A new project....

It is really difficult to know that an ultrasound can tell me if there is a boy or a girl in there...and I cant have it NOW! I just need to know already :) I'm ready to hit the order now button the bedding. I think I have finally decided on the two that were on my previous post the dots for a girl and the stripes for a boy. We have also ordered our furniture!! WooHoo! We found a great free shipping deal at JCPenny.com that ended today so we decided to go ahead and order! I can't believe James agreed to it....He doesn't like to spend large amounts of money! haha I guess he is just as excited as I am to see the nursery get under way! Below I posted a picture of the crib and the dresser/changing table. We love that it's a touch modern but not too funky!



As soon as we ordered the furniture last night I was already on a new project...Some kind of chair for the nursery. I don't really like the gliders that are out now. They are a little too old fashioned looking for me, plus, that motion of gliding forwards and backwards makes me feel a little sick! So, I'm opting for a wooden rocking chair that I can paint and make my own! I decided this afternoon to begin my search! I looked at several online but I felt that a thrift store or consignment store might have exactly what I was looking for! I headed out...in the snow to our Goodwill to see if I could find anything. Usually thrift store shopping takes several trips but today was my lucky day!! I found the PERFECT rocking chair! It's not the color I wanted but the wood is in nearly perfect shape so it will be easy to sand and re-paint. It has a cushioned seat which I'm sure will come in handy on those long, sleepless nights! The cushion will be super easy to recover in a fabric that matches our bedding. I AM SO EXCITED!! Here is the chair before my little art project:

Once my masterpiece is complete I will be sure to post a new picture!

Predictions Please.......

I was asking my kiddos at school today if they think my baby will be a boy or a girl and it seems that the girls said "girl" and the boys said "boy". Go figure.... haha We have more boys in our class so I guess our class prediction will be a boy! What do you guys think? Boy? or Girl?

There is offically a bump...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas... I know we did!!
Santa was very good to all THREE of us :) Before we left to head home for the holidays my bump was just barely noticeable, and I swear in like 3 days it was all of a sudden a definite "bump". James keeps telling me that I'm "rocking the beer gut"!!! I am also feeling very fat in the last week or so... I guess I might as well get used to it! haha Although....We did eat like we were starving for a week! We are glad to be home so we can get back into our normal eating routine :) We had a nice relaxing Christmas vacation in Kentucky, guess it will be our last! It's really hard to imagine that next Christmas we will have a 7 month old!!!

In case any of you have forgotten we get to go back to the doctor Monday (the 4th) to find out if this kiddo is going to be a boy or a girl! I am SOOOOOO excited I can't hardly stand it. I'm starting to really feel like it's going to be a girl... We'll see soon enough!! I have spent hours on the computer looking at cribs, dressers/changing tables, bedding, etc. I think I have checked out every website possible! No joke! I'll post a few pictures of some things I've been looking at! I still haven't really found any boy bedding that I am wild about... I don't really want the room to have a "theme" per say and I want lots of different colors so I'm having a hard time.

On the left is the crib I like best so far and the dot bedding is the bedding I like for a girl :) The stripped bedding is my boy bedding for now...??

Jeans and Genes

I wonder if Baby Harper knows just how excited we are for the upcoming few weeks? It seems like James and I are always talking about "the baby" and how things are going to be when he/she finally arrives. We've talked about if we think its going to be a boy/girl... I am thinking its going to be a girl, and I cant get a guess out of James! haha In the last few weeks we have really been discussing what we think our little one will be like. It's funny because as James and I step back and take a look at our "good genes" that we would like to pass on to our child we realize that all his genes we would like the baby to have, I don't have, and vice versa. For example... I hope that our little guy/girl gets my thick hair (They will hate it for a LONG time but then they'll realize that it's really for the best!) James....poor guy doesn't have a whole lot left so he is really hoping he doesn't pass that on. haha I am really hoping that James passes on his brains, I'm not saying that I am dumb or anything...because of course I'm not. haha But James is really smart! I have more of a creative mind which comes in handy of course... and I definitely hope our little one is creative. They have to be right? I feel like that's a HUGE part of who I am. There is so much that I enjoy doing that takes a creative mind! James hasn't said it but I am sure he is hoping that I don't pass on my hard-headedness!! Little does he know that everyone that has Fiorella blood is bound and determined to be hard-headed. Gotta love it... It just makes us right most of the time... everyone likes to be right don't they?
I'm sure that no matter which genes the baby gets we'll love them just the same even if they have thin hair, get straight C's in school, and don't have a creative bone in their body! haha

