The Lashes

Burt's Pumpkin Farm

2009-11-01T10:59:00.008-05:00

On 10/18/2009 we took Katherine out to her first pumpkin patch ... hopefully this will be an annual visit! We met our good friends up there for some picture ops! The lines were too long so we were not able to do the hay ride nor actually purchase our pumpkin ... maybe next year we'll plan a little better :). It was still a lot of fun!

Aunt Becca and Peyton with Daddy and Katie

Addie, Peyton and Katie with the pumpkins

Baby's 1st Halloween! I think she liked the pumpkin patch!

Katherine's 1st Halloween!

2009-11-01T10:30:00.009-05:00

We just celebrated Miss Katherine's 1st Halloween and had a great time. Daycare had a whole week of activities planned for the little kiddos! Monday was hat day, Tuesday was crazy sock day, Wednesday was PJ day, Thursday was crazy hair day and Friday was costume day! The week ended with a Fall Festival on Halloween ... we missed it this year due to the rain, but we'll be sure to go next year!

We of course took pictures of each day that she "dressed up" ... since we don't have much hair we were not too crazy :). We also carved her first pumpkin ... she helped a little with cleaning out the guts!

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Friday:

Happy Halloween!!

Here are a few photos of us working on the pumpkin earlier in the week!

The finished product ... she went to bed before we were done. Next year should be really fun!

Ella's 5K

2009-10-12T11:11:00.014-04:00

So I'm not sure if you all remember Meredith Emerson, but shes the young lady that went missing on January 1, 2008 and found murdered on January 7, 2008. We'll her story really touched us and we've have been active with Right to Hike since they started up in her honor. Meredith loved hiking and being outdoors ... she adopted a black lab, Ella and took her everywhere. One of Right to Hike's big events each year is the Ella 5K and Mile Fun Run in Buford. Ed and I, while pregnant with Miss Katherine, participated in the 5K last year with Buddy and Rylee. They really encourage you to bring your dogs along for the run. While I was not going for the best time we still had a great time! We've decided that this will be our annual family 5K .. its local and for a great cause!

On 10/10/2009 they held the 2nd Ella 5K and Mile Fun Run. We wanted to include Miss Katerine again which meant no running for me :). Katherine, Aunt Bridget and I complete the Mile Fun Run while Ed complete the 5K. I have to say that I'm very proud of him for actually running it this year! Since we had the dogs with us last year it was more of a walk/run and we didn't finish with the best times. His time last year was 43:25 and this year his time was 29:55!! He said that having his iPod really helped him push through it! We were all at the finish line cheering him on!

My goal for next year is to actually get out there and run it myself! I've got some training to do before then :) .. we might even need a jogging stroller at that time! Hope you enjoy these few photos from this year!

Mommy, Daddy and Katherine just before the start of the race.

Mommy, Aunt Bridget and Katherine

Miss Katherine playing with the pumpkin

Someone looks a little worn out!

Here comes Daddy with a time of 29:55!! If you look hard enough you can see that I caught him in mid air! We were so proud of him!

Ed's 10 year reunion

2009-10-12T11:11:00.013-04:00

Ed had his 10 year high school reunion on 10/10/2009 at the FOX Sports Grill at Atlantic Station. I have to say it was a good time had by all ... seeing how we were out until 2:30am! New parents don't usually see 11:30 let alone 2:30am! He got to hang out and catch up with people he hadn't see in awhile!

We forgot to take pictures, so these are a few that we have taken from others!

The after party was at Tin Roof!

She's getting so big

2009-10-12T11:10:00.005-04:00

Katie goes to daycare while Ed and I go to work and when we pick her up they send her home with a little daily report. The report lets us know when she was fed, changed and when she slept throughout the day. Sometimes they comment on new things that shes done. Once they noted on there that she went outside and swung in the swing.

Well on this particular day, 10/7/2009, her little report stated that she rolled all the way over, on her own, twice! We are so excited for her! We've seen her working on it, but haven't witnessed it ourselves. We'll try and get her when shes not looking :) ... here are a few pictures of her getting close!

Update: mommy got to see it on 10/31/2009 while we were playing on our mat waiting on the UGA/FL game to start!

We're getting there ...

Ta-Da!!!

It's that time of year again ... Go Dawgs!

