Heartbeat at Home!!

Just a little additional note...According to the header above, only 12 weeks left! That's a crazy thought. I know it works out to be almost 3 months, but 12 weeks seems so short. I've got a lot to get done between now and then.
So far, Jaxon has been a pretty mellow baby; meaning that he doesn't move around a whole lot. It frightens me at times- it's hard not to worry when I can't see what's going on. All I have is feeling. So yesterday in a moment of near panic, I broke out the prenatal heartbeat monitor April loaned me. It says it's to be used in the third trimester and since I only have a few days to go before I'm considered 3rd trimester I thought what the heck. And it works great! I could hear him moving around and once I started using it Jax came to life. I don't think he liked the monitor too much, he kept kicking at it. It was fun to kinda be playing with him! And then I even found his heartbeat and Eric got to listen to him. April had told me a friend of hers (who actually is the owner of the monitor) didn't really like the gadget so I didn't have real high hopes for it, but with a lot of patience I really liked it. I think I'm going to get it out right now. Have a good night!

Operation Nursery Prep-Part II

It has been a long couple of days!! On Saturday, April and I attend a Women's Christmas Tea at church and after that she and Kieran(her 6 yr old son) came over to help with the nursery paint. I was hoping to salvage the linen technique that my mom had done, but then I just went with EASY. I really liked the orange, but I had to admit Eric was right and orange made the room feel really dark. So we compromised and opted for plan B-Yellow. I actually hadn't been considering yellow, but ended up loving the color. It is bright and cheery, perfect for a nursery.
Today, Eric and I officially went through membership at church and attended a members luncheon. It was nice getting to know others at church. It's funny but no one seems to notice that I'm pregnant. That can't be good! I probably look like I need to lay off the chocolate cake!! And yesterday at the Tea, I actually got passed over for a girl in line behind me who is and looks pregnant; she was asked if she wanted to step ahead in the restroom line. Too funny! I'm ready to pop- any time now!!
Ok, so back on track...After lunch at church, April and Kieran came over again to help finish the touch ups in the nursery. And bless her heart, she completed the green wall in my living room. That was a project I started over Memorial Day weekend and never got back to putting on a second coat. The wall looks soooooooo much better! Thank you April!
Jaxon has already had a lot of help getting his room ready. We love, Nana, Aunt Kelsey, April and Kieran!
Tomorrow, we are going to have to rent a truck from Home Depot; Jax's crib is in and it is too big to fit in the Escalade. As exciting and fun as it is to put together his nursery it sure has become quite the project. I can't wait to have it finished.

Operation Nursery Prep

I'm sorry, it's been a week since I've made a post. The past week has been kinda crazy (when is a week not crazy for me??). So my mom and sister, Kelsey, came up to visit for a long weekend. It was awesome having them here. They were a big help! We cleared out, what is soon to be Jaxon's room, and began painting.
I chose a tan color for three walls and an orange linen faux paint for the fourth wall. Unfortunately, the faux wall didn't turn out so well. The instructions weren't clear and we ended up with dark splotches all over the wall. I am hoping I can salvage it because I really like the technique. It really looks like linen on the wall!
Anyway, it was a great kick-off to begin preparation for little Jax. The room is cleared, the closet is empty, and the room is being transformed. I'm ready to order his bed and bedding and get that set-up. There is still a lot to do!
On another note, I decided today that I am looking forward to Jaxon's homecoming. Obviously for more than one reason, but my reason today is... I'll be stuck at home! I'm looking forward to that time. Last week, I was only home one night and that night I was cooking for our office Thanksgiving party. It was a fun time, but I am ready to stay home for a change. (Make sure and remind me of this later!)

Oh My Gosh!!

How do people, mainly I mean women, do this?? I am starting to get all these consuming emotional thoughts racing through my mind. I'm not going to be prepared! I'm totally unplanned! Only 4 months left!!!!! When will I ever find time to complete a nursery? How will I know what I need, there are sooo many different options? How does one breast feed and continue to work? Should I stay home and for how long? If I continue to work, will I not bond properly with my baby? Will my baby not bond properly with me? Will I be making him sacrifice too much? Will I miss out on all his milestones: sitting up, crawling, walking, talking.
If I allow myself to continue we'll be here all night; but I think I've made my point. There is so much to do and just when I think I still have plenty of time- I realize I don't!! The first half of this pregnancy is already over and before long I'll be holding little Jaxon in my arms. Even though babies need nothing but love and care, I'm totally freaking out! I even asked my mom to fly up next weekend and help me prepare. I feel completely lost and I don't even have this little guy yet. Oh my gosh!!

