Good morning, and Happy Thursday! I'm feeling slightly under the weather today, (tummy's not feeling the greatest) so I'm on a dry cereal diet today so I lessen my odds of getting sick at work. It's a GREAT day, though--it's gorgeous outside, and I have my monthly doctor's appointment this afternoon to check on my little girl. :)
Furthermore, we submitted an application this morning for one of the townhomes... and not for the one I thought I'd like the most! Yep, we applied for the first one, the stone-front one. It is GORGEOUS--a former model home. It has a 2-car garage, hardwood floors in the kitchen and dining room, a great deck, a large living room with fireplace, great sized rooms, and bathrooms. It's on the corner, and has a cute little front yard. It's just perfect.
(The second one, the one I initially liked, had a perfect exterior... but the interior left much to be desired. Old appliances, older brass fixtures, UGLY hunter green plush carpet, and a funky layout. We didn't like it all.)
We are worried we may not be approved, though, because of our requested move-in date. It's available on April 1st, but we can't move in until May 12th. (thanks to our current lease) Our realtor advised me to write up a nice cover letter about ourselves, to put a personal touch on our application. She talked to the owner, and he DID say that we sound exactly like the kind of tenants he was hoping for. PLEASE PRAY that we get accepted.. it would be so perfect for us, and lets face it, God can do anything. So, we're just having to walk in faith here. If we don't get accepted, we know that there's another one out there for us, but we're really hoping for this one. :)
OKAY! So, Ryan was feeling horrible all day yesterday, but did take my weekly belly picture. Here you go.. 20 weeks!
Um, I look huge. I loooove my baby belly, though. I feel like I finally LOOK pregnant now, not like I've been overdoing it with the sweets or something.
Oh, and I made a total blunder yesterday. Our baby girl is NOT 6 1/2 inches long right now... she's 6 1/2 inches from head to rear, and 10 INCHES from head to toe!! Oops. :) I read my e-mail newsletter this morning, and was shocked that she's so big already! :) WOW! But it makes sense, you know? I'm halfway done.. and most babies are roughly 20 inches long at birth, give or take. Some days, you just gotta wonder about me--not all there all the time anymore. :)
EXCITING STUFF! We had just gotten into bed last night, and this baby girl was going crazy in there, kicking and moving around. I put my hand on my belly, and could feel her little kicks.. so I had Ryan place his hand right where mine was.. and sure enough, he felt one of her kicks! :) He said it was so slight that he couldn't tell if it was her, or if it was my stomach growling, but I ASSURED him.. that's the baby. :) He's waiting for the BIG kicks! I'm just really excited that he was able to feel it!
Well, that's all I've got. Hope you all have a wonderful day! :)
My hubby is sick. Stomach flu.. ewww. He went to the Dr. yesterday because he was feeling so terrible, and that was her diagnosis. Apparently, it's making the rounds, and it's not very fun. On top of the stomach issues, he sounds absolutely terrible today; his voice is low and scratchy--like a frog.
I just hate seeing him sick. :( I'm really, really, really hoping I don't get this one, though. If it happens, it happens, (we're married, it's almost inevitable) but, um... it sounds pretty miserable.
I'm exactly 20 weeks today, which means... I'M AT THE HALFWAY MARK! 20 more weeks to go (hopefully not longer!) till we get to meet this little one. Time is flying!
Baby girl was moving around like CRAZY yesterday--it's so fantastic. :) She's generally very active after mealtimes, so she was moving around quite a bit after lunch yesterday when all of a sudden she gave me a pretty good kick! Well, as strong of a kick as you can get considering she's all of 6 1/2 inches. :)
Ryan and I stared at my belly last night, and she thankfully was in a good position, so he was able to see her kick for the first time! He said he was expecting to see more than the little "pokes" which we're seeing right now, but again.. she's 6 1/2 inches! The good-sized kicks will come, though. :)
I made an impulse buy yesterday, which is not normal for me at ALL. (especially since I've been married!) But look at this..
I was walking through town on my lunch break, and saw this little onesie displayed in a store window. C'mon, I just HAD to get it!
