25 Weeks

A picture from this morning's ultrasound. The little guy was VERY active, but we managed to get some very precious pictures.

Thanksgiving Weekend and Baby Shower

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Mike and I had a very long drive to his parents, about 2 hours longer than normal because of some road construction and bad weather. After 7 hours in the car with 2 cats after working a full day, I was very happy to be there.

On Saturday Mike's mom threw us a baby shower and it was a lot of fun. No silly baby shower games were played (hurray!), instead I got to visit with all of Mike's cousins, aunts, great-aunts and other family friends. We had a very big group, around 30 people there, and we got so many awesome things for the baby - car seat, high chair, bouncy seat, exersaucer - the list goes on and on. We are so blessed to have such an amazing support system, I only wish they were closer!

Here is a picture of Mike and I at the shower - I'm finally posting a picture of the baby bump at 24 1/2 weeks.

An Early Christmas Present

My mom emailed me saying she was sending our Christmas present early and that it should be here next week with instructions to open it when it arrived. Last night I came home to a very large box and Michael and I opened it together and found the very cute crib bedding set we had registered for. I absolutely love it! I didn't want something baby-ish that would look out of place in a year (think bugs or safari animals), instead I was going for something modern and fun. Here is the set including the curtains she bought for us as well.

I can't wait to get everything all set up in the nursery. Little by little its starting to come together. Now I just need to find artwork or some sort of wall decorations (without involving painting the walls) and a little shelving. I like the pictures they used in below, but at $133 each, that is out of the question. I might try my hand at a little artwork of my own and see how well I do.

23 Weeks and Sick

I came down with a sore throat and cold this weekend, and let me tell you, being sick while pregnant is no fun. There are little to no medications that you can take, and certainly none that knock you out and get you through the nigh like Nyquil. So instead, you get to suffer through with some cough drops (but only certain brands, and not those you'd normally buy), and some regular tylenol. I can't wait until this cold is gone!

Luckily the weekend is almost here and I can relax and take lots of naps. I've got a really good head start on my Christmas shopping and hope to get more done this weekend. I like to be done with the majority before Thanksgiving because I just can't deal with all of the crowds afterwards.

First Flakes

Around 10am we got about 20 minutes of a full sky of snowflakes. It was beautiful against the still orange and red trees, but felt a little premature. I can tell Fall is officially here as my skin has started to completely dry out like it does every year.

Holidays are near

I just noticed that Thanksgiving is only 2 1/2 weeks away. Where does all of the time go? I was at the mall this weekend and Macy's was all decked out for Christmas already, which felt too early, but the sight of it did kickstart my holiday shopping.

Thanksgiving weekend Mike's mom is throwing us a baby shower, which should be a lot of fun, and there will be none of those silly baby shower games played. I love being up there and I always feel so lucky to have married into such an amazing family.

I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year too. It will have been a year since I've been home to Seattle and I am missing my family and friends so much lately. I can't wait for them to see my growing belly (and boy, is it growing) and just spend time reconnecting face-to-face. I've got a laundry list of people I want to visit, places I want to see, and restaurants I'm craving to eat at again. Ann Arbor seriously lacks in the good chinese food department, so I'm planning to get my fill of Black Pearl while I'm there.

Fun Stuff

We got the baby's crib together this weekend which we wanted to accomplish before Michael's 8-week surgery rotation that started yesterday which will mean he'll be home very little before Christmas. Also, Ballard has been enjoying the baby swing I picked up...as you can see.

20 Week Update

I am officially past the halfway mark (yesterday) and I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. On Monday I a doctors appointment and had my first non-study ultrasound, which was so much fun as it really focused on the baby. Our sonographer even did a little 3D time, which is amazing - as you can see. This was at the end of the ultrasound and our little boy must have been thinking while throwing his hand over his face "You have enough pictures, I want to go back to sleep now".

The pregnancy has been going really well. I'm starting to show and have moved completely into maternity pants, which are very, very comfortable. I've only gained 3 pounds but its shocking out relatively small amount added to the front of your stomach can do!

