Tuesday, May 31, 2011

First Birthday Pregnant ... Last Birthday Without Kids!

It's amazing how much a long weekend can rejuvenate your spirit and your attitude. Sometimes the routine of getting up at 5:15am, going to the gym, going to work, and then coming home just to get ready to do it all again... can really take a toll on your mind and your body. It's exhausting to do the same thing every day. And I find my attitude generally gets worse the longer I am stuck in the same routine. Not that this is okay, but, often times I lose the awe of just being alive. It's so much easier to appreciate life and the gift of life inside of me while here at the beach. Waking up to the ocean and the sun here in Florida with all the time in the world to dream about the future, pray about the future, and appreciate God and the beauty he puts in each and every day. I hope I can take this awareness home with me.

All that aside, this has been a wonderful weekend. We got to Destin late on Friday night (I, as always, slept the entire time except for the dinner stop- which for those who were wondering, was Chick-Fil-A). Maybe I should start advertising for them on here. Not that they need my help. When I woke up Saturday morning, my Mom had made 24 signs with the number 24 on them. She's done this ever since I can remember. She puts them everywhere I will see them during the day.. bathroom mirrors, doors, microwaves, TV's, etc. I LOVE the simple act of placing numbers around the house. I always look forward to waking up on May 28th. Luckily, I'm blessed to have my birthday fall on long weekends so we can always be together to celebrate. I also got some gifts from Mom- a $20 gift card to Chick-Fil-A (Who knows me better?), a couple maternity tops, and a ticket to see the dolphin show at the GA aquarium! I love dolphins! While on the topic of gifts, I also got a sweet charm to add to my Pandora bracelet from Kelsie, a very sweet card from my friend Molly, and I know there are couple more waiting for me when I get home! I also got a wonderful package from my MIL (Mother-in-law). A blue dress from the Loft, which I adore and may wear once a week, along with a blue watch. I also got new table place-mats and napkins along with some birthday money! Overall, a wonderful month of May. Thanks to all who made it special!

As far as the rest of the weekend wend.. apparently its true that pregnant people burn easier, or more readily shall I say. I fried my chest in the sun on Saturday, so my time was restricted most of the day Sunday and some of Monday. It was nice though. I finished reading Mockingjay which is the final book in a series I've been obsessed with the past year or so thanks to my friend Amanda. I'm sad the series is over, but the first book comes out as a movie this year or next, which is exciting and something to look forward to!

Fenwick is doing just fine. I haven't felt any significant movement yet. I do know that the baby is the size of a fist now and growing each day. The head is starting to become proportionate to the rest of the body. For awhile, the head was 3/4 the size of the baby's total size. I did have my Mom snap a picture of my belly in my bathing suit. The verdict is still out whether that is appropriate for this blog or not.

A big thank to all of you who made my birthday special. Whether it was a simple message on facebook, a text message, or a singing telegram over the phone, it meant so much to know that you were thinking of me! This year does hold quite a special place in my heart. I can't wait for all of you faithful followers/readers to meet this baby come November!

The verse I chose this week is short and sweet but it was part of my reading this morning during my quiet time. It comes from Psalm 105, verse 4: "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always." I always love when the Lord puts something so special in my time spent with Him. This verse is one I've read probably a dozen times but it held no underline, no highlight, nothing! I was amazed by the way God's voice and His word is truly new and refreshing each time we read it. Something touches us differently, something speaks to us differently.. its just incredible.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Mommy's Sense

Well here we are! 13 weeks and 3 days along! We even have a little bump to show for it/prove it! Starting to fit into larger clothes.. and even pulling off a maternity skirt today! Yeah, its a little big, plenty of room to grow, but it fits nice and comfy :) That's about all that matters right now. My sister-in-law also gave me some maternity clothes that should get me through most of the pregnancy which was such a blessing! Hand me downs are a God-send right now! Speaking of which. we will take any and ALL hand me down furniture. No pressure.

Quick baby update.. Fenwick is about the size of a peach!

So.. whats new/different about the second trimester? Cravings have picked up, but unfortunately, my fatigue is back, and with it, some nasty headaches. By no means do I mean migraines. Just dull, achy, throbbing, long lasting headaches. Its pretty miserable. Only had them about 3 days now.. hoping its allergies more than a second-trimester symptom for me, but we shall see! My appetite is 100% back in place. Perhaps more so at certain times. I ALWAYS want Chick-fil-A. If anyone would like to be so kind as to surprise me, here is what I want, ALWAYS: Char-grilled Chicken Sandwich, EXTRA pickles with a side of yogurt with fruit and granola. Already want some now...

