Happy Due Date Baby Louis!

Well, we've made it to his estimated due date, but I think Baby is just too darn comfortable in there! We had our 40 week appointment yesterday and everything looks great. He's a happy camper and apparently feels no rush to come say hello to all of us! Michael and I keep talking to him and telling him how great it is out here and how so many wonderful family members want to meet him. I guess he'll come when he's ready! We're enjoying feeling him move and seeing his movements through my belly, knowing that we'll miss this time eventually. The anticipation and excitement are tremendous! Thanks for all the prayers and support!

39 Weeks and 3 days Pregnant... He should be here soon!

Michael and I are doing well. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little boy. Everything is ready to go... hospital bags are packed, his nursery is ready, all his clothes are washed and neatly put away, the play pen is up, car seat is installed, swing is ready to go, bottles are sterilized... we just need to figure out what his name is going to be!! I don't know why this has been such a hard task for us to complete. We've got a few names that we're considering, but we keep bringing up new names to consider so at this point, it really could be anything! Hopefully it will be clear once we meet him. Hopefully we get to meet him soon! Here are some pictures my sister took of us...

Visiting Friends

Liz and her fiance, Greg, came to visit on the 4th of July. It was so wonderful to see them! Liz is one of my best friends and was a roommate and sorority sister in college as well as a bridesmaid in our wedding.

This picture was taken at Erika's baby shower. Erika and I met at California's Junior Miss when we were in high school and then we lived in the same dorms at UC Berkeley. We've stayed good friends ever since and we've been able to share the experience of pregnancy together. She's due in August with a baby girl.

3 Year Anniversary and 36 Week Mark

Michael and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary on July 2nd. We went out to a nice dinner and talked a lot about our wonderful memories of our wedding day.

Our wedding day was definitely one of the best days of my life!

36 Week Picture

What a coincidence... our 36 week date fell on our 36 month wedding anniversary!

Sacramento Baby Shower

This past weekend we had our baby shower at Danielle and Brian's home, hosted by my two wonderful friends, Danielle and Heidi. It was such a beautiful shower. They thought of every detail, including personalized M & M candies and a photo of Michael and I on the cake. They had onsies for all the guests to decorate and they turned out so darling!! Baby Louis is going to look so cute in them!

Heidi and Danielle, The Hostesses
Ronda, Danielle, and Clarissa, Friends and Colleagues
Brian, Ryan, Michael, Ryan, Dave, John, and Baby Chase

32 Weeks and Definitely Showing!

Baby keeps growing and Michael and I are staying busy, preparing for his arrival. We toured the hospital yesterday, today we're attending a breastfeeding class, tomorrow we have a check-up appointment, and Saturday, we have an all day childbirth class. Busy, busy, busy! It certainly is a joyous time and both Michael and I feel like we can't be too prepared! We sure are excited to meet our son. Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts... both baby and I are doing well!

32 Weeks

Modesto Baby Shower

This past Sunday, Aunt Lori and Cousin Lindsey (Michael's aunt and cousin) threw me an absolutely perfect baby shower. It was so nice to celebrate with family and friends. I left with a carload full of gifts for Baby Louis... they definitely showered me with love! We're so fortunate to have such a wonderful family and such loving friends.

Mother's Day

Michael surprised me on Mother's Day with breakfast in bed and flowers and a balloon! He is so thoughtful and caring. It was fun to celebrate Mother's Day with our families. Hard to believe I'm going to be a Mom soon! We're so excited!

Things are going well. We just had our 28 week appointment and our Late Pregnancy Class. We got to tour the hospital and it really made everything feel so real. It won't be long until we're there and getting to meet Baby for the first time. Love to all!

The baby's room is coming along!

Michael and I spent the entire weekend putting together furniture and working on the baby's room. We make a good team and we were able to get so much done in one weekend. It was fun talking about the baby and imagining what life will be like in a few months. We'll still be adding some touches for decorations, but it's almost done. Thanks to our parents for helping make this room complete. You all are going to be such wonderful grandparents. Love to all!

Another Appointment...

I had another doctor's appointment on Wednesday this week. All went well. Baby's heart beat is in the 150's, which is perfectly healthy. I'm measuring between 25 and 26 weeks, so we're right on track. Everything else looked good.

