We are expecting!

By now the news has been shared, Ian and I are expecting! I’ve looked forward to this moment for a very long time, and now that it’s finally here, I feel like it’s going so fast. In a little over 5 months Ian and I will get to meet our child. August 23rd is the due date, and it sure is approaching fast (although when it hits 90 degrees in the middle of summer, I’m sure time will start to go really slow).

If you really know me, you probably realize that this child has been in the plan, for the last 5 years to be exact. I just pulled my 5 year plan I wrote back in 2006 after I graduated college. Sure enough it says, Fall 2011: start a family. 5 years ago I thought this day would take forever to get here, and now it’s just around the corner.

Now that I’m in the 2nd trimester, I’m supposedly in the “honeymoon phase.” I’m supposed to start getting more energy, my face is supposed to “glow.” I’ve felt none of this! Granted, I had a pretty easy 1st trimester compared to most. Barely any morning sickness. I was incredibly tired though, but that could also be due to the fact that tax season started up the 2nd week of January. With tax season now in full swing, we are pulling 60+ hour work weeks at the office. I keep telling myself if I can handle being pregnant during tax season, I can handle anything! But then I think about having a child during tax season next year, and I have a feeling I’m in for a treat.

Yes, I do plan on working after having this child. I’ve thought a lot about it, and feel like it would be the right decision for me. I enjoy my job, and the people I work for, and I feel that financially it makes sense for Ian and I do have a dual income for some of the things we wish to do, and some of the goals we have for the future. This decision is not just a financial decision, but an emotional decision as well. I need work to stay focused, and continue my desire to have a career. It is going to be hard, probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but thankfully I have a family that supports my decision, and will be there to lend a helping hand when needed. I fully support my friends that have decided to be stay at home moms, and by no means do I think that is easy. There are pro’s and con’s to staying at home and working, and each person decides what would work best for them. For now, being a working mom is my goal.

I think the most amazing part of my pregnancy so far was seeing our baby during our 13 week ultrasound. It made it feel so real. I saw the little hands, and the arms and legs. I heard the heartbeat, and I fell in love with the sound. That’s my future child, and at that point, I knew that 3 inch baby was my world.

Although Tax season will OWN me the next 5 weeks, I do have something to look forward to. Ian and I will be hosting a gender reveal party in April. I’ve been planning this “reveal” for a long time. I’ve always known this is how I wanted to find out if we were having a boy and a girl. Here’s how it will go down…
When we go in for our gender ultrasound, the nurse will write down boy/girl and place the note in an envelope. I will give the envelope to a cake baker (Kalico Cakes) and they will be baking me a cake where the cake batter is either dyed pink or blue depending on the sex, but the outside is gender neutral. During the party, Ian and I will cut into the cake with our friends and family, and we will all find out together. :)

Here is a picture from the beginning of the week:



Weeks: 16 weeks
Weight Gain: 2 lbs. I’ve only gained 2 pounds, but my pants barely fit! I think my weight is just shifting….
Sleep: about 8 hours a night during the week, 10 during the weekend.
Food Cravings: STILL breakfast foods! Bagels and cream cheese, waffles, chik fil-a chicken minis (yum!)
Food Aversions: none. I’ve never had any food aversions. Maybe this goes with the not having nausea part.
Movement: I thought I felt a flutter while lying in bed, but I can’t be sure…plus it’s way early.
Symptoms: Backaches, exhaustion, headaches
Symptoms I don’t have: morning sickness, swelling
Belly Button in or out: still in, I hope it stays in!
What I miss: having the energy to get through the mall. I only made it through half of the mall the other day….
Best moment this week: Picking up our stroller and car seat! We got the Baby Jogger City Select. We LOVE this stroller!
Weekly Wisdom: Take it easy. When I start to feel stressed out, I take a deep breath, and think about how truly blessed I am.