Our fur-kids

Nothing new to report with Baby H - he continues to grow and kick. I'm really enjoying my second trimester and feeling great! Shadow and I have been enjoying some long walks now that the weather is warming up, so I thought it would be a good time to introduce our fur-kids. I'm sure there will be some adjustment after the baby arrives, but they are an important part of our family.

Shadow is our sweet labra-chessie. We adopted her after we got married when she was 9 months old. She is a perfect companion and wants nothing more than to be with us. Her nickname is the 'love-hog' because she loves to snuggle. She doesn't understand that 85 lbs is a bit large to be a lap dog. She's getting older now and is almost completely gray in the face, but she still loves to swim and retrieve more than anything. Shadow is extremely patient and gentle with children and she is going to be a wonderful big sister!

Beau is my big, fluffy cat that I adopted soon after I graduated from college. He is extremely attached to me and is the most affectionate cat I've ever known. He and Chris tolerate each other, but he is definitely my cat. Beau was not thrilled about having to share me when we got Shadow, but he adjusted and now they get along very well.

I am a huge advocate for pet adoption. There are many great organizations where you can find a lifelong companion in need of a loving home. I find it hard to believe that both of my angels were unwanted at some point in their lives. Adopt, don't buy!

What's in a name?

Now that we know we're having a boy, the most common question I'm asked is 'Have you picked out a name yet?'. The short answer is not yet... we have just started discussing names and have a few that we like so far. However, we have agreed that when we do decide, we will keep it to ourselves until he's born. We know this will upset some people, but we have good reasons. Mainly, since we did announce the sex, we'd like to keep something as a surprise for his birthday. And who knows, we may change our minds when we meet him, so we don't want any monograms until it's on the birth certificate.

In the meantime, several friends have given him a 'pseudo name' of Henry, which is definitely not a finalist. Although I like the name, Henry Henretty is borderline cruel - just try saying it several times really fast. So for now, feel free to just call him Henry.

Pink or Blue???

First, and most importantly, the baby is healthy and growing! All vital organs look good and development is right on track. And now what everyone wants to know - we DID find out the gender and... it's a BOY!!!

We have undeniable picture proof. He was not shy about showing 'the goods', although Chris and I decided it was a bit inappropriate to post for the world to see. He was, however, being shy about showing his face, so we didn't get any good profile shots.

Chris and I are ecstatic to be having a son and are mostly relieved that he appears to be healthy and progressing as expected! I'm now 2 days shy of the halfway point (20 weeks) and praying that everything continues to go well. I'm sure the second half will fly by!

The Dancing Baby

During our early ultrasounds, it was pretty obvious we had an active baby. He/she was dancing all over the place and several ultrasound techs commented that the little peanut wouldn't stay still. I've been patiently waiting for when I would feel all of those movements and kicks and I think it's official! Right on schedule at 19 weeks! I actually started feeling a little 'fluttering' over a week ago, but I wasn't 100% sure that's what it was. It's getting stronger and now I'm certain I'm feeling Baby H dancing around. It seems to be more noticeable after a meal. And today, I discovered the baby seems to share my obsession for Jelly Belly jelly beans (yumm - my favorite). I snacked on some this afternoon and I've been getting kicked non-stop for hours. Baby's first sugar high?

Stay tuned later this week!! We have an ultrasound on Friday and if things go as planned (i.e. the baby cooperates and we don't change our minds and decide to wait), we will find out if Baby H is a boy or a girl! Hurry up and post your guesses in the 'comments' now!

And here's my first belly shot - taken at 18 weeks - just one day after the first 'stranger' asked if I was pregnant (the cashier at Kroger). When I told her I was, she responded with 'I thought you looked plump'. Oh well...

Prego friends

Some of you have asked for a belly shot and this is the best I can do for now. My best friend Laura is pregnant with her second child and is due a only few days after me. We have been friends since 7th grade and have shared many life experiences together. And interestingly, so have our husbands - Chris and Ryan have been friends just about as long! It's so fun to have someone close to share this experience with and it will be wonderful to have an experienced mom to answer all of my 'new mom' questions. Hopefully, I won't drive her too crazy!

I'm almost 18 weeks in the picture and starting to look a little more 'baby belly' than 'freshman fifteen'. I've done a little shopping for maternity clothes, but I'm trying to hold off until the weather gets warmer (Spring PLEASE hurry!!). And, yes, if you've seen Laura's blog, I 'borrowed' her picture because it was better than any that we took.