Christmas 2010

We had a lovely Christmas with family.  Abbey spent Christmas Eve with us and we went to my SIL's for dinner (I didn't get any pictures though!)  We had a yummy dinner and enjoyed spending time with them.

We opened presents Christmas morning with Abbey. 

I got a flash for my camera!  (Now I just have to figure out how to use it). Steve got clothes. Abbey got Just Dance 2.  We decided this year that we were only going to get her one present (she got tons last year from us).  It was VERY hard for me to only get her one, but we wanted to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.  We read the Christmas story together and explained to her why this is such a special holiday.

After we were done at our house, we headed to Abbey's house so she could open her presents from her parents and Santa.  Abbey was very disappointed because 'Santa' forgot to bring her present.  Her dad explained that Santa wrote her a letter, but he left it at work and forgot to bring it home for her.  My heart just broke for her because I could see how very sad she was.  (I'm not surprised that her parents would do something like that.  They don't really care about her feelings very much).  They wait to the last possible minute for everything and would have NO clue of what she had asked Santa for if I didn't tell them!  I practically had to beg them to take her to go see Santa so she could give her list to him.

In the end, I think Abbey was okay with it after her dad explained to her that her present was movie tickets to go see Tangled and to buy the movie when it comes out.  I'm still bothered by it because all I can think about is the hurt on her face and how her parents didn't care one bit.  I don't think they should give her everything she asks for, but I just wish they would have put a little more thought into it.  (I'll get over it, eventually).



We spent Christmas dinner at my sister's house.  We had fun being together and enjoying another yummy meal.  Abbey always has fun playing with her cousins.

 

We ate A LOT and enjoyed the laughter and joy around us. 

I am grateful for family (no matter how dysfunctional they can be).

We are blessed beyond measure!

Looking forward to the New Year.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

May we all remember the real gift of Christmas.

God Bless.

I Love Your Smile

(How many people remember that song by Shanice from the early 90's??!!)

This was me in March of 2007

Metal mouth...

Here I am now, Dec 2010

(almost 4 yrs later)

No more braces!!

My awesome Orthodontist, Dr. Apt.

It feels great to have them off after almost 4 yrs!

No more food getting stuck in my braces.

No more water picks.

No more time consuming flossing between each bracket.

No more rubber bands.

Ahhhh.....no more metal mouth!

Life is good.

Temple Lights

We took Abbey to see the temple Christmas lights on Saturday.  Thankfully the weather wasn't frigid cold like it has been lately.  Since we can't take her into the actual temple, we went to the Visitor's Center.

Inside the visitor's center, there were Christmas displays and short movies about Jesus.

I love this statue of the Savior.

The temple at night surrounded by all the Christmas lights.

There were nativity displays from all around the world.

These were some of my favorite.  They were all beautiful!

(Thailand)

(Ukraine)

(Vietnam)

There were also Christmas tree's decorated from local Stakes in the area. 

Gorgeous!

While it's great to see the lights and tree's and displays, the main purpose of this season is to celebrate the birth of the Savior. 

“There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ.”

—President Thomas S. Monson

To read the Christmas story from the scriptures, click here.

27 Wks

I will be 27 wks tomorrow!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 27 wks

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a head of cauliflower.

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  So far weight gain has been 5 lbs. I went to see the Endocrinologist yesterday and he said my weight gain has been 'AMAZING!'. Thank you again gestational diabetes.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, but since I've been working at home, my daily wardrobe consist of pajamas all day! It's been quite nice.

Gender: BOY! Matthew Vinh Whitcomb.

Movement: Yes! He doesn't move a whole lot, but I definitely feel him when he does. It's our bonding time.

Sleep: Still uncomfortable sleeping on my side and wake up on my back (then I just roll back on my side). The stuffiness has gone away, thanks to the humidifier.

What I miss: Shopping!

Cravings: Nothing in particular, but I just miss the foods I can't have.

Symptons: Still feeling pressure in the lower abdomen. Can't stand on my feet for too long.

Best Moment this week: Steve being able to feel the baby move for the first time! Amazing!

We had an appt today with the high risk dr to measure baby.  We couldn't get any good pictures though because he was laying face down (belly sleeper like his father!)  He is in the 75th percentile, weighing 2 pounds 7 ounces and is measuring at 28 wks! He is growing!  I pray every day that he keeps growing and stays snuggled in.  I am grateful my prayers are being answered. 

Yesterday I went into the office because I had dr's appts that were close to the office.  My immediate team surprised me with gifts for the baby!  They got us the baby monitor and the Ed.die Bau.er stroller we registered for.  It was such a nice surprise!

