Baby girl's name

We have finally decided on a name for our baby girl.  Well, at least the first name but that is a good start.  Ryan has picked the name Isabelle.  I think it is beautiful.  I had been throwing out some names and he wasn't really liking any of them.  I didn't mind because I wasn't sold on them either.  Then all of a sudden, he looked at me and said "I think it should be Isabelle."  So, we are going with it.  I think it will fit her very well.  Now, to just find a middle name!

One of those days...

It has been one of those day or shall I say... one of those weekends.  The boys have been driving me up the wall, I have been feeling a bit down about baby girl, and I am now beginning to stress over my shot tomorrow (the first one that Ryan is administering).  To top it all off... I am sick AGAIN!!  My throat is so sore and my head is congested again.  Being pregnant, I can't really take anything that will actually make me feel better.
I know all of these things will pass but experiencing them all at once has about sent me over the edge.  I know my  boys will one day grow out of the temper tantrum stage.  I am beginning to ask when but at the ages of 5 and 7, you would think that time is close.  Maybe?!?  Even though I am excited to meet our baby girl, I know I will still have those days of fear and "why me??".  This has to be normal!  I also know that tomorrow I will actually get through the shot with flying colors.  I might scream but that is OK since I am in my own house, right??  And being sick... well, this can't last forever either.
I have finally figured out that spaghetti and I are not friends (at least until this pregnancy is over).  The sight, smell and taste of it will easily make me want to hug the nearest toilet. After trying some delicious chicken pasta (well, delicious at the time) over the weekend,  I am now going to go ahead and just add all pastas to my list of things to stay clear of.  I know this will not fly too well with the boys since their favorite restaurant is Olive Garden.
Enough of my nonsense venting.  Tomorrow is a new day and I am ready for it.  Well, this does mean that it is work day but oh well.  A new day, new week and then a fresh new weekend.

One happy boy...

Look what someone introduced to us!!  It is soy butter (a substitue for peanut butter).  It smells and looks just like peanut butter but is made from soy.  Aiden had his first "PB"&J sandwich this weekend and he was so excited.  For those of us who are used to actual peanut butter, it doesn't taste the same but Aiden doesn't know the difference.  Yay for substitue peanut butter- you have changed Aiden's world!!

New Years Eve...

We decided to have a relaxing night for NYE so the boys and I went over to Chad and Steph's for some food and game night.  We left Daddy at the house to watch his FSU game in peace and quiet.  I am happy to report that FSU won so the boys and I were allowed to return to the house after midnight!  I was afraid that if FSU lost then we might have had a sleep over at Chad's. 
We started the night off with a bang! Literally... check out Aiden's nose.

He decided he was going to walk and play his DS-I at the same time.  Well... that didn't work out so well and he landed himself smack into a tree.  I think it embarrassed him more than anything which then set his night in a downward spiral.

Then Mrs. Henrietta (Steph's Mom) had each of the kids make a turkey out of different candies.  They had a blast making it and even more fun eating it. 

Aiden starting the process.  He had to get his own special plate since the recipe calls for peanut butter cups and he is allergic to peanuts.  So... we improvised.

Working hard! 

and here's the turkey 

Ethan getting started. 

Ethan going a little crazy!  I debated whether he would be able to actually eat the chocolate since he doesn't look like he needs any additional energy. 

Thanks for having us over Chad and Steph!! 

Christmas updates...

We had a great Christmas but I am just now getting around to posting some picutres. I love Christmas and the all of the decorations but I was so ready to get everything put away this year.

On Christmas Eve, Ryan had to go into work for a bit so we all went for breakfast and then drove Daddy to the hotel.  While he was working for a few hours, I took the boys to play at Baytowne.  They had a blast. 

Ethan and Aiden taking a quick break. 

They love this tire swing.  Mommy even gave it a try!

Aiden being cheesy. 

Merry Christmas from the boys! 

The boys learned how to sleep in late during their winter break.  I think it helped that they slept in their tent most every night downstairs.  Although we made them sleep in their room on Christmas Eve so Santa could make his visit, we still had to wake them up.  We were on a tight schedule for the morning so we had to up and going at 8am.  This is what they saw when they came downstairs.

Then they finally noticed their drum set and guitar.  We actually had to point them out since they immediately stopped at the tree. 

