24 week check-up

I had a doctor's appointment today. It's the 24 week check-up, but we're a week ahead of schedule, so we went today! Everything looks just great and I put on 5 1/2 pounds! I'm now officially 2 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. My doctor was very pleased with my progress and said to keep up the good work! I told him I was having a blast at this stage of pregnancy and that I'm having so much fun with her.

Sage was absolutely hilarious today! She's VERY active and has always been "protective" of her space. She kicks waistbands, seat belts, hands and anything else that invades her territory. The nurse wanted to check her heartbeat with the doppler. As soon as she put it to my tummy, the baby kept teasing us and swimming to the other side. We chased her around for a few minutes and finally got her heartbeat. Then, she kicked the doppler wand! The nurse and I both busted out laughing! She DID NOT want us listening to her! We finally got a steady heartbeat at about 140 bpm. Nice and strong! We had a great day and are sharing a few kicks before bed.

Burning the Midnight Oil

It's been neat to share space with little Sage, but it's getting crowded in here! It was interesting at church today when I couldn't keep my breath while singing the hymns! I just run right out of air! She's also beginning to push up on my stomach and I'm experiencing some heartburn. (The spicy fried chicken I craved and enjoyed at dinner didn't help I bet!) I'm up at midnight because I can't lay down. I've tried the Rolaids soft chews without much luck. Anyone have any ideas?
My midnight time has allowed me to browse online. Dustin and I are considering cloth diapering for the first few months when she gets here. There are a lot of chemicals in the paper diapers and they take a very long time to decompose, so cloth is a tempting alternative. I'm not ruling out paper by all means, but am determined to at least try cloth first. They've come a long way since folding a large piece of cloth and pinning it in place. You're welcome to check out http://www.bumgenius.com/ to see one of the brands we're considering if you're interested. They're really neat! My cousin, Jessica, has been an awesome baby-consultant (since she has two little ones!) and has helped me comb through the baby product chaos with confidence. It's a jungle out there, but she's been great! I'm really enjoying my personal time with Sage, but am really beginning to look forward to her arrival. I know Dustin's ready to meet his little girl!

An Observation from A Pregnant Perspective

This is suppose to be funny! Just wanted to clarify that! Skip this entry if your sense of humor doesn't lend itself to sarcasm. It contains honesty on my part that not all of pregnancy is sunshine and roses. It is not directed at any one person and it just up for a good laugh!

I'm really enjoying my second trimester. However, I find it interesting that once people know you're expecting, all common courtesy is thrown out the window! I think people blame the grouchiness of preggos on hormones, but I'm starting to think it's in response to stupid, and inappropriate questions people ask you! I had a lady ask me this morning "When are you going to put on some weight and start looking pregnant?" I responded, "You know, I'm just going to hit the next person that asks me that!" We laughed, but she got the picture. How are you suppose to answer? "Actually, I'm on the anorexia pregnancy diet. Thanks for noticing?" You know, I don't walk up to people and say "When you going to get into shape?" or "When are you going to treat that dandruff?" Why on earth do people think it's appropriate to comment on your appearance now? The anthropologist in me finds this fascinating, but the female that is putting on the inches and is just trying to survive as a host to this new creature gets hostile!

Someone emailed me this letter recently and I found it hilarious, but also very accurate! I can honestly say I agree with everything on here! I actually changed a few of the words and phrases to soften it (if you can believe that!). I hope you get a kick out of it, and PLEASE remember it when conversing with those of us that have chosen to share our bodies with a new life.

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "our baby".

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.

4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing all of them. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.

8) Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents’ home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who just gave birth lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

God have mercy on all pregnant woman. May everyone else treat their blessings as such and allow them to enjoy the gift of new life!

