Super Duper Pooper Scooper...

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING PORTION CONTAINS POTENTIALLY DISTURBING LANGUAGE ABOUT POOP AND SHOULD NOT BE READ BY THOSE WITH WEAK STOMACHS. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Okay. I had to start this post out by bragging on Jordan. But, in order to do that, I have to paint the picture of the "experience" we had last night. So our sweet little puppy Sawyer is growing fast these days. He is 15 weeks old today and tips the scales at a little over 30 pounds! He stays outside during the day, but for the most part at night, he comes in and sleeps on his dog bed (right next to Jordan's side of the bed... I can't stand the dog smell :) Well, last night was no exception. We were getting ready for bed, so we let Sawyer in and he went right to sleep on his bed. Ok... here's the "reader discretion advised" part. Around midnight, we heard a few unpleasant noises coming from the foot of our bed... these noises were quickly followed by an awful smell. When I say awful, I mean A-W-F-U-L! I jumped out of the bed super fast and ran into the den (I don't handle smells very well right now) while Jordan assessed the situation. Yep... worst case scenario... Sawyer had pooped... not just pooped... diarrhea! OH MY GOSH! It was awful! Jordan came in the den with me and we just gave each other this look like.... Who's gonna clean it up!?! Plus, we were borderline gagging... I had my face buried in a blanket on the couch. So, like any good wife :) I told Jordan there was NO way I could clean that up. I would totally puke! Then I instructed him on how he could "clean it up" and told him how sorry I was that he was the one having to clean it up (although I don't think he believed it for a second) So, Jordan calmly walked in the bedroom and cleaned up the mess. I stayed on the couch, cheering him on through every "UGGHHH!" and gag... and about 30 minutes later, the mess was gone and sweet Sawyer was outside. Now I said I wanted to brag on Jordan... and here goes. He willingly cleaned up that awful mess without one complaint. If you could have been here, you would realize what a big deal this was. I started thinking, even though this incident was with our dog, how much more helpful would he be when it's our baby?!? So.. Jordan, thank you.... thank you for being such a servant-leader. Thank you for standing by me 100%... and most of all... thank you for loving me UNCONDITIONALLY! (Especially loving me enough to not make me clean up that poop last night!)

OK... enough about poop and on to Peanut! I am 15 weeks today... WHOOP WHOOP... and the countdown is on to finding out Peanut's gender! 17 more days! Earlier this week, I felt a few flutters in my tummy, but nothing significant. I keep waiting and waiting... oh how I want to feel this baby kick!! Peanut's head is now resting on his/her neck instead of plopped on top of his/her shoulders :) He/She is beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes... as well as hair! I have to say that I love little babies born with a head full of hair! My fingers are definitely crossed. Peanut is now able to sense light even though his/her eyelids are still sealed shut. His/her eyes and ears don't look weird anymore, they actually look like real baby features. Peanut's still practicing sucking and swallowing, so pretty soon, I might feel a little thump-thump from his/her hiccups! Peanut is now 4 inches long and weighs almost 2 ounces!

I have to confess that I've already purchased two baby items (well, my mother and my grandmother purchased them)... no... I'm not jumping the gun, especially since we don't know the sex yet. My mom and I were looking around Babies R Us for what I would need to register for when it came time, and they had an incredible deal on the display versions of a Pack N' Play and a swing! They were a gender neutral pattern that I'd picked out earlier in the store so we grabbed them up. I will try to post pictures later!

14 Weeks and Counting...

Fourteen weeks!... I'm a third of the way there! There haven't been that many changes this week with me. I'm finally done with this semester so that is a HUGE relief. By the way... if you're looking for me, I'll be at my parents' house laying out by the pool EVERYDAY that I can! It's been SO nice out there! This post is really short and sweet. I've been blessed with a lot of graphic design work this last week and it all seems to be due at the same time :) I love how it always works out that way.... not.

As far as Peanut goes... the countdown is on... 24 days until Peanut's gender is revealed! Whoop Whoop! I am BEYOND excited. Here are some of Peanut's developments this week. All of the "big stuff" (skeletal and organ development) is taken care of. Right now, Peanut's brain is in a period of rapid growth. He or she is also packing on the pounds and a lot of the detail work is being taken care of. Peanut now has fingerprints. Interesting fact, he or she created them by swimming around in the amnionic fluid. As he or she moved their hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. Is that not amazing! Peanut now weighs about an ounce and is about 3.5 inches long! Peanut is really moving around in there now. However, I still haven't felt him or her yet..  Sometimes, when I'm home by myself and it's really quiet, I'll lay down and lay my hand on my belly. I am yearning to feel this precious little life inside me move. What a miracle in and of itself! As Jordan and I think about what is to come in the next few months, I must admit there are times we are overwhelmed. What if it's too hard? What if we aren't good parents? and so on... But we are quickly reminded at what a blessing this is. God chose to open my womb to knit this precious life together. Peanut's life has purpose and his or her story is already written by their heavenly Father. Thank you Father for entrusting this sweet baby to us... 

Hello 2nd Trimester!!

Boy oh boy how excited I am to get here! I have to say that I have been really looking forward to finally having energy! I would say my morning sickness is finally gone... every now and then if I let myself get really hungry, I'll get kind of weak and a little nauseated. But... thankfully, I'm only taking 1/4 of a Zofran in the mornings (I'm trying to wean myself off)... and so far so good!