One week left before Christmas and I'm still not done with my shopping!!  We are going to our church Christmas party tonight and hope to go to the temple tomorrow (before I get too big to go!). 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

(Thanks to everyone's recommendation on my last post about monogrammed baby clothes).

Say My Name, Say My Name

While we love the name baby Vietitaly, we have decided to reveal baby's real name.  He will be known to the world as:

MATTHEW VINH WHITCOMB

Named after his grandfathers.

We have known for a while that we were going to name our son after our dads.  I was never really close to my father but he taught me to work hard and to persevere. Steve's dad is the most organized, logical person you'll ever meet.  (I think his motto is there isn't a problem in life a spreadsheet can't help with!)  I admire him for his example to his children.  I am grateful he raised such an amazing son. While Steve didn't inherit his dad's organizational skills, he did inherit his dad's love of family and the gospel. It is through his dad that Steve learned the true meaning of a happy mom/wife equals a happy home!

I'm starting to look for monogrammed things for baby Matthew.  I think this vinyl would be cute in the nursery.  I've been looking on Etsy for monogrammed baby clothes, but some of it is quite expensive and I can't justify spending lots of money on something that he will only wear once or twice.  So if anyone has any recommendations for sites or Etsy shops that monogram, please pass them along!  I'm still searching for that elusive 'Mamma's Boy' onesie/shirt (sshhh....don't tell Steve).

An Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

We had a fun, somewhat productive weekend.  I ran some errands with Abbey while Steve worked on the baby's dresser.  No worries, Abbey and I took it easy and slowly every where we went.  We ended our excursion at Cost.co getting new tires for our car.  There was a two and half hour wait at the tire center so we called Steve and had him come get us.  But first we shopped around Cost.co a little bit.  That place is always a zoo on Saturdays!

After being stuck in the house all week, I was craving some social interaction so I went to my friend's Ugly Christmas Sweater party.  I wasn't planning on going because of dr's orders to take it easy so I didn't really have an ugly sweater.  So, I had to compromise.  I asked Steve to help me throw something together. 

With a little electrical tape, this is what we came up with.   

I thought it wasn't bad for a last minute idea. 

And the present 'under' the tree was baby!

It was fun to just hang out with these lovely ladies and their ugly sweaters.  I think it will be an anual thing moving forward.  I'll have to start shopping early next year for a real ugly sweater for the party.  I would love to find one that lights up! 

Steve entertained Abbey at home playing games with her.  Her favorite game right now is Life.  We'll have to see if Santa can bring her some new board games to play.

I was happy to get out of the house for a bit this weekend.  I tried not to over due it, although there were plenty more stores I wanted to go to, but I knew that I couldn't push my luck. 

We have an appt this Friday to see baby and get his measurements.  I can't wait!

Baby Angelina

I keep forgetting to post about my new niece and Abbey's baby sister. Better late than never.

Baby Angelina was born in Oct.

Abbey is happy to be a big sister!

 Abbey picked out her baby sister's name. 

She said to me, 'Aunt Hannah, you picked out my name and I picked out my baby sister's name.' 

Baby Angelina at Thanksgiving. 

I ordered the cute flower headbead for her, but she wasn't a fan of it.

Abbey loves her baby sister.  She told me that Angelina is boring because she can't play yet. All she does is sleep, cry and drink milk.  I told Abbey that's what all babies do and that she was once like Angelina.

I love all my nieces and nephews. I'm grateful to have them close by so I can spoil them rotten!

25w3d

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25w3d

Size of baby: Baby is the size of an Eggplant.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Went to the dr last week and I lost 2 pounds. So total weight gain is 4 lbs.  I was a big(ger) girl before pregnancy so the dr isn't too concern about the lack of weight gain. Thank you gestational diabetes.
Maternity Clothes: Yes, but since I've been working at home, my daily wardrobe consist of pajamas all day!  It's been quite nice. 
Gender: BOY!

Movement: Yes! He doesn't move a whole lot, but I definitely feel him when he does. It's our bonding time.

Sleep: Had a few rough nights. And feeling stuffy a lot more at night/early morning.  Steve turned on the whole house humidfier so hopefully that will help.

What I miss: Sweets!  But I did find Bryer's Carb Right almond bar that is delish.  It's only 5 carbs per serving.  I have one every night after dinner.  I miss shopping at the mall too!

Cravings: Nothing in particular, but I just miss the foods I can't have.

Symptons: Still feeling pressure in the lower abdomen. Can't stand on my feet for too long.

Best Moment this week: Seeing baby on the ultrasound and getting the nursery started. 

When we were at the OB's office last week, they gave us info on cord blood banking.  Anyone have any experience with it?  Steve is still researching it and trying to figure out if it's worth it.  Any opinions for or against it? 

