Mary Katherine Whitten Harrison

Latest of Mary Katherine

2009-05-10T23:39:00.003-04:00

Posing with Ronald McDonald

Diaper change on the trip out west!

Mary Katherine is hypnotized by the frog!

Helllllllllooooooooo Kramer!

Yes this is her foot in her mouth

FINALLY an Update

2009-05-10T23:08:00.002-04:00

OK OK~ I'm sorry to be so behind in updating!!! I had every intention to post a 4 month update but the time has gotten away from me! (I do have the valid excuse~ "I was moving across the country" <> )

Mary Katherine is now 4.5months and getting so big! The scale here @ home says 14lbs! (She has her 4 month check up tomorrow so we should know for sure then , it's just a few weeks delayed due to the "move")
The girls loves to chew/eat her hands/fingers/thumb. She loves to put your hand and fingers in her mouth or try to suck on your arm. She found her feet in the last week and half and now loves to suck on those. Any time she is laying down her legs come up to her hands! Mary Katherine is preparing for her career in the circus as "gumby baby" and her show stopping act is getting her foot into her mouth and babbling all in a matter of seconds!
Mary Katherine is a chatty girl. But only when the mood strikes her! She can be babbling on and as soon as a grandmother is called or skyped so they can hear she stops!
She is still loving bathtime! Lays there and kicks and splashes! She can't sit up by herself yet but as soon as she can that bathtub is going to be her favorite place I'm sure.
Mary Katherine still loves standing up but she now no longer stands still. She is a squimer. Her head is constantly twirling around checking everything out!
Actual big update: For those of you that don't know~we moved out to Colorado for our first duty assignmet.
Mary Katherine did GREAT with the 3 day trip out here. First day she slept ALOT, second day is slept alittle less, and then the third day she slept for like 2 hours out of 9!
She has adjusted just fine (not that she really knows we are now living on the other side of the country)! She does miss the attention she received while living @ Grammy and Grampy's. Since I have been unpacking boxes and organizing the house and household duties she can go for a good 30 minutes (in the am) of playing in her jumper seat and then she wants attention. Now in the afternoon it's only about 10minutes that she last until she is crying for some attention and as soon as I am in sight and acknowledge her, she is all smiles!
Ok I will post more updates more often and post pics as well!
She has definitely adjusted to having her Daddy back! It's like he wasn't even gone! She loves the attention and the fun she has with him. He makes her laugh and smile all the time!

Pictures of Kentucky and TN

2009-04-09T22:32:00.004-04:00

These are pics from Mary Katherine's first visit to the GreatGrandmothers and my extended family.

Cousin Chris (or as he likes to be called~Uncle Chris)

Mommy, Meme, and Mary Katherine

Cousin Mary Grace and Mary Katherine

Grammy, Mawgone, Mommy, and Mary Katherine (yes the old lady "dyed" her blondish brown hair RED!)

Meme (greatGrandmother) and Mary Katherine

Cousins Caroline and Jack with Mary Katherine

GAunt Diane taking care of Mary Katherine

GUncle Alex playing with Mary Katherine

Cousin Katie cuddling with Mary Katherine

3 months

2009-03-25T20:05:00.002-04:00

Mary Katherine celebrated her 3 month birthday last week. We celebrated by taking a trip to Kentucky and Tennesse to visit her maternal great-grandmothers and great aunts and uncles and 2nd cousins ( or as we call them aunts and uncles!).
Mary Katherine did a great job traveling in the van. She slept 90% of the time we were driving during the trip! We did not have our nighttime carseat meltdown except for once and "uncle Christopher" took care of her! ( nighttime carseat meltdown= screaming fit that does not stop until the car is stopped and she is taken out of her carseat)
Mary Katherine met my paternal and maternal grandmothers, Mawgone and Meme. And of course they just loved her! She got some new outfits from the Wal-Mart (Mawgone works there!)and she got to spend some quality time with Meme saying some prayers and talking to the cats.
Mary Katherine took her first bath in the actual bathtub at GAunt Diane and GUncle Alex's (to get the funk from Meme's off her). She LOVED it! She just laid there kicking her legs, moving her arms, and splashing the water around. She is going to be a water baby and she can't wait until this summer when she can go swimming in the pool!
She also hung out in the hot tub for a little bit and of course she ended up pooping in her diaper when she was in there! That'll teach her GUncle Alex and Uncle Chris and Aunt Katie!
Mary Katherine found her voice this past weekend! Her GAunt Judy was talking to her and she just started squealing and screaming in delight and we can't get her to stop now. At the Cracker Barrell (we HAD to stop for lunch on the way home) she was making friends with all the older folk by squealing and screaming!

