Last week of Second Trimester!

Chatham had a VERY good Christmas, he must be a very good boy already! This is his diaper bag (and yes that brings the count to 3 now!) **don't worry the bows come off easily for Devin to be a bit more masculine. He also got a sign for his room that says "Love you to the moon and back" It's from Gram- my mom said that to my sister and I growing up and now she'll say it to her grandson. He got a new onesie and a huntin' hat from his Grandad; and a bouncey seat from his Nana and Papa John. Auntie Amby got him a rocking horse with a bandana with CRD on it!!!! There was MUCH more, but you'll have to wait til he's here to fashion it himself.

Chatham's Godparents- Alice and Curtis came down to visit and they are just as excited as we are to meet THE BEAN!!!

This is Mama at 25 weeks and 3 days!! (12/21/08)

New Zealand Visitor!

Courtesy of Overcash

When in need you can always count on a friend!

So, as you all have noticed i have gotten a bit slack on the posting of the pictures; well Overcash (Jon) has come to everyone's rescue! While in town from New Zealand he was able to come by for dinner with Devin and I! He took some pictures while he was there- including what are using as our 24 week belly shot:

Also, proof that pregnancy has made me a baker! I am now officially a member of the mamas that can cook club! Cakes, Muffins, Cookies, you name it I can do it (NOW!)

We've got a kicker!

Well Saturday (11/29/08) Devin was able to feel Chatham kicking for the first time. It's still pretty faint- but it is the most amazing feeling. Orange Juice makes him the most active, and Devin is now hooked, after dinner I lay on the couch and he just puts his hand on my tummy for hours waiting to feel our little boys feet.
He pressed his heel (or at least what we think was his heel) against Devin's palm on Sunday. Dev's face was PRICELESS!!!!!
Just wanted to share. I have another appointment on Thursday. We'll have another ultrasound and I will do better to post them on Thursday. Last months weren't that great, so we skipped adding them. Also the belly has grow a little this week (I'll be 23 weeks Thursday) so maybe this weekend Devin will take a belly picture infront of the Christmas tree!

From Bump to Belly

WEEK 19

WEEK 21

The Aries Child

March 21 - April 19

Symbol: The RamRuling
Planet: Mars
Birthstone: Aquamarine
Flower: Daisy
Color: Deep Red
Compatibility: Sagittarius, Leo

As Children: Aries children grow up to be great leaders. They're pioneers and visionaries giving force, energy, and inspiration to people around them. They are aggressive and enthusiastic, and inclined to be compulsive and quick in action; they are also stubborn and impatient. When challenged, Aries children are formidable opponents. Their pioneering instincts should be encouraged and their aspirations should be taken seriously and given great attention. Aries children are often seen as being ahead of their time.

Later in Life: Aries do best managing enterprises or businesses and tapping into unknown fields.

Famous Aries: Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President: April 2; Gloria Steinem, editor/author: March 26; Maya Angelou, poet/author: April 4; Vincent Van Gogh, painter: March 3; Peyton Manning, football star: March 24; Hayden Christensen, actor: April 19

Ok, Ok.....

So with all the pictures just posted I can already hear you now...

WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO BELLY PICTURES!!!!

Well we've had some technical difficulties and there for lost a few weeks worth of belly shots.

However we do have some from week 14 and week 18 (which is now)

Week 14...

AND

Week 18...

Just when you thought I'd never update again....

We have had ALOT going on and haven't had a chance to fill you in on what's going on, but don't worry there is LOTS to tell and even more to show. We have done more to the nursery we got a crib and Devin put it together last weekend. Tonight we hung the letters and the room is really starting to come together!






As you can see I am WAY into personalizing, so while shopping one day we bought Chatham's first backpack....and of course, have it monogrammed....


Chatham has become MR. POPULAR these days, ALWAYS getting mail and presents.
We got the most AWESOME toy basket from Chatham's godparents Alice and Curtis with books, clothes, a singing puppy and more... (unfortunately the camera died and you'll have to wait to see the pictures)
Chatham's first delivery was from Katie, catering more to Devin's likes, Chatham recieved what I am sure will be the first of many Panthers outfits




Also, while out on another of many shopping trips with my friend Ashley she got Chatham some goodies too. That's right- they're little bulldozers and KHAKI OVERALLS!!! (a reminder I LOVE overalls on babies!!!)


