( BP= 110/71, WEIGHT = 181 <7lb total gain>)

Frontal picture of baby	Can you tell what that is?

4-7-00 Well, they say a picture says it all, so there they are. :) We have another little boy on the way! Yep. It was the first thing he wanted to show us and the first thing i seen. I guess Canaan won the 'bet' as to who got what. (He says he wants a brother while sissy wants a girl) Everything is perfect in his little home. The placenta is fully healed of course and he's a perfect size for his age. (21 weeks) He weighs @ 1lb 2oz and all his parts and pieces are there.

I was so sure this was going to be another girl, mom did too. I must admit I was initially disappointed, but i'm ok now. I've just got a lot of clothes to buy if this little guy wants to wear anything other than his sister's baby stuff! Guess that gives me a good reason to hit the yard sales this year. :)

So, what are we going to name him? Matthew Jon Michael. I've had it decided on since i was pg with Katlyn, so unless I get a wild hair and change my mind, that's it! Now to keep praying that this little guy follows his sisters size at birth rather than his brother. ugh! please let this be a 7 lb baby! I think that's the worst thing that scares me about having another boy, the size he might be at birth. oh well, guess we'll find out in about 4 months.

I'm so tired today. This cold is kicking my sleeping butt! Canaan is at mom's and I sure wish that Katlyn would take a nap so I could get some rest, but noooooooooo... she's wide awake and rarin' to go, still! My head is hurting and a nap would sure sound great right now!

4-12-00 The kids are in Canaan's room playing around so I thought I"d get in an entry now. :) Baby has been very active of course. I'm really excited about our boy now. It took me a day, but I'm up with it now. I"m going to let him wear the same outfit to come home in that Canaan wore. He only wore it once, so it's got lots of life left in it! lol! I"m still hoping that this one comes out more his sisters size than his brothers. I know i'll definatly be keeping the Dr. on his toes about measuring him to see his growth progress! maybe he'll authroize another u/s later on like he did with Katlyn to make sure he's measuring right on.

Robert said he might have some name suggestions for this one. (Lord save us) He said the guys were helping him to come up with names (Lord really help us!) like Hercules, Conan, .....get the drift???? I think he believes that since it's a boy he'll automatically come out Canaan's size. I sure hope to diswade him from that notion! He went and told his friend that the baby was measuring 3lbs in the u/s!!!! AND THEY BELIEVED HIM!!!!! I didn't know who to smack first! *rolling eyes here!* You can read in the above post that his weight was perfect! geez, just trying to get my girdle up isn't he? I told them if they baby had already measured 3lbs, they would have had to admit me to the hospital cause i'd have refused to get up out of my faint!

Sissy had her head laying on my baby belly yesterday and was talking to him. She puts her ear up to him and says "baby! you in there? Baby! wake up! come out baby!" then she asks me if it hurts and pats my belly and tells me it'll be ok. (so sweet) The kids are really into the pregnancy. Even Canaan. He still asks me every day if baby is bigger and when he'll come out. He keeps repeating he wants a boy! (jumping up and down) so I told him yesterday that he'll have his own brother to play with when he gets bigger. He was kind of surprised at this. lol! I think he'll get the concept sooner or later. ;)

Easter Sunday starts my 6th month! that's only about a week and a half away! wow. it's going by very fast indeed. but i think no matter how many babies you have, you always get eager for their arrival, expecially after you start feeling them bounce around in there so much. Matthew likes moving his arms alot. I can feel his fingers fluttering around my cervix (his head) and pushing around my bladder. This morning his legs are in motion. At least he's not like his brother ( so far) and trying to push out my side cause he has no room on top! (Canaan's butt stayed under my right rib from about 7 months on) lets hope he's like Sissy in that he has some room in there even at the end! (for my sake at least!)

You know there were several times before finding out the sex that i thought it could be a boy, but i didnt' want to listen to myself. terrible isnt' it? At least i'm over that now. Anyway, like with Canaan, I only gained weight, never lost. With Katlyn i lost 10 lbs before gaining. With this one i've only gained (though nothing along the lines of how i did with Canaan.) And other little things....like I have this cross-stitch I'd been working on for a friend. It's got little blue footprints and a pastel checkerboard back and stuff, I could NEVER get it finished for her (her baby was born in January) and I kept looking at it thinking, I really need to get that done and get it to her. But in my head i'd hear, maybe i'm making it for my own baby. Which i would push out of thought. Little things like that all the time, so maybe I did know I was having a boy, just didnt' want to listen to myself. I was positive i'd have another girl after Katlyn, but iv'e been thinking lately that maybe that was the baby I lost so early in pregnancy last year. I had a definate feeling of that being a girl (even bought a couple outfits at yard sales). I'd just never thought I wouldn't meet that little girl, you know?

Which brings me to another question, which is actually one only God can answer I suppose, but, when we get to Heaven, will we still get to have babies? I know if we do, it'll be a painless experience. I've been wondering about that. For those families that would really like to have a large family, but couldnt' afford it here on earth, would they be able to fulfill those dreams in Heaven? Hmmmm.... like I said, just something to think about. :)