Maternity Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago, my friend and I went out to a beautiful area, here in Kamloops, and we did a maternity photo shoot. She was able to capture our little miracle in a way we were not able to and in a way that will be cherished for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much Sherry for taking the time to do this for us. We are so thankful and grateful. xo

Getting Closer

Everyday is another day closer to meeting and holding our little princess. I have felt many emotions in the last few days, from being sad that the pregnancy is almost over, as I LOVE being pregnant, to excited to meet Isabella and make sure she is ok, to scared of the labour and birth part.
I know i'm not the first women to go through it and definitly won't be the last but it's the first time I go through it and I have no idea what to expect. It's the fear of the unknown that is getting me. Will I make it to the hospital in time? Will I be able to deal with the pain? Will it last forever? How much will it hurt? Will I do it right? Will my little girl be okay at the end of her adventurous journey? All these questions go through my mind everyday; however, the joy of knowing she will soon be hear to hold and cuddle and feed and teach and guide through this crazy world she is about to enter is over powering the fears. I'm always imagining what/who she will look like? What kind of personality she will have? I'm so anxious to know, but i'm already not wanting her to grow up too fast.
I have been feeling great with only a few aches and pains on a daily basis but nothing I can't handle, just normal part of the journey. Izzy is settling in quite nicely with her head down where it belongs for her to make her grand entrance. I'm officially not allowed to be alone for long periods of time anymore, as we are too close to the finish line but that's ok, I like the company.
I have been off work for 2 weeks now and loving every minute of it. I've been getting some much needed organizing done and alot of relaxing. My daily afternoon nap has been great and I think Isabella is enjoying that as well. She is moving around during the day, doing alot of flip flopping from side to side and hiccups here and there but not much kicking. I don't feel any pain from her at wish which i'm greatful for.
Well i'm guessing the next post may be the one, the one that will introduce you all to our little one. YAY.!!! Still can't believe this is happening.

9th Month

We are still digesting that we are pregnant, let alone 9 MONTHS pregnant. Mommy and baby are feeling great. A few aches and pains but nothing we can't handle. My last day of work was July 28th 2011. I felt quite alot of pain in my pelvic area that morning and came home after an hour of being at work and hardly being able to walk. I'm guessing it was the baby dropping but i'm not 100%, I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow and i'll know more. My work suggested I go on sick leave to assure the safety of our baby and I agreed. The last week had been a hard one going into work. So I'm starting my mat leave 2 weeks earlier than I originally planned but I have been enjoying my time since. I've been able to take a much needed nap in the afternoons and I have been focusing on baby, which is the most important part.
We are now in the month of August, the month our little princess is due to make her grand appearance. Are we ready? Wow, what a question. Physically we have everything and more of what we need for her arrival home. Emotionally it's exciting, scary, emotional, all mixed into one big smiling moment. We have no idea what to expect once she arrives and we are ok with that. We can only go one day at a time. I have never been so worried about anything else in my life, but I'm thinking that is just the mommy in me. I worry about everything. I look around my house completely different, hazards everywhere. As a couple Chris and I have been together for over 10 yrs with dogs to keep us company, we are definitely ready for the next step; however, are fully aware that it won't be easy. We feel our love and support for one another will overcome. We have been through so much to be blessed as we are, it will surely make us stronger in the end.
The countdown has begun, and I keep imagining the day, how will it happen? Where will I be when labour begins? Will it be day time or night time? Will it all be okay? Will Chris be with me or at work? Will my family be around? Will I be able to handle the pain? Will I be able to handle the joy? Will our princess be okay?
So many questions that will soon have answers. We are sooooo excited. I still can't believe we WILL be parents within the next 5 weeks.... Yahoooooo!!!

