24 weeks.

i can't believe i'm already at 24 weeks.  i realized and blurted out in shock this weekend, "in 12 weeks i'll be full term!"  and then i just sat there in silence.  holy crap!  it seems so close all of a sudden.  i mean sometimes i feel like june still feels a long way off, but when i think about how fast 24 weeks has gone, to know that i only have 12 weeks til baby could really come and be fine is SCARY!  i have so much left to do!

anyway, enough panicking.  but seriously.

i am feeling great.  more than great, i feel better than before i was pregnant i think :)  i have tons of energy, i like how my body is changing, i lovelovelove feeling peanut roll around in there and love watching my belly move around with him.  it's all so amazing & i'm so grateful to be enjoying pregnancy so much.  i know it's not this easy for everyone, and who knows what the next 12-16 weeks holds for me - but for now, i'm really thankful for these blessings.

i still haven't had any food aversions or cravings in particular.  chik-fil-a breakfast pretty much always sounds good to me, but i don't necessarily crave it i don't think.  i love fruit and salad bar as a meal...but that's kind of always been true of me.  my love of coffee is BACK (hallelujah!) so i currently have no food aversions or smells that bother me.  i basically don't feel any different than before i was prego!  however - the sleep monsters have taken over my nighttime and although i know it's not entirely true, i usually get up in the morning feeling like i pretty much never went to sleep.  lots of tossing & turning.  which i know just gets worse towards the end of pregnancy!  i guess that's my only complaint :)

we found out this week that baby boy will have two girlfriends coming soon...baby huntington & baby seeba are both GIRLS!  so excited for their families, and they will both have sweet older brothers to watch over them!

so here's my 24 week picture....many thanks to sarah for all her help executing these biweekly photos shoots!

and a sweet photo of my first baby boy...

 we found out on monday that he has bone cancer, osteosarcoma.  we are of course heartbroken, and are trying to navigate our short future with him.  so far he seems to just have pain in his front right leg with walking, and so he limps, but otherwise seems pretty alert & playful still.  we are soaking up our days with him and absolutely spoiling him rotten.  my hope is that he stays long enough with us to meet our peanut in june.  i would love nothing more than to be able to photograph my boys together.  we call this look "the stuffed pig" - he is obsessed with his tennis ball from the Hubs.  it squeaks & is his fave.  he carries it around like this in his mouth, almost a pacifier.  or - hence the name - like a stuffed pig with apple in mouth :)  thank you for making us laugh through our tears, puppydog.

looking forward this week to the gestational diabetes test...aka drinking the disgusting sugar drink!  fingers crossed for a good report!

hello, again.

welcome back, my LOVE!!!

while on our babymoon, i had my first sip of coffee since week 5 when my tummy first turned at the smell.  and over the last couple weeks i have slowly rekindled my love affair with coffee.  thank goodness, it has been my only real aversion since being pregnant.  but it was hard to hate the smell of it so much, i think i had more of an emotional attachment than a physical dependence on the caffeine.  i just missed sipping a cup in the morning - and tea wasn't cutting it!

so glad i'm back to being myself...well, at least in this one area ;)

babymoon deets.

a babymoon was something i'd obscurely heard of in the past with prego friends.  just a little getaway with the hubs before the baby comes; to be alone, celebrate such a sweet time in your life together, and relax while mama still feels good ;)   what's not to love right? 

i am so grateful that mike and i were able to take a babymoon.

we just started talking about it a couple months before, once i started realizing how limited our time together "just us" was getting.  how fast pregnancy was going & how desperately i wanted to hold onto the just me & him feeling even while being thrilled about adding to our family.  so he got to planning - he's SO good at this, oh my gosh - and i got to anticipating.  he gave me little hints every day for a week before announcing where we were going.  i knew the dates but nothing else.  my excitement was overwhelming when i put the puzzle pieces of his hints together and realized we were going to CABO SAN LUCAS!!!

we had an amazing long weekend together on the beaches of mexico.  to date, our best vacation ever.  by a long shot.  every bit of our time together there, the resort, the food, the atmosphere, the serenity - was perfect.

here are the pics to prove it ;)

this is the view from our balcony.  uninterrupted private beach for three miles in front of the resort.  cabana beds for free reservation (oh yes we booked one!).  and what we called "our personal cactus" - loved the xeroscaped grounds and simple decor.

best part of relaxing by one of the beautiful pools: food & drink service to the lounge chairs!  i enjoyed several (virgin) pina coladas.  it was mexico, afterall!

the pools were heated and were amazing.  they felt like bathwater!  good news for a girl who gets cold easily :)  mike and i had a wonderful time just floating around in the water together all day.  my pedi matched the turquoise waters perfectly!

the ocean here is too rough to swim in but was so beautiful.  we had several walks along the water each morning - love this first picture of our footprints.  it was serene and isolated and absolutely perfect.

the sunsets were so beautiful as well.  the first night we got there we saw several whales breaching in the sunset.  kind of ridiculous how perfect it was.   we actually saw whales every day several times, they migrate north in february towards alaska where they spawn and then head south again for warmer waters by july.  very cool to see so many of them from the beach!

