Big Sister

I feel a bit of mama-guilt that Jax hasn't been featured in a post in such a long time. She still exists! And we love her and her entertaining, crazy antics as much as ever. I am a little nervous about how she'll feel about being a "big sister" when Baby M arrives, and how she'll deal with less attention, but hopefully she'll adapt really fast and we'll be one big happy family!

24 weeks

The countdown is really starting to tick in my head and I am ready to get some bigger things done around the house to prep for Baby M! Ryan has a big work trip this week, so I gave him until this trip was over before wanting to crack down on moving furniture and reorganizing. I can't wait!

How far along: 24 weeks

Size of baby: an ear of corn, about 12 in. and just over 1 lb. (gaining 4 oz. since last week)

Total weight gain/loss: +12-13 lbs. (I attended a baby shower today and kept hearing how tiny I am! I guess I should take it as a compliment, but I wouldn't mind more of a bump. It was funny to compare bellies with the other three preggos that were there.)

Maternity clothes: pants for sure but still a mix of tops. I have some dresses on order, so we'll see how they look.

Gender: a boy!

Movement: he's definitely a wiggler and it's so amazing to feel a range of flutters and kicks throughout the day. He was even moving when the doctor used the Doppler to check his heartbeat at our appointment last week!

Sleep: I've been having anxiety dreams throughout the week, and they have nothing to do with the baby. I wish I dreamt about Baby M! Otherwise, I am sleeping really well and through the night without having to get up most nights.

What I miss: being able to play 3 sets of tennis without feeling like I'm going to die. It's getting harder and harder to make it through the match and the next day I feel pretty rough. My time may be running out for this...

Cravings: nothing major this week.

Symptoms: more back pain and round ligament pain, but for the most part I still amazingly feel really good.

Best moment this week: having a routine doctor's appointment and hearing Baby M on the Doppler. I am measuring right on track and everything seems to be just fine. Another highlight was having date night with Ryan last night. We just went to dinner and came home to watch a movie, but it was so lovely to snuggle on the couch and have alone time with just the two of us. I know we need to take advantage before the baby comes so I am soaking it up!

Project Nursery, continued

With the help of Photoshop (and my mom), I started playing around with the different fabrics I found for the nursery. I've narrowed it down to four different patterns and after trying them out like this... I tweaked it a bit to look more like this...

And I think we have a winner! I love the mix of gray and yellow, the cute giraffes and the playful stripes. Since I couldn't find any navy fabric that I loved, I think we'll just use it as an accent in the piping around the bumpers.
I've given Ryan a couple more weeks of having the office before we move the desks out and make room for nursery furniture. Of course, it won't deliver until March but between now and then we need to paint, put up board and batten, get the carpets steam cleaned and get organizers for the closet. Yes, folks, the nesting has kicked in!

23 weeks

Someone asked me last week if I "loved being pregnant." To be honest, I hadn't thought of it that way. I absolutely love things about being pregnant - the wonder of knowing God is growing a tiny life inside of me, feeling Baby M kick, not having to worry about counting calories (haha), the idea of what this will lead to - but I hadn't really looked at it overall. I guess I do love it. I certainly wouldn't want it any other way!
I think I'll love being a mom even more, though. There are some days it still feels unreal to me so I look forward to the day I can finally have a chance to hold that little baby and see his face. I don't mind waiting, don't get me wrong - there is still much to do to prepare! In the meantime, I am going to treasure this pregnancy even more than I do already and try my best to love everything about it.

How far along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: a large mango, 11+ inches and just over 1 lb.

Total weight gain/loss: +11 lbs. (the bump is definitely growing! I actually feel bigger than the picture shows.)

Maternity clothes: pants for sure but still a mix of tops.

Gender: a boy!

Movement: I've definitely been feeling him more! It's so exciting and such a comfort after so many weeks of minimal symptoms.

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well, thanks to my Snoogle and being pretty exhausted by the time we go to bed each night.

What I miss: my pre-pregnancy clothes. It gets harder and harder to get dressed each morning as my wardrobe becomes more limited.

Cravings: my sweet tooth is back but I surprisingly can turn down ice cream most nights and would prefer cookies or cake (not that I always have it, but it sounds more appealing to me).

Symptoms: the back pain continues. I think Baby M has settled on my right side, so that sciatic nerve is feeling it and causing some uncomfortable tightness in my upper leg and lower back. I keep trying to sleep on my left side so he'll slide down.

