They Say I'm a Dreamer...

Kim

They Say I'm a Dreamer...

Well, here we are at 21 weeks!  I had my monthly appointment today and everything is still going well.  They had no trouble finding his heartbeat this time and it was a strong 148 bpm.  That is perfect and exactly what we want.  These appointments are pretty easy - they just take your blood pressure, weigh you, take a urine sample, listen to the heartbeat and ask if you have any questions.  Basically, you spend more time waiting for the doctor than you do actually seeing her.  But no complaints.  In November I will have another long appointment where I have to do the glucose test (where they make you drink this nasty (so I hear) sugar water stuff and sit for an hour to make sure you don't have gestational diabetes), and I have to get my Rh shot since my blood type is negative.  That will be a fun appointment, no doubt.  But in the meantime, I'll just enjoy what should hopefully be another easy appointment in October. 

I am feeling great these days.  I basically feel normal, which is so nice.  I still get hungry more often and a little bit more tired, but for the most part I just feel like me.  I am trying to enjoy it.  I know it won't last forever.  As for Henry, he is definitely growing.  For the first time, today someone I hadn't seen in a while looked at me in my work clothes and said, "Oh my gosh, you're pregnant!  I had no idea!"  I guess that means I actually look a little pregnant now.  I am pretty proud of that :)  We are halfway there, you know!  I can feel him moving around a lot - it is awesome.  Most times now, if I lay down I can feel him start moving.  Occasionally I have to give him a little poke (perhaps to wake him up?), but usually he'll start moving pretty quickly.  According to my weekly email he is the size of a large banana and weighs about 3/4 lb.  It also said that he already sleeps about 12-14 hours a day.  Maybe I can get him on a good schedule now!  Haha!

As for the title of this post...I have definitely been having some crazy dreams lately.  When we were getting married I always had dreams about our wedding - and in those it was always that our wedding was here early and things weren't ready, but I just went with it anyway...and I never really freaked out, things were just always out of whack.  The dreams that I've been having now have no real theme and don't really seem to have anything to do with the babe.  They are just really vivid and crazy.  In one, Matt and I were on an "Amazing Race" type adventure and were in Egypt and had to accomplish all of these fun missions.  However, we kept forgetting things and having to retrace our steps.  It wasn't stressful at all though.  (Now that I type that, maybe it is symbolic of our impending parenthood in some way...lol!)  I can't remember the others at the moment, but believe me, they've all been crazy.  And sometimes I even half wake-up and realize I'm dreaming, but then go right back into the dream.  So weird. 

And I'll leave you with the weekly shot of the growing bump...grow, sweet babe, grow!



I'm not sure there's much difference from last week, but I promise, it's growing!



Ohhhh, We're Halfway There! - HJR

Kim

Ohhhh, We're Halfway There! - HJR

Hard to believe it, but we've reached the halfway point - 20 weeks!  It is crazy to think that 5 months have gone by.  For the most part I still feel like we've got a ways to go, but when I think of it in terms of just a few more months, I start getting a little jumpy.  We definitely have a lot to accomplish in the next 4.5 months, but I know we'll get it all done, and I don't think we're behind in planning for anything.  I'm feeling pretty good now (aside from the onset of my fall allergies), so as I think I mentioned before, I feel normal and the day-to-day seems pretty average.  I am thankful for that.  The bump is definitely growing.  And I feel him moving around a lot now when I am sitting still.  The knocks are still relatively light, but the other night, Matt was finally able to feel one from the outside for the first time.  That was really cool. I think it took him by surprise - I'm not sure he believed me that I could really feel the babe kicking around in there.  Now he definitely does!  Clothing is getting a bit more tricky these days.  I can still wear my pants with the belly band, but it's starting to get a little uncomfortable.  I am still a bit too small for maternity clothes though.  And the weather has been wacky, so I'm trying to find some good in-between outfits that are comfortable and cute.  I think a shopping trip is in order soon!

No hiding him now!

This past Sunday was Matt's 28th birthday.  Mom and Dad and Aunt Diane came down and we went out to lunch with the Richardsons and Caroline & Brendon.  It was a really fun afternoon.  I got to share some of my nursery ideas with everyone.  I have been collecting so many pictures and thoughts from various websites.  It gets a little overwhelming.  I am really leaning toward this bedding:

I love the colors and I think the animals are sweet and boy-ish, but not too cutesy.  I haven't decided 100% yet and may completely change my mind, but that is the front runner at the moment. We would paint the walls a light blue or green and do a lot of other fun stuff with the colors in the bedding.  Who knows?  I'm still doing a lot of research.  Anyways, Matt's birthday was a fun day with family and we really had a good time celebrating him - he is very worth of much celebration!  :)

Oh, and there is another really fun thing that we have decided on (well, we're 99.9% sure - I guess we feel like we have to leave that .1% open, just in case, but I am certain we won't change our mind)...we've picked a name!    It is the one name we had talked about before we knew whether we were having a boy or a girl and after we found out we decided to throw it around and think on it for a few weeks before we make any final decisions.  Well the name has stuck and now we are already referring to him by it so I am pretty sure it is the right one.  What is the name, you ask?  ......

