Summer Nights

One of our favorite things to do on summer nights is take a dip in the pool. It is especially fun when friends join us. Last night Megan and Riley came over and the kids went for a swim. I don't know how they can stand to stay in for so long but they do. Usually after about 30 minutes...sometimes and hour if we are playing a game, and I am ready to get out. I was actually planning on getting in and trying out my new maternity suit which Kortnee helped me pick out and is actually really cute, but Cat and I got to talking and I never got around to changing. I did take the opportunity tonight to take some pics and got some cute ones! I can't believe how fast they are all growing up...it is scary really!

Here are a few of my favorites:

I can't believe my eyes!

So I am in my office today minding my own business. I hear something loud that sort of sounded like someone had fallen down the stairs. I checked and didn't see anything so I went back to work. A little later my coworker comes in and asks me if I saw the tree next door. She wouldn't even tell me what happened, just said, you have to go look and be sure to walk all the way down the driveway to get the full effect.

OH MY GOSH! This is a huge tree! It looks like someone leaned on it and it just fell over. They have been working on the street and I actually came in from that direction this morning and didn't notice it nor did anyone else so I think it just happened. We had some storms this morning with some high winds but all of that had long passed by the time I heard the thud. My coworker left shortly before that and came back and that is when she noticed it so we think it just happened. I can't imagine what these people will think when they get home. There is a huge pipe in the roots too...hope all the plumbing is OK. I am amazed by how small the whole and roots really are for such a big tree. It is a good thing they aren't working on the street today b/c of the rain b/c someone could have been killed. It is a good thing too it fell how it did b/c it could have caused some really serious damage to that house as well as my boss' house that they just finished remodeling this week!







Isn't that just crazy?!?!

12 Weeks Dr. Appt

Chris and I went for my 12 week appt today. Again, it was amazing! Today we got another sonogram. I just can't believe the huge difference from 8 to 12 weeks. The first one wasn't as close up but I don't think the baby's features had really developed anyway. Today we got a great pic of the profile. Our baby looks a lot less like a lima bean or an alien and a lot more like a real human baby.



We could see our little sprout moving around on the sono. I saw it's arms move a couple times. We did look between it's legs but it is a little early to tell what the sex will be. In the picture, which I have been looking at all day by the way, you can see it's spine, nose and some of the facial features if you look close enough. I am absolutley amazed by this technology! They said we are using 12/23 as my due date but I know when we conceived and I am sticking with 12/21! That could change later though anyway and I measure differently every time.

We got to hear the heartbeat which was in the 160's. It sounded like a helicoptor taking off. They said that all babys have a pretty fast heart beat at this stage and that she could see the wheels turning in my head about the old wives tale but that this wasn't a good one to base it off of. We are both hoping they will be able to tell the sex at our next visit on 7/3 instead of having to wait until 20 weeks. I will be almost 16 weeks by then so there is a chance if we are lucky and the baby cooperates.

It is really starting to settle in that this is real and not something we are dreaming about still. I got past the worrisome 12 week mark and everything checked out really well at the appt today and I am really starting to breath a sigh of relief. Kortnee seems to be more and more receptive of this change. She is a typical 12 year old so I am pleased with her response thus far. Just feeling her out still to make sure she doesn't have any worries or concerns about this life changing event. I know she will be excited to be a big sister and will be the best big sister ever!

I am also starting to get a baby bump. I have been buying a few maternity clothes here and there and looking for good deals on them. Dresses seem to be my favorite this year since skirts just aren't as comfy anymore.

Ped Egg

I got a Ped Egg today. I have been pretty embarassed about my feet since I started wearing sandals months ago. This thing is amazing! If you have been thinking about getting one or thinking you need to do something with your feet, give it a try! I have a tendency to get pretty rough heels and they are significantly smoother now. Just thought I would throw that out there for anyone thinking of getting one!

Swimming with BB...

BB came over a few weeks ago and again this week. Todd and Mara brought me all of Mara's maternity clothes to borrow. I am finally getting to the point that things really aren't fitting anymore so I went through them all this weekend. Mara is much smaller than me so a lot of them didn't fit, but about 1/3 of them will do me many months of good! Thanks Mara!

