4 months old

We can't believe she's already four months old! Gwendoline had her four month appointment with the pediatrician this afternoon. I look forward to these appointments to confirm that she's still doing great and developing and growing as she should. But I also dread these appointments because they mean shots. While it hurts my heart to hear her hurt physically, I know it's for the best and will keep her healthy. But that doesn't make it much easier... I'm so thankful that Jeph has been able to come with us to each appointment where Gwendoline has received shots- he really is our rock and our hero.

Before the vaccine administration, Gwendoline got another glowing report! She scored a "normal" in the physical exam portion and an "A+" in the development portion. Here are her new stats:

• Weight: 13 pounds, 4 ounces (28th percentile)
• Height: 25.3 inches (82nd percentile)
• Head circumference: 16 inches (49th percentile)

As you can see, we have a very long, thin baby! Her daddy says that's because she's a supermodel. 

The pediatrician gave us the green light to start her on rice cereal to get some more calories in her from another food source. Hopefully this will also help her start sleeping better at night. She does really good some nights, sleeping for a seven or eight hour stretch before waking up for one feeding and immediately going right back to sleep for another few hours. But other nights... the ones where she wakes up three or four times... are not so easy. Hopefully getting more calories into her belly during the daytime will help her sleep better at night. We're going to give her a couple of days to recover from the shots (they make her feel crummy for about 24 hours), then start some rice cereal trials.

My happy girl, ready for some shopping with her mom!

First Christmas

Gwendoline's first Christmas was so much fun! We got to spend lots of time with both sides of the family and got lots of wonderful presents from many generous people. The first of the Christmas celebrations kicked off a little early this year with Grandpa (Bob) and Marcia (Jeph's dad and his wife) a week before Christmas. We had a yummy Italian dinner at their house while spending lots of time with aunts, uncles, and cousins. It's always a pleasure to sample Bob's homemade pizzas and Italian sausage and peppers.

Next, we celebrated Christmas Adam- the day before Christmas Eve- with Nanny (Jennifer, Jeph's mom). This celebration also included all of Gwendoline's aunts, uncles, and cousins on Jeph's side of the family. Christmas Adam always involves dinner at Nanny's house on the night of the 23rd, followed by hanging out and playing. Coming from a small family, it's taken me a few years to get used to all the enthusiasm and the volume of gatherings like these, but now it's just a lot of fun. After dinner and playing, most of the family members change into their pajamas to spend the night at Nanny's. We didn't this year because Gwendoline's nighttime schedule is still a little erratic and we have a good procedure down at home. But we went back to Nanny's bright and early the next morning (Christmas Eve) to open presents with all the other kids and go to breakfast with the family. Gwendoline is one lucky girl! She got all kinds of fun toys and pretty clothes. But spending time with family was the best gift of all. Here's a picture of Nanny with all eight of her grandchildren, four of which are one year old or younger.

L to R: Benjamin, Aaron, Katy, Parker, Nanny,
Gwendoline, Carter, Presley, Chloe

Merry Christmas Adam!

On Christmas Eve afternoon, we began the 3.5 hour drive from Frisco to my mom's house in Montgomery. We made it all the way from Frisco to Dallas (about 30 minutes) before I realized I forgot all of my family's Christmas presents at home! We had to go back to get them, tacking on about an hour to our already long drive. And we certainly paid for it. The last time we made the Frisco-to-Montgomery drive for Thanksgiving, Gwendoline slept the entire trip, driveway to driveway, both ways. But the extra hour proved too much for her patience and comfort (I don't blame her), and she was not a happy camper for the last 30 minutes of the trip. Talk about stressful... That 30 minutes of trying to soothe an inconsolable baby- without being able to pick her up out of her seat- may be the most stressful time I've ever spent with my little one thus far. But we finally got there and all was made right with the world when Gwendoline saw Grandma.

Christmas morning with our little elf

The next morning, Jeph and I continued a Christmas morning tradition that I grew up with- reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 before opening any presents. I'm excited to continue this tradition with my own family now! Although I remember thinking it was torture when I was little, and I'm sure Gwendoline will, too, at some point, it's important to us that she know the meaning behind the presents. After the Christmas story... Santa! And he did not disappoint! Gwendoline's big gift this year was a Baby Einstein activity bouncer. She loves it! She's still not quite tall enough for her feet to reach the ground to bounce, so we put a couch pillow underneath her to give her feet something to rest on. But that doesn't stop her from eagerly exploring all the stations and making lots of noise. Thanks, Grandma and Papa Gary! I mean, Santa... Gwendoline also made out like a little diva in the clothing department- her wardrobe is complete for the foreseeable future!

