For most of this pregnancy, I've felt like this baby is a boy, but I kept telling myself and other people that I would take either just as long as he/she is healthy. Now, I can't tell you which one I would prefer to have.
It would be nice to have a boy since we already have a girl. At the same time, having another girl means we wouldn't really have to buy a lot of things (mainly clothes) since we could just use what Mara has outgrown. So really, it is a toss up at this point, and I look forward to finding out what we're having in 5-6 weeks. Speaking of when we'll find out what we're having, I go back to the doctor next Friday, and I should get to schedule my next ultrasound at that time.
No matter what we have, I know that Mara will make a great big sister.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Happy Birthday, Robert!
Just wanted to with my oldest nephew, Robert, a happy 18th birthday. It's hard to believe that he's already 18 and will be graduating from high school in just 6 weeks. Hope you have a fun birthday, and we look forward to seeing you tonight.
Monday, April 21, 2008
M-A-R-A
Last week, one of Mara's teachers told us that Mara could spell her own name. We figured John just misheard her because we had never heard her spell her name, but she was getting very good at identifying Ms when she sees them as well as writing them. Well, Friday night, we were driving around, and Mara was playing with her phone. She was saying letters as she was pushing buttons, and then it registered that she was saying "M-A-R-A." So, I guess she can spell her name. :)
The neat thing about all of this is that just a few short weeks ago at her 3-year doctor's appointment, she didn't even recognize the letter M at that time. Since then, I have been working with her on the letter M as well as the rest of the letters in her name. It looks like it didn't take long for them to sink in.
The neat thing about all of this is that just a few short weeks ago at her 3-year doctor's appointment, she didn't even recognize the letter M at that time. Since then, I have been working with her on the letter M as well as the rest of the letters in her name. It looks like it didn't take long for them to sink in.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Day Out with Thomas
On Saturday, we traveled down to Grapevine to go ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. We have gone to "Day Out with Thomas" every year starting when Mara was a week old.
Mara was so ready to go on this outing. She had been asking me for the past month when we would get to go ride Thomas. Then, on Saturday, she kept insisting that my dad, my sister, and myself get in the minivan so we could go see Thomas.
We got there about almost two hours before our train ride, but that gave us plenty of time to wander around. Our first stop was to get Thomas tattoos. Mara loved getting the Thomas tattoos and ended the day with four total (one on each arm and one on each cheek).
We then wandered around and found a kid-powered train. Mara just barely reached the height limit, but she had a lot of fun making the train go around.
Afterward, Mara posed with one of her favorite engines – Emily.
We then went to Imagination Station where she could play with Thomas puzzles and trains.
The kids were all excited once we got on the train. Mikey and Ben were at the front of our group and grabbed seats by an open window. All of the kids sat together so they could see out, and they had a lot of fun on the 20-minute ride.
We relaxed outside the gift shop while the other kids were going around exploring all of the things we visited before the train ride. While we were there, I recognize who was performing at one of the stages nearby. It was Mister David, who performed at a birthday party for one of Mara's friends just the weekend before. So, Mara and I went to watch him for a little bit.
Before we left, Mara posed with her cousins beside Thomas.
I also got a picture of the two of us. Too bad John couldn't have been there too.
It was a fun day. That evening, we celebrated my dad's birthday by having dinner at Red Robin and then going to Mike & Myra's new house for cake, ice cream, and presents.
Mara was so ready to go on this outing. She had been asking me for the past month when we would get to go ride Thomas. Then, on Saturday, she kept insisting that my dad, my sister, and myself get in the minivan so we could go see Thomas.
We got there about almost two hours before our train ride, but that gave us plenty of time to wander around. Our first stop was to get Thomas tattoos. Mara loved getting the Thomas tattoos and ended the day with four total (one on each arm and one on each cheek).
We then wandered around and found a kid-powered train. Mara just barely reached the height limit, but she had a lot of fun making the train go around.
Afterward, Mara posed with one of her favorite engines – Emily.
We then went to Imagination Station where she could play with Thomas puzzles and trains.
The kids were all excited once we got on the train. Mikey and Ben were at the front of our group and grabbed seats by an open window. All of the kids sat together so they could see out, and they had a lot of fun on the 20-minute ride.
We relaxed outside the gift shop while the other kids were going around exploring all of the things we visited before the train ride. While we were there, I recognize who was performing at one of the stages nearby. It was Mister David, who performed at a birthday party for one of Mara's friends just the weekend before. So, Mara and I went to watch him for a little bit.
Before we left, Mara posed with her cousins beside Thomas.
I also got a picture of the two of us. Too bad John couldn't have been there too.
It was a fun day. That evening, we celebrated my dad's birthday by having dinner at Red Robin and then going to Mike & Myra's new house for cake, ice cream, and presents.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
11-week appointment
I went in Friday for my 11-week appointment, and it went well.