Despite Ryan being very sick, we're scheduled to see two more townhomes this evening. Ryan insisted that we not cancel the appointment, because our realtor (family friend) will be out of town from Saturday till Easter. Hopefully we'll be able to put in our application on one of the townhomes before she leaves. In any event, here are the two we'll be looking at tonight:
and...
As of right now, I'm leaning towards the second one. (for multiple reasons) We'll just have to see how it goes tonight! :)
I meant to post yesterday, and wanted to, I just had No. Time. I had an... interesting weekend. What was supposed to be a relatively quiet, simple weekend turned into everything but. I was really lonely on Thursday night by myself, (what can I say, I'm pregnant and hormonal!) so I spent Friday night at my parents'.
We got a call on Friday night saying that my cousin Carole, Beth's sister, had passed away. We were all expecting it, and I think it was almost a relief to hear, whereas news of Beth's death was such a shock. It's easier to deal with, though, knowing that Carole has a NEW, cancer-free body, (she struggled with cancer for 4 years) is in no more pain, and is with her Savior now.
On Saturday, my Mom and I decided to head to the mall, but first I was going to drive my car home, take the dog back to the apartment, and drop off my things. Well... I couldn't find my car keys. I had my civic, because Ryan needed the Explorer so he and his reps could all go to the airport together, and all chip in on parking. (way cheaper than taxis) What he does with keys is he has two sets.. one set has just the key that starts up the car, and the clicker to get through our apartment gate. The second has the clicker to get into the car, as well as all of his miscellaneous keys. So, I had these two sets with me.. and somehow lost the set that has the car key and apartment clicker. It just up and disappeared. Seriously.
My Mom, my Dad, and I all searched for that dumb key for well over half an hour before finally giving up. :( We looked everywhere. So, we decided not to let it spoil our day, and to go to the mall anyway. We stopped off by the apartment first to get my spare key, which Ryan keeps in this one drawer. (his "important" drawer) Well, it wasn't there. I looked in every single drawer in our apartment... nothing. I was feeling REALLY frustrated and rather defeated by now, to search for so long and come up empty-handed!!
The mall, however, was a success! I found four new tops for work.. three of which were on sale. I don't have to spend an hour every morning figuring out what to wear (read: what fits and is long enough) anymore. :) It's lovely.
My Dad saved the day and found my spare valet key while we were gone. It's not the same as one of the master keys, (it won't open the trunk, so I have to pop the trunk from inside the car) but I was THRILLED regardless, and could at least drive my car again. (Still haven't found my missing keys.)
I spent Saturday night at the apartment, relaxing and watching whatever TV program I wanted to, because the remote was mine. :) Sunday, though, was extremely productive! I did roughly 7-8 loads of laundry, vaccuumed the whole apartment, cleaned the kitchen, dusted, cleaned the bathroom, baked cookies and blueberry muffins, ironed Ryan's shirts, made us both lunches for Monday, organized everything, and spent two hours cleaning out and reorganizing our closet. (I put everything I can't wear into my dresser (which is like 80% of my clothes now)--everything else is hanging up--it looks SO much better!!! More space :)
Ryan made it home from Vegas safe and sound early Monday morning-- 2 AM to be exact. I had asked him to wake me up so I could see him, and we chatted for a little while before going back to sleep. I MISSED him!!!!
He brought me home three gifts. :) Two beautiful bracelets (one of which I'm wearing today) and a pink Bellagio top which I can wear once I get my body back. :-P Isn't he sweet?!
Oh!! Another EXCITING thing happened this weekend, though! I SAW my first kicks on Friday night!! :) I was wearing a grey t-shirt, and was relaxing on the couch, and started feeling her kick. (she moves a lot these days) So, I just happened to look down at my belly, and I SAW the little kicks! It was THE MOST EXCITING THING!! How amazing is that?? She was up high on Friday and Saturday, kicking near my belly button, so I was hoping to show Ryan last night. Wouldn't you know it.. she was in a different position last night, and her kicks were all down low. If you could see them, I couldn't tell, because I can't see the other side of my belly. :)
So, there you have it.. everything you wanted to know about my weekend, and probably way more.
