Today's the day

Today is the day of the big ultrasound!!!!! I cannot wait!! I was awake at 5:30am this morning wanting it to be time to get up and go to work so I can go to my appointment!!! I cannot wait to see my little baby on the screen, make sure that everything is OK, and of course find out WHAT my little baby is!!! This is more exciting than my engagement, wedding day, first house, finding out I was pregnant all wrapped into one!!! I did a survey via e-mail to my girlfriends yesterday, and the majority vote was...BOY!!! I've been saying boy all along...I just have a feeling. My husband thinks that it's a girl, so we'll see at 3:00 today!!! Oh, this is going to be a long, long day!

Wish me luck!!

I've been tagged...

Seven Random Things About ME:

1. I love to clean. I know it's weird, but I really do love to clean my house, car, desk, whatever. I love to go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy new cleaning supplies...and Ryan and I were both so excited to get a new Dyson as a wedding gift!!

2. I hate lima beans. I like all other vegetables, actually love all veggies, but never have, and never will, like lima beans.

3. I have to sleep with lots of blankets on the bed and they have to be tucked into the bottom of the bed. Even in the summer, I have summer weight blankets that I put on the bed...I love the weight of them!

4. I live through e-mail. I know people say it's impersonal, but it's an easy, weekly way to keep in touch with friends--plus send out pics!

5. I love celebrity gossip as well...on my desk right now at work is a People, US Weekly, and OK Weekly magazine...hey, it's better than gossiping about the girl in the next cube over!!!!

6. My favorite food right now is hot wing sauce, or anything I can DIP in hot wing sauce...example--chicken strips (I NEVER ate these pre-pregnancy), fries, hamburgers, veggies. Yeah, and I wonder why I have heartburn sometimes....

7. Only 7 more days until my big Ultrasound!!!!

I MADE IT!!!

So, today is the official half way point. I am 20 weeks along, only 20 more to go. It sounds like such a long time, but these past 5 months have flown by!!!! I e-mailed my mom today that I think that I will actually miss being pregnant. I love that I can feel our baby move and me, and only me, know it. It's kind of like a special bond that I already have with this little miracle inside of me. This morning I was laying in bed before my alarm went off and felt the baby moving. I hadn't been feeling much movement except around bed-time, so I was completely caught off guard. I laid there quietly with my hand on my belly, listening to my hubby sleep next to me, looking around my beautiful bedroom and thought to myself, I wouldn't want to be anywhere, with anyone else, but right here. What a comforting feeling to have.

On another note, yesterday was my birthday, and I wanted to thank all of my wonderful friends for the warm wishes and wonderful, thoughtful gifts that I received. I especially like the pregnancy pillow...it's a wedge pillow that supports your growing belly while you lay/sleep on your side...Thank you Andrea!!! Another year older, another year wiser.

COUNTDOWN: 10 days to go until my ultrasound...please pray that everything goes smoothly and for healthy results (and a cooperative baby)!!!

Belly Pic, 19 weeks

So, here it is...the first actual belly shot...I can't believe how big I've gotten since my 16 week picture! It's like I woke up one morning and there it was! It is so neat to think that my little baby is growing inside of there, pushing my belly farther and farther out. Ryan and I were reading one of my pregnancy books last night and there was a picture in there of a 19week baby in utero...it was so neat to see that little face, tiny fingers, tiny toes...it really looks like a baby now! Ryan even asked to see the photo again later in the night, and if you know my husband, that is very un-like him. I'm glad that he's starting to show more interest in the baby now that I'm actually showing and feeling movement--he says it's more "real" now...as opposed to what before, fake? Happy Wednesday!

Kick me baby, one more time!

I felt the baby kick for the first time!!!! It was so amazing!!! I thought hearing the heartbeat was cool, actually FEELING my baby moving inside of me, topped that one! I was laying in bed alone on Saturday night watching TV and felt a little "punch" in my belly. I knew right away that's what it was...it didn't feel like gas, stomach rumbling, digestion, etc. It was a distinct feeling! I wanted to call Ryan who was out celebrating a friend's birthday, but my phone was in the living room and I didn't want to move. I laid there stone still for about 30 minutes waiting to feel it again, but no such luck. Then last night I was laying in bed watching TV and felt it again, this time a few different times. I called Ryan in from the other room, and he laid next to me for about 20 minutes with his hand on my belly, but no such luck! Maybe tonight...

Ride em, Cowboy!

Tonight we are going to the Rodeo!!! Wooo Hoooo!!! I have never been to one before, so I'm actually pretty excited!! St. Louis is not usually known for rodeo's, but they usually come once a year to a small arena in St. Charles. Hopefully there will be some good looking cowboys in tight Wranglers with big shiny belt buckles, snakeskin boots, and big cowboy hats!!! ( : Not really all of that, but I hope some cool bull riding, barrel racing (I think) and other stuff. I'm not much of a barn/rodeo/animal person, but it should be a good time. It's hard to find things to do in St. Louis that don't revolve around a bar atmosphere and drinking. Before I got pregnant, our weekends revolved around meeting up with friends for dinner and then a long night of drinking, oh how things have changed!!

