The scary adventures of a Baby Registry

Earlier this week Kevin and I spontaneously decided to get started on our Baby Registry.  I had initially wanted to set a night aside for the two of us to sit down at a computer and do some research.  Well of course not. What fun would that be? And how in the hell would I ever maintain his attention long enough to ask his opinion on every category that I'd actually want his opinion on?

Away we go to the Babies R' Us 25 minutes away that I was already at earlier that day. We cranked up Jock Jams on Pandora and hit the road jamming out to early 90's in preparation for football season. And yes, we legitimately belt it out, moves and all.

Notice Kevin's shirt. He changed into his light pink shirt after work for his Baby Girl.

(ummm.. I can't wait for him to be a Daddy!!)

So here we go, armed with our little laser and completely unprepared to Register for anything we were about to put on the list.  But hey, you have to start somewhere, and why not make a little fun out of it?

Kevin felt empowered to be the ruler of the Laser. I allowed him as much freedom as I could without going into crazy-bitch mode for scanning all sorts of stuff we really didn't need. And he looked so darn cute and was actually really into it!

But I did have to pull the reins in on him a bit as he was quite trigger happy.

I had done a very small amount of research on products we'd like to register for before we went, so we made some "educated" guesses (more like Hearsay guesses since many of my comments started with "But I heard..." or "They say..."). I know I will be spending the next couple of months really getting it all the way we need it.  There's also so much more available online than there is in the store.  And we were also informed that our Babies R' Us is one of the smallest ones in the country. 

Luckily we both hit a wall at about the same time. "Yeah..... I'm about over this." "Me too." But it was just in enough time to remember that we wanted to start buying diapers regularly to start stocking up. So we bought our very first box of diapers.

I can't imagine what other "seasoned" parents thought of us.  New parents-to-be giddy and glossy-eyed at selecting thousands of dollars of products for our little human.  I don't know if I'd love seeing this or if I'd simply roll my eyes.  Either way, Kevin and I had fun. And we also got to ride home with this sunset.

 

Man, do I love living in Florida.

Week 16 Update: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

My Football & Beer rant and weekly update.

Today is the official start to Football Season.  While this marks the beginning of the best time of year, this will be the first year of teetotalling for me.  I must admit I can be known for my guzzling abilities, and there was no better place to showcase this ability than around a Florida State tailgate.  Up until now, the whole "No Alcohol" thing really hasn't affected me; perhaps because Hubby has been a generous "stay at home" partner on the weekends and we haven't really been out and around it much. But I have yet to live through a Dry Football Season. And quite frankly, I'm not looking forward to that aspect of it.


Either way, FLORIDA STATE FOOTBALL IS BACK!





As I've mentioned in previous posts, I feel relatively like myself now in the second trimester.  Although, I must come to terms with the fact that I CANNOT STOP EATING.  I have never been a dieter, I have always just let my body tell me when it needed food.  And I'm finding that difficult now because my body is telling me to eat everything, and constantly.  And not good things either. Trying to exert some self-control, but there's only so much you can do.

Most exciting moment this week thus far:  Feeling her Move! They constantly tell you that in your first pregnancy it is difficult to distinguish between gas and the baby moving. I have found this to be true. This morning, I felt something that was undoubtedly our baby girl. Talk about exciting!! I know the more I feel her the more likely I'll look back and confirm that much of what I thought was gas was just my baby.

Sleep: I am starting to sleep much, much better. Thank Goodness, I was about to lose hope. Though, I wish my body would wake me up sooner when I have to pee, because I will literally wake up and run to the bathroom just in the knick of time.  Maybe that means I'm sleeping a bit heavier. Oh, I'm also tired of waking up with snot and boogers!!!

Food cravings: Sugar. And More Sugar. Ugh, where did my desire to eat healthy go?? This week, it's fruit snacks, likely because they were BOGO at Publix.  Namely Fruit Roll-ups, Gushers, and Fruit by the Foot.

Baby Bump: I think it's becoming a bit more noticeable to those that know me.  I'm sure to strangers I just look like I enjoyed an extra 6-pack the night before.  I officially cannot button any of my pants, but am using the rubber trick.  And my Belly itself is starting to feel tighter (though it's tough to tell if that's Baby or if it's just because I'm constantly eating!).

Weight: Seeing as we don't own a scale, my only weight check-ins are at my appointments (so it's been more than 3 weeks since my last weigh-in). From my initial appointment, I lost 2 pounds by the next appointment and then gained them back the following.  So as of my last appointment I'm back at square one, though I'll estimate that I've gained 4-5 pounds this month. We shall see next week.

We finally get to see our Lil Princess next week on our 3rd Anniversary. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate!

Week 15: a Magical update

My week 15 is a bit different than previous week updates, but no less special. Actually, a bit more magical: Kevin and I were at our favorite place on earth during the time we usually do our chalkboard update. So, we had to improvise:

Kevin had an annual conference to attend during the week, but we were able to squeeze a couple of nights in at Disney World and dubbed it our mini- Babymoon and early 3rd anniversary celebration.  While I won't do a full on trip report of our stay, I will hit a few highlights.

This was our first time staying in one of the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside, which really caters to the princesses. Coincidentally, we had reserved our hotel room before finding out our Baby is in fact a princess herself. And, well, um. Let's just say I'm minor-ly obsessed.

Every last detail was inspired by Disney princesses. There's even a bit of magic in the headboards!

We didn't get to go on many rides, but we had our anniversary dinner at Coral Reef in the Living Seas. Since we had our 3rd Anniversary pins on they sat us next to the aquarium and our delicious dessert was even on the house.

This will likely be the most inexpensive signature dining experience we will ever have a Disney because I wasn't able to drink like a fish (no pun intended).

Our Lil Princess was just dying for sweets the whole trip. A Disney lollipop, Cookies n' Cream milkshake, Crème Brule, cheese Danish, pineapple Dole Whips were all on the menu over those couple of days.

Oh, and we went crazy Oooo-ing and Ahhh-ing over all of the little girl clothes (you'd be surprised at Disney's limited selection of newborn/infant items). We ended up getting a couple of clothes for the sake of actually being IN DISNEY WORLD, but being a sale-driven maniac, I know I can find plenty of Disney-inspired clothes at a much better price!

We are sad to accept the fact that that will be the last Disney trip we will have for quite some time (as both Kevin and I are Disney fanatics).  But the next time we go, it will be a whole new and exciting adventure to be able to share with our very own Princess.

Now that I am a couple of weeks into the second trimester I finally 100% feel like myself again (though, still a bit emotionally charged). Reflecting back on the first trimester, I cannot believe I survived.... it was very difficult on me, both emotionally and physically.  But now, every day that passes I feel closer and closer to our Lil' Princess, as we get closer to finally meeting the girl of our dreams.

Pregnant Baking: a good idea, in theory

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I for some reason thought that I would add baking to my list of hobbies. Perhaps it would come with the desire to nest? I mean, why NOT bake your own crave-quenching sweet treats from scratch?

I'll tell you why not.  One word:  BATTER.

You may not meet a more sugar-craving freak than myself.  My sugar intake scares me sometimes. But on this one afternoon, I wanted brownies.  Not only that, Kevin was going to be late from work and I knew he'd appreciate coming home to some freshly made brownies (so see, it wasn't just for me!).

Well, my whole baking hobby thing sounded good in theory.  Then as I began to read down the list of ingredients, I remembered one of the key ingredients to most baked goods: eggs. raw eggs.

The only thing that saved me from this venture was the powdered box mix.  Yes, I am one of those weirdos that enjoys coughing on the sweet powder mix that gets stuck in your throat (that is, however, assuming that there are other weirdos out there that do this as well).

As I stirred the 3 simple ingredients into the powdered mix, my mouth began to water.  "Can I make it through this???" I asked myself. This proved to be more difficult than first anticipated.

 

Yes, that is a Mickey Mouse hand stirring our brownie dough.  After stirring and pouring the batter into the pan, perhaps one of the most difficult moments of my pregnancy to date:

Even my poor quality iPhone picture makes this look finger lickin' good.  I sure do want to lick Mickey's glove right about now. I even got some batter on my hands.  But, I succeeded. I pushed through the desires to devour every last morsel of brownie batter. I am incredibly proud of myself, not a single lick.

Will I ever do this again?? Not too sure.  Depends on how badly I want some fresh baked goods. But until then, we have some gooey brownies waiting for me in the kitchen.

Mid-month Limbo -- Hurry up Doctor's Appt!

