Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

On Tuesday, August 23^rd, my Husband and I prepared ourselves for our 20 (actually we went at 21 weeks) week ultrasound.  I was so nervous, excited, anxious and scared for this big event.  We got to our appointment early, but ended up waiting about 45 minutes before we actually got in – but the wait was well worth it!  

It was so amazing to see our baby right there in front of us!  

We wanted to know the gender, but baby wasn’t cooperating right away, so the tech went on with the measuring.  Everything measured out great for baby.  We saw both legs, arms, 4 ventricles to the Heart, Kidney’s, nose…everything was simply amazing.  About 2/3 the way through, the tech said, well I think I can tell you what you’re having; it’s a GIRL!  Once she said that it was like my mind sort of shut down and all I could think of was “it’s a girl, we’re having a girl”.  The tech started talking about her diaphragm and I couldn’t process her words.  All of a sudden I had no clue what the diaphragm was, where it was – it’s like my mind was completely blank.  It took me a few minutes to get my focus back.  It certainly makes it more real to know what you’re having.  I’m so thankful that baby girl is healthy and doing well!

She's not even here yet and she's already absolutely PERFECT!!

  

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Weeks 4 - 12....aka the dreaded 1st Trimester

The 1^st trimester was, well, tough.  I felt great for the first 5 weeks, but after that, I felt sick constantly.    Here’s a bit of a “week by  week” breakdown that I wrote down as each week passed:

Week 4:

• I feel great.  I have normal energy levels and I'm able to eat anything.  No signs of "morning sickness" (yet...knock on wood).
• I'm constantly worrying about our little one.  I know the first 8ish weeks are critical and a lot can happen, so I pray that everything goes well for baby Mack.
• No weight gain thus far.  I haven't been doing much exercising, but we still walk our dog like normal.  I guess that's better than nothing, right?
• No real pregnancy "symptoms" yet, but knowing there's something inside me is symptom enough =)

Week 5:

• Baby is the size of an apple-seed.  Teeny, tiny!!  
• Other than sore boobs and some mild cramping, I'm feeling great.  Really, those are the only "symptoms" I have right now.  
• Still no weight gain.  My appetite has been normal and there's nothing I crave or can't eat.  

Week 6:

• Baby is the size of a pea.  Seriously, that's SO little!
• That ever so dreaded "morning sickness" has officially set in.  It all started on Mother's Day.  We went to my parents to celebrate and my parents decided to do burgers and brats.  Yum, right?  WRONG!!  I had been feeling "fine" all day, but I took one bite of the burger and thought I was going to be sick right then and there.  I set it down and pretended I wasn't really hungry (we hadn't told anyone yet and we weren't planning to for a few more weeks).  I'm sure my parents thought it was a little weird that I wasn't eating.  
• Cravings - nothing really.  I can handle eating watermelon and oranges.  Otherwise, nothing sounds good and meat is definitely NOT an option.  The thought of eating anything meaty makes me want to vomit.
• I'm all of a sudden exhausted.  I don't mean feeling tired and would like a nap, I'm talking can barely keep my eyes open, want to sleep for 15 hours kind of tired.  I nap when I can and am in bed early...like 8pm early.
• I'm really looking forward to our first "real" pre-natal Dr. Appointment in 2 weeks.  

Week 8:

• Baby is the size of a blueberry.  
• Still feeling nauseous 90% of the day.  I wake up feeling "okay", but as the day progresses, I feel worse and worse.  
• I still feel like I could sleep non-stop.  I've even had to lay my head down on my desk over lunch.  I just can't get enough sleep.
• Our first pre-natal visit is this Friday.  I can't wait!!

Week 9 and 10:

• We had our first pre-natal appointment last Friday.  It was pretty standard.  Just sat and talked with the Nurse about body changes, what to expect in the next few weeks, what to eat and what to stay away from, etc.  It was nice to start the visits.  I really like the place we chose!
• We told our parents and it was awesome!  I promise to post all about the details in another post (trust me, it deserves it's own special post).
• Still tired.  I'm taking naps whenever I can and still getting to bed before the sun even sets =)
• Nausea is still rearing it's ugly head.  Nothing sounds good ever and the thought of meat and vegetables is horrid.  I wonder if I'll ever be able to enjoy a hamburger again?!

Week 11 and 12:

• During week 11 baby was the size of a large lime and during week 12 the size of a plum!
• Still feeling nauseous and tired...all.the.time!  
• No weight gain, in fact I'm certain I've lost weight.  
• The exciting news is that we had our 12 week appointment and we got to hear baby's HEARTBEAT ♥  It was simply the most amazing sound I've ever heard.  The Nurse said it sounded great and that everything seemed to be on track.  YEAH!  We get to go back in 4 weeks and we'll hear the heartbeat again.  I can't wait!
• I'm shocked that the first trimester has come to an end.  1/3 of the way done already...that makes this tired, nauseous Mama VERY happy!

Though the first trimester had it's ups and downs, I'm thankful to be able to have this experience.  I feel very blessed that we're lucky enough to experience this wonderful miracle.  I look forward to the next stages and continue to pray for our little one!

We're Starting a B-L-O-G!!

I’ve decided to start this blog to capture all of the ups, downs, good times & crazy times in our lives!  I’m excited to document all the big moments {not that we have many} and I pray that I don’t bore you to tears with my ramblings and somewhat boring life.  Here goes nothing….

Who is the person behind this blog?  Well, my name is Leah and I’m a thirty-something, fun loving down to earth {or so I like to think} gal!  I’m a wife, sister, daughter, friend, aunt, colleague and soon-to-be-mother (much, much more on this later)!  I live with my amazing Husband and our adorable 7 ½ year old Golden Retriever, Hannah!  I love my Husband, dog, family & friends more than they’ll ever know!  I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful people.  

I work at the “local” University as an Accountant.  Though I’m not overly thrilled about what I do, it’s a job and I consider myself lucky to have one!  I’d love to someday break free from the accounting world and dabble more into the “psychology” field.  My dream job - marriage counselor.  I love: summer, laughing, DMB, outdoor concerts, trying new restaurants, the color pink, nice cold lemonade on a hot summer day, traveling, writing, reading, crossword puzzles, campfires, flowers, farmers markets, Thanksgiving and movie nights…just to name a few!  So, that’s me in a nutshell!

My Husband’s name is Kyle and he’s my very best friend!  He’s a kind, funny, easy going kind of guy.  He’s a husband, brother, son, uncle, godparent, friend, colleague and soon-to-be-father!   He recently changed career paths and is doing something completely different than what he’s used to.  Of course, I know he will excel in this new position.  He loves sports {watching and playing}, music and having a good time! 

We met in September of 2004 – though it wasn’t “love at first sight”, we somehow found our way to each other.  We’ve been married for a year now and life is amazing (don’t worry; I’ll share the whole engagement & wedding story along with pictures in a future post)!  We’re excited for all the things waiting for us in this life and we’re excited to share them with you!  I hope to update this regularly, so check back often and enjoy!