36.5 weeks Swimming and acupuncture

Month 9 is pretty tiring, I must admit. Chad and I have had fun feeling Dutch move around like a maniac, that is the positive. I have had such cabin fever and I feel so lazy resting all the time so I bit the bullet and went swimming. It was FAN FREAKING TASTIC. I felt so weightless and it felt so good on my body. It was funny because I could feel him kicking while I was swimming and my sister and I decided that was Dutch swimming. I was so stoked that my sister wanted to swim with me. Especially because it is winter and freezing outside. She wouldnt let me go off the diving board. Probably for the best.
I have been going to acupuncture to help with pregnancy symptoms and it has been incredible. I have found an amazing lady who has improved my back and my swollen cankles with massage, cupping and acupuncture. It blows my mind how less swollen I am now. I had my group B strep test last week and do not know the results yet. I was way wrong to assume he is ready to pop out any minute and our midwife assurred me I had a few more weeks to go. I think I was in denial that he could grow for another few weeks. He already feels so HUGE! My blood pressure is still great and he is measuring correctly so we are all good. I am going to see the midwives every week now. I start my maternity leave Jan 7. I feel wierd about not working for four months but work is being so supportive and wonderful. I am very lucky. I am able to be with Dutch until the end of April. I know it will fly by.....

week 33 and week 35 pics.......puffy and patient.......Dutch's dad at the Lakewood service

I will start with the photo of Chad. His mom saw him on tv and took a pic with her phone and sent it out. Pretty amazing. He was in the procession (not sure if I am saying this all correctly) for the Lakewood police officers that were killed recenly. So amazing that he was able to go to the service and support the law enforcement community. I feel that everything that has been happening in WA regarding cops being killed is really affecting most people. Even those who just read about it. Between the 4 officers, they left behind 9 children. Chad said there was a part of the service when the kids all got up there and some of them spoke and he really lost it. He came home and told me how much he wants to meet Dutch and be a dad and its hard to think about that being taken away. I am so thankful for Chad and everyone in my life and I am greatful for every night and day he comes home safe.

As for the belly pics above, week 33 is on the bottom and week 35 which starts today are the one's in black. As you can clearly see, the water retention is ridiculous. I am having trouble finding shoes that will fit the tops of my feet because they are so huge. I managed to paint my toe nails last night but it was not easy. I had to roll around and basically practice lamaze breathing with each toe. I had to put some polish on though because my feet look like they belong to Frodo. They are huge and Chad cant even look at them without cracking up. I do still have my wedding ring on but I think at this point it would not come off anyways. I think for the most part I am feeling pretty good. I am excited that Dutch is almost here and we are pretty much ready for him. Bag was packed yesterday and his clothes are all washed, etc. The only other big complaint is back aches. I really feel it by the end of the day in my back because of how huge my belly is. I have kept up my walking daily but today I decided it is not helping me at this point. By the time I get home from a walk- my back and feet are killing me. My friend Kelly suggested swimming but there is no way I am going to a public place in a swim suit for many reasons.

Dutch is due on Jan 17 but Chad and I are both hoping he comes early. Chad is convinced he will come on Jan 10 because that is Chad's bday. I just hope he comes before the 12th because Cortney will be home until then. Otherwise she wont meet him for months and that is not cool! Our next appt is Dec 21st and they are going to do the Group B strep test. Hopefully they will be able to tell me an estimate on when he will come out. I honestly never thought I would be excited for him to come out. You always hear that at the end of a woman's pregnancy she is "ready" and feels huge and is uncomfortable. I never really understood that until I am now feeling all of those things. I remember seeing Chad's sister Rachel when she was about 9 months prego and I thought she looked great and I did not understand the frusteration on her face. I now understand. :) It is heavy and SO frusterating to not be able to move around like you want to. I have days when I am afraid of labor and days when I think.....I can do this and it is going to be amazing. I really do think excitement is the main emotion at this point. I think if you asked Chad what he thought my main emotion would be, he would say "irritated or exhausted." He is the one who really gets to hear all of my complaints and he handles it so well. I am very very lucky to have him and I cant wait to see him as a dad.

