While Baby Is Sleeping...

Well it's official- Justin and I are parents! As crazy as things have been for the last two weeks, I have been thinking of all that I wanted to say when I finally made it back to my blog. There is so much I am afraid I will forget any day now, so while Little Bit is sleeping I thought I might steal some blog time for Mommy. First things first- I have to share his birth story.

Last night as a pregnant mommy- 38 weeks/6 days

As I shared before, our doctor had already confirmed our little one would be at least 9 lbs at birth and with that in mind had scheduled me for a c-section. In the 2 weeks leading up to the delivery date, I really wasn't all that worried. It wasn't until the day before delivery that I started to stress. I slept in most of the morning. (I was exhausted during that last month.) As busy as I tried to stay, I kept thinking of the countdown that was leading up to the hospital. Suddenly, it wasn't so easy to think of "We're having a baby!". All I could think of was the needles, terrible recovery, and my fear of unfriendly/inexperienced nurses. Yeah, the fact I was having major surgery really didn't cross my mind. (This would be where my mom points out how messed up my priorities are at times. :) ) Justin and I went on one final "pre-baby" date and came home to a quiet house one last time. I enjoyed one last "as long as I want it to last" shower and then Justin was sweet enough to paint the toes I hadn't been able to reach in the last 3 months. He fell asleep hard- snoring hard. (He NEVER snores.) I woke up a handful times to visit the bathroom and each time I hated the clock a little more for moving forward so quickly.

When the alarm actually went off, Justin rolled over with a smile on his face while I just felt plain sick. Nothing like a nervous stomach to start off what had to have been the most exciting, nerve-racking day of my life thus far. The fact that I couldn't eat anything wasn't that bad, but the nothing to drink part (mixed with nerves) was a terrible combination. (Needless to say, I emptied my already empty stomach before leaving the house.) On the ride there, I tried to enjoy the music in the car (music ALWAYS cheers me up), but for the first time in my life I couldn't tell you what was playing on the radio if I tried. It took us only half the time we thought it would to get there, and so not for the first time that morning I felt like everything was against me. I remember getting off the elevator that led from the parking garage to the crosswalk and checking my phone. Daddy had sent me a text letting me know they were on their way. In it he included a verse he had read that morning (Zephaniah 3:17). The mixture of how perfectly the verse was called for in that moment and that my parents (even 25 years later) would remember their oldest daughter is the world's biggest chicken and still sending encouragement my way had me fighting tears and gave me a boost that lasted all the way up to the maternity floor.

I actually had great nurses. In all of my nerves, I looked to Justin the most though. This was by far our biggest "adventure". Neither of us would be the same afterwards. Neither of us has been the same since we met, but let's be honest, our life was changing drastically in a matter of minutes. All the stress we had been battling for the last 10 months seemed to stop at the door. We were doing this. We were coming in as two and leaving as three. He seemed so calm that morning. We laughed over our baby's healthy heartbeat and how the monitor moved with each kick. When the nurse failed with the first iv, and made a last (successful) attempt on the other arm, it was Justin who held my hand and kept me laughing the whole time. I've never trusted him more than I did that morning. By the time my parents came back there to check on me, I didn't feel so much like it was a brave front I was putting on for them. I really felt like we had this. I trusted my nurses. I had learned to trust my dr months ago. Not to mention, I liked the anesthesiologist (whom we'll call Mr. R) the second he started explaining things to Justin and I. One way or another, it was going to be okay and for the first time in 24 hours, I was able to focus on the fact we were having a baby and not on my silly fears.

Ugh! SO pregnant, I know.

