Ultrasound Ultra Cool!

So I wanted to start this blog entry off by saying that I have the most amazingly wonderful doctor and staff in the entire world. I love going for our prenatal visits and always dealing with the same smiling faces. They always know our names and are interested in what is going on in our lives. Monday we had our 29 week check up and Mitch was telling our nurse about how this would be his last visit with me before deployment and she was asking him how I was holding up and stuff. Well, I guess Dr. Barnes overheard because when he came in to talk to us and check me and stuff, the first thing out of his mouth was thanking Mitch for his sacrifice and asking about where he will be going and what not. So we all talk for a few minutes and he walks us out to the lady at the check out counter and our ultrasound tech was there too. He proceeds to tell her that he wants to do a surprise ultrasound for us since Mitch won't be here for the final ultrasound or the birth. I lost it. Started crying like a pregnant lady. :) So we get in there and start doing the ultrasound. This was the first one we've had in over 10 weeks and my has our little girl grown since then! So we're looking at the screen and talking and laughing and such when our tech (wish I could remember her name!) says "let's try this" and put away the wand and grabs another one and sticks it on the belly. Mitch says "What's that one do?" and after a few seconds she says "This!" and the ultrasound goes 3D/4D!! Amazing! And there I went again....crying like a pregnant lady. So anyway, they gave us 14 pictures and a dvd recording of the ultrasound so that Mitch will have something to take with him on deployment. How special!! They are definitely getting a big batch of Christmas goodies from us this year! So now that I've blabbed...here are some pictures!

3D Pics First 

Profile shot. In the video, she looks like she is drinking here:

Another profile shot. Crazy how you can see all of the bones in her spine/mouth:

That would be a foot right next to that pretty little face! She's all sorts of snuggled up in there!

My mom couldn't make this one out so I don't know if anyone else will be able to but her face is turned sideways & almost looking straight on. There are two dark spots where her eyes are and you can see her little nose and lips. She's so perfect!

Perfect little foot imprint :)

Alright now on to the updates...
Sophi Update

So wow, here we are in the start of month 7. Things are progressing well and Sophi girl is doing all sorts of new things. Thebump.com says that for the next four weeks, she will be the size of a squash (see measurements in picture), more specifically for this week, the size of a butternut squash. She has been crazy energetic these days due to the formation of white fat deposits underneath her skin. Also, this month all five senses will finally be functional and her brain and nervous system are in high gear development mode. :) Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. Hopefully she gets her smarts from her daddy! Also, her bones are soaking up about 250mg of Calcium each day now so mommy has to make sure she drinks lots of milk!

Her movement is getting stronger and stronger. Sometimes she wakes me up in the middle of the night but where I thought this might bother me, it doesn't. It's kind of neat waking up to our little girl jabbing me in the belly. The only time I'm really ever uncomfortable is when she presses up real high and it constricts my breathing a little but it's not too difficult to convince her to go back down some so I can breathe again. She isn't kicking as much these days. More stretching than anything. It's so cool when she gets a good stretch going because my whole belly shifts to whatever side she is stretching too. We really get a kick (no pun intented...hehe) out of it! Also, when she does push out on me and I push back at her, now I can actually feel her in there vs. just feeling like the belly was bulging out. It almost feels like there is a knob under my skin and I'm pushing it back in. It's so amazing!! Again, I thought it would be all weird to feel a baby moving around inside of me but I look so forward to every little kick/stretch/hiccup that comes along! I love her so much!!