AND, we looked at townhomes for rent last night. We were scheduled to see two, but the first one backed out of the appointment at the last moment, as we were standing there. The second, however, was pretty nice. Well, it could be much nicer without all their stuff and with the carpets cleaned, which they have to do when they move out. They're not super messy or anything, but the current owners have a 2 1/2 month old newborn, so it wasn't exactly neat and tidy. We also just had to try and imagine it with OUR stuff, instead of theirs. We still want to see the other townhome first before making any decisions, or submitting our application, but it was a good contender. Not to mention, we are in LOVE with the community!!! Here's a picture of the one we looked at:
It's going to get into the low 80's today... can I even tell you how HAPPY that makes me?!?!
Well, I think that's all. :) Hope you all have a wonderful day!!
Work and life have been crazy or I would've updated by now. :) Things are going well, though. I hit 19 weeks yesterday, and I'm amazed how quickly this is all going! Of course, I also have a weekly belly picture to share to show that I have indeed been growing some more, that's for sure. It seems like my belly is making up for lost time.
Ryan is leaving this afternoon for a company-paid trip to Vegas. (as a company they had to do a certain amount of sales in a specified time period, which they did) I'll be trying to keep myself occupied while he's away. His return flight will land at 12:01 AM on Monday morning, so essentially we won't spend any real time together until Monday evening. That's a long time!! He works so, so hard, though, and deserves the nice little vacation. :)
Okay, on to the belly picture!
19 Weeks...
Hmm.. think I've grown?! :) Ryan took it from a different angle so you can see exactly how I've grown. It's crazy. She's definitely growing in there!
Also? Those adorable white pants I'm wearing are my new absolute favorites. All of my PJ pants were getting too tight, so I finally caved. They're from the Victoria's Secret PINK collection, and they are absolute heaven! You can see them here. They're not maternity, obviously, so I just ordered a size up, and they're super stretchy! I love them. :) And did I mention they say PINK across the rear? :) They're adorable.
Speaking of adorable! Ryan gave me the go-ahead to order our baby girl's bedding. :) It's Pottery Barn Kids, "Spring Tulip," which they had on clearance. And yes, we also got it personalized, name only. :) No turning back now!
My coworker says it's kind of "country," "not over the top girly, like pink elephants or something." I like that description. :) I think it's cheerful, and girly, yet kind of simple. I just ordered the quilt from PBK. They were out of the bumpers in white/pink, but I'm watching one on eBay. The matching cribskirt was too plain (unavailable on PBK and super expensive on eBay anyway) so I found (and purchased) a REALLY cute one for $7.99. :) It's going to be so adorable all put together!
Well, that's the news on me right now. Hope you all are doing great!
Well, I got a call from my doctor's office yesterday afternoon regarding the results from my ultrasound. She said that I have "partial placenta praevia," and therefore need to be on "pelvic rest" until my next ultrasound at 30 weeks. Not terrible, or even the worst thing that could happen, (by far!) but that does rule out a lot of... things... Yeah. So, I have at least 11 weeks until I'm cleared to go back to normal, or more if nothing changes by then.
As far as exercising goes, that pretty much limits to me to walking and maybe swimming. And I probably shouldn't be attempting to do as much as I'm trying to do, either.
The good news, though, is that placenta praevia is fairly common (happens in 1 out of every 5-6 pregnancies) and MOST cases this early resolve themselves by the third trimester. That gives me some peace of mind. Don't get me wrong, though, I'll do absolutely anything I have to do to make sure this little girl stays in there as long as she needs to, and stays healthy!
S0, there you go. Probably more than you wanted to know about my current placenta status. :) But that's what's going on.
Baby girl was moving around like crazy last night! I was really amazed, because she's either getting stronger or she was just in a really great position for me to feel her movements better. I kept saying, "Oh, wow!" or "Honey, this feels so neat." I'm really excited for when Ryan can feel the movements from the outside... I think it will make her more "real" to him. :)
So much more I'd like to say, but there's so much to do! Hope you all have a great Tuesday! :)
We're still pretty shocked and excited to know that we'll be having a little girl. :) It makes it more real knowing the baby's sex, that's for sure. I am really enjoying being able to talk to her now, knowing that she is my daughter, not just my baby. It's so special, to say the least.
Ryan prays out loud before dinner every night, and has been praying for the baby since we knew she existed. Last night practically had me in tears when he asked the Lord to protect "Baby _____," (the name we picked for her) and to keep her growing strong and healthy. Melted my heart, and I was total mush.