Was so happy he was still getting to wear his favorite color. :)

My nurse switched out just before the surgery. Her replacement was incredibly sweet and kept talking to both of us through everything. Justin and I managed to grab pictures of our beautiful hospital outfits before the surgery. When they took me back to the operating room, I remember feeling a few nerves pop back up. It was exactly as my mom had described it would be. Never mind the fact it was a different hospital, apparently operating rooms come in one style only. Our hospital only gives spinal blocks for c-sections, which was scary because the labor shows don't ever show women getting them so it was hard to know what to expect. Still, Mr. R had promised it wouldn't hurt (minus a slight sting), so I figured I would take him at his word and if he was lying then he would go on my list like so many others have in the past. As it turned out, I didn't even feel the needle. The only thing that bothered me was the crazy pressure following it. No one had mentioned it, so I might have forgotten to breathe for a second when it hit and kept coming. The nurse realized this quickly and was able to coax some large breaths out of me. What can I say, pressure or not, I did not want to take a breath and mess up the guy working with my spine. However, the deep breaths helped and pretty soon I was laying back on the table and feeling my legs go warm. They didn't put the sheet up until last, so how it is I don't remember seeing them do any of their other work, I can only attribute to Mr. R. The man not only covered my arms with a warm, thick blanket (which I thought unnecessary until he did it and I realized how tense I was), but he pulled out his phone and started showing me pictures of his kids. It was a great distraction and I could never thank him enough for it. Eventually, I started feeling really tired. Knowing Mr. R was watching everything on the monitors where I was concerned, I knew I was okay. I can only assume it had to do with not being nervous anymore and relaxing finally and suddenly wishing I had managed a nap in the last 24 hours. By the time Justin walked in (rushed in would be more like it, with head down and eyes fixated on me so as not to see anything), I was cool as a cucumber. At one point I started feeling nauseous again and I can remember wondering what the point was of having me avoid food and water so as not to get sick in the operating room if I was just going to get sick in the operating room. I kept thinking she was about to start and it would be over before I could get sick again. To anyone who may ever find themselves in my shoes though, listen carefully. Tell the nice man/woman who puts the wonderful needle in your back if you are feeling nauseous. Mr. R must have seen something because he told me right then that if I started feeling bad to tell him. I realized I was seconds from twisting off that table into a bucket just as he started talking, so I told him I quickly confessed. I remember laying there in surprise when he responded he had thought as much. I kid you not- he worked his magic and I was feeling fine in 5 seconds. After that, it was just a matter of minutes before the dr started. I remember some tugging and pushing and pulling...and not panicking because everyone and their mothers had told me to expect it. I remember this large pressure taking my breath for a few seconds, and then....

Yep, he was so NOT happy about being here. Can you blame him, though? He was pretty snug 5 minutes before this.

The dr told us he was here! A second later she said he was peeing on all of them (much to everyone's amusement). Justin had sworn he couldn't look at him when they got him out, out of fear of seeing his exit. I understood, but I sort of hated us both missing our baby's first seconds here with us. I remember Mr. R telling Justin to look. Justin started shaking his head and was about to explain when Mr. R told him again to look- to look RIGHT THEN. Justin stood up and looked over the sheet. When he sat down I could tell he was smiling. I remember being SO tired, but I didn't want to miss anything. Much to my relief, our baby wasted no time in exercising those lungs. The neonatal team left a few minutes after seeing him, assuring us he looked healthy. Justin left my side only long enough to grab pictures of our precious boy being checked by the nurses. I could see everything- another perk to our hospital. When he came back, a nurse followed him with our baby. I remember he was crying loudly. (He hadn't stopped since they had delivered him.) When she laid him to my cheek though, he stopped. They said I could kiss him, which was something I couldn't stop doing once I started.

I just remember looking at him and trying to fathom how he could have come out of me; that he was ours. I had imagined being a tearful wreck once he came out, but that wasn't the case. I think that no matter how many details you have about what to expect or how prepared you are for it all, you just truly can not imagine the surprise that takes you when your baby is here- actually here; in front of your face. I remember whispering to him (partly because he was a baby and partly because I was too tired to talk loud). All the nurses kept saying he knew my voice and that's why he was quiet suddenly.

