So much to update about!

Since I last wrote, so much has happened: Thanksgiving, the last few weeks of school, preparing for the holidays! I'll try not to let so much time go between updates next time, but it has really been a crazy last few weeks. I'll start this update with an adorable picture of Aaron and our oldest cat, Roxanne. Love them!

Ok, so Thanksgiving break was fun. Aaron, Heather, and I drove up to Ohio Tuesday night. We drove all through the night and got to my mom's house Wednesday morning (and immediately went to sleep). We spent the rest of the week spending time with family. It was amazing! I got to spend so much time with my mom and future sister-in-law, Amy. I hardly ever get to spend that much time with Amy, so it was really nice. She's the best sister a sisterless girl could ask for, and I'm pretty glad that she and Joe have decided to get married. It was also really great to spend so much time with my mom. I never thought I'd be pregnant with her so far away, and it's been a bit of a challenge to do this with her states away. It's nice to see her when I get the chance. My mom surprised us with a basket of stuff for Jonah. It was so cute! Then, Gary had a present waiting for us that he picked up in Chinatown, NYC when he was there on a class trip. It was a little kimono suit! Ohmygosh, it is so cute! I can't wait until Jonah is big enough to wear it, and I will post tons of pictures. His room still isn't fully arranged yet, so when I take care of that, if I remember I'll post a picture of it then. He's so spoiled already! We had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house. Then after we got to spend some time over at my dad and Mary Jo's house. Mary Jo's birthday was right before we got there, and my dad's was right after we were leaving, so I was glad to be there in between to see them for their birthdays and Thanksgiving. I wish we were able to get together more often! We watched the traditional Christmas Vacation, which gets funnier every year, and just got to enjoy each other's company. I ate so much food and pie that day, I thought I was going to explode. My stomach is so compressed now thanks to baby, that I can't eat as much as I used to be able too. At that point though, my eyes hadn't caught up with my stomach. I am only just now learning to eat much smaller portions. Aaron got to play football with my brothers, cousins, and some friends. Other than that, it was just nice to enjoy all the time with family.

While we were home, my mom, Joe, Danny, Amy, Heather, and most importantly, Aaron all got to feel Jonah move. He was going crazy while we were there. I think my mom is the baby whisperer, because she could always get him to kick really hard. Amy put her head to my stomach a few times, and he kicked her head! It was so funny! Now that we've been home, Aaron has felt him kick almost any time he tries. It's been so nice to share that with them all, but I've been especially glad that Jonah can kick for Daddy now.

Saturday after Thanksgiving was my baby shower. It was perfect! Most of my female relatives were there, including both my grandmas, which I didn't think either would make it. A few family friends also came, and my two best friends from high school were there! It was amazing! We got so many things it was almost impossible to fit them all in the car! Jonah got all the major things he needed: some diapers, lotions, blankets, stroller, car seat, swing, rocker, books, monitor, bottles, pacifiers, crib set, carrier, rocking chair, etc. I know I am missing so much, but everyone was so sweet and we are so blessed and thankful for how generous everyone was. Again, I promise to post pictures once his nursery is finished. I've been clearing through all the boxes, putting things together, and trying to find a home for everything. He has so much!

After the shower we all went to see my grandpa, and it was the first time I had seen him since his surgery. He looked great! I know it is a long haul recovering from heart surgery, but he is so strong and I know he'll pull through this and be better than ever. Since three of my four grandparents have all now suffered some heart issues, I am really hoping that my siblings and other relatives get checked often and take care of themselves. It is so serious and so scary, and I just hope no one else has to go through what they've all been through.

We left Sunday morning and drove all day, getting home late Sunday night. The traffic was terrible. I was back to school, and Aaron back to work on Monday. I finished the last few weeks of my semester, which were a whirlwind. I had to grade papers, make final grade calculations for about 60 students, as well as 4 presentations, 3 papers, and 2 final exams due all within a week's time. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I have the worst pregnancy brain ever. It is no joke. It is a real thing, and I have never felt so stupid as I have this semester. But, thanks to Jonah, my amazing husband, and support from friends and family, I made it through the semester alive (all five classes) and finished with a 4.0!

In between all this time, I've been going to the doctor's office every two weeks. I can't believe we are at that point in our pregnancy already! My blood pressure has been good, my iron levels normal, no protein in my urine, and I'm measuring on target. I've only gained 22 pounds, which is surprising to me considering how big I feel and how much I eat. It seems as though Jonah is doing great in there. He is still moving around all the time. His movements are very forceful now. If my laptop is resting on my stomach, he can almost knock it off now! Aaron and I also attended 10 hours of childbirth classes and 4 hours of baby nutrition classes. I think now we are more prepared for what is to come in terms of a natural labor (how I will progress through it and what he needs to do to help me) and breast-feeding. It was really overwhelming at first, especially after watching the videos, but I am so glad we went.

Something I love about being pregnant:

It has been especially helpful going Christmas shopping! After all the craziness of the semester and our baby classes died down, Aaron and I focused on getting our Christmas shopping done. While he's been at work, I've been writing thank you notes and Christmas cards, wrapping and sending gifts, working on Jonah's nursery, decorating for Christmas, and sleeping. I don't sleep very well at night any more, particularly thanks to the awful heartburn I've been getting, so I take any sleep I can get during the day.

