18 weeks and counting

I spent my 18 week milestone at the deer lease. According to What to Expect, I am entering into my 5th month of pregnancy already. Little baby has made lots of trips to the deer lease this season! I'll be pushing 30 weeks or more next time I go back for turkey season! It was so miserably cold and rainy all weekend, so the baby bump stayed bundled up as much as possible...which made it hard for the belly to proclaim its existence in all those layers like it does in most of my other clothes! I didn't have a mirror to take my weekly pic like normal, so Cooter took it for me...so I actually have a face this time!

Here's a close-up of the 18 week belly.

I'm feeling better and better each day, and dare I say, some of my energy has actually returned! Less than 2 weeks until we find out what the little guy is! I have been feeling the baby move more often now, and I'm pretty sure its the baby I'm feeling now! Its always around the same place in my lower abdomen and I know when to expect it now. Baby is very active in the mornings, even kept me from sleeping a couple times and woke me up hungry. Oranges seemed to do the trick...as does most kinds of fruit. I had a smoothie yesterday (which, by the way, totally rocks my world right now) and halfway through my cup I started feeling little movements again. SO incredibly amazing! Cooter and Nicole are patiently awaiting their turn to feel the baby on the outside. Most of the movements are still sporadic and unpredictable and he/she still has so much room to swim around, so they will have to test their patience a little bit longer! Baby likes to let me know its there every few nights after I lay down too. Can't wait to feel real kicks!

Oh Miss Grace... WIthin the last few weeks, Grace has become quite attached to me. Grace is seriously Ms. Independent as far as cats go, and hasn't had the slightest bit of attachment issues since she was a kitten. Until Cooter was home every night, she still slept in the bed next to me, then she got moved to the foot of the bed. After Laila came along, she pretty much had no interest in being in the same room with any of us unless she was passing through. Once we added Allie to the family, she really wanted her space. Here lately though, she needs to be where I am. She sits in the kitchen when I cook, sits on the desk while I'm working, even sits in the sink while I'm getting ready in the mornings. For the first time in a very long time, she comes in our room and lays with me in bed. She's really the best snuggler and doesn't smell like a dog (no offense to Laila). This week she has even reclaimed her blue blanket and chooses to spend most of her time napping on our bed. I'm guessing she senses the baby, but I'm loving her temporary attention. No one ever sees it, but she's such a sweet girl.

Next update will announce whether we'll be registering for pink or blue! Last chance to take your guesses!

look what's coming up...

Birthday Tickers

I am currently NOT freaking out about this...seriously! I debated trying to pull off "29 and counting..." for a while, but why delay the inevitable?!? I am still young, healthy and full of life! Literally, my belly reminds me daily...that and the amount of trips I make to the bathroom everyday. Which also got me thinking that I should consider redecorating the bathroom! LOL The way I look at it, I'm already getting, quite possibly, the best birthday gift ever...motherhood (albeit about 5 months belated, but after 30 we women stop counting, right?!?). I'll proclaim my age and release my inner party animal next year when Cooter turns 30 and we'll celebrate together...how's that?!?

16 week visit

I have hit 16 weeks (1.1.11)! My belly has grown so much since my last few pics. I actually look more pregnant now, not just like I ate too much.

We had our 16 week appointment today (I am 16w3d as of today 1.4.11). This was the longest we had to wait between appointments so far. The past few days I've been getting more and more nervous leading up to it. My nerves showed...my blood pressure was up - 136/72, which is kinda high for me. They told me that once that top number hits 140 they start monitoring me. We're hoping it was just nerves... Nothing to worry about just yet. I didn't have an ultrasound today, but they did listen to the baby's heartbeat on a doppler. As soon as the jelly hit my belly the nurse was able to find the baby. It has a good, strong heartbeat around 150bpm. I read in What to Expect that around this time, the heart rate usually settles in the 140's or 150's, so we were very happy with that. I felt like I could breathe for the first time all morning after hearing that beautiful sound. We had follow up blood work from last month's NT screening...nothing out of the ordinary, just routine stuff. The doctor and nurse both asked me if I had felt the baby moving yet and I had to say that I don't know. I think I have several times, but its such a new feeling to me, I'm not even really sure what I should be feeling. Plus when I feel flutters I get real still, waiting to feel it again, but its still too unpredictable and the baby still has plenty of room to swim around in there. My doctor said its completely normal, but I should start feeling it move more in the next few weeks! Even then it probably won't be very regular movements, but I can't wait!

We bought ourselves a last minute Christmas gift...the nursery furniture and the bedding! I know its still early, but Baby's R Us had some good sale prices on furniture for the holidays so I wanted to take advantage of it while we could. I have the crib (still in a giant box) and the dresser/changer and chest should be coming in soon. The nursery is finally all clear of my classroom stuff (it temporarily looked like 3rd grade exploded in that room). We are about to paint, then get the carpets cleaned. Love feeling progress!