Mommy Update
How far along? 29 weeks, 3 days. 74 days until due date!
Weight gain/loss: Well I guess all of the weight I gained at my last visit was needed because I have leveled out again. I was 157 this Monday which puts my total weight gain at 17 pounds.
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep? Sleep has been better lately. The last couple of nights I haven't even taken any Tylenol and have only had to get up a couple of times a night to pee.
Best moment this week? Definitely getting the surprise ultrasound on Monday and getting to see our little girl again!
Movement: Every day, several times a day. We had a command meeting on base the other night for family preparedness (getting ready for deployment) and she was rolling around so much in there I thought I might lose my stomach! Mom says she's doing baby gymnastics! LoL!
Food cravings: Nothing in specific right now. I've been trying to curb my sweet cravings and stick to the healthy foods again.
Belly button in or out? Still in but barely....I'm really surprised that it hasn't popped out yet but it is still very close to surfacing. I'm betting I won't be able to hold out much longer here.
What I miss the most: Having the energy to clean the entire house in one day. That probably sounds silly but I have to break my chores up into different days of the week now in order to have the energy that I need to devote to my honey when he gets home.
What I am looking forward to? Our second baby shower this weekend! I just know it's going to be fabulous!!!
Weekly wisdom: Get off of the scale!!!! Jillian Michaels and Tony Horton will be there when the doctor clears you to work out again AFTER Sophi is here.
Milestones: One baby shower down, one to go! There is still a lot to do this week though. I've been very lazy about getting in the nursery and getting things done. Mitch leaves next weekend though so, we need to get cracking!!

Baby Shower #1
So our first baby shower was this past Saturday (Nov. 13th). Mom got a group of her long time clients/friends and friends of the family together for a shower for us. We had a great time. Even had a glass of wine! I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite pictures from the day. :)

Why yes it is! :)

Proud Mommy & Daddy

Had to sneak a pic of my little Jaiden man in :)

28 weeks, 4 days baked

Smoochy Smoochy!

Mitchy was such a trooper letting me put ribbons all over him. :)

Cutting the cake :) It was sooooo yummy!!!

Well, that's all for now!! Next week I will have another baby shower update and hopefully some more nursery pics to share!

90 DAYS?!?!?!?!???!!!!!

Can somebody please tell this pregnancy to slow it down a little!! I can't believe that in around 90 days (only 90 days!!) our little Sophi girl will be here in my arms. It makes me think of all of the things that we still haven't done yet...which is a lot. I know that we will have everything ready for her when she gets here though...that's what I keep telling myself anyway to help keep me calm. :)

I had my last 4 week update on Monday and now we move on to every two week visits. This last visit was one that I was nervous about because I had to do the one hour glucose test. I was so freaked out that something would be wrong and I would end up with gestational diabetes. Well, it turns out that my sugar number and the number for my iron level were absolutely perfect! Yay, no insulin shots! I am such a baby when it comes to needles! Also, even though I had a ridiculous weight gain (see below), the doctor says that I am measuring right on and that I had hardly gained anything at all so I had to gain weight at some point! She made me feel all sorts of better but I'm still trying to curb the cravings.

Alright on to the updates....

Sophi Update

Ok so we are still in eggplant mode. :) I guess thebump.com ran out of fruits so in the last several months, we only get one fruit a month. The biggest update for this week (week 27) is that Sophi's lungs are undergoing some serious development right now and she is starting to practice inhaling and exhaling. Since there seems to be a shortage of oxygen in my womb, she will be breathing amniotic fluid for now. :) Also, with more brain tissue developing, her brain is very active now. Let's hope she gets her Daddy's smarts! She weighs almost 2 lbs. and should be measuring at about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She is beginning to sleep and wake at regular intervals now (like kicking me all night long last night!), opening and closing those beautiful baby eyes and possibly even sucking on her fingers.

Sophi has been super active today. Like a disco party in my belly! It's really neat getting to feel her bump around so much in there. She is also starting to give me new movements. Instead of small random kicks, it now feels like she is stretching against me when she moves. It's so weird. One side of my belly pushes out and gets really hard for a few seconds and then slowly goes back down. It would be so amazing if I could see inside when she does these things so I knew exactly what's going on in there. She is still sitting very low. I have hardly felt any movement above my belly button. Most of the action stays down low. She loves to use my bladder for a trampoline...hello kegels!! :) Last night, we tried the flashlight game for the first time. If you don't know what that is, I lay down and one of us shines a flashlight against the belly. Baby is supposed to go nuts but I guess Sophi wasn't really feeling it much. She only gave us a couple of good kicks. I tried it again this morning though since she was much more active and she had my belly rockin' and rollin' all over the place. Such a super amazing feeling!!


