All I feel lately is grateful. Well.... also tired and bloated and huge and Baby. I feel Baby a lot. But anyways.... I've been reminded many times lately of how blessed I am. 

-Blessed to have a hunk of a husband who works all day long (often times out of town) and rushes home to "feel his son" and talks to him while laying his head on my belly saying things like "We love you" and "We're excited to see you" and sometimes silly things like "Trucks. Dirt. Cars. Sports." so that Baby Boy will come out liking boy things.

-Blessed to start this new journey with him. I'm so excited to begin parenthood, and experiment with trial and error and figure things out along the way together. I feel grateful to have the opportunity to become a mother, especially to a little boy who seems to be growing at a perfect rate and is healthy and strong. It amazes me that of SO many things that could go wrong, it appears that everything is on the right track. Somehow we are creating a human who has 10 fingers and 10 toes and is developing just like he should. It's amazing.

-Blessed to have an amazing job which encourages me to solve problems and increase leadership skills and get to know people with all types of different lifestyles and personalities. I love it. And I'm so grateful that I'm able to continue on with my career even after becoming a mother as I work from home. Seriously, it's such a blessing. 

-Blessed to have such awesome families. Luke and I love both our families so much. I always hear of horror stories of how people can't get along with their in-laws. Gosh, we lucked out. I love Luke's family and he loves mine. So thankful!

Speaking of families... Luke's family came to visit this weekend. Such a blast! All 13 of us were jam-packed in our house and it was perfect. The 3 little kiddos did awesome and were SO much fun to play with.  Connor did great with his volleyball tournaments. And everyone else just had such a great time hanging out. 

To my surprise they had multiple reasons of visiting this weekend. The one reason I knew about was Connor's tournament. The one I did NOT know about was a super-secret-surprise baby shower. I had no idea! I thought nothing of the fact that Chelsea, Jamie, Shaun and the kids left church early to put the kids down for a nap-- a totally normal thing to do when on vacation and the kids are in a new place and need to sleep. I didn't even think anything of it when I walked into the house after church and the first thing I saw was Jamie taking a picture of me as I walked in. Still didn't register until one second later when I saw everyone else lined up yelling "Surprise!" and saw all the blue balloons, cake, candies, adorable airplane streamers... and then it all clicked. 

And so the party began with some delicious tortilla soup which my MIL made. Yum! And then we played some super fun games which included putting a diaper on a balloon in record time, Baby Memory, and baby food taste-testing. Somehow I (the pregnant girl) became the baby food eater while my partner (Luke) was the feeder. We should have thought about that before the game started because I nearly puked after tasting two or three of the baby foods. Poor babies have to eat nasty stuff! 

We got some adorable outfits for Baby Boy, plenty of cuddly blankets, books, and other necessities. Chelsea even reached out to some of my girlfriends from college/ high school and I was able to open some gifts from them too! So thoughtful! How grateful we are for families and friends. Thank you to all who contributed to making it such a special surprise!

And here are some pic updates:

21 weeks

22 weeks

Couldn't get enough of this girl and her silly faces.

So many cute blue decorations!

How cute are these blue airplane streamers?

Diapering the Balloon

I had the best gift assistant :) Love that little guy.

So many cute gifts!

Dear Baby,
Guess what! You're a BOY! I'm so excited that you're a boy. We found out last Monday night, and I have to admit, I was surprised. I was convinced that you were going to be  a girl, I don't know why. But there was no doubting it as the radiologist lady pressed the ultrasound piece onto my tummy and we spent an hour looking at you. It was the most magical hour of my life. I laid in absolutely wonder and amazement as I stared at the screen, watching the little body that is being created inside of my own.

You're a wiggly guy. The lady kept asking you to sit still so we could get a good view of you, but you weren't always compliant. She toured us around and we got snapshots of your tiny hands, little feet, your legs, tummy and face. Silly boy... at one point we watched as you stuck your tongue out at us and then opened your mouth up super wide. What are you doing in there?!

It's crazy how small you are. She estimated you to be 10 oz and about 5 1/2 inches long. It's amazing to think that within the next few months you will go from 10 oz to multiple pounds. You've got some growing to do. I can't imagine what that means for me. I already feel like a balloon just getting bigger and bigger each day, but I've got a lot more growing to do too. And as you grow I can only imagine that means feeling you more and more. I already feel you a lot! You're kicking and squirming in there a lot throughout the day. I don't mind it though. I actually love it. It's an awesome feeling.

Sometimes at nighttime I just lay in bed resting my hand on my tummy in an effort to comfort you, and you'll respond with a punch or a kick to let me know you're still there. And on lazy Saturday mornings or days off work like today I just lay in bed waiting for you to let me know you're ready for the day. After feeling a few kicks and punches, I'm ready for the day too. You and me are going to be buddies, I can tell. 

Daddy's been gone the majority of the past week, and he won't be back until the end of this week. He's only felt you kick once or twice, and they were so small he questioned whether it was you or if it was my breathing or heartbeat. By the time he comes home maybe you'll be a little bigger and he'll be able to feel you for sure.

