28 weeks

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend! We enjoyed a couple of BBQ's and good times with friends & family.

Baby girl has been kicking me even harder this past week. She's been particularly active in the morning right when I wake up. I used to think she wasn't going to be a morning bird (okay, I was hoping....), but those hopes have been dashed by her persistent, early movement of late. This week, she will hit 2.5 pounds and 16" in length.... growing like a weed! :)

I ordered her bedding this weekend. Take a look! First, I ordered this pink & brown set.


And the next night I saw this pink and grey set and started having buyer's remorse about the bedding set above. So in-line with my indecisive prego personality (ask Scott - it's been quite the personality change for me), I decided to order this one, too, and make the decision about which one to keep when I can see them both in the room!


As far as names go, I think we've got it narrowed down to our top 4 picks. We'll probably try to get down to 2 or 3 names before she arrives and then pick the one that fits her once she's born. Pretty excited!

I'm still feeling good. I'm starting to get more tired again, which I was told is just part of the third trimester. I'm still exercising, but the intensity and frequency are starting to slow. It's been so great to have beautiful weather in the morning & evening to take a run or walk. Love this time of year! I'm savoring it because I know we'll be consistently in the 80s and 90s in a couple weeks!

Baby Preparations

Today my friends Brooke & Alicia graciously volunteered to help me register for most of the items we'll need for baby girl. It was AWESOME to have their help. We got through the entire store in about 2 hours. If I were to register without their help, it would have easily taken 5+ hours! So word to the wise, take someone with you that's had a baby when you register! Thanks girls!

While I was gone, Scott surprised me and started clearing out the bedroom that will soon transform into a nursery. We had a lot of random stuff in that bedroom, so there is quite a bit to move. Scott got most of the major stuff out of there, and it looks so big & open now. I am excited to get the room painted (another Scott project - thanks honey!) before her furniture comes in a few weeks. It's all coming together! Can't believe she'll be here soon.

I'm still feeling good. My emotions are a bit of a roller coaster at times, but I guess that's to be expected. Today marks the end of my 26th week, so baby girl is about 2 pounds and 14 inches long. She's growing fast these days! Her hearing is fully developed by now, so she can hear our voices and Maddie's barks! In the next month, she'll start filling out & putting on more body fat. Thanks to everyone for your prayers & support. This has been such a fun journey to share with you all!

Week 26

As of today, I am 25 weeks and 3 days. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going. (I know I've said that many times, but it really is the truth!) I am still feeling great. I've been keeping up with my running... can still run 2 to 3 miles a few times per week, which feels awesome! My fruit craving has continued. Scott is amazed at the amount of fruit I eat in a week. A typical week of fruit groceries for me is a huge carton of strawberries, 7 apples, 7 oranges, a full bag of red grapes (used to be green grapes, but my craving switched around week 18) and a couple mangos or pineapple. I can't get enough fruit! Other than fruit, I crave sweets like ice cream and cake. I had an enormous sweet tooth pre-pregnancy, so the baby just gives me a convenient reason to indulge more often! Hey, the baby needs cake, too! :)

I had a great Mother's Day this year! Scott and I got to celebrate with both our moms. They are such great women, and I am excited to share in motherhood with them! My mom brought me home from the hospital on Mother's Day the year I was born. For Mother's Day this year, my mom gave me the dress she brought me home in. I plan on bringing our precious baby girl home in the same dress!

Scott also gave me a Mother's Day gift. He went shopping for our baby girl - bought her the cutest Polo sundress (yellow, since Scott thinks she has too much pink already), Puma onesies and sleepers (to match daddy's Puma gear), and a frilly dress for when she's a little older. Fun!

We both were a little teary-eyed in this pic!

Belly pics - 24 weeks

Here are some new pics of my belly progress. I'm right at 24 weeks in these photos. My belly has grown a lot in the last few weeks. In fact, the baby will double her weight in about 4 weeks. She'll go from 1 pound in week 22 to 2 pounds by the end of week 26.


Can't see much of a belly from a front view...


You can from the side view, though!


Some shirts, like this one, really emphasize the belly!