I found this ridiculously cute winter cat coat at Target for $1, so I thought I'd get it and see if any of my babies would wear it. None of them liked it, and they all responded in different ways. Zenya just collapsed and wouldn't move; Roxanne rolled on her back and wiggled around, then got up and ran around, and then laid back down on her back and wiggled around; and Sting walked backwards all over our bedroom. It was hilarious, but so cute. Check out our adorable Christmas kitties:

Zenya

Roxanne

Sting--yes, it even fit him (though very snuggly)!

Sophie is cute as ever, but I don't have any pictures to post of her right now. Maybe I'll put something up on the next update. She's been enjoying the cool weather, so she's been spending a lot of time outside.

Aaron and I exchanged our Christmas gifts already. My big gift to him was a PS3 and a game he wanted for it, which he is playing right now. This is my gift from him:

My wedding band is the ring underneath, so that big gorgeous beauty above it is what he got me! Can you believe it?! When we were dating, I told him I always wanted a pearl engagement ring. Sure enough, he got me the most beautiful pearl and diamond engagement ring for when he proposed, but it is so delicate that I can't wear it every day. So even though I already have an amazing ring, he decided to get me another amazing ring that I could actually wear every day. We were going to some friends' house for dinner, and right before we left, I took my engagement ring off to rinse some dishes, and when I turned around to put it back on, he had replaced my engagement ring with the box of my new ring. It was quite a surprise, and I can't stop looking at it! I feel so lucky to have such a thoughtful and sweet husband!

My life seems so perfect right now, but wait--it gets better! Today Aaron and I went for our 3D/4D ultrasound, and we got to see Jonah! He is so handsome and adorable! I am so thankful and grateful for the blessing we've been given through him, and I can't wait for his birthday! He was moving all around! His had his little hand covering his face for a lot of the ultrasound, and his hand is present in almost all of the pictures. He also kept making sucking gestures with his mouth, yawning, and sticking his tongue out. It was so sweet! He has all of his fingers and perfectly shaped ears. His little legs were crossed at the ankle, and he is not breech anymore! We got a ton of pictures, but here are just a few:

I think he looks just like Aaron. What do you think?

Tomorrow after Aaron gets off work we'll head to Columbia to visit with his parents. Hopefully we'll get to spend time with his friends too. I am looking so forward to it! I'll post more after we get back.

Swine Flu

Not a whole lot has changed in the last few weeks. Baby moves constantly, and it is the cutest and best feeling. Aaron still hasn't been able to feel him move. The last two times he's put his hand on my stomach and the baby has kicked a ton, but Aaron swears he doesn't feel it. One night though he actually saw the baby move in my stomach, which was pretty neat. He's getting so big now that his movements are that obvious. I can't wait to go home for the holidays and see if my family can feel him or see him move.

We had a great time up in the mountains. It was so cold and wet at the game, and USC lost, but it was really nice seeing BJ and Megan and making new friends. We ate some good food and saw some beautiful scenery. I am so thankful for moments like those!

Aaron went to NYC to visit Shadd on Thursday night and got back Monday. He seemed to have a really great time, and I'm glad he got to spend time away from home with Shadd before the baby comes. I missed him terribly though. What makes it worse is that I woke up Friday sick and by Saturday night I had a fever and felt awful. I called my doctor, and she diagnosed with with swine flu and an upper respiratory infection. Being sick when you're home alone and pregnant is awful! I took antibiotics and am still on Tamiflu, and a few days later, I'd say I'm maybe 75-80% myself. I still have a cough, a slight headache, stuffy sinuses, and aches, but it is way better than before.

I had a doctor appointment today. I've gained 19 pounds! I can't even believe it! That means I only have about 5 pounds more to gain before I reach my target weight. Basically that means only the baby can gain weight. I know everyone says it isn't that big of a deal how much weight I gain, but to me it is. I really hope I don't gain that much more weight. Once I feel better I definitely need to start working out again. Otherwise, my blood pressure was fine, and she said the baby was measuring fine. She said my uterus was deep, and that I might have a tilted uterus. haha, what?! I did my glucose test today and will find out in a week if I have gestational diabetes. The doctor reminded me that I need to meet with my anesthesiologist in a few weeks. And now I start going to the doctors every two weeks! How exciting! I can't believe he'll be here in about 13 weeks!

Aaron, Heather, and I will head to Ohio in less than a week for Thanksgiving and then I have a baby shower in a week and a half! I am so excited to see everyone! My grandpa has been in the hospital for over a week now, so I'll be especially glad to see him and my grandma. I've been so worried about them.

Baby and I are off to take a nap.

Toes

Ohmygosh, I totally forgot to mention--I can no longer see my toes. Our little boy is getting so big!

Where has October gone?

Last week I had my monthly appointment, and the doctor said everything was going well. His heartbeat sounded good, and my iron test was fine. One thing I don't like about my practice is that the doctors are always in a rush. I have to tell them I have questions or else they don't even ask. I am hoping that it is better when our son is actually being born.

These last few weeks he has been moving around like crazy! It is unbelievable how much I feel him. It is such an incredible feeling! Although he has warmed up to mommy, and I can feel him with my hand on my stomach, Aaron still hasn't been able to feel him kick. I always tell him to put his hand on my stomach when he's in a kicking spree, and as soon as he does, the baby stops. It's kind of funny, but I still wish Aaron could feel it. It doesn't seem fair that I get him all to myself.

