Short post!

I just can NOT wait for the holidays to come around for two reasons:  Anderson Erickson EGG NOG and Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte!!!!  Not to mention yummy Thanksgiving food!  I just day dream for the beautiful Midwest scenery and weather in the fall.  So for these few, simple reasons I can't wait for the summer to pass.

In addition, right after the first day of Fall, Tony and I are moving!  We're finally leaving this terrible apartment we've been in the past three years and into a small, two bed-room house!!!  It's only down the street and a few miles from where we live now, but it is definitely going to mean a great deal of change for us.  More freedom, less stress, MUCH better landlords, safer, cleaner, and just adding to our happiness level!  This is also a great chance to get rid of extra crap we don't need before the baby comes and to situate our house the way we'd like to specifically for the baby!!!  Not only that, but it will be a place that will be a new beginning and someplace special for our new family.  So, we've got thirty days to pack and clean and sort and give away before we are into our new rental house! 

In the meantime, I'll just be super excited for these new changes in our life and in our environment to take place and get ready for these changes!!!

YIPPEE!

Helloooo Second Trimester!!!! 

I'm officially 13 weeks along today and I couldn't be happier!  I know I am getting ahead of myself and possibly getting my hopes up in vain, but you know what, we'll get the opportunity to possibly find out the sex of our baby this trimester so I am beyond excited.  Even though it seems like being pregnant is all I talk about, sometimes the seriousness of bringing a new life into this world hits me and I am totally taken aback.  Especially when I think about how complicated it is trying to navigate through life just for myself as a person - as a woman and as a wife - and then having to help a little person through the same things throughout time.  It's not that I'm scared so much that I am in awe of the responsibility.  I am definitely a faithful person and I believe that this is part of the plan God has in mind for me and I am wondering how He sees such potential in me.

12 weeks & 5 days here and starting to show!
(aka, looking bloated and fat!)

Now, to a much less heavy subject: are there any of you moms or moms-to-be with a belly piercing?  I've had mine going on eight years now and I've started to notice that it's getting a little cramped for room lately.  It's not painful and it's not irritated or anything at all - I've still got plenty of room for the piercing - but I know in time things will start to change quickly.  Have any of you tried out pregnancy belly rings or have any of you looked into it?  I'm starting to look into it and wonder if it's worth it to keep it in or if I should just take it out.  I plan on talking to my doctor about it the next time I see her, but I was wondering if anyone had opinions.  Anyways, wishing you all well and excited for the upcoming weeks!

Love!

First Trimester Blues...

So, I am not a fan of the first trimester.  Or, at least my first trimester experience.  The first pregnancy "sign" I had was that my boobs got very sore.  On a trip to Memphis to visit friends, I was swimming and you know when you dive into the pool your top (and bottom sometimes!) slide down and you have to quickly pull them up?  Well, I did that - a lot - that day and thought nothing of it.  We all went for a night swim later in the day and the pain from my boobs was UNBEARABLE; it felt like they were on fire!  On top of that, my poor boobs had been feeling kinda achy for about a week solid.  During the same trip to Memphis in which I was still oblivious to being pregnant, I had a couple drinks just a few days before finding out I was pregnant.  I still guilt myself over this one and think about the implications often.  Anyways, I was drinking and really wasn't feeling a "buzz" more than I was feeling like the alcohol just really wasn't settling well.  So I stopped drinking alcohol and started drinking water -- thankfully -- because I just really felt dehydrated.

As soon as we got home from Memphis, I took a test just to be sure and if you read my blog about that - I was definitely shocked!  Since that point, I have been constantly feeling nauseous and having food aversions all the time.  I've had the occasional "craving" (tuna salad sandwich from Hungry Hobo, Chinese from my favorite local place: Ming Wah, all kinds of junk food...) but really, thus far, I've just felt like laying down until I feel better or flat out sleeping the day away.  I am just praying I won't be one of those pregnant ladies who feel sick the entire time and I'm definitely looking forward to starting my second trimester very soon.  And in just about three weeks we get to see our baby again with a free ultrasound at a women's clinic!  Second trimester is looking optimistic... really, only because the first trimester has pretty much sucked royally the entire time!

So, I shared my very first pregnancy symptom... what was yours?

That's all for today --

First Ultrasound!

