Callaway Lyn Inman

FAMILY PICTURES

2009-10-28T11:31:00.004-05:00

A local photographer took our picture a couple of weeks ago. We are just THRILLED with how they turned out. If you are in the area and are wanting some pictures done, I HIGHLY recommend Leah Robinson of Sweet Essence Photography. She does this as a side business and is FANTASTIC! I know of several families who have used her, and I have to be honest...I have not seen a bad picture yet! Here are a few samples of pictures we received... We had several taken in her Halloween costume (Lady Bug)

Where did my baby go!!!!!!

2009-10-05T07:17:00.003-05:00

The video should explain it all.....time is going by way too fast.

Callaway will 11 months old this coming Sunday and she is becoming quite the entertainer. During the evenings she gets to showing off and walking every where. She likes it when we get on her level on the floor so she can crawl all over us and so we can play with her. She really likes it when Daddy starts tickling her and passing her the ball to bounce off the wall and window. Watching her walk is just too funny. She has been standing on her own for quite some time now and has been pulling herself up since before she started crawling at 8 months. This weekend she has really took off on the walking. At first she would just take a step, maybe two if she was really balanced, and then fall. Now she is walking all across the kitchen floor and living room and into the bedrooms and back. Little stinker is growing up WAY TOO FAST!

She has been enjoying table food for a while now too. I would say her favorites right now consist of green beans, vienna sausages, and canned pears. She'll even sneak in some ice cream here and there:o) I have been working on getting her birthday party ready. I have some of he invitations done now, but most of the other stuff will be last minute. We plan on having it down at the garage on our place so we can have a bonfire, so hopefully it won't be too cold, but we'll see. I got to pick her theme this year since of course she is too young to pick her own and to be really interested in too many things, so I went with the Hoot Owls. I have all kinds of neat decorations planned and the desserts are even owl themed! I love to throw a good party! Especially when I can bring out the kid side of me!

We are having her pictures taken next weekend with a local photographer so we (well I guess just myself:o) ) are so excited about that. The lady who is taking them is so good and I just love the way she takes pictures...all natural, nothing staged. They will be taken outside, so I'm praying for good weather. Mommy and Daddy are even going to try to get in on a few and she'll have an outfit change in there too....she'll have some taken in her Halloween costume! YEY!!!!!

Well I will try to get some updated pictures posted soon. I need to download them all off my camera. I hope everyone has a good week and FALL IS HERE! Enjoy the cooler weather and get ready to watch our Master's art canvas of color!

Other Pics from the weekend

2009-08-31T14:16:00.002-05:00

Kung Foo Fighter

2009-08-31T14:14:00.001-05:00

I just had to post this picture...

Getting Big

2009-08-11T08:53:00.003-05:00

I know everyone has been after me for not updating...Sorry. I've been busy with let me just say everything! We have had a lot of company visiting over the summer and we left on vacation and trying to do things around the house and the list can just go on and on.

Callaway is 9 months today!!! I just cannot believe it! She is getting so big. Not size wise so much (she doesn't have much hope since her Daddy and I are both under 6'), but just the things she is doing now; I don't even know where to begin! The day after we got back from vacation she started crawling (she was exactly 8 months and 1 day), she has been pulling up all on her own since before she was crawling and now she is learning to balance standing up and getting to where she can at times pull herself up without holding onto anything! She has developed a taste for REAL food especially sweets :o) She has been sampling mashed potato's, cheese, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, pasta, Gerber puffs, toast, bread sticks, cantaloupe, and then of course the sweets, but her favorite would definitely have to be ice cream. You really know when she loves something by when she starts "flapping" her right arm like she is trying to tell you, "Faster, Faster!"

We have now baby proofed the house (up to a certain height anyways) and it still seems as though she can find everything, including things you never see until they're in her mouth. Toys and toy baskets now set on the sofa table where pictures and vases were once displayed, plugs have been covered, lamps have been moved or removed from the room, doors are now shut, an ottoman now rests in front of the TV so she can't reach buttons and knobs, and there will be alot more proofing as soon as she figures out the whole walking thing! Did I once say that I couldn't wait until she started crawling?????

It's funny how women (and men) just kind of step into the role of being a parent without really consciously thinking about it. You wake up 2 hours earlier than you use to in order to be some where on time, you find yourself looking for Disney movies instead of the latest Box Office hit, you sway back and forth even if you're not holding a crying baby, your grocery list begins to be filled with foods you would eat if you had your wisdom teeth removed, any extra money you have for yourself you find yourself spending on that ADORABLE outfit that you just thought she would look so cute in or a toy that she just smiled from ear to ear at while in the store, you find yourself singing Patty Cake or humming the latest nursery rhyme she seems to enjoy. Priorities change, family becomes the most important thing in your life, and you even become minivan owners...

Yes we took the plunge. We are now proud owners of a minivan! I know what your thinking, you only have one child to haul around. But we tend to go on the road a lot or go places where we have several passengers and we just couldn't pass up the great deal we got, so...we now own a Dodge Grand Caravan. We picked it up last night and I am loving it! It rides so smooth and quiet and not to mention all the cool gadget's it has! Now if I can only figure out how to work all the buttons... You know your in trouble when the van comes with it's own 85 page manual on how to operate JUST THE RADIO! All well we'll figure it all out. We are looking forward to taking on our vacation this fall to test out it's Stow-N-Go storage space. We'll just see how much shopping we can do now!!!!!

Anyways, the summer has been flying by and that is ok with me as far as the weather goes (I hate summer weather), but my little squirt is almost 1!!!!! and my sweet baby girl is almost 2. Where has the time gone? We will once again be celebrating Braylyn's life at our house with our family on her birthday and I am trying to come up with something special, but I can't give away too much. Callaway's birthday will also be at our house and I'm hoping to do it outside since it will be early November and the weather should hopefully be nice.

Well I better get going. I have a lot of work to do today. I hope everyone is having a great day!

Busy Busy Busy

2009-06-30T08:42:00.002-05:00

The Inman family has been busy this month. We have been through Vacation Bible School at church, visiting with my foreign brother (Jo from Holland), working, cleaning, hosting my brothers 30 birthday (yes Josh just reminding you, you are now 30 :o) ), getting our spare bedroom set up (FINALLY!!!), doctor's appointments, dental appointments, I know there's more...

This week we will be just has busy even with an extra day off with the holiday, we have a list of things to do this week. Sunday we walked outside to leave for church to find a BIG bucket tractor sitting in our yard in front of a BIG hole! Don't worry we knew it was going to happen, just not when. So it was sort of a shock to walk outside and see that. To explain...we have been having some plumbing problems, a.k.a, septic tank issues. Ever since we moved into our house, the plumbing in the basement has not worked correctly. Well now we are getting around to finding out the issue. So that was going on Sunday. Yesterday, the insect guy came to do our quarterly spray and inspection, the plumbers came by to draw up a plan of action (still don't really understand what is going on), and this was all after a full day at work and a doctor's appointment for Bran.

Today is another fabulous full day of work, while the plumbers are at the house working (on doing what, still not sure) followed by this evening fixing dinner and then going on a walk. I think that's it. That's all I've planned for anyways, but somehow it never seems to go that way.

Callaway is going on 8 months old now! Kristi pointed out the other day that she is closer to a year old than a newborn :o( Where has the time gone... She is doing really good. She has a cold right now, along with her mother and father. I guess that's what you get when it's 100 degrees outside and you keep your house a chilling 70 degrees. Anyways, Callaway has yet to crawl, but she is getting there. I think she will be one who either doesn't crawl at all or crawls for a short time period and then quickly goes into walking. She pulls herself up pretty good and she will rock when she is on her knees, but she just can't get the whole coordination of moving her legs with her arms. She still just has two teeth on bottom and has started holding her bottle all on her own. Watch out! she tends to snatch it out of your hand before your ready! She is also making noises my moving her hands over her mouth and she has developed a CHEESER smile that is just too funny. I need to get some pictures! She still sleeps through the night; falling asleep around 8-930 and not waking until 8-9 when she is able to sleep in (when I'm not working). I am hoping she will stay that way, since little does she know, in less than two weeks she is moving into her own room! Yes she is still in our room. She sleeps in her pak-n-play next to our bed. But I think "I" am ready for the move. She could probably care less, it's me who is struggling with "letting her go." Maybe I should invest in the video camera monitor????

Well I'll wrap it up. I hope to get some good pictures this next week and I'll post as soon as I can!

6 Months

2009-05-13T06:16:00.003-05:00

Callaway is now 6 months old! I just cannot believe how fast time as flown by. She is reaching that stage where she is doing a lot of new things and making some cute faces, so needless to say she keeps us smiling. My mom and I took her to the doctor yesterday for her check-up. She did really good considering she got 3 more shots. Poor thing. But of course mommy picks her up and she immediately stops crying and within minutes she is smiling again. Little stinker. She now weighs 16 pounds 1 oz and is 25.6" long. She feels as light as a feather to me and everyone keeps saying she is small, but the doctor said she looks good. We are going on a 4 day running streak of NO SPIT UPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I pray that the spit-up phase is coming to a close. It has been so nice to have her sitting on her own and in her chairs without worrying about spit-up going every where. And to go a whole day in the same shirt! AH the little things that makes us Mommies happy. My dad met us down there after Callaway's appointment and we went to a local plant nursery and out to eat. I could have went hog wild buying all kinds of plants and tress, but that project is slowly progressing. After that my mom and dad took Callaway home and they let me enjoy some time to shop. I went to Wal-Mart and Elder-Beerman to just look around and of course try on shoes! We all had an enjoyable day, with the exception of three shots.

So at 6 months Callaway rolls from her back to her belly, sits on her own, grasps rattles and her other toys, loves being outside and strolling around the yard in her stroller, laughs at Diesel as he runs in circles around her, jabbers more, enjoys sticking her tongue out, discovered that when she coughs you give her attention and ask if she's ok, still enjoys looking at herself in the mirror (see bath time pictures in the slide above; enough said), is still a mommies girl, but loves when daddy gives her kisses and sings to her, still eating peas and green beans but we are reintroducing carrots, and if she continues on the spit-up free days, we will hopefully spend more time on our belly so we can learn to crawl.

All in all Callaway has brought so much joy to our lives. I just love to watch her sleep and when she smiles...I just want to cry with tears of joy. I say a prayer each morning for God to watch over her, to protect her and to guide her through her day. It seems like I hear on almost a daily basis of someone who has caused harm to an infant or child and when I look at Callaway I just cannot imagine causing her pain. I mean taking her to get her routine shots is hard enough. I just cannot comprehend how people can do such actions, and not to even mention abortion. The other day Brandon and I had heard of a young man on the news who had beat a 3 month old baby boy and then fled with the little boy in his car and threw him out the window as he drove down an interstate, I told Brandon, "His day will come when he will be judged for his actions and he will pay the ultimate price. As as for the little baby boy...he is no longer suffering and he is being taken care of by our Lord and Savior." I believe God punishes those who cause harm to children. Someone who feels like they have power or control when they do something like that to a defenseless baby...I just don't understand. Callaway is a gift from God as are all children and to cause harm on one of God's precious creations is just mind boggling to me.

On a lighter note, Brandon and I have been busy. The nice weather has made our moods and ambitions go into full gear I think. Sunday we power washed the house and trimmed the yard. We have been progressively getting closer to getting the landscaping project going. We need to bring in a tuck load or two of dirt to help build it up around the house and once that is done, we can finally get started on re-planting! The tough part will be deciding what plants to buy. I am all about low maintenance cause once it gets 100 degrees outside with 100% humidity......this girl will NOT be outside messing with plants. So I'm leaning toward ornamental grasses and several different flowering bushes. This fall I want to plant tulip bulbs and some mums and asters. It's going to be a big project, but I can't wait to see the finished product.

Stronger Than Before

2009-04-22T08:39:00.001-05:00

Brandon and I have been married for three years today! Thinking back to this time three years ago...I would have been down at the church already this morning getting things going. We got married at 4 in the afternoon in Washington at a church that my family use to go to and where my brother and his wife were also married. Pictures were to start at 1, so everything had to be ready to go by then. Hair, makeup, dressed...did I mention I was taking some prescription meds to keep me calm, which were not really doing nothing more than making me absent minded. For those of you who know me well, know that I cry at the tip of a hat and to make it through a life changing event such as my wedding day...well let's just say even after taking four or more "calming pills", I was still crying my eyes out the whole way down the aisle and the whole time I said my vows. I remember Brandon talking to me during the ceremony telling me, "...just breath." He was so calm and I was a basket case. That's how it usually goes with us :o)

After a long, hard road Brandon and I had finally grown up and were ready to "take the plunge". Brandon and I had been through a lot during our dating years. We had started dating in June 2001 and split on several occasion's and even called off our original wedding date back in 2005. We learned a lot from our mistakes and had also learned a lot from each other. Brandon has made me into a better person today and each and every day is a new opportunity for growth. Since saying, "I do" we have been through a lot of trials and learning experiences also. My love for my husband, my best friend is Stronger Than Before. Going through trials in life and having your partner for life and best friend by your side, makes everything better. I just honestly don't know where I would be today without Brandon and I cannot imagine my life any other way. Brandon is my rock and hero, the absolute love of my life.

Our lives have taken many different roads in three years; some that we wished we didn't have to go down, but our God lead us down those roads and He knew what we could handle and He knew what was best for us. God has tested our relationship MANY times and I believe in doing so He has also tested our faith in Him. I pray that I am a servant for Him and that I am a Godly wife and mother. I pray that my marriage and life has God as it's foundation and that I can stand strong in times of weakness and troubles in my faith for my Lord and Savior. I pray that my children and my children's children also have this prayer. I pray that my marriage has only begun and that God allows me many many years ahead with the love of my life and that He leads us down new paths that make us and our family Stronger Than Before.

Brandon, I love you with all of my heart, body, mind, and soul. You truly do complete me as a human and I thank you for making me and my love for you Stronger Than Before. Love Me~

Nana's House

2009-04-22T07:49:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures my mom took of Callaway yesterday while she was watching her. So cute! How can you resist that face!

Look-A-Like

2009-04-13T08:35:00.004-05:00

I put this together the other day and thought it was so funny. Brandon is the one on the left and I am on the right, with of course Callaway in the middle.

Stepping Stones

2009-04-10T06:36:00.002-05:00

Callaway will be 5 months tomorrow! This past month she has become fond of being rolling over and being on her belly. I think she likes the change in view from that angel. I have to use the little pillow thing to keep her from rolling over when I'm trying to change her diaper and clothes. Little stinker sure is flexible! It's funny thinking back to watching her on the ultrasound machine and watching her arch her back and to now see her doing it on the floor and on her bed is a miracle. This past month she has also sat on her own on several occasions. It has not become a easy habit as of yet, but her little back/spine is getting stronger each day. She is not such a bobble head anymore. In the evenings after she eats her green beans or peas (which she is still enjoying) we talk for about an hour to each other. She goes on and on with her little noises and her tongue...it tends to make an appearance quite frequently. She is always sticking it out and curling it up and to the side...something I cannot do, but her Daddy can. I'm telling you what she is just full of talent:o)

I sat her in her little green foam chair the other day (the picture with her in the white hat) and I had to push her legs through the top part of the legs holes in order to get her legs in :o) Her little chunky legs are so cute! She wasn't too fond of sitting in it for very long. When I lifted her up, the chair came with her :o) We don't go back to the doctor again until May so I m guessing she weighs about 15 lbs now and I don't know her length, but I have once again packed up another tote of clothes and I am currently taking inventory on what is coming up in her Spring Line of fashion. Reports tell me that capris in cool colors like blues and greens are totally in and shirts with lady bugs, flowers, and of course ANYTHING in polka dots are the latest craze. Spring/Summer dresses are washed and hanging in all sorts of patterns and colors and shoes...who needs shoes when it's funner to go bare! We need grass between our toes and the warm sun on our skin (sunscreen will be used). As you can see her sun glasses are in a flattering shade of fuscia and perfect for those bright sunny days outside with Diesel.

We have a family vacation planned for a week in July that we are all looking forward to. Lazy days will be spent at the pool and time with Nana, Papaw, Uncle Josh and Aunt Kristi and cousins Sam, Cora and Eli...it's going to be so much fun! That is in roughly 3 months so Callaway will be 8 months old. Wonder what all she will be doing by then...crawling???? We'll see! I'm sure between Sam, Cora and Eli (who will be almost 1) and Callaway, everyone will be entertained.

Brandon and I will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary in a week and a half. Time has flown by and boy have we experienced a lot in those three years. I could write a book on all of our trials, celebrations, and what has become "normal" for us that we have experienced in those three years that most people don't experience in a life time. To sum it all up though, I am very blessed to have a husband who is not only the love of my life, but truly my best friend. We have grown so close over these three years and I have come to appreciate the things he does for not only me but for our family. Popper has become a "Family Man". :o) For those of you who don't know, Brandon and I graduated high school in the same class and we were both voted "Best Personality" in our class that year. We had always been friendly toward each other and hung out on occasion, but the summer after our first year at college we grew close. I'll save our story for another post next week.

I also would have to thank God for opening that path in my life that led to Brandon. God does work in mysterious ways and He does have the best laid plans for our lives, even if we don't know it or agree with it at the time. I feel like my life has been extremely blessed all thanks to my Lord and Savior and without Him I think I would be so empty. I look forward to the time God allows me on this earth and for each new path He plants for me.

4 Months Old

2009-03-23T09:27:00.002-05:00

We went to the doctor on March 13 for Callaway's 4 month check up. She is doing really well. She was 25" long and weighs 14 pounds 1 oz. She got another round of shots and she didn't even cry! I couldn't believe it. She is a tough little girl. The nurse asked if she was breathing because she couldn't get over that she didn't make a peep either! I said she was just showing off because her Daddy was there with her.

She has been experimenting with baby food and we have decided to slow down. I was so excited for her to be on food that I think I was getting ahead of myself. She loves peas. I when I say loves, I mean LOVES! She also has a taste for green beans, so we are sticking with those two for now. I had tried carrots, applesauce, bananas, and peaches. I've been told she has inherited the Smith family curse. She definintely can not eat banana's as they give her really bad gas and makes her stomach ache and carrots also give her gas but are tolerable, and as for the peaches...she just didn't care too much for those. Applesauce was good for mixing with the rice and oatmeal, but oatmeal has already made it's way out also as it made her constipated. So I have come to the conclusion that she just has a sensitive stomach and we will slow down. I have to keep telling myself, she is only 4 months old. But I tell you what...watch out PEAS! Maybe I should buy stock in a pea manufacturer...

