Happy Valentine's Day!

I Love Mommy (socks) from Grandma Noorman

Our Family :)

Happy Birthday Landon!

Landon John Noorman
February 3, 2011
6:23pm
19.5 inches, 7lbs. 10oz.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:20th Ave N,Nashville,United States

An Email From My Husband

Todd is always saying and writing sweet things to me. I wish that I had kept all of them. Anyhow, this is an email that I got from him today and had to share it. God has blessed me with a wonderful, sweet husband....

"I am so incredibly excited for you to bring our son into the world, Lisa.  To think that it could be as early as next week is unreal, and I still haven’t wrapped my mind around it.  I probably won’t until he’s actually here.  You will be an incredible mother, and although people tell you that all the time, I actually know you inside and out, and I can say it with 100% certainty.  There is no little boy alive who will be more blessed than Landon is to have you for a mommy.  (Grace already knows this. :))"

Week 36 Appointment #2

**If you didn't see my update in my Week 36 Appointment post, my blood work came back with no major concerns though some acid level was borderline.

Landon @ 36w3d

Today's appointment was the same as Monday's with one exception - it started off with us seeing our boy! Another thorough ultrasound showed that he is weighing approximately 6.5lbs., amniotic fluid levels are good, blood flow through the umbilical cord is good - you get the idea, everything with him is good :) A check of my cervix showed that it was still good - high, firm and closed. Landon is still not ready to join us - which is another good thing, as we are not quite ready either!

Now the not so good. My blood pressure was still high. I heard the words borderline pre-eclampsia, modified bed rest and last day of work. Talk about some stress factors! My doctor ordered me or I guess, rather, advised me to stop working to reduce stress. Um...do you not know what I do?!? Okay, he probably doesn't, but come on!  If he had taken my blood pressure right then I think he would have admitted me to the hospital for observation which is a possibility at every appointment. *BTW: For those of you who don't know what I do, I teach 2nd/3rd grade special education. Not a job you can just stop going to exactly. And, it does not really cause me a lot of stress....

Anyhow, I agreed with my doctor no more work, however, Todd and I talked about it on the way home and I explained to him that I could not not go to work on Thursday and Friday. I needed time to not only get ready for a sub, but to process that I was going on maternity leave three weeks early (something we did not budget for). Todd agreed but only because the doctor said modified bed rest and he knows me well enough to know that having Wednesday be my last day would be more stressful than it being Friday. Oh, and, I had to agree to let the nurse take my blood pressure at school. If it was high, I will leave. I can handle that.

So, this is where we are at. I have been officially diagnosed with borderline pre-eclampsia and put on modified bed rest. I have to take my blood pressure daily. If it is above 140/90 I have to call the doctor and will most likely be admitted to the hospital for a 24-hour observation. I will have two appointments per week until Landon's arrival. I will have blood drawn at both of these appointments. If the levels of platelets or the acid are higher than my baseline, Landon will be arriving within 24 hours of when we got those results. At one of those appointments, we will also have an ultrasound. My last day of work for 15 weeks is this Friday. Whew!

My next appointment is next Monday when I will be 37 weeks and considered full-term. Praying that we can make at least that far!

We ask that you continue to pray that my platelet level and acid level remain at my baseline or lower so that Landon can continue to do what he needs to in there :)

Week 36 Appointment

My monthly appointments, as of today's, had turned into weekly appointments which have turned into (at least for this week possibly), two appointments per week thanks to high blood pressure. I had blood drawn to test for something - my doctor didn't say what. My only guess is pre-eclampsia as I had also gained 7 pounds in two weeks - Eek! I will find out tomorrow if all looks good. As for the rest of me, all is good, firm, closed and high :) And, as for Landon, he is still doing great and not showing any signs that he ready to make his grand appearance! I go back on Thursday for another appointment, blood work and ultra-sound. I can't wait to see my boy again - it has been two months!

Please pray with us that there is nothing more going on....

**Update** Blood work did not show anything concerning though some type of acid level was borderline. Everything will be checked again on Thursday.

Ashley/Noorman Shower

Baby Shower - Take 2. After a couple of days and baby shower number 1 in my hometown, we drove over to the northern part of Michigan to Todd's hometown of Sparta (near Grand Rapids). Once again our family (namely my Sister-in-Law, Mother-in-Law, Grandma Ashley and Todd's aunts) outdid themselves and threw us a wonderful shower.

