20 weeks 4 days

How far along? 20 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: back to where I started... let the gaining begin
Maternity clothes? really only maternity pants so I can sit down
marks? Not as of yet
Sleep: I'm told to enjoy this wonderful time of blissful sleep while I can
Best moment this week: Getting to tell everyone that we are having a BOY!
Miss Anything? My friends just got a hot tub... sounds amazing
Movement: YES!!! After the 20 week appointment it is so much easier to feel him and know what I am feeling.
Food cravings: FOOD I want to eat everything
Anything making you queasy or sick: I wish
Have you started to show yet: people have started to notice that I'm pregnant with out me telling them!
Gender: He is all boy, Rourke Patrick Venables.
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In, but it is only a matter of time
Wedding rings on or off? On,
Happy or Moody most of the time: loving life!!!
Looking forward to: I'm selfish but my massage

Its a Boy!!!

Little known fact.... our ultra sound technician told/showed us we were having a boy at our 12 week appointment. The first above picture is from our 12 week appointment and the second one is from our 20 week appointment. We didn't want to tell anyone because everything we read (on the internet) told us that at 12 weeks there was no way to know for sure the baby’s gender (false as we are living proof). Plus how bad would I have felt if it the technician had been mistaken and my poor daughter had to find out later that for the first 5 months of her life she had been a boy? Can you imagine the teasing? Not that Brad or I was ever able to seriously think that there was a chance that the little monkey was a girl after she said that though. The room was painted blue and Brad bought the baby's first football, so thank goodness she was right. Plus my parents both tell such horror stories about raising me that both Brad and I will be happy to have our first child be a boy. We have however, come to terms with that fact that this means one or both of us might/will get peed on. We have had to try and hide this knowledge from friends and family members until we were certian, which is hard with a blue baby room. Just another secret about being pregnant that I no longer have to keep. I'm pretty sure that we have reached the end of the secret part of pregnancy, which I for one do not mind! We even did our gender announcement this Friday with a ballon realease!

 I can't seem to stop myself I have already started clothes shopping and the baby room is already. His name is all picked out Rourke Patrick Venables aka Rory. Now we just have to wait 4 more months to meet the little guy... So happy that its a boy!

Looking forward and looking back...

It is hard to believe that just 14 weeks ago I sat in my friend Kaylee’s living room and tried to force her to take bump pictures with me. I was just 6 weeks along and her at the enviable 19 weeks mark and about to find out the sex of her baby, which seemed like an unreachable goal at the time. Sadly those pictures turned out awful, so no one will ever to see them. It was fun however to see her this weekend, in honor of her impending 28^th Birthday, now with me at 19 weeks and her at 34 weeks. We have a lot more in common now with our bumps and pregnancy stories. It was really neat for me to get a glance into what will hopefully be my future and to get some much needed advice and reassurance that the fact I have NEVER changed a diaper will not make me the worst parent in the world (knock on wood).  While it is great to look forward, I also got a chance to look back last night. One of our really good friends let it slip that they too are expecting a new addition to their family (we are so excited for them). I had to laugh here I was again full circle, her being only 6 weeks and me at the knowledgeable 19 week mark and about to find out the sex of our baby. While every pregnancy is different all the fear and excitement are still the same and I do not envy her the next few weeks as she waits for that first appointment and the reassuring beat of a young heart.  I wish I could just let her know that it will all be alright and just to enjoy these new feelings, but of course there is no way to stop the constant fears and Google searches, which in turn cause more fear. Sadly just like all of us before her she will have to wait. I hope that I can be half as helpful as Kaylee has been to me in calming me down. It made me think back to those first weeks (torture) and all those happy and freak out moments. This is really the most amazing experience I have ever had and I wish I had the literary skills to express the depth of my feelings at each new step Brad and I take. After that first beautiful heartbeat, I feel like the time has just been flying by with no way for me to slow it down. So it was an amazing feeling to in just one day have the opportunity to not only see the future, but also to rejoice in someone else’s beginning , and looking back at my past.