At my doctor's appointment last month they invited me to "Home Stretch," which is an informal meeting that Aaron and I can attend to talk to our doctors about our third trimester. It is this Tuesday, and I am pretty excited to learn about the end of our pregnancy. I can't believe we're almost in our third trimester! That means it won't be long! I can't wait to hold him in my arms and see his sweet little face.

We ordered his changing table, and it should be here Friday. I am so excited! BabiesRUs was apparently having some promotion, because we also got a free umbrella stroller just for ordering! It came today, and it is pretty cute! I've been really wanting to go out and buy him things lately, and the hardest thing has been seeing all these adorable little Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving outfits and not being able to get one! I can't wait until he's born and can dress him up for holidays! I'm also so excited to take him to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch like my parents took me!

We still haven't decided on a name for our son. We talk about it every day, and there are a few in the lead, but we're not in a real rush to make a decision just yet. We might even wait until he's born to tell everyone what it is, but we haven't decided on that yet either. haha. Sorry guys!

Last weekend Aaron and I went to Emma Grace's baptism. She is such an adorable little girl! It was so amazing to see Valerie again. I've really missed her. We also got news that Katie had her little baby girl! I can't believe we have a friend with two beautiful babies now! And! Alana is pregnant! And Kathy is having a boy! And Gary just got his driver's license! There is so much going on in our lives, with our friends and families. It's such a blessing!

Aaron and I have been really lucky lately to spend so much time with friends. Heather has been in town for a few days, and we were glad to get to spend time with her. This weekend we are going to the mountains to spend time with BJ and Megan and possibly Mike and Beth. In a few weeks Aaron is going to visit Shadd in NYC, and then it'll be Thanksgiving already! I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by!

Exciting past few weeks!

These past few weeks have been so busy for us and so exciting. I don't have a lot of time to write before class, so I'll just post the highlights.

Two weekends ago Aaron and I went to Columbia to see his friends and family. We got to spend a lot of time with his parents and even see his brother, which was really nice. Kathy and I went shopping on Saturday, and I was able to get two maternity shirts that don't make me look 40 or like a whale! I was so glad! We also got a TON of stuff for Lil Luther! At this point we still didn't know the gender, but I got a few onesies and outfits that were blue and brown because there wasn't a lot of neutral clothing to choose from and my favorite color is blue, so hey! If it was a girl, then I'm sure she wouldn't care. We also got some socks, three super soft blankets, some burp rags, and some outfits for when baby is bigger (3-6, 6-9 mo.), all of which are ADORABLE! I can't wait to see Baby in them!

While we were in Columbia we also got to visit with some of our friends at Ben and Jeanette's house. I can't believe how big Clare is now! It's awesome to see how she is growing, and it makes me so excited for when our little one is here. Jeanette was also so fantastic and let me borrow some of her maternity clothes. It's so hard finding things I like, and even harder finding the time to look for things, so it was very sweet of her to do that.

Aaron and I also set up the nursery. My mom was so super amazing and got a crib for her grandbaby. It's AWESOME! We don't have the bed set for it yet, but check it out anyway.


We also got some shelving for in there, but I won't post pictures until they are filled.

This past weekend we went to Ohio for Anthony and Katelyn's wedding. The wedding was a blast. They looked amazing, and seemed so happy. I am so excited for them and their new life together! It was also great to see my family, including cousins and aunts and uncles I don't see that often. We also spent some time at the cemetery on Sunday to wish my Uncle Paul a happy birthday. Even though we were home for only about 24 hours, it was still really nice to be away and visit with everyone. While we were home my mom gave us the rocking chair she used to rock my brothers and I to sleep when we were babies. Isn't that the greatest?!
Also, Jack refinished an old wagon for his grandbaby! How sweet is that?! I can't wait to pull Lil Luther around in this. I already have so many plans, and it is going to be so cute! Don't mind the other crap in our garage.


Now for the big news. I had my 20 week ultrasound on Wednesday, and we found out that Lil Luther is actually Lil BOY Luther! Yay! I can't believe I'm having a son! This is the most exciting time in my life! I just keep thinking about how cute he's going to be, and wondering who he'll look like, and thinking about him watching sports with his dad, uncles, and grandpas, and running around outside to play, and dressing him up for Halloween, and taking him to the apple orchard, and... everything! I am just so excited to meet our little guy.

The things I know about him so far: he doesn't like to be touched, even by mommy. Every time he kicks and I try to feel it from the outside, he stops moving. haha. He's also camera shy or stubborn. Or both! This ultrasound he was actually head down again, thank God, but he was facing my back so she wasn't able to get an image of his face. She scheduled another one for me though in a few weeks, and I'll get to see him then hopefully. He is so cute already though.

Alright, I need to get ready for class, but I wanted to post one last picture, which is of Aaron's new scooter. Pretty nice, huh?

Rain, rain, go away...