I'm really starting to notice some changes in my body due to the glorious hormones I'm producing :) I must say, I was a little naive to this whole pregnancy thing. I'm not sure what I expected it to be, but I've definitely been surprised. Just a few of the changes that I've noticed... I literally have to shave my legs everyday... seriously? It's ridiculous! I had mild allergies before I was pregnant, but OH MY GOODNESS! I can't tell you when the last time was I didn't sneeze a million times a day and almost scratch my eyes out because they were itching SO bad! Thankfully, I can finally start taking some over-the-counter meds for them! Probably the hardest "change" has been that I've developed some lower back pain. Thankfully, my sweet sister-in-law introduced me to a Snoogle (yes, you should google it) and I've been sleeping with it ever since...  it has helped a ton! I also bought a support belt that goes under my belly and takes the pressure off my back.

Okay.. that's enough about me. On to Peanut's updates for this week! By the way, one month from today we go to find out Peanut's gender! YAY!!!!! I'll be so glad to finally call this sweet baby by name. Okay.. this week, Peanut can make a fist and even suck his/her thumb :) His/her eyelids are fused shut right now to protect his/her eyes while they develop. Peanut's bones and skull are solidifying and soon his/her little ribs may appear. You know how last week Peanut's intestines were... umm... outside of his/her body... well you can take a sigh of relief because Peanut's intestines are right where they need to be. One more cute update.. Peanut's vocal chords and larynx are completely formed now :) Peanut now weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter-Butter cookie!

I just have to share one more thing before I go.. this past weekend, I was able to attend the Women of Joy conference in Tennessee with some ladies from a Bible study I was in this semester. It was so encouraging to spend time with these women. I got SO much good (and a little scary) info and advice on pregnancy too! All of the speakers were great... there was such variety! But.. I have to admit, Kay Arthur was AMAZING. She spoke with such urgency and her desire for the furthering of God's kingdom was so evident. I have to thank the sweet ladies in my Bible study for inviting me to go.. and I have to thank my sweet hubby for letting me go (and cleaning the house while I was gone!) Thank you!

One more week to go!....

... until the end of my first trimester I might add :) Believe it or not, this is a huge milestone I've been really looking forward to. I'm still battling nausea a little bit, and my energy level is... well... let's just say I can nap all day and sleep all night... no problem! I finally had to give in and order some maternity shorts... my booty just won't fit into my regular shorts and it has been WAY TOO HOT to wear jeans all the time. Plus, my poor maternity jeans, I only have one pair and they are the only pair of jeans I can wear. I've tried really hard to not impulse but maternity clothes because I can't fit into most of them right now and I know that in just a couple of months... I'll be HUGE! I'm trying to penny pinch by finding cute bargain cotton dresses that will stretch as my belly grows... and the shorts I've ordered are a size too big so maybe I can belt them up now and wear them normally later :) 

Okay.. on to Peanut's progress... I finally have a semi-human looking baby inside of me. Peanut's eyes have moved from the side of his/her head to the front. Peanut can now swallow and he/she is practicing by swallowing amnionic fluid.. yuck. Okay... sensitive stomach people skip ahead.. but I'm all into stuff like this so this was very interesting to me... Peanut's intestines are not where they are supposed to be right now... some of his/her intestines are outside of his/her body in the umbilical cord... what?!? Don't worry.. eventually they will all fall into place :) This is cute... Peanut's fingernails and toenails are growing this week... and his/her chin and nose is becoming more and more defined. Peanut is finally packing on the pounds... or ounces :) He/She has doubled in size and weighs almost a half of an ounce... he/she is around 2.5 inches long... about the size of a Vienna sausage... 

Pale or Pink...

Those seem to be the only two options I have as far as my skin goes... and I must admit... I miss the tanning bed just a little bit right about now. My legs have never been this pale! I guess I didn't take that too heavily into consideration when I laid out at my mom and dad's house yesterday because now... I'm pink. I guess it is true that preggos burn easier. I will definitely be more careful next time, but I need some color people!! I am in a wedding on May 8th in a little strapless, tea-length dress... can you imagine how distracting it would be to see a pregnant lady with super pale skin in a tiny, dark brown dress that isn't made for pregnant ladies! WHOA! I'm afraid of self-tanner, too poor for a good spray tan... so laying out is my only option I guess. Any suggestions?

Slowly but surely we're making progress. Slowly but surely Peanut is starting to look more and more human and less and less alien... I must admit I'm ready to see a cute little button nose and pouty lips... This week, Peanut's changes weren't huge in quantity, but they were important. All of his/her vital organs are now formed and functioning. This is huge... now the risk of defects has decreased, because Peanut is now less susceptible to outside influences. Some other changes that have been going on... his/her ears are starting to settle in the right place, fingernail and toenail beds are beginning to form... and basically, he/she is a "pumpkin head" because his/her head is nearly as big as the rest of his/her body... he or she is definitely a he or a she now... the testes or the ovaries are completely formed, but we can't find out until May 15th :) Peanut is starting move now, but I haven't felt him/her yet. In the next nine weeks, Peanut will increase 30 times in weight and almost triple in length... is that not crazy?! Right now, Peanut is only about 2 inches long and weighs only a third of an ounce.

Okay.. so you thought this week you were only going to get to see virtual Peanut, but you're in luck. My sweet doctor let me have another sonogram just so I could hear the heartbeat.. how sweet is he. He said he just wanted me to have peace of mind until I came back in 5 weeks... so.. here he or she is...

(Note: The head is to right... booty to the left)