This has happened to me every month since I found out I was expecting (I know, I know, a whopping 3 months). With my doctor's appointments at the beginning of each month, I feel like time drags on between appointments. Halfway through the month I get antsy and even anxious about the Lil One's progress. And knowing that I could feel our Lil Princess flutter at any moment makes this time frame especially agonizing (not the best word, because I love it, but I'm just DYING for her to let me know she's in there!). 

With the next appointment a couple weeks away and an every morning analysis of my baby bump, I'm just dying for the next time I can see her or hear her heartbeat (hurry up September 4th, which just so happens to be our 3rd anniversary too!).  I do think this feeling will go away once she makes herself known (at least I hope!), and I can start feeling her on a regular basis. But until then, time just ticks on by.

I know I'll look back at this time and think about the whirlwind it really was.  I look back at the past 3 months and wondering where the hell that time has gone.  It feels like it was just a few weeks ago we were in Disney making our first and only attempt for our fateful princess. ;-)

CANDY UPDATE
I am a candy fanatic, and so far our Lil Princess is as well.  This week's candy desire:

I have candy eccentricities too: I typically have some strange way of eating candies, and Nerds are no different (if they come in multi-color, that is).  I only like to eat one flavor at a time, and that's quite a feat in a box like this with like 10 different flavors.  I guess it's my mind's way of keeping me from eating too much. But this box won't last long, so I guess we'll see what Lil Princess is in the mood for next week!

Week 14: where have all the Zzzz's gone

This week, Baby Girl is the size of a Fist.  I wanted to find something cuter that she was the size of, (some sites said nectarine, others said lemon) but to me they are smaller than a Peach (Week 13). No need to go into fruit technicalities.



Kevin drew the fist -- hence its masculinity

SLEEP  For the majority of the first trimester we were best friends. In fact, too close.  She bothered me on a regular basis: morning, noon, and night.  I don't know what I did to piss her off over the last 2-3 weeks, but she won't return my phone calls.

I have never been a sound sleeper. But this is much different. I can't fall asleep at night, I toss and turn all night, and I have been having some extremely vivid and horrifying dreams. It may have something to do with my valiant efforts to sleep on my left side.  I have gone from using 1 pillow to 4 pillows (one behind my back wedged between Kevin and myself :-/). To top it off I already experience back pain, and I know it's only going to get worse.

I have been researching pregnancy pillows because, at this point, I need to do SOMETHING to get some sleep! And I've read some reviews from other preggers that it was the best purchase they made during pregnancy.  I'm between the Boppy 3-piece pillow and LeachCo's Snoogle Total Body Pregnancy & Feeding Pillow, basically because I don't want to spend a small fortune on a stinkin' pillow (some are in the $150's range, these 2 you can find under $60).

They are both available at most retailers... Target, BBB, Amazon, Babies R' Us, etc.  I'll surely review whichever pillow (if either/any) I end up getting.


Lest us not even discuss some of the other woes I'm experiencing that I really hadn't anticipated....

I am breaking out on my face, back, shoulders, and chest like a 15-year-old boy on a full-fledged greasy pizza diet.

Also, I was so excited to read other mommy experiences about how your hair gets full and luscious during pregnancy.  Well, maybe I'm just searching too soon, but I've been LOSING hair! Doc says every woman has different experiences.... as long as I don't have any bald spots not to worry. BALD SPOTS?!?! No, none there luckily, but really, what happened to thicker, fuller hair?  Perhaps it's just on its way.......

Just another week closer until I get to see my miraculous little girl again.... Hurry Up September 4th!

My "You're so tiny!" tangent & first Preggo pants

“You’re so tiny!”

I know that when this phrase is used, there is no ill-intention and it is most likely meant as a compliment.  BUT.  I am dying for my belly to be visibly seen with an official Baby Bump. Maybe I'm being super-sensitive (which I'm entitled to since I'm pregnant), but it almost feels like my pregnancy is being downplayed or belittled. 

How am I supposed to respond to that anyway?  "Thanks"? or "Well, my baby's healthy."?  To the former, what if they didn't mean it as a compliment? And the latter suggests that I do take it as a put down because I feel the need to justify the size of my frickin' stomach.

Everyone's reaction to my desire to have a bump is, don't worry, it'll be here soon enough.  No shit. I'm well aware that my belly will soon be taking over my small frame. But I'm excited and antsy to see (and show off) my Baby Girl. I know in the long run I'll likely be happy if I stay a relatively petite preggo, but is there any need for others to broadcast it to the world?

