ONE MONTH

One month and counting...

We can't wait!  Baby's room is almost done.  Nesting has forced me to wash every single baby blanket and piece of clothing we've got, organize baby's closet, reorganized the entire pantry and cabinets in the kitchen (a project Travis was not expecting).  I'm huge, can't breathe, can't sleep, and can't eat much at one time (but am always hungry).  They say I'll forget all this bad stuff.  I CAN feel baby Williams moving around in there ready to come out and play though! 

 

Count down

We're definitely on the countdown now!  Only 9 1/2 more weeks go to!  I can feel arms and legs kicking all over the place in there.  Baby Bdub wants OUT!  

 

30 weeks

The baby furniture came in this week.  I'm lucky Travis likes to play with new toys as soon as they arrive.  The furniture was assembled the same night. 

It's really starting to look like someone else is moving in with us... for the next 18 years...(assuming I can successfully kick them out at 18).  We're excited! 

One more time lapse.....

26 weeks and counting!

26 weeks down, only 14 more to go!  Baby weighs 2.1 lbs and I'm pretty sure I gained about 6 lbs this week alone!  AH! 

 

 

Changes in one week: 

 

Time lapse

God is great.  It's amazing how your body responds to injury and has this remarkable way of healing.  It's amazing how your body can stretch to magnificent proportions and go back to how it was before (with great effort of course).  It's amazing that a tiny, nothing of a thing, is intricately forming into a unique human being inside of me.  I don't see how anyone can go through this process and not believe in God.  And believe me, I've got an abnormal number of friends who don't.  I'm scared to bring this tiny, helpless human into this crazy world that is becoming more acceptable of atheism, homosexuality, and socialism.  A country where, when I was young, 95% of the population believed in God. That number is slowly diminishing. This world is fast pace and full of endless technology.  When will we all stop talking to each other face to face and rely solely on electronics to communicate? I hope I'm not around for that.  I'm sure my grandparents said the same thing when they were my age.... that this world is getting worse.  Is it worse, or is it "evolving".  I don't know what the answers are, I just pray that we will be able to raise this child to be smart, responsible, respectful, ethical, and a Christian.  

It won't be long...

16 weeks

18 weeks

 

 

 

20 weeks

21 weeks

 

 

22 weeks

 

 

What's in a name?

Names, names, names.... so important.  I must start off by referencing this article a friend sent to me which has some truth to it:

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/humor/201307/nine-baby-naming-rules-2013?printable=true

Names are so important.  Name can define you.   Like the article says... is Sparkle or Rock really going to stand the test of time?   NO!  Sparkle will likely become a stripper and Rock will become just that, a rock that sits around with no job, no ambitions and probably deals drugs.   And, why do people put unnecessary apostrophes in their kids' name?  It maybe popular at the time, but what about when they are old?  Is Trissston (3 s's) or La'dasha really a good life choice?  Come on people.

Travis has a really strong opinion when it comes to picking male names.  The name must be strong, not weak, not cute, not frilly, not hip, not wussy, not a name that a kid might get beat up over.  We have to assume if we have a boy he's going to be small, scrawny and red headed, just like Travis was. Naming him Arthur or Albert would only seal his fate in high school.  This is a really hard decision.  I know a girl who just named her kid after a dog I know.  Poor kid.  (I hope she's not reading this.)  Travis wants to see our baby before we give it a name.  I think he wants to hold it up like Simba from the Lion King and say "and he shall be CALLED.....(insert awesome name here)."  I, on the other hand, don't think I can handle that.  If I have a say, we're going to the hospital with two names picked out, one for a girl and one for a boy.

And guess what?  We are going to be those parents who don't tell anyone the name until our baby is born.  Sorry.  One thing is for sure, Travis does not make decisions quickly.  So, who knows, we might not even land on a decision until a week, or day, or hour, before the baby arrives. 

Gender reveal

Just kidding!! I'llllll never tellll (taunting voice). Unless, at some point down the road, the ultrasound tech, the nurse, or the doctors slips up and tell us, we aren't going to find out what we are having.   If you think about it, the labor itself is not much for me to look forward to, other than the fact that it will be over.  So, why not (in addition to a brand new baby) have an additional, wonderful surprise waiting at the end of it all?!  I think it's a brilliant idea.  We went to the doc last Friday and Bdub looks perfect! 

Foot - kicking

Everyone has their own opinions about this decision...  "You have to find out!  How do I buy clothes for this child?!"  Well don't, get it some diapers.  "How can you NOT find out??  You can't decorate the nursery!"  Yes I can, I'm not a pink and blue kind of girl, I hate painting, so neutral sounds just fine to me.  Then I don't have to spend thousands of dollars like all the other soccer moms decorating a nursery just to redo it in a few years when I'm tired of looking at bubblegum pink. 

Here is my concept for the neutral nursery....

 

 



 

 

No, I didn't create this sketch.  My brilliant design friend, Lauren did.  I just provided her with pictures. The photos on the wall will be black and white pictures of animals like an elephant, lion, giraffe, etc...    I have some other things to add, like a glider Mamaw gave us and the toy box my Papa made for me when I was little:

 

 

 

Other than THINK about ideas, I've done nothing.  The room is completely empty. I'll have to get started soon, because this baby is coming!  