Mr. R took the camera from Justin and took several pictures of us all together. Afterwards, Justin left with the nurse to take the baby to the nursery while I laid there still trying to comprehend that I had really and truly just had our baby.

The nurse snapped this one for us on the way to the nursery.

I wasn't in recovery long before they brought me our baby. Our hospital encourages the babies to have skin-to-skin with their mommies right after birth no matter how you have them. It wasn't something I had felt I HAD to have after delivery at first. I honestly hadn't expected to be allowed to have it. Still, once they told us about it, I was thrilled and it gave me something to look forward to. I would like to say I had accepted the fact I was a mommy by the time they brought him to me, but it took several minutes of holding my precious baby against my chest and feeling his soft skin against mine to realize he was really mine. I don't remember much about the ride to my room or what followed. I just held my baby and watched him with pride the whole time because he was ours. At some point, the nursery did come to take him back. I vaguely remember my family taking Justin off to lunch, while my mother stayed with me and tried to coax me into taking the nap she knew I needed. I openly disobeyed her on that one because every time I closed my eyes I thought of something to tell her. I was so scared if I didn't tell someone I would forget, and then it would be as though it didn't happen. While I'm sure my mother was sympathetic, she also has this thing about her "babies" taking care of themselves. Can you imagine? :)

It was a few hours before they brought him back to us. I can't describe how happy I was to see him again. My family stayed to see him and visited for a few minutes before quietly letting themselves out. Justin and I just looked at him. I would like to say that I remember every moment that followed, but that is definitely not the case. I can remember holding him. I can remember trying to nurse him for the first time. I know Justin held him a good bit- especially so I could eat. At some point that afternoon they came and removed all the fun tubes and iv that they had been so generous with that morning. By that night, I was walking again- slowly perhaps, but it was walking. Our night nurse was amazing. She talked with Justin and I, assured me there would be no shame if I changed my mind and sent the baby to the nursery for the night, and showed us a thing or two about babies. Of course, she wasn't too happy with me when she found me still awake at 5 that morning trying to wake Justin so he could put the baby back in his crib. She also couldn't blame me.

Waiting to be discharged!

We spent the next two days in the hospital. It wasn't all roses and rainbows, but I'll get to that part later. Our nurses were pretty amazing though. We found out one was a neighbor of ours, one was a friend of a friend, and on the last day I saw one of my delivery nurses again (which was perfect because we were able to give her, my other delivery nurse, and Mr. R one of the thank you jars that we had made). Recovery was NOT the nightmare some tried to make it seem. Maybe it won't be as great next time, but I am SOOOOOO thankful it has been so easy this time. Like I said, I was walking by the first night. I got to shower the second night. (Now I did have to take a pain pill the second night, but the nurse said that tends to happen a lot for some reason. Crazy, when you feel fine night one and day two.) I came to hate the hospital bed because no matter how good I felt standing and walking, getting back into the bed, required maneuvering past the bars on the side. I looked like a four year old climbing into bed on hands and knees, but it was the only way to stick the middle of the bed. As for the pain in general- I suffer more in a week every month than I have with recovery. I'm not going to complain though because this definitely has made taking care of a newborn easier.

First family picture at home!

I will end this part of our story by saying it is totally true. My mother has said our entire lives that she would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I knew my mother loved us, but, come on, who really wants to relive losing your pride so much in such a short time span and needles and surgery and whatever else your story involves? Now I am positive though that my mother was telling the truth. We weren't there 20 minutes when my empty stomach, nerves, and fear of the nurse failing to find one of my good veins had me sweating and emptying my (again, empty) stomach. The second I realized I could be sick in front of a stranger and not care for the first time in my life, I really gave it all up. That was the least of my pride I had to lose that day and, like I said, after the iv I was all about the fact I was having a baby again. Since then, oh, I have my pride back. I grabbed it back on our way out of the hospital, thank you very much. Even so, my mom was right. As scary as the whole process is/was, I would do it all over again for him. He is the most precious gift we have ever been given. I can not imagine life without him now (and he's only 2 weeks old). Good and bad days to come, I would do it all over again to have him with us.

