19 weeks and the "big" ultrasound...

(By the way, this is not our ultrasound! Just one I found online:)

Today marks my 19th week of being pregnant and I have been feeling prety good. I am starting to get a bigger belly, but am still holding out on buying any maternity clothes for as long as I can. My clothes are still fitting okay, but they just get a little tighter when I sit down (which I do for the better part of my day due to school). I have a feeling that I will be trying the rubber band technique or the belly band in the next couple of weeks.

On another note, our "big" ultrasound is this Wednesday. We could find out the gender of our little mango but we are going to wait a few weeks longer to find out. We are going to have the ultrasound tech not tell us the gender, but instead write it on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope! We are then going to to go to Houston over my spring break with my mom, dad and brother and find out the gender with all of my family and all of Noah's family. We are sending the sealed envelope to a woman in Houston who will open the envelope and make a cake for us. If the gender is a boy the cake will be blue and if it is a girl the cake will be pink. Either way, the entire outside of the cake is going to be white with little blue and pink question marks on it! After dinner, we will cut into the cake and find out with all of our family around. I got this idea from my friend Natalie, who used it to find out the gender of her twins! Can't wait to find out!

Dear Baby,

I have been able to feel you move for a couple of weeks now and I have enjoyed every minute of it. But my biggest joy so far has come because I was able to actually feel you move with my hand this week! It was such a weird moment! Amazing, but weird! I thought that nothing that happened for the rest of the week could top that, but I was wrong! Your daddy got to feel you move too. I have never seen him that happy! He was smiling from ear to ear and was 100% convinced that you were moving just for him! The first time your daddy felt you move I thought he might cry! Of course, he didn't! But it was the happiest moment he has had with you so far.

Love,
Your mom and dad

P.S. Your daddy says you kick like Chuck Norris.

Another highlight of my weekend...

Many of you know my brother, Patrick, from either school, basketball, or me just talking about him. Well, this Sunday he was baptized in Tulsa! I was so proud and happy that we were able to make such a special day for him. FYI: Noah was the loudest one there! When Patrick came back up out of the water, Noah let out a huge yell! Please excuse the blurry pics, it's hard to take pics at a baptism because everything is an action shot!

He is the second in line here.

A weekend to remember...

Where to begin? After my 2 incredibly hard tests on Friday, I was ready to get out of town and relax a bit. For those of you who do not know, I am a HUGE George Strait fan! Huge. He has been on my bucket list since I have had a bucket list. When I lived in Houston, I was so excited for the rodeo because Noah told me he thought he would be there and I would finally get to see him. False! George did not come to the rodeo and I was yet again disappointed. Well wouldn't you know it, this past Saturday George Strait was coming to Tulsa with Reba McEntire! I think I cried when I heard the news.

(On a side note: It is a little known fact that my mom grew up with Reba and was her roommate in college for 3 years.)

I called me aunt MeMe to see if she could find a way to get us tickets....and she did! She came through in the clutch and not only that, she got us backstage to meet Reba before the show. There wasn't anything that she could do about me getting to meet George, but I can't complain with meeting Reba. (One day George, one day!) I was bound and determined to look like a cowgirl, even though I am very far from it. I went and bought a pearl snap shirt and wore the boots Noah bought me forever ago (I think it was my second time wearing them.) What's funny is, all of my "cowgirl" attire was bought at Fossil. Probably the least country place you can shop! Noah however, he was dressed to the nines. He had on his George Strait shirt and his ostrich skin boots and his black cowboy hat! He was so handsome!

When we met Reba she was in a bit of a hurry, but it was cool to see her get so excited to see my mom! She screamed, "Toni!" And the coolest part was she turned to me and said," Well, I know who you are Erin." Really?!?! Reba knows who I am? She must have had someone in her ear telling her what to say or something, because there is no way she knows who I am.

Anyway, the concert was unreal. Noah told me what to expect, but it was more than ever imagined. They both played so many songs that I was hoarse when we left the concert. You know it's funny, you spend money to go to a concert to listen to someone sing and when it is all said and done I heard myself more than the artists. Oh well. Best concert ever! Here are some pics of the concert.

Reba got in her red dress to sing "Fancy".



And of course, one of the biggest reasons for the trip. Also, I have never seen Noah smile so big when George walked out to "Deep in the Heart of Texas"! Noah sang louder than ever and he was so proud.

Dear Baby,

I felt you! Oh my gosh, I felt you. I had no idea that would be what you would feel like. I have been told that it would feel like a butterfly floating around and they were right! It is such an odd but remarkable feeling. I though I might have been feeling you all week, but I thought that you were just gas or something :) I have been waiting to feel you for so long, and you did not disappoint. I just wanted to say thank you for being so gentle and so rewarding. I wish your daddy could feel what I feel, but I guess that is just reserved for me and you!

