Happy 3 months Brody!!

Happy THREE months Brody ( and three days)!!!

You are such a HAPPY sweet baby. People tell us all the time we are lucky but we don't have to hear that to know how blessed we are to have you in our lives. You are such a good little man for us. You still sleep all night and are only fussy when you are hungry, gassy or hot. This week you had a tooth break through. A little too early, according to me but it's exciting nontheless.

You weigh around 14lbs

You wear size 0-3 months and a few 3-6months

You are in size 1-2 diapers

You love to laugh and smile all the time and we love that!!

You also love to watch football with your daddy and he is loving that.

Happy 2 months Brody!!!!

Happy 2 months Baby Boy!!! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!!!

Here's what you are up to:

- you weigh around 11 pounds but will get your actual weight at the doctor next week

- you sleep in your own room now and LOVE it

- you sleep from around 9 - 6 or 10-7 without waking up these days

- you eat around 5-6, 5oz bottles a day and get a tiny bit of rice in your last bottle before bed

- you smile and laugh ALL THE TIME and I love that

- you still look just like your daddy and he loves that

- you have started using your Bebe Pod seat and seem to enjoy it

- you wear 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers

- your going to be a ghost for halloween

- you like going to the gym with mom and dad and looking at all the lights

- now for the big one... you will be attending your fist Razorback game this weekend

You are so special and I can't imagine what life would be like without you!

Do I still have a blog?

It's been so long since I've posted that I didn't know if I still had a blog. I'm not sure I even remember what all has been going on to give you an update. So I'll start here...

- TODAY Brody turned 2 months old!!! Really, I have a two month old? (pictures to come later when he wakes up!)

- I went back to work last Monday and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated once things got rolling and we adjusted to a new routine.

- We went to the pumpkin patch...see below

- We had a few playdates

- I started Bootcamp at the gym

- Brody moved to his own room and is doing great sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG without a fight!!

- We have introduced a VERY TINY amount of rice cereal in his last bottle but did without the past two nights because he was so sleepy

- He has learned to sit up in his Bebe Pod seat and LOVES IT!!!!

- Next week we have two month shots and his weigh in, so sad

- Saturday we are supposed to go to the AR vs Ole Miss game so we are praying for no rain since we are taking the little man, if it rains we will not go : (

mommas little pumpkin

family photo op

watching football in his seat

sweet babies holding hands

future Mr. and Mrs???

Check it out

We are FINALLY able to see Brody's newborn pictures. After much frustration of waiting and waiting and waiting and well, you get the point. I can't post any yet on here because we do not have our disc or copies yet so check them out at:

www.kristinhollensworth.com

go to enter site, then clients and the password is brodyt

ENJOY!!!

Stroller Time

I accidentally left this picture off from yesterday when we were at the park.

Amy with Hannah Grace, Christie with Hannah Grace and Me with Brody Cole

Dr. Visits and Play Dates

Yesterday, Brody had his one month checkup with the doctor. He is up to 9lbs 6oz and 21.5 inches long. Way to go Brody!! I am always so proud to hear all his little measurements. Silly I'm sure but I just love the boy and all that he does.

Brody is growing and doing so great despite our forced switch in formulas. He had been on Similac and doing really well on it and then they had a recall. My parents called early Thursday morning but we were still asleep and I didn't think it would affect us so we stayed in bed. Got up, fed the baby just to find out that both our cans lot numbers were in the recall!! OOOPS!! A little extra protein never hurt anyone right? Since then, we have switch to Enfamil which hasn't always agreed with the little guy. I think is adjusting ok despite the terrible gas that has been hard on his tummy ,but we will be going back as soon as they get their bug situation cleared at Similac.

On the the fun stuff....Today my friend Christie brought her little girl Hannah Grace, who is almost 5 months over for what I like to call "baby playdate" They were so cute laying on the little mat together just content and looking around. We got to visit for a while and then headed to the park to meet up with Amy and her Hannah Grace. We walked around the trail and had some nice visits. It was so nice outside today until lap three or four and then it got a little warm with the long sleeves and sun. LOVED being outside with the baby though. I think Amy and I will being hitting the park often. Hopefully some of those laps will help get rid of the baby weight!

Speaking of baby weight, I am so excited for my 6 week appointment and to be able to go back to the gym this weekend. I had my membership put on hold when I got put on bed-rest and it will be re-attivated Friday. I am hoping that we will get back into the routine of going often like we did before the pregnancy.

Enjoy our pictures of Mr. Man!

Supporting his Daddy's team

One month old!!!

Fabulous birth announcement by Kristin Hollensworth...love her work!!

