Insomnia?

Well, here it is, 5 am, and I am awake and have been since 4am. Hmmf. This has been happening more and more lately the past couple of weeks. It is so odd for me because I am a hard sleeper and RARELY have ANY trouble sleeping in the least. If you have ever even met me you probably know that I heart my sleep....a lot. When I was working full time my goal was to get between 9-10 hours of sleep a night, and since I've been pregnant, I sleep more like 10-11 a night. I know. You just judged me. It's a lot of sleep so I would judge me too. But honestly, I don't really care, because I have been loving every minute of all the sleep because I know that is about to change....drastically. And maybe that is the reason I am ok with the insomnia lately because I know it is God's way of preparing me for all those sleepless nights. I actually appreciate it! Thanks God! You always know how to prepare us for big events coming up:).

So anyways, tomorrow I am 26 weeks! I am updating my bump picture because I feel like it has really come along these past 2 weeks and I'm so proud of it! Good job little bump! If you'll notice in the pic, it has become a lot more "bump-like" in the past 2 weeks. More round and pronounced. And for the first time, I have actually begun to feel more comfortable wearing tight shirts that hug the belly. See the progress??

We are getting there, right?? Holla!

Ok, so, things that are getting harder for me to do lately:

1) Bend over

2) Tie my shoes

3) Work out

4) Sit down/stand up frequently

5) Eat dinner without getting indigestion/stomach ache

6) Sleep through the night, apparently

7) Hide da bump!

8) Not buy everything I see for the nursery

9) Sleep on my stomach

10) Not cry at anything sentimental

11) Sit for long periods of time with out SOMETHING aching (upper back, lower back, sides, ligaments, etc.)

Though these things are getting harder, I still feel like I cannot complain about my pregnancy! It has been an overall enjoyable experience with little trouble. I would say that I recommend it! S0, all of my married friends out there (you know who you are)....c'mon go for it!!!! It will be fun, I swear:). Haha just kidding...mostly.

I have a feeling we will soon be making lots of progress on the nursery, so I'll be sure to update. As for now, the only thing I've done in there, besides make a bunch of purchases, is put up paint samples. PROGRESS! Haha, much to do before April 1st! So much excitement ahead of us!

So long waistline...

Holy cow. Holy cow. Holy cow. On Friday I will be 6 MONTHS PREGNANT!!! How did this happen? This is starting to get very real, very fast. I cannot believe the amount that I have grown in the past couple of weeks. I think I officially look pregnant. For so long so many people said, "Oh, I can't even tell you're pregnant!", but lately, I am not getting that anymore, haha. On one hand, it is fun to grow and get my "bump" I've been waiting so long for, but on the other hand, it's hard to adjust to "getting bigger". Any other preggos out there ever dealt with this? It just feels that for so much of our lives we do everything we can to not get "bigger"--work out, eat healthy, drink green tea, etc. in order to not get bigger. And then you get pregnant. And pregnancy goes against every rule you have ever followed as a figure-watching woman. Know what I'm sayin'? I'm not complaining, just adjusting. I think it takes some time, but hopefully pretty soon I'll just be used to it!

So here I am in all my glory at 6 months! Can you find the waistline?? Doubt it!

Other than my growing belly, tomorrow I have my 6 month appointment at the doc and they will be administering the gestational diabetes test. I hear they make you drink this nasty glucose drink and I'm not too thrilled about it. But we'd appreciate prayers that the results come back in normal for that test!

Also, we have begun the registering process. Holy overwhelming! I wish I even knew a little bit what a products I "must" have. So, if you have any suggestions, please by all means, leave a comment!

I guess that's all the updates for today--getting ready for the next few months to FLY! And for the fun part to really start!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

You guessed it...Christmas!!