Anyway, while BB was here a few weeks ago, we dipped her feet and legs in the pool. She seemed to enjoy it.





Then they had to strip her down b/c she managed to get drenched and she ran around in her diaper with every ball she could find throwing them for the dogs. They LOVED it!




So Todd brought her over again for a real swim. She got a booboo on her eye from a mean little boy at the gym daycare. It was hard to tell what she thought of the huge bathub today.





Chris and I both love it when BB comes over and we get to play with her. She is so sweet and a lot of fun.

Another kind of baby....

My mom swore that as soon as she committed to getting new kittens that I would instantly get pregnant. Thanks mom, that was just what we needed. :) My dad went to pick them up today. My mom and Chris sat in the kitchen and talked while Daddy and I played with them. They are so cute and sweet. They are brothers from the same litter and so similar but so very different. The little brown one with the gimpy eye is just a little love bug. You can walk in the room and he starts buzzing so loud that it sounds like a motorcycle revving it's engine. He just seems really tired today...probably from the big day of going to a new home. The black one was very sleepy and didn't really acknowledge anyone at first. I went back in the bathroom to play with them again and the black one actually came to me and toofed me. I joyfully told daddy about his boy that already likes to toof. We got a toy and he got rather spunky. We got him to flat top and he also caught one of the high value toys and growled at it like the dogs do when they fetch a toy they like and shake and kill it. They are so cute when they are babies. I will try to get some pictures of them tomorrow.

The million dollar question...

Everyone has asked me if I am having morning sickness. That is always the first question I ask people when I find out that they are pregnant but this is the first time I have ever been on the receiving end so I had no idea everyone else asks the same thing. It makes sense though.

Fortunately, I am not puking my brains out but some days I feel more like I could. One of my many pregnancy books says that week 9 is when you hormones are at their worst so it isn't suprising to me that I have felt the most queasy this week. I am eating a lot trying to keep it at bay and that seems to really work but sometimes you just can't get full. I have felt sick a lot but luckily I have not thrown up. There are a lot of things I do when I can't get rid of that feeling. Try eating something. Carbs, unfortunately, seem to be the golden ticket for me. I seem to like acidic things like oranges and lemonade and limeade when I am not feeling well as well as carbonated drinks. I am allowed to take extra B6 and I had to resort to it yesterday. It really made a huge difference.

I had a particularly rough day yesterday. I think on top of letting myself get too hungry, I was exhausted from 3 nights worth of commitments this week that put me home after 9PM which has become my new bedtime, and a little added stress at work, I just hit a wall yesterday. Chris and I took a few days off this weekend for Memorial day and I got to sleep in today (thank you Izzy!) as well as take a nice long nap. I am feeling much better. Just really tired all the time.

We had a nice lunch and then looked at some furniture for our bedroom but didn't buy anything. Tonight we had a nice dinner and then came home and watched 27 Dresses which I loved! I think we are going to the cemetary to visit Chris' dad tomorrow. His birthday is this week and we haven't been recently. It is pretty hot here in Texas so I think a dip in the pool will be in order as well!

Counting our blessings

Wow! What an exciting day today has been. Chris and I had our first Dr appt today. We were the first appt of the day and Dr Bradford had a case this morning so she was running late. We went ahead and did all the questions and had bloodwork done. Then we sat for awhile in an exam room. Chris just about drove me crazy trying to push buttons and turn things on and off. He has never been in a room with stirrups and he was quite intrigued. She got there about an hour and a half after our appt and we started. The first thing she did was take me right in to do an ultrasound. Wow! It was so cool and such a relief to see that tiny little heart beating away. It brought a tear to both of our eyes. Then we did the rest of the exam and she went over all of the things I am not allowed to consume and all of the things I should not be doing. So Chris and I started telling people today after the appt. It was been really fun after three weeks of waiting to spill the beans!



I have been thinking about how blessed we are to finally get to have this joy in our life. For two years now we have been trying to get pregnant. It seems like when you are trying, everyone around you who is not trying as well as all of those who are, seem to get pregnant with no effort at all. It is so easy for some people and so hard for others. I knew our day would come and really didn't want to go the fertility route unless it was deemed necessary. I had actually made an appt with the fertility clinic to have everything checked out just two days before that positive test. I really feel like there is a reason that it is happening now and didn't happen before. Chris and I have been together in a relationship for over 9 years now, married for over 3. We have been through good times and bad times together. We have paid for a wedding and bought a house. We have had pets and enjoyed a lot of quality time with Kortnee. Our relationship has endured and grown over the years. It becomes more apparent to me everyday when I act a little bitchy, then appologize and Chris with no thought at all says, "your pregnant, I am just letting those things roll off my back." Never another thought or another mention of it. I couldn't ask for a more considerate, caring and understanding husband. He knows me and understands how out of control my hormones and feelings are. I feel like it means we can enjoy this process together that much more! And, he gets to be my hero each and every day because of it! So I think that we have grown as a couple and are now really ready to be parent's. It is finally our time!

How can it be?

How can it be that I am so RAVENOUSLY hungry all the time? You would think I hadn't eaten in a week. I have tons of really healthy snacks I am eating numerous times daily and I am adding more by the day. At least I haven't gained any weight with all this eating, not even a pound. I am amazed at how fast your body starts sending you cues of what you need. Apparently mine needs lots of cheese. :) And all different kinds to boot.

On another note, last Sunday this cute little puppy was lost in our neighborhood. He kept wandering into our yard and rolling around. Chris is positive it is b/c Izzy was barking at him through the front window so he kept coming back to check her out. She is in fact the cutest thing he had ever laid his eyes on and a feisty little thing too. He was a little bit scared and wouldn't let me pick him up. I went out with some cheese and got him to eat it out of my hand but he would nip at me every time I tried to grab him. Eventually a lady drove by that had also seen him and she got out and tried to capture him with me. We finally got him by bringing Harley out who he tried to befriend in a not so appropriate way. This of course horrifies Chris to every extent of manliness he can think of. The lady took him to an emergency vet clinic who got in contact with the owners vet who got in contact with the owner who was here in town visiting a friend for the week. It turns out, this little dog had been missing since last Wednesday. The lady was very happy to see her pup and had been fearing for the worst. Although both of my dogs have microchips, it just reminds me of how important it is to have identification on your dog. I need to have new tags made for mine b/c Izzy likes to chew Harley's as well as her own. I think I will add my address to the new ones as well. I am just so glad this turned out to be a happy ending for that lady.

And so it begins....

This is officially my first blog. I plan to use this as a tool for my family and friends to check in on me and my family as they would like. Share pictures, funny stories, exciting news...all that hoopla.

Anyway, after almost two years of trying, Chris and I have finally gotten the news we have so long awaited....I am pregnant! We are both absolutely beside ourselves. We found out a week ago today. I am estimating that tomorrow I will be 7 weeks. My first Dr. appt is on May 16th and after that, assuming all goes well and everything checks out, we will most likely start telling more people. As of now, only our parents and a handful of our closest friends know.

With as many negative tests as we have gotten and dissapointments suffered, I waited this time until I had passed the longest cycle I have had since we started trying. I was in total disbelief when I saw that positive result. I called and told Chris and he was also in disbelief. I took two more tests the next morning as well as one more later in the week. It is finally really starting to settle in. :)

I am both excited and nervous about what all will happen in the months to come. It is absolutely amazing to me how fast you actually start to feel pregnant. I was actually feeling pregnant the week before I found out but didn't really realize it. The really obvious things are the exhaustion, the hunger, the queasiness if you let yourself get too hungry, the rush of emotions. Not even 24 hours after we found out, Chris commented to me that he can't believe how much emotion you feel for this little thing that was one just a twinkle in your eye and how fast that emotion takes over your life. I haven't gained any weight with all of this extra eating but I must be bloated b/c by the end of each night, my pants are usually feeling a little tight.

So I have loaded up on healthy snacks to eat regularly throughout the day. I have organic prenatal vitamins that actually make me feel really good and don't have any weird aftertastes. Since I don't drink milk and want to make sure to keep my caffeine intake to a minimum, I have started making myself a latte each morning with mostly frothed milk and some coffee poured in. I am also enjoying plenty of 2% cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt.

Well, I am off to bed.....I'm pregnant and I need my beauty sleep. :)