I think this little boy won't ever have to wonder just how much he is loved!!!

while we're waiting....

Well I am having some trouble uploading the new belly pictures, so here's a cute little something while we wait!

As you remember we asked the computer to predict what our child will look like as well as it's gender. Well we corrected the gender and asked again what our little one will look like and her is a peek at our future......

Chatham Reid Donley!!!!!

Here we go, we got to see Baby D for the last time today- from now on we will be glancing at Chatham, our beautiful baby BOY!!!!!!!

So it's not the best quality but here's your proof..... It's A Boy!!!!!

It was a little hard to tell at first, I think we might have a shy one on our hands. But after a little poking and prading, boy did we get a show.

And from the looks of things Chatham is a lounger, he was laid back having a ball. His hands were waving and he was doing summersalts as he floated around but he seems very chill!

Hello Second Trimester!

Here we are at Week 14 (as of tomorrow)! So what we're told is that the nausea and fatigue should start to subside!! (HOORAY!!!) The hunger will stay the same for the most part, presistant- and the potty breaks will continue to be every 10-20 minutes.
On a VERY happy note- we're going to a bridal shower tomorrow at Catawba Women's Center (my dr. office). One of our good friends who happens to work there is getting married this month. ( YAY AMANDA!!!) So, anyway- while were there we figured we might as well take a little looksey to see what's going on on the inside. Hopefully Baby Donley will be rather active tomorrow and let us know if it's a boy or girl.
From the poll that we've taken it is popular opinion that this baby is a girl. But Devin is still holding strong for a boy. We'll let you know tomorrow. We should know about 5:15; but we won't be able to post until after the shower. Sorry to make you wait!!!!

Devin's first purchase

I have had baby fever for a while now and bought a few things for Baby Donley along the way- always keeping it neutral of course....

My mom (also known now as Gram) has got the fever- and will her great taste our child is sure to be the most stylish baby in Catawba County!

Check out those footies!!!

Although Devin doesn't claim to have "the fever" just yet- he has joined us on the purchasing team... his is much more practical and VERY cute.

I must say I had expected his first purchase to have been related to sports, but with the gender still undetermind I have faith that his next purchase will be a pink or blue item of athletic gear...

GREAT NEWS!!

We didn't post this before because we didn't want everyone to worry. But Devin and I decided to have the Cystic Fibrosis test performed at our last dr. appt. Basically what happens is they test my blood and if I test positive as a carrier then they'll test Devin. If I am negative we do nothing. We off course I am ALWAYS the odd ball, I tested positive! The day the doctor called with that news Devin went straight in and got blood drawn as well. They said it would take ten days to get his results (9-26)- so now we play the waiting game.
Well I have an appt. today at 2:00 and was going to ask if there was any word of his results yet, even though it is a little early- well it is 9:45 and the doctor just called and said "I have Devin's results and thought you wouldn't want to wait until 2:00 to hear them." I was on the edge of my seat. This was the moment of truth, did the prayer work.... "Devin's test came back negative"!!!!!!!
What a releif!!! Since Devin is negative there is 0% chance that our child will have CF!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!

I have a baby bump....wanna see!?!?

So the first picture (Week 8) really isn't much; mainly water retention. The second picture (Week 10) is swelling and MORE water retention, but we're starting to see signs of actual baby weight. Now the last two photos are 11 weeks and 4 days the actual baby bump. We were excited to be told I'm not swollen anymore, I am actually ready to start growing.
In the last picture I actually think the weight has taken to the backside rather than the front :) haha. Also sorry for the lack of a smile at the end- I was SO sick, but Devin REALLY wanted belly pictures to post.
So we hope you all enjoy. And I have a dr. appt on Monday so I'll post details of that ASAP!
Have a Great Weekend!!!

