25 weeks- Merry Chrimma!

How Far Along? : 25 weeks!

TOTAL Weight Gain: 11 ibs as of 11/29 (next appt on 12/29)

Maternity clothes? : yep! pants, shirts, everything! got new maternity clothes for christmas too!

Stretch Marks? : none yet, i had joey inspect my tummy last night to make sure lol

Sleep: awful lately; tossing & turning a LOT.

Best Moment This Week: Christmas and Joey's birthday!!

Miss Anything? : sleeping! (i know i know, get used to it). and some drinkin' too!

Movement: allllll the time. she kicked her daddy in the face the other night lol

Food Cravings: sweets, as always. and FRUIT! cravings haven't changed!

Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? : nope! feelin' great these days.

Gender: GIRL!

Labor Signs: none

Symptoms: swollen fingers, they look like little sausages!

Belly Button In or Out? : half in, half out- seriously...its possible.still hasn't popped!

Wedding Rings On or Off? : on but feelin' tight!

Happy or Moody? : lately? a HOT MESS!


"You’re 25 weeks pregnant and it’s probably dawned on you that soon you’ll actually have to deliver this baby. (A little scary, but exciting!) Maybe you’re getting nervous about delivery, or maybe it’s your haywire hormones, but you might start to have trouble sleeping around week 25. This is a common complaint of many moms-to-be. Some people will tell you that’s just your body’s way of prepping you for sleepless nights with baby.She's enjoying her new sense of equilibrium -- she now knows which way is up and which is down, and She's growing more fat and more hair too."
-thebump.com

During month six, the average fetus measures about 13.6 inches to 14.8 inches and weighs about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.




well Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy (belated) Birthday to my hubby!! (he turned 25 yesterday!)

Christmas was a blur! Christmas Eve we had my mom,brother,grandparents,uncle,and cousin over for dinner and gift exchange. Then my mama spent the night and we woke up and did gifts with her. Next we jetted over to my Dad's house for Christmas breakfast with him, his wife Donna, and her daughter Christa. Food was delicious as always and we had a good time. Then we spent the remainder of the day with Joey's family! We had a great time, and as always- I'm so glad to have my husband home with me. He's been out of the Army for 2 years but I know what its like to have him gone on the holidays; so I will always be grateful he is home!

Adelynn and I got spoiled rotten this Christmas!! I got a buncha new clothes for her from MIL, EE, and Anna! My Dad and Donna got us our travel system- SO EXCITING!!! and Joey spoiled me rotten with: movies, a new tervis tumbler, diamond ring, MK bag, GPS, etc.

and it makes me smile thinking we'll have an 8 month old Adelynn with us next Christmas!! :)

24 weeks

How Far Along? : 24 weeks!

TOTAL Weight Gain: 11 ibs as of 11/29 (next appt on 12/29)


Maternity clothes? : yep! pants always, and now shirts.


Stretch Marks? : none yet


Sleep: awful lately; tossing & turning a LOT.


Best Moment This Week: going to charlotte & meeting Brynn!!


Miss Anything? : sleeping! (i know i know, get used to it)


Movement: usually at night, but lately i've been feeling her more during the day too!


Food Cravings: sweets, as always. and FRUIT!


Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? : nope! unless you count car sickness yesterday on the way home from Charlotte.


Gender: GIRL!


Labor Signs: none


Symptoms: none i can think of off the top of my head.


Belly Button In or Out? : half in, half out- seriously...its possible.


Wedding Rings On or Off? : on but feeling tight this week; i think because i've been eating so much salt lately.


Happy or Moody? : lately? an emotional mess! today everything made me want to cry, just feeling down in the dumps!


"Those movements and kicks you’ve been feeling. They seem to get stronger every week. At week 24, baby’s progress isn’t just about internal stuff, it’s about her looks too. With pinker, more opaque skin, she’s looking more and more, well, like a baby. You, on the other hand, are probably experiencing some of the discomforts of the later months of pregnancy at week 24 -- leg cramps, backaches, swollen feet. Hang in there, mama-to-be!"
-THEBUMP.COM

Your 10.5-to-11.8-inch fetus weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces and every week she gets closer and closer to being ready to survive (and thrive!) in the outside world.

23 weeks!

How Far Along? : 23 weeks!

TOTAL Weight Gain: 11 ibs as of 11/29 (next appt on 12/29)

Maternity clothes? : yep! pants always, and now shirts.

Stretch Marks? : none yet

Sleep: pretty good this week- have a hard time getting comfy though

Best Moment This Week: laying in bed with joey, feeling her do back flips last night :)

Miss Anything? : not gonna lie, i miss my miller lite!

Movement: more and more. mainly at night!

Food Cravings: sweets, big time. Sunday i had the worst craving for strawberry sour punch lol

Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? : nope!

Gender: GIRL!

Labor Signs: none

Symptoms: i think i'm in a growth spurt, my tummy is popping big time, and havin' roung ligament pains.

Belly Button In or Out? : half in, half out- seriously...its possible.

Wedding Rings On or Off? : on

Happy or Moody? : lately? an emotional mess!

Looking Forward To: going to meet baby Brynn this weekend :)

"At 23 weeks, baby’s really getting ready for her big debut, listening in on what’s going on in the outside world.She's forming little nipples (yeah, really!) Her face is fully formed now -- she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out.She's listening to your voice and your heartbeat -- and even to loud sounds like cars honking and dogs barking."
-thebump.com

At about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces, baby's not just getting bigger, she's getting even cuter.