I have put off posting this for awhile at fear of being wrong and having "bad mommy sense," but its time to voice my opinion on this child. For the first few weeks, I was convinced I was having a boy. Recently, that intuition has switched to girl. Perhaps it will switch back, but as of now.. I do think we are having a girl. I'll save  my reasons for later :) I am hoping against hope that we can sneak in an ultrasound early June to figure out the gender of this baby! It's killing me to wait! How much more will it kill me to wait 6 months to meet this child!? Speaking of which, exactly 6 months from Wednesday will be the due date!

I did snap a photo of the baby bump this morning. I will upload it to this post soon, however, its harder than it needs to be and I don't have the energy to do it right this moment. Not to mention the headache :)

Well, this past weekend was "Daddy's" birthday. He mostly got rounds of golf and money, but he did get a little onesie from Erin and Bryan that says "MY DAD ROCKS" with a guitar on it. Very sweet! I just cannot wait to start shopping baby clothes! It will be a whole lot more exciting when we can steer towards pink or blue! I guess I don't have as much to report as I'd hoped. This weekend was packed with events, but this is not a blog about the exciting life of Aly, its a blog about Fenwick. I should document I suppose that my Mom and Dad got a fountain for their front yard that Jackson wanted. Its a little girl and a little boy playing with this little pail that tips when it fills up with water. He calls the children Jack and Fenwick. I don't want to think about what he'll say if Fenwick pops out a boy! I won't have him calling my son a little girl. Then again, he does say he wants to be a little girl when he grows up, so maybe he thinks HE is the girl! Thats a funny thought!

Well, I have decided to post a verse for our baby once a week until the end of this pregnancy. My hope is that one will really stick by the end and we can have it be a life verse for our baby.

So... its a familiar one that many will read over knowing it by heart and possibly miss the heart of it, but alas:

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

Oh what it would look like to etch this into the mind, heart, and soul of a child. There is so much that culture does to mar and ruin the perspectives and self-images of children, especially young girls. I pray that our son or daughter would embrace this truth so that not only would it make a difference in their own life, but int he lives of those around them as well.

Thats all for now! The next blog will be coming to you from DESTIN, FLORIDA!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Stepping into Second Trimester!

Oh how I have anticipated this post! We are past the 12 week milestone! Making our way out of the fatigue trimester (I mean, first trimester) and heading onto the second! I guess technically speaking, I have 2 more weeks until the second trimester officially begins... but whats 2 weeks?

I have had this past weekend circled and starred in my calendar since I found out I was pregnant! The next biggie will be July 9th, which will be 20 weeks (halfway!) but I know there is a possibility of a couple additional milestones before then. Such as finding out gender, possibly feeling movement, etc. I feel a huge sense of relief as I step past 12 weeks and into the weeks ahead! My appetite has returned. I still crave different foods, but the difference is, I crave MORE of it now! Actually, this weekend, my Mom threw a wonderful couple's shower for one of my childhood friends. Well, this couple (like most of us) loves Moe's, so we had a Taco Bar. That was BLISS. I wish there was a Moe's taco bar set up permanently at my office or even at my house. There is NOTHING I like more than being able to decide how much Pico de Gallo and Salsa I want on my tacos! And I want A LOT. Seriously though. It was good. Cater Moe's for your next party!

In other news... not much has changed. I have a little bump that REALLY shows when I wear skirts. However, since Atlanta is currently experiencing a taste of fall/winter in mid-May, I have been forced to wear jeans, which really just makes the bump look more like fat and makes me feel flat uncomfortable! All in due time.

After doing some research online, Fenwick is 3 inches long. If you want a frame of reference, scroll up to the top of my blog where it says "MR. AND MRS. SHARP + 1" 3 inches would be "MR. AND MRS." stopping just short of the S in Sharp! In terms of the produce section, the size of a peach!

I had my 12 week appointment this afternoon and everything went well. Got my blood work done (gag). That was too many vials of blood for my liking! At least its over .. for now! The OB was able to pick up the heartbeat by using some handheld device that she held on my stomach. It seemed too easy to be possible, but sure enough.. that heart beat was loud and clear, and fast! There's nothing more comforting than that sound- I can assure you of that!

