Hear Ye...Hear Ye...Join us for a High Tea Fit for a Princess!

The Royal California "Aunties" hosted a high tea to honor our little princess last weekend and it was simply fabulous! Every detail of the event related to a tea party theme...from the guests' attire to the food that was served. It was so much fun to see all of the guests sport their finest hats or fascinators. I truly felt like we belonged at a royal event! Tables were set up outside in the backyard with tea cups and china at every place setting. The menu included a delicious salad with strawberries, scrumptious scones (cheese, rasberry, and plain) served with whipped cream, yummy mini chicken salad and cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs, and of course tea. Oh and let's not forget the cake...it was in the shape of a tea pot and tea cup! How adorable, right?

The day was magical. We ate, played games, and laughed with one another. I remember looking around at one point and feeling so overwhelmed with emotion that I could hardly hold back my tears. I felt so loved and blessed by the outpouring of love and support from this wonderful group of strong, caring, and amazing women. Their support throughout this entire pregnancy has given me more strength and confidence than they will ever know. From the pep talks to the pampering to the funny stories and the words of wisdom...I feel like they have all been front seat passengers on this roller coaster ride I call pregnancy. Being pregnant and living so far away from family and friends in the South and in Las Vegas has been really tough and scary at times. I honestly don't know what I would do without the ladies in my life here. They are all going to play such a special role in Everly's life and I cannot wait for her to meet them. :)

Of course they all showered Miss Everly with gifts too! The entire faculty in my department, and a few of my buddies in the COE, all chipped in and bought her car seat, the car seat accessories, the Itzbeen nanny timer, the GloEgg, clothes, socks, hair accessories, a bottle draining rack, and a Baby Einstein DVD & CD. As if all of the items above weren't enough...each guest also brought a pack of diapers to the party! Can you say SPOILED??? :) I'm telling you...we could bring her home tomorrow if we had to (Don't get any ideas Everly! We need at least a few more weeks to get everything washed and ready).

A few snapshots from the day are posted below. The girls are making a book for me so there are several more photos to come. :) Enjoy!!!

*Notice the clothesline behind the tables with the adorable baby clothes hanging from it. Everly is going to be the best dressed baby in town! :)

Gestational Diabetes, Blood Clots, and Pains...Oh MY!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau the world population totals approximately 6,949,657,930 people. If you think about it all of these people are living on this Earth because someone gave birth to them. After going through the last 30 weeks of pregnancy I seriously have mad respect and admiration for every woman out there who has given birth. I knew pregnancy was going to be hard...but I had no idea it would be THIS hard! In addition to finding a comfortable sleep position because of my ever expanding belly, the bathroom breaks every hour or two in the middle of the night, and the excruciating hip pain, I have also managed to spend a night in the hospital and fail my glucose tolerance test all in the last two weeks. Good times!

Let's see...where shall I begin? Two weeks ago I had to go in for the routine glucose tolerance test that screens for gestational diabetes. I was a little anxious about drinking the orange concoction that my doctor sent home with me at my previous visit, but was pleasantly surprised to discover that drinking it wasn't as bad as everyone had made it out to be. Hell, I've done shots worse than the glucose drink so I was rather proud of myself when I finished it off in 2 minutes and 30 seconds flat! :) In my opinion it tasted like an orange soda with an extra kick. Since sweets have been my weakness throughout this pregnancy I didn't have any trouble guzzling it down. After having my blood drawn I was feeling a little cocky after making it through the test with flying colors. Unfortunately, my bubble was burst the following day when the nurse called to tell me that I had failed the test. What??? How could this be? What does this mean? The nurse told me that the results from the first test did not mean that I had gestational diabetes, it only meant that I needed to come in the following week for the three hour fasting glucose test to get more accurate results. The real bomb was dropped when I asked her what happened if I failed the next test...a prescriptive diet that limits sugar and sweets. Now I know that I should probably be watching what I eat anyway, but let's face it people, pregnancy is hard work and every now and then I take comfort in a sweet treat and I am not ashamed to admit it. I would also like to state for the record that I have been totally fine with giving up the Diet Coke, booze, and lunch meat from the beginning...but giving up the sweets...now that is just plain cruel at this stage of the game.

Needless to say I went in the following week for the 3 hour fasting test and made it through this test like a champ too! I won't lie...it was hard to fast for 12 hours and then sit in the waiting room at the doctor's office for an additional 3 hours having my blood drawn every hour while watching patients come in and out with their morning coffee and treats. I actually almost lost it when one girl and her husband came in with Starbucks and a bag of pastries. I know they saw me give them the stink eye and huff as soon as they sat down. Eventually I had to walk outside because I was so hungry that I was afraid of what might happen if I had to watch the girl shove one more bite of that delicious doughnut into her mouth. Let's just say that as soon as the test was over I hightailed it over to McDonald's and ordered a cheeseburger and a LARGE chocolate milkshake. Don't judge...I figured that I had suffered enough for the morning and if I did in fact have gestational diabetes I was going to go out with a bang before the dietary restrictions could be put into place. Luckily for me (and everyone around me) the test results came back normal and I could not be happier to report that I DO NOT have gestational diabetes. Can I get a woo-hoo??

Now...you might think that the medical drama ends here. Nope! That would be too easy. A few days ago I noticed that my left leg was swelling, but my right leg looked completely normal. I know swelling is common during pregnancy so I tried to just chalk it up to another weird side effect of pregnancy. The next morning when I woke up everything was back to normal so I really didn't give it a second thought...until my left leg swelled up like an elephant's leg after a busy afternoon/evening of nursery shopping and dinner out with Danny. While standing in line at CVS I happened to look down at my legs under the bright fluorescent lights and I almost had a heart attack. I promise you my left leg was double the size of my right leg. We went straight home after this new revelation and I immediately started "Googling" my symptoms. I know...I know...you should never Google your medical symptoms because the worst case scenario always pops up and scares you to death...but in this case I was desperate. Every single result that popped up said to contact your health care provider immediately if you were pregnant with swelling in only one leg. Great! Here it was 9:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night and I was in a panic. I didn't want to go to the emergency room because we all know how awful that can be so I decided to call the answering service for my doctor and leave her a message. I figured if it was anything life threatening then she would call me back and tell me what to do. Much to my surprise, the doctor called me back in less than 5 minutes. She said that she didn't want to scare me but my symptoms were indicative of a blood clot. What??? She also told me to go to the hospital immediately and they would admit me to labor and delivery for a full leg scan for blood clots (which apparently are common during pregnancy and can be life threatening). What??? This could not be happening, right? Wrong! By the time I hung up with the doctor I was in full blown hyperventilation. The last thing I wanted to do was go to the hospital. Thank God Danny was here to calm me down and get me in the car.

Within a few minutes we arrived at Cedars Sinai Emergency Room and as soon as I told the lady behind the desk why I was there a wheelchair arrived and I was whisked away to the labor and delivery floor. Now that is what I call service! We seriously did not wait for more than 30 seconds. As soon as we arrived they checked us in and put us in a private room. The nurse and doctor on call came in immediately and checked me out. The nurse gave me a gown and rolled a cot in for Danny. The doctor told us to get comfortable because it could be a while before the ultrasound technician could get to us because they were backed up. While I appreciated their quick service with a smile and the nice private room with a comfy bed and TV, I was a little amped up by the thought of waiting hours before having my legs scanned. The urgency in the doctor's voice when I was on the phone with her earlier made me think that I was going to kill over any second if I didn't get to the hospital and get a scan. Of course I didn't sleep a wink the entire night and just like the doctor promised the ultrasound technician rolled into our room at 5:30 a.m. to complete the scan. After learning more about veins and arteries than I could have ever imagined, we were delighted to hear that I did not have any blood clots in my legs. Hallelujah! I am sure you are wondering what exactly was causing the swelling if there were no blockages? Well, apparently the position of my uterus and the weight of Miss Everly are squashing the main artery that runs down the left side of my body and restricting the blood flow to my left leg. As a result my left leg is swelling. Luckily it is not life threatening, but the only way to prevent it is to stay off my feet and lie on my left side as much as possible. That should be easy, right? I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor on Tuesday so she will review the results then and tell me how to proceed from here. If she says bed rest I think I will crumble.

On the bright side of it all, Danny and I decided that our overnight stay at Cedars was a great practice run for the big day. We now know where to park, what to expect when checking in at the ER, and how to get to the labor and delivery floor. Experiencing all of the action on the labor and delivery floor was a reality check that Everly is really coming and that her arrival is not too far away. We are so excited for her to get here we can hardly stand it. 9 more weeks and counting!!!