Brynn Elizabeth Baker

Brynn is on her way!!!

(Brynn @ 13 weeks)

Claire's water broke this morning around 4:30 am I believe, and I just heard they started her on Pitocin. Everyone is in good spirits!

Claire is glowing!!

I am so excited and can hardly wait to get up there on Friday. its killin' me not just jumping in my car now and driving up!! I was there at the hospital when Lilly was born, and would love to with Brynn but unfortunately work won't allow it; so we'll have to wait until Friday. Joey, me, and his mom are all driving up together and staying the weekend. I haven't seen claire,nick, and lilly since October so i'm SUPER anxious to see them and meet Brynn!!!

*for those who don't know, Claire is joey's cousin and one of my BEST friends. i def

consider her a SIL instead of my husband's cousin! we've gotten so close over the years! Joey & I are her first little girl, Lilliana's god parents. And Claire and her husband Nick are Adelynn's god parents :) we're very close with them!! *

her due date is 12/27 (Joey's bday!) so shes a little early- but hey, this way they'll all get to be home together on Christmas morning :) todays my dad's birthday too, so its guarenteed i'll never forget brynn's birthday :)

i cannot WAIT to see a picture of her, see who she looks like!!! i am SO excited!!

(Lilly at 1 week old back in June 2010)

will update soon! :)

**UPDATE!

Brynn is here :) she made her debut last night! mom and baby are both doing GREAT. its amazing how much her and Lilly look alike; twins for real! heres a few pictures...

19 inches, 7 Ibs 10.4 oz

feelin' crafty

so i got a little crafty this weekend! i found this bow hanger/headband hanger on Pinterest via this blog:

http://www.theparopost.com/2011/10/diy-bow-holder.html

which i now follow! love her. anyhoo- i knew i wanted a bow hanger but i wanted something to hold headbands too. pretty sure our baby girls gonna be a baldy for a while if she takes after the Lord side of the family! so needless to say i'm stocking up on bows/clips/headbands. (ever since i found out we're havin a girl i'm obsessed with 'em!)

once i saw how easy it was, i knew i could do it. i got everything at Michael's : white spray paint, wood frame, ribbon, hooks, flowers, and even some headbands! ;) i ended up getting the exact same ribbon she used on hers too, thought that was funny- we must have good taste ;)

Friday night joey and i screwed in all the hooks, Saturday morning i painted everything white, then glued the flowers to the corner. later we went over to my in-laws and i had my FIL use his staple gun to do the ribbon. then i came home, hung it on the wall, and put all the flowers/clips/headbands i have on it! LOVE it. i mean it was THAT easy!

heres a few pictures (bad, iPhone quality! sorry!)

not perfect, i'd do a couple things differently, but for the most part- its great :) and hey, i made it for her! with the help of her daddy and papaw! so it makes it way cooler than a store bought one!

i have a couple more things i want to do, and will get to eventually.

baby girl is kickin' up a storm right now-- coolest thing ever; i'll never get sick of it!

Ramblings of a soon to be mommy....

this past week i feel like my mind has been going a mile a minute, extreme ADD style jumping from one thought to the next... get ready for some random..

fear. i all of a sudden have this fear of getting older. i'm 24 years old, thats just crazy- i have a LOT of livin' left. it started with nightmares about losing my parents...then i was watching Hope Floats- and just lost it when Sandra Bullock went to see her Dad in the nursing home...it made me so SAD! it made me start thinking about my dad, and my mom. and then about my grandparents; and before i knew it i'd worked myself up into this emotional mess. i dont know where this fear came from; my mom said its normal for a pregnant woman...idk. it just makes me sad.

SAHM. wish i could do this. Now don't get me wrong- i absolutely love my job. and i NEVER in a million years thought i would want to stay at home, but since getting pregnant its like i already get sad thinking about going back to work. not being with my baby, dropping her off everyday...just makes me sad. LUCKILY, our 'daycare' is with my SIL Becca- so at least i'm not dropping her off at a VERY expensive germ factory with strangers. i know Becca will love her, take care of her, etc. I also work 5 min away from her house so i can be there super quick if i need to- and spend my lunch hour over there. it just makes me sad to think about not being with her :( i'm only planning to take 6 weeks of maternity leave...and i just know its going to FLY.

Preparation. i feel like theres' so much to do!! Granted i'm only 22 weeks so i have time....but theres just so much to do! i need to finish her room, not to mention buy ALL the stuff we need; we are starting from scratch so theres a lot to get. i also want to take a birth class, hospital tour, lactation class, etc. and be as educated/knowledgeable as i can! i want to get maternity pictures done...theres a couple things around the house i still wannna do before she comes... i feel like the list keeps growing and i wanna knock off as much as i can a.s.a.p.! i dont know why i feel this urgency!

Weight. i've finally started gaining weight. thankfully just in my tummy/hips- i'm okay with that. i'm just super scared i'm gonna get huge and have a hard time taking the weight off. i really want to feel confident about myself again-- i already didn't before pregnancy! i found this blog though: http://www.mamalaughlin.com/

and she is really inspiring. i'll probably be reading it every day after baby comes to get some tips/motivation. i'm just nervous about the weight gain.