Mommy Update

How far along? 27 weeks, 1 day and only 6 days away from my third trimester! Crap!!!
Weight gain/loss: 18lbs. gained...I'm so ashamed! I went to the doctor's for my regular 4 week appointment on Monday and the nurse weighed me TWICE!! She weighed me once and then went to write it on my chart and was like "Can you step back on the scale again? This thing says you've gained 8 pounds since your last visit", regrettably, the scale didn't lie. I gained 8 pounds in 4 weeks. Time to buckle down on some of these cravings.
Maternity clothes? Got a super cute pair of skinny jeans and some really soft/pretty sweaters to wear for winter time! Now if it would just drop to below the mid-day 80's here maybe I can wear them!
Stretch marks? Still no. I talked with mom though and she said that she never got any with me or with Justin so that gives me some hope since they are hereditary
Sleep? Not without a handful of Tylenol and some Nighty Night tea. And sometimes those don't even work. It's getting super hard to get comfy and when I do, I can only stay there for about 2 hours before I want to cut my hip off from hurting so bad.
Best moment this week? There have been a few best moments, really. We have her bedding in the crib and the curtains hung in the nursery which feels good. Also, getting to hear her strong little heartbeat at the doc's on Monday was pretty awesome!
Movement: Yes! And she is getting stronger and stronger! I'm waiting for the day when I see the foot print on the belly.
Food cravings: Pumpkin ANYTHING!!! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice latte...I know what you're thinking...I am not Bubba from Forrest Gump reincarnated! LOL! ;)
Belly button in or out? Still in but barely....this ship is definitely starting to surface. And with 13 weeks to go still...I have a sad feeling that I may lose my innie for a little while. :)
What I miss? I miss my brain the most right now. Seems like day by day it slips farther and farther into pregnancy brain land. I sure hope it comes back after Sophi gets here. :)
What I am looking forward to? Getting to spend Thanksgiving with Mitch and my amazing family and eating lots of yummy food!!
Weekly wisdom: I still need to focus on not obsessing on weight gain. Also, not baby related but, take every opportunity to tell the people that you love how you feel about them. Be close to them and take everything in while you can. Deployment really stinks but I will say that it has made me appreciate my time with Mitch SO much more this last month especially. I know that I always tell him how much I love him and appreciate him but I didn't realize how much I take for granted the small things like the way it feels to snuggle close to him on the couch. Feel his warmth or smell him. I'm trying to take all of these things in as much as possibly before he's gone. :)
Milestones: Um, how about the fact that I'm down to 90 days and only 6 days away from the third trimester!! Yikes!! Monday was our last every 4 week check up. We are moving on to every two weeks now. Also, getting the bedding in the crib and the curtains hung was a big deal. This morning I ordered a couple of more things that should be here within the next couple of weeks but until then....

Here are a couple of pictures of the bedding and the curtains!  We picked the bedding up at Land of Nod and the polka dot curtains are from Pottery Barn Kids. 

We have been looking at outfits to bring her home in also. I felt it is important to have something picked out before Mitch deploys. I don't feel like it should be just me picking out such an important outfit! Here are a couple of the sets we have been looking at. Whichever one we end up with, I will find a super cute newborn knit hat to match on Etsy.

Well, my handsome husband has just arrived home so I'm off to spend the evening with him! Until next time!

Is this thing on????

Wow I can't believe it's been almost a month since I updated this blog....what a slacker I am!!! :) These last few weeks have been crazy busy and it doesn't look like things will slow down any time soon. The next 5 or 6 weeks we will be trying to get as much baby stuff done as possible (along with having 2 baby showers) and trying to get everything in order for Mitch to leave next month. Then after that, I will be picking myself up off of the floor and finishing up all things baby before Sophi arrives. I can't believe she will be here in about 3 1/2 months....15 weeks...that's not really that long. LoL! And I'll say again, pregnancy has been fabulous to me and has gone by entirely too fast!!

Just a warning...I have a feeling that this will be a pretty long blog so if you plan on sticking it out...you might want to grab a comfy chair and a drink. ;) Let's move on to the updates...

