GROW

announcement video

Its been a while since I've documented anything on here! This is a good one!

This summer, Mike and I talked a lot about when we would like to have another baby. We both felt it was appropriate to stop prevention at the end of June, and we had scheduled our fertility appointment for the end of September, so we could start the process of trying for another baby! We expected it to take us quite a few months to conceive. We hoped that the next baby would be about 3 years younger than Lyla!

At the end of July and throughout August I wondered if I could be pregnant, despite the low probability. I was experiencing morning sickness symptoms and mood swings. So I took a test at the beginning of August and it was negative, I took another a few days later, and it was negative again, so anytime I felt like I could be pregnant after that, I would dismiss it.

At the beginning of September my nausea was getting bad, I had woken up in the middle of the night for two weeks, just to eat a piece of fruit so I could ease the nausea and fall back to sleep. On September 5, Mike came home to an exhausted, grouchy me. And I started crying over the silliest thing. We went for a walk and came back and I told him I NEEDED mint ice cream. He told me to get a pregnancy test while I was out- I rolled my eyes and told him I had already seen two negatives. At 9:30 pm, I begrudgingly took a pregnancy test, sure, that I could not be pregnant.

It was positive. I sat there speechless and shocked. All I could say loudly enough for Mike to hear was oh. my. gosh. He came running. I was flooded with SHOCK. Shock that we conceived naturally, shock that I had been pregnant for a few weeks without knowing, shock that I WAS PREGNANT. I felt happiness, love, and fear all at the same time. This baby is due right before Mike's finals, it is also due right as we are supposed to be moving into our new home!

We had our first appointment at 7 weeks. We heard a good steady heartbeat from the ultrasound! That was relieving, but we still weren't in the clear with this new pregnancy. I was already showing an early sign of preeclampsia. My blood pressure at that appointment was 157/92- which is very high! Back in March during a routine check up with this same doctor, my BP was 109/74 so in the normal range! The doctor told me to cut out all caffeine, and eat a diet low in sodium and high in protein, and to maintain a regular exercise routine. He also told me to take a daily baby aspirin. He told us that it was more than likely we would need an early induction for this baby, and to plan on it being at least 3 weeks early again due to preeclampsia risks.

We went back to the doctor on the 25th for another ultrasound. The baby was much bigger this time than the last, the doctor was able to get a much more accurate reading, and determined the baby was 9 weeks, so he set our due date for April 30th! My BP reading at this appointment was MUCH better, I am not sure if its the aspirin, the diet, or the fact that I was a lot less nervous for this appointment, but I was so happy to see that something was working!

We had another appointment today at 12 weeks- yet another ultrasound just to make sure things look good! The baby passed and the doctor doesn't need to see me for 4 weeks- which is GOOD news! We are hoping to avoid preeclampsia this time around! Or if that isn't possible, that I will be able to carry the baby at least into the month of April!

I am so full of gratitude that there's a sweet little baby inside of me. Growing. Developing. AND I LOVE IT. Fiercely. I cannot wait to meet this little one. I am so excited to watch our family grow and change. And, I believe in an all knowing, all powerful, God. Who loves me, Mike, Lyla, and this little one. I know that we have followed spiritual promptings to get to this point, and I know that God has a plan for us. I am trusting in that plan.

Here's to a growing baby, family, and belly!
Brookeydee

The Baby Name Game

Mike and I have not decided on a name for our baby girl yet. We get asked this question all of the time. So we have started joking that we are going to name her Diamond Destiny. (Its from the movie Storks, which is super funny and everyone should go watch it). Poor baby girl may have the nickname of diamond destiny her whole life.

Guys, this baby bump is getting big! :0

We want to give all of our children the same first letter to their first name. This is a family tradition that has been passed down from my dad's side of the family and Mike and I like it so we want to keep it going. It is hard to commit to a letter for our future children, so this first child's name has a lot of responsibility associated with it! We do have a few favorite and likely letters, they are L, R, C, & E

I have learned that everyone has an opinion about names. People are unashamed to share their opinions whether its in favor of or against the desire of the parents. (I am guilty of doing this with Brennan and Rachel) But I cannot believe what people have said to me about choosing names. Mike and I created this little girl', we get to raise her, and we will be choosing her name. I don't want to have any outside influence or opinion. I think the names we have chosen are beautiful and I really don't care what anyone else thinks, except for our moms. They have both approved of our final 5. (Or they lied about their approval, haha!)

I literally had a list of about 30 names that we had casually mentioned over the last little while and we narrowed that puppy down to 5 names for our girl. We definitely have 2 strong contenders in that list, but we are waiting to meet our baby before we decide for sure. We do have 2/3 of her name picked out though! She will share her middle name, Jayne, with my mom's mom who passed away. And her last name will be Delahunty. That's progress! ;) I can't wait to meet her and I hope when we do a name will just feel right!

