The size of a avacado!

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces.

His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.

The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Bloom Book Club.

I have been meaning to post about this since the club picked the choice of book we are now reading.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book club.

Angie Smith ( her blog is listed on here - "Bring The Rain." ) and her bestfriend Jessica Turner started this last fall. Remember my posting about " Crazy Love?" I quoted the very first paragraph of the book, and was so excited about reading it.

These women - including those that are apart of the club and post their opinions and experiences on the discussion board, are so inspiring in more ways then one. Everytime I finish watching the video postings, or finish reading the board, I walk away so uplifted!

Anyway! The book of choice is " Same Kind of Different As Me." Its a true story of two different people - from two different lifestyles, coming together and forming a friendship that is completley guided by God every step of the way. I can't tell you how touching this book has been. It is powerful, heart gripping, and inspirational.

If you can't join the club, PLEASE - go get the book anyway. You will enjoy it, every chapter of the way!

Goals for the New Year!

In the past I have hated making " New Year's Resolutions." Simply because by the end of January you have realized that you haven't kept to their promise- or if you have, its maybe to one or two of them, right?

This year I thought I'd do something different. I gave myself all of January to really think about what I wanted to accomplish in 2010. So, after the hustle and bustle of the holidays and recovering from them.. here they are!

1. Be more patient!
2. Pray for people I am not *fond* of.
3. Cut coupons
4. Be diligent about Thank You notes.
5. Keep track of my loved ones birthdays, and acknowledge them on time!
6. Start a garden
7. Learn every detail of my camera - and MAYBE take a class on it!
8. Keep my car clean, and my purse organized.
9. Of course - be the best Mom, Wife, Friend, Daughter, and person I can be.
10. Volunteer work. ( I am hoping to do this at least once a month somewhere. )

Placenta Brain

Have you ever heard of a women supposedly losing brain cells while being pregnant? Or for those of you who have been pregnant, or are pregnant - have you just felt fuzzy mentally, forgetting simple things? Like names, misplacing your keys, or lost track of what you are saying - right in the middle of saying it?

Well friends and family! Its called " Placenta Brain!"

Oh, and for those of you who have already had the baby, or babies! Its called " Mommy Brains!"

Brianne visited lastnight, and was teasing me on my latest blog bloopers. Like spelling quesadilla like casadilla. WOW

Or even better, in my opening email inviting you all to visit the blog so you can read our " happy announcement " and spelling ado - ADOO. Holy Moly.

I know I'm the not the perfect author. I make mistakes, and I don't catch all of them. But c'mon Sheena - CASADILLA!?
I couldn't stop laughing when she brought it to my attention.

Here is what I found in a little bit of research -

"If you have any of these boxes checked, and you are pregnant, you may be suffering from what we affectionately call Placenta Brains. There is also a similar disorder for new mothers called Mommy Brains.

Seriously, this is something that affects many women, both pre and postnatally. It manifests itself as simple forgetfulness, loss of memory, and other minor problems. However, it can be very distressing to the woman experiencing this, and to those around her. A previously "together" woman may now forget simple appointments, not be able to retain names or dates.
There are many theories of why this occurs in some pregnant women. One of the theories includes brain shrinkage. Saying that the brain shrinks 3-5% during pregnancy, which takes approximately six months after birth to return to normal. Or the theory that the problems are driven by hormones during pregnancy. While others believe that it is just a period of time where the mother-to-be is reflecting inward and the introspection and problem solving of the future is what causes the mental fuzziness.

It may even be that since labor and birth are done with the right side of the brain, our bodies are encouraging us to be more right brained during the course of pregnancy.

When asked about this, one woman said, " I would love to tell you about it, but I can't remember it."

However, as with anything, there are people who do not believe in the memory loss of pregnancy. These doubting Thomases say that the woman is simply not paying attention.

Maddy really hated "forgetting what I was saying mid-sentence. It's so annoying. I started writing everything down."

Whatever the reason or the cause of this, there is no reason to panic. Most women will tell you that eventually you will find yourself remembering more and being less forgetful at some point after the birth of your baby.

Saney reports, "I swear, I lose brain cells with each pregnancy and I never get them back."

Until you reach the point where you are better, there are some simple things that you can do to help you.
Repeat names as you meet people.
Write your appointments down.
Talk to those around you.
Don't be hard on yourself.
Laugh about it!
__________________________

The last suggestion " laugh about it." - Oh I'm laughing alright, and feel free to laugh with me!!!!

Blessed Day

.. results confirm -


Yes friends and family, just as I suspected all along. We are having a baby girl. We couldn't be more happy or blessed.

I have to admit, today was the first that I finally accepted whole heartedly that another baby is on its way.
Our miscarriage was heartbreaking. More then I ever anticipated it to be. I have been in question with God since that day.

'Haven't I sustained enough Lord? Haven't I proved to you that I'm strong enough? Hasn't our family seen enough devastation?'

I am shamed to say that almost every appointment I have gone to, including today's... I have gone prepared to be told devastating news.

From day one with Cole, I talked to him, sang to him, and always included him in everything we did. This time around, it was much different. I pushed myself to have faith, but it was barely there. My spirit kept saying " its ok Sheena, believe, and it will be ok."

But my flesh said different. My brain kept telling me to protect my heart from being broken again. Its been a battle since the day I read pregnant 12 weeks ago.

As I walked into the doctors office today, I whispered a prayer, and hoped that I would walk out with another picture of our creation, and the sweet sounding of his/her heart beat fresh in my mind.

I did! Now this creation can be called her name.
Meet our sweet Savannah Lisa!

Isn't she beautiful? I have been a bit emotional today. I know its been built up for the last several weeks. I am so anxious, excited, thankful, .. all of the above. There are so many different thoughts - but for the first time since we started on this journey, they are all good thoughts!

This is how we told Daddy~

We would like to thank you all for your continued love and support. Today is a blessed day!

15 Weeks. Day 105

Today is our 15 week mark. Its hard to believe that 15 weeks have passed by so quickly.

My energy levels have soared. When I wake up each morning, I don't feel like I've been hit by a car, and I'm able to get through the day without napping!

The baby's movements are precise, and unbelievably feeling. It is the greatest part of being pregnant. These days my emotions seem to have leveled out a bit. I am still a little more impatient then usual, but with lots of prayer I'm trying to overcome it. Its hard with a tyrant 17 month old who doesn't understand why Mommy is a screaming maniac!

Monday morning is our glucose test, and our third ultra sound. I am hoping we will be able to tell the sex. Oh yes, I forgot to fill you all in our decision haven't I!!!??
--- Well, Paul was absolutely not in agreement with allowing the sex of our baby to be a surprise this time around. Our compromise you ask? God willing we are able to have a third, that will be our surprise. I have to admit, I was pretty ok with this decision since now, or in the next couple of weeks, we will know what we have brewing inside. I loved calling Cole by his name, and I despise referring to our new creation as " it" or " he/she."

Lastnight was the first that I actually vomited. I ate two quesadillas with almost a entire bottle of Chalula! I couldn't have enough of the stuff. Well apparently the baby had a different opinion. I tried to fight the urge for a couple of hours. Then the worse heart burn of my entire life kicked in. By the Paul came home around 4am - I had been up all night, and I was almost in tears.
( Next grocery trip will require the purchase of zantac! ) After a long, hard battle, I was over ruled by my body and the baby!!

My poor throat burned for a couple hours following the incident.. but the baby and my body were relived. Enough so I was able to get in a couple of hours of sleep.

' Don't worry little one, Mama will watch how much chalula she consumes the next time quesadillas come our way! '

I am anxious to update with Monday's results. Stay tuned!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop.

Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs.

Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.

There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds.

Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

Up and Running!

Our computer, modem, and internet is now "up and running!"

The bad news. We lost everything that was on it.

Every photo,every video, every document, everything!

Thank God for my blog and facebook account. I have some photos and videos saved in each account, but it is still heart breaking.