The ultrasound was wonderful!! The "big" ultrasound is actually the anatomy ultrasound, so the technician carefully took her time examing the baby from head to toe. She looked great! We were given a million pictures of her, ranging from super cute ones of her profile, and of her sucking her thumb, (awww!) to an honestly really freaky picture of her facial structure while she was yawning that resembles a deep sea creature. (commonly referred to as the "alien baby" shots--they all look like that!) In any event, I'll be posting the ultrasound pictures as soon as I'm able to scan them in. :) (the cute ones, of course, not the alien baby shots!)
This was supposed to be my last ultrasound, but now I'll be getting another one in my third trimester. I have a low-lying placenta, and if it stays low, I'll have no choice but to have a c-section rather than a normal delivery. (if the placenta is delivered first, the baby's oxygen and nutrients will be cut off) However, I've been reading about it, and MOST cases of a low-lying placenta fix themselves. As the uterus grows bigger, the placenta typically rises up away from the cervix, making normal delivery A-okay. So, if you'd be please pray for me about that, I'd appreciate it! If I HAVE to have a c-section, then that's fine, but a normal delivery would be preferable!
Thank you all so much for your warm congrats and well wishes. :) I appreciate them all so, so much. I had recently had a sneaky suspicion that the baby could be a girl. I've had lots of typical "girl" pregnancy symptoms--from what I crave, to my lingering, random morning sickness, to how I'm carrying, (all over instead of all out in front) etc. I just didn't really want to get my hopes up either way!
We are planning on keeping her name a secret. Once we found out that it's a girl, we changed our minds on her name, and then changed our minds again on her middle name. We could still possibly change our minds the first or middle name, or both, before she's born, but it's not likely. :) We really love the name we have picked out. We just want to keep SOMETHING a surprise!
Oh! Oh! So, I "announced" to my coworkers that it's a girl by bringing in pink-frosted cupcakes into work, and included a sign next to it that read, "Emily's Having A..... GIRL!!!" I made two batches.. one funfetti and one chocolate. Then I used food coloring to tint some yummy vanilla icing into a pretty pink. :) It's been a huge hit!! They are all nearly gone, and it's not even lunchtime yet. :) I just wanted to do something cute.
Our weekend was filled with sadness AND with joy. We attended the viewing and funeral for my cousin Beth on Saturday afternoon through the evening. That's the thing, though, about weddings and funerals.. it brings a family together. I'm so thankful for my big, wonderful family. Sunday was busy! I got two pink Carters outfits on clearance at Babies-R-Us.. couldn't help myself! Since it's likely we'll receive pink clothes mostly in the newborn and 0-3 month range, I've only picked out clothes for 3-6, and 6-9 months. That's the stuff on clearance anyway--all really cute!! Then I spent the majority of the late afternoon through evening baking and icing roughly 40 cupcakes. I brought in 26 for my office, Ryan took some in for his reps, and we have a few leftover at home. :)
Thanks again for all the support! Hope you all had a great weekend! :)
Well, we're back! The baby started out with his or her legs crossed, so we were worried we may not find anything out. Thankfully, the baby started moving around, and now we know!
IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A healthy, perfect, adorable little girl! She was checked from head to toe, and everything looks great! We are so thrilled!!!!!!!!! Now you all know. :) Have a wonderful weekend!
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Good morning, and Happy Friday! At long last, today's the day for our ultrasound. To say that I'm anxious, and excited would be an understatement. I can't wait to see our baby again, and see how big he or she has gotten since the NT scan. I can't wait to see his or her little profile. I can't wait see the baby moving all around again. I can't wait to see that the baby, no matter what, looks HEALTHY and that everything looks good. I can't wait to (hopefully) know if this baby is a boy or girl, so I don't have to say, "him or her," or "he or she" anymore. I just can't wait. This day can't go by fast enough!
The baby must really like when I talk about him/her; he or she just started moving around! Or the baby just liked the vanilla pudding I just had as a snack. :) Either way, I love feeling the movement.
