Merry Christmas!

Wow, I can't believe that Christmas is only five days away! As always it came too fast this year. Chris and I aren't really into giving each other presents, so instead we went on a little trip to St. Augustine's this weekend. We'll call it our baby moon, that last get away before Emma Clare arrives!

The city was beautiful, and all of the Christmas lights were amazing! We did a good job eating our way through the city! We had a lot of fun, and even did a little shopping for our baby girl. They had huge outlets there, so we stopped at Caters, Osh Gosh and Gymboree. We did have a moment of freak out realizing that this baby gets here in about 3 months and we still have nothing ready...I kept putting clothes away saying they were too expensive or that I wasn't sure if we really needed them. Chris finally looked at me and said, look this baby is coming soon. We need to buy her things! It was very funny, because Chris is not one to easily part with money!

We hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas! We'll be missing our family in Cleveland, but are very blessed to have good friends to spend it with in Savannah! :)

24 Week Doctor's Appt and a Name

I guess I'll start out with news that some of you already know. We've decided on the name, Emma Clare! We know Emma is a super popular name right now, but we love it so who cares. We paired it with Clare, she can go by Emma or Emma Clare for a little hint of unique! Yay!

We had our 24 week doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything is looking great. Heart rate was 150 (starting to go down a bit from 170s, which the doctor says is very normal as we get closer to the due date). Everything is measuring great and right on track. I'm still feeling really good. A little heartburn here and there and I notice I have to rest a little more than usual but really feeling great! I'm still not at a point of waddling around and can see both feet. Everyone keeps telling me that once my 3rd trimester starts I'll be miserable...I hope to prove everyone wrong! haha

This past weekend we got all of the guest room stuff out of the nursery and set up in the office (now guestroom). And moved all of the office stuff into the man cave. So now we have a room with a whole bunch of bags and boxes in it that will someday be our nursery. I'm trying to go through everything and organize so we can see what we still need. Lots of organization fun! I guess this is called nesting!

We hope everyone has a great week!

Baby Kicks!

Hello all! I know, I'm officially an awful blogger. No pictures, hardly ever on, blah, blah, blah. But I have exciting news. Our baby girl kicks! I kept hearing that I should feel kicks between 16-20 weeks. Well, I didn't. So I started kind of freaking out (I know, weird right?). Well, when I went to the doctor, she told me that many first time mom's don't feel them until like 22-26 weeks. Ok, that made me feel a little bit better. When were were at home for Thanksgiving, I was feeling a little bit of movement...flutters I guess. I still second guessed these thinking it was all in my head. Well now, there is no doubt out baby kicks! Sadly, every time Chris tries to feel it, she stops. She is miss sassy pants already! She usually kicks after I'm eating (especially if it is something sweet). It's so cute and it makes me so happy! I feel like there really is a baby in there! :)

Happy Monday!

Baby Shower

Or should I call it a shower of pink! What a beautiful day. No detail went unnoticed. Everything was perfect, the decorations, centerpieces, food, you name it it was thought of! We are so bless to have our moms and godmothers throw such a wonderful event! We are also very bless to family and friends who care so much about us. As Chris and I were packing things up (and ooooing and ahhhing over all of the cuteness) we started feeling a little guilty about everything we have, and all of those who go without. It truly is the time of year to be thankful for all of the blessings in our life!

I didn't take any pictures, but I know my mom and others did, so when I can I'll post!

She's Perfect!

I know, I know, every mom thinks her child is perfect. But mine really is, the doctor even said so! We had our 20week appointment and ultrasound yesterday. Although our ultrasound tech was kind of awful (she didn't really tell us anything, and seemed kind of annoyed when we asked questions. Oh, and gave us 6 pictures, and I can only tell what one of them is...) the doctor said everything looked prefect and right on track! Her heart, brain, lungs looked great. Two legs, two arms, check and check. YAY! Her heart rate was 166. Oh, and she had the hiccups! I've decided that baby hiccups are the cutest thing EVER!

She was moving around a ton, kicking and shaking her fist at us. I still can't really feel too much movement, but the doctor said in the next couple of weeks I will. I'm also still feeling pretty good, getting a little bigger, but not uncomfortable yet. I'll be sure to take pictures next week at our shower and post them.