In the photos you'll see Callaway's new cousin and my new nephew! Isn't he so cute!!! He is such a blessing to our family and he is already bringing joy to our lives. We thank the Lord for bringing them all home safe and are overjoyed with having him in our family. Brandon is already planning future camp outs with all the kids (I hope he is planning on waiting until their all potty trained).

Diesel is getting HUGE! I need to take an updated pic of him too I guess. We are looking forward to being able to let him off his leash, so he can just roam free. I'm afraid he is going to be a BIG dog. His paws are big and just in the two weeks we've had him he has doubled in size it seems. He'll definitely rule the neighborhood, especially when it comes to our neighbors dog who tends to do his business in our yard (he is a basset hound).

Brandon stayed busy this weekend. He came home from work Friday and ranked out all the bushes around our house. It looks so much better already. I'm excited now for the weather to warm up some so we can get out there and start re-doing the landscape. I am all about simple, low maintenance. I'll probably stick with the oriental grasses and some rose bushes and some bulbs for some color in the summer/fall/spring. I've got my bird bath I want to put back out and I want to get an angel statue and a pink rose to plant for Braylyn. So we'll be busy with that this Spring. We are also going to put new shudders on the house and Brandon is going to cut down 4 big trees around the house (spruce of some sort I think) to open our view to the valley and to eliminate the risks of them falling on the house.

Well I better get going. I have some work to do. I hope everyone is doing well!

Callaway & Diesel

2009-03-09T15:46:00.002-05:00

No real close encounters just yet...

Callaway's New Ears

2009-03-09T15:41:00.004-05:00

My New Nephew

2009-03-09T10:14:00.002-05:00

Below is an email my mom sent out about my new nephew!!!!!! HOW EXCITING!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait until Friday when they come home! I'm gonna just squeeze and love on him!

Kristi called today! At 11:00Am and said they had Eli!!!! He was a loud screamer the ladies told Josh & Kristi. He did cry for a little while then quieted down and has been super good since. They have had him for about 6 hours! The trip went well except the only suit case out of 4 that arrived was the one with 1000 diapers. The rest is supposed to be there tomorrow. Oh, and Josh passed the kidney stone about one hour before they boarded the Africa flight. That was most assuredly a answer to prayer. That was about all the information I got before we were disconnected by Cora! Oh well...............
Love to all
Nana Joy

Please keep them in your prayers this week and pray that their 17 hour flight back home, with a new baby will go smoothly.

New Best Friend

2009-03-04T08:47:00.002-06:00

Again this post won't do justice until I can download a picture, but Callaway got a new best friend Monday night. His name is Diesel. He is about 3 months old and is a little timid right now. He stands about 10" tall from the top of his head to his feet and loves to snuggle in his blankee. Yes we have officially entered into the category of being a dog owner. Brandon picked him up Monday night. He came home with a full size crate (takes up about a 3' x 5' x 4' area), dog bed, food bowls, a huge bag of Puppy Chow, 2 pig ears, blue collar and leash. He is a full blooded yellow lab. I of course was against the whole thing, but I would have to admit, the little guy is adorable, stinks, but adorable. He is in his crate in the entry way right now until it gets warmer outside, but he will be an outdoor dog and we're hoping he'll start doing his business in our neighbors yard since their three dogs to theirs in ours >o) Evil I know. But with our 5 acres plus the whole surrounding woods, he should be able to enjoy the great outdoors. Callaway just kind of stares at him and you can just see her mind working and wondering what the heck that thing is. Diesel does the same with her, especially when she starts crying. I thought well now would be a good time to have a pupp with Callaway being young and all hopfully Diesel will be a protector of her. We should have fun this summer playing outside together in the water hose! I'll post pictures soon.

Little Lady

2009-03-04T08:33:00.002-06:00

I wish I had a picture but I'll have to wat until I'm at my other computer so I can download the pictures, but Little Miss Callaway got her ears pierced this past Friday! She looks so cute! Mom and I went to Bloomington to Claire's to get them done. I was scared at first being in the mall and with everyone able to stare at us. I was just waiting for someone to come up to me and say what I was doing was wrong. But Callaway did real good (and so did Nana). They did them one at a time, which I was hoping they'd do them at the same time, but she said since she was so little they tend to wiggle around more, so they will only do them one at a time. So by the time she got the first one done, Callaway really didn't realize it hurt until the second one was done. She cried for about 5 minutes or so and then took a little bit of a bottle and then was out of it for a little while. She hasn't bothered them since. She did so good. Little Squirt. We ended up picking out the little silver balls and it just sets her off. She is now a little lady :o) I'll post pictures as soon as I get them uploaded.

Exciting News from the Ausbrooks Family!

2009-02-17T12:02:00.005-06:00

It is official! We will be getting a new arrival in the Ausbrooks family! Josh and Kristi are officially the proud parents of Eli Tamru Ausbrooks. HOW EXCITING! They just said this morning that they received their travel dates, March 7-13. For those of you have not heard, my brother (Josh) and his wife Kristi had decided to adopt from Ethiopia last January (2008). Well throughout the year they did all the paper work, waiting, emails, waiting, more paper work, waiting, did I mention waiting? They finally got their referral back in December and they passed their court date last week and just heard this morning that they get to go pick up their little boy (will be 7 months the day they fly out) in just over 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are all just so excited for their family and us ourselves are just ecstatic to be getting a new nephew and a cousin! Check out their blog at http://ausbrooksfamily.blogspot.com/ for their story and pictures! We love you guys and we'll be praying for a safe flight and return! We'll be waiting for you at the airport when you return!!!!!!!!

Email I sent Out

2009-02-10T09:01:00.002-06:00

(This is an email I sent out today, but I wanted to post it here so that I could also thank the blogging world.)

Hello everyone! I first want to apologize for this being so long. Some of you might remember an email I sent out back in April titled "We Are Asking..." (original email attached). Well I was looking at it today and thought I would send out another one to just tell everyone how much we appreciate all of the prayers over the last year. We cannot believe how far we have come today. We cannot praise God enough!

A lot of you know the road for not only Brandon and I was hard, but for our families as well. There were days that we all just prayed that God could some how speed up time and deliver to us a healthy baby. But as we all know, we had to take it one day at a time and one prayer at a time, but looking back on my 37 week pregnancy, I cannot tell you where the time went. It seems just like yesterday we started down the road to delivering Callaway. Funny how that is huh? Anyways, the times when I felt at my lowest, which were plenty, I could somehow always feel God's hand on mine, telling me to trust in Him and have faith. I could always feel the prayers that were being said for us and if you all could only know what that meant to us. I felt like when we were down, others were also and when we celebrated, everyone celebrated along with us. It is such a great feeling knowing that we have not only our family who prays for us in times of need, but also a church family and a circle of friends who do the same and who put their arms around us and hold onto us. Times when not even words were what we needed, but just that hug, look or touch of the hand. We thank you all for that.

I remember during Callaway's pregnancy, I would always get sick to my stomach on the day I would go to the doctor. I had a fear of hearing those same words I had heard the previous year. My doctor and I had decided from the beginning to see him every two weeks and have ultrasounds done pretty much every two weeks. I thank God for sending such a caring doctor who he himself had experienced the loss of a newborn. Brandon and I both felt at ease with not only him but with his staff as well. Everyone was always so understanding when I would call them concerned and they would always do their best to work me into their schedule and return my calls as soon as they could. We had plenty of "emergency calls" to their office. I look back and laugh about some of them now, but at the time we were so scared. We never took a chance with anything (even if that meant taking an ambulance ride to the University of Tennessee hospital while on vacation). Boy was that exciting :o) After the pregnancy was over I remember saying to Brandon, "I just don't know what I'll do with myself, since I won't see Dr. Hopf about every day." :o) Anyways, we thank the Lord for giving us Dr. Hopf and his staff, they will forever have a place in our hearts.

As the weeks went by and we reached each milestone, we celebrated and yet at the same time the stress grew. Once again with every passing week, we got closer to delivering our baby girl and closer to the 39 week mark I was at when we lost Braylyn. I just kept praying to God asking that He watch over our daughter and to hold her in His hands as she grew each day. I knew that God was in total control of our lives and only He knew the outcome of this pregnancy before anyone else. I talked to Braylyn also, asking her to watch over her little sister and to talk to her to let her know how much her mom and dad loved her. The one ultrasound picture we had taken at about 10 weeks was a picture I'll never forget...it looked as if Callaway had a halo over her head and I remember crying and thinking that God and Braylyn put that there to let me know that they are were watching out for her and to give me a sense of comfort during that time. Brandon and I would often times visit Braylyn and talk with her about Callaway and talk to Callaway about Braylyn. We will always go through life talking about Braylyn and letting Callaway know that she has an older sister watching out for her. It is kind of weird how Braylyn was born October 10 (10/10) and Callaway was born November 11 (11/11). WATCH OUT FOR 12/12! HA! I remember telling Brandon that if we got to choose what day, I wanted the 11 so it would be that way. Well I got what I wanted, and without me having anything to do with it, just God and Braylyn.

Callaway will be three months tomorrow. Time has still yet to slow down. She is getting bigger each and every day and my love for her grows continually. I knew of a mother's love when Braylyn was born, but my love for her is a special love, a spiritual love. So having Callaway here with us is a whole new experience. Motherhood feels like second nature however. Distinguishing what her cries are, crying along with her, not because I'm going insane, but because I want to take the pain she is having away from her, watching her reach milestones, even though small, they are a blessing each and every day. I love to watch her sleep. The faces she makes when she is sleeping so sound...when she smiles in her sleep we say she is talking to Braylyn. There is no telling what kind of trouble those two would get into together :o)

I feel so blessed to have two daughters in my life, both heavenly and earthly. I know that Braylyn is pain free and in heaven with her Great Grandma Ausbrooks and Great Grandpa Smith and Great Grandma and Great Grandpa White and Great Grandpa Inman. That is comforting to me. When Grandma Ausbrooks passed my immediate thought was, she is not only pain free now, but she is holding our precious daughter in her arms and loving all over her. Braylyn is experiencing life the way we can only read of in the Bible, but one that I am anxiously waiting for. God is so great to us. He blessed us with Braylyn in a way only couples who have experienced the loss can relate to. She has touched our lives in ways only the experience has been able to bring to us. My love for family and Brandon has grown immeasurably. God then decided to bless us again by giving us Callaway and allowing us to experience this earthly life with our child and I somehow feel even more blessed by being given the gift of another girl. I had always said I don't think I could handle more than one girl, but once again God knew what I could handle and He gave us the chance to raise a daughter here on earth. I wish I could explain it better than I have in this email, but all I can do is say "Thank You." And as usual when I get emotional, I am crying. I love each and every one of you. I know I am only reaching a portion of people I want to thank, but please just know that we are forever grateful for all of your prayers. We will one day go through all of this again and I know we will have an army praying for us along the journey. Thank You

Brandon, Lyndsey, and Callaway

Updated Slides

2009-02-09T14:08:00.001-06:00

Updated Slides

2009-01-26T09:57:00.003-06:00

7 Weeks Old

2009-01-01T15:08:00.000-06:00

Time has just flown by! Believe it or not I go back to work this coming Monday :o( I don't know if I can do it! I had all this stuff planned that I was going to do and get done and I can't think of one thing I did besides spend time with Callaway :o)

To go back 7 weeks ago, I'll tell the story of Callaway's arrival...I had my appointment Monday November 10 at 330. Brandon decided to take off work and go with me since we were hoping the Doctor would go ahead and admit me, because we were all at our whits end waiting for the safe arrival of Callaway. We were hoping he would admit me so I could get a good nights rest since they would have me hooked up to all the machines monitoring her. Well to skip through some details, my blood pressure was high that day and they found protein in my urine, so the doctor didn't want to take any risks considering my past, so he sent us over to the hospital for admittance :o) He said we were going to have a baby tonight! Little did we know what the night held.

So we called everyone telling them what was going on and went straight to the hospital. They started me potosen and broke my water around 730. We were all in good spirits, having visitors and laughing and all. Has the night went on my progress wasn't going as fast as we all hoped. The OB unit was packed with ladies giving birth and by the nights end, I was the only one left. I couldn't sleep and neither could Brandon. Callaway's heart rate would slow down and have moments where it would skip beats and so we kept the nurse busy with trying to explain to us what was going on and making her reassure us that everything was fine. Our parents stuck it out with us, taking turns checking in on us. The nurse would do her job by checking me and I just would not progress. At around 6 in the morning my doctor came in and he could just not believe that we had not had Callaway yet. By this time her heart rate had increased to about 198 and was not slowing back down. He said he would suggest getting her out and taking any chances. He said he would do his rounds and if her heart rate had not gone back down by the time he got back, then we would take the next step and do a C section. He asked our opinion and we didn't hesitate. I was a little upset by the fact that I could not do it natural, but our main concern turned to the safety of Callaway. So when he got back the nurses started prepping me for surgery. I was so scared, I just prayed that everything would be ok and Callaway would arrive healthy and strong.

At 8:32 AM November 11 Callaway was born. They quickly showed her to me and let me kiss her before they swept her off to the nursery. She had fluid in her lungs so she had to be put in this little clear box to supply her with oxygen. Her head was also swollen from being down in position for so long so the pediatrician watched that closely. All in all she was healthy and by the days end, she got a clean bill of health.

We ended up coming home Friday November 14 and was so excited to be home and in our own surroundings. We had a few visitors and when we were finally by ourselves, I discovered a knot on my leg. I had Brandon look at it and I called down to the OB department to ask what the symptoms of blood clot were. Next thing we know we were headed to the emergency room...(I'll go into that next time).

UPDATE

2008-12-16T14:10:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has taken so long to post...been kind of busy :o) I'm going to make this short, but I'll get all the important info. Callaway Lyn was born November 11, 2008 at 8:32 AM. She was 8 pounds and 2 ounces and 20 inches long. She looks just like her Daddy and things are going really good. She sleeps for about 3-4 hours and eats when she gets up and then stays up for about an hour or so and then goes back out. She has been such a blessing to our whole family and an answered prayer indeed. She is Braylyn's twin too. She looks just like her sister. When Callaway sleeps she some times has moments when she starts smiling for several minutes...we like to say she is talking to Braylyn. Her sister defiantly watched out for her and we are so happy we now have a healthy little girl and a piece of Braylyn will live on in Callaway. Here are some pictures. I'll update later when I get more time.

7 Days and Counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-05T13:30:00.001-06:00

Ok, this is weird...we have one week left. AMAZING! It is just weird to finally say, next week we'll be having a baby! Nerves are stretched right now and emotions are high. Brandon is doing everything for me and making sure I am being watched even when he is not around. The nursery is ready to go, our bags are packed, Callaway's bag is packed, bottles all clean and ready for use, only thing left is to put the car seat in the car.

Our appointments have been going good. I go back this Friday for another routine visit and then the following Monday will be my last exam. When he examines me Monday he will determine if I am to be admitted Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. We are praying for an early admittance (this doesn't mean that something is wrong, it just means that I am not dilated as much and he would want to get an earlier start on getting my labor going). Like I said we are praying for an earlier admittance so I will be able to rest some since I would be hooked up to every piece of machine they have to monitor Callaway. I told Brandon if I don't go until Wednesday morning, there would be no chance of getting any sleep from Monday night on. My nerves will be so high and strung out.

Callaway has still been pretty active, although her kicks and jabs are not has hard since she is getting to be in tight quarters :o) Monday we had a full growth scan and she was estimated at 6 pounds 14 ozs! So we're looking at about (I'm guessing) 7 pounds 5 ozs. We are so looking forward to seeing her face for the first time and looking into her eyes and hearing that first cry. If your wondering why no pictures, it's because she is so far down in position that we can't see her face on the ultrasound machine. She is ready!

I'm sleeping better than I was there for a while. As good as I can considering my big belly I have to maneuver around when I roll over :o) I have officially stopped reporting to work, however I have one more day of working from home, tomorrow. I will then be off work until January 5, 2009.

Well I am going to get off the computer for the day. We have had enough. Please keep us in your prayers this next week and we will post pictures soon!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 Weeks from today!

2008-10-22T12:58:00.000-05:00

I am now 34 weeks along and Callaway is still doing good. We have discovered she gets the hiccups quite often. When I was at the doctor this past Friday they had me hooked up to the monitor and one of the nurses said, someone has the hiccups. I didn't know what it was, but after she said that it made sense. The sounds came every few seconds and my stomach would kind of jump. Since discovering this is what that feeling was, I can now tell she gets them about every evening and sometimes once during the day.

Our appointment Monday went good. We got to see her face for a bit on the ultrasound machine and her fluid levels were good. I again got hooked up to the heart monitor to evaluate her "happiness". We don't spend much time on the ultrasounds anymore, as the monitor has taken the place of most of that stuff. We will however get one more full growth scan where we will spend some time looking her over really well the week before she is due to arrive! Little squirt is getting bigger. Her cheeks cannot get any bigger, poor thing. I told the nurse they will start sagging before too long :o) We like chubby cheeks though, so that's perfectly fine with us.

Brandon is still monitoring me like a hawk. He is going to be a worry wart when she finally arrives I think. That's ok though, he will be so in love with Callaway, we have already talked about how we just know she will be his little partner in crime. I can just picture the two of them now. Sitting in Brans recliner and Callaway dozing off as they watch Deer hunting shows :o) Then they tag team against me for something. Life will never be dull I'm sure (it's not now if you know how are trips and days usually pan out :o) ).

Well I go back to the doc tomorrow for another check in. However I don't go to my regular doc as they are closed the rest of the week on vacation, so I'm seeing a new one, just for the day. But we'll be doing the same things; ultrasound and heart monitor. So I'll check in later this week. As for now here is Callaway at one day shy of 34 weeks...oh and yes that is the bottom of her foot/toes to the lower left of her chin. Mom said she was doing her yoga for the day :o)

4 weeks to go!!!!

2008-10-15T14:29:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but things got kind of crazy a couple of appointments ago. My appointment on September 30 ended a little bit...well we'll just say a scare, it wasn't little. The ultrasound went good and Callaway appeared happy and she scored 8 points. It was my blood pressure that was a concern of the doctor's. It was 144 over 78 I think. Anyways, he said he wasn't going to take any chances this time so he wanted me to have some tests run to check for the beginning stages of Toxemia. So I of course got scared because this is something to not take lightly. So I had to do a 24 hour urine collection and go get blood work drawn that day to check protein levels. He also told me to monitor my blood pressure two times a day and to take it easy. He said we are already doing what we would do under a normal pregnancy for treating Toxemia, but under your situation I want to go ahead and start seeing you twice week and that I was a step away from bed rest.

Sooooooo.....anyways, my blood tests came back fine and my urine came back at a level of 277 and he said he is concerned if it reaches 300 or higher, so it was getting close. All in all I am ok as far as the toxemia goes, but I cut back to reporting to work to just one day a week and working from home two days a week. I don't do much anymore. Brandon won't let me :o) He is being my home doctor :o) Asking me every hour if Callaway is moving and if I have done my kick counts and what my blood pressure is. He is going to be a great Dad.

So I am reporting to the doc every Monday and Friday now with ultrasounds to check fluid levels and being hooked up to the stress test monitor to monitor Callaway's "happiness". Things are going good. She moves a lot still and she is still measuring a week ahead of my date. Last Wednesday we had a full growth scan (I was 32 weeks). Little Miss was measuring 33 weeks and my stomach was measuring 35 weeks. Her weight was approximately 4 pounds 11 oz. Her cheeks are getting chubbier and she is looking more like her Daddy :o) All in all...good report. We went back this Monday and everything went well. She got her 8 points in less than 10 minutes so no pictures from Monday but I'll post our best one yet of the one we got last Wednesday. We also scheduled our date at the hospital, November 12 at 730 AM. He will examine me the day before to see if I'm dilated at all, if not I will go to the hospital to have some things done to get things going, but then go home for the evening. If I am dilated I will just report the morning of November 12. So it's official, Little Miss Callaway will be here more than likely on November 12, 2008!!

Please keep praying for us all as the time for Callaway to get here approaches fast. Everyone is on pins and needles. We are once again so close to having our little girl here with us. Brandon just keeps telling me, "Please just take it easy for 4 weeks. We are so close."

Vent

2008-09-29T12:33:00.001-05:00

I'll start off by saying everything with Callaway is going good. She is moving as I type. Little squirt, I just can't wait for her to get here and be healthy and strong. Almost 6 weeks to go! I can't believe it, God is so good! We go to the doctor tomorrow (I'll be 31 weeks) so I'll update with new pictures on Thursday. Please keep Callaway in your prayers.

Ok so now I have to vent. I have to remind myself alot here lately that we are blessed and lucky. I feel like I am going to have an emotional breakdown any second at times. I don't know maybe I over exaggerate sometimes, but with everything that has been going on lately I just feel like I am almost at my whits end. Over the weekend we were suppose to move into our new house. The last thing that had to be done was hook up the plumbing in the kitchen and bath. Well come Saturday morning we had a nice surprise...our basement had about 3 inches of water standing in it. It's a finished basement and well lets just say we didn't move in. Come to find out the main water line coming into the house form the well, busted! It must have busted close to the house because the stone brick foundation had had enough and the water decided to break a crack in the wall and come GUSHING in! Literally the water was shooting out of the wall about 12 inches. We got the electricity to the well pump and the main line shut off, so that stopped any further damage, but we were still stuck with the water already in the basement. The vinyl flooring was ruined, it got to the stove and washer/dryer unit, the freezer chest, the furnace, water heater and all our bathroom fixtures we had sitting down there to put back into the bathroom down there. So long story short, we called our insurance agent, got Service Master o come in and clean it all up and now we're waiting to see if the basement will be covered or not. Since the pipe busted outside of the house, we are unsure if it will be covered.

So I have been a little on edge lately and with everything else that is going on, I just have to remind myself that the house will be there and that the main thing right now is Callaway. I just never imagined we would be cutting it this close to being able to live in the house and getting settled in before our baby girl gets here. I just had it all pictured that everything would be all set up and we would be into a routine by now and to then have all this happen, and to add to the mess my constant worry about Callaway and making sure everything is ok with her and then I still think about Braylyn daily and with her one year birthday coming up...and then add in the hormones from being pregnant, being tired, working, trying to do what I can at the house, worrying about my family, living in my in-laws basement...oh and my temporary crown fell out this morning, so I have to leave work in a bit to go get that fixed. I mean I really feel like I just want to have an emotional breakdown. I try to go about my day with a smile on my face and make the best of every situation, I know things could be a lot worse, but give me a break already! I just wish I could fast forward to November 12...Callaway is here kicking and screaming (well maybe not screaming), we have been living in our house for over a month now, my teeth are all in tact, I know I won't be rested, but I will be on an eight week vacation from work. I just would like for who ever reads this to say a prayer for not only Callaway, but for me also; pray that I don't loose my sanity and that I learn to just put everything in God's hands and let Him take care of the rest. Well I have got to go. I'm headed to the dentist. Thanks for listening to me vent. Until Thursday!

30 Weeks!

2008-09-25T08:11:00.001-05:00

Our appointment yesterday went good. Callaway scored another 8 on her ultrasound. She was moving around and kicking pretty good, then I think she fell asleep cause she stopped for a bit and we had to russle her a bit to finish the test :o) Silly girl. Anyways, I go back next Wednesday and they are going to hook me up to the fetal monitor to do her scoring that way. I'll have an ultrasound afterwards to check the fluid levels. If everything goes well, then this is what my appointments will be like for the remaining 7 weeks. Can you believe it! 7 weeks left! So I should have about 6 more office visits and then the BIG day! She once again had her hands by her face so trying to get a good picture of her face was once again a challenge. Here are her pictures from this week...

Now for the update everyone is just dying for me tell. As some of you know we went on a mini vacation this past week to Pigeon Forge. Brandon and I left Wednesday after Bran got off work. We ended up arriving at our cabin around 1230 that night. Brans mom, dad, sister, brother n law, and nephew were all also there. Anyways, we went straight to bed. We woke up the next day and decided to go to the smokies to eat lunch in the park. So we went to a local grocery and picked up some chicken strips and other goodies. I had noticed I was having more Braxton Hicks contractions than normal, but brushed it aside thinking that maybe it was just Callaway in a position to where she was pushing her butt out against my stomach. Once we finished eating at the park, Bran and I decided to head to the shops in a near-by town. Bass Pro was our first stop of choice. So upon arriving I of course had to use the bathroom, so I did. After venturing off to find what Bran was looking for, I felt some "fluid come out". It wasn't like a gush or anything, but enough for me to notice. I thought to myself it couldn't be pee because I had just used the bathroom and why would it just come out? So I finally spoke up and told Bran I better go back to the bathroom to check it out. Not to sound gross or anything, but the "fluid" was clear and had no particular smell to it, so I began to wonder if it was my water slowly leaking out or maybe I was loosing amniotic fluid. This could be serious. So once I got back out to Bran I told him I wanted to call our doctor's office before they closed for the day just to see what they said. So I called and to my shock, the nurse said, "Well Lyndsey it's not really something we can diagnose over the phone, so you really should go to a local hospital and get it checked." I was stunned! I thought they would just say, it's nothing, no big deal, just rest and you'll be OK. So I of course hung up the phone and lost it. I began crying and Brandon went inside to ask where the nearest hospital was.

When we got on the road Bran called his sister (whose family was also in Bass Pro) to let them know what was going on. He began to try and explain where they needed to go to get to the hospital. Brandons mom and dad had went on the other side of the smokies for the day, so no one could get reach them on their cell. I told Bran not to call my mom or dad until we knew for sure what was going on. I knew if we made that phone call they would have been on the road to Tennessee. So we finally find this hospital and we get right through in the ER and wouldn't you know they don't deal with any OB. I mean what kind of hospital were we at, a vet clinic? The nurse who was attending to me started asking all these questions. I had to try and fill this complete stranger in on our past and how important and detailed this pregnancy is. So then the Doctor comes in and does an exam to see if I was dilated any. I was not dilated any or effaced any, so that was good. He then started asking me a bunch of questions and said he was going to call the University of Tennessee hospital and speak with their high risk OB doctor to see what they suggest and he also wanted to call my doctor to just fill him in on what was going on. So we waited.

It was now about 530 and the doctor came back in. I thought since my exam was OK that he would just discharge us and tell me to take it easy and rest and to schedule an appointment with my doc once we got back. Not the case. He begins to inform us that they are going to transfer me to U of T hospital so they can run some tests and do an ultrasound (they did not have the equipment since they didn't deal with OB) and to top off the excitement, we had to go by ambulance! I was like you have got to be kidding me. They said since we were registered with them, that they were now liable for me and Brandon could not drive me himself. So we waited for the ambulance to arrive.

When the ambulance got there they loaded me up on the stretcher and into the ambulance. Now I have never been in an ambulance let alone been the patient in one, so this was all new to me. Brandon road in the front passenger seat as me and the medic road in the back (the guy was really nice and his name was also Brandon). Brans sister and bother n law followed behind, with Clint driving our vehicle so we would have it with us. Well let me rephrase that...they tried following behind. The driver of this ambulance either had a major lead foot or was misinformed that this was a need for speed. Brandon said he never went below 90! For those of you who don't know what an ambulance ride is like, let's just say I hope you never have to experience one, especially while your pregnant. This guys was going through construction zones, over rail road tracks, and around curves that had me praying that if Callaway wasn't coming, that she wouldn't be after the ride either! Seriously I had to hang on to my belly has this guys drove to U of T. Now I don't know how many miles it is from where we were, but we made it there in about 20 minutes. Upon arriving the guys really didn't know where they needed to go. One guy said it's been a while since I've been to the OB department. So once again we went on a journey...through the lobby! We went by the gift shop and straight through the main entrance to this MAJOR hospital! People were just staring and I was like you have got to be kidding me! Brandon just kind of chuckled.

