Well, hello!

So I am really bad at keeping up with this! My last post was at 19 weeks and as of today, we are at TWENTY SIX weeks!! And now the size of a head of lettuce...whoa!!! How did that happen so fast?? Time is definitely flying by, but I am very happy to say that the last seven weeks have been pretty uneventful! In fact, at our twenty week ultrasound (where they measure every limb and organ), the doctor reported that I was "disgustingly normal" but then followed that with "which is a good thing... you don't want to be interesting to doctors."  Good point!

So what has happened in the last seven weeks? Well, let's see... we had that twenty week ultrasound, but didn't get many clear pictures of our little wiggle worm, since she was all over the place and absolutely would not hold still for a picture. In fact, I have been to the doctor twice since then where they have had trouble even getting an accurate heart rate because she keeps dodging the heart monitor, and/or waving her hands in front of her chest, making a "swishing" sound that sort of drowns out the actual heart beat. They have gotten a few split seconds, though- enough to know that it is somewhere in the 140s and sounds healthy and normal.
Also, we have completed our registries (what an exhausting experience!) and for those who are interested, we are registered at Target, Buy Buy Baby, and here, on the Carousel Designs website for her crib bedding (I had gotten a recommendation to look at their website because they have a virtual nursery designer thing where you can play around with different fabrics to create custom bedding, and I, of course, fell in love with one of their fabric collections, so ended up registering there, rather than just using it to get ideas, which was my original plan).
A couple weekends ago my husband and in-laws and I went to Buy Buy Baby in Durham to get her crib and dresser (a huge thank you to my mother- and father-in-law for those!) and while we were there, we went ahead and ordered the glider. I knew that had to be made (you pick out your fabric and they make them to order) and might take a couple weeks to come in, so I am glad I asked about it- we got a big reality check when they told us it takes 14-16 weeks to arrive and I only had 16 weeks left at that point!
My husband attended "Daddy Boot Camp" this past Saturday, and apparently he passed, although he doesn't have a certificate to show for it, which is a little disappointing. But I am proud of him for going, and got to hear all about it and I know he is just as excited to meet our little girl!
Not much else new to report- she is just getting bigger every day and moving around more and more! She has some "quiet" days, where I think she must be sleeping a lot, but every now and then she just goes wild and I think she must be having a dance party in there! It is the most amazing feeling in the world- something you just can't describe until you've felt it.
Well, in addition to being bad at blogging, I have been bad at taking consistent pictures (I guess the two go hand in hand), but here are some from the past few weeks:



22 Weeks

23 Weeks

24 Weeks

26 Weeks (notice my dwindling wardrobe!)

On an unrelated note- I am SO glad that it is finally spring! The trees here are all bright green, flowers are blooming, and it is finally warm enough to enjoy being outside! I know I need to enjoy it now, because I'm sure 90 degree weather is just around the corner, and I'm sure that being pregnant in the heat and humidity will be just lovely :)
And last, because I know I will read back on these posts someday, and will want to remember this, yesterday a tragedy occurred in Boston, and while I don't want to dwell on it any more than the media already has, I do want to share a quote that I randomly came across on Facebook yesterday, from the comedian Patton Oswalt. I think he expresses my this perfectly:

"Boston. F**king horrible.
I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, “Well, I’ve had it with humanity.”
But I was wrong. I don’t know what’s going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.
But here’s what I DO know. If it’s one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. This is a giant planet and we’re lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they’re pointed towards darkness.
But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive long ago.
So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, “The good outnumber you, and we always will.”

Very well said, Mr. Oswalt. Definitely something for us all to remember at times like these.

Love,
Chickadee

19 weeks... she KICKS!

I'm a bit behind on the baby bump shots, but I am 19 weeks and 3 days today, and can officially say that I have felt her kick! For the last week or more, I have thought I maybe felt a couple flutters, but couldn't say for sure. Well, last night I had an appointment for Healing Touch (which is basically just a light touch massage and great way to relax and de-stress) and the practitioner warned me that it can sometimes make babies kick. Well, since I hadn't felt anything resembling a kick yet, I was doubtful, but sure enough- after I had been lying down, relaxing and concentrating on nothing but my breathing and my own heartbeat, I definitely felt a kick (more like a light poke, from the inside).... and then another, and another, and probably 8 more over the next 20 minutes! It wasn't all pokes, there were some flutters, too- which I imagine is what it feels like as she turns and flips around in there, but it was unmistakable!! Definitely a very exciting moment! I continued to feel her on and off all evening last night, and have a few times today. I assume it will continue to happen more often as she gets bigger and bigger.

Speaking of which.... I am also getting bigger and bigger (see below) and am into that phase where people are a little bit more daring and some will actually ask me when I am due or make pregnancy-related comments. Still a little bold, in my opinion, but depending on what I am wearing, I guess it is pretty obvious at this point. Not to mention the fact that a co-worker (and good friend of mine) is also pregnant (10 weeks ahead of me), so when people see the two of us walking (waddling) down the hall together, I'm sure it is a sight! We've definitely gotten lots of comments about not drinking the water in HR!



