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.