Go On and Shake Your Tail Feather

True story...the other night I was lying in bed searching for songs to add to my labor play list when Miss Everly thought she would weigh in on my music selections. According to my baby books she can hear sounds through my belly now so I thought it would be funny to see if I could get a reaction out of her by playing different songs. While listening to Pandora on my iPad, I decided to lay the speaker up against my belly so she could hear the tunes loud and clear. Funny enough...a few songs like "Feels like Today" by Rascal Flatts & "Sunrise" by Norah Jones caused her to wiggle around in my belly, but nothing like the moving and grooving that took place when "Sweet Home Alabama" came on the radio! I swear as soon as the opening notes blasted through the speakers she started flipping and rolling around like never before. I immediately thought, "Yep, that's my girl!" I couldn't do anything but smile and picture her wearing an Alabama jersey one day in the future chanting, "Roll Tide Roll" during the chorus and leading the crowd in a "Rammer Jammer, Yellow Hammer, Give 'Em Hell, Alabama!" cheer. Like mother, like daughter!

Multiplying Like Gremlins...

Our tiny apartment is slowly being swallowed up by baby stuff. After two baby showers in one month I feel like the baby products are multiplying like Gremlins over here. Don't get me wrong...I love to look around and see all of Everly's precious little essentials lying around but we are in serious need of an organization intervention in the Callaway house. While most of our friends and family members are planning relaxing holiday weekends that include BBQs, cold beverages, and weekend getaways, our 3 day weekend is going to be centered around finding a spot for all of our little darlings clothes, furniture, and baby products. Operation nursery is officially underway!

Putting together the crib

Last weekend we had another fabulous baby shower and Everly was once again spoiled rotten by all of our amazing family members and friends. Danny's mom and sister went out of their way to host a spectacular event in Las Vegas that included both girls and boys! We had so much fun. Several of Danny's closest friends attended (most had never been to a baby shower before so they were not sure what to expect) and they all seemed to enjoy themselves just as much as the females. My brother in law, Damon, was the grill master and he cooked up some yummy grub for all of the guests. He even made his legendary mac and cheese which was delicious! Cold beverages (both adult and kid-friendly) were served to help everyone stay cool in the 110 degree Vegas heat and a few people even swam. We played games, caught up with family and friends that we hardly ever get to see, and were overwhelmed with all the thoughtful baby gifts that were purchased for sweet Everly. Here are a few pictures from the event:

Game #1 - Making Babies Out of Play Dough


Judging and Announcing the Winners

Top 3 Winners

Opening Presents


Amazing Friends and Family!

Dear Baby Girl....

Dear Everly,

Your arrival date is getting closer! According to the doctors your expected due date is 12 weeks away. On one hand this feels like an eternity, but in reality I guess it isn't that far away. I can tell you are growing bigger and stronger every day because your kicks and jabs are packing a mean punch these days. As a matter of fact you kicked me so hard a few weeks ago you knocked my iPad right off my belly. ;) I also caught a rib shot during lunch the other day that caused me to jump a few inches off my seat. ;) Your increased strength has even earned you the new nickname of Kung Fu Panda (which you will soon learn is a common tradition in this family - it seems like Bama gets a new nickname every time I turn around).

In the last few weeks your daddy has also been able to feel your movements through my belly. We often find ourselves lying quietly in bed with his hand on my tummy anxiously awaiting your next move. Speaking of your daddy, I feel like I should tell you how excited he is for your arrival too. He loves you SO much baby girl. He is constantly showering my belly with kisses, giving me belly rubs, and talking to you through my belly every morning and night. He is going to be such a wonderful role model for you and through his actions he will teach you exactly how a man should treat a woman. Did you know that 6 years after our first date your daddy still opens the car door for your mommy? When you grow up and are ready to find a partner it will certainly be a challenge to find a man who can fill your daddy's shoes, but you should NEVER settle for less than you deserve. Remember, good things come to those who wait. I was 30 years old when I found your daddy and I definitely had to kiss some frogs before I found my prince. ;)

We love you so much baby girl. It is hard to find the words to express just how excited we are to meet you. I had a dream about you last night and you were absolutely gorgeous. Your skin was silky smooth and you had the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen. Your spirit was calm and peaceful and your sweet little coos were music to my ears. When I woke up this morning my heart swelled with joy. I have been walking around all morning with a huge grin on my face. Sweet Everly, you are the best thing that has ever happened to us! Keep growing bigger and stronger because we have a lifetime of adventures ahead of us. See you soon!

