Anneliese at week 20

Is it just me or do these 2 week updates seem to be coming quicker and quicker. We're halfway!!!
Here's a glimpse of our little girl:

"Growth and Development

20 Weeks Gestation

• Some experts have concluded that the unborn child is probably able to feel pain.
• The skin becomes less transparent as fat begins to deposit.
• Eyebrows and lashes appear.
• Breathing-like movements become regular and are detected by ultrasound, but the lungs have not developed enough to permit survival if birth occurs.
• The unborn child turns its entire body side to side and front to back.
• The length is about 6 to 7 inches."

Free Birthing?

When expecting I become addicted to TLC and DHC's birthing and baby shows. I can't help myself. I watch them for the full 9 months and as soon as the baby is born my interest is over and I don't watch it again until the next pregnancy.

There's a new show called Free Birthing. I watched it the other day and am struggling with the idea of it. Basically women decide either with or without the approval of their partner and families to deliver their child completely on their own in their own home.

This is different from having a mid wife and birthing at home. These individuals have decided that the best place to have their child is at home and the best person to deliver that child is themselves or their partner. No nurse, no mid wife, no doctor, no one with formal training.

My biggest concern is that having had several children of my own you just don't know what's going to happen during birth or right after. Elijah was fine at birth and then underwent surgery within 36 hours to save his life. Graham came early and aspirated and couldn't breathe on his own.

I can understand wanting to be in control of your own birth experience but at the same time recognizing your own limitations could save the lives of your child and yourself. Our good friend had a normal delivery but then started bleeding and it quickly became and emergency situation. We are living in an era where our infant mortality rate is at an all time low. In generations past it was expected to lose children and mothers in child birth. Why turn down the assistance that has proven to save so many lives.

Hmmm, interesting.

FYI

I just wanted to let you all know something. Think of it as a public service announcement.

If you get busy, bogged down or are just forgetful you still have to pay your water bill or it will be turned off.

Monday night when I got home from work Jared made the comment that the water pressure was low. Since we pay our water with our electric I figured they must be working on a water line since everything else was still on. I was wrong ;)

This was a first for us and I was embarrassed but at the same time I've learned the importance of paying things on time! We went without water for 24 hours. That was quite a feat for a family our size. Praise God for water!

Truly Appreciated

I am eager to snuggle into bed this evening. October is Pastor Appreciation month and we were blessed with a new set of flannel sheets! I couldn't wait to wash them in tons of fabric softener and they are already on my bed begging for my company.

YAY! Fall is wonderful. Flannel sheets, turning leaves, fresh crisp air I LOVE IT! Thank you so much for thinking of us. We are truly blessed.

Getting Ready

We hit 19 weeks today so we're pretty much half way. That's exciting. I bought Anneliese's cribbing the other day. Chris and I went shopping after church for some fabric and ended up buying a complete crib set at a resale shop.

The fabric was looking pretty pricey and honestly we couldn't find much that really felt like "this is it!" When I painted the nursery I painted the lower half brown and the top khaki so I was really aiming for some brown and pink. When we couldn't find what we needed at JoAnn's we headed to Wal-Mart. On the way we decided to make a pit stop into a child's resale shop. There it was! The perfect colors and it even had the two different fabrics I really wanted and it was less money than the fabric would have costed plus! no work!!! It's a set from Toys R Us and runs $169 for what I purchased for $60.

There are pieces on EBAY that go with it that I would love to get. I picked up the diaper stacker for a couple dollars. The mobile is adorable and then there's a light switch cover. Goodness I could go nuts. Luckily the budget won't allow it :)

Prayer

Philippians 1:3-11 (New International Version)

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

"Thanksgiving and Prayer

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

Randomness

-Elijah came to me the other day stating, "Mommy you know how Brennan was on the boy team? (meaning Brennan wanted a boy) and Tanner was on the girl team? Well, I was on the boy team but now I'm on the girl team." I'm glad to know that he's on board :)

-The kids can't seem to remember Anneliese's name. We went to Joy's Tuesday night and Tanner asked me multiple times, "What's her name again?" Elijah asked if we could change her name since he couldn't "memember" it. I told them all it's only been a few days and they'd get it eventually. In the mean time they can just call her Sis.