Finally once we got to where we needed to be, they ran some tests and did another exam. They also hooked me up to the fetal monitor and monitored to see if I was having any contractions. Callaway's heart was was excellent and all the swab tests came back good. They did an ultrasound to check amniotic fluid and said that it also looked good. They said I was contracting because I was dehydrated, so they wanted me to stay until they ran some fluids through me. Finally at around 1000, we were able to leave. The nurse said, chuckling, as they were finishing things up, just stop by Wal-Mart and pick up some Depends. So basically what it boils down to was that I guess I didn't finish emptying my bladder and it decided it wanted to be empty, so it just let it go. Boy how our vacations always end up with a memorable story (this one is just an expensive one:o) ).

HER FACE! Chubby Cheeks and All

2008-09-16T14:22:00.001-05:00

This weeks appointment was a little early since the doctor's office will be closed on Wednesday and since we are leaving town. Everything went well though! Callaway scores another 8! Wonder if her golf game will be the same....... Anyways, I've developed the fabulous looking varicose veins in both of my legs, so I am soon going to be the proud stylist that I am, and I'll be sporting the support hose! YES! That's right. At least when I wear pants anyways :o) and as long as it's not 90 degrees outside. All well. The doc said they are more than likely to go away after delivery...I pray that they do. Other than that, I feel good and have been staying busy. Kick counts are going good and the little squirt gets a daily check in from her Daddy. He is so funny. She is already wrapped around his pinkie. I'll be going back in a little over a week, but the ultrasounds will continue and more monitoring will start taking place.

I did get a little bit of a scare when I asked the doc about when it comes to delivery and the fact that I am on heparin and aspirin. I was curious to know about how much I would bleed. He said that we will stop the aspirin a week before delivery and the heparin the day before. He said that the dosage is so low that it is really just enough to prevent blood clots, nothing more. He said someone who has a heart valve or something along those lines has a much higher dosage of blood thinners. But what got me to turn and couple shades of white was when he said if I would happen to take a shot of heparin and then my water break that same day, depending on the attending physician, they might not allow me to receive an epidural!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was like what! I didn't go into details of asking why (maybe next time) because I was concentrating on other questions I had for him, but PRAY that I will be able to have an epidural. I know, I know....call me a BIG BABY I don't care, I WANT AN EPIDURAL!

Well enough about that...we did manage to get a peak at Callaway with her arms/hands away from her face! We got two pictures, one being pretty darn good. We got to laughing at how chubby her cheeks already look. And yes she is looking more like her Daddy in the nose/chin area. How cute is that. Here is Miss Callaway Lyn at her glory, sleeping I imagine :o)

Please keep us in your prayers and thanks to everyone who is thinking about us.

Getting Bigger - 28 Weeks

2008-09-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our weekly appointment and everything came back good. Brandon got to go with me this time and I think he was surprised at how much Callaway has grown since he went last. Pictures just don't do her justice. This appointment was a full scan for her measurements, which all came back good; better than good really. She is measuring a full week a head of schedule (29 weeks). The technician estimated her weighing about 3 pounds! She just might be a little chunk when she is born :o) She did score an 8 and we saw her breathing on her own, although she doesn't do it all the time. The lady said since they don't really have to just yet, they will take advantage of the umbilical cord and let it do all the work, but she is practicing for the real world, which is good.

Her first try at a picture of her face resulted in a funny picture. She had her hand smack dab in the middle of her face with all of her fingers spread apart except of course her thumb...it was in her mouth. See picture...

She must be shy or maybe she just wants everyone to be surprised by who she looks like, who knows. Callaway was moving good and blowing mommy some good blows that the technician even felt. Her heart is looking good, fluid good, movements good, breathing good, bladder, stomach, everything looking good. Praise God!

I had a bit of a scare this week however. I though I was going to have to add another needle to the mix of things. I failed my blood sugar test (the one hour) from Saturday. They called me with the results Monday here at work so I got a little shook up. The nurse said not to worry that I just needed to have the three hour test done and then we would go from there. My blood sugar she said should be at 135 or below and mine was 142. So Tuesday I took off work and went down Tuesday morning for my three house test. Let's just say I hope I never have to do that test again! I finally finished around 1230 and I was STARVING! Anyways, we got the results yesterday and I am good to go! Another answered prayer! My levels were back at normal, but I am still going to watch what I am drinking and eating. I am going to try and cut out the McDonald's sweet teas :o( , cokes, and chocolate milk and cut back on the sweet attacks in the evenings. So please pray for me in that area. I know it will only benefit me and Callaway for the rest of the pregnancy and Lord willing I can stick with it for my health in the future. I sure do love my carbs though!

Future doctor visits will get a little more complicated. Starting about 31 weeks I will be hooked up to the fetal monitor to monitor if Callaway is happy or not. This will take the place of the scoring scale every week done by ultrasound. The doctor said they like to see two spikes in Callaways heart rate to determine if she is happy within 20 minutes. I will still have an ultrasound every week, just for different reasons than what I go for now. He said they will monitor the fluid and we will have another full scan for measurements in 4 weeks. These ultrasounds will not take as long, maybe 5 minutes. Hopefully the technician will still allow us to try and get some good peaks at little Callaway. I go back this Monday since their office will be closed next Wednesday and we are leaving for a few days to Pigeon Forge so Monday was my only choice. I won't complain :o) So until next week...her are Callaway's pictures from yesterday!

Hair Already!

2008-09-04T05:31:00.000-05:00

10 Weeks to go! We're getting there! Praise the Lord! We had another great appointment yesterday. Callaway was moving and breathing on her own...she scored 8 for 8! The ultrasound technician discovered that the little Miss already has hair showing up on the back of her head! She said she more than likely will be born with a head of hair. Now how in the world she knows that is unknown to me (see picture below). The little stinker still has an obsession with her hands and I think we discovered why...she was sucking her thumb! Little squirt. It was neat to see her in action, but we didn't get a good picture of her face because her hands and arms were in the way. All well, like mom said, the important thing is that she is doing well and she scored another 8. We'll see her soon enough and it'll be a surprise.

I've been feeling good this week, just the minor pains are starting to set in; sore hips and lower back. I get up about every few hours to use the restroom and I roll over every hour (sometimes I wish I had something to throw at the clock glaring in my face), so my night are not good, solid sleep. I sleep good from about 10-1 and from there on out...every hour staring at the clock. Practice they say. Preparing me for the many sleepless nights ahead. I'll take them! As long as Callaway is here and healthy. I can always take her to Nana's or Grandma Inmans so I can take a nap....right?

I got my paper work to get my blood work done (routine). This will be to check my iron levels and blood sugar. I'll probably do that Saturday morning. Then we go back next Wednesday for a full scan of Callaway. They will be taking her measurements to see how she is growing compared to last time (4 weeks ago). She was 1 pound and 9 oz. Brandon gets to go this time too! Hopefully Callaway will know he is there and she'll show off for her Daddy :o) Well here are her pics for this week...

Hair????

Sucking her thumb - can't see the other half of her face because her other arms is in the way!

Her Mommy's Nose and Her Daddy's Chin

2008-08-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

I don't have a lot of time today, as I have been really busy today, but just to let everyone know we had a good appointment yesterday. 8 for 8! GO CALLAWAY! She was moving really well and her breathing looked good the doc said. Pictures were not the best this time but we are saying that she has her mommy's nose and her daddy's chin :o) She has been moving great today. I am now keeping a log of her movements in a little notebook just for reference. I haven't been feeling real well since Sunday, but I hope the long holiday weekend helps. Here are her pictures! Please keep us in your prayers and little Miss Callaway will be here in about 11 weeks!!!

Another Score of 8!!

2008-08-21T07:01:00.000-05:00

We had a successful appointment yesterday! Thanks for all of your prayers! We are counting down the weeks now as the time is getting closer. Callaway scored another 8 points which made her parents happy. I of course go back next Wednesday for another ultrasound to get her score. The doctor said the scores are good for one week, so that's why the weekly visits, which of course is fine with me. I will be getting my lab paper work during my 27 week check up for the routine blood work and the sugar test. Got to love that stuff! The technician just printed off 3D pictures this time, but we got some some good ones! We got to see her moving around and of course as you can probably guess her hands were covering her face AGAIN! This girl loves hands! We think she was sucking on her fingers a couple of times. We got to see her opening her mouth which the technician said she was either yawning or swallowing. How neat is that! It was so cool! I thank God every day for giving us this little girl and I pray every day that she will come into this world healthy and strong. So here are her latest pictures!

25 Weeks

2008-08-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

Remember us in prayer as we go for our weekly check in tomorrow at 1130. Pray that she scores another 8 points on her test! The little stinker has been moving pretty steadily the last two days. I think I have her all out of her schedule. She has given me some good swift kicks too :o) I'll post Thursday with our results and some more pictures!

24 Weeks

2008-08-14T07:16:00.000-05:00

One more thumbs up (As Sam would do) appointment! We had our 24 weeks appointment yesterday and everything is going well. We had an ultrasound to check the heart, mouth, and nose. Everything looked good the nurse said. The baby was moving around and we saw some cute things. Again she had her hands up by her face so it was hard to get a good picture of her face, but we got one profile. We could easily see her leg bones, arm bones, hands, feet, spine, etc. Her heart rate was 148 bmp and the nurse was able to see all four chambers which she said looked real good. Her nose and mouth area was okayed for development (I think I had mentioned earlier they were checking for cleft pallet). She said she was a whopping 1 lb 9 oz right now.

