24/25 week update

Today I am officially 25 weeks! Really?! Already?! It can't be that long already, can it? I know, I know, time is just going to fly from here on out. But seriously, this pregnancy has gone by way faster than I expected. And I've been loving every minute of it.

I had my 24 week checkup on Tuesday morning. I scheduled another sonogram just to make sure we didn't miss something on the last one. Randy is in Fire School now, so couldn't come to the appointment with me. So I called my mom and invited her down. She drove down Monday evening and spent the night with us. We got up Tuesday, stopped by Sonic for some OJ (which I hear is supposed to make babies more alert for sonograms) and arrived at the doctor's office. I checked in and they informed me that I would be doing the glucose test before the sonogram. We headed to the lab where I got to choose between orange or fruit punch. I chose orange and started drinking it. It really wasn't bad. Maybe I just picked the right flavor, but it seemed like really sweet Kool-Aid to me.

By the time we got in for the sonogram, baby girl was very active. The first image the sonographer got just verified she is indeed a girl! Wasn't shy a bit, but who could be after OJ and orange glucose stuff? We got to see her yawn and turn around a few times. She wouldn't give us a profile pic, but was very active. I think she gets that from her daddy.

My doctor said I am measuring right where I should be. My blood pressure is a little higher than normal (non-pregnancy) for me, but no worries yet. He said that it probably will start going down soon, so that was good news. I did gain a few more pounds this month, but the doctor didn't seem concerned about that either. I'm really trying to eat healthy, its just that I am hungry every few hours! lol!

Here are this months pics for your enjoyment.




I don't know if it just me, but I think I look so much bigger in the latest pictures. Maybe its the shirt? :)

After the appointment, we came home and I worked for a few hours. Mom was sweet enough to clean our bathrooms for us and do some laundry. Thank you so much Mom! We really appreciate it. Later that afternoon we headed out to Babies R Us and Target to start our registries. Wow! I know babies require a lot of stuff - but who knew there were so many choices! We were in Babies R Us for 2+ hours! I did find a stroller I liked though. I'd been debating on whether to get the travel system where the car seat matches the stroller or just find a stroller and car seat separately. Well we ended up going with separate ones. Most of the travel strollers that I liked, thought were safe, and hadn't been recalled, were HEAVY!! The lighter ones just didn't seem sturdy. Then we found one that looked like a cross between an umbrella stroller and regular stroller. It was sturdy, only weighed 19 lbs, was easy to fold up and get this - you can put the car seat carrier in it to use it like a travel system! Just what I was looking for. Plus I think Randy will like it too. :) I'm so glad Mom and I were able to get the biggest chunk of our registry out of the way. I still have to do Walmart, but have been able to do alot of it online. yay!

Well, I think that's about it. No new cravings - just eating a lot of fruit. Heartburn did hit me the other night when we took Mom to Outback, but I'm hoping it is a one time occurance. It hasn't happened since. Sleeping has been better, and a friend is sending me a pattern for a pillow she made which she says has been heaven sent for her during pregnancy. I can't wait to try it out. Well stay warm!

Our BIG Reveal

We got to continue our Christmas celebration by having our BIG doctor/sonogram appointment the Monday after Christmas. I kind of wish we had known before our trip so we could have told everyone in person, but it just didn't work out. Randy and I arrived at the appointment on time and checked in. Then we proceeded to sit for like 5-10 minutes. I was a tiny bit worried because this office is usually never behind or if they are they tell you. So I asked the receptionist who proceeded to tell us our sonogram had been canceled. What?! Come to find out since I had a sonogram at 17 weeks to check that everything was ok after a minor scare, and they had done all the measurements they needed then, our sonogram we had scheduled for that day was canceled. The kicker in all this is they canceled it the morning of the appointment! Without telling us. The receptionist told us we would have to talk to the nurse about why it was canceled and see if they would still do the sonogram or not. I was bummed and upset. We weren't able to tell at 17 weeks what our little blessing was because she wouldn't uncross her legs. We still wanted to know though. They ended up telling us we would have to schedule another appointment for a sonogram. This normally wouldn't have been a big deal, but Randy was about to start school and wouldn't be able to come to appointments with me much longer.