Sophi Update

From thebump.com:Baby is the size of an eggplant. Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Ok so I totally copied and pasted the above info from thebump.com but only because reading it made me tear up a little. And I must say that we will definitely be trying the "daddy's ear to the belly" thing. Plus, I can't believe our little Sophi is an eggplant finally!! YES!! She has been a papaya for the last 4 weeks and so this is HUGE for me!! I will say though that she is an eggplant baby with mad karate skills! LOL!! She has been kicking like crazy and I feel new and stronger movements at least once a week. It's amazing getting to feel her squirm around in there every day now though. Definitely helps to keep the "is my baby ok" worry down some.

We painted the nursery (well, Mitch mostly painted) a couple of days ago and I was a little concerned because I hadn't felt her move much throughout the day since I was moving around so much. Well, after I settled down into my rocking chair to watch Mitch put together the crib and dresser, the party came to life inside my belly! She was kicking me so hard that I felt like my insides were going to bruise and she was (what felt like) running her fingers or toes across my belly constantly for about 45 minutes. Mitch got to feel her and we both had a super cool proud mommy and daddy moment. :) I love that he has been able to feel her a lot more these days. It's helping him get more interested in things like wanting to keep his hand on my belly in case she moves or getting down and talking to her. These things just make my heart melt 100 times over!!

Mommy Update
How far along? 25 weeks today
Weight gain/loss: About 13 lbs. gained. It's starting to come on quickly now! I've gained 6 lbs. in 5 weeks. I'm trying not to freak myself out over it but it's difficult at times.
Maternity clothes? For sure! And it looks like I'll be moving up in size soon. Almost gone are the days of the size small maternity clothes. I'm hunting for a pair of cute maternity skinny jeans though to wear with my boots this winter!
Stretch marks? Nope! I've been using this super awesome 100% cocoa butter bar that Dahna (Mitch's big sis) sent me and it makes my skin feel amazing!! I may not have any stretch marks yet but I do have one seriously hairy happy trail and my veins are starting to form a road map the more my belly grows. :)
Sleep? Well, aside from getting up 3 or 4 times a night to pee, my sleeping has been ok. I am starting to have some hip pain so I take a couple of Tylenol right before bed and some nights we drink some chamomile tea and I usually get a pretty good night's sleep.
Best moment this week? Definitely getting the nursery painted and the crib and dresser put together. We still have a long way to go but this is a huge start for preparing for Sophi!
Movement: Every day, at least once a day for anywhere from about 15-45 minutes at a time. It's amazing to feel her move around so much and know that what I'm feeling is her and not have to wonder "Was that baby or do I have gas?" LoL! She is getting stronger and stronger. She has started really kicking pretty hard and even pushing back against me if I push on my belly sometimes. It's such a super cool feeling!!
Food cravings: Lately I have been craving strawberries and bananas. Which is good right? Right....well except most of the strawberry cravings come in the form of a strawberry milkshake!! LOL!! At least I am eating my bananas though minus the ice cream part. ;)
Belly button in or out? Still in. I don't think it's moving out yet but I'm definitely getting more paranoid since the belly is growing so fast now. I've been keeping a close eye on it! LoL, like there's anything I can do to stop it!! ;)
What I miss? This hasn't really changed since last time. I still miss being able to do things without feeling like my body is going to fall apart on me so easily. Just helping out a little with the nursery had my hands cramping and my hips and back aching. I also really, really, really, really miss running in the mornings with the dogs. Mitch has been taking the girls running lately and I so wish that I could join him but my body just won't allow it at this point. So I walk. It's kinda boring but I do it anyway because I have to do something and running is out of the question.
What I am looking forward to? Whatever comes next. With Mitch leaving so soon I'm trying not to look too far forward because then I just get sad about him going so instead of looking forward to big things, I'm looking forward to every little movement, heartbeat, hiccup that comes from inside and lets me know that Sophi is doing great and growing every day.
Weekly wisdom: Stretching is your best friend!! I have to make myself stretch before doing anything these days. It takes a few extra minutes out of my day but it definitely helps. In the morning, I get out of bed and stretch like I'm about to run a marathon (lol) but it makes my body feel a little less decrepit so it's worth the time that it takes. Also, stop worrying so much about weight gain. There is a baby in there and she needs me to put on weight. I have to stop being such a freak when I see the scale move!
Milestones: We got the nursery cleared out, painted and the crib and dresser together! Don't worry....there will be pics posted further down into this blog. I told you it would be a long one!! teehee ;)