One Month

It's so hard to believe that just one month ago, my life was blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Time has gone by way too fast and I just want it to slow down since I will be returning to work very soon. Things I've learned in the past month:

- multitasking is sometimes a must

- spit up does happen and I no longer care if it gets on me

- my world revolves around that precious little thing

- take advantage of time when the baby naps

- white noise app is a must for us when we haven't quite made it home for the bottle

- carry a camera at all times because you never know when you need to snap a picture of something cute

- I no longer care about shopping for me..it's all about the baby now

- time goes WAY TOO FAST and my little boy is growing and changing too much

I'm sure this list could go on and on but I'll stop there. I am so in love with our little family and my husband is THE BEST DAD EVER!!! He gets up for the middle of the night feeding/change every single night and does so much for us ALL the time. Brody and I are blessed beyond words to have such an amazing father/husband.

Just for fun

Where did the time go and our precious little tiny man turn THREE WEEKS already???? It has been the BEST three weeks of our lives and we still couldn't be happier. I am still on picture taking overload, because you don't want to miss anything when they are this small!! So I leave you with my three favorites from this week.

Bad parenting? Maybe, but we just call it curious parenting. We wanted to see how much the little guy was growing!! Up 10oz from birth weight... way to go Brody!!

Two of my favorite men...sporting daddy's NFL team. While Daddy works today, Brody will be wearing it for him and ready to watch the game on DVR.

Three weeks old and changing everyday!!

Sneak Peek at Newborn photos

Brody's newborn sneak peek has been posted at :

www.kristinhollensworth.com/blog

Go check them out, we think they are fabulous and cannot wait to see the rest!!

No more help for mommy

The first week I was home with Brody my parents took the week off to spend with us and help out. The second week we were home, Eric was able to spend with us. Now it's week three home and no more help for mommy. Our day started with a coffee and bottle.. you can decide who got what this morning. Then I showered, got ready and got little man ready to head to the park and run some errands. We went to the post office and the park to do a few laps with Amy to try and help things get moving for baby Hannah to make an appearance. Then it was off to the bank and I realized I didn't even eat a bite of anything this morning.... I totally forgot to eat breakfast. Good thing I didn't forget the coffee though!! I thought I could make a quick run through sonic for a Diet Dr Pepper with cherry and the little guy got hungry and when he gets hungry, he gets fussy!!! I called Eric and told him we would be sitting in his parking lot to let the little guy enjoy his bottle. At least we got to see Daddy!!

We are home now. Baby is in bed and I'm going to take the time to relax... I mean to do laundry and catch up on my to do list.

Note to self.... don't leave too late after first feeding of the day because it doesn't give you much time before the next one rolls around.

Happy Birthday Hubs!!

Eric's vacation is coming to an end today, but while baby and daddy are still snoozing after the last feeding... I'll catch you up on our weekend. This weekend was Eric's birthday and the kickoff to Razorback football. I try to do something special on Eric's birthdays because he is always putting me and now us(Brody + mommy) ahead of anything else. We went shopping and to lunch with his parents Friday and then Saturday we would cookout and watch the Hogs play and eat cake! Here is our day in pictures......

Daddy and baby relaxed on the couch and watched football while I cleaned and finished the cake.

Eric is a big TN Titan fan so after days and hours of searching, here is my gift to him.

We couldn't find any Titan gear small enough for Brody so we had some made and this is what he gave his daddy for his birthday. Now they can dress and watch the games together.

Front row seat for kickoff, had Directv not ruined our kickoff moment.. Thanks Direct TV!! At least we saw the rest of the game.

No explanation needed.

Love this child!!

Eric and his "mini me"

Family Photo op

All we needed here was Hannah out of the belly on in the picture...oh and for Stephen to come back from the dark side!

Too much birthday and game excitement for the little man, off to bed for him!!

Daddy's first day of vacation

Bath time can be tough on a little guy!!

Daddy and baby are still sleeping while I enjoy my coffee and bagel, so I figure it was time for a small update. First all, little mister slept 6 hours straight last night and we had to wake him for a feeding.. off to a good start I hope?

Yesterday was Eric's first day of his vacation and it is so wonderful having him home. We got up, I had to have my coffee (non decaf thankfully) and while I showered Eric fed the baby then we got him ready for a bath since he was having newborn photos taken. My fantastic husband let me get ready while he did the bath and got the baby ready... have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is and how he is such a great daddy? He even takes Brody to the mens bathroom to change him when we are out and about. Anyway, we got ready and headed to LR to have newborn photos taken by Kristin Hollensworth and I cannot wait to see them. She was so good with our little man and he was such an angel, didn't cry once the entire two hours we were messing with him. Afterwards, we headed to Five Guys for lunch ( not good for my post baby diet) and then went to the doctor to see how the little man has been growing...... and drumroll please..... we are up to 7lbs. 4oz, 2oz more than birth weight. Way to go Brody!! We may have been an ounce or two less because he wet his diaper on the way to the scale and we didn't know until after, but none the less he is back to the 7 lb. mark and we are excited about it.