Our first Christmas as a family of three was absolutely wonderful and magical, even though we did miss the white Christmas in Frisco. We look forward to seeing many more through our child's eyes. Merry Christmas!

Baby Einstein bouncer (a.k.a., the spaceship)

First (leftover) snow

Santa!

Gwendoline met Santa for the first time last week! Since NorthPark Center has the best looking Santa and set around (according to me), I decided that that's where the first meeting should be. Thankfully, my mom was in town to help out on that day because it gets CRAZY around Santa's workshop. We arrived at about 10:30 in the morning to get our ticket. We got number 81, which put our time to see Santa around 2:30 that afternoon. I had expected this and came prepared to spend the day at the mall with Gwendoline and my mom since it's unrealistic to go home to Frisco just to turn around and go back to Dallas again. Surprisingly (or maybe not to those of you who know how much I like to shop), it wasn't too difficult to kill four hours at the mall. Gwendoline was a rockstar, staying on her feeding and napping schedule amid the holiday shopping craziness. Before we knew it, it was 2:30 and Jeph was meeting us at the mall to see Santa! Ultimately, Gwen seemed unimpressed with the whole to-do, but the three adults had a fun time seeing her sit with Santa for the first time. She didn't smile, but she didn't scream. She also has impeccable timing, saving a huge spit up until 15 seconds after leaving Santa's lap. Merry Christmas!

Sick days

I've been confronted with a new reality this week: Moms don't get to call in sick. No sick days, no half days, no "I'm just going to shut my office door and lay my head on my desk" days. I've had a terrible cold since Saturday. Thankfully, Gwendoline isn't showing any signs of being sick so I really hope she doesn't catch this cold from me. On the bright side, I have a terrific husband and parenting partner who has been helping out as much as he possibly can (and keeping Gwendoline away from my germs as much as possible). Jeph worked from home for half a day on Monday to help out and let me get some much needed rest. He and Gwendoline are so cute together; I know they both had a great day! But around Gwendoline's 7pm bedtime, Jeph said he realizes why I like to climb into bed every evening around that time, too. That girl is a handful, even when you're well!

Hopefully our days of being shut in the house are coming to an end as I'm starting to feel better as the week progresses. We've sorely missed our friends this week: strolling around NorthPark with Christie and Gracie, visiting Nanny in Coppell, our new mom support group at Baylor, and our first outing to the library for story time with the Frisco mommy/baby group we just joined.

Also this week, Gwendoline has started something new. I'm calling it "distracted baby syndrome." She has discovered that there is just too much world out there that can be missed while she's eating. So instead of continuously eating until she's full, she'll eat a little bit then smile at me for three minutes; eat a little more then smile at the dog for five minutes; eat a little more and baby talk to whoever will listen for four minutes. Mealtimes, which are still about every three hours, are starting to take a really long time... But at least she's happy when she's distracted. Though I worry that she's not eating enough because of all the distractions, common sense (and other people I trust) tell me she would not be a happy camper if she were hungry. So I'm going with it and enjoying these sweet times when all she wants to do is "talk" to and smile at her mommy.

Another recent first is sleeping through the night! Last week, Gwendoline slept through four out of five nights. It was lovely! But since then, she has decided that she still wants to see us at nighttime, so we're back to two night wakings and feedings. Hopefully she'll realize that mom and dad aren't all that interesting and are a little grumpy at night and start sleeping through again.

Awesome dad working from home when mom is sick

Dad attempts to load the car

Happy girl in her duckies

A typical Gwen sequence of events: happy... HAPPY... HAPPY!! crash

Homework

As of November 19, I officially became a stay-at-home mom. My supervisors and co-workers were very understanding and supportive, which has made the transition that much easier. But as I sit here with still-wet baby pee pee on my pant leg (literally, but why change again?), I realize, not for the first time, that "mommyhood" has not been as easy as I once thought it might be. I expected a challenge and I'd heard that being a full-time mom is "the hardest job in the world," but it has been more challenging than I envisioned. Rewarding, yes. But hard! Even so, I am immensely thankful and fully realize how blessed I am to have the option of staying home with my baby. Jeph and I have had to do a major budget overhaul and each agree to certain sacrifices to our previous "lifestyle," but we both know this is the right thing for our family at this time.