8 months.....baby showers, crib set up and a happy placenta

Time is going by so quickly. I am so excited to meet Dutch but at the same time, this is the only time in my life that he will be in my tummy. I get to take him to work with me everyday right now. He goes with me to run errands, walk Vader, watch my favorite shows and entertain me with his karate kicks. Chad put the crib together a few weeks ago. There must be some MAN emotion that makes them very sensitive to the crib. Chad was so into this project. He wanted to do this for Dutch so badly and it was not awesome when the crib became hard to put together. Chad was losing his mind and I could hear him yelling things Dutch should not hear, from the bedroom. The good news is, he did it, and its perfect, and it FIT! As soon as Chad was done and he knew he did it, he was so happy and proud of himself.

I have had four baby showers in the last 3 weeks. I LOVE baby showers, especially when they are for my baby! Chad's sister Shauna threw me a baby shower and she is pregnant too! She is awesome and I could not believe she still wanted to do that. Chad decided at the last minute that he wanted to come too because it was all of his family. He had a blast! He did end up getting the swine flu after the shower but dont worry, I am protected because I got the H1N1 shot. It was rough, so so so rough, but he and we survived. The next shower was at my bff, Kelly's house. It was a small group of close girlfriends and some of Kellys friends who have become my friends over the years. It was so fun! Last week my work threw me a surprise shower. I had NO IDEA and it was so nice. They made me a book and everyone made a page for Dutch with either a poem or words of wisdom. I went home and read it to Chad and started bawling and laughing because I was bawling and I knew it was because I was pregnant. Chad thought I was crazy which made me laugh even harder. It was "awkward." haha :) The last shower was by my bff, Kelly again! She threw me two showers and she has just been amazing. It was my family, some of chads family (who basically is my family) and family friends and more friends from WSU and two of my co workers. It was so much fun! Dutch is so spoiled with love and presents already.

We really dont have to buy anything else besides bottles, burp rags and diapers. I just feel so happy and totally lucky to have such caring people in my life.

We had our 32 week appt yesterday and at this appt, they wanted to check my placenta to see if it has moved away from my cervix. That would mean that I would be able to deliver regularly rather than having to plan ahead for a C section. They also checked Dutch out to see how he was doing. He is GORGEOUS! His feet were crossed in front of his face so it was kind of hard to really see him. We saw his foot, which had five toes. They checked his spine and head and his heart and all the important stuff. He is beautiful. He weighs 4lbs and 8 oz so far. I am measuring at 32.8 weeks which is .6 ahead of schedule. Our midwife said it looks like he is going to have some really long legs! She also did tell us the fabulous news that my placenta has moved! Everything is all good and he is head down and all that, my placenta is out of the way, so this baby will be coming out of my...............body. OH LORD. that is scary. BUT EXCELLENT! I go through these waves of fear and then acceptance with the whole, baby is coming out of me somehow thoughts. I was talking to Chad about it last night and I said, "Chad, I am scared." He said, "well, Case....the good news is, he is coming out no matter what so there ya go."

oh boy............................in about 6 weeks..............oh boy...........................................................

good friday

I passed the three hour!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more worry but definately alot of eating healthy.

