Joshua Robert Cernock

Here's our little guy: Joshua Robert.  Not Josh (per David), but Joshua.  

Due to Riley's birth defects, I was required to have a Level 2 ultrasound this go around.  It's just a more detailed ultrasound.  The photo up top is from that ultrasound, which was on July 22.  The photo below was done yesterday at Duke Pediatric Cardiology.  Both confirm boy parts.  

If you look closely, you can see the heart here.  It actually looks a little heart shaped.  It's the void to the right of the photo.  Everything looks good with Joshua's heart so far!

A nice profile shot.  He was moving a lot.  Some of the photo's from the ultrasound show blurry limbs!  And during the echocardiogram yesterday he pushed on the probe the entire time.  The technician actually laughed at his attempts to push back.  

Peek a boo!  

My thoughts on having a boy: it's something different.  Which is good for me.  I'm excited to have something different.  I think Hannah will continue to be a huge helper and an awesome big sister.  I think Riley will be a little bully and a bit jealous, but Josh should outgrow her before too long, evening the playing field out a bit.  David is thrilled.  Beyond thrilled.  This will be the last child David and I have.  Or at least plan to have. ; )  We had talked about having a third in the past but we thought we'd wait another year.  We're just getting it out of the way sooner now!  That being said, the fact that it is a boy is more reassurance that we're done.  I feel like our family is complete.  And that's a great feeling.  Next time you see our little guy will be the middle of December.  

It's a baby!

Yep.  Most of you, perhaps even all of you, already knew that David and I are expecting again.  

It was a shock and a surprise for us.  More so for me, because I had other plans, and those plans were changed immediately.  For the last two months, I've been wrapping my brain around everything.  It's been hard.  Added to my personal feelings are the worst pregnancy symptoms I've ever experienced.  I have nausea, all the time.  There have been times when it was so intense that it was woken me from sleep.  I pee all the time, sometimes 4 times a night.  That's not supposed to happen for another 4 months!  My food tastes are so particular, likely because of the nausea.  The only thing I want are bread and carbs and cheese.  I'm tired and have no energy, that's given right.  I've maintained exercising at least 5 days a week and every day it is a struggle.  Right now, it doesn't make me feel good.  But I do it because I know it is good for me.  Plus, I have to do something to offset all the bread and carbs I'm consuming.    

Along with all that, there's the added bonus of David and I having to buy a new to us vehicle.  In case you were wondering, I have never wanted a minivan.  I repeat I HAVE NEVER WANTED A MINIVAN.  Of course there are other options, but price for space, a minivan can't be beat.  So that's likely what we'll end up with because I'm not going to intentionally spend more money so I don't have to drive a stinkin minivan. Plus there's all this little stuff.  I had been playing around with the idea of being a surrogate, that can't happen now.  Surrogacy agencies do not want women who have had 3 C-Sections, which I absolutely have to have this time.  Josh, Leah, David and I had begun to plan a trip to Italy next March.  That's not going to happen now.  Quite frankly, I don't want to be breast feeding while traveling Italy.  And then there is my first marathon on April 14th.  I'll have 3 months to train for that.  

I know these are all selfish things but that's exactly why I wasn't planning on having my own baby.  

I talked to my OB about my feelings, he was very understanding.  He told me that it's hard when you start a pregnancy feeling so bad because you begin to build a negative bond with the baby.  He said that most of the time that goes away when you can feel the baby move.  I'm anxiously awaiting some baby movements so I can start to feel some excitement about this pregnancy.  

Putting things together

It's taken us months this time, to put together the baby items.  Two large items, the bassinet and the stroller got put together yesterday.  Baby items sure are large!  

The Bassinet

Hannah was in charge of collecting the trash.

And holding pieces in place while daddy screwed them together.

The finished product.

All put together, with the legs extended and bedding.  

And now, the stroller.

Hannah wanted to push it.  David didn't believe that it would fit our car seat.  So that's why our car seat is sitting on it.  

Now all we need is the baby.  

Baby Girl

Remains unnamed right now.  I told David that he could pick out the name, right now he's leaning towards Riley.  According to Hannah, her name is Cinderella.  Yesterday, we were finally able to find out that it is a girl.  Everything else looks good, just as it should.  I've been feeling her move.  Almost everyday now, for about the last two weeks.  I'm really starting to get excited.  It's taken a little while.  I think partially because this is the second one and, unfortunately, there's just a little less excitement than there was with the first one.  We're slowly preparing for her.  We rearranged the bedrooms, giving the kids the smaller room to sleep in.  They're going to share a bedroom for now.  The bigger bedroom is going to be the playroom/guest room.  It's coming together nicely.  I kinda wish I had done it this way to begin with.  Nothing else really going on.  

I really like this picture.  Side profile shot.  

Those tiny things under the "Peace Daddy" is her two fingers.