We are so excited about our perfect little girl (oh and she is still a girl!)

20 Weeks Down, 20 to Go!

Wahooo! Half way there! I can't believe I'm half way done with this pregnancy. Crazy! Still feeling really good, getting a little bigger, but other than that not too many complaints (oh, other than my hips hurt, I pee three times a night, I'm always hungry, I'm breaking out, I'm moody...should I go on? haha).

In other news...In about a week, we'll be heading to Cleveland for Thanksgiving (oh, and our baby shower!). We are so excited to see family and friends. I'm not so excited for the snow and the cold, but I'll just be sure to sit outside in our 78 degree weather next week prior to going to 30 degree weather.

Hope everyone is having a super great Friday. Happy 11.11.11!

Belly Shot!

I know, not the best picture, I guess I need Chris to take one next time. But there is the 18 week belly! I'm actually 19 weeks now, and I'm pretty sure it has already doubled in size...Chris tells me that it is all in my head. I'll take a few more after Thanksgiving and post...then I can blame it all on the baby, not the entire pumpkin pie I'm planning on eating (ok fine, I'll only eat half). Happy Sunday!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! The only reason I like Halloween, is it means that it is almost November 1st and that means CHRISTMAS MUSIC! No, I do not wait for Thanksgiving, Grinch! To be honest, I've already started listing to Christmas music...I just love it and so does the baby so lay off :)

We are doing great! I'm super hungry (like super super super hungry), and trying to avoid Halloween Candy (just so I can save room for pumpkin pie and Christmas cookies...lets be honest here). Other than that, no big updates. There have been a few times that I thought maybe I was feeling the baby move, but not sure. I think in the next few weeks I will be. Our next appointment is on November 14th, so we'll have more pictures then!

It's A Girl!

YAY!! Last night, Chris was talking to my belly, explaining to the baby that she better cooperate so that we can find out the sex. He also told her that she better be a girl! Good thing he was right!! We couldn't be happier. She is looking healthy, heart rate at 158, and both the nurse and ultrasound tech said that she had a great and strong heartbeat. She's measuring at 16 weeks 6 days (so a couple days ahead!) I am also healthy, little weight gain yet and everything else also looked good. The little worm was wiggling all around and waiving! We are so in love! Now we have to start talking names...we were so set on Cullen Mullen...

Baby Registry!

Wow! I'm 4 months pregnant! How crazy! The time has gone by both slow and fast. I hope the rest of it continues to fly by! I'm just so excited to meet this little guy (or girl!). This weekend, we registered at Babies R Us. It was super overwhelming! They give you a long list, with everything you "need" and I already felt the lady thinking I was going to be bad mother when I laughed at getting a wipe warmer (really? we live in Savannah!). Anyway, we took our friend Ali (mother of 2!) with us to help us figure out what we really need and don't need. I think we came up with a pretty good list! Check it out! http://www.toysrus.com/registry/search/index.jsp?_flowExecutionKey=_c72D60C1E-4FE6-A24B-9751-0BABA7DCC8E6_k47DF29EC-614B-D270-3E65-6C666AF9A236&overrideStore=TRUS

Feeling Great!

I'm totally loving the second trimester right now! I feel so good, that I told Chris that I can't possibly be pregnant. He just took one look at my stomach, and said he is pretty sure I am! It has popped a bit! I'll be sure to take pictures soon. I just got back from NACADA (and academic advising conference) in Denver. I got to visit my best friend Grace, which was also awesome. It is so pretty there, but between the pregnancy and high altitude breathing was not exactly easy!

Anyways, I've been starting to look at bedding and nursery themes (let's be honest, I'm not so good at this). But here is what I've like so far, feel free to give opinions!

http://www.amazon.com/Migi-Little-Whale-Piece-Bedding/dp/B004C4B78E/ref=sr_1_12?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1317930429&sr=1-12

http://www.amazon.com/Carters-Elephant-Piece-Bedding-Green/dp/B0026O458Q/ref=sr_1_23?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1317930646&sr=1-23

I Can Sleep!