Well, in a totally unrelated, non-baby blog post, our house is decorated for Christmas! The inside at least. We still have the outside to do, but that just gives me something else to look forward to! Too early for Christmas decorations, you ask? NOPE! Not in my book. Last year we put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving and it just didn't seem like it was up long enough! So I told myself I would do it even earlier this year. Additionally, I am helping a family friend decorate houses for Christmas, so I decided I had better put mine up before I got sick of decorating. Another reason we've got the tree up already.

So... without further ado... here is our tree!!

20 Weeks!

Half way there folks!! That is so crazy to think about. Crazy on one hand because I can't believe we only have 20 weeks left to do all the things we need to do, and crazy on the other hand because I can't believe I still have to wait 20 weeks to meet her! The longer I am pregnant, the more excited I get about being a mom to this sweet little girl. Being that this was a surprise for us and not in the "plan" quite yet, I never imagined I could be this excited or this happy to soon be transitioning to parenthood. It is such a wonderful blessing and we are so thankful to the Lord for bringing this gift into out lives. And she isn't even here yet!! I can only imagine how much my heart will explode once I am actually holding her in my arms.

Ok, enough with the cheesy stuff, sorry! Here I am at 20 weeks in Eureka Springs, AR for Grant & Michelle Usry's wedding weekend.

What a beautiful place Eureka Springs is!! I seriously hope I get to go back and vacation there some day in the near future. It has the most beautiful trees, rolling hills, lakes, and adorable atmosphere! Here is a pic of the view from the balcony of our cabin. I am in LOVE!

I believe that is all I have for now. Get ready for some serious growing coming up!! In the next month, she will weigh over a pound! And I will weigh....well...let's not go there....

New Development: Kicking!!

The newest and most exciting development in my pregnancy right now is feeling those kicks and movements in my belly! I started feeling them around 16-17 weeks, and it has gotten stronger and more frequent everyday since then. Now it happens all the time and Jono is even able to feel them when he puts his hand on my belly. This was so surprising to me because I just had NO idea that it happened this early. Makes me wonder what it will feel like in a few months! She is definitely an active one, so I am sure to feel lots of movement going on in there in the coming months.

On that note: I am almost 5 months pregnant!! Holy cow. This is starting to move fast. My belly is growing slowly but surely, but still haven't quite "popped" yet. Again, another surprise to me. For some reason, I thought pregnant people "popped" around 3 months, but I guess I was way off! I am thinking it's more like 5-6 months. I need to update with a recent belly pic--I'll be sure to take one this weekend as we head to Arkansas for Grant & Michelle's wedding weekend! So excited for a great fall weekend spent with great friends celebrating a great marriage.

Something else new right now is that yesterday we purchased our crib, changing table, and chandelier for the nursery!! Why so early, you ask? Because yesterday was the last day to use the Partner's Card, giving us an additional 20% off the already reduced sale price!! Holla! I am SO excited to start purchasing things and thinking about the future nursery. Next up: ordering the custom-made baby bedding. I found someone in Canton who will make the bedding for us and I am so excited about it! I will hopefully reveal it in a future blog post:). More to come!

Here are some pics of our crib, changing table, and chandelier:

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!

Well, last night we FINALLY had the big reveal party! I don't think I have been that nervous in a LONG time. Something about finding out the answer to the question you have been pondering in your head for the past 4 1/2 months is truly nerve-wracking!! It was such a special night with our families and I am so happy and blessed that we got to share this moment with them. As you can imagine, Jono and I are so thrilled that we will be parents to a little girl in the spring!! If you know our family history, then you know that boy genes run STRONG. So honestly, in all our lives, neither one of us ever imagined that we would have a girl first. We both always pictured having a boy first, and maybe even second and third. And though we both would love to have a boy, I have always known that a girl is a MUST for me at some point. I would never have told people this before last night, but I felt so strongly since the moment I found out I was pregnant that I was going to be having a little girl that I would have been so surprised if it were a boy (happy, but surprised). However, the reality that we are ACTUALLY having a girl is still so surreal and I can't believe it! Can't wait to meet our daughter!!

