22 Weeks

Along: 22 weeks.  I can't believe I'm 5 1/2 months already!

Size of Baby:  Baby B now weighs a whopping one pound!  He is about 10 inches long.  He has begun to grab the umbilical cord practicing his strong grip.  He can now hear the sound of voices, the dogs barking, loud music, and my heart beating.

Wight Gain/Loss:  8 pounds since I last weighed myself. 

Gender:  It's a boy!!!  The reality of having a boy has now set in... I'm day dreaming of snuggling with 'my little man' and of all the other special moments between a mother and a son.  I'm also so happy Jimmy will get to have those special moments shared between a father and son.  He is so excited! 

Sleep:  Sleep is still great!  I have no complaints, so I'm soaking all this in while I can!  I haven't even had to use any special pillow yet!

What I Miss:  Still miss wine... happy hour... margaritas! 

Cravings:  I really don't have too many odd cravings.  I'm still craving sweets a lot, and lucky for me my girl scout cookie order just came in!!!  Haha!

Symptoms:  I'm feeling Baby B move around ALL the time now.  I feel him in the middle of teaching, when I'm resting, literally ALL hours of the day!  He seems to be the most active a little while after I eat.  It really is one of the coolest things in the world!   

Best Moment this Week:  The coolest thing has to be that I have started to feel him move around so much.  It's so amazing!

Another cool moment is that we got the nursery put together!  In my last blog we had just painted the room, but now we have all the furnuture put together and situated in the room, all the bedding is washed and set up too.  The only thing we have left, as far as nursery decor, is to add some things on the walls.  I'm still searching for some cute items that will match!  If anyone sees something cute, e-mail it to me!  Here are some pictures of the nursery so far...

Crib with his bedding!

I'm in love with this lamp, it has a built in night light at the top of the base!  Thanks Momma T for the awesome find!

Lola hopped up here while I was taking pictures... I think she's ready for Baby B!

My Great Grandmother made these dolls for me when I was growing up.  They are very special to me and I had been looking forward to adding them to the nursery!  Jimmy also got me the bears every time he went out of town while we were dating.  So they are special to me/us as well!

Well, I can't believe another two weeks had already flown by and I'm finishing writing another blog.  I can only imagine how time is going to fly once he is actually here.  Enjoy all the special moments everyone!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy



Telling My Class

This past week I finally shared the news with my class.  I had been waiting to find out the gender before sharing with them.  On Monday afternoon I had a 'class meeting' where all the kids gathered on the floor in a circle.  We talked about announcements and such... then one girl asks me "Why are you so happy?  You look like you can't stop smiling!"  I told her, "Well, I have some very happy and exciting news to share with you!"  As soon as I said this, a few of the girls started getting very excited, saying "I KNEW IT!"  So I then shared the news with them that I was going to have a baby!  The entire class (even the boys!) started shouting and cheering SO loud!  I was shocked to see how excited they were, it was absolutely adorable! 

After a couple minutes of the cheering and shouting questions I had to calm them down so I could tell them it was a boy.  All the boys cheered, of course!  Then they wanted to know the name, since we haven't decided yet, they all wanted to give suggestions!  So we played a game where they passed the tennis ball around and shared a boys name that they liked.  Funny enough, they were saying some really good suggestions that Jimmy and I had thought about before!  After dismissal I could hear them in the hallway heading to the bus saying "My teacher is going to have a baby!!! Ahh!!!"

It was so moving to see their reaction to this news.  I had no idea they would be so excited!  I was expecting them to say "Oh, cool!" and move on with their twelve-year-old lives.  It brought tears to my eyes to see how compassionate and caring they were, they really suprised me!  I have such a good class this year, and not just because they were so sweet when I told them the news, but they really are a wonderful class!  So easy and good, I definitely got lucky this year.

On Monday I also told everyone at work.  My team at work already knew, along with my boss, and a few other people, but I hadn't put it out there for everyone to know just yet.  I put out a notice on 'Staff News' (like an e-mail system that everyone checks) and told everyone it's a boy!!!  Everyone at work was very sweet and I got tons of congratulations!  Most people were saying they didn't even know I was pregnant and that I don't look pregnant yet... Honestly, I didn't mind hearing that, haha!

I just love the story of telling all my kiddos and wanted to share it with everyone else!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy

20 Weeks

Holy bump!

Along: 20 weeks.  Bump is OBVIOUS! Hah! 

Size of Baby:  Baby B is about 10 ounces and 6.5 inches long from crown to rump.  The size of a small cantaloupe... no wonder the bump is getting so big!   

Wight Gain/Loss:  About 8 pounds so far.  I should have gained about 10, so I'm still feeling good about my health.  I definitely had to move to the maternity pants this past week.  Boy are they comfortable!  I'm lucky, I still wear the same size pants as I did pre-pregnancy, except these have an elastic waist!  I still have a lot of shirts I can wear, but also bought some cute shirts that will work now (with a cardigan) and into the summer.

Gender:  It's a..... BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm so thrilled to be expecting a little guy!  We have not decided on a name yet.  Still debating between two! 

Sleep:  Sleep is still really good, no complaints! 

What I Miss:  A glass of wine... and that's about it! 

Cravings:  Hmmm... this week I was craving some Oat Squares cereal (still am!), pop-tarts, and other sweets.  I could really go for some potato chips right now too, haha.

Symptoms:  I have started to feel the 'flutter' of Baby B which is so exciting!  Jimmy is a little jealous that he can't feel the baby move yet, but he will soon.   

Best Moment this Week:    Definitely finding out the gender and seeing the little guy on the ultrasound screen.  The doctor checked every little thing and he looks perfect!  Size is just right, no deformities, and he is active!  I couldn't ask God for anything more!  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the ultrasound:

I'M A BOY!!!

Aren't these the cutest little feet you've ever seen?!?

I love this one because you can see his mouth is open!  He kept opening and closing his mouth during the ultrasound.

Little legs all stretched out!

His forearms and hands.



Jimmy and I were extremely anxious to find out the gender.  After we did, we went out and bought the bedding that evening!  It's called 'Jackson' from Pottery Barn Kids.  We will be doing a 'Sea' theme, so whales, fish, ect.  His bedding is absolutely adorable, I'm in love!  We also went and bought some blue paint to paint the bottom portion of the walls in the nursery.  We got the perfect blue to match the bedding.  Here are a few pictures of the nursery and bedding so far...

The paint is still drying, so excuse the green tape!

The quilt that came with the bedding set.

Well, it was a wonderful past two weeks with lots of exciting things going on!  I'm so excited to shop for blue/green things now!!!  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy

Mamaw and Papaw's Nursery

So my parents are SO excited to have a grandchild that they made a nursery for little Baby B at their house!  That way Baby B (and other grandchildren) will always have a nice place to sleep and another place to call 'home' whenever he is at their house.  I wanted to share with everyone how awesome this little nursery is and how wonderful my parents are for doing this!

They are doing a 'Barn' theme complete with animals and a talking rocking horse!

The little talking rocking horse!  So cute!

I feel so lucky to have such wonderful parents!

I love you Dad and Momma T!!!!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy

18 Weeks

Along:  18 Weeks.  Bump is growing!

Size of Baby:  Baby B is 5.5 inches long and about 5 ounces, about the size of a chicken breast.  Baby B can now hiccup and yawn (how cute!).  He/she also now has fingerprints on fingertips and toes.   

Wight Gain/Loss:  Still about 3 pounds.  I don't weigh myself until I go to my appointments.  It's just not worth stressing about.  I exercise regularly and eat well, that's what's important.  I fit into all of my regular clothes except right where the pants button, so I know any weight I've gained has gone right where it should!

Gender:  Our gut feeling is still that it is a girl.  Everyone seems to have the same feeling.  Not one person we know has said they think it's a boy!  Two more weeks until we find out!

Sleep:  Sleep has still been great!  I'm starting to notice the tummy buldge more when I'm sleeping now and have to change positions to be more comfortable.  I'm still sleeping straight through the night!

What I Miss:  Nothing!  Okay, honestly, I miss the occasional glass of wine.  Jimmy and I go to wineries at least once a month... obviously we haven't been in several months now. 

Cravings:  Still craving sweets.  Pop Tarts especially... oh my goodness, they are delicious!  As soon as my students go to P.E./Music in the mornings those Pop Tarts come out!    

Symptoms:  The past two weeks have been pretty good.  As my stomach is growing my ligaments are stretching, so I'm feeling more and more ligament pain in my lower abdomen.  Sometimes it's a sharp pain when I sneeze/cough, sometimes its a dull pain that lasts for hours.  Other than that, I really can't complain.  I feel so lucky that I've had such an easy pregnancy so far.  

Best Moment this Week:    Getting the nursery ready!  My awesome Dad and amazing husband put the chair rail up in the nursery this weekend.  It looks SO good!!!  I'm so excited to paint the bottom half pink/blue.  Here are some pictures of what it looks like right now...  More pictures to come when it's finished and the furniture is all positioned.

Another cute moment... we got our first article of baby clothing!  My best friend sent us a little onsie.  Isn't it adorable?!  Thanks so much Aunt Molly and Uncle Revel!!!

The BIC stands for Barrier Island Center.  Molly and Revel live on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Love to all!

Judi and Jimmy

16 Weeks

Along:  16 weeks.  I think you can definitely see a baby bump in this picture now!  Of course, if you don't know I'm pregnant it still just looks like belly fat.  

Size of Baby:  Baby B is the size of an avocado!  He/she weights 4-5 ounces and is 4.5 inches long.  Muscles are getting stronger, they eyes are now complete with eye brows and eye lashes.  He/she can sense light now.  If you shine a flashlight on the belly the baby will move away from the light.    

Wight Gain/Loss:  I have gained 3 pounds.  Not too shabby... for now!  It's all in my belly so far too, which I'm pretty happy about.  My pants are definitely snug now.  I've bought a few maternity t-shirts from Target that can be worn starting now until I'm 9 months.  They are the nice stretchy material that grow with you.

Gender:  At the 16 week appointment the doctor asked us "Do you want to know what it is?"  He says it's a girl based on the heart beat.  4 more weeks until we find out for sure!  We have a girl name picked out, but are still struggling with a boy name.

Sleep:  Sleep has been great.  I sleep about 9 hours a night and don't wake up once.  I'm soaking this up while it lasts!

What I Miss:  The past couple weeks I haven't missed anything.  I think I'm in this 'sweet spot' of pregnancy where I'm not too big yet where normal day to day things become uncomfortable, but I'm passed the morning sickness/extreme exhaustion part of the first trimester.  Overall, I've been very lucky to have such an easy pregnancy so far.  Let's hope that it continues that way!

Cravings:  I've definitely been craving the sweets.  Cake, cookies, candy, and ice cream.  Almost everyday I'm craving one of those things!  

Symptoms:  The past two weeks have really been nice.  I haven't had any bad symptoms.  The only thing is that my uterus is beginning to stretch and grow, so I'm having some ligament pain in my lower abdomen, especially in the mornings.  

Best Moment this Week:  Best moment this week was our 16 week appointment.  We got to hear the heart beat again and this time it was even louder and stronger than last time.  Each time I hear the heart beat it just reassures me that Baby B is healthy and doing well.  It is SUCH a sweet sound.  


Another really cool moment this week also had to do with our 16 week appointment... The doctor we met with is the same doctor that delivered me!  He actually said I'm not the first to tell him that!  He talked a little while about how much everything has changed in the past 25 years in the area and how he really knew he was 'getting old' when things like this were happening!  He is a really calm, patient doctor.  My mom and dad had great things to say about him and my delivery, as well as one of my friends at work (he delivered her daughter).  If he happens to be the one to deliver Baby B I would be very happy!  