Inching Along

I went swimming today! It was SO much fun to be able to stretch out and swim around and the sun felt so good. Sage loved it and kicked right along with me! After swimming, my sister was needing to be measured to order a bathing suit online, so I borrowed the tape to see how much I've grown. I've added almost 9 inches on my waist! I was mortified! How big does it get? I've only gained 2 lbs but still have another 18 weeks to go! I think about Scarlett O'Hara after she gave birth. As much as she wanted, Mamie never could get her waist back down to 18 1/2 inches, so she had to settle for 20. I don't want to be that tiny, but 9 inches is A LOT of growth. She'll be worth every inch in the end, I know.

A place to put baby!

I came home from church tonight and discovered that Dustin is just TOO excited about his baby! In the past week he has turned our cluttered extra bedroom into a vacant room. Tonight I came home and he had assembled the crib! I asked him why he didn't wait until we had the nursery painted (as he had originally planned to do) and he said he just could wait any longer!

As you can see in the picture, our little dog, Dandi, is VERY excited about these changes. Usually she gets very anxious when things change, but seems very happy about the crib going up. Sogno, our big dog, is so laid back and use to our moving once a year, that she has really barely noticed! We're having a little trouble with Dandi understanding that not everything is for her now. My mom gave us a little stuffed butterfly that plays music and hangs from things like a car seat. We've had to take it from her a couple of times and try to tell her that it's for the baby. She really doesn't understand, but cooperates. I have NO idea how we're going to keep their stuffed animals separated, but so far, so good! It's wonderful to have the pups here to be a part of the anticipation of our little one!

22 Weeks

We're now at 22 weeks, only 18 weeks left! This picture is a little deceiving, but quite a few close friends at church have commented that I'm "taking shape." It feels very obvious to me that there's a little creature in there and she's not so little anymore!

I'm enjoying all her little kicks and movements. Some of them aren't so little though! She seems to respond to voices now, especially Dustin's and my Dad's. She LOVES the organ at church each Sunday. She is now active at any time, including when I'm walking around, which use to lull her to sleep. She hasn't woken me up for the past few nights, so I'm hoping she's getting a little schedule down!

Belly Quakes

I guess our little Sage is a bit ahead in her development. I got the biggest kick, pun intended, from this email Dustin received for expectant Dads.

Here's a word you didn't know: "Quickening." But your partner knows it — and she's been waiting for it. "Quickening" and "fetal movement" are obstetrical-speak for baby kicks, as those little arms and legs get big enough to be felt from within. Sometime between the 18th and 22nd weeks, she'll feel what she may describe as butterflies in her stomach — but oh, baby, it's no butterfly she's feeling. It's the first physical proof positive (besides her bulging belly) that there's a new life inside her. When will you get your kicks? Those movements won't be strong enough to be felt from the outside for another few weeks — but it'll be worth the wait.

OK, I started feeling her "flutters" around 14 weeks and she started kicking at 16. Dustin definitely felt her from the outside at about 18 weeks. What cracked me up was the "butterfly" comment. Butterflies my butt! While other people are feeling butterflies, I think I have a seagull flapping around in here! She's way-lays me with kicks that take me by surprise! In the last couple of days, I've been able to lay on my side of back and you can literally see her foot rise about 1/2 - 1 inch out from my stomach. It looks like something from the Alien movies! She kicks HARD! It really isn't Dustin's favorite thing to wait with his hand on my stomach to catch a kick, so now he can just watch the quake! I think our little Sage is having fun and loves her daily acrobats!

Sharing Her Name:

Sage Elise

We decided to announce our Baby Girl's name! We decided a few weeks ago to call her Sage Elise Boyd. Sage means "wise" and Elise is my mother's middle name.

Her Daddy named her. It was challenging coming up with a little girl's name, especially after I had convinced myself we were having a boy! We wanted something simple so everyone could pronounce it (think about school in the future and those poor teachers with all the tongue-twister names!) and we wanted everyone to spell it correctly. I wanted it to be short because as a married female with a longer first name, I've felt so lucky to have such a short last name. I didn't want to name her something very long and her end up with a complicated long name in the future! Dustin and I had quite a few ideas, but none of them really stuck. When Dustin suggested Sage Elise and started calling her that, we knew that was her name! It was SO sweet!

