So cute!

Yesterday we went for our 4D ultrasound at Fun Fetal Photos in Hampton. We were joined my Dad, Rhonda, Kathleen and Marissa. The traffic coming into Hampton was backed up so we didn't have time to have lunch like we had planned to before hand. We just grabbed a quick salad at Jason's deli and I downed a sweet tea (they recommend drinking something sweet 5 mins before the ultrasound). I figured the sweet tea would wake the baby up because I barely ever have caffeine.

When we arrived at Fun Fetal Photos, we all were taken into a big room where the ultrasound machine was set up. There was even a big screen tv so everyone could watch without missing anything. As soon as I laid down on the table and lifted my shirt up, the baby poked his butt up in the air like he likes to. I think everyone got a kick out of that.

First we got confirmation that we are having a boy. There is no doubt about it...this baby is all boy : ) After getting a couple glimpses of his face, a single tear ran down my face. I couldn't believe that I was actually seeing my baby. The baby that has been growing in me for the last 8 months. It was incredible.

He is all balled up in my tummy. At one point he had the heal of his foot resting on his forehead! To try and get his hands out of his face so we could get a good look at him, the ultrasound tech was slapping my belly right where is butt is. I think everyone was taken aback by that but I didn't mind. It got him to move his hands and feet so we could see his sweet cheeks.

We got to watch him for half an hour and got a dvd of the whole thing. We also got a CD of several of the still images. I am so glad we decided to get it done. Eric even said that he wishes we had gone one or two times before to see how he changed. At $80 a pop, I'm not sure about that but this time was more than worth it.

Reflecting

As we are getting closer to meeting our little one, I find myself reflecting back more and more. I was browsing through old photos and videos the other day and came across this video:

I tear up every time I watch this. Anyone that knows me well, knows that I have wanted to have a baby for a very long time. We kept putting it off because it wasn't the right time. Finally, after going through Eric being unemployed for a few months and realizing that we can make it through hard times and survive, we decided that it was now or never (well maybe not never but you get it). After a few months of trying with no success, I was starting to get worried that maybe this was going to be harder than we expected. Looking back on it now, all I can do is laugh because in the scheme of things, trying for a few months is nothing. Since we had one false positive pregnancy test (yup, it can happen) a month or so before this one, I was a little hesitant to get my hopes up and share the news too quickly. I didn't even tell Eric about this one until I had a blood test confirm the results. I'm still not sure how I kept it from him for over 24hrs.

Now, 7 months later, I'm still in shock that this is really happening. The one thing I do know is that this baby is and always will be loved deeply. I have wanted to share my life with him for a long time and I can not wait until his arrival.

P.S. Does anyone have any tissues??

8 Week Countdown

I'm 32 weeks pregnant today which means only 8 weeks to our baby boy's due date. It's hard to believe that we are so close now. One minute I am feeling blissful anticipation and the next nervous apprehension. Eight weeks seems too long and too short. Either way our baby is on his way and I couldn't be happier. I keep thinking back to the times when I felt a deep longing to be a mother. All I knew is that I wanted to be a mother one day. Now my time is here and I feel so incredibly lucky.
One of my friends has a blog and I've noticed on occasion she will list the good and the not-so-good that goes with a situation. I thought that would be a fun exercise at this point in my pregnancy.

The good:

• Feeling my baby moving around in my belly. It's my own secret that I can share only if I feel like it. The bond that comes with knowing his every move is incredible.
• The underlying calmness that I feel. With all the stress and running around to get things done on the to-do list, one could easily get very overwhelmed. Fortunately, underneath all that I feel a calmness that is different from anything I have felt before.
• The connection that has developed between Eric and I. Our love has gotten even stronger than it was before which I didn't think could be possible.
• It's ok if I nap for hours at a time or just sit on the couch because I don't feel like doing anything : )
• Not feeling guilty for eating a piece of cheesecake at 9 o'clock at night

The not so good:

• Being hungry all the time but rarely knowing what I want to eat. I've learned to settle for whatever is available.
• Having a hard time getting comfortable, especially at the end of the day.
• Random nosebleeds and/or rashes.
• Having to pee all the time. Not such a big deal during the day but at night gets to be a little much.
• Several other things but I don't want to complain : )

Overall, this pregnancy has been so easy. I am in love with being pregnant and I will miss it. I can see how women can get "addicted" to being pregnant. Before I was pregnant I just thought those women were crazy. Now I'm hoping that won't be me : )

Shower me with Love

Last Saturday, I had my baby shower. My best freiend, Meredith, put the whole thing together (with some help from my friends, Mistie and Trichell). It was at Lubo Wine Bar. I don't think it could have turned out any better. The location was great. The food was awesome and the company was the best! We played some funs games that included lots of fun prizes. I was blessed with so many generous gifts. When Eric saw all that we got, he said "This baby has more stuff than we do!" That's so very true : ) Just a few finishing touches and we will be ready for this baby to make his entrance. We can't wait to meet him!

Meredith and I Trichell and Mistie aka Martha and Stewart (They made the amazing cupcakes)

An interesting night

Last night, after a long day at the beach, Eric and I were sitting on the couch getting ready to head to bed. The baby started moving so I told Eric to come see because now you can really see him moving. He sat beside me and was able to witness the baby moving. He put his hand on my belly and was suprised how strong he was. It was a great bonding moment. As we laid down in bed, Eric said "If he's this strong now, you're gonna be screwed." Thanks, babe! Although, I do agree. I'm figuring that any day now the movement and kicks will start getting more painful.
So you would think after being at the beach and an overall busy weekend, I would just crash. Nope, I woke up at 2:30am and couldn't get back to sleep. Once I fell asleep, I dreamt about not being able to sleep. Then I woke up again because I had a nightmare that scared me awake. Next thing I know, I have a bloody nose! I woke up Eric and he stayed up with me for about 20 minutes and then went back to bed. I stayed up for another 10 minutes and it finally stopped bleeding. No fun.
This morning both Eric and I were dragging and I said, "This is going to be what it's like once the baby is born. Only worse and for weeks at a time." Eric replied, "There's no way I could be more tired than I am now." I think he is in for a big surpise.

28 Week Appointment

I had my 28 week check-up on Friday (6/4). I was a litte nervous because I had my glucose test scheduled for that day. I didn't think it would be an issue but you never know and giving up sweets for the next three months would have been torture. Luckily, all was well! My level was 122 and the cut off is 135. Everything else was normal as well...blood pressure, etc. I gained 3.5 lbs in the last month so I am right on track. Amazingly, I have only gained 5 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight but 11 from my lowest during the pregnancy. Blair (the mid-wife) said that will make post-partum so much easier. Hopefully, I can keep it up.
Blair did a belly check and said that the babies head is down, which is a relief because I thought he was sidewise. His rump is next to my belly button and his legs are jack-knifed to the side. That's probably why it felt like he was sideways.
His heartbeat was in the 150 bpm range.
It was such a good appointment! The only bummer was that this was the first appointment that Eric couldn't attend because of work. Hopefuly, it will be the only one that he can't attend.

Starting Out

My pregnancy journey is quickly coming to an end so I figured that I should start my blog while I still have time. I still can't believe that I am in the third trimester. It's amazing how fast time goes by.
Last night I started the first load of baby clothes. The tiny little onesies make it even more real that before I know it we will be sharing our lives with our little "Bean." Although, he is definitely not a bean anymore. His movements make it clear that he has grown quite a bit since the first time we saw him.
The nursery is almost ready for his arrival. All the furniture is in place, just last minute touch-ups and putting everything away. I like to peak in on a daily basis just to make sure everything is still there.

I feel so lucky to still be feeling relatively well. I don't feel too big and uncomfortable yet but I am sure it will hit me soon. For now, I am enjoying everyday that I am pregnant.

27 Weeks 1 Day