Even this weather can't get me down today. It's pretty nasty outside today, honestly--cold, and rainy, with a good chance for snow later. But hey, it snowed at our last ultrasound, so it'd only be fitting. :) It's just odd weather, you know, when yesterday I didn't even need a coat, and today I needed my ski jacket and gloves. Thankfully it's supposed to warm up again next week.. all of coats just barely fit anymore. :)
Wow! It's so neat to see what you all think this baby is. :) As of right now, we're up to 24 votes Boy, and 23 votes Girl. Everyone here at the office is pretty evenly split on the issue, too. We'll know soon enough! I have a cute way I want to tell everyone here at work, too.
4 hours to go... will I make it?
Oh! I definitely am planning on letting you all know tonight what we find out! :) You can expect an update around 6 or so. I WON'T and CAN'T keep it a secret all the way till Monday! :) Just FYI.
I also have a running list of people I need to call/text message. :)
Well, lots to do, and thankfully not much time left to do it! I'll be leaving here at 2:00, and then our appointment is at 2:30. AHHH! I'm so excited! Make sure to check back again tonight!
Well, tomorrow is the big day! Our ultrasound is scheduled for 2:30 tomorrow afternoon, and on top of making sure the baby looks good and healthy, (given the baby cooperates) we will hopefully also know whether this baby is a boy or girl! (And really, it's a good thing, because the guessing is driving me nuts!)
So, here is my 18 week picture, which Ryan took last night. For the record, even if you've made a guess before now, you can vote below. :)
P.S.-I think my belly-less days are well behind me now, eh? At least until after August :)It's cute, though. I'm liking it.
Oh, and I obviously changed my layout. :) It was well overdue for a new spring theme. The pink does NOT mean anything regarding my guess for the baby's sex. Just FYI. I just like pink. A lot.
Good morning, and happy Tuesday! Not only are we one day closer to Friday, and seeing the baby again, but it's also supposed to get into the lower 70's today! Can you believe it?
I received my Prenatal Yoga DVD in the mail on Friday, and was itching to try it! Unfortunately, basketball ruled the TV all weekend, so last night was my first opportunity. I searched through available pregnancy workout DVDs for a couple weeks, and read through many reviews, before deciding on this one. I was this-close to ordering the FitMama Prenatal DVD, until I read about one buyer who wasn't too thrilled about the chanting part. Chanting? See, that's mainly what I worried about when I found that the majority of prenatal workouts involve yoga. It just seems awfully new-agey to me, which doesn't sound appealing at all.
Regardless! I enjoyed the one that I bought. (Once you get past her "soothing" monotonous voice.) For one, there was no chanting involved. :) It looks pretty easy, honestly, (my pre-pregnancy DVDs of choice were tai-bo and pilates) but as you're doing it, you notice that it's really... not as simple as it looks. They hold poses that are somewhat challenging, and you begin to feel hot, and begin to sweat. They also used three women, one each for the three trimesters. They modify each stretch and pose for that particular trimester so you know who to follow. I felt like I got a decent workout, and stretched out my body really well. Not to mention, I slept better!
Ryan had called around 5:15 saying he'd be working a little bit late, so imagine my surprise when he waltzes through the door at 6:30 while I'm in the midst of my workout. (It's 50 minutes long!) He raised his eyebrow as I was in some sort of awkward-looking pose with a chair, while I asked, "what are you doing home already?!" Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled when he gets home at a good time, but I think I look totally hilarious working out in front of the TV, especially in a sports bra and shorts with my belly all sticking out. (I know, I can only imagine when I'm actually huge) "I won't watch!" he told me... yeah, I caught him peeking from around the corner not two minutes later. :)
What I'm really loving right now are those vanilla pudding cups, as well as mandarin orange cups. (the ones that have the oranges at the bottom, and are then covered in orange jello) Mmmmm. What sounds good one week, though, typically doesn't sound good the next, so I'm afraid to stock up on anything. My stomach is rather finicky.
Feeling movement is absolutely among the neatest things I've been able to experience so far in this pregnancy. It's up there with seeing the baby on the ultrasounds, and hearing the heartbeat. :) Anyway, Saturday morning had another fun thing in store! I woke up, and rubbed my belly as usual, noticing that it felt... odd. I threw back the covers, and it was the funniest thing ever! The entire left side of my belly was practically flat, (as flat as it can be these days) and the baby was all cuddled up on the top right side! While slightly freakish looking, it was really cute to know exactly where the baby was. :)
It happened again yesterday morning, which led me to believe that it must be a pretty comfy spot. This morning, however, the baby was taking up the very middle of my belly, and was really high up. It's hilarious! It's also leading me to think now that the baby is a girl, since my belly has moved up. Or it's a boy who happens to think that the tippy top of my uterus is the place to be.