I've been reading on thebump.com about what's going on with baby this week and it looks like Baby Harper is still smaller than my hand...so crazy! This week he/she is about the size of an avocado...growing bigger everyday! Tiny bones are starting to form in the baby's ears so they are beginning to be able to hear what we say, now isn't that weird to think about!!!! Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to form also (keep your fingers crossed it's thick)! I can really tell that our little man/woman is getting bigger because my jeans are all getting tight. I hate that...Makes me wonder if my eating is making me fat, or if the baby is just making me bigger? I'm sure every pregnant woman asks that same question right? Is this "the bump" that everyone talks about or am I just getting fat?

I'm trying to get James into the whole "design of the baby room" thing but he just isn't into that yet... Me on the other hand has been thinking about it since we started TRYING to get pregnant (Sept 08') I'm pitiful I know. James is the type that doesn't have an opinion about something until it becomes time to do it. For example, I've been talking about bedding, and colors and he's all like "I don't care, you can decide." and then the day I make the decision and go out to buy the paint he'll come along and say something like, "Are you sure you like that color...I'm not sure if that would look good." So I am sure that once it gets a little closer, and once we find out the sex he'll really start to have an opinion. Gotta love him :)

We are counting down the days until we get to go home to see our family!! We leave Friday afternoon for the Harper's house and we'll get to spend a few days there, go to a WKU game in between, and then spend a few days with the Fiorellas!! We are soooooo excited to see everyone, and get out of this cold weather for a while. For those of you that are jealous of our snow....Are you jealous of -3 degrees this morning with -10 to -20 wind chills? Yeah, didn't think so. Enjoy your 60 degree weather Kentucky! haha

Pressure... Pushing down on me.

For the last two days I have had lots of pressure in my lower stomach... I guess that is Baby Harper trying to make room for him/herself! haha It feels uncomfortable... like something in there is streching and pulling in all kinds of crazy ways! I'm guessing this is the begining signs of being an uncomfortable pregnant woman... My jeans were really tight yesterday so I went out and bought the Bella Band at Target.... wore it today... best thing ever invented. If you are pregnant, and you dont have one... go buy one today. Enough said.



I also wanted to post some pictures on here today... As most of you know we got a killer snow storm the other day and I wanted to share some of the craziness with you guys! Be glad you don't live up north!


















We decided this year to not send out Christmas cards to just save a little $$... So instead of sending Christmas cards we'll be sending baby announcements before you know it! WooHoo! Here is my makeshift Christmas card along with a couple others to get you in the Christmas spirit!! Merry Christmas everyone :)

Baby Harper's first good report card!

Today James and I went back to the doctor for our 15 week check-up. At the appointment Baby Harper got his/her first good report card! The doctor said that the heart rate sounded perfect, it was around 150 bpm. She said that between now, and our 20 week appointment the baby will start to get an normal baseline heart rate.... So, we can't start making the "high heart rate = girl" assumptions. An interesting piece of information for all of you...who believe in all of the wives tales. The doctor told us that once the baby is delivered the girls usually have a higher heart rate than the boys. But, she said that while the baby is still inside there is no proof that the heart rate predicts the sex. Like the other article said... the whole thing has a 50/50 chance of being right, you just hear the 50% you want to hear. We officially have a date and time that we'll be able to know if Baby Harper is going to be a little ME or a little JAMES. Our appointment is on Monday, January 4th at 3:45!! WooHoo :) We kind of have our names picked out but of course they can always change! We are pretty sure our boy name is set, we haven't really thought of anything we like better than Brady James Harper. And if Baby Harper is a girl we are stuck between three names, Callie Ann Harper, Jane Marie Harper, or Macy Jane Harper. I just can't decide... I like them all.... James isn't sold on Macy so that will probably be the first one to go.

I also have a few myths to clear up that I learned at the doctor today... For all of those pregnant people out there who have/had these questions this is what my doctor had to say:

I asked about travel and flying...Can you fly? How late in the pregnancy? Well, seems like you always hear that after 6 months or something you aren't supposed to fly. She said that you can fly up to one month before your delivery date, and you can always drive but you have an increased risk of blood clots. As long as you get out of the car/plane and walk around every hour or so you're safe.