So a couple of things that I just want to document that weren't in the above mommy stats are:

Holy gas bubbles Batman!!!! I thought that maybe, just maybe I got lucky and wouldn't get the dreaded pregnancy gas....buuuuuut....boy was I wrong!!! If you know me well, then you know that I am very modest about passing gas. I won't even do it in front of Mitch (even though he doesn't have a problem ripping it up around me!!). I will run to the bathroom, shut the door, turn on the fan and sink so that he doesn't hear me. Well, lately I haven't had much warning and the evil fart monster has started showing itself! It's so embarrassing for me but Mitch is a champ and sometimes even acts like he doesn't hear it when I can't make it to the bathroom in time. Guess this is something I should get used to. No matter what though, I could never be the girl who gets into "fart wars" with my husband....that's just nasty!

Is this a dream or is it really real???? I have been having the most insane, violent, nutso, VERY realistic dreams during this pregnancy but the further I get along, the more real my dreams become. I dream that someone is chasing me with a gun/knife trying to kill me or they are killing people all around me. I dream that Mitch is cheating on me and that I catch him and in some violent manner kill the girl that he's with. Every vulgar word that I don't say while I'm awake comes out in my dreams. I wake up with my heart pounding so hard, I wake up in a pool of sweat from running so hard in the dreams, and sometimes I even wake up bawling my eyes out. Super freaky crazy nutso pregnancy dreams!!

Are we sure this isn't the first trimester??? Seriously though, the first trimester is where I'm supposed to be all pukey and emotional and all the bad stuff but really, it was a total cake walk (Mmmm...cake) for me! I'm paying for it now though!! I have been so emotional lately. I mean, I've always been one to wear my heart on my sleeve but lately that thing has been threatening to jump!! I cry or get my feelings hurt super easily right now. Just in the last week, Mitch, being the amazing husband and lover that he is, has had to comfort me twice when I've woken up from nightmares and have been a complete wreck. I mean seriously crying uncontrollably over a flippin' DREAM! WHAT?! I mean, who does that?? Me, I'm that girl! LoL! Also, what's up with the morning sickness??? Isn't this supposed to be the time when I have all of this energy and feel great and can eat what I want and not have to worry about this stuff??? Nope, I can't brush my teeth with toothpaste...or I'll puke in the sink and if I even think about eating something that Sophi doesn't like? She just makes sure it doesn't stay down for long and mommy is making a mad dash to the toilet to get it back up. I swear I think that the carpet is wearing thin in the path from the living room to the bathroom between my 100 times a day pee trips and random vomit breaks. Ugh!! I still have it easier than a lot of ladies though so I am thankful for that!!

Now for the fun stuff....

Wait...it's been fun reading so far, right? Hope you haven't fallen asleep on me yet!! hehe :)

So Justin and I had the opportunity to go visit our Dad for a few days around the first of the month. It really was a super nice relaxing time. Not only did I need some time away from all of the things that have been consuming my mind lately but we both needed some good quality time with our Dad and Dana (dad's beautiful fiancée). We also got to see/meet some of our family that we never really had a chance to get to know before. All in all, it was a great weekend and although it isn't baby related, I wanted to post a few pics anyway. :)

Justin and Dad fly fishing for trout at Blackhawk (Dad's office)

Here I am on top of a huge stump from a white oak

Dad and Jus together after one of many catches

The three of us on a bench in Helen, Ga. Cool little German town north of where Dad and Dana live.

Me and Dana on the bench. Check out the gorgeous fountain behind us!

The three of us in front of the windmill

Nursery Time!!!

It's about stinking time, right?!? Ok, so I'm just going to post pics and narrate for you. :)

Mitchy getting the room taped off and ready to go

Drop cloth is down, walls are taped and paint is open...let's get this party started!

Mitchy started on the trim work

Mom painted one side of the room

I worked on the other...

Posing for the paparazzi ;)

Then I did some observing...