Breast Feeding. I REALLY want to do it! For as long as i can! i'm just nervous- i've heard so many different things from so many different people. i realize i won't know how this is going to go until she is here. i just hope it goes smoothly for us and i can do this throughout the first year. i've been reading as much as i can to educate/prepare myself for it. and as i mentioned above; i really want to do the lactation class the hospital offers. this is important to me, its just good for baby and me; and will save us SO MUCH MONEY not having to do formula. fingers crossed it goes well.

Parenting- in general! i want to be a good mom, an amazing mom! i think i will be, i'm just nervous about the first few weeks when i'm really learning how to be a mom! its intimidating cause we've never done this before, obviously. but i think my mom and his mom will both be takin' some time off work to come in shifts lol. so i think i'll have help/support as long as i ask for it!

i just love Adelynn so much already! i want to give her the best life has to offer and just make sure she KNOWS she is loved, and that we'll always be there for her. i have so many things bouncing around my head, but i know regardless- at the end of the day? That little girl will be so loved, and always taken care of. i know we'll make it through anything, and we'll be okay.

i just need to take a deeeeeep breath, and remember that :)

22 weeks :)

How Far Along? : 22 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 11 Ibs *note: i refused to drive myself nuts and weigh at home. I ONLY get weighed at the doctor's office! so i won't know my weight till my next appointment on 12/29!

Stretch Marks: None yet!

Sleep: AWFUL the last week...but mainly because i have been sick as a dog!

Maternity Clothes: 100% maternity pants and now am definitely needing the shirts.

Best Moment This Week: Aunt EE getting to feel baby (and Britt too today at work!), and seeing her move from the outside for the first time!!

Miss Anything? : Lately... not really; watching football all weekend it was hard watching everyone else enjoy beers!! i do kinda miss it!

Movement: more and more :) I LOVE IT!

Food Cravings: still sweets, like big time. and SUSHI!!

Anything Making You Queasy or Sick? : Not really!

Gender: GIRL!!

Labor Signs: None, thank god!

Symptoms: None really, tender belly button still cause its half popped lol

Belly Button, in or out? : its like...semi out!

Wedding Rings, on or off? : On :)

Happy or Moody? : Lately, a bit off and moody (poor joey) ive just been so sick and getting no sleep. just exhausted!

Looking Forward To: her kicks getting stronger :)

"During week 22, baby’s invading your space, which is why it might be tough to catch your breath and why your back might be killing you. Hey, as she grows, she may be expanding your belly so much (so fast) that you might have some stretch marks -- and you might even have a newfound “outtie”! Now that she's got more developed eyes and lips, she's looking even more like a newborn. She's sleeping in cycles -- about 12 to 14 hours per day (hint: they're probably those times you're not feeling any kicks!)."
-thebump.com

During month five, the average fetus measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces

I'm SO SICK!! It's hard not being able to take anything. My doctor told me i could take robitussin, so i have...but its doing nothing. a lot of people on FB told me different things i could take but honestly- i am way too big of a scaredy cat. too worried about hurting Adelynn! but its been over a week, im exhausted from not being able to sleep, and being at work during the day is getting so difficult. just having little to no voice, and just so so tired. so i think im going to call the doctor tomorrow and see if theres anything else i can take- or if i should go see my primary care. we'll see. i'm so ready to shake this cold and start feeling better.

the funny thing is- my back aches finally went away haha- so if i wasnt sick id be feeling awesome!

this week we're getting a christmas tree, finish decorating, having the in-laws over for Chili Thurs to celebrate MIL's birthday...and this weekend...no plans! so we'll see what the week brings :)

for now, off to finish dinner and enjoy a movie with hubs!

21 weeks!

How far along?: 21 weeks

Total weight gain: *sigh* 11 ibs

Stretch marks? not yet *fingers crossed*

Sleep: pretty good this week!

Maternity clothes? yep! all the time.

Best moment this week: going to our appointment today and seeing baby girl again :) AND asking Claire & Nick to be GodParents :)

Miss Anything? not really!!

Movement: all the time it seems like! she's a ninja baby!

Food cravings: sweets, big time!

Anything making you queasy or sick: been feeling SO good this week!

Gender: Girl!!!

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: my belly button hurts :( other than that i'm good!

Belly Button in or out? in, but its close to popping and very tender right now!

Wedding rings on or off? on, but have noticed my fingers swelling this week- need to lay off

the tortilla chips and all that salt!

Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY! but sleepy. and getting a cold which is no fun!

Looking forward to: feeling her kick stronger and more often :) we're far from flutters now!

Doctor said baby looks perfect! She's breech right now but they aren't worried-shes got time to flip around. Her FHR is 159 and they said she is in the 50%. Anatomy scan went great and they said me and her both are 100% perfect :) yay for healthy baby, healthy mommy, and healthy pregnancy! Looks like my losing weight days are officially over!! 11 ibs i've gained since the start. Which really, isn't bad at all and I'm not totally surprised since baby is bigger and so is my tummy! hoping to contain all the weight gain to my stomach- we'll see. but i was told i "can" gain between 25-35 ibs. I'm gonna try to stick to 25 though ;)

My next appointment is 12/29 at 25 weeks for my glucose test, little nervous not gonna lie. lots of diabetics in my family!

