Emmory Pictures

Here are some pictures of my sweet, lil nephew Emmory.


This was the first time I held him....about an hour after he was born. :)



He kept stickin his tongue out :)


So I did too


Me with his proud daddy - givin his new son bunny ears (not sure why I can't open my eyes all the way)


This was when he was a day old - Monday afternoon

I didn't get to see him for a whole day...but I went over the next day (Wednesday) and we just cuddled for an hour or so.



Then it was Grammy's turn to hold him

Lil Septtroplex

This past weekend, my sister-in-law, Sheivon, brought some stuff she found in storage. She gave Septtro his passport from when he was about 4 years old and it's SO cute! :)


Isn't that the cutest lil face you ever saw? :)

My nephew is here!!!

Meet my nephew....Emmory William Steenback...born at 2:20pm April 26th..7 pounds 12 ounces and 21.5 inches long. I love him so much already!!

He's only about an hour old here.

This was when he was about 24 hours old. I LOVE his hair...so soft and fun! :)


So, we had quite the eventful weekend. Septtro and I left Thursday evening for Ohio for my brother-in-law's wedding (near Columbus - pics of that to come shortly). Saturday morning, my brother called and said Shawna was having contractions about 10 minutes apart. I was pretty bummed because I REALLY wanted to be in town when he was born. I think he was tryin to hold out for me, though, cause he sure did take his time. :) Septtro and I arrived at the hospital on Sunday an hour after he was born to meet him. My mom did hold up the phone so I could hear his first cries, though - that was precious....made me cry. :)

His dark hair kinda surprised me. I guess I figured he'd have blonde hair. I did, indeed, win the bracket we had goin on when he'd be here and how much he'd weigh and the time he was born. My baby and I will enjoy that big, juicy steak - thanks mom! :)

More pictures to come...

Doctor Appointment

I had my monthly appointment this morning - thanks for the prayers! :) We got to hear the heartbeat and it was amazing! She said it fluctuated between 154 and 156 beats per minute. I asked if she thought I was too big and she said absolutely not - I am right on track, measuring right at 17-18 weeks so yay!! :) And I only gained 3 pounds this time so kudos to me!

While listening to the heartbeat, you could sometimes hear this scratching type noise. It was like, "bu bum, bu bum, bu bum, eeeaaggghhrrrr". She said that was the baby moving around. I couldn't feel it but it was fun to "hear" the baby moving around. How incredible it was to hear the heartbeat...I almost asked her if she was sure that wasn't my heartbeat. :) When will this feel real?

I asked about my sleeping positions. I do start off on my left side but inevitably end up on my back - which I guess isn't good for blood flow towards the latter part of a pregnancy. She said I should be fine until around 20 weeks but then I might want to put a pillow under my hip so if I roll over, I won't be completely flat.

So we scheduled the next ultrasound - when we find out if we're having a girl or boy. We go back exactly 3 weeks from today...May 13th! She said I could come back in 3 or 4 weeks so obviously I chose 3 weeks. I'm so excited! What are your guesses? I think it's a girl for some reason and so does my mom and Septtro and most everybody at work. Although a girl I met last night said it's a boy and she's never been wrong...we shall see!!

16 Week pics a lil late

So today I'm officially 17 weeks - or unofficially, depending on how accurate you think the doctors can determine how far along you are.

These pictures were taken at 16 weeks and 5 days. And PLEASE, as much as I love comments, don't tell me how huge I am. Yes there really is only one baby. Maybe I'm starting to wonder what I used to look like and if I'll ever look like that again. I honestly only eat when I'm hungry - promise! And I do try to eat healthy now that I'm not feeling as sick.

Speaking of sick, I think I may have jinxed myself in my last post because I got sick two days in a row last week which has NEVER happened before. But I've been fine since then. Guess there will always be those more difficult days but that's just fine with me!

This is just normal...well maybe I'm tryin to suck it in a lil :)


But I sure can pooch it out too

Quite a difference huh? :) Maybe I should have taken one more where I was just standing there normal. Oh well.

