a growing bump...

I don't think you ever get used the feeling of the little life wriggling and kicking around in your belly...its the last thing I think about at night and the first thing when I wake in the morning - nothing beats waking up and rubbing the little ball on your belly...then waiting to feel her wake and let you know she's there and safe! I love her so much already...

So we boarded a really stunning aeroplane (the new Emirates A380 airbus) on the 6th Oct and headed to Dubai for a holiday and a spoil with my folks! The flight was great as I had the seat by the window right in front of the plane - with loads of leg room and I could get up and walk around as much as I needed - I think I visited the loo like 8 times :):) I was fortunate - had no swelling on my feet and felt great through the flight and when I arrived!

Little baby Bloom in dubai - my pregnant tummy at 21 weeks...

...so I finally you can see I 'm pregnant - my belly has a definite little ball now :) and its firmed up alot - love it - its the best feeling:)

Dubai is amazing - my parents just moved in to their new apartment on the 49th floor of a skyscraper... the view is breath-taking. When I wake up during the night to turn I open my eyes and look out this massive window and see the amazing lights of the other buildings high up in the sky....it so beats the burglar bars we have to live with in JHB! I am getting so super spoilt here - I get home cooked meals, tea in bed - its divine!

My mom and I have had a blast shopping up a storm for our little princess! She is already very spoilt - its so hard to resist the gorgeous little girl things - been waiting my whole life for this! Found some really stunning stuff (that I cant get at home) and best of all we found our pram! That was the best feeling getting it! I really love it :) Here's a pic.... it has 3 attachments the car seat, the cradle and the pram seat....

All the material things aside - the only thing that really counts is the precious little life that has been growing for 5 1/2 months...a baby really is a miracle from God - and watching her grow and change and feeling her move is a constant reminder of how awesome God is! What a privilege to carry God's miracle!

I am grateful for a wonderful healthy pregnancy and continuously pray for His protection over her daily...thank you Lord for *SG* you created her outside my womb and knitting her together inside my womb - WOW!

Saying good-bye with a heart bubbling over with happiness and joy!

100% confirmed - we're having a girl!

After a shopping spree of pink and all things beautiful for my (70% chance its a girl) princess - it has been 100% confirmed that you are the angel we have longed for! My heart also longs for a son (and I will pray and trust for him) - but a princess is such a blessing for us - I can't explain but is like God has personally given me the most amazing gift - just for me! "He knows the desires of your heart - He sees all the things your heart longs for - and He WILL fulfill them in His perfect timing". I cried many nights and days - kicked and screamed and wrestled with the pain in the quiet of my room - the pain of the loss of our first little girl at 10 weeks, the pain of everything we went through - of what my body went through - and God saw my pain and saw my heart and He is fulfilling every single desire and more!! This is all more then I could ever wish for. The feeling I feel is more then I ever imagined it would feel to carry this gift. Growing under my heart - the heart that just wont stop bubbling over with joy, love, excitement, anticipation...

Our little one is looking so healthy - scan days for me are always so stressful - I count the sleeps out of excitement, but on the day I silently go through serious waves of heart pulpatations and nerves - until they turn that scanner on and I see her move and see how much she has grown in 4 weeks! It's amazing!

She is measuring at about 13 cm and has the longest legs (I know I always mention that - but the doc and assistant always gasp at her long little legs - in all their perfection) She is measuring 6 days ahead of her original due date - so current due date is sitting on the 17 Feb. I'm having a caesar so that would possibly be at 38 weeks or as long as we can keep her in:) 39 if possible :) Will take it one step at a time. I have been diagnosed with a low lying placenta at this stage, which is not a concern yet as it usually starts moving up from 30 weeks. I will pray and believe and trust that it will and is moving up everyday! This is God's plan - and His plans are perfect! I am on progesterone twice a day till 36 weeks.