19 weeks, 3 days

Close up!

So there you have the latest belly shots, otherwise known as your "Tour of Bailey's Bathrooms." One of these days my hubby will be home to take the picture, and I won't have to pose these awkward mirror shots, but with his travel schedule lately, this is the best I could get!

I've had fun occupying my evenings without him with lots of work on the registries, though! I definitely appreciate all the comments and advice on Facebook- keep them coming! I think I have just about completed the Target registry (let's hope so, with 203 items on the list!), mostly created from the comfort of my couch, but I did venture out last night to add some things in the store. I amazed even myself- an hour and a half in Target and I didn't buy a single thing!! Of course, after an hour and a half of scouring the baby section, I was exhausted, and it helped that our Target was nice enough to give me a "goody bag," so I didn't leave completely empty-handed. It was a cute little re-usable clutch bag thing stuffed with lots of samples, a coupon book, registry guide, and a 4oz Tommy Tippee bottle! I was impressed!

Next up is Buy Buy Baby... I have started that one online, too, but their website isn't quite as easy to navigate on my phone or kindle (again, I much prefer the comfort of the couch, the fireplace, the TV, blankets, and a snuggly puppy), so I'll probably have to wait to do the majority of that one in the store. I can tell you that I don't need to register her for any more clothes, though, that is for sure! We may or may not have made a trip a couple weeks ago to the Carter's outlet for a buy one get one free sale (plus 20% off your entire purchase, I might add), so in addition to the few things I had purchased along the way (because I just couldn't resist), and the generous gifts of some friends and family, this baby's closet is already filling up!

 

She will be one well-dressed little girl! And not at all spoiled.... HA! 

 

Since I forgot last time, I will leave you with some of the clearer ultrasound pictures from 3 weeks ago. Hard to make out most of it, she's still pretty squishy, and, as I've mentioned, quite active, but here she is!

 

She likes to have her hands up by her eyes...



And her ankles crossed... such a little lady! :)

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!! Have a fabulous weekend!

XO

Team PINK!

It has been an exciting week! Last Saturday morning started off with all 4 of the grandparents-to-be gathering at our house, in their pink or blue attire to take one last shot at predicting the gender. We all piled in my Dad's Suburban and made the drive to Morrisville for our 11:30 ultrasound appointment at Baby Bump 4D. Aside from running a bit behind schedule (we had to wait about 30 minutes), the overall experience was great! The studio was very nice, the table was much more comfortable than those at the doctor's office, and the ultrasonographer was friendly and professional. She was able to quickly tell us that the "pinks have it!" and point out that our little peanut is most definitely a baby girl! Although it's still early, we spent the next 15 minutes or so watching her dance around and trying to get some good still shots of her. This is now the second professional that has told us that she is "very active," which I am hoping is a good thing! Although the first one did say "good luck with that!"

Once our 20 minutes were up, we waited in the lobby (and took lots of pictures with their "props") while she printed several photos for us, and also gave us a CD of the still shots and a DVD of the ultrasound. We also got a $50 gift certificate to Melissa Berg Photography, which I am very excited about! Melissa is a talented photographer, and happens to be a friend as well (or an "imaginary friend," as my husband calls it... friends I know only online, not in person- I'm not a creeper, we were planning our weddings at the same time and "met" on theknot.com on a local NC bride chat board). Anyway... all that for $115? Totally worth it, in my opinion!

Team Pink

Team Blue

 It's a Girl!!

Next we drove a few miles down the road and had lunch at Chili's before bravely venturing into Buy Buy Baby for the first time. Well, I should say, for my first time. My husband has been before (he bought a double stroller there once with his friend Dan and I am pretty sure everyone in the store thought they were a couple). My mom and mother-in-law and I had a great time walking through the store and looking at everything- and all the cute clothes more than once! The guys did pretty well- they did camp out in the glider section for quite a while, until the sales ladies tried to actually get them to buy one. They also had a grand time playing with the "life-like" 8-12 pound dolls in the stroller section, particularly the one with only one eye. It was a fun, but somewhat overwhelming experience! I bought one thing :)    Luckily the Grandma's each bought a few things as well- my mom bought mostly shoes, and mom-in-law a couple outfits and some matching socks! She is going to be one well-dressed little girl, that is for sure!!



Some of her loot!!



Since Sunday, I have spent many hours looking online for nursery ideas and am still tossing a couple around, but am making progress. Stay tuned!! Next up, though... registry advice?? Please help!!

XOXO

Exciting Times...