That about sums it up for this week! Unfortunately, no picture updates to go along with this appointment. HOPEFULLY, by the time the next appointment rolls around (June 20th) ... we will have updated pictures and updated gender news! Fingers crossed the baby is positioned JUST right! So let the countdown begin anew: 35 days until Fenwick becomes a he or a she! I'll add a poll for those of you who follow to VOTE on the website. Lets see if majority TRULY wins!

Monday, May 9, 2011

My First Mother's Day

Well, this is my first official post on the public blog, so hello! Most of you are probably used to reading about the food I have been cooking. You won't be seeing quite as many posts on that blog as my appetite has changed dramatically and due to heavy fatigue, the last thing I want to do is photograph my cooking (Or lack thereof!)

Anyways, let me back-fill a little bit. I really hadn't thought twice about this being my first mother's day until about Friday when someone in my office (Barb) gave me my first mother's day card! It dawned on me at that point, that yes, this would count as Mother's Day for me. I am a Mom! I am already changing how I eat and the daily decisions I make for this 11 week, 3 day old baby. Thats a good start to motherhood, right? I think I got so caught up in planning how to celebrate my Mom's birthday which was Friday, and mother's day for both her and my mother-in-law, that I didn't even think about the fact that I could enjoy the day as well!

Saturday was a great day. It was a mother-daughter date-day and I think I may need one of those a month from here on out! It was the best day I've had in a very long time. We started off by going to lunch with a couple friends at this wonderful hole-in-the-wall place called Souper Jenny's (check them out by clicking here). The menu changes daily, but WOW did we fall on a great day. EVERYONE loved the food. We even paid to take some pints of soup home! Mom and I had this AWESOME pita sandwich stuffed with homemade hummus, Tzatziki Suace, fresh tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Oh my gosh. Word don't describe it. I got some amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup which we will be enjoying again tonight since I got take out. Okay, enough about food. Moving on...

After lunch, we made a quick stop home to drop off our refrigerated goods and then headed to the avenue. Our initial reason for going was to look for a larger sized bra (just being honest) as things are changing on this body! To say we got side-tracked is an understatement. We started at American Eagle where I bought a couple of shirts and tank tops a size up to accomodate the bump. After that we wandered into the Loft. Mom was able to find some new tops that look wonderful on her. I lucked into finding a dress that is very forgiving that I can wear for 2 weddings that we are attending this summer! It was only $34 but it's awesome! Purple, not ususally my first choice, but I love it! Well, then we made our way to Pea in the Pod. BEST. STOP. EVER. I realize most people are disgusted by maternity jeans and skirts etc. but I am a HUGE fan. I got some awesome jeans and an awesome skirt that are SO comfortable. I also got 4 maternity tops in different colors that just fit SO nice. I cannot thank my Mom enough for that purchase. I have a whole new outlook on this pregnancy. I have a SHOT at being attractive throughout the remaining 6 months :) Well, when we walked out of there, we were already pushing it to make our movie date on time. So we headed straight to the theater to see "Something Borrowed." I'll spare you the movie review, simply because, I have already strayed too far from the topic of Mother's Day! After the movie, we went to dinner at Ted's Montana Grill STRICTLY so that we could order Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. And we did. And we ate it. ALL of it. And it was divine. Well, we had just enough time to sneak back to the Avenue and hit up Victoria Secret for the previously mentioned item. Success. And so ended Saturday. A wonderful Saturday.

Sunday morning came along and when I walked downstairs to give my Mom her mother's day card (we spent the night there as the guys were out late at a concert), there was an array of presents waiting for this Mother-to-Be. It was the sweetest sight I've seen!

Mom had given us a couple story books for the baby as well as a sling that we had looked at online and that I secretly wanted :) My Mom is so good at that. Well, by the time Nick got ready for Church, we had to take off before I was able to open his gifts. That's okay though, I love extending present opening throughout the day! Church was great. We ended up going to brunch afterwards at Bistro VG and met up with Bryan, Erin, KC, and of course Jackson! Erin, the sweetest sister-in-law, had hand made 2 jars of sugar scrub for me for mother's day. Grapefruit and Mandarin Orange. YUM! The food was great. I filled up on 2 baskets of french pastries. Muffins, chocolate chip breads, fruit breads. It was poor self control but I didn't care. After brunch, we went back home and I got to open up the remainder of my gifts. Nick got a green and brown SOFT SOFT baby blanket! It's precious! He also got me a maternity tank top and an adorable gray maternity t-shirt/top. I LOVE IT! I will get his moneys worth out of that purchase! He also got me some maternity shorts. I'd say I'm set through summer, wouldn't you all agree!?

