We are all going to have to wait until March 19th : (

Chris and I went in for an appointment with our doctor, Dr. Vincent, this morning. I had mentioned before that it might be possible to find out the sex of our baby today, but we were warned by a friend of ours that she might just check for the heartbeat. And this, my friends, is all she did. I don’t say ALL she did in a negative way, because hearing our baby’s heartbeat is music to my ears. I am not sure why, but I have been a little bit nervous lately wondering how our baby is doing. I had no reason to think that anything was wrong, at all, but it was so good to get confirmation. It automatically calmed any fears that I might have had.

I also mentioned to the doctor about my waking up at 4 am and being restless. She said that the two main things women complain about during this stage of pregnancy are headaches and insomnia. Yuck! Babycenter.com says that 78% of women have insomnia during pregnancy, so I am not alone. I am just happy that this is not a cause for lack of sleep the entire night. I have yet to feel exhausted at work due to the lack of sleep, but it is just a pain in the neck. We do have a friend who is not currently pregnant and suffers from insomnia; I can’t imagine how she must feel going through this all the time.

Now, the countdown begins....we have just under 3 weeks before we find out Baby J's gender, then we can finally start purchasing either blue or pink items! Can't wait! Don't forget to vote if you haven't already. We cannot see who votes for which gender, so we won't give you a hard time if you don't pick what we think it is!!!! Love you all!

You've been caught up, which might not be a good thing...

Yes, that means that I have updated you through 13 weeks and now I am 14 weeks. This is both unfortunate and fortunate for you. It is fortunate for you because you will now be receiving real time updates of the baby and bump progression; however, it is unfortunate for you since the postings will be much more sporadic. I will do my best to find something to write about that might keep you entertained. If you are interested in receiving an email when a new blog is posted, just leave a comment on this posting with your email address or send me an email at mb_hardeman@yahoo.com. I know you might get tired of checking back every day and not seeing any updates, so this might be the best way to do it.

14 weeks has brought about a whole new beast that I am none too happy about. It involves sleeping. Several things about my sleeping habits have changed since becoming pregnant. I can no longer stay up until 11, bedtime is now a firm 10. I found out the hard way that less sleep caused me to be more nauseous and have headaches that I didn’t want to deal with. So, I have adjusted to the 10 pm schedule (as has Chris, lol). The joy of sleeping an extra hour peacefully lasted for maybe a few weeks and then I had to start getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I do my best to try and not drink anything after dinner, but it never fails. I usually have to pull myself out of the bed at 1 am for a bathroom break. Ugh, this is no fun. I have heard that this is your body’s way of getting you ready for the middle of the night feedings. I think I am going to be well prepared.

Now, onto the beast that I referred to above…..after a 1 am trip to the restroom, I get 3 more hours a sleep and then I wake up again. Yes, at 4 am I wake up again but this time I don’t have to use the restroom. At this point in time, I am just uncomfortable. I toss and turn from side to side trying to get back to sleep. I think I might get in 30-45 minutes intervals of sleep before I am awake again. I am almost relieved when my alarm goes off at 6:20 indicating time to get out of the bed. I am not sure what is causing this but it is not fun at all. I might have to mention it to my doctor just to see if she has any remedies. I honestly just feel uncomfortable in every position. Talking about it now, I am thinking that maybe I am getting too much sleep. Maybe I should try reverting back to the 11 pm bedtime to see if that makes these couple of hours of restlessness go away. We shall see. Hopefully, this beast will go away soon.

Something a little different happened this morning that I am not sure what it was. I know it is WAY too early to feel the baby but as I was laying there waiting for my alarm to go off, I felt the slightest flutter in my stomach. It felt like a butterfly in my stomach, which is what everyone describes as how you feel your baby for the first time. I am going to chalk this up to gas for now, lol, but I will definitely be more conscious of small movements or changes in my stomach. Who knows?!?! Maybe our NBA or WNBA player is already poking and prodding at me, haha!

Tomorrow, Chris and I have an appointment with our doctor. We haven’t seen her in 5 weeks, so we are looking forward to it. And, of course, we are looking forward to seeing the baby again. I will post any updates tomorrow, hopefully with some new pics of our growing baby.

At 14 weeks, our baby can now squint, frown, grimace, and possibly suck its thumb! Can’t you imagine how cute it is in there! From head to bottom, our baby is now measuring approximately 3 and ½ inches and is about the size of a lemon. The below ticker shows what the baby might look like at this point in time.