......

......

......

Henry Joseph Richardson!

We liked Henry because it is a traditional name, but not terribly common.  Also, it is the middle name of one of Matt's grandfathers.  Joseph is after my dad (and technically his dad, and his dad (since he's a 3rd), but mostly just my dad). :)  Also, when we looked up the meaning of the names online, Henry means "ruler of the house," which made us laugh and seemed relatively appropriate, and Joseph means "God will add" or "Jehovah increases," which we love as well.  It is a strong name with a lot of emotional meaning for us and we know it'll fit the babe well.  It is so fun to call him Henry when we're talking about him now.  It definitely makes it seem even more real.  Assuming things stay on track, in just 20 more weeks little Henry will be here, in our arms!  That blows my mind a little bit. 

So here's to the halfway mark - to Henry Joseph - and to lots of excitement ahead! 

Just Keep Swimming

Kim

Just Keep Swimming

Well, we've arrived at week 19 (and one day!).  Hard to believe we're almost halfway there!  It doesn't seem like it's going fast, but it is not crawling anymore either.  I've felt much more like myself these past couple of weeks, so it is nice for things to feel relatively back to normal.  The babe is growing and each day I can tell more and more that he is in there.  I can feel him swimming around a lot now.  Still no definite hard kicks, but definitely lots of swishing and little knocks.  Today, I felt him swimming around all morning while I was sitting at my desk.  At night when I'm sitting on the couch he usually starts his evening laps.  I love it.  I am still excited to feel a big kick - and for Matt to be able to feel it - but it is fun to feel him moving around in there in any way. 

I spend a lot of time looking at nursery stuff on the computer now.  Matt says I am definitely "nesting."  I'm not sure it's full on nesting, just more of fun planning :) Either way, there are so many cute options out there.  I haven't decided on anything for sure yet, but am leaning towards something blue and green with white furniture.  We'll see what we actually end up with. 

Here's an updated picture of the bump.  It is definitely showing itself now...



Hello, sweet babe!

In other news, poor Fisher had to have surgery today.  I wouldn't call it "emergency" surgery, but it was unplanned.  I came home for lunch today and noticed that she was licking her back paw.  When I looked at it, I could tell there was definitely something in it, but couldn't tell what it was.  Luckily, Matt was on his way home and once he got here, we determined that it wasn't something that we could easily pull out like a splinter or a spur.  It was bleeding, so we decided to take her to the vet.  Long story short, they had to do surgery on her to remove it.  The vet wasn't 100% sure what it was, but it was something like a cyst or growth in the pad of her paw.  He wasn't worried that it was cancer, so that is a good thing.  Because of the anethesia, she was a bit disoriented when we brought her home.  She also has to wear one of those huge cones on her head for the next ten days.  He back paw is wrapped and we have to make sure she doesn't mess with it.  We can already tell that she's feeling better, but the cone is definitely going to drive her crazy.  She keeps knocking into things, which is sort of pitiful and funny at the same time.  Poor thing. 



Just after she got home - check out her huge cone.

I am certain that crate training really is a good thing for a dog because as soon as she got home she climbed right in her crate.  It is definitely her "safe place."  The funniest/most pitiful thing though is that she has trouble making it through the door of her crate with her cone, so we have to help her.  Poor, poor thing.  The real fun will start when she feels 100% better but still has to wear it.  We'll worry about that when we get there.  I'm guessing we'll be there by tomorrow night :)  At least we got it taken care of - I'm just glad she's on the mend!

Anyways, just keep swimming, little babe.  And maybe add a little boxing in there too if you feel like it!

Popped?!

Kim

Popped?!

I think it's happened.  It seems (maybe?  hopefully? I'm pretty sure...) that the bump has finally "popped." (!)  Just in the last week I've noticed that it has really been growing and that I am definitely showing more and more.  In most everything I wear now you can see a bump.  It might be small, but it is there.  Little boy babe is growing!  I can still wear my pants with the belly band, but some of them are getting a little uncomfortable.  I might be wearing dresses for the next few weeks until I really fit in maternity clothes - which are still a bit too big. And after work I basically live in my yoga pants.  Comfort is key!

bump bump bump!

In other news, I am fairly certain that I can feel him fluttering around in there quite often now, but still no kicks that can be felt from the outside.  They say you should start feeling those anytime between 16 - 22 weeks, so hopefully I'll feel him really kicking soon!  I can't wait for that and for Matt to be able to feel it.  I've also been spending a lot of time searching for nursery ideas.  I am finding that my taste shies away from the super cutesy bedding with cartoon-like characters on it, but I still haven't settled on any one thing yet. I've also found that I might have expensive taste!  Who doesn't though, right?  Anyways, we still need to clean out the room that will become the nursery (it has been our "office" since we moved in), so I guess I should do that before I start planning to decorate.  Maybe I'll put that on the agenda for this weekend. 