She did a wonderful job traveling to visit everyone, I just hope she does that well when it's time to drive out to Colorado for the move!

I will post pics of the visit!!

The latest on Mary Katherine

2009-03-06T20:32:00.003-05:00

I can tell you there have been quite a few changes with Mary Katherine over the last few weeks, but I couldn't pinpoint them!

Mary Katherine's a happy little girl!
She loves standing up. We hold her so that she can stand and she looks like a little bobble head doll!
When she's awake she loves to be checking things out around her. She likes us to hold her so that she faces outward so she doesn't miss a thing!
She loves her bathtime! She has a grand time kicking her legs and flaying her arms around and splashing the water. She cries after she gets out (might be because she's cold, but I like to think it's because she loves bathtime so much!)
She's a morning girl and will just laugh and smile once she's been fed!

I went back to work today (only 4 hours but turned into 5 hours) and my mom watched Mary Katherine! They went on a walk to walk the dog and then ran errands! Mary Katherine was great for her grammy even during the fiasco and looking the keys in the car!!!

Over and Out!

Updated Pics

2009-03-02T13:00:00.003-05:00

Hanging out with her animals in her crib

Lounging on her changing table

All bundled up and ready to go!

Family Pic @ Baptism (of course the kid is crying!)

Daddy and Mary Katherine @ her Baptism

2 months old

2009-02-19T19:00:00.003-05:00

Happy 2 month Birthday!

Dan came home this past weekend (4 days) and was able to see for the first time Mary Katherine smile and laugh at him! She was loving her Daddy and he was making her laugh the whole weekend! He also heard her infant cry and was surprised that it's no longer a newborn cry! Dan and Mary Katherine also spent quality time cuddling, napping, and playing on her activity mat.
He was disappointed that he missed a bowel blowout! He has yet to see a breastmilk poop that comes about every 48-72hours. He's only heard of my tales! Like the time (about 2 weeks ago) when the blowout was so large I sat there for a few minutes figuring out what step to take next and then realized that she had to go into the bath and that the clothes should go to the trash! And then when pulling her clothes off, she gets poop in her hair and on her face!

Mary Katherine was baptised into the Catholic Church this past weekend. My brother, Ben, is her godfather but he's in Army Ranger school in GA and couldn't make it but if we didn't have it this past weekend Dan would not have been there and we would not have been able to do it at our church that we were married in. It was a nice ceremony, despite the priest being a bit unorganized.

2 month pediatrican check up~ little Mary Katherine is not so little anymore! She's a whopping 10lbs 9 oz and 23 inches long.

Mary Katherine's personality is coming out more and more each day! She's quite the morning girl, all smiles and laughs, awake and talking. Fussy in the evenings and has a hard time going to sleep. And when she is awake her blue eyes are just as friendly as they can be! She doesn't care who is holding her as long as someone is holding her (or she is in her car seat!).

That's all the excitment here!

Pics from Week 8

2009-02-16T21:59:00.002-05:00

She's circus girl, loving to stand up and perform!

XOXO, ready for my Valentine's Day

Sitting up on the couch, talking, and flaying my arms around

Laughing (minus the sound) via Dan's cellphone

Slying smiling

Week 7

2009-02-08T20:46:00.002-05:00

Ok so not much has really changed since last week!

I no longer have a newborn! Mary Katherine is awake most of the day with a few naps. When she is awake she is alert and looking all around. Her favorite staring spot~ the ceiling fan in the living room, sometimes she even laughs and smiles @ the fan!
She is a happy and content little girl. She is laughing (nonaudible) and smiling more often but I'm not always sure if they are spontaneous or elicited from me.
She babbles occasionally and enjoys about 10 minutes @ a time on her activity mat.

That's it for now!

