Grown-up Christmas Wish List

Dear Santa-

The past year has brought many trials and triumphs to my life... and despite the hard times I feel that I have been a good girl and would appreciate if you took my "good choices" into consideration as you visit our house Christmas Eve. I have compiled a short list of items not necessarily wanted... but needed. I could ask for a new car, to win the lottery or to have a new Mac book under the Christmas tree... but what I really need is the following:

*An additional pair of maternity pants... one pair is just not cutting it.

*A full time job for Daniel, sufficient to cover our monthly bills; including enough to cover rent on a perspective home so that we can move out.

*An "easy" button for potty training Elijah. He uses his little potty chair only if he is naked from the waist down... but that will not work in real life, he needs to wear britches!

*The Sandman to leave enough sleepy sand for me to sleep more than four hours a night. I can't function on countless nights of only four hours of sleep.

*A date night with my husband that does not include a restaurant with sticky menus and/or "chicken baskets".

I look forward to Christmas every year Santa... and will have a cookie plate waiting for you again!

Love,

Sarah Whipple

Just about 15 weeks pregnant

Missed out on blogging for weeks 13 and 14... just don't feel like it...

Wednesday of this week will be 15 weeks (it is also Daniels birthday...)

At 15 weeks old, Baby can squint, frown, grimace, pee (yes PEE!), and suck on fingers. Baby is about 4 inches long and weights about 2 and a half ounces. I am curious to see if the next ultrasound shows baby bigger than he/she should be. At my last ultrasound baby was already 3 inches... a whole inch bigger than should be for gestational age. Doesn't mean that baby is older than we think because of intense charting and fertility medications my Doctor had me follow. Just means BIG baby, possibly due to increased blood flow because of the Lovenox. We won't have an ultrasound for a few more weeks... so we wait.

According to many baby websites, at 15 weeks old our baby is about the size of an Orange! Which Elijah and I have been eating like crazy this last week! Yum!

Bitter Grace

Tuesday December 1, 2010... today I should have been 9 months pregnant, but my baby got lost on the way and is now in heaven.

Instead, I am 12 weeks pregnant today. God is notorious for turning ashes to beauty, but I can't help feeling depressed. I was suppose to be meeting my baby at the end of December... maybe even before Christmas! With that positive pregnancy test I daydreamed about buying Christmas presents for two children and spending New Years with our new miracle...

Daniel and I are ecstatic to be pregnant again... it is not that we wish to have the previous pregnancy over this pregnancy... in our dream world we wish we could have both! Reality, however, is being thankful for each day as it comes and taking nothing for granted.

Two months have past sense we found out we are pregnant again... and now I am 12 weeks already! I am so joyful... ... ... and

... I think I might punch the next person who lets me know "The scary part is over now"...

Pregnancies that are high risk due to clotting disorders become more "tricky" after 13 weeks. As the placenta takes over there is a higher risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. Clots in the placenta prevent oxygen and nutrients from getting to baby... and then their is a risk for premature labor due to pre-eclampsia... a risk of low weight babies because of the early labor or restricted oxygen during pregnancy... OR... there is the risk of GIANT babies because the anti-coagulant delivered too much oxygen and nutrients through the placenta. Blessed part about that is- More ultrasounds! At 18 weeks I will more than likely need one every other week to make sure baby IS getting enough but not too much nutrients and growing like he/she should.

For now I am focused on being 12 weeks...

At 12 weeks Baby Whipple is about the size of a plumb! About 2 inches long and weighs half an ounce! Baby is learning to open and close a fist... and to curl his/her toes.


We have been talking about the baby to Elijah, who continues to search my belly for him/her. He pokes my belly button and stares intently into it... obviously thinking the baby must be inside it. He is becoming more aware of babies around him and on T.V. I am thinking of getting him a baby doll for Christmas!

I find myself giving into daydreaming about having another baby. I have kept my heart so guarded till this point... not even really wanting to think of names. To which we have pretty much become settled on... but mums the word, for now at least!