Bladder Spasms?

May 9-Well, it seems like as soon as my head knew the baby was 20+ weeks old the rest of my body began to change. I have graduated to maternity clothes. (Why didn't I do that a week ago)? They are much more comfortable than my normal clothes, but I'm going to need to do some major shopping in preparation for warmer weather. Also, last night as I was laying in bed, I feld the baby move for the first time. For a little while I thought I might be having bladder spasms (or what I imagined bladder spasms to feel like). But the more I felt the sensation I determined that it was indeed the baby! I had to call Justin, though I had just hung up the phone and let him go to sleep (he was in LA). He was also excited! Can't wait to see what changes occur in the next few weeks.

Second Ultrasound

May 7th (19 weeks)-We had our second ultrasound today. That was so cool!! I still haven't felt the baby move, so again, it is neat to see the pregnancy confirmed. We were even able to see some 3D images! Those are amazingly detailed. All organs looked healthy. We did not want to know the gender so we had to turn our heads at some points during the ultrasound. Justin asked the US tech if she would have been able to tell us the gender today if we had wanted to know and she said "yes." We still stuck to our wishes and didn't peak. Once again, the baby measured bigger than expected. According to the size of the head and femur our baby should be 20 weeks and 4 days. So, Dr. Haugen moved our due date up to Sept 24th, which also happens to be my Grandma Fink's birthday. (She is delighted and told me I better make it happen on that day). Right now, we are hoping it arrives a little late. It would be nice to have an Oct birthday instead of another Sept birthday. I'm sure as the date draws close though, I will be begging the baby to come early.

The House is Too Full!

May 2-Well, after over two years of accumulating things in this house there is no room for a baby! We began working on a shed (12x16x10) in the backyard this weekend so I can begin cleaning out closets and rooms to make some space for the baby. Also, it should be big enough that Justin can add things from the garage and, hopefully, reclaim some of his space. Justin's parents and sister and brother-in-law have been helping with this project since most items are too awkward or heavy for me to lift. It is so nice to have family close by.

Tulip Festival

April 25-There is a Tulip Festival in Woodburn, OR (just south of Portland) every year. This is our second year to attend. The sights are incredible. There are acres and acres of tulips (which just might be my favorite flower). On the weekends there are also lots of fun activities for kids. We went on a Friday this year so there were not as many activities and it was a lot easier to find a parking place. The Tulip Festival is hosted by a local farm. Each tulip is labeled and before leaving the festival you can place an order for all the tulips varieties that you liked and they will ship them to you in the fall when it is time to plant. Here are some pics of the tulip fields
http://www.shutterfly.com/share/pictures.jsp

Trip to Texas

April 8-13 Justin had a one-day conference in Houston this week and I got to tag along. It just so happened that my work schedule fell so that I could go to TX without taking any vacation. Ah, the joys of working part-time. :)



We arrived in Houston on Tues afternoon and spent the night with my grandparents in Pasadena. We had a great visit with them. For Justin, it was the first time he really had a chance to visit with and get to know them better.



On Wednesday, we traveled to Bryan/College Station to visit with my dad and my other grandparents. Again, the opportunity to visit with my family was great and we were so thankful for that time. It was wonderful to visit some of my favorite restaurants while back home. You wouldn't believe how much I miss some of the flavors of the South. I think I doubled my pregnancy weight gain in just one week. Oops! Unfortunately, my mouth could not be convinced to stop enjoying those flavors. Speaking of weight gain, I do not look pregnant, much to my family's disappointment. I will just have to keep everyone posted on the blog (which I have not done well, so far).



On Friday, we drove to Temple, where my college roommate, Tammy, and her family hosted a BBQ so I could visit with friends. We had such a great time. Again, it was an opportunity for Justin to get to know my friends better and them to know him. Tammy, thanks again for making this possible.



Saturday, we drove to the Bluebonnet Festival and were able to see fields and fields of wildflowers along the way. I've included some pics for everyone to enjoy. On Sunday, it was back to the Northwest. The trip was fast but lots of fun. I wish we could do it more often.

http://www.shutterfly.com/share/pictures.jsp

The Heartbeat

April 7-We had our second doctor's appt today and were able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. The heartbeat was 142. So, is it a boy or a girl? According to wives' tales it could be a boy, but I've had too many people tell me that their babies did not comply with this wives' tale. I guess we'll find out on Oct 3rd (or sometime around then).

First Doctor Appointment

March 12-We met our doctor for the first time today. We selected a new OB/GYN since my old one did not deliver at the hospital we want to deliver at. Dr. Haugen and her staff were great! We will definitely stick with her. We also had our first ultrasound today! Since I have had very few pregnancy "symptoms" it was fun to see the pregnancy confirmed. I was amazed that the baby could be moving around so much without me every feeling a thing. Dr. Haugen said the baby looked good so far. The baby is measuring a little bigger than expected, but at this point the due date will remain the same. I am including some pics though I'm not sure how clear they will be.