Psalm 139

Since the day I found out I was pregnant, it's been hard not to constantly worry about the life growing inside of me. I quickly began to research all the dos and don'ts and made a long list of things I didn't want to eat or put on my body or do while this baby was growing inside of me. But even with all the precautions you can take, there are still so many things that can go wrong...miscarriage, placenta issues, disorders, diseases, malformations, etc. Even now, with baby's birthday so near, I still worry that he won't be healthy. I am constantly drawn to Psalm 139...such a comforting reminder that God is in control...

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

Christmas and still no baby

Justin and I had an amazing Christmas. We are so blessed to have such a loving and generous family (both mine and his). I kept saying it was baby's first Christmas, but I guess it doesn't really count until he is out of my belly. That didn't stop people from getting him presents though ;) Like this amazing monkey from Tia Pringle and Tio Michael.



There were so many presents and so many wonderful people to share the day with...



and lots of doggies and yummy food!



and I am HUGE!

my tummy...duggies new favorite bed

Every time I sit down, Mr. McDuggie HAS to lay on my tummy. Is it because it's so warm? Is it the perfect shape for his body to stretch across? Does he know there's a baby in there and is trying to get as much cuddles in as possible before baby comes? Does he love baby and want to snuggle him? I don't know, but it sure is precious.

37 weeks = full term!

Baby is full term, which means all his organs are mature and he's ready to thrive outside of my tummy! Baby is the size of a watermelon now, which looks about right ;)

the nursery

The baby's room is finally finished! I'm just working on one last project, a godzilla vs domo painting to go on the white wall.

35 weeks

At this point, baby's physical development is about complete. He's pretty much ready to come out and I wish he would just get it over with already! The next 5 weeks are either going to be the longest of my life or the shortest. Hopefully the holiday rush will distract me until the day he finally arrives. 5 more weeks!

33 weeks

Baby has graduated to another fruit this week. He is now the size of a honeydew melon and may grow up to an inch this week alone. His brain is developing like crazy. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.



It's so cold here right now. It even snowed a bit yesterday (barely, but still). Being pregnant is definitely a plus when it's cold outside, but I still have to put the heater on.

On Saturday, Justin and I took a tour of the hospital where I will give birth to our little guy. There were tons of awkward moments (like when our tour guide demonstrated some of the recommended birthing positions). It was fun to watch the expressions on all the dad-to-be's faces. I almost cried like 10 times, mostly out of excitement, a few times out of fear, and once while looking at all the newborns. Having a baby comes with a whole mix of crazy emotions, but mostly we are just super excited. I just have to keep reminding myself when I feel overwhelmed about labor or how I'm going to take care of baby (which has been a lot these days), I just need to give it to God and trust that He will give me the strength and wisdom I need in each moment. Also, epidurals are awesome.

31 weeks

All five of baby's senses are fully developed and he is getting so strong. His grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger. His elbow scrapes, kicks, and punches are out of control sometimes, but he mostly likes to wiggle. I can feel him all the time now as he has less room to hide from me. It's getting really cramped in there. I've been having a reoccurring nightmare about my baby bursting through my belly - yikes!

I just spent the last week in Florida visiting my family. It was so great to see how excited my parents were to see me and my belly. I can't wait to introduce them to the little guy when he finally gets here.

My mom threw me a surprise baby shower while I was in town and I got to see some really wonderful old friends. Here are some pictures from the shower.

















I had another dr. appointment yesterday. Everything is still a-ok, just still gaining weight like no other. I gained 7lbs in 3 weeks! Too much Halloween candy!

29 weeks!

11 more to go! Baby is the size of a squash these days. His energy is surging as he's gaining fat and growing fast (weight will triple by birth). Things are getting kind of cramped in there.

fatty mcbutterpants!

I had my 28 week check up today. Everything is still fine. The baby was making the dr. crack up because he kept kicking the doppler thingy and wouldn't stay still long enough to get his heartbeat. She got it eventually and it was strong. He's such a spaz already....I'm scared!

I'm weighing in at a whopping 140lbs, which my dr. thinks is too much - 25-30lbs of weight gain total. But I don't think she's taking into consideration that I was actually, what could be considered under-weight before I got pregnant. I wouldn't be concerned, except she said the more weight I gain, the more weight baby gains and if I keep this up I'm going to have a 9-10lb baby. YIKES! Exercise routine begins tomorrow!

Maternity pictures coming soon!

28 weeks!

We've made it to the 3rd trimester...the final stretch (literally)! Only 12 more weeks to go! The baby's lungs are mature enough at this point that he could come any day and would be fine. I've had a feeling for weeks that he's going to come early. Maybe it's wishful thinking, maybe I'm paranoid. Probably both, but you just never know. Baby is about 2.5 lbs and almost 15 inches and will be packing on the pounds (from fat mostly) over the next 2-3 months.

We've been trying to get the nursery (as well as the rest of the house) put together asap. I'd like to have it all done in 2 weeks since I'll be gone for a week in Florida. Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law, Genny, the nursery has been painted. I went on a shopping spree yesterday (THANK YOU MOM & BILL!!) and got lots of nursery essentials. Those cute little godzilla and domo plush arrived last week (so cute!!). We have a really great crib that a family friend gave us which my wonderful husband should have refinished by the end of the week. Things are finally coming together!

monsters!

We are trying to do a monster theme for the nursery (inspired by this adorable godzilla plush which I ordered yesterday!). I also picked up a 19" plush of the amazingly awesome creature featured on this blog - domo kun! I'm looking for a plush of a yeti to top it off (I <3 yetis thanks to Mt. Everest @ Disney), but I can't seem to find one cute enough.



Now I just need to figure out if these are safe for baby.

25 weeks/6 months

I didn't get a chance to post anything last week since we were in the process of moving. Our internet is finally up and running at our house and we are almost settled. There's still lots of furniture to buy, some painting to do, and lots of pictures to hang, but it's coming together for the most part. We've really enjoyed living here so far. Besides the unwanted pests, the house is great (I thought New Mexico was supposed to be bug free!). Grizzly Bear is eating a beetle as I write this.

I'm 6 months along now (25 weeks). Baby is about the size of an eggplant - about 1.5 lbs and over a foot long! My uterus is the size of a soccer ball.

My feet have definitely expanded and all my shoes are super tight. I need to go shoe shopping. I can't wait to get some cute winter boots. It'll be getting cool in the next few weeks. I'm kind of looking forward to a real fall/winter. Once it's here though, I'll probably be miserable, but I'm pregnant so I can wear sweats all day, everyday and get away with it ;)

I had another check up today and everything continues to look good. I love getting weighed. Seeing those high numbers is fun when you've been small your whole life. I've gained about 25lbs so far. My belly is huge and getting bigger every day. Baby is really active and I love feeling him moving around in there. Justin and I even saw him move across my belly the other day (crazy!).

22 weeks

From here on out, the baby's size/fruit will be by months instead of weeks. For this month, month 5 or weeks 21-24, baby is the size of a papaya.



Baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. He's also starting to hear outside noises.

We close on our house tomorrow, two weeks early! So we will be moving in on Friday. I am really looking forward to getting settled in, decorating, setting up the nursery, and having my kitties around again.

21 weeks!

Baby is a banana this week!
In the last week or so, I've been noticing the baby's movements more and more. He's definitely a spaz, but what else could I expect having Justin as a father ;)

We had inspections on our potential home yesterday and everything went really well. It looks like we will be able to move in really soon, like 2 or 3 weeks. I am so excited to have found a home that suits us so well and am looking forward to making it ours and getting the baby's room together. Here's a link to the house if you want to check it out.

http://abqrealtors.rapmls.com/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=albq&PRGNAME=MLSPropertyDetail&ARGUMENTS=-N521793563,-N274523,-N0,-A,-N0,-AS

our lovely baby bumps

Here it is...the infamous baby bump you've all been waiting to see. I'm about 19 weeks in this picture and with my pal Jen (who is married to Justin's best bud Sadeke). Our babies are going to be second generation bff.

it's a boy!

We had our ultrasound today. It's amazing what they can tell from those images...kidneys, all 4 chambers of the heart, the spine, different parts of the brain, the stomach, the diaphragm, etc. Based on everything the technician saw, our baby's anatomy is normal and healthy and he's right around the size he should be at this point. I'm so relieved to know he's doing well in there. And yes, it's a boy! I have to admit I was disappointed for a minute, but the more I think about having a boy, the more excited I get.

Here are some pictures of baby.

It's kind of hard to tell what you're looking at in these photos, but the first one is of the head and upper body, baby is laying face down with the head on the right.

















This next one is one if his arm.



And this is the proof that it's a boy.

















And here is the money shot.

20 weeks!

Half way there!! and baby is the size of a cantaloupe! No wonder my belly is getting so big.



I had my 20 week check up today and everything seems normal. I loved my new OBGYN, but unfortunately, they scheduled me with the one dr. there that doesn't deliver at Presbyterian, which will be a problem once Justin's work insurance kicks in so I won't be able to keep seeing her. Hopefully the next dr. is just as nice. I heard the baby's heartbeat and it sounded really loud and strong, which was reassuring. Tomorrow is the big day...ultrasound! Hopefully we will have good news (baby is healthy) and fun news (boy or girl)!

On a not so exciting note, my pop pop passed away today (my last living grandparent). I just wanted to take a moment to remember and honor him...I have so many great memories of playing with him as a child (like going for rides on his feet) and also some great ones as an adult (like the loving advise he gave me on my wedding day). I will miss him a ton, but I know he loved the Lord and is with Him in heaven and I'll see him again one day! I love you pop pop!

19 weeks

This is a little late, but baby is a bit over 19 weeks and the size of a mango.



This week has been crazy. I've had a few major meltdowns directly related to the size of my belly, one in the middle of Target while trying to find some clothes that fit. After some searching though, I finally found some maternity jeans that fit me and look half way flattering. They are probably the most expensive pants I've ever purchased, but after a few days of being super uncomfortable I think it was a worthwhile purchase. I also got one of those belly bands, but I'm not loving it.

I'm pretty sure I've felt the baby kick at this point, but it's still too light for me to know for sure. My next dr. appointment (20 weeks!) is on Monday. Unfortunately, they would not let me schedule my 20 week ultrasound for that day since I'm a new patient and they don't have an ultrasound machine at the office I'm going to. Hopefully we will be able to get that done next week sometime, but I won't know until Monday. I'm starting to feel like it's a boy, but I think Justin and Joachim (aka Uncle Poncho) are taking bets if anyone wants in.

18 weeks

This is a bit late. It's hard getting anything done when you're not in a normal routine, or living out of a suitcase for that matter. Baby is the size of a sweet potato this week.



It just took me 10 minutes to figure out how to "right click" using a mac. Anyway, my belly is getting bigger everyday and I definitely look pregnant now. Getting dressed is a constant challenge as there's not much I fit into anymore. I just want to wear yoga or pj pants all day long!

Justin and I are finally in Albuquerque and are trying our best to find a good home to settle down in. We are viewing some homes tomorrow with a realtor, hopefully we see one we love so we can get the ball rolling. The sooner we can get settled into a home the better...I miss my kitties too much!

17 weeks and moving day.

Today, baby is the size of an onion.



Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone and I'm trying to get as much calcium as possible. I really wish my dr. would have prescribed me a prenatal vitamin with calcium in it or just a straight up calcium supplement. That would have made my life a little less stressful...good thing I like milk.

Baby is also getting fat and it's fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

Today is finally here...moving day. Justin and his friend, Jason, are working on disconnecting the washer and dryer as I type this. It's gonna be a long and horrible day.

dr. appointments

Another good check up today...blood pressure = good, weight = about right, baby's heartbeat = still going strong. It's always a relief to hear the heartbeat...and this time they found it right away.

In 4 weeks I'll have lots of fun picture of baby to post here, but until then...look how cute my kitty is!!!

16 weeks (4 months!)

Wow, baby is the size of an avocado.



Baby's ear drums and ear bones are now developed and it can now pick up my voice. A few more minuscule changes: Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in.

Tomorrow is my 16 week appointment, my last appointment with my doctor here. Again, not sure what to expect, maybe just the usual pee in a cup, step on the scale, listen to the heartbeat stuff. I was able to find an OBGYN in Albuquerque and scheduled an appointment right around when I would have had my next one here, right around 20 weeks. That's the big one...ultrasound where we can actually check on the development of the baby and find out the gender! I can't wait. I'm super excited to find out the sex, but I mostly just want to see that it's developing normally. I'm such a worrier!

15 weeks

Baby is 15 weeks today and the size of a naval orange.



Baby is still moving around like crazy. I've had a couple moments when I thought I felt it move, but I don't know if it was the baby or gas bubbles or a muscle spasm or something.

An interesting developmental fact I read this week - baby's eye lids are still fused together, but it can now sense light. And, baby now has taste buds.

This past week, we received our first baby gifts...excited! My sweet aunt in NJ sent us a congrats card and my mom gave us a digital scrapbook kit specifically for baby. I bought my first pair of "maternity" pants (not technically, they were in the juniors section) - black stretchy pants with a really big, stretchy band! I still need to find some nice maternity jeans. I am down to 2 pairs of jeans that I can squeeze into (barley), one of which I have to tie together with a rubber band. I've gained 10 lbs already (mostly in my behind!).

So next week is my next OBGYN appointment. I need to get busy finding a new one out in ABQ. We only have 2-3 weeks until we move...yikes! So much to do still!

babymoon

Justin and I went on a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate all the exciting stuff going on right now - 5 year anniversary, my birthday, new amazing job, and baby on the way. I figure it's the last vacation we will get to take before we have a child, so we wanted to make the most of our last chance to really indulge ourselves. We had such a great time. Here are a few photos from our journey.



Sun setting over Ft. Lauderdale as we depart.














Crazy static hair...which we were told by a very concerned fellow passenger that this means I'm about to be struck by lightning.







In the Bahamas.




The Queen's Staircase - carved out by slaves in the 18th century as an escape route for British troops (I think...not paying too much attention during the spiel). On the top of the stairs, some gentleman tried to sell us his newborn nephew...awesome.





Overall, it was a really fun and relaxing weekend. We learned how to play roulette and dominated it on my birthday! We ate way too much food. We watched some decent entertainment. We played in the kiddie pool area (way better than the adult pool, and less crowded). We played some bingo and the couple friends we made actually won the big $1200 bingo jackpot! We ate and ate and ate. We enjoyed the view of the ocean. We saw the most humongous ray ever at the Atlantis Hotel. We observed all the young families and thought about what it'll be like to have a kid. Life is changing so fast, but we are so excited about what God has in store for us and are looking forward to welcoming our little monster into the world in 6 months.

14 weeks

Baby is the size of a lemon...



Cute fact of the week - baby can now make facial expressions (squint, frown, grimace, etc.) and suck his thumb. Gross fact of the week - baby's kidneys are producing urine and baby is peeing into the amniotic fluid around him -baby is floating around in it's own pee. Gross.

Recently, the muscles around my belly button have been hurting, they feel really tight. My belly button is noticeably bigger. I can feel my stomach stretching and getting tights already and I can't even fathom how huge I will be in December if I'm already showing this much. Can my belly really stretch that far??? Am I going to have a huge flap of skin hanging down that I will have to tuck into my pants when this is all over??? I know I'm being irrational, but it's scary.

13 weeks

Baby is the size of a peach now.



Father's day was a good excuse to buy my first baby clothes item...I couldn't resists these I <3 daddy onesies. Of course I had to get a girl and boy version. I can't wait to find out the sex so I can start buying our baby clothes!



I'm going with a good friend of mine who recently had a baby to begin my baby registry tomorrow. I'm so thankful to have friends in my life who have recently been in my shoes and can guide me along. I honestly have no idea what a baby needs or what types of products are best.

Today was our 12 week check up. We were there for about 2 hours and all they did was weigh me (I've gained 5 pounds in the last 4 weeks), take a few cultures for some tests, and we got to hear the babies heartbeat. It was kind of nerve wracking...it took a long while for them to find it. I guess our little monster doesn't like to sit still much, but once they got it, they said it sounded normal/healthy. What a relief!

12 weeks!

Baby is 12 weeks along today, which means we are now in the 2nd trimester. Baby is getting big...the size of a plum.



My next OBGYN appointment is tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what to expect, but I think we will get to hear the heartbeat.