Doctor's Visit & Other Updates

Scott & I went for our monthly check-up this morning (23 weeks & 5 days today), and all is well with our baby girl! Her heartbeat sounded stronger than ever. Our doctor said it looks like we have one healthy baby girl on our hands! (Well, technically, in my belly...)

I've been feeling really excellent these past few weeks. I have lots of energy, no sickness, and I still feel good enough to run & work out. I'm so grateful this has been a smooth pregnancy, thus far. I'm praying the last trimester will go just as well!

This past weekend, we bought all her nursery furniture. It was a bit of an exhausting, yet exciting, experience. We decided to go for a chocolate brown/espresso finish. I think it'll look great with some pink bedding! Scott and I started the search a couple of weeks ago, and then my parents came with us last weekend to check out a few other stores. Scott & Dad liked testing out the rocking chairs best - ha! Buying the furniture makes it seem so much closer to her actually being here! Scott and I are SO excited for her to be here... I wish we didn't have to wait until the end of summer! But we're trying to live in the moment and enjoy these last few months of uninterrupted couple time.

A few days ago, my mom & I went shopping for maternity clothes. I've been able to borrow some from a couple people, so I don't need a lot. However, I would like to have some of the basics like capris, a couple dresses, shirts & work pants. So I picked out like 20 things to try on and stepped into the dressing room with my mom where I was greeted by.... the belly pillow!! For those of you who've had children, you know what this is. For those of you who haven't, it is essentially this pillow with a strap that you velcro around your waist to simulate how big your belly will be towards the end of your pregnancy. I put it on, and I was immediately in denial that my belly will ever be that big!! Seriously, I had to take it off because I was getting a complex. My mom thought it was hilarious! (But really, my belly won't get that big, right?!) I found a couple of "cute" things to buy (are any maternity clothes really cute or fun to buy?) ... so for those of you who need summer maternity clothes in the future, give me a call.

Easter

Below is a picture from Easter weekend. I am about 21 weeks in this photo. My belly really shows in this sweater dress! I seem to be carrying this baby high, which is likely the reason why I am still able to wear most of my regular pants with only the help of a hairband. Yeah!

1 Pound!

Our baby girl is breaking a development milestone this week - she weighs one pound! She is about 8 inches long from her head to her bottom, so she's like a little doll right now. How cute is that?
Her grip is quite developed, too. Since there's nothing else to grab in utero, she may sometimes hold on tight to the umbilical cord. (Don't worry — it's tough enough to handle it.)
She is also sprouting more hair on top of her little head. Right now her hair has no pigment, so it's bright white. Scott & I both had light brown hair the first year of our lives, but then we both turned to white-blonde toeheads. So I expect that's what our baby girl's hair will do, but you never know!

Scott's 30th Birthday (and a bump pic)

Thought I'd post a few pictures from Scott's birthday party last weekend. (You can also see the baby bump!) Scott is going to be such a great dad... especially for a little girl. He's so patient, understanding, affectionate, sensitive and affirming - all qualities a little girl needs in her daddy! He treats me like a queen, so I know this little girl is going to be his princess.





Scott completing a detour on the Amazing Race


Matt completing the River Gets Wider roadblock


Shawna, me, Scott, Gretchen & Daniel


Mom, me & Karla


Scott needed a few attempts to get all the candles blown out

Baby Girl!

We are having a baby girl!!!! Scott and I are THRILLED!!!! Even though we both thought we were having a little boy, we were both secretly hoping we'd have a little girl. Not that a little boy wouldn't have been great, but we both wanted a little girl at some point. So now that we know we have a healthy little girl on the way, we feel so blessed!

So let me give you the play-by-play of last Friday, April 3. We had our sonogram at 8:45 AM. Driving to the appointment, I was nervous. (I later told Scott that I had the same nervous/excited feeling as when we were driving to our helicopter ride in Hawaii. I am a bit of a nervous flyer.) I just kept praying that we were having a healthy baby; I was anxious to know how our little one was developing. When we got into the ultrasound room, we immediately told the technician that we didn't want to know the sex of the baby. Instead, we had brought a birthday card (Scott's 30th was Friday) for her to write down the gender of our little one. We were going to open it together at dinner that evening. So right away, the technician started checking/measuring our baby. At first, Scott and I were so in awe to see our little baby that the seriousness of the moment didn't hit us. Then the technician measured our baby's head size, abdomen size (she has a bit of a big belly - healthy eater!) and femur length. The technician then showed us the two hemispheres of our baby's brain, the four chambers of the heart, and the spine. We also counted 10 fingers & 10 little toes. Seeing our baby was SO incredible. I don't know how anyone could deny there is a God after seeing a little baby developing. She was moving a ton during our sonogram. After a few minutes, we figured out why. She had the hiccups! It was so darn cute!!!

