Time for a banana split

21 weeks: Baby is as long as a banana

Your baby has grown as big as a banana. (Length: about 10 inches from head to heel.)

We are having a fabulous time visiting family and friends for the holidays. Today, we are hitting the after Christmas sales in my favorite city in the world, Chicago! I promise, I'll try and be good. :-)

Merry Christmas to All!

Josh, Baby Banks, and I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! We feel very blessed with everything we have been given this year. We hope all of you have a safe and wonderful holiday season with family and friends!

Lots of love,
The Banks Family

Baby Girl Knows What She Likes...

Diet Rite is one of the few diet sodas my OBGYN has said is completely safe to drink while pregnant. Although I miss Diet Coke, it didn't instill a lot of confidence when I was told by the nurse practitioner, "Yeah, we don't really know what effect aspartame has on fetuses. It's probably best to just avoid it." So, my very sweet husband went to pick-up a case for me so I could enjoy a soda while we visit family. Well, about 30 minutes or so after I began to drink it, I began to feel what I can only describe as being flicked from inside my tummy. This continued on and off for the next hour. I had a similar feeling today as I was getting my nails done. I think I am finally feeling Baby Girl moving about!

We have seen and heard her moving at various doctor's appointments, but I was unsure what it would feel like for me. I'm sure she thought it was hilarious to kick my bladder on Monday during the ultrasound. (For any who has or has not ever had to have that kind of ultra sound, you have to drink a TON of water in a short amount of time and then "hold it" until the ultrasound is over.)

The doctor said it will be about another month or so until Josh will be able to feel baby girl kicking or moving. You can bet that our house will be stocked with plenty of tangerine Diet Rite between now and then!

And now for the big reveal...

Well, the results are in! And true to form, Baby Banks was sleeping when they began the ultrasound. It took a little poking and prodding but eventually our DAUGHTER woke up, mooned the camera, and then showed her lady parts. The tech was "positive" it is a girl, because she saw confirmation from several different angles. But, most importantly our little girl is healthy and measuring right where she should be!

And how quickly has our daughter gotten Josh wrapped around her tiny fingers? Well, he joined Facebook so he could start sharing the news (which is something he swore he would NEVER do) within hours. And he bought her her first gift. He saw this and said,"I have to get this for my little girl":














Of course her mother decided she needed the matching outfit (even though I'm not a huge fan of pink). Not just because it is so cute but also so true!

Half Time!

20 weeks: Baby is the size of cantaloupe














Your baby has grown as big as a cantaloupe. (Length: about 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom, and 10 inches from head to heel.)

We have officially reached the half way point. Holy cow! Seriously?!? Today is a big day because we will get to find out if we are having a son or daughter! Originally, I thought I would just like to be surprised in the delivery room. Well, not surprisingly the suspense is killing me! I just can't wait that much longer, so I'm caving. Last night, I was like a child waiting for Santa to come! So please, please, please Baby Banks cooperate later today and let us know if you are a boy or a girl. We promise to love you either way!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

19 weeks: Baby is the size of mango

Your baby equals a mango in size and weighs 8 1/2 ounces. (length: 6 inches, head to bottom)

We are almost to the halfway point! Time is surely is flying by. From the weekly updates I receive, I'm told Baby Banks is now starting to hear sound. I have also read that the music babies hear in utero is often comforting to them on the "outside." If this is true Baby Banks will certainly have a varied taste in music! From Michael Buble to Jimmy Buffett and country (one of my schools plays it over the intercom) to Zumba music, Baby Banks hears a lot!

And in honor of all the snow, a "seasonal" belly pic:



















Stay warm everyone!

Family Portraits

Today we were very fortunate to have our good friend (and professional photog), Jackie Magdich of pbj photography, shoot our Christmas card as well as a few early baby bump photos. We could not be more pleased! Jackie is amazingly talented and obviously these photos are a few notches above the ones we take in our bathroom each week when I am in workout clothes! I hope you like them as much as we do!

