Boy or Girl????

We are definately going to find out whether its a lil' girl or boy, because we are SO SO excited and we are both planners :)  Gotta get that nursery perfect!

Zach and I are flying down to Reno in early December to see his family.  His aunt and uncle own a  radiology company and said we could find out then, so we may just do that....

I have no idea what we are having.....a lot of people say that you are supposed to have a "feeling," but I don't think I do. At first I felt I was having a boy, but now I'm not sure.  Carmen thinks its a girl.  Denise thinks a boy.  Random people that don't even know me said its a boy.....So let's take a poll: WHAT DO YOU THINK???

My life consists of......

Yes, GiGi is just lovin' my new lifestyle....we are two peas in a pod.  This is my Saturday night at 630pm.

13 weeks and lovin' it!

I am a new woman, just like everyone told me..."wait until you are in your 2rd trimester and you will feel so much better."  It's so true, praise Jesus!!!  No more feeling car sick 24-7, ya!  Overall, I'm feeling pretty good and I feel back to my old self again.  I'm still pretty tired, but seriously, as long as I don't feel sick anymore, I'm doing good!

"Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce."

Quite a few people have told me to watch "The Business of Being Born," a documentary educating people on how most children born in hospitals today are born Monday-Friday, 8-5 and how over 70% of women use a midwife in every modernized country, and less than 8% of women use midwives in the US.....so I asked my mid-wife if I could borrow a copy.  So, on Halloween night, after we got our 2 Trick-or-Treaters, Zach said, "what should we do?"  I suggested watching "The Business of Being Born.".....I mean, what better to do than watch a birthing documentary on Halloween night :)  Zach, being so confident and always to the point answered, "I'm already convinced otherwise, so why the need to watch it...."  I just love him...he is very much for not using an OBGYN, as I am!  We ended up watching it....I recommend it to every one, especially every mother-to-be.  It was so wonderful watching all the amazing and low maintenance home births.  It really gives us a different perspective on how things are done in the country.  I've always known (since I started studying my body and nutrition) that I wanted to use a mid-wife, but this confirms everything....same goes for Zach.  It is such a wonderful celebration of giving birth, I can't wait!  I pray that everything goes well and that there will be no need for a hospital.

Pumpkin Patch

A rainy fall day in the Northwest didn't stop us from enjoying hot apple cider, warm apple fritters and visiting the farm animals.

My favorite time of the year!!

Almost to my 2nd Tri-mester!!!

"The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce."

 I'm so excited for the first trimester to be over with because I'm already starting to feel a lot better and am regaining a lot of my energy back, YA!!!

Zach and I had a very relaxing Sunday together.  We stayed in our robes/PJ's all day and napped, watched football, napped some more, ate grilled cheese (I have been eating cheese, which I haven't really eaten in a couple of years), and talked and laughed while laying in bed. It was so relaxing and wonderful--a much needed day.  We were talking about how pretty soon we will have our little baby and possible and hopefully have days like this (just the 3 of us sleeping, playing, sleeping, talking).

Starting to get Chubby...

Today, one of my young clients said, "wow--you're starting to show."  OK, so its official, my belly is starting to grow.  Sometimes I wonder if people are wondering if I have a beer gut or not :) 

When Zach was taking these pictures, ONE-he wouldn't stop making me laugh and TWO-he wouldn't stop blinding me with the flash, which is why I look high....

I can really tell in this angle that my belly is growing!  I've officially gained 7 pounds already--not sure if this is water retention, because my eating habits have changed or if its just normal....either way, big belly here I come! 
Sometimes I still don't believe that I'm pregnant and carrying a child inside of me, but every time I see the ultrasound picture, I cry, knowing that a beautiful being is inside of me and that Zach and I created it together.  I often wonder what it's going to look like, what its personality traits from both Zach and I are going to be, what will its first word be....the questions are endless.  I love this baby so much already and can't wait to meet him/her!!!

"Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden. She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two -- nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming."

From the Daddy 2 B

I know that my lovely wife has a great blog going for the newest addition to our family, however, I will be giving updates from time to time as well.  The last two weeks have been AMAZING.  From hearing the heartbeat for the first time to our first ultrasound, the emotions have been running wild, at least for me :).  When I sit back and think about what it means to be having a child, I can't help but feel emotional.  After seven and a half years, Kristine and I are finally embarking on this wonderful journey together.  I know our relationship is stronger than ever and we are both so excited to start growing our family.  Joy, excitement, angst and at times fear, I am sure are all normal emotions to be having during this time but overall, the number one emotion I seem to have is gratefulness.  Every day I thank God for such an amazing blessing!  I am absolutely dumbfounded by the creativeness of our Creator.  The childbearing/birthing process is truly a miracle and a testament to His awesomeness.  I can't wait to be a dad and with each passing week the excitement grows.  Stay tuned for more "tummy tunnel" updates...