our awesome patio loungers, where we had breakfast delivered to the porch every morning.  and i successfully tried my first cup of coffee again since getting pregnant!  it was awesome to discover my love for it coming back!!

view from the lounger.

looking up at our little room/patio.

mike of course had to take a few pregnancy pics for me :)

i loved wearing a bikini and not having to suck it in :)

we reserved one of these beds our last full day there, and absolutely loved lounging out there all day.  we had lunch delivered, took a nap, and witnessed a huge whale breach really close to the shore.  it was surreal.  the most relaxing day together ever.

and my favorite pic together from the trip.

love of my life: so happy to be on this adventure with you.  thank you for planning & taking me on the most special vacation ever and for celebrating over & above this time in our lives together.  i love you!

22 weeks. and a babymoon!

just got back from the best vacation mike & i have ever taken: cabo san lucas, mexico!!  we had four days off together & my sweets planned a surprise "babymoon" for us.  a time to get away just me & him.  and toast to all the love & adventure that's to come in this next chapter of our lives.

it was extra special too because mike felt baby boy move for the first time!  we had just laid down for the night and as usual, the peanut started his acrobatics, and let his daddy in on the fun:)  best part of it, the big day fell on the 12th of the month - it seems to be our day for all things special!

this vacation was RIPE with good conversation, belly-aching laughter, and quiet sweet moments together.  not to mention the amazing scenery of a little resort on the sea.  it was perfect, and just what we needed.

welcome, 22 weeks!

it's a BOY!

i can NOT believe we're having a son!!

everything looked great on the ultrasound today, for which we are so grateful.  and seeing that he was clearly a HE was a very exciting moment for us ;)

let the pinterest-ing, shopping & overall obsessing about all things BOY begin!

can't sleep!

my ultrasound is tomorrow, and we get to find out if baby A is a boy or a girl peanut.

i cannot go to sleep tonight despite getting up super early for work this morning (hello 5 o'clock hour) and early tomorrow morning too.  i don't care if i have toothpicks in my eyes in the morning because come 12:30pm i'll be laying on a table and waiting for the biggest news of this pregnancy so far.  except maybe, those two lines :)

i've felt like peanut is a boy since the day i found out i was pregnant.  lots of people even have told me the way i'm carrying - ALL out front - that it's a boy.  i've even referred a lot to "him" - mostly because i don't like calling the baby "it."  but then last week i had two dreams that it was a girl.  probably just proof that i actually have no idea, and no control.  i always hate when people say "i don't care, as long as they're healthy" when asked which gender they prefer.  but now i'm saying the same thing.  i think in some ways i'll be shocked either way...i really have no idea what i'm carrying...and i truly will be thrilled either way.  it's an amazing feeling to know that i'd love a girl baby & i'd love a boy baby.

we can't lose either way.

so baby A - show your stuff tomorrow!!

p.s. the movement every day that i'm feeling is crazier than i expected.  last night i laid in bed with my tummy bare, watching my baby kick visibly.  coolest thing ever.  i'm addicted to feeling him or her stretch and turn and live inside me.

18 weeks.

18 weeks.

how is this possible?  i feel like i just saw that second line show up, i remember how my hands were shaking and i wasn't sure (but inside i was), and how excited i was to tell the Hubs & then everyone else.  and now i stand on the brink of the halfway point, having seen the peanut several times on ultrasound (thanks for hiding your heartbeat from the doppler, little baby!).  and i can't believe i'm here, 18 weeks into the rest of my life.  

i want to speed some things up:  finding out if baby is a he or she in two weeks...feeling the tiny movements more often...picking out sweet bedding & tiny clothes.

but i want to slow some things down, too:  the last months with just me & mike...growing this little life inside me...feeling so great, with energy & shiny hair & looking cute-prego and not yet uncomfortable-prego :)

so i stand at 18 weeks with mixed emotions.  slow down & hurry up.

in other news, we got an ultrasound at my 17 week appointment last week because the doctor couldn't find peanut's heartbeat with the little doppler machine.  even though i know it's possible, since i heard it at work one day a couple weeks ago just for fun.  anyway, i'm not complaining because i loved seeing baby kicked back relaxing :)  i couldn't believe how much bigger he/she is since my 12 week ultrasound.  baby wasn't moving around much, just relaxing back kicking his/her foot occasionally!  and no, that's not an identifying organ in the middle - think that's a hand!!  we find out the gender on february 1... 