I feel Baby kick a lot, especially late at night and early in morning. Michael is able to feel him kick from the outside, which is so exciting. We love to feel him move around. Hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for all your well-wishes! Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Painting the Baby's Room

The past two weekends, Michael has been working hard on painting the baby's room and putting up white chair rail. He has spent many hours working, mostly without my help, as he ordered me to stay away from the paint fumes. He's such a wonderful husband. Here are some of the photos of the room. We'll post more as we get the furniture together and more of the decorations up. Love to you all!

Easter 2008 (22 weeks pregnant)

We had a fabulous Easter, spending it both with the Mitchell Family and the Louis Family. Hard to believe that next year we'll have a little boy to celebrate the holiday with... so exciting! Michael and I have been feeling the little guy move around and kick a lot. We both love feeling him move around in my belly. Thank you for your prayers and excitement!

Mommy's Little Boy/ Daddy's Little Slugger

It's a BOY!!

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound and everything looks great! Baby Louis is growing quickly and we got to see him wave, kick, turn, and nod. It was amazing! Yes, IT'S A BOY! We are thrilled and Michael is already planning his T-Ball team! Family and friends, get ready for a little slugger to be born! Thank you for your prayers and excitement- our thanks go to God for this wonderful little miracle. We are so blessed.

Tomorrow's the Big Ultrasound!!

Michael and I are so excited for our big ultrasound which is scheduled for tomorrow. We'll get to see our precious baby moving around, hear about Baby's healthy growth, and find out if we're having a son or daughter. I'm so excited to find out. So many people have made predictions... the majority say it's a boy, but the few who say it's a girl are quite sure about it. I thought I would have some sort of inclination or "feeling" about the Baby's gender, but I have no idea. It will definitely be a wonderful surprise!

16 Week Appointment

We had our 16 week appointment yesterday. Michael came along and got to hear the heart beat. Baby's heart beat is 150 beats/minute which is strong and healthy! What a great Valentine's Day gift. Thank you all for all of your prayers and support. We are so very excited! Only 3 more weeks until our BIG ultrasound...

Soon To Be Big Brother

Buddy's taking his afternoon nap.

I think he's going to have some difficulty adjusting to not being the only child,

but I think he'll be a good big brother!

15 Week, 4 day Belly Shot

Alright, for those of you who have been asking... here is a belly shot. Baby Louis is growing quickly! Less than a month until we find out if Baby is a boy or girl. I'm feeling great and Michael and I are so excited!

13 Week Appointment

Today I had my 13 week appointment with the nurse midwife. Everything went great and I got to hear the baby's heart beating. It was AMAZING!! Baby's heart beat sounded so strong. There was also this intermittent sound I heard, and the nurse explained that the baby was kicking and the movement was picked up by the doppler. Baby kicked a lot during the doppler. Perhaps a soccer player? I can't wait to feel the baby kick inside of me. The nurse also explained that the most accurate due date to acknowledge is July 30, 2008. The ultrasounds may give different due dates, but they are not as accurate because the baby's growth rate varies week by week. So it sounds like the official due date is July 30th. Mark your calendars! Everything else is going well! Thank you for your prayers and support!

Ultrasound at 12 weeks

Here are some photos from our last ultrasound. Some of the photos aren't very clear, but the ultrasound technician labeled some of the photos, so if you look close, you can see the feet, legs, arms, etc. My favorite photo is the one of Baby's profile. I think Baby's pretty darn cute if I do say so myself!

Based on our previous measurements, we thought the baby was 12 weeks, 1 day, but based on the baby's current length, we're estimated to now be due on July 26, 2008 and the baby's measuring 12 weeks, 6 days. So we've moved up 5 days! How exciting! The doctor's appointment went great! Baby Louis is healthy and we were able to identify important organs and body parts, such as Baby's heart, brain, kidneys, stomach, arms, and legs. It's an amazing experience being able to watch the baby move on the screen. Baby Louis even did a flip for us while we were watching... perhaps an acrobat?

We'll update as soon as there is more information. Thank you for your prayers and support during this very exciting time. Thank you also to all the friends and family who have showered us with cards- you make us feel so special!

Our First Ultrasound at 9 weeks

We had our first prenatal appointment today which included our first ultrasound. It was the most amazing experience. Michael and I held hands as we waited to hear any information about the baby. After the nurse/midwife said, "Looks like you have a perfectly healthy pregnancy," Michael sighed and I whispered, "Thank you Jesus!" It was unbelievable to see the baby inside of me. We've included the photos from the ultrasound today. Based on the baby's length, our estimated due date is July 31st (plus or minus 14 days :-)).

Sharing The News on Christmas Eve!