The Ties that Bind

A few weekends ago I was able to fly home to Albuquerque for a visit with the parents. It was a short trip, yes, but a good trip regardless. Given that we hadn't seen each other in almost two years, it was a sweet reunion - made even more so by pregnancy and the little boy I'm carrying. Could there be two more excited grandparents?!

It was good to be around family, feel loved, get away from work, see the mountains, breath crisp air, eat good food (a lot of it!). And that was just on day one.

Mom & dad didn't hold back on the pampering. Have to admit, that was enjoyable. As an adult the times of feeling "special" are few and far between. You get used to being a number, an employee, a participant, a customer, a patient. So to feel "special" again - in a way only parents can achieve - was rejuvenating. I look forward to doing the same for my children.



Even though Matthew lives in Dallas and we get to spend time with him, I cannot speak of family time without mentioning my dearest brother. (Hope you don't mind me posting a pic of you on the internets.)



Also ... WE HAVE A STROLLER AND CAR SEAT!!! Reference aforementioned parental pampering.

The Obligatory Belly Picture - Month Seven

Well, here we are at week 30 in month seven. Crazy!! Time has flown by unbelievably fast. Things seem to be moving along just as they should be and we are so thankful. I'm growing and "glowing", Baby is growing and kicking. Collin is my favorite and is officially the best husband ever ... providing back rubs, helping with the chores, listening to me complain, comforting me when I'm upset (over something usually very stupid).



In case you've forgotten (because I certainly have) this is what I used to look like, back when Baby was the size of a blueberry. What a difference about five months and thirty pounds make!



And Baby is now the size of a butternut squash or small pumpkin. Given the time of the year, it seems most appropriate we go with pumpkin ...



Or if you prefer the more realistic ...



Can't leave anyone out! Here's Collin, all geared-up in his super sexy bike attire. (I'm gaining all the weight Collin is losing. Seriously.)

It Looks Much Better in My Head

A few short weeks ago we were blessed enough to furnish the baby's room. I cannot tell you how excited this makes me. First, we paint. Second, we construct. Take a good look at our fabulous furniture ...

The dresser!


The crib!


The rocking chair!


The changing table!


The paint!


The colors/inspiration!


Side note: despite what I've been told and what I've read, it's my personal decision to avoid caffeine during my pregnancy. At first, it was super easy because coffee/espresso sounded terrible to me. But now, it sounds good ALL the time. So, bring on the decaf! With limited resources at the office (a subject for another day and another blog) I've had to resort to instant decaf coffee. Though I am in no way a connoisseur, I do know what good coffee should taste like. Instant decaf is not where it's at. This weekend, I bought another brand ... and it comes in teabags. Hmmmm. Haven't made up my mind about it just yet, but drinking it out of my favorite mug helps a lot.

Lucky Number Seven

On this day seven years ago, Collin and I were wed. And around this day twelve years ago, we officially started dating. Look where we are now ... college graduates, vehicle owners, tax payers, thirty year olds, soon-to-be parents. We've already shared so much. It's crazy to think about what still lies ahead of us.

I love being married. More specifically, I love being married to Collin. And this whole kid thing ... there is NO ONE else I would do this for and share this with.

Collin, I love you so very much.

Three Times the Charm

Today marks the first day of my third trimester. Break out the champagne! I'll have some milk, please. In recognition of this momentous day Baby gave me a swift kick in the bladder. A couple of times, actually. Thank you Baby. I love you.

I find myself experiencing a huge spectrum of emotions and thoughts at this "accomplishment". I'm excited to be that much closer to meeting our little boy (and having my body back), but also frightened to be that much closer to delivering said little boy (and having my body back).

He's a little eggplant now. Remember when he was just a blueberry?!?!?

Heartbeats?

Today was doctor appointment number five. We heard the Boy's heartbeat for the first time. (That made me feel better way about the lack of sonogram.) Hmmm. Squishy. Not what I had imagined. Collin's reaction meant he heard it. Doctor's reaction meant he heard it. All I heard: squishy. Definitely not what I would call a "beat". I feel left out and like I COMPLETELY missed out on something. But I suppose this is what Collin has been feeling during the sonograms. Head? What head?

Regardless, the Boy has a heartbeat. And it is strong. And he is growing. And that is all that matters.

