I updated a truckload of pics for ya

Oh how I adore the fall season!!! Pumpkin spice candles, cool breezes in the evening, and breaking out those fuzzy sweaters…. all of it! Our household is one big beautiful, chaotic cluster of craziness lately. Fall brings tons of birthdays, celebrations, festivals, and fun! On September 16th, we celebrated Brielle’s 2nd birthday. Of course we did this per the grandeous style that our family is accustomed to- with over 50 people at our house showing their love for Miss Bug. She had a BLAST!

Since then she has loved running around the house trying on her princess clothes while stumbling in her many pairs of princess heels- it is a hysterical sight to see. She is also VERY into playing “mommy” right now, equipped with many babies to keep her very elaborate routine quite busy.
Despite the 2 year old tantrums, we just cant seem to get enough of her. Bob and I love the fact that she is always with one of us, as we split staying at home during the week. Walking through that door at the end of the day and seeing her run up to my arms is the greatest feeling in the world.
On the new baby front, things are growing rapidly! Its becoming more and more real that we will have a new little one here this winter, and I am giddy and scared all at the same time! We are sooo unprepared at this point, but Im trying not to worry since we still have a few months to go.

Developmentally, the proportions of Lil Miss Princess’s body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since she is just now beginning to form body fat. Bones located in the middle ear harden, and she is now able to hear. (Dads, did you know: low-frequency sounds mimicking a male voice penetrate the abdomen and uterine wall better than the higher frequencies of the female voice?) The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars. If born now, she has a 15% chance of survival, odds going up with each passing day.

It’s a Little Girl!!!!!!

Brielle was right all along. Bobby is quite happy, he always said he wanted to be surrounded by his harem of women. And of course I love life either way- so we are all in love! She was beautiful in the sonogram, all spazzy and dancing around for us. According to her measurements she is 13 ounces now, above weight for her gestation age but still needs lots of growing to do!

Now its time to talk about names!

Cousin Brooke has ever so gently reminded me that my posting skills have been on the neglectant side lately- so here I go
Tomorrow I will be 19 weeks!!!! Thats almost halfway done! More importantly, its only approximately 20 weeks until I get to meet/see/hold in my arms my little bean. I remember so vividly the moment that I first held Brielle- she was just SO beautiful to me. Watching her take those first breaths of air was so surreal, as was breathing in that perfect breath. I felt at that moment that everything was so natural, and I knew exactly what to do. After 10 months of wondering what will happen next, those feelings were oh-so-welcomed. I cannot WAIT to see what this baby will look like!
So mark your calendars- September 7th, 2007 at 3:30pm I will be having my 20 week ultrasound to check out the functioning of all little bean’s organs… AND his/her lil baby private parts! Dont worry, I wont be late updating the results. So what do you think? Another lil diva or a lil rocker man?
My nausea and other crappy pregnancy symptoms have mostly subsided, aside from my new sciatica pain. Its literally a pain in the a*s! I can start to feel that blissful 2nd trimester period that Ive been longing for. Better late than never!
Now for our physiological update: This is an impressive week for growth! Your baby weighs approximately 9 ounces nd is about 6 inches long. If you are having a girl, her ovaries now contain primitive egg cells. Lanugo (a covering of fine soft hair) appears all over the baby’s body. This fine hair will remain until birth draws nearer. Sometimes you can still see some on the baby’s face and ears after birth. Also apparent is vernix, a milky white covering that protects your baby’s skin from its aquatic environment. The placenta continues to grow and offer nourishment for your baby while the permanent teeth buds are forming behind the already formed milk teeth buds. Growth becomes rapid now and your baby begins to store iron for the production of red blood cells. Your baby can even dream (REM sleep)!
As for Brielle, she has been growing LEAPS AND BOUNDS these past few months. Aside from her physical changes (she is looking like such a big girl!), her vocabulary has gotten to rediculous heights and watch what you say- because she understands even more. I dont think she understands that there is a baby actually inside mommy’s belly, but she does call my belly “baby” and give it tons of kisses so Im not complaining Her favorite things right now are singing itsy bitsy spider, carrying for her favorite baby dolls (including feeding, burping, and putting them to sleep), harassing Koda, and doing everything as a “big girl”. If you havent visited lately, you really should- she is hysterical!
I will try to upload new belly pics and pics of Miss Bug soon!

