My beautiful husband

So planning a nursery and not knowing the sex of the baby can get pretty ugly...literally. Walking through stores and looking into catalogs are mildly depressing since there's close to nothing to choose from BUT we can do this right?! :) Cory really wants to wait to find out the sex of the baby so we're going to- I want him to feel a part of the baby bonding too! So it's a waiting game from here- and its tough for my strong dislike of surprises!

As we looked through the nursery catalogs together the other evening over dinner, Cory came up with the clever idea of buying NOTHING for the baby or the nursery until D-Day and we knew the sex of the baby.... not happening. :)

He really makes me laugh sometimes at his "insights" for how I should handle various obstacles through pregnancy or baby planning! Here is my favorite :)

One night as Im sitting on the couch eating two delicious chocolate pudding cups like a savage(without a utensil-gross I know) Cory ever so sweetly reminds me " You know, you won't always be able to eat whatever you want" :) Yes dear, I know.

So he decides since I dread going to the gym at rush hour with everyone else getting off of work that we will do a home workout we found online targeted for moms that are expecting! See workouts here.

I couldn't help but keep a smile on the entire time as I watched his legs and arms trembling and him breakout in the biggest sweat for the mild 30 minute workout! It's been about a week later and he's still very sore :) Somehow the workout comments have deflated- so I say I won ;)

Book Help

Last night, as I found the last book in our home that I hadn't read 3 or 4 times "A child called It" I got so excited and engrossed in the read that I finished it in about an hour and was left a little sad knowing I didn't have anything to read. So my question is for anyone who loves to read, is there an inexpensive place for great non-fiction books (preferably free)? I can find any great free books online. Help! :)

Questions

Everyone is full of great questions! Here are some for the curious- and to pass the time till honey gets home from class!!

What were your 1st symptoms?  nausea, exhaustion, very small bladder :)

Who did you tell first?  Cory and then my mom!

My 1st reaction:  freaking out.  And not in a “I’m excited to be pregnant” kind of way either.  Really scared.

Due Date:  Aug 3rd 2012

Do you know the sex?  No we're waiting! 

Any names?  These are written in the baby book's "consideration list"

Brooklyn Skye, Kyleigh Rose, Caden and Noah.

Im pretty sure we're dead set on Noah 

Will the baby have siblings?  Two big sister's!!

Hey Guys!

Have you felt the baby move?  Yes! Baby moves every day pretty much and tap dances on my bladder in the mornings

Do you have any cravings?  I cant really say I've had crazy cravings, just fruit, juices, and Sushi!!! :D Im drooling now thanks. OH and my meme's macaroni and cheese

Do you have any mood swings?  No- I  have cried once though... where I felt really stupid after :)

Formula or Breastfeeding?  I’m going to try to be all about the boob, even though it sort of frightens me.  I know it’s best, so I will definitely try it and hope that it works.

Have you bought anything for the baby yet? No! We're still early

When did you start to show?  Hmm, I definitely look a lot bigger than the picture I posted, but i'd say between week 15 and 18

How long could you wear your regular clothes?  I still can, as long as I wear the belly band over my regular pants

Home or Hospital?  North Central Baptist Hospital :) 

Natural or Medicated birth?  I want the epidural.  For sure.

Who will be in the delivery room with you?  I have not completely decided. I definitely don't want a crowd

Do you think you will need a C-section?  I sure hope not.  But my doctor always mentions it in relation to how small my hips are, and how huge I was at birth

Will you let anyone video tape the birth?  Ummm Heck no. 

Who will help you with the baby after the birth?  I'm sure we will have lots of help from family!

What is your favorite thing about being pregnant?  Getting away with murder- haha and by that I mean Cory spoils me and is extra protective. He's so giving naturally but with baby cooking he goes above and beyond every day.

What is the worst thing about being pregnant?  Feeling large, belly hair, I have a stretch-mark, not looking cute in certain clothes I loved, and just feeling really unattractive can make me sad, And not getting to do things fun and spontaneous.

What’s one thing you miss doing since being pregnant?  I cant lie- I've wanted a drink the entire time  

Do you still feel attractive?  Not really. Very rarely I'll have an "Oh my belly looks cute in this shirt moment" and then it goes away.

Have you had your baby shower yet?  No way. Not sure Im having one but we'll see.

Have other questions? Leave them in a comment and I'll try to answer :)

Everything else NBR

And here's to everything else Non-baby-Related!
Cory and I are moving this coming month and can't wait! We are moving all the way out to Bulverde TX in the home I lived in longest as a child (around 7 years). God has really blessed us with this opportunity! We were so nervous when we knew our lease was coming to an end in our very small over priced apartment, and that not only did we need more room, but also a yard, and for it to be much less than we were paying here. God answered our prayers and my family is currently working on renovations for us to make it a wonderful place for us and the baby! It is a 4 bedroom/3 bathroom home (2,000 sq ft) on over an acre of land and we're so excited!