Just because I won't be going to an office Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm doesn't mean I won't be working. And I don't only mean that I'll be "working" to care for and raise my child. I plan to continue with my little side business of freelance writing, editing, and proofreading from home. So I won't only be a stay-at-home mom, I'll be a work-at-home mom, too. I've been slowly (very slowly...) growing this business for the last few years and hope that it will really take off this coming year. Our checkbook hopes the same thing! So here's my shameless plug: If you or someone you know needs writing, editing, or proofreading services, I'm your gal! www.WillYouProofThis.com

In baby-related news, Gwendoline is growing right before our very eyes! I mentioned to Jeph this morning that she looks wider and fuller than she did just yesterday. And she is *this close* to rolling over! She wants to sit up so bad and tries all the time (we call these "baby crunches," where she lifts her head and legs off the ground at the same time as if trying to peel herself off her back and into a sitting position), but doesn't have the upper body strength or balance quite yet. She had the most adorable attack of the giggles last Sunday as I was changing her diaper in the (parked) car. She was in my lap so I got a front row seat to the most precious laughs I have ever heard!

We're looking forward to Christmas as a family of three this year and all that means- decorating the tree, pictures with Santa, Christmas shopping for baby toys, driving around to look at lights, etc. Even though Gwendoline is still way too young to realize what's happening, her mom and dad are going to have a ton of seasonal fun, starting with Merry Main Street in Frisco tomorrow. Lots of posts to come!

How are we ever going to tell this child no?

"Helping" Mom fold the laundry

Someone ate too much Thanksgiving turkey...

Thanksgiving past, Thanksgiving present

This Thanksgiving is quite a bit different from last Thanksgiving, not only because our family of two has become a family of three. Last Thanksgiving was rough for me. Jeph and I were quickly approaching the one year mark of trying to get pregnant and my emotions were still exposed and raw from having a miscarriage in September. To top things off, I learned on Thanksgiving Day that yet another friend was expecting. That brought the total of pregnant friends to what I felt like was 100. Needless to say, my "woe is me" attitude was in full effect. I remember Jeph trying to encourage me by reminding me that I still had my health and a roof over my head to be thankful for. My response to his sweet words still embarrasses me: "Is this how I'm supposed to measure success and happiness now? The fact that I'm not yet dead or homeless?" My answer should have been yes- those two things are actually amazing blessings! But I was hurt. I was selfish. Above all, I was mad.

I was mad at me for what I perceived as failing. I was mad at my husband for the same reason. I was inexplicably mad at all the pregnant women out there. And I was mad at God. Being mad at everything and everyone is exhausting. Being mad at God is debilitating. I wish I could say that through lots of prayer, study, and soul searching, I was able to let those feelings of anger go and be content in my journey, knowing that my prayer would be answered in His timing. Instead, I pouted my way through the next month until we found out, the day after Christmas, that we were expecting Gwendoline. Thinking back now, it absolutely amazes me that God chose to answer my fervent prayer given my pitiful attitude. I certainly didn't deserve it. Instead, He chose to reveal His grace, compassion, and presence in my life by blessing me with an amazing gift. The next time I am faced with having to wait and trust- two things that do not come naturally to me- I will remind myself of the grace I was shown and will, hopefully, through prayer, study, and soul searching, have the perspective to be content in my journey and His timing.

This Thanksgiving, I am abundantly and joyfully thankful for my husband, my daughter, and above all, God's grace.

From the fullness of grace we have received one blessing after another. 

-John 1:16      

It's been a great week!

The Kryzak family has had a great week! Gwendoline has been sleeping a lot better over the last several days. Last night, she slept for a seven hour stretch! Sure, it was from 7pm to 2am so not completely during parental sleep hours, but it was nice to get more than three hours of sleep at a time. And guess what? The child is NAPPING! She's still not putting down huge nap numbers, but she's been more consistent in taking a one hour morning nap and a one hour afternoon nap (approximately). According to my new favorite book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, this pattern should only continue to improve as she gets closer to the four month mark.