Dustin wanted to keep her name a secret until she was born, but Aunt LaJuan (Sage's Aunt Lovie) said she needed to know. Well, you just don't tell Aunt Lovie no! So, after a little convincing, he let us announce her name to Dustin's family while we were in Waco and then tell my Mom and Dad when we got home on Sunday. Both of our Sister-In-Laws and my little sister really seemed excited about it and that was really special. We hope she will always love it!

Sugar & Spice...

We're planning a much girlier nursery than I had anticipated! I LOVE this nursery set and we registered for it at Baby's R Us. This picture doesn't really do it justice, but it's really very sweet. I was looking for something simple and classic. I think our darker floor color and the cherry colored furniture will go nicely with these pastels and make them pop! We will most likely paint the walls the sage green or a pale lilac. That's the two colors we're basing most of our choices on.

We're discovering that little boys get blues, green, brown, and reds. but most of the girl stuff is pink pink pink! Dustin's insistant that she have lots of purples and greens. I've already counseled him to give up on the blue. He's so funny! Let us know what you think about our nursery planning and if you have any suggestions or recommendations!

A Weekend in Waco

We utitlized our time in the "Big City" to go to a few stores and update our registries at Babys R Us and Target. Dustin was on a definite mission to find a crib! It's hilarious to watch him start this "nesting" phase. I'm SO grateful because I was starting to get nervous that he wouldn't realize we were having a baby until after she arrived! We found a beautiful crib that had all the features I wanted at Burlington Coat Factory (of all places!) The rail slides down in the front, so I can lean over and change sheets, etc. which helps since I'm taller. The crib can transition to a toddler bed and eventually creates a full size bed, so it can grow right along with her. It has a cherry finish and meets all the best safety requirements, so it was a perfect fit!

The matching changing table is great and really tall, so I don't even have to stoop to pick up the baby after changing her! They didn't have it in stock, but Nanny ordered it for us and we should be able to pick it up the next time we're in Waco. I can't tell you how exciting it is to actually have somewhere to put her when she gets here! Now all we have left to find is a suitable dresser to hold all the cute baby girl clothes I keep eyeing! I have a huge peace of mind knowing that we're beginning to piece together the nursery and will be closer to being ready for her arrival!

Our Beautiful Nephew!

We had another very busy weekend! We all made the journey to Waco for the weekend to witness our beautiful nephew's Dedication at church. Isn't he adorable? Price has grown SO much and has developed the funniest little personality. He's definitely a people-person and LOVES all the attention. Dustin had a great time just watching him and all the neat things he's learned to do. He's a social butterfly and loves to be a part of whatever's going on. He has us both laughing here because he's giggling from all the camera flashes. It was so great to see him as well as all of Dustin's family!

Halfway There!

Today we're celebrating that we're half-way there! We're 20 weeks pregnant today and looking very forward to the remaining 20 weeks. I can say now that I was only sick for half of my pregnancy and not the majority! I'm doing SO much better. As you can see, I've grown right along with our little one lately. I'm finally back up to my pre-pregnancy weight and definitely putting on the inches!

I've read that at 20 weeks, the baby is about the size of a small cantaloupe. When did she get so big? I remember when she was the size of a blueberry. It's amazing how quickly they develop and grow. It's definitely getting crowded in here though! Sometimes I wonder if her kicking is her way of asking for more room. It has been so wonderful to feel her move and to know she's healthy. I can't wait to meet her in 20 weeks!

The Hiccups?

I think our little girl may have gotten the hiccups this morning! I was stretched out talking to her and getting some work done on the computer. I'm use to her kicking and wiggling around a lot of the time. Then I noticed that the "wiggles" got rhythmic! For about 2 minutes she made little flutters every 5-1o seconds! I think is was the hiccups? Once they stopped, she was quiet for a few minutes and then started up the kicking again. I could spend half of my day just sitting and enjoying her little acrobats! She seems to be very busy in there!

