On the day you were due...

I showed up to work - against the (possibly better?) judgement of others who said I should stay home.

Not only did I show up to work, but I prepped for my Board meeting (which will be this evening at 6 pm...so I still have some time to go and I'm all set!).

I took one last phone pic to commemorate the many times I've stood in front of this office mirror to admire/gasp/stand in shock and awe??? of my growing belly. (And really, can you be done now?)

And I sat and my desk and thought how lucky am I? I have really had such an awesome pregnancy and now I'm mere hours (I'm feeling optimistic, kid - work with me!) or at most a few days away from meeting you...and I am already so blessed.

So blessed by the times you've had dance parties with me - yes, you have greater odds of liking Beyonce than any other male child I know - what can I say...Love on Top has kind of been our song? You like da'beats, mon!  

So blessed by the many times you reassured me that this pregnancy was here to stay - and oh darn it, look I'm crying as I write this...but really it's like you KNEW when you needed to move or even - make me sick - to know that yes, yes - you were still there and you were healthy and growing.

So, thanks. Thank you my Little Dear, for keeping me such good company over these last 40 weeks. I really, really, really cannot wait to meet you.

With love,
Yer' mom

Week 38 or almost 39...who cares?!

So, there's been a big debate going since the first ultrasound of this little guy...which put him "due" right exactly when I thought he would be due based on certain information only I, and not my doctor, would be privy to...like say when conception took place;) Well the first ultrasound matched up exactly to my prediction - and that date was February 2nd...based on the little wheel she used which takes into account just the date of my last period he's due on February 7th. And boy do they love that little wheel. But as we all know due dates are just estimates and arbitrary at best...so here we are, somewhere between week 38 and 39 and all I know is the switch has flipped. Meaning, (if you're listening as I type this baby...) you can come whenever you want.

Don't get me wrong, I know that every day he's in there is another day he needs to be there and I've been more than happy to have such a really fortunate third trimester overall...but in the past couple days there's just this sense of "I'm done." And from the looks of it, I think I look done too. It's reached that point where when I'm out shopping or in any public place for that matter I get those looks. You know the ones I'm talking about...where they look at you partly in admiration for still walking upright and then you look closer and see fear in their eyes that you might give birth in their store's backroom if you stay too long...yeah - lots of those looks.

And lately everyone's favorite thing to say is "it's a boy, huh?" So kudos to those people for getting it right, I guess. But do they really have to follow it up with "Yeah, with a boy you're just so OUT THERE and SO ROUND"?!?! Yes. Yes. I am rotund in a very special way and I am "out there." Thank you - I hadn't noticed when trying to put on my shoes this am...but I digress.

So here we are - my next appointment is this Friday so I'll have "real" news to share at that point so for now you just get a pic of me from this evening - lucky yous.

Glowing or sweating...you decide...

And in much more fun news - I took a few sneak peeks of his room! I was going to make a little collage but picnik went and closed on me and I just don't have the energy to try out the google plus editing thing they told me to use in its place...so now we're back to pictures single-file. Whatever. Enjoy!

Had to blur out his name on his "special" book...thanks to Marissa and Megan for the sweet gifts on this shelf:)

The blocks were a gift from Kelley and I'm nothing short of obsessed. LOVE!

The changing station and a glimpse of our rocker in its new fabric!

More fun prints...

More blurriness as I spelled out his name with Kelley's blocks - but you get the idea;)

All that's missing now is the main event himself...and we just can't wait! Anyone want to start a guessing game as to when he'll come? Leave a note in the comments with your guess!

Baby Shower Fun & Update

As promised, I'm directing you all to Kelley's blog for baby shower picture fun!! Just looking at the pictures makes me SO excited all over again - it was really the most perfect day. And just a funny note as to how well they know me...note the color of the lanterns and the color in my necklace - not planned at all:) In fact, I'm sure they stifled laughter when I showed them what I was planning on wearing...apparently I'm a tad predictable!