My next question was about paint....All over thebump.com you'll read that you shouldn't paint if you are pregnant. Myth. My doctor said you can paint but of course you should have good ventilation- just like any other time you paint. She also said that generally as you get bigger your balance is off so you should stay off of ladders because you have an increased risk of falling off. Yikes. She didn't say I needed to wear a mask, or anything crazy like that. So...James is glad...I've officially been put on nursery painting duty, when the time comes of course. haha

On a side note: Today has been an exciting day in Minnesota... the first BIG snow storm! As of tonight at about 7:00pm we've got roughly 5 inches. We are expected to get 6-12in. today/tonight, and then 40-50 mph winds tomorrow with another 1-2 inches. Lovely. Old man winter has arrived. Snow boots are out...Cant wait to get to KY!

Boy or Girl?

Apparently there are like a million ways to figure out if you are having a boy or a girl... I'm not really sure I'm sold of any of these tricks and here's why:


1. I did the Drano test today and it was yellow, which I read means it's a girl... although, I also read that if it bubbles alot (which mine did) it's a boy. So that test did me no good....
2. Another trick is in the baby's hand position. If on an ultra sound the baby's hands are raised it's a girl. If you remember from our 10 week ultrasound there was a picture where it looked like the baby was waving... Girl?
3. There is also the heartbeat theory... faster than 130bpm it's a girl, slower than 130bpm its a boy. We go back to the doctor on Tuesday this week so we'll see where the heart rate is.... i'll get back to you on this one.
4. The heartburn/indigestion issue... This theory says that if you experience bad heartburn or indigestion you are carrying a boy. I've had terrible indigestion...Boy?
5. Nosebleeds... I am not one to usually get nosebleeds but I did have one at school last week. My nose was stuffy so I went to blow it and when I did a full blown nosebleed broke out. Rumor has it that if the mom-to-be has nosebleeds it's a girl.
6. The ever so popular Chinese Lunar calendar. Apparently the sex of your baby is determined by the mother's "lunar age" at conception and month of conception. According to the calendar we're having a boy.
7. Pillows....This is a new one for me....Supposedly if your pillow faces north (whatever that means) you're carrying a boy. We think ours faces east...Girl? If that's the case James might be upstairs rearranging our bedroom! haha
8. Headaches...The article I am reading at the moment says that if you are having headaches it's a boy. I've definitely had increased headaches in the last week or so.... Boy?
9. Morning sickness... According to an article on the IVilliage website if you have morning sickness early in your pregnancy it's a girl. All of my sickness mess didn't really start until about 6 weeks... I don't really consider that early considering for the first 5 weeks or so I thought I was the lucky one who was going to feel great the whole time. Does that mean it's a boy?
10. This one is the funniest... Bread... Well, if you "refuse to eat the heel of the bread" it's a girl. I don't eat the heel of the bread just because I don't want to... not because I'm prego...Girl?

So...needless to say I am convinced that there is NO WAY to predict the sex of your baby until the doctor does an ultrasound and actually has a picture to prove it! I read this in an article and I think it's totally true: "Sometimes our love affair with everyday magic blinds us from the obvious, as in the case of the "predict the baby's sex" lore. Since there are only two possible outcomes, any sign or test result will be bang on the money half of the time. Moreover, because we tend to mentally catalogue astonishing results and toss out mundane ones, we'll remember the three of our friends for whom the test "worked" and forget about the three gals it let down."

We'll just have to wait until the second week of January to figure out our fate :) We're sooooo excited!

The beginning signs of my bump!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! We had a blast with the Harper's! We did plenty of shopping, eating, relaxing, an of course we drug them all around town to see the city :) There is just sooooo much to do and see here it's hard to fit it all into one trip! We were really glad we got to take them to a Vikings game though... so fun!!

So... I think I can officially say that I have the beginning signs of a bump! I really just feel kind of fat, and I really look that way too! haha I guess in a week or so I'll actually start to look pregnant! I am excited that it looks like my "bump" will be in full swing by Christmas... We really can't wait to see everyone!