We also need to sign up for a birthing class.  I'm still trying to decide if we really NEED it.  They offer the classes in the evenings after work, but that doesn't work with our schedules because of the distance.  There are a limited number of Saturday, all day, classes too.  It's just expensive!  Everything seems expensive now.  I know it'll just get 10x more expensive once the baby is here!! 

Dr Appt update and Nursery theme

We had a follow up with the high risk dr and OB today.  Things are going good and the dr said my cervix is okay, but he wants me to stay off my feet as much as possible.  I asked if I was clear to go shopping and he said no!  I guess I'll have to stick with online shopping for Christmas.  I go back in two weeks for another follow up. 

Steve will be painting the nursery this weekend.  We have the crib put together and the bedding picked out.  It's called 'Little Builder' by Eddie Bauer.  We are going with a Construction theme.  Steve loves to build so I thought this would be perfect for the nursery.  Steve will be building a dresser (out of Cherry wood) for the baby.  It won't match the crib, but it will be something that will last much longer and he will be able to use for years to come. 

(Picture of nursery from babies.r.us website)

My christmas cards have arrived from shut.terfly so I will start getting those out.  I am working with Mary at Bright Sunshine Designs for the baby shower invites (she designed my blog).  I am hoping to get those out in the next few weeks.  I am also having a shower at work and at church, all in January.  I still can't believe that it's finally going to be MY baby shower.  Every little girl dreams about her wedding day when she grows up.  Then after that, she dreams about her first baby.  I've dreamed and prayed for this for the past 8 years!!  It hasn't been an easy road, but it certainly has been the biggest faith challenging experience yet.  Every day is a blessing.

Under Pressure

I have been working from home all week and it's been really nice.  I still have the pressure in my belly and it's worst at the end of the day (from sitting in my home office all day).  I could lay down during the day, but I have so much work to do, that I just keep plugging away.  By time Steve gets home I'm pretty much out of commission.  I went to church on Sunday and by the third hour the pressure was very uncomfortable.  I left early and came home and just laid down for the rest of the evening.  I think from now on, I will most likely only attend the first hour, sacrament meeting only (yes, we have three hour church every Sunday). 

My husband has really had to take on more of the housework and he does it without complaining.  I feel guilty for not being able to do more, but I do as much as my body will let me.  There's so much that needs to be done around the house and by the time he gets home, I know he's exhausted, but he still does a little bit each night to help out.  So if you stop by my house and it looks like a hurricane came through, you'll know we've been busy with other priorities (aka making sure baby doesn't come out earlier than he needs to!)

The baby isn't very active, but every time I feel him move, it just warms my heart!  I keep praying that he stays snuggled inside for at least the next 12 weeks (I will be 36 wks by then).  I can't wait to go back on Friday to see him again and hopefully my cervix will be better by then. 

I'm thankful for friends who call or email me to check in on us.  Especially grateful for those who have offered to bring us dinner.  We are grateful for your generosity and thoughtfulness.  It means so much to us. 

Thanks to my blogging friend Saige, for sending me these books and the snot sucker for baby! She sent me The Baby Sleep Solution and The Happiest Baby on the Block.  I can't wait to read them!

24wks

(23w5d)

I usually love black friday, but I couldn't do the crack of dawn shopping this year because I knew there was no way I could get up that early and stand in line for so long.  My body just physically couldn't do it.  There weren't any deals that we just HAD to have so we opted to sleep in a bit.  I figured we could just hit up the stores when we headed to our dr appt later in the morning.  We did manage to go to babies.r.us and get a glider and the bedding for the nursery. 

Then we headed to the high risk dr for our 24 wk baby scan.  I was hoping to go to Tar.get after my appt, but the dr had other plans.  Baby is measuring just fine and weighs 1 pound 6 ounces.  My cervix on the other hand is still changing.  At my last appt a week ago, he said it was fine, but now it's changing again.  When they apply pressure to my belly, the cervix contracts a little.  Nothing major to be concerned about,  yet, but he told me to go straight home and rest.  He said I couldn't finish up my black friday shopping!  He also suggested that I continue to work from home and really limit all my physical activity.  And he said absolutely no "marital" activities until 36 weeks!  Oh my!

(23w6d)

So, we picked up Abbey and headed home.  I took it easy and 'helped' put up one of the Christmas trees.  Abbey and Steve will do the second one.  There's so  much to do around the house to get it ready for the holidays, but it will be a slow process since I can't do too much.  I'm so use to being on the go all the time, that I have to force myself to slow down.  Of course, I will do whatever it takes to ensure baby is safe and sound and keeps cooking away in the oven. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I am grateful for so many things in my life:

My wonderful and amazing husband.