2009-10-12T11:09:00.011-04:00

We're starting Miss Katherine off young ... with two parents that went to UGA she really has no choice :). We've even taken her up to Athens for her first tailgate!! Here are a few photos of her in her cute UGA game gear!

Daddy and Katie catching her first UGA game! Go Dawgs!

Thankfully a co-worker of mine was able to find the cute little cheerleader dress of Miss Katherine would have been wearing the t-shirt all season long!

Our first trip to Athens! We made it as everyone was packing up ... next time we'll be sure to get there early enough.

Katie and her first bulldog picture!

Mommy and Katie catching the UGA/FL game ... we'll get them next year!

Its Been 3 Months!

2009-07-31T22:34:00.011-04:00

Its official ... we have been parents for 3 months now and I think we are getting the hang of it! Miss Katherine has been through a lot in her first 3 months. We had our our 2 month check up and 1st round of shots in July. She took her shots like a big girl ... we were so proud of her! She now weighs 11 lbs 6 ozs and is 22.5 inches long ... putting her in the 64 and 55 percentiles respectively. Our next appointment is our well visit at 4 months.

Since we've brought her home shes been to several Gwinnett Braves games, several wedding/baby showers, and even a wedding. We've discovered that she loves being outside. This photo was taken at one of her last games of the season ... as you can see shes quite comfortable. We can't wait to introduce her to football season and tailgating!

We've gone over to Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan's to enjoy some good food and pool time. We got Katie her first swimsuit and put here in the pool for a few minutes ... she didn't enjoy it all that much. We'll have to wait until next summer when she'll be holding up her head. Her Auntie Em will be able to teach her to swim one day!

We made a weekend trip to Adel to visit Grand Sophie and Granddaddy. Katie hadn't seen them since she was a week old. We loved being able to get away for the weekend. It was her first trip out of town and she did well in the car ride .. a.k.a. she slept the whole way down. This is Katie and I before heading out to dinner.

Father's Day Eve was spent with Grandpa and Grandma Lash. We were in town for a wedding and decided to crash at their house afterwards. Ed was able to spend his first Father's Day morning with Katie and his Dad. It was a good morning .. here Katie is waking him up on Father's Day. Too cute!

For Father's Day Katie got him a 2009 calendar with photos of her all over it, a new golf club and fancy golfing shorts. Now hes really ready for a nice day in the sun ... maybe he'll get to get back out there soon!

I was lucky enough to spend 8 weeks with this little one before turning her over to daycare. I went back to work on July 13 ... it was hard, but I kept telling myself that its best for her and she'll be ok. Every time we drop her off or pick her up shes happy as can be! After a long day at work, there is nothing better than getting a big smile from her when picking her up.

We recently had 3 month professional pictures taken and Miss Katie was wonderful! She was all giggles and smiles for the camera! We've received a few teasers from the photographer and I can't wait to see the rest! We will also have 6, 9 and 12 month photo shoots. Here are a few teasers from our photo session ...

I also wanted to let you all know that we have another website for Katie updates. I will continue to update this blog with family happenings and the others with lots of Katie photos. Go here, check it out and bookmark it ... please check back for frequent updates:
http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/home?ID=508169

Welcome Katherine Elizabeth!

2009-06-02T12:53:00.009-04:00

We've been busy over the past 2 weeks and I felt like it was time for an update ... shorty after I finished the last blog posting we found ourselves rushing to the hospital.

I woke up around 2:20 am on May 19th to go to the restroom and once I got back in bed I started having pains that I associated with contractions. I timed them for about 20 minutes before waking up Ed and at that time they were about 8 to 10 minutes apart. We called the midwife that was on call, Ms. Natalie Nix, and she instructed me to get in the bath for 30 minutes to see if these were real. So I got in the bath and Ed went back to sleep for a little while. Once I got out the pains were more intense and about 3 to 4 minutes apart! We called Ms. Natalie back and she told us to go ahead and head down to the hospital. At this time the contractions were so painful that I was dreading the 40 minute drive down to the hospital. We left around 5:15 or so and headed to Northside. Ed made the important phone calls on the way while I was trying to make sure we didn't have a baby on the side of 400! My water broke in the car around 5:45 ... just minutes from the hospital. We got to the hospital around 6 and upon getting checked in they informed us that we were already 9.5 cm dilated and that the midwife needed to be called ... that also meant there was no time for drugs! Once Ms. Natalie showed up we began pushing. We pushed about 4 or 5 times for a total of 10 minutes before Miss Katherine decided to come on out!

Tuesday, May 19th at 6:40am we welcomed our baby girl into our family: Katherine Elizabeth Lash. She weighed 7 lbs 6ozs and was 20 inches long. She is so beautiful and truly a blessing.

She's finally here ...

Mommy and Katie!

The Lash Family ... and Miss Katherine makes 3

All cleaned up after her first bath ...

Daddy's little girl!

Such a cutie patutie!

Heading home!

Due Date and Still No Baby!

2009-05-18T19:21:00.008-04:00

Here we are on our due date and still no baby. I'm still feeling good, no labor pains .. not that I know of anyways. The nursery is completed, her clothes and blankets have been washed, our bags our packed and ready to go .. we are just waiting on her to tell us when! We have another doctors appointment tomorrow, so we'll see what they have to say. Again, they will only let us go 41 weeks which will fall on Memorial Day, so I believe she will be here sometime this week! We cannot wait to meet her .. come on Baby Lash!

A good friend of mine from high school, Michelle, was nice enough to paint our little girls name out of wooden blocks so we can hang them over her crib. Since we are keeping her name a secret here is what her first initial looks like! They turned out sooo cute!

Last week Ed put the dresser together so that we would be able to put all the clean items away before she gets here. We still have to put the hutch together but this will do for now ...

Here is our weekly email update:

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little coneheadish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

Info from www.babycenter.com

Our 39 Week Office Visit

2009-05-14T14:19:00.005-04:00

Tuesday 5/12 was our last office visit. Her heartbeat was still strong and we were measuring on time. She said that we are now 3-4cm dilated and my blood pressure was 140/90. They said that it will spike as the body starts to prepare for labor but they took more blood just to be sure. She also said that she could strip the membranes between my water and uterus to see if that would help jump start labor, so we did. Here we are 2 days later and still nothing ... guess our little one is just too comfortable to come out! No talk of induction at this time as the due date is still in the future. Our next office visit is 5/19 and I would think that if shes still not here next week we will talk induction at that time. Again, our office will only let us go to 41 weeks.

Stay tuned ... could be any day now!!

Belly Photos

2009-05-14T13:12:00.009-04:00

Mommy and Daddy waiting on our sweet little girl to get here ...

Sweet Daddy kisses!

On 5/3 a good friend of ours, Jennifer Poole, came over to my parents house and took some belly photos. Ed and I wanted to have a few photos taken before the little one gets here. We took several outside, a few inside and a few upclose.

Here are a few that she took:

Mommy with Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan

38 Week Office Visit

2009-05-07T11:51:00.004-04:00

We had a doctors appointment yesterday. We were seen by a nurse since the midwife was at the hospital delivering a baby ... hopefully they'll be delivering our little girl soon. They said that my blood pressure was good and that we were now between 2-3cm dilated. Said that if shes not here next week at our appointment on 5/12 we will talk about inducing as they will not let us go longer than 41 weeks. Ed and I are ready to meet her!

Other things going on ... we received the packages for our dresser and hutch. Just a few more days and the nursery should look complete!

38 Weeks and Still Waiting

2009-05-04T19:47:00.005-04:00

The weekly email:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Info from www.babycenter.com

We're still getting ready for her arrival. We've got the car seat bases in place, bags are getting packed, laundry is getting done and our dresser and hutch should be here this week! I'll be sure to update everyone after our office visit this week on 5/6!

37 Week Office Visit

2009-04-29T18:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we had our 37 week office visit which started with my blood pressure reading 140/100 ... needless to say, not starting off too well. We were measuring on schedule and she still has a strong heartbeat. We are also progressing in dilation ... this week our midwife said we are more than 1, but not quite 2cm. They took my blood pressure again at the end of the visit and it was around 130/90 ... it was going down, but still borderline. They drew some blood, which all came back negative today. They also went ahead and took me out of work in order to make sure I could get my blood pressure down. My original last day before maternity leave was to be May 1, but they didn't want me going back this week.

