24 weeks

Twenty Four Weeks!
Sixteen to go!

Yesterday, I had my twenty four week checkup. Everything is looking really good so far. The doctors were really behind yesterday because of an emergency at the hospital, so I met with an NP (I didn't mind. It's good to know that if something happened to me that my doctor would leave his other appointments to help me). Everything looks really good though, and she said that Baby Boy Carson has a really strong heartbeat. Just what every mother wants to hear! Next time I go in, I have the gestational diabetes test and then will start having appointments every two weeks. It is crazy to think that I am that close to the third trimester!

Updates since the 20 week ultrasound:

1. I have gained about 13 pounds altogether. It is shocking to see the numbers on the scale go up (I have never been above the 130 mark, so it's a little weird). Also, I still don't look very big, so it was surprising to know how much I have gained. I don't mind gaining weight though. It's all about a healthy baby!

2. I have been feeling GREAT the last couple of weeks. Fewer headaches, more energy. However, I occasionally still am bothered by certain smells (usually meat) and occasionally get sick. About a week and a half ago, Kyle and I tried out this new wings place in Orem... Throwing up Chipotle and Chili Garlic wings is probably the worst thing I have ever experienced.

3. I still fit into my clothes... Most of them. Some of my shirts are not long enough to compensate for my bump, but maternity clothes still hang on me. Also, I still wear my regular jeans. With the zipper and buttons fastened. It is fabulous!

4. We have not finalized a name yet. We do have one that we both love and agree on, but I kind of want to see my baby and make sure the name fits his personality before we finalize anything...

5. No, we have not started shopping for baby items yet. I want to; it's tempting, but I figured that I would wait until after baby showers and such. That way I can buy whatever extra essentials we need.

6. Baby is active all the time! He has definite cycles of activity and sleep, but he is not strong enough yet to keep me up all night or make me uncomfortable. I tell Kyle he is practicing his fight moves. Kyle is able to feel him now, and we both love that he is getting more involved in the pregnancy. It is becoming more real to him, and we are both so excited.

Halloween Festivities

We are not the most festive people, nor is Halloween our favorite holiday. However, we do carve pumpkins every year. Look how excited Kyle is to pull out his pumpkin guts!

The finished product! Kyle's pumpkin is scary!!

My happy face pumpkin!

At work, we had a little Halloween party. Kyle dressed up as a gangster with all his mission stuff from the ghetto.

I dressed up like a cave woman. Don't be deceived- my stomach is not really that big. The dress accentuates that part a lot. :)

Baby Kicks and Nudges

Tonight, Kyle felt the baby kick for the first time. It was so exciting! Kyle was amazed at how much our little guy likes to move. Kyle got all giggly and excited, especially when Baby slid his foot across Kyle's hand. It was super cute. I think it is getting more and more real for him- heartbeat, ultrasound, now movement. I love it! It makes me so happy to see him so excited about our little bundle.

I know this is a short post and that there aren't any cool pictures with this one, but this post is for me. I want to remember this feeling forever. That feeling where you feel so much love that you feel like you're going to burst. I feel so incredibly blessed that Heavenly Father is sending His precious little baby to be apart of our family. It is amazing to me how much love I already have for this little boy that I have yet to meet. I am so blessed and so excited to become a mom! :)

Bump!

My lovely baby bump... Check it out! 22 weeks prego and things are finally cooking. I am small for how far along I am, but Baby Boy is measuring at his correct size.I can almost pass as pregnant all the time now. I am pretty sure I get progressively bigger as the day goes on. I am at that terrible stage where my clothes are beginning to not fit, but maternity clothes just hang on me...

Front shot! Hugs for my baby boy!

BYU vs SDSU

Last Saturday, Kyle and I were able to get free tickets from some friends for the BYU football game. I was really excited because it was Kyle's first BYU football game. We played Sand Diego State, and Kyle and I had a lot of fun. These pictures are not in any order, but we did remember to take a camera to document the game.

Everyone getting ready for the team to come out. There were a ton of people at the game because it was homecoming.

Cosmo the Cougar, our school mascot. He was doing back flips and round-offs before the game. I was amazed he could do them with that bulky costume on.

Our seats were at the south goal line. So half of the game was really awesome to watch and the other half we had to watch the big screen. Look how many people are in the stands!