My next appointment is tomorrow morning at 8:30AM. Please keep me in your prayers if you think about it. I'm still nervous about going and probably will always be nervous about going. Knowing who is truly in control, though, sure does bring a sense of relief.

16 weeks

Week and day: 16 weeks 2 days

Belly Button in or out: not much of one left

Wedding rings on or off: on

Food cravings: steak!!!

Food aversions: still some types of chicken by itself

Nausea: hardly at all anymore!! yay!!

Energy level: no naps since last week - hello second trimester! I got a lil freaked out Monday cause it was like I woke up and didn't feel pregnant anymore.

Weight gain: I'm not sure how much I've gained but I don't have to eat as much now because 1 - I don't have the room and 2 - I don't feel nauseous

Mood: I feel like I've been letting myself start to enjoy this pregnancy - singing and dancin around the house instead of snapping at Septtro for every little thing because I'm so nervous

Maternity clothes: down to one normal pair of pants that still fit because they sit so low but have been wearing maternity pants more and more - got some shirts from Shawna so I'm not always wearing t-shirts :)

Size of baby: avocado

Changes of baby: baby's eyes are closer to front of head now, head is more erect, toenails forming, heart pumps about 25 quarts each day

Next appointment: April 22nd - to hear the heartbeat...no ultrasound

Other: I keep feeling like maybe I can feel the baby move. I felt it for the first time last Monday (April 6th) - felt like somebody was waving their fingers inside my tummy and it only lasted a couple of seconds. Then it's started to feel like a rolly polly feeling and lasted longer. It's still so faint and those moments are few and far between so I'm always second-guessing myself. I'm a lil nervous to assume it's the baby in case it's not for fear of me lookin silly. :) Oh, and BIG plus, I can sometimes go through the night without having to get up to use the restroom - depending on how late I have something to drink. Oh, and my tailbone has been VERY sore lately - maybe I should get a doughnut pillow. :)

Easter Sunday

We had my parents and brother and sis-in-law over for lunch for Easter Sunday. We all brought some food, used paper plates for quick clean up, and just enjoyed each other's company. It was a beautiful day!

Because we got out of church around noon, we decided we'd use the timer on our oven so the baked mac and cheese would cook while we were at church and it'd be all ready to go when we got home. Septtro tested it the night before and it came on when it was supposed to so we gave it a shot. Unfortunately, it didn't work. I ended up making box mac and cheese but mom and dad claimed they liked the "crunchiness" and both ate it.

Suka and Tillman ran all over the place but they took some time to relax on the hammock.

Dad helped Septtro plant the garden. We'll have corn, green beans, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes, and cantelope. I can't wait!!

The ladies...Shawna, mom, me, and Gramma. I guess I didn't get the memo to wear pink.

Awww, brother and sister Easter picture - just like the good ol days


Septtro would hit the wiffle ball and the dogs would chase it and fight over who should have it.

Suka won this time.


Tillman had a hard time grasping the ball in his mouth.

The dogs liked chasing the foam golf balls too. Tillman liked to run right in front front of Mark before he took his swing - made us very nervous.


This was that night...she was tired. "Turn out the lights...I'm tryin to sleep!"


Mom also brought plastic eggs and put dog treats in them and hid them around the yard. Yeah we know, weird - but that's what Easter is like when your kids are grown and you don't have any grandchildren yet right? :) I have a video but I'm not sure how to get it off my video camera yet.

Delivery Prediction

I saw this on somebody else's blog and thought I'd try it. Here's the prediction for the day of delivery...pretty funny...

The day you deliver, outside will be sunny. Your baby will arrive in the mid morning. After a labor lasting approximately 5 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 4 pounds, 2 ounces, and will be 18-1/2 inches long. This child will have light violet eyes and curly black hair.

So I seriously doubt my baby will only be 4 pounds but I wouldn't mind labor only lasting 5 hours. I already kind of think it may be a girl...not sure where that's coming from but that's my guess. The violet eyes is just ridiculous but I suppose curly black hair is possible.

Here's the website in case you're expecting and wanna see what crazy things it says for you...

P.S. I thought maybe I felt the baby move yesterday. It was a different feeling than I've felt before but it's so hard to tell.

