The Homestretch

We're just 26 days away from meeting the newest Olson baby. The weeks are starting to fly by now! We're seeing the doctor every week now, so that's a sign that the end is near. Everything is going spectacularly well so far. The only thing I'm worried about is the baby making an early entrance, rather than going by our set schedule. At this point, they won't stop labor and will perform the C-section whenever labor starts. I haven't felt anything other than Braxton Hicks so far, so I'm not too concerned, but things can change quickly. The baby seems to be getting quite big. He's slowed down his movement throughout the day, but when he does move, it's really big movements. It's always fun to watch my stomach move from one side to the other. Natalie thinks it's funny, too. I'll put her hand on my stomach and she laughs when there's a big kick. The only problem I've had so far, other than some minor swelling, is carpal tunnel. I can no longer write or hold things with my right hand--but for some reason it doesn't bother me when I'm typing. That's good, since that's a source of income for us!

We have officially settled on a new name for the baby--so if you thought you knew what it was--you're wrong. You'll find out in 26 days. Chances are, Mom won't like it. :)

The Name Game

I'm happy that the drama surrounding the pregnancy at this point is concerning our little boy's name...not preterm labor. For at least three years now, we've known what our first born son's name is going to be...that is until a few days ago. I've always had about three backup names, but one has been growing on me over the past few months. It's also been a favorite of Perry's...but not enough to sway him from his original choice. Then, on Monday, I mentioned the name once again to Perry, and...well now we've got a real problem on our hands. Just thinking about this makes me nervous! Naming a child is not a job you take lightly...this is serious stuff! Perry is now convinced that the new name is the one...and although I love it, I'm still not sure I'm willing to give up my original first choice. I think I've stared at this old ultrasound photo from last month way too much, trying to figure out if he's this name or that. Oh, boy. There was no doubt with Natalie...but it looks like this one will be decided in the hospital. STAY TUNED...YOU'LL FIND OUT NOVEMBER 3RD!

Natalie's Pictures

Here are a few of the professional pictures we got of Natalie last week at the lake. There is one that shows off her beautiful curls (in case you're wondering why you can't see her face in it!). Enjoy!

22 Weeks

We finally took some profile pictures! Here I am at 22 weeks...feeling great!

Gimme That Twix!

Here we are at 22 weeks, and we have yet another photo to share of our little guy. I love this picture because it shows off his little turned up nose (just like Natalie and Daddy!). We had our full ultrasound today, where they check all of the internal organs and do lots of measuring. All of the organs look just fine and he measures in at approximately one pound already. We are fortunate enough to be able to SEE how much a baby changes in the first weeks...he's looking fuller and the features are really starting to take shape. He did a good job of cooperating with the ultrasound tech, who doesn't even call my name out anymore in the waiting room area...she just walks in and says, "you ready?" We really like her because she tells us everything she is seeing, which I don't think is technically allowed. The doctor is supposed to relay that information to us...but she realizes that we've been through enough that we shouldn't have to wait for that info anymore. The cervix remains long and shut--and it is becoming increasingly apparent that the baby won't be coming out any time soon! He'll actually wait for the day we tell him he can come out! :) As for me, you can see that I have a slight obsession with Twix candy bars these days. I've managed to only gain 6 pounds thus far, but I'm afraid that my cravings for Twix are going to bump the weight up a bit. Argh. I can't help it that he likes Twix.

Baseball, Baby Boy, and Bea's Hair

Another two weeks have passed, and Baby Boy Olson is getting BIG! There's news about him, but first, I'll start with Perry's big night of baseball. The Vistas held a game at Corbett on June 16th for former Vistas players...and Perry couldn't pass that up! He had a great time competing against his former teammates. He played outfield, caught and even got up on the pitcher's mound for an inning. It was really a fun night. The organizers are hoping to make it a yearly tradition.

Natalie had fun hanging out with Grandpa during the game.

Cousin Meredith still isn't too sure about Uncle Perry...

Now on to baby news! It was ultrasound time again on Monday, and we got to see our little boy kicking around. By the way, there's no doubt now that it's a boy--we checked again and I could spot it without being prompted. The best news of the day, however, is that things are going REALLY well. My cervix seems to be lengthening...it's now up to almost 6 cm. I think the ultrasound tech was just as surprised as we were. I get progesterone shots weekly, which are supposed to prevent any preterm labor. Other than that, things are normal. I like that word...normal. Could it be that we will have a normal pregnancy??? Don't worry...I'm knocking on wood as soon as I'm done typing this. He spends most of the night moving around and kicking--he's very strong! So here are the two pictures we got of Baby Olson on Monday:

His face with his little fist by his chin...

...and his foot.Natalie is just happy summer is in full swing so she can get in her swing!! We spend all morning outside watering and smelling the flowers, taking care of the garden and lawn and listening to the birdies. She is an outdoors girl, and already has a tan to match her daddy's, even though she wears 50 spf sunblock all day. She's certainly not a fair-skinned Miller like me!

And finally...here's a picture of her gorgeous hair. This was from a couple of weeks ago. Why doesn't my hair do this??????

Baby Boy Olson is Getting Bigger!

The little guy is getting a lot bigger these days. Last night, I saw my belly move for the first time. I'm looking forward to the day when Perry can feel the kicks as well. He does lots of moving around, especially when his big sister is sitting on him! Our ultrasound today was spectacular. Everything looks great so far! I can hardly believe it. It was at this point with Natalie that I was put on bedrest. I don't with bedrest upon anyone. While I would have loved to extend it much longer, it was not a walk in the park. It sounds nice at first...but it really isn't. So hopefully we won't have to worry about that this time around! We've officially switched doctors now to Dr. Bozeman. Dr. Madland's last day was on Thursday, and I did a lot of crying when I saw him. Poor guy must have been bombarded with tearful women over the past few months. My belly is getting pretty big now, so we'll start taking some profile shots beginning tomorrow when I officially hit 18 weeks. I'll have those posted in the weeks to come. I finally went out and bought a couple of baby boy sleepers! I can't tell you how nice it is to get out of the pink section of the store. It's going to be strange having another boy around here!