17.5 Weeks

LOOK HOW MUCH I'VE GROWN IN A WEEK! We take the picture every Sunday evening so we can be consistent, and I am even shocked when I compare the pictures from this week and last. How does mommy skin ever go back to normal? Seriously. Not a whole lot of news for everyone... let's see... our little boy is now the size of a LARGE white onion! That's exciting. I wish they could have chosen a more appetizing vegetable or perhaps even a fruit for this week, but I can't think of anything better so we'll just go with it. OH I do have a little something exciting- he KICKED me this week! I've had a few times where I thought he had thrown a few punches, but I'm pretty sure that was... well... not the baby. :) But this week, there have been several days when I am positive about what I'm feeling, and it has been the COOLEST, weirdest most alarming experiences of my life. I can't wait until he's big enough and Ben will be able to actually see his foot or fist moving across my belly. That will freak him out for sure. But for now, I am completely satisfied with a few small kicks and nudges. It's sweet. 

Thanks for the prayers over my root canal. It was not my idea of a "fun" day off work, but it definitely got the job done. I do not recommend it for anybody, but if you have to get one, go to Dr. Greg Smith- he's great and has the sweetest staff ever! 

The Verdict Is In...

Let me begin this entry by letting everyone know one thing: I was wrong and Ben was right. (Yes, this is the first time ever...) For the past three weeks, I have insisted that I am the Mama of this child and therefore I KNOW what the sex of the baby is: a girl! This was seriously the strongest "feeling" I've ever had about something so important, and I honestly have always wanted a big family full of boys, so I had no ulterior motive for predicting a female. As we rode in the elevator in the hospital today, Ben did his best to guard my heart by telling me "please don't get your hopes up for a girl... you just never know..." Well in this case, Daddy must know best because he was right- WE ARE HAVING A BABY BOY!!!!! We are both just so excited- Ben is pumped, my mom and grandmother have been rooting for a boy all along, and I am having fun adjusting to this new idea of life with two boys. My dream come true! :) Anyway, that's the news. Who would have thought?!? 

Dental Dilemma

Apparently, I am such a selfless mother already that my body has decided to deprive itself of ANY necessary calcium needed to sustain my pre-baby healthy dental condition. That's right- it's all going straight to the sweet child growing inside me. (I am okay with that, considering he/she is currently developing real bones this week rather than the soft cartilage he/she's had so far.) I discovered this fascinating fact last week when I endured the most PAINFUL toothache of my life. (Poor Ben- he had no idea what to do but felt so helpless he began researching home remedies for toothaches and played doctor with a few experiments. Sweet sweet Ben. :)  It was so bad I had to call in a sub for the next day so I could go sit in the dentist office and pray they would squeeze me in to see what the problem was. Praise the Lord, the wonderful Dr. Greg Smith fit me in for a 10:00 appt., only to inform me that I had a huge cavity that would call for a root canal as soon as possible. This was terrifying news for two reasons: firstly, yes- I am pregnant. Any stress my body goes through, my baby also endures. Secondly, no- we do NOT have dental insurance. YIKES. Another life lesson learned the hard way. Anyway, all this goes to say that I would greatly appreciate your prayers this Thursday (Sept. 25th) for a smooth and painless (ha!) surgery. Thanks so much, friends! Oh yeah, this picture shows my belly at 16.5 weeks + a big dinner from Texadelphia. That combination leads to one big old belly! 

15.5 Weeks

Well, here he/she is in all his/her glory! Inside that belly is the apple sized (not shaped- Ben had to clarify for me yesterday...) baby of ours! For some reason this picture does not really represent how big my belly FEELS at times during the past few weeks. I think water retention has a lot to do with how much I am "showing" each day. Anyway, not a lot of details yet... I am still waiting to feel that first kick or punch. The past few days I've felt GREAT- the school days fly by and I am at home resting on the couch by 4:30, which is nice. I would love to start planning a sweet little nursery but our living situation is still a big question mark. We should know more on that by November... stay tuned! 

Second Visit

Hey everyone . . . this is Ben. So, Hanna has been pretty sleepy lately. Our daily routine usually involves me getting home from class and fixing dinner. We will take a long walk with the dogs after dinner and then come back and turn on a DVD. Hanna usually falls asleep between 8:00 and 8:30. Since I do not get tired that early, I have been catching up on my law school reading and X-Box time. I have also taken a keen interest in meteorology given this hyperactive hurricane season. Besides being extraordinarily tired, Hanna is developing an appetite similar to mine for the first time ever. As you can imagine, I am enjoying this to the fullest extent possible.

We went to the Doctor two weeks ago, this was the first time that I got to attend one of the prenatal appointments. We waited for two hours in the waiting room because the doctor had several deliveries that day. I guess I wasn't surprised, but I learned that the OB/GYN office really does not pride itself on providing reading material for men. Next time I will have to remember to bring a book. The exciting part of the visit was the sonogram. This was the second one that Hanna had taken. We could see our baby moving around, and it even got hiccups while we were looking at it on the screen. The whole process was very exciting for me, and I think that is when the fact that we are really going to have a baby finally sunk in. 

That is all the news I have for now. Look for another update in a couple of weeks because Hanna is supposed to have another doctors appointment. There is a fair chance that we will get to find out what the sex of the baby is at this next appointment. One more thing, did you remember that today was September 11. Can you believe that the twin towers tragedy was 7 years ago? I remember that I found out in the football locker room at Lake Highlands High School. During football season, we had weights in the morning before school. After weights and showers, we all heard the news when Coach Holmes ran in and told all of us while we were half-dressed. Do you remember where you were? This is the father-to-be signing out.