2009-02-08T20:40:00.002-05:00

MaryKatherine's first pair of jeans

REALLY asleep

Loving bathtime

More Pictures

2009-02-01T19:41:00.002-05:00

Sister Mary Katherine

Nana and Mary Katherine

Grammy and Mary Katherine

6 weeks

2009-01-30T19:16:00.003-05:00

Mary Katherine and mommy are still thriving! We've got our routine of eating, taking a walk (weather permitting), playing on our activity mat, and hanging out in the rocker/bouncy seat! Not too much to do with the frigid weather except eat, sleep, and stare at each other!
Her favorite place to sleep is on the couch in the crack between the cushions with her pacifier glued to her lips. We've been working on "visual stimulation" (cause you can't just leave a baby in a bouncy seat all the time) on her activity mat. She only last about 10 minutes and then she's out like a light! We try tummy time as well~she hates it! You know she feels like a turtle on her back when she is on her tummy.

A few developmental milestones in the last 2 weeks! Mary Katherine is holding her head up now and she has a smile/laugh combo. Mom and I believe it's an intentional smile/laugh but it's not always done after it's been elicited but of course its the cutest, most adorable thing you ever did see!
She's got some serious baby acne going on but she is still the most beautiful thing in the universe!

2009-01-22T20:49:00.002-05:00

Cuddling on Daddy

Hanging out in the armchair before a AM nap

Grammy and her babies!

Playing on her activity mat! (kicking her legs and flaying her arms)

4th Week and 1 month celebration

2009-01-22T20:34:00.004-05:00

So nothing much exciting except we all made it to the 1 month mark!

9lbs 1 oz and 21 3/4 inches long ( Dan is proud to report that she is in the 76%tile for height!)

Still gassy (we are going to start buying stock in mylicon)
Going through diapers @an alarming rate (who knew these babies could really eliminate some waste~like 85 diapers in 7 days!)
Awake for atleast 4 hours a day.
"Blowout" in the diaper about every other day!
Lots of FUNNY facial expressions just like her mother ;-)
LOVES TJMaxx as much as her mother does :-)

Dan came home for the long weekend and was able to spend lots of quality time with MaryKatherine. He was here to witness a "blowout" and experience a fussy afternoon. Dan now believes me when I tell him~ I don't know what I did today!

Week 3 Pictures

2009-01-09T11:51:00.002-05:00

hanging out in the bouncy seat, moving all around

Auntie's Gretchen, Karyn, and Jen @ dinner

lounging on the booth @ Panera

sleeping!!

3 weeks old

2009-01-09T11:38:00.002-05:00

Today is our 3 week birthday! Not much has changed since the 2 week post!
We are working on the routine, she is staying awake more often, gassy and fussy, pooping, peeing, and eating up a storm!

Mary Katherine went on her first "walk" this past week. She was bundled in the car seat/stroller, slept,and sucked on her pacifer the whole way while Mom and Grammy were freezing!
Mary Katherine loves the car seat so she gets to run lots of errands with me. We went to our first "play group" this week (breastfeeding group @ my hospital) and had dinner with her Auntie's Karyn, Gretchen, and Jen!

Mary Katherine is looking forward to her Dad coming home on her 4 week birthday so she can cuddle with him!

2 weeks old

2009-01-05T21:22:00.003-05:00

Mary Katherine turned 2 weeks on Jan 2nd! I can't believe it was 2 weeks ago that I was @ the hospital in labor.
We went to the pediatrician's and the NP said she looked great! She was a whopping 7lbs 14oz and 21 inches long.
She's been more active and alert (awake atleast 2x times during the day for 30 minutes periods). Mary Katherine is quite the vocal girl making all kinds of noises: talking, whining, burping (loudly), and gas explosions. She is not sleeping so great @ night yet, but it's a work in progress!
Dan left on the 3rd for Texas so now I am adjusting to caring for the newborn on my own (with the help of my mother!). I definitely miss him being here to help out with Mary Katherine and spending time with us.
I'd have to say that I'm doing pretty well. I actually leave the house on time to be somewhere and I'm not late (by my standards!). When we are hanging out @ home, I don't get much done besides feeding her but that's Ok. We've been on more than a few outings and so far she is pretty easy to tote around~ I know that will change soon though!

More pictures to come~ I'm working on it!

Nursery Pictures

2008-12-31T07:45:00.000-05:00

2008-12-29T21:56:00.002-05:00

Dan, Megan, and Mary Katherine's Christmas Pic

Mary Katherine on Christmas Eve

Mary Katherine in her Christmas hat

uncle Ben cuddling with Mary Katherine in between sessions under the light~ uncle Ben's first encounter with his niece

car seat ride home from the hospital 12/22

So I'm having technical difficulties with the posting of pics and what not~just bear with me as I learn!!!