While my weekly newsletter no longer refers to the baby's size in terms of fruit, it did mention that my uterus is now the size of a cantaloupe. Have you looked at a cantaloupe lately?! No wonder I'm starting to get a belly. :)
It was a relatively good weekend for us, all in all. My brother-in-law, Jamin, came in early Saturday afternoon, and spent the rest of the weekend with us. He and Ryan mainly watched the basketball games all weekend, but it was really good to see him.
I was napping on Saturday afternoon when Ryan came in the room, and started to tell me something. From the look on his face, and the tone of his voice, I asked, "Did someone die?" Sure enough, he had gotten a call from my Mom, but it wasn't the call we were expecting. See, my cousin Carole has been fighting a battle with cancer for roughly 4 years now, and lately has really taken a turn for the worse. Well, the call wasn't about Carole, it was about her sister, Beth.
I was absolutely stunned. NO ONE in our family was expecting anything like this to happen to her. She hasn't been the healthiest person alive, (she has had Crohn's diseasefor years) but she certainly didn't appear to be close to death, either. She had just been released from the hospital a few days prior, due to complications from a surgery she had, but was obviously doing fine in order to get released. She was at home, getting ready to go to the hospital with her parents to see her sister, Carole, when she collapsed in her bathroom. So, if you would, please be praying for my family, specifically my Uncle Tom and Aunt Betty as they deal with the death of their daughter, while tending to their other daughter who really isn't expected to live much longer. It's just a huge shock to all of us.
My Mom had just recently visited Beth while she was in the hospital, and Beth had asked that my Mom keep her posted on whether our baby is a boy or girl. She wanted to know so that she could get started on a blanket for the baby in either pink or blue. Heartbreaking. :(
Well, that's the news on my end. Hope you all had a great weekend, though, and have a good start to the new week ahead. :)
For whatever reason, I completely forgot to mention yesterday that I had my first Braxton-Hicks contraction on Wednesday morning. I had just woken up, and was about to get out of bed when my lower abdomen started tightening up. I had never felt anything like that before, so I stayed still as it kept getting tighter, and it went away after about a minute.
So, I looked it up, thinking it could be a BH contraction, and sure enough, that's what it was. They don't hurt at all; they just feel weird. 17 weeks is relatively early to feel them, (they say mid-pregnancy is most common) but everyone's different. Some women never feel them at all!
Okay, so here's my 17 week belly picture. Just a wee bit different from 16 weeks, no?
Belly! I think it's kinda cute, though. It'll be fun when I look pregnant with clothes on instead of looking like I've been eating a little too much. I'm getting there, though!
Oh, and we tried the take-the-picture-while-standing-on-a-chair thing, and it didn't work. At all. It did look pretty funny, though! Maybe we can start taking the weekly pictures in the morning, though, because they're coming out awfully dark! We had every light in the room on to take that picture, too.
You're not even going to believe what my husband is going to do today. He had requested a half-day, because we thought my brother-in-law, Jamin, would be coming in sometime today rather than sometime tomorrow. Well, of course Ryan still wants to have his half-day off work! So, do you know what he's going to be doing?? (aside from watching the many basketball games, of course) He wants to shampoo all of our carpets today. Bless his heart, that's what he wants to do! I know, I'm lucky. :)
Everyone here is already wagering guesses as to whether I'm having a boy or girl. Some people are dead-set on it being a boy, others are dead-set on it being a girl. Thankfully we find out ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!
Okay, lots and lots to do today. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and a great weekend!! Enjoy the weather! :)
What a beautiful morning! It's chilly, sure, but it's just gorgeous.. like a postcard. It did snow all day yesterday, but it only stuck to the grass, trees, plants, houses, buildings... leaving the sidewalks and roads clear. Thank God! I thoroughly enjoyed walking to my vehicle after work was through. :) The air smelled delicious, and the snow made everything beautiful.