Many thanks AGAIN to everyone for making me and baby boy feel so special!

And a quick update - just returned from my weekly appointment and there's good news...

1. Per my last ultrasound, the little guy has chilled out for a bit and is now in the 90th percentile and such, but is not tipping off the charts. This makes my doctor way more comfortable with just proceeding and there was no more talk of c-section for now...she says now we just wait and see!

2. Baby is head down, at "station 3" which means he's still pretty high up there but that she could already feel the top of his head when she checked me and I'm 50% effaced and barely dilated at a 1 or so...while ALL these things mean nothing in terms of when labor will start they show positive progress - so I'll take it!

I look pretty darn close to what I looked like at my baby shower - so let that be your "belly shot" for now...and I'll try and update again at the end of the week! My mom did mention this morning that she agrees that I'm starting to appear a bit dropped, so hopefully by the end of the week we can see the difference in pictures:) We shall see!

Estimated Due Date - January 4th

Things that are funny: Today's ultrasound took into account the length of Little Dear's femur bone and said that based on the length he should be due January 4th. HAHAHA - we all, including the sonographer, had a good laugh at that one! I told Ty he's all to blame on the femur bone extravaganza as clearly the baby is inheriting his legs...what he's inheriting from me? Seems to be my arms - those are the only thing estimated to be "average." So my t-rex arms mixed with Ty equals average:)

So yeah, another ultrasound down. And really it was the least exciting of them all because at this point the little guy is so smashed in there that his head is already shaping to my pelvic bones and there's no chance of getting his face, and we were lucky to get a clear shot of a foot and hand! He's just clearly running out of room in there...So the full report is that now based on the averages that the sonographer produces he's estimated to be weighing in just over 8 pounds and is definitely on the long side...but he's super healthy and everything looks great otherwise! The rest of the measurements put him at an estimated due date of January 28th...which interestingly enough falls closer in line with when I've thought he would be due from the beginning.

In other news, there's a rumor out there right now that I may have dropped a little. I was walking with Kelley around Babies-R-Us on Monday, went to the bathroom and thought "Hmmm, I look different." And as I walked out to ask Kelley if she ever felt like she dropped, she looked at me and exclaimed "Oh my gosh, you've totally dropped!" But it's hard, because now I keep looking and I'm not so sure. Not that dropping is a predictor of anything concrete, but it's a sign of progress all the same.

And while I wish I could share a picture - I can't because I haven't taken any since everyone left this weekend who came in and spoiled me and the baby boy just rotten! It was a gorgeous day all around, and really there are no words to describe what an amazing shower Kelley and Marissa put together for us. I'm so blessed. And to the very many of you who participated in some shape or form, THANK YOU. I really just have the best friends anyone could ask for! As soon as pictures are up I'll be sure to share!

That's the news for now! I'll try and update more often now that we're really in the final countdown!

Moves Like Jagger...

Oh yeah, he's got moves like Jagger already:) As promised, here I am to share a sneak peek of his antics. He does this times ten, but of course every time I try to get it on camera he goes quiet. He also does this with movement, I kid you not, it's like he knows when someone's watching. He also does not like cold hands - really. It's funny. If your hands are cold there's no chance he's going to kick/move for you.

So here's a bit of what he can do...

In other baby news, we had our appointment today and I continue to measure big. It's getting a bit old to hear my doctor laugh when she measures me...apparently she thinks its ALL much funnier than I do. So, as of today I'm measuring 38 weeks. With about 6 weeks to go. For those of you wondering - no, it is not possible to suck in one's uterus. I've tried. It doesn't work. I'm guessing that by the time I do go into have the babe I'll be a healthy 45 weeks:) I bet you guys will LOVE to see those belly shots!

There was also talk of c-section, but it's only preliminary at this point. As she says, "we've got a chunky monkey on our hands." She just wants me to know that if he continues growing at his current rate that the c-section will be a conversation we will have to have...so we shall see! Right now, not all that worried. Oh, and for those wondering about my weight gain, since I'm growing a giant - my weight gain unfortunately did not continue to stay on track with a 2 pound average per month. I took a BIG jump last month w/6 pounds gained in one month and am now about 18-20 pounds up depending on the day.