Here is our baby girl's fist picture! She is looking right at us; her head is on the right & abdomen on the left.




And for those of you that have trouble interpret ting sonogram pictures (like me), here is the picture with some helpful labeling. :)




So after the ultrasound, I told Scott that I thought we were having a girl. Just something about her movements & look made me think baby girl. But Scott was still unsure. So we left the appointment knowing we had a healthy little baby one the way, but not sure whether it was a son or daughter! We both had work to do that day, so we wanted to concentrate on getting our responsibilities done, and then we'd celebrate Scott's birthday & find out the exciting news! (Can you tell we're both first born children with a strong sense of responsibility?! Ha.) We took a break around noon to grab lunch together. I also grabbed the birthday card, and I 'suggested' to Scott that we open it now instead of waiting for dinner! I was too excited to wait. Scott was eager to open the card too, so he opened it in the parking lot in our car. He read the card and then looked at me with tears welling in his eyes and said, "we're having a baby girl!" I got a huge smile on my face and burst into tears of joy!! Scott says he wishes he had a picture of me at that moment because he's never seen me more radiant. I love that memory. We just hugged, cried and enjoyed the moment between the two of us for a while. I was SO glad we waited to enjoy that moment together versus in a small, dark room with a technician. :)

Then we started calling all our friends & family to share the good news. Everyone was SO excited! Our little girl is going to be spoiled rotten. :) We spent the rest of the day celebrating our baby girl and Scott's 30th birthday. What a fantastic day!

Bye-bye to my waistline and to the first half of my pregnancy

Big day today! I'm in my 20th week, which means I'm halfway through my pregnancy. (This is all going too fast...) Also, most of my work pants are officially too tight. This morning I put on a pair of dress pants that fit last week, but today they wouldn't button without me feeling extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, I have a bellaband to wear - whomever invited this stretchy piece of fabric is a genius, and likely a very rich genius! It felt a little strange to come to work with the top button on my pants undone (even stranger to admit that fact on this blog for you all to read), but I'm getting used to the feeling as the day progresses. At first, I felt like my pants might fall down at any minute. No embarrassing moments... just yet.
So, I think this means I have officially "popped". I'll post a belly picture soon for all of you inquiring minds, and you can tell me what you think.

One last note, today is my friend Alicia's birthday - Happy Birthday, Alicia! She has been a great friend for many years, and she has the cutest little girl, Cosette. If we have a girl, I hope ours is as cute as Cosette!

Little Kicks

I've been feeling the baby kick throughout this week. I'll be working at my desk, and I'll feel this little 'tap-tapping' in my belly. At this point, the kicks are actually comforting and makes me feel close to our little one. In time, I'm sure they will get harder & less comfortable! So, I am enjoying them for now.
Tonight I was lying on the couch watching the Mizzou game, and I could see the baby move! It was crazy! One side of my stomach was slightly higher/bigger than the other. Scott got to feel the baby kick again tonight. This is such a fun time for us. We can't wait to know whether this little kicker is a boy or girl.
On another note, today is my sister's birthday - Happy Birthday Aunt Karla! Karla has become protective of me (and baby); it's pretty cute. Tonight we had dinner with her friends for her birthday, and she insisted on walking me to my car to ensure I got there safely. Pretty cute & quite the role reversal. I'm used to being the older, protective sister! Love you, sis.

A visual of our baby

No ultrasound picture yet, but I thought I'd provide a fun visual of how big our baby is at 19 weeks - the size of a heirloom tomato! (Note the quarter beside the tomato for comparison.)

We've got a fiesty one on our hands...

