Getting WEDDING DAY ready!!!

We met with Chaplain Bob Cunningham this morning at 8am for our first pre-marital counseling session. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous about going, but John assured me everything would be ok. Immediately after meeting Chaplain Cunningham, I was completely comfortable and I could tell John was too. He was already aware of our baby boy on the way, and was luckily non-judgemental. He started off with questions about us and our families. He was very impressed with the way we do things as a couple. When he asked about the cooking, cleaning, and things like that, we told him we do everything together! He said that he thought that was a great way to start a sucessful marrige. We learned alot of great tips to making things work. He brought up situations when handeling our kids, and to no suprise, John and I both agreed on the way we want to raise our children. We eventually moved on to our wedding ceremony and what we want. I was very pleased that he is letting us plan the wedding ourselves. He will obviously do his thing but left room for our own special touches. He asked if he could say a prayer for the baby and a prayer for us as a new family. I thought that was very special and will mean so much to us.
I think the session with Chaplain Cunningham was very helpful and I think we both left feeling even better about our future!

Wedding Update: The BIG day is finally set .... April 11th, 2009. We have decided to be married surround by close family and friends. We are leaving for Playa del Carmen, Mexico April 15th for our honeymoon and will have a reception on the CQ Princess sometime in May. We will keep you updated on specific event dates!

The BIG sister's new haircut!!!

Below is a picture of our dog Bella before she visited the doggie salon! Today we took Bella in for her first haircut! She was way overdue and in major need of one. We like to take her to the park when the weather is nice, but lately have had some strange looks from other dog walkers. People ask us all the time if we highlight her hair!!! She had this crazy colored long hair that was part brown/ part blonde. She literally looked like she got highlights, and with me being a blonde myself and walking her in the park alone, people look at me funny like I was some "Hollywood" crazy woman that dresses her in fluffy dresses, and takes her to the salon for some great highlights!
When I picked her up from the vet, they handed Bella to me and I didn't even recognize her! She was brown, all brown! She looked like a brand new puppy. When they put her down, she took off for the door - and I knew it was her! Same ole' Bella! I think she was happy with her new cut. At least she can see now!
Next week is training with Matt Duffy. He is going to help me with correcting her so when the baby comes, she behaves. I have faith in my little Bella and have no doubt she will be a good big sister!!!

22 Week Mommy and baby update

My belly is growing as you can see! I can feel him getting bigger and bigger every day. I'm having a hard time sleeping. He wants to play at night as soon as I lay down for bed. The kicking is getting more intense and lasting a lot longer! I have found myself running from the bedroom to the bathroom just about every hour of the night. No fun!
The good news is I feel like I am getting a bigger appetite which means gaining more weight! At our last visit to the doctors, they told me I really need to start putting some weight on. I had lost some weight in the beginning, which is normal! I was at 104 lbs. last visit. John has done very well keeping me on my feet about eating healthy and drinking lots of apple juice! We have also made a couple stops at the famous EVA MAE'S with John's dad and Nancy for the fabulous chocolate cake! So for sure I have at least put on some pounds! Our next doctors apt. is next Monday so I will keep everyone updated on the weight gain!!!

P.s - I woke up this morning with Bella's head on my belly. She would move everytime he kicked but seemed to enjoy laying there. We tell her that she has a baby brother in there and that she has to be nice to him. I wonder if she truly knows what's going on?!? I think so :)

22 Weeks ... and still growing

Baby facts at 22 weeks: This week, our baby weighs about 1 pound. He is about 7 2/3' long.
His eyelids and eyebrows are well developed. Fingernails have grown and now cover the fingertips.

Was that what I thought it was?

So we all know by now that this baby inside my belly is a VERY active baby from my ultrasound day when he wouldn't stay still. Last night, I cooked John and I a nice healthy dinner. After we were done eating, we sat in bed to watch the bachelor (well I did at least). I all the sudden got a craving for some icing. Yes, icing! This may seem weird to some, but I have always kept a tub of icing in the fridge for a late night snack! So last night, I ate a couple spoon fulls of icing and I was satisfied! Not even 5 minutes later, the baby was up and kicking. I told John to put his hand on my belly to feel, and sure enough, he was going crazy! Now, I don't know if it was a bad thing or a good thing but he sure was active. After awhile, I started watching my belly. I was amazed to see that I could actually see him kick. It was unreal! I made John watch, and he also saw the same thing. After about an hour, I guess he got tired and buried himself at the bottom of my belly and went to bed .... FINALLY!!