It has been raining here for over a week. Literally. Any break in rain is accompanied by dark skies, so it might as well be raining. This, of course, just makes me want to sleep (and skip my classes). But I'm not skipping classes, so don't worry. Counties around here have flooded streets, and the kids don't have to go to school. Clarke County is under flood watch now, and they expect our river to flood by tomorrow. The newest addition to this excellent news is that our front and side yards are flooded, and now even our garage is flooding. And the rain isn't expected to stop until some time early next week. What the heck? Aaron thinks we should go by sand bags, but I don't even know where to get them.

My doctor appointment went well this morning. I met another doctor this week. There are six in the practice, and I have to meet them all before Baby comes. He was very nice, but just like the last one, he kind of rushed me out. Not before he mentioned birth control options to me (haha) and that I had to get the flu shot TODAY. I didn't have time to get it today, but hopefully I can squeeze it in this week. The baby's heart beat was good, and he said that I am gaining the right amount of weight so far. Someone my size should only gain 24 (not 20, not 25) pounds, and I have already gained 7. ugh! I really need to start exercising again so I don't gain any more than 24 pounds. My back already hurts at 7. I can't even begin to imagine 20!

I can't wait to meet my little baby! I can't believe I have months to go still!

18 weeks

Aaron and I went to Ohio to spend Labor Day with my parents and brothers. My dad picked us up from the airport pretty late Friday and drove us to their cottage on Lake Erie. We spent the day just hanging out at the lake, which was great. Then MaryJo and I went to Katelyn's bridal shower. It was great to see everyone! My dad made an amazing dinner, which Aaron was totally in love with. The next day my Dad took us out on the boat, which felt so good. The weather was perfect for going out on the lake! When we got back we had a little cook out and got to see Robby, Danny, and MaryJo's parents. It was good to see them! It was especially really great to spend so much time with my Dad and MaryJo, and the lake was absolutely beautiful and super relaxing. Then Sunday we went to my Mom's house and had an awesome dinner with Dan, Joe, Amy, and Gary and then just hung out. I miss them a lot, so it was so nice to spend time with all of them! I got to meet Joe and Amy's cat too, who is so cute!

One of the best parts of the weekend was the adorable and super thoughtful surprise we got when Aaron and I walked into our bedroom at my Mom's house.


My mom had gotten a basically unused second-hand (super green!) crib filled with goodies for our baby! It was made even better by the fact that she had paid attention to everything we've said about having a "green" baby, and the toys, diapers, and receiving blankets were all made from natural and organic materials. There was also a super cute duck outfit in there, which I can't wait to see on Baby. The crib set was Winnie the Pooh, which I loved when I was little. Eeyore has always been my favorite cartoon character ever, so it was so sweet to see how she tied that into the crib. The whole thing was so special, because it really made it so much more real and helped me realize just how loved Baby is going to be. And now it has its own little place to stay when it visits Grandma's!

A few days after we got back I had an ultrasound to check cervical length. The sonographer said that my cervix looked great, and she didn't think I'd have any trouble with cervical incompetency. Yay! One worry down, one to go. I asked her while she was there if there was any way she'd be willing to check gender. I didn't expect her to say yes, since our other appointment was a month from then, otherwise I would have asked Aaron to come. She said she'd be glad to though, so she ran it over my stomach to see. And....



She couldn't tell. Baby was breech (of course! Luther Luck!) and had its little legs crossed like it was sitting Indian-style. She tried for about 5 minutes to see what it was, and then for one split second it shifted its legs. She got a picture and we looked at it. She told me what she thought it was, but that I shouldn't pick out clothes yet since it was such a bad shot. I am going to wait until we find out for sure before I reveal what she predicted Baby is. Sorry, guys! Here's a picture though. See if you can figure it out!
The head is at the top left. One arm is coming across the picture right below the head. Then of course you can see the crossed legs at the bottom. I won't post the other picture (when Baby moved its legs), because it has "It's a _______!!!" written all over it, and that would just give it away. The big ultrasound is 10/7. I really hope Baby flips around by then!

I have been feeling pretty well. I am completely overwhelmed by classes, but I think that is more a result of me doing my PhD than being pregnant. I don't feel sick anymore, and my heartburn is now manageable. This past week I have been more tired than usual, which is strange since I should get more energy during my second trimester. I took a four and a half hour nap yesterday though! I've also gotten these unbearable aches in my back and abs. It hurts so bad that the only relief really comes from laying down (which usually leads to me sleeping). I figured back pain would be pretty prominent in my pregnancy, but I didn't expect this ab pain. I'm also hungry now all the time! I'm actually hoping I'm not gaining too much weight!

My Mom is starting to plan my baby shower for right after Thanksgiving, since I won't be able to travel much beyond then. It has been so much fun registering for baby gear! It's very difficult though! How do you know how much of something to register for? Am I forgetting things? Is there a "greener" option? It's crazy! Aaron is going to cater the shower. We're pretty excited about that! He loves to cook and does a great job of it! His menu is already making me drool!

Aaron just got his new (and faster!) scooter. It's pretty nice! He had to go take a motorcycle permit test to get it. I'll post pictures when I take them.

I have a doctor's appointment on Monday. Stay tuned for more!

Check out that belly!

