31 - 39 weeks

Where do I begin...the last several weeks have been very busy for me in a good way. I enjoyed the Thanksgiving Holiday with my family and Keith's family and I was very happy that at my doctor's appointment after Thanksgiving I only gained 4lbs which was a pound per week since my last appointment. I should gain a pound per week at this point so that is very healthy.

My doctor's appointment went really well on December 1st. The baby's heartbeat was 145. My blood pressure was 135 over 76 and the doctor told me that Tucker's head is down and ready to come. I'm anxiously awaiting his arrival. Since he's moved his head into the downward position he has placed a lot of pressure on me which I'm still getting used to at night. The doctor also told me to take some iron because I'm a little low on iron. After this appointment I'll see him every two weeks and then I'll start to see him weekly towards the end.

I had my friend baby shower Saturday, December 5th, and I had the best time with all my friends, mom and sister. My friend Neva hosted the baby shower at her house with help from my long time friend Laura. They both did a great job on the food, punch, decorations, games and everything turned out great! I absolutely loved my cake from Costco. Vanilla with Cream Cheese filling and Buttercream icing. YUM! I'm so glad that several of my close friends were able to make it to the baby shower and I was able to enjoy some time with everyone. I ended up doing a little shopping with Lauren and Heather Sunday and was able to purchase a lot of Christmas presents for family. It was so great to see and visit Lauren. She came all the way up from Jacksonville, FL. Thanks Lauren. My friend Maryanne also flew in from LaGrange, GA and as always it was great having her in town and catching up with her. Thanks MEM.

The rest of December is a BLUR. I had my work shower at the Aquavina Wine Room located uptown Charlotte on Thursday, December 10th and Bonnie and Jan did a great job with the punch, food, vanilla and chocolate booties/rattle cupcakes and organizing the event. I've been so blessed to have a family, a friend, and a co-worker baby shower. Tucker has received so many great presents and gifts from everyone. Saturday, December 12th we celebrated my nephew Jacob's birthday at Sports Connection and he and his friends had a great time playing on all the blow up/jumpie toys and playing games. It's hard to believe that Jacob turned 5 years old this past December 19th. Time is really flying by these days. I had another Doctor's appointment on December 14 and Dr. Solomon told me that Tucker will more than likely weigh 7.5 to 8lbs if I go until my due date which will more than likely happen. Tucker's heartbeat was in the high 140's and everything on me was fine as well. Later in the week we celebrated my niece Ashton's birthday with Keith's family and then that weekend had Tucker Christmas at my Grandpa Tuckers house. It's always nice to get everyone together, enjoy each others company, and catch up with everyone. We had a really great time opening the gag gifts and some people were pretty creative with their gift selections this year.

As you see December was very busy and I was literally doing something every weeknight and weekend thus why I wasn't able to keep up with my blog. Keith and I had a really nice Christmas together and with our families. We decided since Tucker is on the way and we really need a car that we'd skip Christmas gifts for each other this year. We celebrated Christmas morning with big breakfast together and then we went to my parents house Christmas afternoon and enjoyed opening presents and watching Maleea and Jacob open their presents as well. My parents bought Keith and I a lot of great gifts and we especially love our new camcorder (can't wait to capture all the baby moments of Tucker) and e-pad laptop desk. Tucker received a lot of Christmas gifts from Nana and Papa too. In fact he may have received more than Keith and I. haha. That's what makes it fun though. I can't wait to watch Tucker open all his presents next year. So much to look forward too!!! Keith went to the UNC bowl game the Saturday after Christmas so I just relaxed and spent the day with my mom and went and had a pedicure. It's nice to just relax and unwind sometimes. Sunday we celebrated Christmas with the Wingard's at Rhonda's house and all the kids enjoyed playing Wii. I think those kids are addicted to the Wii. haha.

December 28th, I had another Dr. Appt. and Dr. Solomon did a culture to check for Strep B and my results were negative which was great news. Tucker and Mommy are both doing well and now Dr. Solomon thinks Tucker will weigh up to 8.5lbs should he come at his due date. He's going to be a big boy! I just pray that he'll sleep better with his extra lbs. December 30th, we celebrated my brother David's birthday. We enjoyed dinner together at Fish Bones and then went back to Dad and Mom's for dessert. We probably enjoyed one of the best cakes ever!!! Nice pick on the cake David!

For New Years Eve Keith and I decided to keep it low key and relax. We were going to enjoy a nice dinner at Firebirds and a movie but Firebirds was packed and the movie we were hoping to watch was sold out. So, we settled for dinner at Chili's and then we went home and watched some college football, watched a movie on tv, and went to sleep. Our neighbors started shooting off fireworks at Midnight so we woke up and kissed and went back to sleep. haha. So romantic right?! The following weekend we went out to dinner with friends in the university area and then walked around IKEA twice looking for a white bookshelf for Tucker's room. We didn't have any luck. However, the night before Keith placed up the white shelves in Tucker's room that used to hang in my bedroom growing up. I had a lot of fun painting the shelves white to match the furniture. I'm so glad that everything is almost in order and ready for Tucker's arrival.

The last couple of weeks Keith and I have been really cleaning the house. We took down all the Christmas decorations, completely cleaned the downstairs, and cleaned the master bathroom which was a major workout. Keith also placed the travel system (stroller and carrier) and the pack-n-play together. We're trying to have everything nice, clean, and ready when Tucker comes home. My Dr. Appt. January 4th went really well. I actually lost 2 lbs probably from all the cleaning Keith and I had been doing and Dr. Solomon said everything looked good and he informed my that at my next appointment he would check to see if my cervix was dilated or effaced any. Keith and I had childbirth classes Friday night, January 8th, from 6:30-9pm and Saturday, January 9th from 9am until 5pm. We learned a lot about labor and delivery, breathing, and how to care for the baby up to 6 weeks old. It was a great class and I'm so glad Keith and I participated in the experience and my friend Sherry Cook and her husband were also in our childbirth class which made it all the better.

My Dr. Appt. on January 12th was very interesting. I knew Dr. Solomon was going to check my cervix but I had no idea what I was in for. Tucker's heartbeat was 145 and I didn't gain any weight which was also good news. My blood pressure was a little higher than it's generally been but that could be because I was nervous/anxious about the Dr. checking my cervix. Dr. Solomon checked my cervix which felt like a lot of pressure and a little bit of a burning sensation but I made it through and he told me that I'm 1 centimeter dilated but my cervix is still very thick. My cervix needs to thin before the baby will come. I have 9 more centimeters to go - I pray they go by fast but generally not the case with your first pregnancy. I also told Dr. Solomon about my back pains which have been very intense almost to the point of not being able to walk or move. He told me that those are the beginings of labor pains which is fine with me because I'm ready for my little baby Tucker to arrive.

