3 weeks already?!

OK...I recall when my friends have had babies and I impatiently would check their blogs on a daily basis with no changes. Each time there was not an update, I would feel such disappointment only to try again the next day. I am sorry to say that I have been that friend...or family member! So, before anything else, my apologies and I will try to do better as no one should be deprived of seeing this little guy!

He has endearingly been termed our "little bean." I'm not really sure where that came from, but Kelly came up with it and it just fits. It may fit so well due to the perpetual gas that this child has, but that is neither here nor there ;)

As for what we have been up to...

It's hard to believe that Finn has already experienced his first Christmas. We went to church on Christmas Eve and had a good laugh when our 3 year old niece walked over to Finley and said, "I want to touch Baby Jesus!" What was even greater was that the very next day, Gigi (Grandma Meegan) created the manger scene and Finley had the star role as Baby Jesus! He really did quite well in his manger, meaning he slept through the whole thing.

Our nights are eventful as most of you would expect, but it is all worth it. At least if we're up in the middle of the night, it's for a good cause: to party with our little bean!

Thank you for all the prayers that got this little guy here safely-he is such a blessing!

Finney's first day

Today was our first full day of being a family of three...and we feel so blessed! Finley has had a big day of firsts...and so have we! Kelly, who was once scared to death of poopie diapers has already changed three with such manly grace. And not only that-he has mastered the art of swaddling. In my opinion, he's even better than the nurses! I am including a few pictures of our day today for your viewing pleasure ;)

Finley has taken the time to narrate:

I was supposed to come home in this adorable Gap Essentials outfit, but I peed on it..oops.

Oh how I love my daddy!

Mommy recounting the story of daddy trying to "distract" her through hard labor by suggesting the purchase of a truck....really dad???

I'm sure that you all will see more of me as my parents cannot seem to resist capturing every cute little thing I do! I love you all! OH....and please say a prayer for me...my parents keep mentioning something about a circumcision in the morning?

Finley Patrick Meegan (8lbs 1oz 21 inches) Born 12/7 6:39 PM

5am, December 7th, 2009

This is the date that Finley is being taken by force! At 40.5 weeks, Finley's time in my tummy is officially coming to a close. We are expected at the hospital at 5am tomorrow morning and induction will likely take place somewhere around 7am. Of course, we will update you all as soon as possible. We are extremely excited, nervous..and in a little bit of denial over the whole thing. It's one thing to know he CAN come at any minute, but it is something completely different to know that he WILL in the next day...that is if labor goes to plan of course. With that in mind, please keep Finley in your thoughts and prayers as he ventures from his cozy warm tummy to the outside world. It is going to be quite a shock for him! SO, let the adventure begin..more to come!

Yes, that is one big belly! I am 38.5 weeks...so much for him coming early! I am continuing to contract, but with no results! I have tried coaxing him out with my persuasion, but failed miserably. I have tried squats, pelvic tilts, pineapple, spicy food, walking, etc....and when it comes down to it, he could care less!

Well, a little over a month ago, Kelly came up with a very complicated equation that involves when each of us went through puberty to determine Finley's due date. According to this fool-proof calculation, he is due tomorrow, Wednesday, November 25th between 4pm-8pm. We'll keep you posted! Happy Thanksgiving and lots of love!

Spicy food to induce labor is a crock!

Well, as you can see, I am still pregnant with our little blessing :) I put a smiley face, but I must say that I am beyond the joyful pregnant stage and quite ready to meet Finley. As soon as he hit full-term status, the squats, incessant walking, and spicy food all came into play. However, it seems that these are just actions that make me "feel" like I am in control...the truth of the matter is that this little guy will determine when he is good and ready!

We went to the doctor last Thursday and the good news is that all of the contractions I have been experiencing are now at least productive. I have dilated a little more and my cervix is "extremely soft." I hope that it means that he will be here sooner than later!

If you have any tips, feel free to leave them in the comment section :) There will be a reward for the winning idea! As always, love and faith!

And the real wait begins...

Hello hello! This is day 2 off of the medication and so far, no baby...trust me you'd know otherwise! I am continuing to contract on a regular basis, but continue to sit around the 10 minute mark. One of the days (near or far), I will break that and head down the path to closer contractions and the real excitement will begin! One of my friends pointed out that I hadn't posted any pictures recently so here are a few. I have had 2 more showers since my last post. One was a much-needed "Diaper Bash" and the other was a fun "foo-foo" shower (you know...the really girly kind). Finley is spoiled beyond belief and we are so blessed to have such great friends and family :)

Why does Kenna look so surprised with her length of yarn??

OH! And I almost forgot to share our prize-winning costume with you all. If you can't see it very well, Finley is Humpty Dumpty and Kelly is our wall! We won a snuggie for this brilliance LOL!

We'll keep everyone posted on progress...or lack thereof...it's certainly in God's hands!

I'm so confused!

Well, I must say...pregnancy is a true test of patience and faith. As soon as you think you know what's going on, it all changes! It's worse than Texas weather! Well, yesterday I started contracting again despite the efforts of my medication, terbutaline. They started off at about 11 minutes apart (just like 2 weeks ago) and then shortened to about 8 minutes so we decided it would be safest to go get checked out. It took a while to get on the monitor as EVERYONE in San Antonio seemed to have been in labor yesterday! Once hooked up, the monitors confirmed that there were strong contractions about 8 minutes apart...but then...I had about a 20 minute break before they started up again. Strange...then came to find out that my cervix hadn't progressed at all since the last scare. My nurse called my doctor and was instructed to go ahead and give me one more shot of terbutaline to try and keep Finley in a little longer (who the whole time was active and kicking away...obviously irritated at the monitors). He (my doc) passed along the message that after today (35 weeks), if I have this happen again, they are not going to attempt to stop Finley. Well, here is the interesting part. It is now believed that I may have an irritable uterus. If you research this, it is not completely understood, but basically you contract as if you are in labor, but it only affects your uterus...not your cervix. This can mean that you eventually have to be induced! You can however, switch at any moment from "irritable uterus" to "preterm labor" if the contractions become strong enough. If your mind is spinning by this point, don't worry-mine is too! The one thing that I can say without doubt is this is in God's hands...not mine. But we can all anticipate that Finley's arrival will likely be one that is unpredictable..though what child's isn't?! I will discontinue terbutatline after Sunday so we will see what happens after that. If Finley doesn't come by next Thursday, I will see my doctor and find out more then. So hold on to your hats...we're in for an interesting ride. Much love and faith...and Happy Halloween!

Ten Days!

Today was our evaluation after spending the week resting. You will be happy to know that I have not progressed any further and the contractions are under control. My doctor has informed me that the few that I am still having are necessary to get the baby in the right position for delivery. As of tomorrow, I am 34 weeks, which is when most doctors stop giving steroids for lung development in the case of preemies since they are strong by this week. My instructions now are to stay on the terbutaline for 10 more days, which will put me near 36 weeks. At that point, whatever happens, happens :) This could mean he comes on day 11...or to make things interesting, he could come 31 days from now...no telling!!

I was touched today when a friend of mine who gave birth to a beautiful little girl at 25 weeks reminded me that there is no point in worrying..."it doesn't change anything, prevent anything, or help anything." Her little girl is precious and healthy, by the way. She also left me with a piece of scripture that we all need to keep close:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Roman 8:28

Love and Faith as always :)

Wait a min, Finn!!

As I type this, Kelly and I are sitting in Labor & Delivery at St. Luke's thankful that Finley didn't get his way this morning!! I woke up at 3am with a burning cramp and quickly realized that I was having contractions...the real kind...not the practice Braxton Hicks that I've come to like so much ;) By 5am we were at the hospital being hooked up to a monitor to evaluate the situation. At that point, I was contracting every 10 minutes and was dilated to a 1. So...we had to take measures to stop our eager little man. I am now on terbutaline and am being monitored overnight. So far as we can tell, though, we have the contractions under control. They are a little concerned that I'm still cramping, but we believe it is just the battle that my uterus and the terbutaline are fighting out.

Now..."Baby Big Head." My doctor ordered an ultrasound, which is always very exciting, until they tell you that your 33 week old child has a head that measures 36 weeks!!!! They estimate that he is about 5 lbs., which is great and about a week ahead of his due date. But I'm not totally convinced that his head is not the basis of all these large measurements...though I suppose time will tell. I told Kelly that I should have measured his head before I decided to marry him and he quickly responded, "I should have measured your hips!" Snap! He got me!

Assuming that all goes to plan, we will be released tomorrow and I will be on bed rest until Finn is big enough to let me get off of the medicine. At that point, labor will likely resume and we will get to meet our precious Baby Big Head!!

Please keep us in your prayers...Love and Faith!!

8 weeks and counting...

Hi everyone! 8 weeks to go as of today...yippee!! I didn't post at 31 weeks as I was on my way to Corpus for Finley's very first baby shower...and let me tell you that the child made out like a bandit! He got everything from diapers to a pack n' play to a car seat-far too many gifts and books to name...he's so blessed already! Naturally, as you can imagine, I had a hard time sitting around as I was enjoying mingling...and then when we drove back to San Antonio, I couldn't stop when I had so much fun stuff to go through! Well, leave it to me...I ended up in labor and delivery that night. *KEEP READING-WE'RE BOTH FINE* I started cramping and experiencing lower back pain at about 6pm so I rested on my left side as instructed if this happened and drank as much water as I could get down. By 10pm, I was still cramping so I called the nurse and she insisted that I come in for evaluation despite the lack of contractions. So, we reluctantly headed to St. Luke's to make sure Finn wasn't trying to surprise us early. As we imagined, it was fine. His heart rate was strong...at times a little too strong as he absolutely despised the monitor and visibly kicked it with all his might for almost two hours straight. They also performed a pre-labor test, which revealed that he has not released the chemical that tells my cervix to loosen up, which would result in labor. All in all, we were releaved to find out that Finley is still baking like he is supposed to. The problem is that I now have a harder time rationalizing why I shouldn't slow down...I just don't want to! How terrible of me?!

On a more sobering note, tomorrow marks one year of when Sean and Liam left us for Heaven's beauty. It's a bittersweet time for us as we're so thankful for our healthy little boy, but we can't help but miss and mourn our sweet angels as we reflect on our short time with them. We realize that the space they take up in our hearts will never be replaced because they took it with them when they left. At the same time, we have faith that they are watching us all of the time and looking out for their little brother. Really, Finley wouldn't be here if they hadn't left when they did. So if you all could just keep us all in your prayers as we enter a time of celebration and sorrow...not to mention it is my birthday so that adds another element of complexity. God's plan is simply beyond my comprehension (as it should be), so we just pray for peace as we're on this beautiful journey.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

In loving memory of Heaven's Angels and ours...Sean and Liam Meegan 10.10.08

A little on the heavy side!

Finley had his 30 week sonogram today and we were surprised to find out that our little man isn't so little! He's weighing in at 3 lbs. 3 oz. This is not tremendously ahead of the charts (only about a week), but he is certainly starting this trend a little early! For those of you who are unaware, Kelly weighted 8lbs, 10 oz and I was a monster at 8 lbs, 14 oz!! I, of course, am hoping for a healthy 6 pounder, but if he continues with this trend, he may be a little more...fluffy.

The sonogram was amazing (pictures to come). We got to see him making little sucking motions, which gives me hope for nursing! He yawned and kicked, and we "oohed" and "aahed" over every time we saw his eyes blink...it was really pretty pathetic. Even the sonogram technician had to go back and look at his little "neck fat" a few times because it was so darn cute! The sonogram even showed that Finn has hair! Granted, this is not to say it won't fall right out, but at this moment he is sporting a beautiful head of hair (hopefully not too large of a head). Oh, and he is still a boy. Kelly seems to have this underlying fear that they're playing a joke on him. This has to do with the fact that a friend recently told him that they thought they were having a boy until 34 weeks (after 2 showers) and then found out they were having a little princess instead! It absolutely scarred Kelly.

As for me, I am continuing to grow..and grow..and grow. I took my Gestational Diabetes test today and I'm really hoping that I'll pass. I'm not sure how a pregnant woman is supposed to make it through the last bit of pregnancy without the pure bliss that ice cream brings!

Kelly is working like crazy to finish the bathroom and doing an amazing job! Even Cy and Brooks can't wait for the progress to be complete ;) No joke, Brooks (lab) walked right in and jumped in the tub. Sadly, we think he was looking for Kelly.

More to come next week...much love as always! Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Last week in the 20's!

Alright, 29 is here...11 to go! Here's the low-down on Finley: he (according to my trusty website) is about the size of a butternut squash. I swear I've been told there is a site that uses other comparisons besides food, but I have yet to find it! He weighs a little over 2.5 pounds and is about 15 inches long. And let me tell you, he is active little guy!

I must say, his little 2.5 pounds is really starting to take its toll! I have discovered that turning over in the middle of the night is now something that requires strategy, shaving my legs is a joke, and trying to keep up with my long-legged friend when we walk in the morning is starting to resemble a duck trying to speed-walk!

Aside from that though, all is well! I have purchased my best pregnancy investment yet and discovered that I have a slight affinity for sock monkeys. While they used to sort of give me the creeps, I now find them quite cute...and extremely comforting for my tired feet :) You'll even notice that they look great with my clothes (you can rationalize anything-see photo above).

Kelly is continuing the overhaul of the bathrooms. Now that the addition is complete (or at least 95% of it is), he moved on to the existing bathroom...though it doesn't really "exist" anymore. He is busting his butt to try and finish this before Finn arrives and I must say, it is quite a sight! Finley's room is pretty much ready, but the completion of his closet is dependent on the completion of the bathroom (hence the rush). Once his mattress came in, I could not resist putting everything on his bed and had to even add his first teddy bear. You all know my slight obsession with bears! Even my nephew who is 2 talks about how Aunt Murmer loves bears (and now sock monkeys)!

Much love, as always, and please keep us in your prayers!

Moving right along

27 weeks and going strong (at least so far as I can tell!). Kelly and I had planned on going to South Padre for a mini-babymoon, but Kelly had a hard time getting off of work so we opted for a staycation here in SA. It was amazing. A friend of ours got us a great rate at the Grand Hyatt and we truly lived the high-life for a night! It was a perfect way for us to spend some quality time together before little Finn-man turns our world upside down.

I heard something rather disturbing recently...I heard that the patterns your baby falls into in your womb are strikingly similar to their patterns when they are born. Well, I am an extremely heavy sleeper so I have been thinking all along that Finn must not be too active because he'd wake me up if he was (notice my rationalization again). To make a long story short, I've woken up twice in my sleep recently (4am & 6am) to find that Finn was having an all-out party! In fact, what got me most recently was that he found that my bladder is quite a useful trampoline-ouch! I'll have to update once he comes to tell you if this hypothesis holds water. I'm really hoping that he loves sleep as much as his parents do (don't laugh-I can hope!). His crib came in this week too, so I'm hoping that the mattress follows this week so that I can put it all together-it really does make it so real.

On another note, Finley had his first ranching experience this weekend. I didn't get to participate (hence neither did he), but you can see his handsome Daddy here before starting the cattle round-up. I can't wait to get him in his first cowboy hat!!

14 to go!

I now feel like we're getting closer since I feel inclined to write about how many weeks to go....Kelly and I were talking today about if it's gone fast or slow and it really has been a little of both. But when we think of everything we still have left to do in the house, we realize that time has flown and that we are really racing against the clock! The good thing is that Finn's room is done...so whenever he decides to grace us with his presence, we'll be ready! Well, as ready as any first-time parents think they are.

We went to the doctor today and Finley is doing great. He did his best to dodge the doppler as the doctor listened to his heartbeat, but luckily he can't really go too far! I've realized that every pregnant woman worries about something silly...my silly worry is that I'm not big enough. Don't get me wrong, I feel rather large and I have reached the point of squatting rather than bending, but so so many people tell me how I only look like I'm 3 or 4 months along. They are constantly shocked to find out that I am almost to 7. ..and proceed to ask questions that usually linger around making sure Finn is the right size. While people roll their eyes when I say this is concerning, it is really just because I want to know that Finn is fine. When enough people give you the concerned...wow...you're not very big..it is just as disturbing(i think) as the "Are you carrying twins?" question that so many pregnant are offended by due to only carrying one baby (when will people learn that is not okay?!) And here's the worst part-I've gained all the weight I'm supposed to, but it must be going other places!!! Of course, every sonogram that we've had has showed him ahead of the trends so I really should let this go. My doctor made a good point to me today, though, when he said, "Amber, the baby is only around 2 lbs. What do people expect you to look like?" That made me feel a little better...

I know it sounds trivial and one day in the not-so-far future, I will long for the days of people saying I looked small.

PUPPP update: It's pretty much gone! I highly considered posting the pictures of it, but I figure that I will spare you. Finley on the other hand will not be spared...when he goes through his rebellious years I plan to remind him of what I went through with him LOL!

It may be working!!

Well, I went back through my last post and man...was I down or what?! At the time I was typing my message, I was trying to comprehend how on earth I was going to survive the pain I was feeling for 3 months. Well, your prayers are much appreciated because I am miraculously showing improvement! I say it's a miracle only because my doctor told me that the odds were against me with the medicine...that he's only see it work a handful of times...but each day has been a little easier. Odds are that I will not be taking any bare belly pictures, but I am just thankful to not be in the state of discomfort that I was just a few short days ago! I am even sleeping relatively well...other than when Finn keeps me up with his crazy kicks, but that is a good reason to be awake ;) More to come...hopefully more good news...much love and faith!

A bit of a rough week...

Hi everyone,

Let me just start off by saying that most importantly, Finley is perfectly fine and healthy. Momma on the other hand is experiencing some challenges. Today, I am 25 weeks...or Finley is actually. About a week ago, I started to develop a rash that I assumed was due to the heat...104 + belly...surely it must be a heat rash...a really really itchy one. I called my doctor to see what he wanted me to use and cortizone was the recommendation. I used this for the entire week along with Gold Bond Medicated Powder when I walked to keep it dry. Well, yesterday, I noticed that my "heat rash" was spreading...not good....that and the itching was and is becoming unbearable. I didn't notice it until pretty late into the day so I called the doctor and managed to miss his return call. I did what any person with modern day conveniences would do...I searched the internet. I found that there are 2 types of pregnancy rashes that fit my description...of which both sounded miserable. However, one could potentially harm Finn and the other would not. Of course, you know which I started praying for immediately (if it was going to have to be one of those). When I got in touch with my doctor today, he said that it sounded like PUPPP, the lesser of two evils. The problem is that there's really not much they can do for those of us who are unlucky enough to contract it. He was going to need to get me on steroids immediately if this was the case, but for obvious reasons, wanted to examine me to be certain of his diagnosis. SO, I went in crossing my fingers and praying that maybe...just maybe...it would be some kind of fungal rash that could be treated...and that it would GO AWAY! He took one look at it and just said, "Yeah...it's PUPPP" The reason that this is so baffling is because most women do not get this until late into their third trimester. At that point, it is still miserable, but they only have a few weeks to tough it out. My doctor is concerned for me since I will have to get through this for a much longer amount of time. Basically, it is like having chicken pox for 3 months...it spreads from your abdomen to your legs, arms, back...basically everywhere but your face (thank God for small miracles). Shortly after Finn arrives, it is supposed to clear up. Interestingly enough, 70% of the women who get this are carrying little boys so they believe that it may have to do with an enzyme they release that attacks the skin...lovely. The only really good thing is that it usually does not appear in subsequent pregnancies (or they tell you that so that you'll actually consider doing this again). Many doctors will actually induce pregnancy early due to the fact that most mothers with PUPPP simply cannot go any longer with those conditions..and they are weak from minimal sleep.

So tonight, I am beginning the steroids and the prescription cream...and I am praying with all my heart that it makes some kind of difference. I have to be honest and say that my spirits are down at the moment, but I know that this will all be worth it when Finn arrives. So...big prayer request...that Finn continues to stay healthy and that I can somehow manage my condition. Love & Faith

Our little Fighter!

24 weeks...can you believe it?! The big advancement at this point for Finn is his lung development...that and he is about the length of an ear of corn (11 inches, about a lb.) He is certainly getting his training for the outside world in utero...this child does not sit still! I truly believe that he spent yesterday in a constant state of motion. I met a midwife who felt him and showed me where his head was and his little feet were and he was not happy about it-he moved away the second time she went to find him LOL! He really is funny about that space of his...though I suppose you can't blame him-it's not like he has tons of room! I also realized that he gets the hiccups...I thought at first this morning that he was just moving quite a bit, and then I realized how rythmic it was...and I lifted my shirt to see my belly slightly jolting with each hiccup...it was really pretty cute. So really, all in all we are doing very well. On the homefront, Kelly is diligently working on adding our second bathroom so that 3 of us won't have to share one! It's coming along beautifully, but it certainly has been consuming. I'm feeling well so I feel extremely blessed! So...16 weeks to go!!

Sleepy time

Well, this is a big week for little Finn man...he now has the ability to fall into REM sleep. Apparently, he is already dreaming, which is completely mind-boggling to me, but so be it. Mostly, they are said to dream about our voices and exciting things like their umbilical cords! Well, the same day that I got the update that our little man would now be falling into true deep sleeps, I witnessed it. I came home from lunch and the house was nice and quiet (no barking Cy & Brooks) and I sat down on the couch to work on emails. By instinct, I set my hand on my belly, and poor Finley...I scared him!! He must have been in this type of deep slumber because I saw my whole belly jump to the left in a startled way! I felt so bad!!

He can hear what goes on outside of the womb too, so all of you who want him to be comfortable with you at birth need to come and talk to him so that he knows your voice (that's really just an excuse to make you all come see me) :) Kelly has been reading to him each night-his favorite (and Finn's judging by his kicking) is Dr. Suess' "Oh the Places You'll Go!"

"You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights." -Dr. Seuss

Much love and keep praying for our little man!!

The joy of pregnancy ;)

Well, I had my first of what is probably not my last scares with little Finley today. I have been having some symptoms for the last few days that I will spare you from, but as I was driving back to my office with a friend, I casually began to talk to her about some of the "joys" I was experiencing. To make a long story short, she had me calling my doctor by the end of the conversation with the never-failing "better safe than sorry" attitude. WELL, I got a call not too long after saying the doctor wanted me to go ahead and come in.......umm......now I'm scared. I should know that with our history, he is just being safe, but any rational thought that I once had was thrown out the window at that moment. I called Kelly and we decided to meet at the doctors office. It was the longest wait of my life...and I'm sure Kelly's as well! My doctor immediately did an internal exam and **thank God!!** found that my cervix is completely closed and everything looks great! He got the doppler out to listen to Finn's heartbeat and as our doctor said, "it sounds beautiful." As he said that, Finn kicked the doppler, which for those of you who have heard the stories know that this is totally his character...doctor or not, he demands his space ;) On a not-so-fun note, one of two things has occurred. Either I pulled a muscle swimming (which I've never done but is not impossible) OR Finn found a comfy spot on one of my nerves. Dr. Ruiz thinks the latter, but time will tell. The back of my left leg is the victim, but I'll take this any day over any issues with Finn! Hopefully, he can find somewhere else that is equally as comfortable but not quite as painful for mommy...so as always, continue to pray for our little guy (and maybe for a new spot in his fin-bin).

21 weeks!

Hello all! It feels strange to have now passed the half-way point, but here we are! Finley continues to get stronger. I had my first "is this normal?" kick the other night. I was making cupcakes for a friend's baby shower and (**confession) I had some of the icing and I had a cookie (Kelly was 'craving' cookies). Well, sure enough, Finn started moving all around-I felt like he was doing cartwheels in there. OK...so normal so far. Well, then I leaned over (not bent over...just leaned) and got quite a surprise. He kicked me so hard, and he managed to hit a nerve, and my whole right arm went completely numb! Somewhat like when you hit your funny bone, but worse! I think he felt bad because the next day his flutters were a little less pronounced...

Overall, everything is going great. His heartbeat continues to sit at about 147 (it was probably much higher on cupcake night). At 21 weeks, he's about 10 1/2 inches long and 3 quarters of a pound..and he even has eyebrows :)

Half-Way!!

Today is the half-way point of our journey together (though God willing maybe Finley can come like 2 weeks early or so...that would be ok)!! It seems like it crawled for a little while, though I think I can blame that mostly on sickness, but now we're movin'!

It's really funny to me how either our babies in the womb really do start to show their little personalities OR we just want to know them so badly, that we start assigning personalities based on their little actions. Either way, I think Finley is claustrophobic. Now, as long as he has his large little sac to float around in, he's just happy as a clam. But, he put a stop to my tummy sleeping this week :( I went to lie down as I always do on my tummy, really looking forward to a nice night's sleep, when I felt "whack!" My eyes jolted open and I thought..."hmm...maybe he's just saying 'goodnight." It was rationalization at its best. Then, "WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK!!!" OK-Finley wins his first battle with mom. The next day, I chose to wear a pair of maternity pants that had a rather large elastic band around the waste. As any mother who has worn these can confirm, they are slightly constricting, but really it's only to keep your pants up! Well, sure enough, he kicked and kicked right where the band was! Now, I'm starting to think that the reason his kicks are so strong for being such a little guy is because he's been trying to get me off of sleeping on him for weeks! Poor poor child!

As for me, I am continuing to feel well and I'm just trying to survive this heat like the next person! I have a bet going with Kelly that is regarding our gym, so I've maintained a relatively high level of activity (approved by doctor) and I think that is helping with my energy. Overall, we're doing very well and feeling blessed for each day with Finn. We're just praying that he stays in his little finn-bin as long as needed to make him a healthy little boy!

But wait! There's more!

You all know that Kelly has been not-so-patiently keeping his hand on my belly relatively often hoping that Finley might realize daddy is there and kick for him. Well, since Saturday Kelly has been waiting...I informed him that his kicks that were that strong were few and far between so it might be a few weeks. Naturally for Kelly, that didn't fly. So tonight, while sitting at a presentation for a friend, Finley starts his little kicking party so I quietly put Kelly's hand on my belly and sure enough...Kelly got to feel his little "tap tap tap!" His face lit up and all he could do was smile :) Finley made daddy's evening...

Whew! Momma can breathe!

HOORAY! Finn had his anatomy scan today, where they examine all of his vital organs, and everything looks great! As I type this he's kicking away as if to reiterate, "Yes mom, I'm fine...quit worrying!" I truly had no reason to believe otherwise, but Kelly and I were so relieved to learn that everything looks "great." That's another word that we're just not accustomed to, but we really love. He weighs 8oz so he is right on track and just busy being a growing boy! Thanks for the prayers and support and Kelly has promised to set up our scanner so that we can show you our adorable little man! Love & Faith!

UP...Finn either loved it or hated it!

So my friend Christelle and I went to see the movie "UP" this afternoon. To be honest, I really didn't know what the movie was about but after watching it, I am recommending it to all of you! It is the cutest movie with such a sweet plot! You will cry...most of you, but you will walk out of the theatre with a smile :)

Well, about half way through the movie, I was resting my hand on my belly when I felt Finn start shuffling around. I've felt him move a few times in the past few weeks, but this was the first "WHACK!" I actually felt him move my hand a little bit! Point being, our little guy is getting strong!

I came home and Kelly rested his hand there for about 1/2 an hour just hoping he might feel the need to do it again, but that wasn't the case. I suppose we'll just have to go back to see the movie again!

I have been informed that I do not update you all enough, but it is really due to a lack of creativity in between appointments. So, with this in mind, I thought I would inform you that I am officially entering my fifth month! Also, you would be interested to know that at this time, Finley is approximately the size of a bell pepper...5 1/2 inches long and about 7 ounces (though he was measuring ahead 1/2 an oz. at the last appt). His ears are now in their final position, though they (Babycenter.com) say that they are sticking out a little bit...how cute!

On another note I have some fun new pictures to add so enjoy!!

Much love and thanks for your continued prayers!