Beautiful Weekend!

Finally, a weekend without rain! Woo hoo!! I know we need the rain but it's much more fun to be out and about on the weekend. On Saturday, my mom and Shawna came over. We went for a walk, fed the horses some carrots, grilled some steaks (and ever since I've wanted another one), and watched Fireproof (good movie!). Here's some pics:

Shawna is due April 22nd!! Yay!! I'm 14 weeks and 4 days.


I think Tillman thought the horse was a big dog - he wanted to play but the horse wasn't too pleased. He was a bully anyway. He wouldn't let us feed the other one and when he didn't get a carrot, he'd kick and bite the gate.

Tillman runnin in the field near the pond.

She kept eating the grass - weirdo.

Lil Nugget

So I was thinking about Romans 13:8-10...

" ⁸Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

What if I really did love my neighbor as much as I love myself?

14 weeks!

Ok so I don't really know if this is my first week in my second trimester or my second. I've read so many different things. Anyway, here's what's happenin:

Week and day: 14 weeks 0 day (confirmed as of last Wednesday!)

Belly Button in or out: still hangin in there but the top part is already starting to try to pop out

Wedding rings on or off: on

Food cravings: spaghetti sauce, most breads

Food aversions: some types of chicken by itself (must be mixed in with something)

Nausea: this is getting better although I had a pretty rough morning with it yesterday

Energy level: still takin naps as much as possible - can't wait for that second trimester energy boost I keep hearing about

Weight gain: yeah about 10 pounds...I know, kinda a lot for my first trimester but hey, I'm carryin half a Samoan!

Mood: I can cry very easily for sure and still kind of feel like I might be trying to hold some excitement back

Maternity clothes: Been wearing just one pair with the big elastic band - very comfy! The other pants are still gettin the hair tie trick but that is already starting to feel uncomfortable

Size of baby: lemon

Changes of baby: baby can make facial expressions and even suck their thumb, baby has fingerprints, skeletal and organ development is complete and progressing every day

Next appointment: April 22nd - to hear the heartbeat...no ultrasound

Other: my nose is getting more and more stuffy - I probably sound like I have a cold sometimes; still burp a lot and can feel my heart beating faster, especially after I lie down after being up and about

Baby Sene's first pictures - and video

Here's our sweet bundle of joy - only about 3 inches long:

I think it's funny the baby has their hands over their ears...considering it's an ultrasound - which emits sound waves (not that baby could really hear it but it's funny to think about, nonetheless).

Backside of baby


Baby wasn't moving a whole lot - even in the video...I think he/she was tryin to sleep. :)


Look at the size of that brain!


so sweet!! :)

So here's how the appointment went:

We only waited in the waiting room about 10 minutes, then we were sent directly to the ultrasound room. I was a little confused cause I thought I'd have to change but there was nothin for me. She said she was gonna do the ultrasound on top cause I was about 14 weeks but I said I thought I wasn't that far along so the plans changed. She said she was going to start some report and she'd be back. She didn't come back for probably 5 minutes. Those 5 minutes seemed like an eternity! I told Septtro I was nervous and kept asking what was taking so long. He started to ramble on and on about what his plans were for the yard. I remember, at one point, thinking to myself, "This is like a sitcom moment". I was not listening to a thing he was saying as I was so nervous but he was doing all he knew to do to keep my mind off being nervous. :) I still have no idea what he said.

The tech finally returned and asked how I was. I told her I was really nervous and she said she could tell - really, I thought I was hiding it well? (sarcasm sarcasm). She asked if I had any children at home and I started to choke up. She asked if this was my first pregnancy and before she learned of my miscarriage, I was already in a full-blown sob. She came over and hugged me and said we'd take this one step at a time. She said she didn't want me to look at the screen - let her get her bearings and we'd look at it together. I agreed. She pushed the screen in front of me...then Septtro leaned forward. Nobody told him he shouldn't look right away right? :) Great...so I just closed my eyes. Within just a few seconds, she pushed the screen back and said, "Well there's baby!". I started crying again - this time for very different reasons....relief, joy, disbelief, hope...