And....then I took a break to play with Jaiden :)

Hubba Hubba!!

Whoops! Busted for checking out Mitch's booty!!

Proud Daddy next to our fully assembled crib

Whatcha doin' in there Daddy?? Mitch taking the dresser pieces out of the box while Liesel and Miliani check out what's going on. Enzo was sitting on my lap.

Mitchy worked hard late into the night...

And the puppies slept.

View from the door. Crib is to the left, dresser is to the right and the rocker is where I would like my future glider to go (hint hint Christmas present...lol)

Our crib that I am soooooo in love with!

The dresser that will also be the changing table

We obviously have a lot more to do but this is a great start we think. :) We will be ordering the bed set and curtains in the next couple of weeks, I need to steam clean the carpets and get the wall art ordered and put up but we just know that everything will turn out beautifully and are so super excited that we are now just one step closer to being ready for Sophi's arrival in a few months. :)

Well, I hope you all have enjoyed this entry but I have been working on it for 3 hours now and it's time to eat lunch with my handsome husband and then I think I'll bake a pumpkin cheesecake....yummy!!!

This really has been a great day!!!

And now I will tell you all about it...lol ;)

Well first let me start by saying that yesterday was bad...not like normal bad but like completely crazy pregnant lady bad. I cried...no, I bawled my eyes out first thing yesterday morning because the dogs were being a bunch of nuts (seriously...lol) and then felt like a total emotional/fat/unaccomplished terd for the rest of the day. Well until Mitchy came home and we headed up to Celebration. My hubby, that place and the people in it always know just how to lift my spirits back to where they need to be.

So today I made my mind up before I even opened my eyes that today WOULD BE a great day no matter what!! And once again, the bible rings true for me....believe it, will it, and it will happen!! :)

I got up and the dogs were perfect angels all morning. I even got down on the floor and played with them some to get rid of some of their energy. Liesel cracks me up when she gets going like she did this morning. Reminds me of when she was a puppy and that brings my heart so much joy! So then I decided that I was going to take my undeniably handsome and wonderful husband some lunch since he is working a 12 hour shift today and forgot to pack a lunch for himself. Well, before I left the house, I checked the mailbox and was THRILLED to find a couple of little packages in there! Two more cloth diapers (they are SO tiny and CUTE!!) and a new shirt for mommy (me)! :) WooHoo!! So I put on my new shirt and ran out the door. On the way to see Mitchy for lunch I decided to stop by Babies R Us and go ahead and buy our travel system. YAY!!! We had a 20% off coupon which saved us $46(!) and also we get double bucks on our reward card this weekend! CA-CHING!! Send us some more coupons thank you very much!! (Ok I think maybe it's time for a new paragraph...hehe)

So then I went and had lunch with Mitch which is never long enough but always a treat anyway getting to see him in the middle of the day. Got to talk to my dad for a little while which always puts a smile on my face. As much as I hate to leave my honey for a few days, I am so looking forward to going and visiting Dad & Dana in a couple of weeks and just getting away from the stress that has been eating me lately. So I get home and I give our real estate company's rental office a call and ask the girl in there (who was actually really nice for once today!!) if she can find out about us possibly being able to paint Sophi's room and she called back and said YES!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness I am getting so excited....this is all starting to get so real!!! So here is what we have so far combined w/ what will go on by the end of October:

- We bought our crib last week but it's still in the box
- Need to finish moving furniture out of future nursery if my poor husband ever gets a day off of work.
- Bought the travel system today!
- Next week we are ordering the dresser and mattress
- By the end of October the room will be painted, crib and dresser will be assembled and hopefully we will have the crib bedding here, washed and in her crib!