More good news: we had our follow-up appointment and ultrasound at Scottish Rite yesterday to check Gwendoline's hips. The specialist there said her hips are "excellent" and "perfect"! That means no brace, no future surgery, and no need to ever go back to Scottish Rite. This is a huge answer to prayer. :)

Finally, Gwendoline had her two month appointment with the pediatrician this morning. She got an excellent report- another A+! Here are her new stats:

• Weight: 10 pounds, 7 ounces (27th percentile)
• Height: 22.3 inches (42nd percentile)
• Head circumference: 15 inches (45th percentile) 

Even though Gwendoline got an excellent physical and developmental report from Dr. Newton, it was a traumatic visit because she had to get two shots, one in each thigh. It hurts my heart to hear her pain cry. Thank God we don't hear it very often- only when she gets shots. And thank God her daddy was with us this morning to help scoop her up and comfort. He's our hero!

Gwendoline is getting bigger every day! She sat in her Bumbo seat for the first time this week. It only lasts a couple of minutes each time before she decides she doesn't like it and slumps over, but we're working on it. And she has decided that she loves her swing! We tried it once a few weeks ago and she did not approve, but this week it's her new best friend.

We're looking forward to another great week full of firsts now that she's been vaccinated: first service at Fellowship Church, first lunches (in restaurants!) with friends, and first Halloween!

Bumbo!

"I am unimpressed by your attempts to amuse me."

Sleep Lite

After 7 weeks, I feel comfortable with officially declaring that our baby is not a napper. The kid just does not nap during the day. Instead of the two or three 2 hour naps I keep reading that your baby "should" take at this stage, Gwendoline seems to think that catnapping for 30-45 minutes once in the morning and once in the afternoon is sufficient. While I don't like it for obvious reasons (I want some naps, too!), I'm now more confident that she's not harming herself by not sleeping much during the day. According the the latest book I'm reading on the subject, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, not all babies are created equally in the napping arena and, thus, parents "cannot make short nappers into long nappers." So while I'm doing my best to get the kid to nap during the day, I'm a little less frustrated and worried when she doesn't. Did I mention she's stubborn? She's incredibly stubborn and will proceed to cry (off and on), kick, and flail her way through one and a half hours of a two hour napping period. She doesn't give up. Definitely her mother's child... And before anyone tells me I should try swaddling her to keep the kicking and flailing to a minimum, I already do that. But she has superhuman strength and busts her way out of a swaddle in five minutes flat. So instead of trying to force the poor child to nap during the day, I've decided to accept her for who she is and who she is not; and she is NOT a napper. She'll sleep when she's sleepy, and I'll probably get some rest sometime in the next 18 years. But be warned, Baby Girl... As soon as I see those eyelids dropping, we go straight to nap mode. Maybe one of these times it will stick.

The silver lining is that Gwendoline is a good little nighttime sleeper! Bedtime is around 7 pm, then after our late-night feeding around 11 pm or midnight, she usually only wakes up once to eat around 3 or 4 am and will then go back to sleep until around 7 am. Or in today's case, until 8:20 am and counting!

Back to the superhuman strength I previously mentioned... Gwendoline is crazy strong and super alert for 7 weeks old! She holds her head up all by herself for minutes on end. She also loves to "stand" on my lap and bounce herself up and down using her tiny feet. When she's fussy, this is one of the only things that will distract her and turn that frown into an immediate smile. And when we do tummy time, she pushes herself across the activity mat from one side to the other with her legs. It makes me laugh because one side of her face is usually smushed against the mat when she does this. Maybe all babies are this strong... But until I see or hear otherwise, I'm claiming Gwendoline to be superhuman. 

We have a busy week next week that includes her 8 week appointment with the pediatrician and her follow-up hip ultrasound at Scottish Rite. Neither appointment will be very pleasant, especially with the pediatrician because she will be getting four shots. Please pray for us- that the shots would go as smoothly as possible with no side effects or reactions and that her ultrasound would reveal utterly and completely normal baby hips.

P.S.- It's now 8:44 am and she's still asleep! Though I am starting to hear some tell-tale grunts...

Seasonal family fun at a Frisco pumpkin patch

Spending some quality time with Grandma

Tummy time hilariousness!

This picture cracks us up! Little old man Gwen.

It's been a month already?

Gwendoline Celeste turned one month old a few days ago, on September 26. Time has flown by so fast, but has gone really slowly at the same time. I can't believe how much Gwendoline has grown in such a short period of time and how fast the days turn into evening and night. But I'm also really tired; so is Jeph. So while time seems to be moving quickly, it's as though through a drowsy fog. I know all new parents feel this way, and I also know that it passes! We definitely look forward to more sleep in the near future.

