! out there but remember we are not finding out the sex of the baby) and little Baby Russell measured right on schedule! Matt joined me this morning and had a short list of questions - mostly which medications I was allowed to take during pregnancy! We were also able to schedule our ultrasound appointment for August 8th - so excited to see the baby!!
July 14, 2008 (17w1d) - Man o man did we have a crazy weekend! Madison rode the Eastern Elem. float in the big parade for the Cherry Festival - our float was "Night of the Ninjas" and they were able to rock out to some kung fu music while rolling down the parade route! Matt & I are really glad that all the float building is over - Matt really put in more work that I did on this one and THANK GOODNESS he did!! The float looked great and all the kids did a great job! On a Baby Russell note, we have movement and I'll use that term lightly because I'm not sure Matt could feel anything if he placed his hand on my belly. This afternoon baby was having a little dance party - fell like my stomach was stuck on a roller coaster that just went up and down with out stopping for a while! Its crazy!!
July 9, 2008 (16w3d) - Not a whole lot to report here! We are in the middle of the National Cherry Festival and Madison will be riding her school float on Saturday in the Grand Royale Parade (which for the parents is a grand pain in the booty)! But Matt did an amazing job being the "man" of the float and whenever something needed to be cut, nailed or drilled he was there and happy to help! THANK YOU MATT!!! Madison will be riding the "Night of the Ninja" float and will be a little ninja costume (hoping for mild weather that day) and she is really excited about it! Madison has the rest of the day all mapped out for us =) Should be an interesting Cherry Festival any way you cut it!!!! Hope this finds everyone enjoying the beautiful summer weather!!!
June 24, 2008 (14w2d) - Prenatal appointment went great!! Baby Russell has a strong heart beat of 160 bpm and was super active today! I'm still not able to feel the baby but Annie assures me that that milestone should come anyday now! A great surprise at the appointement today was the news that I had lost some weight - whoohooo! I had two visitors with me today, Madison and Grandma Maggie (Matt's Mom) and Madison was able to help Annie work the doppler and find the heart beat - Madison wanted to make sure the doppler really worked so she asked Annie to try it out on her!! They both had a great time and no worries Aunt Val and Grandma-Grandma, your turn will come =) but we need to make sure that Matt gets in there too!! Next appointment is scehdule for July 22nd (18w2d) and at that time we'll schedule an ultrasound for around 20 weeks!!!
June 11, 2008 - Today is the last day of school! At 12:19pm Madison will officially be a 2nd GRADER! I can't really believe it but I guess as much as you want them to stop growing they just won't!
June 5, 2008 - Only 200 days left! Whooohooo! That's something to celebrate...isn't it =)
May 27, 2008 - Baby Russell has a hearbeat of 150-160 beats per minute and our midwife, Annie, assured us that everything was great!! In the information age of today we tend to read about all the bad things that can and could happen but this appointment reduced our chance of miscarriage from 15% down to 6%-7% - for all you numbers people =) We'll be able to listen for the heartbeat at all of our appointments from now on and the ultrasound will be scheduled for the end of July sometime!! Exciting!!
May 22, 2008 - Sick and tired is the name of the game this week =( I think the baby is sucking any energy that I have been able to build up and to top things off I seem to be fighting off some sort of sinus head cold! I think my cold may have something to do with the drastic changes in weather around these parts! I'm bound to start feeling better soon....right???
May 15, 2008 - We had our first appointment today and everything looks great!! Scheduled to go back on May 27th to hear the heartbeat and we can't hardly wait! Whoohoo! Matt didn't attend this appointment (I didn't need a companion for a urine sample, bloodwork and a million questions) but he is excited to be there on the 27th! My internet website calulations were correct and we are due on/around the 22nd of December!
May 11, 2008 - We told our families today (Mother's Day)! We gave them a baby themed photo frame with the following poem:
I do not have a face to see,
Or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss,
I don't yet have a name.
You can't yet hold my tiny hands,
Nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song,
Or cuddle me so near.
But all will change come December,
That's when they say I'm due.
I'm your new grandson or granddaughter;
I can't wait till I meet you.
All I ask between now and then
Is your patience while I grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait,
Because of all the love we'll know.
So what I have to give you now,
Is a wish to you from me.
I cannot wait to be a part
Of this wonderful family!
~Baby Russell
Everyone was super excited and we were so proud of Madison, she was able to keep the secret and not tell anyone!
April 20, 2008 - I found out I was PREGNANT!!!
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