I wonder what you'll look like. I sure hope you have your daddy's sparkling blue eyes. His eyes are my favorite. Then again I suppose I would be fine if you got my brown eyes. I bet you'll be tall and skinny like your mom and dad. I hope you'll like to play catch with daddy, and play cars and get dirty; play sports, ride your bike, play Cowboys and Indians; be an example to your younger siblings one day; be a Mama's boy; grow to be a man just like your father.

He and I are excited to have you in our family. We're getting your room all ready for you, and preparing to make our house a place you will feel safe and loved. We want to be good parents, and raise you to do the right things.

I'm scared as heck to bring you into this world in the state it's in. It's scary. I'm nervous that I won't prepare you well enough on how to grow up in this world. I'm scared that I'll fail, that I won't be good enough, or that I'll let you down. I'm not perfect. But I'm going to try to be the best Mom that I can... to teach you, to help you, to love you.

We haven't met you yet, but Mommy and Daddy already love you so. 

This was right after we found out we're having a boy :)

I think this shot is so precious of him crossing his legs. Such a cute little guy. 

Lookin' humongous right after our ultrasound. 

 19 weeks 

 19 weeks.

Progress

Feeling something move and kick inside of you is such a magical feeling. I started feeling Baby move last Tuesday, and I've felt it every day since. I get so excited each time. It feels like a little tiny poke from inside my tummy. I know Baby must be super tiny in there, but it's amazing to know how much it's grown and how much it continues to grow on a weekly basis.  Each week feels like such an accomplishment as I read about all the changes that are happening in there each week! It's incredible to know that something I helped create is living inside of me, and soon I'll be able to meet him/her and shower it with love and kisses. 

This upcoming Monday is a big day! We will find out the gender at our ultrasound appointment on Monday at 6pm. I can't wait! I'm so excited to stop saying "it" or "him/her"!  I can't wait to start shopping for clothes and accessories, decorating the nursery. It's all so exciting. 

Other than a little spout of sickness the other night, I have felt fantastic lately. It's a shame to find that I can't eat one of my all time favorite foods-- pasta. I thought I left all that behind me in the first trimester but twice now I've gotten sick after eating pasta. Boo!

Still no cravings for me. I sleep like a champ, and would almost always rather be sleeping than doing anything else. Just kidding. But I am tired a lot. I have to run to the bathroom what seems like every 4 seconds. Even if I just went to the bathroom 1/2 hour ago, I magically have to go again. I suppose the fact that I'm drinking water like it's going out of style has something to do with that.  I haven't found that my eating habits have changed a whole lot. Most things that you're told to avoid during pregnancy I didn't eat too much of in the first place so it hasn't been too hard to adjust my eating habits. Except for the whole pasta thing, which makes me sad. Certain smells make me want to gag... I have to drive with the air circulating in the car instead of circulating in fresh air because I hate the smell of fast food. Also chicken grosses me out, but it kind of did before pregnancy too.

Anyways, I haven't posted very many pics so I thought I would document what I've got leading up to this point. I try to take one weekly but sometimes that doesn't happen. 

2 days after we found out

 in Hawaii. 4 weeks

also in Hawaii. 4 weeks

 Ultrasound at 6.5 weeks

 10 weeks

 

Nasty pic award! Almost 11 weeks

13 weeks

 14 weeks

 15 weeks

 16 weeks

 17 weeks

 18 weeks

 18 weeks

Pregnancy So Far...

 It didn't start the way I had envisioned. Let me explain. Every month for the past 3 1/2 years I've thought I was pregnant. If I was like a day late, I thought I was pregnant. Even if it was impossible for me to have gotten pregnant that month and I knew it, I still thought in the back of my mind that maybe I was pregnant. I'm kind of psycho. So when we actually started "trying", I was even more convinced every day that I was pregnant. And I had it all planned out in my mind how I would tell Luke in some cute, creative way once we became pregnant, and we would embrace and it would be such a magical moment.

So I took test after test and they were all negative. I say that and make it sound like we had been trying forever. False. I found out we were pregnant like 2 weeks into trying, which is basically the soonest you can find out. Which means I'm pretty sure our first or second "try" did the trick.

Anyways.... so one night Luke and I were watching a movie. Mid-movie I had to go to the bathroom so I ran upstairs and thought, "Hey I'm here, why not take a test?". So I did. I waited around long enough to see the one pink line appear. Disappointed, I left the test on the top of the toilet just in case, and ran back downstairs to finish the movie. I fell asleep during the movie and when it finished Luke carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed. I must have woken up as he was brushing his teeth because suddenly I remembered the test and bolted to the bathroom. I expected to see the same one pink line, but got excited anyways. I grabbed it, took one look, and kind of freaked out. Wait... so it worked? Is this real? I had half expected us to have trouble getting pregnant and now all the sudden I see two pink lines!?! And so there I stood in the bathroom screaming to Luke that there's two lines, half excited, half scared out of my mind. And so we hugged in the bathroom for a bit, laid down in bed and talked in the dark for a while about what the heck just happened! Of course we were excited! Just all the shock and sense of responsibility came over us as we realized that this meant we would be PARENTS! And responsible for a little person's life! Ah! And so that's how I told Luke. All my cute plans went out the window.