Alright, so that's all the news for now! I'm off to go get in the Christmas spirit:) Merry Christmas to you all!!!

P.S. I got a massive head cold, so the snorting in the video is not the pugs in the background. That is me. Hot, I know.

33 weeks + a holiday party...

Wonders of wonders! Today marks the start of week 33 for me and lo and behold here I am with an update and pictures - can you even believe it? So we're going to have just skipped over week 32, because apparently pregnancy brain makes me bad at numbers and when I said we'd get caught up at week 32, I really meant week 33. Tomayto -Tomahto, really! Which is exactly how I'm looking these days - ripe, round and ready to bust!

See what I mean, very round these days! All over I might add:) Weeks 31-33 have really been easy save for the symptoms mentioned in my last post - speaking of, do you think I look any bigger?

Overall, I think the biggest thing for me to grapple with at this point is the crazy thought that I'm considered full term in just four weeks. Like a month away. Oh and I'm getting SUPER SUPER excited for my baby shower...which is just TWO weeks away! I remember when dates were being thrown around for it and it seemed like it would take forever for the shower to be here - I mean the shower was in 2012 - A WHOLE other year away;) But here we are just 7 days away from the start of a new year!!!

In the coming weeks there will hopefully be lots of posts on the nursery and thoughts as this whole labor deal gets closer...I cannot tell you the number of unwritten blog posts circulating in my head and I do plan to get them out sooner than later!

Last but not least - more pictures! Ty and I last night at our last holiday party of the season at his work in Dallas - and let me tell you, I'm not complaining about keeping our holiday schedule low-key this year. I wore this same exact outfit and shoes to Sarah's wedding back in September and holy smokes - what a difference those two months have made...I was seriously jamming my chubbed-out feet into my shoes last night. Note to self - TRY on shoes before packing when 8.5 months pregnant! We're in Dallas so I had no alternatives and let's just say the feet did not look pretty last night.

I took an AWESOME (in my opinion) video of the little guy doing his acrobatics yesterday, so I'm hoping to get that posted this week too. Which would really knock my socks off, it's like I blog regularly or something these days! So I'll be in touch soon - hope you're all enjoying the hustle and bustle of the season. Only FIVE more days till Christmas - yay!!!

p.s. Oh my gosh you guys - can it be five days till Christmas and only seven days till the New Year? No, no it cannot. But in pregnant brain it can and does. I hit publish and then re-read my post and started laughing. I'm SO brilliant these days. So for posterity's sake I'm leaving the mathematical error.

Bumpwatch - The Start...

So, as I've been promising for some time now - I will officially start posting REAL "bump" progression photos. Unfortunately, I've gotten off to a rocky start. I took these two weekends ago before we were on our way to a holiday party and just now got around to posting! But at least we're officially making a go of this whole thing...I am going to do my very best to post on a regular schedule from here on out (these will be my famous last words, I just know it!).

So here I am in my 30 week glory - this was taken seriously days after Thanksgiving so there's not that much of a difference. Though I do suspect a bit more of pregnancy face snuck in between the holiday and when these were actually snapped. For those of you who don't know - pregnancy face is when the volume of your lips is only matched by the ratio of your cheeks as compared to your entire face. AKA your face is eating itself alive. Special times, yes?


If you really want to see more of what I'm talking about, you can click on the picture to enlarge on your own screen. Do so at your own risk;)

Other fun symptoms that started around this time include carpal tunnel in my left hand and the feeling like someone took a crow bar to my pelvic bones. I'm sorry if this is too much information on this last part, but I'm having a hard time describing it any other way. But we did find out that the little dear took a growth spurt, because as of yesterday he's estimated to weigh in at 6 pounds and 8 ounces. Just so you know - averages for this point in fetal development would put him closer to a little over four pounds at this time...what can I say? We're just a bunch of overachievers over here! So that growth spurt may explain the recent pain...otherwise we are all (baby included) right on track.