Today, I'm 39 weeks pregnant and I can't believe that Tucker will be here so soon now. I can actually count single digits until his arrival - 8 days until the due date. So exciting! If you're reading this please pray that Tucker will come soon because my tummy literally can not grow any bigger or give him any more room. I'll be in touch upon his arrival and my next Dr. Appt. is January 19th!!!


Today's mood - tired and anxiously waiting for Tucker to arrive

30 weeks

30 weeks and only 10 weeks to go!!! I'm so excited and anxious at the same time. I came home Thursday night to a home cooked spaghetti dinner from Keith complete with garlic bread. Yum. He knew just what Tucker and I wanted for dinner. He's been really great throughout the whole pregnancy and I'm so lucky to have such a caring and loving husband. I know he's going to be a great daddy and father to our baby Tucker. Friday night we ate dinner at Showmars and enjoyed watching a movie on tv together. I can't seem to remember the name of the movie now. That's another thing that goes when you're pregnant. Memory. Saturday, I woke up early and relaxed around the house for a few hours and then I met my mom and she and I went shopping at Concord Mills. We shopped until we literally dropped. We shopped from 11:30am until 4:30pm and I was able to get some early Christmas shopping done. I finished my sister-in-laws, mother-in-law, and my little niece Maleea. I also bought a few small things for Tucker - I couldn't resist.

Tucker is very active these days. He is constantly moving around and seeming to enjoy himself in the womb. It's unreal how responsive he already is to my voice and touch. I can generally say good morning to him and ask him if he's hungry and he'll move his foot or hand almost to say yes. haha. I know I am crazy but I like to think he can understand me. He weighs about 3-4lbs now and will really start putting on some weight in the next couple of weeks and he's around 15in long. Let's hope he doesn't make my face retain any more water weight. That's the one thing I hate right now - all the extra water weight. Tucker really enjoys apples and bananas these days. I've also noticed that he really like apple cider. I generally have a cup of hot apple cider every morning and he loves it. I'm still sleeping pretty good. Although Keith says that I've started to snore some. haha. I guess it's Tucker sitting on my diaphram and lungs which makes it harder to breath. I did have another muscle spasm the other night although it wasn't as bad as the last one and I jumped right out of the bed and started walking to get the circulation going again. Otherwise everything is going great and I'm just awaiting his arrival.

I'm looking forward to 31 weeks which is only a few days away.

Today's mood - content

29 weeks

Well, since my last post I've been very busy. The Thursday night after my last post I woke up in the middle of the night crying in pain because I had a horrible muscle spasm. I think I scared Keith to death and he thought I was going into labor. Poor guy. I had tears streaming down my checks and he kept saying, "Where does it hurt?, Where does it hurt?" and finally I got out that my left leg hurt and I couldn't move it because it was all cramped up. Finally, I was able to get out of the bed and walk on it until it stopped cramping. That was not a good night.

Saturday, Halloween Day, I spent cleaning the house and getting some much needed groceries while Keith worked in the babies room and finished the striped walls which turned out perfect. I love Tucker's little baby room. It's absolutely perfect. I can't wait to spend time with my little man in his room. I went and visited with my sister and her family Halloween night and saw my other little babies Jacob and Maleea. They dressed up at a lady bug and a spiderman. I'll post a picture on here when I have a free minute. It started to rain and I wanted to see my other niece and nephews so I drove over to the Wingards and hung out with everyone for about an hour. I made all the kids a goody bag for Halloween and I enjoyed seeing them all dressed up and spending time with them.

I had my Doctor's appointment Tuesday, November 5th, and took my glucose test which turned out to be normal/good. So I'm very glad that I can still eat sugar and drink sweet tea from time to time. I also had my RhoGAM shot which was given to me in my upper butt which wasn't fun at all. It felt like someone stabbed my butt to be honest but I was lucky that it only hurt for about an hour and I was fine. Tucker looks good and he's measuring to be right on time at the moment. He's also been very active these last couple of weeks which I love so much. My next Doctor's appointment is December 1st, and then I'll start seeing Dr. Solomon every two weeks. It's getting down to the wire now.

Sunday, November 8th, I had my first baby shower (family shower) given to my by my sister Melissa, and my sister-in-laws Rhonda, Kim, and Cathy. The shower was held at Kim's house on the farm and I think everyone had a great time. We had about 25+ that were able to make it and everyone was very generous. Baby Tucker has so many great things to play with, wear, use, snuggle with, ect...I'll post some pictures from the shower once I've downloaded all the pictures. I also took a few pictures of the nursery this weekend too so I'll post a few of those as well.

I can't believe I'm going to be 30 weeks pregnant in 2 days!!! 10 weeks to go....almost there.

Today's mood - hungry and sleepy (is that possible to be hungry and sleepy at the same time?)

26, 27, and 28 weeks...

Where do I begin... Week 26 was a pretty good week until I woke up Sunday with congestion, running nose, and an ear ache. Let me back up to the beginning of the week though...Tuesday night, I visited my cousin Jenny and her baby boy Ethan. I had a really good time visiting with Jenny, her husband Josh, and baby Ethan. Jenny gave me some baby advise should breast feeding not work out and I have to use formula. We just enjoyed talking and catching up with each another. Ethan was a sweet boy the whole time. I hated to leave but since it's getting darker earlier these days I had to get home before it was too dark. Keith came home early Thursday and we had a good night relaxing together. I love to watch Vampire Diaries on Thursday nights and Keith always trys to turn the channel because I'm so jumpy during the show and it gives me nightmares but I love to watch it. Friday night Keith and I had a date night and I was a real cheap date because we went to Subway for dinner and then we went to Lowes and picked up some paint for the baby's nursery. While we were there we ended up buying a white ceiling fan for the nursery as well. Saturday, I worked the Promenade Fall Festival from 10:30am until 3:00pm for work and it was really cold and wet. I ended up getting my shoes and socks soaking wet and had to throw them away. Luckily my parents, and my sister and her family came to the Festival and I had my gym bag in my car with some tennis shoes and warm socks. Thank goodness but unfortunately I still woke up Sunday morning feeling horrible and with an ear ache. I ended up keeping my cold for a whole week which is why I haven't written on here in so long. Since I'm pregnant I can only take certain medicines and I was luckily able to take sudafed which helped a lot although didn't dry me up until a whole week went by. Week 27 was work on nursery and clean baby closet week. I was able to clean the room and and closet so Keith could paint the room this past weekend. He painted all four walls blue and the ceiling white. Keith also hung up the ceiling fan which was a lot of work. He also placed about 10 containers of my clothes, high school, and college stuff up in the attic that I packed away earlier in the week. He worked really hard on the babies room. This weekend we'll be painting one of the blue walls with white stripes, putting the crib together, and moving the changing table/dresser up stairs. It's finally all coming together and I can't wait to place baby Tucker down in his crib and give him sweet kisses good night.

Today, I'm 28 weeks pregnant and starting the 1st week of my third trimester. I am so excited!!! The baby weighs a little more than 2lbs now and is about 14.8 inches long. I can't believe it. He is really strong these days and I can feel him really well now. I can even see him moving around in my belly which is completely unreal but amazing. If I wear a plain colored shirt you can see him kicking or moving around in my belly. I just look down and stare at my belly and watch him while he's moving around - Pretty cool. I have my next Dr. Appt. Tuesday this coming week and I'll be tested for my glucose test and I will be given my RhoGAM shot. I hope all goes well and please pray that I will not have diabetes. :)


Today's mood - completely tired

25 weeks

Well, I officially only have 15 more weeks until I reach 40 weeks which is kind of scary and exciting all at the same time. I had a very busy week at work so the work week went by really fast. Unfortunately, I had a tear fest at my desk Wednesday afternoon though. I forgot to mention in my last blog that I will have a RhoGAM shot at my next doctor's appointment which is standard for negative blood types. This shot is doctor recommended and needed since I'm an A - blood type. Since I'm Rh-negative I must have the RhoGAM shot to prevent my body from building up antibodies that could potentially harm my baby if he is a positive blood type. Should my baby have a positive blood type then I will receive another RhoGAM shot within 72 hours from birth so my body will not build up antibodies that could potentially harm my next baby if it were to have a positive blood type. I've posted a link for anyone that may be interested in reading more about the RhoGAM shot -
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/rh_negative.shtml.

Saturday, I went to the Cherry Farm in Rock Hill, SC with my sister Melissa and her two kids Jacob and Maleea and my cousin Chelsea and her little girl Leslie. We enjoyed lunch together at Chick-fil-A before heading to the farm to enjoy a hay ride, pumpkin painting, feeding animals, playing on trackers, and a corn maze. I don't think my sister and I knew it was going to be so hot outside Saturday and I was sweating to death chasing the kids around and being in the sun. We had a great time together though and Jacob and Leslie play really well together. I was glad that we were all able to get together and catch up and enjoy the day with each other.

Sunday, Keith and I went to the early service at Weddington United Methodist Church and enjoyed a very lazy afternoon together. It's always nice to relax but next weekend we'll be painting the nursery and getting the baby's room ready for baby Tucker. Tonight we toured the Maternity Center where I plan to delivery baby Tucker which was pretty interesting. We toured the Maternity Center with a lot of other mother's to be and it was good to hear other couples questions and concerns. I'm glad Keith and I were able to do the tour. We ended the night with dinner at Wendy's and are relaxing at home and getting ready for bed now.

Week 25 has been pretty busy and I'm hoping week 26 will slow down for me a little.

Todays' Mood - Grateful

24 weeks

I'm 24 weeks along now and everything is going really well these days. Keith took me to dinner at Outback Steakhouse Saturday night and then we went to Babies-R-Us and added a few more things to our baby registry. We had a great night out together and I couldn't believe that Keith almost ate the whole bloomin' onion at dinner. Sunday, Keith and I cleaned all day downstairs and I brought out some of our Fall decorations. I think I dusted every piece of furniture yesterday which was much needed and Keith vacuumed, did the laundry, and the dishes. I also worked on the nursery which is still a work in progress but at least it's coming a long and you can almost see the whole floor now. Last night, I watched my little niece Maleea while my sister Melissa and her husband Jamie took Jacob to Awana's at church and then they went on a dinner date. Maleea was a little sweetie and sat on my lap the majority of the night. I love the age she's at and that's she's becoming more snuggly with me.

Today, I went to my 24 week doctor's appointment and everything went really well. My blood pressure was 110 over 70 and the baby's heart beat was 155 BPM. I asked the doctor if I could listen to the heart beat longer and he said sure. I love hearing Tucker's little heart beat. It's amazing. I also had my flu shot today and my left arm is still incredibly sore. It's been hurting me all day but I'm praying that tomorrow when I wake up the throbbing will be gone. My next appointment is Tuesday, November 3rd, and I'm already looking forward to it!!! Tonight I ate dinner with my Mom and Dad. My mom made steak, baked potatoe, green beans, and some cresent rolls. Yum. Thanks for the yummy dinner Mom and Tucker enjoyed it too!!!

Today's Mood - Happy

23 weeks

I'm 23 weeks pregnant now and my belly is really growing these days. I'm carrying baby Tucker pretty high which I guess is common with a first pregnancy and while carrying a baby boy. I'm really getting sore in my lower back and my pelvic bone has been pretty sensitive as well. I'm still smiling and getting through some of these new pains because I know it'll all be worth it when Tucker arrives. My sister Melissa gave me all Jacob's (my nephew) clothes when he was a baby earlier this week. Keith and I have been washing and organizing all the clothes this weekend which has been a lot of fun. I'm truely blessed to have such an amazing sister. Melissa is you're reading this - Thank you for everything. You really mean a lot to me and I appreciate all your help, love, and support.

Unfortunately, Keith's Grandpa "William Joseph Grant" (Mother's father) passed away Thursday morning. He was 89 years old and he lived a long, good, healthy life. We celebrated his 89th Birthday this summer so Keith and I have a happy memory to remember him by. I'll never forget Grandpa Grant clapping his hands as the family sang "Happy Birthday" to him. He was so excited to have everyone together and you could feel the energy in the room. It was a great day!!! I'm glad that we have that memory to cherish of him now that he's gone. I am a little sad that baby Tucker will never have the chance to meet his Great Grandpa here on earth but I'm praying that one day Tucker will meet his Great Grandparents in Heaven. Grandpa Grant was the last living Grandparent that Keith had. I have two Grandparents both my Grandpa's that are still living and doing well. Unfortunately, both Grandma's have passed away but I look forward to seeing them again soon one day in Heaven.

On a happier note...Here are a few signs that you know your pregnant.

You know you're pregnant when:
1. You notice people staring at your belly before they look at your face.
2. You look down after you eat something and notice food or crumbs on your belly.
3. You never have to lift a finger because someone is always offering to help. This is really nice.
4. You find your husband doing all the chores around the house. I love this.
5. You get out of breath while walking around the house talking on the phone.
6. You forget what you're going to do before you even turn the corner or stand up.
7. Your husband will go get you anything you ask for because you're having his baby (not always true but 95% of the time true).
8. Your bras are busting at the seams but you don't want to spend more money on another bra...especially since you're still growing.
9. You notice people always smiling at you and your growing belly.
10. People are always wanting to touch your belly. I thought I wasn't going to like this but I honestly don't mind at all.

I'm sure over the next 3 months I'll think of more items to add to this list but this will do for now.

Today's mood - content

22 weeks

I'm now 22 weeks and I'm really feeling pregnant these days. I feel like there is a bowling ball in my belly and it's getting harder to get out of the bed. I also found that it's hard to get in and out of Keith's truck since it's higher off the ground and my belly is bigger. I'll need to keep that in mind since Keith and I are looking to buy a SUV sometime before our baby boy arrives. Tucker is still very active these days and he kicks me a lot at night. I've picked up a bad habit of going to McDonald's every morning and ordering a large half sweet/half unsweet tea. It's my caffiene for the day and it's only $1.09 right now! Can't beat the price. Tucker usually kicks me a lot when I'm drinking my morning tea as well.

Baby Tucker is about the size of a papaya and he's able to hear outside noises from inside the womb. I read books to him at night "Goodnight Moon", "You Are Adorable", and "I Love You This Much". He was really kicking last night when I was reading him Goodnight Moon. I sing to him on the drive home from work which is usally country music. I think he enjoys that as well because he'll give me a few good kicks. Every morning and every night I tell him "Good morning" and "Good night" and I pray for him everyday that he'll be a good boy for Mommy. He should be sleeping about 12 to 14 hours everyday now and I think that's mainly while I'm at work and perhaps some while I'm sleeping. His little baby face is fully formed and his nipples are starting to sprout out on his chest. I still can't believe that I am creating this little miracle inside me. Amazing.

Yesterday, I went on a Retail Division outing and we had lunch together at BlackFinn and then we all went bowling at Strike City at the EpiCenter. I had a great time with everyone in my division yesterday but it was so hard to bowl. I had no idea it was going to be that different with my belly in the way. I played one game and I had to stop because my back and sides were really hurting me. Everyone else played about 3 more games and it was very entertaining to watch everyone. I had a really good time!

Today's mood - Thankful

21 weeks

I'm 21 weeks pregnant and almost 6 months along and it's been a busy week...

Tuesday, September 8th I went to my 20 week Dr. Appt. and he said that everything looks great. My blood pressure was 124 over 71 and the baby had a good heartbeat as well. He asked Keith and I to tour the hospital where I plan to deliver and sign up for some pregnancy classes together. He also asked me to call a pediatrician and meet the doctor's. He recommended his pediatrician for me. The doctor and I live pretty close so he recommended the pediatrician that his children see. He told me that it's a smaller practice but the doctor's are more personable with the children which sounded nice. My next doctor's appointment is scheduled for Monday, October 5th and I can't wait to hear my little man's heart beat again - those are the moments that I treasure.

Wednesday, September 9th was the first time that a stranger noticed I was pregnant and asked me what I was having. I was at Chick-fil-A ordering a chicken salad sandwich and some fruit and he said, "What are you having?" and I told him my order again and he said, "No, what are you having?" and I said, "Oh...I'm having a boy". It took me off guard because a stranger hasn't said anything to me yet. I guess I'm really starting to show these days. On the way back to work I rode up the elevator with a man and I complimented him on his flowers that he bought for either his wife or girlfriend and he asked me how far along I was and I told him 5 months and he told me that I looked great and then he said you really do look good. That made me feel really good and I really needed a compliment that day. ;)

Thursday, September 10th Keith came back in town and we were watching tv upstairs. I was in the bedroom laying in the bed watching a show and Keith was in the bonus room watching football. Our baby boy started kicking his little heart away and was very active so I called Keith into the room to feel him. Unfortunately, he missed it the first time but I asked him to stay with me and I know that when I roll over or re-adjust myself that Tucker will start moving again. Sure enough he started kicking again and Keith felt his baby boy for the first time. Keith loved it. He smiled from ear to ear. Keith calls him baby Ray. The men at Keith's work call Keith -Keith Ray so he's always rubbing my belly and saying, "Hey baby Ray".

Today, Saturday, September 12th I woke up early and went to a little consignment store in Waxhaw called Sweet Repeats. The store has a lot of really great things for babies and children. I saw a Snap and Go stroller that I've been looking for and unfortunately it wasn't a universal one so I was able to place my name on a list for them to call me when a Universal Snap and Go arrived. I did a little shopping while there and I bought about 7 outfits which only cost $20.00. I know I need to stop buying baby clothes but it's so addictive. Keith said the baby is going to have more clothes than him before he's even born. haha. I'll take that as a hint to stop shopping for baby boy clothes. Unfortunately, after I was shopping at Sweet Repeats my Father-in-law was taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital in Matthews. Keith, his family, and I have been at the hospital all day waiting on tests results for my Father-in-law. They didn't find anything concerning but they're going to keep him overnight and continue some more tests tomorrow. He has a heart murmur and they are trying to determine if he may have a blood clot or what is causing the heart murmur. Please keep my Father-in-law in your thoughts and prayers.

Today's Mood - Exhausted

20 weeks

Well, I've made it....I'm half way there!!! I'm super excited and I can't believe that the last 20 weeks have just flown by. My baby boy "Tucker" is very active these days. He kicks me a lot in the mornings (hungry) and a lot in the evenings (active at night) when it's time to go to bed. I just lay in bed and wait for him to kick me. It's something that I look forward to and cherish everyday now. My family and I went to Hilton Head Island, SC last Friday and came home yesterday. We had a great time enjoying the beach and weather together. The men played golf Thursday and while they played golf the women and kiddo's went shopping at the HH Tanger Outlets. I bought a few really cute outfits for my little man and I can't wait to see him wearing them. I ate a lot while on vacation but Keith and I walked a lot on the beach to work it off and I would swim a few laps in the pool everyday. I think Tucker really enjoy the pool because I would always feel him move around a little when I would first get in the water - or perhaps he was cold?...not sure but he was a little swimmer himself it felt like.

I went through some old baby pictures and little boy pictures of Keith last night with his mom. He was a little cutie. As a baby Keith was very long with long skinny legs. I have a feeling our baby is going to have really long skinny legs just like his daddy. I think he'll be very active and athletic too. Both Keith and I had long legs growing up and we were both very athletic and kept very active in sports. I think we might have a little athlete in the making.

20 more weeks to go...I can't wait!!!

Todays Mood - Relaxed

19 weeks

At 19 weeks I'm a busy bee. My family and I left Friday afternoon for Hilton Head, SC and we've been enjoying the sun, beach, and the 3 amazing pools. We spend majority of our day at the beach and pool yesterday and when I got into the pool the baby went crazy because the water was so cold. My little man Tucker was so excited or cold one. haha. He was all over the place in my belly and finally he calmed down. I went on 2 walks on the beach Saturday with my sister and mom and then one with Keith. We ended the night with an Italian dinner and some ice cream. Yum. Last night while I was reading my book Tucker was just a kicking. He seems to be an active baby already. It's an amazing feeling to feel him moving inside me. Sunday, we've mainly been pool bums spending the day at the pool. I played with my nephew Jacob and niece Maleea in the pool with my sister and Keith and I took a few laps in the pool together. We finally came in around 5pm and went to Wal-mart to pick up some miscellaneous items that everyone needed. My dad and brother spent most of the day together riding bikes and enjoying the beach together. Tomorrow, we're driving to Savannah for a day trip which should be a good time. It's been a great time so far and I look forward to spending the rest of the week with my family in Hilton Head.

Today's Mood - Tired

18 weeks & It's A Boy!!!

I'm excited to announce that Keith and I are having a baby BOY!!!

I'm 18 weeks now and I had my ultrasound on Thursday, August 20th. The ultrasound went really well and our baby boy is growing healthy and strong. He now weighs 1/2 a pound and he's about 5 1/2 inches long. His brain and heart look really good and the blood is circulating through the heart's chambers the correct way. His lips, fingers, and toes all look good as well. The ultrasound was an amazing experience and I wish I could've stayed there all day and watched my little man moving around. It was such a blessing to see our little boy moving around, yawning, and best of all knowing that he is healthy. I've placed a few ultrasound pictures at the bottom for you to view.

I'm still eatting fresh strawberries and other strawberry related foods. I also enjoy beef, toasted sandwiches, apples, and sweet tea/unsweet tea. I've been experiencing some sharp pains under my left rib cage and under my tummy where my uterus is growing that come and go throughout the day. I'm also experiencing some lower back pain mainly at night which hasn't been a lot of fun to deal with.

Today I picked out my nursery crib bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. I decided to go with the ABC toile print which I think is very sweet and I love it. I already have a daybed in the baby's room with blue and white bedding so this will go perfect together. Keith and I have also been talking about names a lot the last couple days and I think our little boys name will be Tucker. I can't wait for my little man to arrive and I can hold him and love all over him.

...Our Little Boy...

...Profile Picture...

...He's yawning...

...It's A Boy...

...He's sitting Indian style...so sweet...

Today's Mood - Blessed and Loved

17 weeks

I'm officially 17 weeks pregnant as of yesterday. Everything seems to be going well these days. I've had a few days that I felt a little off balance but that's because my body is changing and my center of gravity is different with my growing belly. My mom came over Tuesday night and helped me begin the process of cleaning the soon to be baby's room. Currently that room is a mess and I've been calling it the junk room that holds my college and high school stuff. We seperated the stacks of boxes and containers by things I'm going to keep and things that will go to yard sale. I almost feel like we made it a bigger mess but hopefully once Keith moves all the yard sales boxes out of the room it'll look a little cleaner. It was a big help having my mom come over and help me as I start to organize the baby room. I hope she'll be able to come over more during the next few months. My appetite really seemed to pick up yesterday...In fact I thought my belly grew 5 inches because I ate so much. I got on the scale this morning though and I haven't gained a pound since my last appointment so not sure why my belly looked so big yesterday.

I copied and pasted this from my babycenter weekly newsletter - How my baby's growing this week: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — the lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and it's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. The baby can move it's joints, and the sweat glands are starting to develop.

I'm really excited about my ultrasound that is scheduled next Thursday, August 20th. Will it be a girl or a boy? What do you think???

I'm going to post some baby bump pictures in a few days.

Today's Mood - Happy that's it Friday!

16 weeks

I'm 16 weeks pregnant today and I'm starting to feel a lot better. I had my 16 week doctor's appointment this morning and everything went well. The doctor said that everything looks good with both the baby and I. I've gained 4.75lbs over almost 4 months (a few days shy) and my blood pressure was 130 over 80. I believe that my blood pressure is higher because I have anxiety before my appointment and that's why it's registering higher than normal but the doctor said it was fine. I told the doctor about my little red bumps that are still aggrevating me and he said that it was a heat rash. He said that since I'm pregnant my skin is a lot more sensitive than usual....and I was thinking my skin is already super sensitive and now it's going to be more sensitive??? Oh no. Well, I've been exercising 3-4 times a week and with exercising comes sweat and with sweat comes heat rash - apparently for me anyway. Not fun but at least I can now take care of it appropriately. He told me to use Benadryl cream and that would help the itching. After we talked for a few minutes it was time to listen to the baby's heart beat. We listened to the heart beat which was a little lower this time but it was still a nice strong heart beat of 153. I didn't want to stop listening to the heart beat but I knew it was time to go. I schedule my Ultra Sound for Thursday, August 20th, at 4pm and I can't wait to find out the sex of the baby. I can't believe it's only 2 weeks away!!!

This week my baby is the size of an avocado and is about to have a big growth spurt over the next few weeks.

Today's Mood - Happy!!!

Emotional Days

Since this past Friday night I've been very emotional. Friday night I was talking to my mom on the phone and then out of no where for no reason I started crying. My poor mom. She thought she upset me but really I was just crying for no good reason at all. I honestly thought to myself that I may be loosing it but I knew it was just my pregnancy hormones stepping up another gear. I was laying it the bed with Keith and he was staring at me because I was crying so hard and he wanted to help but he didn't know what to do. My mom kept asking if she said something to upset me and I told her no. This is really sad but I think I honestly just missed my mom's voice because I haven't talked with her a lot this past week and then it hit me that I'm soon going to be a mom as well. It was very emotional but I felt fine after my teary waterfall ended.

Then today I was eating my usual Subway sandwich which is a toasted Turkey and Swiss on wheat. Since I found out that I'm pregnant I've been ordering apples as my side instead of chips. Today I was eating my apples at my desk and the phone rang and I had to shift my body to answer the phone. The caller ended up hanging up but when I shifted in my chair I knocked my apples onto the floor and I was so upset. I thought I was going to loose it all over again. haha. I was so upset that my apples dropped on the floor. It was sad to think I almost started crying over my apples and not being able to eat them but Friday night was a lot worse. I'm still adjusting to all these added pregnancy hormones.

Since I've been pretty emotional these past few days a lot of my friends seem to think I'm having a baby girl. I guess I'll find out in about three (3) weeks. My next appointment is scheduled for this Thursday at 9am and I can't wait to hear my little baby's heart beat again. I'll schedule my ultrasound after this appointment for 18 weeks. I'll keep you posted and I plan to blog again Thursday night after my 16 week appointment.


Today's mood = Relaxed

15 weeks

I'm 15 weeks pregnant today and 1 week shy of being 4 months pregnant. I really hope the rest of my pregnancy will go by just as fast. I'm still wearing a few of my work pants but I've bought two (2) Be Bands for my growing belly. I bought a black one and a white one. I've been wearing my black one as a camisole since my chest has been so sensitive that even my bras are irritating me. Not fun. I'm still having these little red bumps appear on my skin and they itch just a little bit. I've been using Aveeno body wash and lotion and this has helped with the bumps and my sensitive skin. I've started to stay up later at night so I must be gaining back some energy because I stayed up until almost 11pm last night. I'm still very tired throughout the day and evening though. I enjoy drinking a big glass of milk and eating a strawberry yoplait light yogurt every morning for breakfast. I try to add a fruit (generally strawberries or berries) and a whole grain food in my breakfast. Lunch is still generally pretty light and dinner is whatever is easy and fast to make these days. I enjoy sucking on hard candy's at work like lemon drops, lifesavers, peppermints, and blow pops. I'm sure I'll get a cavity from eating all these hard sugar candy's. Tonight we're going to dinner with some of our close friends so I'm looking forward to getting together and catching up with everyone.

Today's Mood - Upbeat, Positive

Whirl Wind Days

Since last Friday I've been caught up in a whirl wind that is finally winding down. I had an extremly busy weekend celebrating Keith's Birthday, my Aunt Linda's Birthday, and Keith's Papaw's Birthday.

Friday night we celebrated Keith's 29th Birthday and my Aunt Linda's Birthday with my family at home. My Papaw came to dinner with his wife Francis, all my immediate family, and my Aunt Linda enjoyed dinner together. We enjoyed Salmon, Chicken, Corn, Green Beans, Bread, Salad, and Potato Casserole for dinner. Then we sang Happy Birthday to both Linda and Keith and let them take turns blowing out their birthday cake. After dinner we hung out and talked awhile and played with Jacob and Maleea. Maleea (my niece - she is 15 months old) is walking very well now and she is almost running. We looked at my old baby pictures and tried to decide who the baby will resemble most? Keith or I? If it's a girl I hope she will resemble me and if it's a boy I hope he will resemble Keith. :)

Saturday, Keith and I woke up early and drove with his parents to celebrate his Papaw's 89th Birthday. We drove to Rutherfordton, NC (past Shelby about 30 min.) and met the rest of the Grant Family (Keith's mother's side). I think Papaw Grant had a wonderful birthday and really enjoyed being with his family. He loved when we sang "Happy Birthday" to him and he clapped the entire song. So sweet. We left and made our way home around 3pm and on the way home I unfortunately got sick. We were driving with Keith's parents and his nephew Jonathon. I looked over at Keith and touched his arm and said you're going to have to pull over. Well, luckily there was a McDonald's (which was still gross) and I made it to the bathroom and thankfully didn't throw up. I hate the feeling of being nauseous. I came back to the car once I felt well enough and slept the rest of the way home. Ugh. It was horrible. I took a nap when we got home and just relaxed the rest of the evening.

Sunday, Keith and I woke up early and I brought down Keith's Birthday present. Since we have a baby on the way we're not going all out so I bought him a nice pair of Nike running shoes and I'm going to buy him a new shower head as well. I would like him to come with me to pick it out so we'll probably go buy a new shower head this weekend. We watched Le Tour de France as we've been doing together since it's been on and just laid on the couch together and relaxed. The last day of Campmeeting was Sunday (Big Sunday) at 11am so we went to church at the campground in Wesley Chapel. We sat with family and saw a lot of Keith's old high school friends. We hung out and caught up with everyone for a little while and went to the Wingard's for lunch and to celebrate Keith's 29th Birthday with his family. We had a great afternoon celebrating but I was exhausted!!! This was a whirl wind weekend and I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep.

Monday through Wednesday at work have been very busy as well. To much to type about here so I think I'll stop before I write a book. I only hope that things will settle down after today.

Looking forward to celebrating my friend and co-worker Melissa's baby shower tonight and another baby shower for her this weekend! I made a strawberry cheesecake tonight for Melissa and I. We both love those strawberries! Yum.

Can you believe I'll be 15 weeks tomorrow? 1 more week and I'll be 4 months pregnant!

Today's Mood - Tired

14 weeks

I'm officially 14 weeks pregnant today and starting my 2nd trimester. So many things have changed over the past 14 weeks. Here are a few things that have changed for me over the past 14 weeks:

• My sense of smell has changed so much. It's incredible how much your sense of smell changes when you're pregnant. I can smell everything around me now even things I wouldn't think would have a smell.
• My skin is amazingly soft. It was very soft before but now it's really soft. I've had a few red bumps to pop up here and there but my Doctor advised me that they are sweat bumps.
• My finger nails are strong and very shiny. I've stopped nervously biting my thumbs and Keith is so happy about this. I have a bad tendency to bite my thumbs really for no reason except that I've done this since I was a little girl. It's a bad habit and I hope it doesn't come back.
• My hair is growing faster and thicker and it's very healthy and shiny. I've already had about 2 inches cut from my hair but you can't even tell. My hair is also becoming very wavy. I generally take my showers at night and when I wake up in the mornings I have wavy hair. I have to straighten it about every morning and before my hair was pretty straight.
• I feel like my body is growing everywhere. Mainly my tummy, chest, and feet. I'm happy about the tummy and chest growing but I'm not happy about my feet growing. That means I have to buy more shoes which would be a good thing if I didn't have to buy a bigger size.
• I've noticed that my eyes get very irritated or sore if I don't take my contacts out earlier in the evening and let me eyes rest. I've started wearing my glasses earlier in the evenings than before when I'd only wear them before I went to bed.
• I get winded a lot easier these days. Walking up a flight of stairs, exercising, filing at work, and just running errands can cause me to become out of breath or winded. It's unreal.
• I'm still wearing my regular work pants, some of my jeans, and some regular work shirts. I'm looking forward to wearing my maternity clothes soon.
• My dreams have become so real and they last a long time. I've been dreaming about the craziest things. I dreamed I was bit by two snakes while riding my bike down a mountain - I've dreamed about this twice, my baby was stolen from the hospital, Keith cheating on me, and me cheating on Keith, nightmares about work, Keith being out of town when I have the baby (I have this one a lot and it really upsets me), all my dreams have been very vivid like I was really there? I'm almost scared to go to bed at night because I'm worried about what I may dream about next. I'm always happy when I have a dreamless night of sleep.

Those are the basic changes that I've experienced thus far. At 14 weeks my baby is about the size of an apple and weighs about an ounce. Isn't that amazing. I have a little apple in my belly. I've also notice that my belly button isn't as deep as it used to be. I think it may pop later on in the pregnancy. I only hope that the 2nd trimester will go by just as fast as my 1st trimester.

Today's Mood - Excited about reaching 14 weeks!

I felt the baby!!!

Yesterday, Keith and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary because Keith will be out of town on Tuesday, July 21st which is our anniversary date. As part of our day of celebrating we went to the movies and we watched "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. I highly recommend this movie for anyone who hasn't watched it. It's Hilarious. I was laughing so hard at this movie I literally was not breathing and Keith kept leaning over and telling me to stop it. haha. I think I was starting to embarrass him but he was laughing too. At one point in the movie when Sandra Bullock was singing and going around the fire with Grammy...I was laughing so hard that I felt the baby. I think the baby was thinking...."Mommy what is wrong with you? You are shaking and moving all around". Or the baby was laughing with me. Either way I think the baby was doing flips and having a good time because I was so happy. Keith still doesn't believe that I felt the baby but I believe I did. ;) It only lasted a few seconds and it felt like butterfly wings in my belly or little fingers tickeling me. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to feel my baby moving around inside me more!!!

Today's Mood - Vibrant

13 weeks

Happy Friday!!!

I can't believe I am 13 weeks pregnant now!!! The time has really flown these past couple of weeks. It's hard to believe that I'm in the last week of my 1st trimester. I can't wait to feel my baby move which should be any time now. I have my next doctor's appointment scheduled on August 6th for my 16 week check up and then I'll return two weeks later (18 weeks) to find out the sex of the baby which is going to be so exciting!!!

I've been keeping very active over the last 13 weeks. I generally exercise 4 days a week at the Childress Klein YMCA uptown conveniently located in my building. I walk Mondays and Wednesdays with my friend Sherry (we usually walk 2 miles) and Tuesdays and Thursdays I meet with a trainer and work on toning my arms and legs. My friend Sherry is also pregnant and she is just one week behind me. Sherry and I go to the same doctor's office and are schedule to deliver at CMC Pineville. Small world huh? We keep joking that we're going to be in the hospital at the same time. I keep Fridays open to eat lunch with the girls in my office and we enjoy lunch together and catching up on the week and what we have planned for the weekend.

I'm am starting to finally get excited about food. I've been very picky the past couple of weeks and I've basically been eating a lot of the same foods over and over again. I generally eat an English Muffin for breakfast with strawberry yogurt, sliced strawberries and a large cup of milk, lunch is usually a toasted turkey and swiss sandwich from subway, and dinner has been something with hamburger meet, cereal, rice and shrimp or rice and soup, and I try to get vegetables in my dinner as well. I just haven't had a big appetite. Today, I've been craving pizza and I'm really excited about dinner tonight. I've been telling my little baby "bubbies" all day that it gets pizza for dinner. Keith and I are going to Brixx Pizza tonight and my family is meeting us. I have two coupons good for a free appetizer and a free entree. I think we'll enjoy the spinach and artichoke dip with warm pita bread for our appetizer....YUM! I can't wait. My parents and brother have been in the mountains for a week so I'm looking forward to seeing them and catching up on what they've been busy doing over the past week.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Today's Mood = Sleepy and Hungry

Maternity Shopping

I made plans to go maternity shopping today with my friend Vanessa. Vanessa and I have been friends since the 2nd grade and it was so good to catch up and visit with her today. We met at McAlister's Deli at the Arboretum and enjoyed lunch and talked about our families together. Vanessa has three little girls and a lot of experience with maternity shopping and what I should buy as compard to what I want to buy. We drove over to Destination Maternity in the South Park area together and shopped there for almost 2 hours. She was a big help with picking out clothes for work and clothes for relaxing on the weekends. I found a lot of great deals (most everything I bought was under $20 or $9.99) and I bought a great bra too. Vanessa bought me two books as a surprise...she is so kind. We had a great time shopping together and I'm glad she and I were able to meet up and enjoy lunch and shopping today.

Today's Mood = Happy

Not Feeling So Well

Last night I wasn't feeling so well and I didn't know what to cook for dinner so Keith made some hotdogs and he ate some chips and dip. Before he started cooking the hotdogs I made a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch cereal since I couldn't figure out what to eat and I wasn't that hungry. I ended up eating a hotdog as well and I think that was a bad idea because I felt horrible after that. I ended up going to bed around 7:30pm and slept until about 11:45pm. Keith and I both woke up and I asked him to get me a glass of orange juice. Being the good husband that he is he went down (this is after I asked him 4 times) and made me a glass of orange juice which took 15 minutes because he was watching a dog outside that was loose in the neighborhood. I was thinking what in the world is taking him so long because I felt like I was dying of thrist (not really but it felt that way). I drank my orange juice and we went back to bed...I only had to get up once to use the bathroom last night which was good.

I woke up this morning and ate some strawberry toasted strudels and a big glass of milk. Yum. The baby loves those strawberry strudels. I treat the baby every weekend with the strudels and during the week I usually eat strawberry yogurt and an english muffin with strawberry jam. I may even bring a container of fresh cut strawberries to work for a snack. This baby loves strawberries!!! Back to today...after breakfast Keith and I laid on the couch together and watched le tour de France. It's amazing to watch those men climb those mountains in record time and act like they're breathing just fine. I would for sure have fallen off my bike and down the mountain. haha. For lunch I ate a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich with some wheat thins and cheese squares and a glass of water.

I had a hair appointment today with Debra from Sheer Energy and since I'm almost finished with my 1st trimester it's safe to highlight my hair especially since the color doesn't touch my scalp and it's placed on foils. I freshed up my highlights, trimmed my hair, and caught up on the gossip with Debra. We always have a great time catching up together. I drove to Once Upon A Child in Pineville and looked at some of there maternity clothes and found a cute pair of white capri jeans and a pair of dark long jeans....total purchase = $18.00. I think I found a good deal. I went to the grocery store later this afternoon and bought a few miscellaneous items that Keith and I need. Unfortunately when I got home I was a sick Mama. I had diarrhea really bad and I couldn't understand why? I think it was a glass of chocolate milk I had before I went to the grocery store? Still not sure but I'm starting to feel a little better now.

Keith is making ribs tonight and I have to be honest that I'm not sure if baby will like them or not. I hope the baby does though because I've been really picky lately and it would be nice to branch out and eat other foods. I think I'll make some vegtables and mashed potatoes to go along with our dinner. I know the baby loves green beans and potatoes so I should be fine.

Looking forward to having a great dinner with Keith and watching a movie later tonight. I rented Marley and Me at the RedBox earlier today. I hope I don't cry but with all these hormones it's almost a given.

Today's Mood = Tired

3rd Doctor's Appointment

I had my third doctor's appointment this morning. I was so excited that I could hardly sleep last night and it also didn't help that I had to get up twice to use the bathroom. I'll be glad when that stops for a little while.

The doctor's appointment went very well. He told me that my blood, pap smear, and everything else looked great. I have an A- blood type which is the same as my Dad. I believe an A- is a rare blood type so at least I know my Dad and I share the same. I also found out that Kim (my sister-in-law) is also an A-. Small world.

After the doctor and I talked for a little while it was time to hear the heart beat. This was so amazing and a surreal experience. The doctor said it may take a while to find the heartbeat since the baby is still so small and right when he said that you could hear my little baby's heart beat just beating away. He said that was faster than he thought and said that my baby wanted to be heard. I was thinking that's probably about right. The baby had a very strong and good heart beat. I was very emotional after the appointment and I couldn't stop smiling. What an amazing feeling.

I called my sister and cried with her as I told her the good news about hearing the heart beat. I called Keith and was emotional with him as well...for the record I did call him first but no answer the first time. haha. I called my Mom and Dad and discussed the appointment with them and it was just a really great morning.

Finally I could tell my co-workers which has been very difficult to keep a secret. When I got into work this morning I went straight to the receptionist JJ or "Aunt JJ" and shared my good news with her. She and I were both crying. The news spread around the office the rest of the day. I still can't believe I'm 12 weeks pregnant. It's an amazing feeling to know that you're going to be a mommy. I just can't wait. I'm glad that I can share my good news with everyone now and I'm looking forward to this wonderful pregnancy journey over the next 6-7 months.

Today's Mood = Estatic and Blessed!

Baby Crib

Yes, I'm crazy and I already bought a baby crib. I couldn't pass it up when I saw it on craigslist. It's an $800 crib and I bought it off craigslist for $150. It's a Young American Starlight White Sleigh Crib. I basically fell in love and I had to have it.

I ate dinner with my Dad, Mom, and brother Wednesday night and after dinner David drove his truck and I drove my car with Dad to go meet the couple I was buying the crib from. They were running a little late so we relaxed in the sun for about 20 minutes and let the time pass. When they arrived the guy looked at the girl and asked her if she grabbed the instructions and the tools to place the bed together and unfortunately she didn't. Ugh. I didn't know what to do. I looked at my dad for some advise and finally I decided that they looked safe and I would follow them home and get the instructions and tools to place the crib together. I gave my home key to my Dad and they drove on over to my house with the crib.

I drove 30 minutes into the country...deep country...I mean I was surrounded by corn fields and it was beautiful. I was thinking this might not have been a good idea as we kept making turns and there is no way with my pregnancy brain that I was going to remember all these turns. We finally made it to their house and she ran in and grabbed the instructions and tools. I paid them and headed home. I was lucky that I remembered the way...I even suprised myself...and made it home around 8pm. Dad and David had already left my house and left the key hidden for me to get back into the house.

It was a crazy adventure and a long night but at the end of the day I have a beautiful crib and I can't wait to put it together and start decorating the baby's room.

Baby News

We're having a baby!!! Keith and I are so excited! I found out I was pregnant on Tuesday, May 12th. I had a motherly intuition that I was pregnant the Saturday before Mother's Day but Keith and I decided to wait and take a pregnancy test. I wish I would've taken it earlier though so I could've celebrated Mother's Day. I took my first pregnancy test Tuesday morning (May 12th) and it was positive and I took another test Wednesday morning and it was positive as well. I was so happy that I told Keith, my Mom and Dad, and my sister and brother on Tuesday after the first one. I made a doctor's appointment for the following week and after it was confirmed that I was pregnant I told Keith's family, my Grandpa's, my Aunt's, and cousins Jenny an Chelsea. I went and bought a cake for Mr. and Mrs. Wingard and the cake said "Congrats MaMaw and PaPaw". Everyone is very excited about the baby news.

It's hard to believe that I'm almost 3 months pregnant now (2 days shy of 12 weeks). The first 3 months have almost flown by!!! I've mainly craved anything with strawberries which would mainly be strawberry jam, strawberry toaster strudels, fresh strawberries, strawberry yogurt, and strawberry smoothies. My least favorite thing has been chicken which is so odd to me because I used to eat grilled chicken just about every day. I can hardly even smell chicken now because it makes me sick. Another draw back has been being very tired. I sleep a lot these days. I take naps every weekend for about 2-3 hours on Saturdays and Sundays and on the weekdays I am generally in bed by 9-9:30 when I used to go to bed around midnight or 1am which is a big change. Over the past 3 months there hasn't been a lot of nausea which has been very good and I'm glad that I haven't throw up once....I came close but it didn't happen.

Now, I'm looking forward to my 12 week doctor's appointment which is this coming Thursday and I can't wait to hear the heartbeat. Keith and I saw the heart beat together back on June 4th but it's been awhile and I can't wait to see and hear my little baby again.

Please keep Keith and I and our little baby in your prayers over the next few months.