The love shown for our baby boy (who may be here sooner than we thought - post to come) and the generosity of those who attended, were more than Todd and I could have ever imagined. Family and friends of ours attended including one of Todd's college roommates and his wife and my suite-mate of three years (who I hadn't seen since my bridal shower 7 years ago!). We received our Boppy Newborn Lounger, picture frames, cute, tiny clothes and so much more!

My Sister-in-Law got us a scrapbook and had each table decorate different themed pages. All we have to do is add the pictures and text! PS - This is just a sampling - there are pages for his 1st Birthday to everyday to Family!

Erika (35 weeks pregnant) and I (21 weeks pregnant)

Chanter/Noorman Family Picture

Todd and I with Grandma Ashley

Landon is one loved baby boy!

Hand-made blanket from my Mother-in-Law

Wipp/Zill Baby Shower

Okay, so this post is only about three months late, but I thought I had better post about our first two showers now before our next two showers (which are next Tuesday and the following Monday). Yes, FOUR baby showers! We have already been blessed beyond belief by Michigan family and friends and now our Tennessee friends are throwing us baby showers. Amazing!

Our first shower was in my hometown of Royal Oak, Michigan on October 16 when we were a mere 21 weeks pregnant. My aunts and mom put it all together for us and it was way better than we ever could have imagined! Neither Todd nor I are 'theme' people so my poor aunt had to come up with something on her own and she did awesome! Todd and I are huge Detroit Tigers fans and so as you can see from the pictures the theme for the baby shower fit us perfectly!

We had family and friends from over two hours away attend as well as friends from my childhood. My best friend drove up from Ohio with her two boys, both under three, only to have to drive back to Ohio to be back for a dinner at her church that same evening. Family from both my mom's side as well as my dad's side were there.  People we hadn't seen since our wedding seven years ago were there. We were overwhelmed just by those in attendance so you can imagine what we felt like after opening all the gifts.

We received everything from our Chicco Travel System to cute, tiny clothes to homemade quilts. The pictures do not do the love and generosity of our family and friends justice. I have more pictures somewhere that I hope to find and post soon!

Each guest received a homemade bag (thanks to my Aunt Kathy filled with homemade goodies thanks to my Aunt Linda)

Landon's first Detroit Tigers gear on a cute coat rack from Uncle Ron

Todd and I still in shock from the love showed by our family and friends (this picture doesn't show everything)!

Our cake made by a childhood friend's mom (also a friend!). Everything is homemade and edible except the baby - The detail was crazy!

And last but not least, gifts for Grace from my aunts and cousins :)

*Post about the Ashley/Noorman shower to follow!

34 Weeks

*How far along? 34 weeks

*How big is your baby? A honeydew (17.2 to 18.7 in, 4.2 to 5.8 lb)

*Total weight gain: 18 pounds

*Sex: It’s a BOY!

*Name: Landon John Noorman

*Maternity clothes: Yes, but I am still able to fit in some of my regular clothes (though those are slowly dwindling)

*Stretch marks: Breasts - yes. Belly - no. I am still using Burt’s Bees Mama Bee body oil every night.

*Movement: Not only feeling it, but seeing it, too!

*Sleep: I have been getting about 4-5 hours a night and am waking up about every hour.

*Best moment this week: Getting started (and almost finishing the nursery thanks to my hubby)

*Food cravings: Homemade chicken tenders, cheese sticks and french fries, any Cherry Cola product, Little Caesar's Baby Pan Pan, Sweet N' Sour Chicken

*Labor signs: I have had Braxton Hicks contractions for a few weeks now.

*Belly button in or out: In (though starting to come out)
*What I miss: Not having heartburn 24/7

*What we’re looking forward to: The nursery being finished (just a couple of more finishing touches) - hope to post pictures later this week!

The Name Game

As a fellow EA Blogger noticed in my previous post, I did indeed mention our baby boy's name - Landon John Noorman - Todd couldn't hold off any longer and we started letting people know a couple of weeks ago through phone calls, FB and then through our Christmas letter....Thanks, though, to Jen (in case I didn't want to let people know and just slipped!) :)

Home For the Holidays

This year was the first year since being married that it was just the three of us at Christmas. When we lived in Michigan we spent Christmas morning with my family and then drove over to the other side of the state to spend Christmas evening with Todd's family. Since living in Tennessee we have drove up to Michigan twice for Christmas and had my parents down once.

