Jaime's Birthday Celebration, and we are having a Boy!!!

Our weekend started out with a surprise trip to Arizona, Tucson to be exact!

We stayed at the beautiful Loews Resort Ventana Canyon, and Jaime played 18 holes on a Tom Fazio course. It's rated top three in Arizona! He is a great golfer.












After all the fun we had swimming, hiking, golfing, and relaxing in Tucson-it was time to head home and prepare for Jaime's birthday bash! My sweet friend Traci made his birthday cake, which also contained the answer to our surprise, "is it a boy, or a girl?" She adorned the cake with Black Label Skateboarding stuff and of course threw in a Double T, for good measure! It was a very cool cake! (Delicious too)


We had a very special night with our closest friends and with my family. We are very blessed to have so many loving, caring, FUN, prayerful people in our lives. It was nice having a house full of kiddos, and a house full of love on this memorable occasion.












Ready to sing to Jaime!!!

Make a Wish!!


Such anticipation!



It's BLUE!!!!!!! We are going to have a SON!



Can't wait until he's here in our arms.



Time for more celebrating



Happiest of smiles- Eliana and James

Happy Birthday Babe! I love that you're my baby daddy! :o)

It's A ......!!!!!

Haha, nope, we don't know yet! It's just a sealed envelope away from where I'm sitting, but the surprise we'll have for Jamie's bday will be so special! The appointment went really well today. If you can see in the picture, the baby is sucking his/her thumb! How cute. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at that picture today. My heart melts everytime. The sonographer said that everything is measuring just fine, and I'm measuring right at 19 weeks. Perfect! It was special having my mom and Jamie there today to share in the excitement.
They measured the brain, the lip, heart,cervix,legs,arms, head, and spine. I was relieved to see that the head is not measuring off the charts! We both have big ol' noggins! The legs measured longer than 19 wks and 0 days. So, we're not sure if it's really mine! :o)

I feel like I've been feeling the baby move a little bit this week, but as soon as I turn my focus to the movement, it's gone. It will be nice when I can feel the little one moving around consistently! I will go in on Wednesday just to see the doctor and get scheduled for next months appointment. Thanks for all the prayers.

As for us, we are doing well. I start back to work next week! Summer's over already! Over the weekend my brother and Paul were here and we really enjoyed being with them! I feel like I don't need to eat for a week though! Jamie has Friday off and we are hoping to relax and enjoy a long weekend together. This week we have a guy coming to check our a/c duct work. Apparentely , it's common with evaporative coolers to experience rusted out ducts. That's what is happening here, so we are losing lots of air into the attic. Money, money, money!! Thanks Murphy! We are also getting a new window tomorrow for our bedroom and for the nursery...or the room that will eventually be the nursery! Super stoked about the windows because they should cut out quite a bit of outside noise and DUST! Woohoo!! Then, hopefully we can start to buy our baby furniture! We have themes picked out for each sex and are thrilled either way.