Our next visit is 5/6 for 38 weeks

And the Weekly Visits Begin ... 36 weeks

2009-04-26T10:15:00.005-04:00

Our weekly email update:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Info from www.babycenter.com

We had our 36 week visit on 4/21. Everything went well ... it was our first exam visit. We will now be going every week for check ups. She said that our little girls heartbeat was in the 140s to 150s ... still beating strong. She also stated that we are already 1cm dilated, but we all know that you can be there for a little while! Our next visit is set for 4/28. I also only have one more week of work before maternity leave starts ... looking forward to 5/1!!

Here is my 36 week belly on 4/24

The Friends and Family Shower ...

2009-04-25T10:28:00.006-04:00

My sister and good friend, Kristen Parker, threw a shower for our family and close friends last Sunday, 4/19. It was perfect! We continued to get some much needed clothing and some of the essentials. At least we now know she'll be able to ride home, love tummy time on her Rainforest mat, relax comfortably in her bouncer, and be styling in all of her new clothes.

Cute little onesies

How big is the belly now??

Bouncer seat ...

Tummy time mat ...

Cute little summer outfits ...

She has a ride home!

Blankets "made by" Bubba Mary (green) and Grandma Andrews (pink and brown) with help from Aunt Naomi. She used my grandmothers needles in order to create these beautiful blankets .. I think they would approve!

More Nursery Updates ...

2009-04-25T08:53:00.007-04:00

Saturday 4/18 Grandma Connell and Aunt Mary Beth came up to help us get the border up. It ended up being pretty easy and its still sticking! The newest thing in wallpaper appears to be a big sticker ... who would have thought?!

First half ...

The even made sure the corners matched!

Almost done ...

The other half ...

Hartford Shower

2009-04-25T08:25:00.005-04:00

The ladies at work put together a baby shower on 4/16. It was wonderful and our little girl came home with some great new outfits! I had a fear that we didn't have enough clothing for her ... that is no longer a fear! Here are some photos from the shower ...

The yummy cake!

A handmade blanket by Annie McDuffie .... she is expecting her first later this year! Its beautiful!

More clothes ...

Our Weekend Away!

2009-04-13T21:23:00.016-04:00

Ed and I decided to take a weekend trip with the dogs to a cabin in the North Carolina Mountains! We packed up and headed to Bryson City ... once we got through the bad storms on Friday the rest of the weekend was beautiful.

The dogs loved the fenced in side yard and we loved the large fire pit! We were given a free bottle of wine from The Biltmore ... yes, I had a glass or two over the whole weekend. It's good for you right?!?! Trust me she liked it ... she told me so! We also made time for massages at a local resort and spa. Overall it was a nice weekend.

Ed did a great job with the fire pit and made sure it was just perfect! Once the rain passed ... it was just right outside for all of us a nice sunset in the mountains. We also had some crafty reminders for taking care of our "children" while we were there!

We really had a nice, relaxing weekend away! We know that we will still have these weekends once the little one gets here, but at least this time we did not feel guilty for leaving her behind!

34 Week Office Visit

2009-04-13T21:16:00.003-04:00

Our last office visit was 4/8 and everything went well. We are still measuring right on time and the heartbeat was in the 140s. Our little girl is still very active and we've been told over the next few weeks she'll just keep getting fatter :)! Our next appointment is 4/21 and we will be seeing the last midwife in the office. They will do the Beta Strep test then and after that we will be seen weekly.

Couples Shower Hosted by The Billington's

2009-04-13T21:03:00.006-04:00

Saturday 4/4 Beau and Heidi Billington threw us a couple's shower. It turned out to be a great evening with great friends. The weather was beautiful and the ribs were tasty! Here are a few photos from the evening:

32 Week Office Visit and 34 Weeks Along!!

2009-04-07T21:02:00.010-04:00

Our last office visit was 3/25 ... everything is still moving right along. We got to hear her heartbeat again ... she was in the 150s. She measured the belly again and set us up for our next appointment. Over the past week I've started to feel our little girl with the hiccups ... its a crazy feeling! Our 34 week appointment is tomorrow, 4/8.

34 week update from the weekly email:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Info from www.babycenter.com

We are at 32 weeks!

2009-03-24T21:28:00.005-04:00

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Info from www.babycenter.com

My 32 week belly photo:

3D Ultrasound!!