-Typically I'm an impatient pregnant chick. I just want the baby. This time around I've been doing really good enjoying the process and soaking it all in. Well, at least until last Monday. Now that I know it's a girl I'm desperate for March. I want to see her, kiss her, touch her. Thankfully the holidays are coming and that will help time pass.

-The boys have just about hit the halfway point in school. They are progressing very well. Tanner has made the most impressive improvements. He really struggled in the beginning but he's breezing through things that I didn't think he quite understood yet. He responds extremely well to positive reinforcement. It's amazing how much of myself I see in my little boy.

-Graham is taking a hiatus from potty training. He was doing so good and apparently just decided he was done for a while. Jared and I think it's a maturity issue. He has the bladder control just not the discipline (or care) to take the time to go. We're still encouraging him but not pushing it. He'll get it eventually.

Don't Call Me a SiFi Geek or I'll Wack You W/My Light Saber

Jared has introduced me to the new Battle Star Galactica. It's not the campy T.V. sitcom version your thinking of. It's actually a drama that is well acted and is on par with some of the best Star Trek.

I vowed as a young child to never watch Star Trek because it was stupid. Then I met Jared and became hooked in my college years to Deep Space 9. We seriously considered naming Anneliese "Ezry." Ezry was the name of a favorite character on DS9 and I was honestly too ashamed to have anyone google Ezry and see where it came from :)

We also went through FireFly DVDs and I loved it too. Heroes is a favorite of ours. Apparently I'm quite the SciFi fan. Jared and I were chatting and I realized I'm a good mom of boys :) I fix things, I like athletics, and I am seriously addicted to Science Fiction. I spoke of my concern for Anneliese and my lack of...ummm...froo froo-ness. Jared mentioned she'll be a dream catch for a Sci Fi nerd who enjoys sports and needs his oil changed. HA!

Anneliese at week 18

We are finishing up week 18 and I just wanted to share a glimpse of our sweet little girl.

"Growth and Development

18 Weeks Gestation

• The arms and legs begin to punch and kick.
• The fingernails are well formed.
• The unborn child can suck its thumb.
• Taste buds are present.
• Male or female gender is evident.
• A protective waxy coating is present on the skin.
• The length is about 5 to 6 inches."

They aren't kidding with the punching and kicking. After last Sunday I couldn't be more thrilled with every poke and prod. Jared and I have been discussing her little self and just what she may look like. With a boy we have 4 pretty good ideas but with a girl we haven't a clue. Supposedly all girls on my side of the family for generations have red hair but we have 4 boys without a single one with my red. Have you seen Elijah :) She could easily have brown hair, hazel eyes and a tan. How funny would that be. We are so thankful that she's healthy and can't wait to see just what a little girl of ours looks like.

Beautiful

Yesterday morning Jared and I were somewhat numb as we waited for our appointment. We received the phone call Sunday night at 8:30. So between 8:30 Sunday night and 2:00 Monday afternoon we had been through a lifetime of emotions.

Jared spent quite a bit of time Sunday night researching this bizarre horrifying disease that neither of us had ever heard of. The more we read the scarier it became. During our sonogram yesterday they were looking for "markers." Basically signs of the disease. If very many markers were found then they were going to do an amnio for a complete diagnosis. The first image of Anneliese that we saw was her hand. Her hand was spread out with her fingers straight and slightly separated.

I commented to the doctor that her hand was a good sign, right? Babies with Trisomy 18 have clinched fists that are curled in at the wrist. He smiled and said, "you've been reading." How could we not? Her beautiful fingers were the sure sign that she was okay. He looked at the rest of her body obviously but he said her hands and her feet were perfect. He said, "There just aren't babies with hands like that that have Trisomy 18, she had no problem straightening them and keeping them that way."

He reassured us that the amnio was unnecessary if the results wouldn't affect our decision to keep the baby. He said he couldn't tell us her chances were 0% but he felt further testing wasn't needed since she looked healthy and because of her hands.