Gwendoline had her one month check up last week and has some new stats to share with you:

• Weight: 8 lbs, 12 ozs (32nd percentile) 
• Height: 21.3 inches (54th percentile) 
• Head circumference: 14.5 inches (56th percentile)- what a smart, juicy brain!
• Overall development grade from Dr. Newton: A+

We've also had several firsts over the last couple of weeks:

• First mommy-milk bottle so dad could participate in nourishment
• First night in her own room and crib, made easier on mommy's heart and emotions with a video monitor 
• First blow-out diaper, which happened while snuggling with daddy (whew!)
• First meeting with her twin cousins, Parker and Presley, forming the Kryzak "triplets" 

We look forward to another month of stellar development and firsts!

Happy one month of life, Sweet Gwendoline!

Proud papa, feeding his baby girl for the first time

Baby train! Kryzak cousin "triplets"- Parker, Presley, and Gwendoline

Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

We had our appointment at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (http://www.tsrhc.org/) yesterday afternoon to check Gwendoline's hip alignment and sockets. Sometimes babies that are in the "frank breech" position in utero for an extended period of time, like our Gwendoline, have some level of hip dysplasia that needs to be treated before the hip cartilage starts firming up. Although he was fairly confident that Gwendoline's hips were normal, our pediatrician did feel some "clicks" he wanted to get a second opinion on, so he referred us to the experts at Scottish Rite for further evaluation out of an "overabundance of caution."

At Scottish Rite, we learned that Gwendoline meets three of the four risk factors for hip dysplasia: female, firstborn, and breech; the fourth factor would be a family history of hip problems, but we don't have that. After being checked by two physicians at the hospital, including the head of the orthopedic department, we were happy to learn that Gwendoline's hips seem to be just fine! They did feel the clicks our pediatrician felt but said that is fairly common in newborns who still have more cartilage than firm bone. We are taking Gwendoline back in one month for a follow-up hip ultrasound just to be sure, but the doctors think that should come back normal as well. 

While we were very happy and relieved to learn that Gwendoline doesn't have any hip dysplasia, our joy was a little tempered by what we saw at Scottish Rite. It reminded us in big ways how incredibly blessed we are to have a healthy, whole child. There are so many precious children who are not as fortunate to have all of their limbs, and have them in good working order. So many families are blessed to have the Scottish Rite Hospital, its doctors, and volunteers available free of charge to provide excellent and much needed care for their little ones. The hospital relies completely on donations from individuals and corporations to operate; they receive no federal or state funding. And I'll say it again because it still blows my mind- all of their services for children are free of charge, therefore a huge blessing to those families who may not be able to afford care for their children otherwise. If you are interested, there are several ways to give to Scottish Rite: http://community.tsrhc.org/.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full. -Psalm 139:14

By the numbers, newborn edition

We love our baby girl! She definitely has us (especially daddy) wrapped around her little finger. And for good reason... She's quite helpless. As a newborn, I knew she would be, but having never spent extended periods of time with a newborn before, I am still shocked by just how much she needs us. And we are more than happy to comply and come running at her every whimper (though we never have to run more than about two steps). We're whipped.

We're also learning that there is a lot of math and numbers associated with a newborn. Here's a breakdown of some of the numbers that are floating around our house lately.

• 19- Number of days old Gwendoline is today. I can't believe she's already almost three weeks old!
• 3- Number of hours between each feeding around the clock. When I learned that she would be eating every three hours, I assumed that meant we'd be getting a three hour nap in between each feed. This is not true. By the time we have changed her, fed her, cleaned her up, changed her again, and gotten everyone resettled, about an hour and a half has passed. If you do the math, that means we get an hour and a half nap every three hours, around the clock. But we love seeing her belly full and hearing her satisfied coos and squeaks.
• 7 lbs, 4 oz- Gwendoline's latest weight. Those three hour feedings are paying off- my little piglet gained over a pound in ten days and is still going strong!
• 288- Number of diapers we have gone through in just 19 days! I've been told that doing the math on the monetary value of this statistic is depressing, so I haven't done it.
• 320- Number of wipes we have gone through in just 19 days! 
• 3- Average number of outfit changes, for mommy and daughter, in the course of a day due to "baby explosions."
• 6- Average number of loads of laundry required each week to keep our clothes, blankets, and sheets clean.
• 2- Number of very confused, depressed dogs moping around the house. They still don't know what's hit them; they just know there's lots of new rules and less doggie snuggle time.
• 1,000,000- Approximate number of kisses we've given Gwendoline since she was born!