Last night we asked Claire and Nick to be God Parents! We wanted to ask them in person and make it special, and planned on doing it over Thanksgiving-- but Claire was unable to travel. AND the next time we DO see them in person is when they have their baby girl Brynn-- and I did NOT want to ask then because that visit needs to be all about them. SO unfortunately I did it via email :( but i still tried to make it cute! heres how we asked:and they said YES :) we are so excited!!!

Thanksgiving was a BLAST, spending a ton of time with family and eating too much food! We also had a family shower for me and Marie which was a ton of fun! I was so bummed Claire couldn't be there-- but with good reason! and we'll get all her gifts to her :)

and...thats all for now! :)

20 wks! HALFWAY there!!

How far along? 20 weeks-- halfway to meeting our baby girl!

Total weight gain: As of my last appointment i was still losing, my next appt (11/29) i imagine theyll tell me i've gained!

Maternity clothes? yep! pants, and starting to move in to shirts now!

Stretch marks? not yet *fingers crossed*

Sleep: havin' a hard time sleepin' again this week, tossing and turning a lot.

Best moment this week: hitting the 20 week mark today :)

Miss Anything? not feeling like crap most of the time haha

Movement: all the time it seems like! she's a ninja baby!

Food cravings: sushi, bananas, ice cream!

Anything making you queasy or sick: been feeling sick most of the time this week- upset tummy :(

Gender: Girl!!!

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: back pain, upset tummy, minor nausea..

Belly Button in or out? in, but its close to popping (already!)

Wedding rings on or off? on, but have noticed my fingers swelling this week

Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY! but sleepy.

Looking forward to: seeing all our family who has come in to town for thanksgiving! and just the thanksgiving holiday in general!

Baby Girl's Nursery :)

well her room has come a LONG way!!

Before:

annnnd after (all within a week!) :

*bumper was on backwards, whoops! its fixed now!*

*Chair/Ottoman we got off Craigslist, LOVE IT,awesome find!*

*Side table we got/fixed up from a Consignment Sale; thats the window valance from the bedding laying on top of it*

*Still trying to figure out furniture placement, we 'lost' two walls cause of the door, window, and closet. but this is a good shot of how the paint/chair rail turned out!!*

*her crib (pre-bedding)*

*Changing table/hutch*

So far, I LOVE IT. I am so excited with how everything is coming out and so thankful for all the family who has helped make it happen!! i'm having a blast working on her room; its quickly become my favorite room of the house. when i get home from work i go in there, and just sit and rock in the chair. just looking around. brainstorming ideas of what to do next! i still gotta figure out window treatments, closet, furniture arrangement, etc.

it is so much fun! :)

19 weeks, almost half way!

How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain: Still nothing, been losing weight since I got prego. weird but Doc isn't concerned!

Maternity clothes? yep! pants, and starting to move in to shirts now!

Stretch marks? not yet *fingers crossed*

Sleep: havin' a hard time sleepin' this week, can't seem to get comfy

Best moment this week: joey & i both feeling Adelynn move (on the outside) for the first time!! AMAZING!

Miss Anything? not gonna lie, joey had a beer last night and it smelled SO good!

Movement: all the time it seems like! she's a ninja baby!

Food cravings: sushi, bananas, ice cream!

Anything making you queasy or sick: just about everything this week, just been feelin' yucky all week long!

Gender: Girl!!!

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: round ligament pain, back pain, heartburn, slight nausea. no fun!

Belly Button in or out? in, but its close to popping (already!)

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY! after a long day and back aches...I get a bit snippy. but for the most part- I am the happiest I've ever been!

Looking forward to: seein' our baby girl again at the anatomy scan on 11/29 !

17 week appointment

I had a doctor's appointment today! very quick, I was there maybe 30 minutes. I did get to hear baby girl's heart beat, strong and steady!

The Doctor said she was moving all over the place so she was havin' a hard time getting her FHR lol, she's a wild one! Amazing sound, as always! At my last appointment they told me I'd lost weight, this time they told me I gained like half a pound of what I'd lost back. So, I still havent gained weight- woo hoo! This makes me mucho happy, I thought I'd be HUGE by now! Baby and I both look great, Doc is happy with where we're at! My next appointment is 11/29 and thats for our anatomy scan, so we're looking forward to getting to see

her again :)

It hit me the other night, at Thanksgiving I'll be 5 months pregnant. HOW crazy, it is going by so fast all of a sudden!!

We might be painting her room this weekend *fingers crossed*. Heres what I've found that we like:

So this is what we're shooting for! chocolate on bottom, two different pinks, stripes, on top and chair rail in the middle. I think it'll look really nice. It should be done sometime this month! Can hardly wait!! Once this is done it'll be so much easier putting the rest of the room together. We still need a glider/ottoman though...havin' a hard time on that one.

I had a bug earlier this week, starting this past weekend- but I think I'm finally over it now, hopefully. Feeling a lot better today than I have since last week.

I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving- Claire & Nick (and Lilly of course) are coming to stay with us, and almost the entire Brown side of the family is coming in for the holiday! We're having a Family Baby Shower for Claire, Marie, and Me! Since its a rare occasion that almost everyone is in town, and we have three cousins all pregnant at the same time! It should be a ton of fun :)

Thats all for now, more to come soon! :)

Gender Reveal :)

well, if you know us at all--- then you must know by now we're having a GIRL :) !!!

heres how it all went down...