It's still really hard to believe that the little guy/girl is only the size of a lemon... seems soo small to have things like a liver, spleen, and little hairs to stay warm! Baby Harper is now doing some thumb sucking and toe wiggling... I CAN NOT WAIT to feel all of these movements for myself :) I know James is excited too... he's already starting to rub and touch my belly a lot... which is so fun because I know he's just as excited as I am to see the little one starting to get bigger!!! I will be sure to post a picture in a week or so when you can really tell there is a bump, and not just a fat stomach :) haha

First baby dream :)

Last night I finally had my first baby dream...I can't really remember what all it was about I just remember that James and I were so excited that we'd had a little BOY! I woke up at like 5:00 or so and was sooo excited that I'd finally had a baby dream and I woke James up and said, "James... I had a dream we had a boy!" He simply said, "Ok...You can tell me about it in the morning." haha And of course once I actually got up two hours later I couldn't remember what really happened. Anyways... We'll see if I have any girl dreams!

Thank goodness for more energy!

Finally... My energy is back, and just in time! My recent lack of energy, or stamina I guess you could call it has put a hamper on my ability to go, go, go like I normally do. I had a list a mile long of things that needed to get done this past weekend and luckily I was able to check all items off the list...with a little help from the hubby of course! haha We got our Christmas lights put up and I must say they look great :) I can't wait to turn them on Thursday night! I'll post some pictures after I get my tree up :) I also spent the weekend doing some "cleaning out". For those of you that aren't aware our little townhouse here is just not big enough! We are already busting at the seams, I can't even imagine what it will be like once our little guy/girl gets here! We have a HUGE closet in our spare bedroom that has been storing lots of "stuff" that I didn't want to get rid of... I bet I have cleaned that closet out 5 times since we have lived there... each time taking a car load of stuff to the Goodwill. I just don't understand how there is still TONS of stuff in there! I was hanging on to a lot of my teaching stuff and I just decided that I could keep one tub of stuff and the rest had to go.... After all... baby trumps teaching stuff. haha So, needless to say I had another WHOLE car load of things to donate :) This time I think I threw out everything that I could, and now, baby Harper has his/her own space in the closet :)

We, or I...haha have been preparing for our house guests that will be arriving on Thursday... The Harper's :) Gary and Pam are coming to visit us again this Thanksgiving! I'm super excited about their visit... I haven't gotten to see them since this summer so I cant wait! I am also very excited about all of the cooking :) I love to cook, bake, and entertain... I just feel lucky that I am going to be "well enough" to eat it! Yay!!! This year our Thanksgiving dinner menu will be:

One juicy turkey...prepared by James :)

Dressing

Gravy

Green beans

Mashed potatoes

Rolls

Harvest Apple Salad (my fav.)

and for dessert....

Chocolate Chess pie

Apricot cake... YUM :)

Of course when I am having company I always feel like there should be cookies in the house... So last night I was going to bake a batch of my "Killer Cookies" and James says, "Well if your making cookies why don't you bake some for the guys at work... they love it when you bake for them!" So... last night I baked a batch for the guys at his work. Now, this afternoon I'm going to make ANOTHER batch :) I've still got lots of cleaning and things to do before they get here on Thursday so hopefully this high energy thing will hang around for a few days :)

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to really stop and think about how lucky you really are. I've been thinking about that a lot lately :) We feel sooo lucky to be expecting a little Harper and we just can't wait for all of the exciting moments in our very near future! We are also so thankful for our wonderful families and all of the support and love they give us!! I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving...Gobble, Gobble :)

Nausea, Heartburn, INDIGESTION, Upset Stomach, Diarreah....

No, I am not experiencing all of these symptoms but everytime I think of indigestion I think of that dang song. Lately I have been experiencing some killer indigestion and I hope this it's not here to stay... but I do fear that it's only going to get worse. I have read that indigestion is something that pregnant women find themselves battling because as your uterus grows your stomach has less space to expand...meaning that if you eat too much you get the feeling that your full up to the top of your throat and, if you move the wrong way all of the food just might come out. Gross... I know...But really it's the worst feeling ever. Right now I am really only having the problem at dinner time. I don't really understand why unless I'm just eating too much at dinner... Although, I don't really feel like I'm eating any more than I do at lunch. Maybe it's just the things I'm eating for dinner... who knows. I have never been one to have problems with indigestion so I don't really know quite yet what the foods are that really trigger it... Anyone have any ideas? I have found a few things that tend to help it a little... lots of Tums and milk. But, of course Tums taste gross and if you feel like your food is so high up in your throat that it might sneak out milk is the last thing you really feel like drinking.