Our First Year

Yesterday Mike and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. We spent a good majority of the day relaxing around the house and then headed about 30 miles out of town to do a little shopping and have a nice dinner. We had a very yummy dinner at the Melting Pot which left us both very full, or so I thought.

Less than an hour after we got home Mike was already itching to break into our wedding cake that his mom had so nicely stored for us all year. We fed each other a small bite, and it was suprisingly not too bad. Mike must have thought it was even better, because before I knew it, nearly the entire thing was gone. There aren't many foods he likes more than cheese and cake, so I think this anniversary is going to be hard to top for him!

Happy anniversary baby, here's to a very exciting year ahead of us and many more to come. I love you.

Indian Summer

Its going to be 89 degrees in Ann Arbor today. Although its nice to have a long fall season, this isn't fall. It's like the worst days of summer - hot and humid. Where are the nice crisp mornings that beckon for cashmere sweaters to finally be pulled out of the closet? I'm ready for a real fall, but I'm afraid the weather is going to transition from hot to downright cold.

Unexpected greeting

After a lazy Sunday breakfast this morning Mike and I were sitting on the couch when I felt a faint tapping/flipping in my lower stomach. At first I thought nothing of it, and then it happened again. It was the baby moving! I'm so glad Mike and I were sitting right next to each other at that very moment, it was amazing!

It's a BOY!

Yum

It's finally Honeycrisp apple season again! Whereas you can find most apple varieties all year round, Honeycrisp are relatively new to the apple game and aren't produced yet in high enough numbers to get them through the late winter and spring.

If you haven't tried them, you should. They are very firm like a granny smith, and crunchy, but have a great flavor sort of remenicient of a braeburn.

I realize its silly to go on and on about an apple, but truly, they are delicious.

Dollar Theatre

I love going to the dollar theatre. Not only do you get the theatre experience, but hey, it's only a dollar! We saw I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, which was funny. It was full of great one-liners and kept us laughing.

Mike has the entire weekend off between his OBGYN and Psyc rotation which starts next week, so we are going to be running errands. We're driving around to different stores to look at cribs and nursery furniture. It feels so early to be doing it, but I guess it takes anywhere from 12-18 weeks for it to arrive, and I'd like to at least have it set up and ready a few weeks before I'm actually due. The last thing I want to worry about it having to assemble a crib with a huge belly in the way.

About the size of a peach

I've been waiting for weeks and weeks to say it, but I'm pregnant! I actually started the second trimester today and the baby is currently about the size of a peach.

Happy Birthday!

A birthday shout out to Heather who turns the big 3-0 today. She had what looked to be a very fun birthday outing at Emerland Downs this weekend. I wish I could have been there to celebrate your special day (and the cupcakes). And lucky her (and Jay, too), she heads out on her belated honeymoon in just a few short days to Ireland! Have fun!

Superbad

We went to see Superbad this weekend with some friends, and it was by far one of the funniest movies I've seen in so long. We spent the entire ride back home afterwards repeating lines from the movie. I can't wait until it comes out on DVD so I can see the deleted scenes and outakes.

Strange

The last few days I've had this huge longing for Halloween. I don't know if its because I want it to be fall, or what it is exactly. I'm craving fall leaves, pumpkin carving and wool sweaters. I'm trying to satiate it all by eating some pumpkin seeds, but thats only increasing my desire for the spooky holiday to be here!

Baby

Mike is doing his OBGYN rotation for the next 5 weeks and had to work the weekend on the OB floor at the hospital. He got to deliver about 5 babies, and one all by himself because the woman progressed so quickly. Its been fun to hear the stories when he comes home at night, but he did say that they are slimy and gross when they come out!

I'm particularily enjoying this rotation because out of 6 weeks, he only had 3 overnights, which he did all of them this past weekend. I hate when he's gone every 4th or 6th night, so this will be nice. He has psychiatry next which shouldn't include any overnights either, so I'll get spoiled before he hits his surgery rotation, and then I won't see him for weeks it will seem.

Pictures In

I finally ordered and received my wedding pictures. While I don't love 90% of them, this is one that I think is nice. Its also the one I chose for our wall portrait, but in black and white.