2009-03-24T20:58:00.009-04:00

Over the weekend Ed and I went to get some 3D/4D ultrasound photos. It's amazing what they can do these days. We confirmed that our little girl is definitely a girl! While we were looking around she was putting on quite a show ... we saw her open and close her mouth, smile several times, open and close her eyes. We also saw that she has a full head of hair and weighs a little over 4lbs. Here are some photos from our visit:

Mouth wide open

Sticking her tongue out
Chubby cheeks

Side profile with hand in front of her face

Left eye openSMILE!!

Welcome Baby Ayden!

2009-03-16T20:45:00.004-04:00

Christina and Justin Cantrell welcomed their sweet little boy on March 2, 2009 ... here are a few photos from our trip to the hospital. He's such a brave little boy!

Proud mommy and her little man!

He's such a sweet boy ...

Taking a bottle ... such a big boy already!

Nursery Updates!

2009-03-16T20:24:00.006-04:00

Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan brought over the crib this weekend!! Ed put the crib together and then I decorated it with the new bedding! Not too much longer and she will be here! Our next big purchase will be the dresser ... here are some photos of Ed and the dogs working on the crib.

The crib all decorated ...

30 Week Office Visit

2009-03-16T20:14:00.003-04:00

Last week we had our 30 week office visit ... we will now be seen every other week until 36 weeks when we will start going weekly. Right now everything is still going great! I feel like I'm getting bigger by the day. Her heartbeat is still sounding strong. The midwife was able to tell us that she was head down and her back more on the right side.

She has been kicking more and more these days. Such a great feeling ... she moves to Ed's voice ... too sweet!

Our next office visit is 3/25!

The Girls Shower

2009-03-09T19:47:00.006-04:00

This past weekend was my first baby shower! The shower was hosted by Aunt Bridget, Aunt Mary Beth, Betsy, Laura, Laurin, and Jessica ... you girls are the best. Everything was beautiful and our little girl got so many great gifts ... including her bedding and most everything to match it! It really helps when your sister-in-law works for Carter's! Thank you to everyone that was able to make it!

Here are some photos from the shower:

Third Trimester = 28 Weeks Along!

2009-02-24T21:36:00.012-05:00

You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Info from www.babycenter.com

Here is our 28 week belly photo ....

This past weekend one of my good friends from high school, Christina, had her baby shower. Our little ones will only be a few weeks to a month or so apart. She is having a little boy and his name is Ayden. Here are a some photos from her shower ... Ayden is set for at least 6 months!

Glucola Visit

2009-02-22T07:55:00.004-05:00

We had our 28 week appointment on 2/19. All is going great still ... at this appointment they were mostly testing for diabetes. I had to chug this orange syrup like drink, "Glucola", and then they drew more blood. We should know the results in a few days ... no news is good news! We got to hear the little ones heartbeat again and shes still going strong!

Our next appointment is 3/11, 30 weeks, and then after that we will go every 2 weeks until 36 weeks where we will then go every week! Its hard to believe that she could be here within the next 12 weeks! I'm sure time will fly by as the months of March and April are pretty booked! I'm looking forward to my first shower on 3/8!

The Nursery!

2009-02-16T20:57:00.016-05:00

We have started working on the nursery! My Aunt and two cousins came over this weekend to help paint. The room went from a blue green color to something a little more green. The bedding we have chosen is mostly pink and brown ... with just a little hint of green throughout. So we decided to keep away from too much pink and went with green walls. I can't wait to put up the border and get the crib in the room!

Here is a photo of the bedding we've chosen ... Carter's Love Bug:

Let the painting begin .... the first photo is a partial before - work in progress, the second is the room completed, and the final is with the border sample!

3 Years Ago Today ...

2009-02-11T09:04:00.008-05:00

... we said "I do" and forever meant it! I can't speak for Ed, but these have been the best years of my life! I know that I have found the right person for me! I'm looking forward to many more wonderful years with this man!

Happy Anniversary!

Here we are at 26 weeks!

2009-02-09T20:06:00.013-05:00

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days (this is just general info ... as we all know we are having a little girl!!).

Info from www.babycenter.com

24 Weeks and Counting!

2009-01-29T22:27:00.005-05:00

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Here is a picture of me at 24 weeks on 1/26/2009.

Info from www.babycenter.com

Doctors Appointment and Nursery Preparations!