I'm in LOVE!!

With my crib bedding. I absolutely love it. It is adorable, soft, and cuddly. I can't wait to get the whole ensemble and set up the our little guy's room. I actually only ordered a curtain panel, since I can only get this set online I wanted to be safe. I had read reviews that said it was the best of quality and a lot better than anyone expected, but again I couldn't see for myself so I was a little skeptical.
Well, I received the curtain panel and I am amazed. It is even better than I had expected, even after reading the reviews. The construction and quality are fabulous and the design is so cute. It is made up of various textures, like soft corduroy, baby fuzz, and regular cotton. It has a modern flare with straight lines and circles, yet it is still baby cute. I bought the curtain because, not only was it a small piece, but it had all the textures that the bedding has. Oh, and I did, or am going to be buying, the set I posted about in my Nursery ideas post. It's called NoJo Jungle Tales. To say the least, I am very impressed!

Trying to Catch up...

Ok, so I've kinda slacked on the pictures. I thought I had taken more but actually I only took a picture at 19 weeks and then nothing for weeks 20 & 21. So tomorrow I'll have a picture for week 22. Tonight I went ahead and posted week 19's picture. I can tell I'm starting to show quite a bit.
This little guy has been very active the past two days; especially in the morning around 9am. He is growing stronger and stronger. It's an awesome crazy feeling!! Very surreal.

October Blizzard

Yesterday, I posted about how I was finally coming to terms with Summer being over; and then what happens today?? IT SNOWS!! Yes, you heard me... we had major flurries today. It looked like a blizzard outside! Fortunately, it did not stick.
However, it did make me realize how I am not looking forward to being pregnant in the winter.

Things I Miss

There a few things I miss, now that I'm pregnant. But I have to say I don't feel totally deprived; well, that is until a bottle of wine is opened.

So here is my list:
1. cold turkey, ham, roast beef (due to bacteria)
2. salami w/ cheese and crackers (only b/c Eric's been eating this & I can't have any)
3. Caffine, especially now that Starbuck's pumpkin lattes are in season (I do spluge once a week or so and allow myself a caffine treat)
4. Blue cheese & ceasar dressing
5. Cookie dough or licking cake batter spoons
6. the occasional alcoholic beverage, especially wine and martini's (although non-alcoholic drinks make me feel special)

That's all I can think of right now. If I come up with anymore, I'll let you know.

Chillin' All Alone

Today I spent the day with myself. A rare thing for me to do. Usually, Eric is here or we're spending time with friends. This morning, at 3am, I got up to take Eric to the airport. He is in L.A. for the week. So I've had the day to myself. I have to admitt it does get lonely without him here and I will be more than ready for him to return next Sunday.
Right now Mylie and I have taken over the big bed. She is sprawled out on Eric's side and would love to have his pillow too, but I stole that!! Jaxon's made his presence known too. Earlier he was wiggling away, but now he's probably asleep.
And man is it cold here! It is windy and below freezing, 28 degrees to be exact. We even have a slight chance for snow. Just when you come to terms with Summer being gone for good, Fall has faded away and Winter is beating the door down. Brrrrrrrr!!

Finally a late night!!

It is after 11pm and I am still awake. I can't believe it! I'm going to make this positng short b/c I need to get to bed so I'll feel this good tomorrow too. I've been so tired lately, which is my reason for being so behind on this blog. I haven't posted a picture in some time. I've taken the pics for the past weeks; I just need to get them online.
Eric and I had a long weekend, we spent Friday night and Saturday morning attending classes for church membership and then Saturday night with April and Aaron shopping and eating crablegs (which were fantastic!!). So by Sunday, after church, I was drained. I ended up laying in bed for the entire day. And yesterday, I was still trying to recoupe.
Finally tonight I had some energy. I actually made dinner, cupcakes, cleaned, and did some laundry. It was one of the most productive nights I've had in weeks. I even had enough energy to post a little something.
Well, good night. I'm off to bed!!

Nursery Ideas

I'm pretty sure I've picked out a crib and bedding. Below are the links. Let me know what you think.


Bedding: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3155401


Crib: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012775&clickid=body_rv_txt

Sorry, I can't figure out how to make these direct links, so if you want to view them, you'll have to copy and paste them into your web browser.

Just a quick Note...

I'm pretty sure, while I was just sitting here, I felt a little thump with my hand. Movements always happen so fast, it's sometimes hard to tell what I felt. And usually Jaxon won't make the same move again. But he is becoming more active each day and if I don't feel him often I start getting nervous. :)

It's a Boy!!!!!