It's so awesome!!! I can picture it all in my head now how beautiful it's going to be! I told Mitch don't be surprised if he comes home to find me pushing the travel system around the house with one of Sandra's baby dolls in a cloth diaper in the infant seat! Hehe or Enzo! Now that would be a sight! :)

Oh! If you have made it this far through this completely caffeinated and jumbled blog entry, I will tell you a couple more things. :) The Rice in me doesn't know when to stop talking! ;)

So, Saturday (20 weeks, 4 days) we felt Sophi's first real kick! And she hasn't slowed down since! Every day I feel her dancing around in there and it is so completely amazing! I can't wait until our next doctor's appt. when we get to hear her little heart beating again! We don't get another ultrasound until 32 weeks unless we choose to have the elective ultrasound done but we will have to come up with the money for that one. Feeling her moving and getting stronger and getting to hear her little heart beat once a month will be good enough for me though I think. ;)

So mom & I went to Target (always dangerous!) last weekend with the intention to only look and not buy anything. Riiiiiiight because that's exactly what ALWAYS happens when we go to Target, right? Uh....wrong. teehee :) It's not much but Sophi's Granna (my mommy) did cave in and buy Sophi her first girly-fied outfit. We absolutely fell in love with it!! And now, here is a picture of it...


How stinkin' cute is that?!? I will make sure that she is 100% daddy's little princess! She will always know how amazingly special her Daddy is no matter what!

And for all of you nay sayers out there...here is a picture of my starter stash for cloth diapers. Don't even fib and say they aren't adorable! ;) The two on the left are more for the newborn stage and the two on the right will be a part of the stash that will grow with her from about 12lbs through potty training age.

And here is a pic of what our crib will (hopefully) look like once we get it out of the box and put together...

Ok that's all for now. When Mitch gets home tonight I will try to remember to have him take a new belly pic (not that a whole lot has changed this week) and will upload it then. :)

Well I've avoided them long enough....

The dreaded granny panties and panty liners!! I think it may be time to invest in some of both. I was just sitting here at my computer when *WHAM!!!* our precious little Sophi decided to play trampoline on mommy's bladder...and I peed a little. Another joyous pregnant lady moment for me! Guess I'll be headed out tomorrow to pick up some new undies and some liners as I'm sure this will not be the last time this happens.

She has really been active since Saturday and it is so amazing!! I can't believe how strong she is getting! Mitch can even feel her sometimes when she gives me a good kick. Scary thing though, if she's already getting this strong...what am in for in the next few months?!? I can't wait to find out!!

Butterflies, polka dots & fluffy bottoms OH MY!!!!

These last couple of weeks have been a complete whirlwind for me! First we find out that we are in fact, having a girl! (I knew it all along, lol!) Then of course it's time to start really planning a nursery, looking at different types/styles/colors of cloth diapers, registering and starting to clear out the room that will soon be our little girl's nursery! I'll get to a little bit of all of this but first....some ultrasound pics of our princess!


Sophi likes to stand on her head. Maybe she will be a gymnast? Mommy has plans to turn her into a dancer!

So cool how you can see her spine...

She's all girl!

Showing off her growing baby muscles

Profile pic...the ultrasound tech says she has a cute nose!

This is the top of her head...no hair up there yet that we can see...

And these are her little piggies... :)

Isn't she just SO CUTE?!?! That ultrasound really was very neat. We were in there for about 30 minutes watching her flip, move and wave at us. At one point while the tech was getting the measurements and such they did this thing where all of her organs turned different colors on the screen and you could see everything beating and pumping...so neat! They shot a close-up of her heart and it is absolutely perfect! She is growing right on track and is measuring perfectly on everything. The doctor says that my placenta is on top which is right where it is supposed to be and there is almost no chance that it will separate and cause problems. All of our prayers have been answered so far and we could not feel any more blessed at this time. We are so thankful that God has been SO good to us!


Baby Stats

So this week our little Sophi girl is about the size of a cantaloupe and is measuring about 6 1/2 inches from head to rump and she should weigh about 10 1/2 oz. She is swallowing more now and she is really getting good at using her digestive system. This week, she is also starting to produce meconium, a by-product of the digestive system that mommy will have to clean up out of her diapers the first few days that she is here with us. :) And of course, her girly parts have formed showing us who she is!



