30 weeks

Well, it has been a very long time! Sorry! I've been spending so much time updating and changing our baby registry for the showers that I've had to keep putting this off. I am now 30 (that's THIRTY!) weeks pregnant! Can you believe it? I can't. Baby boy's due date keeps getting closer and closer. It is VERY exciting. It is VERY surreal and a little bit intimidating. We're about to flip the calendar to the April, which means one month closer. I can't wait to meet him! It has been such a joy to continue to feel him move inside me. I really do love it! I can understand though how some women complain a bit about movements these days because it is definitely starting to feel a little bit "weird". Meaning, I can feel my internal organs getting pushed around (in ways they aren't used to) when he moves. It causes me to wince on occasion, but I wouldn't say it's painful. Just very strange. I still can't believe that the information I've been reading tells me that he's approximately 17 inches long and 3+ pounds!!! WHOA! That is one big baby! Not a little embryo anymore, that's for sure.

Although we've decided to keep it a secret, Nate and I have definitely settled on a first name and we love it! I did some research on it (it's a Biblical name) and loved what I found. We still can't decide on a middle name for the little guy. We have a few options. I can't wait to tell all of you what his full name will be!

We decided on a crib set. It's sitting in our garage waiting to be assembled when the time is right. We bought a beautiful espresso finish crib, changing table and dresser. Nate has already put together the changing table... and I love it! We got a great deal on the set, but it is very sturdy. We've also decided on paint color and made our final decisions on the bedding set that decorate the room with. So, things are starting to come together!

I've had to take two glucose testss since the last time I updated this blog. I JUST BARELY failed the first 1-hour fasting test. (Bummer.) So I had to go back and get a second test taken, only this time it was a THREE HOUR FASTING TEST. BLAH. Not fun. I'm waiting the test results, hoping that it doesn't come back positive for Gestational Diabetes. Please pray that I am healthy, so that baby can be healthy. I'll give an update when I hear one way or the other.

Things are starting to get a little big crazy for me at work. The big elementary spring musical is May 1st, so we're in full swing at school trying to get it all ready. It will be interesting to see how it goes being so pregnant these days. It requires a lot of long hours and so much is required. So, prayer for strength and clarity of mind.

Well, I think that's all for now. I will do my best to give more

frequent updates. Baby boy says "hello". :)

Sonogram #3 (23 weeks)

Here are a couple pictures from sonogram #3 from the second week of February. In both of these pictures we are looking at his face.


In this picture on the left we're looking at the left side of his face. You can see his closed left eye, his nose and lips. Also, you can see his left arm and elbow tightly nestled under his chin. Doesn't he look so cute and snuggly?

Another close-up of the left side of his face. :) I can't wait to meet him!

I had to go back for this sonogram because in the previous one, baby boy was covering part of his heart. So to be safe, I was asked to come back. There aren't too many great pictures to share from this appointment because he was facing the wrong way to get a good profile shot or other good angles. But I was grateful for the chance to see inside my womb for a third time. :) It is so amazing.

26 weeks (Week of Feb 22nd)

This is me and the baby at 26 weeks. We took these a couple weeks ago, but just haven't had the time or energy to actually get them from the camera to the computer upstairs, then commenting on them on the blog. It's funny how you can't really tell that much of a difference from my last post, but I have certainly grown. In these pictures my waist had grown another inch I think, so I could tell the difference for sure. I think I need to take one or two shots in a lighter-colored shirt, because my mama-curves just don't seem to be showing up that well! Who knew a woman could EVER be dissapointed that her growing waste wasn't as pronounced as she'd like it to be! Haha.

I hope to take more pictures very soon so that I can update everyone not only on better pictures... but with the most recent information about our little boy. My love for him grows every day!

Sonogram #2 (19 weeks)

Well, here they are FINALLY! Our pictures of little boy. This is from the gender-specifying sonogram that we had all the way back on January 12! (At 19 weeks.) So these pictures correspond with the post from a couple times ago.

This picture to the left is a sweet view of our little guy's profile. If you look closely (I know... easier said than done) you can see on the left his head and face, looking up to the "ceiling". Then you'll see his nose, a little eye indentation for his right eye and cute little lips. It's a little blurry... so it's a bit difficult to see. Then if you look, you can see his ear, torso, and his little feet coming right up toward his face. :)

Here you can see that we're looking down at his face. It's a bit skeleton-like, but it's my sweet little boy's face, none-the-less. You can see his nose (looks rather large here!), and his two eyes. And to the left of his head, I'm still not sure if that's a foot or a hand... but I'm thinking foot from how he was positioned in the first picture. Again... not the clearest, but I still love it!





And (I hope he doesn't mind this too much)... the defining moment. The "boy part"! Here we're looking up at his two legs sprawled out and little cheeks (haha), and then right in the middle, a little pee pee! (Oh man, do I sound like a mom or what?) Yep, he's definitely a boy! :)

23 weeks pregnant

I love being pregnant!

I am now 23 weeks pregnant! Wow! 17 weeks to go!! Time certainly is starting to fly by fast! Especially as our little boy is growing more rapidly. I have so enjoyed feeling him move so frequently inside of me. Although he continues to give little elbows and pokes and kicks, I've now started to feel definite times where he seems to be moving his whole body trying to find a new position. What a CRAZY feeling! It's amazing!

I'm coming to realize about myself that I'm not good at keeping a "poker" face about how awesome pregnancy is! Some ladies are just better at keeping their thoughts and feelings that they share to a minimum.... and good at keeping a straight face... but I am NOT! I can't help but smile when I feel him move. It's like a continuous reminder of God's grace and goodness... and that there is a miracle growing inside of me. So why keep a straight face? I hope I never get "used" to this. (I'm sure I will to a certain degree, I know.) Isn't God so good?? Since the last time I blogged, nothing too monumental has happened. Um. that is quite the understatement! Obviously there are miraculous things going on in my body that I can't fathom... but you know what I mean. I haven't been to the doctor, nothing out of the ordinary. But I have been weighing myself and measuring my waistline around my belly button, and my waist is officially the size of Nate's! And I thought my waist grew 1/2" in 48 hours... but to be honest... it's hard to be accurate measuring your belly. So, I know I'm growing fast, but I don't know exactly how fast. I know that I'm about 38" and I've gained, let's see, 13 pounds. People tell me I look small, great, "all baby", etc. Those are nice things to hear. :)

I have a doctor's appointment Monday morning, (2-9) to have another sonogram (yay!!). If you remember, last time we went to get our gender-defining sonogram, Little Boy was covering parts of his heart. We could only see 2 of his 4 chambers. So to be safe, the rescheduled me. Sweet! I'll go back and see our little boy as many times as I can! Although I'm secretly hoping that he looks a little bit less like a tiny skeleton this time. He was cute... don't get me wrong. But he'll be starting to pack on the fat now to cover those cute little bones. (Which means I will too!) So I look forward to seeing him again in a few days.

Nate and I are so excited to be leaving for our cruise to the Western Caribbean (2 r's or 2 b's??) next Sunday, February 15. We decided to splurge and go for seven nights. Praise God for His blessings that we're financially able to do so. (Hey... quick story about that... Nate got his bonus at work just yesterday and it "just happened to be" for the same amount as our cruise! God is good!) We knew how important it was for just the two of us to go on a nice vacation together, since this would probably be the last time for a while. (Though, God willing, not forever, for sure!) We love traveling together when we're able. I'll try to post some pictures when we get back.

I don't remember if I've mentioned this before... but Nate and I are going to be keeping our little boy's name between the two of us hopefully until he is born. We want there to be some eliment of surprise for all of you when he comes. Plus, to be completely honest, we're still definitely set on a name. Although we do have a very good idea. :)

Some fun tidbits about baby that I've learned...
- He is able to hear outside sounds and voices now, and can supposedly start to learn to recognize voices. He mostly hears my steady heartbeat and the "wooshing" of my blood rushing past him. (Craziness!) This week he should be able to open and close his eyes now, although it's obviously pretty dark in there. Soon Nate and I will have to try holding a flashlight to my belly to see if he reacts to it.

- His skin is pretty saggy and wrinkly right now because of living in fluid and not having a whole lot of fat to fill out all that skin. Apparently skin grows faster than fat does.

- He is becoming more familiar with his environment... although there isn't much to discover. He might be feeling the umbilical cord, his body, or even sucking his thumb.
- He is approximately 10.5 inches long from head to toe and weighs approx. 1 pound! He should start really packing on the pounds now.

OK. I'll post some new pictures of my ever-growing belly for you to see too. PLEASE write your comments so I know that you stopped by and that I'm not just writing this blog for my own good. (Although I'd still do it!) Until next time... Baby Boy says "Hello!". (I think!)

18 weeks pregnant

Pictures of me at 18 weeks pregnant. (January 7 2009)

13 weeks pregnant

Pictures of me at 13 weeks pregnant. (December 2, 2008)