Confession... I find myself crying here and there because I am sad my baby is changing so much so fast and is already 11 days old. And then I sometimes cry just because I am so happy to have him here and in my arms, while missing his kicks in my belly at the same time. I can thank those crazy hormones for this one!!

Week One Down

We have officially been home with our new baby one week as of today and things could not be better! Our lives have changed so much in the past nine days and it has all been for the better. I told Eric that ours lives must have been boring before the baby and that now that he is here, I can't imagine a life without him. Though we are new at this, I feel like we have gotten off on a wonderful start.

My parents took the week off when we got home and spent it with me at our house while Eric went back to work. It was nice to have them around to help out with all the things that had been left undone when we left for the hospital at 6am to go have our little miracle. We had a lot of visitors to come meet Brody and were able to get out of the house quite a few times which was nice. Today, Eric and I took Brody to church and he did fabulous!! The loud music only startled him once and then he was right back out. It was of course lunch time for him and he can be a bit of a noisy eater, so I hope we didn't disturb too many people. All in all I think the trip to church went great and he enjoyed every bit of it. This week will be the BEST week because Eric has the week off to spend with us and we will end it with his birthday on Saturday and have people over to watch the Hogs play. Brody will be sporting his Razorback gear ready to cheer on those Hogs. Tomorrow we have newborn pictures scheduled and have to go by the doctors office for a weigh in. Brody has changed so much in a week and I'm pretty sure he is back to his birth weight. His little tummy and cheeks are starting to fill out nicely.

Our sleep hasn't been too affected either. We usually put him down around 8:30 - 9:00 and he gets up at 11 to eat and then every four hours after. We usually have to wake him to eat, but he lets us know its getting time when he starts making tiny little noises trying to fight waking up. One night he even slept five hours straight...ooops!! He eats around every 3-4 hours during the day as well and sleeps A LOT!!! He was awake longer at church than he has been at a time the entire week.

Bath time has been an experience, mommy has been peed on twice now but it is all worth it and I am getting everything on camera!!

Brody is here

The best thing has happened since my last post..... Brody made his debut on August 20, 2010 at 6:53 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 2 oz and 20.5 inches long. He is perfect in our eyes. I woke up with contractions at 4am and waited it out for a bit and then headed to the hospital. I, of course had to make sure my hair and makeup was done before we left. I had told people I was going to do so and nobody believed I would, but really weren't shocked that I did. We had some family and friends with us during the long day and at the end we were blessed with this precious bundle. We are very blessed and than God everyday for a happy, healthy baby. I never knew I could love someone so fast but I have more love for this little man that I thought my heart could handle. I also fell more in love with my husband that day as well. He is such a good dad and I couldn't ask for anything better than our little family of three.

trying to stay busy

As the days come close to my actual due date, I am becoming VERY impatient. I have been at home on semi bed rest for 30 days now!!!! I had the chance to go back to work half days but it really wasn't going to work out for us with the way our benefits are set up and we all thought Brody would be making his debut sooner rather than later. Last night and today have been by far the worst, I am so tired of being pregnant and have tried EVERYTHING to help this labor process begin. It's even more frustrating that I have so much pre-term and false labor in the weeks before and now everything seems to be going VERY S-L-O-W!!! I know he will come when he is ready but I feel like I am going crazy. My house is clean, his clothes are clean, folded and put away nicely and I even mowed our back field today with the supervision of the hubs of course!

I go to the doctor tomorrow and will hopefully receive an induction date or some good news at least. Until then I just pray for patience and something to keep me busy. Eric has left for work today so it's just me and the pups till he gets home. And to top it all off, I've been waiting on a package from UPS all day too!!

38 weeks

Went to the doctor yesterday for my appointment and it was good and bad. Well bad for me, is all.

- I've gained way more than I ever thought I would ...BAD

- I'm still only 1cm and still have a little thickness in my cervix.... I guess GOOD and BAD

- No talk of induction till 39 weeks...BAD

- The baby looks great.... GOOD!!!

I know he will come when he is ready but mommy is getting impatient and I'm just so ready to have him on the outside.

Let's hope the trainer at the gym has a good post-baby workout plan for me when I get back!

Game time approaching?

I am so behind on this blogging thing. You would think with all the bed rest I have had, blogging would be something I could do more often. However, when you're stuck inside on most days there isn't much excitement going on.