Well, as I said in the beginning... I probably won't post as often as I would like. Is it sad that coming upstairs to use the desktop computer seems archaic? I actually created the blog and wrote the first post from the couch using my Kindle, but I want to work on the blog design a little bit, so I am writing to you this evening from the "real" computer!! Unfortunately, all my blog styling knowledge is escaping me, so if anyone reading this has any suggestions for how to get cute fonts and better background choices, please let me know!

Anyway... It was another exciting day today on this pregnancy journey. I had my 16 week doctor's appointment, which was rather uneventful, but I did get to hear the heartbeat for the first time! We have had two ultrasounds so far, and got to "see" the heartbeat on the screen, but at my last OB visit, it was still too early to hear it with the Doppler thingy. Well, as you will see from the upcoming photos, this little peanut is growing, and growing fast, and Dr. had no problems locating it today!! It was actually quite loud! And, although he didn't actually time it, it sounded pretty fast to me.... which brings me to the next exciting piece of news. We have an appointment at Baby Bump 4D on Saturday to find out the gender!! I've had so many people ask me what I think it is, and a few offer opinions of their own, so I want to know what your guess is! Take my poll (on the right)! Here are some symptoms to help you guess, if you believe in the old wives tales...

• I had some morning sickness in my first trimester, but nothing unbearable
• I have not had any strong cravings yet, but definitely had some food aversions early on
• I was, and still am, sensitive to smells, which can sometimes lead to those aversions
• I have acne like a teenager
• My feet seem to be warmer than normal, especially at night
• My legs, face, etc. do not seem to be any hairier than normal
• During the first ultrasound, baby's heart rate was above 140
• Since the start of the second trimester, I have had frequent headaches
• I have not yet experienced the "burst of energy" that I keep reading about

I don't know how much truth there is to any of these, so if anyone has a fool-proof method, let me know! But do it quick, the imaging place guarantees gender determination, so if Peanut isn't cooperating on Saturday, I will be heading back every day next week until they can figure it out!

Our parents are coming with us on Saturday, but we haven't yet decided how we will announce the big news to everyone else. We tossed around the idea of a "gender reveal party," which seems to be the new trend, but I am running out of time to throw one together, and with so many of our friends and family being far away, and/or with small children of their own, the likelihood of getting a big crowd together seems pretty slim. Besides, I think I'll be too excited to keep it a secret until the following weekend for a big party. So- I'm open to suggestion, if anyone has any cute or creative ideas!


Well, as promised (I know some of you have been asking!) I will leave you with some more pictures of the every growing baby bump!

 

My chalkboard sign is a little hard to read, but this was at 14 weeks and 4 days- baby was the size of a lemon

 

 

I had to DIY it in the mirror last night, since hubby is in NY this week. This is 16 weeks and 2 days, baby is now the size of an avocado (head to rump, that is- doesn't include legs!)

 

 

And before I must go, and play with Sadie before she puts one more stuffed toy in my lap, here is a picture of my first baby! Won't she make such a good big sister? Let's hope so!!

 

 



Welcome!

Well... here goes nothing! I have wanted to start a new blog for awhile, but just hadn't gotten around to it. Those that know me well might know that I am a bit of a procrastinator, but only because I am also a perfectionist. I don't like to start a project until I have all my ideas and plans in place, and all my materials neatly arranged in a tidy work station. Oh, and only when I have ample time to devote to the project. If the first requirements aren't enough to stop the project from getting off the ground, then that last one usually does the trick!
But, as I am starting to learn accept, life rarely gives you all those conditions at once, so you better learn to be flexible! That is definitely a lesson that I have gained new respect for in the last few months! That is because I am about to become a parent, and I know that my life is about to be drastically changed forever.
So, I've decided to start the blog, even though I know it's not going to be as pretty or perfect or be updated as often as I'd like, it will help me remember all these incredible moments, and how I looked and felt throughout this journey into motherhood. As of today,  I am 12 weeks and 6 days, which makes July 23rd the official due date.

The chalk needs some breaking in, but I hope to do this often!

Check out the bump!

Someday I'll go back and tell you about finding out we were pregnant and sharing the news with friends and family, but tonight I really just want to share our ulasound pictures from Friday afternoon. We had an ultrasound at 7 weeks because of some symptoms I was experiencing- I'll spare you the details, but everything was fine. At 7 weeks we got to see the tiny heartbeat, which was pretty incredible, but the baby was just a little peanut at that point. A peanut with little armbuds, but a peanut nonetheless. Well, Friday's appointment was totally different and absolutely incredible. Not only does Peanut now have arms, legs, and a sweet little face, but he/she is very active! As I'm learning is my fate for the next, well ever, I was admittedly worried and nervous leading up to this appointment, and seeing our child dance around on the screen, waving it's arms and kicking it's legs, was such a huge relief, and just so incredibly amazing, considering he/she is less than 3 inches long still. The pictures just doesn't do it justice, but I'm very grateful to have them!

Your Daddy and I can't wait to meet you, little Peanut!

- Chickadee