Can't get my mind....

...off of this little girl!
I am officially 19 weeks today! I can't believe that I am almost to the halfway point! I go to the doctor again on Wednesday 11/3 for my 20 week appointment. This week has been a pretty busy week....I started my new job this week at our church's Christian Academy as a 2 year old teacher! I was VERY excited to start this job, but let me just say that I am EXHAUSTED!!!! My weekends and evenings are much needed! :) The nice part is that it is only 2 minutes from our house and I get to come home for an hour for lunch!

What is our little girl up to this week???
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!! :)

Love,
Mark & Missy

Spoiled....

Let's just say that shopping for a little one is sooooooo much fun now that we know what we are having! Our little lady is going to be VERY spoiled! My mom just can't help herself and I don't seem to help the issue! She also got gifts from my Aunt Rita and her Aunt Emily & Uncle Ryan! Her Grandma Lowry can't wait to get to the stores either, but had a very busy weekend!!!

Here is a before picture of the closet with the few gender neutral outfits we had:
And after the shopping this weekend....
As you can see her closet is quickly growing! Mark claims she will only wear each outfit once....and he may be right, but she will probably require a couple wardrobe changes a day! :) Among her new items are her first pair of jeans, sunglasses, tights, sundresses for next summer and lots of comfy pajamas!

We are so excited now that we know we will be having a little girl! Mark said he is ready for the tea parties! :) I cannot wait to see him with his daughter!!! I have a feeling she already has him wrapped around her little finger!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I know we did! It was so great to spend time with all of our family and spread our news! Thanks again for all of the prayers! We feel so blessed!

Love,
Mark & Missy

It's a.....

GIRL!!!!

Profile Shot:

Her foot:

The balloon game to reveal the gender with Mark's family!

How we told my parents:

We couldn't be more excited that we are having a little girl! Mark and I feel so blessed that she is healthy! We got to see her brain, all of the chambers of her heart, her stomach and kidneys! We were so amazed. Thanks for all of your prayers! We can't wait to meet her! :) As for now...I'm off to shop!

Love,
Mark & Missy

T-o-m-o-r-r-o-w.....

IS THE BIG DAY!!!!

Tomorrow is the 18 week marker and we will find out if Baby L is a BOY or a GIRL!!! I am sooo unsure! I was thinking boy and then last night I had a dream that we were having a girl! We will know soon enough! I will try and post tomorrow evening, although I am sure all of you will receive a text or a personal visit! I just wanted to post today to ask for prayers that the scan goes well and everything looks great with the baby and all of the vital organs!

I hope everyone is having a great week! Thanks in advance for the prayers!

Love,
Mark & Missy

One more week...

...until we get to know if Baby L. is a BOY or a GIRL!
...until we get to see our little one having a dance party again!
...until we get to look at the screen in amazement!
...until we get to share the news with our family!
...until we can start shopping for clothes!
...until we can order crib bedding!

I am 17 weeks along today and can't believe how fast the weeks are going by now! Only one more week until we know the gender and only 3 more weeks until the halfway point! We are beyond excited for next week to get here! Everything is going great for us right now and I am continuing to grow! :)


What is Baby L up to this week???

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

(remember...I get this from a website...I am not saying it is a HER!) We will know soon though!!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love,
Mark & Missy

The appointment is officially set.....

October 21 at 2pm we will know if Baby L is a boy or a girl!

My appointment went great this morning! We listed to the heartbeat again and Dr. C was laughing because there was a lot of interference coming through the doppler which meant Baby L is still having a dance party! He said we have a VERY active little one! I honestly can't wipe the huge ear to ear smile off my face! :) My next appointment with Dr. C is November 4 for my 20 week appointment!!! That doesn't seem far away at all and I will be HALF WAY done at that point!

Please send some prayers up for a great ultrasound! The ultrasound will be an extensive one that they do at the hospital and they will check all of Baby L's organs to make sure everything is growing and functioning correctly!

Have a great weekend! :)

Love,
Mark & Missy

16 weeks...

Another week has passed and nothing too eventful is going on right now! I go back to the doctor tomorrow so I will post again after I get done at my appointment. I started thyroid medicine on Tuesday. My doctor called Monday evening and told me that my thyroid levels were barely off, but they wanted me to take the medication through the rest of the pregnancy as a precaution. I am feeling great for the most part, still having bad heartburn and very tired throughout the day. The other thing that has started happening is I have been having WILD dreams....last night Emily and I were driving school buses from Logansport to Indianapolis and every time I turned mine it went on 2 wheels!!! I have no clue what is up with that!?!?


Baby L at 16 weeks is....

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.


Only 2 more weeks until we know if Baby L is a boy or a girl!!!!!


Here are some pictures of the crib! I know I promised them last week and didn't get them uploaded...SORRY!
Mark did a great job! No extra pieces so that is a good sign! Now we just have to find out what we are having and let the painting and decorating begin!!!

Love,
Mark & Missy