I have been posting that I've been slowly getting bigger, but it seems like two days ago I woke up and POW! Baby Luther is giant! Tomorrow I will be 16 weeks pregnant, so I guess this makes sense because the baby is supposedly around 5 inches long. For that length, I better be showing! I also went out and bought my first pair of maternity pants on Monday, because I was becoming very uncomfortable in my regular jeans, and I just can't wear the Be Band every day. I wasn't the most excited to get some, but I have to say, maternity pants are amazing! The ones I got are cute and ULTRA comfortable! And the best part is, they are still the same size I wore before I got pregnant! These maternity clothes designers really know how to make a girl feel skinny! Check me out:
My phone doesn't take the best pictures, but my camera had the worst flash. Sorry guys!

On an update about Aaron, he just got his motorcycle license! He won't be getting a motorcycle though (I'm praying), but just a faster scooter. I'll post another picture when he gets it. Although I don't think I could drive one myself, I'm kind of sad I can't hop on the back of his. Looks fun!

15 weeks

I have been so busy since school has started! Taking five classes and teaching three may have been a mistake. Tuesdays and Thursdays are rough, because I am on campus basically from 10 am to 8 or 9 pm. I already have so much school work to do only three weeks in! So, I haven't had a lot of time to update. Sorry to those of you that check regularly! I'm hoping I will eventually get used to this schedule and I'll be able to post more often.

As you can probably guess, I've been exhausted. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the long hours at school, but it's also still brutally hot here and I also have a good deal of walking to do while on campus because of how far my parking lot is and the construction they are doing on campus. I see that as a good thing though, since I'm not getting much exercise right now other than that. I'm still feeling nauseous on and off, but it's slowly getting better. I've also developed the WORST heartburn. It got so bad one night that Aaron actually went to the store around 11 pm to get me something for it, and I have been trying so hard not to take any medicine while pregnant. Thankfully Rolaids are on the approved list of medication, and they are a good source of calcium, so I don't feel that bad about it. Aaron is truly the best though!

I'm having more trouble fitting into my clothes. Some days it can be kind of depressing how big I feel, and Aaron has to remind me that it's the baby, not me. My stomach hangs over my pants now, and it's also very uncomfortable to wear jeans while buttoned. I got a Be Band from Target, which basically allows me to wear my pre-pregnancy clothes more comfortably. You're supposed to wear it over your unbuttoned pants, and no one can tell. It's amazing! I definitely look more pregnant now too! I think you probably can't tell I'm pregnant yet unless you know (I just look chubby), but it's still exciting.

Now that we are into the second trimester, all I want to do is buy things for the baby! It's hard to really pick anything out though without knowing if we're having a boy or a girl. We did pick out a crib and changing table though! We've also gotten a few more amazing gifts from friends and family. I promise I won't post every little thing we get on here, but I'm going to now since we don't have a lot yet.

Joe and Amy got me an AWESOME Vera Bradley diaper bag for my birthday. The print is so cute, and inside it has a pull out changing pad. I am so excited to fill it up! Also, this picture was also taken in the nursery, which gives a better idea of the color we painted it.

Aaron and I's good friend, Heather, got us this adorable outfit. The little giraffe pattern is so cute! I can't wait to put it on our baby!

Uncle Paul

It's been a year now since Uncle Paul has passed away. He's been on my mind so much lately, and it makes me so sad to think that he won't meet my little angel when it is born. He was such an important person in my life, and I know that all I can do now is make sure our kids know who he is and what an amazing person he was to have in our family. I think there is still more to learn and experience from him even though he isn't with us any longer.

Times like now really make me think about how important family is. Even though our baby will grow up so far away from our family, I still want it to know how important family is and to feel the love our family has to offer. I've been pretty lucky to still have that even from so far away.

We love and miss you, Uncle Paul.

Alien Arms

I was talking with our friend, Heather, about fetal development, and I tried to look up something I didn't know. I went to the Mayo Clinic website and was looking at their site for 14 week fetal development (14 weeks on Thursday!!), and I found this interesting tid-bit:

"Fourteen weeks into your pregnancy, or 12 weeks after conception, your baby's arms have almost reached the length they'll be at birth."

Are you kidding me?! The baby will only be about 3.5 inches during the 14th week, and yet his/her arms will be longer than the body? Is that even possible? Come on, Mayo Clinic.

Keebler Elves

It's been awhile since I've posted, but I've been incredibly busy. I went to NJ the last week of July to attend the Billy Joel/Elton John concert with my mom and visit with my brother, Danny, and Uncle Ed. The show was so awesome! What an amazing experience! They played all the songs I wanted them to and more! It was also really nice getting to spend time with family.

23 rows from stage!



I got home Saturday night and left Monday morning for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a field course. I had a lot of reservations about taking the class, considering how bad I've been feeling, and all of the hiking I'd have to do. I also didn't know ANYONE going into the trip, so I was pretty nervous about that. Seeing as I'm not the most athletic or outgoing person, it was definitely a challenge for me, but I saw that as a good thing. For the most part, the experience was awesome! I learned a lot about the environment there and different aspects of the park. The hiking was really great, except for one trip we took to monitor salamanders. It was hot that day and such a steep hike, that I got winded almost immediately and had to use my inhaler. Then I got some pains in my stomach. To make matters worse, on the way down I definitely fell. Thankfully I slid down my leg and landed on my hip/butt. I was so afraid I had hurt the baby, because they stressed to me so much the importance of not falling. I'm not bleeding though and have felt no major pains, so I'm hoping everything is ok. Otherwise it was gorgeous there and a great experience.




