Baptism

December 20th, 2009 was Gabriela's Baptism. We were blessed to have so many family members attending. Amy, Matt and Stacey can be seen as the Godparents in the video. We enjoyed having our family members over for food at our house after the ceremony. George, Gay and Amy stayed for Christmas and to spend some quality time with Gabriela. We would like to thank everyone who sent Gabriela gifts and for those who spent time with us on this important sacrament.

One month

Gabriela is growing up fast. She is one month old and was recently weighed at 8 pounds 3 ounces and 21 and a half inches long. This means she has gained a pound in 2 weeks and grown 1 1/2 inches since birth!! This also explains her frequent feedings...growth spurt! Over the last week, we can tell she is very curious of her surroundings. She stares at us and different objects with WIDE eyes. Occasionally, her arms and legs move wildly during these moments, almost like uncontained excitement. Below is a video of her noticing the crib mobile for one of the first times. She is also beginning to learn that a mild wimper gets attention, and therefore she does not need to progress to a full wail or scream in order to get attention. She is smiling so much more. What an amazing thing to watch...your baby grow and advance!

New Arrival: Gabriela Rose Kapplinger

We are now officially parents-sleep deprived and all! Gabriela Rose was born October 1, 2009 at 11:47am weighing 7 pounds 1.8 ounces and 20 inches in length. She was born via c-section due to her being breech and Mommy already in the early stages of labor. Mom and baby are both doing well. Mommy is breastfeeding, Daddy is changing a lot of diapers and getting good at calming the baby. Parenthood does not come with instructions, so we are definitely learning quickly. We are very excited and feel very proud to show her off, so please view the "Gabriela Rose" tab for recent photos. We bathed her for the first time yesterday, October 5, so we will include those photos soon. She does not like the bathing experience, although she enjoyed the after rub down with lotion. Her dark brown hair is somewhat wavy after washing. Her eyes appear to be dark blue now. She is mildly jaundiced on the face and chest, but this will go away with time. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this experience and surgery!

New due date

We are 38 weeks tomorrow, and the baby is now transverse (sideways). I have been having sporadic contractions since Monday at 1:15am. I lost my mucous plug the day prior. I am 1 and 1/2 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and -3/-2 station. We plan on going to Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Thursday, October 1st for an external version, then induction if the baby is successfully rotated head down (vertex). If the version does not work, then we will be having a C-section. Please pray for us and Baby K that we have a safe delivery either way! We are very excited to welcome our little one tomorrow, especially since we will finally know if Baby K is a boy or girl!!

3D Ultrasound at 36 weeks

Today, we had our 36 Week Ultrasound and were fortunate to have a tech who tried 3D. The picture below is the best result. The left half of the picture is a side profile of the face. You can see part of the mouth and its right eye and a little bit of the nose. We were excited to hear it is healthy but it's in breech position. We have four weeks left to hope it moves into a head down position.

Hummingbird!

Since the beginning of August, we have noticed at least two hummingbirds fighting to feast on our Coral Honeysuckle Vines and Salvia. They are very fast, making it difficult to get a picture. So far this is our best shot. I knew their wings moved faster than the eye can see but they also cruise with great speed and stop on a dime. Occasionally, when I am outside I can hear them make a tweet or short song.

31 weeks

We are now 31 weeks and preparing for baptism, breastfeeding and birthing classes. Last Monday I finally felt true hiccups from Baby K...and Baby K seems to have them frequently. Baby K must have heartburn like me!! I thought my weird dreams had ended; however, I had a weird dream about wanting a BBQ brisket sandwich at our church festival, but could not find the tent where they were being sold...I think I am craving protein! According to baby magazines, our baby is probably around 4 pounds and 17 inches long. We are getting excited about our baby shower set for September 27th that will be at our house so everyone can see the nursery! Our next appointment is on August 19th. Then we will start having appointments every 2 weeks. Our next ultrasound will be at 36 weeks. I believe Baby K is very comfortable in the cave and unaware that there are limitations to how much can be moved around in there...he/she is moving a lot and starting to kick or push important parts such as kidneys and bladder. I am beginning to have terrible back pain and cannot wait for Baby K's arrival in October! Stay tuned...