I love the look on Ethan's face.  Can you tell he is excited?? 

Our new musicians! 

By the morning, we had already started second guessing our purchases.  Hopefully our neighbors don't mind being woken up by some loud music.

18 week appointment

We had our 18 week appointment today and I am proud to announce, I am back to my starting pre-pregnancy weight.  With all of the morning sickness and then stress, I was losing weight instead of heading in the other direction.
The boys were able to come to this appointment so they got to see their baby sister in action.  They were very excited and soon they will even be able to feel her kick.  I am feeling her a lot more these days and Ryan was able to feel her a few nights ago.
We received a good report today.  During our ultrasound in week 16, the doctor noticed fluid around the baby's neck and that is what sent us to the high risk doctor.  Today, she wasn't able to find any fluid around her neck.  Now, this does normally go away during pregnancy but she was surprised that after only 2 weeks, she couldn't find any trace of the fluid.  We said we would take it as a blessing and continue to believe that this baby is in God's hands.  Whatever he chooses to do, we will accept.  I go back to the high risk doctor on the 18th, so hopefully we will continue to see good reports.  These last few weeks seem like it was bad news after bad news so a little good news is refreshing.
Then it was time for the nurse to show Ryan how to properly give me my weekly progesterone shots.  I found out that I had worked myself up more than I needed to.  It wasn't as bad as I thought.  Although, as I am siting here typing this, I refuse to put pressure on that side of my biscuit (aka...butt).  It is pretty tender at the moment.  The boys were still in the room so Ethan asked if I was going to scream like he did when he had to get shots.  I explained that I would have to take it like a big girl since we are in public and leave the screaming for when Daddy is administering the shots at home.

Our baby girl...

A few weeks ago, our normal 2 week check up at the OB turned into a whirlwind of events to follow.  We were sent to the high risk doctor after the OB noticed a cyst on our baby's neck.  The high risk appointment included a forever long ultrasound where we saw our baby actually wave to us, kick and be completely stubborn.  To us, we couldn't see anything different with this ultrasound than the boy's ultrasounds.  However, after the doctor began to review the slides, his words were " I would like to go over some troubling findings."  These are words that no parent wants to here.  He mentioned the fluid around her neck as well as the size of her chin, then he moved to her heart.  Our baby is missing the center wall between the ventricle (not sure of my medical terminology at this point) and due to her heart, there is fluid around her lung.  The doctor did say that the heart is operable but he was worried about all of these issues combined.  Would this baby be strong enough to survive the pregnancy and if so, how about the birth?  With all of these findings, he said it would be wise for us to do the amino testing.  I was not a big fan but after a quick glance at Ryan, we decided we would want to know if there is anything wrong so we could prepare.  We were told that day that more than likely the baby had down syndrome but the testing would take 6 days (due to the holidays).  Last Monday we received the phone call from the genetic counselor who confirmed what the doctor had already predicted and our world was forever changed.  Our baby has an extra 21st chromosome.
The day we had our high risk appointment I decided to open a devotional that I had actually bought a few months ago.  This is what I read:
My plan for your life is unfolding before you.  Sometimes the road you are traveling seems blocked, or it opens up so painfully slowly that you must hold yourself back.  Then, when time is right, the way before you suddenly clears- through no effort of your own.  What you have longed for and worked for I present to you freely, as pure gift.  Do not fear your weakness, for it is the stage on which My Power and Glory perform most brilliantly.  As you persevere along the path I have prepared for you, depending on My strength to sustain you, expect to see miracles- and you will.  Miracles are not always visible with the naked eye, but those who live by faith can see them clearly.- Jesus Calling (Sarah Young, devotional)
Ryan and I are beginning to come to terms with everything we have learned and are now trying to prepare the best way possible for our families new life journey.  Like my previous posts have mentioned, our emotions have run wild mostly from fear of the unknown.  What will our lives be like? What struggles will this baby face?  We know that God will not give us more than we can handle so we are putting our trust in that.  I pray that God will make me a stronger person so I can handle any obstacle and help this baby be the best she can be and live up to her fullest potential.
On Sunday, the boys and I headed back to church after skipping for the last few weeks.  It was time to face those that have been praying for us.  I was scared to have to explain the results or get the hugs I so desperately needed.  Could I handle it?  Well, I survived.  I did have my moments of crying but I felt loved.