We usually wait and take bump pictures on Saturday, so I will post the pictures over the weekend or on Monday.

Do you think you know Baby J's gender?

Then cast your vote in the poll to the right. We have an appointment this Friday in which is it possible that we could find out the gender. If we don't find out on Friday, we will have to wait until March 19th. Ah, the suspense is killing me! Chris and I look forward to seeing what everyone thinks Baby J is going to be.

No More 1st Trimester

Written 2/18/09 @ 13 Weeks 2 Days/13 Weeks 6 Days....

Baby and I have now completed the first trimester, woohoo! I am so excited to move past the more nerve-racking portion of pregnancy. I am sure that I will continue to worry about the health and safety of our unborn baby, but I hope that I will be able to relax a little bit. I honestly can’t believe how the first trimester flew by. I think it probably helped that I was already 4 weeks pregnant when I got the positive pregnancy test. I have to say that the next 27 weeks are probably going to drag along.

Just to give a quick recap of the first trimester, I have been nauseous, disgusted by lettuce and most other green foods, had headaches that weren’t too bad, have never gotten “sick”, grew out of most of my pants, got nervous about carrying the cystic fibrosis gene, received confirmation that we didn’t have to worry, got nervous about a slight pain that proved to be nothing, went skiing while pregnant, saw the baby for the first time, heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time, cried with joy for the first time during pregnancy, became slightly more emotional (Chris may disagree with the slightly, lol), and fell in love with the little person that I am carrying. I am sure that I have probably left something out, but I think that seems to be the gist of it. I look forward to the next two!

Yesterday, we got the very exciting news that the tests we had a few weeks ago came back negative and our baby is not at an increased risk of having down syndrome or trisomy 18. This is such great news! I know that a lot of people have gone through pain and suffering over false positives from this test but we were fortunate to get good results that don’t require any further testing, except for a blood test next week. As long as things still look good, I would assume that our baby is good to go!

Speaking of the baby....fingerprints have now formed on its tiny fingertips and veins and organs are clearly visible through the still-thin skin. The baby's body is also starting to catch up in size with its head. Our baby is now the size of a medium shrimp at approximately 3 inches long.

Finally got a haircut...not to mention the noticeable baby bump!

Looking spiffy!

Almost finished with the first trimester

Written 2/11/09 @ 12 Weeks 3 Days/13 Weeks....

Now that we have started telling the world about our grand news, I can now start writing about it and posting it in real time. I am so relieved to finally have let the cat out of the bag. Chris and I have received so many very nice congratulations messages from everyone and we sincerely appreciate all of them. There have even been a few funny comments courtesy of some of Chris’ section mates.

This week is a very big week in the pregnancy. It marks the last week of the first trimester. After the first trimester, it is my understanding that I can breathe a lot easier. I have to be honest and say that even though I may have complained about the downs of pregnancy during the first 11 weeks, it has been a lot easier than I expected. I have not had any problems or complications thus far and have not gotten “sick”, which is a major plus. All in all, it has been a great first trimester!

Onto my current look……I think the belly is about to pop. I have seen a noticeable change in my stomach recently. Mostly, I have just seen my waist somewhat forming a straight line with my waist going away, but now I am starting to stick out a bit. From what I’ve read, once the uterus becomes too big, it can no longer be held in its normal position and therefore moves up into your abdomen at which time the bump is out in full force. This could have happened already and maybe I am just denying it, but I certainly don’t feel too big, at least not yet. Yeah, only a few pairs of my pants are still fitting and a few of my button up shirts won’t button…..okay, so maybe I am showing. I am still trying to conceal it though. I am not ready for everyone to see it out in full force. Of course, that is mainly because I still just feel like I look fat instead of pregnant. I know that the instant I put on an empire waist shirt, everyone is going to think I am 5 months along when I am only 3, lol! Oh well, I will cross that bridge when I get there, although it may be sooner than I would like it to be.

This week the baby has developed reflexes and is about the size of a lime. The eyes have moved to the normal position on the head and the ears are in their correct position.

