Christmas Eve

Baby Smith's little foot

Today was a very exciting day for the Smith family...we got to see our little one up close and personal in our 20 week ultra sound.  It is amazing to see the human being growing inside me, it makes it seem more real.  From head to toe, we got to see (almost) all the little parts of our soon to be child.  At 20 weeks it is easy for the doctor to tell the sex of your baby.  However, right when Chris and I found out we were expecting we made the decision to not find out the sex of our baby before they were born. Although we did not want to find out the doctor still needed to look at that area.  So, when the time came, she turned off our viewing television and began searching.  However, our little one had also made the decision with us and simply would not let the doctor discover his or her special secret.  His or her little legs were crossed, pushed down into my pelvis.  It simply wasn't meant to be.

Baby Smith

After our appointment Chris and I celebrated our own little Christmas together.  We had delicious bruschetta and cheese as an appetizer.  We then enjoyed a yummy dinner of crab, mashed potatoes and zucchini.  We relaxed, watched a couple of movies, exchanged gifts, and enjoyed our last Christmas as a twosome.  The anticipation of next Christmas with a little one was on our minds all night.  We are simply enjoying each other in the months to come before we welcome a new person into our lives forever.

20 weeks

Today marks the half-way point!  It's hard to believe my pregnancy has reached the half-way mark.  It seems like we just started sharing our wonderful news.  Now, we are fast approaching Little Smith's due date.  He or she will be here before we know it!

Week 19

This week I started to get the first comments from others about my belly popping!  I am still able to wear my regular clothes; although some are beginning to feel tight (I am much more comfortable with my pants unbuttoned!).  Therefore, I invested in a belly band this week.  I love that I can wear it over my pants and it holds them up.

Week 18

I am starting to feel our little baby move around more.  The movements tend to last a bit longer and feel stronger.  It is not the sensational popping anymore, more like flutters.  Each time it happens I am expecting it to hurt, just because it is such an abnormal feeling.  I start to clinch up, but then realize it really doesn’t hurt.  As time passes and I get more use to the feeling, I think it will become more normal and I won’t expect it to hurt!

Bummer

Yep, that is bacon!

Adding a little Flare!

Our eager anticipation of selling our home and starting a new chapter before Christmas came to a halt today.  The contract for our home fell through today.  It is disappointing.  On the bright side, I got to decorate our home one last time for Christmas.  The stockings are hung.  The ornaments on the tree, including our new additions from our family exchange.  And the smell of Christmas is in the air with the candles lit.  We will put our place on the market again at the start of the new year.

Week 17

The first movements of Baby Smith were felt this week!  It is completely true, it is a feeling you have never felt before.  Some describe the feeling as a tickle or a flutter.  My experience is the first movements felt like little bubbles popping.  Chris and I happened to be having a date night. We indulged in a dinner and a movie.  We’re enjoying our moments of just us before we welcome our newest addition!  We were in the middle of watching Catching Fire when all of a sudden I felt three little pops.  At first I thought, that is a strange feeling, and then I realized it must have been the baby.  A couple days later it was confirmed when I felt the same pops again.

Week 16

I went in for my 16 week appointment.  The past few weeks have been nice because my nausea has subsided and I am not feeling as exhausted.  However, with these symptoms gone and the fact I haven’t really had any new ones, sometimes my mind begins to wonder if everything is okay.  At the appointment I heard the little heartbeat again, a strong 148 beats per minute.   It was reassuring that everything was progressing just the way it should!  With Thanksgiving tomorrow we definitely have something (or someone) to be thankful for.