We are nearing the end and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel which hopefully means it will be game time soon. I am so ready to meet this little baby of ours and see how he looks, hear his little sounds and just get to know him on the outside of my tummy. We have had so much false labor it is ridiculous and makes for some LONG sleepless nights. I say WE because poor Eric has had to endure it as well. If I'm up having contractions, he is up with me the entire time. Our four legged child, Jackson also gets up with us during all the fuss. Friday night it went one from about 1:30 - 4:00. It finally settled down after the nurses told me to take a warm bath, drink A LOT of water and lay on my side. I did all of this, got some relief and therefore some more sleep. The next night however was a different story. I got up at 2:00 with the contractions and LOTS LOTS LOTS of pressure. I tried the bath, water side combo again but with no luck. Still contracting and still pressure. So after around three hours, I got up and got ready to go. Once we got in the car, things started to settle down so I got a little frustrated. We continued to the hospital since it did get closer, stronger and so on but upon arrival things slowed down AGAIN!!! I stayed a few hours and was sent back home on bed rest and was able to get some sleep. Yesterday I was very uncomfortable and started showing all those late signs in pregnancy that they say means your labor is approaching soon, so fingers crossed to have a baby soon and very soon!

Hopefully my next post will include a picture of our little boy!

Rest....but not the kind I wanted to welcome

While I was at work yesterday, several people told me I should call my doctor and let them know what had been going on. I waited around because I thought everything I was feeling was normal and part of the pregnancy and so on.

To catch you up, I had been having slight cramps and a lot of pressure in my back. I lost what I thought could be my plug this past weekend ( TMI, I know). I have been extremely swollen and couldn't get it to go down at all, and just didn't feel quite the same as I had been. Sunday, during church and yesterday morning Brody moved like he had never moved before, almost like he was burrowing down in my belly. I joked, saying I thought he was just trying to figure a way out of there. People have mentioned to me they thought I was starting to drop, and it has been a little easier to breathe the past week, but I just figured I was getting close to time, since we only have five weeks left.

Back to calling the doctor. I spoke with Dr. Deeds nurse and she told me I need to head up to

L & D and get checked out just to be on the safe side. I headed up there and they hooked me up to the monitor ( VERY uncomfortable by the way!!). I stayed hooked up to the monitor for what seemed liked an eternity but the baby looked great and no contractions were showing up..good news to me! They then came in and wanted to check me and told me I was 1 cm dilated and my cervix was low. To this moment, I still do not know what it means that my cervix is low. The nurse told me the pressure could just be mild contractions or some back labor that isn't picking up on the monitor. Fine by me, I thought it as all normal anyway since I wasn't actually hurting at all. I didn't want to go get checked out anyway, but did what the office asked me to like a good patient should. I was planning on going back to work and then working the rest of the weeks until Brody decided it was time.

The nurse called my doctors office and the doctor on call said I could go home but on BED REST!! I questioned what I heard because that was the very last thing I had expected to hear. She said for me to go home on bed rest until I was able to see my regular physician. So after my freak out moment and then many more that came when I got home, I went to bed and here I am. Just resting. I'm all about some rest here and there but being forced to rest...not my cup of tea. I called the office this morning and am not able to see my doctor until next Wednesday. Praying when I go back she will let me return to work the next day.

The worst part of the entire thing, besides not having a regular paycheck and having to use the time I had built up for maternity leave is my great friend Amanda is having her little girl on Thursday and I wanted so bad to be there when she had little Emma. I told her I would need lots of updates and pictures.

Failure at Blogging

So I haven't been as good at keeping up with the blogging as I had hoped I would be. So in a quick update here's how things are going...

- passed my glucose tolerance test

- gained more weight than I would have liked but Dr. Deed seems to think things are right on track

- child birthing class this past weekend went well and the best part was the massage sessions given by the husbands

- had another fantastic shower this past week with my work and have two more coming up. We are so blessed with all the wonderful things we have received.

- Dr. Deed says I'm still measuring a week early, so hopefully with that week and the possibility of him coming two weeks early ( I can only hope) we will have a baby in the next four weeks!!

- I feel like I've been nesting on and off the past month and really wish I had some of that motivation right now to get some things done.

- Still working, but 12 hours on your feet doesn't look pretty on this pregnant girl's ankles at the end of the day.

- Brody has the hiccups ALL THE TIME!!!! Its really quite entertaining.

- Nursery is almost finished, just waiting on two canvases I'm having painted for him and it will be complete.

All in all things have been going great. Yes, I can do without the swelling from my knees to my toes but I guess that goes with being over 8 mos pregnant. I have started making my take to the hospital list and call lists so if anyone has a suggestion on what I should pack... please feel free to share!