2009-01-25T11:58:00.004-05:00

We had our 24 week appointment last week on 1/22. Everything is still checking out just fine. Her heartbeat is still in the 140-150s. We left the visit with lots of goodies including our Pre-Admission Registration and the Glucola for my next office visit. At our 28 week visit they will test for gestational diabetes. It makes it feel that much more real ... we are less than 4 months away before our little girl gets here!

With her being less than 4 months away we have slowly started getting the nursery ready for her. We have cleaned out the closet in her room and took down the bed getting the room ready for a fresh coat of paint! Photos to come soon!

Registering!

2009-01-13T19:24:00.004-05:00

We finally did it! We went to Babies "R" Us over the weekend to start the registry process ... its definitely a lot harder than when we did it for our wedding! Of course there are still things we "want" for the baby, but we were a little clueless when it came to things we "needed" for the baby! It was fun, yet overwhelming. We, of course, are always taking suggestions from the mothers who have already been there!

We also have a small one started at Target.

22 Weeks and Growing!

2009-01-12T19:47:00.006-05:00

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Info from www.babycenter.com

She's kicking away!

2009-01-11T11:03:00.003-05:00

Over the past week I've felt our little girl kicking more and more! It's such a great feeling! I've felt her mostly in the early mornings as I'm waking up and she'll go for a few hours. Ed thought he felt her for the first time early Saturday morning, but he wasn't quite sure. He was able to feel her again Sunday morning a few times. I'm so excited that he was able to feel her too. We'll keep you updated as she begins to get more active!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T21:41:00.017-05:00

Hope everyone had a great New Year! We are really excited to see what 2009 has in store for us as we become parents! Still hard to believe that we have a little one on the way.

We wanted to start the new year off with some new photos. Here is an updated belly photo at 21 weeks and some of the ultrasound photos of our little girl at 19 weeks and 4 days! You can really see her head along with her legs and arms. The tech confirmed that all were there and looking great. Shes even waving at us in one of the photos.

Here's our little Girl!

I believe I started to feel the "flutters" right before Christmas and then this week I believe I have started feeling more "kicks". It appears she has real good aim for my bladder and her timing seems to be early in the morning! Hopefully it won't be too long and we can feel her from the outside!

Happy Anniversary to Grandma and Grandpa Connell!!

20 Weeks ... We're Halfway!

2008-12-30T17:52:00.006-05:00

You're at the halfway mark — congratulations! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel —the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure,measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Info from www.babycenter.com

Its a ....

2008-12-28T12:33:00.005-05:00

... Girl!

After having a great Christmas with our families Ed and I had our 20 week appointment and ultrasound on 12/26! We were very excited!

They took us back for the ultrasound first ... everything appears to measuring out just fine and our little one is measuring in the 50 percentile. Shes not a little peanut anymore ... weighing in around 10oz! She said that everything with the brain and spine were looking great. It was amazing to see how her head and spine have formed over the first 20 weeks. The heart was still pumping away like it should. We saw where the stomach and bladder were forming. We saw her flip around a few times and still not feel anything! She was being very shy ... she was breeched and had her legs crossed. It was hard to determine the gender, but the tech stated that she saw three lines that leaned towards a girl. Didn't see any little boy parts sticking out. So we are now preparing for a little pink in the house!

We then were seen by one of the doctors and he stated that her heartbeat was around 153bpm. Our 24 week appointment was set for 1/22 ... after our 28 week appointment we will be seen every 2 weeks!

We then headed out to Montgomery to celebrate Christmas with Lynn and Jerry, Mary Beth, Mom and Pop ... also known as Mildred and JJ. We were able to spread the good news to Mom and Pop who were very excited.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T07:29:00.011-05:00

Just wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from The Lashes!

We have our 20 week ultrasound Friday and hopefully our little one is ready to show us who they are!

18 Weeks!

2008-12-15T21:01:00.004-05:00

Weekly update:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Info from www.babycenter.com

Belly Photos!

2008-12-11T21:40:00.018-05:00

We had our last appointment on 12/9 ... everything is going according to plan. They took some more blood for our 16 week testing and we got to hear the heartbeat again. This time we were told that the heartbeat was around 150bpm. We were able to set up our next appointment and the 20 week ultrasound. Next appointment is 12/26 at 8am ... at that time we should be able to determine if Baby Lash is a girl or a boy?!?!