As I approach my 3rd month its amazing to me how different things are in this pregnancy when compared to Brielle’s. I am showing much more quickly, the nausea has far increased, and just in general, I am much more uncomfortable than before. I also experienced reflux/heartburn for the first time the other day- its no picnic! According to old myths- increased nausea and heartburn would lead me to believe that I am having a very hairy little girl- but my Mom has so nicely reminded me that she was more nauseous with my brother than with me, so who knows! In the meantime we are chatting about baby names for both genders. I like Brynley (Bob says eh), Anneliese (which Bob likes), and Irelyn (bob says bleck) for girl names and Greyson (Bob says eh) and Finley (Bob likes this better for a girl) for boys names. I’ll keep ya updated on the progress

As for baby bean: Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. He/she’s constantly moving and shifting, although you won’t be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. The embryonic tail is disappearing, and eyelids practically cover the eyes. Still slightly webbed, his/her fingers and toes are growing longer. Arms have lengthened, too, and the hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over the heart. Breathing tubes extend from his/her throat to the branches of the developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven’t developed enough to reveal whether you’re having a boy or a girl.

Looks like there will be a new addition to the Coffman crew on or around January 25th, 2008… cuz I’m pregnant! We are so excited. Brielle will be approximately 2 years, 4 months old when the new baby is born and we think that timing is perfect for us. The house is now undergoing the appropriate changes- moving furniture around, preparing to paint, creating a new closet in the downstairs bedroom, moving our bedroom downstairs, and creating a new nursery. Phew! Now all we need is that magic sonogram around week 20 to help us decide which direction to take his/her new digs. I know Aunt Bethie is getting boy vibes- so in the meantime ill be checking out those green paint swatches
So whats going on with my lil bean this week? Well this week, the baby’s heart and circulatory system are taking shape. The baby’s blood vessels will complete a circuit, and his/her heart will begin to beat. Although you won’t be able to hear it yet, the motion of your baby’s beating heart may be detected with an ultrasound exam. With these changes, circulation begins — making the circulatory system the first functioning organ system.
Our OB appointment is June 19th, so ill keep ya posted!

Welcome Chance Richard to the world! He was born May 15th, 2007 at 1:57pm at Carroll County Hospital. He is now surrounded by the love of his mother Cheri, daddy Jason, sister Destiny, grandma Rose, and grandpa Bob. He is an adorable addition to the Runkles family. This means Grandma Blizzard now has 21 grandbabies and 23 great-grandbabies!

Welcome Chance!

This year Easter was a fun-filled, packed to the brim day full of love and family. We started the day at our house, finding eggs and baskets. Next off to church- Rev.Link gave an awesome sermon. It was so great to see everyone. Lunch was at Mom-mom’s house, complete with more eggs and baskets to find. I must admit I have the sweetest little easter girl in the WORLD! Finally, we ended the day at Nan-nan’s house with- you guessed it- more eggs and baskets to find! Brielle picked up on the searching game early that morning; she was a pro. Fun was had by all. If you’d like, you can check out the pics in the gallery

Brielle had her 18 month peds visit last week and here are her latest stats:
weight: 27.8 lbs (75th percentile)
length: 34.5 inches (95th percentile)

I think as far as percentages go, she has been at these exact measurements since she was born (talk about being consistent!). All her milestones seemed great and all was well…
The visit wasnt exactly a “happy” one from Brie’s perspective- as she started screaming her head off as soon as the doctor entered the room. Hopefully she outgrows that stage soon!
Also, we can add a boatload of words to her vocabulary. I cant even keep up! She will tell you that “Dog” says “woo-woo”, “Cat” says “meow”, and “Cow” says “moo”. Also she knows where her ears, eyes, head, teeth, nose, elbow, toes, shoes, socks, belly button, and boobies are (and she says most of these words- although some are less recognizable, lol). My favorite word she says is “YEA!” because it normally follows when I ask her a question, and sometimes its quite comical (ie- “Brie did you shat in your diaper?”- “YEA!”).
Over the past month we have made the transition for Brielle into her toddler bed. Hmmm…. PURE. HELL. Thankfully it only lasted about a week or two, and now she is doing fairly well again. Over the next 2 months we are searching for a new bedroom set for her so that we can turn our guest room into her new big girl room.
On the job front- I have been accepted as the new (and only) PA at Williamsport Family Practice, and will begin working sometime early May. Also this month, Bob and I have turned one year older. We partied like rockstars and even managed to throw a couple adult dates in there

After much trial and tribulation, it has been decided to give our website a much needed face-lift!

Big thanks to Eric for all his help.

Enjoy the pictures, folks! I plan to upload them much more frequently now!

-Britt