4 a.m. Feeding

Well, here I am at 4 a.m. I woke up because I am hungry, of all things...not that I don't already wake up about 4-5 times or more for potty breaks :-) I guess Hannah is letting me know now, that mommy needs a snack before bed.

After a banana and peanut butter, she is just moving all around and happy. It's the small things that can make a world of difference and this little relationship I'm building here with Hannah is growing more each day. It's such a a wonderful feeling to provide for her and then feel her move around, like it's a "Thanks Mom" for the food.

Just thought I'd share a simple life event for us :-)

Other things:

-I am 22 weeks on Friday and feeling it now, as my belly is stretching, I'm feeling some ligament pain and other weird pains that I'm told are perfectly normal. In the mornings i tend to feel somewhat bloated, not sure why but hopefully, that will go away...OR not since I am continuing to blow up like a balloon...it's nice that it's just my belly for now though :-) Praise the Lord for such a great healthy, happy and problem free pregnancy thus far. I continue to pray that it will stay that way.

-Feeling Hannah move around quite a bit now...I have to pay attention but, she moves around when I am sitting down, singing on stage, resting...has not woken me up from sleep yet from movement...just when she needs food or my bladder is full from her dancing on it haha :-)

-Sleeping is getting better, I'm getting used to sleeping on my side between two King pillows. My sides are not hurting all the time, but I still have and will continue to have episodes of hip pain. The pillow between Dan and I that I had talked about not liking before, has now become useful to Daniel in sleep too, so we're closer which is nice. You really can feel miles away in a King bed if you sleep on opposite sides.

Well, I guess I'd better get back to bed...my snack is over and I better get resting before I get hungry again. Good night everyone!...or shall I say good morning?

21 Weeks comapred to Fruit

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Sarina singing at the Christmas Winters Eve program

20 Weeks (Half Way) yay!

Well, this has been a long week so far since my friend Diane is in town visiting from Ohio...So, I am a little late at this post.

Doctor:

Heart Rate: 153
Uterus to belly button...right on track!
Weight Gain: +4 lbs...I think (She just said I've not gained 10 lbs. yet, but I think this is right)

The doctor said I am fine as long as I gain 1 lb. per week for the next 20 weeks...Come on Hannah, we can do it!! She said the ultrasound looks great and everything has been accounted for. I will continue these 4 week appointments till I hit 30 weeks.

How am I feeling, some new thins:

Everything is going great thus far. Nothing to complain about. I am feeling tremendous with the exception of some baking and shopping with Diane...that have made my feet ache, but it's temporary)

-I don't have any swelling, which is a plus.
-I am becoming more picky with food. Some foods I can eat well like burritos, pasta and fast food and others are a little repulsive, manicotti (which I would normally love) was hard to eat the other night after being made.
-Sleeping is getting harder as I am growing, turning over is not always pleasant and it's hard sleeping with pillows on either side...makes me feel so far from my sweet husband. I guess those are things that are temporary, so I can handle them :-)

Daddy Time:

Dan started talking more to Hannah this week each night before bed. He'll talk to her about the day and that she will love her mommy (me) and how excited we are to have her with us in our arms. It is just the sweetest thing to hear him talk to Hannah...I know she can hear us and hopefully she'll really know our voices well since we talk to her often.

Here are some 20 week pictures of Baby Hannah a.k.a "Our Little Munchkin" and Mommy:

It's A Girl!! Bring on the pink, cute dresses, bows and SHOES....:-)

Well, today Dan and I went to the 20 week ultrasound appointment. YAY!! Finally, we found out. She is just so precious already...has a mind of her own that's for sure. She was not happy that I couldn't eat this morning and that we were prodding around in her territory. She kept covering her head as if she was saying, "Ok, enough is enough already".


We are excited to announce that Hannah Grace Grasham is her name. She is currently 11 oz. and a few days ahead of schedule...but that can change. Her HR is 139 and she is active and well. her due date is actually April 28th...which is what my doctor originally thought, but I didn't think so....I guess we'll go with the new date now :-) The tech said that her heart is "beautiful", something I was happy to hear. All the organs and fingers and toes are accounted for, so we are very pleased with our little munchkin as she is developing.

Tomorrow is our 20 weeks appointment with the OB, so I will post again then...until then...enjoy our exciting news!! Welcome baby girl# 4 into the Grasham family, Mia, Ally and Emily will have a girl cousin...yay!!

Love you all and thank you for the prayers for good healthy for mom and baby.

First Surprise Baby Shower!

So, on Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Dan asked me to go shopping with him because he needed to buy a gift for his brother for Christmas and pick up something for my parents...and I was like, WOW! This is unusual...he NEVER asks me to go shopping...usually it's the other way around. So, we head out and I am excited to have time alone together out in the evening.

When we return, SURPRISE!! There were many people at my house and I had NO idea at all as to what was coming. So, here are some pictures from our beautiful shower that my mom and family put together for me. I know that we are well loved and prayed for.

Stephanie put up the decorations and handled all the games and prizes, she did an awesome job!

Very sentimental, and classic book ends from my Grandma, she has had them for years and parted with them for our nursery. Our baby is already so loved!

Baby Bottle Game for Guys...who can drink the water the fastest...Tim won

Draw the baby on the plate without looking...

Find the pins in the rice...

Thank you for all your love, prayer, support and gifts for us and our little munchkin as we are embarking on this memorable journey welcoming a new life.

We love you all!

And Finally...Thanksgiving in Fresno,California

We decided to head up to my parents house early on Sunday night to surprise them. (We were supposed to get to their house on Monday afternoon around 11 a.m., but we LOVE to surprise them) They were surprised and excited to see us.