July 15th

Today we had a 3D Ultrasound! The best picture was of Baby K's leg. Unfortunately, the umbilical cord and hands blocked Baby K's face. Nevertheless, it was fun to have a 3D view of the left leg. See the video below!

26 weeks

Today our ultrasound was awesome...Baby K is estimating 1 pound and 14 ounces!! The heart beat is strong at 145. We saw Baby K lounging with elbows bent and hands behind his/her head. Baby K was drinking amniotic fluid and opening his/her eyes. The nose is impressive! The feet looked like little foot prints. We had so much fun looking at our baby! I am doing great, too...except for heartburn and back pain. Blood pressure is perfect and so far I have gained only 13 pounds since February. Still craving milk in the mornings and evenings and bread & butter pickles with sandwiches.

Belly Rolling by Baby K

It is official...there is a Baby K in my belly. Last night after reading and singing to the baby with my hand on my belly, I felt significant movement...enough to see my hand move!! I took my hand away and watched Baby K make my belly roll and move at least 8 times before I got tired enough to fall asleep...11 o'clock. Amazing experience! I was so excited that I dreamt Jason, my mom, and I went to the moon in a space shuttle. Jason was the pilot of course. I think this dream signifies that I am very excited about Baby K's future in our lives. Baby K has continued with gymnastics practice all day and night today as well. I have a feeling these movements will only increase and become more accurate...I do have important parts inside this belly! Our appointment is in 2 days and we are very excited! We will hopefully have more video for you then.

24 weeks

We are now 24 weeks and 3 days. I am feeling Baby K moving more frequently now. We use a fetal doppler to listen to the baby's heart beat and movements about once a week. Supposedly, our baby's nose, mouth, and chin are distinct now and eyebrows are now visible. Our baby's bones are growing harder and stronger because they are storing calcium now (maybe that is why I am craving milk...chocolate milk...every day???!!!). When I push on my abdomen, I get a response from Baby K nine times out of ten. Loud noises are beginning to cause a stir in the belly too! Our baby's lungs are getting stronger every day preparing for his/her first breath. Within the next few weeks, our baby will be estimated at 10 inches in length and one and a half pounds in weight per the baby magazines. Isn't that amazing?? The next 3 months will allow the baby to put on more weight and have lung maturity. I am feeling well except for a return of fatigue due to restless nights with increasing heartburn and low back pain. Our next appointment will be on July 8...stay tuned!

Week 21 Ultrasound

Here is our ultrasound for Week 21! Turn up the volume of your computer so you can hear the heart beat. The tech measures the rate but the writing is very small. The fetal heart rate is 150 beats per minute. You will clearly see the arms, hands, legs kicking and head. The face is covered by the hands and Baby K eventually changed position with his/her face facing my back, so we could not get a visual of the facial outline. I am now feeling so much more movement and today even felt a few possible kicks! Baby K's estimate weight is 14 ounces (based on head circumference, leg length, and abdomen circumference). I wish I had gained only 14 ounces during this pregnancy; however, mother nature does not work this way!

19 weeks

Jason and I are now 19 1/2 weeks...so close to being half way to the finish line! I am feeling very good these days with mild to moderate fatigue. I have felt the fluttering of the baby for 3 weeks now, but recently started feeling more than a flutter. The baby is becoming more real as I feel these sensations of movement. Urinating has definitely increased. I know where everyone's bathrooms are...JC Penneys, Kohl's, Wal-Mart, Kroger's, Target, etc.! Jason and I have been to Target to get ideas on baby items we may be registering for...WOW there is a lot of stuff for babies. We are also reading up on Consumer Reports on these baby items. We are currently reading The Baby Whisperer and The Happiest Baby on the Block. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let us know!! We know this baby will not be coming with a manual, so we are trying to be as prepared as possible. Our next appointment is on June 5th to look at the anatomy. Fingers, toes, heart, brain, bladder, stomach, and yes...genitalia, but this mommy and daddy are not going to watch because we want it to be a surprise!! My alpha fetal protein test was negative from last visit, which means that we are not at increased risk for spina bifida with the baby. We will follow up with the ultrasound video for our next visit.

