glad we didn't get our hopes up...

So, unfortunately they did not do an ultrasound today... we will definitely have one on our next visit though, so we can start getting our hopes up now! Our next appointment is on my birthday April 15th! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present than finally find out what we are having! They will also do the full anatomy check to make sure all the fingers and toes are there, and if not, i guess we'll have to start special ordering gloves and such...

Today our appointment was with Dr. Blake, someone who we haven't seen yet, but she was super nice, and I liked her a lot. She was super energetic and very talkative, but then on our way out, Russ noticed that she was drinking one of those Monster Energy drinks, so maybe that was why...haha. But we really did like her, she was very friendly. Our next appointment is with Dr. Pickins again, and I just like him cause he has been the person we have seen every time. So I was glad to get to see him again.

She asked us today about all the testing that they do in order to see if there are any genetic diseases or what risks i have delivering a baby with any kind of disorder, and we decided not to take the test. Basically they give you a percentage of people who MIGHT have problems or complications, and I just don't think it is worth the worry... not that I worry THAT much, but it is definitely something that I have no control over, so there is just no need in getting all worked up over it. God will give us exactly what he wants us to have, and if that means having a child with down syndrome, then we would do nothing more than welcome that baby with open arms and love for it and care for it like it was any other baby in the world.

On another note, I have so far gained 8-10 pounds. (I say 8-10 because I weighed 126 when they weighed me today, and I was 118 at my very first appt. so, I thought that equaled 8, but the doctor mentioned 10 during the appointment, so I don't know if she was just rounding up or what... or maybe I can't read the scale in front of my face in the office.) But I do feel like I have gained more than that, but I guess things just look different cause things are moving around a bit, and not necessarily because I have gained a ton of weight.

Well, that is all for now, we'll keep updating throughout this month, and hopefully I'll get to feel the baby move really soon, so that will be something exciting to post about!

17 weeks... almost halfway there!

Well, we have a fourth doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon, and we are really really hoping that they will take an ultrasound and find out if it is a boy or a girl! We don't know for sure if they will do that for us on this appointment, but we are keeping our fingers crossed! So, tomorrow, we may have another EXCITING post with the sex of the baby. But try not to get your hopes up, cause we may not find our this time...

Things have been progressing slowly (in my opinion.) I don't feel nauseated all the time anymore, but I'm still eating like a pig. But I have found that sometimes I don't really have an appetite when I know I should eat. I still can't sleep really well, but have found ways of making myself more comfortable with extra pillows! My stomach is still a very manageable size, (minus the fact that my pants won't button anymore!) so that isn't really the reason I feel so uncomfortable, it is mostly because my back just hurts really bad, which I find so strange since I am not very large yet... I did ask the doctor about that at my last appointment, and he said that my joint cavities are separating in my lower back, and that is causing some uncomfortable pain...

I had a little scare at work today when I almost passed out, but after going home and calling the doctor, they just told me that I am not eating as often as I should, which I thought was crazy, cause I feel like I eat all the time... They did say since I have an appointment tomorrow that they would check my blood pressure and my sugar levels then, just to make sure everything is normal.

The biggest event in life right now is that I have finally decided to leave Chick-fil-A in the beginning of June, so I can take a few months to get everything ready for when the baby comes, and just take some time for myself, and then stay at home with the baby after he/she comes. It was a very difficult decision that Russ & I wrestled with, but in the end, we know it will be for the best. And I am so thankful for my husband being so supportive, and working so hard to make this happen for us. He is truly amazing. I do think that once I leave Chick-fil-A in June, that I might start an online business for designing invitations and cards and things. But I am not committing myself to anything just yet... I just know it is something that I would like to do, and would be perfect to go ahead and get started before the baby comes, and continue to do that as the baby gets older.

I have started showing much more and people are starting to actually touch my stomach and smile... So I thought I would let everyone see the progress!


Thanks for continuing to read our blog throughout this pregnancy, and I will try to keep posting more regularly!