Saturday we got up,ran a few errands, went to lunch- then headed over to Stork Vision Atlanta (HIGHLY recommend, they were AMAZING) to find out what we're having. We met my mom, Dad and his wife, and Joey's parents there. They took us in aroom with two couches, and a big screen tv so everyone could watch!

heres what our little girl did when we tried to look the first time, she shut her legs! (such a little lady!!)

we all got a good giggle out of that! Everytime the u/s tech showed us 'the money shot' i kept thinking to myself girl...but wasn't 100%. Then she did the FHR which was 148...so i thought, well maybe it is a boy...(last time her FHR was 161).

At one point it got SO QUIET and the u/s tech was laughing at us all being so serious! we were just so anxious. She told us early on in the u/s she knew what we were having but she was going to wait to tell us. (which drove me nuts at the time lol but i'm glad she waited)

so then, the big reveal.... next thing i know this pops up on the screen:

Everyone got so loud and i instantly started crying!!! it was SUCH an incredible moment! one i will NEVER forget!! joey had the biggest grin on his face- it was just...amazing.

the u/s was our best one yet because at the last one she was sleeping and standing on her head lol so we couldnt get a great picture. but this time she was moving around, kept playing peek-a-boo, moving her arms and legs a lot. it was just unbelievable. an added bonus- we got a disk to take home with the pictures, the tech gave it to us free of charge (we went with the SMALLEST package which was supposed to include a 10 min u/s and two printed out pics) along with an extra picture printed out because she said she felt bad for keeping us waiting (they were running behind that day).

I, again, highly recommend Stork Vision- they were awesome.

Afterward we all got busy texting, calling, facebooking, etc spreading the news! I could not stop smiling, I kept looking at Joey and saying " I am SO excited!!" haha I just couldnt stop.

then we all went to Buy Buy Baby to register and it was so much fun looking at all the baby girl clothes and headbands, etc. ADORABLE. we had a blast, and then met my grandparents and brother at Long Horn for dinner!

it was a very long, busy day but an amazing one! i woke up the next morning remembering it all and just smiling so big.

I'm feeling her move more and more now which is so crazy, but so amazing! feels like little pokes...kinda hard to explain. (i can feel her now!) but i am just so excited about our little girl :) it makes me teary just thinking about it.

Adelynn Grace Rickels... our baby girl :)

House Projects

First of all-- Happy *early* birthday to Miss Riley Quinn Soignet! Her mama is in labor right now and Riley should be here any time, happy for them (congrats L&M!) and excited to see pictures of baby Riley!

and now for my little baby! 16 weeks on Wedns! and we find out gender THIS SATURDAY! I cannot wait!!!

Right now it looks like my mom, Dad, his wife, my granny, Joey's parents, and maybe my brother- are all coming with us, so it'll be really cool to share that with all of them :) afterward we're going to Buy Buy Baby to register, then dinner. I CANNOT WAIT! Our appointment isnt until 2:15 so I know I'll probably be up at the crack of dawn and it'll be the longest day EVER lol.

We got SO MUCH done this past weekend!

-new locks/key on front door (when we originally bought the house we had like 5 different keys so FINALLY got that changed and now have ONE key!)

-Pine straw for flower bed

-Jason, Joey, and FIL built a shed thing in the backyard for all our yard stuff/lawn mower

-Set up Joey's new man cave (garage)

-Turned the old man cave into guest room

-Finally made the babys room, actually a babys room!

*will post pics later

We got SO MUCH done, it was great! The guys of course did most of the work and were a HUGE help! I helped where I could though :) Its so cool to see the baby's room actually LOOK like a baby's room now!! I can't wait to find out gender and really get started on putting the room together :) I kept walking around the house yesterday looking at our 'new' rooms LOL, I'm so happy with how everything turned out!

and now the count down is on for Saturday...any guesses what gender will be!? :)

2nd trimester :)

let me just say first of all...the snoogle = amazing. my sweet mama got me one and i tried it out last night, SO COMFY. :)

anyhoo, i am going to be 15 weeks on Wedns :) 5 more weeks and i'm half way there- HOW weird!!

We've also scheduled an appointment with Stork Vision in Atlanta on 10/29 to find out gender, i seriously cannot wait! i am so excited!! more people are saying they think its a girl now, but most are still saying boy...we'll see!! we invited our families to go with us so i think itll be really cool for everyone :) afterward we're goin to Buy Buy Baby to register! i'd never been there till yesterday and OMG...amazing- they have EVERYTHING! i started an online registry at babies r us, and target- but after seeing BB Baby i gotta register there!! it'll be fun to do it once we find out what we're having too!

i'm still feeling good- no more sickness but my appetite has been kinda slacking. i haven't been eating a ton so i'm really trying to make myself to make sure babys getting what he/she needs! still sleepy, mainly from just not sleeping well at night i think. my backs started to hurt in the last two weeks, and my tummy (from what i've read thats ligaments stretching/organs moving) started hurting last week. but overall feeling good. i have a very noticeable bump now too, def popped in the last couple weeks!

went to the consignment with claire last week and got some great stuff! it was a lot of fun baby shopping :) and it was great having her there cause she helped me figure out what i needed and what i didnt. i didnt get a TON since we don't know gender, but i got a good bit of stuff!

i could probably go on for a while..but honestly? i'm tired lol. so thats all for now!!

ninja baby!

well we had our appointment yesterday..and got to see baby!