Last but certainly not least, I continue to be amazed by my wonderful husband. Have I mentioned how great he is? This is not to say that he wasn’t great before, but he has definitely picked up the perfect husband/father-to-be role and ran with it. I don’t know why this is such a surprise to me, and really, things were good before we were pregnant, but it is just different. I know that this baby is going to bring so much joy and happiness to our lives that we will always feel how we do now. So close to each other and so happy! I really couldn’t ask for anyone better than Chris! He gets the best husband and father award this year, that’s for sure! I love you, babe!

One active baby

Written 2/6/09 @ 11 Weeks 4 Days/12 Weeks 1 day....

Yesterday, Chris and I went in for another appointment for an ultrasound. This ultrasound is used to check to see if the baby is at a higher risk for Down syndrome or trisomy 18. I also had to have some blood withdrawn. Hopefully, the chances of our baby having either one of these disorders will significantly decrease after having these tests. I would assume that we will hear from our doctor later this week or early the next week.

Okay, onto the more entertaining stuff. We got to see our baby again! Our precious little baby, who looks a whole lot more like a human now rather than a peanut. I admit that I thought it was just as cute when we saw it for the first time four weeks ago, but the fact that we can now see its arms and legs makes it that much more real. We are estimating that the baby is a little over 2 inches long (this is based on Chris paying close attention to the measurements the lady was taking while conducting the ultrasound). That seems to be a little longer than normal for 11/12 weeks, so we are thinking we may have an NBA or WNBA player on our hands, lol!

The first lady that conducted our ultrasound was having a hard time getting a good picture of the neck of the baby to get the measurements, so she was repeatedly pressing on my abdomen trying to get the baby to move. It really wasn’t having any of that, it obviously wanted to rest. I was somewhat concerned at how she was treating our baby but she reassured us that me sneezing or coughing causes more movement for the baby than what she was doing. I am not sure what the baby does when I cough or sneeze, but I do know that it was not phased by her jolting movements. After assuming that she had gotten all the necessary measurements, the doctor wanted to come in a take another look.

Of course, I was a little worried but he said that everything looked normal. Our baby was much more active when he came in the room. It was doing high jumps and somersaults. It really was amazing to see it moving around so much, although I can’t imagine it doing those things when I can feel it move. It should be interesting. He took one more measurement and then we got to listen to the heartbeat. The heart rate was up to 158 beats per minute. This has increased quite a lot since our last visit when the heart rate was 132.

Now, we just have to wait for the results and hope that everything comes back normal and then we won’t have to do any further testing. We pray that is the case. Below are a few new pics of the baby for you to enjoy.

I'm getting bigger guys!

PS......I heard back from the doctor on Tuesday, February 17, and our baby is not at an increased risk of down sydrome or trisomy 18. Phew!

Let the telling begin....

Written 2/2/09 @ 11 Weeks/11 Weeks 4 Days

This past weekend Chris and I were able to fly home to Georgia to share our exciting news with the rest of our families. Chris and I cooked dinner on Friday night for both sets of my grandparents. After everyone finished eating, we announced that we had some news. Everyone shrieked with excitement when we told them that I was pregnant. I think most of them were shocked. After telling them that we were actually 11 weeks along, my Paw Paw exclaimed “what if I had died before now and never would’ve known?” Leave it to him to say something like that, lol!

Saturday night, we gathered at Chris’ parents’ house with the rest of the family. We snuck our nephew Griffin off by himself right before dinner to tell him that we were having a baby and that we wanted him to spill the beans. His first question was “is it a boy or girl?” Oh, how I wish we knew that!!! After we told him, we asked him to wait until everyone sat down for dinner before he blurted out our news. He was so cute sitting in front of his plate waiting on everyone to sit down. He was just cheesing at Chris and I the entire time. He got a little impatient with the time that people were spending getting their food and getting to the table so he yelled out “I have a secret if everyone would just sit down. I don’t care where you sit, just sit down.” So cute! One of Chris’ brothers was not in the room so we made him wait to tell the secret. Once Jeff made his way back into the room, we told him he could go ahead and tell. Everyone was gathered around Griffin and he said “Chris and Brooke are having a baby.” Everyone looked at him like “what are you talking about?” They all turned to look at us with a confused look on their faces. Chris told them “he’s telling the truth!” Everyone was super excited. Patti, our sister-in-law said she was too excited to eat!

I think it was a great weekend overall sharing the good news with our families and friends. I know several people had been waiting to hear the good news for quite some time, so they were kind of perturbed that they were just now finding out but they understood.

Below is funny story of how my grandmother broke the news to my cousins.