This morning I was laying in bed, just taking my time waking up on a sunny, Sunday morning. I started to feel the baby move around, and then I felt a different sensation - a distinct little kick! It wasn't hard, but it felt differently than the fluttering sensation I've been feeling for about a week. My sister was in town for the weekend, so she and Scott both got to feel the kick! They said it felt like a very slight movement... like feeling a muscle spasm on my tummy. What a great way to start off week 19!

A New Skill

I get a weekly email update on our baby's progress, and this week our baby has mastered the art of the yawn (someone's sleepy)! Hopefully we'll get to see that adorable yawn in our ultrasound in a couple weeks.

I should also start to feel the baby move in a few weeks. The past couple nights, I have felt a slight fluttering in my stomach. I can't figure out if it's just my dinner digesting or the fluttering of our little one. I like to think it's the later. :)

Boy or Girl, Boy or Girl?

Secretly, I thought Scott & I might change our minds about wanting to find out the gender of our little bun-in-the-oven. I thought we might want to keep the suspense going for a while longer, but this past week I have been dying to know if we're going to have a son or daughter! Those moms and dads that can hold off knowing are impressive. My Type A, planner personality just can't cope with a surprise that big. Maybe we'll feel different about baby #2?

We've started a list of first names, but haven't really spent too much time on them since we don't know boy or girl, yet. We haven't even tackled middle names yet. We're having a harder time with boy names versus girl names. There are just more girl names that we both agree upon at this point. We are keeping the name hush-hush, so you will all have to wait until August to know. So cruel, I know. Ha!

Vote on the boy/girl question at the top-right hand corner of the blog, if you haven't already!

Beginning of the 5th month

I can't believe today marks the start of month five - time flies! A lot has happened since the last post, so let me start from the top.

Scott and I enjoyed 5 blissful nights on Grand Cayman Island. The beaches were beautiful - white sand and clear, blue, calm water. Every morning, Scott and I took advantage of the breakfast buffet served on the beach. Then we'd spend the rest of the day in the ocean or by the pool. It was so great to soak in the sun, enjoy a beverage, take a nap, and read a few good books. At night, we'd visit some of the great waterfront restaurants on the island - our favorite was Calypso. A must for anyone visiting Grand Cayman in the future. Here are some pics from our vacation.

Leaving on our sunset cruise

Scott fed the Tarpon (big fish of the shark family) at The Wharf restaurant. The fish jumped up to eat to bait, and the fish got Scott's whole hand in his mouth. Scott espaced with only a few scratches, but the waiter said he was lucky he didn't lose a finger!


Me, on a raft, enjoying the water & sun

We took a trip into Georgetown

Sunset outside our hotel

Dinner at Calypso

The day after we got back from Cayman, I had my 16 week appointment. We got to hear our baby's heartbeat, again (150 bpm - same as the 12 week appointment). It was amazing. I tried to ask the doctor if that meant we were likely having a boy or girl, and she said, "it means you're having a baby." Our doctor (Carla Pearman) is a straight-shooter, and I love that about her. She said everything looked great, and we scheduled our sonogram and 20 week appointment for April 3. Scott will turn 30 and find out whether he's going have a son or daughter all in one day. Someone needs to buy that man several drinks on April 3!!
On our way out of the office, I asked Scott what he thought after hearing the heartbeat again. He said, "I started getting nervous. It made me think of all the responsibilities (a.k.a. $$) to come... sports leagues, dance recitals, cars, college, weddings..." He asked what I thought, and I said, "Oh, I just thought it was wonderful to hear our baby's heartbeat and to know all is well." The difference between men & women exemplified, yet again. :)

The following day, I returned to work and broke the happy news to my co-workers. When I told my boss, she threw her notepad across the room and gave me the biggest hug! It's so great to have a supportive and encouraging boss! My other co-workers were equally excited (and surprised!), and it was really great to share the news with everyone at work.

My pants are still fitting... barely. I'm in the phase of my pregnancy where I just feel fat. You know when you've gained about 5 - 10 pounds, and your pants are uncomfortably tight? Yeah, I'm there. I'm not big enough to be in maternity clothes, but my belly is about to outgrow the waistline in my normal clothes. Think I'll need to use the hairband trick or invest in a bellaband this coming week. The doctor said I would 'pop' around week 18 or 20, and I think she was spot on with that timeline.