Well, the day continued, we went and took care of an issue with ordering a new stove for our kitchen. Sounds like the last thing some would want to do on mother's day, but you don't understand how badly we need a new stove! So, I enjoyed even this errand! Afterwards, we ran over to Pike's to get a new hanging basket and shepherd's hook. Long story there, but we made out with some very pretty hybrid impatients. Dinner was nothing special (cereal and ramen noodles) but I really wasn't that hungry after brunch. We ended up going to TCBY later in the evening just to fatten me up ONE more time this weekend. I didn't complain. Overall it was a fabulous weekend. The weather was ideal. The bump is showing. I am regaining my energy and just loving life pregnant right now. Next Monday is the official 12 week appointment and that will mark the end of the first 3 months. CRAZY. But very exciting!

I cannot say it enough, but I love this baby so much already! I cannot wait to start feeling it kick and move around. I cannot wait until its developed enough to hear Nick and myself talk to it, sing to it etc. Oh the joys that are ahead. I just pray that I treasure each week and don't wish for the "end" so soon! I've said it on facebook, but THANK YOU to everyone who made Sunday so special for me. Those that sent text messages or facebook message. Those that sent cards or called or gave gifts. You are so precious to me and I am so grateful for the love you already show me and our baby!

I don't want to promise anything, but we should be able to have some pictures up next week after the appointment :) Until then.... here's to just shy of 12 weeks pregnant! Go ahead and raise your glass, I'll keep drinking water!

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Countdown to Second Trimester Begins!

Well, 10 weeks 3 days today. That means I am a mere 1 week 5 days away from week 12 which will mark the end of my first trimester. Why the excitement, you may wonder? 2 main things come to mind:
 1. The risk of miscarriage drops significantly!
 2. I should be saying goodbye to the heavy fatigue/tiredness/loss of appetite as I   bid farewell to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy!
I cannot express how  much I long to have my energy back to normal. Just throwing a football last night in the driveway with Nick took it out of me after about 5 minutes. I always want to nap. I always want to lay down/sit down/rest. I know there is a lot going on in my body, but I hate how lazy and worthless I feel! I just trust that all this fatigue means my body is working hard to make a healthy and perfect little baby!
 Just to keep track for the fun of it. Everyone has their own predictions on the sex of this baby already. Nick thinks we will have a boy. Kelsie thinks we will have a girl. My Mom hasn't said either way yet, but I think she thinks girl. Jackson, my 2 year old nephew, refers to Fenwick as SHE. A couple of our friends from small group (Justin and Jennifer) are predicting boy. A 50-50 split really. I did this funky Chinese calendar predictor. It said boy. I took an online quiz. It said boy! Only God knows the gender of this little one! Either way, I am scavenging baby names like its my full time job! I should really wait until we know for sure what we are having and it would REALLY narrow down the search!
My belly sure is sticking out. Not like a cute pregnant person. More like a skinny person that eats too much and it only shows as a fat roll on the stomach. Fenwick, I love you, but you are not good for the figure ;) But we knew that would be the case, didn't we?
I must say, God has truly answered my prayers, and the prayers of those who have joined with me in the battle against all the fears of the first trimester. He has given me peace. My mind does not fret every day about possibly losing this baby. He has given me joy despite my changing body. I welcome it. I'm not grossed out by it. I'm not trying to diet or lose weight somewhere else to compensate. I am just going with it! And for those that REALLY and TRULY know me- I don't deal well with weight gain! He has given me such great support from friends, family, and my husband. Nick was so stressed out/freaked out the first day, but I think he's just as excited as me at this point! It's so great to know that I have so many people praying over me and this baby. And those same sweet people will be the first to hold, love, talk to, and cuddle our new baby in November! I don't think I can thank everyone enough and again, we are only on week 10! God is working through all of them, and of course, working in me as well!
Okay, not much more to report at this point.... just anxiously awaiting that next ultrasound on May 16th!!