NKOTB is coming back!

Lee and I went to see the New Kids in Oct. 08... we had to drive all the way to Charlotte, but it was so worth it! Well, they are coming back to NC and this time they will be in RALEIGH!!! We're going to try to get a group together to go this time, so check it out here and see if you can go! :)

15 Weeks!

I am 15 weeks pregnant today! Just over a month longer and I will already be halfway through the pregnancy. Time seems to be going by faster these days. We are still working on the office, guest bedroom and attic... organizing, cleaning and purging. I have three bags of clothes to donate to Goodwill and we have three huge boxes full of things for the upcoming neighborhood yard sale. It would be great to make a few extra bucks! (Whatever we don't sell, we'll also take to Goodwill.)

So, our baby is now about 4 inches long! He/she can also sense light, now... they say if I shine a flashlight on my belly, the baby will move away from the light. Here's the size comparison for this week:

Belly Pics

6 weeks and 14 weeks

It's getting bigger!

We have a heartbeat!!!

This morning, Kevin and I headed to the doctor's office for our 14 week appointment. I was pretty nervous and I think Kevin was too, even though he wouldn't show it!

After waiting about 45 minutes, the doctor finally came in. As I was chatting and explaining that I was nervous... he had already found the heartbeat... I stopped talking and just listened for a second. "SWOOSH-SWOOSH.... SWOOSH-SWOOSH.... SWOOSH-SWOOSH" Then, I just had to ask, "How do you know that's not MY heartbeat???" Simple answer... my heart is not located in my lower abdomen! (Not only that, but the baby's heartbeat is much faster than mine right now.) Needless to say, we were very relieved that there was a happy, healthy heartbeat!

Now, for the funny part: We brought our camera as I wanted to capture the heartbeat on video. Kevin got it out and proceeded to "record" as the doctor gave a big thumbs up and we laughed and listened. Well, when we left the office, we realized he actually didn't hit record so we got nothing on video! No worries, though, we go back in three weeks and can do it all over again. :)

14 Weeks!!!

Today I am 14 weeks! That's three and a half months... so, only five and a half months to go!!! We actually started working on cleaning out the office yesterday. We got a good start, but there is still a ton left to do. It's hard finding places to put all our stuff!

According to BabyCenter.com , our baby is now 3.5 inches long... the size of a lemon:

Now that is MUCH cuter than a shrimp!!! They also say that he can now squint, frown, grimace and even suck his thumb.

Only two more days until my next doctor's appointment!!!

What?!

I just heard, from a couple different people, that with a typical, 'normal' pregnancy, you usually only get two ultrasounds! That's insane! I am supposed to go multiple months without seeing my baby?! An ultrasound only takes five minutes... why not have more? I am so surprised by this information. My next doctor's appointment is on the 25th... I really hope they do an ultrasound. I need to see that my baby is still there and healthy. We haven't even heard the heartbeat, yet so I guess it's possible they will only do that and not an ultrasound. Oh, I hope they do both!!!

Wish me luck!

Listen Up!

Mom got us a fabulous cd, Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Pixies . It is so cool! The songs are nice and soft (and could put ME to sleep) but the coolest thing is I recognize all the songs so I won't get bored with them. The company that makes these cd's has them for lots of other bands too... including Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys (to name a few). I may have to get another one!

Another cd we just received, but haven't listed to yet, is Baby Sounds for Pets . It's quite simply a cd of sounds to prepare your pet for baby. The play lists includes, "Baby Talk", "Baby Crying", "Baby Laughter", "Baby Temper Tantrum" and "Baby Cooing/Gurgling." To be honest with you, this will probably end up being a nice tool to help Kevin and I get ready, too!!! I'll be sure to report back and let you know what Bailey thinks of it.

2nd Trimester!!!

Holy Cow! I can't believe I am officially in the second trimester! The past three months went by pretty quickly. So far I have gained less than 5 pounds (which is good because I don't think you're supposed to gain anything in the first trimester). I am, however, wearing maternity pants. I stopped fitting into my pre-pregnancy pants almost a month ago!

BabyCenter.com says that my baby is about 3 inches long now and he/she actually has fingerprints!!! Here's the picture they show for the size comparison.... Really? A SHRIMP? Couldn't they have chosen something cuter?

Anyhow, things are still going well. My next appointment is in 9 days and couldn't come sooner! I can not wait to see what my baby looks like now.

Here's to a happy & healthy 27 more weeks!

Cloth Diapers?

We had a great time in Wilmington. The Expo was fun. We actually learned a lot about cloth diapering. I always thought that it was great for the people who did it...but just couldn't decide if it was for me. Well, after everything we learned, and the fact that it isn't as hard as it sounds, I think we'll definitely give them a try! Not only would it save us a ton of money (compared to buying disposables all the time) but it's much better for baby (natural materials against their skin) AND, not the mention the environment (no tossing non-biodegradable diapers in the landfills).



Look how much cuter they are than disposables, too! (I love that they come in all kinds of colors.)

So, my point of this is... we'll give them a try! I'd like to try a couple different brands. The most popular brands seem to be Happy Heiny's and Bum Genius . I am also very interested in trying gdiapers . These actually have a biodegradable insert in the diaper so instead of washing the entire diaper, you just put a new insert in. We'll see what works best for us!

Cape Fear Maternity & Baby Expo

Mom and I are heading to Wilmington tonight because tomorrow we're going to the Cape Fear Maternity & Baby Expo . It's their 8th annual show and it's only $5 to get in. It looks like they should have some interesting stuff. I am looking forward to it!

While in Wilmington, we are also going to look into some things for my brother's wedding this June. Yes... that is correct... my brother is getting married June 6th and I (being 25 weeks pregnant) will be a bridesmaid! This is not the first time a pregnant woman has been a bridesmaid so I'm not really worried about it. I just need to find a dress that will fit then! Sarah (the bride) has chosen a beautiful dress from David's Bridal (the color is 'Pool blue'), however they no longer offer them in maternity styles. So, I'm going to see if I can find one similar, with an empire waist! I am hoping this one , in 'Pool blue', will work. Besides the dress, we want to see if we can find a beach house to rent for the week of the wedding.

It should be a fun weekend, despite the terrible weather. What happened to sunny 80* from two days ago???

Story Time

So, we have accumulated quite a few books recently. Here's what we are reading now:

What to Expect When You're Expecting - Just a great week by week guide to what new things baby is doing. It also has personal experiences from other moms so you know you're not alone!

The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Pregnancy & Birth - Also a great week by week guide with tips and advice.

The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy - A light-hearted guide without the technical/medical talk!

And, finally, I just got Pregnancy Sucks for Men for Kevin. It looks like it will be a humorous guide to help Kevin cope with the challenges pregnancy brings to BOTH of us!

Yoga, anyone?

I signed up for a prenatal yoga class. (I'll go every Tuesday night for 10 weeks)

My first one was last night. It was great! 10 women, all about my age. Some were due in September, some this Summer and a couple were due this Spring! Prenatal yoga is a little different than regular yoga... no laying on your tummy or back... mostly seated positions and standing upright positions. It was so nice to stretch and focus on breathing. I think this will be very helpful for me.

As an added bonus, studies have shown that women who stay active through pregnancy usually have approx. one hour shorter labors!

BIG news!!!

I am pregnant!!!

Baby Thomas is due September 21st 2009 and we are so excited! Today I am 12 weeks and 1 day along. Next Monday, I will officially begin the 2nd trimester.

I have been feeling great... tired and hungry, but that comes with the territory. My next doctor's appointment is scheduled for March 25 (I will be 14 weeks and 2 days then). We have decided to go to Western Wake Hospital in Cary. Not only is it a short drive from our house, but we took a tour and felt very comfortable there. They just renovated the women's pavilion, too!

So, we have a lot to do in the next 6 months. I am thrilled, though, and can't wait to start planning everything. I already have the nursery decorated in my mind! Now, we just need to find a home for everything that's in the office... I mean, NURSERY! :)

Snow in March?!

Really? We got almost 3 -4 inches of snow the beginning of this week! Now, this weekend, it's going to be almost 80! That's NC weather for you... I have to say that I am really ready for Spring and Summer now. I can't believe it snowed three times this winter and not one of those was in Dec. or even near Christmas! :P

Come on warm weather! I am ready!!!