Welcome Reagan! Mommy and Daddy love you SO much, Little Bit!

"The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing."
-Zephaniah 3:17

It's Official...

At least as official as it gets. Being only 37 weeks, he really isn't a little bit of anything, but adorable, precious chubbiness. Still, he's my Little Bit. He weighed in at 9 lbs Monday. That said, my doctor doesn't want to take chances and has scheduled a csection for us. I can not believe it. We are almost at the end of this part of the journey. We'll officially be a family of three in just two weeks. Two weeks, y'all!
I have a load of clothes that I should be folding (and a nap that seems equally important), but I wanted to write while I have a few minutes. Not wanting to bore you...let's throw some pictures in there so you can actually see what's changed here in the last few months.
So I am semi-addicted to this movie-

There's one scene you could totally skip if you watch the non-television version, but it is so relatable. It makes me think so deeply about Justin and I and our life together. How little we know. How much we have learned. How hard we've worked and prayed. How we've made it this far and what's next for us.

Little Bit's Wreath and Our New Addition to the Family Wall

I can't remember when I started praying for a baby. It's been too long since that first happened. It's like trying to remember when I first prayed for my husband- LONG before we met is all I can remember. Still, I know when I started praying, really praying for this baby. It was day 3 of our honeymoon. I woke up in his arms and realized I wanted not only to love the man beside me every day for the rest of my life, but I wanted to give him every ounce of love that could ever be given to a man. I didn't just want a baby anymore. I wanted his baby. I wanted our baby. When he began seriously talking about it a month later, I was elated. No need to wait. Who needed to wait?

My work family surprised me with a baby shower at the first of July (and even snuck in my sister and husband)!

Apparently we did, because it was a year later before I got that positive test result. After thousands of tears, at least a hundred tearful, fear-filled conversations, and a few negative test results we got our good news. Some days, it seems like just yesterday I was worrying about the first doctor's visit and calling my parents (one who laughed he was so happy and the other stunned to silence). Other days, it's hard to remember not being pregnant.

My mother repainted her rocking chair to match the vintage nursery rhyme theme! Isn't is beautiful!!!

I've had to learn to trust others- to take their word on what is best not only for me, but for what is the most precious gift either of us has ever been given. I've had to learn to look forward to the results and not focus on the uncomfortableness that comes with the test. I've come to have my own experiences and not listen so much to everyone else's. I've come to understand the love you can have for someone you can't even feel yet, and yet you know they are there...and the thrill that comes even when that same someone becomes so powerful it hurts.

Spent Valentines Day painting, the next day building furniture, and the last few months working on finishing touches!

I've been humbled more than once. I'm no one special, and yet God is trusting me with this blessing. While I once prayed for my husband's gaze to meet mine, to know his kisses and his hugs, and to see his eyes tell me he thought I was beautiful even if he didn't say it aloud, I've been shown much more. There is nothing like catching your husband's amazed gaze on your growing belly, or having his hand resting securely on top of you (knowing he is hoping to feel what you can feel at any given second). There is nothing like being pulled into a hug when you feel your worst, and knowing the two-three feet between you doesn't make him love you any less. There is nothing like watching curves you hardly knew existed before disappear at a rapid rate or being unable to move without sounding like some part of you is breaking, and yet your husband will pick the most random of moments to kiss you, or to smile sweetly at you, or to hug you just because he couldn't care less what you look like. Just when I think I could not love him anymore, he shows me how wrong I am. He reminds me how loved I am- how loved this baby is already.

Life is about to change. I can only imagine how much, how often. All I really know is that everything so far has revolved around love. The amount of love lying ahead of us, that we haven't even begun to touch, that is something else.