Enough about that tangent....  On to Zulily!

Just a couple days ago I received my first shipment from Zulily, and my first pairs of Preggo pants!!  You have no idea how excited I have been for them (and I was relatively unimpressed with Zulily's lengthy shipping process). Luckily one of my friends Sarah is 10 weeks ahead of me and was able to help me figure out what sizes to order.  I prefer to order a size larger (even when I'm not pregnant), but I'm happy she encouraged me to go with Smalls. I would have been swimming in the Mediums!

When I pulled the pair of shorts and capris out, it took me back to middle school sizing up my uniform bottoms. They looked so silly and foreign to me.

But I did not judge. I slid those puppies on, and my life had changed forever.  A couple of friends had told me how comfy pregnancy pants were, but I really had no idea.

Who in their right mind would ever go back to regular pants after owning a pair of these???????? Not this chick.  I will happily avoid the dreaded Whale Tail for the rest of my life.

And for S&G's, a view of my "tiny" belly from my perspective.... I'll be seeing you later next year, Feet!

If you haven't signed up for Zulily, use my link!! Once you make your first purchase I get a $20 credit (and perhaps I'll spend it on you ;-).   

See ya later, First Trimester

So Baby and I are just under 14 weeks, and within the last couple of weeks we’ve had some significant changes.  First off, I am just finally getting some energy and appetite back.  I’m able to stand up without seeing stars and almost falling flat on my behind.  I don’t hit a wall at 1:00PM necessitating a nap. Overall, I'm actually starting to feel more like a human being and less like a zombie-alien.

Oh, and my tiny baby bump is started to show itself (atleast I feel like it is!)

I believe Kevin’s experience with the first trimester, aside from the incredible moments at the doctor’s office, are relatively forgettable.  While my energy level and desire for food was pretty bad, I think by far the worst part about the first trimester for me was the mood swings.  I’m not saying they’re gone, but I’m a bit more level-headed than I was.

The nurse said that I should be able to start feeling flutters.  I swore I felt something earlier this week, I won't archive it as my "first" movement, because quite honestly, it could have been gas. BUT, it did feel much different, so I'm excited that I may have already felt our little baby girl!

Catch up on my Chalkboard photos

So now that I'm almost caught up with all of the posts I had written prior to having a blog, it's time to catch up on my preggo progress photos. One thing that I enjoy about doing these pictures is that Kevin participates.  While I love to craft, I'm the worst drawer in the entire world. So he elected to help out with the actual drawings, so it's become a nice little weekend afternoon project for us.

Week 7: Blueberry 

 

Week 8: Raspberry (yup, just noticed I spelled it wrong!!)

Week 9:  Skipped a week

 

Week 10: Walnut

 

Week 11: Lime

Week 12: Plum

 

It feels like it's taking FOREVER for a bump to appear! It definitely looks like it without clothes, but I'm ready for a cute little baby bump.

But it's My Birthday!

Originally written August 7, 2013

Today is my birthday! While typically my birthday consists of some sort of night out of debauchery, this year is clearly a bit different, but no less special.  In fact, with a clear schedule, I have enjoyed a rather relaxing and solo Wednesday birthday thus far.  

To make myself feel even just a little like a party animal, I jump outside of my nail polish comfort zone.

And there’s no better way to top it off than with dinner with my parents and grandparents at the restaurant of my choice (which was still up in the air until my craving had made its decision on Mexican food, aka Cantina Laredo). Ummm... and a surprise from my FAVORITE Cookies By Design!

Overall, I had a wonderful and relaxing birthday. Kevin's gift to me is worthy of its own post because it was just too perfect, so stay tuned.

Hot of the Press: BOY or GIRL

Originally writte August 6, 2013

Kevin and I were given probably the most anticipated news during any pregnancy aside from seeing that initial positive test result.   We found out whether we were having a Girl or a Boy.

Kevin and I were lucky enough to be able to take one of the newest prenatal screening tests available. Aside from screening for some of the most common genetic disorders with a simple blood test, this test just so happens to be able to reveal the gender as well (as early as 10 weeks!).  I received the phone call last week with the comforting results of all of the serious stuff.  When asked about learning the gender, I had requested to save it until my appointment on Monday so Kevin and I could find out together. Talk about Self-Control!