Another milestone... we bought all the nursery furniture!  We looked at many sets and finally settled on one from Babies R Us.  We bought the crib and dresser (already had the glider).  It's very well made and solid wood.  The dresser was very heavy, my Dad and Jimmy had a tough time getting it upstairs!  We're planning on doing some painting and putting up a chair rail in the nursery before Jimmy puts together the crib.  I'll post some pictures once that gets going.  


While Jimmy was taking my 16 week picture this morning Lola was showing off for the camera...

Isn't she CUTE!?!?

Love to all!


Judi and Jimmy

14 Weeks

14 weeks!

(That's my belt, not a baby bump sticking out - hah!)

Along:  14 weeks.  Still just a small bump.  I think you can tell in the picture that it's a little bigger than the 12 week bump.  Unfortunately, I'm still at that middle stage where you can't tell I'm pregnant, just looks like I'm gaining weight in the belly!  My clothes are a little snug, but I'm still wearing my normal clothes and things are fitting pretty well.  I haven't had to do the hair tie/rubber band trick yet.    :)

Size of Baby:  Baby B is the size of a lemon!

Wight Gain/Loss:  I have not weighed myself since my 12 week appointment.  My clothes are still fitting fine, so if I've gained any it's probably only a couple pounds.

Gender:  Our gut still says girl.  We had an ultrasound at 13 1/2 weeks and the heartbeat was 165 beats per minute.  If the old wives tale is true, then girl it is.  :)  Looks like we will be finding out the gender right around Valentine's Day!

Sleep:  My Dad and Momma T got us a mattress cover made of down feathers for Christmas and I'm in LOVE!  I have gotten the best sleep in months since I've put that thing on!  I'm now sleeping the whole night and only occasionally getting up to use the restroom.  AND I'm sleeping 8-9 hours a night again!  Woo hoo!

What I Miss:  I have to say, again, I miss the occasional drink with friends and family.  It's not like I drink a lot, but when you are surrounded by friends and family on Christmas and New Years and everyone is enjoying a glass of wine, mimosa, or a margarita... I just wish I could join in!  During New Years Eve Jimmy bought me a virgin drink, so at least I felt like I was part of the gang!

Cravings:  The past week I've been craving ice cream.  I haven't had any other strong cravings the past two weeks.  Probably too much stuff going on to really focus on cravings.  We have been SO busy! 

Symptoms:  The food aversions have subsided a little.  Even still, when I just think about eating a certain food my stomach lurches!  I'm still a little tired, but I'm definitely past the really tired phase.  I can make it through the day without passing out now.  The only new symptom I've noticed is the moodiness.  I've definitely been more emotional the past couple weeks.  I'm usually pretty even keel, so I'm a little embarressed of myself after these episodes!  Oh well, I'm not sure there is anything I can do.  I just hope everyone is patient with me!

Best Moment this Week:  We had an ultrasound at 13 1/2 weeks (actually, on our 2 year anniversary, what a wonderful present!).  The ultrasound is called the First Trimester Screening and was to check for Downs Syndrome and Trisomy 13 and 18, three chromosomal disorders.  They measure the thickness of the neck and the nasal bone.  Baby B passed with flying colors!  They look for the neck to be less at 3 mm thick and Baby B's was 1.7 mm.  They also acompany this test with blood work to check the protiens your body is making.  The test results showed that Baby B has a 1 in 10,000 chance of having any of these chromosome disorders.  This is the lowest chance possible!  1 in 1,000 is considered low risk and 'good.'  Needless to say we were very happy to hear this news.  While we were there we were able to hear the heartbeat again.  It is the sweetest sound I've ever heard and my heart melts every time I hear it!  Once again the heart beat was 165 beats per minute.  Check out the picture and how much Baby B has changed since the 8 week ultrasound!

It looks as though he/she is sucking its thumb!

Happy New Year and love to all!

-Judi and Jimmy