Here are a few pics from the party last night, and a video of how it all went down at the bottom!

This is the table where we had the cake as well as some cute boy and girl things my mom had purchased. As you can see, everything on the left is blue and everything on the right is pink! She will soon be returning the blue items:).

I had the guests publicly state their vote by tying either a pink or blue ribbon around their apple cider mug. I think the blue ribbon was the clear winner last night! But like I mentioned, if you know our family history, this was not surprising:).

Here is a close-up of the cake. Society Bakery did a great job and it was DELISH!

Waiting to cut into the cake and find out!

About to cut it and so nervous!

It's PINK and we are so happy!!

Still can't believe it!

I tried to post the video of us cutting the cake last night, but it is not working!:( Here is a link to the video on my brother's FB profile. Hopefully that works! Thanks for the video, John!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=800920526773&ref=mf

"Pink or Blue??" Party Update

I figured I'd better update the blog for those of you who have been asking. Yesterday, thanks to stand-by flying, I was lucky enough to get stuck in the San Diego airport from 5:30am-5:30pm, therefore causing me to MISS my own party!! I was obviously so sad and bummed (may have even shed a few tears in the airport by myself), but I am feeling great today and ready for the rescheduled party TONIGHT!! I am getting A LOT of "pink" guesses which is so funny to me because so many people thought I would have all boys since I have 3 older brothers and so does Jono--no sisters for either of us! But I love it! And I guess we will see very soon!

Pink or Blue??

In a crazy and exciting turn of events today, I got to have a sonogram where they were able to determine the gender of our baby!! It was so much fun to FINALLY have a sonogram and see how much the baby has changed. And WOW what a difference 10 weeks makes! So anyways, Jono is actually out of town right now (bummer), and so I had to use every ounce of my self control and have the sonogram techs write the gender on a piece of paper and seal it securely in an envelope that is now in the hands of a Dallas bakery. I know, I am proud of myself too! The bakery is going to make us a cake where the inside layer of the cake will be pink frosting if it's a girl and blue frosting if it's a boy! Can't wait to cut into that cake!!

So Jono gets back in town this Thursday, but that is ironically the day I leave for San Diego for the weekend, MEANING I have to wait all through the weekend to discover the results. This may be the hardest thing I have ever done.

So stay tuned for the results after the big reveal party with our family this Monday, 10/25!! And leave a comment with your guess of the baby's gender if you have one!!

16 weeks and counting...

Today I had my 3rd doctor's appointment!!! Until you are pregnant, you will never understand the torture and pain of waiting the excruciatingly long month in between each appointment. You're probably thinking, "A doctor's appointment every month?? That seems like a lot and definitely does not sound like a long time to wait, Annie." Well, you would be.... WRONG!!!! I feel like it is almost criminal to make a pregnant woman sit and wait and wonder if everything is developing ok in there, and it should be illegal. Yes, ILLEGAL. And don't get me started on my sonogram-envy. Yes, that is a real disease. I feel so jealous of every woman who gets to have a sonogram because I have not had one since 6 weeks, and won't get to have one until 20 weeks. They are depriving me!! Ok, I'm over complaining. Sorry about that. Good news from the doc appointment: everything is going GREAT and we got to hear our favorite heartbeat again today. She said it sounded amazing, and was about 155 BPM. Praise the Lord for a healthy pregnancy thus far!

Here are a few answers to questions people have been asking me:

1) Were you guys "trying"? (Ew, I do not like that phrase): As I said in my first post, the answer is no, we were not "trying". We believe this was totally the Lord's timing for our lives and we are PUMPED that we will soon be parents!

2) Did you have morning sickness?: No, I did not. I almost feel guilty saying that, but it's true. I did, at times, experience mild queasiness that could usually be settled by eating some crackers and Sprite. Thank you Jesus for no sickness because, if you know me, you know that throwing up is my biggest fear in life. And yes, I do realize I will have to get over this as a mom, but it's baby steps. Literally. Ha.