I'm also happy to report I've gained another nine pounds for a grand total of twenty six pounds. TWENTY! SIX! POUNDS! ME! I weigh about 145 pounds. He he.

And to make me feel better about the "heartbeat", here's one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. You're not all going to like this. So humor me, or turn your volume down. Hugs!

Baby Loot, Round One

So, we found it ... the diaper bag. I've secretly been checking them out for years. It's good to be able to shop for and admire them without feeling weird about it. I mean, I love bags. (Almost as much as lip gloss & hair products.) And this was one baby item I REALLY wanted to pick out for myself.

It couldn't just be a bag ... it had to suit us. The one we found online turned out to be too small once I saw it in a store. Not to worry! We found the perfect replacement. As with any other bag I own, I sure hope I don't see anyone else with the same one. But I'll love it just the same if I do. With any further delay, please meet our diaper bag. (Thank you Lisa!!)



And here it is in action, sort of. Do I look mom ready or what?





Collin can use it as well! Baby should fit in there perfectly for bike rides with dad.



And check out the SUPER cute shoes my mom bought for Baby. They're corduroy! We've already discussed my love of corduroy. And the little "shoelaces"! So cute. Thanks mom.



Another present from a friend, Pee-Pee TeePees. Sure it's funny. But we're totally planning on using them. Only appropriate Collin model these for you.



Last but not least, our first box of diapers. YIKES!!!



Also, I got a haircut this weekend. Thought I'd throw in a belly picture or two as well.

The Obligatory Belly Picture - Month Six

Back by popular demand! Something I've learned about pregnancy: what a difference a couple of weeks can make.





Those who have said I haven't put on any weight ... whatever.



One more, for good measure.

The Kid's Gettin' Big

Well, this week we have a papaya. Would you agree?



Here's a profile picture. He is displaying his flexibility for us ... a perfect shot of his little foot, right up by his head. (That explains all the movement I've been feeling.)



And here he's looking right at us, with both arms up beside his head. I ate a good lunch that day. He must have approved of my food selection.



But this is my favorite ... a profile of his little face. I love, love, love this picture.

Melon, Melon, Bo-Belon

Oh my. I have a little boy roughly the size of a cantaloupe in my belly. And I thought the orange sounded big. Next week he'll be even bigger! At this point, I can't help but reference one of my favorite movies:



I know I keep going back to this, but I can't believe how much he's moving now. I love it! I'm still not used to it, though. Honestly I hope I never am. It's just so amazing. The kid has a strong enough kick now that Collin can feel it, too, when he puts his hand on my belly.

This past weekend was tax free weekend in Texas. We ventured out into the crowds in search of new clothes. (I'm gettin' bigger, Collin is gettin' smaller.) It was madness! Worse than Christmas. Seriously. Nobody has anything better to do than go spend money. Talk about the perfect set-up for crankiness ... 100 degree temperatures, terrible traffic, rude people. In the end I don't think we even saved that much money. BUT, to have pants that fit and do not cut off the circulation to my feet is a glorious, glorious thing. (Collin looks cute in his new pants, too. Extra bonus.)

Side note: These belly panels they put in maternity pants are kind of like having an extreme version of granny panties attached to your jeans.

Baby NOT fetus!

Mango Tango

Slowly but surely, I am losing my belly button. See you in a few months, belly button ... along with those size 4 corduroys (hopefully).

A mango! I love mangos. That is a much better image than the sweet potato, for many reasons.

BABY not FETUS!!


Along with the change in my size, I have definitely noticed the change in Baby's size. I feel him moving around on a regular basis now. It certainly is strange, but in such a delightful way. And I am thankful for it. Double bonus: it indicates he is a growing, active boy and it helps my excitement build. I may not experience too many things greater in life than the movement of my very small child in my very own belly. During a completely boring, monotonous day at work I will feel Baby move more times than I can count. Metering the mail? Kick, elbow, headbutt. Now me and Baby are metering the mail together. And that's just SO much better.

God certainly knew what He was doing in the design of this process. I can see His hand in so much of it (aside from the obvious). Ah-hah! So that's why He did that! Clever. He really is grace-filled, all-knowing, ever-present. Again, I find myself so thankful.

