18 weeks 5 days

I had my 18/19 week check up today. It was a very quick appointment. But then again, I guess that's not a bad thing necessarily. I saw a new doctor today. I had no idea she was even part of the practice, nor could I remember her name.

Anyway, on to more important things...

They only did the usual belly measurement & listened to the heart beat.

Heart rate was in the 150's.

This picture was taken Sunday, before we left for church. I'm not really sure what for angle Dustin was going for...but it makes me look a smidge bigger than I really am. At least, I think so! :)

Rumors...

Rumor has it, that there will be a new member of the Martin family, coming soon!

Well, here it is...the word, straight from the horses mouth. So to speak!

It's true! We're EXPECTING!!

The official due date is August 21, 2010 which means I am almost at 18 weeks.

Just to fill you in on what has taken place so far...

We found out there was going to be a new baby, on Christmas Eve!! Yes, what an amazing Christmas Gift! I wanted to wrap the pregnancy test & give it to Dustin as a gift, but couldn't keep it a secret for more than an hour.

February 16th - I finally got in to see the doctor. We had to wait a bit longer due to some changes in our insurance. But, that's all good now.

February 19th - I had an ultrasound to confirm my due date. The heartbeat was strong and steady. Baby moved quite a bit. This is also the day we told the girls, and our parents. The girls are ecstatic, by the way!!

February 24th - Another appointment with the Doctor. Basically to review the ultrasound and listen to the heartbeat again. The heartbeat at this appointment was 154/160. According to the Doctor, at this appointment, I was 14 1/2 weeks which makes my due date August 21st. She also said the ultrasound looked good, however, it was too soon to see everything.

February 24th - BLOOD WORK!! Yuck...

Not a great picture...This one was taken @ 16 weeks!

March 24th - My next appointment with my regular OB. I will be having my 20 week ultrasound with my neonatologist in Harrisburg on Wednesday March 31st. At this point, I am not going to the specialist because of any concerns. We are just being cautious. Plus, with their ultrasound equipment, we will get a much more detailed result.

I am hoping to get some good pictures at that appointment, so hopefully I can introduce you to the new baby boy OR girl really soon!! Also, in another post, I hope to answer some of the many questions I have been asked lately & update you on how I've been feeling so far!

RMH Update!

I am finally getting around to updating about our recent trip to the RMH.

January 2, 2010 we traveled to the RMH in Delaware, to prepare a meal for about 30 families, that were staying at the house. I have prepared meals for large groups before, but to be honest 70 or more guests just sounded a bit overwhelming. Dustin & I decided to recruit some help for the evening. Once we were there cooking, we were definitely glad we did! THANK YOU to our helpers...you all are amazing!

We prepared 7 "baked spaghetti" caseroles with garlic bread, green beans, fruit salad, and cookies. We also took another box of items (food and house supplies) that were donated by our friends and family.

When we arrived at the RMH, the volunteer allowed us to use the staff entrance to the kitchen. One of the first things that caught my eye was this:

10 tubs FULL (and over-flowing) of soda can tabs!

Ever since we stayed at the RMH the first time, we have been saving our soda tabs. It doesn't seem like much, but the tabs obviously add up!

Click HERE to learn more about the RMH soda tab donations!

I can't begin to describe how much of a blessing it was to be able to prepare food and share our time with the families at the RMH. Thanks so much to everyone who helped make this experience possible!!

Donations!!

Some people have already asked how they can help with our upcoming trip to the Ronald McDonald House. I thought sharing here on the blog would be the easiest way.

As most of you know, we will be traveling to the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware on Saturday January 2. We will be preparing dinner for approximately 60-80 guests. Our plan is to prepare a spaghetti/lasagna type meal, complete with the garlic bread, salad and desserts.

We have also been collecting non-parishable food items and cleaning supplies to help stock the RMH food pantry. Click here for a complete "wish list" of items that the RMH is requesting. If you would like to make a donation of food or supplies, please feel free to contact me. You can email me here through the blog, or just leave a comment.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thanks!!

Snow!

As of right now, we are averaging 14 inches of snow in our area, and there is more to come!

This is the view looking out my kitchen window.

Happy Birthday!!

Today we celebrated Baby Todd's first birthday!

(Baby Todd on his "birth day" - December 5, 2008)

This morning, before heading to the Ronald McDonald House, we released balloons in memory of Baby Todd. We attached a tag to each balloon that said:

This balloon was released in memory of:

TODD HESTON MARTIN

born: December 5, 2008

died: December 29, 2008

Read Baby Todd's complete story at http://babysjourneyhome.blogspot.com

**Please leave a note on the blog telling us where you found this balloon!

We released 24 balloons in memory of Baby Todd. One balloon to represent every day we were blessed to spend with him.

Thanks to the wind, the balloons got a bit tangled. So the release was a bit tricky...

After we released the balloons, we headed for Delaware. The closer we got to Wilmington, the more painful it was. However, something changed when we stepped into the RMH. That peace we experienced a year ago, came back. It was such a HUGE blessing and joy to be able to give back, and potentially impact the life of another child.

We were able to deliver over 100 toys and games to the Ronald McDonald House!! Thanks to those who helped make that possible!

**The girls outside the Ronald McDonald House, after delivering the toys!

During our visit, the girls were able to see the RMH "Santa's Workshop". They were very excited to be giving Christmas to another sick child! How better to show them the true meaning of Christmas!

As we were pulling out of the parking lot to head home, the girls thanked us for giving them "the best Christmas EVER!".

Again, thank you so very much for all your prayers and support over the past year & a half.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Going back...

...to the Ronald McDonald House!

For the last several months we have been collecting toys take to the children that would be staying at the RMH over the Christmas holiday. As of now, we have collected well over 100 toys to be donated. We have also collected other supplies to be donated as well...such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and cleaning supplies.

We will be visiting the RMH of Delaware on the following dates:

Saturday December 5, 2009 - we will be delivering the toys and supplies.

This day is also Baby Todd's birthday...so we will be celebrating his birthday in Wilmington. I have a few ideas planned to help make the day special for the girls as well.

Saturday January 2, 2010 - we will be spending the evening preparing dinner and visiting with the families at the RMH. We will be preparing a meal for approximately 60-80 guests this evening.

Both of these dates hold significant meaning to us, which will cause our visits to be very bittersweet. We are asking for your prayers once again, as we prepare for the next step in this "journey".