She's here!

She's finally here! And she's utterly perfect! Our daughter, Gwendoline Celeste, arrived as scheduled at 9:43 am on Sunday, August 26, 2012. She weighed in at a respectable 6 pounds, 9 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. After a rather eventful and somewhat complicated pregnancy, the birth was smooth and absolutely textbook. Praise God!

We are so in love with our little girl. The magnitude of it seemed to hit Jeph like a ton of bricks as soon as he saw her in the operating room. He'll tell you he cried because he stubbed his toe, but that man was absolutely captivated. Before the procedure started, I had made Jeph promise to go with Gwendoline to the warmer for tests and cleaning once they got her out. As soon as she emerged, he was off like a shot! I didn't get to see either of them for several minutes, but I could hear them. Those strong cries and first comfort coos from daddy are the most precious things my ears have ever heard. During this time, I heard them announce that Gwendoline had two arms, two legs, ten fingers, ten toes, and scored a 9.9 (out of 10) on the Apgar. After what seemed like an eternity, Jeph came to give me a report. His first words, through tears, were "She's perfect." And so she is! She's also the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, if I do say so myself.

After four days in the hospital, we are now at home and trying to settle into life with a newborn. My mother has been staying with us to help and our house has never been so clean! She's making excellent food every day, too. We're not getting much sleep, of course, since Gwendoline feeds every three hours around the clock, but we're loving every minute and are fully enjoying her preciousness. Though it has taken me four days of typing a few sentences at a time to finish this post. Ah, the life of a new mom!

Please enjoy these pictures of our beautiful girl.

First family portrait

Alert baby girl

Hanging out with daddy

Spending time on the big bed

Final prenatal appointment

We've reached another milestone- our final prenatal appointment! There was not much change from last week, other than my putting on another couple of pounds, of course. Gwendoline is sticking to her guns and is still breech, so we're on for our Sunday morning (August 26) delivery! That's only three days!!! We're so excited and ready to meet her. Our next post should include some baby pictures.

T-minus 20 days!

This morning, Jeph and I had the privilege of selecting our daughter's birthday! If everything goes according to our new plan, Gwendoline will arrive via scheduled c-section on Sunday, August 26. She's still staunchly expressing her independence by remaining a breech baby. We learned this morning that her exact position is called "frank breech," which means that she is completely vertical, with her legs extended above her head. My doctor likened her to a diver doing a front pike. Though that doesn't sound the least bit comfortable to me, Gwen seems completely undisturbed and ambivalent about the whole thing. Be looking for Gwendoline in the 2032 Olympics!

Other than being breech, Gwen is really bulking up and looking great this week! She's up to 5 pounds, 12 ounces now and falls somewhere around the 25th percentile. A huge improvement from the 9.7th percentile of a few weeks ago! The doctor estimates she will weigh around 6.5 to 7 pounds and be tall (19.5 to 20 inches) at birth.

We are eagerly looking forward to holding this little sugar in our arms very soon! Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers- we truly appreciate them!

I'm sorry... Does that say watermelon?
Where do we go from here?

Healthy at 34 weeks

We had our appointment with Dr. Zaretsky, our favorite high-risk specialist, this afternoon and he gave us a great report! Yes, Gwendoline is confirmed as a little nugget. But she gained an appropriate amount of weight in the last two weeks (almost one pound) and now weighs in at 4 pounds, 9 ounces. That puts her close to the 13th percentile (12.9th, to be exact)! Dr. Zaretsky says that is just fine and there is nothing to be concerned about. He even shared that each of his own three babies measured around the 9th percentiles when they were born. Dr. Zaretsky hypothesizes that Gwen will weigh a little over 6 pounds at 40 weeks (full term). We'll take it! Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support- it means so much to us and makes these victories even more special.

Now if we could just get her to do a flip... That's right, she's still breech. We still have some time for her to rotate, and knowing Gwen, she's going to make us sweat it out till the last minute. While we're thinking positively and sending her strong "flip vibes," we'd appreciate more prayers for her rotation. After attending the first half of our childbirth class this weekend, I feel even more strongly about having a natural birth. So Miss Gwendoline, obey your mother and FLIP! :) 

Guess who looks like her daddy?