Love,
Mama

Greetings from the South

Week 26

I feel like it has been FOREVER since my last update! I have a great excuse though...Miss Everly and I are in Alabama visiting our family & friends. We left LA on June 2nd and have been spoiled by everyone since we touched down over a week ago. The adventure began with a four hour flight from LA to Atlanta. I never dreamed that flying could be so uncomfortable. Let me start by saying that I was already terribly sad to leave Danny behind and it made it even harder when he left us at the curb after hugging me tight and then bending down to kiss my belly and telling Everly how much he loved her and how much he was going to miss her. I swear...I fall more in love with him every day! After checking in and making it through security without any problems, I made it to the gate with plenty of time to spare. I found myself watching every single person with a baby to see if I could pick up any travel tricks or tips, or at the very least learn what NOT to do when traveling with a baby. To be completely honest, I am already so nervous about flying with Everly at Christmas time I can hardly think about it without breaking out in hives. Luckily, every person I saw made it look super easy though so I have gained a little more confidence from merely people watching at the airport. I am sure we will be the traveling shit show in December (don't forget we will be traveling with an infant and a dog - yes, Bama is coming too!) but I have decided that is OK! I am sure all the people around us will be praying to the karma gods that they don't have to sit next to us...who knows...maybe we will buy an extra seat so we can have an entire row and spare some lucky passenger a panic attack. ;)

After boarding the plane I was delighted to discover that not only had I scored an aisle seat near the bathroom ( I bet I had to pee 5 x during the flight), but the middle seat was also empty!!! During take off Miss Everly was extremely active but settled down quickly after about 15
minutes. I managed to stay somewhat comfortable and entertained for the first 90 minutes (thanks to a movie on my iPad & snacks), but right before my movie ended my lower back started to ache and my legs felt restless. Since the doctor had already told me to walk the plane to prevent blood clots (great...one more thing to worry about, right?) I figured I had better get up and move. Luckily the flight attendant in the back of the plane was tickled by me so I managed to entertain myself and stretch for an hour in the back of the plane while chatting with her about her recent pregnancy and all things baby. It pays to make friends with people...I scored a few extra cookies and a giant liter of bottled water from her which is pretty good considering I was flying on the equivalent of a Greyhound in the Sky. I also discovered on this flight that everyone loves a pregnant lady. People were so nice and everyone I made eye contact with wanted to chat about my due date, whether I was having a boy or a girl, and what her name was going to be. Did I mention that I love all the extra attention that comes along with pregnancy? I guess I should enjoy it now, huh? I have already accepted the fact that I will be chopped liver once baby girl arrives. ;)

As soon as I stepped off the plane in Atlanta, I felt like I was walking into an oven. Newsflash: heat & pregnancy do not mix. Just my luck the South is experiencing record temperatures right now (we are talking 100+ degree temps with 100% humidity) so it is extra miserable. I can't tell you how many times I have thanked the Lord that I live in LA. I don't know if I could make it through my third trimester in this heat. As soon as my mama picked me up at the airport I instantly felt better though. She is so dang excited about this baby it is hard to do anything
but smile and laugh at her. ;) We have truly had a great time together this entire trip. She rubs my belly and talks to Everly all the time (just like Danny) and her excitement about her first grand baby is contagious.

One of the major highlights of this trip has been Everly's baby shower. I know my words will not even do justice when I try to describe how splendid this event was but I will try. My best friends Genell & Shay, my mom, and my Aunt Kay & Everly's "Great Aunt Nancy" went out of their way to make this day fabulous in every way possible. From the picture slide show (copy and paste this link to view it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1TJHDkKcn8 ), to the baby carriage carved out of a watermelon, to the rubber ducky decorations (complete with a baby pool and bathtub), to the delicious and gorgeous cake, to the mystery punch recipe, to the music trivia with "baby" in the titles, to decorating onesies with fabric markers, it was truly a perfect day. Not to mention that it felt so good to catch up with friends and family that I never get to see. I felt so loved and all I could do was cry the entire day. Pregnancy has officially made me a blubbering sack of tears!