After the inexplicable relief Jared and I wandered out into the hall and just dropped ourselves onto a bench. We sat there for a while quietly absorbing what we had just been told. Jared finally broke the silence stating that he can't wait to kiss her fingers. Those hands will forever hold so much meaning to her mommy and daddy who had begun to prepare for the worse.

Thank You

I am so appreciative of all your prayers and encouragement. Jared and I are euphoric with relief as you can imagine. The boys are excited for their new baby sister and prayed thankfully for her health this evening.

It was precious to hear my boys thank God for a sister. A sister? Is it real? I am still in shock. I was just hoping for a healthy baby and the Lord granted not only her health but a daughter as well. In the words of Sonya, "It's just too much!!"

The boys are already discussing what they will call her. Tanner was the one who desperately wanted a sister. He told us this evening that he wants to call her "sissy" or "sis." My family calls me Sis and I'm more than happy to pass it on to my baby girl.

My life's purpose is mothering and teaching these children about God. It is so precious to Jared and I both that we will get to experience all aspects of parenting. We have our amazing precious boys and now we have a daughter. I can't stop smiling. God is Good.

GREAT NEWS!!

Jared and I had our appointment this afternoon and we were thankful to find out that our precious baby is HEALTHY.

The doctor looked head to toes and couldn't find any abnormalities. We have been such a gambit of emotions since 8:30 last night and we are ready for a peaceful nights sleep.

After seeing how very healthy our little peanut was the doc asked if we wanted to know the gender.

OF COURSE!!!!


It's a healthy baby GIRL!!!

Jared took me to the mall and I bought my first dress. Her name is Anneliese Keagen Altic. She's beautiful and we can't wait to see her in March.

Sleepless...But Not Hopeless

95%...

Our baby has a 95% chance of being okay. Our doctor made the comment, "Let's turn the statistics around for a minute. 1 in 21 sounds scary but that's 4.6%. Your child has a 95.4% of being just fine. If I sent you to the boats and gave you the same odds wouldn't you feel really confident?"

I understand the sentiment but the 4.6% chance that our precious baby will die and likely die before birth is too much. I can't sleep. I am in a constant state of prayer. I know that our God is in control and regardless of the outcome we have hope beyond this world.

"Psalm 139:13-18
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!"

I know that this baby is the Lord's. He/she is skillfully and wonderfully made. The Lord has a purpose that was outlined for their life before he/she was made. As I laid in bed earlier desperate for peace an old favorite song played in my head and became my prayer. Lord I Believe in You by Crystal Lewis.

Though I can't see Your holy face
And Your throne in heaven above
It seems so far away
Though I cant touch your nail scarred hands
I have a deep and unspeakable joy
That makes my faith to stand

Lord, I believe in You
I'll always believe in You
Though I cant see you with my eyes
Deep in my heart
Your presence I find
Lord, I believe in You
And I'll keep my trust in You
Let the whole world say what they may
No one can take this joy away
Lord, I believe

Born from above
You are Gods only chosen one
Youre the one and only true way
To the Fathers heart
You died for all sin
Then you rose and now live again
Conquering death and the grave
So that I might live

Lord, I believe in You
I'll always believe in You
Though I cant see you with my eyes
Deep in my heart
Your presence I find
Lord, I believe in You
And I'll keep my trust in You
Let the whole world say what they may
No one can take this joy away
Lord, I believe

We will find out in a couple hours (it's 4:40 a.m.) how soon they can schedule the next test. We will have a level 2 sonogram this week to see if the baby's organs look healthy. Trisomy 18 causes all kinds of horrific genetic defects with the internal organs. Jared and I prayed together tonight and not many words were said, but the Lord heard our cry, "Save our baby." Please be in prayer not only that our baby would rest in the 95% but that the test could be done today or possibly tomorrow so that our hearts and minds can rest.

Please Pray

Jared and I received some news this evening from our OBGYN. He wrote about it in detail on his blog. Please go here for more information.

God Bless.

Ready To Party!