FHR 161

Measuring 13 weeks 3 days (as of 10/6/11)

Everything looks great!! I actually lost weight (SHOCKING) but they werent worried about it since baby is growing as he/she should be! My next appointment is Nov 3rd (no ultrasound, boo).

I can't even explain the feeling of seeing our baby. he/she was sleeping so the ultra sound tech had to wake 'em up lol. then baby stretched out their legs and did kind of a kick punch combo! it was so cool! we couldnt get a great picture, because baby was standing on their head with their back to us lol. stubborn little thing! i seriously couldn't take my eyes off the screen, it was just amazing. it made it so much more real for me. it gets me all choked up thinking about it now :)

This picture is of the baby's back/spine!

this one is of the whole body. the head is in the right lower corner, then torso and legs at the top left :)

coolest thing EVER. was hoping for a better picture but I'm happy we got one at all! Its amazing how just 5 weeks ago it was just a little flutter on the screen, and now its...a baby!

I also found out I wouldn't have my anatomy scan at the Doctor until sometime in December...WHAT!? No good lol, we are way too impatient for that! SO we're going to Stork Vision in ATL on Oct 29th to find out the gender! I AM SO EXCITED!!! We can have as many people as we want so I invited the parents, siblings, and my grandparents. 3 weeks, probably gonna go by SO SLOW lol but it'll be worth it. I cannot wait!!

what are your guesses on gender? most were saying boy with only a couple girl...now a lot are saying girl! joey is still sticking to boy though LOL - i have ZERO clue, no gut feeling either way!

so overall : great appointment, amazing experience, and so excited for the end of the month to find out gender!

13 weeks!

YAY for 13 weeks!!!

No major changes on symptoms:

-Fatigue

- Night time pee parties

- Heart burn & indigestion

-Back pains

still no more morning sickness! but man the heartburn/indigestion is no joke!!

We have our appointment THIS THURSDAY morning! CAN'T WAIT!! I am so excited to see baby and heart the heart beat again!! I'm also hoping they'll give me a date to look forward to of when we find out gender (my guess is sometime before Thanksgiving). We officially have our boy AND girl names picked out too :) so now, we just need to know what we're having!!

I had a bad dream last night... about losing the baby. so i woke up pretty anxious for our doctor's appointment. i'm excited- but also want to just hear that babys okay. in the mean time, I just keep praying-thats all I can do.

thats a downer huh? anyhoo.. not much of an update- I'll probably post again after my appointment :)

12 weeks!

12 weeks this week- woo hoo! I see the 2nd trimester in my very near future!!

Symptoms:

-Fatigue

-Minor Cramping

-Serious baby bump starting to show

-Hormones (weepiness like you wouldnt believe)

thats about it! I havent been sick in a while, praise the Lord! My next appointment is coming up next week 10/6, I'll be 13 weeks and I CANT WAIT!!! Hopefully at that appointment they can give me a date of when we find out gender :) most people think we're having a boy but theres a handful who think girl- i dont have a gut feeling either way, just dyin' to know!!

my bump is here for sure!! i kept saying i was bloated but my mama told me i cant say that anymore lol. I have definitely felt my uterus stretching. its most definitely making itself known now! And the baby is the size of a plum this week!

Last night we went to the Braves game with my company, and everyone was commenting on my bump- so guess its noticeable now!

I'm feeling good, and excited as ever :) I cant wait to find out what we're having! We have our boy name nailed down, but struggling on the girl name. I had the girl name picked out for years but now that I'm actually pregnant I'm not 100% on it anymore. We haven't found that perfect one yet.

We've gotten a couple more things for baby- found the swing I wanted at a consignment sale! its in perfect condition! LOVE IT! We're slowly but surely collecting things for baby :) I can hardly wait to get the baby room set up!!!

Other stuff going on...

This past weekend we went to Stone Mountain for the Chili Cook Off and it was so much fun! We walked around and taste tested a bunch of chili and brunswick stew- it wasnt TOO hot outside, and it was just nice doing something different. Last night we went to the Braves game with my company- they got us a suite and it was a BLAST. I was exhausted by the time we finally got home and in bed, and am paying for it today too- but it was worth it. Thats Joey's happy place LOL.

This weekend we have our Fall Festival at church and I'm so looking forward to it! I think Joey is also going to work on his mancave project some more too! (I hope so, I need my guest room!)

Then next week is our next appointment!!

and that weekend Claire,Nick, Lilly, (And Brynn!!) are all coming to visit for the weekend- cant wait! Claire & I are hitting a HUGE consignment sale while she's here to baby shop- this will be the first time we've been baby shopping together, so fun- I love that we're pregnant at the same time! We're also going to try to take Lilly to the Yellow River Game Ranch while shes here- I think shell love it!

Thats all for now! :)

11 weeks!

woo hoo! 11 weeks today! :) feeling so much less scared and WAY more excited!