This past weekend we picked out paint colors, and the color of wood were using for the floors, and have began the sweep through for cleaning and preparing us for demolition day! ;) (we're just painting and adding new floors for now)

We're planning a family work day out in the home for this Saturday to try and complete as much as we can, and Cory and I will most likely be spending his Spring Break to complete all of the work! So hopefully we can move in by the end of March!

Other than that,

• Ali's team finished 4th for her NCAA conference finals this past weekend in Alabama! Go Ali!!!

• Gran is currently undergoing various CT Scan's for an update on the tumor found in her Kidney. I just know God is going to completely heal her and she will be made new!

Awesome Friends and Family!

Sooo I was surprised this weekend with a few AMAZING gifts from a great family friend Joyce and her sweet Daughter for the baby! We were given a wonderful Breast Pump (all accessories and a great carrying bag), an adorable reversible nursing cover, and a boppie!!! The boppie was definitely on the top of my list for things I reallllly wanted :D Here they are!

Cant tell but it's green!

Both sides of the reversible nursery cover

Aren't they great?!I'm so thankful! :D

This week:

EDD/How far along? 17 weeks 3 days

Symptoms check-in: Feeling great!

Aversions/Cravings: No aversions; but I've wanted chocolate covered strawberries!

Any Appointments? Not until 3/13

Weight check-in: 114

Any baby-related purchases/nursery progress? No purchases!

Team green/boy/girl? Team Green!

Names if you feel like sharing: We love Noah for a boy, and Brooklyn (Brooke) for a girl; but nothing is decided on

Best thing to happen the past week/worst? We spent the weekend with my brother Josh and had such a great time! 

And here's an updated photo of the growing belly!

Nursery Ideas

Well since we're Team Green (not finding out the sex of the baby) it has lead to many questions from our friends and family about our ideas for a nursery theme or what to buy?! DON'T PANIC PEOPLE! :D I have found some photos for my personal inspiration! As follows....

(all photos are property of Etsy artists and are not mine)

We are looking to use: natural and neutral colors- browns,whites, greens, yellows

some type of wall decal for art (Im personally loving the big tree :)) 

and possibly a reoccurring animal through the room.

So far, I have not looked into purchasing anything because its very early but I've gotten a lot of questions so I thought I'd share! :D I'm already chomping at the bit to start a nursery so I cannot wait until we're in our new home and able to start decorating! We're very fortunate that my parents have a home for us to rent in Bulverde! We'll be moving in between March and April to a 4 Br 3 bath home and have the ability to buy if that's Gods plan for us. But until then we have the green light to make whatever improvements needed and make ourselves at home! I cant wait! 

16 weeks

I know I am 16 weeks late but HELLO! So far Im 16 wks 5 days and this whole journey has been a learning process with many excitements and milestones!
To catch everyone up:
We found out the day after Thanksgiving that we we're expecting and we're completely surprised! We were not planning to have children for 5-6 years so when the news came we were nervous, scared, excited, and curious of all that was ahead. We had a basic blood test to confirm the home test and it came back positive but the attending nurse gave us a "calculation" that we were already 13 weeks! Ummm- Yikes?! 
We scheduled an appointment with an OB-GYN who did a sonogram on our very first visit and reassured us that we were barely expecting- only 4-5 weeks- and we were able to see the tiny flicker of a heart beat! We felt much better knowing we had more time to plan and prepare! Our calculated date of "conception" was Cory's 25th birthday, and the doctor gave us an estimated due date of August 3rd.


So by week 16 we have had four visits with three sonograms and our baby is growing very quickly and is always measuring a few weeks ahead of schedule! :) We're so proud! In my last appointment we had a urine test taken that indicated I had "higher than normal" levels of protein and white blood cells in my urine which is usually an indicator of infection so we're waiting for other testing but it isn't anything that we have to worry about. Our next appointment is March 16th where we will get our best sonogram! It's our scheduled Anatomy Scan where we could find out the sex of the baby if we want to but we have made the decision to wait until D-Day! The Anatomy Scan is roughly a 30 minute sonogram and is a very detailed report and measurement of all of the baby's vital organs and a predictor for any possible abnormalities. So needless to say were very excited! :D I plan to try to post several times a week and to post pictures throughout the week for a track of my "growth" :( LOL. I'll keep you posted ;)