I did find out that we contributed to a statistic last year, which made the Explorer the #1 selling SUV for 2006. Probably because they re-styled it, and made it nicer looking. Obviously, because of gas prices, SUV sales were waaaaay down, not even making it into the top 10 list. But you know what? Minivans didn't make the list either, and our Explorer IS our "minivan," in a sense, only we think it's slightly better looking, and it can still hold 3-4 kids with ease. :)
So, I remembered to take my memory card reader home last night. We remembered to take a belly picture before dinner. I remembered to crop and re-size it. Then I left my card and card reader on the counter this morning, and it was even next to my purse! Ahhh! I'm forgetful, you know. Even when I try to help myself out by putting it in a good spot, I still forget it. I'm sad, too, because this week's picture actually shows that there's a baby in there! Tomorrow, okay?
For those of you who do pray, I would reallylove if you could add on our housing search to your prayer list. Our lease is up on May 31st, so we'll be looking as of April 1st for a new place to live. There's a specific community that we're really interested in, which is a bit closer to Ryan's work, and is just a really nice neighborhood. It's also a "connected" community, so internet and cable are included in the rent price. We're looking at condos and townhomes for rent in that area, and just to give you an idea... there were 6 of them, all decently priced, available for rent just two months ago. Now there is only 1 available in our price range. If we're not supposed to move there, then that's that, but if you guys would please pray that we're able to find a new place to live without a ton of stress or drama, I'd be much appreciative. :) We just can't stay in our one-bedroom apartment, you know? ;-)
Well, hope you all have a great Thursday! We're almost to the weekend! :)
I am 17 weeks pregnant today! This pregnancy is flying by so quickly, and I'm just trying to enjoy each moment of it. With the sickness well behind me, and even the exhaustion gone for the most part, I'm just a happy, glowing pregnant woman. :) It's really nice to feel like myself again.. bubbly, positive, but with an extra little something special, to say the least.
Sure, not every aspect of pregnancy is sunshine and rainbows, but I do feel like one of the lucky ones. The fun aspects outweigh the not-so-fun or even somewhat gross aspects. 'Nough said!
I'm so very ready for a spring layout, of blooming flowers and green grass, yet ironically enough.. it's snowing here today. Yep. Our county public schools even CLOSED already, but there's barely a dusting on the ground. I guess there's a chance of up to 4 inches of snow coming down throughout the day, but I'm honestly convinced we're not going to get a darn thing. The flakes are too small, and it's not coming down fast enough to really make much of a difference.
But did I mention it's going to be inthe60's next week?! Yeah, I can't wait. :)
Just NINE days are left until we find out if this little one is a boy or girl. I'm so absolutely anxious and impatient, it's laughable. My guess changes with each day. Yesterday I was thinking it's a girl. Ryan is the smart one, and is holding off from making any guesses, and while he does hope this first one is a boy, he won't be disappointed if it is, in fact, a little girl. Which is good to know, even though whether it's a boy or girl was technically up to him anyway. ;-)
I get to drive the Explorer now! Even though the baby isn't here yet, Ryan suggested that I start driving it, and he will start taking my little Civic. The change is mainly because gas prices are going up, (hello, 2.45?!) and he has to fill the Explorer constantly because of his longer commute. I drove it in today, and let me just say... I. love. it. My gosh, I feel so spoiled in such a nice vehicle. This is when I'm glad, also, that I only have a 6 mile commute.
Well, hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! :) Be back with a new belly pic tomorrow.. no, really. ;-)
I felt my first baby movement on Friday afternoon!
It honestly felt like popping... it was low, and just left of the middle. I felt 4 or 5 teeny-tiny, little "pops" in the same place. So amazing!! I felt something again later that night, then again on Saturday evening. I know 16 weeks, 2 days is a little on the early side to feel movement, considering I'm not super thin, but I do know of other girls who have felt movement before now. I told Ryan that maybe we have a future soccer player or field goal kicker on our hands. ;-) If this baby got Ryan's athletic genes, I would not be surprised in the least.
