...twenty-two weeks...

Picture of my belly at 22 weeks. I said I would try to start posting weekly updates, so here's to trying my best!

...justa kicking...

We sure have had a busy last couple of weeks. On the fun side of things, we had our 20th week check-up where everything was wonderful! We finally got a new car for me - it's a Ford Edge and I am loving it! Also, my Mom's whole side of the family just returned from a cruise to the Bahamas - it was absolutely amazing!
For Mommy and Daddy to be, one of the most exciting moments was that Cory was finally able to feel Charlee kick! It was Wednesday morning on the cruise (21 weeks) and Charlee was moving like crazy. I had tried to get Cory to feel before but he just couldn't. I could tell that the kicks and jabs were a little stronger so he tried again. This time he felt her - not just once but three times! At that time Gracie (my niece) was knocking on our door so she ran in and felt Charlee also! This morning (Saturday) she was moving around 7:30, Cory was able to feel her kick many times and was amazed at how much stronger her kicking has gotten in just a few days. We have found that her most active times are between 7:00-8:00am and 8:00-9:00pm. We are completely thrilled and are looking forward to sharing many more wonderful moments with you.

...charlee grace...

Cory and I are excited to annouce that we will be having a baby girl - Charlee Grace. Our eighteenth week check up was this past Monday. Not only were we able to find out if we were having a boy or girl, but we were also able to see our precious baby through ultrasound and examine every inch of her body.  This was such an amazing experience for the both of us. My belly was measuring right on track as I was eighteen weeks two days; however, Charlee's belly and head were measuring nineteen weeks five days. We were told to possibly be prepare for Charlee's arrival around the middle of April. 

We enjoyed sharing this exciting news with our family on Monday night with a gender reveal balloon pop. Graice was the lucky one with the piece of paper in her balloon stating we were having a girl. She got to read and annouce this to the rest of the family. My girlfriend Erica was involved in taking the wonderful picture of our reveal.  Cory and I were excited to share pictures with friends the following day. Below are a couple of the many she took. The bicycle in the picture was Grandma Cile's. We know she is smiling down from Heaven as she thinks of her son with a "sweet little beautiful, perfect, all american girl"!

...sixteen weeks...

Today was our sixteenth week prenatal appointment. Everything looked and sounded strong. Babies heartbeat was 156 bpm.
I have always wondered what I would look like with a pregnant belly and now I am beginning to see. I am starting to gain a little weight, which surprisingly is okay with me because I know our baby is growing and for the most part, healthy. I plan to start posting weekly photos to document the babies growth - we will see how well I hold up with that. 

...at this point, here is what I can share...
how far: 16 weeks
maternity clothes: still fitting into my pants with a belly band, however, my girlfriend Erica just handed down all her maternity clothes - I will soon be in them. 
sleep: sleep is very difficult for me right now. I have always been a belly sleeper. sleeping on my side keeps me tossing and turning all night and with many lower backaches in the mornings.
best moment this week: hearing the babies heartbeat
cravings: lots of sour things - lemonade, sour skittles, sour patch kids, warheads
belly button: in
movement: very little - that I am able to feel

...baby movement...

I believe I felt the babies first movement on Thursday, November 1.  As most of you know, I am a teacher. We were doing a movement activity during our morning meeting to get the kids wiggles out, and then it happened. Suddenly I felt a tiny flutter in my belly. As though I had a butterfly in there that was trying to get out. As I talked with Donna and some other teachers, it was brought to my attention that this was no ordinary feeling...the baby was moving! There are no words to express the joy that overcame me. This was one of my first "real" mommy moments. Now, I am patiently waiting for the next.

...goodbye 1st trimester...

If you would of told us at three weeks that the first trimester would fly by, we would have been non-believers. Boy, would we had been proved wrong. It is hard to imagine that our precious miracle is about the size of a lemon and all major organs are in place and functioning.
We have been to two very successful doctor's appointments. At the first visit, we had an ultrasound where we were able to see the baby and hear the babies heartbeat at 169 bpm. Our due date was confirmed for April 27, 2013. The second visit was a checkup for me. Luckily, we were able to hear the babies heartbeat again at 162 bpm. Cory is preparing for a girl with the high heartbeat - his niece already holds his heart in her hands, another girl in his opinion, means double trouble!
As far as my belly is concerned, a little bump is beginning to show. I am not yet in maternity clothes, but am well on my way. 
In the mean time, please continue to pray for constant protection and a healthy pregnancy for Mom, Dad and baby-to-be. 

...& then there were THREE...

Cory and I are extremely thrilled to announce our wonderful baby news.

With this important and exciting time in our lives, we decided to direct our excitement, anxiety, and planning into a blogging outlet by sharing our experiences with friends and family. We thought this would be a great way to keep everyone in touch and updated about all that is going on.  We invite you to join as we celebrate the many milestones of pregnancy.