Belly Pic, 16 weeks

These were taken about 3 weeks ago, and WOW, I have really grown since then! I'll post new ones soon!

It's about that time

Time to put away the pre-pregnancy clothes that just don't fit anymore. I have officially outgrown my regular clothes. I haven't worn my regular pants in a few weeks due to the fact that you could literally read the word "LEVI" on my belly after fastening them with a pony tail holder to wear out one night. After sitting there miserable from the tightness, dropping the pony holder on the floor of the bathroom--not once, but twice--and coming home to my new "tattoo" that reads LEVI, I decided to let them hibernate in a tote in the basement until next fall. Luckily I am still able to wear most of my tops--they show off my cute little belly now--a few of which are already hibernating in the basement that don't make me look so "cute". And let me tell you, I LOVE maternity pants. You can eat all you want at dinner and not feel the need to discretely unbutton the top button of your pants--hoping that no one else at the table will notice--after you are finished! I love them so much I think I will want to wear them AFTER the baby for the simple fact that they are so comfy--like a pair of sweats! Just one of the joys of pregnancy, huh?

On another note, it is so rainy and overcast here today...blah. It's one of those days when you get ready for work, blow your hair out smooth, leave out of the garage--check the rear view mirror--looking good. Get to work, walk the length of the parking lot, actually FEEL your hair frizzing up....it's H*U*M*I*D! Get in the elevator, check the mirror in there, and pray that there is some kind of clip or something to get your mane back in control at your desk! Just one of those days. I'm heading home for the night, hair and all!

Do you mind if I smoke? Why, YES, I do!

What is it with people that think that it's OK to smoke while pregnant or around a pregnant woman? I think that is one of the most selfish things you can do to your unborn baby. I see pregnant women standing in front of buildings or in restaurants smoking and want to go up to them and take it right out of their hand. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU??? Study after study reiterates that smoking causes increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, increased risk of SIDS, recurrent ear infections, increased risk of learning disabilities--to name a few!!! So, why is it when I tell someone that I won't go sit in a bar or restaurant or your house because of the second hand smoke, they look at me or my husband like I/we have two heads!?!?!?!? Wouldn't you want to do every thing possible to create a healthy environment for your baby? Some people...

Eat your vegetables

Last night my husband and I were laying in bed, he made an innocent comment that made me feel like the worst wife in the world, "Hon, do you think you could make some vegetables this week for dinner?" I never thought that the day would come that MY husband would ask for vegetables. Not that he doesn't eat them, but he would much rather eat the meat and potato part of dinner. When we first moved into our house, and pretty much up until I was 2 months pregnant I cooked 5 of out 7 nights a week...ok, maybe 4. We would go out 2 nights--once during the week and again over the weekend with friends. Then we'd have either a left-over or cereal night. But a few months ago, things changed. I got pregnant. I was exhausted after working all day and just wanted to come home and lay on the couch. We turned into that couple that eat out all the time. I always said that we weren't going to go down that road because it is so unhealthy--not to mention expensive--to eat out regularly. But it happened. And I knew it. I actually didn't know how many more cheeseburger and fry meals I could eat, but it was just so easy. So, I went to the store at lunch today and loaded up one some healthy foods. Chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, ground turkey, veggies, fruit. I will make the change and cook for my husband tonight.

We have one set of friends who never cook. The wife feels like since she works that she shouldn't have to do ANY housework. She wants soooo badly to be a stay at home...WIFE???? Who doesn't? This isn't 1950, it's 2008. They have no children and she still refuses to cook, clean, do laundry, etc. Her poor husband works, travels very frequently, and then has to come home, cook dinner, pick up the house, and keep up on laundry. Sometimes I just want to scoop him up and let him live at my house for a few weeks--all of our other friends say the same thing Poor *****! Now I'm not saying that husbands shouldn't help out around the house, but come on. I could go on and on about this issue, but I won't.

Happy Monday!

My first time

I did it. I joined the world of bloggers. I'm not sure that I'll be the best at this, but I'll give it a whirl.

I feel like I am constantly bombarding my child-less friends with talk of my baby to be. It probably is boring to hear how many times I peed in the middle of the night, that I was up for 3 hours with heartburn, how my boobs hurt, how my husband is getting on every nerve that I have (poor guy), or the endless doctor visits and how exciting it was to hear the heartbeat. So, to all you mom's (and dad's) out there, you know you all understand. I'm excited, okay? This is the most exciting time of my life, and I just want to talk about it!

My wonderful husband and I got married April 2007, and are expecting our first bundle of joy June 10, 2008. We don't waste any time, do we ( ; I am already so in love with this baby, it's not even funny. I cannot wait to meet him or her. I look forward to every single doctor visit JUST so I can hear that amazing heartbeat...what's even better is knowing that YOU and your husband made that little heart out of pure love (with the help of a few glasses of wine, I'm sure).

I welcome any comments, suggestions, feedback that you have on any of these posts!