20 Weeks- Halfway There!!!

I can't believe we're halfway through the pregnancy already! I'm starting to feel a little more pregnant lately... and I felt her first kick on Friday :) I decided to soak in the bathtub for awhile (haven't done that in years) and I saw and felt the kick! Pretty amazing. I haven't felt any since then, but feeling movements for sure. The baby is now the size of a banana :)

I've slowly been working on the registry. I decided to go with Walmart because everything there seems to be less expensive (same quality and brands) and the registry is easy to work with. I've done everything online so far which as been convenient. I'll probably continue to add things and make changes for awhile.The registry is located here- https://www.walmart.com/giftregistry/gr_detail.do?registryId=86162521244

We had a good weekend- Set up a tree-stand close by on some state land for Ben to go hunting. On Saturday, we went to our friends Tom and Jenny's Pumpkin Carving Party. I brought a Halloween Brownie Pizza which was a hit! I'll definitely have to make that one again. It was great to catch up with our friends. Went to church yesterday and then got some cleaning and stuff done.... all in all a productive weekend :) Looks like we'll be heading to the U.P. next weekend.

So blessed with everything in life right now! Couldn't be happier :)

Me at 20 Weeks

It's A......

GIRL!!! Well, the ultrasound tech was pretty sure anyway :)

I was slightly expecting to get a boy, but any small feelings of disappointment quickly faded when I started thinking about our little girl :) This will be the first girl on Ben's side of the family that already has 5 little boys. They are definitely excited to finally be getting a girl- and I'm pretty sure there are stock piles of clothes waiting for her!

We had to schedule another ultrasound in 10 weeks because they found 2 cysts in our baby's brain (YIKES), but the doctor reassured us that this wasn't anything to be worried about. They are called bilateral choroid plexus cysts, and they show up on the ultrasound usually in second trimester and are fairly common. They develop when a tiny bit of fluid gets trapped when the brain is forming. They are not harmful, but if coupled with another problem or defect they see, they can be associated with Trisomy 18. Fortunately, our baby is perfect so the doctor assured us that the cysts would be gone or at least shrunk down by 30 weeks. So... we have another ultrasound scheduled for Dec. 27th to make sure they go away. This scared me at first when she started talking about it, but I felt much better when she told us that in her 25 years of practice, she has seen this many times and only 1 baby was born with the cysts, and they disappeared after a month and the baby ended up perfectly healthy. So- I'm not going to worry!

Plus side-it will give us another chance to verify the gender (since she wasn't 100% sure)!

So excited about this blessing from God :) We can't wait to meet our little girl! Now, to decide on a name...

Ultrasound Photos-
It's a girl!!!

These 3D Images are pretty amazing!

19 Weeks

Today marks 19 weeks!
We have an ultrasound tomorrow, and we decided to find out what we are having :) We went back and forth on this many times... Ben's Grandpa down in Kentucky isn't doing very well and he doesn't think he will make it to Christmas. He has been buying guns for all of his great-grandkids, and would like to know if he should buy a black or pink gun for our baby! We felt this made the decision for us.

I have been feeling more movement lately-very exciting! Haven't felt anything major, but I've definitely been feeling more flutters and they seem to be getting stronger. I'm looking forward to feeling more obvious kicks, but I'll take what I can get :)

Still hungry all the time. I've been eating more for sure, and I'm trying my best to eat healthy. Sometimes I just can't turn down the brownies or icecream... but I try to limit myself! The one thing I crave a lot is french fries. I don't really have any food aversions, which is good. One thing that's been rough is the increased gum/tooth sensitivity. On one side, my gums are pretty swollen and are very sensitive. I thought I had something stuck up there, so I flossed right away and it HURT! I have been dealing with this pain the past 3 or 4 days. Before that, they were sensitive, but not like this. If it last much longer, I might try to have my November dentist appointment moved up!