Best moment this week: getting to sneak a listen at Baby M's heartbeat. Our friends had us over for dinner and happen to have a Doppler so after we ate they graciously let me try it out. I never get enough of that sound!

22 weeks

We traveled to Vero Beach this weekend to help celebrate Ryan's Grandma's 90th birthday. The house was filled with little ones, and it gave us a glimpse of what life will soon be like when Baby M makes his arrival. While it was a little overwhelming, I think we can handle it!
Being ready, on the other hand, is another story. I continue to feel unprepared and the urge to nest so we can get our house in order for Baby M. Slowly we've begun decluttering the office and rearranging things so we can make the office into a nursery. The furniture doesn't arrive until mid-March, so I know there is time but I still want to make progress while we wait.

How far along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: a spaghetti squash or papaya, about 11 inches and almost 1 lb.

Total weight gain/loss: +10 lbs. (making up for lost time in the last two weeks)

Maternity clothes: yes, please! They are just so much more comfortable these days.

Gender: a boy!

Movement: suddenly all of those little pops and flutters I thought might be baby have me convinced I've been feeling him! I've been able to feel a lot more this week, and I am trying to see if there is any pattern. Ryan also got to feel him, which was amazing and he totally lit up! I am so happy I can finally share more of this experience with him.

Sleep: some nights are better than others but I am just thankful I am getting any sleep at all.

What I miss: sleeping on my back! My doctor told me I could stay on my back until about 20 weeks, so I've been trying to stay on my sides throughout the night, but I definitely don't love it.

Cravings: nothing too strong lately.

Symptoms: my allergies seem to be heightened around particular triggers because I've had a few sneezing/congestion attacks lately. I've also had backpain set in, which I'm sure is part baby and part scoliosis. Sitting for too long seems to trigger that.

Best moment this week: seeing Ryan's face when he felt Nathan move. It was adorable and so sweet - he is going to be such a great dad!

21 weeks

Back to work this week, which was tough after a nice two-week break. I'm getting more and more distracted by baby things and more people are starting to notice the bump, so I definitely have baby on the brain while I'm there!
We went out to celebrate our friends' birthdays last night, so here is a belly shot of me all dolled up for a night out. I'd like to think I've been a real trooper, staying out late and still wearing heels. We'll see how long that lasts!

How far along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: a banana, about 10.5 inches and 12.7 oz. (measurements went from crown to rump to head to toe this week, which is why there is such a change this week)

Total weight gain/loss: +7-8 lbs...not sure why I haven't gained anything in the last two weeks. Maybe it's because the holidays are over and I'm eating better again? Who knows! I am getting more of a bump, though, so I'm not too worried.

Maternity clothes: I just ordered a few things online so we'll hope they fit. It's been tough finding a lot for work in stores - selection is pretty slim.

Gender: a boy, Nathan Brooks Morgan! Once we knew for sure he was a boy, we were pretty quick to agree on a name. I wanted to honor my family and Ryan's family has a long tradition of using Brooks, so it works beautifully and I think it has a great ring to it!

Movement: I think I've been feeling more kicks, especially last night and this morning.

Sleep: I still love the Snoogle, but it's getting a bit harder to stay comfortable all night and I seem to be tossing and turning a bit more.

What I miss: back to Caesar salads, and wine again - we've been out a few times with friends recently, which makes it hard not to be able to drink!

Cravings: nothing too strong lately.

Symptoms: round ligament pains here and there, but for the most part I'm feeling good!

Best moment this week: I ordered the furniture! I am so relieved to have this checked off the list and can't wait to see the nursery start coming together. Another highlight was starting our registry. While it is completely overwhelming and a bit stressful to see all the choices and opinions on things out there, it's fun to be able to start a list of goodies that Baby M will need. Ryan and I went Friday night to start and my friend Lauren took me for more of the essentials on Saturday, so it's coming together!

Project Nursery

I've had a nursery color scheme in mind for a while now, and now that we know that Baby M is a boy I am ready to start solidifying things. I love the look of navy, gray and yellow and think it's the perfect, unexpected preppy combo for our little one. Now, to find the fabrics that actually work!
This Graham nursery from Serena and Lily is close (I'd remove the nautical reference)...
And I was so excited when the mail came today and delivered these fabric swatches!

The stripe is a bit more purple than gray, so I think it's out but the others are super cute and have potential.

Now I just have to find some navy to go with all the gray and yellow. Baby M's Hattie has generously offered to sew all of his bedding, and I can't wait to see the creations she comes up with using these as inspiration!

20 weeks - halfway there!