1 week old

2008-12-26T22:11:00.002-05:00

Well, everyone has survived the first week! Parenthood has not beat Dan and I up too bad!

In all actuallity, it's been great. Mary Katherine has been a blessing in our lives and we are beyond estactic that she is here!
She has been a wonderful baby. The first 2 nights @ home were rough but we have recovered and all is great!
We had to leave her @ the hospital for an extra night to be treated for jaundice. And then we had to follow up with bilirubin level checks for 3 days. We were close to being admitted back to the hospital, but she pulled through and all is clear now.
She has been nursing beautifully, peeing and pooping like a champ, and sleeping between feedings!
Today (day 7 of life) she actually stayed awake for 30minutes this evening and was just looking around and taking it all in. It's amazing how after a day or two she was already growing and changing. My favorite thing to do with her is to just sit and watch her make all her little faces that she is involuntarily making! I sit there in aww of all her little movements and the thought that she was in my tummy and has come out as a little person!

Thank you to all who have sent well wishes and congratulatory messages! Dan and I are very grateful for all of our family and friends who have shared in our excitement as we've welcomed Mary Katherine into our world!

MARY KATHERINE WHITTEN HARRISON

2008-12-20T21:30:00.003-05:00

uhh...hon...My water broke a half hour ago.

2008-12-19T21:49:00.002-05:00

Megan and I are proud and delighted to announce that Mary Katherine Whitten Harrison was born this afternoon at 4:37PM. She weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces and stood 20.75 inches. She was born vaginally with no complications and is a beautiful healthy girl. She is successfully and vigourously breast feeding. She has a great appetite and is very active. More to come...

38 1/2 weeks

2008-12-12T22:00:00.002-05:00

Doctor visit today and everything looks good!

For those of you that understand~ I'm a fingertip and 50%!

Nothing else exciting. Just making getting things together before she shows up!

There is a full moon this weekend so either Mrytle comes or it's really busy when I get to work!

Professional Baby Bump Model

2008-12-09T23:04:00.003-05:00

Delivery Date, Weight, and Names

2008-12-07T22:08:00.002-05:00

Ok so Dan can't figure out how to put a "poll" up here so we are asking people to leave their "votes" as a comment!

If you want to take a guess as to when little Mrytle will enter this world, how much she will weigh, and name possiblities~ go for it!!!

Even More Baby Bump Pictures

2008-12-03T22:45:00.005-05:00

37 weeks or 9 months to you non medical peeps

2008-12-03T22:37:00.002-05:00

So Mrytle and I (and Dan) have made it to the "full term" mark of 37weeks gestation. Actually I didn't really have any doubts that I would make it this far, I'm more concerned that I'm going to go a week past my due date as most 1st timers do!
I can't believe that we are so close to being done. Pregnancy really does fly right on by, at least it did for me who didn't have any issues. Now that I really feel pregnant and feel like I'm a small whale, I'm sure the time will slow down just a bit. But that is totally ok cause I have quite a few more things to get together before she makes her appearance.
Once Dan and I get the "nursery" all put together, we will post pictures! We have a few things to organize in there and then it should be ready.
Besides the little things that need to be done or bought, I think Dan and I are as ready as we are going to be. I'm more ready for the labor and delivery part than I am of the bringing her home and having to take care of her myself!
I've been preparing the body for the upcoming marathon of birth. I've been speed walking (@ least it's speed walking for a pregnant lady!), working hard @ work running around, and taking a herb supplement to "ripen" the cervix (tmi for some of you I know :-) I'm not just going to sit around and wait for it, the body needs some encouragement (at least with it being it's first time and all!)
As a labor and delivery RN I truely believe in weather and moon patterns playing a role in sending women into labor so come next week when the "possible" snow flakes fall we will see what happens!
Dan will be posting a poll for potential dates and weights! I've given you some info to help out with possible dates and we have some pics of the bump that may help with the weight guesses!

Registries

2008-11-15T22:41:00.002-05:00

Megan and I have realized that some people may not be able to access our Babie's R Us registry as it is registered in my name (Daniel Harrison) rather than Megan's name. I am listing the registry numbers for each registry in case anyone is having difficulty navigating to the correct site. We love you all.

Target Registry #
014399700149937

Babies R' Us Registry #
97901740

MORE BABY BUMP PICTURES

2008-11-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

8months Pregnant

2008-11-02T21:35:00.003-05:00

Dan will be taking more preggo pics and posting them!

So I've hit the 8 month mark~ AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I can't believe it's already here. I'm currently 32weeks and 4 days. That means I could in 5-6 weeks things could safely start happening. Yeah 6 weeks doesn't sound that close but when you think about a baby popping out and changing your life forever, it's a lot closer and a bit scary!
Dan and I are so excited about Mrytle but yet the idea of parenthood and being completely responsible for another human being is a bit scary and intimidating!!

I'm definitely feeling more pregnant! Not whaleishly pregnant though. I don't have a waddle and I can wear my pre-pregnant jeans (zipping the zipper, but no buttons buttoned) with a bella band. I love not having to buy a ton of maternity clothes because I wear hospital scrubs @ work and sweats and t-shirts into work!
And have you seen the mass amount of Maternity wear on Ebay~it could take you all day to go through it all!
Mrytle is quite the active one. I can see my stomach moving in waves now when she is moving around and changing positions inside rather than just feeling weirdness going on inside.
She is usually head down and way down, she likes to keep her head right next to/on top of my bladder.

Dan and I are working on finishing up our registries this week. It's hard to know what you are going to need or what you are going to like to use! Who knew that there were like 10 different types of baby gates or a multitude of baby bouncers to choose from!
I just have to hurt the people @ Target first because there are some major issues with my account and registry! It's driving me crazy!!!!

Stay tuned for some more pics!!!

Baby Checkup

2008-10-17T19:51:00.002-04:00

Okay, so we had our last four week interval baby appointment last Friday. Megan and I went in to see Dr. Forrest and he did all the regular tests, measured Megan fundus, and listened to the baby's heart rhythm. He gave us the results of Megan's glucose test too. She is not gestational diabetic which is a good thing considering my size and the possible size of our little girl. Megan is still batting a hundred according to Dr. Forrest. Our next appointment is next week and they are spaced every two weeks now. We are getting closer and closer and getting more excited by the week. Megan and I bought a new car a couple days ago so that we have something safe and big enough to put Myrtle and all her stuff in. We got a Toyota Highlander. I will post a picture later. Megan's belly is getting bigger and bigger by the week. She is now over 37" around the belly. This is supposedly the time for the most growth. Till next time. Love you all.

New Baby Bump Pictures

2008-10-05T20:55:00.002-04:00

Pregnant lady trying to find Parking

2008-09-19T20:30:00.003-04:00

Just a thought:

When I park @ the commissary or the mall or anywhere else, I park a fair distance away. I don't like parking around a bunch of other cars and I don't mind the walk.
Well earlier this week I go to the Safeway and am exhausted, so I'm looking for the "Expectant Mother's Parking". And to my luck, there aren't any!
I never really understood completely why a pregnant woman would have to park in a spot right next to the door~ but NOW I do and I may actually take advantage of them!!
Now today when I was out for lunch I was feeling GREAT so I parked as far away and got my exercise. I'm standing @ the front of the restaurant and I see the person who parked in the "Expectant Mother's Parking" standing outside her car (a Jaguar mind you). Now the girl (in her 20's) did not appear to be pregnant in any way and was standing outside her car to smoke a cigarette.
I'm first taken aback that someone could be so careless as to not be pregnant and park in the "handicap" spot so to speak but then to see her smoking a cigarette just made me frustrated about the situation. I stood there and wondered the whole time the girl was smoking her cigarette if I should walk across the road and say something to her. If you are not pregnant, you shouldn't be parking in a spot reserved for someone who is growing a baby inside of themselves. AND/OR if you are pregnant, why are you smoking and harming your unborn child???
Thinking back I'm more frustrated with myself now that I didn't say something to her so from now on I plan to!
Join me in being an advocate for pregnant mothers and say something to those that park in our spots and are NOT pregnant!

Baby Bump Pictures

2008-09-04T15:04:00.008-04:00

Megan recently got back from her vacation in Germany and Greece with her family and over the week and a half that she was gone, her little baby bump showed itself. We measured it and it is 34.5" in diameter. Were going to measure it weekly to see how fast our baby girl is growing. Megan and I have also felt Myrtle the turtle kick and punch. She likes to move around the most at night as we are getting into bed and watching TV. That seems to be the only time she likes to move around. Its amazing to be able to feel our daughter move; quite an experience. Here is a recent pic of the bump.