Here are some belly photos from week 12 and 16 ... I'm not a big fan of the 12 week photo, but it will give you something to compare the 16 week too :)!

12 weeks on 11/3/2008:

16 weeks on 12/1/2008:

16 Weeks ... We Are Almost Halfway!

2008-12-01T21:29:00.020-05:00

Another weekly email:

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.

Info from www.babycenter.com

Our next appointment is 12/9 and at that visit we should be able to set up our 20 week ultrasound ... at that appointment they should be able to determine whether we are having a boy or a girl! We are so excited and will be sure to keep everyone posted! Here is a photo taken at 11 weeks ... I'll work on getting the 12 and 16 week photos up this week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T19:29:00.009-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Its been a busy week! One of my good friends from high school, Christina, got married last weekend and everything was beautiful. After the wedding we were able to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Connell to celebrate Ed's 28th Birthday! On Sunday we had a nice family visit with my family, my moms sisters and their cousins. My mom and I did a little furniture shopping before Ed, Mary Beth, and I headed up to Pittsburgh for the Lash Thanksgiving. While up in Pittsburgh we were finally able to spread the news to the rest of the family. Everyone was very excited!

I wanted to show everyone the cute little bibs I bought a few weeks ago ... they were just too cute to pass up! And yes, they are from Carter's!

14 Weeks and Counting!

2008-11-17T21:03:00.011-05:00

Welcome to the second trimester!

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

We had another doctors appointment last week and they said everything seems to be going great. We got to hear the heartbeat again and right now that is the only way I know that there is a baby in there! Otherwise I am still doing great ... I did have to start shopping for new clothes! There is a little visible bump. We have one more appointment before we have our second ultrasound. The ultrasound will be around the last week in December and at that time we should be able to tell what gender Baby Lash is!! Oh and I'll try and post some "belly" photos later this week!

Happy Anniversary to Grandma and Grandpa Sullivan and Grandma and Grandpa Lash!!

Info from www.babycenter.com

12 Weeks and We've got Reflexes!

2008-11-03T21:01:00.010-05:00

The weekly email:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long, about the size of a lime, and weighs half an ounce.

Info from www.babycenter.com

We are 10 weeks!

2008-10-21T19:04:00.009-04:00

From my weekly email:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Info from www.babycenter.com

Introducing .. Baby Lash

2008-10-16T17:27:00.006-04:00

Ultrasound taken October 2, 2008 .. we were 7 weeks and 3 days

We went to the Dr's office today so they could draw some blood and run all of those good tests. Hopefully all will come out well! But before they did all of that they attempted to find the baby's heartbeat. After a few minutes of probing around she was able to locate it and Ed and I were able to hear the heart beat for the first time! Words cannot even describe what we felt .. it was awesome! Our next office visit is in 4 weeks and we are moving right along!

Yes, we're expecting!

2008-10-15T11:52:00.011-04:00

That's right, you read it correctly! We are expecting our first baby! We are surprised, excited, shocked, and nervous all at the same time.

It's still early, but, we wanted to share the exciting news with our friends and family. As of today we are 9 weeks and 2 days pregnant! We actually found out that we were pregnant on September 11, 2008 when I came home with several pregnancy tests. We had several exciting and fun filled football weekends ahead of us and I needed to know. There was no question, but Ed insisted that I take another test just to be sure. We made our first appointment with my Dr. on September 12th where they confirmed that we were going to have a little one. We were so excited, but hated that we could not share with anyone. We kept the news to ourselves for several weeks ... that has been the hardest part!

Our first ultrasound was October 2, 2008! It was so amazing to see such a little thing, heart beating strong, on the screen that would eventually become our little one. She confirmed that our due date would be around May 18, 2009. Ed and I were finally ready to tell everyone the great news and spent the next several days, Ocotober 2nd-5th, driving all over Georgia telling the future grandparents and aunts. They were all very excited for us, which seemed to help with the shock that was still setting in ... it was a great weekend!

So far the pregnancy hasn't been too bad ... keeping my fingers crossed. I have not been sick, just very tired and a little sick to my stomach feeling. Hopefully that will pass in the next few weeks. Wish us luck- I'm still not really sure what to expect at this time! We promise to keep everyone updated on the website as to all of the happenings for Baby Lash!