Grandmother: “It’s always something when you have children, I don’t think Brooke realizes how much work they are.”
Kristen: “Yes, they are a lot of work.”
Grandmother: “She’s not showing yet.”
Kristen: “You didn’t tell me she is pregnant.”
Grandmother: “I haven’t seen you today.”

Too, too funny!!!

This week, the baby is about the size of a fig and is almost fully formed. His or her hands will soon open and form firsts and some of the the baby's bones are starting to harden. The baby is also busy kicking and stretching but I won't be able to feel it for another month or two.

That might be a bump there or maybe it's still just fat!

His best Santa pose!

Last week was NOT my week!

Maybe it had something to with Friday the 13th or maybe it didn’t, either way, it was a BAD week. The good news is the bad week had nothing to do with baby!

Bad Week Item #1: My flat iron died. It died!! This is my hair lifeline that I absolutely cannot live without. Fortunately, it is within its warranty so I can send it off to the manufacturer and they will send me a new one. I swear the company that makes my flat iron makes way too much money off of me, but hey, I can’t live without it. After becoming depressed that my flat iron was dead, I discovered that I still had an old one that could potentially keep me with straight hair until my new one arrived. I worked with it for a while until I could find a position for the cord when it would stay on (the main problem with these flat irons is that they get shorts and will only stay on if the cord is held in a certain position). I began using the flat iron on Tuesday morning and was almost finished straightening my hair when it exploded in my hand. Yeah, I am not kidding. Sparks flew! Sparks burned tiny holes in my shirt and I even had small burn marks on my chest from the exploding flat iron. You’ve got to be kidding me! I was so mad, especially since I didn’t get to finish straightening my hair. Into a ponytail it went and has stayed since my flat iron died. I am hoping to get my new one in this week, at least I hope so!

Bad Week Item #2: I RUINED my Ugg boots, my cherished Ugg boots. The Ugg boots that I have babied. The Ugg boots that have not been allowed outside unless there is no water or snow on the ground. I am telling you that I have never taken such good care of a pair of shoes in my life. That all ended on Friday. Friday afternoon, I microwaved myself a bowl of soup at work. Once it was finished heating up, I pressed the lid back on the bowl and grabbed both the lid and the bowl (which can get very hot) to get the soup out of the microwave. Well, this was not such a good idea because the bowl and lid separated and soup went everywhere. It went all over my shirt, all over my pants and all over my UGGS. To my horror, they were completely covered with soup. I was instantly devastated. All my coworkers that came in and saw how disgusting I was only noticed my shirt and pants, which I wasn’t too concerned with. Anyway, Chris came and picked me up early from work so that I wouldn’t have to smell like soup all day. Later in the evening, we went by Target and purchased woolite to see if we couldn’t clean them up. When doing it by hand proved no help, we headed for our last result, the washing machine. Honestly, they were so ruined by them that the thought of soaking them in the washing machine didn’t bother me. Turns out, we probably should have tried that to begin with. Unfortunately, the stains remained and the Uggs are no longer wearable. So very sad! Maybe I can muster up the strength to buy a new pair, but I doubt it.

Bad Week Item #3: I got a cold. This one is not nearly as exciting and eventful as the other two bad week items, but it was bad enough. I pretty much stayed on the couch all day Sunday trying to recover. I feel much better today, so I am happy to say that maybe this week is going to be better!

I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine’s Day and a much better Friday the 13th week than I did!

Written 1/28/09 @ 10 Weeks 2 Days/10 Weeks 6 Days....

There really isn’t much new news to report at this particular week of the pregnancy. The baby seems to be cooking nicely, at least from what I can tell. I haven’t felt the best in the mornings, but as soon as I get some food in me the pain subsides. I have been extremely hungry during the day though. Yesterday, I purchased two snacks out of the snack machine. I stayed away from the cheetos but I did end up eating animal crackers and a granola bar. I don’t know what is going on. I feel like I am eating all the time but then my stomach starts to feel bad and I know that if I don’t eat then the pain will not go away. How in the world can I have an empty stomach after eating all that I do? I just don’t get it. Oh well, hopefully I am not going to pack on the pounds too quickly.