Hiccups

So I've decided all these random little bursts in my belly are Brody's hiccups. He gets them ALL THE TIME, but I think they are cute. We had our 4D ultrasound last week and have decided that he possibly looks like me in the face but will probably have his Daddy's structure. We are thankful for that too because I'd hate for the little man to be as short as his mommy is!! We know that we can't really tell how it will all turn out just by the images but it was so amazing to see every little detail of his body. I, of course can't stop looking at the pictures of his little face. He is so amazing to me already.

I went back to the doctor last week and had my glucose test and passed with flying colors! They are wanting to check my H/H to make sure I am not becoming anemic. I was supposed to be checked for that on the same day but someone made a mistake in the process and it was not ordered. I will be heading there at some point tomorrow to have it done. The visit with the doctor went great and she says I am still measuring a week ahead so I am technically 31 weeks if you go by the original appointment in January but 32 weeks if you go by all my measurements. 32 weeks sounds so much better to me.

Brody is head down, around 3.5 lbs and around 15inches!! My little baby is growing rapidly!! We got our glider in last weeks as well as a green rug that looks so perfect in his room. I find myself spending A LOT of time in there these days and can't wait till my little man occupies some space as well.

I'll leave you with a picture of me at 31/32 weeks

Pregnancy Survey at 29 weeks

It's been a while since I posted an update so I thought it was probably about that time again. This week was somewhat a rough week because my ankles and feet have been extremely swollen, probably to due to the heat and me not taking it easy for the last week and a half. But I have learned my lesson and will be slowing down just a tad bit here and there. The swelling has finally gone almost completely down as of today but was swollen since last Monday.

Yesterday we had a shower for my friend Amy who is expecting her little girl, Hannah Grace in September. It was so fun and she got some really cute things for Miss Hannah. She will be styling as soon as she comes out, which we are all very excited for.

Things with the pregnancy are moving right along and I am starting my 29th week this week... so very hard to believe.

Pregnancy Survey:

Total Weight gain: At last doctors appointment at I had gained 19.5lbs... YIKES!!

Maternity Clothes: If I wear pants, I have to go with maternity pants and most of the time tops as well. I have been staying in summer dresses a lot as well which aren't maternity but I'm sure people are tired of seeing me wear the same ones over and over( they're just so comfortable though)

Stretch Marks: None yet, but I did have a small scar on my belly from who knows what that has grown a few inches.

Sleep: I still sleep great most of the time. There have been a few nights that I have tossed and turned but for the most part, once I get settled I'm out for the night.

Best Moment This Week: Spending the day with my friend Amanda who is expecting as well and Amy's shower was a fun time.

Movement: I have a lot of movement throughout the day, but only sometimes will it be huge movements at a time. Most of the time they are pretty small but when he starts at it, he really goes all out! I love every little and big movement he makes!

Food Cravings: I'm really craving tea this week, not sure why but I can't get enough. My other cravings this pregnancy have been spicy foods and sweets :( Now we know why the 19.5 pounds!

What I miss: I'm really missing being tan this time of year. I'm a very pale person without the help of some tanning assistance. I was getting airbrushed but now I feel too big to even do so!

Looking forward to: We have our 4D ultrasound scheduled for the 15th and I can't wait to see what this little guy looks like right now.

I'll leave you with two pictures... It's hard to believe how much my body has changed.

29 weeks... I went to this from

this at 16 weeks!!!

In the homestrecth

I received a text message today from a friend reminding me that I was in my last week of my second trimester. It's so hard to believe that the third trimester is so close and we will be in the homestretch!! I do wish I had been better about blogging and picture taking throughout my pregnancy though. I wanted to blog on a regular basis and every time I thought about it I was busy doing something else and told myself I'd do it later, and alas here is later ( a few weeks later.) Hopefully I will get some pictures this weekend of the Brody's room because it is coming along so nicely.

We had our first shower and got some great things and were able to get a shelf with lime green totes that fit in as well as his green lamp. We set the area up and I like to call it Brody's reading corner even if it isn't an actual corner. At the shower we got precious little outfits, bath stuff, his first book, a pack n play, a swing, his baby book, a book for me and dad called "Bringing up Boys", and the list goes on and on. We are so lucky to have such great family and friends. I will put up pictures from the shower soon too, it was decorated so nicely and I enjoyed every minute of the time with friends.