My Take on Pregnancy So Far

A lot has changed in the last few months. While most of the time I am either too busy or too tired to be the good blogger I dream of being one day, I am going to try to share a little while I am thinking about it.

I have tried to think of where to start, what topic to choose, what seems important, but I keep coming up empty. I blame lack of caffeine. :) I wish I had some new outlook on pregnancy- something to just stop every pregnant, been pregnant, want to be pregnant woman in her tracks for a few minutes. I love reads like that, and maybe one day I will have one. As for now, here is my take on pregnancy so far.

*Disclaimer- I am 23 weeks pregnant. This is just MY outlook. No debate, no argument, no "I know everything" takes on pregnancy here. This is just a pure and simple, VERY honest picture of what pregnancy has been for me this far. It is meant for private recording, pure entertainment purposes.*

Now, if you have been reading, you know all about my adventures with "morning sickness". Nausea is no laughing matter, ladies. It pushed me on my little (at the time) bottom and laughed at me- HARD. After weeks of nothing but Sprite and water, I may just be through with Sprite forever. That said, once the first trimester monster left me, life has been pretty wonderful. After that first doctor's visit (yuck!), the rest have been a piece of cake. Plus, I'm assured at least 4 more visits where everything is easy breezy- after that, well, I've had a nice run.

So far, I've gained a whopping 35 pounds with Little Bit. All the books say that that is the most you should gain, but seeing as we are only half way through this little journey I'm thinking the books are wrong. Sure, I crave a lot more than I used to, but it's not the outrageous preggo-foodstyle of the movies. As for post-pregnancy, I'm not even about to sweat it. What will go will go later. Right now, this is my pregnant life reality with Little Bit. As long as he is growing and my doctor isn't fretting over my weight chart, then I am certainly not going to worry. As for looks, well my belly is bigger (but that is pure baby) and my thighs are going for a more chunky-monkey look, but so far nothing horrible. My ankles and feet are starting to swell a little, but whose don't- especially a pregnant woman living in the humid summer-like heat of the south. I'll just have to invest in new (wider) shoes. :) Shoe shopping!

Pregnancy clothes are A-MAZING! They are by far the most comfortable clothing I have ever worn. I know women complain about pulling out the "Granny" panties in the end, but this chick is already there, sporting the bras to match. No, they are not the prettiest, laciest things ever, but when you have gravity making those stretch marks on your belly feel like they are going to pull you down, and ta-tas that are so big you have trouble remembering their tiny predecessors- comfort is queen as far as I'm concerned. Maternity clothing for me has been as comfortable as my pajamas. I feel quite rebellious actually wearing my comfy clothes rather than the skirts and panty hose of months that feel long gone now. P.S. Belly bands are a joke as far as I'm concerned. A friend gave me her old one to help buy me some time before I had to turn to maternity wear. It was nice for all of 2 days, until I realized it had no cover power over my pants tops where buttons and zippers were concerned. Not to mention, taking it off at the end of the day I realized I could finally breath. Take my word, save your money and invest in maternity pants. That was money well-spent.

Pregnancy clothes shopping is not so fun. I love to clothes shop a lot of the time, but maternity shopping hasn't been the easiest. First of all, businesses must know they only have you for about 6 months or less because they slam price tags on there that you wouldn't believe. I did good purchasing extra large camis at Forever 21 for $1.50 a piece, and have managed to buy a few non-maternity tops to fit in my style in larger sizes, but alas this could not be done with everything. Where I work, I have to have dressy tops still. I am also not in control of the thermostat there (which is totally unfair in my opinion), leaving me burning up for 8 hours a day for the last 4 months. Did I mention it is only getting hotter? This means I need cute, cool, possibly sleeveless tops. The second problem, I like cute outfits, which don't seem to exist anymore. Whatever happened to polka dots, happy colors, and Peter Pan collars? I don't need my belly button showing, or the 70s grunge look, or even the tight-fitting clothes I've never worn before. *sigh* Why does everything have to be so complicated? So, I turned to Amazon last week and found some super cute outfits (sold within the states) for reasonable prices. As for home, Little Bit can stretch all the shirts out he wants. :)