While I was gone Aaron finally got his scooter. He's been riding it around town like a mad man! And it motivated him to fix our garage door opener! yay!


Tomorrow I'll be 13 weeks pregnant. I told Aaron I had gotten an email saying our baby was 3 inches long, which they compared to the size of a Nutter Butter. We joked about how it's basically the size of a Keebler Elf. haha. My nausea has been pretty intense this week. I thought it was supposed to get better! I've recently started burping a lot, and I am definitely not the kind of person who really does that, so that's been weird. I feel constantly thirsty, even though I drink more water in a day than seems physically possible. My chest and stomach are definitely bigger. I wore jeans the other day, and even though I could zip and button them, I was very uncomfortable the whole night. I feel so chubby and gross. My stomach actually looked pretty lopsided earlier today, and was more rounded on the left side (as I'm looking down on it). I wonder if that is where Baby Luther is sitting! I can't believe I am almost 1/3 of the way through this pregnancy! As I'm getting bigger, I am constantly worried that what I do is hurting it. It's kind of frustrating to feel that way, and makes me anxious for our next appointment to make sure everything is ok. Do other pregnant woman worry this much? This week I've also been pretty emotional. I'm a pretty emotional person by nature, but haven't really felt since I've been pregnant that I've had any unusual mood swings until this week (not, of course, counting crying at movies, which I do a lot anyway...haha). Hopefully that won't last for the whole pregnancy! I'm still getting full really quickly when I eat, but feel hungry a lot. I got a craving today for icecream with cookie dough, brownies, and m&ms. It made me think of a time I was staying with Nicole and Alana and we made something like this. I miss those girls! So, I treated myself to some. As soon as I finished it I wanted orange soda and skittles. What the heck?! I guess Baby Luther has its daddy's sweet tooth! haha.

I start school again on Tuesday. I managed to fit five classes between Tuesday and Thursday of the week. It feels so weird going back to school full time! I'm really looking forward to it though. I'll also be a Teaching Assistant for Marine Sciences again this year, so I'll be pretty busy. Thankfully, I might have a chance to pick up health insurance through the university because I'm TAing, which would include my pregnancy! If it works out, we won't have to pay COBRA, and it'll save us so much money! Cross your fingers for us! We'll find out this week, I hope.

If I think of anything else, I'll put it in the next post. It's getting pretty late, and I'm still exhausted most of the time, so I should head to bed. I promise it won't be such a long gap before my next post!

First Ultrasound!

We had our first real doctor's appointment today. Aaron met me at the doctor's office at 2:30, and we waited in the waiting room for about 10 minutes. They called me back, I peed in a cup, they took my blood pressure (90/58), and then we waited for an hour in this inner waiting room before they took us back! I hope that is no indication of what is going to happen when I go into labor! The doctor called us back into his office to chat with us about our pregnancy and the risks I have with mine in particular. I won't go into a lot of detail, but they have some concern about my cervix. This just means I'll have to get two extra ultrasounds than I normally would to check cervical length and make sure it is ok and that I'm not developing cervical incompetency. Unfortunately I don't get two extra peaks at baby during this time though. The other concern they have is with my back, which I think most of us expected. The doctor said with so many of my vertebrae fused, and still having hardware in there, I have basically a 0% chance of getting an epidural. In some ways this is ok, because I wanted a natural child birth anyway. They are still going to send me to meet with the anesthesiologist at 36 weeks though so s/he can check my x-rays so they know if it is ruled out all together. The reason the doctor is still concerned about this is in the case I need to get an emergency c-section, because they'll still need to give me a spinal. So, I'll go get it checked out so they can come up with a plan before the labor starts so Baby Luther comes into the world as quickly and carefully as possible.

Then the doctor took me back and performed my annual exam and then asked Aaron to come in. The ultrasound was amazing! I knew right away where the baby was and how it was oriented. We were so excited to see it! I wish I had a video of it so badly to post for everyone to see. The best part for me was seeing the heart beat. I was so panicked about that. We got to listen to it too, and it sounded good. Lil Luther had two very distinct legs that, at one point, were just kicking away! We got a little swimmer on our hands! We joked when we got home that s/he is getting ready for the Tour de France. haha! Here is the picture:
Sorry it is kind of blurry, but that is how it looks for us. He took so many pictures, but only gave us this one! The bottom is the head, s/he is facing left. The triangle floating in space on the top is his or her little leg!

I guess it's legit now! Aaron and I need to start getting our house ready for baby. I'll be sending emails out to new parents, but if anyone has advice on must-haves, we'd love to know!

Busy Weekend

It's been awhile since I posted, but I've just been exhausted since my trip. The trip itself was a whirlwind. I was feeling so tired the whole time. We would get up early and work all day and go to bed late. I did get a good amount of reading done in my spare time, but that was few and far between. I was irritated a lot of the time I was there, and not feeling well generally, I think because I was overdoing it and my body was letting me know. But, I did get to see some sharks, turtles, fish, crabs, etc. which is always really cool. It was so great to get home to Aaron though. I had been sort of depressed about being away from him on my birthday, but when I got home he ordered me Rusan's (my favorite) and had an awesome chocolate swiss and Reeses' cup ice cream cake waiting for me. It was so sweet! I had to teach the next day--all day. I basically felt like I spent the rest of the week just catching up on sleep and recouping.