Great family

 Cute nieces and nephews

Good health

Jobs

Great friends

A roof over my head

Chocolate

The gospel of Jesus Christ

Trials to strengthen me

A precious baby growing inside me!

A loving and forgiving Heavenly Father

Faith

I am amazed and deeply grateful for all my many blessings every.single.day!

We should all count our many blessings on a daily basis and name them one by one.  

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

23 wks

I will be 23 weeks tomorrow!!
(22w4d picture)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 22w6d

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a Papaya.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: According to my scale, 6 lbs.  Thanks to the gestational diabetes, which I think has been a blessing (as much as it's a pain).  If I didn't have to really watch what I eat, I'd be as big as a whale! 

Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants/tops (but can still fit into some of my regular tops)

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Yes!  He doesn't move a whole lot, but I definitely feel him when he does.  He likes to move the most when we're driving home from work.  It's like he knows the days over!  We were driving to the dr's on Wednesday and he gave me a good kick that startled me. It made me jump and Steve couldn't stop laughing at me. 

Sleep: Getting better at sleeping on my side, but occasionally still end up on my back.
What I miss: Diet Coke, Rice, french fries, chocolate chip cookies.  Basically eating whenever and whatever I wanted.  Now it looks like I might have to start cutting the fruit intake :(

Cravings: Nothing in particular, but I just miss the foods I can't have.

Symptons: Occasional pressure in the lower abdomen.

Best Moment this week: Feeling him move more and seeing baby's face on the ultrasound (pic below)

21w4d

The rest are from 22w4d ultrasound

Here is his little face looking right at us. He looks like a little alien....my alien.

Here are his little legs. 

We go back after Thanksgiving for another scan to measure the baby.  It's always a joy to be able to see him as much as we can.  The dr said my cervix looks good and after my next appointment, he'll only have to see me every 3 weeks.  I continue to pray baby is snuggling in and keeps growing and growing!

We are going t o start registering this weekend at Babies.r.Us and Tar.get!

Cherish. Awaiting a Miracle.

I received an unexpected suprise in the mail last week.  My dear blogging friend Kim, sent me this lovely Willow Tree figurine called 'Cherish. Awaiting a Miracle.'  I was so grateful that she took the time out to think of me as she is getting ready to start an IUI cycle.  She has no idea how much her thoughtfulness means to me.  I know there are many women out there who are still praying for their miracle and I just want them to know that the Lord is aware of their desires.  Through Him, all things are made possible. Put all your faith and time into serving Him unconditionally and He will bless you. 

The journey is not easy, but it is worth it. 

A Nice Surprise

Whenever I'm out shopping or browsing at baby clothes, I always think there are way  more cute baby girl clothes than there are boys clothes.  Girls are fun to dress up!  But since I won't be buying bows and tutu's anytime soon, I've been on the look out for cute boy stuff.  I was in Gymboree a few weeks ago looking for a fall dress for Abbey and I came across some baby boy things that were on clearance!  Of course I just had to get them.  

The boots are my absolute favorite!

I love the hat too, since I can't buy bows, I'm on the look out for cute hats.

 Steve made the monkey for baby when we were in Williamsburg.

Did I mention that I have the best husband in the world?  A few weeks ago I had to go out and run errands, but first I had to put Abbey and Steve down for a nap (you know how grouchy kids and husbands can get when they're tired). 

When I came home about 4 hours later, Abbey was very excited to show the 'surprise' that she and Steve had for me.  Instead of napping, they were busy working on my surprise.  I closed my eyes as they led me upstairs to the baby's future room. 

To my suprise, instead of napping, they spent the whole afternoon cleaning out all the junk stuff we had dumped stored in the spare room.  I was so happy and overwhelmed with love.  I know it was a lot of work for them (mostly Steve).  He basically moved everything out of the room into the basement. 

And this was all that was left in the room.

The doggie blanket was from my awesome neighbor who is always so thoughtful. There's also a little green book of Abbey's that she wanted to give the baby.

We literally have a clean state now to start the nursery!  I was really starting to stress about having to clean up that room (aka my 'closet' as Abbey called it).

I didn't get a picture of the room before, but I was able to get a picture of all the junk stuff that occupied the room.  It's quite embarrassing!!!

 The furniture that occupied the room, a bookcase and the dresser Steve made for me when we first got married.  I am not looking forward to going through all this stuff, but I know it has to be done...eventually. 

I am grateful for a thoughtful husband and niece who loves me enough to work so hard so I wouldn't have to stress too much.  I love them so much and count my blessings every day to have them in my life!