Boy or Girl?

Well, as I mentioned before, I have always thought that we were going to have a girl...I don't know why, but as soon as we found out that I was pregnant I told Josh that our child was going to be a girl. In all of the dreams that I have had our child is a girl with pale skin and dark hair - very similar to me.

Until now!

Last night I had a dream that we had a boy with light hair and light skin - similar to Josh's. I don't know if my dreams are truly intuition, or just the shortcomings of my daily thoughts. Josh did mention to me, just the other day, that he was going to go with the Chinese Birth Calendar which shows that our child will be a boy.

Here is a neat little link that I got in my e-mail just the other day. You decide what you think we're having! I'd also like to know if any of these are true for any of you mothers out there!

Boy or Girl? 38 Fun Ways to Guess Your Baby's Sex

Happy Guessing! We will find out in just three short months!

Lovin' Pregnancy

Who would have thought that I'd say that after the craziness I've experienced during my first trimester?

I LOVE...

1. ...knowing that I am nourishing and growing another life inside of me.

2. ...the bond that is being formed between a wife and her husband.

3. ...feeling the baby move.

4. ...the exciting and joyful expression on Josh's face when he feels the baby move.

5. ...hearing the baby's heartbeat (which I'm going to try to record at the next doctor's visit, so watch for that posting).

6. ...eating A LOT - and not feeling a bit guilty.

7. ...the feeling of anticipation created by not know the gender of the baby.

8. ...the way Lucy snuggles close to my belly at night, as if she is trying to keep the baby warm.

9. ...talking to other overjoyed parents about their experiences (sometimes that can be scary too).

10. ...reading to the baby.

11. ...having Josh read to the baby.

12. ..."the pregnancy glow"

13. ...brainstorming baby names with Josh (being teachers makes this one interesting).

14. ...reading about the development of a fetus and discovering all the changes that are rapidly occurring.

There are many other things that I LOVE about being pregnant - I either can't think of them right now (momneasia), or haven't discovered them yet! Like I have said many times before, I am truly enjoying every moment of this experience as well as looking forward to what is going to come! And I know many of you are too!

The sign says...Kick Me!

Kick Me! That's what Beth was referring to. I finally was able to feel the baby kick the other day. It was quite exciting especially after numerous failed attempts to actually feel the baby. Beth would grab my hand, pull it to her belly and ask, "did you feel that?" Of course, my response was always something like "feel what? I can't feel anything." It was definately very cool!

There's a Baby In There!

There is definitely a baby in there! Not only can I feel it move throughout the entire day, but I have been growing. I'm sure there are those people that look at me and wonder, "Is she pregnant or just fat?" I'm pregnant darn it!

Yesterday was a big day for us. We decided to go crib shopping and peruse around for all the things we may need for our coming child. Well, it wasn't that exciting. As we were walking through the many stores I realized how overwhelming having a child can be. Then I had feelings of being an ill-prepared parent. Then those feeling made me recognize just how commericalized having a child can be. Don't get me wrong, having a baby is going to be a huge expense, but do I really need all the things Babies R Us tells me I need?

We ended up purchasing our crib at Target (we'll post pictures once we get the nursery going), and I adopted my step dad's motto about Wal-Mart: "If Target doesn't have it, I don't need it!" In terms of baby stuff of course. So you better believe that that is the place we will be registering.

On Friday we had a big day as well. I went to the doctor for my monthly check up. Again, I got to hear the baby's heart beat - it ranged between 140 and 148 beats per minute. From that you may think that we are having a girl. Who knows! My doctor said that everything sounded great and that my belly is measuring about 23 centimeters which confirms my projected due date of June 25, 2008. I am just about 6 months pregnant.

We also had a big day on Thursday, but I am going to let Josh tell you about that because it involved him (finally)!

Happy and Healthy!

I'm not even going to try to top Josh's last post. Just with all the time and effort (and curse words) he put into that, I was reassured that he is going to be an awesome father. Hopefully he won't curse at our child.

Well, many of you have been asking how things are going. I have been doing much better since I have gotten over the "four month hump". I haven't vomited (or peed my pants) since the horrible trip back from Joshs' folks house in late December. Hopefully it will stay that way! The aversions to meat and various smells have pretty much gone away (I can actually help feed the dog once in awhile). And I'm not going to bed at 7:30 as I did many a nights in the first trimester. I really don't feel that pregnant except for the fact that I can feel that baby move and I can't wear regular clothes anymore.

As you may have witnessed (from the ultrasound video), the baby is doing well. All the measurements fit right into the term of my pregnancy. At that time the baby weighed about 10 ounces. I think it might weigh a little more than that now due to the fact that I have gained 3 pounds in just one day. I'm not too sure if that can be all baby, or if that had something to do with the fact that my girl scout cookies have come in! Whatever the case may be - I have gained a total of 9 pounds and feel pretty healthy. I hope this is a good sign for the baby's sake. I don't really have any quarrels about the second trimester of pregnancy.



We are really looking forward to meeting our new little one. I am continually dreaming about her. In every dream that I have had, our baby is a girl with dark hair (similar to mine). The dreams are so vivid and convincing. It will truly be amazing if they are true to life. With those dreams also come nervousness and anxiety. Am I ready to be a parent? Is there such a thing as "ready"? How can I be the best parent I can? Am I going to make the right decisions? When I run through those questions in my head, or out loud to Josh, I am reassured (by the fact that I have a supportive and caring husband) that everything will work out. Without the support and the love of my husband I don't think that I'd be able to become a mother. I don't know how single parents do it (Mom you are AMAZING). Sorry girls, but I have the BEST husband in the world!

"With Arms Wide Open!"

Well, we are about halfway through. I can't believe how quickly time is going. If I sound nervous it is because I am. But with arms wide open is truely how I am embracing the coming of our child. That doesn't take away the nervousness of becoming a father though. With great joy comes even greater responsibility. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited as well. It helps to have had great teachers (thanks Mom and Dad!). And I really appreciate all of the support from everyone. I have no reason to be worried.

Despite not being able to physically feel any changes (although I have actually gained more weight than Elizabeth), I have already developed an emotional connection. I think for some guys it is often difficult to feel a connection to a child while it is still in the womb. But it has really helped me to be involved in the pregnancy (not just in the initial creation..ha ha) by going to all of the doctor visits.

It is absolutly amazing to see the changes that are happening. The baby was the size of a thumb in the first ultrasound. Now only 2 months later the foot is that size. I have enjoyed learning about and seeing the changes that are happening to the baby and my beautiful wife. I can't wait to see more!!!

"Roller Coaster of Love" - Beth's Thoughts

WOW! That is the only word that I can use to descibe the journey of pregnancy so far. It is comparable to living on a roller coaster. There are definitely the ups and downs that go along with the feelings of excitement, anxiety, joy, laughter, and nervousness. I am currently 18 weeks and 4 days pregnant and I am actually starting to feel the baby, which makes me feel pregnant.

I didn't realize that there are so many great emotions that go along with the creation of a child. I was telling Josh the other day that I feel as though our love has gotten even deeper than it was before. Just knowing that we have created a human being together is simply an indescribably AMAZING feeling. It makes me nervous for my child - "Am I going to be able to supply enough love for both my husband, child, and loved ones like you?" I continue to wonder this as Josh simply reminds me that, "Everything will all work out!" It is so great to have such a supportive and caring husband - he's going to be a great dad (thanks to Mom and Dad Urich)!

As if that's not enough of an "up" there have been many more that I have been experiencing. I am so very excited to grow and learn as my child grows and learns inside of me. I read the other day that by 17 weeks a fetuses ears are fully developed and can start to recognize sounds including its parents' voices. Our child is hearing my heart beating and the swishing of the fluids in the placenta and recognizing those as comforting sounds - already! I have been trying to talk to my child, but it seems really crazy at first. Although I have done so in private. I hope to start reading to her soon.

I am also looking forward to our next doctor's appointment. We will be able to hear the heartbeat again (for those of you who have children, it is a delightful sound). We will also get to see her via ultrasound, which is simply amazing as well. We would be able to find out the gender of our child, but we are going to have that as one of our "ups" on the day that it is born. (NOTE: I refer to our child as a "she" because from the moment we found out we were expecting I have had this gut feeling that it is going to be a girl. It's not because I know something you don't and am not sharing it with you.) I am also looking forward to the day that our child is born! Well, DUH! I am curious to see what features our child has and how Josh and I have come together to meld one human being.

Wow, doesn't pregnancy sound like the most wonderful thing in the world? Well, it is, but it definitely comes with its "downs". These are the parts of the roller coaster that I'd rather not admit or even remember! These are the true but scary parts that I have experienced so far and I haven't even stepped foot into the delivery room. There was the time that I went to feed Lucy and the smell of her dog food simply repulsed me to the point of vomiting up stomach bile. Josh has taken over that duty (Great Husband Reason #68). Then there was that Saturday morning where I puked up my breakfast so violently that I ended up pissing all over myself (that is one I HATE to admit). Then shortly after that I called my mom feeling so embarrassed and upset that she had trouble understanding what I was saying because I was crying so hard. And her response, "It's all fun and games until someone gets pregnant!" Thanks mom, I needed that laugh.

Then there was the time when we were on our way home from Josh's parents house (they live about 5 and a half hours away from us) and we got stuck in Silverthorn, CO because I-70 was closed due to a horrible blizzard. We found refuge in the rec. center, but had to sleep on the hard wood gym floor with one pillow, one blanket, and our dog! That was one of the worst experiences of my life, but it doesn't end there. In the morning we got up and went to get something to eat, but before I could even get into the car, I had one of those violent vomiting attacks again and peed in my pants again! Luckily I had done laundry at the Urich's house and had clean clothes to change into, so I change discretely in the car. Then we went to get something to eat. As we were sitting in the car eating our breakfast the DJ announced that there was an alternate route opened, so we decided to get on the road. After about 15 minutes of riding in the car, my breakfast came back to haunt me (I vow never to eat McDonald's again). I ended up throwing up in my mouth and panicked looking for a way to get it out of the car. I tried opening the door, but it wouldn't open due to the fact that we were still moving. So then Josh saved me again and rolled down my window from his side of the car (Great Husband Reason #74). I told him not to stop because I just wanted to get home! I ended up puking all over the side of his truck and wetting myself AGAIN! Luckily I still had clean clothes to change into. We finally arrived home 26 hours after we had left the Urich's house (not bad timing).

Yes, the list of "downs" continues. Another "down" is being so constipated that I have to take a stool softener (I thought only old people had to take stool softeners). Then there is the feeling of being so fat that none of your clothes fit. It reminds me of those Subway commericals where the people order the "number 4 with a side of bloating, feeling fat and not being able to get a boyfriend" -pregnancy is the same way. I have broke down and bought some maternity clothes and boy am I glad. I am not really showing yet, but all of my regular clothes are too tight.


All I can say now is that the "ups" definitely outweigh the "downs" and I am anxious to see what new adventures this roller coaster ride continues to take me on! We will keep all of you updated!

New Beginnings

As we open up to a new chapter in our lives, we would like to share it with all of you. Many of you know that we are expecting our first child in June of 2008. We will be posting our thoughts, feelings, pictures, video clips and much more. Here is a our baby's first picture taken at 10 weeks of age (November 2007).