Sleep... that is another thing I've had problems with the last few nights.... Lots of tossing and turning and waking up roughly every 30 min or so... annoying. And I know this is only going to get worse. Yay. I have also been having really strange dreams, seems like I have heard thats normal too. I am always one to have lots of unusual dreams but they used to at least make a little bit of sense... now they are just strange bits and pieces of all kinds of weird stuff. I have read several blogs about people having the "boy or girl" dreams. I haven't had that... I keep waiting...but nothing... Is it too early? When did you girls all start having these dreams? I wish I was dreaming about the baby instead of people I don't know trying to solve puzzles and stuff and I could care less about (There is nothing more frustrating that feeling like your trying to solve a problem, or a case when your trying to sleep/relax...ughhh).

James did make it home safely this past Sunday and I have definitly enjoyed having him back. He probably wont be leaving for that long again after seeing how much money I spent while he was gone....haha His words were, "Sounds like you spent alot of money while I was gone.....Well, I think our money tree is dried up." I hate it when that happens... We do have a water hose... maybe I should go out and water it....We still have Christmas shopping to do!

I've lost my stamina...

So I used to pride myself on being a really good shopper. I could shop all day long and not be tired at all...Well, things have changed! haha I've lost my stamina. I went to the Mall of America on Wednesday for an afternoon of shopping, granted I had gotten up at 4:30...worked for 6.5 hours and then went shopping, but let me just say that the trip nearly killed me. I was determined to cover the whole mall....which is ridiculously huge if you've never been.... and I did but whew, I was tired for two days after that adventure! Today I went to the outlet mall close to here with a friend from work and I have to say I was quite impressed by my shopping today! I ate a big breakfast, to store up some extra energy, and even cleaned the house before we went. We covered the whole outlet mall and were there literally ALL day. When I got home I even had the energy to do laundry and the grocery shopping for the week. I'm pretty sure I will crash at any moment and will probably have to spend most of tomorrow on the couch "recovering". At least I found lots of cute clothes....I love to shop. Baby Harper is going to be spoiled if I have anything to do with it.

Free Gift for Mommies, or Mommies-to-be

I got an e-mail from my cousin today about a free patterned nursing cover from www.uddercovers.com! They are kinda like an apron that you can wear to "cover your udders" while nursing...the baby fits underneath and everything... they are super cute. They normally cost $32 and right now they have a promotion going on where you can get a free one if you type in the code "backorder" at checkout. All you have to pay is $8.95 for shipping! I ordered one for myself tonight :) They would also make a cute gift for someone who is expecting...and it would only cost ya ten bucks! Happy shopping :)

Week 11 and I'm home alone :)

So, I think I can safely say I've made it through the whole sickness phase of my pregnancy...well for now anyways! haha I have actually felt pretty normal for almost a whole week! Yay :) I have more energy...although I still have my tired spells and I'm feeling as though I can eat normal foods. I guess that means all of the junk food has to stop....Bring on the fruits and veggies!

According to thebump.com Baby Harper is now the size of a lime! It's hard to believe that something that small can already be forming things like nail beds and tooth buds... So crazy. Right now our "little lime" has skin that is so transparent you can see his/her blood vessels right through it! It really is amazing what all is going on inside of me. Baby Harper has been working so hard to become a strong healthy little person and we just can't wait until he/she is ready to meet us!

As most of you know I love to shop.... So of course I've already been scoping out all of the baby goods this big city has to offer. There is just a million cute things out there... how am I ever going to decide what crib, bedding, and colors will be just right? I have already decided that I'm staying away from the traditional blues and pinks... that's just not my thing. If it's a girl I plan on using reds, yellows, browns, and maybe even some blues and greens. If it's a boy I'm thinking green and brown, or maybe just brown and white/cream. I have also been looking at cribs... I don't want anything to fancy or expensive....just don't feel that's necessary. So, I'm drawn to those dark brown wood beds, where one side is a little taller than the other.... I can just see a cute little smiling baby looking over that rail at me! But, because I'm quite the perfectionist I'm concerned with buying a dark brown wood bed and then wanting to put brown bedding on it... It wont match, and I can't have that. Also, if I find a bed I like at one place and then a dresser thing I like at another place what if the woods aren't the same color... will it look like I tried to match them and missed? I hate that. Whew...what is a mommy to do? If I bring up all of these concerns to James I feel sure he'll think I'm nuts... He's more worried about things like how we are going to afford this new lifestyle!! Yikes :) My mom always says she doesn't know how they made it by those first few years but they did.... and look how great I turned out! hahaha

