overjoyed

We finally got to see Baby Hutch today! How very special it was! All looks good and healthy and I feel like I can finally sit back and enjoy the rest of the pregnancy! The baby was very cooperative and allowed the technician to get all the measurements and pictures he needed. His/her mouth was open the entire time and her hands were up by her face moving all around. Oh, I also started feeling movement last Friday night, what an amazing feeling!

I didn't know 3D would be an option for us, but the tech kept switching back and forth throughout the ultrasound. I think he/she looks like Brad :-)

fun with our nieces

We spent the weekend watching my nieces while Jenna & Andrew jetted off for a quick early birthday get-a-way with Naomi (their youngest).

All weekend long whenever we prepared a meal, Emma Clare would run and get her apron and drag her little chair over to help

Maggi all ready to play outside

Brad taught Maggi how to play Chess - this is Maggi & Emma Clare giving it a shot

Meredyth & Maggi playing chess

Brad's niece Anna even got to come over for a playdate

Mother's Day visiting with Nanny

Emma Clare was quite the little model  all weekend. Not only did she change her outfits often, she also ran in each morning to put makeup on with me :)

Lynne ~ These pictures of Naomi are for you!

how blessed we are

We had our long awaited appointment this morning and got to hear the heartbeat again...never get's old. Such a wonderful sound. As usual, baby Hutch was a busy little bee and wouldn't let us hear the heartbeat for longer than a few seconds and then it was gone. Now we are anxiously awaiting the scheduling of our ultrasound appointment (I should get to schedule this week sometime).

I'm feeling quite blessed lately as I learned (well really, finally get to announce) I get to share this whole pregnancy journey with two of my closest friends in the world. One is right on track with me (due 3 days after me, we've been friends since kindergarten and although we don't get to see each other often (she lives in Colorado), we can always pick up right where we left off) and the other is 7 weeks behind me. It is absolutely wonderful to have such close friends to experience this with!

We had our 4th birthing class tonight, which was all about the coach and the vital role they'll play during the natural birth we hope to have. I feel quite lucky to have such an attentive husband who is shaping up to be quite a good coach :-). We're still loving the class and I'm finding it to be  a weekly reminder/encourager that we can do this. The relaxation techniques (i.e. Brad massaging me while I'm lying completely relaxed listening to music) aren't too bad either...!

We haven't been able to tour the Holistic Birthing Center where we plan to deliver yet because the tours are on Wednesday nights too. We plan to visit once our Bradley classes are finished, but from the looks and sounds of it, I think we'll find it quite pleasing!

18 weeks and counting!

17 weeks 3 days

I can't believe how fast my pregnancy is already going, almost half way through and I still don't even quite believe that I'm pregnant! I feel like I'm finally starting to actually have a little bump and not just look like I let myself go, which is helping it feel a bit more real! We go back for an appointment with our midwife next Wednesday and will get to schedule the big ultrasound then. I’m hoping we won’t have to wait too much longer as I’m growing more and more anxious to “see” our baby! I don’t know how women did it before ultrasounds!

We’re really enjoying our birthing classes. There are 8 couples, most due in July & August, but one other couple due in early October (like us). The instructor is fantastic, she took the class herself 12 years ago with her first pregnancy and has been teaching ever since. She is also an ER nurse at Fairview Hospital so it’s interesting to get her insight on the behind the scenes of hospitals as well as her input on how to avoid feeling pressured into any unnecessary procedures. We really hope to be able to do a completely natural birth and this class is definitely helping us prepare both mentally as well as physically as we’ve already learned some exercises and relaxation techniques that Brad is doing a wonderful job of reminding me to practice every day :-).

We've also kept ourselves quite busy recently researching baby gear. One of Brad's favorite hobbies right now is visiting Babies R Us on the weekend to test things out. I think we had a 3 week span when we were there every weekend (to be fair, at least one of those times was to buy a baby shower gift for a friend). Anyway, we're having a great time preparing and are looking forward to the upcoming months!

Ace

We're lucky enough to get to dog sit for my sister and her husband, Mary & Justin while they're in China visiting my brother and his family. We love having a dog around again, especially Ace, he reminds us SO much of Woody. Not only does he always have to be wherever you are, whether it's curled up next to you on the couch, or sitting behind you as you wash dishes, he also has many of the same mannerisms of Woody. We've had a great time with him so far and will have a hard time giving him back...

Helping me fold clothes

Chewing on a ball on his playdate with Ralphie & Gertie

Keeping watch - one of Woody's favorite spots

All tuckered out after playing so hard

nursery ideas & birthing class

Everyone who knows me knows how much of a planner I am and how impatient I can be. Brad is wondering what the rush is, but I can't wait to get the baby's room painted and decorated. In fact I was all set to start painting this weekend, but the weather doesn't look like it'll cooperate so we'll have to put on hold for now. Nonetheless I will give you a sneak peak of what we have planned.

We plan to paint the walls a brighter avocado green and keep the white trim. The furniture will also be white which will help keep the room bright and fresh. We're getting our crib from Brad's brother (yay for hand me downs!) and I'm thinking of ordering this dresser...

I absolutely love this pattern from Gap's organic mix & match collection - I wasn't in love with paying $95 for it though. Luckily I found it along with the bedskirt, both new, on ebay and was able to get them for a fraction of what the bumper alone cost from Gap! Can't wait until they arrive.

I found these wall graphics a while back on one of my web browsing escapades - God only knows what I was looking for, but I bookmarked this page knowing one day it'd come in handy. I just received them in the mail today (in white) which is why I'm anxious to get the room painted so we can get them up!

See above explanation on when I probably found this too. In all my time spent looking, I haven't found a mobile I love. Enter this idea. Seems easy enough...my best friend said she'd help me sew them. I hope it turns out!

Oh, we had our first session of our birthing class tonight and we LOVE it! We're doing the Bradley Method of childbirth - it goes for 12 weeks and we'll meet every Wednesday night for 2 1/2 hours. Initially I thought it seemed like a bit much, but after going tonight, I can't wait until next week!

Baby Hutch...

...is scheduled to arrive October 1, 2010. Brad and I are absolutely ecstatic and can't wait to meet him or her! Despite some grumblings from family members :-), we want to be surprised and plan on not finding out the gender until the big day!

I made it through the first trimester and have been enjoying the nausea free, more energetic first few days of the second trimester. The first day of my second trimester coincided perfectly with the first beautiful day of spring here (actually more like summer weather we've been having!)...couldn't have been timed better. I'm really appreciating being back to my normal self and being able to be out and about after the painfully long winter we've endured.

14 weeks 4 days

Here's the first official picture we've taken of baby hutch. I wake up each morning not being able to see a bump at all, but by the evening I seem to grow a little one, not sure where he/she goes during the day, but he seems to be a little busy body. At our appointment with our midwife (Colleen) when we got to hear the heartbeat, we were listening away to the sound of the heartbeat, then all of a sudden THUMP, and Colleen said "ah that was a kick!"...he seems to be causing trouble already!

That's all our news for now!