Baby Shower

On July 16th 2011, my sister and brother in law hosted our baby shower. It was such a great day with many friends and family. Looking back at the pictures I realized just how happy and glowing I am. Something I never thought I would get to enjoy and here I am living a dream.
We had a BBQ with men, women and children included. It was a casual day with good food and good company. I would like to send a special thank you to all who helped us celebrate and a BIG THANK YOU to Renee and Pat for hosting such a great day. It meant to world to us.
Here are some pics of our special day ( i'm having issues uploading so this is all you get sorry)

Baby Nursery transformation complete

As many of you know, we used to have a beautiful nursery ready for a little boy. Well, when we found out our little miracle was to be a girl, we decided to start over and make is special for her. Here is the finished product, and I can now reveal that her name will be Isabella Donna Fournier. Her middle name is the name of Chris' late mother, she watches over us everyday and i'm sure will watch over and protect little Isabella when she arrives. We sure wish she was here to meet her but she will always be with her and us in spirit.

This free slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

8 Months!!

Here is my 8th month update picture. In the last week I have become quite round. Some of maternity shirts no longer cover the full belly and as you can see above, some of the long t-shirts I used to wear are also getting too short. Thank god for maternity pants to cover the gap.

Baby girl has been sleeping alot more lately and only wakes up a few times a day to say hello. Usually around 10 am, 3pm, 7pm and 3am. She seems to be on a little routine already.

We have been feeling great. On our last Dr's visit we were right on track where we should be, my uterus was at 30cm and I was 30 weeks, which I was told is how it should be. I have been maintain a good weight gain of 1/2 lb to 1 lb a week and it seems to only be in the belly, which i'm not complaining about.

I am still in shock on most days, although I feel her and know it's real, I still can't believe I'm the one that is pregnant. I'm not looking at someone else who is pregnant and dreaming, i'm the one. I catch my reflection in the mirror and just smile. I think if it wasn't for the growing bump and the occasional kicks I would still be in denial.

I worry everyday that she will be taken away from us, but I realize that is just old wounds coming to the surface and we will all be ok. I figure God wouldn't give us such a beautiful gift just to take it away.

We are almost done with the nursery, we are just waiting for the bedding to finish it and post the pictures. I have alot of the items on my registry so we still have a few weeks to go to see if we receive the items and then we will be complete.

This weekend I took some more baby items out and her swing and toy box are out in the living room and I also packed her hospital bag. I'm almost in need of a full size suitcase for her. I know I won't need that much and I will thin it down but it got me thinking to packing for a vacation in the future, we will need a bus just for her items. :)

Anyways, that's it for this weeks update. We have a Dr's appointment this Thursday and I look forward to hearing her little heart again.

Daddy and Mommy and Baby First Picture

Congrats to the Lebold Family

Congrat Steph and family. It's been such a long and painful process to get to point where you are finally booking your flight to go pick up your little girl. I'm so happy to have been around to share this wonderful experience with you and can't wait to see you home, all toghether as it should be and should have been a long time ago.
Safe travels. xo

Congrats to Tammy Sidney Josina and Sophie!!

Tammy is a friend I met through adoption. She has been going through this process since before I started the adoption process so very long ago. She never gave up hope and has finally received the green light to go get her precious daughter. I am so happy for her and her family, they so deserve this great news.

Have a safe and wonderful trip, i'm looking forward to seeing the whole family together, the way it should be.
xo

30 Weeks

We are growing stronger and stronger every day. Feeling her inside me is the best feeling I have ever felt. Every morning I wake up and wait for my morning nudge. Once she gives me the "good morning Mom" nudge, my day can start on a good note. She has begun moving and nudging...ok kicking me in a much stronger way but I wouldn't change a thing. It makes me feel confident that she is doing well.

At our last prenatal visit she kept kicking the doppler, it was so cute. She is not liking pressure on my belly and let's me know. If I'm holding Ziggy she kicks him or if Chris is cuddling she kicks him as well... attitude already. I love it.

We have 10 weeks to go now before our little one comes out to greet us, and i'm nervous about things I would never have thought of before, like when to apply creams to her bottom, how often to feed her, will I be able to breastfeed, will I be okay with her. I always said I was "ready" when it came to the adoption, but I know realize I was only ready physically, mentally there is alot more to worry about, and since this gets more real everyday, I find myself up in the middle of the night looking up on the internet "when to apply cream to babies bottom" silly I know. But you know what... I love it. I love that i'm having the chance to worry about these things. That it's real and that I will be a mommy in a few months and have to deal with all of it. I love that she is here and I thank god everyday for our miracle.

