'Twas the night before Christmas...

...and at Banner Thunderbird God chose to bless us, with Annabelle, our first!  That's right...after all the waiting Belle finally arrived, and on Christmas Eve no less!  As if we didn't already know she is SPECIAL, she chose a very special day to grace us with her presence :)  So here's the story...

On Monday (12/22) I had my weekly doctors appt. and I was finally diagnosed with gestational hypertension (high blood pressure) and it's no wonder with every body part swollen to 18x its normal size :)  So my doc sent us to the hospital for a non-stress test.  A few hours later, I was discharged, and told I was most likely in early labor.  When we got home, my contractions started getting a little more intense, but still weren't regular enough for the hospital.  On Tuesday, my water broke...or so I thought?  Not as easy to tell as in the movies :)  So we went back to the hospital to see if it had actually broke... after hours of waiting, and one test coming back negative, Brian and I were getting ready to go get dinner when my nurse came in and said, "Just kidding, you're water broke and you're getting admitted!"

About 12 hours later, Annabelle Sue Peter was born at 3:52am weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces and 19.5 inches long.  I really can't complain, I had an easy labor...got an infection and fever and gave it to Belle, but after they gave us antibiotics and we were fine.  Luckily, we all got discharged on Christmas Day with just in time to make it to celebrate with our family!  SO we ended up getting the best Christmas present we could ever ask for...and a day early! :)

The last month has been busy, but going well!  Annabelle is doing great, sleeping pretty well (usually 4-5 hour stretches at night), smiling at us...and making us fall more in love with her everyday!  We're finally now settling into more of a routine (a lot of that is thanks to the book "Becoming Babywise", which I recommend to all first-time moms!).  And right when I feel like I'm just starting to get a handle on this whole mommy thing...we're moving next week!  Haha...so it's a very busy time...but also a very exciting one.  We feel SO incredibly blessed and thank God every day for bringing this amazing little girl into our lives!

Here are some hospital ad newborn pics...next time I'll post more recent ones of Belle and ones of our new house!!

                                                    First diaper change!                                                            

"That was tiring!"

Proud Papa :)

 Life is ROUGH!!

   The Loves of my Life <3

         Hospital pictures...only 1 day old!        

...and already smiling!

Our Christmas present!!

Almost time!

Hello all! I apologize I know there's been a bit of a radio silence lately...we've been pretty busy getting ready for Belle! And I'm sure a part of it had to do with my reluctance to post more belly pictures like everyone has been demanding! Haha...jk...sort of. Well everyone should be happy because not only is this a status update, but I have fun ultrasound pics to post (4-D...very neat!) AND I finally broke down and took some belly pictures now that she's literally about to burst out at any moment :) Well that's what it feels like anyway...

I know the belly pics are not top quality...self-portraits while trying to fit a ginormous belly in the tiny screen are a little difficult to manuever :) But it's better than nothing...should appease all of you who have been hounding me! I know you do it with love...so I forgive you haha

As for when I'm going to FINALLY pop this kid out!!!?! Well the due date is still New Year's Eve...and I'm starting to think she'll stay in there until New Year's Day just to spite me :) My doc said if I haven't had her by the 1st she'll induce me (which does nothing for us in the way of the tax break...thanks DOC! :)) This pregnancy has definitely been educational in teaching me firsthand that the baby will come when SHE wants...no matter how many gentle, or not-so-gentle nudges you give her! I've tried it all ladies, had my doc strip my membranes (painful and ineffective), power-walks which turned into a full-on jog last night out of desparation (very uncomfortable with my gargantuan belly, but once again inefffective), and we've also tried (REPEATEDLY) what many labor and delivery nurses call a "home induction" use your imagination on that one I want to keep this blog "G-rated" :o) So we're waiting for Annabelle to pick her moment. I know God is using this to teach me I can't control everything...a lesson that I'm obviously slow to pick up on :) Hopefully the next entry will be my first as a Mommy! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!! XOXOXOX

Belle's Nursery!