We started off the appointment by talking to my doctor in her office. We went over family history and our plans for delivery and such. Then, before she started my actual exam, she told me that one way or another, we were going to hear the baby's heartbeat that day. Well, after two tries of trying to find the heartbeat with the doppler, she sent me in for a quick ultrasound. (It's nice they have it right there in the office.) The ultrasound technician had no problem finding the baby, who was measuring 11 weeks, 3 days (I was only 11 weeks, 1 day). She also said the baby's had a heart rate of 168 beats per minute. Some say that heart rate indicates the baby is a girl, but my doctor said she's seen that to be only about 50% accurate. :)
It was nice to be able to see the baby again. I was going to ask my doctor if I could have another ultrasound if she couldn't find the heartbeat just because of my prior issues this pregnancy, but I didn't have to worry about it.
Now, I don't go back until the first week of May. Then, my next appointment should be the one where we find out the gender of this baby. I can't believe that I'm almost out of the first trimester and that we're only 8-9 weeks away from finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl.
I'll leave you with the latest picture of our baby. In case you can't tell, that's the baby's head and body, and a hand is up next to the face in the middle picture.
We started off the appointment by talking to my doctor in her office. We went over family history and our plans for delivery and such. Then, before she started my actual exam, she told me that one way or another, we were going to hear the baby's heartbeat that day. Well, after two tries of trying to find the heartbeat with the doppler, she sent me in for a quick ultrasound. (It's nice they have it right there in the office.) The ultrasound technician had no problem finding the baby, who was measuring 11 weeks, 3 days (I was only 11 weeks, 1 day). She also said the baby's had a heart rate of 168 beats per minute. Some say that heart rate indicates the baby is a girl, but my doctor said she's seen that to be only about 50% accurate. :)
It was nice to be able to see the baby again. I was going to ask my doctor if I could have another ultrasound if she couldn't find the heartbeat just because of my prior issues this pregnancy, but I didn't have to worry about it.
Now, I don't go back until the first week of May. Then, my next appointment should be the one where we find out the gender of this baby. I can't believe that I'm almost out of the first trimester and that we're only 8-9 weeks away from finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl.
I'll leave you with the latest picture of our baby. In case you can't tell, that's the baby's head and body, and a hand is up next to the face in the middle picture.
ETA: I found this website that shows the development of an 11-week fetus. It might help you make sense of what is shown in the pictures. :)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Mara-isms
Mara has been full of cute sayings recently. It seems like something fun comes out of her mouth almost daily. Here are just a few of them.
When she was going through her Easter basket, she came across the yellow Peeps. She picked them up to look at them and said, "They're so bea-u-ti-ful ... just like me."
When she went to school one morning, she sat down next to a boy in her class, grabbed his hand, and asked, "Will you be my friend today?" He responded, "Yes, Mara, I'll be your friend."
She likes to give multiple choice answers when she asks a question. She'll pretend to be on the phone with me while we're in the car, and she'll start the conversation, "Are you there, Mommy? Yes or no?"
An oldie but a goody is something she said last summer. We were in the car, and she was playing around with her nose. I asked her if she had something up her nose, and she told me, "Yes. Cheeseburgers." Now if you ask her what's up her nose, it's just "boogers."
When she was going through her Easter basket, she came across the yellow Peeps. She picked them up to look at them and said, "They're so bea-u-ti-ful ... just like me."
When she went to school one morning, she sat down next to a boy in her class, grabbed his hand, and asked, "Will you be my friend today?" He responded, "Yes, Mara, I'll be your friend."
She likes to give multiple choice answers when she asks a question. She'll pretend to be on the phone with me while we're in the car, and she'll start the conversation, "Are you there, Mommy? Yes or no?"
An oldie but a goody is something she said last summer. We were in the car, and she was playing around with her nose. I asked her if she had something up her nose, and she told me, "Yes. Cheeseburgers." Now if you ask her what's up her nose, it's just "boogers."
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Mara's Birthday Party
I know that I'm a few days late, but I wanted to share some pictures from Mara's birthday party. It was a lot of fun, and Mara had a great time at her birthday party Saturday. It was nice that we could have that many family members and friends join us to celebrate her birthday.
Mara's birthday theme was the Littlest Pet Shop, and we had the party at a farm. There were a lot of animals there, including horses, longhorn cattle, and buffalo. You could also feed the sheep and goats, including a little baby goat that was just running around.
We were supposed to have a hayride too, but they couldn't do it since it rained the night before. Instead, they took the kids around on a barrel ride pulled by a tractor. I don't think the kids missed not getting a hayride, and I know my bottom appreciated skipping it as well. :)
We bought Mara's cake from Albertson's and then added a Littlest Pet Shop birthday playset to go with the theme of her party. It was a double bonus as Mara loved the cake and then ended up with a new LPS set to play with.
We were also able to find the perfect goody bags for her party. We had four different types of Littlest Pet Shop bags that I found at Target, and we filled them with bubbles, Play-Doh, stickers, a velvet coloring page, and a piece of candy. They were all a big hit.