17 weeks

We are now 17 weeks and my appointment today went well! My belly bump is measuring 17 cm, which means we really are right on track with 17 weeks along!! The nurse did the fetal doppler in the office today and the heart rate of Baby K is 155 bpm. During the doppler, there were a few extra wooshing noises...she said the baby was kicking. What an active gymnast! At the next appointment we will have another ultrasound to make sure all the anatomy is okay. We are not finding out the sex of the baby because we want it to be a surprise for everyone, including us. Gender neutral until October! I am still feeling tired and still having very vivid, scary dreams. The doctor has assured me this is related to hormones. A new sensation occurred yesterday--intense right lower abdominal pain. I immediately layed down and examined my belly to make sure it wasn't appendicitis(the PA in me). Eventually, the pain went away. Us Kapplingers were thinking gas; however, the doctor said that my ligaments are stretching, which is normal. According to the books, our baby is now emptying it's bladder every 40-45 minutes, it is forming fingerprints, and the ears have moved from the neck to the head. The estimated weight is 5 ounces and length is between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 inches crown to rump. Impressive!

Week 14

I have read that our baby is now producing urine on its own. Amniotic fluid is regenerating every 3 hours. Baby K is now the size of a grapefruit. Hopefully I will be able to feel the baby move in the next 2-4 weeks.

Week 13 Ultrasound Videos

Baby "K" survived the First Trimester!! In celebration Baby "K" is making a debut from ultrasound videos taken today, April 8th.

The first video includes a quick wave as well as a measure of Baby "K"s heartrate. You will see its Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) of 154 bpm in the upper right. If you look close you can see the heart pumping.






In the second video, Baby "K" is very animated. There is reflexive use of the spine, head, hands and feet. Look for the umbilical cord near the feet.







Congratulations Baby "K"!!

Pregnancy-9th week

We are now in our 9th week of the pregnancy. The Prometrium I am taking has caused more fatigue and a few hot flashes (very unpleasant). Only one more week of that! Right now our baby has translucent skin, kidneys are functioning, and bones & muscles are starting to grow around the tiny organs. Swellings on the sides of the neck will turn into ears, eyelids and nose are forming, and the mouth can already open and close. The eyes are taking on their lifelong color. The eyelids will fuse together and stay closed for a few months, but even with the eyes closed, a fetus may react if a bright light is shone on his mother's belly. (How cool is that??!!) Vocal cords appear in the throat during the 3rd month. The tail will disappear by the end of the third month. The arms and legs are able to bend, but movements will not be felt until next month. At this time, our baby is no longer called an embryo...we have a fetus... which means he/she has all the parts needed for life. As you can tell, we are doing a lot of reading. Some of this information was found in a magazine called, "As Your Baby Grows".

We are pregnant!!

We had our second ultrasound and visited Dr. Cantu today. The ultrasound confirmed we are roughly 8 weeks and one day! The baby has a heartrate of 165 to 170 beats per minute. The heartrate was very reassuring for us considering that we have had 2 miscarriages in 2008. Seeing and hearing the heart beating strong means that we have a better than average chance that the pregnancy will make it through the first trimester. Jason and I are obviously very excited. Morning sickness comes at different parts of the day and sometimes all day long! Working at my job has been difficult during some of these spells...walking into a room with a child who has been vomiting and having diarrhea for the past few days...and then the mom wants to show me the diaper...challenging is the only word to describe these spells. No one explained to me some of the weird dreams that come with pregnancy either. I have had dreams of a tugboat losing newspapers off its cargo load (we recycled newspapers that day), a squirrel tail touching my lips (I woke up to a bed sheet near my lips), and a dream where I am making a cucumber and yellow bellpepper salad (I awoke to major heartburn). Hopefully the pregnancy will continue to be healthy! Dr. Cantu has started me on Prilosec to help with my heartburn and Prometrium (progesterone) to help my endometrial lining for the next few weeks to hopefully decrease the chance of a miscarriage. Please keep us in your prayers.