Daddy's Girl!

Dustin is SO excited about our little girl! After our ultrasound last Tuesday, we went to Target and he bought a pink shirt! He talks to her and gives her hugs and kisses and has started reading her a story every night before bed. He's so happy to have a Daddy's Girl and keeps saying things like "When our little girl..." and "Our baby girl will..." I've honestly never seen him this excited for this long about anything in his life! He is going to be the world's greatest Daddy to our daughter and I can't wait for them to meet!

Busy Weekend

Whew! It was a VERY busy weekend! I was in Dallas Friday and Saturday for an incredible Mary Kay weekend. (I'll post pics of me on-stage when I get them! Very exciting!) Dustin was in Kirbyville on Saturday for Ghumpa's 80th Birthday Party and had a great time getting "girl" advice from everyone. I think he reveres Ghumpa as an expert because he's made it to 80 after raising 5 girls! My youth group hosted a Relay for Life Spaghetti Lunch after church on Sunday to raise money for the American Cancer Society and did really well. Sunday afternoon was yard-work for Dustin and I napped before heading off to Youth Group, where we washed the church van! Whew. Needless to say, I slept a little late this morning!

Baby Girl is doing SO well! Lots of kicks and NO morning sickness! We traveled well this weekend and I've learned to lull her to sleep by walking. When her kicks get too distracting, I just take a little walk and she's right out. She'll wake up a few hours later and will be back at it, but hopefully by then I'm able to sit and enjoy them! She LOVES the music at church and this weekend at my Mary Kay event, she loved listening to all the ladies clap and cheer! It was SO funny! She seems to love being around people and hearing them talk. I think she'll be a little social butterfly when she gets here!

Project Pink

We're SO excited about our baby girl and couldn't wait to tell everyone! We decided a few weeks ago that it would be really fun to keep the ultrasound date a secret and suprise everyone when we found out. We thought the best way to share was to send either pink or blue balloons to our family members. We prepared a list of addresses and phone numbers and as soon as we walked out of the doctor's office began calling florist all over the place to help announce our big news. (The florists all really had fun with this!)

Our ultrasound was at 10:30am, so at about 11:30 we launch Project Pink. We contacted Florists in Huntsville, Kirbyville, Waco, and Woodville to deliver the news of a little girl to grandparents, great-grandparents, Aunts & Uncle's and our precious nephew, Price, who will soon be a cousin! Then we had to wait! It was unbearable! We ate a quick lunch and ran a few errands with our phones in hand, awaiting the phone calls. As soon as the phone would ring, we would jump and get so excited to see who had received their suprise. It was so much fun!

<- This picture is of my nephew, Price! (He looks a little excited, doesn't he?) It's good to see him playing with some pink! I can't wait for our little girl to meet her cousin!

Think Pink!!!

It's a Girl!!!

and we're SO excited!!!

April 1st, (April Fool's Day!) we had an ultrasound to take a peek at our baby-to-be! She was beautiful! I was prepared for a blob of an alien, but I could see a little baby in there! Very clearly I might add! The doctor laughed at her and told us she was very photogenic. When he focused in on her, she was propped up on her side, looking straight at us, like she was posing for a picture! It was so cute because she kept placing her hands around her face as if to pose for the dramatic!

The best part is she looked 100% healthy! We got to check out most of her organs including a strong little heart. She has a perfectly round head and long legs. She has a very straight, very long spine that had perfectly detailed vertebrae. We were SO pleased! My favorite part was when we got to watch her little hands reaching out and she wiggled her long little fingers!

We're so thrilled to be blessed with a baby girl on the way! Dustin's so excited about having a Daddy's Girl and preparing himself for a land of pink and purple. (And for living with 5 females! Molly, Sogno, Dandi and I have had him out-numbered for awhile now, so what's one more?)

We had the best time watching her and now know it's a little girl kicking mom from inside. We couldn't be more thrilled with our news. I can't wait to meet her!