James is out of town Mon-Thurs this week for business meetings and then leaves Thursday afternoon for a weekend trip to Mississippi to visit one of his friends and see his team, the Vols play. I have the house to myself this week and I have LOTS of shopping planned :) How fun! I plan on getting a lot of Christmas shopping done and I might even start looking for some maternity clothes. My grandmother warned me that I will prob. just wake up one day and realize my clothes just don't fit anymore! I'm going to take her advice and be prepared :) Happy Shopping to me!

Could it really be over?

I've had a ton of people tell me that after the 12 week mark I would be amazed at how much better I felt....Well....I think that day might have come early! For the last two days or so I have felt sooooo much better! I have more energy, I feel like I can eat things besides pizza, chicken fingers, and fries, and I don't feel sick! I would really hate to jinks myself but could the whole sickness phase really be over?

Keep your fingers crossed!

Harper...Party of Three :)

Today James and I got to get our first ultrasound!!! Most of the time the doctor's don't do one until week 20 but since there was a chance there were two they wanted to do one! And......there is only ONE baby Harper :) Whew... haha I guess we get to stay a "party of three" for a while! haha Probably a good thing! The doctor said that the baby looked like it was probably sleeping during the ultrasound and it wasn't moving around too much. We got some really good pictures though and we are so excited!!! Little does baby Harper know there will be a MILLION more pictures in it's very near future! I hope he/she likes the camera! haha We also got to hear the heartbeat again which was just as amazing as Monday :) She said that right now the heart rate is 171bpm and that was just right. At our next ultrasound it should be lower, between 120 and 160 :) Our next doctor appointment is December 7th which will be week 15! Baby Harper is amazing already :)

In this picture you can see his/her little arm....looks like it's waving!!!

It really is amazing how developed the baby already is!!!

So there really is a baby in there!!!

Yesterday afternoon, November 2nd James and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time!! It really was the most amazing thing I have ever heard.... I don't think that either of us were convinced there was really a baby growing in there until we heard it. Wow! We were really afraid that it was too early to hear the heartbeat and I had pretty much already talked myself into believing that we wouldn't be able to hear it. The doctor started rubbing the doppler, or dobbler, whatever its called...thing around and all we heard was a wah, wah, wah, wah, wah sound like there was nothing and then all of a sudden there was a little thud, thud, thud and she said, "That's it!" We couldn't believe it... It's amazing that we can't see the little guy/girl yet but we could hear it!! So neat :) It definitely was the best sound I have ever heard! The day before the appointment I was super excited to go and then of course the day of my nerves started to get the best of me... I just wanted to know that everything was ok in there. And....It is :) She said the heartbeat sounded perfect although everyone keeps asking me what the heart rate is and in the excitement of the moment I didn't even think to ask! Luckily, the doctor said that because I was taking Clomid, the fertility drug they wanted to do an ultrasound to make sure there was just ONE baby in there... Oh geez... We have the ultrasound on Thursday and we are pumped! I wasn't expecting to have one until week 20 but she said that she thought I might want to know BEFORE then if we were going to have more than one...Oh my... I honestly can't imagine the craziness in store if there are two! Yikes!

The doctor also told me that I should start feeling better soon... thank goodness. I don't know how much more of this feeling I can take, or James can take for that matter! Haha He's taken over most of my "wifely duties" as he calls them. I have to say, it's been kinda nice doing nothing... But I'm ready to get back into my normal pattern of things. Sunday I felt pretty good and I was able to clean the kitchen, and do a little cooking so that was good :) Next week James will be gone pretty much the WHOLE week so hopefully I'm feeling up to taking care of everything!

On Thursday after our ultrasound I will post the picture right away! It wont be of much because baby Harper is still only the size of a prune according to thebump.com :) I will also be sure to get the heartrate so you can all start guessing if it's going to be a boy or a girl! Yay... I can't wait!

Baby Harper is growing fast....