Yay! 17 weeks!!

Hello all! For those of you who are not aware, 17 weeks is a milestone for Finley and me. We lost Sean and Liam a little over 16 weeks, so I am officially entering an uncharted territory! And I can with complete honesty admit that I am now feeling great! I've found myself wondering if I possibly had a subconscious concern of passing 16 weeks, because as soon as I did, I felt better physically...the nausea has disappeared and I have the strangest thing...energy!

On Father's Day, Kelly spent the day prepping the nursery for its new up-do and it is looking great (see pics)! We have decided that we're going to do a vintage sports theme for Finley, though it is quite truthfully morphing into "Vintage Baseball." Kelly has a picture of Dizzy Dean coming that is literally going to consume a good portion of one of the walls...but it is looking awesome! I keep catching Kelly on ebay searching for vintage items or pictures. In fact, he convinced a seller to combine a package of ELEVEN different pictures to frame! For those of you who are unaware, we don't exactly have room for eleven pictures anywhere in our house, but nothing but the best for Finley!

We continue to check Finley's heartbeat each night with our doppler and he continues to sit in the high 150's-usually about 156. Not so ironically, this is where his big brother's sat as well! I thought that the higher heart rates belonged to little girls, but I suppose that wive's tale does not stand true for the Meegan boys.

Thank you all for your prayers and support-we are blessed each day with little Finny McGinney!

Getting everyone up to speed...

Hello loved ones!

I had a few friends ask me if I would consider creating a blog for little Finley since so many of us live so far apart now! And as we all know, time is flying and December will be here before we know it.

Before talking too much about this pregnancy, I have to tell you all that Finley is an absolute miracle! After losing Sean and Liam in October, we were relatively uncertain of if we'd be able to conceive again due to the complications that followed. However, once the doctors gave us the green light, Finley didn't waste any time!

I had a feeling I was pregnant when we were visiting Annette in London and I felt extremely nauseous as we were making our way to Stonehenge. Annette didn't smell anything odd, yet whatever I smelled (I still don't know what it was) made me want to lose my lunch...maybe it was all the sheep! The day after we arrived back in the states, we got our first faint positive test. However, we kept it quiet until we had it confirmed by the doctor. Since I am a high-risk pregnancy, I was able to get in right away and see the little amniotic sac at a little over 5 weeks...no baby, but his little home was in the works.

At 8 weeks, we went back in and got to see his little heart beating! At the time it was 128 bpm, but we were told that would change as the baby grew. Shortly after this, I attended the Walk to Emmaus (which I highly recommend) and came back with the courage to share the news of our little blessing despite still being in the "danger zone." At ten weeks, we went back in, and everything looked "normal!" This word is such a welcomed change for Kelly and me.

Then...the big one...15 weeks...Brandi and Jennifer had the idea to have a "Surprise Gender Party" for Kelly and me. Basically, this entailed us going to have our ultrasound with my mother. The sonogram technicians had Kelly and I cover our eyes when they looked at the baby's private area and then shared ONLY with my mom that it was a boy. She then called Jennifer to share with her. Jennifer then emailed a number of our friends and had them show up to a restaurant dressed in the appropriate color...BLUE! So in short, everyone knew before we did! But it was totally worth it to take our scarves off and see the sea of blue attire...Kelly of course wasn't surprised at all as he has told me it would be a boy from the start!

So the story behind his name..."Finley." When I was pregnant with the twins, a friend of ours named the baby "vin." We thought there was only one at that point and our friend just liked the name "Vin." Kelly loved it, but came up with Finn and we both loved it. We played with what it could be short for and came up with "Finley." Whether you particularly like the name or not, you have to admit that it is unique! And for some reason, it just seemed to fit...it means "warrior." Patrick ("noble"), of course, is Kelly's middle name, so Finley has a family name in there as well. So, we have a noble little warrior on the way!

We don't have another appointment until July 8th, which is when they will do a full anatomy scan of Finn. Please pray that he is healthy, and pray that I can carry this little guy to term.

Thanks for sharing in our story and we'll update soon!!

Love & Faith,

Amber & Kelly (+FPM)