Knock Knock....who's there?

Mary Dubiel has become the official title holder of the first person to feel the baby move from the outside.
I was standing in her office today and the baby kicked way up high on my left side, twice. It was 2 surprisingly harder kicks and so I ran across the room to grab Mary's hand and smack it on my belly, and said "Can you feel that?" And she yelled..."YES!"
Yahoo!! I am so excited!
116 days until I get to see who God has placed behind the iron curtain that is my belly!

Psalm 139:
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

An unborn baby’s heart begins to beat eighteen days after conception, and her fingerprints are completely established during the fourth week of development in her mother’s womb. She sucks her thumb seven weeks after conception; and sometime between nine and ten weeks, this preborn wonder squints, swallows, and moves her tongue.

At the moment of conception, every piece of her genetic puzzle is in place—a miraculous blueprint of life.

As a weaver knows his every stitch, as a seamstress purposefully fashions a beautiful garment—God creates us wonderful and whole even while our form is hidden.

Too much Salt and a lack of Water

Equal alot of water weight gain...aka Bloat.
When you become pregnant and begin to pay closer attention to your body...what you discover can be absolutely amazing. At least for me, it has been this way.
What I have realized is that if I do not get at least 8 glasses of water each day, no matter what I eat or how much exercise I do, I will gain 2 lbs. AND, if I eat pasta or too much bread, I will gain more, regardless of if I eat too much of it.
Water is truly an amazing necessity for good health.
So, I have decided to make sure I am super hydrating myself everyday.
I truly am a salt sensitive and carb sensitive person.
I am not sure I would have recognized this, if I were not pregnant.

Peep...Peep...Peep....I am Officially NESTING

I cleaned out 2 lawn size garbage bags of throw away clothes and another 3 bags for the Good Will today....just out of our Master Bedroom. I am headed to the store to get those drop down hangers and some storage stuff to make our closet even better. The last job for today is the master bath.
Jim and I are pack-rats and we didn't even know it.....well maybe I knew Jim was. :)
We have a community yard sale in May, so maybe I will gather everything together for that...or not...maybe that is too much of a pain in the neck this year.
I wonder what room I will attack next?

The Seven Week Comparison

So after my last post, I asked Jimmy to march up from his office this morning. I put on the same outfit I was wearing from my 16 week appt and made Jim take a picture.

So here is the 7 week comparison. Its like everything has sucked up and forward and my face got fatter. I am going to wear this outfit every week that we take a picture until I cant wear it anymore.

Ignore our camera dates....I cant get the date fixed.

Just think Week 16 and Week 23 of 40 WEEKS.

PS: I started cleaning my dresser drawers today. So Far, just the dresser...1 full garbage bag of garbage clothes and 1/4 bag of goodwill clothes.

I AM ENORMOUS....and I have 17 weeks to go!!!

23 weeks down and 17 weeks to go.

You may be staring at my 23 week picture and thinking that I must have gained 50 lbs....NOPE...7 lbs as of this morning.

7 lbs.....and this is what I look like???? I am HUGE...or to steal Jen Barnes word Ginormous!!!

I feel like I get up in the morning and I look like I have gained 7 lbs....I barely look pregnant. THEN, by noon, I look like I've gained maybe 15 lbs. By the time I plop down on the couch for the night, I feel like I look like I have gained the full 50. Oh Bloat and Gas! What joy!

I think I wanna make Baby Shoes

My Aunt Bon gave me a sewing machine 3 years ago...and I havent opened it yet.

Today, I feel suddenly inspired to open it.

I want to make soft soled baby shoes.

On pins and needles soft bottom baby shoes has a great tutorial and beautiful designs. It takes you step by step through cutting and sewing the shoes and what materials to use. It looks easy enough.

Last night Brian and Jolene from our small group asked us an ice breaker: If you could have any job in the world, regardless of money, to enjoy the rest of your life, what would it be?

I said Stay at Home Mom. Jim said Pilot.

But just an hour early I was sitting at dinner with Jim and telling him that I don't think I am naturally equipped to be a 24/7 stay at home mom. IT IS HARD WORK!!! I got a taste of it when I watched my 3 god-children for a day...and I do believe that they are in the upper 5% of well behaved, "easy" kids. I was tired when their parents got home.

As my due date approaches, I have daily moments of reflection back onto my life before being a mom.

I have spent the last 12 years of my life, 9 of them at Campus Door, within corporate America. I love it! I feel like I was built to do what I do as a business woman. I think I am not good, but a GREAT motivator. I like selling. I like mapping out a business plan and seeing the sales flow in. I am good at it. I dont want to just give it up.

For 5 months, I have been immersed in "mommy-land". This is a land where the customer pool never ceases. Pregnant woman want to buy "baby things". I find myself looking at all of the gadgets and gizmos, be they simple or ....um...bumboish... and I think, what product hasn't been perfected or created....where can I find a niche that would allow me to enjoy the reward of being a mom and still reap the fulfillment of being a business woman? Is it soft soled baby shoes? Is it creating a baby consignment expo that I can travel to various regional venues and shop to other mommy's/consigners? Is it these cute little gift sets that I sooo want to make for my pregnant friends( 4 total, plus me equals 5).

THIS is how a business mommy thinks!


So far, all I have come up with is.....I want to make soft soled baby shoes.

A Coming Home Outfit

I have been looking around for one special outfit to bring the baby home in. Recently, my mom and I found a cute little girl outfit at old navy. No luck yet for a boys outfit. I wanted it to be easy to get on and off, but cute. Since it is August, I also know it cant be a long sleeve pajama set. I will just use a cute blanket to keep the baby covered over it's outfit.

So, here is what I bought should we be bringing a baby girl home. It is a one piece white jumper with swiss dots. The hat matches.