We are having a son!! How exciting is that??? It's not every day you find out you're having a little boy. We had the ultrasound last Friday, the day after our 4th anniversary.

After the technician was done making her big announcement, Eric asked her, "Are you for sure it's a boy, how can you tell??" And she answered back, "Well, usually girls don't have penises!!". It was hillarious!

I have to admit that I was very wrong. I was positive the baby was a girl. I would have bet money on it. But we are so very excited to have a boy and welcome our little Jaxon into the world.

Dancing Ants & Songs in My Head!!

On Tuesday, 9/30, I started feeling "ants dancing" on my belly. It felt like little bugs moving or a light tickel across my lower stomach. I think I texted or IM'd just about every mother I know to see if it was the baby. I got a 100% response that "Yes that is the baby". It wasn't exactly what I expected, and I think I'm still waiting for that first real kick, but it was exactly what everyone said I would feel. It was amazing to know I felt the baby! And actually, I've been feeling little bubbles of movement ever since Tuesday. I think I'm getting better at recognizing the feeling.

Yesterday, 10/01, I woke up with Michael W. Smith's song, Above All, in my head. I was singing it all day. Then I realized last week I woke up singing Phil Collin's song, Against All Odds. Phil Collins of all people. I never listen to him or to 70's light mix. I have no idea why I wake up singing these songs. I'll let you know if I start singing anymore.

A Bare Belly Photo

I thought I would add a shot of my bare belly. This might happen more often, as my tummy grows- who knows?

From Baby Belly

Feeling Prego!!

Ok, I'm going to make this short. I am quickly running out of steam. It's after 10 o'clock, an hour past my new usual bedtime. Anyway, as the title suggest, I am totally feeling pregnant this week. I took my 17 week picture today and I think I can tell a huge difference from last week. All of my regular clothes are no longer fitting, but I'm trying not to wear the maternity clothes if I can help it. I have started wearing some, but I'm trying to limit that, since, they're still a bit too big. My belly is starting to noticeably stick out; even people at work are beginning to comment on my little belly. Eric said this morning that I'm getting a baby belly. He lovingly calls me "Baby Mama"!!

Two more weeks until we find out what our little baby is! And three more weeks until we reach the half way point. Wow, how time flys. Before you know it we'll be welcoming our little bundle of joy into the world (now there's a scary thought!).

16 Week Appointment

This morning I went in for my 16 week appointment. For right now, I get to go to the doctor every four weeks. Today's appointment may seem pretty uneventful, but I was really anxious for today to arrive. Even though nothing has changed, I was getting anxious to hear his/her little heartbeat again. Just hearing that sound makes me feel better and reassured that our baby is growing strong and doing well.

Today the heartbeat was much louder and stronger than it was four weeks ago. It's amazing to hear our baby's heartbeat. Especially since I don't feel much different than I did three months ago; except for my ever expanding waist line, of course!

So far, I haven't felt any baby movement, so it's hard to believe or even imagine that's there is really a baby growing inside me. A 4 and 1/2 inch baby at that! It almost seems like a crazy thought, but it is reality. For once it makes me feel good to not fit in my clothes (for the moment atleast). And I love hearing those rapid beats-there is nothing else like it.

In three weeks, on October 10th (the day after our 4th anniversary), we are scheduled for our 2nd ultrasound. Hopefully, we will find out if we our having a boy or a girl. And just for the record, I think our baby is a girl. But if it is a boy, I will be just as happy (plus we already have a boy name picked out).

P.S. Check out the new pics on my Belly Show. Not much has changed, but it's fun anyway.

New Waredrobe

Well, I've finally upgraded my waredrobe. My regular clothes are too snug to fasten and for a month or so I've been doing the rubberband trick. However, the days are numbered and at some point, I'm sure, this will no longer work. I've purchased a few maternity items and have been wearing a few pieces for the past two weeks. Mainly for comfort because they're still a bit too big, meaning I'm not filling them out properly.

While I was in Joplin, I went shopping at Motherhood with my mom and mother-in-law. I tried on the fake belly so I could see how I will look at six months. It was a huge transformation!! I really liked the store. It was very fashionable.

My friend, April, also gave me two totes full of maternity clothes. I still need to go through those. I'm sure I will have plenty of clothes to wear between those totes and my purchases.

I'll have to take some pictures, once I'm a little "rounder", to show off my new waredrobe. It's all about comfort from here on out!!