Baby Harper has a face and can now officially be called a "fetus"! The reproductive organs are beginning to form and soon will become ovaries or testes... What do you think it's going to be? The fingers and toes are growing fast but are still webbed. Baby Harper is still super tiny, he/she is only .31-.43 inches long! I cant believe it can be that tiny but have so much going on inside! An interesting thought... this time next year Baby Harper will be 20 weeks old... Wow!

Sometimes I still can't believe that I'm really pregnant and that there is really a baby in there! I'm feeling pretty good these days as long as I keep eating every couple hours and take it easy I can function pretty good :) I think I've about got it figured out how I can keep from feeling like crap. One thing I haven't gotten used to is how sore my boobs are. They have been sore since the day I had a positive pregnancy test and it's only gotten worse. I can barely sleep on my stomach because they don't like to be squished. haha I don't understand how people can stand to run when their boobs feel like this. Are they crazy or just that dedicated? haha I can't really tell that they have gotten any bigger yet...my bras still seem to fit the same so that's good :) Next weekend I head to Owensboro so we'll see how well I hold up on that flight. I'm going to call the doctor tomorrow to see if they have any tips for flying if I start feeling sick. I know I can't take Dramamine but maybe there is something else... After I get back from Owensboro only one more week until we get to hear the heartbeat... I've heard it's the most amazing thing ever!!

I guess this is the 7 week slump...

Whew...It's been a long last couple of days. I've been on a roller coaster ride of feeling good one minute, and horrible the next. I spent about 5 days last week in a complete blur I felt so bad. Turns out it was the prenatal vitamins that were giving me problems. So, I stopped taking those for now and I felt better for a day or so and then this weekend I was sick, sick, sick. I spoke with the doctor yesterday and she said she was concerned that I got dehydrated. She told me that yesterday (Monday) I really needed to focus on drinking lots of liquids or I'd be having to come in for a hydration IV... that scared me a bit and I drank as much as I could yesterday. I feel like a new person today :) Yay!!

When I talked with the doctor yesterday she said that the whole "morning sickness" thing doesn't usually really flare up until about the 7th week... guess that's why I'm feeling so icky. I can't believe it's already been 7 weeks... In only 21 days we get to hear the heartbeat :) Yay!!!

James has this feeling that there are TWO babies in there. As some of you know when we did the artificial insemination they found that I actually had two eggs that developed and ovulated... so, there is a chance that there are two...Oh wow wouldn't that be crazy! Hopefully we will be able to clear all of the speculation up when we go in November 2nd! haha

Only 21 more days until our first doctors appointment... We can not wait :)

I've felt better...

I do feel lucky that I haven't actually thrown up yet but I do NOT feel good. I think this morning I was pretty close to having my head in the toilet. I have been incredibly tired all weekend. Yesterday I slept until 8, took a nap at 10, and took a nap at 1, then went to bed at 9:30. Crazy! James and I are going to the Vikes & Packers game tomorrow night....we are SUPER excited but I'm getting a little nervous about staying up so late. I have to get up a 4:30 to get ready for work, then the game doesn't start until 7:30...Its going to be a late one. I will definitely need a nap before the festivities! haha

As dumb as it sounds I wish I were showing already...Its like I need to see the little bump to really believe there is a baby in there. I guess I still have a while to wait, the doctor said a lot of times with the first pregnancy you don't show until 12-16 weeks. I'm only at week 6...but, only 4 more weeks until our first doctors appointment, and then we'll get to hear the heartbeat! Cant wait!

H1N1 Scare...

So as most of you know I work with a class full of snotty nose four year olds all day. The chance of getting sick while pregnant is not in my favor, needless to say. Yesterday at school we got a phone call from a parent saying that the brother of one of my students has H1N1. Great. I immediately worry about baby Harper. At our prenatal class they told us that if you come in "direct contact" with someone that has H1N1 they will treat you for it with a low dose of tamiflu as a preventative. I called my doctor yesterday kind of in a panic and they assured me that I hadn't had direct contact. They said if one of my kids actually gets then they might have to do the treatment. Whew... I'm so nervous about this whole being responsible for another life thing.

While on the topic of H1N1 I have a question that I need some input on.... Do you think I should get the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available? Here is my concern: of course since it is a new vaccine our doctors really don't know if, or how it could affect (or effect?) our baby. They assume that the CDC made sure it would be safe for pregnant women, but I haven't heard anything about what they think it would do to the baby growing inside of me. And really, there is no way for them to truly know until several pregnant women have had the vaccine and given birth. So, for now....this is what I'm thinking....Don't get the vaccine unless our school has an outbreak. What do you all think?

