Baby Movement at 17.5 Weeks

I felt the baby move today! 3 more weeks until we find out the gender! I have been telling Ellery that there is a baby in mommy's tummy. So far she has leaned in twice to kiss my stomach when I say "Is there a baby in mommy's tummy?" :) I'm not sure if she knows what she is doing, but it sure does melt my heart! Let's hope this loving big sister attitude continues!

16 Week Check Up

I had my 16 week check up this morning. Bitty's heart beat was at 148. At 16 weeks, Ellery's heart rate was 155. I wonder if this Bitty is a boy! Dr. Gautreau and I discussed the Quad Screen which is performed at 16 weeks. I decided not to do it, just as I didn't do it with Ellery. The chances of a false positive are very high. I am already a worrier. I do not need to worry about the what-ifs. Besides, the results would not change anything. We will just depend on the anatomic sonogram to measure Bitty's growth and development, ventricles and soft tissue and alert the doctor to anything abnormal. Besides it is all in God's hands! Our anatomic sonogram is scheduled for January 8, 2015!

12 Week Check Up

I had my 12 week check up with Dr. Gautreau today! Baby's heartbeat was 158. Everything sounded good and our next appt will be week 16 on December 11!

We decided to finally let everyone know about Bitty #2 on Facebook! I posted a picture of Ellery in her Big Sister pumpkin shirt and said "This little pumpkin is going to be a Big Sister in May!" 

Yesterday marked 4 years since Geoff proposed to me! We are going to a fancy dinner tonight at Maison LaCour since we have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for!

12 Weeks

12 Weeks!

Bitty #2 is as small as a lime!

Bump Comparison (12 weeks with Ellery on the left)

LSU/Alabama

This past weekend was the LSU/Alabama game. The whole Ross clan was there (besides Joseph and Noah) plus Ally! It is a good thing I am pregnant because chasing a toddler around the tailgate required complete sobriety. Ellery loved watching the Tiger Band march down the hill to Tiger Stadium and she was amazed by Mike the Tiger! We had so much fun, although a win would have made the night much more enjoyable. But as always...forever LSU! Geaux Tigers!

The Cat is Out of the Bag

The cat if officially out of the bag due to my not so convincing fake drinking and Geoff's tendency to get excited and over share when drinking. We were in St. Louis a few weekends ago for Jason and C.J.'s wedding. We had decided to keep the pregnancy a secret until after the wedding. Obviously that did not go over so well. I had so many club soda's with lime that I felt sick. Geoff would come over to me and say "Hey Sara here is your RUM and coke" and it was very obvious that there was no rum. People were guessing by the middle of the rehearsal dinner. Once one person knew, Geoff felt he could tell more and more people and tell them to keep it a secret. By the end of the wedding about 30 people had whispered congratulations in my ear. My parents and Geoff's parents told the rest of the family and there is no turning back now! As during our pregnancy with Ellery, we enjoyed our 10 weeks of secrecy.

Telling the Families!

Oct 10 - 11, 2014

We decided to tell our families at almost 8 weeks. We FaceTimed the Morthlands on Friday night and had Ellery walk up to the phone with this t-shirt on:

It took a second for them to catch on, but once Corliss read the shirt she kept saying "It says big sister! It says big sister!" John said "Well that happened sooner than I had thought it would!" Corliss said she had been waiting. Haha! Aunt Marilyn was there so we were able to tell her as well! 

We were in Lake Charles for my cousin Kalie's wedding on Saturday. Plus my mom's birthday was that Monday so we decided to celebrate that weekend. We had her open presents and cards on Saturday. She cried because Kelsey got her a Wizard of Oz card and then cried again because Anna bought a sentimental card for the first time in her life. Once mom got to our card we asked her to read it out loud. She was a mess and could hardly finish it but was able to say that Papa Rick was going to be so excited! 

No one asked me why I wasn't drinking at the wedding so that was a relief. I figure everyone assumed it was because I was busy chasing Ellery around all night. Lucky for my family they had a designated driver at the end of the night!

8 Weeks

We had a follow up appointment at 8 weeks and 5 days! Bitty grew so much in 2 weeks! His/her heart rate was at 176 and Dr. Gautrea said she was very pleased with Bitty's progress. I marked the sonogram up so everyone can know what they are looking at. I know to most it just looks like a lima bean.

Bitty Boo #2!

We are excited to announce that Bitty Boo #2 is on his/her way! We found out on September 14th. We had just returned home from church and the chinese buffet at Hunan's. I was a week late already and we planned to wait to take the test but I was too anxious! Of course for good luck I used First Response, which is the same brand that I used when I found out with Ellery. I stared at the test waiting for that second line to show. I had a gut feeling that it would. Once the test was positive I made a little sign that said "Big Sister" and told Ellery to bring it to daddy. Geoff just kept saying "No way!" with a big smile on his face. I immediately went to the office to see how we could arrange the new nursery. Always thinking ahead.

It is always hard to "hide" the pregnancy. First of all, everyone is expecting baby #2. When my mom found out Kate Middleton was pregnant again, she sent me a text that said "Kate is pregnant! You and Geoff had better get busy!" There is also the fact that I am not getting any younger and if we want more kids we had better make it happen sooner rather than later! For many reasons, baby #2 probably won't be as much of a surprise as baby #1.

The big challenge was Kelsey and Jeff's Engagement Party on September 20. I had to not act exhausted or moody (which I really am both this pregnancy). I had to avoid picking up heavy things while decorating. I had to make decaf coffee in the Keurig while no one was paying attention. And most importantly, I had to drink O'Douls and not act alarmingly sober as everyone had Casa Margarita's and Fireball shots. Geoff kept the beer in the car and kept going to fill my cup up. Teamwork! 

I'm not sure I ended up hiding it so well though. My cousin Haley caught me instinctively rubbing my belly and gave my huge bug eyes. Kelsey's friend Grace asked me if I was pregnant. And apparently Kelsey told her friends that she knew I was pregnant and was expecting an announcement on Sunday. She did not get that announcement as I had not been to the doctor yet! 

Our first doctor's appointment was Thursday, October 2. We had missed Dr. Gautreau! I felt like a pro walking into the doctor's office, talking to the insurance coordinator and prepping for the sonogram. I kept thinking about how nervous we were with Ellery. The unknown is always nerve wracking! The second time around was much easier than the first. We found out I was only 6 weeks and 4 days along, which is a week earlier than I had thought. Bitty Boo #2's due date is May 24, 2015! His/her heartbeat was at 118 which they say is strong. Geoff could distinguish between the head and the bottom on the sonogram but it just looked like a blob to me! 

6 Weeks 4 Days

We are already throwing around names and of course we agree on none. I am the most excited about Ellery getting a sibling! I dream of the day when Bitty Boo #2 is born and Ellery comes to meet him/her in the hospital. Hopefully she does not scream and try to shove the baby out of my arms so she can sit in my lap like she does now when I'm holding another baby.

Meat is really grossing me out and I barely have an appetite but for the random cravings for chocolate pudding pie, apple pie and Coca Cola. I'm nauseous throughout the day but not enough to loose it. Let's hope that goes away soon!