Whoa, how did 20 whole weeks pass by already?! I feel incredibly unprepared for Baby M and think the nesting has started to kick in, because I basically want to gut all the rooms in my house and get rid of all clutter to prep for a new nursery. I have all the best intentions and ideas...now if I could just get the energy to do it all!
How far along: 20 weeks, 20 more to go!

Size of baby: a small canteloupe, about 6.5 inches and 10.6 oz. (or about 3/4 lb. according to the doc)

Total weight gain/loss: holding steady at +8 lbs

Maternity clothes: all maternity pants and a mix of tops. I need to go shopping for more work clothes now that the holidays are over and I can't wear jeans everyday.

Gender: it's a boy!!!!! Thank you Baby M for cooperating at the ultrasound - we are so excited!

Movement: he was definitely wiggling and jiggling during our appointment, and while I don't always know if I feel it I am so relieved to have seen him doing okay in there.

Sleep: the Snoogle is amazing! Ryan jokes that it's trouble, because now I sleep like a rock. I am just happy to have some support on my side since I hate sleeping that way so much.

What I miss: nothing I can think of.

Cravings: I haven't had any strong cravings lately but I have been wanting chocolate a bit more, which is more like me. I also never pass up salt.

Symptoms: I've been so fortunate and haven't really had anything major going on lately.

Best moment this week: having our doctor's appointment, seeing the baby moving around, hearing his strong little heartbeat (always makes me tear up) and finding out that we're having a boy! We would have been happy either way, I was more thankful that he is healthy and measuring perfectly, but it is so nice knowing and being able to say "him" instead of "him/her" or "it". Now I can get to planning more!!

Drumroll, please! We're having a...

That's right, after a generation of three girls in my family, we're starting to even the numbers by having a baby boy! I am sure my dad and cousin Carter are thrilled, and we couldn't be more elated with the news!!

Originally, I was convinced I was having a boy because I had been so fortunate not to experience much morning sickness early on. Then, I think enough people got in my head and I started thinking girl. By the time our appointment came last week, I was so unsure I didn't know what to think!

When our tech asked if we wanted to know gender, I immediately said "yes!" Apparently she saw right away but 20 minutes of measurements later, she finally told us the news. (I'm not complaining, it was great to watch the baby all that time while we waited.) After the ultrasound, we met with the doctor who hadn't seen the images yet. I showed him a sneak peak from our print outs and he said there was no doubt. Haha - way to go Baby M!

Now that we know, I am so excited to plan and start designing the nursery. Oh, boy, oh, boy!

Reflecting on 2010

Looking forward to all that 2011 holds, I don't want to forget all of the events that occurred in 2010. I saw so many comments on Facebook about "good riddance, 2010" but despite the challenges that faced my family, I still think 2010 was an overall great year and am thankful for all that God gave us - both good and bad.
While I could just go back and read all my blog posts, here is a recap of what comes to mind...

• In January, we celebrated my sister and the anticipation of my nephew with a beautiful shower in Atlanta. I also stopped taking birth control in hopes of starting our own family soon.
• In February, I got to attend a very fun wine tasting party, thrown by good friends and I'll never forget the face Ryan made when trying his very first latte for Valentine's dessert. Priceless!
• In March, we made what seemed like the longest drive ever up to Atlanta after a call that our nephew was on his way. I cried when family called to share the news that he arrived and I have loved every moment spent with him since!
• In the spring, there were weddings, birthdays, bbqs, and a dramatic bird rescue in the backyard.
• Early summer brought three amazing trips - one to Newport with extended family for my cousin's wedding, another to Hilton Head for Ryan's big 3-0 birthday, and one with my best girlfriends for our annual beach weekend. I am one lucky girl to get to travel and take vacation so much!
• Early summer also brought a lot of frustration, as we continued to wait for a positive test to tell us we were expecting. Just as I had begun giving up, I finally saw those sweet, sweet words..."Pregnant"!
• The fall brought more traveling, with another trip to Hilton Head to announce our big news to my family and a visit to Atlanta to tell my friends. It was also the start of NBA basketball and we got to experience the new Amway Center with our season tickets. It's overwhelming!
• I loved spending the holidays with family this year (and every year), with one more trip to Hilton Head for Thanksgiving (gosh, we went there a lot this year!) and Atlanta and Mobile for Christmas. We also hosted a Christmas dinner party with friends, which was a lot of fun.

Overall, a really good year and lots of great memories to store and reflect on as time continues to pass too quickly. Thanks be to God for all of the experiences and events that took place!