My dear, sweet Ainsley

24 weeks and 2 days. That’s how long you’ve been growing inside me. That means we’ve got 15 weeks and 5 days until we get to see your sweet face. I can’t believe I’m already this big and only going to get bigger as you grow even more.

You are moving all the time now. All. The. Time. A few nights ago I fell asleep on the couch. When I got up to move to the bed, I didn’t go back to sleep for almost 2 hours because you were so active. I think you were having your own little dance party in my belly! I don’t mind at all though. All that moving tells me you are right on schedule and healthy as can be — I would never ever complain about that.

Your daddy and I went on a little shopping spree this past weekend to Carter’s to get you some clothes (Um, LOVE their coupons). We got quite a few cute little outfits for you. In fact, I probably went a little bit overboard. But that’s what mamas do. Plus, all those little girly outfits are too hard to resist sometimes.

Here’s just a couple of the things we got you…

Later, after we put up all your clothes, your daddy and I sat on the floor in your room and I got out one of the diapers we already have ready for when you get here. I won’t lie. Your dad was a bit baffled. I tried to explain just exactly how they work. I even suggested we bring the cat out for practice. He’s never changed a diaper in his life, so try and bear with him as he learns. I know he’ll be a pro in no time. He better be anyway because we need some help don’t we?

I go to the doctor again this Friday for a check-up and to take my gestational diabetes test and make sure my blood sugar isn’t too high for you. Hopefully, everything will go as smoothly as it has gone so far.

I love you more and more each day, little girl. We are anxiously awaiting all the wonderful things to come.

Love,

your mom

Dear Ainsley,

What a week it has been. Your daddy and I have had quite a few things test our faith this week. And I’ll be honest, there were a few times I thought the situation might get the best of me.

But in all the low moments I’ve had this week, the one thing that has gotten me through it all is you. Just when I’d get wrapped up in my own little pity party, I’d feel you moving all over. Snapped back to reality, I was instantly reminded what was really important. The thought of your sweet face, your ten tiny fingers and toes….that can get me through anything.

While we may have had a trying week, we’ve also had some great times too. Thursday, we took you to your second big concert in my womb. The first one (Widespread Panic in October) probably didn’t even phase you because your little ears hadn’t fully developed yet. But, Thursday night, I could tell you were rocking out to some Gov’t Mule inside my belly. I hope you really did enjoy it as much as we did. How could you not love Warren Haynes like your mama?

The other exciting event this week: snow!! And lots of it.

Yesterday, I made it to work all of 30 minutes before your daddy came back to get me and take me home because the roads were already getting bad. We spent most of the morning curled up on the couch, watching the snow come down hard. In the afternoon, we bundled up and ventured out around the grounds of our apartment to check out the snow. We had a mini snowball fight and I wrote out our initials in the snow. Buddy came out with us and he had some fun too!

This week we also got a sweet package from your grandma, Lolly. She sent a pretty pink blanket, a couple of bibs (one with a pretty pink ‘A’ on it), and a sweet pair of booties. We had so much fun putting things up in the dresser that your Mamaw and Papaw bought for us. With each little outfit, blanket or diaper we receive, we get more and more excited about your arrival.

We already love you so much and we haven’t even met you yet. I can’t imagine the strength of that love once we finally do.

Love,

Your mom

The ABC’s of Meeeee

So I stole this one from a blog I read. I thought it was kinds of a fun one…

A – Age: Enjoying the last year of my 20s.

B – Bed size: Queen…but we’ve been eyeing those King mattresses

C – Chore you hate: vacuuming and most of all I despise the trips to the grocery store . Blech.

D – Dog’s name: Buddy

E – Essential “start your day” item: Before I was pregnant, COFFEE.  While preggers, a bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch.

F – Favorite color: blues and greens

G – Gold or Silver: I definitely prefer silver, but I have a lot beautiful vitage gold jewelry too.

H – Height: 5′7″

I – Instruments you play(ed): ummm…the recorder in fourth grade.

J – Job title: Currently a temporary contract worker, so the titles are varied and plentiful. And it’s not as glamorous as it sounds.

K – Kid(s): One sweet Ainsley Reese on the way.

M – Mum’s name: Deborah, but she’s goes by Debbie

N – Nicknames: Tisten Littlebits from my dad (for Kristen Elizabeth) and then there’s the always popular Pedro from high school. That one came from James Holbrook — I sure miss you, friend.

O – Overnight hospital stay other than childbirth: None so far, thank the good Lord.

P – Pet Peeve: I could go on forever with this one….people who cut in any long line, saying “axe” instead of “ask”, people who don’t return or answer phone calls, texts and emails, just name a few.

Q – Quote from a movie: “I always tell the girls, never take it seriously. If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. You never get hurt, you always have fun. And if you ever get lonely, you just go to the record store and visit your friends.” from Almost Famous

R – Right- or left-handed: Righty

S – Siblings: Yes, the sweetest little sister in the whole world.

T – Time you wake up: Usually around 6:15 on the weekdays and 8:30 on the weekends. All to change very soon when this baby comes along.

U- Underwear: Really? I don’t think so.

V – Vegetable you dislike: brussel sprouts are really the only vegetable that kind of gross me out

W – Ways you drink your coffee: cream and sugar, puhlease

X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, back (I have scoliosis) and yes, THREE different x-rays on my left foot. Poor foot.

Y – Yummy food you make: Every darn thing I make. Right, Josh?

Z – Zoo favorite: AT the Nashville Zoo, BY FAR, the clouded leopards. I’d own one if I could.

All That Fun Girly Stuff

Before we found out whether we were having a boy or girl, there were many different reasons I had for wanting each.

One of the biggest reasons I wanted girl was for shopping moments like these….