Sweet little sweet potato

18 weeks: Baby is the size of a sweet potato

Your baby is now the size of a sweet potato and weights 6.7 ounces (Length 5.6 inches, head to bottom)

Christmas is in full swing at our house! I'm up to my eyeballs in shopping, decorating, etc. The house is a little chaotic as we have decided to take on a few last home improvement project before we have a third resident. It's a little hard for me to look around and see so many things in process, but I know it will be amazing when it is all done! That is if I don't lose my mind first! :-)

Ah, Michael Buble...

...your show never gets old! Even if you've seen it three times! Sigh...

My mom and I braved a snow storm to make it to the Allstate Arena in Chicago. As usual, Michael did not disappoint! We had amazing seats, but in my ultimate preggo brain moment I forgot to check the batteries on my camera before we got there. Lovely!

I did manage to get a few before the batteries died completely and also snagged a few on my cell phone.

It was funny the effect "Haven't Met You Yet" live had on me this time. This is a song I listen to ALL the time. I had obviously heard it in concert twice before. But, when I started to think back to the other concerts, I started to remember how at that point I was just wishing, hoping, and praying for Baby Banks to find his/her way to us. And Josh would always turn to me and say, "It will happen some day." Now here I am roughly 8 months after the first concert and Baby Banks is on the way! Needless to say there were tears (albeit them happy tears!)!

Thankfully, there was someone at the concert without preggo brain who captured one of my other favorite songs, "Everything" on video. Enjoy!

Ah, classic TV...

I have loved (no pun intended) "I Love Lucy" since I was a teenager through the magic of reruns. This has to be one of my favorite clips from the show, but now it makes me cry! Such a great moment from a great era in television!

Next to diamonds, these make the best rings...

17 weeks: Baby is the size of an onion

Your baby measures up to an onion, now, and weighs 5.9 ounces
(Length 5.1 inches, head to bottom)

What a busy week! We spent time with family, enjoyed TWO Thanksgiving feasts, hit the Black Friday sales, and went to a wedding. If that wasn't enough, Josh started painting the den when we got home. It looks great and after a second coat will be ready for the furniture. Tomorrow, we begin transforming the rest of the house into a winter wonderland!

We also received a late Thanksgiving surprise today. We received the last of the screening results and everything looks great! We are so pleased that so far Baby Banks is healthy and doing well! Phew!

Time for guacamole!

16 weeks: Baby is the size of an avocado

Your baby measures up to an avocado, now, and weighs 3 1/2 ounces.

(Length: 4 1/2 inches, head to bottom.)

Today we had our 16 week appointment. Everything is moving right along as it should be! Our next appointment will be when I reach 20 weeks and will include an ultra sound. It will also be when we can find out if Baby Banks is diva or divo as Auntie Carrie puts it. It's a big decision and I always thought I wanted to be surprised in the delivery room. But, Papa Josh really wants to find out! I'll admit I too am getting a little tired of only yellow and green options. I have also heard stories about people being told one thing and then *surprise* it's not what they were expecting! Although, Baby Banks will need to cooperate during the ultra sound in order for the nurse to tell. Knowing our child, he/she will probably decide it's funny to moon the camera again!

Black leggings, you may just be my new BFF

A very wise fashionista once told me, "If you wore the trend the first around, you shouldn't wear it the second time." This is usually very true. However, leggings are just too comfortable to pass up this time around! Along with a pair of flats, I feel as though I'm in PJs and slippers. It truly is the little things. :-)

On another note, I expected that when I got pregnant my waist would expand (hence my new found love of leggings). I was unaware that Baby Banks (even at 15 weeks) would start pushing up on my diaphragm. I find myself getting winded when going through my reports! Josh would probably be the first to tell you that I talk a lot, but at work I'm simply being thorough. :-)

A is for Apple

15 weeks: Baby is the size of an apple

Your baby has grown to the size of an apple and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. (Length: 4 inches, head to bottom.)

