Half-way there

We've hit the half-way mark now. In just the last couple of days my belly button has begun to disappear. The baby is now 10" long from head to toe and I will gain about a pound a week now which may explain my growing appetite. We've put away most of our baby shower gifts in the "new" dresser we bought. It's starting to look like a baby's room in here.

under the sea

We went shopping in Portland and stopped at a mall on the way home. The first store I spotted was a Pottery Barn Kids and I asked John if we could go in. I said, "I know we won't buy anything, it's so expensive, but I just want to look." Their crib bedding is so cute. We were looking at it all and John found one he loved...sea creatures.
All of their bumpers are $70-100, just for the bumper! But this one was on sale. We asked the price and were told $11.99! So, of course we brought it home. Its adorable. It has a sea turtle, an octopus, a seahorse, a sand dollar, a sea star and more embroidered on it. We're planning to have solid sheets to go with it. We've already been asked and we're not going to do a sea life theme, we'll probably just use the colors in the bumper for the room.
We can't wait to see everybody in FL and share our new ultrasound pics that we'll have by then.

It's moving!

On Thursday, I was driving home from work and I felt like I drove over a big dip in the road. My stomach sort of flip-flopped. I realized I hadn't driven over anything and the feeling wasn't going away, it changed a little bit. So I knew then it was the first little flutterings of our baby. I felt it again a couple times on Friday at school too.
Its the most excited I've been since we found out we were pregnant.

More cute kid stuff and my belly

I read a book with them called, Our Teacher's Having a Baby. In the book, the class puts stickers on the teacher's belly. So several of my students made stickers for the baby with tape.

Cute kid stuff

My class is so excited about the baby too. Earlier this week, one of my students made a book, "for you to read to your baby." Just in case you're not used to reading little kid writing, I'll start you off. It says, "Hush little baby..."

Two hearts that beat as one

This week we went to the doctor and had a wonderful experience. We heard Charisma's heartbeat! (that is the baby's new name) The nurse pulled out this ancient looking piece of equipment from like Radio Shack or something, and through its crackling, scratchy speaker came a beautiful thump, thump that was our baby. At first she couldn't find the little thing, so I got nervous, but soon enough my fears were replaced by a big smile when I heard that sound for the first time. Megan almost cried, her cheeks were glowing pink with excitement. -John

The secrets out

This week I told everyone at school that we're pregnant. Some people (including my principal) were totally shocked but others said they suspected. My kids were really excited. They said they would write stories for me to read to the baby and make me a list of things I need. Several of them promised me they would buy me a bottle or toys. One boy asked if I would bring the baby to school. He promised, "We will not cough on it or touch it so it doesn't get our germs." I've trained them well. :)

We go to the doctor on Thursday, so we'll post the ultrasound picture then.

Boy or girl?

It is one or the other now. All I know is whichever one it is, its hormones are not mixing well with mine. I was sick a bunch this weekend. Ugh. I thought I was feeling better, I was rarely nauseous anymore, but it hit me all of a sudden. Now I've taken to wearing the sea-sickness wrist bands. They seem to help.

This week, week 11, begins "rapid growth". It's about an inch at the beginning of the week, and by the end, it will be double that! My uterus is about the size of a grapefruit. All of a sudden I have a little pooch. I put John's hand on it yesterday and he couldn't believe it. I swear, it came out of nowhere.

I'm off for a nap. First graders on Halloween can wear a prego out!

Check this out!

Most of you have heard me talk about 2 of my good friends that I used to teach with: Christy & Jamie. They both have daughters 2 and 3 years old. Now they're both pregnant again, which is so nice for me! They've sent me some really amazing links.

This one:
http://www.umm.edu/pregnancy/9monthmiracle/tools/fetaltool.html
is really scary to me when I look at where all of my organs will go....especially in my short little torso! This baby better stay small, but healthy.

This one:
http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/pregnancycalendar/l/blweek10.htm
is from a weekly pregnancy calendar. You can actually listen to a 10 week old fetus' heartbeat. It got me a little teary-eyed. That might have been the hormones though. John & I watched a sitcom a couple nights ago and one of the characters had a baby. I had tears streaming down my face. It's a little ridiculous.

There are about 15 classroom teachers at school and 4 of us that are pregnant right now. 3 of us are due in May. I'm the only one that is still a secret. My principal doesn't know yet. Any advice for when and how I should tell him? I'm thinking about waiting until after a big district-wide staff development day (Nov. 9). I have to lead 2 sessions, so I figure if all that goes well, it might be a good time to share our news. I'm thinking it might prove to him that I can still keep my head at work and be professional.

Week 9!

This week the baby will get elbows and start moving around on its own! So independent already!
John & I bought our first presents for the little buddy...books, of course.

Only 3 more weeks until I hit the 2nd trimester. Everyone is promising me that I'll have some more energy by then. I got sick this weekend, so now when I feel nauseous, I get very scared. I'm also fighting a nasty cold that's going around the adults at work, so I think it was a combination of the two that pushed me over the edge.

John has been amazing. He makes all of my food for me and doesn't seem to get offended when I have to leave the kitchen half way through the meal. He cleans, does laundry, goes grocery shopping, and encourages me to keep sitting around. I keep telling him to slack off a little so I don't feel so guilty, but he just can't. I'm having a hard time figuring out how this has zapped so much energy, but John seems to take it all in stride.

First doctor visit and pics of the larvae

Megan and I went to the doctor today for the first time. Everthing was wonderful. After being with Dr. Amey Lee for only a couple of minutes we were able to get a glimpse of our new baby who I was calling Squishy, but has now grown up to Larvae.

In the photo, the head is to the right and you can make out little buds that will become the arms and the legs. The heart is kind of in the middle and we were able to watch it flutter on the screen. So cool! Off the head, that looks like a stocking cap, is the yolk sack, which will disappear soon.

The baby is due on May 17th!

Guess what?

When two people love each other very much, sometimes their love grows to make a third.

Catch our drift?

We're pregnant!