This weekend Aaron and I cleaned out our garage (finally). It looks so good in there now, and it looks like both Aaron and I will be able to park in there once we get the garage door fixed. I am so happy about that! We also put together a gazebo for our back deck and set it up in there. Now we have an outdoor retreat! It is so nice! All we want to do is spend time outdoors, which is not usual for us since we burn so easily and we have a lot of mosquitoes.

As far as the pregnancy goes, I am still feeling crampy/pressure in my abdomen from time to time. I'm also still just as tired and nauseous, but thankfully still no vomiting. I switched my prenatal vitamin and now the time of the day I get nauseous is different, but unfortunately is still there. I still get dizzy every once and awhile, and I'm feeling pretty fat lately. I haven't gained any weight though, so I think my weight is just shifting (mostly to my chest...ugh!). One good thing, though, is that I do have my appetite back for the most part. All I want now are things like macaroni and cheese, but at least I have an appetite! Our first appointment is a week from tomorrow. I am so excited!!

Check out some pictures:
The front of our house-newly painted, with a newly stained front deck.
Our awesome organic garden!
Our new gazebo! Doesn't it make you want to come visit?
Our whole back deck--grill, outdoor seating, gazebo
Our first gifts for the baby. The bib is from Aunt Marlea and the whale socks are from Aunt Janet. How cute are they?! This shot is in the nursery. You can (kind of) see the color of the walls. Even if we have a girl, we didn't want anything too girly, so we painted it a bluish color.
First belly shot. Of course you guys all know I've never been the skinniest, but at least you have something to compare my later shots to. I've barely grown yet, at least in my stomach (haha). This is Lil Luther at 9 1/2 weeks!

Eight weeks pregnant!

Aaron and I are eight weeks pregnant today! I don't know why my pregnancy calculator thing isn't updating though. Eight weeks! I can't believe we are almost into our third month! ahh! I'm so excited! I'm even more excited that our doctor's appointment is getting closer!

Apparently our baby is about the size of a large raspberry and is making spontaneous twitching movements now, although I can't feel them.

I won't be updating for a few days because tomorrow morning around 7am I will be heading to FL with some of my students from UGA. Friday I'll drive them down and take them to Gulf Specimens, then to the dorms to get some sleep for early wake up the next day. Saturday we're going out on the boats for some trawling and then over to Cape San Blas for snorkeling and swimming. Hopefully this year no one will get stung by jellyfish! Sunday we're back out on the boats. Monday we'll be canoeing for 4 hours and then driving home. I won't get home until really late Monday, so unfortunately my birthday will be kind of awful, but ohwell. I can't do hardly anything on this field trip, so I'm kinda bummed I even have to go, but hopefully there will be some fun in it.

Mood Swings

I'm starting to experience mood swings now. Not all bad. Some things are so great, and then sometimes I'll cry over a sad or happy tv show. I feel so silly when I do that! Today I'm just feeling really down in the dumps. I've gotten so much unsolicited advice lately, and that has been making me sort of panicked. I feel like everyone already knows what is best for our child, which is so frustrating. But despite that, I also feel really alone today. I hate this. I hope it doesn't last for much longer.

I'm really craving macaroni and cheese lately also.

No other significant changes, except that I forgot to mention in an earlier post that I'm bruising really easily now. My legs are covered! I guess Lil Luther is stealing all my iron or something. I'll have to bring it up at my next doctor's appointment.

4th of July Weekend

Aaron and I got back yesterday from visiting Columbia for the 4th of July weekend. We had a pretty good time! We got to visit with his parents Thursday night. BJ, their new puppy, is so much bigger than we last saw her! And so full of energy! Friday we spent the early part of the day in the pool. We tried to get Sophie to go swimming, but she was not interested at all! We would drag her in there, and then she would just find the nearest dirt and roll around in it. haha! After we got cleaned up we went to Uncle Mike and Aunt Marlea's to visit with them and Alana and Justin. It felt like forever since we'd seen any of them, and it was so nice! We later went to Ben and Jeanette's house to spend time with friends. It was great to see everyone. On Saturday we woke up and went swimming. I eventually had to get out of the pool because I was afraid I'd throw up in it. My morning sickness really tried to get the best of me Saturday. I felt like I couldn't do anything without wanting to throw up. I finally ate some crackers and felt well enough to go over to Uncle Mike and Aunt Marlea's for her birthday and some fireworks! And this time, Nicole was there too! It was such a fun day! The fireworks were awesome, and it was just great to spend time with family. Sunday we went to brunch with Aaron's grandma, and then we hit the road for Athens. All in all, it was a pretty fun weekend.

At the doctor's I was told my morning sickness might pick up in the 6th or 7th week, and it definitely has. I'm still not throwing up though. I just feel miserable. A few friends have recommended I get Zofran from my doctor, but since I am still not throwing up, I think I might see if I can ride it out. It's weird, because it's not like a normal stomach flu or stomach ache. I can't predict what will make it feel better, and I think most of the time it's a fluke when I feel ok. It's strange.