Spilling the Beans

I have to say I am terrible at keeping up with this thing. I plan everyday to add something to the site, but I get extremely tired at 9:00pm. It's like I hit a brick wall. I'm lying in bed right now, making myself add something, because I really want to share but I'm always so darn tired. And it's Thursday, which means the weekend is here and most likely I won't have another opportunity to post.

As most of you know, over Labor Day weekend (the holiday seemed appropriate, if you know what I mean) Eric and I went back to Joplin to share our surprising news. We are having a baby!! We waited 13 1/2 weeks to tell almost all our family and friends. It was really truly hard to keep such a big secret, but we really wanted to see everyones faces when we spilled the beans. And let me tell you, it was worth every second.

I had had an ultrasound at 10 weeks, so I made enlarged copies of the photo and placed them into frames for my mom and Eric's mom. At the Labor Day cookout my mom had, we had both our moms open their "gifts" together. It was awesome having them find out and react to the news together. My mom gasps and then started crying; and Margie (Eric's mom) said, "Are you really" and started crying. Then the whole room knew and we were overwhelmed by hugs and words of congrats. My friend Amber was the first one to give me a hug (I think she might even be more excited than I am). And both Ashley and Jared were surprised they didn't know, since we had seen both of them over the summer. All in all, it was a great way for everyone to find out.

Unfortunately, my dad had to work and couldn't make the cookout. And Eric's dad lives in KC and wasn't able to come down either. So we had to tell them separately. We told my dad, the same way as our moms, by giving him a frame to unwrap. He was surprised and happy for us. However, Eric's dad was a little hard to read; he seemed to be nonchalant about the whole thing.

Well, I will try to keep this blog up-to-date and at least post once a week. Also, I have more pictures to post. I haven't taken pictures since 12 weeks and now I'm 15 weeks (officially in the 2nd trimester), so I will post another picture over the weekend. Alright, I am zapped for the night and I am going to bed. Night.

The Sound of Life

Since I've had bronchitis, I'm a little behind on my postings and pics, but now I'm finally feeling much better.

Last week Eric and I had the very exciting opportunity to hear out little baby's heartbeat. It was just as amazing as seeing the ultrasound! I was so relieved to hear his/her strong little beat. Even though I had seen him/her and had picture proof it was still incredible to hear that there is actually life in there.

Because there's not much going on with me, except some minor changes, it's been hard to believe there's a little baby growing every day. Also, we've made it past the 12th week so I'm hoping it's smooth sailing from here! I'm finally able to stay awake past 9pm, that in it's self is a miracle.

Next week, you'll all get to hear how our family and friends took the news. Can't wait to share!

First Ultrasound

We had our first ultrasound almost 2 weeks ago. I was amazing! The baby is so tiny, but you could watch s/he moving around. S/he was wiggling her little legs and arms, it was really fascinating.

We got three pictures. Only one picture gives a vivid baby image (that's the one I posted).

We should get another ultrasound somewhere around 18-22 weeks. I can't wait, because that's when we hopefully find out what we're having. I am so excited to find out, so I can start planning the nursery.

Finding Out

As you can imagine we were pretty stunned, to say the least. I still don't think it's set in yet. At first we weren't sure it was real. I took the home test and then got confirmation with a blood test from the hospital lab. Apparently you can have a false negative test, but almost never have a false positive. This wasn't something we had planned, but I think we will be awesome parents. It just goes to show you, you may have your entire life planned out but sometimes your plans don't align with God's.

We decided when we found out that we wanted to wait and not tell anyone until we could see them in person. I don't know about Eric, but this has been torturous for me. This is something you want to tell your Mom right away, but I am staying "strong" and keeping my mouth shut. My sister, Ashley, was up here on vacation for a few days and I had to keep my mouth shut then too. And while Eric's brother, Jared, was here over the summer we didn't tell him either because we didn't want there to be any way people could find out before we told them. Sorry Jared and Ashley!

The wait is almost over. We'll be seeing you guys in two weeks. And by the time you read this we'll have already seen you!

Welcome to Our Baby Blog

Well, I've started a hand-written journal, but I wanted to be able to share our experience with you guys (all of our family and friends). And since, we live 600 or more miles from most of you this will be the best way. My friend Michelle suggested I do this, and I thought it was a great idea. I was going to post on my MySpace page, but I haven't use that thing since I set it up and not everyone has a page.

My intent for this Blog is to keep you updated on how our pregnancy is progressing and to share photos with you. Hopefully, you will all feel as if you are a part of this special experience with us. I'm not going to commit to times for postings, but I hoping to atleast post once a week.

We are excited to share this with all of you!