{ Active Mini-Mister - 18 Weeks }

Hard to believe that we’re 2 weeks away from being ½ done with cooking this kid!  Seems like it’s gone fast yet it seems like I’ve been pregnant forever already! Ha!

It’s all out in the open now and we’re super pumped to be having a little BOY!  When the ultrasound tech told us it was a boy I about few off the table I was so dang excited!  For any and all of you that knew, I was wanting a boy SO terribly bad that I was worried I’d be a little disappointed if I had a girl… Want that big older brother to take care of any girl that I have.  So if/when baby #2 comes along I’m totally down for team pink then!

Christmas time was a perfect time to let them all in our secret! Which, PS, was unbelievably hard to keep for an entire week! I think it was easier to not tell anyone I was pregnant than to hold in the gender.  You find yourself constantly referring to him as “he” or “him” or “little boy” and then when you’re around people that we’re keeping it from you have to revert back to “it” or “the baby” and just seems unfair when we know it’s a little Mister! :)

The cupcakes we had made - they were super cute
and very YUMMY!

We told the Viland crew at the farm on Saturday the 22^nd.  I had a friend of mine bake some cupcakes.  12 with blue wrappers and 12 with pink wrappers.  Then she put a small plastic baby in 2 of the blue cupcakes and frosted them all so they looked similar.  We had everyone that was at the farm that day grab a cupcake and take a bite and the cakes with the babies in them indicated the gender!  Maggie (my niece) & Darren (Mister’s brother) were the ones to find the cakes with the babies in them!  It was fun, and the cupcakes were delicious!  A couple photos below.

Maggie (the little stinker) had to squeeze her
cupcake good to be sure she had the baby
before actually even taking a bite! :)

Uncle Darren found the 2nd baby!

Daddy smiling at the new little shoes we
got for our little boy from Darren & Maren

We had Christmas Eve at our house with the Olson side. Our plan was to play a dollar gift game with my family.  AJ (my youngest brother) showed up before everyone else did so I made sure to let him know to avoid one present that had a can of tuna wrapped in baby that said “it’s a boy!” in the inside.  This way hoping my mom or dad would be the ones to get it and open it.  Needless to say it was just as hard for AJ to not slip up and say it was a boy and he only knew for about 2 hours! Ha!  But it all worked out in the end.  Adam (my younger brother) brought his girlfriend, and she was the lucky winner of the tuna can so we quickly grabbed the paper and gave it to my mom who was super excited to know she was getting a grandson!  She’s now on the hunt to find bib overalls to match the ones that my dad, (aka Gramps) wears daily J My little man is going to be a stud! Ha!

Now we’re able to move forward with some of the nursery items!  We’re going with a giraffe and polka dot theme!  Browns and tans will be the main colors for this little dude!  Mister ordered some spongy flooring last night and I can’t wait to get it here so we can get it laid and really start to put the nursery together. (more pics will come once we have that put together)

We’re so dang blessed it just doesn’t even seem fair! I’ve got everything I could have asked for in life and couldn’t be happier!  A little boy on the way and a husband that at times is a little too overprotective of me and this baby, but I know his heart is 110% committed to this whole thing and he’s been great with everything!  Holding up one of the many onesies we have already he says last night “Honey, I’m so ready for this little boy to get here! Can’t wait to have a baby here!” Awe!!  Isn’t he cute?!

Here’s to a happy new year to you all – drink one for me! 

18 Weeks and Expanding! :)

{ 17 Weeks & Keeping Secrets! }

17 Weeks! Holy Moley! :) Things are becoming more and more real as the days come and go!

This last weekend was huge for us! We went to Enlighted 4D Imagery (http://www.enlightened4dimaging.com) in Bloomington and found out the gender of our little peanut! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone just looking to get some elective pictures of their little one!  The people there are great and very easy going!

After our trip to find out the gender we of course had to do some shopping!  We have some of the bedroom theme items picked out and I'm in love with it all!  I'll share pictures next week when we reveal gender!

We've got big plans to tell our friends and family the gender this weekend at the Viland Christmas and then on Christmas Eve for my side.  More pictures to come from those events next week!  But you'll just all have to wait to find out our secret until we tell them first!

Here's 17 weeks today --- as you can tell Tyson could really give a rip about the whole thing.