Symptoms:

-Fatigue

-Minor Cramping

-Headaches

- FREQUENT pee parties LOL (all during the night)

-Def have a little bump comin' out too. not just bloating anymore LOL

but NO morning sickness this week- hallelujah! I'm hoping maybe that means I'm done with that part of it all. Getting closer to my 2nd trimester! 2 weeks from tomorrow is my next doctor's appointment and we get to see/hear baby again! i cant wait!!

last Friday i went to a consignment sale with my granny, mom, and MIL and walked away with some good stuff. i got 150 diapers for 15$! (we've already started stocking up on diapers!) I also got the co-sleeper i wanted to register for ($150 brand new) for $50! NICE FIND by my MIL! and we found a pretty white night stand that would match the rest of the furniture, they were selling it for 40$ but we waited till the last day when everything went 50% off and got it for 20$! its in great shape too, may need some touch ups here and there but overall it was a great find. i also got a bouncer that vibrates and plays music for $10 to leave at Becca's house! (*will explain) So it was very successful! :) thats the first time i really shopped for baby and it made it seem so much more real!

i'm going to another consignment with claire when she is here in October- i cant wait!

we've also already figured out daycare! my awesome SIL Becca is going to watch baby! She is a SAHM and also watches her BIL's two boys. Shes got her own lil daycare goin' ;) I am so excited she's going to watch our baby- it makes me feel so much better than dropping baby off with a stranger at a germ infested corporate/franchise daycare! PLUS its right by my office, so i can get there in 5 min if i need to, and i can go see baby on my lunch!! SUCH a relief!

joey is getting more and more excited which is so cute to me :) my cousin brought over a bunch of onesies and stuff- and he came home to me folding them all one day in the baby's room and he just smiled and said how cool it was :) i am just as excited!!

thats all for now! :)

DOUBLE DIGITS!

10 weeks this week! woo hoo!! officially in to the double digits and getting even closer to the 2nd trimester!

Symptoms:

-Fatigue

-Morning Sickness (every day all day)

- Minor Cramping

-Headaches

and some other not so fun things i'll spare you from!

Cravings:

-Fruit

-Sweets

-Pop tarts (so random)

-Sushi (i miss it so much!)

sick every day now, not fun- but happy to do it for baby. My next appointment (10/6) feels FOREVER away. i cant wait to hear and see baby again, this time he/she will actually look like a baby on the screen instead of a little bean!

im moving more in to my maternity clothes already- mainly for comfort. i had no idea maternity clothes were SO comfy! i'm mainly just wearing the pants. i have a few shirts but i'm not far enough along for that yet.

nothing going on other than that- kinda boring right now! all i wanna do...is SLEEP!

oh, hello morning sickness!

yup... i've officially experienced morning sickness.

worst part is i havent actually "gotten sick" -- my mom said with both pregnancies with me & my brother, she was sick the first 3 months but never actually got sick, just walked around nauseous all the time. luckily it hasnt been all day every day for me- but Saturday and a little yesterday i most definitely experienced it.

all worth it for the baby though, i keep saying it cause it is SO TRUE! i feel bad for the girls who are consistently sick!

otherwise still feeling good- 9 weeks this week. no new symptoms! i cant wait for my next ultra sound (October 6) so we can see and hear our baby again :) i'm so glad joey took a video of the heartbeat, i think i've listened to it a million times already.

yesterday my MIL took me shopping for my very first maternity clothes! Gap had them 40% off so i got some great stuff: shirts, jeans, work pants- all so cute, and SO comfy.

i'm in a weird place where my pants just are NOT comfy anymore...but maternity is still too big. so i'm wearing the band a lot still.

we have our boy name picked out :) but struggling on the girl...i thought i KNEW what i wanted as far as girl name, for years! but now all of a sudden i'm not sure. so gonna have to brain storm on that one :)

thats all for now- not really a big update!

p.s. only three more wks till 2nd trimester, HOW CRAZY!

First Doctor's Appointment

First Doctor appointment went great!

I found out I was 8 weeks ON Wedns (didnt think I'd hit 8wks till Friday) - so thats exciting :) My next appointment isnt until 13wks, in October. Feels forever away!

Joey took this video, of the baby's heart beat :) --next time we'll zoom in on the screen more lol.

I think I've listened to this heart beat a million times over the last few days. what an incredible sound :) it makes it SO much more real to me.

Baby & I both look great and right on track- so thats reassuring :) I am SO excited.

We also got a nice surprise on Tuesday- our crib arrived!! I was so excited!! My mom went ahead and ordered the one we picked out, and it got here super fast. I have a couple pictures but they arent great so I'll take some better ones this weekend. Joey & his Dad got it put together in no time, and I LOVE IT!!

They also installed a fan in there for me, and took off the closet door :)

everyones love,support,prayers...has been amazing. people are saying the sweetest things to us!! we are just so excited; and now that we're public it makes it so much more fun since we can talk about it openly!!

Tonight Vicky is coming over for some girl time,we're cooking dinner and watching movies (starting with Soul Surfer, cant wait I've been wanting to see it!). This weekend we're deep cleaning the house of clutter, relaxing-maybe some pool time, and having a family cook out at the in-laws. so looking forward to the long weekend!! :)

Happy Labor Day everyone!

7 weeks!