Miss Everly also received the most amazing and thoughtful gifts. I can promise you that this little girl is going to be one of the best dressed babies in Hollywood. I honestly don't think we will need to buy any clothes for the first 6 months of her life. However, I will say that I am a firm believer that you can never have too many fabulous outfits in your closet so this is a good thing. I guess we are going to play dress up all the time and go stroll down Rodeo Drive just so she can wear all of her new clothes. Plus, my cousin Tracy said it best when she exclaimed, "this is perfect...she can't wear the same outfit twice on the red carpet!" In addition to all of the fabulous gifts we also received about 30 books to start her library. In lieu of a card, all of the guests brought their favorite children's book inscribed with a hand-written note to Everly in the front cover. Priceless!

Here are a few pics from her baby shower:

As our trip comes to a close this week I am so grateful for the time I have had with my family and friends the past two weeks. While i can hardly wait to get back home to Danny & Bama, the time in Alabama has definitely helped me to recharge my battery and prepare for the
final stages of this pregnancy. Miss Everly Lily is one lucky little girl. She is going to enter this world surrounded by so many wonderful people who will love and support her as she begins her journey on this Earth. I cannot wait to introduce her to the world!

Baby Girl Has A Name!

Week 23

After much thought and deliberation Danny and I have finally decided on a name for our sweet baby girl. Choosing a name for someone is a stressful and daunting task and since we usually have a hard time pulling the trigger when it comes to making big decisions (or should I say the Libra in Danny has a hard time making decisions) I honestly thought we would still be wavering back and forth on a name until she arrived. I secretly feared that her birth certificate would say "Baby Girl" because we wouldn't be able to agree on what to name her before she was born.

Over the past few months we have searched the Internet looking for unique baby names. From the beginning I have felt strongly about choosing a unique name for her. Even though I love my name and I adore the story about how my mom chose it (Hint: it was from a popular movie in the 70's and the lead actress was named Jennifer...any guesses?), I have always hated that I had to share my name with so many people.

Before I got pregnant I always thought I would name my daughter Lily because that was my grandmother's name and she had such a positive influence on my life. As a kid I spent as much time as I could at her house. Every time I got mad at my Mom and Dad I would call her and she would stop what she was doing and come right over and get me (she would also get on the phone with my Dad and give him the business for "upsetting her baby" - he he - I loved to get him in trouble with her!). She was so much fun and she was always down for an adventure. I can't tell you how many times we loaded up in her midnight blue Pontiac (AKA...The Blue Goose) and set out on a road trip with the 8 track cassette player blaring Kenny Rogers the whole way. She was full of life and I swear I inherited my "spit fire" ways from her. She also had an incredible sense of style. She never left the house without fixing her hair, putting on her makeup, or dressing up in a snazzy outfit. She could cook and sew like nobody's business and she always let me bring my kittens to her house when I came over to spend the night. Heck she even measured my cats and made dresses and bonnets for all of them so I could dress them up in their finest before I set out for a stroll with them piled up in my baby carriage. She taught me how to make homemade biscuits, pound cake, and Chef Boyardee Box Pizza (which I still make today in her honor) and she also passed on her love of clothes and shoes.

Unfortunately, we had to scratch her name as a first name option because 2 of my cousins named their daughters Lily in the past year. As much as this broke my heart, Danny and I agreed that we could still honor her by using Lily as a middle name.

The other front runner after Lily was Gracyn (I wanted to call her Gray for short & Danny threatened to call her Gracie which I hated). For a few months I really thought this would be her name because Danny and I both loved it and nothing else we found struck a chord. Nothing that is until my ever so hip and incredibly cool cousin, Tracy, sent me "the name" about a month ago. She told me that she had come across this particular name a few times in the last few months and because it was so unique she felt like it was a sign and she had to send it to me. There is something so magical and dainty about this name that as soon as I saw it I knew it was "her name". I also loved it because I had never heard this name (which was a major plus because remember we were going for the "unique" factor). Interestingly enough, within a week of learning about this name I started reading a baby blog written by a girl who named her daughter this too. It was a sign. I couldn't get away from the name and in my heart I just felt like it was meant to be her name.

Ok...Ok...I will stop rambling and give it to you...I have made you wait long enough!

Danny and I are proud to announce our baby girl's name...Miss Everly Lily.

Isn't it just perfect???

Mexican Fiestas and Morning Glory!