What to Expect in Week 11

Your pregnancy: 11 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.See what your baby looks like this week.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:
If you're like most women, you're feeling a bit more energetic now and your nausea may be starting to wane. Unfortunately, you may also be suffering from constipation (caused by hormonal changes, which can slow digestion) and heartburn (hormones again, relaxing the valve between your stomach and esophagus). Just remember, all this discomfort is for a good cause.Don't worry if nausea has made it impossible for you to eat a wide variety of healthy foods or if you haven't put on much weight yet (most women gain just 2 to 5 pounds during the first trimester). Your appetite will likely return soon, and you'll start to gain about a pound a week.Learn which of your symptoms are normal and which are a sign that something might be wrong. You're probably also wondering things like, Can I keep going to dance class? Could the air bags in my car hurt my baby? Which cold medications are safe to take now? Find out what's safe and what's not during pregnancy.

Breathing tests SUCK!!!

So we had our second appointment, this one was for the blood test and the "OB Interview". You answer 25000 questions about your past medical and family medical history. Well, as some of you may or may not know asthma has given me a run for my money all my life. It has really been under control for about the last 5 years; but apparently that's not long enough for the doc's to think I'm in the clear.
Conveniently, they have just created a new test for pg-women to take, to find out what kind of meds you need to be on. FUN!!!! (can't you taste my sarcasim!)
We'll they administered the test EIGHT TIMES- before it finally worked- and let me know I am barely breathing. Well, obviously that's not the case; so we had to try again- they even let Devin try it a few times and he couldn't do it either.
Eventually they called my allergist and found out that basically "the test sucks"! Only 10% of americans (healthy or not) can get a positive read on it.
So they tried ONE MORE TIME- and what do you know, it worked! I have 83% of my air back- YAY!!!!
Other than that everything is normally. Just thought I'd share the fun with you all. PS- if you have asthma and become pg.... DON'T TELL THE DOCTOR!!!!

Chinese Zodiac

Baby Donley
Year of the Ox - 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033, 2045
Ranked as the second zodiac, the ox has a large volume. In the life, people often used the ox to indicate something big or large in number. The ox is sedulous, simple, honest, and straightforward. Fractious people are said to have an 'oxen temper'.
People born in this year are probably honest, laborious, patient, obstinate, and poor at communication. Leaders in their career may not discover their abilities. In their old age, they would be bestowed with happiness. Women are usually good wives who pay attention to children's education, but are likely to believe others' cajolery, so should be cautious.
Best match: rat, snake, rooster; Avoid: dragon, horse, sheep, dog, rabbit

Devin
Year of the Rat –1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032, 2044
Though in people's eyes, the rat is not adorable, and even some Chinese sayings that related to it have almost derogatory meanings, it ranged as the head of the Chinese zodiac. It was recognized as an animal with spirit, wit, alertness, delicacy, flexibility and vitality.
People under the rat sign are usually smart and willing to accumulate wealth and to make efforts to be successful. Throughout their lives, there will be many other people who can bring great fortune to them. Thus despite timidity, most of them are happy and harmonious with others.
Best match: dragon, monkey, ox; Avoid: sheep, horse, rabbit, rooster

Carrie
Year of the Pig - 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2020, 2031, 2043
A pig is not as smart as a dog in understanding human thought. It likes sleeping and eating and becomes fat. Thus it usually features laziness and clumsiness. On the positive side, it behaves itself, has no calculation to harm others, and can bring affluence to people. Consequently, pigs were once regarded as wealth.
People born in the Year of the Pig are honest and frank. They have a calm appearance and strong heart, but they lack patience and independence. As they do not like to talk in a roundabout way, they are thought to be unsociable. Luckily, they are tolerant and optimistic, so not until they become your friends can their virtue, advantages and fidelity to friendship be found.
Best match: sheep, rabbit; avoid: snake, pig, monkey

This is future Baby Donley. I put our photos into a little a program and out came our little one. I think it's about 95% accurate. ;)

I can't believe the internet thinks it will be a girl....

First Ultrasound picture.....

Don't be fooled. The round object (that looks EXACTLY like a head, is actually the yolk sac; which by this point has disappeared)
The left side of the "object is where the head is developing, and the right is there for the "romp" the legs at this point had developed but not sprouted.
Papa and Jojo, are names we picked out for Devin's Dad and Stepmom.

We were quite excited to learn on July 21st. That we indeed are expecting a little one.
We scheduled our first appointment and were SO excited to hear the heart beat for the first time. We went to Catawba Women's Center on August 15th and got to see our "poppy seed" (which actually looked more like a grain of rice). The heart beat was 150, which we were told is strong. And our projected due date was set as April 2nd, 2009!!!