Doc has given me the all clear to book my flight to Dubai - going to visit my mom in October for a nice holiday and some girlie shopping for our princess! Oh boy the excitement - to see her hold her - spend the days chatting laughing - eating all the yummy things - long naps - those days when we spend the whole day in our pj's - 2 weeks of bliss! My hubby is going away to China for business and has given me the blessing to go with his daughter in my tummy for some R'nR :) Doc wants to see me just before I leave to give me the final all clear - we don't want to take any risks. He is happy with how things are progressing - and says she is perfect.

I agree - perfect in everyway!

I guess the fun can now start getting going with the nursery...so exciting! It's gonna be dreamy...a little princess wonderland! Its gonna be perfect - just like she deserves!

Thank you Jesus for giving me my hearts desires in every aspect of my life - I am so super blessed! Blessed to be a Jesus girl...my life is worth nothing without YOU!

a message for our baby**

"The precious miracle of a baby - and the love you feel for a baby from the minute you find out you are pregnant. I long for the day I get to hold her - and tell her face to face just how much I longed for her - how long we waited for her - how much we wanted her - and how much we prayed for her - and how we will be forever grateful that we have been blessed by this miracle - such an honor to be entrusted with carrying life - God is knitting you in my womb and I feel and see you growing daily.

I was a little girl - who dreamed of a little angel like you oneday - you're mommy and daddy are absolutely besotted with you - all 16 weeks and 5 days of you!

Love you my *summer* xoxo

16 weeks *already* - looks like we having a princess!

Where to start... its been such an exciting 5 weeks! I can't believe just how quickly the time if flying, weeks feel like days... In the last few weeks after our non successful 'gender' scan, I booked a scan at Genesis Birthing Clinic to see if we could see pink or blue..after another amazing scan - looks like we are having a little girl :)Baby was so active and she was lying like she was on the beach with her little arms behind her head - laying on her back, then in a blink of an eye she was lying on her tummy kicking her legs... it brings tears to see her wriggling around. She was measuring 14 weeks, 1 day, weighing 82grams, measuring 8.33cm, heartrate of 162 bpm - a tiny miracle.

Last weekend was my birthday weekend and I must say it was the best birthday ever! I got 2 of the greatest gifts - my husband all to myself in a 5 star luxury spa resort and my 15 week baby in my tummy :) what more could a girl ask for. I got treated like a princess and every one of my senses where completely spoilt, the view was breath-taking, the full body preggi massage was a God send, our bedroom was a picture from my dreams - the decor - everything was just all the things I love! We ate like kings and queens and it felt like we were dreaming - my husband really went all out to make it the most special time of our lives! This I will always remember. I have inserted a picture of our princess (in my tummy) and our beautiful room... I really was a slice of heaven!

Friday night I was laying in bed (watching the bachelor finale *blush) and for about 30 mins I felt the little poppit wriggling around and tiny little kicks..I have felt a little kick here and there but only once - this once very distinct, and its always in the same spot - she is lying quite low still and on the left side of my belly. There is little area on my tummy that juts out more then the other side...and in the morning when I wake up on my back it sticks right up...

I just love being pregnant and thank God daily for our baby and just continue to pray His protection over her and our family! Our ever faithful God - has given us this baby and I promise that all the days of my life I will bring this child up to know Him and love Him with all her heart - God has such big plans for her life - for all our lives - and the best we can do is to bring her up to know Him personally and love Him with all her heart.

Here are pictures of my growing bump at 12 weeks, 13 weeks & at 16 weeks :)

Good night my blogger friends - may God bless you and keep you and let His light shine apon you xoxo

11 weeks tomorrow*

Wow oh wow - do you ever get used to seeing a precious miracle wriggling around in your tummy!

Went for my scan today and the ladies were all so excited there - Nicci (Dr's assistant and I have become really good friends over the years) grabbed me and said come lets start scanning and get some good pix before doc comes:) So I jumped on the bed and we took a sneak peak! The baby was doing back flips :) wouldn't stop moving for a second! She asked if I had had something sweet and I admitted to having a sip of my dad's coke *blush* :) can you imagine if sugar gets them so excited how important it is to eat properly!! I had tears rolling down my cheeks just ot see that little precious baby with its long arms and legs moving around like crazy... so i am suppose to be 10 weeks 2 days today but the scan is showing 10 weeks 6 days. So baby has jumped ahead 5 days My EDD is now the 18th Feb. Baby is now 4cm, and had a heartbeat of 171bpm.