50 g of sugar is for pansies

The three hour glucose test.....wow. I was sooooo scared. First of all, my fear of giving blood has been crippling. Second of all, the fear of gestational diabetes. I had one day to digest all of this information before going to take the 3 hour test. In the midst of my panic and fear, I learned alot about gestational diabetes and I am confident Dutch will be just fine. I know it happens to women quite a bit and I have already heard alot of people say its really no big deal as long as you take care of it. Somehow I think I also figured out why I am so afraid of giving blood. I had some sort of revelation and I dont know if my theory was correct or not, but I am guessing it was because I did so great.
The test starts with a fast starting at midnight the night before. I am thinking, hey- no big deal, that just means no breakfast. I woke up sooooo hungry and headed to Group Health at 7am to do the darn thing. As I am sitting in the waiting room I notice all of the lab techs going back for their shift telling the Receptionist how tired they all are. Great, I think. They will never find my veins if they are half asleep! BUT, I kept trying to tell myself I was brave and I could do this. I think it almost helped that I was half asleep and hungry. It was a good disctraction. So I go back there and this lady explained the test and told me that if I throw up during the test then its over and I will have to come back another day. She also said, I might fall asleep in the waiting room in between blood draws and that its common to feel weak and sick. Uh............ok. She was nice enough though and she handed over the drink. This time she explained it had 100g of sugar rather than 50g and it was lime rather than orange. WHEW! That was a doozy of a drink! It was not bad, but it definately wasnt good. I was okay on the first sip thinking, I must be sick if I am not grossed out by this, but then the sugar hit me and it was not very fun to drink. But I have to say it was not a big deal at all. I almost forgot, before she gave me the drink she drew my blood. I dont know what happened or what changed in me, but I was fine. It was no pain, no worry, quick and easy blood draw. That has NEVER happened to me and I was so relieved. I started to think, I can do this.
I actually enjoyed the waiting room. Lots of people watching. During hour 2 I met a very nice lady who saw me come out of the lab and said...."oh, the 3 hour glucose test...oh boy, I had to do that." She was there with her daughter and apparently she had gestational diabetes with her third son, not her first two kids. She said it was not a big deal but he was a 10 lb baby. She said they did not know it so she had to deliver him vaginally and then she shared with me that her vagina would never be the same. Yes, she said this to me. She said this to me in front of her teenage daughter who did not even flinch.
The test consists of giving blood, then taking the drink. Then giving blood every hour for three hours. I did not really feel sick. I was a bit tired but no biggie and time seemed to go by quickly. Then it was over!
I really did learn alot about myself from this whole 3 hour test. I learned that I am way tougher than I give myself credit for. I realize that no matter what obstacles come our way, we will get through them. I am not scared to get the results because I know it will be fine either way. I think I needed the wake up call to really get healthy for Dutch. No more treating myself to sweets and sugar and crap because I am pregnant. Its not worth it. Eating healthy is just as important now than ever.
I am guessing I get my results in a few days. Stand by to stand by. :)

Three hour glucose test

Just when I thought I loved the sugar drink I am quickly reconsidering. I failed my one hour glucose test so I have to do a three hour fasting glucose test. That means drinking that drink on an empty stomach and getting blood drawn every hour for three hours. I will get through it but I am very surprised that this is the route I have to go. I am sad.

Week 28-Giving blood sucks

Last night Chad and I went in for the big 28 week Glucose screen and my first rhogam shot. I also got a little lecture on my weight gain which made me want to punch this student midwife in the face. I will get to that. I warn you, giving blood makes me angry so watch out here! I get to the Group Health and I have to start at the lab and drink some drink that I have heard horror stories about. From pregnancy blogs, to websites, to What to Expect When You Are Expecting, to family and friends, they all say this drink is so gross and it is hard to take down. He gives me the cup of bright orange drink and I have my first sip. I was a little embarrased that I loved it. It was delicious! Maybe because I only had oatmeal, eggs and vegetables all day in preparation for this test but I was loving it. I was joking with the guy that I appreciated the tasty treat and I wished my husband could have some. It tasted like that orange drink from soccer practice as a kid. Probably sugar and orange food coloring. haha. We went on up to the midwife appt after I drank the orange deliciousness and had to wait for a bit. I forgot to mention that when we were in the lab waiting room, Dutch was fully entertaining us both because he was moving around so much my tummy kept moving and Chad finally saw it. We were laughing so hard and it happened again upstairs waiting for the midwife. Sad to say he was probably hungry after my day of no sugar and he was kicking to say, MOMMY-EAT SOME FOOD! We head into the midwife appt and I step on the dreaded scale. I was quite happy with the number on the scale but I would get scolded later. I absolutely HATE when they ask me if a student midwife can come in with the midwife. I have said yes to this once before and the girl looked like she just woke up and hit the bong. She was hard to talk to and I felt really uncomfortable. I need to learn to say no because they once again asked the dreaded question, is it okay for the student midwife to conduct the appt today? I said yes and as we waited, Chad looked at me and said- Case, just dont ask her any questions and we will be fine. This is a lesson learned from the last student midwife appt. She came in and it was a different student but she must have taken a toke from the other student's bong. She was like a zombie and very young. The first thing she does is tell me about how I have already exceeded the ideal weight gain and I should not be eating too much. She said-you know, you should only be eating 300 calories a day, not really eating for two- and then she laughed a little bit. Um.......HELLO LADY! I read every pregnancy fact I can find! I listen to Pregtastic Podcast everyday! I know how much I should be eating and I dont give a crap! I eat when I am hungry and I exercise daily! LEAVE ME ALONE OR I WILL EAT YOU! She did measure my belly and said it was perfect. She listened to the heartbeat and said it was strong. I could go on about her but I just cant rehash the memories. I have decided next time they ask me if a student can come in, I will have to say no. I had to go down and give blood and let me tell you, this is one of my biggest fears in life. I hate it. I usually cry like a baby and feel like I am going to pass out. We do down there and Chad is already making fun of me. I was glad he was there because his teasing was making me want to proove to him I could be tough. Too bad that didnt work out. I was clenched up and not looking and the guy started the blood draw and it happened as usual. The walls started to close in on me, the room was spinning, everything turns into slow motion and I feel like I might puke. He couldnt find a vein which was just super. He kept asking me if this is how my veins always were. Um...mister- I dont say the V word while giving B. The words are a trigger! No one has ever had trouble finding a vein but today was special. Chad later speculated its probably the extra body fat. He later regreted that statement. I forgot to mention there were two screaming twins getting vaccinations in the lab and it added to the chaos. Chad was cracking up asking me if I can hear the twins.......um........duh. So after the blood draw, we had to go back up and get the Rhogam shot. I didnt know how I could do anything after the trauma I just experienced. Shots dont scare me though so I started to proove my toughness again. My mother in law warned me about how bad this one hurt but I didnt think anything of it. The nurse jammed this thing into my shoulder and I sounded like the guy in 40 year old virgin getting waxed. I might have yelled the words COMO SE LLAMA and KELLY CLARKSON. BUT, it was over and Chad took me to a well deserved meal at Olive Garden. WHEW!!!! How the heck am I going to give birth. Oh yes, I am rethinking my all natural decision. I might just need those drugs after all. :)

One more week of the second trimester...the honeymoon trimester

Dont you love my PJ's? These pants are just the most comfortable and stretchy pj's in the world. I still feel great although work is getting pretty tough. I am working 10 hour days and it is really physical and although I feel like I am handling it just fine, I worry that I am going to have to slow down soon and work might not allow it. I get home with some really swollen feet and ankles but hopefully the exercise will be good for me. Dutch is still moving around alot and I am so excited to see my stomach move as he gets stronger. Everyone at the EBC (where I work) is very supportive and alot of people say hi Casey and Dutch. The girls on my team are funny and they try to make me stop carrying boxes or pushing carts. The other night one of my girls said, "Casey! Stop! You have two young girls who are not pregnant to carry those boxes!" It made me laugh and I realize that I have to listen. I have my glucose test and my Rhogam shot in a week. I always get excited for the visits to the midwife and I really dont know why. I guess it is because it is a reminder that I am growing a baby and as each appt comes, it means I am closer to meeting my little boy. Chad's sister and her husband got us a crib and I am so excited for Chad to get it all set up. I think we will start getting things ready soon but we really have not done too much. I think having a one bedroom condo is a benefit in the sense that we are not getting alot of "stuff" and I dont have to get too much ready. Someday we will have a house but for now, this will work because it has to.

Dutch loves his daddy Week 25

Dutch is moving around so much and it is getting stronger and stronger. I keep making Chad try to feel the kicks and often when I tell him to put his hands on the belly, Dutch stops. That happened once again a few days ago so Chad decided to take matter into his own hands. He started singing while his hands were on the belly and sure enough Dutch started to kick pretty hard. I love to see Chad's face light up when he feels his little boy in the belly.

23 weeks, my detachment Saturday in Lake Chelan and my most recent doc appt

23 weeks and feeling great. I do have my moments but overall I feel healthy and excited. I will say for the California females who want to know the nitty gritty, I do get swollen feet and ankles and I am getting winded easier but like I said, it is all good. I did go on a little getaway to Lake Chelan with my friend, Kelly this last weekend as you can see from the above. The idea was that I would detach from Vader and Chad before we have a little baby and take one more weekend just for me and only me. I ended up bringing Vader because the thought of being away from him was too rough. I think I am addicted to loving him. Chad too, but he had to work so that took care of that. Kelly and I had a great time. I did some pregnant nail painting and watched her and her grandma drink wine. We really did have a great time. I had another doc appt today that was pretty basic. I heard the heartbeat again and it was just boomin. Love that. Everything else looked good and that was it. I have the gestational diabetes/glucose test next time and I also get my first Rhogam shot for RH Negative. Things are moving along! Dutch has been kicking and moving alot which I love. It is still pretty soft but it has finally gotten to the point where Chad feels it often. He usually talks to my belly when he gets home from work and Dutch loves to kick him in the face. It is awesome. Being pregnant is making me realize that I am actually living some of the happiest times in my life. Its sounds cheesy but when Chad talks to my tummy, I just think, "this is what it's all about for me." I will need to remember that when Dutch is shooting pee at me or when he sneaks out for the first time. I am also excited for the other babies in my family that are on the way and they seem to be popping out all over the place. Yay for babies!

Dutch Verdieck Phillips

We had our 20 week ultra sound and it was the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my life. The technician did not tell us the sex until the end so she could take all of her measurements and so she could be 99% sure. Apparently, Chad saw the twig and berries right away when she was measuring his femur's. He did not say anything and the ultra sound went along with some ooh's and ahh's from the proud parents. It got to the end and the technician closed up on something and her and Chad just looked at me. I was like, "what?" Chad was like, dont you see it?!!! I said, "see what." He said, "it's a boy!" The Technician said, yes, you are having a boy. She circled the parts with her mouse and I still had no idea what they were talking about. It made me feel better that Chad could see it clear as day. She said she was not able to say 100% but she is as sure as she can be, 99%. Chad and I both started tearing up and it was just amazing. She gave us a few pictures and we were on our way to the next appt. where the midwife explained how perfect he already is. They did say he is a "mover" and I knew that already. I am excited for Chad to start feeling more kicks as we go along. WE LOVE YOU DUTCH!

Knocked up bowling at 19 weeks

Chad and I went bowling with my team from work and I am 19 weeks prego here. We had a blast! The baby has really started kicking this week. Last week it was light taps and this week they are definately getting harder but they are still light. Chad was able to feel one which was so awesome. It's tough because I will say, "Chad, the baby is kicking!" and he will go to feel it and he cant because its so light or it stopped. He finally got a good one and his face just lit up. He is going to be such a good dad. We find out the sex and see how the baby is growing on Monday. I am excited to finally get to use my baby's name whatever the sex. We are both excited just to see a picture of the baby again and see how beautifully it is growing. I have to go into work on Monday but I have the next two days off work just to go register. :) It is fun because now all the people I work with and often customers can tell I am prego. I have gotten alot of comments and it is really fun for me to talk about the baby. The ladies from catering all look at me with the side tilt and the "she is going to be a mother" smile. I love that. They always ask how I am doing and it is really nice. Off to the dump today to make room for the nursery! We are going to make our dining room into a cute little nursery in the near future.