Pregnancy Doesn't Have to Suck

During a recent visit to Barnes & Noble I took a friend's advice and read about half of a book cleverly entitled Pregnancy Sucks, thinking it would provide both information and humor. Big mistake. There were certain sentences and descriptions in that book that will be with me for quite a while. Sigh.

From the beginning, I knew I needed to prepare myself for the wealth of questions, opinions, stories, advice, and comments that would come my way. (Given the recent growth spurt of my belly, I feel I need to kick that preparation into overdrive.) Despite my best efforts, I still find myself frequently UN-prepared for some of the things people throw at me. Please, don't tell me the horror story of your pregnancy/birth, nor that of your sister or your best friend. I'm fairly aware of the things that could go wrong and the various discomforts that may be headed my way. But thank you for reminding me of just HOW bad it could get.

The only reason I broach this subject is because of the super awesome comment I received today from a female co-worker ... "I can tell that your hips are spreading." Followed by, "And they'll never go back." No, I don't expect they will. But back to the original comment. "I can tell that your hips are spreading." Huh? What?

The lesson(s) I think I have learned? As they say, take it all with a grain of salt; be patient and be a good sport; don't totally discount it all because someone may have a gem of advice; think twice before I share my own pearls of "wisdom" with other ladies.

But, seriously, please ... don't EVER tell me my hips are spreading.

Not Sure How I Feel About That ...

This week we have a sweet potato. Which is unfortunate since I've pretty much despised sweet potatoes my entire life. Except for the sweet potato chips at Blue Mesa and sweet potato fries (specifically at Village Burger in Dallas). But other than that ... YUCK. And why the ugly picture again?! Though I suppose this is better than the prune. I'll just pretend it's a giant blueberry. That suits me better.

I will remind you every time, he's a baby not a fetus.



And while we're on the subject of ugly pictures, I have a great one for you. One of the websites I have been frequenting is thebump.com. Lucky for us, they now have a "baby morpher" where expectant parents across the country can get a glimpse of what they're precious child will look like. (I love that the example they use at the top of the web page is of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Because THAT'S relatable.) Feast your eyes on the future Baby Massey ...



So I'm diggin' the hair color, but why does he look like he's our age (30, for those of you who aren't keeping track). Do the circles under my eyes look that bad?! From which side of the family did he get those pursed lips?! Is he mad, bored, discontent?! As with the sweet potato picture, I am disappointed ... and also a little creeped-out. We thought this would be fun but we both just want to hurry up and delete the picture. Not before sharing it with you, of course.

The Obligatory Belly Picture - Month Five

This week I begin the fifth month of pregnancy! And I finally have the bump to prove it! I'm thrilled to have some evidence other than the gas and indigestion. I'm loving the baby bump (though it is frustrating to not be able to wear some of my favorite clothes anymore). Small price to pay I suppose. I think the bump totally agrees with me. So far, we're getting along just fine.

Oh Boy, Oh Boy

Had another visit with my super fantastic doctor on Friday. Everything looks good! I've gained 9 pounds so far and now have legitimacy to the tightness of ALL of my clothing. Baby's heartbeat is strong and all the tiny organs are growing and looking good. Amazing watching that little heart beat like crazy. And, well ... it would seem we have ourselves a little boy.

For your viewing pleasure, a series of photos of our little guy. Granted these are not the clearest, most definable images but you get the idea. And it's always good to see him, even if you can't really SEE him.


Leg is on the upper left, head is towards the bottom right.




Unfortunately, this is the best shot we could get of his face. Though really all you can see is his skull. (Only slightly creepy.) You may have to tilt your head sideways for this one.




This is the clearest of them all. And this is actually my favorite. I love how you can see his little bones. That little arm was waving all over the place during the entire ultrasound.




I can't help but feel weird posting this without Baby's permission, but here it is nonetheless ... Baby's boy part. We'll let you figure it out.

I'll Trade You an Orange for an Avocado

This week we have an avocado. I love avocados! (Though an orange seems much larger to me than an avocado.) Regardless, I am undeniably growing larger - no matter what size of fruit Baby is. My "regular" clothes are getting tighter and tighter. During my work days, all I can think of is getting home to my glorious comfy, stretchy pants. It's a better feeling than taking your shoes off at the end of the day or having a shower after yard work. Seriously.

Collin's side of the closet is looking better and better. He's been hanging on to some clothes from his skinny kid college days. This may be the perfect way to reintroduce them to the wardrobe. Hopefully I don't ruin them with all the food I keep managing to spill on myself. Or rip them on all the furniture I keep running into and tripping over. I can't help but wonder, if this is me at five months of pregnancy ... what sort of damage will I inflict at eight months?! Yes, we're "child proofing" the house.

So Much for the Blueberry

This week we have an orange. An orange! That seems SO large to me. I know I still have a long way to go but an orange seems really big, especially when only a few weeks ago we were at the olive stage. No exaggeration, it seems I get bigger by the day ... or by the week, at the least. Just the difference between this week and last week is startling. My clothes are getting tighter. I'm getting that look from people ... is she getting fat, or is that a baby bump? And I have to admit, this amuses me to no end.

I am thankful for the abundant physical changes because it helps encourage our excitement and helps the reality of this sink in. Though I try to fight it (sometimes with a very clenched fist), I know the Lord is gently nudging me towards enthusiasm and joy about Baby Massey.

Just a reminder: it's a baby, not a fetus.


Most of the information I've read thus far states that women can feel the baby move anywhere between 14-26 weeks. Uh, that seems like a very large gap. So basically at some point in your pregnancy, you're going to feel the baby move. Thank you, experts. They also write that women with thinner, smaller frames may feel movement earlier on. It's been described as popcorn popping, gas bubbling, goldfish swimming. Right. Because I know what popcorn popping and swimming goldfish feel like. So gas bubbling it is.

This weekend, at some point in my long hours of sleep, I felt some of those said gas bubbles (which occur with more frequency now than blinking). BUT ... these were different; a little higher up and more like a flutter than a bubble. It's happened about four times this weekend, and all while I was lying down. Could it be that I felt Baby move!?!? This morning I felt a BIG flutter. Call it what you may; fluttering, bubbling, swimming, punching, gurgling ... I felt it. Good morning to you, too, kiddo. Sure, I'll get my lazy rear out of bed and go eat something.

Gain Some, Lose Some

A few short months ago I scored a super cute pair of gray corduroys at Banana Republic. And they were on sale! I cannot tell you how excited I was (and still am) about these pants. I have wanted corduroys for years but never purchased a pair for various reasons. But this pair of corduroys ... well, they were perfect. Great color. Great fit. And I mentioned they were on sale, right? Insanely cheap. I - LOVE - THESE - PANTS.

Fast forward to last week. I had put the treasured corduroys aside for the sweltering summer months in Texas, but decided to pull them back out again because the office is so cold. (Why does everyone in Texas need their air conditioning set to 60!?) The good news? I still love the corduroys. The bad news? I fill them out much better than I did in the spring. Suffice it to say, it was a bit of a tight squeeze. Had you seen me at the office that day, you would have witnessed more than one grimace on my face.

What's that? A "P" next to that size 4? P as in petitite? Not anymore.



But this story has a bright side. Lose one pair of corduroys, gain one pair of capris. These capris were another score at Banana Republic. They have never fit me very well, unlike the treasured corduroys, but I bought them because they were on sale and I convinced myself I could make them fit. Not so much. Until now. They fit PERFECT. And I mean PERFECT.

See you in few months, corduroys. I will miss you so.



Today's side note: I love this picture. I can very easily pretend that's me in the picture. On a vacation. With food. Aaaaahhhh.

Doctors, Peaches, and Trimesters

Ushered in the holiday weekend with another visit to my fabulous doctor on Friday. All my blood work came back great. The doc said all my numbers & levels were perfect. Also, I now know my blood type is AB+. Always good to learn something about yourself. And I have gained a whopping three pounds (though it feels like ten).

Got to take a peak at Baby again. What a change in the past month! It actually looks like a baby now. No more tail! It seems we already have an active little one on our hands ... just wouldn't stay still.



So here we are in the first few days of month four and the second trimester. This is starting to sink in a little more, but still feels very unreal. Weird to hear myself using words like "trimester" in reference to myself. Second trimester. I am four months pregnant. There is a Baby the size of a peach in my womb. I have a womb. Yowza.

Today's side note: It's a baby, not a fetus. Hate that word.

The Obligatory Belly Picture - Month Four

Well, it's only been two weeks since I posted the last photo. Not much change. But I wanted to post these at the beginning of each month. So, in honor of the beginning of month four and the second trimester ...