We talked with Dr. H afterwards and he said they will give her a score from now on. Highest possible score is 8. Well she got an 8 yesterday! THAT A GIRL! We asked what they score and he said there are 4 things they look at which are worth 2 points each; breathing, she needs to make 3 movements of any kind, one full extension of a leg or arm, and they check the amniotic fluid levels. She has 30 minutes to complete these four things. He said has long as she was scoring an 8, then they would continue to let her bake :o) He said for any reason they kind that she is not happy (he calls these scans "Happy Scans") then they will take action. The plan on of right now is to induce me 13 weeks from yesterday, which makes it November 12. So little Miss Thing should be here November 12 or 13.

We will be going to the Dr. every week from here on out with an ultrasound every time. Once I get to about 30 weeks they will also hook me up to the fetal monitor to monitor her heart beat. They said that when she moves her heart rate should increase, so that is what they will be listening for on those. So time is going to start flying by, as if it hasn't already. Going to the doctor every Wednesday will just make the time fly! We're looking forward to seeing her grow over the next 13 weeks. I'll post pictures as I get them. I'm also going to try and post a clip of the ultrasound (if I can figure out how:o) ). Below is the pictures from her 20 weeks ultrasound.

22 Weeks

2008-07-30T11:49:00.000-05:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for our two week check up. Everything is going well. We heard the heart beat and got a plan in order for what to expect over the remaining 15 weeks. We go back for an ultrasound August 13 to check the 4 chambers of the heart and to check the mouth and nose area for cleft pallet. I will be 24 weeks at that time so I should get the lab work to have my blood work and glucose test done. Then once I reach 26 weeks I will start going every week for an ultrasound and eventually go twice a week for an ultrasound and fetal monitor hookup, just to listen the baby's heart. So time will start moving very fast between all the doctors visits and working on the new house, we are going to have our hands FULL!

I have been feeling pretty good. The last two times I've come into work I've been a little nauseated, but I haven't gotten sick. The baby is moving quite a bit now. Monday I thought she was going to burst right out of me! She must have been thrown off by me getting up so early after having a 5 day vacation from work. The doctor said that she should be moving at least 5 times every hour, but since I am still early on that he wouldn't get alarmed if I didn't feel her some of the time. She is still pretty small (about 11 inches and about 1 pound) so he said until I get about 26 weeks or so I don't really have to do kick counts. I still try to make sure she is moving around in the mornings and again in the evenings. She isn't on a set schedule yet, but I do find her to be moving when I get to work (6 AM) until about 8 or 9 and then again after I eat lunch ( around 11AM) and then I usually sit and concentrate for her movements between 430 and 6 and she is usually moving. I noticed my stomach moving for the first time Sunday the 27. She doesn't make it move all the time, but I noticed it Sunday and again yesterday evening when I was sitting in a recliner. So she is growing!

21 Weeks

2008-07-23T07:48:00.000-05:00

Our appointment went real well. Their main concern was looking over all the organs and making sure they looked like they were all growing well, which they are, so that was a relief. We didn't get any real good pictures, but we saw some neat ones on the screen. She was really active ( I had drank a sweet tea before hand ) so it was kind of hard for the lady to get what she needed (meaning it just took her longer). We saw her stretch all out and her feet, arms, fingers/hands, and her profile. I even saw her mouth move! She would bring her hand up by her mouth and then she would put both arms down at her sides. She had her ankles crossed most of the time, but we did get a verification that she is a she. The lady couldn't get a real good picture of the 4 chambers of the heart (nothing to cause alarm she said, it's just that the baby wasn't in the right position to get a good picture). So we have to get another ultrasound done in 4 weeks. They also want to get a better picture of her mouth and nose. I guess to check the throat and nasal cavities. Anyways, things are going well. I've been feeling pretty good. She has been moving quite a bit which I am excited I can now feel, yet I find myself getting a little paranoid if she doesn't move when I want her to :) I make sure she is moving before I get started for the day and I take time to rest and feel her in the evenings. I am now 21 weeks, so I have 16 left! I have my two week check up July 29 in Jasper and then two weeks after that I'll have another ultrasound. I will also find out what my appointment schedule will be changing to. At the beginning he had said I would be going a lot more often and having ultrasounds every so often, so I should be finding that out within the next two appointments. I will also be going for some blood work soon (routine).

For those who haven't heard...A week ago Sunday we had went out to a friends of ours house to get a trailer for moving. Well Bran decided to go with Alan (not together, but each on their own) on a dirt bike. Needless to say he wrecked in a grass field and we had to run him to the ER. He ended up tearing his MCL, ACL and bruising his bones real bad. He had surgery this past Monday so I've been off work the last two days helping him get around. Perfect timing ugh. Emily and PJ came over last Thursday and loaded the trailer full of all our boxes and totes we had already boxed and then Jordan and Alan came over Sunday and moved our bed, couch and chair to Debi and Nelsons basement. This coming up Saturday we have to have everything out of the house and garage so we have tons of people coming to help move. I figure it should only take us about 3 hours and we'll be done. Brandon is going in-sane since he can't do anything. He has been off work since the 14 and he plans on being off until the 4 of August. The doctor said he could go back to work after two weeks on light duty so that's his goal. He goes to PT today for the first time, so we'll see how he does :o)

I am working on a new blogg for our new house so as soon as I get it up and running, I'll add it to my links. Thanks for all your prayers and please keep praying for us all.

19 Weeks

2008-07-09T06:36:00.000-05:00

We're moving right along. I am now officially more than half way through! I would like to take a few seconds to thank everyone who has been praying for us and the baby. Things are going well and we know God and Braylyn both are listening to all of your prayers. I continue to remind myself that God is in control and I need to have faith in Him to watch over the baby and I. It is comforting to know that we have God involved in this and between God, Brandon, and family they are all what gets me through each day.

So...we are now 19 weeks. I went to the doctor yesterday for a sanity check (two week appointment). My doctor was going to be in surgery on Friday, so we moved my appointment to yesterday. Anyways, everything was fine. I heard the heart beat so I was good to go. I have been feeling really good so I was pretty excited about the "morning sickness" being over. However, Monday while at work I got sick :o( I was feeling really good so I decided to eat me a hash brown and drink some OJ. Well once I got to work and doing things I was sitting at my desk and I started to feel the baby move :o) Next thing I know it was making me sick, so I had to run outside to throw up :o) The fluttering feeling just made me nauseated I guess. I busted blood vessels in my eyes and all around my eyes. Makes for a lovely face. Yesterday I was off work, so I got to sleep in, which I think helps. Getting up at 430 in the morning for work tends to be right in the middle of my nauseated feeling. I woke up this morning to get ready for work feeling nauseated, so I have been taking it easy. I'm slowly eating my saltines :o)

We go to the High Risk Specialist next Friday (July 18) in Evansville for a detailed ultrasound. I pray that everything looks good and I hope to get some good pictures! I plan on drinking me a Mt Dew before hand to make sure the baby is active :o)

Well thanks for all of your prayers and I will post next week!

Unplanned Doctor Visit

2008-06-30T08:48:00.000-05:00

Well we went to the doctor twice last week; Thursday and Friday. Thursday was not scheduled. I had woke up around 4 AM with some pain in my pelvic bone area and lower back. I tried going back to sleep thinking it was just from the way I had slept, but I couldn't get it out of my mind. I kept praying to God that He would let the pain go away so I wouldn't worry. I finally got out of bed around 430 to get ready for work. I took a shower and started getting dressed thinking it might help to get moving around. I left for work and tried to think about something else. I kept praying and telling myself to not worry, that God is on control. So I talked with Bran on the phone at work and decided to call the doctor office as soon as it opened to get in. Long story short we went to the doc at 11 and they sent us directly in for an ultrasound (they know I would freak out if they did the doppler). Paula looked everything over and she said everything looks great! We listened to the heart beat several times and she just left it there for a while, so I could just listen and relax. I love Paula. Dr. Hopf was not in that day, so I met with the doctor on call. He was very nice. He told me that it is just my ligaments all stretching and making room for the baby. I had figured that was what it was, but I wanted to make sure. He said anytime I think something might be wrong or I feel uneasy, that I am to just come in and check. He said it does me and the baby no good to sit and worry. They are all so understanding.

We went back on Friday to just meet with Dr.Hopf and explain our unscheduled visit the day before and of course to get another listen at the baby's heart beat :o) Now for the surprise...we did get a surprise ourselves when we had the ultrasound...It's a GIRL! Can you believe it@! I just bawled. I tear up now thinking about it. We are so excited! We didn't get real good pictures because she wasn't moving around a whole lot. I hadn't ate much or drank anything but water, so she was pretty relaxed and still. Both of her feet were in front of her face, it was so cute. She was just folded in half. She moved for just long enough for Paula to get a peak. Here are the pictures...

We hope to get some really good pictures when we go to our appointment in Evansville July 18. We have been told they have a very detailed ultrasound machine that they are going to closely look her and all of her organs over. I go back to our doctor on July 8 for a normal check up so I will up date then. Thanks to everyone who praying for us and please again, keep praying.

17 Weeks

2008-06-25T08:53:00.000-05:00

How your baby's growing: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

We go to the doctor this Friday at 1:45 so I will post our update on Monday June 30. Everything seems to be going well still. I don't seem to be feeling as nauseous as I have been, knock on wood, so please keep praying!