Sonogram Update

2008-08-12T21:49:00.003-04:00

OK so we finally have some updates, after a few weeks of not much "exciting" happening except baby growing, a small baby bump slowly appearing, a few major leg cramps, and weird lower body aches.
I had a level 2 sonogram today which is now a standard, normal procedure to measure and check different things regarding the baby.
The sonographer took a bunch of pictures and measurements. They check out the head circumfance, head to rump measurement, the heart and the chambers, heart rate, kidneys, blow flow in the kidneys, femur length, spinal cord length and development, facial features checked for cleft lip/palate, umbilical cord placement, and placement of the placenta.
Baby Harrison is looking GREAT! Quite shy though, the sonographer had to work at finding it and getting the pictures needed. The baby is in the 50th percentile for growth and currently weighs 14oz (almost 1 pound). So what that means: if the baby continues at the current rate it shouldn't be too big or too small~ somewhere in the 7lb range by birth. These are all early calculations, but it is pretty amazing the information provided by technology these days.

DRUMROLL please. . . . . . (insert sound here). . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

It's a GIRL

Doctor Visit Number 4

2008-07-21T22:35:00.003-04:00

Megan and I had our fourth baby visit this last Friday. We were expecting to have a few tests done or have her tummy measured, but Dr. Forrest just talked with us about how things were going. He was going to do a doppler to hear the baby's heart beat, but I interrupted him and asked if we could find out the baby's sex. He said sure and took us to another room where there was a sonogram machine. Megan and I joked before the appointment that the baby was going to be stubborn and still not let us know what it is, and sure enough, it was sitting with it's legs crossed so that we couldn't see its family jewels. It was a little disappointing, but funny none the least. The baby is doing great. It is about 3-4 times bigger than the last appointment. Dr. Forrest said that he expected Megan to gain a pound a week until delivery. Megan thinks she has actually lost a pound or two. The baby's heart is good and strong and we were able to see its spine and leg and arm bones. We could also see the eye sockets and fingers and toes. It actually looks like a baby now. Sorry, no turtle shell. Megan is starting to show more and more. I will try to sneak a picture of her and post it when I can. Our next appointment is in four weeks. We will try to keep everyone more up to date. Congratulations to Kate and Sam on their new baby girl Zoe Katherine Small. Turtle can't wait to have its first play date.

2008-06-30T07:12:00.002-04:00

All right, this post is a little late. About three weeks ago Megan and I had our third doctor visit. We went into the appointment wanting to find out the sex of the baby. Dr. Forrest took out his little doppler machine first to try and get an audible heartbeat, but we could not hear it on the doppler yet. Since we could not hear it on the doppler, we had to visually check for the heartbeat so he performed a sonogram. The heartbeat was strong and beating away. Dr. Forrest tried to get us a profile shot of the baby so that we could try to determine the sex of the baby, but just as he was getting it into focus the baby turned over and showed us its butt. It was really neat to see our baby move for the first time. I was so excited I called my mom immediately after the appointment. Since the appointment, we have pretty much told everybody. Megan's friends were so excited. Gretchen had the best reaction. I quote her as saying, "You're gonna have a Jesus baby!!! You should name it Jesus!!!, in reference to the due date being December 24th.

On Saturday, Megan and I went over to Mom and Dad's for dinner because Grandpa B and Melissa were in town for the night. The subject of conversation quickly went to the baby. Melissa seemed a little grossed out by the whole childbirth thing and Greg made his suggestion of "Patrick Henry" for the baby's name. Megan and I got a good laugh out of that one. I was like, "Why don't we just call it George Washington then." Greg seems to like the name Patrick.

Megan and I took a trip up to see Ms. Julie and the Blisses yesterday and Megan did not feel very good the entire trip. On the way up she was having craving after craving. First she wanted fried chicken, and then Cracker Barrel, and then a strawberry shake, etc., etc. On the way back her tummy was not feeling good. She was feeling bloated and nauseous and she said that that was the most sick she has felt so far. She fell asleep on the car ride back, but didn't feel much better afterwards. I feel bad for her that she feels this way all the time. I 'm having my "sympathy pains" as they call them, but realize it is nothing like she is going through.

