Yes, I'm a punching bag. Did I read that right?

Well, I had 2 more patients ask me if I was pregnant this week.  Everyone says I'm barely showing still, but holy moley I feel like my stomach cannot stretch anymore!  I have some days at work where it just feels like everything in my abdomen is trying to push out.  I remember thinking that only skin stretched during pregnancy.  Ha ha nope it's everything!  The muscles are what I feel the most.

I had to go out and buy maternity shorts last weekend because I could not fit into any of my shorts (except for my basketball/soccer shorts).  Thank you Ross for having cheap shorts!  I have one pair of jeans I can still wear because the waist on them is SUPER stretchy.  Makes it fun.  Brad taught me how to change the cabin air filter in my car yesterday, and I was doing this while we were driving so I had to bend in half to pull everything out of the glove box, pull out the glove box, and pull out the filters.  Not very complicated but it sure did squeeze my stomach!  Poor baby was probably not to happy.

As for our little girl, well, she is getting huge!  By huge, I mean long.  From head to toe she is supposed to be about 11 inches long.  It sounds so crazy, but I don't doubt it at all because I can feel her in there.  Yesterday she stretched out so her feet were poking into my far right side and her head as just left of my belly button.  Crazy!  And she is starting to be able to reach my diaphragm which is making breathing and things a little interesting.

She sure is one active baby.  At work on Wednesday, I was sitting at my computer and all of a sudden I got these repetitive movements in my far right side.  The best I can relate them to is that it felt like she was practicing her 1-2 punching. It happened a few times, with these 2 rhythmic punches (or kicks).  It was crazy.  At least she didn't do it to an organ though.  I'm sure my kidneys are gonna get it though cause my bladder already a favorite of hers.

Other than counting down the weeks of this pregnancy, I'm also counting down the days until our trip to California to see my parents.  I'm excited to get out of here, take some time off, and get spoiled by my excited parents.  My mom is throwing me a baby shower and she keeps sending my texts and emails about the invites she is making.  It's fun to see her excitement.  The other fun thing is that we get there the day after my birthday and will be there for mother's day.  It's practically my first mother's day, so it should be fun.  Brad has been riding my tail to come up with a list of things I want for my birthday/mothers day.  It's been hard because clothes are a little pointless right now, so I keep trying to think of movies/music I want.  I told him a bike because I have been wanting one for a year now, I just wouldn't be able to use it until after the baby is born.

One last exciting bit of news...I got into a nursing program!  I applied to 4 different schools this year (previously to finding out I was unexpectedly pregnant).  Since finding out I was pregnant, it has made getting denials not so hard.  Since I had heard from 3/4 schools in March, I just kinda figured the last school forgot about me as April is almost over.  Then last Friday, Brad brought in the mail and handed me a letter from this last school.  It was little envelope so I just assumed another rejection.  So when I opened it up and saw the words "accepted" I was completely shocked!  The program is a licensed practical nurse program and is only 2 semesters (about 9 months).  It is the shortest of all the programs I applied to. Awesome, cause time is of the essence if Brad gets into PA school.  However, the letter states it starts in August.

We are gonna try and make this work because I want to be a nurse, make more money, be able to provide for us better when Brad goes back to school, etc.  I just really hope by August they mean the very end of August and that maybe it would not be too bad a thing for our baby to come in early August.  It's definitely not going to be easy, but we are going to try.  It's just 9 months right?  We will see.  Here is too having all the things I wanted happen at exactly the same time.....

Baby on the move

Ok, well she has been moving for a while, but I finally can feel her! It's pretty exciting. I first felt her during sacrament meeting on Sunday. I always wondered what it would feel like and everyone told me things like gas bubbles and butterflies. Well, I would say it feels like bubbles popping. Brad asks how I know it is the baby and not gas. Lucky for me I took all sorts of anatomy classes so I can tell when bubbles are popping in an organ that typically don't have any bubbles. After Sunday, I didn't feel her again until yesterday at work. Then this morning it has been crazy! I have felt her a ton! It must be the thunderstorm. I love them so maybe she does too!

I read that she is as long as a banana now and weighs about 9 oz.

Other than feeling her, I'm doing fine. We got baby clothes from the Easter bunny (Brad's mom). I love them. It's a set with a pink onesie with a little giraffe, elephant and hippo on it, some grey pants (with pink smiley footies), a sleeper with animals all over, and a hat. The sleeper says "Daddy loves me". I love it. I never thought pink would be so cute. I just want to go buy baby clothes now, but I'm waiting. I figure it would be most sensible to wait until after I have baby showers and can get what it is that we need.

That does not mean that we won't get something before then though. Also, I feel that my belly is becoming more and more evident. Yesterday I came up with a good analogy for my co-workers of what a growing belly feels like. It's like when you are wearing jeans that fit when you stand up, but then you sit down and eat and you can feel the jeans becoming uncomfortable to the point you either have to button them or change into bigger pants. Only problem is, I cannot unbutton my belly. It just is constantly stretching, like a balloon that is slowly being blown up. I usually feel this way later in the day. Just so much fun. I think I already waddle a little when I walk slow.

Well, at least I only have a maximum of 19 weeks to go!

It's a Girl!

Well after weeks of waiting, Brad and I finally found out what our baby is. We went to my maternal fetal medicine visit on Monday morning and the technician quickly found out that we are having a girl! We are so excited! As soon as the technician was done getting measurements and pictures, she left to get the doctor. Brad looked right at me and said "I told you so". Brad had always thought it was a girl because we were not trying to get pregnant and for anyone who has taken anatomy classes, that would make sense to you.

The other good news is that our baby is healthy. She does not have downs syndrome, neural tubes defects, or trisomy 3. Her organs all look good and healthy so far. And she is measuring perfectly. So it was a very exciting and relieving visit.

I still haven't felt her move yet. At my OB visit Monday afternoon, my doctor did a sonograph and there was thump during it. My doctor turned to me and said "oh, she just kicked you." I can't wait to actually feel that.

We are very exicted for our little girl to come, as well as completely terrified. I'm ready to start buying stuff for her and everyone keeps telling me how great and fun girls are. Yay for finally knowing! Now just 20 weeks to go till she is here!