Tomorrow night is going to be SOOO much fun. We are going to a concert that has Third Day, Jars of Clay and Switchfoot. My good friend Wendy from Joplin is coming in town to go with us and a group from our church.

Jared again was more than willing to stay home with the kiddos so mommy could have a nice night out with some great music and friends.

I am so excited!!! Today I'm just trying to get some housework done as well as finish up the boys school work for the week. This weather is wonderful and having the windows open is creating a "Spring Cleaning" affect. I love washing bedding and hanging it out to dry.

God is good.

Anyone Got an Extra Washboard?

I'm just curious what an average life span is for a well used washer and dryer. We bought our set new 5 years ago. During that time I've replaced the water pump and agitator dogs on the washer. This morning while washing a load it started turning itself on and off. It seems like an electrical issue this time. Our dryer is acting out and I think it just needs a new belt.

This particular set was purchased at Nebraska Furniture Mart and is Whirlpool brand. I know that we really really use the set and I'm bad about over loading it. I'm a get it done kinda girl so I try and get as much done at once as possible. I'm sure that's lessened it's lifespan but at the same time it seems like we're regularly trying to figure out what the new noise is coming from the laundry room.

I would love a newer set that had a huge basin so I could get a lot done without overloading it. Is five years a little young to need replacing? Just curious...

Politics Ahead Be Forwarned...

I don't typically write about politics on my blog. Jared told me that if I do I'll lose readers. He's speaking from experience since he regularly writes about his beliefs and political stands on his blog. I promise to make it brief.

I'm just so frustrated by the Presidential debate last night. Jared and I always watch those and I was hoping to see...well...something. All we got was a snooze fest which included a McCain bail out for all of those who bought outside their means and can't afford their houses.

I am a conservative and have had a lot of reservations with the 700 billion dollar bail out and I'm obviously not a fan of Obama with his socialist views including bigger government and his pro-abortion position.

What's a girl like me to do? Jared and I bought a house that we could afford and then worked our stinking tails off making it livable. When the market was high we had the opportunity to sell it for a ridiculous profit and move into a less affordable fancier home, but we decided to make the conservative decision to stay put into a home we loved that was just right, not too big. Why should all of those who made poor decisions get bailed out? And...Get bailed out by those of us who made wise choices, the tax payers in general.

I asked Jared last night if it were goofy to pray for this election since the bible clearly states that all public leaders are ultimately under His control and He can use them for His will. I told him that even though I disagree with McCain on this extended bail out plan there are bigger issues with Obama. My gut reaction to last night was, "Save the babies."

As Christians our position in this election boils down to life and death. Obama has voted for and stands for pro-abortion and infanticide.

I don't agree with McCain on everything but he is pro-life and he will appoint pro-life judges that will affect abortion for future generations. I will pray, I will pray that even though McCain is not my perfect candidate that he and Palin would still be elected if for no other reason than to save the babies.

Hey All

Today is Jared's last day of vacation. Tomorrow things go back to normal. He seems to have really enjoyed a restful week at home doing a whole lot of nothing. It's been nice for all of us. This will be a vacation that he won't need a vacation from.

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. Everything seems to be going well. The heartbeat was strong and easily found. I guess I was supposed to gain 4-6 lbs and I gained 6 as the constant over achiever. I'm okay with that. My weight gain has slowed and I've regained my mind as far as my eating is concerned.

The doctor drew a bunch of labs to check my thyroid as well as all kinds of other things. Apparently my heart is working extra hard so he's checking my red blood cells and such. My rate was up and I've been waking up in the night to the pulsing of my heart in my ears. I've always had that with pregnancy but this time it's ridiculous. It actually will wake me from a sound sleep and my whole body feels like it's pulsing. Weird. Thankfully my blood pressure is still very low.

I had a bit of a breakdown after my appointment. I'm 16 weeks and 3 days today and I was hoping to schedule my sonogram in 2 weeks to find out the gender. The doc said I was a little too early to check today so let's just wait until next month. A month! I don't want to wait a month. I made my desperation clear and he didn't budge. It's just easier for him to pair the sono with an appointment.