The aches and pains haven't been all that bad. I've suffered a pretty bad headache a time or two, but nothing too crippling. While I can now rest my arms comfortably on top of Little Bit, the baby bump didn't have to be all that big to affect my falling asleep. Falling asleep on your side has a way of causing gravity to pull on your muscles more I guess. While I laughed at first, I ended up okaying the purchase of this full body pillow. It has been the best pregnancy purchase yet! It stays cool, helps my back, my neck, my legs, my belly. It is WONDERFUL!

No caffeine bites. Now, I've read up and a lot of doctors now give the thumbs up to caffeine, or at least 200 milligrams of it in a day (about 2 cups). Still, there are risks, and while I love hearing my doctor say I should have an easy pregnancy and Little Bit is doing fine, I'm not taking any chances. I say to each her own on this one. I steal a sip from Justin's drinks, but since he is all pro-water more than 75 % of the time, he is not much help. What does help are these decaf/no caffeine tricks-

Starbucks- Spiced Caramel Apple Ciders, Strawberry Crème Frappacino, Vanilla Bean Frappacino

Sweet Tea- Decaffeinated (my mother made my day last Saturday offering this at home #bestmommyever)

Coke- Caffeine Free Cokes (thankfully someone at CocaCola had a heart about 20 years ago)

Sonic- Slushies, Lemonade, Cranberry Juice, and our favorite Cherry Vanilla Rootbeers! (Little Bit is a sweetaholic and therefore I must supply the demand. :) )

I'm told our hospital serves Starbucks, so as soon as Little Bit arrives my Push Gift will be an extra-large surprise wrapped in a Starbucks cup from hubby!

My Pinterest time has changed. My sister probably said it best when two weeks ago she told me I had some "weird stuff" on my Pinterest page. It took some time, but then- Oh, yeah, I have an entire new board entitled "For Mommy" full of info revolving around a bunch of things that I would think weird too if they weren't so darn informative to this first time Mommy-to-be right here. I have tips for post-delivery (heads up- yuck!). I have tips for nursing and just some plain fun facts about how awesome nursing is for both Mommy and baby. (Ladies, God is awesome. He thought this whole technique out to the end.) I must have at least 5-6 suggestions of what to pack in your hospital bag (All about as helpful as asking a handful of women what to carry in your purse.)  

Life has changed a lot here lately. It's not been completely easy, but it's not been nightmarish here yet either. Even with all of the changes, there have been some pretty amazing moments- moments that make me not even care about the not-so-fun part. The first time I felt our little boy I had to stop what I was doing. It surprised me so much. Since then, his moves have become harder. If I don't eat on time, he especially moves. The other night, his daddy talking to him caused him to move. Justin FINALLY felt him last Monday and his excitement almost brought tears to my eyes. It was the sweetest thing to watch. To be stuck between the two of them, I can not begin to describe how wonderful a feeling that is. These days won't last forever. Pregnancy is about to get harder, I know, and labor and delivery and recovering won't be a walk in the park. Still, remembering these things- these wonderful little moments that happen so randomly and that I am able to enjoy make it easier for me to keep going without stressing over what is next. In four months, we will have a beautiful little boy to bring home. He will bring a whole new way of life with him, too. While that scares me at times, I can't help but be excited by our baby that has already brought so much excitement and love into our hearts. 

We Are Having A...

Okay, so I am just a couple of weeks behind with this but....

It's a Boy!

It took some doing, but my doctor finally managed to catch a clear view of the little busy body inside of me. I can not begin to tell you how excited we are. It is so strange and yet so wonderful at the same time to know who it is inside of you even before you have actually formally met. I can call my baby boy by name now, rather than the numerous pet names he has been given over the last few months.

