9-weeks vs. 12-weeks

                                                                            

Ok folks.... I think we have a little pooch.... or maybe not.  I can't tell.  

The picture on top was at 9 weeks.  

The picture on the bottom is today, 12 weeks and one day.  

A precious friend at church told me today she could see "my pooch."  

It's kinda neat and kinda weird :)  

I guess I'll do another picture at 15 weeks.

I'll do another blog update Wednesday (after our appointment on Tuesday).

12-week Update!

Today our little baby is 12 weeks old.  As far as I can tell, everything seems to be progressing ok.  Body parts are sore, I'm having to use the bathroom more frequently, I'm very tired, and still nauseous - although that seems to be letting-up a bit this week, which is nice.  We have a doctors appointment Tuesday, at which we'll be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.  Thankful for that!  I've been anxious to get past this 12-week mark.  I think if/when we get past Tuesday's appointment with a clean bill of health, I think I'll really actually feel like this is all happening.  

According to books and websites, the baby is the size of a fig or walnut this week.  All of its major organs are complete, it has all of its teeth buds, its fingers are forming nails and fingerprints, and it is beginning to kick and move very actively.

We've been continuing to work on our room-transformations this week.  The guest room/study is completely finished and we love it!  We bought 2 new pieces of furniture from a store that was going out of business and had everything 50% off.  Those purchases were tough - I'm not accustomed to spending "new furniture" kind of money :)  So, our nursery furniture needs are complete now, other than getting a crib.  Hope we haven't done all of this too early.....

My MVP husband was hard at-it again today.  Me and my grandma left this morning to spend the afternoon in Nashville at my cousin Karen's baby shower (where I learned that baby showers are way funner when you're pregnant).  Anyway, by the time I got home, Nick had mowed the yard, painted the front door, and done four loads of laundry.  LLLOOOVVVEEE him.

I still can't really see any physical differences in myself, but I'll take a 12-week picture in the morning before church and post it for you all.

MVP Husband

I’ve got the best husband!  When I came home from work Friday, Nick was in the kitchen making my favorite kind of box cake - white cake with white icing.  He grinned and said we needed to "celebrate the baby."  What that really meant in Nick language was "I've found a justified reason to indulge my sweet tooth."  It was really good, I must admit.  I know it looks incredibly simple and basic, but it was just so nice to have something that I actually wanted to eat.  Eating has been a tough chore lately.  

I felt so rough one day this week that I came home for lunch and stayed home the rest of the day.  Slept all afternoon.  Nick came home from work tippy-toeing in like a ghost so he wouldn’t wake me up.  Went out in our small garage and worked for well over an hour straightening and sorting things in an effort to make room for baby.  Then he came tippy-toeing in again and insisted that I think really hard about anything that sounded good for dinner cause he wanted to go out and get it.  Veggie pizza was the winner.  While he was out he got groceries.  I LOVE MY HUSBAND.  He’s the best - and hasn’t complained at all that I’ve really not been much fun lately.

This afternoon he woke me up from my nap moving furniture.  We've launched into the chore of converting our 2 spare rooms (currently one guest bedroom and one study) into one guest room/study and one nursery.  Big project!!!  Lots of cleaning and sorting and creativity involved.  I can only go for a couple of hours at a time before I get nauseous and exhausted, though, so Nick has been the main workhorse thus far.  This afternoon he just decided to light into it without me.  Here he is hanging one of our favorite scriptures above the guest bed.  What a guy! 

Baby's Best Friend..... Chloe

Chloe, our first baby (pictured above), turned 2 years old this week.  Wish I would have had felt well enough to throw her a much deserved party with all of her neighborhood doggie friends.  Chloe will no-doubt be our baby’s biggest fan, best friend, and most frequent kisser.  Chloe has brought so much happiness and laughter to our house since the day we got her!  She has stolen my heart, which I didn’t expect.  I had always thought it just a tad silly when people treated their dogs like a member of the family.  But now, I understand the sweet, constant blessing that they are.  Chloe has brought out my “Mommy heart.”  I had never really envisioned myself as the nurturing type………..but then we got Chloe and I turned very naturally into her mommy.  She's made me realize that I might actually be good at the real mommy gig.  I can’t wait for Chloe to meet the baby and have a little companion for the rest of her life!  Baby is 10 weeks old today.

9-Week Photos

I felt a bit silly doing this, but I've just always thought it's so neat to see the week-by-week progression of baby/belly growth on my pregnant friends.  So, here it is - me at 9 weeks!  No changes yet.  I think I'll probably wait until week 12 to do another photo.  Maybe there will be some change by then.

My fashionable photographer - a.k.a. Nick - questioned my choice of outfit for this photo opp.  He thought I should "get dressed and look nice."  But, I was thinking that the plain, monochromatic look would be much more fitting to show physical changes.  I don't know......... never done this before!  Lest everyone think I'm embracing the Goth look, maybe next time I'll put a little more effort into my outfit :) 

A Baby for the Family

This is how we told our moms and dads our big news about 3 weeks ago.  We just knew they would be shocked.................not so.  Apparently they all "suspected."  I guess we gave it away with little comments about a doctor's appointment, taking naps during my lunch break, and making a two page housework/cleaning list :).  Classic "nesting," so I'm told.  Nevertheless, the big reveals to our awesome parents were really special for us and for them.  I think I feel as happy for them as I do for us!  We are currently tossing around the idea of having a family gender-reveal party.  Still torn on whether or not we want to know the sex of the baby.

This coming Saturday I'll be 9 weeks along.  I guess I'll take a photo of myself at that point to begin chronicling the belly-bump........ which is still nonexistent for the most part.  I think I can notice some slight changes, but certainly nothing that would turn heads like Princess Kate :)