Happy Holidays...

My mom and sister (pictured here) are great to have around. When I am with them it's reassuring to hear that what I'm experiencing is completely normal. We laugh a lot and reminisce about my sister's experiences with her kids. I sure got a lot of first hand training on baby care back in the day when my sister had her twins. Hopefully I can remember at least half of what she taught me. Thank goodness for older sisters, and moms too!

Brian and I spent a lot of time with family this Christmas. Our parents and grandparents have already started imagining what it will be like to have another little one around. Our little girl got more gifts than we did this Christmas! We feel so blessed and have so much to look forward to in the coming years.

In early December Brian's parents came to visit. Brian's dad was super eager to help paint the baby's room. Brian appreciated the help. We celebrated Brian's mom's birthday with dinner in Lexington. We snapped this family photo just before we headed out. As you can see the baby is certainly getting bigger. We cannot believe we are already seven months along. WoW how time flies!

The Big Day

On October 20th Brian and I had our second ultrasound. The first thing the ultrasound technician showed us was the baby's little face. As Brian and I looked in amazement, the baby started to open and close her mouth. Seeing her move like that tickled us both.

















The technician then showed us a lot of the baby's anatomy. We saw the heart and spine, among other things. The baby measured to be about 1 pound in weight and seems to be healthy. It was nice to know the baby was developing as it should.

After completing the screening portion of the ultrasound the technician asked if we wanted to know the sex. Of course we said "YES!". The baby was moving around so much that the technician could hardly catch a glimpse. Finally the technician said, "It looks like we have a girl". Before Brian or I could see for ourselves, the baby moved again. "Are you sure?" is all I thought in my mind. The technician tried again and again to capture a shot. I thought for sure we would be that couple who thought but wasn't 100% about the sex of the baby. Finally I got up the nerve to ask, "How do you know for sure?" After about five more minutes, the proof was in the picture...

First Baby Shower

At the end of October I had my first baby shower. Brian and I got so many wonderful things for the baby. Most of all we got lots of adorable outfits for our little girl. It was a beautiful shower with lots of nice touches. It was hosted by my sister-in-law, Alex, and close friends of my mother-in-law.

Five Months Along...

In early October I finally began to actually look pregnant. It seemed like it took no time for my belly to grow, grow, and grow some more. This is about the time I felt the baby's first movements. While unsure of what exactly it was that I was feeling inside, feeling something going on in there was reassuring that things were going well. Brian and I would be driving down the road, turn to one another and say, "Are we having a baby?". The reality of it all started to kick in around this time.

Three Months Along...

After the first three months of pregnancy passed by, I felt blessed not to have any morning sickness. Starting back to school in August kept me busy and active. Brian and I moved into our new home. Perfect timing for our new addition.

First Picture

We had our first ultrasound at 10 weeks. Brian and I loved hearing our little peanut's heartbeat. Brian got a big laugh when the ultrasound technician pushed on my belly and the baby started wiggling her arms and legs like crazy. Seeing our little one for the first time made being pregnant real for us.

Sharing the News

I shared the news with my family by taking each of my parents out to lunch. My sister and I spilled the news to my dad. His smiley face grin about being a grandpa again was too cute. My mom responded in a different way. When I gave her a card that said the news she literally smacked the table and squeeled out loud before hugging me with tears in her eyes. What memorable moments to look back on!

We shared the big news with Brian's family with the help of Alex, Jamie, and our little nephew Cy. It was a fun moment to look back on. We had Brian's mom, Donna, help Cy open a gift we got for him. The gift was a little t-shirt that said "I'm going to be a big Cousin!". It took Brian's family only a second to figure out what exactly that t-shirt meant. Watch the video below to see how stunned everyone was - especially Brian's mom!