This is where I have to praise my wonderful husband. He left me in the room for my doctor visit and went up front to see if they had an open appointment anytime today. Thankfully they did, he scheduled us for it and all was good. We got in for our sonogram and as you all know, IT'S A GIRL!!!! Honestly, I still was skeptical. How are you supposed to make anything out of the black and white sonogram pictures? But we were still excited. I had almost convinced myself it was a boy, but still didn't really know. We didn't have a preference either way and would have been excited for either.



Afterwards we called our family (who we had given 2 cards to). I had the idea to take 2 pictures - 1 saying "It's a Girl!" and 1 saying "It's a Boy!" and put them into separate unmarked cards. Then when we found out we told our families which one to open. It was fun and made it seem a little more special to get to share that moment with them.

We currently haven't settled on a name. I have one I love, Randy has a few he likes, but we haven't agreed on one yet. Hopefully we can soon! We've been told we should have a poll and let people vote on our faves. I'm still considering it! :)

20, er, uh, 22 week update! A little late!

So I was doing so good, posting pregnancy updates every month. Then came the holidays and all that went out the window. So here is my 20/22 week update.

I was 20 weeks on Christmas day, which was pretty special. We hit our halfway mark on Christmas! Woo-hoo! I've definitely noticed a difference in the last month. Baby girl and I are both growing. People actually notice I'm pregnant now. It also has been more "real" lately since we can "see" her growing and feel her too. On the day of our big sonogram, I was sitting on the couch watching TV. She started kicking and I put Randy's hand on my stomach. She kicked just for him! We thought it was the coolest thing. :)

As far as symptoms, the only thing that I've been struggling with is sleep. Not that I can't go to sleep. Its the staying asleep and comfortable part. I've always been a side sleeper, but suddenly when I can't sleep on my back, I want too! I've had Randy switch sides of the bed with me twice to try to find a better position. Good thing we have a king sized bed! Otherwise he might be in the guest room! (You know I'm only teasing....)

I've officially outgrown all non-maternity pants except my comfy pj's. I thought it was pretty good to last this long before making the maternity clothes transition. Thankfully a sweet friend loaded me up with her stash and now I'm not wearing the same pair of pants to work each day. Thanks Jami!

Hmmm...no strange cravings, just hungry every 2 hours or so. Trying my best to eat lots of fruit and veggies and whole grains, but every once in a while ice cream tastes sooo good.

I'm hoping to start working on what we need for this little girl soon. We are in the middle of house hunting, so I don't want to get a ton of stuff to only have to pack it up and move it. Be praying we have wisdom and clarity as we have a few possibilities available to us. Just need to know which one fits us best. I know God has a reason its taken this long, just have to be patient and trust!

And the pics (what you all were waiting for)...18, 20 and 22 weeks. Enjoy!

Christmas in NM & West Texas - Part 2

Back to Christmas!

Christmas Eve, after we all were in our pj's and ready for bed, Grandpa let the 2 kiddos (Bella and Caleb) open 1 present each.

They got matching Mr. Potato Heads! Remember how much fun those were?!

Christmas morning, we woke up early (even me, after a night of not sleeping and feeling nauseous) and Kristi shared the Christmas Box with us. Caleb had so much fun pulling out each item. If you have never seen or heard of the Christmas box it really is a neat concept. There is a story that goes with it that talks about Santa visiting to tell about the true meaning of Christmas. Each item in the box represents something about Christmas. Its is a cool way to let little ones see visually what the real reason for the season is.

Then it was time for presents! Caleb could not wait!

Excuse the realness of this picture, but this is how we look in the mornings! ha!

Caleb opening his new firetruck from us.

Bella and Kristi opening presents.

Bella's Mrs. Potato Head (we really had no idea she was getting a Mr. Potato Head!)

Bella's new microphone

Bella & Grandpa

The cutie in her pj's on Christmas night.

And just to prove Bella's favorite person that week was Uncle Randy,

For a child who would almost cry any time Uncle Randy came near, she latched on to him that week and wouldn't let go. It was fun to see them play together. I know our little girl is going to love her Daddy and Daddy is going to have so much fun with her too.

I don't really remember what started this photo op, but it was too cute not to share.

Someone told Bella to "talk to Jesus" and this is what she did. Isn't it adorable?

Bella & Nana

Nana, Grandpa, & Bella


We had a great time in New Mexico for Christmas. On Saturday we loaded up and headed back to Odessa for a quick stop before we went home.

