My First Blogger Post!!

Okay...since I told Tracey and Amy on Tuesday night at our monthly MNO that I would start writing on this thing, I guess I'd better stick to it. :)

It's Thursday today...a day I've been waiting for for at least a month now...meaning that it's the day AFTER my long-awaited Level II Ultrasound to make sure things are a-ok with the baby. This has been such a long road for me...starting with the intermittent bleeding around week 7 and the "anticipated" miscarriage. Waiting, waiting, waiting for it to happen. Thank God it never did. The bleeding finally stopped around 12 weeks and things have been fine since then. I'm pretty sure I started to feel the baby move around 14 weeks which sent me into another panic because it was never on the same time schedule and I would always worry about whether or not there was still a heartbeat and living baby inside me. The real freak-out session came at my 16 week check-up when the "new guy" meaning new-to-the-office OB couldn't find the heartbeat with the Doppler. Immediate ultrasound (although I had to wait for the longest 45 minutes of my life to get in) revealed that things were fine.

Now with this Level II scan I had yesterday at 19w4d, I am rest-assured that everything is fine...placenta is firmly attached, the cord is right in the middle where it should be, there aren't any knots or imperfections in it (and it has the necessary veins and arteries), no signs of any chromosomal abnormalities and...drumroll, please...the baby is a GIRL!!! So Wyatt, Wink and Lizzie will have a little sister!!! They are excited...although I think Wink was wanting a little boy more than anything. He'll be fine, tho ~ and now we will be "evened out" as it is...with two boys and two girls.

I had a really nice lunch out today with my quilting girlfriends as we celebrated Mikki's 57th birthday. She hadn't had a very good morning with the eye doctor so I think it was good for her to get out for some fun conversation and birthday wishes. I can't wait for our next get together...she is going to teach us about paper piecing and I just purchased two new patterns that are ALL paper piecing that I'm hoping to be able to get done between now and next fall's quilt show. I gave her forewarning today that I would be listening carefully!!!

Onto other quilting news...Sharon and I talked this morning about the class we're taking in Ames on Sunday. It's a Triple Irish Chain Colorwash and I have my quilt about 1/2 done. The instructions in the pattern absolutely SUCK, tho ~ and it has been sitting in my WIP pile for at least the last year and a half. Kelly (the instructor) guarantees me that I will finish it during this class!!! Then to get it quilted and on my bed!! :) It will be one of the only projects that actually stays in my house...most of what I make gets given away.

As of right now, Sharon, Barb and I are heading to Des Moines on Tuesday to see Linda Jenkins from Piece 'O Cake Designs speak at the DMAQG afternoon meeting. It will be a fun time as we're leaving in the morning so we can do some shopping and lunch before the presentation at 1pm. Some of the girls at lunch today said they might try and join us...the more, the better!

Then next Friday, Sharon, Barb and I are heading to Kalona for the IIQSG Spring meeting. This time, it's on basket quilts and should be fun. This is the first "overnighter" they've had so I'm looking forward to the lecture on Friday night and show-and-tell, museum tour and lecture on Saturday. And the SHOPPING, of course!!! We're going to leave early on Friday so we can get a whole day in before the lecture Friday night. And Barb's daughter is receiving some major recognition at UofI graduate school, so we're going to try and sneak over there to attend the reception. I've never been to the Iowa City quilt shops so that will be a fun, new experience!!

After that, it begins the month of April...and whew, it will be busy! Jim will be back in the field and we will celebrate his birthday the 4th, my brother Michael's the 18th, Afton's the 21st and mine, Grandpa Funcke's and Grandma Wilson's on the 23rd. The month will fly by!

WOW! I feel like I wrote a book for my first blog...I guess I can get kind-of talky :)