I will try to post a belly shot that will bring us up to date for the 32 week mark after this weekend. Hope you all have a most wonderful weekend!

Thanksgiving 2011...

Ahhh...we made it! I don't know about you all, but the last week was a whirlwind of family, food, and a whole lot of fun - and isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about? This year we were lucky enough to have Ty's brother and his family join us for the festivities and I don't think Margot has ever been so happy in her life to have a perma-friend in our youngest nephew, Carson. He dragged her everywhere and she loved every minute of it!

In addition to the usual crew plus Troy, Tracy, Dylan, and Carson - we also had a new visitor, Joplin, who is Matthew's brand-new puppy and you'll see her in all of the photos below. She's just about the cutest thing ever and she made herself right at home in the mix.

Lastly, I'd like you all to know that hosting Thanksgiving while being 7.5 months pregnant isn't really ALL that bad. And I only had one minor meltdown...not too shabby! As always, I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

First up - the people who made this year so special...

The pups deserved their own spot...note Raleigh's hysterical underbite. About died when I saw this pic!

The setting...

Which was not to be out-done by the amazing meal...Ty made this roasted pork loin w/rosemary that was out of this world!

And lastly, our attempt to grab a nice photo of us as a couple on our last Thanksgiving as "just us." Though, I feel silly even saying that because baby boy is very much with us in all we do and couldn't be more obviously "with me" as I'm looking very pregnant these days:)

So very much to be thankful for! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!!

27 Weeks...The Beginning of the End...

Week 27...the final week before the end of it all...

Now, don't get me wrong - I realize there's still much more to go and that an additional twelve weeks of gestating is nothing to sneeze at. But with just one week left till the third and final trimester it's feeling all very real. Like we've pre-registered for the hospital, birthing classes have finished, and we're moving into the phase of "oh my gosh, by the time X is here, that's only X weeks away from the baby!" And those dates which were once far away, really aren't far away at all. Take for example that come Thanksgiving, we're pretty much ten weeks out from our estimated due date. And Thanksgiving is really - what, like pretty much tomorrow, right? Exactly. How. I. Feel.

So we had a quick check-up on Tuesday and I'm still measuring big - music to any pregnant woman's ears, I assure you. But it looks like I'm catching up to my big ol'uterus which is exactly what I predicted would happen. Just so I don't hold out any details on y'all at the last monthly check-up where I was 23 weeks, I was measuring....wait for it....31 weeks! Yes, amazing. I know. Needless to say, I was really curious this time around as to what I would measure. And wouldn't you know it? I'm still at 31, but that's only 4 away from my official 27 weeks. So, looks like I'm playing catch-up. It's like baby boy took out a payday loan, but it not in cash, in uterus space. He just knew he wanted extra room early:) Fair enough. I don't blame him, I like to be comfortable too....and since he's on track and my fluid levels are right where they should be this is "just how I'm carrying." WHICH speaking of - this is a topic that fascinates me and really could be it's own blog post entirely or book for that matter - just how crazy different each woman can carry in pregnancy. Right?? Or is it just me? Please tell me you find this fascinating too:)

Okay, so on to the other stats of fun.

Feeling - GREAT. Really wonderful. Except for leg cramps. I've had three this entire trimester (one to kick it off!) and then I had two nights in a row last week where I was awakened with them...and crap do those hurt. What makes them so bad is the time it takes for your brain to register what's happening and react. So you writhe around in pain until you realize there's a way to position your foot so that it all goes away. I'm not my smartest at 3 am...so this is a fun time.

Weight gain - PS speaking of smart, I just typed "gane" instead of "gain." That's not even a type-o, that's just ridiculous. AND a perfect example of my brain these days. So anywho...weight gain. Continues to stay on the minimal side, and depending on the day I've gained 8-12 pounds. Seriously, I fluctuate that much depending on my water intake. So, let's call it an even 10.