Brian, Janelle, and Jonathan stopped by to see us while we were there. It was so good to catch up with them. Jonathan is getting to be so grown up! And sadly, he still remembers the slide and the big fall we had when they came to visit last January. But he graciously let me give him a hug and a kiss before they left, so I guess I didn't scar him too badly!


If you would like to look at all 250+ pictures from our trip you can go here. Enjoy!

Baby Gear - What is Hot

I know you all are anxiously awaiting the continuation of our Christmas blogs and all the info about the day we found out we are having a girl, but I'm taking a break to blog about something else - baby gear.

Since we found out we were pregnant, I've been casually shopping around online looking for ideas on everything from car seats to cribs, and bedding to strollers. Let me say, there is A LOT of baby stuff out there to choose from. Thankfully, I know lots of people who have recently had babies, so several have kindly offered their advice. This is where all you moms come in. I would like to know what your favorite baby gear/gadget was/is, what you recommend for everything from car seats to cribs, what gadget you just couldn't live without, and if you have any DO NOT USE/BUY items, those would be helpful too. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! I'll try to compile them into another post so we all can read them after a week or so.

Christmas in NM & West Texas-Part 1

This year we spent Christmas with Randy's dad in NM. Andrew, Kristi, and Bella met us at our apartment. We loaded their SUV and headed out to Odessa. After a few bathroom breaks, and dinner at Sweetwater (restaurant shall remain nameless), we finally pulled into Odessa around 10:30. We all were so ready to get out of the car. If we only knew what was ahead.

We went to bed, only to wake up to a very sick Andrew. Let's just say, he was the only one of us who ate the pizza and he's the only one who got sick. We quarantined him to the bedroom and the rest of us hung out, enjoying the short time we had together. After a yummy dinner of brisket, it was time to open presents! Bella got to go first, of course. We didn't get to see her on her birthday this year, so she got an extra one from me and Uncle Randy to open first. This was her birthday bear (complete with handmade tutu!).

And because every little girl needs a tutu too...

Bella got one too! Thanks to Tiffany, I got this last minute gift finished just in time. I think she likes it. :)

Bella got lots of other fun toys/stuff from Mim & Papaw Bruce. It was fun to watch her open all her gifts, she knew exactly what to do and would go right from one to the next one!

We did our stockings next. Randy & I had a lot of fun this year trying to figure out what to put in the stockings. Who knew they made Fruit & Nut candy bars?


Sunday morning we headed out very early to New Mexico. Andrew was feeling better, finally, and all of us were praying we didn't get whatever he had. The drive was good, long, but good. And we ALL were ready to get out once we got to Ronnie & Lupita's house around lunch time.

Monday, Kristi woke up sick and was in bed all day. Lupita and I went grocery shopping and that afternoon the guys went shooting. Bella and I hung out by ourselves that afternoon. Poor baby girl wasn't feeling the best. By Tuesday afternoon, she had a very high fever. High enough to warrant a trip to the ER. The doctor just told them it was a high fever with unknown origin, gave her Tylenol and Ibuprofen, and an antibiotic and we headed home. By that time, it had started snowing! We stopped at Walmart to get some last minute necessities (if we got snowed in) and Bella and I stayed in the car. We were playing with her toys, and she was feeling better after getting some meds in her system. All of the sudden I hear this loud noise and look at Bella. She looks at me and says, "Stinky!" Lets just say, this was one of the worst diapers I have changed so far! I know I have lots of these to look forward to. :) Thanks for breaking your Aunt Rachel in, Bella!

Wednesday morning we woke up to SNOW! It had snowed all night and everything looked so white that morning.

After breakfast we all bundled up and headed outside to enjoy the snow. One of the few times I've seen snow anywhere close to Christmas!

For some reason, it was decided to build the snowman on the porch. This is what we ended up with:

The snow was so fluffy it was really hard to pack into anything. So this was the best we could do.

Oh! Katrina and Caleb arrived Monday night too! I hadn't seen them since Caleb was 6 months old and he is 2.5 now. It was fun to have the whole family there together for Christmas.

For Christmas Eve, we decided to go to City of Rocks. Turns out State Parks are closed on Christmas Eve. Who knew! So we headed to the city park instead. The park still had lots of snow on the ground, so we built another snowman. This one was a little bit bigger!

And in typical guy fashion, a day at the park wouldn't be complete without a climb on the climbing wall.


Since this post is getting so long, I'm going to put the rest of it in another post.