So, sleeping has been a little bit restless lately (and yes, I know all of your previous pregnant ladies out there, it only gets worse). Even Chris commented that I was moving around a lot, and he sleeps pretty soundly! Last night I broke out the pregnancy pillow (THANK YOU ALLY!). This thing is AMAZING! I do feel a little bad that it has replaced Chris and I will no longer need to cuddle ever again, but I slept so well! Only got up one time to got the the bathroom. That has to be a new pregnancy record. YAY!

Oh..but from this picture, I i was using it upside down...opps.

Another post, Oh My!

Ok, this will just be a short update, not too much to say! I had my second appointment today(with my actual doctor). Everything is looking good. Baby's heartbeat is 170 and strong. Dr. Hull said the little girl or guy was moving around a lot! It's so freaking cool to hear! I'm doing well too, everything is where it should be. I still haven't gained any weight, which I guess is good because Dr. Hull told me today that I should expect to gain 15-20 pounds total. I feel like I can gain 15 pounds in a weekend! Haha, well this will help me to keep eating right and exercising. And I guess limiting ice cream to once a week (ok, ok twice a week...)

Maternity Clothes, Here I Come!

Ok, ok most of my clothes still fit. And maybe it is true that this is just an excuse to not feel guilty about buying some new clothes. In my defense, there were on sale AND free shipping! Over the last year I've lost a bit of weight, and went down a dress size or two. This means that I have a whole wardrobe that is a size bigger than what I wear. This has been great for my budding curves, since all of these clothes still fit, and most are even a little big. However, they are just not comfortable. I can't explain it, I just don't feel right in them. So I broke down and ordered some new clothes. Just two pairs of pants (pants seem to be the bigger issue) and a shirt. Yay for new clothes!

In other news, my cold is like 95% better, which I'm very, very happy about. I'm still feeling pretty good, other than being super sleepy. I'm hoping to get a little more energy soon, especially before I leave for Denver! Too bad that's only a week away....send me good vibes!

Ultrasound 11 Weeks

A little blurry but you get the idea :)

Happy School Year!

Chris and I have both officially have students back. While excited, this also means they bring all of their germs! Chris and I have both had colds for about a week. Luckily he can actually take medicine, I cannot. Boo. So after suffering for a week I finally went to the doctor, and was pretty much told I can take Tylenol. Wahoo! I did get to see the baby though and hear the heartbeat! They tried to get the heartbeat with the Doppler (but couldn't, I guess it's still a little early) so they sent me to ultrasound. Little Cullen was moving around like crazy and had a strong heartbeat of 170. I'll post the ultrasound pick soon, but its pretty blurry. However, the baby has grown like CRAZY!

In other news,, my morning sickness has pretty much gone away (knock on wood, lots and lots of wood) and has been replaced with extreme hunger. I'll take it! So all in all things are going well!

Wallowing in Self Pity

I would say that I’m a pretty positive person. Some have even said that I’m all about puppies and sunshine. But today, I am taking the liberty to voice a few pregnancy complaints. Here they go…

1. Why don’t I like food? I use to love food, I mean REALLY love food. Now, the only thing that taste good to me are fruit snacks, gummie bears and dots. This is not a very healthy baby diet!

2.I am freaking sick of water. I’m supposed to drink 64 oz of water a day. And I do (since I’m eating so many gummie bears…gotta do something right!) But I’m sick of it. I feel like I’m drowning from the inside out!

3.I just want to sleep. Like all of the time sleep. This is not an option. I force myself to stay awake each night until 10 (ok, maybe 9:30). Who let this happen?

4. I like to move it! And I can’t! I am not one to come home from work and sit, but that is all I can manage most days. This laziness must stop. I’m putting my foot down on this one! :)

Ok ok, that’s all for today. Overall I am actually feeling a lot better than I was a few weeks ago. I still have a smile on my face about 90% of the time, so it's not all that bad! Also, getting to see the baby and the heartbeat helped for sure! I can’t wait until my next appointment. Who’d ever thought I’d actually WANT to go to the doctor?

It's A Baby!

We had our first doctor's appointment today. Chris got to come see the ultrasound and we saw the baby for the first time (although it looks like a gummie bear...guess that would explain that craving!). The baby is measuring perfectly and the heart rate was 186. The doctor said that everything looked great! I had lots of blood taken, so we'll be waiting for those results but for now we have a perfect bill of heath! Enjoy the pictures!

And the Morning Sickness Starts...

I really don't know why the call it morning sickness. Trust me, I feel sick all day! I am not one to EVER skip a meal, I truly love food. But lately, nothing taste good and I'm not craving anything! Chris has been a saint and cooking whatever I ask (and always trying to give it a healthy spin!) The other day I asked for waffles and he made peanut butter oatmeal waffles with strawberries. It was pretty good, and I'm guessing in a few weeks when I feel better, I'll think it was great!

Other than that, I'm just kind of tired, especially during the week. It's really hard to do anything in the evenings when I get home from work. I've been working out during lunch, which seems to help keep my energy up for the afternoon.

One more week until our first appointment. I can't wait!

Feeling Good!

We've told our parents, some family and a few close friends about our little bundle of joy. It's still so new, and doesn't always feel real.

I'm still feeling really good (I hope this lasts!). I have still been a little moody, smells of some things are bothering me but other than that, all is good! I'd say I'm having food cravings, but anyone who knows me knows that this is not anything new. Chris asked me what I wanted for breakfast, and when I answered and Oreo milkshake he was not surprised (I ended up with oatmeal...not the same but still good).

The main goals for me is to be as healthy as possible. I'm trying to eat well (lots of organic veggies!) and exercise. Other than that just excited/anxious about my first doctors appointment. It seems so far away!

Smiles All Around!

Hello family and friends. Sadly, none of you will be reading this for a few weeks, when we are ready to share our great news with the world. WE ARE PREGNANT! Well, I guess technically I am pregnant, but Chris had a hand in it. We could not be more excited (oh and totally scared). We have been trying since December, yet somehow it was a shock! So, here is the story of how we found out!

I'll be trying my best to keep everyone updated through this blog so all family, near and far, can experience the day by day with us. So, let's start at the beginning!

I was about a week late but things have been so erratic and confusing that I was still not hopeful that I was pregnant. We were shopping, and I told Chris I was just going to pick up a pregnancy test. I had already taken one the day of my miss period and it was negative, so I wasn't that hopeful. Anyway, I decided I would take the test the next morning. I didn't really have any symptoms, other than being a bit moody (unless you ask Chris...he may say I was very moody), and some smell aversions. For example, the smell of raw chicken over the weekend made me gag and I was pretty sure that someone vomited in the hallway at work on Monday...yet no one else seemed to be bothered.

So I woke up around 4:30am and had a 20 min debate with myself. See, I really had to pee, and the tests say to use your first morning urine (if this gets too graphic, please move on!). I tried just to go back to sleep, so I could take the test when we were both awake, but my bladder won and I decide that 4:50am was a perfect time to take the test. I was thinking it was just going to say no anyways. Well, I was wrong! It came back with a glaring positive (we went for the digital test this time, so there is no mistaking it!). So I had to wake Chris up out of a dead sleep (your welcome dear) and tell him the good news. I cried, he smiled, Lou Lou slept, there was lots of excitement. So we sat there talking about how excited we were, theme ideas for the nursery, Chris promised to gain pregnancy weight with me. Then it hit us, are we really ready? Well, no, of course not. Haha.

We called Lou Lou up in the bed, told her she was going to be a big sister, she seemed pretty happy (although that may be due to the belly rub she was getting at the time). So now, at 5:30am we are totally awake, with no hope of sleeping ever again. So we moved to the couch, flipped through some infomercials and settled on watching Old School with silly grins on our faces asking each other every two minutes "Can you believe this?"

I called the doctor for my first appointment, but it won't be for about another month. They'll do a ultra sound then and we'll get to see our little boy or girl (we are still trying to come up with a good name for the baby in the womb. Chris is liking Cullen...) I feel like the waiting is going to be agony and I'm sure I'll be taking pregnancy tests every week or so, just to make sure!

Ok, well that is all for now!