What I'm loving right now - all his movement. It's super cute. I can't get enough of it. The other morning he was really close to my stomach (duh, I know this sounds obvious...but there are times where he feels like he's towards the front of my stomach and others where he's totally hiding out towards my back), so anyways on this particular morning he was close to my stomach so I could really make out where exactly he was and could tell that his back and shoulders were right there and I felt him do this little snuggly motion. You could totally tell he was just getting cuddled up and comfy - about broke my heart. Super cute. So yeah, loving all the movements and watching the firework display he puts on nightly when I go to bed with my stomach popping up and rolling every which way.

And last but not least - the belly shot(s) - here ya go! I don't think there's been much change but here I am - all 27 weeks of my 31 week uterus...and yes - more phone pics. But remember - Ty is out of town every week for work thru December 9th. When he's home on Saturday I forget to think "belly shot!"...so this will have to do until I bribe my little sister to take on photo duties!

Moving along...

So, if you recall in my last post, I shared that my doctor had requested another ultrasound because 1. the little guy refused to move at the 20 week appointment so we didn't have all his heart measurements and 2. because I was measuring big at my last appointment. Today was the big day and I'm happy to report we're all moving just as we should be! Not only is Little Dear measuring on track (albeit on the bigger side of normal), my fluid levels were also just right, which means if I am measuring big it's just the way I'm carrying and nothing else! Woo-hoo!

Now for the fun part, we got some cute shots of the guy this time around and while they still look a bit alien-esque I think it's pretty easy to make out what you're looking at, so I thought I'd share...

He's got his big hand up by his face in this next shot, but you can still make out most of his face...

And speaking of moving along, in the last few days Little Dear has REALLY kicked it up a notch with his movements where you can see my stomach visibly moving all over the place. It's amazing and I can't get enough of it. He's most active at night around 8-10 and he really puts on quite the show and Ty was able to see and feel all of it last night. SO FUN!

Alright, so that's the news for now...just a few more weeks till we're in the home stretch known as the third trimester...

Six Months...Too Legit to Quit!

So, here we are - over six months in! I don't know why, but in my head I'm legit now. Too legit to quit. Like now, I'm REALLY pregnant. These past five months, they were pretend but now - now it's for reals. I don't know why, but for some reason in my head that's how it works:)

The Little Dear's bedding arrived this week, and last week the final prints we bought for his room arrived, all the pieces are slowly but surely coming together. I think this weekend we're off to get fabric for the rocker/glider - I'm using a vintage chair my mom has had for years that is just perfect. Save for the fact that it's maroon:) It should come as no surprise that putting together the nursery has been my favorite part thus far, it's the one thing that feels tangible and I can actually SEE the progress happening, vs. what's happening in my stomach which often times feels like I'm partaking in a science experiment on my own body. It's hard to connect the dots that my growing stomach equals a baby in my arms in just three plus months. But when I sit in his room, as I often do, and rock in the rocker I can see and picture him here and that makes me the most excited of all:)

Okay - so to the nitty gritty - six months in and how am I feeling? Pretty darn good! I have to say that I'm still sleeping through the night wonderfully (I know this will change soon enough...), the way I'm carrying has alleviated any hip/pelvic pain for the moment since the majority of my weight is front and center and HIGH. And I mean high, folks. My uterus starts on top of my ribs. I feel like I have accomplished something amazing and must have the world's longest uterus on the world's shortest torso - magic!

At the last appointment the doctor said I'm measuring big - which seems crazy to me because I'm not poking out as far as so many other people I know have - so when we have the ultrasound next week to get the rest of his heart (if you remember he wasn't willing to move at the last ultrasound, apparently he's stubborn) we'll also be looking to see if he's bigger than average. Now, I think these "measurements" they've come up with as guidelines are a bunch of phooey for the most part. Big baby, small baby, whatever - as long as he's healthy in there, I don't care:)

Depending on the time of day I weigh myself, I've gained 8-10 pounds so far...so again, this leaves me confused as to how I'm measuring big when I'm gaining on the conservative end of things. But see above where I said this is all one big science experiment - I've decided there is no rhyme or reason to what a woman's body does in each pregnancy so just go with it!