But those are definitely Giddens lips she's puckering!

The best things come in small packages

Gwendoline, Jeph, and I had our 32 week visit this afternoon. If you recall, this appointment was for a growth scan, in addition to the normal check up. The results of the growth scan make it official that we have a tiny bun in the oven. The good news: Our bun seems to be completely healthy despite being tiny! The less-than-good news (though not necessarily bad): She only weighs in at the 9.7th percentile (3 pounds, 11 ounces). Weights under the 10th percentile are cause for more investigation, though Dr. Holt says she doesn't begin to actively worry until a baby's weight drops under the 5th percentile. But since everything else looks healthy, Dr. Holt thinks Gwendoline has just inherited my small body habitus. Just to be cautious, Dr. Holt has referred us back to the high-risk specialist, Dr. Zaretsky, at UTSW Children's Medical Center. We'll see him in two weeks for another growth scan and to get his opinion on Gwendoline's growth and overall health.

The other thing we learned at the appointment today is that Gwendoline is still in the breech position. The doctor says she usually likes to see babies in the head down position by 30 weeks and that it must be done by 36 weeks to avoid a c-section. So little Miss Diva has four weeks to flip herself around. Dr. Holt says this is more than enough time for Gwen to work her way around, she just has to do it!

While we are encouraged by this visit because our little one got a healthy report, there is still plenty of room for some specific prayers to be said. For those of you praying for our growing family, we ask that you pray for the following specifics:

• Pray that Gwendoline would begin putting on weight rapidly to get bumped up to a more acceptable percentile. 
• Pray that she would flip herself around to the normal head-down position as we'd prefer to bring her into the world naturally rather than through c-section.
• Pray for continued overall health and that the high-risk specialist would also find no cause for immediate alarm.

In other baby-related news, Jeph and I have started our childbirth and parenting classes. They are a lot of fun (for me, at least) and make us feel so much more prepared! So far, we've completed Infant Safety & CPR and Baby Care. Still to go are Childbirth (a two-part series), Breastfeeding, and Daddy Boot Camp.

Gwendoline Celeste @ 32 weeks

We didn't get many good photos of her today (she decided not to cooperate and didn't show us her profile). The above picture, if you can make it out, is of her head and face, staring at you straight on. The top of her head is to the far left, with her mouth to the right a couple of inches.

Third Trimester & Babymoon

We've made it to the third trimester! Only 10 more weeks to go. I can't believe how time has flown by. Our last few appointments have been what my doctor calls the "boring visits." All she does is measure my belly to make sure growth is on track and listens to Gwendoline's heartbeat. They're quick and easy appointments, which is nice since we're going every two weeks now instead of every four. But I miss seeing my baby's face on sonograms, so I'm very excited that our next appointment in two weeks will be a "growth scan" sonogram to make sure that she's growing at an appropriate rate. My belly has been measuring slightly small, so we're expecting a petite little girl to show up during the scan. Her size is still within the standard deviation of normal, so the doctor isn't concerned; we're just curious.

The Gwendoline Bump @ 29 weeks, San Antonio Riverwalk

Double bumps, triple babies! Amy @ 30 weeks,
sister-in-law Keely @ 28 weeks with twins!

Jeph and I recently went on a mini "babymoon" vacation- our last weekend away together before we become parents. And probably our last weekend away without a baby in tow for quite a while. Since I'm still having some nausea and am a bit of a nauseous flyer to begin with, we decided not to fly anywhere. And since my doctor calls me "not her lowest risk patient," we didn't want to be too far from home, just in case. I also didn't want to be in the car for more than 3-5 hours for comfort reasons. Therefore, we picked San Antonio as our babymoon destination! In addition to the required eating of meals on the Riverwalk, Jeph and I enjoyed visiting SeaWorld and the Alamo! Jeph had never been to either place (and it had been more than a decade since I'd been), so we had a lot of fun. We also took some time to relax by the hotel pool and take naps whenever we wanted. It was a fantastic weekend and a lovely way to celebrate the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another.

Remember the Alamo!

Crazy pregnancy strength

SeaWorld, San Antonio

Nursery update #3

Due to requests from several interested parties, here are some updated nursery photos! I'm having such a blast getting the nursery ready for our little girl. I think it's almost done! Just a few more items to hang on the walls...