week 18

My latest belly pic is once again in the awesome PJ outfit- but that seems to be when I want to take these pics. The tummy has really popped out since week 17. I have felt our little baby fluttering around quite a bit in the last week. It feels as if I have alka seltzer in my tummy. No, it is not gas, it is my baby! I can tell the difference, trust me. I have been eating alot more healthy in my second trimester and I do feel like exercizing a bit more than in the first trimester. I have decided alot of pregnancy books out there are very negative and that does not really interest me right now. I heard Jenny McCarthy's book was great so I got it and all she did was complain the whole time about being pregnant and she tried to be funny about it. Maybe that is funny for someone who was pregnant in the past and can look back and laugh but for me, I really want to surround myself with positive messages. I want to be excited to meet my baby, not fear it. I want to embrace my changing body, not make fun of it. Okay-maybe a little teasing here and there but Jenny was too much. I am glad I have reached this decision because it has led me to my favorite prego learning tool out there. The podcast, pregtastic. I love it. It has a bunch of pregnant women and they have guests and they talk about every angle. If they talk about cloth diapers, they talk about disposable. If they talk about breast feeding, the next show is on bottle feeding. They really let the mom decide and they honor every woman's right to make her own choices. I love that. That is why I have decided to do a hypnobabies course. It is basically hypnosis for a natural child birth. Hypnosis is basically meditation which I already know has amazing benefits. Hypnobabies teaches you to be happy about giving birth and to feel positive about the experience rather than be scared. They teach you that your body knows what to do because it is a natural thing. No matter what happens in the delivery room, I am glad this course is teaching me not to be afraid. Chad is very supportive, which means the world to me. Two weeks until we find out what private parts our baby has! Trycia or Dutch? Hmmmmm....

Shauna's wedding

We went to Chad's sisters wedding this weekend and it was a pregnant woman's dream. A DRY WEDDING! Even the toast was sparkling apple cider and they had the most wonderful buffet. It was so great and I felt really good about my dress! I have posted a couple pics.

This post might not be for all of you. Maybe just the women. :) Dad and Bob, dont read this one, kay?!

Chad's sister Shauna is getting married tomorrow. I love weddings and I love Chad's family, which is now my family, so it will be fun. Trying to find a dress is not easy. It is so amazing to be pregnant and I love every second of it...........well, almost every second. Trying to find a dress that looked good on me was tough. I am really surprised at how hard it is for me to accept my huge butt and huge tummy and huge everything else. I know my body needs to grow to make this baby, I know I am making healthy choices about 70% of the time. I know I am exercizing and kegeling and cat-cowing (yoga move, peeps).....so why is it I still think I need to look like I did when I wasnt pregnant in times that require a dress?! I can look at other prego's and think they look super cute. Sometimes I think I look super cute but then I put the dress on and the ta ta's spill out and the hips are wider than ever and I feel.........big. I went to about five different stores trying to find something that fit and looked good. Not an easy task. I think that is why I only found one dress that was half way decent at Kohl's. I brought it home and asked Chad what he thought. He was very nice but I could tell he was not in love with this dress. I asked him why and he said it was the wierd frilly things on the sleeves. WHAT?! Why are guys so random? I was showing cleavage! You would think that would be a bigger bonus than the cute ruffly sleeves that he didn't like. I give Chad credit though because he said it in a very good way. "Case-I just love your shoulders and those sleeves cover them up." I love him. BUT, just as I was about to say screw it and wear my t-shirt maternity dress to the wedding, Chad's sister, Rachel, brings me two maternity dresses to the rehersal dinner last night. OUT OF NO WHERE?! They were the most adorable dresses in the world. They were perfect. This is another reminder that pregnancy is a great teacher for me. I really need to let go of appearances and appreciate what life is about!!!! Making beautiful babies and having and awesome family, no matter what anyone looks like.
p.s. Pregnant bonus-the wedding is dry so no one will be able to drink without me!!!!!! :)