And now for pictures, I KNOW I said no more phone pics, but Ty is starting a six week traveling stint and family was also out of town this week which left me with no one to snap pictures. AND I'm really determined to start updating more often since we're nearing the third trimester and this is when so much starts changing...so you'll have to settle for more phone snapshots! BUT I did jazz them up a little:)

Alright - that's the update for now!!! Hope you all have a beautiful weekend ahead!

Update and plans...

Hey there!

So yeah, it's the last day of September I managed to skip an entire month of blogging. Oops. Rather than list all the reasons that kept me away, I'll just jump into the update:

Things are great! I'm feeling really good and at most times don't feel pregnant - that is till I catch myself in a mirror or feel the little dear (ps that's our nickname for him right now, that and fat kid) try to make an escape for it out the side of my right ribs. Neato! Honestly, it really cracks me up - he's done it way more than once and it's always the right side. He's convinced that's the exit and he kind of just propels himself up right towards under my ribs and tries to keep moving forward. The first time it happened I pushed back and am pretty sure I felt his little head, SO crazy! So let's all start praying the kid learns a sense of direction and come four months from now realizes ribs do not equal exit:)

We had our big ultrasound (anatomy scan) last week and he was still very much a he - so no doubts there:) And he is as healthy as can be - praise God! We have to have another one because the stinker was sleeping and wouldn't move to get some of the final heart measurements they need, but the sonographer said everything she could see looked perfect, but they'll have to have us in regardless to make sure they can complete "their checklist." So keep praying that the next time we go in all will continue to be well! As for how he's doing - apparently he's already showing that he's bigger than average and at the time he was already over ten inches and a little over a pound - that's our fat kid:) He also gave us a thumbs up which was pretty funny:) See below:

We had held off on any MAJOR nursery plans till we got the second ultrasound to confirm that he is still a boy:) So now plans are in full swing - and oh boy, are we having fun! I can't wait to show you guys the final product but right now here's a bit of inspiration of where we're headed:

And yes, I discovered Piknik. Between Piknik and Pinterest planning will have never been so much fun!

More pictures to come, including belly shots that aren't taken with my phone:)

Meet...

Our son!!!! That's right, it's a boy!!!

Place Your Bets...

Hey there- so yeah, I needed to update and I really wanted to include a "real" belly shot, but apparently this will be the pregnancy that was captured on my phone and not on camera. I really DO plan to fix that soon, but in the meantime pics snapped on the fly with my phone will have to suffice.

In light of the gender reveal (hopefully!) in less than one week (holy cow, can't believe it!), I'm doing the good ol' 21 old wives tales and sharing my results. If you remember, I sent this to Kelley when she was pregnant with Nolan and she documented her answers in a post here. So here's my take on the whole thang:

Sleep Position - Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you’ll have a boy. Right side? You’re pregnant with a girl.
GIRL – I have to force myself to fall asleep on my left side – and pretty naturally fall to my right. And I KNOW they say not to sleep on your stomach (duh, that's not comfortable anymore) or to lay on your
back, but sometimes if I can't fall asleep I find myself sleeping on my back.

Upset Stomach - Little girls aren’t always sweet. Extreme nausea means you are having a daughter.
GIRL- delightfully nauseated from 3.5 - roughly 12.5. I've been better since 13, SO MUCH BETTER, but I wouldn't say my stomach has been back to normal by any means. But I will take how I'm feeling these days without a complaint!!

Soft or Dry Hands - If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft—expect a girl.
GIRL - my hands are really soft. THOUGH I did get Melasma on my hands (the"mask") thankfully not on my face, but on the back of my hands. So I've been rubbing Bio Oil on my hands quite liberally (which, seems to be helping a lot!), so who knows if that's it. And I drink so much water - isn't that an added perk of hydration?