I am feeling really good otherwise.  The extreme hunger and nausea has seemed to subside, and my energy has been pretty good.  Aside from the frequent trips to the loo, I really can't complain.  Hard to believe I am 4.5 months pregnant now!  Keep growing baby boy!

C'est un garçon!

Kim

C'est un garçon!

For whatever reason I have been enjoying saying, "It's a Boy!" in French these last 24 hours! :)  Who knows why my latent, minimal foreign language skills came to the top of my mind at this point, but they did, so there you go.  It's official - the little babe is a sweet boy!  Yesterday was such an incredible day.  It felt a bit like when we finally told everyone we were pregnant - lots of phone calls, lots of smiling, lots of euphoria.  Only it wasn't quite as nerve wracking, which was nice. 

Our appointment was for 8:15am, but they didn't take us back until 8:30am, of course.  However, once we got in there and the first images of our little boy popped up on the screen, we were enamored.  She asked if we wanted to know the sex, and we said yes, so she began moving the wand around.  We could see his spine, his little heart - with all four chambers, his spindly fingers, long legs (that were curled up like he was quite literally in the fetal position!), and his head.  It was amazing. 



I tried to label it so you could tell (might have to click on the picture to make it bigger).  His head is on the right and his body is to the left - like he's laying on his left side, looking at you!



Those are the bottoms of his tiny feet!

 Then she swiped over something and both Matt and I noticed it.  Matt said, "wait, go back, I saw it."  She did, and sure enough, clear as day, it was a boy!  We were in shock.  We would've have felt the same way had it been a girl, but it was just so incredible to know - finally!  Matt is beside himself.  He had convinced himself it was a girl, I think.  He looked at me and said, "I feel like I need to go buy him a shotgun now."  Lord help us!



Imagine that you are looking at his little bottom here.  Anyways, trust us, it's a boy!

It was awesome.  He was moving around and all the measurements were right on target for 17 weeks, and they said everything was looking great!  I still can't believe we're having a boy!  Everyone, of course, is excited.  We called all the family and friends and told them.  My mom, Matt's dad, and my friend, Kristin, all said they knew it was a boy all along!  They didn't tell us that before the ultrasound though!  Now that we know, we can really start to plan.  We have a name that we are thinking about.  It is really the only name we had talked about before we knew the sex.  It includes some family names, so it is going to be hard to beat, but now that we know it's a boy, we want to throw it around for a while before we decide for sure.  That is a big decision, you know.  Also, all I wanted to do last night was look up boy nursery things.  And I did.  :)  There are so many possibilities.  There is this website called Pinterest that lets you create virtual inspiration boards of pictures/ideas you find online.  I had already started one for the babe's room, but now, with a narrowed search field, it has exploded with ideas.  I am nervous to plan too early, as I don't want my tastes to change...but really, the babe will be here in just 5 months - I planned our wedding in about that amount of time, so it seems a fitting time frame to prepare for a babe!

So that is our big news.  I have found myself saying, "Yes, we are so excited" over and over again to people when they congratulate us, but I really don't know what else to say!  We ARE so excited.  And it is a miracle that there will be a little baby boy arriving in February!

Oh, and on one last note.  Matt has had this song running through his head since we found out.  It's called, "Anything Like Me" by Brad Paisley.  Here are the lyrics.  So sweet! (And sort of true!) :) :) :)

I remember sayin' I don't care either way

Just as long as he or she is healthy, I'm okay

And then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen

And said, "You see that thing right there? Well, you know what that means"

I started wondering who he was going to be

And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me

He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast

End up every summer wearin' something in a cast

He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass

In a window down the street

He's gonna get in trouble, oh, he's gonna get in fights

I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep

It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback

If he's anything like me

I can see him right now, knees all skinned up

With a magnifying glass tryin' to melt a Tonka truck

Won't he be a sight with his football helmet on?

That'll be his first love 'til his first love comes along

He'll get his heart broke by the time he's in his teens

And heaven help him if he's anything like me

He'll probably stay out too late and drive his car too fast

Get a speeding ticket, he'll pay for mowing grass

He's gonna get caught skippin' class

And be grounded for a week

He's gonna get into trouble, we're gonna get in fights

I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep

It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback

If he's anything like me

He's gonna love me

And hate me along the way

The years are gonna fly by

And I already dread the day

He's gonna hug his mama, he's gonna shake my hand

He's gonna act like he can't wait to leave

But as he drives out he'll cry his eyes out

If he's anything like me

There's worst folks to be like, oh, he'll be alright

If he's anything like me