Our next appointment is on the 18th of July. Hopefully we will know the baby's sex then and will be able to narrow our list of baby names. Were not going to choose a name though until the turtle pops out. We want to make sure the name matches the face. I'll make sure to make a timely update after our next appointment. Everything is going great and we love hearing from everyone. Make sure to leave comments or baby name suggestions. Just click on the comments tab under each post. Love You ALL!!! Megan and Dan XOXOXOXOXOXO

Baby Name Trend Web Site

2008-06-16T23:00:00.003-04:00

Everyone,

Check this website out. I thought it was really neat. It tells you with a graph when certain names were popular and how popular they were in comparison to other names at different times. Really cool.

Baby Name Site

Megan's Turn!!!!

2008-06-13T17:20:00.002-04:00

Ok~ I'm finally ready to contribute! (In case you didn't know~Dan created this blog without my knowing and fairly early on when I was just trying to accept the fact that there was a "embyro" growing in my tummy! :-)

The last month and a half I've been exhausted and eating every 2-3hours! I thought I would love to eat that often~but not really, I'll be happy when my "normal appeittie" comes back. Oh, and gassy! (little UNknown fact about being pregnant)
Dan believes I have a "tummy" but I firmly believe it's just bloating and water weight. I have only really gained 2-3 lbs this past month.

I am excited and ready to share this news with all those of you that are so important in Dan and my life. Let me tell you how much better Dan feels now! If I waited any longer~ I honestly believe he was going to implode!! He has been SO ready to tell EVERYONE (strangers included) since our first inital OB visit that verifed there was an "embyro" there!

Being a labor and delivery RN~of course my thoughts have been on the actual labor process and delivery! Knowing too much isn't always a good thing :-)

When "we" (me and the turtle) have something to share~ we will!!
Over and Out!

Origin of the Turtle

2008-06-11T20:30:00.004-04:00

Okay....I was corrected today about a little fact. I do know why we call the baby "the turtle". It is because Grandpa Foster thought the sonogram was a picture of a turtle when he and Mima Foster unwrapped their picture frame. I, like ususal, just didn't remember. So, that is why we call the baby "the turtle".

By the way, if y'all don't vote on what sex you think the baby will be, it just might be a turtle. :-P

12 Weeks....1 Trimester down, 2 to go!!!

2008-06-10T20:10:00.005-04:00

Here are some of the latest pics of Megan and I. I tried to get a side profile of Meg so you all could see the beginnings of her baby tummy. The other pics are just us goofing around like usual. We love you all!! Enjoy.

Nothing Much To Report

2008-06-05T18:16:00.003-04:00

There hasn't been a whole lot to report on in the last few weeks. Our next appointment is on the 13th of June, so theres no more pictures of the baby until then. Next time we get a sonogram though, it should look more like a baby, rather than the "spaceship" Megan thinks it looks like or the "black bean" that I think it looks like. Until we have an idea of what the sex is going to be, Megan and I are calling it our "turtle". Don't ask me why. I'm not really sure why.

Megan and I have told the grandparents to be that we are expecting a baby. My Mom was excited and couldn't stop smiling. Although Megan and I weren't able to tell her Mom and Dad in person, I'm sure she is excited too. She sounded really excited to me. For all of you that were running a pool at the wedding, whoever bet on 7 months wins the pot.

Although she would not agree with me, its funny watching Megan go through pregnancy. So far her cravings have included Chinese food, bar-b-q, juice, corn, and other things I have forgotten. Not too many weird things. Her taste buds definitely have not changed. She still wont eat salad or raw vegetables. Megan now has to take a midday nap on her days off and she goes straight to bed when she gets home from work. She used to do all her daily things she does before even thinking of going to bed. Lately we've been joking about funny baby names, looking at strollers and diaper bags, and reading all the baby books we can.

Make sure to vote on what sex the baby is going to be. The voting thing is on the right side of this page. Also keep a look out for new pictures. I am trying to take pictures more often to post on the site. Also, make sure to check out the links we post. I'll be updating those soon too. If you want to make comments on the pictures, theres a link below each picture to do so. We love you all and hope you are as excited as we are.

Email From Papi Foster

2008-05-31T11:35:00.004-04:00

Dan / Megan,

Thanks for giving us the hook-up on the baby blog site.
Perhaps that would be a good place to start posting potential names and
names to avoid.

I have a few names to place on the site, once I am able to enter it:
- Rasputin Harrison
- Henry Horatio Harrsion
- Blindmedlinchettlin Harrison
- Homer Johnson Harrison
- Hammerin' Hank Harrison
- Megan K. Harrison, Jr.
- Mother Teresa Harrison
- Chasity Inperpetuity Harrison
- Harrison H, Harrison
- Harry B. Harrison
- Ford Harrison
- Prince Harrison
- Jesus Pedro Pablo Harrison
- Osama Obama Mohamed Harrison
- My personal favorite - one-name and easy for a first grader to
spell - Slick

All corney jokes and silly names aside - children are a divine blessing
and being a parent is the most important job in the world. My prayers
are with you, the grandparents, the uncles, and the aunts. May we all
figure out what to do and how to do it without ruining the kid. :)

Middle of the Day Nap!!!

2008-05-22T21:58:00.007-04:00

Here's Megan taking a nap in the middle of the day this last Sunday. She NEVER takes a nap in the middle of the day. Especially on the weekend when there is so much to do. She's been really tired lately.

8 Weeks Pregnant

2008-05-16T20:43:00.009-04:00

Megan at 8 weeks and not quite showing yet and the proud papa to be. :)

Baby Checkup #2

2008-05-16T20:30:00.006-04:00

Today was our second doctor visit to checkup on the baby. Megan did her blood tests and we spoke with Dr. Forrest about some of the questions we had. He had a lot of positive things to say and eased our minds about some of our concerns. After speaking with us about nutrition and the first trimester, we did another sonogram. This sonogram showed that our baby has grown quite a bit in the last couple weeks. It has nearly tripled in size. You can easily see the head and the beginning of the arms and legs. Tonight we are working on some announcement cards to give to the new grandmothers. Megan got some decorative ribbon and scrapbook paper and we are making the cards together. Here is the latest picture of our baby and a picture of Megan's belly...not quite noticeable yet.

Its getting BIGGER!!! BEWARE the sleeping Giant!!!

Baby Research

2008-05-06T14:44:00.003-04:00

I spent some time today doing some research into fetal development and the benefits of using a birthing center/midwife vs. the Hospital. I'm finding myself doing as much reading as I can when I can. Megan and I went to the library and checked out some books pertaining to what we could expect on a week to week basis as well as dealing with our changes in mood. I can't seem to put the books down.

I've been looking at a fetal development website that explains all the changes occurring on a weekly basis. Its really neat to see everything that happens. It also makes me a little anxious. I've included a link to the website in the links section of this blog. I feel like a sponge just soaking up all the knowledge I can.

Megan recently watched a documentary called, "The Business of Being Born", created by Riki Lake that was really interesting. It explained how hospitals are medicating women to induce labor for unneeded reasons. Either the hospital is trying to move patients though the hospital or doctor's are trying to make their patient's labor period more convenient for themselves. The documentary explained how most doctors rarely ever see a natural childbirth because they induce the labor and perform C-sections so often and for no good reason. The documentary also stressed the positive reasons for having your child at a birthing center or even at home with a midwife, where the patient has control over their labor and delivery and has the opportunity to have a natural childbirth. I think for the reasons given in the documentary, Megan and I will consider having our baby at a birthing center or with the help of a midwife. I've included links to the birthing center in Old Town Alexandria as well as to a preview for the documentary we watched.

We're Pregnant!!!!

2008-05-02T21:19:00.009-04:00

Today, Megan and I found out that we are expecting our first baby. We wanted to confirm our reason to be excited by going to see Megan's OB/GYN, Dr. Forrest. We made an appointment this morning and went in to see him. He performed a sonogram which confirmed it. I saw our baby's heartbeat, which Dr. Forrest assured us, was a good strong heartbeat. As of today our baby measures a third of a centimeter. Dr. Forrest gave us some samples of prenatal vitamins and a prescription for Megan's nausea. We made an appointment to have prenatal testing done in two weeks. Dr. Forrest said that our baby is approximately 7 weeks into its development and should be due on December 24, 2008. Megan and I are really excited, a little scared, but very excited. Here is a picture of the sonogram that was taken. The little dot at the top of the black circle is our baby. The black sac is the amniotic sac and the white fuzzy area around the black circle is Megan's uterus.

Megan's little spaceship...aka the embryo. :)