What is Going on Inside of Me?

I have actually been feeling pretty good! I've had my moments of lower stomach pain, and just not feeling quite like myself. If you ask James he'll tell you I've been a little overly emotional from time to time. hahaha And of course I've been super tired. This school year I am working from 6 in the morning until 12:30 in the afternoon. Because I'm getting up a 4:30 every morning I'm tired anyways, but being pregnant is making me exhausted! Luckily I have had plenty of time to take a little nap every afternoon :)

After going to the prenatal class and reading my book I've learned a lot about baby Harper. After just four weeks the embryo has developed most of it's major organ systems. As month one ends the baby has a heart beat, the beginings of lungs, the gastrointestinal system, and the liver are deveolping. The foundation of the baby's nervous system and parts of the brain are continuing to grow. The first layer of skin has appeared along with some facial features. Baby Harper is starting to grow little arm and leg buds, along with the beginings of hands and feet. This all is so amazing considering he/she is about the size of a raisin. Wow... this is going to be such an exciting journey!

Prenatal Class

I called my doctor the Monday after we got our pregnancy test and was shocked when they told me they don't have you come in for your first appointment until 10 weeks... I believe my response was something like, "What? But I have like a million questions and things I NEED to know before then." The lady at the appointment desk then reassured me and told me that we would be attending a prenatal class to help answer and questions we had. I took a deep breath...and then scheduled the class for this past Thursday. James and I were both very excited to go and learn all about what was going on with our little one! Of course when I got home from work on Thursday I was so anxious I went to the bookstore and bought The Everything Guide to Pregnancy. I just couldn't wait to figure out what all was going on with me. So, needless to say when we got to the class I felt like I already knew everything they were going to say. I was a little disappointed when the nurse said that as a "pregnant person" (why wouldn't she say woman or something... like maybe some of the men in there were pregnant or something? That drove me crazy during the whole class.) you shouldn't drink anything that as artificial sweetener in it. As most of you know... I need a diet coke in the morning, and I like to have one in the afternoon as well. James has got me down to just one a day but now I'm being told I can't have any at all. According to her I could have a regular coke in the mornings, but I hate those. When I asked why she said that research shows that NutraSweet and other artificial sweeteners are really bad for you, and that you really shouldn't have them any time, pregnant or not... So, I'm trying to figure it out....Do I not need to drink the cokes for the baby's sake? All of you reading this blog that have had kids did you drink diet drinks during pregnancy? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

We're FINALLY Pregnant!!

As most of you know James and I have been trying to get pregnant since September of 2008. I had lots of issues throughout the process...no periods...then had to have my periods induced...then I wasn't ovulating...next came the hormone drugs, but 3 months went by and I still wasn't pregnant! We decided to give the artificial insemination a whirl. We tried it once, and then tried it again for a second time on September 6th, 2009 (almost exactly one year since we started trying) And on that very special day James produced a superb sperm sample and I had developed two huge eggs that were ready to ovulate. The stars were finally all aligned! On September 20th I should have been feeling the begining signs of my period but I wasn't. I was feeling something different....I couldn't quite put my finger on it. By the afternoon I was convinced that I wasn't about to start so James and I went out and bought a pregnancy test. I was going to wait until the following morning to take it but my lack of patience got the best of me. We were getting ready to leave the house to go see a movie and I decided I couldn't sit through the whole movie wondering so I did the test. The first line came up quickly and I immediatley had tears in my eyes...another negative test. But, then to my surprise I began to see another little line....or was this my eyes playing tricks on me? I ran downstairs to get a second opinion. James said it looked like a positive to him! We were shocked and excited, but not convinced. The line was so faint we just weren't sure. James says, "Just call the doctor tomorrow morning and go in and have them do a test." And I reply with, "Are you kidding me? I cant wait until tomorrow morning!" So, we head off to the movie....I sat there for two hours wondering what was going on inside of me. After the movie I insisted that we stop at the drug store and buy another test. Ten dollars and a fool proof digital pregnancy test later we were reading the words PREGNANT! We are absolutly thrilled and can't wait to meet our lil' Harper. Right now the approximate due date is June 1, 2010.