Christmas 2012

I can not believe Christmas is over! This year it really snuck up on me! This Christmas was an emotional one knowing that it was Bentley's last Christmas as an only child! Tear. We get her a tree for her room not just any tree but a 6.5 ft. tree! She had so much fun decorating it! This Christmas we got Bentley got a 10 inch kid saddle for her horse, a cell phone(fake), bows and an iPad case. We let her open all of her gifts inside and the took her outside where she found peanut(horse) tied out front with her new saddle on it! She was so excited when she saw her horse! She rode him around the house for a while while Daddy rode on back! It was real cute! Here are some pictures from Christmas!

26 weeks!

We got the call that Branson was clear for Down syndrome and two other genetic disorders! I feel so blessed! They were shocked at how much he moves during my last sonogram! They nicknamed him the ninja baby! Haha he is weighing 1 pound 14 ounces still small but he's still growing at a steady pace! I gained one pound in two weeks!! I know it's suppose to be more but I was only gaining one pound a month! So this is big for me. I am eating and eating I feel like its all I do! Haha so when I am 100 pounds over weight after he's born it will all be worth it!

My cravings have been crazy. All I want is Cooper's beans oranges and cheese with sour gummy candy! I am still in my regular clothes.

A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be your best friend!

I am so proud of my sweet baby girl I mean BIG girl! That's right we are officially potty trained!! Being the independent person she is she has to do it all by herself! The hardest parts of potty training was the #2 issue and using a public bathroom.
Bentley is a very smart child I'm not just saying that because she is mine but Jaxon is the only other kid I know that is on her learning level! Ashlee and I got very lucky! Bentley can talk in full sentences, count to 10 in English and Spanish, recognize a circle, triangle and square,and a lot more! She amazes me everyday!

A couple of weeks ago Garrett, Bentley and I were headed home from the grocery store and Bentley saw me put all the bags in the back. Well she knew I bought gummy bears (major craving) and she asked me "momma can I have gummy bears?? Please!!" I told her no we needed to eat dinner first. So she waited a minute or two and asked Garrett he told her the same thing. So Garrett and I go on talking about work and dinner and about 5 minutes go by and Bentley says "momma you say No No more! Ok?" I said "ok Bentley." Confused I just kept talking to Garrett. Then Bentley told Garrett the same thing and we were so confused! Then she said "ok so now can I have gummy bears?" We were shocked! She tried to pull a fast one over us! We just died laughing!

Here are some random pictures!
She's in her room watching tv and I am taking pictures of the monitor.
Some pictures in gruene.
Her and her first Barbie!
Playing a shooting game at Cabellas.
After church in a dress GiGi made her!

Specialist appointment at 25 weeks

Well we went to the specialist on December 12th. We got some more upsetting news Branson now has an enlarged Kidney. While she told us this can be completely normal in babies and most go down after birth it is also another marker for Down syndrome. So she asked if we wanted to get an amniocentesis or blood work. I told her I would not risk his life to find out three months early if he has Down syndrome there is nothing we would do different! I said I would do the blood test where they draw my blood to look for his blood in it to see if he has Down syndrome or any other genetic disorder. We should find out the results within 7-10 days from when they drew it at my appointment. He is still measuring two weeks (9.1%) behind and is weighing 1 pound 6 ounces which she said also could be due to how sick I have been and that I might just have small babies! I have cried and cried over it and I realized I needed to stop and be thankful for what I have been given weather it's a baby with an extra chromosome or a small healthy baby. I pray all day long that God will give me the resources and the strength to handle either outcome! He has already blessed me with a healthy baby girl and a wonderful man to share this journey with. Garrett has been AMAZING reminding me that it's nothing I did or didn't do, that I am not alone, and either way he is still our little boy. Again all I ask for is prayers for our little man! We go again December 27 to both doctors the regular OB and the specialist so ill keep you posted.

The pictures below are of his feet and profile. The round thing at the chin is his hand. So precious!!

24 weeks!

I cannot believe I am 6 months already! We had a doctors appointment Nov. 29th to check on Branson's growth because at my 20 week appointment he was measuring smaller then he should be. Well Branson is measuring like 5-6 days behind a fetus his gestational age he is in the 9.1% and my doctor sends anything below 10% to a specialist. So now we go to a specialist Dec. 12th at 8:30 in the morning. How they measure there growth is by the babies femur and belly. She asked me "how much Bentley weighed at birth?" and I told her "6 pounds 10 ounces" then she asked me with a puzzled face how many weeks I was when I had her. I told her "40 weeks!" and relief come over her face and she said "oh ok so you may just have small babies!" But just to make sure I am still going to send you and we moved your due date to the 28th of March! At this point I am just in shock I though everything would be just fine and he would be measuring right. Thank god Garrett was with me (his first time to go with me because of work) when we got to the car I just lost it! Why? What did I do wrong? How can I make him better? Nothing can happen to my baby boy? All my motherly instincts kicked in! Since the appointment all I have done is pray and pray! I know god will take care of my sweet baby boy and everything will be ok. It has to be! You only think you love something with everything you have until something threatens to harm it and then you really realize even just at 24 weeks this little boy has stolen his mommy heart and I couldn't imagine life with out him! All I ask from everyone is to please keep baby Branson is your prayers! I will keep y'all posted on how the doctors appointment goes and I will post a picture soon of my growing bump!

Lil' Man or Lil' Lady?

I went to the doctor yesterday for my 20 week check up to find out the sex of the baby. We decided we didn't want to find out at the doctors office and wanted to find out with everyone else at the gender reveal party. I had to go to the doctors by myself because Garrett couldn't get off work. Love my hard workin man! He was pretty upset but knew we were waiting to find out till the party so it wasn't that big of a deal. In a way it was a good thing he could go because I was so excited in the waiting room that he could have easily pressured me into finding out. The sonogram lady took some measurements and then covered my eyes to see the sex of the baby. It literally took her 20 seconds she said the baby had its legs right open! She then put the "money shot" in an envelope and sealed it! I drove to New Braunfels and met my friend Lindsey and gave it to her. She then called the monogramming lady an told her the sex of the baby and she monogrammed the correct name on a onesie. My friend then went the next day picked the onesie up and put it on Bentley's baby doll and then wrapped it! We had our friends and family meet up at Coopers Bar-B-Q. When you walked in you had to choose a mustache for a BOY and lips for a GIRL. Everyone ate and then we opened the gift to see what baby Ward was. IT'S A BOY! Branson McKall Ward you are loved so much already an we can't wait to meet you! Everyone was so excited! Here are some pictures! Thank you everyone who came out and shared this special day with us!

Trick or Treat!

Halloween 2012 was successful! We started off at the churches fall festival then went to eat at Whataburger (tradition) and ended up at my moms. I made Bentley Halloween costume this year she was a scarecrow! I have to say it turned out better then I though! I really think go knew what he was doing when he gave me a girl they are so fun to dress up! She was so darn cute and everyone had to tell her which of course she ate up! Bentley was scared of all the big kids dressed up in scary costumes so we had to dodge them as much a possible. Haha We also met up with Ashlee, Gordon, Nana and Jaxon. He was the cutest cowboy with a sheriff badge! They had lost of fun going to the different booths getting candy and saying "tick or teet" haha Bentley loved the pumpkin patch so much we had to go twice and she got two pumpkins which we have one right by our house so no big deal. When I was carving it she touched the gooey stuff in the pumpkin and said "nasty mom" and then wanted nothing to do with it! Go figure she is such a girl! Here are some pictures! Hope everyone had a happy halloween!