Y'all, he gave us the cutest, funniest little show in the doctor's office. First, let me start by saying that I have a great doctor who has actually done an ultrasound every time we have been to her office so far. It's not the 3D that everyone has been telling us about for the last decade or so, but who cares. When you see your baby on the screen it is the absolute prettiest picture you will think you have ever seen. I tear up every time I see him. The first time we saw him, he was this little circle within a bigger circle with this amazingly beautiful heartbeat. The second time we saw him I was surprised again. That time he had little legs and a nose and eyes that we could make out even without the doctor telling us where they were. He even had one of his little arms brought up to his head. Again, his heart made the most beautiful sound for us, but because he looked so still and comfortable I guess I assumed we would always be looking at this still picture on the screen of him. Boy, were we wrong. This last time that we were there my doctor had just started the ultrasound when he moved. I can still hear Justin asking her if the baby had just moved. Y'all we had never seen him move and to see it for ourselves was just...AMAZING is the only word I have to describe it. We thought he would stop after that initial kick, but he proved us wrong. She had to continuously reposition her wand on my belly and each time he moved. He kicked. He hit. He is quite the athlete Justin thinks. I, on the other hand, have a strange feeling it was the ultrasound that was bothering him...maybe her pressing down on his space. He seemed more frustrated to me. I could not help but laugh as she tried to catch a clear picture. Yes, our son is already pulling me into his mischief apparently. When he wasn't moving, I was replaying the last few seconds in my head and giggling myself. I didn't mean to be trouble, truly I didn't. He was just so cute and I couldn't help but laugh a little at his surprising us so much with his acrobatics in there.

Since that last visit, I am caught up in hundreds of musings of what our baby boy will be like. I wonder if his little show was just a one time event and next time he will be a bit calmer or if he is about to begin 24 hour productions for us. I wonder if he will be the sweet, quiet baby we are told his daddy was or if he will be a bit head strong like...ummm...his mommy may have been. (Okay, so I still am.) I wonder if he will always be sweet and quiet or if he will be only until he is bothered by something and then he will become more determined in his wants. It's not that I want our children to be disobedient by any means. I want them to be well behaved and learn to listen so that they can eventually become productive individuals. At the same time I also want them to find their voices, learn to speak for themselves, stand up for what they believe is right. Not to say cookies for dinner or Lion King 24/7 or mud baths rather than bubble baths are noble battles I hope they will fight with us, but at the same time if what I saw really, truly was a glimpse into his character, then I don't want him to lose his fight. If he was irritated like I can't help wondering he was, then I have to consider he actually found a way to show it even if moving about blindly is his only form of communication. Provided the words, oh my goodness, I think we all would have gotten an earful. It was just the most amazing sight. 

I've seen babies before. I've even cried at the sight of a few ultra sound pictures in the past. My sister and brother were the most amazing images to look at in their day. They made every conversation fun to have and put on a great show with their kicks and jabs as they grew bigger and my mother sat down to let me watch. They have always amazed me, and they still do. Now there is a new image on the screen though and I am amazed all over again. The strangest part of it all is that he is mine and in me. Sometimes I get nervous about this part of the journey coming to a close soon (you know the fun hospital stuff), but something will always happen to fix those nerves. We will have a doctor's appointment and I will see him. I will feel something strange and wonder for hours on end if that wasn't him. He will add something to his menu of must-haves (Example- chili cheese footlongs from Sonic) and I can't help but laugh. We will find something new for his nursery. We will find a new outfit for him for next summer. I will think of holding him, of counting all of his little fingers and toes for the first time, of being able to touch him and kiss him and hold him safely in my arms and look at those pretty little eyes I know he will have. (Obviously this is all before my mother makes it into our room, then he will have to fend for himself. Let's just say I'm not the only headstrong one in the family.)