So we continue to wait. I'm more than a little frustrated mainly because I'm doing all I know how to stay neutral. I've been praying fervently that I would be content in God's will and I'm doing well so far. I struggle with feelings of guilt whenever my mind wanders to pink and I just want the wait to be over. I'm absolutely thrilled at the idea of another boy and of course I would love a daughter but either way I feel guilty if it ends up being the other. Give me an answer PLEASE! Patience is not a virtue I've been blessed with apparently.

Happy Birthday!!

Today is Jared's 32nd birthday. As you know this week has been our vacation so it's been a great birthday week as well. Today my family is all coming over for a yummy lunch and we're just going to relax all day.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!! I love you!

Goin' Fishin'

Jared and I loaded up the boys this morning and headed out to Lake of the Forrest to fish with some close friends of ours.

Growing up camping was the best part of the time I was able to spend with my Dad. It was my hope to be able to take the kids to Colorado and camp during the summers with their PaPa. It's a blessing to have the opportunity to still share these experiences with my boys. They had the best time.

Jared isn't a big fan of fishing but he even enjoyed the morning. The older two each caught 2 fish. They were catching good sized blue gill and I wanted to take them home but Tanner started to tear up at the idea of eating his fresh catch. Brennan kept saying,"I'm just doing this for fun mom, I don't wanna eat them. Let's just throw them back."

I uploaded our pictures to Facebook. Follow the link and check out my precious boys!!!

16 Weeks

A full 4 months! Can you believe it? We are 16 weeks tomorrow. It's amazing and unbelievable to me that we are already closing in on the half way mark. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday and hopefully we'll schedule the sonogram then. Here's my 16 week belly:

Let's take a peek at our little peanut...
"16 Weeks Gestation
Swallowing and chest movements are clearly present.
Movement may be felt by the mother.
The head and body become proportional.
The neck takes shape.
The weight is about five ounces.
The length is about 4 to 5 inches."
Oh my goodness. I can't wait to meet you!!! Every time I feel a little poke or kick I thank God for this baby and I say, "hello down there, your mommy loves you."

Phil 4:13

I'm going to go out on a limb here at say that Phil 4:13 is a verse that is misused more than any other verse in the bible, it's at least in the top 10.

Phil 4:13 says:
"13I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

This scripture is often used when an individual is working towards anything from winning a race, scoring well on a test, or vying for a raise or promotion. If you read the actual context of this verse Paul is talking about contentment. Read the context:

"10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. "

As a woman contentment is a difficult state of mind to achieve. I have been praying this scripture daily as I work towards a life that is sold out to God's will. I know that with His strength I can be content in all things. We are blessed, God is good.

You Look Like A Monkey and You Smell Like One Too :)

Jared and I decided to take advantage of the "cheap" day at the zoo yesterday. We headed out pretty early and spent the day at the Kansas City Zoo.

When we first arrived a nice lady in the parking lot came up to Jared and asked if we would like some free passes. Hmmm, let me think about it...YES. She handed him two free passes so we went up to the entrance and handed them to the nicest guy ever. He said he'd take the passes and figure out the best possible deal for us. So our family of 6 (1/2) gained entrance for a mere $18. It was going to cost at least $30. We were so thankful and felt blessed from the very beginning.

The day was absolutely beautiful. The boys and I wore sweatshirts the bulk of the day and the breeze was heavenly. Graham was hilarious. When he first got up he started asking if he could see "animoles." We hadn't told him anything so Jared and I were surprised at his intuition. He asked for "elphants" and chickens.

The kids really seemed to enjoy their day and Graham went accident free. We put a pull up on him just in case but he did great. He even asked if he could "peed" on some of the animals. We tried to stear him towards the restrooms :)

We had planned on purchasing all you can ride passes for the tram, train, and boat for the family. Since we were pretty much the only people at the zoo the boat wasn't running. The weather was so nice we walked vs riding and saved even more by not purchasing the passes. In the past those passes are what made the trip enjoyable. This time however between the nice weather and the boys getting older it was just super pleasent without the passes.

I uploaded a photo album to my Facebook. Anyone can access it even if you don't have facebook. Check out our day!