Baby Update & Happy New Year

I went to the hospital for an hour of fetal heart-rate monitoring and a BPP (body physical profile, I think). Baby Q is still comfy, cozy in there! The fetal heart-rate strip was perfect and my amniotic fluid level was pretty much maintained (from 8.5 to 8.2--anything over 5.0 is considered safe for the baby). So...we continue waiting! I am so relieved not to have an induction tomorrow!

Grammie and Paw-Paw Mac headed home since there is no "scheduled" baby. I had strict instructions to call them if I went into labor once they were on the road--no such luck.

So...tonight, Daddy-to-Be and I set our Quinlan Family Goals for 2008 and are now getting ready to go ring in the new year with some friends! We can't wait to welcome Baby Q in January 2008--what a special year this will be. Here's to a safe and happy new year to all!

No Baby Today!

I went for my 39 week check-up today and the doctor sent us to the hospital for an hour of fetal heart-rate monitoring. During the check-up the baby had a couple of dips, so they thought it best to ensure the baby was still doing okay in there. So...Daddy-to-Be and I went to the hospital and listened to the baby for over an hour. They did a sonogram and everything checked out fine. We thought, for about an hour, that Baby Q would come on the one day in a span of a few weeks that not one of you picked for his/her arrival ;-)

We will go back to the hospital on Monday (if Baby Q isn't here before then). If fluids are low, Baby Q will be induced on Tuesday, January 1st. We are hoping that baby either comes between now and then, or that my fluid levels are up so that there is no induction!

More to come...

Baby Q, We are Ready for You!

We finally got Baby Q's room ready! Here are a couple of pictures... Daddy-to-Be thinks the baby is destined to be a zoologist!

Waiting for Baby Q...

Still no baby. For the past couple of weeks, we have both thought that Baby Q was going to join us before Christmas...now, I am starting to think my original guess posted below (Jan 6th) is more like it!! Good thing (I guess) as we still don't have names picked out! I think my husband works best under pressure...so, I figure when I start having contractions Daddy-to-Be can get out pen and paper and we can finally nail down a top three girl and top three boy name list.

The Baby sure is making things uncomfortable for me--glad that Mom (Grammie-to-be) plans on doing the grocery shopping and cooking this Christmas. I can't comfortably stand for more than fifteen minutes or so...

So...yesterday Daddy-to-Be was out Christmas shopping and I called and left an emergency voice mail--he didn't even know I had called and came home without (drum roll) ice cream. Yes...my first ice cream craving occurred 11 days before my due date on the coldest day of the year. Go figure. I have never been the most conventional gal out there--but, I thought that was funny. Didn't think the fact that D-to-B missed my call was funny...but, never mind. At least there was no Baby!

Melanie came over last week to take a few shots of me before the baby comes. I started to think that I might one day forget what it was like to be pregnant--Melanie assures me that doesn't happen, but agreed to take the pics anyway! The one in this post and the one I put over to the right are compliments of Melanie Johnson Photography. Thank you, Melanie.

Guess Baby Q's Gender and Birthday!!!!

Mom said that it was suggested that we do a Baby Guessing Game, so I will post everyone's guesses on the Blog. Just email me or write it in a comment here and I will add you to the list!!!!

Tally (12/25): 24 Girl / 19 Boy

Eric - Boy, December 20th
Gerard - Boy, December 24th
Susan - Girl, December 24th
Jahna - Girl, December 24th (full moon)
Jen - Girl, December 25th
Libby - Girl, December 25th
Gwen - Boy, December 27th
Terri - Girl, December 27th
Julie C. - Girl, December 28th
Spencer - Boy, December 28th
Ben - Girl, December 29th
Kelly - Girl, December 30th (Kelly's b-day)
Elly - Girl, December 30th
G-ma - Girl, December 31st
Julie - Girl, December 31st
Sean - Boy, December 31st
Jerry - Girl, January 1st
Don - Girl, January 1st
Marissa - Boy, January 1st
**Official Due Date - January 2, 2008**
Ross - Girl, January 2nd
Lindsey - Boy, January 3rd
Shay - Girl, January 3rd
Lanie - Boy, January 4th
Larry - Girl, January 5th (Anniversary)
Hunter C. - Girl, January 5th
Travis - Girl, January 5th
Sherry - Boy, January 5th
Sarah - Girl, January 6th
Rob & Leah - Boy, January 6th (Rob's b-day)
Erica - Boy, January 6th
Johonna - Boy, January 7th
Hunter S. - Boy, January 7th
Josh - Girl, January 8th
Dona - Boy, January 8th
Cheryl - Boy, January 8th
Danny - Boy, January 8th
Jordan - Girl, January 9th (her b-day is 5/9)
Gary - Boy, January 10th
David - Girl, January 12th (daughter's b-day ;-)
Glenn - Boy, January 13th (his b-day)
Melanie J. - Boy, January 14th (Lunden's b-day)
Jane - Girl, January 18th

The Nursery - so far....