Aside from the nausea, I've also been getting really really REALLY weird dreams. Last night I had a dream that I was at my old house and it was haunted (which I always thought it was). I was being attacked by flying clothes and hearing haunted voices. I even lost my vision in it at one point. I read that the dreams are just my anxieties about parenthood, and I can actually remember them because I'm sleeping more lightly now. They are way more vivid now than they have ever been. I can hear voices very distinctly and see images almost like in HD. It would normally be fine, except for when they are about a haunted house or something. I really wonder what they mean.

For the most part, the crampiness has gone away, and I'm not breaking out as bad as I first was. Who knew getting ready to be a mom meant you reexperience teenage trials? I'm still feeling tired all the time, but I have so much school work to do, I need to find energy and motivation from somewhere. I think I'm going to get a pregnancy yoga dvd and see if that'll help.

On a positive note, my nails are awesome! They have never been this long or strong.

In a few days I'll be 8 weeks pregnant. I can't believe the second month is nearing an end! I can't wait to see what is in store for us in the third month!

Eyelashes

Tomorrow we'll be seven weeks pregnant. I can't believe how slowly it's going! I just read that in my seventh week our baby is as big as a tic tac and weighs as much as an eyelash. For those of you that really know the weird things about me, you know how completely grossed out I am by stray eyelashes, so I'm trying not to hold it against our little one. haha.

I can't understand how small my appetite is. Literally nothing sounds good. It's awful. And when I do eat, I get full so fast. Yesterday was a hard day. I had to dissect fish with my students at UGA, and the smell of the formalin was too much for my nausea. Other than that, I am just really so tired. And lazy! I have so much to do for my classes this summer, but I have no motivation. All I want to do is lay around or sleep. My clothes also don't fit quite the same anymore, and I'm just feeling really fat. I can't wait until I am actually showing so I feel more like I'm pregnant and less like I need to go on a diet.

Athfest was over the weekend, and Aaron and I headed down both Friday and Saturday night. Friday night we went to see a sneak preview of the new Michael Cera movie Paper Heart at midnight. What a long night! I was so exhausted by the time we left, but boy was it a good movie! I love Michael Cera. Saturday night we went to watch one of Aaron's coworkers bands (he was in 3!). It was another long and exhausting night, but it was fun. We don't go out that often, and I know pretty soon we'll be going out less, so it was nice to just get out.

Aaron and I finally decided to get our house painted after the snow storm. We had an interesting experience with the painters, and despite a few tiny things we need to touch up, the house and deck look pretty good. We've ordered a gazebo for our back deck, and when it comes in and we've set it up, I'll take pictures to post for everyone.

Our garden is out of control growing so much, but nothing is ripe enough to pick yet. It's so frustrating. I can see so many tomatoes! I'm hoping within a week they'll start turning red. Not that I will be able to enjoy them this summer, with my stomach being the way it is, but at least I have some sort of green thumb! It's exciting!

I think this weekend we'll head to Columbia to visit with friends and Aaron's parents. I'm sad we aren't able to go to Ohio for our family reunion, but it'll be nice to be in Columbia. I hope everyone has a great 4th of July!

Morning Sickness

I've only thrown up once since I've been pregnant, and I had only eaten grapefruit that day and immediately got out of a hot shower. I am fairly nauseous most of the day, but for the most part, the problem has been that I am just not hungry and no food sound appetizing, so I really have to force myself to eat. Yesterday at the doctor's office we discussed some options for if my morning sickness progresses in the next few weeks from just nauseous to vomiting, but mostly it was over-the-counter medicine I can take and when not to shower. (note: apparently showering on an empty stomach can trigger vomiting!) This morning I woke up and felt AWFUL! The first thing I thought was that I wished I put crackers next to my bed as my mom had suggested. My stomach was churning, and it was all I could do to keep from throwing up. Sophie was crying to go out, and I knew I just had to make a run for it. I made it to the kitchen, shoved some crackers in my mouth, and began to feel slightly better. I didn't end up throwing up, but I came pretty close. I wonder if this means my morning sickness will start to progress. Although I definitely learned to keep crackers in our bedroom, I am still going to look for other natural remedies to prevent me from throwing up, because I really want to try to avoid medicine while I am carrying this little blessing.

First Post

I am stealing this idea from a friend of mine. Thanks, Valerie!

Aaron and I went to New Jersey to visit with my mom, stepdad, brothers, future sister-in-law, and grandparents about two weeks ago. We haven't been there in two years, and even though the weather was crumby, it was still so nice to be there. The ocean air was amazing, and it was awesome just to be with family. Aaron's friend, Shadd, came to visit, which was great, since we don't see him that often. My aunt, uncle, and mom had done some redecorating a few weeks before we got there, and they did such a great job! The house looks amazing! I can't wait to go back in a few weeks.

A few days after our trip, on June 17, I took a pregnancy test and found out that Aaron and I are pregnant! What a surprise! We decided to wait until after our first trimester to tell anyone, but that didn't last very long. I started my 6th week today. I can't believe how much I am experiencing so early! I am constantly tired, never hungry or think any food sounds good, and experiencing some cramping and pressure, but this all means the baby is growing!

I went to my first doctor's appointment today, which was basically paperwork and blood tests. I was there for 2.5 hours! I learned a lot though, and it made it seem so much more real. I can't wait to see what each new day brings, and I especially can't wait to see his/her little face and hold him/her! What an exciting time for us!