I love thanksgiving at my parents house because EVERYTHING is Home Made. And, everyone makes something, so it really is a family affair.

Grandma makes the pies, this year she made 7-2 Pecan, 2 Pumpkin, 2 Strawberry Rhubarb and Apple. She also makes the home made rolls. Uncle David makes the mashed potatoes. Aunt Cindy makes the Sweet Potato Casserole. Dad makes the turkeys, although this year I made one of them and 2 pumpkin logs, one with nuts and one without. Mom makes the gravy, green beans and stuffing-with cut of bread, sausage, celery and home made chicken broth..yummy! I think that about covers it.

Grandma and her famous home made rolls!!

Daddy and me...no resemblance right?

My beautiful mommy

Grandma and Aunt Cindy

Beautiful mommy and cousin Stephanie

My Turkey

Dad's Turkey...it was SO moist! Perfect!

My Grandma and Aunt Cindy

Grandma's Pies and my pumpkin logs and mom's cookies and more...did we have enough??

Cooking in progress...Dad, Uncle David and Stephanie

18 Weeks pregnant

After Dinner

Stephanie and her boyfriend Curtis

Mommy and Uncle Davis...they look a like.

Dan and I...doesn't he look great in this picture?

Hope you all had an enjoyable Holiday with friends and family!

We love and pray for you all!

A Walk Down Memory Lane on Mary Jane Way, San Jose

We had some extra time after arriving back in San Jose, following our trip to Monterey. Dan was kind enough to take a trip (about 9 minutes from where we were at my aunts) to my childhood street, 4907 Mary Jane Way. I have the BEST memories there. Our street was like a family...we did everything together, potlucks, Christmas parties, Birthday parties, New Years parties, all the kids were always outside...it was just a wonderful place to grow up. Here are some pictures from our walk.

My Home Sweet Home...still as beautiful as it ever was!

The Neighborhood's Greatest neighbors...Jim and Nancy Hoogestager (sp?) They were the best and always had positive attitudes. They are so funny...Jim has a garden in his back yard and he would ALWAYS play tricks on all the neighbors and put lemons onto trees and you would walk outside and think..."Oh My Gosh!!" There is fruit on my lemon tree...and nope, it was just good 'ol Jim playing a trick...and you'd hear him from across the street laughing as he watched. Good memories! I miss Jim and Nancy.

Mini Vacation to the Coast of California

As most of you know, this year we traveled to California for Thanksgiving this year. What a wonderful time with family, friends and God's creation.

We were expected to leave on Saturday, November 21, but the airline messed up our flight and so we flew out a day earlier on Friday, November 20th. We got packed and left the house in 1 hour (after getting off the phone with the airline)...wow, that's pretty good for late notice. After sitting in traffic for 2 hours in Houston, we missed our flight and were put on the later flight, but we still made it there safe and sound. I was not sure what to expect with being pregnant and flying, but I did great. There were times where I could feel some numbness in my legs so I'd get up a walk around.

We arrived in San Francisco and my Aunt Karen and Cousin Stephanie picked us up to travel to their home in San Jose (where I grew up till I was 12). We made a pit stop on teh way home since we were hungry and (like Guido's in Ohio) I had to have my Carls Jr. Fix, Western Bacon Cheeseburger...what a memory.

The next morning, Saturday, Dan went to pick up our rental care...and since he is in the "President's Club" from traveling so much with work, they gave us a sweet car, it's a Nissan maxima that only had 300 miles on it. It was very comfortable and definately a keeper if we were in the market. We headed out for Monterey, California (the Ocean) Boy was it beautiful. On our way we stopped alongside the road at a beach and decided to take some pictures. Of course me being pregnant was trying to be very careful not to fall down or get stuck in the water or anything but...I was trying to take pictures of the water as it came up on the shore and boy did I do myself good...haha...I was trying to run backwards as the water was coming up and Dan caught me as I fell backwards on my bum...it was a very fun experience but scared me in the moment...and I kept asking dan how hard I fell and he said it was as if i just sat down :-) That was good.

Seaside Beach, Monterey State beach

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Foot prints on bottom left= where I was fighting to keep standing :-)

17 weeks pregnant

After that beach, we headed over to Monterey (Childhood Memory of mine) and got settled in to our Motel, The Borg's Motel. From there we walked around the boardwalk which was fun...we went into the little shops and then went to dinner at "Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company"(All about hte movie Forest Gump for those ofyou who didn't realise that). Afterwards we walked around a bit more before hitting the pillows at 8:00 p.m.( We were not used to the 2 hours time difference and...I am pregnant, of course falling over at that time anyway).

Our Motel

Ocean View from Motel Room

Forest Gump's House

Dan ordered Seafood...Shrimp, fried, cooked, spinach dip and spicy chicken...

As you can see...I was not happy with BBQ Pork Sandwich when I could have had SHRIMP!! My favorite and only seafood.

But, it was okay...I did have a few of Dan's shrimp...and they were scrumptious...and I enjoyed mine too.

On Sunday Morning, we packed up and headed over to Molly's Light House Cafe, another memory of mine from being there with my family. It is this cute little restaurant that you can see below.


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After breakfast, we went back over near the Motel to take pictures and just view the beautiful creation...the waves crashing on the rocks, the birds flying around, the sand beneath our feet, the rocks we climbed on (okay so I was VERY careful and I didn't go up very high as you can see).

Dan has this funny thing about me not wearing my glasses in some pictures, so here we are :-)

We left Monterey and on our way out, Dan saw this Ferrari that was picture worthy: