18, 19, Apartment

Finally, right? I've been nagged by a few people to get a new post up, wanting apartment pictures and the weekly updates. In my defense, I didn't want all my posts to only be a weekly picture of me and my slowly growing stomach...sounds pretty boring (especially having just come from Africa) so I wanted to clump them together along with pics of our apartment.

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I know my stomach looks smaller in 19 than it does in 18.... but I swear it really is getting bigger.

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So here are a couple pictures of our apartment--which we love. The bedroom and 2nd bedroom aren't too interesting right now so those won't be up. We really love it here!!

Yes, FRIENDS is on, just like when we were moving a year ago: here. It really helps me get through these tough times (moving, packing, unpacking, decorating, etc).

Update on work: Ben is enjoying being back in the San Fran office and has just been put on a cool Brazil case. He's moved up to a big new role and is going to rock it! He also might get to go to Brazil for 2-3 weeks in April, so of course, he's excited. He also gets to work from home a bit more which is super nice. I am working at Lafayette Academy again, a great paying tutoring job 3:30-9:30pm, which is good since Ben works late anyway. I finally got in to an OB and have my first appointment in a couple weeks (can't wait--since I've had no prenatal care so far). Other than that, we're enjoying being back in our old ward with our good friends, working, and watching our little one grow! We can't wait for the next few months!

Week 17

So I'm a little behind on this one because as of tomorrow, I'm 18 weeks, but we've had a crazy fun week spending a few days in Napa Valley and then moving into our cute new apartment! We love it and we're so happy to be back with our old ward and friends. Today we're going to relax and have some fun, for on the morrow--Ben goes back to work!! Wow, it's been a fun 2 months having him home and not working, but it'll be nice to get back to the real world I guess:) Enjoy:

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Week 16

I love my little bump, because it makes it more real... but I can't wait for it to get bigger! Come on now--POP! I'm feeling her a little bit everyday! Just those awesome flutters and bubbles that I know aren't gas:) We are so stinking happy.

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Boy, oh Boy!

We're having a GIRL!!!

To those who need help with the picture above: the 2 bright white lines are the femurs, her legs, and in between is a bit of a blurry ball, which is the umbilical cord. But down in the crevice is a bunch of blackness, which shows where...there's nothing there!



Isn't she so cute?!?




She's going to be a gymnist!


We went down with all of our family this morning to find out the gender and only had one person in the whole family (my mom) who voted it'd be a girl! Ben and I, along with the family, were convinced it was a boy so we were TOTALLY shocked when there was nothing there!! We're still in shock, but we're SO EXCITED!!!

Birthday Boy

Happy 26th Birthday to the man of my life!

I love you babe. Thanks for making me happy every day of my life. I couldn't have picked a better man to be my eternal companion and soon-to-be father of my children!! I'm so excited for our little one to get here and for him/her to meet their daddy! He's going to be the best dad in the world.

I just hope they come out as cute as he did!!

What I know now. . .

Thanks to my friend Jackie who did this same thing during her pregnancy, Ben and I are going to do a weekly pregnancy journal with pictures of me and a short note to the baby from Ben until the baby comes! We're really excited to do this!

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What I know now at 16 weeks:

1. It is so fun when you decide to get pregnant. It's just all so exciting and new, crossing into the mysterious and unknown.
   
2. "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" is the best book on the planet. Every girl should be required to read it in high school. Go read it. Now.
   
3. If you take a pregnancy test and it says "Negative" but then you start craving fish (which you've always hated)...the test is wrong. Just wait a couple more days.
   
4. It was so fun telling Ben that we were pregnant. I put this (on my scrapbook page you can see it) piece of paper at the bottom of his ice cream bowl and waited for him to read it at the end. His face was priceless.
5. When we went to my 8 week ultrasound, it took her a little while to find the baby and I got scared thinking I was wrong about being pregnant and that nothing would be there. But then when she finally found our little shrimpy...it was love at first sight.
6. I've gained 5 lbs and I'm okay with that. I actually wish I were at the stage of 10-15 lbs just so it would be more noticeable that I'm pregnant...not just a little round up front.
   
7. Being pregnant is so fun. It's so surreal though. I still don't feel like it's real!
8. I've been so lucky. Week 5-8 was my worse, just feeling nauseous constantly all day long. I've only thrown up 5 times: 1) When I let myself get too hungry on a drive home, parked, opened the car door and was instantly flooded with the smell of curry....ran to the elevator but didn't make it, releasing it all over the walls and and floor while running. I hate curry. 2) Somewhere on my 35 hour flight home. Don't ask me when, I don't want to recall that experience, and 3) 4) and 5) were here in America in the morning when I couldn't get to food fast enough.
   
9. I've learned to keep graham crackers by the side of my bed.
   
10. Jet lag + being pregnant = SO TIRED.
    
11. Our 2-week trip to Mozambique, camping and roughing it with that heat and crappy food has a whole new meaning now that you know that I was pregnant during it. Talk about a trooper!!
12. It's fine to take your baby skydiving at 4 weeks.
    
13. It's very, very difficult to not tell any of your family or friends that you're pregnant for 13 weeks.
14. It's also the funnest thing to finally tell them. (Videos coming soon).
    
15. Gagging. It happens a lot. Smells get me. Refrigerators and my brother's gas are the worst right now.
    
16. I have a new relationship with food. I've always been a big eater; ask Ben, a good friend, or a family member. My nickname was "Hoover" but now it's "When-my-tummy-rumbles-you-better-get-out-of-the-way."
    
17. And I don’t need just any food. I have to think, rummage, and smell-test for a while before I decide what I can do.
    
18. I want pizza right now.
19. All of this food stuff is actually getting better now starting week 16.
    
20. I'm glad I did my Triathlon right before I got pregnant. Since I've been too lazy to exercise since.
    
21. Babycenter.com = amazing.
    
22. After going your whole life trying not to gain weight, you are told you’ll be gaining a pound a week--hooray!
    
23. My bra size is doubling daily I swear.
    
24. During the 12 week ultrasound, when our baby got poked, it squirmed in protest. We loved it.
    
25. We're pretty sure about the gender...but we'll find out this Saturday! What do you think it is? Vote on the side of the blog.
26. I can't believe that I'm almost half-way done. I really can't wait for the next stage: knowing the gender and feeling the baby move!