Fire Trucks!

Aiden was in little boy heaven today! My brother, James, is a firefighter in Hartland and took us on a tour of the fire station and showed Aiden all of the fire trucks - the new engine, the ladder truck, another engine and the rescue truck.  Aiden was a bit intimidated at first by how BIG the fire trucks were but he soon warmed up to being in the garage and had SO much fun running from truck to truck checking them out and sitting in the cabs!  Thanks for making Aiden's day, Uncle James!! Aiden talked about visiting the fire station the whole car ride home this afternoon and is telling everyone what he got to see this morning!

24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks (only 16 weeks to go)
Baby’s Size: Baby is about the size of a large ear of corn - about a foot long and a few ounces over a pound.
Total Weight Gain: Well I just ran up stairs and jumped on the scale and according to that I have gained about 14 pounds!  I guess I will get an "official" weight at my next doctors appointment.
Bellybutton: Same as last week - very stretched and the center is starting to pop a bit.  Aiden thinks it's so funny looking..and I kind of have to agree!
Stretchmarks: Nope
Maternity Clothes: Yes - all the time.
Gender: It's a surprise!
Movement: I am baking a very energetic little baby...this kid loves to move and groove all the time.
Sleep: This last week its been pretty interrupted *sigh* I am starting to wake up more and more because I either have to use the bathroom or just can not get comfortable. 
Symptoms: Just rockin' the baby bump.
Food Cravings: As has been the norm for this pregnancy - no one stand-out craving.
Best Moments this week: Spending Mothers Day evening at the beach with Scott & Aiden.
What I miss: Sleeping and sunbathing on my tummy.
What I am Looking forward to: Visiting my parents & brother this weekend and seeing my Grandparents, Aunts/Uncles and cousins on Saturday.  Also looking forward to my OB appointment next Tuesday - I love hearing baby's little heartbeat! <3

Evening at the beach

On Sunday, Scott asked what I wanted to do for Mothers Day and I replied "Go to the beach." Which is one of my favorite things to do when the weather is warm. So we packed up Aiden, grabbed some sweat shirts and a few beach toys and headed out to Holland State Park.  We ate dinner by the channel watching a few sail boats go by and then decided to play in the sand. The sky was a beautiful clear blue and the sun was shining, but the breeze was still chilly out on the shores of Lake Michigan.  Here are a few pictures we snapped while we enjoyed the sun set.

My Little Dutch Boy

I totally forgot to post pictures a few weeks ago after we took Aiden's annual pictures dressed in his dutch costume with the Tulips downtown Holland.  This year my mom made Aiden's outfit and we had to take pictures well in advance of the actual Tulip Time Festival because with the crazy weather we had in March the tulips bloomed super early this year.  They have jokingly referred to Tulip Time this year as "Stem Fest."  So, here are the few pictures we were able to snap of Aiden before he decided he was "done."

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 weeks 1 day
Baby’s Size: Baby is about the size of a large mango - 11" long and weighs just over a pound.
Total Weight Gain: I think maybe 10 or 11 lbs so far.  Go bad to the OB 5/22 and will find out for sure - haven't weighed myself at home recently.
Bellybutton: Half & half? Its still mostly in, but the center is kind of popping out.  It never did this with Aiden, so its a new look for me. LOL
Stretchmarks: Nope
Maternity Clothes: Oh, yeah! Nothing else fits.
Gender: It's a surprise!
Movement: All the time.  This little baby is a wiggle worm just like his/her older brother Aiden was. And it seems like the baby is happy to flip breech a lot because I have felt a bunch of kicks/punches way down low.  Occasionally way high too...good thing it still has room to swim around and wiggle - much longer and it wont have that luxury!
Sleep: We have been pretty busy the last week or so, so I have been heading to bed earlier (9pm ish) and sleep pretty well except for my middle of the night bathroom trips.
Symptoms:  Just rockin' the baby bump.
Food Cravings: Hmmm....well, like always when the weather begins to warm - ICE CREAM.  Overall, no one stand-out craving. 
Best Moments this week: Getting our flower beds weeded and putting in new mulch.  It looks so nice!  Had fun taking pictures of Aiden in his dutch costume last week. (I will have to make a post and include pictures from that!)
What I miss: Sleeping and sunbathing on my tummy.
What I am Looking forward to: My friend Nicoles bridal shower on Saturday, Mother's Day on Sunday!

Baby #2 on the "Big Screen"

Today was an exciting day!  We got to see our sweet little baby on the "big screen."  You guessed it - we had our ultrasound appointment this afternoon.  Even though we decided to still continue with being Team Green and did not find out the gender of Baby #2 it was so much fun to see the little one wiggle around and see its tiny feet, its hands curled over its face and watch its little hearbeat flutter on screen.  The baby is measuring EXACTLY 24w0d so its due date was estimated correctly for September 4th.  The  baby was about 6.5" from head to rump and is currently weighing in at 14.5oz - so just under a pound - which are both typical measurements for a baby at 21 weeks gestation.  Here are a few snap shots of the little one that the tech printed off for us to take home.  (We also got to take a DVD of the U/S home with us too!)

Baby with arm above its head

Tiny feet (side of one foot, toes of the other - legs are crossed)

Side profile

Profile with hands above face

Side profile of head and spine

Heart and heartbeat (145BPM)

Face (looking straight at you)

20 Weeks

How far along? 20 weeks 1 day
Baby’s Size: Baby is about the size of a banana - 6.5" long from head to rump and about 10" head to heal, baby also weighs somewhere around 10.5 oz.
Total Weight Gain: About 9 pounds - will get an exact weight at my OB appointment on 4/24
Bellybutton: Inniebut the center is starting to pop a bit and its pretty stretched out overall
Stretchmarks: No, thank goodness
Maternity Clothes: 100% - nothing else fits
Gender: Team Healthy Baby
Movement: All the time.  This little baby is a wiggle worm just like his/her older brother Aiden was.
Sleep: Still sleeping well for the most part exept when the baby wiggles and jumps on my bladder making me have to get up for an extra bathroom breaks in the middle of the night.
Symptoms:  No unwanted symptoms...no nausea for weeks now.  Just rockin' the baby bump.
Food Cravings: While on our cruise vacation I craved french fries BIG TIME.  Otherwise I still have not had one real consistant craving exept maybe sandwhiches...PB&J, Miracle Whip or Jimmy Johns all seem to sound good through out the week.
Best Moments this week: Feeling more and more movement from the baby.  It is super active and you can feel and see it on the outside of my tummy constantly.  Scott has also gotten to feel the baby (did for the first time on our cruise) and Aiden has tried to feel the baby but he gets impatient and wanders off just before the baby actually kicks.
What I miss: Sleeping and sunbathing on my tummy.
What I am Looking forward to: Seeing my parents and brother for a long weekend & celebrating my moms birthday, going to the Tigers baseball game with Scott and friends of ours on Friday and the BIG ONE - Our ultrasound (WOOHOO) and doctors appointment on Tuesday, April 24th!  I can't wait to see this little baby on the "big screen!"