 

So I figured I'd better make it a little more interesting for him :) Merry Christmas to everyone from my favorite little K9 Elf!  (and for those of you that worry about how much I deck out my pooch --- he's totally ok with it, as he knows as soon as I'm done with the photo he gets a treat!, so don't worry, he's not being abused...)

 Here are a few other pictures that we were given from our visit on Saturday as well. 

Mouth open and hand -- How cute is my kid already!? :)

Uhm Question Mom! how long do i have to be in here?!
Little peanut raising their hand!

And who doesn't like cute little baby feet!?  I'm not a huge
foot fan, but beings this is my child -- it's the cutest foot
I've ever seen! :)

Seriously can not wait until next week to tell you all the gender!!  Stay Tuned!!! 

{ Growing Big Time! }

There's no doubt about it --- This mama is showin' big time!  Here's a picture from last week (15 weeks and 1 day) Hoping that the beer belly look will soon turn in to that "cute little baby bump" that everyone talks about! ha! :) Here's to hoping right!?

The nugget is really over this

We had a check up on December 4th and although Dr. Taylor had to rush to a delivery we had a nurse practitioner come and check the heartbeat and everything was good.  160 and strong.  45 minutes of waiting for 2 minutes with the Doc -- but whatever.  Always glad to hear that noise!  It's fascinating!  Next check up is Jan 7th and then we can schedule our 20 week ultrasound!

What's up with Baby this week?

How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Now that we're in to the 16th week we're anxiously awaiting our appointment on Saturday in Bloomington to find out if we're carrying a Pheobo or a Pheobe!  Can not wait! Then our plan is to start buying some stuff!  Hoping to stop at Babies R Us in Ritchfield while we're up that way.  Might as well start getting prepared now -- only have 24 weeks left!  EEEEK!!  (Makes my heart beat super fast with excitement and a little anxiety!) 

Turns out this whole "pregnancy brain" thing --- totally the truth!  I have tried getting out of my car twice already in the last 2 weeks with my seat belt on and then instantly disgusted say "Damn Seat belt!" ha! Then I have to laugh cuz really!?  Is it my seat belt's fault?!  Also, I was trying to say the word "malnutrition" in conversation with a coworker the other day and I just could not get it to come out just kept stuttering on "mal...." and finally had to say "do you know what word i'm trying to say but i can't seem to spit out!?" and we both laughed cuz she knew I was struggling! :) Oh the joys of lack of brain cells lately!  

On Monday night, I'm almost POSITIVE I felt this little nugget move!!  I was watching TV with my 4 legged nugget, and during a commercial, like usual, I decided to play with him a little bit and tell him how much I loved him in a really high pitched voice and sure enough --- had a little hard movement in my lower right tum-tum!  At first I just thought "what tha!?" and then I had to try it again -- so here I am saying high pitched "I LOVE YOU NUGGET!" over and over again and about 3 times I felt it!  Could all be in my head -- but i'm pregnant so if i want it to be movement -- IT IS! ha :) 

I'm starting to come around to letting Mister get a little closer to my belly and touch and talk to it. He likes to put his ear up to my tummy and then goes "lots of gurgles going on in there"... well uhm i probably just ate something, beings that's all i seem to do lately, so... get out of there while it's still enjoyable! ha! 

Oooo... I got these really fancy new headphones so that I could start playing tunes for the baby!  Baby now has some of the internal ear stuff forming so I guess he/she can hear what's going on and is recognizing my voice now and it's suggested to play some tunes for them.  So... I got these and have been using them more for myself so far.. but the plan is to play a little Mumford for the baby here and there so she/he has some sense of good music before they are even a day old! :) And to all you country lovers out there --- keep your music away from my kid! k? Thanks!

Taking a good picture just doesn't really interest me much :)

oh and here is our Holiday card :) Had more fun than i should have making them!

Here are week 16 pictures!  and sorry to burst any bubbles but we won't be announcing the gender until Christmas :)  So... here comes another week of keeping a secret --- man i'm bad at that and hate doing it! ha! :)  Also, really appreciate those of you that have told me that you've been following the blog -- means a lot and keeps me on top of it!  Hoping it'll make a good keepsake for our little guy or girl some day!

As you can tell, Tyson's a little camera shy :)

{ Easy as Pie.... mmmmmm }

14 weeks and growing!  This week has been by far the best week since we found out we were expecting!  Energy levels back up and feeling really good.  Getting my gym routine back and not feeling quite so moody and grumpy!

We've got a couple more weeks before we find out the gender!  I had a dream last night that the doc emailed me and said it was a boy! I remember in my dream contemplating whether or not to tell my Mister that the doc told me that it was a boy.  Our appointment to find out the gender is in Bloomington on the 15th of December and i was really looking forward to the trip up there to find out gender and then to shop!  So in my dream, i thought "i'll just not tell him so we can still go up there and i can go shopping!" ha!  Funny pregnancy dreams :)

I'm doing some shopping with some other pregnant friends tonight!  Really looking forward to that!  Cute comfy clothes and the food court --- does it get much better than that!?

Only real complaint I have from this past week is the out of control headaches i've been having lately.  They last a couple days and are not fun at all.  Any recommendations besides, cold compress and oils are welcome! I can't take the good stuff!  Although, i did get some oil from Aveda that seems to have helped quite a bit, but still doesn't compare to just having a good old Diet Dew --- don't judge me. I like the diet dew :)

What's baby up to this week?
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

Here are some shots from this morning that i know some of you are just dying to see... or... not so much!

Tyson's face is priceless :)

And he's over it.... 

Pregnancy Questionnaire:

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure, haven’t had the guts to step on the scale since the first appointment! J

Maternity clothes? LIVE IN THEM!!!

Stretch marks? None yet --- fingers crossed it stays that way!

Sleep: OMG! So much better!  Only a few pottie breaks but that’s it!

Best moment this week: Sending a pic of my bump to AJ and him writing back “hey kiddo!”  just cute!

Movement: None yet, lots of times just lying there hoping I’ll feel something.

Food cravings: Actually wanting more healthy stuff lately, but have had a weird craving for meat when I’m not a big meat eater normally.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still not a fan of the smell of coconut

Have you started to show yet: YES! I don’t care how many of you say “oh come on, that’s nothing, I look like that when I’m bloated!” --- I’M SHOWING DANG IT! Ha!

Gender prediction: I was thinking for the longest time that it was a girl.  But now I’m really leaning hard towards boy.  J These meat cravings, the fact that I didn’t get all that sick the first trimester, and I had a dream that my doc emailed me and said it was a boy :)

Belly Button in or out? Still in

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: A lot HAPPIER now :) Energy back and feeling good!

Weekly Wisdom: Take lots of time to get up walk around.  Find myself sitting at my desk for too long without standing up to walk around and keep the blood flowing :)

Have a great week everyone!!  -- Until next week.... 

My baby he'll always be!! 

{ Gobble Gobble - Hello 2nd Trimester! }

VBaby is growing like a weed!  Today is 13 weeks! Some definite changes this week that I've been able to tell.  Getting a more solid bump instead of a squishy "flat tire" -- which makes the whole process a little more exciting, and less uncomfortable.  I'm really anticipating all the hype about how much better the second trimester will be compared to the first.  

My Mister may not agree with me, but I'm feeling like I'm coming out of my terrible moodiness and feeling a little more energetic than I was a few weeks ago.  Finally getting some good nights sleep which helps a ton! Although, I do go to bed at like 8:30 or 9:00 and sleep until almost 5:30 most mornings!  So VBaby is still requiring me to do lots more resting than I normally would!

I had my first experience at a maternity store last week.  Not going to lie, went in super overwhelmed and told the associate immediately "I hate this, and have no idea what I'm looking for, but I'm wearing a rubber band around my button on my jeans right now and it's not comfortable, and I'm crabby"  -- ha! The poor lady took it like a complete champ and walked me through all the clothes and what works best for my figure, size, how far along etc.  Needless to say, SO glad I made the leap into the maternity clothes.  They are amazing!  Still cute, but yet so much more comfortable!   Hello to stretchy cotton fabrics and scarves, as it'll be my new wardrobe for the next 6 months! (The jeans in my picture are maternity-skinny jeans --- sounds a little bit like an oxymoron doesn't it!? :) )   

What's going on with the baby this week:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Beings that it's Thanksgiving tomorrow it'd probably be best to say the things I'm thankful for! So, I'm completely blessed and humbled that my family and friends are the best I could ask for and everyone is healthy and full of life.  I have an absolutely wonderful husband that deals with all my crap and still wants to kiss me goodnight every night.  My job and coworkers are great, and I never ever leave a day at work and think "god, i do NOT want to go back tomorrow!" - and I know there are very few people that can say that!  My current baby, Tyson, loves the crap out of me unconditionally and seriously just wants to do whatever I want to do whether it's sleep, eat, go for a walk/run, or watch TV.  And last but of course not least, is the fact that I'm carrying this child which ,in and of itself, is such a miracle that it blows my mind!  Couldn't be happier that I'm getting the opportunity to carry this child and love the snot out of them when I know there are plenty of others in this world that aren't able to.

Ok, enough of the sappy stuff!  A little gear change here --- something I need to get off my chest.  What is the deal with people instantly staring at your belly the second you tell them you're expecting?  Like are they expecting a the child to kick out and say "sup!?" --- It's kind of like if someone told me they had bad gas, I wouldn't walk behind them and stare at their toosh! right!? Anyways... just a little thing I've noticed, as I'm not a huge fan of the Belly Gawkers. 

And finally, some photos - cuz i have a camera and I can :)

My Baby Nugget -- Who seems to know
something is up. He follows me
EVERYWHERE! Perhaps he has a 6th sense?!

How cool is this chair!?  I bought it for
5 bucks at a sale, and Mister has re-stained
and fixed it up!  This will be perfect for
VBaby!

Mister installed 7  new windows in our house
this past weekend!  This is the new one in the
soon-to-be nursery.

Our Work-In-Progress Nursery.  Taking some before pictures
and will include more as we make some progress!

One of Those Flat Tire Kind of Days

So today marks 12 weeks for V-Baby!  Mister and I tried taking our first belly photos this morning.  Needless to say they are awkward to take and I'm absolutely not comfortable at all with this whole "stare at my belly" thing yet!  Kind of feel like I've got that "flat tire" look going on around the waist!  I know this all part of the gig, but doesn't make it any more comforting.  

This week I've definately felt my mid section growing.  It's not the same as the bloated feeling, but more of a "there's no way i can suck this in" type feeling! :)  It's great to know that the baby is growing at a fast enough pace now that I can actually tell a difference.  Mister still wants to be touching the baby bump but I'm not quite there yet!  Guessing in the next couple weeks things may change a bit, as the baby goes from being the size of a lime at 12 weeks to the size of an apple by week 15!  

 What else is going on with the baby right now? 
The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. - Taken from babycenter.com

Our next doctor appointment is December 4th.  We'll be nearly 15 weeks at that time.  Hoping to hear a good healthy heartbeat and hearing that everything is right on track the way it should be.

Week 12 Questionnaire:

Total weight gain/loss: Approximately 1 lb since the appointment on the 6th.

Maternity clothes? I've ordered some, but of course they are huge! although, i wore one pair of maternity leggings to work and felt like i was in sweatpants all day <3 loved!!


Stretch marks? None yet, but i have a pretty good friend who was looking out for me and hooked me up with some great body butter that i cake on DAILY! 

Sleep: ............. what sleep? ha!  Still pretty tired but having trouble getting a good nights sleep.  Wake up more often than not to get up and watch a couple hours of TV before falling back asleep.  I've now seen almost every episode of Fraiser that's on the Hallmark channel between 1:00 am and 4 am :)

Best moment this week: actually being able to physically see the bump start to form and checking myself out in the mirror constantly to see if it's still there! 

Have you told family and friends: yes!  we told them right after the doctors appointment on the 6th!  They had a really hard time with keeping it quiet! 

Movement: none yet that i've noticed

Food cravings: Really liking cereal and cheese and crackers

Anything making you queasy or sick: the smell of coconut... ish!

Have you started to show yet: yuppers!

Gender prediction: I'm 85% positive it's a little Lady in there!

Belly Button in or out? In, way in... ha!

Wedding rings on or off? Still got that bad boy on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: MOODY!  Poor Mister -- hoping the swings stop soon for his sanity!

Weekly Wisdom: SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP and then drink some water, pee, and SLEEP more!

Oh and here are our ultrasound pictures from our appointment.  We went in on November 6th and we were thinking we were just under 10 weeks pregnant and to our surprise we almost a week farther along then we had thought!  Here's VBaby at 10 weeks 6 days.

Body View (head is down)

little tiny nugget feet and tooshy! :)  Doc said this
would have been the "money shot" if looking for gender!

Another body shot (head down)