Baby Isabel

By now most of you have probably heard the good news, that we have a healthy and active little baby. And an added bonus of our sonogram was getting to find out that we'll be having a girl, a daughter. I've been grinning from ear to ear all day. Its just all so amazing and almost hard to take in all at once. All day I've been thinking "I wonder if she'll enjoy this, or what she'll be like." And the great thing is, we have all the time in the world to find out.

So for now, I hope you all enjoy the first pictures of Isabelle (no middle name yet), as it will be another 20 weeks or so before we get the opportunity to photograph her in person.


***Please note...Although Geoffrey and I had decided on the girl name "Isabel" a while ago, we never actually discussed the spelling. So tonight we figured out the spelling...after my initial blog posting where I spelled it "Isabelle."***

The Belly is Growing :)

There isn't much that needs to be said about these pictures, as they speak for themself. Although I still don't have that true "pregnant belly pop" I'm definitely getting there. I've noticed it the most over the past few weeks especially...which makes sense, as the little one should double in weight from week 17 to week 20. According the babycenter.com, the baby is 6" long and weighs 8.5 ounces. Pretty impressive!

One thing is for sure...my former flat stomach is loooong gone. The other sure thing...this is one active baby. He/she is moving around a lot, and not just "swimming." I think within a week or two Geoffrey will be able to feel the little jabs I am now feeling, as he/she is at it again while I type up this entry.

August 25th, 11 weeks

September 2, 12 weeks

October 6, 17 weeks

Oct 21, 19 weeks

Fish & Mrs. Crabby Hippo

Strange blog title I realize, but you will understand once you read on...

First big piece of news is that I felt the baby move last week. I'd thought before I maybe had, but this was definitely it. I was sitting in a room full of 75+ people at our system level Final Design Review, for the Orion Launch Abort System (LAS). The LAS is essentially a rocket, and during one of the talks about the motor, I felt a strange sensation. It was as though I had swalled a fish and it was swimming around my belly, flipping and flopping against the walls. It took me a second until I realized "oh my gosh, that was the baby." It was awesome and it "swam" around a little more during the presentation. Now, usually after dinner when I'm sitting still, I'll feel the little one moving about. I'm hopeful that in the next few weeks that Geoffrey will be able to feel movement from the outside of my belly.

And now to the Crabby Hippo. A little over a month ago, I got an email from Kevin stating that I would soon be looking like a hippo (I suppose its a nicer way to say that I"ll be getting huge). So from then on it became a little joke. He'd send pictures of hippos to me, which would always make me laugh. Then, while watching a VT game a couple Saturdays ago, I wasn't in the greatest of moods. I received a warning email stating that if my behavior continued for the next game, I'd have to sit in the "crabby hippo corner." Luckily, I haven't been sent there.

So, today I get home from work and there is a box on the counter. I know I haven't bought anything online recently, and open it, wondering what it could be. Inside the box I found this:

If you click on the picture, you can read the note, which reads

"TO: Mrs. Crabby Hippo FROM: Hubert A. Hippo I hope you enjoy playing with my hipponess. Maybe someday your baby will enjoy being hiptastic with me."

Geoffrey and I just laughed and laughed. He was actually the one to grab the camera right away, to take a picture to send it to Jerry, who has joined in the hippo fun. He likes to sing the song from the scene in Fantasia where there is a hippo in a tutu dancing.

I'm so lucky to have such loving brothers and brothers-in-law. (J/K...I wouldn't trade them for anything)

20 week ultrasound scheduled!

Ok, so I'm just a little too excited about this, but we have our 20 week ultrasound scheduled. October 26th at 8:15!!! This will be the first time we get to see the little one (since I knew my "dates" and am having a healthy pregnancy, they don't do any extra ultrasounds). AND, 3 weeks from today we'll hopefully know what sex the baby is! Here's to hoping that the little one will stay still for a few minutes, unlike today when he/she was moving all around as the doctor tried to locate the heartbeat! It was pretty funny and he even asked if I'd felt him/her moving. I haven't yet, or at least didn't recognize it as movement. Everything else checked out good. I need to try and bump my calories up a bit (always fun to hear) as I'd actually lost a pound. Now that I'm feeling better and not getting sick that shouldn't be a problem.

I'll be sure to post some pictures and the big news on the 26th. Until then you'll just have to listen to my random musings. :) Feel free to post your "thoughts" on what you think the baby is. I definitely find it interesting to hear people's ideas of what it is and why!

Changing of the Closet

Well, its starting to happen. Right around the 16 week mark I noticed a little bump on my tummy and that my clothes were fitting just a wee bit snugger than usual. It was definitely weird to have this solid mass where a once flat tummy was...but I love it. I can't wait for the bump to actually pop, so I can rub the belly and the baby inside. So, with the coming of the bump comes new clothes. Thankfully, I have a wonderful friend, Megan, who passed down to me all of her maternity clothes...and there are a ton! Unfortunately Megan is about 5'2" and well, the 7" difference I have on her wouldn't work so well in the pant area. So today I headed to the mall after work to Old Navy and Motherhood Maternity. It was an interesting experience, as I learned that maternity pants are usually stretchy from top to bottom and just pull up...almost like I've regressed to the jeans you put on little babies and toddlers. But, they are super comfy and move in and out as I breath.

So tonight begins the official changing of the closet. It is usually around this time of year, as the temperature drops, that I get very excited about pulling out sweaters, cords and other cool weather clothing. Well this year, the same clothing I get excited about is being put away in storage. Along with my jeans, pretty dress slacks, shirts and anything else that I know I won't be wearing until next summer if I'm lucky. And its strange to be putting these things away, not knowing if I will ever even fit into them again (though hopefully with a jogging stroller I will get back in shape come March). But at the same time I couldn't be more excited. Excited to know that these clothes will accomodate my growing belly and the baby inside. Excited that these clothes will show the world I am pregnant. And extra excited that during the holidays I won't really worry about what I eat...as the baby certainly needs to develop a taste for christmas cookies and it will be hard to tell what was Heather eating too much and what was the baby :).

Well, dinner is calling my name...I'm going to go and put those expandable pants to good use.