This is the furniture we bought, except ours is in a dark cherry color. Instead of a traditional changing table, I got a dresser/changer combo...you just put a changing pad on top and after we're done with it, we'll still have a dresser!

Cooter happened to find the bedding we bought in a catalog and I instantly fell in love with it. It has little deer on it, just perfect for our little guy! Its mint green and chocolate brown, so very much neutral colors. I can easily make it more girly if I need to.

Here's the bedding we picked out... Sorry its so small. I'll take a pic when I finally get the room set up!

My next appointment is February 1, which will be the big 20 week ultrasound! I'll actually be 20w3d at the time. We get to find out if the baby is a he or a she that day! I'm so anxious...already counting down the days! Time is flying by!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We were quite the busy elves these past few weeks, hence the blogging hiatus. The baby hasn't had much to report, which I suppose is a good thing. Although, I am beginning to grow outward at an alarming rate it seems! After successfully completing NT screening last month, including a great ultrasound and bloodwork to match, we have officially graduated out of the high risk pregnancy category! All of our blood tests came back negative for any heart defects or genetic abnormalities with the baby. We prayed and prayed to make it past that appointment! I am also well into my second trimester now! Woohoo...2/3's of this pregnancy is done! We have been on the road or just plain busy since the weekend before Thanksgiving. Holiday festivities kicked off with the annual trip to Victoria for the Edge Family Christmas...ALWAYS a good time!

Here I am the morning we left. I am 14 weeks pregnant!

Mom and I

Baby Maxwell received his/her first Christmas gifts!

We went straight from Victoria to the deer lease to spend a few very relaxing days before the Christmas craziness began. It was such a more pleasant trip for me as my morning sickness has all but disappeared. I took lots of naps while I was there though...still can't seem to relocate my energy reserve. A nice quiet deer stand makes a perfect napping place. I even managed to sleep in the backseat of Cooter's truck while the guys cut down firewood with chainsaws. With Christmas quickly approaching and the fact that we hadn't hardly been home, I had a marathon wrap-a-thon. Every gift was wrapped within 24 hours. I was so sore from sitting crouched down on the floor for hours. I am a meticulous wrapper, which unfortunately makes it a lengthy process for me. Plus I decided that homemade bows were much needed. I was proud of my hard work though.

Here's our tree and mantle Christmas morning.

me on Christmas morning at 15 weeks

We left our house at 6am and headed to Mom's and Dad's to open presents with Jeremy and Nicole. This year, we had to buy our gifts at the dollar store...3 gifts per person. We had the most fun picking out some of the most heinous gifts and sticking to our $3 budget! Some of those gifts provided the best entertainment all Christmas morning!

Cooter and I at Mom and Dad's

Jeremy and Nicole added a new member to their family, Beaux. Here's Beaux and Laila with their Christmas bones...or as I refer to them - puppy pacifiers.

After a quick visit at Mom and Dad's, we headed over to the Gonzalez house to open presents with the kids and eat traditional Christmas morning backstrap and gravy. It was probably the best backstrap and gravy I've ever had, I might add. Its so much fun watching the kids Christmas morning, especially now that they are both old enough to enjoy it all. As we walked in the door with arms full of gifts, Justin kept asking, "Are those presents for me?!?"

I just love capturing them in the middle of it all, in their fuzzy feety pajamas.

Cooter and Justin...I just LOVE this picture! He's such a sweet boy!

Cooter and Emily...look what a big girl she is now!

We had so much fun with the kids this year. We couldn't help but constantly think about how fun Christmas will be next year for us. Our little guy will be 6 months old next year! I can't wait to add another kid to the chaos...they are SUCH blessings! Here's a few more of my Christmas favorites of the kids..

As if we didn't have enough Christmas fun two weeks in a row, we rang in the new year with some of our most favorite people...our neighbors! Jeremy and Nicole joined us, as well as Matthew. This is our 2nd annual New Year's Eve bash and it was just as fun sober as it was intoxicated last year! Okay, maybe not quite THAT fun...but the best part of being sober is I remember everything everyone else doesn't! I fashioned my own fun drink...makeshift mimosas with sparkling cider. Jer and Nicole brought me some sparkling grape juice too! Cooter borrowed his BBQ pit from work and was outside grilling all day long. We had so much food, but as always, it was gone before we knew it! Here's a few pics from the party...

Cooter, me and baby at almost 16 weeks

me and Nicole

The Edge Family (minus Hobie)

Lady Weeni...a few members of the Ladies of the Landing - me, Barb and Rebecca

Gregg, Patrick and Cooter

We are so blessed to have such amazing friends, family and neighbors to share these holidays with. 2011 is sure to be one of the best, especially the fact that we get to hold our precious baby in our arms in just 5 short months!