I love you and can't wait to feel you move around again (except tomorrow around 1:00 because I have a neuro exam and that could be a bit distracting), but any other time is great.

I love you,
Your mom

P.S. Please keep in my that as you get bigger, I can still feel you and you don't have to kick that hard. Thanks kiddo!

17 week update...

Not much to update on this Valentine's Day. I am 17 weeks today and the baby is the size of an onion (not my favorite veggie, but oh well). I feel great and am looking forward to this weekend . I get to cross something off of my bucket list :) Here is a picture that Noah took tonight of my bumpity bump. It's growing and I am still getting used to squeezing in my jeans. I am bound and determined to stay in my clothes for as long as I can. We will see how long that lasts!

A sneak peak...

We just got our Internet set up yesterday, so I haven't been able to update this thing very much. Sorry :) We are pretty well adjusted to living in a new home and loving every minute of it. Here is a pic of the outside of the house (with Duke the dog guarding it of course).

Since I am not supposed to post pics of the inside of the house until it is done (which could be a few years) I snuck these pictures in without telling Noah. This is the living room with the fireplace and TV.

And last but not least, this is Noah relaxing in his "man cave", or living room as I like to call it. Since we have the little one on the way and I think a guest room is vitally important (where else are you all going to stay when you come and help me with the baby??), his "man cave" was pushed to the living room. Oh well, I need to be studying anyways, not watching TV. Also, please don't mind the mess in the dining room, we are still in the process of moving people.

Other than that things are good. I will post a bump pic later tonight or tomorrow. It has grown a good amount since my last pic and me jeans are starting to get a bit tight. Well, I guess that means I get to go shopping :)

4 months and counting...

Today I am 4 months along with this little baby! The 4 months have flown by but crept along at the same time. I am ready find out if it is an X or a Y chromosome, but I still enjoy the unknown of what the gender could be. (I am pretty sure that on one of our next babies we will wait to find out the gender until it is born :) We have the "big" ultrasound on March 4Th, but we are going to wait until March 13thish until we actually find out what we are having.

This morning, Noah and I skipped the early service at church to lay in bed for an extra hour and play our little avocado some music to celebrate making it to 4 months. It listened to Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Dave Matthews Band, and about a dozen other artists.

Oh yeah, we had the most exciting moment happen to us the other night. I was laying in bed and I put my hand on the bottom of my stomach and felt this big knot. I yelled for Noah to come in there. He felt the knot and we both decided that the knot we were feeling was out little baby. Whether it was or it wasn't, who knows, but we like to think the baby was trying to introduce itself to us :) Such a crazy and awesome moment wrapped in one. All we could say was, "Well hello little baby!" Crazy!

Whew...

It has been a busy couple of weeks and I am happy to report that we have officially moved into our new home! So, the easy part is over :) I know that is supposed to be the hardest, but I am the worlds worst decorator! It is going to take some time and coordination on my part to make this house look like the home that we want. I wish I were as talented as some women but it is just not so. Plus, I am in school everyday and when I get home the last thing I want to do is think about decorating (Except the baby's room, I don't mind decorating that.) Noah won't let me post any pics of the house until it is officially "done", but we will see what I can sneak by him. Keep checking back for some pics of the outside of the house and for Duke the dog learning how to use his doggy door, which I am sure one day will have my crawling baby going through it!

P.S. I just got a phone call from Noah as I was writing this. He told me that he just saw our future son! I asked him what he was talking about and he told me that as he was driving through an elementary school zone there was a little boy with his pants down peeing on a tree in plain sight. Noah said he was proud of that little boy and actually cheered for him while he was in his truck. Lord, help me!

Dear baby,

Today we had our check up with the Dr and she informed me that everything is going just fine. The Dr. said that I look healthy and you sound healthy. They decided that they want to keep your birthday as July 25Th, but I am sure you will have your own schedule :) Your heartbeat was bumping at 150 beats per minute! (I also have a tiny confession: your daddy and I thought that your heartbeat sounded like techno music and we both had a mental picture of your pumping your fist in there Jersey Shore style!) Anyway...
I have to admit, I am just now getting used to this notion of becoming your mommy. I realize how much I already care about you and worry about you when I find myself holding my breath for the 5 to 10 seconds it takes the Dr. to find your heartbeat with the Doppler machine. I know it sounds dramatic (and maybe I am just a bit) but it feels like the longest 5 to 10 seconds ever. I can't feel you moving around yet, but I pray daily that you are healthy and happy in your little "home".

Love,
Your Mom