Us! :) I look really sleepy, but that is kind of how I feel all the time. We ended up winning the game 24-21. We were really happy to see our team win. They have had a really rough season with lots of injuries and new players trying to figure out how to work together, so it really boosted our morale to have another win under our belts.

Monday???

My ultrasound is on Monday... that's four days. Four long, painfully slow days until I get to find out the sex of my sweet baby and see that he/she is growing normally. I never thought I would say this but come on, Monday! I'm waiting for you!!!!

Pregnancy Q & A

Now that it is widely known that I am expecting, I keep getting asked all the typical pregnancy questions. So I figured that I would post about my progress so that everyone can be up to date on the big changes in our lives.

1. How did I find out I was pregnant? I feel like this is kind of a dumb question, but I get asked about it all the time. Answer: I took a pregnancy test. Two of them. Scariest thing I have ever done.
2. How did I tell Kyle? I left my pee stick on the bathroom counter. Gross, I know. But I was a little emotional at this point. He found it, and then came into our room and I started crying and said "Happy Father's Day." He just laughed. And yes, we found out on Father's Day. Ironic, I know.
3. Was it planned? Ok, so no one has actually asked me this, but I feel like they want to. No, we were not planning it. Somehow, my stallion broke through two methods of birth control. We are not upset though. Even though it is not what we were planning, we are very excited and becoming more and more aware of how involved Heavenly Father is in our lives.
   
4. How did I tell my family? Another dumb question. I called them. Duh. It was really weird and kind of difficult to tell them. Don't get me wrong, they are all very excited and supportive. It's just something I have never had to do before and it was weird.
   
5. Have I been sick? Not really. I consider myself very lucky. Yes, I have thrown up. Yes, I have a super duper sniffer and can pick up on the most random smells. However, I know girls that throw up several times a day for the entire 9 months, and I am so grateful that is not me. I think I have thrown an average of about once every two weeks. Usually it is right before my Biomechanics class. I guess Baby hates that class as much as I do.
   
6. Do I have cravings? Not really. For the first trimester I had major food aversions to food. Nothing sounded good to eat, so I wouldn't eat, then I would feel sick and start crying because I felt sick. The second trimester is so much better. I like food now. I guess the main craving I've had is for fruit. I will eat a whole cantaloupe by myself. I just can't get enough of it. And I have had this on again, off again relationship with eggs.
   
7. How far along am I? I am 20 weeks tomorrow! Half way, yay! (Due date is Feb. 21st!)
8. Halfway done? Why am I just finding out? Well, we (mostly me) wanted to make sure everything was going okay before the whole world found out. We had some questionable test results in the beginning and my doctor ordered some additional tests for me, so we waited until everything was clear before spreading the word. Don't worry, everything is okay, and we will be able to see Baby in the ultrasound to see his/her progress.
   
9. Can I feel the baby move? Yes. It is still very little so the movements are very light. Definitely not enough that someone else could feel them. And it's not really kicks. It doesn't feel like a jab. More like swimming movements.
   
10. Are we going to find out the sex? Yes. The ultrasound is on Oct. 11th. Since I am due in the middle of the semester, we are planning on being as prepared as possible before Baby comes. Also, it makes it easier for people to buy gifts. This is the first grandbaby for my parents and Kyle's, so I am sure we will get tons of baby gifts.
11. Do I have a preference as to the gender? Kyle wants a boy, of course. My mind changes everyday. Sometimes I imagine a cute little girl with painted toes and piggy tails. Other days I hope for a crazy little boy with Jordans and a BYU cap. Mostly I just hope Baby is healthy and growing correctly.
    
12. Am I going to stay in school? Yes. For some reason this one always surprises people. I am a senior and I feel it would be a waste of some much time, effort, and money to drop out when I am so close. I haven't decided how many classes I am going to take next semester, but I am going to discuss it with my academic adviser and my doctor. I am hoping to graduate in August.
13. Where are we going to live? For now, our plan is to finish out our contract in our current apartment. It is one bedroom and only 550 sq. ft., but our contract ends at the end of April. We figure that Baby will probably be sleeping in our room then anyway, so the extra room can wait.
    

That is pretty much all I can think of right now. Now that I am leaving the fat stage and entering the pregnant stage, I will begin to post pictures.