For the record- my mother was thrilled, surprised, but thrilled. My brother was stunned to silence, but has since been making the appropriate plans for his time with his nephew. My sister was stunned, at a loss for words for only about 5 seconds, but extremely excited. Oh, and also panicked about what to do with a boy. Ahem, we have a little brother. She was awesome with him. Justin's grandparents were extremely happy to hear and dug up one of Justin's old toys to give to us for the baby. Justin's daddy cried he was so happy. My daddy, my daddy still recovering from being sick the last few days, managed the strength to not only congratulate us, but point out that he had said it was a boy all along. My sister and brother will never recover their pride, seeing as Daddy will not allow it since he was right and they swore he was wrong. My poor mother gets to be around their antics all the time and I am sure she is making a valiant effort to steer their energies towards planning for their grandson/nephew rather than pointing out who was wrong and who was right. Thank goodness for her good humor because we never let anything go in my family. :)

So that is our news! Sorry I took so long. We are still working on his room and trying to build up supplies for him and learning to enjoy all this fun stuff pregnancy brings. Alas, another post. :) 

 

Girl or Boy?

After a crazy week of weather, it is wonderful to finish off the week curled up in pajamas eating chili dogs and failed Pinterest potatoes. My roasted cheesy potatoes ended up becoming a casserole dish. 10 years ago I would have had a meltdown over the mess. Now, I just pull out my pretty glass Pyrex dish and "improve" it. :)

Usually, I mope about Sunday nights. I dread the alarm clock in the morning and resent how quickly I fall asleep these days. (I miss being able to be productive late into the night- typing, folding clothes, sewing hems, reading. These days I can start yawning up a storm as early as 7 o'clock. Really!) This weekend has been great though and I am counting the days until Thursday. We went on a baby shopping trip yesterday. The most fun I have ever had shopping!!! I saw so many cute things, but without knowing girl or boy I had to resist. Just 4 more days. 4 more days and hopefully we will be able to find out exactly who we are shopping for. Until then, I keep hearing 1 question- "What do you want?". At this point, I really don't know anymore. Let me just think for a minute about what fun each one will bring (and maybe what trouble).

Girl-
I'll have hair to fix and outfits to match and nails to paint.
We can have matching aprons and bake cookies.
I will have a little girl to give my Barbies and Barbie house to.
Mommy/daughter talks
Pink anything!
We would have a little girl to love her daddy like I love mine.

Boy-
Our next babies will have a big brother. Personally, I would rather have a big brother over a big sister.
None of the drama that comes with girls. I don't know girls grow out of it to be honest. :)
I can dress our baby like a little gentleman.
One day I can decorate with all those cute rustic robot decorations I love at Target so much.
Someone to watch Transformers with his daddy.
Little boys and their mommies is one of the sweetest things.

Honestly, I just can't think of much. Both have their moments. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Both can accomplish so much and both can play and be played with when they are little. Boy or girl, they will have their own personality and characteristics. Either one will be loved every day- good or bad days. I just don't know. I really think either one will be a wonderful edition to our family. In the meantime though, if they would like to kick Mommy a little harder, I am totally up for it. Everything I read says in between now and the next 6 weeks I should feel whoever this is inside of me. Sometimes I actually think I do, but I want so much to be certain.

So basically, I can not be depressed about the end of this week because-
A. This week (while pretty amazing) was nightmarish where poor driving conditions and early morning text messages from work were concerned.
B. I got to catch up on some sleep yesterday morning and still had time to buy some baby accessories.
C. Monday is one more day out of the way to finding out what name I can start using when I talk to Little Bit.

We finally bought a sleeper for the baby so they will be nice and safe between Mommy and Daddy.
Justin laughed at the wipe warmer, but I thought it was the neatest thing when my parents had my brother.

How about y'all. Does anyone have preferences where boys and girls are concerned?