Boy's Name

2008-06-23T11:02:00.000-05:00

We have added another name to the list, so please re-vote if you have already done so. I had to delete the first poll and re-enter, Sorry!

15 Weeks and 3 days

2008-06-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

I went to the doctor on Friday. Brandon was able to go with me this time. We waited in the waiting room for probably half an hour. Finally when we went back our regular nurse, Joy, wasn't there. A lady...I forget her name...Rhonda! That's it. She was filling in. Well Rhonda was working in the OB department when Braylyn was born. She asked if I remember her and of course I didn't, but Brandon did :o) Long story short, Brandon spoke with Rhonda on the phone that day before he got to the hospital. Well of course they couldn't tell him anything over the phone, so Brandon got pretty angry to say the least. He ended up apologizes to her before we had left the hospital and she was completely understanding. She seemed really nice.

Anyways, the Doc put the doppler thing on my stomach and found the baby's heart beat pretty quickly this time. A relief. I tend to get nervous on the days I know I have an appointment. I start thinking of everything that could happen. I start thinking about how I didn't have a care in the world that day when we found out about Braylyn. I just thought I would go in, get checked and go home. So now I find myself thinking, what if I don't come back home immediately. What if something is wrong and I come home once again with empty arms. The whole mental thing gets to you after a while. I mean I try to just put everything in God's hands and pray, but it is so difficult to just trust God and to just let it all go. Brandon keeps telling me that we wouldn't have gotten pregnant if God wasn't going to allow this baby to be healthy, but how do you know? I cry every time I start talking about Brandon. He has been such a rock for me. I know now why God allowed us to work everything out and why He put Brandon in my life. I love Brandon more than anything and through all of our heart ache I have discovered a new love for him, a deeper love, a love I don't know I ever would have discovered if it wasn't for Braylyn.

Ok I have to stop. My face is getting puffy now and I'm at work :o) So our appointment went well. We go back June 27. I might be able to feel the baby by then. They say anywhere between 16-20 weeks you usually start feeling the baby, so we'll see! I started feeling Braylyn around 21 weeks. Please keep praying!

15 Weeks

2008-06-11T06:11:00.000-05:00

How your baby's growing:Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

I go to the doctor Friday for my check up and we find out what we are having Friday, July 18 at Evansville. I will post Monday with how our appointment went this week. I have been feeling ok. I'm still feeling a little nauseated in the mornings, but I havn't got sick in a couple of weeks, so that's a blessing. Please keep us all in your prayers.

How the Baby is Growing

2008-06-04T07:13:00.000-05:00

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.

14 Weeks

2008-06-03T10:14:00.001-05:00

14 weeks today! Thank you Lord! I went to the doctor yesterday. I wasn't suppose to go until Friday, but I had a sore on my leg that I wanted to get checked so I went in yesterday. The sore was infected so the Doc fixed me right up. Mom went with me, so while we were there we listened to the heart beat, which made me VERY nervous. This was my first appointment of not having an ultrasound, so the doctor used the doppler to find the heart beat. It took him what seemed like several minutes to find it. He kept finding my heart beat which he would say that is yours, being nervous. FINALLY he found it. The baby was lower than he thought it would be, so he had to go lower on my stomach, but he found it and it was just beating so fast. The best sound in the world. I finally took a breath and I felt the blood go back to my body.

I don't go back until June 13. This will just be another sanity check for me; weigh in, blood pressure check, and listen to the heart beat. We have our appointment set up for Evansville, July 18th. This will be when we meet with the high risk doctor and have an ultrasound and find out what we are having! This doctor has more advanced equipment, so they will be able to get real good pictures of the baby and be able to see detailed pictures of the baby's organs. This will be a very interesting appointment. We have 23-24 weeks to go!

A lot of people keep asking about names...we are throwing some around, but Bran is determined to have Triton Dee for a boy and the girls name we are still working on. We want to incorporate Braylyn's name some how, but I am really liking Avery Lyn. We have thought about Bryn ? too, so we are undecided on that. You can leave comments for any suggestions!

I am now working part time at work, so I hope to be able to relax, do some extra things around the house and get out and visit with everyone on my days off. I have Tuesday's and Friday's off, but I have the option to switch around. Like I ended up taking off yesterday, Monday, so I am working today, Tuesday. Well I will let everyone go and I will check back in after my next appointment! Please keep praying for us!

SECOND TRIMESTER!!!!!

2008-05-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

We have officially made it to the second trimester! At our doctor appointment yesterday we celebrated this event with another ultrasound. That was unexpected since we had only planned on listening to the baby's heart beat on the doppler. The pictures did not come in real clear, but the technician said everything was looking good and the baby is now about 2 inches long from head to crown. The heart beat was at 155, which is also perfect she said. I stopped taking two prescription medications that were planned to stop at 12 weeks, so I am now celebrating taking less pills daily! The heparin shots are going good. I am getting pretty use to them (if that's possible). I had some blood work done last week to test my platelets and it came back normal, so that was also good. So all in all, things are progressing well. I still have nausea pretty much every day, but I have only gotten sick twice, praise God! I pray that during this pregnancy, I will not be as sick as I was with Braylyn, but if I am I will take it with a grain of salt and just pray to God that everything will be fine. I would definitely take throwing up every day than something going wrong.

So here are a couple of the pictures from yesterday. Like I said these are not real clear, but you can definitely tell there is a baby in there. Thank you all for your prayers and please keep praying! We can definitely feel the Lord's hand working in all this.

Ultrasound Pictures

2008-05-14T07:52:00.000-05:00

Our First Appointment 04/09/08 - Beaner Baby #2 First Picture - 6 Weeks

04/23/08 - 8 Weeks

05/07/08 - 10 Weeks

Welcome To Our Baby Update

2008-05-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

I am going to make updates to this website so whenever you want to check in on how we are doing, you are more than welcome to at you leisure. I will post any information we get as we get it. As of today I am 11 weeks along with Inman Baby No 2. I will catch everyone up so far...

Obviously if you don't know by now, you should. Bran and I are expecting! We are more than just thrilled! This is where it all began...well not all, you know how we got here, but here is what has happened since. On the morning of March 25 I took a HPT. The "two" lines that were showing up were very faint, so I questioned the test. Bran was still in bed, but before I left for work I told him that I had taken it and that I just wasn't sure what the result was. So i just went ahead to work. Once I got home I took another one and the "two" lines were a little darker, but I was still leery. I just didn't know if my eyes were playing tricks on me since I was wanting a positive result or what. Anyways, Bran got home form work and I went and bought another test. I bought the one that had "Positive" or "Negative" words that showed up instead of lines. Plus it came with three tests! So I went home and waited a while. Bran was getting anxious as was I so I took another. This made number 3. Bran wouldn't let me look. It took it away and said we would read it together. So a few minutes later, we looked and..."POSITIVE".

The nest day I called the doctor's office and just wouldn't you know it, they were out for the week on vacation and wouldn't be back until the following Monday. I didn't know what to do. My doctor said to call him as soon as we got a positive test result. So I ended up calling the hospital, explaining to them our situation and they paged the doctor. Dr.H got on the phone explained what all I needed to do and we went from there. That day I went down to have blood work done and I started a hormone pill. Thursday I started taking aspirin, Friday I went to have the heparin injection education and I also started the injections that same day. I was scared of this whole procedure at first, but as of today I can say I have grown use to it. Saturday I had to have my blood work repeated because my hormone levels were not high enough the first time, but this time they had went up to normal levels, which was what the Doc wanted to see.

April 9th was our first official appointment. We went in with great anticipation and everything went well. We had an ultrasound to determine how far along I was and we saw the heart beat. I'll attach pictures later. The nurse determined at that appointment I was 6 weeks and one day. The doctor then talked with us and answered any questions we had and set up a plan for the pregnancy. We decided to go every two weeks, to keep me sane, and we would have ultrasounds until I reached about 12 weeks. Once I hit 20 weeks, we will go to Evansville, to meet with the High Risk doctor we had met with before for our 20 week ultrasound. This appointment will allow us to find out what we are having! And yes of course, we will find out. Then once I reach about 26 -30 weeks I will start going every week and then toward the end I will go twice a week. The doc will not let me go past 38 weeks, so at about 37.5 weeks he will induce me. That outs our due date between November 11-18.

Since our first appointment we have been back two more times. It is amazing how much the baby grows in just two weeks. Our first appointment we just saw an oval thing with a flashing dot (the heart). Our 8 week appointment we saw more of a shape and the yolk sak and we heard the baby's heart beat. Our last appointment at 10 weeks, we saw arms and legs forming, ears taking shape, and even darker spots where the eyes will be and the head. The baby even moved all around which was weird to watch, yet feel nothing.

So here we are. At 12 weeks (one more week) I will stop taking two medications, Metformin and Prometrium. I will continue taking heparin injections, twice a day, one baby aspirin, prenatal, folic acid, and a DHA supplemental. I feel like I am constantly either popping pills or taking injections. All well. It will all be worth it. I have not been feeling too bad. Just a little nauseated here and there and tired of course. Bran has been a very good husband, not that he wasn't being so already. He has become a Betty Homemaker, which I am very proud of. He is watching me like a hawk. Not letting me lift, eat certain things, helping me watch my salt intake and even making sure I don't "squash" my belly. He is so cute.

Well that is it for now. I will try to add the ultrasound pics I have so far tomorrow. Please keep us all in your prayers.