I was originally planning on going with the brown and pink combo for Annabelle's nursery...and I was searching for the PERFECT bedding for her crib.  Surprisingly enough, even though this is probably the most popular color combo right now and there are a plethora of options to choose from, I couldn't find one that I felt like Annabelle absolutely HAD to have :)  Haha...maybe it's a first time mom thing but I am really passionate about being IN LOVE with her nursery!

Soooo...I just while continuing my seemingly endless search I discovered a set that I loved so much, I registered for it right away and I decided to change my colors to match it!  Here's a preview of what I have planned for Belle...hope she loves it as much as I do!!

Alright, alright...here's a bump picture already! :)

I have been harassed by everyone I know to post a baby bump picture!  So finally, by popular demand, here it is.  I always thought the whole, photograph the bump as it grows idea was a super cute idea....until it involved me that is :)  haha...I've now realized that the concept is WAY cuter when its someone else's escalating weight and multiplying chins you're recording!  

Also one thing I definitely did not get the memo on is, the whole "belly bump" term is a misnomer.  Yes, your belly grows (and that part is actually cute and really fun).  However, no one fully explained that you don't just get a belly bump (unless you're a freak of nature, and if you are I'm afraid we can no longer be friends! :))  Along with this belly bump comes an additional 25-35% body fat, evenly distributed throughout the whole body.  Arms, face, neck, sides, THIGHS, BUTT, and even your ankles (or cankles rather) don't get left out!  So if you have not yet been pregnant, consider yourself forewarned!!!  haha...I wish I had read this post before so I would have been more mentally prepared :)

Why my tiny, now 2 pound baby girl needs all these extra fat stores I have no idea...However, it's her show and whatever she needs is exactly what she'll get!!  It's all about Annabelle, and all joking about my vanity aside, I feel SO unbelievably blessed and fortunate to get to be a momma soon!

Annabelle says hello...

Haha, well right after Brian claimed that Belle wouldn't kick him cause she knew better she made him eat his words! That's my girl :) Possibly in a preview of a willful personality...just a few nights later she kicked her dad her the first time! This time he put his hand on my stomach and we both think she will stop, then Brian suprisedly exclaims, "Hey I felt that!! (couple seconds later).....And that!!"

Well in just about 20 weeks everyone will get to meet the newest Peter, Annabelle Sue!! :) We had our 2nd trimester ultrasound and where we heard the fateful words, "It's a girl!" So this weekend I cleaned out our computer/junk room (the latter adjective was MUCH more fitting.) It was an all-day project and now we have an empty room to fill with pink, white, and chocloate brown stuff!



Annabelle (who we'll call Belle for short) has taken to kicking me, which is very fun! However, without fail every time I call Brian over to feel her kicks she stops! Haha, Brian says it's cause she knows when he comes around she better settle down. Oh yeah...sounds like quite the disciplinarian...just wait till she looks up at him with her big eyes, we'll see how tough he isthen! :)

A Belle Foot :)

She hid her face from us the whole time!!

2nd ultrasound and update!

O.k. so I have defintately been slacking on my blogging! I've had these ultrasound pictures from week 12 ultrasound for quite some time and have been meaning to post them...so here they are finally! This one actually turned out to be a suprise ultrasound...I was under the impression from my doctor that it was just going to be a blood test. So I told Brian, who was off that day and totally could have come, not to come :( Then I walk into this perinatal office that has all the high-tech, state of the art gadgets and equipment, big flat screen on the wall in front of you so you can see the ultrasound, machine that takes pictures, plays audio, and makes a DVD of the whole thing!! I was bummed that Brian missed this one, but figured at least I'll have the pictures and the DVD. That is until I lost the DVD somewheere between the doctor's office and my car (who does that?) and the pictures didn't come out nearly as clear or good as the actual ultrasound looked :(

However, luckily it's almost time for our second trimester ultrasound and my doctor sent me back to this same office with all the bells and whistles!! Most importantly, Brian WILL be in attendance :) So this time it will be an even better ultrasound since our little one is more developed now, and I promise not to lose the DVD this time! Holding onto it will be Brian's job :) Haha...so August 6th is the big day!! And we're going to find out the sex too ...good thing too cause I don't think Brian could wait much longer!

So the good thing about me taking so long to post the pictures is kind of a good thing, because now you guys will only be in suspense for less than a week until even better pictures are up!!