We had a good weekend. Went to watch "Courageous" with my parents and some friends. Sad movie, but it had a great message. Good timing for Ben and I before we become parents :) We got up (too) early Saturday and headed down to Harrison. We went to a wedding and spent time with his family. Came back up yesterday. Despite The Tigers, Michigan, and The Lions losing, we had a pretty good weekend!

Can't wait to find out if we are having a little boy or a little girl!!! 1 more day :)

18 Weeks

I seriously can't believe I'm already 18 weeks pregnant. Seems like just yesterday I took that test that showed me 2 little lines. Since this is my first post about my pregnancy, let me go back....
On July 6th, I was a little late so decided to pick up a test. I called Ben and asked him if I should wait until he got home from work on Friday to take it... he wanted to know right then. So I said ok, I'll call you back in 5 minutes or so. Took the test, and sure enough, pregnant! I called him back right away. He was as surprised as I was (this wasn't exactly planned), but I could tell he was thrilled too :)
I called my Mom and asked her if she could stop over so I could show her something. She had no idea (of course!) and my Dad just happened to call when she was over, so I told him too. I asked them to keep it quiet for awhile until we had our first doctor's appointment. We also told a few close friends and family members, but that was it.
I purchased a Doppler online for about $50 so I could hear the heartbeat whenever I wanted. It took me awhile to find it, but at about 8 weeks, we heard the heartbeat! Truly a miracle.
At 10 weeks, we had our first appointment at the GT Women's Health Clinic. Dr. Kurtz is our main doctor, but they switch you around to different doctors so you can try to meet them all (any of the might be on call when it is delivery time). They did an ultrasound where we got to see our tiny baby jumping around and we heard the heartbeat again. They took our baby's first picture. This whole thing was AMAZING to see. They said everything looked great and that we should go out and tell the world :)

First trimester went fairly well for me. I was sick on and off, but it wasn't horrible. Usually when I felt sick, it would be in the evenings around 8:00. I actually got sick I think 2 or 3 times, and it was usually a nasty smell that would set me off (like when I had to clean up dog puke!)... but other than that it was usually just nausea. Didn't have many food aversions or cravings out of the norm. I did have several pretty bad headaches... Tylenol always helped. I was tired often too, but nothing I couldn't manage. After some of the first trimester horror stories I've heard, I think I had it pretty good!
Once second tri came, the nausea went away quickly. I do still get tired, and I usually go to bed about 9:00! I love getting 10 hours of sleep, and I feel like I need it. Some nights I'll feel like going to bed at 7:30.
Today, I am at the 18 week mark. My belly is finally starting to pop out some, but it isn't very noticeable unless I'm wearing a fitted shirt. I'm sure that's going to change soon. I'm hungry a LOT. I've gained 7 lbs so far, which is in the low to normal range. Pretty close to being on track. I'm still mostly wearing my normal clothes, but my jeans are definitely feeling tight. I usually wear loose fitting shirts and zip-ups... and the black stretchy pants have been a popular choice lately :)
I have felt some flutterings, but no real kicks or anything yet. I hope to start felling our baby move soon!

Next Tuesday, we have our ultrasound. This is the one where we can find out the gender if we want. STILL undecided. I thought we were going to wait, but Ben has been telling me lately that he kind of wants to find out. We'll keep talking about it this week and try to come to a decision.

Baby's First Picture- 10 Weeks

Me at 18 Weeks

Intro Post

Well I decided to start a blog. Seems like an easy way to keep everyone updated on what is going on in our lives (for whoever is interested) and a great way to document these milestones!
Ben and I got married this summer on June 18th, 2011. We met in December of 2009, got engaged on July 11, 2010, and married a few months ago. Our wedding was absolutely perfect. We got married at Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City and had the reception at The Williamsburg Creekside. The weather was beautiful and I honestly couldn't have asked for anything better. Here is a link to the pictures-
http://benjenswedding61811.shutterfly.com/
The Honeymoon went great as well and we ended up.... pregnant!!! We didn't exactly plan on that happening, but God did :) I am due on March 12, 2012 and we couldn't be more excited to start our family.
I'll do my best to keep this updated and share what is going on!