Food Cravings - Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is. If you’re craving citrus while pregnant, you’re having a girl.
Boy – No citrus cravings, well actually I take that back - maybe it is a GIRL - because I WANT orange juice, orangina, lemonade, etc... like no other. But, oh the acid! What it does to my stomach. Remember the
peeing/throwing up bit I mentioned earlier?? Thank you, orange juice.

Adult Acne - If altering hormones makes your skin break out, expect a girl.
BOY - thank heavens. Excellent skin so far. But I was feeling extra greasy and gross quite early on in the skin department so I went out and bought the poor man's version of the Clarisonic face scrubber dealy – by Olay and I tell you the sky broke and the angels sang hallelujah because that thing is the BEST. I am smitten. My skin loves me for it.

Graceful or Clumsy Pregnancy - If you feel as though you’re gliding through the day, you’ll have a girl. Stumbling? It’s a boy.
Ugh - really? What a dumb "insight." I guess I'm neither? I'll have to go with it's an "it" on this one, because I'm no more graceful or clumsy since finding out I was pregnant.

Face Weight Gain - If your face gets fuller, it means you’re having a girl.
GIRL – All of a sudden my face has exploded. I originally started drafting this last week, and from last week to this week my chin grew a friend and my cheeks feel like they’ve expanded. Delightful!

Sugar and Spice Food Cravings - Craving salt during pregnancy? Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn means a boy is on the way. Need a little something sweet? Ice cream, chocolate, and candy means you’re having a girl.
BOY - I have eaten little to no sweets throughout the pregnancy and don’t really have a craving for them…what do cravings for breakfast tacos mean? Hmmm…

Mood Changes  - If you’re experiencing pregnant mood-swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon.
Okay, this one is hard. Mood swings I’m not having…but pretty much since week 14 I’ve been a bucket of sentimental emotions. When my mom showed up with a picture from the thrift store that had a baby deer and a mommy deer laser cut from a piece of wood, I cried. When we're singing praise songs at church, I cry. When I get a nice text from my little sister, I cry. And it's not sobbing or anything - but the tears...they are just there under the surface at all times. Pretty funny. So what does that mean? I’ll guess I’ll give this one a blank.

High or Low Pregnant Belly - If you’re carrying the baby low on your stomach, expect a boy. If it’s high, you’re having a girl.
BOY–I'm convinced I'm carrying low. BUT the disclaimer here is that other people have remarked I’m carrying low and WIDE…and they think that means girl. But who really knows, right?

Baby Weight - If you’re carrying baby in front, it’s a boy. Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle? It’s a girl.
GIRL – See above, I'm carrying low and wide - yay me! I’m not pregnant, I've just taken beer drinking to a professional level!

Pendulum Test - Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm. If it swings back and forth: boy. In a circle: girl.
GIRL - but I’ve done this with mixed results.
Model Your Hands - “Show me your hands.” If you would hold your hands palms up it’s a girl. Down? You’re having a boy.
HAHAHAHA – really this might be the dumbest one yet. And I knew the outcome, so I just didn’t do this test. We won’t count this one!

Toddler Advice -Get baby advice from a nephew or friend’s little boy. If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you’ll have a girl. If he ignores you, it’s a boy.
Couldn't do this one - boo!

Eat Garlic - Guess the baby’s sex by eating garlic. If the smell seeps out of your pores it’s a boy. If there’s no scent it’s a little girl.
GIRL (at least… I think), maybe I smell worse than I think I do;)?

Key to Pregnancy - If you pick up a key by the round end, you’re having a boy. If it’s by the long end? A girl.
I knew outcome of this too, so no result is fair!
Even and Odd Numbers - If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it’s girl. One even, one odd means a boy.
BOY

Baby’s Heartbeat - If the baby’s heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you’re pregnant with a girl. Less than 150, it’s a boy.
GIRL – 150 at last appointment.