Happy First Father's Day

Happy First Father's Day to my wonderful husband. In a few months our little girl will be here to greet you and show you in person how much she loves you, but I can tell you know she is going to be the luckiest little girl in the world to have you as her daddy. Everyday I am more proud to have you as my husband and I can't wait to be proud to have you be the father to our child.
Although our lives will be changing in the next few months and it will be 3 instead of 2, I know that our life together will only get better, all because you are an amazing husband and will be an even better daddy.
We both love you so much. and the dogs send you a great big kiss as well for all you do for them. Enjoy your special day. xoxox

Chris enjoying his wonderful gifts from Baby Fournier and the dogs.

I would also like to say Happy Father's Day to my daddy. I love you so much. You have always been there to support me and encourage me when needed. You show me love everyday just by being you. I am the women I am today largely in part because of you and the guidance you have provided me. I can't wait to see you again in a few months and so wish I was able to share this special day with you. I thank you for being you and could never have asked for a better father.

Love you. xoxo

Me and my dad. xo

Week 28. Officially 7 months third trimester.

She has officially popped out and made an appearance. I love you so much Baby Fournier

I'm amazed at the natural curve in my back now. Love it.

Mommy and Ziggy taking a nap with Baby.

My Brother In Law on You Tube.

He wrote this song for my niece. Enjoy!!

Way to go Pat.

Love for our baby girl

I never thought I could love someone so much as I do my little girl. I've had much love and grief for the two adoptions we had to let go but I have never felt love like this before. To know that i'm responsible for this little baby growing inside me is the most amazing feeling in the whole world. Our journey to parenthood has always felt real but there has been nothing as real as this.
Feeling her have the hiccups and kicking me throughout the day is an undescrible feeling.

I have loved and grieved the loss of a child with the previous unsuccessful adoptions; however, this miracle has made our hard journey better in more ways than I can describe. It's the first time in a long time that I can't express how I feel in writing.

Although she will be here in 3 short months, I would love to keep her inside me for a longer period of time to fully protect her from the world and all the dangers out there.

I want her to know that from the first day we found out about her she has been so loved and has meant the world to us. She is our miracle and I must admit she will probably be treated as such for her whole life. Thank you for coming to us the way you did, we will never let you forget how special you are to us all. We love you so much baby girl.

New Due Date

We went for our official diagnostic ultra sound last thursday and it seems I was a little farther along.

Our new date is August 30 2011.

Only 3 months to go and we get to hold her in our arms; however, I love every minute of having her in me and feeling her move.

We are so in love with our daughter already. It's undescribable.

Progress pics so far

2 days after finding out

25 weeks 5 days


2 days later
26 weeks 1 day

27 weeks. The bump has fully made it's appearance.

I'm loving every minute of it.

Our Baby Girl

What a crazy week. My brother and his family arrived last Saturday and we have been busy with our little one with appointments all over. We had the pleasure of seeing our little one on May 24, through a 3D ultrasound, it was absolutely amazing. We also got to find out that we are expecting a little girl. So we have been busy shopping ever since, getting rid of the blue and buying pink. So much fun, she will be so cute in all her outfits. Our visit with the family has also been an exciting one, we have been so blessed in this last week, to have all my family around and to find out about of Little Miracle. I am still crying happy tears, not believing this is happening to us. We have had so much bad news in the last 8 yrs that this seems unrealisitc..then she kicks me and oh...she is real. :) I can't believe how much I can love someone in such little time. I'm so protective of her already. She has quickly become a large part of our lives and she is all we ever think about. I guess that is what parenthood is all about.

Here are some pictures of her 3D ultrasound.

What a month!!!!!!!!