I can't really explain how incredibly humbling it was to watch that precious life on the screen. I'd like to say I would have felt the same way without losing Peanut but I'm not sure I would have. I'm not entitled to anything on this earth that is good. I don't deserve it. But praise God for his infinite grace for allowing me to have this experience!

I'm still trying to convince myself there's really a little human inside me. When will it start to actually feel real? I guess it hits every woman at different stages. What I do know is, the creation of life is simply amazing! Praise God!!

Here is our lil one - tryin to get some sleep I think. :)

1st Ultrasound

Praise the Lord - all looked GREAT at my first ultrasound!!! The tech said it got a gold star!! :) The baby's heartbeat was 162 beats per minute and I'm 13 weeks and 1 day - due September 24th!! I'll post pictures soon and give more info on how everything went. Thanks so much for all of your prayers!!

11 weeks, 4 days - I think

So my first appointment is tomorrow at 8:30am. Then I'll know for sure how far along I am. This was taken at 11 weeks and 4 days - according to my calculations.

Yes I'm wearing maternity pants...they're just more comfortable now. I need to get more shirts because most of mine are just too short.

If you're reading this, please know I covet your prayers - especially tomorrow morning. I've been struggling with fear a lot lately; so much so, that last week, I really had no desire to even go to my appointment this week for fear of what I might hear or see (or not see). I have some verses (thanks Shawna!) that I will continue to meditate on but I know - especially tomorrow morning - the fear will return. My desire is that I will focus my thoughts on what I know to be true...God is good, He is in control, and His grace is sufficient.

I know there will be tears in the ultrasound room either way but my hope is that they will be tears of joy. Oh how my heart aches to be a mother...how I long to see my precious child that morning...alive, healthy, and performing all kinds of acrobatics for our entertainment.

Shower for Emmory!!

This past Saturday, my mom and I threw Shawna a shower...we're not very good party planners but it somehow came together. :) Thanks to Joelle and Maggie for all your help!!!!

The cake was so stinkin cute! AND it tasted GREAT...chocolate cake with raspberry and fudge in the middle...mmm mmm! If you ever need a cake made, April is the one to call!!

I loved the zebras - so cute! :)


Of course, Emmory got baseball outfits...this one was one of my favorites.




Shawna, me, and Sara

Shawna, me, and mom

Surprise!!!

As I was eating lunch yesterday in the break room at work, Septtro walked in! It was so nice to see him in the middle of the day! Then, when we went back to my desk, he had put a vase of flowers and a homemade card on my desk...he's a keeper! :) He couldn't stay long - only about 15 or 20 minutes, but it was still nice.

Oh, and bonus brownie points - the flowers were the same colors as our wedding colors (yellow and purple) and some of the flowers were the same flowers that were in my bouquet.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today is Septtro and my 4 year anniversary. I can't believe it's been 4 years already! Man I feel old. :) Here's some pictures from our past...


Can your boyfriend do this? :)



This was in Seattle at my brother's rehearsal dinner...we were engaged at the time.


This is one of my favorite pictures of Septtro. I think he's WAY cuter than Superman. :)
March 19, 2005 - the big day! :)


Our reception was so much fun!

We were trying to learn a Samoan dance. Happy Anniversary Septtroplex! I love you!

Happy Birthday Peanut

I figured today would be a difficult day. So far, so good though. Not only is it Monday, but this was my due date for my lil Peanut. But I know God's grace will get me through...always has and always will.

Dear Peanut,
I haven't written you in so long. I'm sorry. It's not because I don't miss you - I do. Today was supposed to be your birthday. We were going to finally meet face to face. Only now, we will meet face to face in the presence of our Lord. Last time I wrote, I asked if you were in heaven. I wasn't really sure. So many people have told me they believe you are. I guess I've made up my mind. I do believe you are in heaven. You were a living human...no matter how small.

I have some exciting news! Your dad and I are expecting another baby this Fall. We are so excited and hope to be able to meet your brother or sister. Don't worry, I will be sure to tell them they have an older sibling. :) I don't have their first picture yet. We didn't get to see them as soon as we got to see you. But as soon as we get it, I will place it right beside your picture on our fridge....side by side...my babies.