This weekend we started clearing out our office and the "X-Box room" (Josh's man cave). The office will become the nursery and the X-Box room is being revamped into more of a den/office. Well, we are making progress! We filled the back of the car with donations for the Jillian Center, purchased paint for the den, picked up a new desk for the den and have started picking out bedding and accessories for the nursery. No pics yet because too many things are still in process! But we are designing the nursery to be gender neutral at this point as we don't know if are expecting a little lady or a gentleman. Josh is anxious to start painting (a first as he HATES to paint!), put in the new flooring, and add all the new wood trim. This pack rat has to stay motivated to make room for Baby Banks!

Time for Lemonade!

14 weeks: Baby is the size of a lemon

Your baby, now as long as a lemon, weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. (Length: 3 1/2 inches, head to bottom.)

I have officially reached my second trimester! So, perhaps horizontal stripes were not my best fashion choice this morning. Baby Banks is bumping out! Most of the time, Josh and I are the only ones who can really tell that I actually look a little bit pregnant and that I'm not just slacking off at the gym. Thanks to Grammy Banks and Grandma Szafarczyk, I have some very fashionable maternity clothes to grow into. BUT, it's still a little jarring to wake up and have your pants be so snug! The logical part of my brain knows this is a GOOD thing and this is what is supposed to happen. However, the vain part of me is still having a little trouble coming around!

4 weeks

14 weeks

One Month From Today...

I will be seeing Michael Buble again! I am a lucky, lucky girl! Josh was kind enough to sit through the first two shows. But luckily for him, my mom volunteered to get tickets for she and I to see MB when he comes to Chicago. Who could say no to that?!?

Interestingly enough, I should be able to feel Bank Banks move sometime between 16 and 22 weeks. At the time of the concert I will be nearly 18 weeks along. Could the excitement of hearing "Haven't Met You Yet" live inspire Baby Banks to bust a move? It's not like Baby Banks doesn't already hear that song on a pretty frequent basis, but how neat would that be????

I normally avoid shellfish...

13 weeks: Baby is the size of a medium shrimp

Your baby has reached the size of a medium shrimp and weighs nearly an ounce. (Length: almost 3 inches, head to bottom.)

Most people know that I am HIGHLY allergic to shrimp and other shellfish. But so far, this shrimp is just making me really tired and causing my lower back to ache. Although, all of my mommy friends keep assuring me that I should be feeling much more energetic in the next few weeks. :-)

Time for a margarita, virgin of course

12 weeks: Baby is the size of a lime

Your baby is, by this time, the size of a lime and weighs 1/2 ounce. (Length: just over 2 inches, head to bottom.)

We have made it to 12 weeks! Woo-hoo! I had a routine appointment and everything is moving along very smoothly! We also did some routine screening tests. Baby Banks looks healthy and is already taking after Josh as he/she thought it would be funny to moon the ultrasound machine. Lovely! The nurse was able to coax Baby Banks to into the right position for a better picture. He/she is starting to look like a real baby!

Birthday Girl!

Today, I turned 31! When I turned 25, I thought no other year would have more changes than that one. I finished graduate school, bought my first house, got married, and started my career. Well, I think 31 is going to give 25 a run for the money!

I had the day off for fall break (yay!) and Josh was able to take the day off as well. So we hit the open road for a magical place called western Ohio. It is there that two of my favorite places are located, the Kate Spade outlet (the mother ship) and IKEA. When we arrived at the KS outlet, Josh uttered some potentially dangerous words... "I want to buy you a Kate Spade diaper bag for your birthday. Pick out whatever you want." Such choices! As Josh settled in for what he anticipated to be a very lengthy process, I saw it. My. Diaper. Bag. If you are a purse lover like me, you know how the right hand bag can make your heart sing and put a spring in your step. So, if I must carry a diaper bag, it should at least be cute, right?

