It's a...

Girl! I can't hardly believe it, but we're having a girl. I was actually a little surprised as I was starting to feel like it was going to be a boy. But I'm certainly not disappointed! It was so cool to see the baby today. She was moving around and everything was completely normal and whole, which was the best part to find out. My doctor said all of her measurements were in the 60th percentile. So she's a little bigger than "normal." Jay and I figure that means she'll follow the Sallie trend of having large European heads and necks! She also had some meaty thighs. So hopefully she'll be a chubby baby!

As far as how I'm feeling...I feel pretty normal except I'm tired, but that's nothing new for me! I'm also starting to feel some aches and pains in my back, hips, and feet. The bottom of my feet especially hurt even if I've been standing for 10 minutes. I feel like I need to get some of those tan shoes elderly people have to wear! Evie and I giggled today as we thought about our husbands having to rock us back and forth before boosting us out of a lounging or sitting position! She "encouraged" me that the heaviness I'm currently feeling is only just beginning!

I'm also starting to feel "things" in my belly. Not really flutters, as they're often described, but more like that heavy feeling you get when you're riding a roller coaster or going up an elevator. It's part of the Coldplay story, but that was the first time I felt the baby and it was rather obvious! When the music started, she started poking me, like "hey, what's going on out there!" It was amazing and a little scary considering how loud the music was! But she'll probably be a rocker like her daddy!

Anyway, here's a little picture of our baby girl:

The Hump

Is a hump bigger than a bump? Let's find out....Here's me at 18 weeks after eating a rather large McAllister's baked potato with lots of cheese! Tomorrow is the big day. We hopefully find out what we're having and we'll be sure to let everyone know how it goes! I'd also like to comment on the Coldplay show we went to a couple weeks ago. Hopefully will get around to that soon. Three more weeks of school left! Woo hoo! OK...enough chit chat. Here are the pics.

Wall Art

My brother has started a school of worship where he lives. So they rented a house to use for lessons. It's so perfect for what they need and the school is already booked up with several teachers. I'm so excited about what he's doing. I wish I had had music lessons when I was young like those being giving at Nate's school. I might have stuck with piano a little better! Anyway, his birthday was also last week. So I decided to create a little wall art for the school. The decor is very modern and bright. Sort of like retro mod. It's really cool and fun. So I tried to stick with the theme. Obviously this piece was created for what will be the drum room. I hope he likes it! If not, I told him he could decorate a closet with it! Reason for this post? I told several people what I was working on and they wanted to see it. So here you go!

The Bump

So...I was planning to take frequent pictures of my growing belly and even thought it would be fun to make a flip book just for my own personal pleasure...but that didn't happen! So this is me at 14 weeks. Not the best pictures, especially considering I put the timer on and took them myself, which is why I have no head in one of them! But you can definitely see my bump. You can also see my growing rear! The two are almost symmetrical! I hope the front side eventually overtakes the back side! I saw a maternity shirt recently that said, "Remember, my butt is a balancing tool." Love it!

Baby Name...

Well, I hate to disappoint anyone out there, but Jay has talked me out of posting potential baby names on this particular blog. So I guess you'll just have to wait until the baby gets here! It will truly be a surprise! We will find out what we're having on November 24...hopefully, and that will definitely be announced. If it's a girl, you'll hear my mom screaming "Yippee!" from Maryland, and if it's a boy...well, the screaming will be from my dad! That's about it for now. Enjoy this rare short blog.

Mom Pants

Well, it's been a while since my pregnancy adventure has been updated. I didn't want to bore anyone with "normal" details about throwing up, growing pains, constant hunger, uncomfortable clothes, etc. Suffice it to say, my pregnancy has been "normal" thus far. I thought I was finally getting over the whole nausea/vomiting stage since I hadn't thrown up in two weeks, but apparently it's just slowing down, which I obviously won't complain about!

This weekend I went to St. Louis to see my best friend Evie's new baby, Noah, who is now 6 weeks old. I wasn't sure what to expect, not having been around babies very often...if ever...but he was so sweet. It took me a while to warm up to him and the idea of Evie having a baby was just so hard to grasp. Not because, she's not a great mom or anything like that, but it's just weird to see your friend without a baby for so long, and then all of a sudden there's a new life forever and wonderfully attached to the old one. I honestly felt more comfortable with their dog since that's been my level of experience up until this point. But like I said, I eventually warmed up to the little guy and was excited when they left me "in charge" for a few brief moments during the weekend. It was a sweet experience and I know I'll grow to love him more and more.

I also know based on that experience that I'll grow to love the idea of me having a baby more and more as the days go by. So far, I haven't been very attached to the little one growing inside of me. It's still very abstract and surreal. I think that's partially because I'm still nervous that something might go wrong. I've heard about and witnessed too many bad pregnancies, and, despite the fact that I'm usually the eternal optimist, this is one area that I'm having trouble not being skeptical in. The fact that my belly is still growing and that I'm still ravenously hungry and throwing up occasionally gives me some satisfaction and comfort.

We spent a tiring 6 hours at the mall yesterday, and our first stop was Gap Maternity where they were having a lovely sale which I took advantage of. Yes, I'm only 12 weeks along now, but my pants are becoming terribly uncomfortable, especially after I eat...which is frequently. So I joined the army of elastic waists, quite gleefully I might add! You wouldn't believe how comfortable maternity clothes are until you've tried them on and I'm just wondering why all clothes aren't made this comfortably! I was so happy to slip that elasticized pair of jeans over my waist that I had an epiphany: This is why the horrid mom pants with elastic waists that you can buy at Busy Bee are so popular with the older population!!! Because they're so stinking comfortable! I never understood before, but I do now! Evie told me I would be addicted, and I believe she's right! I don't know how I'll ever go back to the buttons that dig into your belly. I'm a changed woman...physically and mentally. I'm emotionally hooked to elastic.

The Bench

A few years ago, against Jay's better judgment, I bought this beautiful old bench from my favorite store in Springfield: Quixote. I initially intended it to go upstairs in our office, but considering the size and weight and the odd angle of the door it needed to go through, that didn't happen. Though the bench was amazing, it really didn't fit into our normal-sized home, and so became a point of frequent contention. I couldn't bear to part with it despite its enormity and impracticality. We tried it in several locations and it finally ended up on the back covered deck where it started to fade and weather. I was not happy.

Then one day I had an idea! I told Jay we should cut it into pieces and make it into a head and foot board for our bed. He thought it was a good idea and started taking it apart. I was so thrilled with the results that I thought I'd never have it any other way. But that would be too easy for us! We had to put our mattress on the ground to make it work, which I liked, but Jay wasn't crazy about. And though I loved the foot board, I had to move it out every time I needed to make the bed. It was also a bit hazardous considering the rough edges that stuck out in various locations. On top of that, our bedroom had started out Shabby Chic, but with the rustic headboard, we needed to move in a different direction. But it was a good idea for a while.
Finally, after much debate, we decided to return to our true natures of dark ethnic rustic decor. We have completely redecorated the bedroom (which isn't completely ready to be seen yet). My desire was to have one large piece of furniture with drawers to avoid the typical two dresser set. After looking around for a while and finding nothing that was big enough or cheap enough, the bench was reincarnated into its final form: an over-sized dresser. And it's absolutely gorgeous! Jay did an amazing job, with the help of my ideas of course! And here she is: