Daddy Do's and Dont's

Well this whole experience has certainly been a learning experience.  I thought I knew that no matter what Jenny is right, however little did I know that Jenny is always right even when she says she is not!  It can be entirely confusing knowing how to respond when every answer has a predetermined path to failure.

With all of that said our pregnancy has been extremely smooth and a blast.  Each week brings us new news about our little boy and with him now practicing karate inside of Jenny's ever expanding belly we can get a feel for how feisty he will be. 

Working on the nursery has really opened my eyes to how close we are to expanding our family.  This opportunity has been a long time coming and Jenny and I are very aware of how our life will change (well at least we think!).  This is all very exciting and I really can not wait until Reed can come home with us.

Jason

Winter Break

I know it's been a while (I'm sorry Aunt Amy).  I actually have some time to sit and write.  Having a class full of 26 six year olds isn't always the easiest job.  This year so far I've already had two kids throw up on me and I had to wear jeans with throw up on them for the remainder of the day.  Oh the joys of first grade:) 



24 weeks



 Let's talk a little bit about our pregnancy... We are 24 weeks along and so far I absolutely enjoy being pregnant.  He moves around constantly and it is such an awesome reminder throughout my day that my little guy is in my belly.  When I lay in bed at night is when he gets really active.  Jason has been talking to the belly at night so I think the baby loves his daddy's voice.  I still eat whatever I feel like eating, although our nurse practitioner just praises vegetables.  I try to eat vegetables when I can, but when I get a craving there is no stopping it.  I can now finish my plate faster than Jason.  The pounds just keep adding up but according to the weight gain chart I am exactly where I need to be so the nurse can't yell at me too bad.  Our big news is that we have finally decided on a name...Reed!  Now we can refer to him in first person rather than he or it. 



My mother standing in the snow

 

This past week we have been very busy working on the nursery and visiting with family.  I drove to Flagstaff with my mother and spent the week with her.  Then Jason joined us on Christmas Eve in Flagstaff.  We had the perfect snow storm, just enough to have fun in but not get stuck.  Our dog Roxy just loves the snow, she rolled in it for hours. 

On Christmas morning Jason and I headed to Parker, Arizona to visit with his family.  Parker had beautiful weather and Jason's aunt Amy lives right on the river.  Of course our dog was in the water within 0.000001 of a second.  We ate steak and crab legs and watched Jason and his dad entertain us with fireworks.  We came home from Parker the day after Christmas and got right to work on the nursery. 



Jason, Dad and Diego in Parker



Roxy jumping (being thrown) into river





4 Wheelin' in the Polaris!



My mother bought us a nice crib and a glider for our darling little boy.  While I was away for the week Jason painted the baby's nursery (trust me...it was hard to be away for that).  He really did a great job!  We put together all the furniture in about 7 hours and decided on what looked best.  Now that we have a room with furniture, it seems to be getting closer.  Today, my wonderful friend Jamie, came over to work on a mural for the nursery.  She is an amazing artist, but I'm not going to show off her work until the mural is complete.  



Jason's paint job, baby blue with chocolate



For Christmas Jason's father and step-mom got us an awesome new camera.  From here on out I will be updating my blog with more pictures of the nursery and the belly.  We get another ultrasound in 4 weeks.  That will be the 3D ultrasound.  Can't wait!   

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  I still have about a week left, but I will be spending tomorrow in my classroom getting ready for next week.  Go team first grade!

It's a BOY!!!





The baby's profile at 18 weeks





The junk...aka boy parts



Today was our 18 week ultrasound and we found out we are having a BOY.  We were both very excited but I was VERY shocked.  I thought for sure I was having a girl.  It feels very cool now that I can say I am having a son.  After we found out Jason and I went shopping for our first boy outfit.  We came home with a cute little newborn onsie that has little monkey feet.  Then we went out to Outback Steakhouse to have a "man meal."  We both ordered steak and potatoes.  Now the hard part will be coming up with a name...



His little waving hand with 5 fingers showing.



The baby is doing wonderful.  He sure was bouncing around all over the place during our ultrasound.  The tech would go to take a picture and he'd completely roll over.  He is measuring about 1 week bigger and is in the 88th percentile for his fetal age.  He's going to be tall and long like his father.  When the shot between the legs appeared on the screen there was no doubt in my mind what we were having.  It was quite obvious that we were having a baby boy.  The tech kind of laughed and said, "oh yeah, you are definitely having a boy.  Our first baby class starts Wednesday night.  We will meet 7 other couples who are due right around our due date.  Hopefully we can make some friends. 

Jason and I look forward to watching our first son grow and change.  We can't wait to hold him in our arms.

He's already loved so much and I can't imagine my life without him.

17weeks



16 weeks



16 weeks



Today we are officially 17 weeks pregnant.  Apparently our baby is being compared to an onion.  That's such a lovely thought...our little onion.  Which then makes me think of Shrek, so then I think of Ogres.  So now I'm having a green, bug eating, monster.  AWESOME!

Anyways, next Monday, November 15th is our gender ultrasound.  We finally get to see whether our baby is a boy or a girl.  Jason and I have done many of the "at home" gender tests.  So far every single tests points to a girl.  We checked the Chinese calendar, the Mayan calendar, the color of my urine, how high the baby is sitting, and the heart rate.  These tests have concluded that we will be having a little girl.  According to my mother this isn't possible because scientifically it just makes sense that we would have a boy.  According to my Father we are having a girl because "paybacks are a bitch!"  We would like for all of you to cast your votes on our little one.  The winners really get nothing out of it, but it's still fun.



Bowling for Julia's 30th Birthday!



Our lives have been very relaxing the last few weeks.  Jason and I are completely obsessed with Dexter the TV series.  Our new favorite hobby is to order the seasons on Netflix and watch them five hours at a time. We have also been busy with hanging up things in our new house.  I have a very difficult time deciding which picture goes where.  We are really looking forward to having Thanksgiving in Flagstaff this year.  It will be nice to get out of the house and go somewhere new.  I heard that snow is a possibility.  Our dog Roxy would sure LOVE that.  Diego, not so much, he refuses to walk or pee in the snow.  He literally shivers like he is dying while Roxy does dive bombs into snowbanks.   They sure keep us entertained.  I have to say so far pregnancy has been a pleasant experience.  It sure is weird watching my belly grow, and other parts that I don't want to grow.  I'm just waiting for that  first movement of the baby.  According to the books, you can start to feel flutters at 16 weeks.  I haven't felt anything yet but I just keep waiting.  I will let you all know the outcome of the sex ASAP.

3 Year Anniversary



Baby Harmon 14 weeks old



 The baby news... Today we are offically 14 weeks pregnant.  I am still feeling great, my only problem is that many of my clothes seem to not fit anymore.  Last weekend I bought my first pair of maternity jeans.  I LOVE THEM!  I believe that ALL women should own a pair of these fantastic jeans, pregant or not.  I wish I could wear them everyday.  The baby is doing great, it actually is measureing 5 days older which could mean a sooner due date.  Currently baby Harmon is about 4 inches long and weighing about 4 ounces.  In the picture the baby has legs that are curled up, you can see it's cute little knees.  The baby's hand is in a fist (obviously it takes after me).  I think the face is absolutley adoreable.  It kind of looks like a grumpy face maybe he or she is not a morning person?  We go back for another ultrasound on November 15th and we get to find out the sex of the baby.  Either way, we will both be excited for have a little bundle of joy.

 



A lot has happened in the past 4 weeks and I fianlly have some time to catch everyone up.  We are finally moved into our new house.  It's definitley bigger than the old house so we have some empty rooms to fill.  We now have a new address as well.  I will post that at the end of the blog for those of you who want it.

Today Jason and I have been married for 3 wonderful years.  Every day we grow more in love with one another.  I appreciate everything he does for me.  I couldn't have asked for a better man.  Even though we have only been married for 3 years we have actually been together for 11.  To celebrate our anniversary we went to San Diego to visit our good friends Janae, Kellen, Rylan, and Layla.  Even though the weather was cloudy and chilly we still enjoyed each moment to catch up and just stare at the ocean.  They literally live on the beach (my dream come true). 


Jason and Rylan watching the dolphin show at Sea World





Janae and baby Layla


I will post pictures of the new house and of my belly at a later date. 
New Address:
1067 E. Julian Dr.
Gilbert, AZ 85295

Beach cruiser down Misson Beach



10 Weeks!



Is that really my belly?



Baby Harmon 10 weeks old

Today we are officially 10 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  We had our first "real" ultrasound last Monday and were so excited to see our little one for the first time.  Hearing the heart beat for the first time is one of the most beautiful sounds I will ever hear.  So far everything is checking our perfectly and they say our due date is APRIL 19th, 2011.  It feels like that is so far away.  I still have yet to get morning sickness,  although I do have a strange appetite.  I eat whatever sounds good and whenever.  I can't sit down and have 3 meals anymore, that just doesn't work out for me.  Right now I am not showing to the untrained eye.  My belly just looks like I drank too many beers the night before...I wish.  My doctor told me I should be gaining about 1 pound a week for the next 10 weeks, oh joy. 

Jason and I have been busy packing our house.  We officially move in 2 weeks.  We got the keys and garage door openers to our new house last night.  We are so ready to live in town and be close to friends again.  For those of you who don't know we are moving to Gilbert.  My drive will be about 5 minutes to work and Jason cut his driving time in half to about 25 minutes.  We are very excited to open the next chapter of our lives.  Now back to football... Let's GO CARDINALS!



Goodbye six pack!



Time Flys by...

We are just 1 day away from being 10 weeks pregnant.  To me, that is a landmark.  By now most of you, friends and family, have heard our big news.  Telling my family was one of my most proudest moments.  Over Labor Day our family was visiting other family in Wilhoit, AZ.  It happened to be that even my Grandma from Ohio was out to visit all of us here in Arizona.  I thought that was the perfect opportunity to share with our family the BIG NEWS.  We bought my dad a birthday gift that was a personalized beer mug.  On the front said, "Cheers Grandpa, the soon to be."  When he opened it, he just looked at the mug and didn't quite understand it but was happy to fill it with beer.  The rest of the family looked at each other until finally someone blurted out...ARE YOU PREGNANT?  YAY, someone in the room was able to decode the puzzle.  Basically the whole room was filled with happy tears and hugs.  It was a very special moment that we will never forget.