Mommy Stats
How far along? 20 weeks, 3 days.
Weight gain/loss: About 7lbs. gained so far as far as our home scale says anyway but the last doctor weigh in was 6.2 lbs gained.
Maternity clothes? Absolutely! And so glad I made the switch over! Maternity pants are so darn comfy! I was so scared of letting go of my belt but now, not having to deal with a belt, button, zipper is really nice! I may never go back! LoL!
Stretch marks? Still no! :) I can see the skin starting to tighten around my belly though. That's kinda neat.
Sleep? Sleep comes and goes. I either sleep great or don't sleep at all. Last night was like wow...best night in a long time but I'm seriously thinking about investing in some unisom here soon. (Don't worry, it's on my approved medicine list!)
Best moment this week? Going to pick up our crib on Wednesday! Can't wait to get the room cleaned out and get the crib set up.
Movement: It's all or nothing right now. When I do feel movement, it's a lot and still just little flicks. No big kicks or anything yet and the doc says it may be another 4-6 weeks before I start feeling big kicks since this is my first pregnancy.
Food cravings: I don't know that I've really been craving anything lately. I'm happy to have my eggs back. I really missed them! Time to start eating more protein. That's my new goal.
Gender: We've got a girl! Sophi Aiyura :)
Belly button in or out? Still totally in. Don't think I'll have to worry about that for a while
What I miss? Being able to do things without wearing out so soon. I may not look all that pregnant but I feel it. My feet hurt in the mornings and I tire out very easily these days.
What I am looking forward to? Putting our crib together! :)
Weekly wisdom: When you need to sit, sit. Don't push yourself. This is really hard for me. I want to be able to go and do just as much as I did before so it's a lesson that I need to learn.
Milestones: We are half way there! Less than 20 weeks to go. Now it's time to get serious about getting ready for baby Sophi! :)

20 Week Belly Pics

Well I'm going to sign off for now, I think I've made this one long enough. :) But more pictures of a bare nursery and fully assembled crib to come soon! XoXo

It's almost that time....

Baby Progress Report

So the picture says that Special K is the size of a sweet potato this week....yes that's what that picture is supposed to be...LoL! I've kicked back into amazement mode. Special K is nearly 6 inches long...only 6 inches long and less than 7 oz. and is doing so many amazing things! When I look back over the progression over the last 18 weeks I am in total awe that such a big God can create such a small miracle. The updates this week read that Special K is passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. He/she has fingerprints, a skeleton is forming and joints are being used instead of cartilage, tiny bones are forming in baby's ears and the little one can now pick up voices. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. I mean really....wow!! The miracle of life is such a beautiful and amazing thing!!



Update on Mommy
How far along? 18 weeks, 1 day
Weight gain/loss: 4.6 lbs gained. I lost a little from starting to dance again but it has come back plus another .6lb. Hopefully when we see the doc this Friday he will say we are growing at a healthy rate!
Stretch marks? Still a no for this one! :)
Gender: We will know very soon!!! I have had butterflies all week! Errr...maybe that's actually Special K...lol! ;)
Best moment this week?In the mornings when I first wake up I can lay on my back and suck my tummy in and everything except a hard little pooch under my belly button goes away. I get to say a special good morning to our little one as soon as I open my eyes. :)
Food cravings: Not really having any distinct cravings this week. More like aversions. I have really been not digging meat very much lately. Something about the texture or something kinda turns my stomach so I've had to come up with other ways to get protein for the baby.
What I am looking forward to? Getting to see Special K on the ultrasound this Friday and praying that he/she is cooperative and shows us what's between those little legs! Also, looking forward to not referring to baby as "he/she" or "it" and just knowing for sure if we are growing a HE or a SHE. :)
Milestones: I don't think we've made any more huge milestones yet but Friday we definitely will. Finding out the gender and seeing that everything is going great with our little Special K and then finally getting to go out and BUY SOMETHING!!! Eeeeee!!!!! I'm so super excited!! We have been counting down the days!!


I can't believe it....18 weeks...this could possibly be the longest week of my life so far! We find out in just a couple of days what our very special little Special K will be...girl...or boy? So I thought we could have a little fun here...below are a few pics of my current belly. I thought it would be fun to get a collective vote from my family and friends soooooo let's utilize those blog comments and tell us what you think! Will our little one be a girl or a boy? Have fun!!! :)

Alright, now you have some pictures to vote off of so go vote! :)