Stress Test - A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.
BOY - This would be Ty - he's always less stressed than I am. It's why I married him...or one reason I did:) So does that mean we’ll only have boys? I better start taking some zen classes so I can improve my chances for at least one girl!
Dream Meanings -If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa.
GIRL – I’ve dreamed only of having a boy. Only two dreams, so I'm no sage by any means. But no girl dreams yet.

Breast Size - If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you are having a girl. If the left is larger, it’s a baby boy.
Why do boobs have to be uneven? Mine are the same…so guess we don’t count this one either.
Drumroll please…..

A Child Called It = 6
It’s a Boy = 5
It’s a Girl = 10

Alright...so now for the comparison pictures, and we'll just let the belly do the talking from here, though there's really not that much of a belly yet...really.

About 11 weeks, blurry and slightly cross-eyed looking and thinking to myself "self-portraits are hard!":

And yesterday morning 16 weeks, conveniently in the same tank top, but looking clearly like I just woke up. So please excuse the mess of leftover mascara and greasy hair. I am HAWT.

Okay so there you have it - place your bets now!! T-minus 6 days till we know:)

A step of faith...

I've been holding out on you all with some big news but have been too scared to let it "be known" till now...and now as I type it out it freaks me out a WHOLE lot, so here it goes:

We're three months pregnant with a baby due the first week of February!

We saw the baby again this morning for our "12 week" appointment (I'm officially 11 weeks and 5 days), and saw the little one do a little flutter kick and then - no joke - the baby waved to Ty when he got to look at the screen, it was pretty awesome. This baby and its Dad have something really special going on already, very E.T. and Elliot given that Ty was the first one to know I was pregnant. Ty had been telling me for nearly two weeks that I was pregnant, and when I asked him why he thought that all he would say is "I don't know, I just KNOW." Great answer, huh? He was so persistent about it all that I actually broke down and bought a test before my period was even due...and seriously 30 seconds after I took the test it was a VERY clear positive. 

Now, here's the thing, having a baby at any time is a big head-trip. Getting pregnant so close to the miscarriage is a freaky thing. You have to do it if you want to move forward but to tell you the truth, when I saw that positive reading on the pregnancy test I wanted to throw up a little. Looking back on this now, perhaps this was the start of "morning sickness." At the time I figured it was just nerves, you just don't know if you can do it all over again, but you do and it works out. 

And thank heavens for a very supportive husband who never once admonished my question of "Are you praying today for the baby?" EVERY. SINGLE.DAY. And for a very patient mother who let me constantly barrage her with all my negative and scared thoughts. And for a certain friend who was let in on the news early as my prayer partner who never failed to remind me that I was pregnant NOW and that NOW was good. Thank you.

But now, phew! The news is out. And it feels so good....which is the opposite of how I've felt these past couple months. So now to bring you all up to speed:

How I'm feeling: Now, much better (knock on wood.) Weeks 3.5 to 10, pretty miserable. Let's just say there was an instance of me throwing up and peeing my pants at the same time. That was neato! Also, please imagine Margot standing up against the toilet and trying to put her head in the bowl of it as if she was trying to copy what I was doing as I was throwing up. Raleigh was standing there scared in the doorway. We were quite a sight:)

Cravings: Nothing. Ever. I hate most food. Except my precious bowl of cereal. Oh wait, I think I had my first craving this past weekend, I could not stop thinking about a bean and cheese burro, enchilada style from Carolina's in Phoenix. But clearly a burrito that's 2,000 miles away was not about to happen.

Weight gain/showing: No weight gain at all thanks to hatred of food in general. I'm guessing as I start to feel better this will soon be in the past. But I am definitely starting to show a little, nothing much, but I can see the difference.

What else is there that you want to know? I can't think of anything....except the exciting news that we find out if the baby is a boy or girl NEXT month! Woo-hoo. August 24th will be the big reveal if all goes well, any guesses? IF you want to know anything else, ask away and I can do a follow-up post!