excuse the dirty closet mirror, what is up with that?  anyway, this is a picture from this morning of my belly followed by one this evening when i got home from work - i started a temporary job at work monday thru friday doing admin stuff, hence the dressier clothes.  i'm so much bigger by evening, it's weird!  you can see how much higher up i'm showing by evening.  my belly pretty much migrates up into my bra!  but this is first thing in the morning...strange still to see a baby bump in the mirror when i get up for the first time.  i forget it's there, but it's not going away in the mornings anymore :)

i feel great right now, i have tons of energy and have loved being able to work out again.  i stopped for awhile with the spotting & cramping i had first trimester.  so i'm just running a couple miles a few days a week & doing light weights.  but it feels awesome.  and i feel cute at this point instead of feeling like i'm looking kind of pudgy the way early pregnancy is, and before getting big & uncomfortable like late pregnancy can be for most people.  i haven't had any more GI problems (nausea or the horrible constipation) since about week 11.  i'm eating normally again instead of every two hours like i was first trimester & have gained six pounds since i got prego which is great.  i just told mike tonight, "i know what my mom meant when she said she's never felt better than when she was pregnant."  it suits me just fine so far!  i can't sleep on my tummy anymore, and i'm a tummy sleeper, so that's been interesting.  i need to get a giant body pillow, think that will help me be more restful at night.  i wake up a lot, i think just changing positions because i don't sleep solidly on my side or back...but i go back to sleep easily so that's fine for now.  i know it will only get worse as i get bigger, haha!  i haven't had any real cravings yet, and my only aversion is still to coffee (even the thought of coffee can make me gag).  still mourning that loss!

so that's the update!  hope to not go four more weeks between posts...thank you holidays :)

facebook-official.

we're now official!  at least by social media standards ;)

so excited to use this photo, with the caption "one more present on the way! arriving june 2012," on my facebook today!!  the immediate flood of sweet words from friends all over the US brought tears to my eyes.  i am so lucky to have such sweet people excited for us.

yay for this fun adventure!!

14 weeks.

well, it's been a busy few weeks!  the holidays have a way of making that happen :)

Christmas 2011 was so good to us.  i spent the weekend before in missouri with my family and it was such a good time with them, as always.  and as usual, hard to leave.  i came home to snow, a couple work days at the hospital, and then Christmas was upon us!  mike and i had a great time celebrating with his mom, sarah & kate...and Christmas eve dinner with our koepp family.  lots of great gifts were exchanged & too much good food enjoyed this season!!

i feel really good right now.  i haven't had any nausea since about week 11, and i have much more energy again.  i even had enough energy to work out today for the first time in TOO many weeks.  the constipation-from-hell has also resolved & overall, i feel great.  i just keep hoping that my love of all things coffee returns soon.  the mere thought of it still nauseates me, and frankly, i miss it.

anyway, i'm making the announcement on facebook this week - but here is my 14 week belly shot.  in the last few weeks, i've developed quite a bump by the end of the day, but this week i noticed it doesn't go away in the mornings anymore.  i think it's here to stay :)

baby A, you got your first presents this week from family & friends, which was awesome.  we are getting SO excited about your summer 2012 arrival!

12 weeks with a bonus ultrasound.

i got to have an ultrasound this morning for my 12 week appointment.  the doctor couldn't hear the heartbeat with the doppler (which is normal this early) so she got out the portable ultrasound and i got to see baby A jumping around on the screen.  the little peanut was practically doing flips, stretching his/her legs & waving his/her arms.  it was seriously the coolest part of my pregnancy so far!  i can't believe how much he/she was moving, even though i can't feel a thing yet.  pregnancy is such an incredible experience.  i was so glad mike was able to come to my appointment with me, as i didn't even think to ask him til last night.  it was awesome being able to see the baby together & laugh so hard at the antics going on in my tummy.  every time i laughed, baby started jumping again. i did have a passing thought of, "this may be a bad sign" when i saw how active he/she was being!! ;)  we may be in for a real spaz!

i call this picture, "baby has a question!"

well, please excuse the horrible iPhone photo below, but you can see that i'm starting to really show now.  and i think it's more than just bloating.  although by evening it's more bloating.  anyway, i wake up with a little bump now and buttoning ANY of my pants is a thing of the past.  i actually bought my first pair of maternity pants this week at old navy.  i don't quite fill them out yet, but they were instantly more comfortable than my jeans + belly band combo.  basically as soon as i get home, and out of the public eye, i'm into my comfy pj pants.  i'm hoping in the next few weeks i can really fill out the maternity jeans.  i've got to get another pair somewhere though since i'd wear the heck out of the one pair i have :)  anyway, i think to the average stranger who doesn't know differently, i just look a little pudgy.  but i can tell i'm showing and it's so exciting!

in other updates, my nausea practically stopped about 10-14 days ago.  i just woke up one morning and didn't feel like yakking the second my eyes opened.  quite an improvement!  i actually was hoping everything was still okay with baby since i expected to have morning sickness longer than week 11, but after seeing baby doing perfectly fine on ultrasound, i'm just thanking my lucky stars that i feel better so early.  and i made it without ever throwing up (my least fave thing ever).  yay!

i can't believe i'm almost 13 weeks now.  i told my boss at work this week, and now that everything is okay and i'm wrapping up my first trimester it's pretty much public knowledge.  so exciting to have time moving along so quickly.  i'm excited to move into my second trimester feeling much better all around.  i'll try to get a better 12 week baby-bump picture this week...for posterity's sake if nothing else.  the goal is to get one every two weeks.

coming up this week is my trip home for price family Christmas & ruthie's graduation.  i'm so excited to see my family for the first time since being prego.  it's such a fun time to share with them!