Eventually Dr came and smiled at us all oogling at the baboo. I then begged and pleaded with Dr to see if we could see anything between the legs...which we did, a tiny little something (even have a picture) but Doc says it could be either girl or boy too soon to tell - he is not willing to put money on it haha. We are all thinking its a boy....

So funny how you just want to know....and guess and and....but not like it even matters - just grateful everything is looking good.

Next scan at 13 1/2 weeks.

Really starting to look pregnant when i stare at myself in the mirror - my body is changing everywhere :) i have put on 1.5 kg's already... nurse says I should put on 1.5 every month...so lets see!

Just pray everyday for God's protection over our miracle - that we love so very much already!

Here is my bump at 10 weeks 6 days. I have also inserted scan pictures. 1.You can see babies leg and food clearly. 2. This is a shot of the bottom - you can see the 2 legs in the air and a tiny bump between the legs. 3. Babies profile has its little hand by its face.
Baby is starting to kick - arms and legs continue to grow and are able to start bending. Baby is 4cm long (head to rump). The critical part of the babies organ system development is over. Baby will grow rapidly and double in size by next week.

*9 weeks*

Had another scan yesterday - measuring at 8 weeks 6 days - will be 9 weeks tomorrow. Babies heartbeat was a fast 167 bpm. Makes me think its a girl...deep in my heart I think its a girl, but then it could be a boy :) I would be over the moon with either.

Really so amazing to see that little flicker of a heartbeat and to see how much she/he has grown in 2 weeks. Everything looking perfect and healthy. I can feel my tummy is growing already...only thought this would happen from 12 weeks but already there is a little bump and all my skinny leggings are just too tight around my waste. My mom and dad came with to the scan and they stared in amazement at the sound of the pounding little heart. Was great to share it with them as they are down visiting from Dubai...the desert!

I really am so in love with our little miracle and cant wait to be over the 12 weeks so I can relax a little more.

Its not easy to just relax if you had had a bad experience before. Its still hard to sometimes believe that I am actually pregnant! Wow the thought overwhelms me. We are here. This is it.

Here are some pix of my 9 week belly, and 9 week scan.

**Our little angel is now measuring 2.09cm (the size of a grape) and weighs 2 grams. Baby is starting to move its limbs quite a bit and teeth are forming in the gums. Tongue, lips and nose are continuing to grow. The sex organs have formed. Wonder what you are my little precious one? :)**

Meet Baby Bloom *7 weeks* - 1st Scan...

So it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen :) We arrived at our scan and had to wait over and hour to see the Dr - the nurse weighed me, I gave a urine sample and was then told to undress and wait in the scan room :) Eventually my darling FS arrived in the scan room congratulating us on the awesome news - He was over the moon and so happy that this has finally happened. After all we have been through to get here *sigh* its been hectic - but looking back its all worth it - every minute of it!! This feeling - nothing can compare to this feeling - absolute happiness, joy!

It was like time was standing still - cause all I wanted was to see our baby ... and everything just seemed to take forever!

Eventually he scanned me and there we saw this precious little gem...as perfect as ever! He quickly scanned around to see if there were more then 1 - which I knew in my heart - there was only one :) Then I asked, "Doc do you think we will be able to hear a heart beat?" and he replied " Yes of course we will hear a heart beat" :) So he placed the scanner in place and the next thing you heard this beautiful sound echoing through the room - the little one has a strong heartbeat and everything is looking amazing! 130 bpm :)

My DH was smiling from ear to ear - he was so excited for this - and carries his scan picture in his jacket wherever he goes!

The nausea is getting worse by the day...and the tiredness has not subsided at all... its the joys of having a little person growing at such a rapid rate at this stage! Wow I can't believe it - still - I have so so much happiness in my heart!

Due date 23rd February 2012