Top Ten Reasons to Use Cloth Diapers

10 Reasons to Use Cloth




1. The CUTE factor!! If you’ve been out of the ‘cloth diaper loop’ for a few years, you may not even recognize them. Modern cloth diapers are trim, easy to use, and come in a wide array of colors and styles. Who can say that about their disposable diapers!
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2. More economical. Disposable diapers are extremely expensive when you consider a 2-3 year diapering period. You can easily cloth diaper one child for 3 years for as little as $400!! That’s a savings of over $1600 considering the average family spends well over $2000 in disposable diapers over 3 years.1 These savings could be doubled if you use the same cloth diapers on a second child. Additionally, your used cloth diapers may be resold for as much as 60% of their original cost on websites like Diaperswappers! Try doing that with your used disposables!
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3. Better for baby. Disposable diapers contain trace amounts of Dioxin - banned in most countries (but not the US) and listed by the EPA as one of the most toxic poisons known, with a cancer risk as high as one in 100!2 They also contain: chemicals, TBT tributyl tin, perfumes and dyes, that are all harmful to your baby. Disposable diapers contain Sodium Polyacrylate (the small crystals used to absorb and hold in moisture). This substance was removed from tampons because of its link to Toxic Shock Syndrome!!3 Considering we have such great alternatives today, why take the risk?
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4. Better for the environment. In the United States, 570 disposable diapers are thrown away every second!4 That’s 49 million diapers per day… Gross! Disposable diapers create 1 ton of garbage per year per child. It is estimated to take 250-500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose.5 Cloth diapers are the obvious answer, even when considering the amount of energy and water used to make and wash them. An updated report by the UK Environment Agency confirms that reusable cloth diapers, if used and laundered according to manufacturer’s guidelines, can cause up to 40% less damage to the environment than disposable diapers!6
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5. CONVENIENT! It’s much easier to toss your cloth diapers in the washing machine than it is to load your baby in the car and drive to the store to pick up a package of disposable diapers! No more late night emergency trips to the store!! And with all the innovative cloth diapering accessories available today, using cloth diapers is EASY and CONVENIENT even when you’re ‘out and about!’
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6. More reliable than disposables. Is there anything worse than a blowout? Disposable diapers are notorious for leaks of all kinds! Correctly fitted cloth diapers are much better at containing leaks and keeping messes in the diaper and off your baby’s clothes.
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7. More comfortable for baby. Think about it. Would you rather wear paper or cotton? I don’t think anyone enjoys those paper gowns they make you wear at the doctor’s office! Why would your baby think any different? And babies who wear cloth diapers tend to have less diaper rash than those in disposables.
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8. FUN! That’s right, cloth diapering is fun! With all the choices in styles, fabrics, and colors, building your cloth diaper stash is a great way to indulge your shop-a-holic side and STILL save money!! And now that there are no pins, plastic pants, or dunking involved, cloth diapering really can be easy and fun for Moms and Dads, Grandparents, Babysitters, ANYONE!
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9. Potty train earlier. Children in cloth diapers tend to potty learn faster than children in disposable diapers. It is easier for them to feel when they are wet. Yea for changing less diapers!
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10. Did I mention how CUTE cloth diapers are? Modern Moms (and Dads) love showing off their cloth diapered babies, including famous celebrities like Dave Matthews, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Matthew McConaughey, Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Denise Richards, and Brad Paisley!7


Choose cloth -- Make a statement!!


For Even More Reasons, visit “Why Choose Cloth?” at the Real Diaper Association!!
1Calculation based on Mothering Magazine’s estimate that the average child goes through 8000 diaper changes before potty learning times an average of $.25 per diaper = $2000.
2 Greenpeace. The Real Cancer Cure: A Dioxin Prevention Plan. June 12, 2000.
3Diffin, Elizabeth. Cloth diapers benefit baby health and the environment, advocates say. Medill Reports Chicago. April 30, 2009.
4Clean Air Council. Waste Facts and Figures. http://www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html
5 Link, Ann. Disposable nappies: a case study in waste prevention. April 2003. Women's Environmental Network
6 Priesnitz, Wendy. Ask Natural Life: Cloth or Single-Use Diapers?. Natural Life Magazine. September/October 2009.
7 Peters, Holly. Hollywood Celebrities Use Cloth Diapers / Nappies. Associated Content. May 19, 2009.

Summer!

I love my job!! I'm taking full advantage of summer by taking lots of naps. I know sleep will be but a sweet memory before we know it! We are taking steps to getting our home ready for baby. Lots of cleaning and organizing going on. Jamie installed a ceiling fan/light in the room that will be the nursery. It has a dimmer on the light and I'm sure that will come in handy. He and a couple of guys from work also put a light in our dining room. Good Riddance lamp that didn't work well enough to light the room! It's very nice. The fixture was a gift last summer from our friends Patty and Paul. Thanks guys!! We will also be getting a couple of new windows for the house, they should be installed by this time next month. Yeah!