Babymoon

Scott and I are going on our 'babymoon' this week. I'm flying down to Grand Cayman Island in a couple of days; he's already there for a sales convention. We're both looking forward to quality time together, a beautiful beach, relaxation and warm weather! (And Scott's looking forward to enjoying adult beverages beach-side. I'm looking forward to fruit smoothies. Ha!)
It's strange to think this is our last big vacation where we can just pick-up & go. That will be a change for us in the future! I'll be sure to post pictures when we get back, so stay tuned!

One more thing... I can feel my stomach growing this week! I don't think it's noticeable to anyone but me, but clothing is getting tighter. The baby is about 5" long, or about the size of a large orange. How fun!

Baby dreamin'

I thought I'd post about my baby dreams, since they have been pretty funny. The first one I can remember happened when I was about 11 weeks - right before we started telling our friends & family. In the dream, my doctor had told us we were having a boy (which is my hunch in reality, too). The first time I saw our baby was at home. (Strange it wasn't at the hospital, but this was a dream.) I leaned over to pick up our baby from the crib, and the baby was girl! She was so cute - big brown eyes & cute smile, but I was extremely confused as to why she wasn't a boy!

This week, I had my second baby dream. In the dream, the baby came about a month early. I was home from the hospital (not at my home, but someone else's), and I kept forgetting I had a baby. I'd wake up in the morning and go downstairs to eat breakfast, and then about 30 minutes later it would dawn on me that I needed to go check on my baby! At night, I'd be watching TV and think, "Oh, shoot! I've been laying here all night & haven't checked on the baby!" In my dream, I had a baby girl. Scott was not in the dream, and I was in a strange house. If I had to psychoanalyze my dream, I would guess the dream was playing into my apprehension about being responsible for a baby and not knowing the sex of our baby, yet.

More fun dreams to come... :)

Fun Reactions

Scott and I have had a great time telling our friends & family about our little one. We've compiled some of our favorite quotes/reactions to our news. Enjoy!

"Grandma's show & tell. Grandma's show..." - Grandma Marilyn
We wrapped up a picture flip book, and the front cover said "Grandma's Show & Tell". When Marilyn opened it up, she read the title out loud. It didn't sink in that she was the grandma until she started reading it the second time! It was so cute to see her excited expression!

"---- (silence)" - Grandma Joyce
My mom opened the same picture flip book we gave Marilyn, and her eyes got huge and her mouth dropped open. She just looked at me in shock, and didn't say a word.... which is a rarity for my mom! For those of you who know my mom, she is a bubbly & expressive woman! I was lucky enough to capture her expression in a series of pictures!

"Oh, thanks for bringing that back." - Grandpa Dave
"Wait, I think I already returned that to the store." - Grandma Susan
This reaction requires a bit of background. For Christmas this year, Dave & Susan thought it'd be funny to wrap up a baby outfit to give as the 'grand prize' in our family annual gift exchange. When the baby outfit was opened, I tried to hide my shocked expression. I was sure somehow they'd found out we were pregnant. But it was just a coincidence. So to tell Dave & Susan we were expecting, we ordered the same baby outfit & gave it back to them. Dave thought we were returning the original outfit, and Susan was confused at first b/c she knew she'd returned it to the store back in December. Seconds later, they both realized the joke was on them this time!

"AHHHHHHHH!!!" - Aunt Karla
We flew to Denver to tell Matt & Karla the good news. My sister was the first to figure me out back in December, but I vehemently denied I was pregnant when she confronted me. (No one knows you like your sister!!) So when we told them we were having a baby, Karla just screamed with excitement. They were the first family to know! It was a fun way to start telling everyone our good news.

High waisted pants

This past Fall, high-waisted pants made a come-back in the fashion world. I thought they were cute, so I bought a couple pairs for work wear. That decision is coming back to haunt me now, as I really don't need pants that button half-way up my growing stomach. I bet I'm not going to be able to button them in a couple weeks. If only I could wear my yoga pants to work...