One week until we know....

Wow, time is flying by so fast and we're quickly approaching the half-way point of this epic, exciting, nerve racking, stressful, joyous experience ;) We have an ultrasound appointment next Friday, March 6th that will determine the baby's sex! It will be awesome to finally know what we're having so that we can finally call the baby by his/her name, which I'm not going to reveal on this blog or until my wife gives me permission... It'll be great to start buying things for the nursery, clothes, little toys, etc. I can't wait! I have to start getting songs together that I want to sing and stories I want to read and all that fun stuff...

On the flip side of all this excitement is a lot of stress. This is an incredible, life-changing experience but we are finding just how stressful it can be. Car trouble, groceries, saving, spending, etc. These things all fly through my head about 40 times a day and it can be exhausting. In the end, or in the beginning I should say, all the stress will be worth it once I get to meet my son or daughter for the first time. Next Friday will be just one more step in this amazing journey.. Stay tuned...

Week 18 - We've got movement

Bell Pepper.....thats right, baby Makanani is the size of a bell pepper! I couldn't believe it when Shane texted me that this morning, but then I glanced down at my belly and thought, oh wait, yep....I can believe it now. I swear, in the last 2 weeks my tummy has doubled in size. My skin is stretching at an unbelievable rate and I can't help but put on the vitamin E oil as often as I can. I am so VERY excited that my tummy is growing and Shane can't help but want to rub it all the time.

The one and ONLY downfall of having a belly so big is the fact that I am having a very hard time concealing it when going on job interviews. I have been laid off now for 4 months with not one call, and then last week and today - the calls starting coming in. Last week wasn't too hard, but today was bad - luckily, I can still fit into my work pants with wearing a bella band - but no shirt is baggy enough to cover it up. I only hope I am "wow'ing" potential employers enough for them to offer me the job. My intention is to tell them about being pregnant should the offer come on the table, wish me luck!

On a MUCH happier note I felt the baby move for the first time last night!!!!! Shane and I were sitting on the couch watching the Oscars when I felt a little poke, almost like Shane was lightly "tapping" his finger on my stomach. I looked down, and Shane's hand was no where near me! I said, "Oh Shaney, I think the baby just kicked me!" I grabbed his hand and placed it on my tummy....he had a blank stare......of course he couldn't feel it!, duh!!! But he was very excited when I felt it again and I could definitely confirm it was NOT gas! Then this morning I texted my good friend Diandra and asked her what it felt like this early on.....she said, "Like tapping".

YESSSSSSS! We've got movement!

They say it comes in 3's......

So I am truly hoping THIS IS THE 3rd AND LAST THING to go wrong in the last few months....our car.

1st - I lost my job
2nd - Shane lost his job
3rd - Our one reliable car just broke down

Now, I'm not complaining because Shane and I both know that things could be worse....MUCH worse. We also realize that these are lessons we are having to learn right now because we haven't learned them yet, and/or we haven't learned them enough to teach our children. But geez, could the timing be worse?????

Basically, my car has an oil leak where coolant and oil are mixing together. The dealership "thought" they fixed it on Tuesday, but after forking out $1100 to fix it and 2 attempted trips home- we had to take it back because the light kept coming on in the car saying it was NOT in fact fixed. The mechanic indicated that there is probably engine damage, but that it could possibly be covered under the warranty if we provide EVERY receipt from EVERY oil change I've ever gotten......it's a lot harder than it sounds.

On top of the "oil problem" we were told that my car is not safe to drive and we actually need to spend about $5,000 to fix it. I don't know about you, but I don't have $5, 000 just laying around. So Shane and I decided that now is probably the time to trade in. It's an easy out, we know it, but chances are, we won't have to fork out any more money and we can get the car that I feel is more appropriate to drive with a newborn.

Ahhhhhhh vent over........that felt good. Wish us luck on our journey in finding a car that won't force us to give up our first born child - he/she is definitely NOT for sale!

Weeks 16 and 17

Sorry for the late update! Our computer was in the "shop" getting a little tune up due to how SLOW it was. I can't believe I was able to stand it for as long as I did with how it was. Shane gave up after only a week, and I've been dealing with it for well over 6 months. Basically, it had 5 viruses and the fan on the computer was clogged. Well, it's all nice and new and although the company I took it to had lots of broken promises (they said it would only take 2-3 days, and it took 9) they were very nice!