10 weeks--My uterus is the size of a grapefruit...wow!

"Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches."

I'm definitely starting to feel a lot better, YAH!!! :)  Still feeling car-sick, but nothing compared to the last month or so.  I can't believe that I'm growing a baby inside of me, it seems so surreal.

Spoiled Baby Already!!!

Nana Kathy, Great Aunt Terry and Cousins Jeff and Leslie couldn't pass up getting some "green and yellow" outfits. So so cute :)

The minute Nana Kathy found out we were pregnant, she came back from vacation in Arizona with the most adorable lil' moccasins, Winnie the Pooh, the softest sockies I've ever felt and a cozy blanket.

Two of my favs!!!  For some reason, these are the most adorable lil' things to me....I can't wait to hold my baby in these!!

THANK YOU FAMILY!!!!  WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Crazy Crazy Changes....

As common as this pregnant thing is, I never knew that I would be having an OUT-OF-BODY experience.  That's seriously how I feel.  I do not feel like myself at all.  My mom tells me that every time I'm exhausted or feeling sick to just remember that my baby is needing the energy from me and growing. OK mother, but easier said than done :) xxooxx

So....other than sleeping 15 hours a day and feeling car sick 24-7, I am experiencing some other--just lovely things.  My food cravings are OUT of Control, I crack myself up!  The first week, I couldn't eat enough sandwiches (FYI--I rarely ever eat the things, I'm a salad girl).  From Meconi's and Quizno's to homemade masterpieces, I was addicted.  After 7 days of sandwich lovin' I moved on to soups, because I started to feel extremely nauseous and that was the easiest to get down.  The sad thing about this whole food craving/nausea thing is that I am definitely not craving the veggies that usually consists of 65% of my daily diet.  Not only do I feel very un-healthy not getting my greens down, but I do feel a huge difference in my daily health, so I am trying to work on getting them in.....which leads me to another problem:  my BARLEYLIFE, which is the best nutrition that money can buy...its honestly a chore to get it down.....sometimes I gag just thinking about taking it.  What I once craved 2-3 times a day, I now gag every time I take it....but YES, I am taking it, because I know its the #1 thing that I should feed my baby and myself :)  Just strange....very strange.

So back to the whole 24-7 carsick feeling.....I feel like I haven't really brushed my teeth in about 3 weeks, because every time I try to brush, it triggers the gag reflex and you know what happens with that....one morning all my fiberblend came right back up...not good. Sorry Zachary, I'm sure they will get brushed again soon :)

So with all the complaining, headaches, throwing up, feeling fat because I can't eat my veggies, I wouldn't change any of it for the world.  I know we will look back one day and laugh!

9 Weeks and a Heart Beat!

Our baby is the size of a grape this week, but boy is it making me nauseous :(  I've been feeling horrible for about 4 weeks now and the only thing that helps is acupuncture and eating!  "Lord help me not to be one of those women who gains 80 pounds..."

I don't have "morning sickness", I have "all day and night sickness", but I know ITS ALL WORTH IT!   Zach and I went to our first official appointment with the nurse last Friday and it couldn't have gone better.   At first, she was just asking all of the basic questions, until Zach started to make her laugh and got her to open up a little and made it fun.  He would tell the nurse things like, " Just don't take me into a room with 'tongs' in it....."  She said, "you mean stirrups...."  It was hilarious......and we had a fun time with her.  Anyway, this was just supposed to be an 8 week basic check-up with blood tests and things like that.  When we got into the exam room, I asked if we could try and listen for the heartbeat.  The nurse told us that you can almost NEVER hear it until at least 12 weeks, but I think because she really liked us, she told us she would try too--only because I was "skinny enough--she said there wasn't a lot of stuff to go thru" and under one condition:  I wouldn't get upset if she couldn't find it.  We shook on it and the next thing I knew, my lower stomach was smothered in goo and she was rubbing a stick like thing with a microphone over my belly.  After about 2 minutes of listening, we heard the most beautiful sound in the world--our babies heart beat!!!  I started crying and Zach had the largest smile on his face while he held my hand.  It was so loud and fast, beating about 160 beats per minute.  The nurse confirmed it was perfect and very healthy sounding.  Zach and I left that appointment with the biggest smirks on our faces and in the best moods :)  We are so grateful for our baby!!  I know now that this is for real!

Your new resident is nearly an inch long -- about the size of a grape -- and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form -- as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.