18 weeks, 4 days

How far along? 18 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: -1  lbs
Maternity clothes? yup I can't sit down without them and the Ahh Bra is my new best friend
Stretch marks? Not yet, but I'm told they will come
Sleep: I'm getting better at sleeping on my side
Best moment this week: Getting our BOB stroller in the mail! Thanks Aunt Janie & Uncle John!
Miss Anything? Right now Brad since he is out of town for work for the week.
Movement: I can't tell if I can feel something or I want to so bad I'm making things up
Food cravings: Sugar... I can't believe this I never had a sweet tooth before
Anything making you queasy or sick: live birth videos...
Have you started to show yet: Yes, but I can still hide it with baggy clothes
Gender prediction: Boy, almost a week till we find out.
Labor Signs: None, and that is a feeling I am happy to wait for!
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On, no swelling... yet
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but don't disagree with me! You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
Looking forward to: This weekend I have a sleep over with my Sister and Niece Molly and also a Bump Date with Kaylee!

17 weeks, 2 days

How far along? 17 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: -3  lbs
Maternity clothes? I can still fit in my jeans (parts are even loose!) but sitting down doesn't really work so I ordered maternity jeans/pants today
Stretch marks? I'm worried about this as I always forget to use lotion
Sleep:  I can't sleep in any more, do to the peeing thing,  it is driving Brad and me nuts
Best moment this week: Not sucking at going out for St Patrick's Day! I was worried that I wouldn't have fun going out in Seattle this year and I would be lame. But we were out from 4pm to 11 pm with no complaining and I had fun.
Miss Anything? feeling cute, had a guy hit on me at the bar but when he figured out I was pregnant... well you can guess
Movement: I can't wait to feel him/her! Everyone says it will happen soon but it is hard to wait. If I hadn't heard the heart beat at our 16 week appointment, I might be freaking out.
Food cravings: Sweets, This week it is sherbet ice cream
Anything making you queasy or sick: I feel so lucky but not even all the whiskey or the smelly hippies in Seattle could made me queasy.
Have you started to show yet: Yes! But sadly I'm at the stage where everyone just thinks I'm fat or getting fat.
Gender prediction: Boy, we find out April, 6th
Labor Signs: I got a stomachache last week and called my Doctor, he told me to calm down lol
Belly Button in or out? I'm sure when I get huge it will pop out... I am not looking forward to that
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Impatient, I want to do and get everything right NOW!!!  Thanks goodness I have my mom and Brad to calm me down.
Looking forward to: Feeling the baby for the first time!

Stuff

When we first found out we were pregnant I got the the most amazing advice from my best pregnant friend, Kaylee. She is 4 months ahead of us and was in the process of building her registry. I was looking at her registry and both of us being new to this parenthood game were very surprised on how much stuff babies need. We are not talking little stuff but large expensive stuff that for safety reasons (as everything can now kill your baby) you can no longer get used as our parents use too. She recommended to me that we start buying one big thing each month so when it game down to the wire, aka the 8th month, we wouldn't be having to buy it all at once. This advice has been a life saver! We have all our furniture, breast pump, carriers, and car seat. We are at the 4th month and while we still have a lot of stuff to get, we still have a ways to go as well. Brad has been teasing me that the baby could come tomorrow and we would be set. Lucky for us that we have 5 more months to go as it takes more to raise a child than just stuff.

14 weeks, 6 days

How far along? 14 weeks, 6 days 
Total weight gain/loss: -5 lbs
Maternity clothes? I have had to start doing the rubber band trick to my work pants
Stretch marks? Oh dear no
Sleep: the dreams are starting to get to me
Best moment this week: Brad and I putting the baby room together... I know we are super early but I couldn't help myself
Miss Anything? I thought I would miss drinking but I have to admit that I have no interest in alcohol right now.
Movement: I wish
Food cravings: Sugar... I can't be trusted around chocolate
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope and loving it
Have you started to show yet: I thinking I'm getting quite big but I have been told that it is all in my head
Gender prediction: Boy oh Boy
Labor Signs: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? In (out=ewwwwww)
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Sooooo HAPPY!!! All the time and about everything!
Looking forward to: My friend Kaylee's shower, can't wait to celebrate!