Registering

I am 22 weeks 3 days in the photo above...wow. It is amazing how much I have already grown. I love to lay and watch my belly twitch and move. Feeling our sweet son kick is something that always brings a smile to my face. I have a feeling that Jackson is going to be quite the active little boy...just a prediction based on his in utero kickboxing practice.

We finished registering today! It feels so good to have that done and what an overwhelming task it is. Who knew there was so much baby stuff (and who knows what you actually need)!? It was so exciting to imagine Jackson swinging in his swing, riding in his stroller, etc. I can't wait! I know he will be here before we know it.

I am going to enjoy my last summer before becoming a mommy. I look forward to sleeping, relaxing and doing whatever whenever because (as I've been told by many) these days will soon be a distant memory. I am so thrilled that school is out and am ready to get started on the nursery.

My First Mother's Day/ 20 Weeks

I have such a sweet husband! He had flowers delivered to me at school today that said "Happy First Mother's Day!". They were my favorite kind of flower too...he did good! As you can tell from the picture Grissom thought they smelled lovely.

It's a BOY!!!

We found out on Wednesday that we are having a precious baby BOY!!! He is so beautiful. God is SO good! I could not contain my emotions when the ultrasound technician said “it’s a boy”, I was a mess (surprise, surprise I know). We couldn’t be more thrilled. Our sweet Jackson Perry will be here in just a few months… I can’t wait to meet him. Today I went shopping for him for the first time and had so much fun. I bought the cutest little outfits for my handsome little man. I am so ready to get started on the nursery. Four more weeks until summer vacation!

Jackson is a name that Daniel and I both love and Perry is my Dad's middle name and was my great-grandfather's name. It makes me happy that our little boy will share his name with my Dad who means the world to me.

Sweet Jackson,
Your daddy and I are filled with joy! We are so thankful that God has blessed us with a beautiful baby boy. I don’t know if you can hear me or not but I talk, read and sing to you every day. Your daddy and I smile every time we say your name. We have big plans for you already. We pray for you everyday not only do we pray that God will keep you safe and healthy throughout this pregnancy but that God will protect you throughout your life. I hope you can feel how much I love you already…I think you must. Feeling your gentle kicks (that I’m sure will soon turn to strong kicks) make my day. At our ultrasound you were so precious and active! We got to see your ten little fingers and ten little toes, they checked to make sure everything looked healthy and took blood to be sure. Dr. Wells says everything looks perfect and I couldn’t agree more.
Kisses,
Mommy

18 Weeks

I will be 18 weeks pregnant tomorrow! This Wednesday is our BIG ultrasound and I cannot wait to know the answer to the big question. Will I be playing with trucks and attending t-ball games for the next few years or playing with dolls and going to dance recitals? We will know in 4 days and I am SO excited. I pray that we get a good picture. I can’t wait to start working on the nursery, school will be out in five short weeks (Hallelujah…no really, praise God…I survived this year!) and after that the big project begins.
I have had a few interesting symptoms this week. First (and best) of all I have started feeling random “tap-tap-taps” at night when I am lying down. They are very light but I am pretty sure it’s our sweet baby I am feeling. I can’t wait to I feel them often and Daniel can feel them. Secondly, I now don’t go anywhere without a bottle of Tums…heartburn is no fun. Thirdly, on Tuesday at about 1:00 a.m. I woke up very nauseated and spent some time on the bathroom floor thinking I had gotten some kind of virus. After about an hour or so of this I feel asleep and woke up totally fine the next morning. This morning (Saturday) around 4:00a.m. I woke up with the same feelings and symptoms and actually threw up three times around 2:00 p.m. I feel much better now, although I still have a bit of a headache. Morning sickness showing up at 18 weeks? Surely not… I cannot wait to see our precious angel on Wednesday to know he/she is healthy and everything is okay.
Thank you God for protecting our child, help me to feel better and I pray that this sickness is not a reoccurring one (although even if it is I know it will all be worth it in a few short months).

16 Weeks

Happy Easter!

I am 16 weeks, 2 days pregnant. I had a doctor’s appointment today and mom went with me. The appointment went really well. I have gained ten pounds so far and Dr. Wells said this was “perfect”, since I was nervous about this I feel much better now. We got to hear the heartbeat for the first time on the Doppler. The heart rate was 153 beats per minute. It was (as always) so wonderful to hear that little heartbeat! The biggest news of the day was that Dr. Wells said that I could get my BIG ultrasound done in two weeks instead of waiting four weeks. I am SO THRILLED!!! I cannot believe that in two weeks we will know whether or not we will be welcoming Jackson Perry or Claire Elizabeth into our family. (I am betting on Jackson…but we’ll see.) I am so excited and thankful about how wonderful everything has been thus far. My belly has really started growing (see above picture) and I am looking obviously pregnant these days. I have been feeling some flutters but am not totally convinced that it is the baby since I am wanting to feel the baby so badly. As I type I am feeling some slight cramps and stretching, this always makes me nervous but I know that it is just my uterus growing and stretching for this little guy/girl.
I praise God for this miracle and pray daily that HE continues to watch over our family and precious addition.

Dear precious baby,
Your daddy and I got to see you today! Although we have had two previous ultrasounds this was the first one where you looked like a baby and not a blob. You are so perfect. We watched you kick and squirm and I couldn’t do anything but smile, cry and thank God! We got some amazing pictures. You waved for us and even smiled real big in another picture. I love you so much! In eight weeks we will find out if you are a boy or a girl. We can’t wait. I have never been more thankful for anything and the thought of holding you in my arms in six months is surreal. I think about you and pray for you daily.
All my love,
Mommy

11 Weeks

I am 11 weeks pregnant and one week from today we have our next ultrasound. We are so excited because the technician said that our bean will now look like a baby. I can barely wait! I am so thankful for this pregnancy and how wonderful it has been so far. I have experienced zero morning sickness! I am completely exhausted and I am emotional but those are my only symptoms (except for my growing belly). Only two more weeks and I will be entering my second trimester! We will be 1/3 of the way there (that is so hard to believe). We are so close to holding our baby in our arms, it seems so surreal. I bought some maternity clothes and when I wear them I really look pregnant. If I am not wearing them, it really just depends on the day. I think it has more to do with being bloated than a baby bump these days. I plan on telling my kids at school the big news the day after my appointment. I know they will be excited.
I can’t wait to see our little Jackson or Claire (yes, those are our names so far) on the screen. I hope we get to see him/ her jump around. I really feel like it is a boy although all I want is a healthy baby. We should find out the sex in about six weeks. After that, let the shopping begin! Yippee!