3) What other symptoms have you had?: I have had headaches pretty often, and one that was pretty severe lasting 24 hours. That would be my biggest complaint, so I guess that's not too bad. I also had some cramping at the beginning which the doctor assured me was very normal.

4) Do you have cravings?: Ummm, I would say that I get really STRONG cravings for certain foods, but it's never anything weird and not consistent. It's usually for something unhealthy, so I have to be sure and resist those cravings for the most part, and only give into them ever so often.

5) Do you work out?: Yes, I have maintained my 5 x's a week workout schedule. Before you hate on me, remember that I am only working part-time right now so I do have the time to hit the gym. Also, I didn't START this regime after getting pregnant, I am merely maintaining it, but with less intensity of course. And it makes me feel great! I love it! I hope to continue it for as long as my body will allow:).

6) Are you gaining weight at a crazy fast speed?: No, not yet at least. At my 2nd appointment I somehow lost a pound, and at my third I gained 2, making me +1 from my pre-pregnancy weight. I will not be announcing my weight gain throughout, however, because I'm sure it will only sky-rocket from here!!

7) Can you still fit into your regular clothes, or are you in maternity clothes?: I can thankfully still wear all of my normal clothes, but I did purchase some designer maternity jeans for the future (thank you Amanda, Bromli, and my mom!), and may have worn them a few times already, oops. I mean, jeans with an elastic band?? YES PLEASE!! They are just too comfy to resist sometimes! You know you would do it too, pregnant or not.

8) Are you planning to deliver naturally? Ummm heck to the NO!!!! I am so proud of all you moms out there that delivered sans epidural, but this girl is not as tough as you. DRUGS PLEASE!:)

9) Are you going to find out the sex, and do you have a feeling as to what it is?: We are FOR SURE, 100% finding out. Again, I totally respect and admire all you moms out there that waited or are waiting until delivery day to find out, but I don't know how you do it!! I am not patient enough!! I can barely wait til 20 weeks. And on that note, our gender sonogram is our next appointment--November 11th!! And we both feel like it is a girl, but seriously, who knows?? We are very aware that it very well could be a bouncing baby boy, and we will be happy either way!

10) Do you have any names picked out?: We have had a girl name picked out since before we got married probably, and have ZERO boy names. Why are boy names so hard?? Suggestions please!

Ok, I believe that's all the questions for now. If you have any others, feel free to ask:).

Until the next update!

Times are a changin'.

That's right--things are about to get pretty crazy around here! I say "about to", even though I am already 16 weeks pregnant, because I feel like the really crazy stuff hasn't really happened yet. Well, I better just start from the beginning...

Jono and I had an amazing and unforgettable wedding just 2 1/2 years ago in California, and that's where our marriage journey began. 2008 seems like SOOO long ago, but it truly has been such a blast since then that it also seems like the fastest 2 1/2 years of my life thus far. We have been living in the DFW area since, and on our 1 year anniversary (yes, the exact day--May 11th), we purchased our first home in the Lake Highlands area where we now reside with our dog Teddy and my expanding belly that is currently housing our future beh-beh.

So anyways, that's the boring stuff. On to the good stuff. Jono and I found out in late July that our lives were about to change... FOR-E-VER (cue picture of kid in Sandlot right now). There is honestly NO MOMENT, at least not that I have experienced thus far in life, that you look at yourself in the mirror and say, "this is the moment where my life changes forever", like the moment when you get a positive pregnancy test. Without going into detail I will say that this pregnancy was definitely not in the "plan", but we couldn't be more excited and grateful to move into this phase of life. God has truly blessed us in our marriage together, and this next step is the most exciting yet! For the most part in this blog, I will be documenting our pregnancy and life post-baby. It is sure to be full of excitement! Thanks for reading!

Oh! And for your viewing pleasure, above is a pic of my first "hint" of a bump. This was taken at 14 weeks.