23 weeks

As of Thursday February 14th I am 23 weeks

That was Valentines day!
my sweetie, mr. ryan, got me a box of chocolates. and they are completely gone already.

I can't even tell you how sweet Ryan has been through everything. he tells me the sweetest things. this man is amazing! he does the dishes and makes dinner, he vacuumed, takes my belly pictures, and is always making sure that i'm feeling ok. i cleaned the bathrooms the other day and some contractions started and so he told to stop worrying about the house and that basically it wasn't important. i married such a wonderful man.

baby girl is now more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. it really seems like she never stops kicking now. if this is what she is like when she is born, she'll be a wild one!

Today, February 19th, was the first time Ryan got to feel her kick!

i am feeling really good, other than lately i have been pretty doggone tired.
i am really loving every new stage that i get to. i love reading what the baby's progression is each week from my nifty app on my phone.
sometimes i think i can feel my belly stretching and i don't know how it could possibly stretch much more... but then it does.
it's starting to get harder to get up, bend over to pick something up, put on my shoes, take off my shoes. but i love every bit of it.
i love that i have to prop my belly up with an extra pillow while i sleep at night, it makes me feel like i am trying to get her comfy too, like i am cradling her.
i think i have started to waddle like a duck when i walk now.
it's so rad being pregnant (and i truly mean this in the most sincere way possible).

22 weeks

February 8th - 22 weeks!
baby girl is supposedly the length of a spaghetti squash (11 inches).

at the beginning of week 22, i lifted my shirt to scratch and rub my belly and ryan gets wide eyed and says, "whoa! your belly is huge!... it popped out so much in just a few days!"
then he says later, "i think it's safe to say your belly is bigger than mine."

it's crazy how just all of a sudden she popped right out.
i had a ton of comments on Sunday. i think everyone could tell that it wasn't just that i gained a few pounds. it for sure looks like a baby belly now.

in bed during the night of February 10th i had my hand on my belly. i felt her kick my hand! i have felt her move and kick before, but not from the outside! i woke up ryan and he instantly put his hand on my belly, but she wouldn't kick for him. ryan says its because she didn't want to hurt him.

i have a ton of projects that i want to get done before she gets here and luckily i have great friends and family to help me! my grandma is going to start on her blanket soon, and it is going to be the cutest, most special blanket ever! then i want to finish the swaddling blankets my sister and i started for her, and soon make bibs, burp rags, her blessing dress!  and then i want to re-cover ryan's grandma's rocking chair.

my sister is giving me all of her daughter's old baby clothes, and i am so grateful! i heard that my little 3 year old niece was excited to give my baby girl all of her old clothes. how cute is that? we went through some of them when we were FaceTiming... this little girl of mine is for sure going to have some style! i ordered a few new little outfits for her that should be getting here soon. i can't wait! i am not sure where we are going to put all of her stuff, we don't have another room, or closet or dresser, so this should be interesting.

ryan and i have finally come up with one name that we both like! it's not agreed that it will be her name yet, but it's a huge deal that we actually both like the same name! i had no idea it would be so hard to name a child.

she is going to be here before we know it!

as of yesterday, January 31st, i am 21 weeks along, due June 13th.
we are so very happy.
AND... IT'S A GIRL!

we had our ultrasound January 24th. i was totally expecting a boy and so were lots of other people. i was so convinced it was a little boy that i was looking at baby boy blankets, clothes, nursery ideas... i even had my favorite name picked out for him. and when the lady told us to look at this picture on the screen...

and asked if we could see anything between the legs, (i was still certain it was a boy i think at this point because i didn't answer. i was struggling to find what i was looking for. maybe there was a shadow?). she finally said "no! i can't see anything!" and typed in "it's a girl"... i was so surprised! in shock!

my younger sister called it from the beginning.

baby girl loves her hand up by her face. 

which may be a concern... i was a finger sucker.

we didn't get any profile shots. she was looking at us the entire time. i love her so much.

later when it started to sink in that it was really and truly a girl i couldn't help but be so excited! i tell myself that the Lord must know how much i love surprises to make me believe with out much doubt that i was having a boy. it was a glorious surprise. my mom was the first person i called and just before i called her, i sent her the first ultrasound picture, and she opened it while i was on the phone with her. she was so cute and excited about it, and it made me even more excited!

i went to my friend angie's house right after the ultrasound and she gave baby girl her very first item. an adorable knitted hat. can't wait to put it on her.

i haven't had many weird cravings. pickles were my favorite in the beginning, but i think that's a normal pregnancy craving. and now it's just chicken strips with ranch.
i have had a pretty easy pregnancy. no pukes, just a tad queasy over smells, such as my old house smell, it was really strong when we were traveling so much this last fall, and non scented shampoo, conditioner and soap (i know that sounds weird that unscented stuff made me sick from the smell, but i tell you, no lie, it does indeed have a smell).
the worst part of my pregnancy has been my terrible skin. i am breaking out everywhere. BUT, i can honestly say that i would much rather have a zitty face, neck, chest and back than to puke daily. i am grateful.
i felt her first full fledged kick on Tues, January 29th. it made me jump. she does it all the time now.

can't wait to meet our sweet baby girl!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE YOU GIVE ALL 3 OF US! XOXO