And now for a glimpse into the future...let me preface this by saying that the picture you see below is NOT how look on a daily basis...yet. While shopping, we wandered into a maternity store. I figured while we were there I might as well try on some clothes. As I was heading into the fitting room, the sales person said, "Oh there is also a pillow in there you can try on with the clothes so you can get an idea of how they will fit later. The pillow adds about 3 months." I'm all for playing dressing up, so why not? What you see below is apparently what I will look like by the end of January. Needless to say there were a lot of nervous giggles and a moment of "O.M.G. Seriously?"

Go FIGure

11 weeks: Baby is the size of a fig

Your baby is now about as big as a fig. (Length: just over 1 1/2 inches, head
to bottom.)

Ah, memories...

Today was the annual Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association. It had been a few years since I had participated, but when one of my co-worker's organized a team I eagerly joined in.

As I got dressed that morning and sat down to tie my sneakers, I was hit with a very profound memory. The person I was walking in memory of, my Nanny, was the person who taught me how to tie my shoes (along with a million other little and big things). As I began the walk, I was stuck with sadness that as I now

have a million new things to learn, my Nanny is no longer here to teach me those new lessons. While Baby Banks will certainly hear lots of stories about Nanny as he/she get older, he/she will never get to meet her.

Nanny has been gone for nearly 10 years, but her memory lives on. It would be amazing to still have her here with us, but clearly God needed some extra help in heaven! I think it is no small coincidence that within a few weeks of her passing, I met Josh. So, it's my hope that as we embark on this next life changing event, she'll be watching over us and throw some more good luck our way.

A kumquat?

Your baby, now barely the size of a kumquat, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. (Length: a little over 1 inch, head to bottom.)

I don't know that I've ever had a kumquat. But then again, I've never been pregnant so here's to trying new things!

1st Pregnancy Craving

So far, I haven't had any real cravings while pregnant. If anything, my desire for junk food (a previous favorite!) has subsided substantially. Well, today as I was shopping on the southside of Indy with my mom I saw Long's bakery ahead on the right. Instantly, I knew I had to pull in! If you have ever had the pleasure of a glazed donut from Long's you can understand the need to enjoy one even if it is 3 o'clock in the afternoon. If you have not...well, you simply must the next time you are in Indy! Although, it's probably a good thing they do not have any locations in Fishers or I would already weigh 300 lbs!

1st Appointment with Pinky

Today we got to meet with my new OBGYN, Dr. Stuhldreher. She completely lived up to the recommendation! She was very warm, welcoming, and energetic. Although, she did make us both a little nervous when she said she wanted to do another ultrasound. Since I have already had two, I immediately assumed something was wrong. When I asked her about it, she said "Oh no, everything is fine! We just have an unofficial policy in this office that you get to hear the heartbeat at each appointment. B/c you are only 9 weeks along, my Doppler probably won't be able to pick-up the heartbeat and I didn't want THAT to make you nervous." Ah, someone who gets me. :-)
No new pics this time, but that's okay! Be got to see Baby Banks again and were again assured everything is fine.

I'll take this grape over sangria any day!

Your baby has grown to the size of a grape, weighs a fraction of an ounce, and is almost 1 inch long.

According to the weekly e-mails from Baby Center, "Mood swings are common now". Um, yes, yes they are. This may explain why I nearly burst into tears during the cool down at Zumba tonight. Don't get me wrong, Darius Rucker's "Alright" is a great song but it's never had that effect on me before!
http://www.cmt.com/videos/darius-rucker/400342/alright.jhtml#fbid=IAQV5SDlcev

My Favorite "Re-run"

While it is still pretty early, we needed to choose the hospital where I will deliver. We decided to go with Community North. I'm not going to lie, aside from the fact that it is brand-new, has a state of the art NICU, has doctors from Riley available 24/7, is 10 minutes from our house, etc. it was ultimately the bullet-point "a place for mothers to be pampered, the feeling of a luxurious spa and the safety of advanced care" that sold me!