Mara also got a lot of neat presents, including several Littlest Pet Shop set. It's nice to know that so many people know our daughter well enough to know that she would love anything animal related for her birthday. Since it turned out to be a nice afternoon, we decided to go ahead and open some presents at the farm before heading back to our house to open the rest. (In fact, we ended up getting kicked out of the farm because the employees were ready to go home.)
It was a really great day even though Mara had to forego her nap and was dead tired by the time the day was over.
BTW, since I was posting pictures here, I also went back and added a few pictures to the Easter post. So, you might want to scroll down to check those out.
Mara's birthday theme was the Littlest Pet Shop, and we had the party at a farm. There were a lot of animals there, including horses, longhorn cattle, and buffalo. You could also feed the sheep and goats, including a little baby goat that was just running around.
We were supposed to have a hayride too, but they couldn't do it since it rained the night before. Instead, they took the kids around on a barrel ride pulled by a tractor. I don't think the kids missed not getting a hayride, and I know my bottom appreciated skipping it as well. :)
We bought Mara's cake from Albertson's and then added a Littlest Pet Shop birthday playset to go with the theme of her party. It was a double bonus as Mara loved the cake and then ended up with a new LPS set to play with.
We were also able to find the perfect goody bags for her party. We had four different types of Littlest Pet Shop bags that I found at Target, and we filled them with bubbles, Play-Doh, stickers, a velvet coloring page, and a piece of candy. They were all a big hit.
Mara also got a lot of neat presents, including several Littlest Pet Shop set. It's nice to know that so many people know our daughter well enough to know that she would love anything animal related for her birthday. Since it turned out to be a nice afternoon, we decided to go ahead and open some presents at the farm before heading back to our house to open the rest. (In fact, we ended up getting kicked out of the farm because the employees were ready to go home.)
It was a really great day even though Mara had to forego her nap and was dead tired by the time the day was over.
BTW, since I was posting pictures here, I also went back and added a few pictures to the Easter post. So, you might want to scroll down to check those out.
The End of an Era
For as long as I have been a fan of OSU basketball, a Sutton has been at the helm of the team. Now, that's no longer the case.
For the first time in 18 years, someone else will be leading the Cowboys next season, and I don't know what to think. Actually, I do have one thought about this. I think that Sean Sutton should have been given one more year as the Cowboys' head coach. He was only there for two brief years during a time where there were a lot of changes in the makeup of the team. Two years is not enough time for a new head coach starting his career. And his record isn't any worse than the first few years for a lot of the big name coaches out there.
In college basketball, players come and go, but coaches are pretty constant. In fact, I think most people invest more in a coach because they never know if the players they like might only stay at the school one year and a maximum of four. And that's why people get so upset when their coach is forced to resign or skips out early on a contract.
I've never rooted for a Sutton-less Cowboys. There's no question that I'll still support OSU since it's my alma mater, but I really wonder if I'll have the passion for OSU basketball that I once had. Not only was Eddie Sutton the coach of the Cowboys when I started avidly following them in high school (back in 1992 or around there), Sean was one of the coaches I could always count on when I needed to interview someone about an upcoming game while working for the O'Colly. I really wanted him to succeed as OSU's head coach (I remember talking to him back in the mid-90s about eventually taking over when Eddie retired), but I don't think he was given an adequate chance.
Despite all that I've written here, I'm really at a loss for words. I guess I'll have to wait and see who OSU hires as its next basketball coach, and then I'll go from there. However, I do wish Sean as well as next year's Cowboy team all the best.
And if you want more information about what's going on, go here.
For the first time in 18 years, someone else will be leading the Cowboys next season, and I don't know what to think. Actually, I do have one thought about this. I think that Sean Sutton should have been given one more year as the Cowboys' head coach. He was only there for two brief years during a time where there were a lot of changes in the makeup of the team. Two years is not enough time for a new head coach starting his career. And his record isn't any worse than the first few years for a lot of the big name coaches out there.
In college basketball, players come and go, but coaches are pretty constant. In fact, I think most people invest more in a coach because they never know if the players they like might only stay at the school one year and a maximum of four. And that's why people get so upset when their coach is forced to resign or skips out early on a contract.
I've never rooted for a Sutton-less Cowboys. There's no question that I'll still support OSU since it's my alma mater, but I really wonder if I'll have the passion for OSU basketball that I once had. Not only was Eddie Sutton the coach of the Cowboys when I started avidly following them in high school (back in 1992 or around there), Sean was one of the coaches I could always count on when I needed to interview someone about an upcoming game while working for the O'Colly. I really wanted him to succeed as OSU's head coach (I remember talking to him back in the mid-90s about eventually taking over when Eddie retired), but I don't think he was given an adequate chance.
Despite all that I've written here, I'm really at a loss for words. I guess I'll have to wait and see who OSU hires as its next basketball coach, and then I'll go from there. However, I do wish Sean as well as next year's Cowboy team all the best.
And if you want more information about what's going on, go here.
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