So, I got some advice for belly-picture-taking on my last post, and will use that advice from here on out. :) I think the light and angle kind of washed me out. Both Ryan and my Mom agree that I DO have a belly, and the picture doesn't show it at all. Ah well, in just 2 more days it'll be time to take another pic. :)
March is going to be a busy, busy month. Seriously busy. My brother-in-law is probably coming up this weekend, then we'll be visiting friends next weekend or the weekend after that. Then of course, I absolutely cannot wait until our ultrasound! 11 days is close, but seems so far away. I've flip-flopped over whether I think it's a boy or girl, and now I just have no clue. I'm not even trying to guess anymore, I just want to know. :)
Today is supposed to be nice, but the rest of the week will be rather chilly. Thankfully next week will be in the 50's again!
What do you all think about THISbedding, if it's a girl?? Definitely not gender neutral like we've been planning on, but it's a really great price!
Okay, lots to do today. Mondays are ALWAYS busy for me. Hope you all have a great day! :)
Just stopping in quickly to post my 16 week belly picture from last week. :) I was a little disappointed when I saw it, because I KNOW my belly is bigger than it looks. If I wear fitted shirts, you can see the little belly, so I know it exists. Must be the angle of the picture or SOMETHING. I'm confused.
16 Weeks!
Funny, now I'm wanting a baby belly, but in just a couple of months I'll be wondering what the heck I was thinking. ;-)
It was so warm yesterday that we hardly even needed a light jacket. It was somewhere in the mid to upper 50's. Today? Well, we saw snow flurries, and it's currently 34. Bizarre weather! I'm so ready for spring now.
This has been one of the busiest weeks since I've been here, so I apologize for my short absence. :) To top it off, I have no belly picture to post today! I forgot to bring home my card reader on Wednesday night, and you'd think I'd remember yesterday, right? Nope, I was so excited about my appointment yesterday afternoon that I forgot it again! I'll most likely be able to post it sometime over the weekend, though. :) Sorry!
What you all really want to know, though, is when we're finding out our baby's sex, right? Well, here it is! On March 16th at 2:30, we'll know whether this baby is a boy or girl! We are SO EXCITED, and cannot wait! I can't believe I had wanted to keep it a surprise... waiting another two weeks seems like an eternity, and I'd have close to 24 more weeks to wait if we left it as a surprise!
Everyone I know has a different idea of whether I'm having a boy or a girl. Two of my coworkers have said I'm giving off "lots of girl energy." I really don't buy into all of that, but it's an interesting observation nonetheless. My other pregnant coworker, Krissy, thinks it's a boy based on how I'm carrying, as does another coworker. As for me, I've been SO convinced that it's a boy, but have recently had thoughts like, "well, what if it's REALLY a girl??" I'm sure it goes without saying that I'll be VERY glad when March 16th gets here, so I don't have to wonder all day anymore. :) We'll really be thrilled to pieces either way.
I also have a cute idea for how I want to announce it to all of my coworkers. :)
I almost got away with not getting weighed at my appointment yesterday. My nurse had forgotten, and I certainly didn't care to remind her. :) However, a room wasn't available for me right away, and as she checked over my chart again, she asked if I had gotten weighed yet. Of course I couldn't lie, but dang! Almost got out of it. :) Does anyone know WHY doctors have to have those terrible scales? We live in a world with digital EVERYTHING, yet they still keep those dinosaur scales. I don't get it.
I'm only up 8 pounds total, which is pretty darn good, but I gained 6 of them during the last 4 weeks! (they recommend a pound a week) So, I just need to work a little harder to make sure I stay within that range. :)
I have to say that I've been affected by pregnancy brain more often than I care to admit. :) I've really tried to keep a sense of humor about it all, because it usually IS pretty funny. Then again, I'm pretty easily amused. Like two days ago when I was absolutely cracking up over the fact that a caller's last name was pronounce "Dorrito." But just when I think that I couldn't be more forgetful, I got a caller who called in and forgot her name. I kid you not. It did make me feel better, though! :)
My gosh, the weather is AMAZING here! We got quite a storm last night, with so much rain that some patches of grass look rather swamp-like. It was still raining a bit on my way into work, but the clouds broke, and the sun started shining. It is a gorgeous, gorgeous day! I'll definitely be taking a walk around town on my lunch break! :)
Happy Friday to you all! Hope you guys have a great weekend!