So far I haven't had ANY morning sickness.  I still LOVE to eat!  The doctors say that only 35% of women never get morning sickness.  I am proud to be one of the lucky ones.  There are a few smells that all the sudden hit me like a ton of bricks and I feel like vomiting.  I even had to make Jason eat his food in another room one evening.  I think he was eating a frozen burrito, but it didn't sit well with my pregnant body.  My husband is a true champ.  I never know what I want to eat but when my mind gets set on something in particular I will literally kill to get that food.  The other day it was chili-cheese fries from Sonic.  They might not be the most nutritious of meals, but boy were they delicious.  In fact one day I almost killed Jason just for eating MY Chinese leftovers in the fridge.  That was my true moment of raging hormones because for the first time they came out in full force.  I say Jason is a true champ because every time the hormones decide to take over my body he just listens and smiles.  He never says a word and when I'm finished he says, "honey, I love you!"  I couldn't have found a better man.  I LOVE YOU TOO!

On Tuesday morning we will get our first real ultrasound by our new O.B.  We are very excited to see how big our baby is.  The books tell me it has 10 fingers and 10 toes.  The baby should have eyelids and ear holes now.  I will be sure to post our first ultrasound pics on the blog.

4 Weeks Pregnant

It may look like nothing, but it doesn't feel like nothing.  Right now I am eating like a horse and can't get enough pickles or carbs.  They say the morning sickness sets in around 6 weeks, so I have 3 more days to live it up.  I'm already gaining some weight, but the books tell me I'm going to lose some weight from the nausea.  Can't wait for that.  According to "Pregnancy Week by Week"  our little one is building a heart, it's a big week. Right now (at 5 weeks) it is the size of an orange seed.  Just keep growing...

Happy News

Dreams really do come true

The last two weeks of our lives have been a true blessing.  About 2 weeks ago we received the greatest new in the world.  WE ARE EXPECTING OUR FIRST CHILD!!!!  Currently I am 5 1/2 weeks pregnant so many of you (friends and family) are unaware of our happy news.  Believe me, you will eventually find out, but for now it is between the hubby and I.  I just wanted to tell you all the story on how our pregnancy came together...

About 2 years ago we decided it was time to start a family.  We couldn't wait to have and hold our own creation one day.  Little did we know this dream would be such a challenge.  We went one whole year without any help.  Just hoping that one day we would read a positive pregnancy test.  We tried and tried (believe me, if we heard something worked we tried it).  After a year we decided to seek help from a fertility specialist, Dr. Craig.  After many tests of prodding and poking, we finally came to the conclusion that Jason's little swimmers just weren't working properly.  Of course this was very upsetting news for us and we went through some challenging moments.  The Dr. decided to put me on hormone injections and list full of other medications to boost my fertility (he said.. the more targets we have for the less bullets, the better shot we have).  Eventually towards the end of June 2010 the Dr. decided we should try artificial insemination (taking sperm and injecting them right into the uterus).  Unfortunately it did not work and we were back to square one with more disappointment and tears. 

We decided to give it one more go on July 27th I went in for another insemination.  Along for my support team were two great friends, Jamie and Julie.  Jason was in a big meeting and not able to make it.  They were wonderful friends and held my hand and rubbed my belly.  After the procedure I was in a lot of pain (think of the worst cramps) that I couldn't even drive home.  The Dr. tells you  in two weeks to take a home pregnancy test.  I just want you to know that those were the longest two weeks of my life.  We both try to forget about it and go on wit our normal lives, but it is very hard to ignore. 

FINALLY, two weeks later, the morning of August 10th arrived.  I slowly climbed out of bed and dreaded taking the pregnancy test.  You have to remember that for two years we did this and had disappointed after disappointment each month.  Jason left the room to feed the dogs and I sat on the toilet, my heart racing.  Usually I take a test and immediately set it on the counter so I don't look at it before the time is ready.  This time I decided to stare at it, as if it were my enemy and I was just waiting to be hurt.  Literally before I could even be finished on the toilet that PREGNANT word popped up!!!!!!!!!!!!  I stopped breathing and immediately jumped to my feet to do a happy dance (luckily I was finished going pee or else I would have had a disaster).  As Jason was returning back to the bathroom to check on me I decided to play it cool.  I was just standing there holding my favorite stick in the world and staring at it.  Jason told me to put it down, but I refused.  He repeated himself, getting frustrated that I wouldn't let go of it, and that's when he noticed.  I've never seem his eyes light up that way before.  He was amazed.  We both held each other and shed some tears.  It was one of the most memorable memories we will ever share together. 

Later that day we had a blood test to confirm that we really were pregnant and everything came back normal.  My HCG levels looked very good and we were expecting our first child.  All in all...Jason's swimmers really do work (I knew they could do it).  We are so happy to be expecting.  Our dreams really are coming true.