Speaking of packing on the pounds, I think it might be time to purchase my first pair of maternity pants. Ugh! I really didn’t want to have to do this so early. My jeans are still fitting fine, but the majority of my work pants are now a little too tight for comfort. I did purchase the bella band, which allows me to wear my parents unbuttoned or unzipped. Unfortunately, I am not too crazy about the way unbuttoned pants look under the bella band and then under my shirts. Oh well, I will have to manage. I am sure that I will love the bella bad when the belly finally pops out there. Right now, I am just feeling FAT.

This week, the baby is barely the size of a kumquat, a little over an inch or so long. He/she has now completed the most critical portion of its development. Its vital organs, including kidneys, intestines, brain and liver are in place and starting to function. Nails are starting to form on its tiny fingers and toes which are no longer webbed.

That's probably just fat you're seeing in the belly, lol!

Chris decided to pose shirtless this week, so I will check with him before posting his belly pic!

Baby's First Pics

Written 1/22/09 @ 9 Weeks 3 Days/10 Weeks

Yesterday afternoon we had our first ultrasound and were able to see our little baby for the first time. Thankfully, the baby is officially growing strongly in my UTERUS, which means no ectopic pregnancy. We were so relieved to hear that come out of the lady’s mouth that was performing the ultrasound. Phew! After the potentially scary part was out of the way, we got to just enjoy looking at our baby and see its heartbeat.

Today, we had our first appointment with our doctor, Dr. Vincent. We absolutely loved her. She was extremely kind and was genuinely excited for us. As we got our 2nd ultrasound in two days, she said “look how cute it is”. That’s my kind of doctor. Our baby is less than an inch long and she is already calling it cute. I have to admit, it was probably the cutest thing I have ever seen. It started to wiggle and we could see it. How crazy is it that the baby is already playing around in there?? We also got to hear its heartbeat. To Chris’ surprise, I didn’t shed a tear when we first saw our baby on the ultrasound screen the day before but hearing its heartbeat made it so much more real. A few tears definitely came to the surface when we heard its little heartbeat beating away. It just made me so happy!

At 9 weeks, our baby is about the size of a grape. It is crazy that we could make out its arms and legs on the ultrasound even though it is so small! During this week, the baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers and the valves start to form as do his/her tiny teeth. Its "tail" is completely gone. I have to admit that Chris and I high-fived each other after discovering that our baby had gotten rid of its tail. Very exciting, lol!

You may be wondering about varying weeks along above so let’s back up a bit and discuss the due date, which my doctor is still estimating as August 20, 2009. When we had our ultrasound yesterday, the lady estimated that I was approximately 9 weeks and 2 days pregnant, which means I would be 9 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. I tend to think that this is much closer to actual length of my pregnancy thus far. Going by their due date, I would be 10 weeks today. So, going forward, I think I am going to say that the due date is August 24 although I hear the first babies like to come a little later than their due date, so I am not counting on an August birth but definitely hoping for one.

Funny Thing – I do have a little bit of pregnancy brain. I have to admit it. It is possible that it is all me and not the pregnancy, but I will blame it on the pregnancy for now. While filling out the address forms at the ultrasound place, I proceeded to put 12 Ellery Street Apt. 502, Summerville…..yes SUMMERVILLE. I haven’t lived in Summerville in a very long time, but I must’ve been thinking about it at the time. I am sure there will be plenty other pregnancy brain stories to tell so be on the lookout for them.

9 weeks and counting...maybe that's a bump starting to slightly show???

Like my hat? It takes away from my stomach!!!

And, I am sure these are the pics everyone is most looking forward to seeing....our little peanut.

It is very hard to tell anything about this picture but there he/she is!

I think this one is much better, the baby is actually facing forward in this picture. If you look closely, you can make out its arms. It was so cute moving around in there like a gummy bear/teddy graham or any other cute food you can imagine that is approximately an inch long.

I was not expecting this....

Written 1/13/09 @ 8 Weeks.....

We found out this morning that I am a carrier of the cystic fibrosis gene. This means that Chris has to also be tested to see if he is a carrier. If he is not a carrier, then we won’t have anything to worry about, which I sincerely hope is the case. I do believe that all of the genetic screenings that doctors offer these days are doing good, but it surely does stress me out to think that Chris and I could cause our baby to have cystic fibrosis. Let’s not think about this now, only if it is necessary. We will continue to pray that our baby is continuing to grow into a healthy and strong baby that we will meet at the end of August.