This past week was such an amazing week of bonding with the sweet little baby in my belly!  On Monday I had an appointment with my OB and it was at that appointment that I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time with the nurse!  I couldn't believe that what I was listening to was my baby's heartbeat... it was VERY surreal and amazing.  I didn't think that the week could get any better but our first ultrasound was this week as well!  (Thankfully Tony got to be there for that because he missed out on the heartbeat and I felt SO bad that he didn't get to be there for that.)  So anyways, the ultrasound was a little uncomfortable since they had to do it vaginally - but it was completely worth it because not only did we get a sweet picture of the babe, but we got to see him/her move around.  I was seriously in awe and completely unable to speak during the whole ordeal.  Our baby even danced around while we were watching and it was the best thing I have ever seen!!!

 

 That's our sweet little baby!

During the ultrasound, Tony and I each separately came to the conclusion that we think it's a boy based on the baby's movements and just to overall feeling we got!  Isn't that crazy?!  All along I've been hoping for a girl and now I totally am hoping for either sex - depending on my current mood!  I am just starting to get SO excited and I just feel that this is REAL and that next year we are going to be PARENTS!!!  Even though that last part still blows my mind, I am so glad that I am feeling more excited and more ready for this journey.  And even though this is not the path we would have chosen for our life at the moment -- I am finally getting the feeling that this is totally where we needed to be at this moment.  Our God is so awesome at giving what is asked of Him; I've been asking for peace and right now I am definitely feeling it.  We also made it facebook official this week so all our friends and family know and have shown us sooo much love and support which has helped TREMENDOUSLY.  We are so incredibly blessed.

I hope everybody feels at peace over the weekend about their life -- maybe over something that has been troubling you or even in a decision that needs to be made -- because giving your worries to someone who has a bigger plan for you is such a great feeling.

First Appointment... kinda!

So yesterday was my first taste of the pregnancy appointments!  I met with my Dr.'s nurse and we talked all about the family history junk.  She gave me a folder of their practice information as well as a new month by month pregnancy book put out by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists... as if I didn't already have enough pregnancy books!

Yes, sadly, I am that person who over-prepares, or really in this case, the person who overly anticipated.  For the past couple years I've found a couple of nice used book stores I like to raid and over time I accumulated many books on marriage, weddings, pregnancy, and motherhood.  My pregnancy book list includes: What to Expect When You're Expecting (duh), What to Eat when You're Expecting, The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy, Your Prengnancy Week by Week (written by an OBGYN), & Your Pregnancy Questions & Answers.  Pretty excessive, right?  Back in those days I also bought Tony the Expectant Father book.

So, back to the appointment, I answered a bunch of questions and then the nurse tried to find the heartbeat.  Unfortunately, she couldn't detect it so that we could listen to it.  I am only 10 weeks along, so she said this wasn't out of the ordinary or anything to worry over.  But I was definitely so bummed... I just kept thinking in my head, "Okay little one, please stop being so shy and let us hear you!"  But, no luck.  So after that swing and a miss I went upstairs to do some lab work for them and that was essentially it.  I have my yearly pap at the same office with my doctor next week and my nurse said they'd try again then to hear the heartbeat!  I actually have appointments there for three weeks in a row - first the family history appointment, next the pap, and finally I get to meet with my OBGYN for pregnancy stuff!  I'll be 12 weeks by the third appointment, so this baby better make it's vocal debut, especially since Tony will be there too!

On other pregnancy news, I am definitely starting to show.  It's nothing much and is pretty easily masked with clothes, but it's hard to deny if you saw me without clothes.

Here's a picture of Tony & I from our family trip to Mexico about a week and a half ago.  I just look (and felt) bloated.  I just can't believe there are such big changes so soon.  And what really sucks is I have completely stopped working out or going to the gym at all because I usually feel too hot or too sick to do anything.  It definitely doesn't help that the A/C in my car doesn't work.  I hope I am not one of those pregnant ladies who feels sick the entire time because so far, that's what it feels like.  I'm really SO lucky that Tony is such a supportive and caring guy because he truly puts up with a lot from me... already!


Here's another picture of us in Mexico with my sisters & their significant others.  We definitely spent most of our time with them because it seemed like we all wanted to do the same stuff or at least went along with what the majority of us wanted to do.  It was a great time but it definitely made me feel so appreciative of living in the United States.  I never would have guessed I'd feel like that afterwards but I honestly think being pregnant & feeling uncomfortable while traveling really impacted me.  There are so many beautiful places in our country I'd like to visit before leaving again.

Well, I think that's about it for this post.  I can't wait until we share the news with everyone!!!  Just a few more weeks. 

Happy Tuesday!