This year, however, with Landon coming in (a short) 7 weeks, and us needing to get things done at home (the nursery, for example) as well as at school (lesson plans for my sub when I am on maternity leave - 12 weeks off!), we decided that that we would stay home and have Christmas with just the three of us. It has been wonderful - not having to travel 10 hours in the car there and back and not having to entertain anyone, but it was also a little sad for me because this was the first Christmas that I did not spend with my mom. Luckily, Todd and I have kept busy so I haven't had time to think about it much AND knowing that next year she will be down here, I made it and was still able to have a Merry Christmas :)

Something else that was 'new' this year (or at least it hasn't happened since we have lived here), middle Tennessee had a white Christmas!

The first white Christmas in 17 years!

Here's to a Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

The last year for just three stockings hung by the chimney with care!

The real reason for the season - Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours!

*To check out our Christmas letter, please click the following link (and while you are at, check out our family's web page!) The Noorman Family's Christmas Letter 2010

2 Reasons for us to Celebrate on 11/29

 First, Todd and I celebrate our wedding anniversary - Happy 7th Anniversary to us! I love you, babe!

Happy Wedding Day - November 29, 2003

Second, we celebrate the birth of our baby girl - Happy 8th Birthday Gracie Ann!
*The past 8 years have gone by so fast and she is a dog, I can't even imagine what it is going to be like when it involves a human :)

Grace loves to have her picture taken!

29 Weeks

*How far along? 29 weeks

*How big is your baby? A squash (15.2 to 16.7 in, 2.5 to 3.8 lb)

*Total weight gain: 14 pounds

*Sex: It’s a BOY!

*Name: We know and you will find out in about 11 weeks :)

*Maternity clothes: Yes, but I am still able to fit in some of my regular clothes

*Stretch marks: Breasts - yes. Belly - no. I am using Burt’s Bees Mama Bee body oil every night

*Movement: All the time now!

*Sleep: I have been getting about 5-6 hours a night (and that might be pushing it!)

*Best moment this week: My mom getting to see her grandson for the first time!

*Food cravings: Grilled Cheese, French Fries, Chocolate Milk, Cherry 7 UP

*Labor signs: Let's hold off for about 11 more weeks!

*Belly button in or out: In
*What I miss: Being able to walk for more than 5 minutes without my legs feeling like they weigh a ton!

*What we’re looking forward to: Getting started on the nursery

I'm In Love With A New (Little) Man

Like I mentioned in my previous post we were able to surprise my mom with an ultrasound today. My mom asked me how long it would take. I told her about 5 minutes since it wasn't routine and just for our pleasure. I was way off. I should have said more like 30. Yes, we got another very thorough ultrasound today including more 3D shots! An excellent (FREE) early Christmas present for my mom who was in awe the entire time....

The tech performed another anatomy scan and while the first one was amazing at 20 weeks this one was even more so because he is now so much more developed and about 3x bigger. Leg and arm bones, heart, stomach, kidneys, bladder, rib cage, spine - everything looked, well, like it should, not like blobs or sticks or simply a hole. His face, hands and feet are more defined and we could see his facial features along with each little finger and toe. And, once again he was very active kicking, waving and yawning. At one point we even got to see him play with his toes!

As for results, baby boy is measuring in the 52nd percentile weighing 2lbs 13ozs. He had a healthy heartbeat of 163. And, while he is currently breech, there is no concern because we still have 11.5 weeks to go. Everything on my end looks great as well - cervix length, amount of amniotic fluid, weight gain (14 lbs. to date) and belly measurement are right where they should be.

And, now here is the new love of my life. While I loved him before, I felt a connection today as I watched the monitor and then, once I got this picture I couldn't stop looking at it, overwhelmed with love for this miracle growing inside me.

28w3d

Surprise for My Mom

My mom is here for Thanksgiving and tomorrow is our 28-week appointment so she will be coming with us. While she has seen pictures of her first grand baby, she has yet to see an ultrasound of him and not just of our baby either, but of any baby EVER. Seeing as how our pregnancy has been (thankfully) uneventful, there was no need to schedule an ultrasound, however, I wanted to surprise her so I asked for one. My doctor called yesterday and said we could have one! I am really excited that we are going to be able to share this experience with her....Details and pictures to follow :) Oh, and we are pretty excited that we get to our boy again, too!

Our Christmas Card this Year Courtesy of Shutterfly.com!

Thanks to an awesome promo from Shutterfly.com, we will be sending out fancy pants Christmas cards this year! While we have yet to pick out the exact design (there are so many to choose from), we are excited that we will be able to send a personalized card including pictures to family and friends along with our annual Christmas Letter all in one folded 5x7 card - no trying to find a card we like AND separate stationery that matches this year. While a lot of our family and friends have been able to follow our Embryo Adoption Journey through pictures and my blog, we are excited that we will now be able to share our journey with those who do not have access to the Internet.

In addition to greeting cards for birthdays, weddings and now Christmas, I have used Shutterfly in the past to create photo books (which make excellent Christmas gifts!). To check out some of my other favorite Shutterfly items, please click on the following to learn more:
Holiday Photo Cards
Christmas Photo Cards
Christmas Cards

*Bloggers can get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly...learn more by clicking here:
http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Welcome to the 3rd Trimester!

 

*How far along? 27 weeks

*How big is your baby? An eggplant (13.6 to 14.8 in, 1.5 to 2.2 lb)

*Total weight gain: 13 pounds

*Sex: It’s a BOY!

*Name: We know and you will find out in about 3 months :)

*Maternity clothes: Yes, but I am still able to fit in some of my regular clothes

*Stretch marks: I am using Burt’s Bees Mama Bee body oil every night on my belly

*Movement: All the time now!

*Sleep: I wake up a few times during the night, but am getting a good night's sleep most nights

*Best moment this week: Daddy started reading to us at night

*Food cravings: Sesame Seed bagels w/either peanut butter or cream cheese, Cherry Pepsi or Coke, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures, Cereal

*Labor signs: Let’s hold off until February, please!

*Belly button in or out: In
*What I miss: Being able to get out of bed without having to roll-out!

*What we’re looking forward to: Getting started on the nursery

The Nursery Take 1.5

After receiving Twinkle Little Star in the mail, it is out. The green that I thought was going to be sage is actually mint green on most of the pieces. Yes, two different greens are used. On two pieces the same color as in the picture is used; a pretty sage green, while on the rest, a bright mint green is used. Not a fan of the different shades of green or the bright mint green with the all the different shades of brown. *Sigh*

There are two new nursery sets in the running though - please see below for pictures. These sets are a lot different than Twinkle Little Star, but I am actually liking them more since they are more 'boy' and could be used in a toddler's room as well as a nursery.

My new goal is to have the new set picked out and ordered by the end of the week....What is your favorite of the two??

Baby Jackson by CoCaLo

Forest Friends by Carter's

The Nursery

Ok, maybe not the nursery as in it is done or even that we have found furniture, but rather the accessories such as bedding, lamp, etc. have been picked out and purchased (minus the diaper stacker, border and pillow) as of yesterday! And, we do know what we what it to look like (like the picture)....Anyhow, I went through literally over a hundred different nursery sets/scenarios over the span of a few days after we found out we were having a boy. There was actually a point where I was going to let Todd pick it out on his own as it was overwhelming, but I was finally able to pick out my ten favorites and then had Todd choose from those. We had decided that the stroller, highchair, play yard - all the big purchases would be gender neutral, but that we wanted the nursery to be somewhat gender specific. As you can tell from the picture that really didn't happen as the nursery could really be for either gender (though personally I think it is more boy than girl), but it is what we both agreed upon so we bought it and have to say are quite happy with our choice! Now to find furniture we both like....Any suggestions on a good place to buy nursery furniture?? We hope to have the nursery at least started, if not finished by the time we go back to school after Thanksgiving break (news to Todd!). I'll keep you posted with how that goes :)

Twinkle Little Star by Kimberly Grant

24 Week (and 3 days) Appointment

We had our 24 week appointment today and it was pretty much like the others  (baby boy is PERFECT and my body is doing whatever it is supposed to be doing) except today I got to drink an Oral Glucose Tolerance Beverage for my gestational diabetes blood. I must admit the super sugary, syrupy beverage really wasn't too bad. I got to choose from either orange or fruit punch flavors. I choose fruit punch and other than gagging once or twice, I had no problems getting it down in the 5 minutes I had. Them taking my blood, however, a whole different matter.

I don't mind needles or blood which is a good thing because after leaving the office and being about 20 minutes away, I got a call that they did not take the right vial and could I come back. Really?! Apparently, out of the six vials they had already taken, they needed to take a red vial, which they didn't, but they did have 3 extra purple vials. Lovely.

Anyhow, I get my results back tomorrow for the gestational diabetes. The other blood work I had done today had something to do with antibodies - I am O negative and the embryo is from donors who are both A positive. The blood work will check to see how my body is handling a 'foreign' object (a.k.a a baby) and whether or not I will need an injection of some sort at 28 weeks and again sometime near delivery.

Not much else going on this week. We did have two baby showers in Michigan a couple of weekends ago (from which we are still overwhelmed by the love and generosity of our family and friends!) which I will post on soon along with some new baby bump pictures.

Hope this finds you all well....GOD Bless :)