Moving on, backing everything up - twice, and lots of uploading.. we are happy to be connected to the internet again. We hope you all enjoy the following postings and photos!

Oh Baby!

Here is my first belly shot! I was 12 weeks here.


Here is a ultra sound that was done at 13 1/2 weeks. We were able to watch the baby for almost 20 minutes!!! He/she kept putting its hand in its mouth. Maybe we'll have another thumb sucker??!!

Lets Play Some Hockey

Paul just recently joined a Ice Hockey League. Its firemen and police officers/deputies.

He has played a handful of games so far. Cole and I have faithfully attended every one and proudly cheer Daddy on! Grandpa Wilkins has also been a faithful attendant, and Grandma Cherrie when she has been off of work.

We are so proud of you Daddy - and look forward to each game. You are a talented player, and I can't wait until Cole can skate with you! We love you! " Go #18- Daddy!"

Our 17 Month Old

Our little man is learning, thriving, and growing with each passing day. There have been moments I close my eyes and hold him tight, praying that time stops. But as the saying goes " Time Flies When Your Having Fun." ... and boy does it!

He is coming into his own - figuring out what his likes and dislikes. As of today his likes consist of ..

*Reading - this is his favorite!!!! So I had to list it as number one. His favorite reads - His Bible and Elmo
*His thumb
*Barney
*Fruit snacks
*Blueberries and bananas
*Bean burritos and chicken nuggets
*Green beans and peas
*His bed - He lets us know when he is ready for a nap or bed. The notion usually consists of hugging mommy, putting his thumb in his mouth, and saying " nite nite Mama!"
*His cousin Ben. Holy Moly does he love this kid. Everytime he sees him, he just can't get enough. He has helped Ben learn how to crawl. Since Ben is still learning, and can't quite keep up with Cole yet, Cole patiently waits- sometimes even getting on the ground to crawl himself. He is going to be a great big brother.
*Hockey - I don't mean to brag, but I wont be surprised if this kid is a natural at the game. He loves it through and through. His hockey stick has to go everywhere with him. We are still learning that the stick "stays on the ground!"
*Building forts and tents of anykind!
*Helping Dad with the yard work.
*Both of his Grandma's. He literally looses his breath when he sees either of them. Its so cute. Although, interesting enough, every morning he asks for his Pa ( Grandpa ) and Papa!!

His dislikes -

*Time Outs.
*Pow Pows
*Asparagus
*Being redirected. Cole has a mind of his own, with his own agenda. If Mommy or Daddy detour him - watch out! The temper flares, and a melt down is soon to follow.
*Mommy holding Ben, or any other baby. I have a feeling we are going to have some issues when our second one arrives!!!!


Cole Michael,
As you grow I can only selfishly wish that you will be my little boy forever. You are our greatest joy. We have enjoyed every minute of the last 17 months. You have taught us so much!!! We will always love you - and enjoy every new like and dislike that you discover as you become your own!
Our hearts are one my son! Love you forever.

Christmas Photos

Here are some photos from Christmas.

Christmas Eve was celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa Wilkins. Grandma made a beautiful dinner, and we had quality family time with them.

For dessert we headed over to PaPa and MiMi's where we carried on the tradition of opening one gift each. Cole's gift was a police motorcycle! Daddy had to assemble it right away. He has enjoyed it ever since, mastering turning and reversing.

Grandma and Grandpa were here bright and early Christmas morning, where Cole awoke to a table and chairs set, hockey net and sticks, and a stocking full of goodies that Santa left specially for him. We throughly enjoyed watching our little man as we ate meat pie and the Christmas Star. Two traditions Paul and I have proudly carried on.

We ended the holiday by eating a wonderful dinner with the McCard/Negrinelli family that was hosted at my Uncle and Aunt's.
The gift exchange was a blast, as always!! --- but karaoke is my all time favorite. Watch out American Idol! I have mastered Whitney Houston's " Saving All My Love." This was my third year in a row singing it, and nailing 100%. Paul even joined in this year - singing his favorite Roy Orbison.

It was a wonderful holiday, and we enjoyed every minute. Til next year Christmas!