Courtesy of Pinterest and etsy, I recreated these prints all by myself! By doing it myself, I saved a ton of money and was also able to alter some of the wording, design, and colors. They'll be hung over the dresser/changing table.

Courtesy of Granma, we have the cutest curtains in the land! Granma has been on her sewing machine constantly lately, making all kinds of precious things for Gwendoline and her room. We also got our glider this week. Jeph assembled it in record time and I'm already enjoying rocking in it.

Closed curtains so you see more of the cute!

Last but not least, I got Gwen's name hung over her crib. Again thanks to Granma and our painting party, these letters add a personal touch to the room. Obviously, "GWENDOLINE" would have taken up quite a bit more room, and she'll be going by Gwen most of the time anyway, so I stuck with "GWEN" for the wall.

Newest piece of equipment: Britax B-Agile travel system with B-Safe infant car seat/carrier. I picked this one based on great reviews- both ease-of-use and safety- and a couple of recommendations. Ultimately, I wanted something safe but also non-bulky that I could see around. Mommies, if you have this system, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! 

So the high-risk specialist is nice...

We had a little scare this week. Thankfully, our daughter is just a bit of a diva and our God is BIG. We went into this past weekend with everything looking and feeling great. But by Saturday night, I realized I hadn't really felt Gwen move much since Friday. When the non-movement persisted through Sunday, mommy got nervous. I know it's still a few weeks early to be "kick counting" in earnest, but the baby had been moving and shaking in big and consistent ways for several weeks, so the decrease in movement was definitely drastic.

After a quick phone call, my wonderful OB/GYN, Dr. Catherine Holt (I cannot recommend her highly enough!), squeezed me in Monday morning for a quick check. And quick it was! Everything looked fine- healthy heart rate, optimum fluid levels, and Gwen was moving around a little bit, just not sharing those movements with me. We even saw her hiccuping! But Dr. Holt reminded me that there is cause for concern anytime there's a dramatic decrease in fetal movement like I was experiencing. So we decided to give our little ear of corn (her size this week) a couple of days to get out of her funk and start dancing again. But by Wednesday, I still hadn't felt much movement, so in we went for another quick check that afternoon. This one turned out to be not so quick. The first several, long seconds of the sonogram revealed a dramatically slow fetal heart rate. It quickly picked up to an acceptable and normal rate, but that little blip, combined with the decrease in fetal movement, was enough for Dr. Holt to refer me straight to the high-risk specialist for another "quick check." She was concerned that what she had seen was a fetal arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).

After a sleepless night, Jeph and I found ourselves in the waiting room of Dr. Michael Zaretsky at Children's Medical Center this morning. We have been so blessed to almost haphazardly find wonderful physicians, and Dr. Zaretsky and his staff are no exception. After an extremely long and detailed high-def sonogram, including 3D, Dr. Zaretsky could find no evidence of an arrhythmia! And he checked everything from heart rate (several times) to umbilical input/output, kidney function, and even femur length. It turns out that Gwen is in the breech position, folded in half with her legs up over her head, all crowded into the left side of my tummy. This position, combined with an anterior-facing placenta, probably accounts for the seeming decrease in movement. Dr. Zaretsky assured me that Gwen has several weeks to flip around into the proper position, so we shouldn't worry about that or anything else, including her movements or lack thereof. And I confirmed with him about ten times: NO ARRHYTHMIA! Jeph and I left with big smiles on our faces, a skip in our step, and loosening anxiety knots in our backs.

I officially declare this the end of over-worrying for this pregnancy (though rational caution will never stop). Next time, I'll just remind myself that we have a little diva in the oven and a BIG God in Heaven.

For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise! (1 Chronicles 16:25)

Gwendoline Celeste's profile @ 24 weeks

Look at that baby sucking her thumb!

24 Weeks (Nursery Update 2)

We started week 24 yesterday and I have the bump to go along with it (see below)! Jeph and I are still having a lot of fun getting Gwendoline's nursery ready. This weekend, we picked up the crib (thanks, Granma and Papa Gary!), Jeph assembled it, and I loaded it up with bedding. I feel like we're making really good progress. Pretty soon, the only thing we'll have left to add is a little Gwen! We're hoping she appreciates girly-girl decor; otherwise, we'll have a lot to redo in the future.

Gwen's bump @ 24 weeks

Pink chandelier and sky (thanks, Dad!)