I hope you don't worry about how your dad and I are doing. God's grace is abundant and His peace is continuous. He has taught me a lot in these past few months that I am grateful for - a lot about myself that will help me be a better wife to your dad and a better mother to your younger siblings.

You'll forever be with me my lil Peanut. I love you and miss you. Happy Birthday.

Can I Blame This on the Pregnancy?

I was warming up some frozen biscuits at home last night so I could eat them with some cheese on top for breakfast this morning. Why in the world I thought it'd be ok for them NOT to be on a flat surface, I have no idea.

Another Update

I can't believe it's already been two weeks since my last update. Maybe these next two weeks will go by fast too!

Here's the stats...

Week and day: 10 weeks 1 day (to be confirmed at next appointment)

Belly Button in or out: definitely in but I've always had a very deep belly button and it doesn't feel as deep anymore

Wedding rings on or off: on

Food cravings: plain chips, fruit

Food aversions: blue cheese, hot sauce (funny how these used to be cravings), honey mustard, any type of flavored chips

Nausea: every so often and at varied times still - I actually got sick Monday morning but then worried it was something I ate :)

Energy level: I'm definitely tired a lot but overall not too bad...some days are better than others, although this time change isn't helping much

Weight gain: I don't really know how much weight I've gained but I only have 3 pairs of pants that fit...one of which I have to use the hair tie trick with

Mood: I get annoyed easily but not sure this is much of a change :) And I can pretty much cry at the drop of a hat

Maternity clothes: I wore my maternity pants to church the other morning because we were already running late and the pants I wanted to wear wouldn't fit anymore...other than that, still in normal clothes but I know it won't be much longer till I need those maternity clothes!

Size of baby: small plum

Changes of baby: heart is completely developed, all major organs in place and starting to function, baby is swallowing, limbs can bend, nails forming on fingers and toes

Next appointment: March 25th - the 1st ultrasound!! 2 weeks exactly from today!

Other: still burping and feel my heart beating faster...I get out of breath quite easily - even when I'm talking for a long period of time or when I'm singing at church

First Belly Pics

I didn't wanna post but I'm gonna. :) I'm thinking I'm way bigger than I should be at this point. But I do know after a first pregnancy, you can pop out a lot quicker. And technically, I don't really know how far along I am - exactly. These were taken - at my calculations - at 9 weeks and 4 days.

Here's the belly just normal:

And here's me poochin it out:

Septtro and I have been referring to my belly as "the babies". Yes, that's right. Both of us would love twins. We know, we know - "You don't realize what you're asking for". Yes we do. We know it'd be hard and tiring and frustrating...and many other things. But we think it'd be pretty fun too. :) The liklihood of us having twins isn't very good but we can still have fun with it.

Oh how I hope and pray that lil baby is still there growing strong!! I keep battling my thoughts. I'm at 10 weeks today - the time when I found out my lil Peanut was gone (although he/she had been gone for about a month and I didn't even know it). Since last time, there was no indication of anything wrong, I get nervous every time I don't feel sick or as hungry or tired. But this is God's child and he or she will be born into this world if that's God's will. Nothing I think or do will stop that. I do take comfort in knowing I am not ultimately in control and look forward to the day when I can hold that lil one in my arms.

What Do I Say?

In the past few weeks, several people have asked me if this is my first child after finding out I'm pregnant. What am I supposed to say? I almost feel like it's a catch 22. On one hand, this isn't my first child. I lost my first child. I never got to meet my first child. But then do I really want to bring that up to someone and watch their face go from smiling to an awkward sympathetic look (especially for someone who has never experienced it...I think it's most awkward for them)? It's not that I want people to feel sorry for me. But I almost feel like if I say "Yes, this is my first", then I'm not acknowledging the precious life I saw on that screen this past summer. Yes, it was early when we lost the baby, but does that make him/her any less of my child? I guess I do want people to acknowledge my last little one's brief existence. I don't want to pretend my lil Peanut never was. But I don't want to put people in a situation they really didn't expect nor ask for. Perhaps it just depends on the person asking and the relationship I have with them. Just something I've been pondering lately.