I'M SHORT, YOU'RE TALL, SO WHAT?

OK, so a couple of months ago, I came home to this article on our refrigerator. John thought this would make me laugh -- and it did! People all the time make comments about our height difference. John is 6'5, and I am 5'2. So yes, we do have some height differences, but we love it! I always feel safe standing next to him :)
I sometimes have CRAZY dreams at night about this baby and how big he might be. What if he all the sudden starts to grow these large feet or hands and they start popping out of my belly?!?! I mean seriously, I have these dreams .... alot! I just hope this baby comes out a normal size (for my sake), and then maybe later on, takes after daddy's height! I guess we'll see!

Mommy and baby

I wanted to get some pictures made of my belly for John so I decided to get a 5 month photo done. Once I get a little bigger, we want to do some photos together.

Honeymoon booked!!!

My WONDERFUL "hubby- to- be" booked our romantic getaway at the most fabulous place in Playa del Carmen ... Villas Sacbe!
Villa 10 is a 3-story penthouse containing 3 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, a spacious living room separated from the gourmet kitchen by a custom island, also includes a private rooftop terrace with a plunge pool and ocean views.

Special Features:

3 story penthouse
Large rooftop terrace with plunge pool, ocean views and outdoor kitchen/bar
Dramatic 2.5 story arched window overlooking courtyard
Striking local paintings and sculptures
Romantic 3rd bedroom with separate oceanview balcony and palapa ceiling
Spacious living area with terrace overlooking 1st Avenue
Fully equipped gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances and custom island

Baby Chic!

I found the perfect bedding set today!!! Thanks to my best friend Jamie!
We absolutely love this bedding ... it's chic, classy, and very sharp looking! I still want to throw some lime green in it - so i'm thinking about doing my sheets lime. I think with our black crib and furniture, this will look great! Once we decide on his name, I am getting it embroidered on his blanket.
I also found my beautiful baby bag!!!

Valentines Day!

20 weeks, 141 days until baby!

Almost half way :)

Already Spoiled!

I went by my parents today to pick up some things for the house and found a bag full of a couple onesies! Yes, I was pretty spoiled as a kid. I was the little girl at lunch that always had a present in my lunch box. When I was away at college, my mom would send my gift packages full of goodies, and whenever I would make a trip home, there was always new clothes on my bed! So, I know this baby will be spoiled! She bought him his first Juicy Couture onesie that is adorable. I also bought him his first boating outfit for summer! He will fit right in perfectly with daddy and I!
With my love for fashion and shopping, this baby will be one CHIC little boy!

Spring Cleaning!

Since the weather has been so warm the past couple of days, John and I decided to do some things around the house! We did some major cleaning and moving to prepare for the baby. One thing I love about our house is how "open" it is. Lots of sliding doors, windows, and beautiful hardwood floors. When the sun is out we open all the sliding doors, window blinds, and play music over our indoor/outdoor speakers! Our house is very contemporary/modern because we feel that style fits both our taste. Although we still have some rooms to finish, this house couldn't be more perfect for the 3 of us! I love it :)

Baby's room colors

We went to look at paint samples today. Since my theme is based off my crib mobile, we decided to go with a "toned down" lime green. We want to use the blue color as an accent color and I'm still working on maybe throwing in another color as well! As of for now, this is what we are both pretty much set on at the moment for his room! We'll keep you posted :)

Registering for baby Otter :)

Today, we got out and registered for the baby! We registered at "BabiesRus" today and planing on finishing at Target tomorrow. It was quite the experience! Lucky us, we had a good friend meet us there who is a new mommy herself. She was a HUGE help and told us exactly what to register for and what not to get. John was the official "scanner", sometimes going a little overboard -- but who could blame him, it was pretty fun! We picked out our stroller set which I'm pretty excited for and most of all we picked out our beautiful baby furniture! We went with the black crib, armoir, and changing table. We both like the black because it seems more modern and it will fit perfectly with our house! I decided to do my own bedding idea. Instead of a "theme" I am working around a mobile we bought. I love the colors in it and the cute little funky animals hanging from it! I know it will take more time to do the room this way, but I want to make it our own. I'm pretty creative and have a pretty cool plan for the room. We will keep you updated piece by piece as soon as the room construction starts!

A pregnant girl's best friend!