QFC is the best store on earth and the heartbeat

I showered up and got ready for my day yesterday thinking I looked like a huge gray tent in this maternity dress I was wearing. I did not feel like I looked cute-huge, meaning, pregnant-huge. I was just going through some rude self talk that I tried to ignore. I was at QFC looking for Chad's protein powder when this delightful QFC worker asked me when I was due. I was so caught off guard and I felt this woosh of emotions run through my body. I was so filled with joy all of a sudden I did not know what to do! I thanked her and told her she made my day, I was due in January, and so on. I asked her how she knew and she said I had that pregnancy glow. I left the store and instantly started bawling crying in the parking lot because I was so honored. I felt in that moment that reality that I am now a mother. Being a mother is such an amazing and incredible honor and when she asked me when I was due, I just felt such gratitude for my situation that I could not handle it. It was awesome.

Today was our second doc appt and it was a quickie. It was alot of question and answer and I realize that Chad is not embarrased by anything. I have put the disclaimer out there twice for Chad before I ask my questions. I say, "Chad, you might be embarrased, but I am going to ask her about my xxx." Every time he says, I am not embarrased, Case. You dont need to say that every time!" I probably still will because I think I say it more for me than him. Anyways, everything looks great and we finally heard the heartbeat. It was loud and strong and about 160bpm. I was surprised it did not make me emotional but it was awesome to hear. I did get my dad in trouble when I was discussing labor and delivery with the midwife. We were discussing natural vs. medicated births and I told her I think I want drugs. She said, why have you changed your mind since last time and I said because my dad told me not to be some "sort of crazy health muffin." I think our midwife is a lesbian so that might be why the word muffin seemed to really strike a chord. She was not happy with that advice and she really would not let it go. She kept saying muffin under her breath the rest of the appointment. I thought it was hilarious.
August 31 is our ultra sound appt when we get to see the baby and find out if baby is a boy or a girl. Sorry Bob and Mona! We are going to find out and I cant wait! :)

"are you getting a mustache"

I just woke up from a lovely night's sleep and Chad says, "are you getting a mustache?"
Then he laughs. Apparently that is a good dad to be joke.

week 15 belly pic

Note to self about baby bump pics:

Try to look happy

Wear a cute outfit, not your only PJ's that are fitting you right now

Make your husband get out of bed to take the pic so it is at a more flattering angle

Brush the hair, that is your best feature during these larger than normal times

Week 15, day five

My belly has started to pop out. Right now it looks like my first trimester love for carbs is sitting in my gut but it is actually a baby. Chad and I are going to have a freakin baby! My body is definately starting to feel more pregnant. Because my first trimester was pretty mellow for the most part, I have not yet felt that second trimester energy surge I keep hearing about. I am walking every day so maybe that means I already have it. Sometimes 45 mins and sometimes an hour and 30 mins. I have been doing yoga and light weights here and there but my main priority is really to listen to my body and give it what it needs. Being pregnant is such a great teacher for me because that has been something I dont normally just do. I can push myself pretty hard and it feels really good to slow down when I need to. It is easier to take care of myself when I know I am cooking a person in my tummy. I think about this little baby every second of the day. I look at pregnant women with this feeling of awe. It is like all of a sudden, any woman who has given birth is my homegirl. Some things you really can't describe or feel embarrased to describe and when you see someone who has been though it, you know-they just know. Being pregnant with Chad is so much fun so far! We are like two little kids who just laugh about anything and are so excited that most things seem like no big deal. He is going to be such a great dad and he is already really so caring and loving. He teases me but he really does make me feel beautiful at a time when I feel like I am just getting bigger and bigger. I am thankful he can support me in that way. We have our second doc appt on Monday and I am very excited. I love any opportunity to hear the little one's heartbeat! I wonder if it is a girl or a boy? hmmmmmm