We really didn’t anticipate one way or the other one what our little Baby may be. At some points we thought for sure a girl and others a boy.  It was incredible enough to be able to find out a month before our next ultrasound appointment.  My OB/GYN was dying to share the news… I was wondering why when I saw him in the hall on the way to use the restroom before my appointment he looked like he wanted to say something.  Of course though, when he came in the room he strung it out…… it…… is……. a……….. GIRL!

The boys announcing that they will be big brothers to a Little Sister!
We left the appointment, did our visiting rounds to parents and grandparents, and immediately went out to purchase some of her first clothes.

This is going to be F-U-N!
Just knowing the sex has made pregnancy all the more exciting.  Nursery has overcome my free time.  

Naming your Baby after a Phlebotomist?

Originally written July 23, 2013

I had yet another blood test today, but an important one.  Not only will it screen for genetic/birth defects, but it is also one of the first blood tests available that can determine gender!  We have to wait a grueling minimum of 10 days for this information, and it is extremely nerve-wracking. 

Unfortunately I was unable to have the same phlebotomist that drew my blood for my first maternity blood test, and also the lab work I had done before we started trying to have a family. Luckily she was there, and I did get a chance to catch up with her. She had brightened my day the last time I was in, and it so rare and wonderful to have a special experience in such an atypical/unpleasant environment.  I had told her I was 7 weeks along and she was incredibly excited for me as if I were family.  She then proceeded to tell me that it wasn’t uncommon for patients to name their babies after their doctors, and it wouldn’t be strange to name a baby after a phlebotomist! Hmmmmmm...... that would be quite the story for my child to be able to tell for the rest of their lives.

Sandy Lee…. Not sure I’ll forget her name after that. 

She proceeded to top off my blood draw with a special bandage…… as she drew it on, she said “Boy. Girl. Boy. Girl.”  It was very cute.

The search for the elusive “Baby’s first Disney” item

Now, anyone that knows me knows my and Kevin's affinity for Disney.  Well, our path to Jacksonville (when we went to tell his family the news) just cuts WAY too close to Disney not at least stop in to Downtown Disney to roam for a couple of minutes.  After all, now that I am travelling preggers, it was a great reason for us to stop to let me walk around, get some air, and grab a potty break. 

But this wasn’t just a casual journey.  We were on a mission.  We were on a mission to find Baby’s first piece of Disney World (after all, we are dubbing Baby a Disney Baby since he or she was “made with Pixie Dust”).  And buying from a Disney Store or online would NOT suffice, it must be from Disney World.  There was NOTHING for a newborn in World of Disney.  We were so disappointed.  On our way to Jacksonville we decided it was another great reason to stop again on our way home… “we’ll check the some of the resorts, maybe they’ll have something different.”

So, come Sunday and our trek back home, we decided the first place to stop was the Boardwalk.  Nada.  We walked the lagoon around to the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.  We were getting warmer.  They had different baby items from Boardwalk, which meant that each resort likely had different items. Yet to no avail, nothing that struck our fancy.

"Oh no, too bad. I guess we'll have to go to the monorail resorts."  Checking the store in Polynesian, we had finally found one. Onesies for each a boy and a girl, actually. And I had almost lost hope.  We were just about to buy them when we both decided we might as well check Grand Floridian and Contemporary since, well, we're here. (Can you tell I was just trying to find ANY reason to linger at Disney??)

So we put them back and headed next door to the Grand Floridian, where we found a couple of cute rattlers but not as good as the onesies. And then it happened. at Contemporary.We found the perfect boy and girl onesies (because there was no way we were going to get a unisex one or single out a gender).

After deciding we needed to grab some grub before hitting the road, we headed home with our prideful purchases. Life was at the moment complete. Our Disney Baby had its first piece of Disney World.

Telling HIS parents & family – she's a BIG COUSIN!

Originally written July 12, 2013

Trying to find a weekend as soon as possible to get to Jacksonville to tell Kevin’s parents was quite the momentous task. We already knew how we wanted to tell them.  Kennedy, age 8, is currently the only grandchild.  So, our plan was to make an “I’m a Big Cousin” shirt for her to put on at a specified time when the whole family was together! 

I used printable iron-on paper on a little white tank.  This was apparently cheap paper because it started cracking as soon as we stretched it over her head.  But it served its purpose!