4 months and 1 week prego, I am already having a hard time sleeping at night. Not only am I itching all over but I can't seem to find my "comfy spot" for the baby and I. It seems like as soon as I lay down for bed, he's ready to play! He seems to find a comfy spot at the bottom of my belly just above my bladder so that I am constantly running back and forth to the potty. So annoying!
Lucky me, I have the most AMAZING fiance who takes care of all my annoying pregnancy needs! It started off with just a quick application of cocoa butter all over my legs, back, arms, and belly. After being covered in cocoa butter, I was still tossing and turning at night. I know it had to annoy John to death. Finally, John found the most wonderful and comfortable thing a pregnant woman can ask for .... the BOPPY! It works wonders at night for us pregos! It conforms to my body and evens out my baby weight, letting me sleep at night! When we first brought the boppy home, our dog Bella thought it was for her; she also apparently found it to be comfy. It was hard to get her off!
So, long story short ... the boppy works wonders for pregant women and if you're looking for a great doggie bed, this may work too!

Can I get a mustard sandwich with peppers and maybe some pickles? (weird cravings)

OK, so I have heard crazy stories of pregnant women craving some weird things but I thought from the beginning that I've had it pretty easy ..... until now! I have always been a pretty picky eater so when I do eat, it's not always normal foods! Lets just say I have been OBSESSED with McDonalds and Pizza my whole life. If I had it my way, I would eat the two every day. I recently realized that my belly cannot handle the thought, looks, or most of all, the smell of PAPA JOHNS pizza. John and I decided one night to order a pizza. We ordered Papa Johns, the usual cheese, and onions for him! I was taking a bath when the pizza man came. John walked by the door with the pizza when I immediately bent over so sick to my stomach. I couldn't believe it. Pizza? Noooo not my cheese pizza! I guess I had found my "smell" that makes me sick. Even the commercials on t.v make me sick! Now, I can eat other pizzas from other places. For some strange reason it's Papa Johns .. who would have thought?!? My wonderful fiance was so sweet the other night and ordered me a pizza from Pizza Hut and had them make a smiley face with pepperonis. It made me smile after a bad day. Ohhh the things he does to please me!!
Another CRAZY craving I have had recently is for spicy things. And I mean I like it HOT! Give me the hottest peppers you can find! I have also been craving a VIRGIN Bloody Mary like almost every night! The weird thing is that I never even drank them before I was pregnant. Ohhh but the hot, spicy taste of that drink is amazing to me! John makes me one before bed sometimes or just whenever I have the urge to drink one!!
Chocolate cake is my weakness. I never ate cake growing up or really even before getting pregnant. I was aways the little girl that just ate the icing off the cake at birthday parties! Now, it's a daily or nightly snack. We like this little restaurant on the river called Eva Mae's that has the BEST chocolate cake. We have found ourselves visiting there more often just for the cake! John's dad even keeps it on hand at his house when he knows we may be stopping by!
As of now, that's pretty much all I crave at the moment. But we still have about 4 more months to go, so who knows what may happen! I'll keep you posted :)

It's a BOY!

Today was the most amazing day of our journey so far. We had our first ultrasound at 9am, and after weeks of thinking we were having a girl we were pleasantly surprised to find out we are having a boy! We were blessed to have both moms and my best friend Jamie there to witness our baby boy in person. It was absolutely breathtaking. Words cannot explain how it feels to see your baby for the first time. If I could sit in that doctor's office and watch him play in my belly all day, I would! He was full of energy this morning -- tossing and turning on his back and belly. He was kicking, punching, and pretty much "showing off" for all of us (guessing he gets that from his mommy)! The nurse looked at the baby's insides -- his bones, brain, and heart. All which were PERFECT! That's all daddy and I needed to hear. I couldn't sleep the past couple of nights thinking about the baby and his health. We were all relieved to hear such good news!
Since we felt like the baby was a girl, we had only girl names picked out. We called it Claire Embree Otter. So it looks like with our new little surprise of a baby boy, it's back to the baby books! We are confident that we will find the most perfect name to fit our baby boy!
With all the excitement this morning and all the phone calls to friends and family, it was hard to focus on anything else but baby. I found myself already shopping for him. He is already set for this year's boating season, boat shoes and all! I can't wait! He will love the water and boating just like his daddy :)
It's been a LONG day and long week with NO power and finally around 8:00 tonight, our power kicked back on. So we can all rest safe and sound in our own bed ... mommy, daddy, and our baby boy :)