I am 27 weeks now and have really started feeling him kick and turn, which is a blessing to me. I went a few days without feeling him and my doctor told me to start doing kick counts when this happens. I believe my prayers were answered because since then, I've felt him kick on and off all day. I was really excited when Eric was finally able to feel the little guy, as well as my parents and a friend at work. Feeling those tiny kicks are such a blessing and I am so ready to meet this little man. My belly has done A LOT of growing in the past weeks as well. It's so funny to me when I see people after a week or so and they react to the growing belly because it changes so much all the time. In the next few weeks we will be going for our 4D ultrasound and I can't wait to see his little face and body. I also have my glucose screening coming up at my next prenatal visit and from what I have heard, it really isn't that bad. They say the worst part is waiting on the blood to be drawn. So far, I have been blessed with a pretty good pregnancy... only a few weeks of sickness, back aches that I can tolerate and I don't think my hormones have made me to cranky but you would have to ask Eric for sure.

How Brody should be developing at this stage of the pregnancy....

- around 15 in long

- just over two pounds

- hearing is progressing

- taste buds are developing now

We have so much to look forward too and coming up so I will try to get better at my blogging and picture taking from here on out.

Diaper Bags and Updates

I am about to start my 24th week this coming Sunday, and things in the belly department have really hit a growth spurt! I am no longer able to wear my jeans but have found a few cute maternity pants and of course lots of sundresses have become my go to outfits. My scrub tops are getting a little tight around the belly as well so while I have a few pair left that fit, I have switched to plain t-shirts and my lab jacket to get me through the rest of the pregnancy. Brody is kicking a lot still but Eric has still yet to feel. I really look forward to the day that he feels his little boy bouncing around in Mommy's belly!

Eric and I have had the last few days off together and I have really enjoyed our time together. Two full days off never happens for us with our conflicting work schedules. We even made it to the gym two days in a row, this hasn't happened much since our pregnancy started but we hope to get back into the swing of things. Yesterday we went on a diaper bag search and it turned out to be harder than I imagined. I really wanted a diaper bag with the clear covering which makes it easier to clean spills and such. The problem with this was, we didn't find many patterns that were fit for a boy. We made our way to pickles and ice cream and found one with blue, green and brown stripes and was really cute (I'll post a picture next time) so we went with that one. It is a Kalencom bag and I love it. Who knew diaper bag shopping could be so difficult! Today we woke up and both had appointments for haircuts. I feel 100 times better with touched up color and a good trim. We ventured off the the gym a little later and then to do some mattress shopping. We are in limbo about the new mattress because although a new one would be very nice, the prices can be somewhat steep on a good one and with the baby coming, we know we have more important things to save for and buy. Something for us to think about and possible purchase in the future, right now my back hurts every morning but is most definitely due to the pregnancy and lack of good sleeping position.

Here is a picture of me at 23 weeks

22 Weeks

22 weeks.....WOW!!! It's so hard to think that I am more than half way done with my first pregnancy. I have become to enjoy being pregnant, even the more roundness of my belly on most days. Everyday I seem to grow a little more, in fact Sunday morning Eric's exact words were " look at that belly". It made me smile and laugh.

Last Thursday we had an ultrasound appointment followed by a visit with our doctor. Brody seemed to be a little shy that morning because he wasn't moving at all for the ultrasound. The technician had me on my back and moving from side to side in order to get certain looks at things. He is approximately one pound now....can't believe it!! His legs look very long to us so hopefully he will be getting some height from his daddy. Everything looked great and she said all his measurements looked like an EDD of August 24th. Just a few days more than the original EDD. I however would like him to arrive just a few weeks before the end of August...talk about a HOT summer!!! He is kicking/moving around quite a bit these days, but Eric has yet to feel him. The other night I was in bed reading and he was moving like crazy but when Eric got home and placed his hands on my belly...NOTHING. Eric went to let the dogs out and he moved some more. Eric came back....Nothing! One day soon though I hope Eric is able to feel the little guy moving around in there. All updates on Brody, mom and dad are wonderful!

In other news, I mentioned in my earlier posts about my good friends who are pregnant as well. One is on bed-rest now and her baby girl will be here any day now. My friend Amanda found out a few weeks before us that she will also be having a little girl and my really good friend Amy found out yesterday she will be having a little girl too. One of our other friends already has a sweet little girl so it looks like Brody will be the man of the play dates and we will have our hands full!

I hope to paint some canvases to hang in his room and give some life to the walls. I'm not too crafty, so hopefully they will turn out. I'll let you know how that goes in the next few weeks!