Ummmm how freakin’ cute is this?? Since Ainsley is coming along near the end of May, I could not resist this sweet little summery dress. I had to bring it home.

So much more fun to go!

What an amazing day….

This morning when I woke up, I had no idea whether this little life inside me was a boy or a girl. For the past four and half months we’ve lovingly referred to our little munchkin as “it”, “he or she” and just the general “baby” when in conversation. I felt like I was already getting to know our child even though I hardly knew anything.

Now…..wow.

Today, Josh and I headed up to the Vanderbilt clinic for a doctor appointment and an ultrasound. Yes, THE ultrasound. What us preggos refer to as the BIG ultrasound.

And boy, was it big. Wait. Or should I say girl, was it big! Yep. In just a few short months, Josh and I will welcome our daughter, Ainsley Reese, into this amazing world.

So, in just a few short hours I’ve already created a whole new bond with this sweet little girl I’m carrying. Josh says she’s already got him wrapped around those little fingers of hers, and I can tell you, she TOTALLY does.

What an amazing day…

Oooohhhh….and in other amazing day  news, my most sweetest husband in whole wide world bought me (well, us )a brand new Macbook. So I hope to blogging much more now that I’ve got this wonderful new machine to do it on.

Here’s my excitement captured on the built-in web cam:

Baby Buzz

Bad blogger, bad! I really wanted to do better about posting regularly, and I’ve been letting a little too much time pass between posts.

A few fun things to update though!!

• I went to the doctor last Monday and everything is looking great. My blood pressure is right where it needs to be and so is my weight gain. This visit was the not-so-fun one where they have to take care of all those womanly things. I did get to hear the heartbeat though, which was AMAZING. Josh was sick as a dog and home from work that day so he didn’t make it to the appointment and was crushed.
• I also scheduled my next appointment which is the BIG ultrasound. On January 15th, we’ll find out if it’s pink or blue!! I can’t wait to start picking out all sorts of “gender specific” stuff. It will make this whole life-changing process that much more real.
• A couple of weeks ago, we picked out a crib! We went with black because we already have some great black shelves that will be perfect for the baby’s room too. Here it is:
• Today, I felt the baby move for the first time. Earth-shatteringly surreal. Okay, so it just felt like out-of-control gas bubbles, but it WAS the baby moving around in there. And there’s just not many words to describe how incredible that is. If all these little pregnancy milestones are as good as that one I know I’ll run out of adjectives to describe them all.

Well, that’s all for the moment. We’re heading home to Mississippi for Christmas on Wednesday, so here’s wishing everyone a wonderful holiday week!

Baby Bump – 15 weeks 4 days

Yep, there it is. The infamous baby bump. I still don’t really feel that it looks like I’m pregnant, but instead packed on a few pounds right in the gut area. Oh well. The good news is that I’ve hardly packed on any real pounds even though my stomach is noticeably bigger. So, I’m doing good so far.

I ended my contract at McGraw-Hill about a week and a half ago and I’m still not at all happy about it. I start a new assignment through the temp agency this Monday and the only thing that excites me in any way is thought of a regular paycheck coming at the end of each week. I’ll have A job and that in and of itself is HUGE these days. I’m trying really hard to be positive because I know God has a plan, and he knows better than I. That certainly isn’t easy though.

I have a doctor’s appointment Monday, so I’ll be back to update if there’s any news on the little munchkin.

Thankful

I am thankful for a place to call home and food to put on the table (we’ve come a long way in just one short year).

I am thankful for the most loving and supportive parents and in-laws a girl could ask for in her life.

I am thankful for my amazing husband who is my best friend in the world. I cannot imagine life without you.

I am thankful for each and every “adventure” life brings….even those bumpy rides as they only make me stronger in the end.

But most of all this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for this perfect little life growing inside me. It is truly humbling to have so much love for someone you’ve never even met.

We’re off to Jackson this afternoon. Wising everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

Perspective

Normally our Saturdays this time of year are filled with lots of fun, laughter and screaming at the TV during a day crammed with every college football game two human beings can possibly watch. This Saturday was not nearly as much fun.

I found out the contract with the job I’m working now will not be extended past November 30th. I knew it was coming. I had tried really hard to mentally prepare myself for it. But, I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I’d held out a little too much hope and the news from the temp agency Saturday morning hit me hard.

I mean, we’re about to have a baby. What are we going to do if I don’t find something right away? The tears were free-flowing.

Then I stepped back from myself and all the crazy emotion for a few minutes. We’re about to have a baby. What an easy way to put the smile back on my face.

I’ve put every bit of my faith in the fact that God knows exactly what he’s doing. He got us through seven months of living in hotel, he’ll be right there beside us for this as well.

Let the Guessing Games Begin…

When you’re pregnant it seems as if everyone has an opinion on the gender of your baby. Friends, family and strangers alike. I actually find all the guesses and theories highly entertaining. Sometimes there are reasons (not necessarily good ones), and other times it’s just “a gut feeling.”

There’s Angie. She works in the same building as me and calculated some formula based on my age and the month the baby was conceived. She says it’s a boy.

Noreen also works in the same building. She did a quick spot check of my body type and hips. She says it’s a girl.

Barney Fife who does security for the building says it’s a girl. Just because. Oh, and he’s never wrong on this kind of thing.

One of Josh’s coworkers says its a girl because the heart rate is high. (I’m sure you’ve heard this old wives tale before.)

Lots of people have told me they just feel like it’s a girl. Both my mom and Josh’s mom think the ultrasound looks like a boy. I’m not so sure how you can tell anything from an ultrasound at 11 weeks. I can barely make out the head, but hey, to each his own.

I can’t wait to REALLY find out what this little thing inside me is though. It will make everything even more real than it already is. Naming our little munchkin and getting to know he or she before they even get here. Truly amazing…