 

19 weeks and growing...

Grow baby grow!

I have refrained from writing for a few weeks because I was really hating pregnancy a week or so ago.  The good news is, when I went to the hospital for pain, I got another ultrasound!  : )  Baby is just perfectly fine... just moving and swimming around in there.  Mom, on the other hand, has a lot of pain from a few uterine tumors.   I'm fine now, but the pain may come and go. 

Bdub is growing slowly, but surely!  He/she is already very photogenic as you can see him/her trying to peek out in this ultrasound.  Or maybe that was a little wave.   This ultrasound was taken at 14 weeks.  Bdub was about 4 oz and the size of an orange.  We go back for another ultrasound on 8/16/13 to see how much bigger its gotten.   I hear Bdub might double in size these next few weeks.  Here we go!  

I am also growing slowly, but surely...



14 weeks

16 weeks

This is why I haven't put many pictures up... it just looks like I'm bloated, but I swear there is a baby in there! 



The Best Thing

I've discovered a wonderful thing.  Maternity pants.  I've heard women say that these things are comfortable, but OH MY GOSH!  They are the most comfortable things in the world.  Why can't we wear these every single day?   I decided to take the plunge into maternity pants since my pants don't fit anymore and I find it very awkward to walk down the street to work with a belly band over unbuttoned pants.   It's weird.  I felt exposed.  So my wonderful friend, Kalan, let me borrow her maternity clothes - at least until she gets knocked up again.  Trying them on was both depressing and exciting.   Exciting because they are so dang comfortable.  Depressing because I realized just how big I am going to get.  

 

The clothes came in a box labeled "PHAT CLOTHES," which is just awesome.  Kalan is a working mother so she had to have lots of options.  She even provided me with a bag of "pregnant jewelry," which was her attempt to distract from the fat in order to make her feel PHAT instead.  I'm not huge by any means, but my bump has caused me to rethink my wardrobe.   So, today I'm business on the top, party on the bottom.  This is the best thing about week 14.

Is she fat or pregnant?

Don't lie, you know you've played that game.  Well, I feel that I am now at the butt of that game.  I've hit the awkward phase.  "Wow, Linsey has gained a little weight... or is she pregnant?"   Today, secretary says "you're getting a belly, I can see it."  Yeah, I know.  Thanks for pointing it out (jerk).  Some people even have the audacity to say "I knew you were pregnant, you looked like you had gained a little weight."  First of all, I had NOT gained weight at the time I told YOU, sir (jerk).  I know it's only going to get worse the bigger I get.  I've been guilty of it before - I've thought "man that poor girl looks so uncomfortable."  Well, that will be me someday, but you don't have to say it out loud. 

 

So you are thinking that I am overly sensitive.  OF COURSE I AM!  I have raging hormones.  I now take back and apologize for any offensive or insensitive thing I have ever said to a pregnant woman.  I can't think of anything specific right now (probably because I have prego brain), but I'm sure my big mouth has said something.    Don't get me wrong.  I understand how amazing this whole thing is and I am enjoying it.  It's unfathomable that I can grow a human.  I am very blessed.  I also know I am beautiful.  I'm freaking awesome and so is my husband.  I'm just annoyed by other people and their comments.  Keep it to yourself.   Didn't your mother ever teach you that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?  Weight comments = not nice. 

For Real

Well, it's a baby! It has arms and legs (long legs I might add), fingers and toes and a head and everything!  These ultrasound photos do not do our baby's photogenicness (is that a word?) justice.  But, it feels real now.  I'm not sure we are going to find out it's gender.  And I don't want to keep calling it "it" so we're calling the baby B-Dub (baby w "dub", get it?).   This first photo of Bdub was taken on June 20, 2013 (Bdub was the size of a grape). Travis and I heard Bdub's heartbeat and actually saw it beating! I can't tell you how crazy that was!  Bdub seems to be just fine, I guess.  I catch myself wondering if the baby is ok in there, but then I think...I can't start this now, not yet... I'm going to be worrying about Bdub for the REST of my life.  So, I resort to prayer.  Everything will work out just how God has planned. 

It's time

It's time.  We've waited long enough.  We've taken the opportunity to enjoy each other and our new marriage.  Now, it's time to add a baby. 

I found out I was pregnant (it's still strange to say) on May 24, 2013.  We didn't expect to be shocked, but we were.  We knew this would happen sooner or later.  I didn't believe it at first, so I took a second pregnancy test. "Surely these things are wrong all the time?"   "Pregnant." It said.  I took a third, because of course I got a faulty package.  "Pregnant."  "Ok, ok, ok!"    We are both super excited. 

 

It's June 20, 2013, and the reality of it hasn't sunk in quite yet.  I've made plans in my head, but haven't executed anything because I need some confirmation.  I feel fine.  I don't feel any different so how can there be a human growing inside of me?  CRAZY!  I'll feel better tomorrow.  We're headed to the ultrasound machine.  WOOO HOO!  This is like the pregnancy test of all pregnancy tests.  I'm pretty sure I'll believe it tomorrow.