I thought I would post a few pictures of the nursery to share. We aren't done yet--the artwork hasn't come in, I haven't found a lamp, we don't have everything Baby Q needs yet, but, here it is...

Tobie's Trip to the Dog Park

Gerard and I adopted a labrador retiever/boxer mix from the SPCA a couple of months ago. We named her Tobie and have enjoyed getting to know this sweet girl! She has a lab body with a boxer smile... It is so funny to wake up to this face staring (very closely) at you! She sleeps on the couch--it doesn't matter if you are on it or not--she considers herself a lap dog and will sit or lay right on top of you. Yes...we have a 68 pound lap dog!

Tobie is very mild natured, but has these bursts of energy that send her running full speed in circles around our backyard. I learned from our dog nanny this is referred to as the "Boxer Burn." Its nuts! She just goes for about 30 seconds at top speed like the devil himself is chasing her and then stops as abruptly as she started!!

Tobie is very lonely for other dogs, so Gerard and Tobie visit the dog park on a fairly routine basis. Today, I joined them with my camera to capture a typical "pre-baby" activity!!
The first thing Tobie does is make her "rounds" in search of a fellow high-speed runner! She seeks out other dogs that get their fix by running, top speed, in circles! There never fails to be a few others!!

Every once in a while Tobie will give us a "fly by." She comes by us a full speed just to let us know that she sees us, but isn't yet ready to go home...


Tobie is off again to run. Eventually, she will run straight for us and then keep going to the gate. She knows when she is done and it doesn't take long becuase it is full speed the entire time we are there. So...after about 20 minutes, we are on our way back home! Tobie enjoys this activity so much that we must be sure to continue to take her after Baby Q joins our home! Now...that is a tired, comfy, happy dog!!!

Paris ~ September 2007

Baby Shower ~ 11.03.07

Welcome to the Jungle Baby Q!

Lanie, Lindsey, Ginny & Noemi threw a baby shower for me today! It was so much fun to see so many of my friends in one place!! Thank you to everyone who came.

Knowing that it is going to be a girl now that we have done the "hair/ring" test is relieving--I can quit stressing about boys' names ;-) Gail says that according to a Sicilian Old Wives Tale, if you hang a ring *not an engagement ring* from hair and rub the hair on your thumb then dangle the ring above the palm....if the ring swings from side to side, it's a boy, and if it swings in a circle, it's a girl. Repeat the "thumb rub and dangle" until you have no movement. So...mine swung in a circle the first time (girl), went from side to side the next (boy), and then did nothing the last time (two kids)....hmmm, I've always wanted 10 (kidding).

We thought we would have the guys do the test on Gerard at the house to see if his reading matched--we shortly realized that they didn't have any hair at their party so the test would have to wait...

We started building Baby Q's library today; the "Jungle Jeep" book from Nikki was too perfect as Baby Q will come home in a Jeep to a jungle themed room! Unreal how you found that and thank you for sending it from England!

All of the duck themed gifts from Lori were fantastic. And the cake...no words can describe the cake, so I will just add a picture and you can pretend you are eating a bite of this white chocolate cake with chambord filling...oh my...too yummy!

Anyway, I had a fun day and I really had a great time seeing everyone. Thank you Lanie, Lindsey, Ginny, & Noemi for hosting, thank you to those who traveled from out of town, and to everyone else for taking the time out of your Saturday afternoon to spend this time with me. I very much look forward to all of you finding out the gender of this baby since it is bothering you more than me to wait!!

Evan Kiley's First Birthday Party

Baby Q's First Photo Shoot

Baby Q was shielding itself from the paparazzi!! We had to wait a while to get a good look at "Little One." But...when we finally did, I think I saw the signature Stroud nose!! The sonographer said that most babies in the womb look like they have wide noses; but, I think since its such a strong family trait...it just might be the real deal!

Check out Baby Q's moves...is that the macerana?!?!?!