8/29/11

i am now 7 weeks and 3 days! My first doctor's appointment is Wednesday (day after tomorrow) and we can hardly wait. We'll go public soon after :)

i am feelin' some nausea today! i havent really had morning sickness; i've only gotten sick 2-3x. but today i am definitely feelin' it. the hardest part about it, to me at least, is being at work during it. i don't necessarily MIND it..(which sounds crazy-but like i've been saying, bring on whatever for my little baby!) but i just don't want to get sick AT work, and our bathroom walls here are PAPER thin so i just...don't have a ton of privacy. not to mention its hard to concentrate on my work when i feel like barfing :(

i heard this past wkend of a couple i know that miscarried...and she was around my due date. it was like a slap in the face reminder that, that could (and has) happened to me. my heart broke for them, and i got paranoid all over again. i'm still praying and hoping this pregnancy goes smoothly. i want to enjoy it..not be stupid paranoid over everything! i know i'll probably always worry about one thing or another (part of bein' a mom i suppose) but i really want to be able to enjoy this experience. i totally took another pregnancy test...yeah i know..sounds crazy. i just needed that reassurance that 'yes kelly, you ARE still pregnant'. i really don't want to go through losing a baby, again.

i guess all i can do is keep praying!

more people are finding out i'm pregnant. we have a new girl at work, she is so sweet- she's only been here for 3 weeks. this morning all the girls were in the break room and we were just chatting: new girl totally called me out on being pregnant lol, she said "oh i've known that kelly!" shes a mommy so i guess she just knew!

i saw my granny this past weekend and she said "i want to ask you a question" -- i KNEW shes was going to ask if i was pregnant...and i wasnt ready for them to know yet (planned on telling the grand parents after my appointment) so i said "just don't!"

of course she did! so my granny knows now (and i'm sure she told my pawpaw). she told me "i know this one is going to go well, nothing bads gonna happen this time". i dont know how she can be so sure- but i really hope she's right.

SO anxious for my doctor's appointment, i can't imagine seeing our baby on the u/s and hearing the heartbeat... its going to be emotional thats for sure!

cravings & being ahead of the game...

8/22/11

cravings. i never thought i'd have that for some odd reason. but even at 6 weeks, i do!

-banana peppers : so random, i've never really been a fan but love them on pizza & sandwiches now!

- fruit : i've been craving watermelon & peaches specifically (hey its healthy!) today after work i went and got watermelon, peaches, plums, and pears!

- sweets: bad news, i know. luckily i havent indulged in these. but its usually after i eat or late at night i'm craving something sweet. not like a big piece of cake or something (but i have been craving my SIL beccas yellow cake with chocolate icing-SO GOOD!) but just like a little piece of chocolate.

crazy! last night joey asked me what i wanted for dinner, and i thought for a minute and said " beef flavored ramen noodles, and a PBJ"..he looked at me with the most confused/disgusted face and then just kinda laughed lol. he made it for me- and it was DELICIOUS!

Saturday morning i woke up craving my mom's cinnamon toast..which i havent had since i was little!

and being ahead of the game...yeah. I've already started a registry...or two. i'm a big time planner- always have been! just been adding the basic necessities- none of the fun stuff yet since i wont know what i'm having till November (that seems SO far away!!). ive been chatting with claire & becca on what they recommend and what we really need & what we dont.

AND we already have names picked out haha, bedding for girl/boy, we've already gotten one piece of furniture:

my MIL found it on craigslist and it was exactly what i wanted! it is in AMAZING condition, originally bought from Georgia Baby. LOVE IT! we went and picked it up this past weekend and my brother and hubs got it put together pretty quickly! i can't say enough how much i love it!

and my mom is buying us our crib! I CANT WAIT!

we decided to do white furniture regardless of gender, that way its stuff we can hold on to for a while and can use for future kids girl or boy.

now all I need is a glider (all the ones i like are stupid pricey, of course) and i want to find a bedside table to put next to it for late night feedings so i have somewhere to set stuff on.

*i can't remember (little foggy these days) if i already mentioned the old furniture..that was the french provincial from my aunt ruth? joey really wasnt a fan so we decided to give it back to my dad to sell and get something we both like. i was kinda bummed at first but im actually really excited at all the new stuff we're looking at :)

SO MUCH FUN!!! i can't wait to know what we're having so i can go nuts decorating! My FIL is coming over soon to install a white fan in there (it gets hot in that room for some reason) and take off the closet door (I HATE that door, going to do a curtain instead- totally copying young house love!).

we gotta move the guest bed too...joey wont give up his mancave so im losing my guest room :(

a few more people know now, not surprised! -- we're excited and feeling less paranoid with every day that passes and i cant wait to go public with it!

i'm still feeling good, no more morning sickness so far! just serious fatigue & still with the bloating just in my tummy- so the belly band is still a god send for my work pants! this past weekend i finally gave in to my fatigue and just let myself nap and be lazy. yesterday i swear i barely got out of the bed. joey was in heaven playing video games- i just laid in bed with the dogs and watched movies & all my DVRed shows he hates watching-dozing in and out. it was SO NICE! the fatigue is the hardest at work, cause all i want to do is nap and be lazy and i obviously cant do that at work. ive heard it goes away in the 2nd trimester (and comes back in the 3rd lol) so i'm looking forward to having some more energy back.

thats all for now! :)

*taken 8/23/11 at 6 wks 5 days *

told you... HOLY BLOATING! i look way more pregnant than i am! which makes me so scared about gaining weight :( but i know right now its just bloating so that makes me feel better!