Lots of love,
Brookeydee

15 Weeks

We are 15 weeks! The baby is the size of a pear and is 4 inches long from its head to its bum and weighs 2 and a half ounces.
I still think that the gender of baby D is a girl, Mike is starting to lean towards a girl as well, but a majority of our family and friends still think its a boy. We will hopefully find out next week!!
Like last week, I haven't felt any movement yet! I am getting really excited to feel the baby moving!!
Thankfully I haven't had any serious cravings this week. I am still craving sweets, reeses are my weakness, so I made Mike hide them from me so I only eat a couple at night! HAHA!
I still have an aversion to Cafe Rio/ Costa Vida salads. I also dry heave when I open the fridge in the morning, I don't understand why but looking at food when I wake up is not pleasant for some reason.
I have slept pretty bad this week. I think its because of school stress, I am always so worried I am forgetting an assignment or something.
Baby products we refrained from buying anymore baby products this week. Since we hopefully will know the gender next week I know things may get a little crazy, so I am holding out for that excuse!
I am feeling so much better than the first trimester! I am so grateful to be feeling better, I have thrown up a few times in the past week. It is mostly after I workout, so at least it's not  morning sickness, I am really hoping I will continue to get better and be able to workout without throwing up soon.

We got to go to the ice castles last weekend with my family and we had so much fun! It was our first time going, and I wish I had gone in the past! It was so beautiful and fun! I definitely want to turn it into a yearly tradition to go visit them! And, how cute is my family?? Seriously, the cutest humans.

Lots of love,
brookeydee

Dear Baby Dely,

Mommy found out we were expecting you on Monday November 7, 2016 at about 5:30 in the morning. I was a week late and had been very sick and nauseated since Friday and I was experiencing other symptoms as well, so I really needed to take a test. The pregnancy test immediately showed up as positive, I didn't even have to wait. As soon as I saw it, I stared at it for a while making sure I was reading it right. After my moment of shock, I fell to my knees in tears. I was so excited to be your mommy! I have waited my entire life to be a mommy and I am so excited for this phase of my life to begin! You are so so loved little one. In those first few moments I said a prayer thanking Heavenly Father for this blessing and for trusting daddy and I to raise you. Because it was still so early in the morning, I wanted daddy to get his sleep, so I went on with my morning routine. I woke daddy up around 7 and asked him to help me with breakfast. I placed the pregnancy test right where I thought he would see it, but he walked right past it (he is very sleepy in the mornings). So I had to call him back.  He also took a moment just staring at the test before reacting. He gave me a big long hug and is so excited to meet you! Daddy talks to you everyday in my belly, even though you can't hear him yet, and I think it is so sweet!

Like I said before, I have been very sick, especially from weeks 4-8 I had morning sickness starting around 2 am and it normally lasted until the late afternoon or evening. Some days it never went away.  I spent many of my days mostly in the bathroom throwing up everything I tried to eat. I lost quite a bit of weight in those first few weeks. We are now 13 and a half weeks and things have gotten so much better! My energy is back and I am not throwing up nearly as frequently. I am grateful to be feeling better and better each day. 

I have had all sorts of food cravings and aversions.  My cravings have included, oranges, refried beans, pizza, peanut butter and jelly, anything potato, and cottage cheese (I can't begin to tell you how weird this last one is for me!!) My food cravings have also decreased over the last few weeks. The only consistent food aversion I have had is to all sweets and I have had an aversion to everything I craved after I stopped craving it, haha! My appetite is slowly coming back now which is so nice!

When daddy and I told your grandpartents that you were joining our family their reactions were priceless! Grandma Delahunty did a quiet scream and cried! Grandpa Delahunty is in Antartica right now working for a few months so we emailed him- he is very excited! Nana was absolutely shocked and so excited! And Papa was very surprised and then cried! Your grandparents love you so much! We have told your aunts and uncles too and they are so excited to meet you! Cousin Ruby is too little to understand what is going on, but we have taught her that there is a baby in my belly and she will say "hi baby" and give my belly kisses on occasion. It melts my heart! We are so glad you will have at least one cousin for now. But in a few years you'll have a lot more cousins to play with!

On December 6 we went in for our first ultrasound. I can't tell you how nervous and excited I was. I was praying that you were healthy and that we would hear your heart beat! We loved our doctor! He explained everything to us, sleep, diet, expectations, healthy activities, he told us we could still go to hawaii in May, etc! We LOVED our time with him. Then he took us in for the ultrasound. As soon as the ultrasound met my belly we saw you!! It was so fun to see your little arms and legs! You're such a cute little gummy bear right now!  Then he turned on the sound and your heart came on loud and clear! I started to tear up a bit, this is definitely one of the best moments in my life! WE LOVE YOU! We are so excited to meet you and watch you grow! We went in for another appointment this morning, and you are still growing strong and healthy! We are now 13 and a half weeks and you are past the scary pregnancy stage which is so relieving to me! I love hearing your heartbeat! I wish I could hear it more than just every 4 weeks! 

9 week ultrasound pictures, cute little gummy bear!

You are our miracle, getting pregnant this quickly on fertility treatment is very rare, we feel so very blessed!  Keep fighting and growing strong! We love you so much gummy bear! 

Love, 

Mommy

a baby and a mission call

This year has been a huge year for both of our families!

Mike returned home from his mission in February

we got engaged in March

in April we became an aunt and uncle to sweet little RR she is the first grand baby to my parents

RR is the sweetest little bundle!  I love being an aunt! 

this month Mike's brother J received his mission call to Sydney Australia, he leaves September 23.  He is going to be a stellar missionary. I am so happy for him!

both of our brothers, J and B graduate high school next week

my younger brother B is in the process of submitting his papers and will receive his mission call in a few weeks.

And.. T minus 49 days til the best day. #NBD

life is so good.

lots of love,
brookeydee