Our month began with devastating news. We received a letter from our Adoption Agency explaining to us that the cost of the adoption had gone up a significant amount. With this news Chris and I were forced to make another very difficult decision and due to the financial strain of everything we have been through, we decided the best choice for us was to let go of yet another adoption journey. Grieving another child we had been waiting for was a very difficult moment for us but in our hearts we knew it was the best decision for us and our family.

Although we decided to let go of the adoption, we never gave up on our dream of becoming parents. We decided to book an appointment with our local fertility clinic and discuss our infertility options. Luckily, we were able to get in within 2 weeks of calling.

This Wednesday we drove to Kelowna, 2 hrs from home, for our consultation meeting. I was very emotional that morning as I felt this appointment was officially closing the door to our little Quinten, but yet opening another opportunity. I was also very scared as if this didn't work out we may not be able to look at any other options. Running out of options is a hard thing to face.

We sat down with the Dr. in Kelowna, and as she was reviewing my blood work she noticed there were some irregularities with my blood work. She asked me if she could do another test on me to determine what may be going on, and of course I said yes. She said she needed to rule out pregnancy before going forward. There we were sitting in the Dr.'s office, looking at each other saying "there is no way we are pregnant", just as the Dr. walks in and say "YES YOU ARE PREGNANT". Chris and I burst into tears, not believing what she is saying. We were in total shock, how was that possible, I can't be pregnant, we have believed for 8 yrs that we can't have our own children and here we are pregnant...!!! What? What? What? is all we kept saying.

The Dr. then did a quick ultra sound to see how far along we were. She began with a pelvic u/s and all of a sudden there was a small foot and hand that came up on the screen, OMG, tears, tears, tears, OMG. She said, we need to do a regular u/s, and there was our baby, heart beat and all. After a quick measurement, she told us that we were not only pregnant but that we were 5 1/2 months pregnant. More than half way there. WTF???? I had no idea, i mean NONE.

We drove home in total shock that day and three days later i'm still in total shock, cannot believe it. I'm loving every minute of feeling the baby move and trying to understand what has happened.

We are overjoyed with this news and still feel like we are living a dream.

Our due date is around the 20th of September.

All I can say now is YAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thank you all for your continued support. Our blog will not be a journey to parenthood as we let you all into this new adventure.

Mommy and Daddy Fournier + Baby.

PS. Ultra Sound Picture to Follow.

Happy Birthday to the First Man in my life

My Dad, always there for me no matter what I need or when I need it. Full of great advise throughout our lives, whether it was asked for or not. I have learnt so many of my life lessons from my dad. He is always supportive of our ideas or life journeys. He is a big part of our everyday life. Although we don't live in the same town most of the year and may not be in the same town for a large part of the year we are always in contact. Something I would not be able to imagine my life without. I am who I am because of my parents.

I thank you everyday for all you do and have done for me and I thank god to have been blessed with you as my father.

I love you. Happy Birthday, and Cheers to many more fun filled healthy years ahead. xoxo

Reality

Why is it that realitynever fails to contantly come back and hit you when you just start to put it aside. We have been doing so well with this new journey, waiting almost 6 stress free months, no new rules everyweek, no feeling of uncertainty, just waiting, day by day. Getting up every morning, thinking is today the day, and realizing at night that it may not have been the day but it was one day closer to the day. I know, great attitude, right? But then sitting here on a snowy, cold spring day alone with my thoughts and feelings and the reality of the pain comes creeping back up. The hurt that we feel for not being parents yet, the hurt of the emptiness inside. I've been struggling with the lump in my throat all day, trying to fight the reality of not being a parent yet and finally I lost the battle. Luckily, the breakdown only last minutes now, unlike my days of full on breakdown, but the pain is still there. Dealing with reality of the wait is getting easier as the months go by, however the reality of the doubt that "this may not happen, why would someone pick us" also comes back when you least expect it. Having passed my moment, the pain has subsided and I am now ready to deal with the reality of waiting again, waiting months and months for the birth mother of our son to choose us to be the parents of her child. The reality of not knowing what day it will happen, and how long we have to wait. However, the biggest reality of all is that our dream is waiting to be fulfilled everyday, and our love for our son grows with every hit of reality.