Let me preface this with quite the story. So on Father’s Day, Kevin dials his Pops for us to wish him a Happy Father’s Day.  Typically this is accomplished with speakerphone, but Kevin handed me the phone instead (which I bet he regrets).  After I wished him a Happy Father’s Day, he proceeds to tell me that Kevin and I will be able to celebrate next year and that he was very excited.  Of course, me taken a little aback, I ask “what are you talking about?” “You know what I’m talking about, Kevin told me and I’m very excited for you two.”  “Oh he did, did he?” [cue piercing glare in Kevin’s direction as he pretends to be occupied skimming the pool.  He knew he was in for it.].  Kevin's dad proceeded to ask how I felt and tell me that he would keep the secret until we were able to make it up to Jacksonville.

To Kevin’s benefit, he said he had wanted to call his Pops about the early Ultrasound we were sent in for.  Ok. Maybe that will fly. MAYBE.  He still will never forget it. 

Anyway, with Kevin coaching baseball several weekends, it was difficult to find a weekend to “run up” to Jacksonville.  After a couple of weeks of discussion we finally found the perfect weekend to go.

The whole family was gathering at Kevin’s sister’s house (where we were staying) to celebrate Kevin’s brother’s birthday. It was perfect!  We had already planned out HOW we wanted to tell the family, we just didn’t know WHEN.  At this point, Kevin’s Dad knew, and so did Kevin’s brother and his girlfriend (they had visited us in Cape Coral the week prior), so they were all there to help, but also increased the likelihood of someone slipping!

So when time came to eat dinner, we all served ourselves and sat down to eat.  I wasn’t sure exactly why, Kevin’s brother was kicking me under the table… I asked him out loud why he was playing footsy with me.  Oh duh, perfect timing.  I ran upstairs to grab the shirt and had Kevin tell his niece to meet me in her room.

I filled her in on our little secret and asked for her help to tell the family.  She was wearing an adorable dress at the time, so she’d have to put on a pair of shorts to go with the shirt.  With a little hesitancy (and I believe a desire to make sure it was OK with her mom to change), we were ready to confront the dinner table.

We walked out and she immediately ran over to her mom’s side where everyone began to read.  Kevin’s mom chimed out “WHO'S PREGNANT? YOU?”  Yes us! 

It was a wonderful moment to share with the entire family on a relatively unexpected trip to Jacksonville. I was surprised they hadn't suspected something was up.

First visit -- I guess I'll be seeing a whole bunch of you Doc

Originally written July 8, 2013 

So on this day, just 9 weeks into our journey, we were able to hear our little miracle for the first time.  This was our first official pre-natal appointment, dubbed the “long” one.  We didn’t care, we knew that this was potentially our first opportunity to see and hear our little Baby’s heartbeat. 

I will add here that back at Week 5, I had a pregnancy small scare, and was sent in for an ultrasound to make sure Baby P was OK.  While this was a frightening time, we were also allotted the opportunity to see our Baby’s heartbeat on the monitor.  You couldn’t make out anything on the screen other than a faint, yet rapid, pulse (by the 154 beats per minute, clearly was not mine).  It was an incredible feeling of joy and relief to know that Baby P was in fact in there and right on track.

Back to Week 9’s Ultrasound, and what I will consider our first real experience with our little Baby.  I had hoped we’d be able to make out the Baby’s silhouette, but I honestly had no clue what to expect.  First she did her Doctor things and made sure Baby was the right size and all that good stuff. Yay. Healthy Baby.  Then she really started prodding around and we were able to see not only the baby’s head and body, but also his or her little legs, arms, and you could even just barely make out little fingers!  What was most shocking to me, was at one point, we were able to see Baby wiggle his or her little legs and arms! It was incredible. I had no idea we’d be able to see that!

Then, we heard it. What sounded to me like a freight train. Thwump Thwump Thwump.  It was incredibly fast.  In fact, 172 beats per minute to be exact!  I didn’t even know that babies heart beats could go that fast. It was incredible.  It was an incredibly emotional experience (and yes, I could hear a couple sniffles over in the dim corner where Kevin was sitting).

After going through all of the DOs and DONTs paperwork, we scheduled for our next appointment and the Ultrasound appointment in which we’ll get to see the Baby’s GENDER!! Of all days, September 4, our anniversary!   We will be taking a screening test in which we’ll be able to find out the gender sooner, so we’re just watching the days tick slowly by for now!