Time Flies

It seems as though I just took that trip to the bathroom and found my two pink lines. And in just a few days I'll be 21 weeks! I guess time flies when you're having fun! I have really enjoyed being pregnant for the most part but this last week I have just felt HUGE!!! My husband and others assure me that I'm in fact not huge, just starting to look pregnant. I'm hoping this was just a phase for me and I won't get as down about my size anymore. I go to the doctor this week and we have another ultrasound the same day. I'm looking forward to seeing his little self again but am not looking forward to the scale!!! I' afraid the weight gain is going to start catching up to me. At my last appointment I had gained 5 1/2 pounds total which I felt good about, but I don't see good results in my future this week. We shall see!!

Here is a picture of me at 20 weeks, not the best picture but I'm trying to keep track of my progress and I think it's neat to see how much I change each month!

Off to get things done around the house so I can go see Tim McGraw tonight with my wonderful husband and parents!!! I can't wait!

Pictures

His first piggy bank that my mom got him. It is sitting on top of his chest of drawers. Somehow I managed not to get a full picture of the drawers.

We decided to go with ribbon and hand his name at a angle.

His crib and bedding.

This is the view from the doorway. We plan to add a rocker or glider in the corner showing and can't decided if we want long curtains or not. Opinions are welcomed!

If someone out there has an easier way to add pictures to a post, please help. When I tried to add them to the last post, they all went to the top. and I wanted them at the bottom and wasn't able to move them!! Hope you enjoyed the room thus far as much as we do!

Let the decorating begin....

We ( well mostly Eric) have been working on little Brody's room this week. I really wish I would have taken before pictures because it doesn't even look the same. Before the room had a home gym, treadmill, gun cabinet, all of Eric's guitars and accessories for them. The room was kind of a catch all area for when we didn't have room for something. Now the room has new baseboard, new ceiling fan, new paint and of course now occupies all the things waiting for the arrival of our precious baby boy.

Picking out furniture wasn't a hard task for us, but deciding on bedding was!! We didn't like the so called "themed" rooms that are available for little boys but without those, there isn't much to choose from. We finally picked one and then it was off to pick out paint....another tedious task for us. But we decided on a chocolate brown with cream trim and it looks fabulous!! We knew we wanted to paint his name but had long discussions on how to hang them... on ribbon, on the wall, straight, diagonal, over the crib and the list went on and on. All decisions behind us with my husband hard at work this week, our nursery has a whole new look and we LOVE IT!!! I find myself going in and just standing around imagining our little boy in there one day soon. Here are some pictures, and I really hope I get them where I want this time.

Going to the Chapel.....

No, I'm not going to the chapel but one of my best friends since junior high did and the day was beautiful! My friend Amanda got married yesterday and we has a wonderful day of brunch/shower, hair, food, laughs and a wonderful ceremony. The weather was going to be a test for the day but you know what they say...rain on your wedding day brings good luck for you marriage. It was sunny and nice outside for the most part of the day. Right at the end of the reception as she and Chayne started to head out, the rain came and it brought some cool temperatures that were not welcomed here on the first day of Spring. All in all, the day was perfect with no mishaps and all of our dresses fit for the most part. My dress could have been a little better but with my every changing body, you never know how you're going to look when you wake up in the morning. So congratulations Chayne and Amanda!!! Now we are looking forward to their little girl Emma Rose to arrive in July. Of course we think Emma and Brody should date and get married too...but not for a long long time!!

Eric and I registered for Baby Brody this past week and it was so fun. Being first time parents we have NOTHING and really aren't sure what all we need so hopefully we put some good things on our lists and those things that we missed will be picked up by those experienced mom and dads who know the ins and outs of parenting necessities. We registered at Babies R Us and Target and picked out our bedding/color scheme for the room which will be a lime green and brown. Now we are ready to get started!! I went to the doctor this week as well and Dr. Deed says every looks great and right on track. Brody's HR was 144 and Eric was able to listen this time, so it was a special moment for him. I on the other hand have gained 4lbs since first finding out we were expecting but the doctor said that was fine was well. I asked how much I should gain from here on out and she said 3/4 to 1lb a week...WOW, that would be a lot of weight for my 5 ft body to hold seeing as how I still have 22 weeks to go!! Today starts week 18 by the way!!

Off to get ready for church now, hopefully I will get some pictures up from the wedding soon, if I can figure it out. Seeing from my last post I was not successful in getting them where I wanted....help on this is welcome!!

WE'RE GOING.......

Well we had our appointment at Baby Views and we are definitely GOING BLUE!!!! There we had it up on the screen, our little baby boy who will now be called Brody Cole. It was such a surreal moment to see his little body that actually looked like a body now. The last two ultrasound I had, he just looked like a little peanut but not anymore. Brody is now 6inches long and weighs around 5oz according to all of his measurements. We have a very healthy baby boy who likes to move around like crazy. I'm not sure he stayed still the entire ultrasound which could be setting up for some interesting times for Mommy when she able to feel all of the movements. The lady checked for so many things including: his spine, four heart chambers, club feet, ten fingers and ten toes, bladder and stomach both with fluid in them, diaphram, three vessel umbilical cord, cerebellum, kidneys and even more measurements I can't think of anymore. The good news was; everything looked GREAT!!! She kept calling him a big boy so I'm a little nervous about his size but hopefully he won't be too big. I am currently 16 weeks and he is measuring to be due August 23 now.