So the very next day my two younger brothers and sister came down to visit. I wanted to say something but couldn't! So we acted normal and the weekend passed without any suspicion from them.... even when I forced them to eat breakfast on Fast Sunday so they wouldn't suspect anything by the fact that I had to eat. 

Then the next week we left for Hawaii! I was nervous that I would be sick and not able to enjoy the trip. Wrong. I felt nauseous sometimes, mostly in the morning. I had to eat something immediately or else I felt sick. But once I ate, I was good to go. We had SOO much fun. It was just Luke and I. And with the new knowledge that someone would be joining our crew in a few months, it made it that much more special to just enjoy the time we had together. And so we did. 10 days of pure bliss.

The day after we returned, we headed to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving with the Stephensons. They tell us now that they had expected us to announce something over that weekend. But again, we were hush- hush and it was hard!! I would slip in a few pregnancy or child-care questions to my SIL's... maybe they noticed that maybe they didn't ;) but I've been trying to glean from other people's experiences and learn what to expect, what works, what doesn't, etc. Thanksgiving was great! And luckily I wasn't sick at all!

The day after we returned from Las Vegas, Luke left for Dallas for an entire month! It was also the day of my very first Dr's appt. I was bummed he couldn't be there. I laid on the table watching as the doctor pulled up my little baby on the screen and I saw his/her heart flutter. It looked like a little bean, and I loved that little bean. And I wished Luke could have been there to see our bean. I took a video and sent it to him, but it wasn't the same.

The doctor said I was measuring 6 weeks 5 days... much further behind the 10 weeks the guy on the phone estimated me to be at when I called to make the appointment and gave him my LMP. I wasn't surprised when I heard how far behind I was. I knew I was much less than 10 weeks, and I tried to tell the guy on the phone that but he convinced me to see the Dr. anyways. I didn't complain, and was happy to get in as soon as possible.

After my appointment I was on cloud nine, and wanted to tell everyone! It was so hard not to, especially when I was home alone for a month. Especially when I was throwing up, or feeling nauseous, or had no appetite. Especially when my family would call to check in on me and see how I was doing and I had to lie and say I was feeling great when secretly I had just thrown up. That was hard.

And then somehow, just when I thought I would never reach the end of the month, it came. And Luke came home. And it was the best feeling ever to pick him up from the airport and see him again after what seemed like forever.  And it suddenly made everything better, and I've hardly been sick since. And then we jumped in the car and drove to Clovis to spend Christmas with my family. And then we broke the news to them while taking family photos. And then we had to wait almost a WHOLE month before telling the Stephenson's because we wanted to tell them in person and we wouldn't see them for a few weeks. So we kept our mouths shut again and finally told them a few weekends ago. And then we told everyone else. And everyone keeps saying that they already knew. How did everyone know!? I mean, my tummy looks a little bigger, but come on...  big enough for everyone to "know"?

Anyways... That's that on pregnancy so far. Aside from the month of December, it's been a breeze. And even then, December wasn't that bad. I'm pretty sure I can consider this pregnancy easy compared to what others go through. And I'm grateful for that. And I'm grateful for all the love and support and excitement we've felt from our friends, family, and co-workers. We're so excited for this journey and next phase of our lives. 

Just A Quick Update

How is it seriously October already? I feel like summer just began and now it's fall?!? Goes to show how busy we've been. We hardly took advantage of this summer..... 

Here's a little bit of what we've been up to:

 

 

 

1) I've painted the downstairs bathroom. The blue tape will be replaced with a chair rail. We bought and painted the wood for the chair rail, but haven't put it up yet. That'll be the next project. 

2) We planted some grass! This was our first patch that sprouted. This pic was taken a few months ago, and our yard is now almost fully grown in.

3) How adorable is this babe? We celebrated the birth of baby Oakden from across the country. So sad we're so far apart and I can't kiss those little cheekies. Can't wait to actually meet him at Christmas time! Those Oakdens make some cute babies.

4) We celebrated the 27th birthday of my very handsome husband. So grateful to have such a loving, funny, handsome man by my side.  He makes me smile :) Happy 27th, babe.

5) We started our final "big" project in the house. We're putting up wainscoting in our front living and dining room. I've been looking forward to doing this since before we moved in. I've had a vision for these rooms, and it's slowly starting to come together. First we got the furniture, now we're starting wainscoting, next I can paint it white, and then I can begin decorating the rooms :) Thanks to the Stephensons for their enormous amount of help!

Oh it's going to look so good. I can't wait. 

6) Lastly, so excited for Moe to come home this Friday! Can't wait to meet him at the airport in just 2 days! Well done on a faithful mission, brother.