We will soon be getting the clutter in the garage organized, and will start cleaning this soon to be nursery out. We have to move Haley,the cat, and hopefully that will go smoothly. She's sorta the queen/boss right now, and deals with change by behaving badly.

Other than that, we are anxiously awaiting the next appointment. It seems so far away! I know that time will pass quickly, but I want to see that baby again!

Today my Aunt and Uncle that live in Australia are coming to town. They are bringing my Grandparents and we are all excited to see everyone. Jessica, my tia, is also pregnant-so this will be fun. The boys are cleaning up the yard, the porch, and vacuuming the house while they wait. They LOVE being with family. It'll be good to see my dad and his brother together.

Okay, I've procrastinated enough I suppose :o)

14 Weeks 1 Day-ZzZZZzzz

Today was the LONGEST wait ever at the doc's office, but that's alright-Jamie and I got to visit and laugh a lot. Doc asked if we had any questions, and I just asked about the pertussis vaccine because of the scary commercial they keep playing. He is not concerned, so now I'm not either.
When it came time for the sonogram, we got to see a curled up baby that wouldn't budge. It wasn't the most exciting and baby was not too photogenic. We tried to get him to move around...but it wasn't happening. He moved a leg and his hands,as if saying "stop it" then went right back to sleep. Heartbeat was excellent at 152 bpm. Doc says he's measuring right on target.
We go back in a little over a month, hopefully baby will be active that day.
As for us, we are both doing well. I'm loving the lazy days of summer, especially the times where I can catch up with old friends. Jamie is still working hard at the fields and at his day job too, and before we know it, school will be upon us! Then time will really fly. I just can't believe that by this time next year, we'll have a sweet baby with us! God is good, all the time.

12 weeks and 3 days!! Time to share our news!

WooHoo, we're 12 weeks and 3 days. I went in for an ultrasound this morning and got to see the little one wriggling and kicking all over! At one point he (no, we don't know if it's a he) put his hand up on his face and I got to see 5 fingers.
So, we are now telling people-which is fun. It's seems so strange to let our big secret out, and not just have it for ourselves anymore. It was definitely tough not letting it slip :o) We love that we can share our joy!! Pardon the quality on the vids, they were taken from an odd angle and really I missed some of the best parts. But, at least you can hear the heartbeating at a whopping 154 bpm this time....and see the baby doing acrobatics.

I'm still feeling fine! Still want a little nap in the afternoon, but I'm fortunate not to have morning sickness or any other ailments.
Jamie is doing well too, he is working his tail off at the baseball fields this season. They love him there! TTFN, another update coming July 7th. We're happy to have you all along following our journey.

Amazing the Difference 3 Weeks Makes!

SOOOOO very happy tonight after having our 2nd appt today. I'm 10 wks 1 day! I've never had a good second appt, and even the doc was anxious. Jamie and I got to catch up and laugh while waiting , and waiting, and waiting for Dr. G. But, he's so worth the wait. It takes him so long because he truly cares to talk with you about any and every question or concern. I don't think I could ever be in better care. He and his staff are truly the best, and definitely a blessing to us.

When he first put the stuff on my tummy I must have been holding my breath, because as soon as we saw that little heart beating, I gasped for air. We were very relieved to say the least. Immediately everyone in the room thanked God.
As we talked and the doc took measurements, the most exciting thing happened. The baby woke up and started moving and waving his arms!! I could have watched for hours. J and I both agreed that was the COOLEST thing EVER!!

We'll get to see those little arms and legs kicking and moving before we know it.

As for me, I've been feeling great. I've been napping on days when I can, and have been having to get up once during the night-but other than that, I've been feeling pretty much normal. Yeah!!
As for James, he is also feeling great :o) It's fun talking to him about what all is going on. He's a good hubby and is going to be such a good Daddy!

We thank everyone who is praying for us-the power of prayer is amazing.

Matthew 7:7-11 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!