All in all I have been feeling pretty well. I have started to show now and am feeling the ups and downs of my clothes not quite fitting. I did however get some really cute maternity clothes that I will be wearing before I know it. My sinuses have still been bothering me here and there but are bearable. We got little Brody his first pair of shoes and they may be the cutest little things I have ever seen. I can't wait for him to be here but I know he still has lots of growing to do inside Mommy for now so I am ok with that. I'll leave you with some pictures from his ultrasound.

Countdown to March 9th

So in just 8 days Eric and I will be finding out what we are having and I can hardly contain my excitement!! I had been wondering how long we would have to wait because in the books I've read say that you can find out at 16 weeks, however I'm been told that a lot of doctors choose to wait till closer to twenty. We go back to the doctor on March 17th and I will be seventeen weeks, and I was pretty sure they would make me wait until our appointment in April. So I talked to a friend who uses the same doctor as I do and she told me about baby views, here in Little Rock. www.babyviews.com She used them on both of her babies and found out what she was having at sixteen weeks and then went back for the 4D ultrasound later in the pregnancy. The 4D was also something I knew I wanted to do. Eric and I checked out the website, spoke with the company and will be going for our 2D ultrasound on March 9th and will find out the sex of Baby T. We already have names picked out for either or, so this will make it official and baby will no longer have to be called "baby".

Our name choices are.....

Boy: Brody Cole, Cole being my mothers maiden name

Girl: Chloe Lane , Lane being my great-grandmothers last name

Those are the names we have picked from the start and I hope that neither of us change our minds at the last minute. On another note, I think I have reached a point where my belly has began to grow a little bit every night. I woke up yesterday morning and looked down to see quite the pooch. My clothes still fit for the most part but I see maternity clothes in my near future.

Keep a lookout for our big announcement next week to see if we will be going PINK or going BLUE. My fingers are crosses to go PINK and my husbands are crosses for going BLUE. But of course, we both really just care to have a strong healthy baby and healthy rest of the pregnancy. Pink or Blue will be fine for either of us!

New Technology

So Eric and I have made the switch..... we are now a Mac family and so far I'm loving this. Things are very different and are going to take some getting use to, but I'm sure we will get this hang of it. And by we, I mean I will get the hang of it, Eric is already there it seems. The biggest changes that I'm having a hard time with, the HUGE screen, tiny keyboard, and learning what application does what. I'm ready to have my pictures back on my desktop so maybe that will be our next challenge. Today's challenge was getting out iTunes music transferred from our PC to our Mac, needless to say Eric had to figure this one out for me.

On another note, I've come down with a cold and have little options to choose from to take. Thankfully a little sudafed, tylenol and benedryl is on the list and are getting me by. I have a big weekend ahead because one of my best friends, Amanda is getting married March 20th and I am throwing her a shower on Sunday. So excited for her in this time of her life, I remember the month before my wedding and how excited I was so I wish her nothing but happiness and stress free wedding planning.

New to Blogging

While I am definitely unfamiliar with the blogging world, I thought it might be a fun way to keep track of the changes going on in and around our lives. Right now we have the biggest change of all......we are expecting our first child to arrive in August. We could not be happier with this change! To add to this excitement, I have a few friends who are also expecting at this time. It is so fun to be able to ask each other questions and to hear stories of doctors appointments and baby plans from someone going through it at the exact same time as you. I can see many play dates in our future.

As for our pregnancy, things have had their ups and downs but are looking way up now days. I unfortunately became very sick for a about three weeks and was unable to keep much food in my system but am better now and figured out it was all due to the prenatal vitamins. We have had two doctors appointments and the baby is doing great! Our first appointment was so fun because we got to see the tiny thing moving around in there. It was a surreal moment for me and I will never forget it. My second appointment was a spur of the moment since I was sick and Eric was unable to be there but I was able to hear the heartbeat which was in the 150's. Such a good thing to hear after being so sick. I can't wait to go back so that Eric can hear it as well and am looking forward to finding out what Baby Thornberry is going to be!! We have our crib and chest of drawers in and are waiting on a dresser to arrive. Baby shopping or usually just looking is so much fun these days!

I hope to update often and share our excting news as it occurs, until next time I will leave you with our babys first photo.