So I am happy to announce that I think I have officially POPPED. Our good friends Lydia & Jake came over on Friday night and said, "If people didn't notice you pregnant before, they definitely will NOW!" My stomach feels so stretched out, it almost hurts. My boobs and stomach are constantly itching - which means they are growing, which means the baby is growing (yeah!!!). My sister-in-law, Bub, asked me how it feels and the only way I could explain it was that it feels like I just ate a huge Thanksgiving dinner and I'm so full I have to unbutton my pants, like that REALLY uncomfortable full......but I'm not full, I'm actually quite hungry. I also finally had to bite the bullet and buy some new bras. Sad because I know this won't be the last time, but happy because this girl, that's been a NEARLY A size since 7th grade, is now officially in a 34C. I am so excited to have boobies!!!!!

So here are my 16 week & 17 week pictures!

Week 16

Week 17

Oh Snot, how I LOATHE thee.....

For the past 2 months or so I have had a horrible snot problem. Runny nose, sneeze attacks, woken several times through out the night by snot running into my mouth, etc. At first I thought I was getting a cold (I've already had 2 since I've been pregnant), but no other symptoms followed. Hmmmmm. So then I thought, oh shit, I'm developing an allergic reaction to my new best friend, Kona. Investigation ends, denial sets in. Although Kona has put a few gray hairs on my head, he's still my little guy and I love him. So I figured I'll just have to SUFFER through endless nights of waking up and running to the bathroom to blow my nose, sleeping with little tissue wads UP MY NOSE and having sneeze attacks so hard I pee my pants......yep, I'm sure you've already visualized it all. All because I love my precious little Kona.

Until yesterday, I get this email from babycenter.com:

"Why is my nose so stuffy? Higher estrogen levels during pregnancy can contribute to swelling in the mucous membranes lining the nose and may even cause you to make more mucus. At the same time, your blood volume is increasing and blood vessels expanding, which can also lead to swollen nasal membranes. So it's no surprise that many women sniffle their way through pregnancy. "Pregnancy is a snotty time," says Gil Gross, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis. Although stuffy noses are a typical pregnancy symptom, call your caregiver if you develop a fever or flu-like symptoms."

Ahhhhhhhhh an answer that doesn't lead to me giving up my pup! Although it sucks that I have another 5 months of dealing with a snotty nose, at least I have an answer. Oh, and I bet you won't find THIS topic in Jenny McCarthy's book!

As you can see below, I was definitely excited when Mommy brought home some pretty cute baby stuff. It just blows my mind that we were all that small one day. As for the onesies themselves, I honestly never gave much thought to what my child would be wearing! I know that may seem a surprise to many of our friends considering I change my clothes at least 3 times before going anywhere ;)

As Brianne said, our children will definitely be involved in sports for competition and social experiences mainly. I think that sports are very instrumental in a child's life and will teach them valuable lessons along the way. I know Brianne and I will be out there from day 1 coaching our children and helping them be the best that they can. If not coaching, we'll definitely be those super fan parents sporting our children's elementary school logo'd sweatshirts at the 9am soccer games on Saturdays..

Other than that not much new to report, but it is amazing to me how fast the baby is growing and how developed he/she already is. I'm excited for our next ultrasound in a few weeks when we can find out the sex of the baby. I can't wait to start talking to them, singing to them, and telling them stories, even while their inside Mommy's belly. I've always wanted to be a dad, and I can't wait to meet our baby.

15 weeks!

15 weeks and going strong! Nothing new to report with the pregnancy - just the fact that I am anxiously awaiting the "kicks" that are due to arrive here within the next week or so. Our baby is the size of an apple, which just blows me away considering I remember when he/she was the size of a kidney bean!

We did receive VERY good news today from the nurse in our doctor's office. She called to give us the results of our NT Scan done a week and a half ago.....NORMAL! YEAH!!!!! What a relief! That was definitely great news to hear at the end of a long day. My belly is definitely growing and I actually made my first "maternity wear" purchase - it's the shirt I'm wearing in the pictures above. I don't really "need" maternity shirts yet, but I just couldn't help it...and it was on clearance!

On another note, I made my first baby purchase today. Although we don't know the sex of our baby, he/she will definitely be involved in sports. So I surprised daddy with these onesies - needless to say, he was very happy with the purchase :)