I have been having headaches for the past couple of days that haven’t proved to be very fun. It seems that I got over the morning sickness and now the headaches have started. Honestly, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another. Today was the first day I have had to go into work late because of the pregnancy. I talked to a nurse and she said that the increased estrogen in my body could very well be causing my headaches. It never hurts to check!

Next week we have our first visit with our doctor. I can’t wait! We will get to see the first picture of our baby and listen to its heartbeat. I know that it is going to pull at my heartstrings for sure to hear its heartbeat for the first time. I still just think it is extremely incredible, this miracle of life.

This week, our baby is about the size of a kidney bean. The major development this week is that the baby's webbed fingers and toes are beginning to emerge from its hands and feet. The baby is also constantly moving and shifting now, even though I can't feel a thing.

8 Week Pics

Wow, I look like I just woke up from a nap!

What's up with that shadow? I think it adds a few pounds, lol! I guess Chris is better with the camera that I am!

And, just so you don't have to wait until tomorrow to find out the results of Chris' cystic fibrosis gene screening.....

Written 1/20/09 @ 9 Weeks.....

Today, we found out that Chris is NOT a carrier of the cystic fibrosis gene. We are so thankful to hear that it is HIGHLY unlikely that our baby will have cystic fibrosis. I also started having a very sharp pain in my lower abdomen today. I called the doctor’s office today and they scheduled an ultrasound for tomorrow to rule out ectopic pregnancy. I am also saying a few prayers that this is not the case. This spells bad things for the baby as well as for me. I just know that this is going to be okay too, but I will be nervous until our ultrasound appointment tomorrow. Ugh! Why can’t this pregnancy be perfect?!?! I do hope that after we get confirmation that it is NOT an ectopic pregnancy, then the rest of the pregnancy will be smooth sailing for the baby and me.

I apologize for leaving you all hanging....the pregnancy was NOT ectopic, phew!

Morning Sickness, Cravings, and Weight Gain

Written 1/7/09 @ 7 Weeks......

I had my first appointment at my doctor’s office yesterday. It was just an initial visit with a nurse to record my history and also to do some blood work. I guess they are going to basically know everything about me after these tests. Maybe not everything but at least what my blood will tell them. They ended up taking 8 vials of blood from my right arm. I think it was nearly drained by the time the lady finished. Not so much fun. Although, I guess I should probably get use to being poked and prodded.

I continued to have morning sickness through this past Sunday. Chris and I got up early to get ready to for church, but after I took a shower I couldn’t pry myself off the couch. I felt terrible. Thankfully, I haven’t had any of these same feelings since. I am hoping that my bought with morning sickness is over.

Cravings - Unfortunately, I am not having any food cravings right now. I am basically having all food aversions. Absolutely nothing sounds good. I have been trying my best to eat healthy for our growing baby, but it is hard when nothing sounds good. I am particularly grossed out by the thought of salad. I think I had this food aversion before I became pregnant but it has only increased since finding out. I am totally repulsed by it. Last night, I couldn’t even muster up the stomach to eat chicken, so I had brown rice, corn, and broccoli. Good thing I am taking those vitamins so that I can get a lot of the nutrients that our baby needs.

Chris is still extremely excited and he has been absolutely fabulous! I couldn’t ask for a better husband. He is constantly asking if he can do stuff for me and he usually always pushes me to eat healthier. “Time for an orange?” is his 9:30 pm question to me. Love you honey!

Weight gain – I have to say that I haven’t stepped on a scale since before Christmas and I really don’t want to. I know that I have gained a good bit of weight, which is exactly what I didn’t want to happen when I got pregnant. I think the weight gain is going to be extremely hard for me. Keep your fingers crossed that I only gain the majority of my weight in my stomach. Also, I have to fit into a bridesmaid dress for a wedding in May. Don’t worry too much, I ordered two sizes larger than I needed.

This week, our baby is about the size of a blueberry. His/her hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs. Technically, our baby is still considered an embryo and has somewhat of a tail, which is an extension of his/her tailbone. Both hemispheres of the baby's brain are growing and it also already has a pancreas and a liver.

Below is your first belly pic of me....and Chris. We decided that we should take pictures of him as well, just to see if he gains weight as well, haha!

7 weeks and counting....

Involved, but not at 7 weeks. Noticed the pulling tight of the shirt to make sure everyone can see the definition, lol!

This is just the beginning

Written 12/29/08 @ 6 weeks.....