This also meant I would need to find a doctor with privledges at Community North. After doing some research and getting recommendations, we decided to go with Dr. Pratima Stuhldreher at Clearvista Woman's Care (supposedly, her nickname is Pinky which I think just sounds fun!). So, we had our first appointments today. Usually, you have appointments with several different people during your first visit. Unfortunately, Pinky was unavailable so we will meet with her next week. This actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise because by the time we were done we were on information overload! This first visit included another ultrasound, a meeting with the OB educator, a lovely meeting with the insurance specialist (thank GOD I am blessed to have good insurance!), and blood work.

During this visit we got to see Baby Banks on a bigger TV screen and this time he/she was on the move! The nurse is predicting a girl b/c the heart rate was 186. Do you think Josh can handle another girl in the house?!?!

Just in time for fall, a kidney bean!

Your baby -- now comparable to the size of a kidney bean (just over 1/2 inch long) --is constantly moving and shifting.

Baby Banks' Small Screen Debut

Today was an amazing and surreal day. Because it is so early in the pregnancy, I really don't feel or look much different yet. With the exception of occasional "evening" sickness (This baby is already taking after me as I hate to do anything in the morning!), exhaustion (God bless the 5:30 power nap), and what Josh lovingly refers to as "preggo rage" (if you have been on the receiving end of one of my outbursts, I am so sorry!), not much has changed yet. So, sometimes it still doesn't feel "real" yet.

Well, that all changed today. I had my first prenatal appointment which included a sonogram! There was a increased chance that Baby Banks might have actually been the "Babies Banks." After the initial shock would've worn off, we would've been thrilled with twins! (Although, when the doctor mentioned triplets, my knees started to buckle!) But we were both super excited when the doctor said, "How does one in the right place sound?"

Suddenly, there was Baby Banks on the screen with his or her little heart just flashing away. Then, the nurse turned on the sound...who knew such a little sound could make you smile, cry, and laugh at the same time?

I'm measuring right where I should be at 7 weeks, 1 day. And for anyone making bets or taking guesses as to whether a whole lot of pink or blue will be coming into the house, Baby Banks' heart rate was 156 beats per minute. :-)

Ooooh, blueberry!

Your baby, having doubled in size since last week, is as big as a blueberry (about 1/2 inch in length).

We are very excited because we will get to see you for the first time this week! We hope we get to hear your heartbeat too!

Bean there, done that

Your baby is as long as a lentil (about 1/4 inch).

Everything is going well! Baby Banks is getting ready for his or her first plane trip. Mama Banks has to head to Baltimore for work this week. Let's hope motion/morning sickness doesn't decide to join us!

Prehaps you prefer sesame seeds...

Your baby has grown to the size of a sesame seed, looking more like a tiny tadpole than a human.

A bit of background about the name of the blog...

Most people know that I am a huge Michael Buble fan. Many know his songs like "Everything", "Home", and his newest hit "Haven't Met You Yet." When the song came out last fall, it immediately clicked with me. And then he went on the Rachael Ray show and it suddenly made sense why I was so drawn to this song.
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/michael-bubleacute/
(Jump ahead to the 3:00 mark to see what I am referring to.)

The song became my anthem whenever I was feeling down or starting to lose hope. To quote the song, "I know someday that'll all work out...promise you kid, I'll give more than I get...I just haven't met you yet." I am also fortunate to have a husband with endless patience who would listen to the song (and my off-pitch rendition) every time it came on the radio and took me to see him in concert twice.

So, Baby Banks, while we haven't met you yet, we love you already!

Who doesn't love poppy seeds?

Your baby - now officially an embryo - is about the size of a poppy seed

1 + 1 = A New Family

August 28, 2010

And with one simple test, our lives will never be the same! Our journey to start our family had a few extra twists and turns and bumps in the road. For someone who really likes to be in control of as many situations as possible, this was not easy! But, maybe that's part of the master plan...to help us to realize that we can't control everything. Especially when it comes to parenthood!

First and foremost, welcome to our blog! To say that we are excited about starting our family, is like saying the weather in Indiana is a little unpredictable. We could not be more thrilled about becoming parents. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by amazing family and awesome friends. So, enjoy the hopefully somewhat regular ramblings of the next Banks' home project which happens to an addition!