The squirrel's recent activities have led me to the following conclusions:

1. She LOVES Mexican food as much as her mama. Every single time I eat Mexican food she goes nuts (and here lately that is all I want to eat). Danny and I were actually eating at Pink Taco last weekend and about 10 minutes into the meal she started flipping and flopping around and then gave me the one, two punch about 8 times in a row! It was hilarious and we could not stop laughing throughout the entire meal. Danny says her battle cry is going to be "Salsa!"

2. She is a morning person. Every single morning about 5 a.m. she wiggles, squirms, and kicks for about an hour. As many of you know I am NOT a morning person. However, as soon as I start to feel her stir around I immediately open my eyes and revel in the magic that comes along with growing a person in your belly. I look forward to her little movements and our quiet time together every night as I drift off to sleep. It truly is the perfect way to wake up every morning.

Letters to the Squirrel

All of our baby books have a page for us to write letters to the baby before she is born. In addition to writing in the books, I have decided to start including my letters on this blog too so she will have an electronic archive of every moment and thought that led up to her arrival on this Earth. :)

May 8, 2011

Dear Baby Girl,

Today is Mother’s Day and all I can think about is how excited I am to meet you. Every day I find myself daydreaming about what you will look like and what kind of personality you will have. I wonder if you will have your Daddy’s piercing eyes or my button nose? Will you be shy or will you be strong-willed? Your Daddy and I can’t help but think you will be a sassy little rascal given the fact that you are a combination of both of us.

I have officially decided that waiting for your arrival is like waiting for Christmas morning. And just so you know, I am not good at waiting for surprises. I am sure one day your Daddy and your grandmother and grandfather will tell you the story about how I used to unwrap and peek inside my Christmas presents under the tree when I was a kid because the suspense was too much for me to handle. I guess waiting for your arrival is a good lesson in patience that will come in handy down the road.

As I reflect on what it means to be a mother, I am overwhelmed by the massive responsibility that comes along with this job. I know that you will not always agree with the decisions we make for you and it is inevitable that we will make some mistakes along the way, but please know that we will always have your best interests at heart. There is one thing I know for sure…we will always love you and support you no matter what.

As I sit here today and dream about the person you will grow up to be, I have come up with some promises to live by as we start this journey together as mother and daughter.

I promise to always encourage you to:

1. Be strong in your faith.
2. Have compassion for others and give back to those less fortunate than you.
3. Give people a chance to show you who they are before you make a decision based on stereotypes, rumors, or other people’s experiences.
4. Respect rules and authority but do not be afraid to challenge an injustice when you see something that is not fair.
5. Work hard in school and strive to be a lifelong learner.
6. Laugh at yourself.
7. Treat yourself to something special when you have worked hard.
8. Use your words to express your feelings.
9. Be a leader.
10. Dream big and do not ever be afraid to take a leap of faith.

And last but not least, never forget that your Mama and Daddy love you more than anything on this Earth. We will always be your number one fans!

Love,
Mama

"She has a beautiful heart!"

"SHE has a beautiful heart!" Those were our doctor's exact words at our 20 week sonogram on Thursday. Talk about music to new parents' ears! Not only did we learn that our precious little squirrel is indeed a beautiful baby girl, but more importantly we discovered that our risk factor for Down's Syndrome and other genetic abnormalities went down to 1 in 18,000. Her organs and bones are also developing perfectly. I know I am biased but she has the most beautiful profile I've ever seen and she is so active. Her little arms and legs were flailing all around and her mouth was opening and closing as if she was already trying to coo. She was also sucking her fingers and crossing her little legs. Danny said that she was crossing her legs because she is a lady and a future Southern Belle.

It is also clear that the little rascal has already developed a definite opinion of her own. She gave me the hardest kick to date during the ultrasound because she had clearly had enough of all the pushing and poking, along with the invasion of her privacy. She even stuck her index finger out and it looked like she was pointing it right at us and shaking her hand. I don't have any idea where she gets that sass. :)

In addition to all the good news we received from the doctor, it was also a special day because both of our mothers were able to make the trip out to CA to go to the appointment with us. Both grandmothers beamed with joy and pride as they watched their grandbaby's first recital on the big screen TV. I am so happy they were both there to share in this magical moment with us.

I can't even put into words how full my heart is today. People have always told me that I would never know this level of love until I had a child of my own. I now know exactly what they were talking about and we haven't even met our sweet baby girl yet.