I found out that I was pregnant on December 15th. After discovering that it was past the time in which I could test, I walked briskly to the CVS that is not too far from where I work. I proceeded to take a test at work. I know, not the optimal place, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to know. It was POSITIVE! I was so excited. I am pretty sure I would have cried had I not been at work. I probably would’ve even jumped around and yelled, but, unfortunately, I could not have this kind of reaction without calling attention to myself.

I spoke to Chris during the day but decided not to tell him until we were face to face. I picked him up at school and we grabbed dinner at Spangler, HBS’ on-campus cafeteria, and headed out to the car. He begged me to drive because he had just taken a 5 hour final, but I was not going to have any of that. Little did he know that he had a surprise waiting for him in the driver’s seat. He finally agreed to drive. He opened the door to find a note and the 2nd positive pregnancy test, one that I had taken when I ran home briefly after work (you know, just to be sure), and two books about being a father. He was in complete and total shock. I have to admit that it wasn’t the reaction that I was hoping for. I was hoping that he was going to jump up and down with excitement, but he did not do this. He was just in shock and kept saying “really?”

Chris says that he hasn’t been able to sleep very well since I told him that I was pregnant. I guess he is just constantly running it through his mind. I have to say that our reactions to my pregnancy have somewhat flip-flopped. Chris is now extremely excited about the baby and mentions it all the time, while I am pretty scared and nervous about it all. It makes me nauseous just thinking about it. This does not mean that I am not overly ecstatic that Chris and I are going to have a baby; it just didn’t hit me what a big commitment it was until a few days after I found out. The bliss wore off and reality set in.

This baby is such a blessing to Chris and I and we can’t wait to meet her/him in late August of 2009. I know that this baby is going to make our lives that much better. I can’t wait….even though I may be a little apprehensive about it right now.

Telling the future grandparents/uncle:

We decided to wait and tell both sets of our parents about my pregnancy until we were at home for Christmas. We purchased grandma and grandpa mugs for my parents and I made a onesie with “I love my Uncle” on it for my brother. We opened gifts with my parents on Christmas Eve and just as everyone had opened all of their gifts we told them that we had one more. Chris handed out the gifts and instructed them to open them at the same time. They all pulled out their gifts and screamed with excitement. My mom even said “I knew it”. I guess Chris had been a little bit overprotective of me, which he never was before, while we were at home. He happened to say “don’t run up those stairs in your socked feet” and just a day later my mom suspected that I was pregnant. I don’t guess we did a very good job of hiding it, but I still think they were surprised. We told Chris’ parents on Christmas morning. They were both excited and his dad even let out an “oh, Lordy”.

As I write this, I am now 6 weeks pregnant. I am thankfully not having too many side effects from the pregnancy. Although, I have been somewhat nauseous the past few days. I just hope and pray that I don’t get full-blown morning sickness. At 6 weeks, the baby is now the size of a lentil bean, about a quarter of an inch long. The nose, mouth and ears are beginning to develop.

I think it's time....

to spill the beans on the blog…..I’M PREGNANT. Yes, pregnant! As of today, I am 12 weeks pregnant and counting. Our little bundle of joy, aka Baby J, is due August 24, 2009. We are so thrilled to be adding a new addition to our family!

I plan to continually update the blog on how the pregnancy is going as well as any baby related news, such as the sex. Ah, I can’t wait to find out! That big day should be March 19th, assuming the baby cooperates. I will try to post once a week or maybe more so check back often. To start, I have been keeping a journal of sorts since we found out that we were pregnant. I will start posting those until I have covered everything up until this point. Enjoy!

Another Atlanta airport celebrity sighting....

Last night as Chris and I were grabbing food before our flight back to Boston, I had my 2nd celebrity sighting at the Atlanta airport. A girl and a guy were walking normally through the airport.....the guy had a baseball cap pulled down low and the girl was wearing dark sunglasses. No one wears sunglasses inside, it is a dead giveaway that you are trying to hide. I am unsure why celebrities continue to think they are pulling a fast one on spectators. Although, I might have been the only person that noticed these two. It was Stacy Keibler from Dancing with the Stars and Geoff Stults who was on 7th Heaven and in The Break-Up with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Anistion. I know, I know, it isn't THAT big of a deal to see these two B-list or maybe even C-list celebrities, but at least I recognized them. After the several sightings that I have had of celebrities who aren't very famous, I do feel that I have an A-list sighting in my future. I just have to be patient, lol!