Widget Alert!

I added a pregnancy countdown to the blog!  So now my plethora of readers can keep up with the pregnancy progress!  It's going to be fun to watch the ticker countdown!

Don't miss the pregnancy post below!!

And I love exclamation points!! :)

Itty Bitty Wumpydump

So, as promised, here is the pregnancy post!

As I mentioned in the previous post, we found out in June that I was pregnant.  I guess you could say we were sort of trying.  I had been off birth control for a month because I had a skin condition come up called melasma, which is a side effect of birth control.  I had even gone to a lower dosage of estrogen in hopes that my skin would clear up but that didn't help.  So I decided just to be done with birth control all together.  Once I made the decision to get off birth control Preston and I decided to officially start trying to get pregnant once I got back from Austria and that we would just "be careful" until then.  As Mrs. Libby would say, "famous last words."  I had one period off of birth control and was pregnant the next month.

The day I missed my period I honestly didn't think much about it.  I knew that I was suppose to start but since I had just gotten off birth control I knew there was a possibility that everything wouldn't be like clockwork as before.  Saturday, Sunday and Monday came and went...nothing.  I remember telling Preston Monday morning that if I was pregnant I would be surprised because I didn't have any other symptons, besides the missed period, that pointed to pregnancy.  I told him I felt normal, no sickness...nothing.  Again, famous last words.  Monday afternoon I started feeling strange.  My tune changed completely.  The rest of week I told Preston, "If I'm not pregnant then something weird is going on."

Preston was out of town that week.  He was in Tempe from Sunday until Thursday evening for work and he pretty much demanded that I was not to take a pregnancy test until he was there.  So Thursday, on my way home from work, I stopped at Target and picked up two pregnancy tests.  The minute he got home I went straight to the bathroom, followed all of the instructions and as Preston and I stood in our powder room, me checking the test every few seconds, I watched as a "yes" popped up on the digital screen.  I turned and grinned at Preston and he said, "What does it say?!!"  I told him it said yes and in true Preston form, being completely silly in such a surreal moment he asked me, "'Yes' we are pregnant or 'yes' we aren't pregnant?!?!"  We both started laughing!  I guess that is a pretty valid question!  I took one more test for good measure (which was positive) and then we went back to our regular evening routine of dinner and watching tv.  That night, whenever there was a pause in our conversation or a commercial came on, we would grin at each other and say things like, "We're gonna have a baby" or he would say to me "You're pregnant."

The following week the morning sickness set it. I never actually got sick but was just nauseous all the time.  Looking back on it, I had it easy but during the thick of it, it sucked and I was a total wuss about the whole thing.  I also had some anxiety that accompanied the morning sickness.  Mainly I was anxious about my trip to Austria with Katie.  I am a worrier by nature so I was going through all of the "what ifs" in head.  Thankfully the morning sickness eased up and was pretty much nonexistant by the time I left for Austria.

I had my first doctor's appointment with a nurse practitioner before I left for Austria to verify that I was indeed pregnant.  My second doctor's appointment was after I returned from Austria.  I had a sonogram at this appointment and we got to see Itty Bitty Wumpydump.  I will never forget looking over at Preston when the nurse first brought the image up of the baby.  As he looked at the screen he had, what I like to call, his "sh$t eatin' grin" on and for those of you that know Preston well...you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!  The third and fourth appointments we just met with the doctor and got to hear the heartbeat.  The heartbeat was much stronger at the second appointment and we could hear little sounds that were actually the baby moving.  Our next appointment is in about three weeks and we will get to find out the sex of the baby!  We both can't wait!  We have been sort of taking a poll and the majority thinks that it is going to be a girl.  Preston, Mr. Markel and Nana are the only ones, so far, that think it is going to be a boy. 

People keep asking me how I am feeling and honestly I am just feeling fat.  I am fifteen weeks pregnant (sixteen weeks on Saturday), through the first trimester and down to one pair of pants and one pair of shorts.  I am pretty sure there is a bit of a baby bump there but I have never had a flat stomach and there has been a pooch there since about sixth grade!  I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks though....finding out what the baby is and starting to feel the first flutters of movement.  And of course registering and decorating a nursery! :)

So that brings us up-to-date on the baby front.  Sorry for such the long post but I really want to try to document all of this as much as possible so just bear with me!  For those of you interested, stay tuned because I am sure there are going to many baby posts to come! :)

Ketchup and Cornbread

Well I know I have been a VERY bad blogger. Needless to say, I have a lot of catching up to do especially since the last time I posted which was in May. So I am just going to cut to the chase so we can get to the good stuff.

In May:
Mr. Markel came to visit for Memorial Day weekend.  He and Preston had a blast playing golf two days in a row at a VERY nice resort.  I worked the days that they played golf but I did grace them with my presence for lunch at the resort.....somebody has to earn the money to feed Preston's golfing habit! :)  We missed Mrs. Libby though.  She was suppose to come out with Mr. Markel but was recovering from a "fun" trip to Belize. :)  Fortunately, we are getting to make up for lost time right now!  As I type this (at work...shhhhh don't tell anybody), she is out our house giving Preston a cooking lesson in cornbread.  I can't wait to go home!! :)

We also said goodbye to the Bulmer family at the end of May.  I can't even begin describe how much Preston and I both love this family!  Before they moved, it had gotten to the point where it was just a given that we were going to eat pizza with them on Sunday evening.  Oh the amount of pizza we consumed with the Bulmers.....!  They moved to Florida, which is not too far from home so I know, before too long, that a "meet in the middle" trip will HAVE to occur! 

In June:
Oh sweet June!  This was the month that I found out I was pregnant!  Do you like how I just threw that into the mix?  Don't worry....I have a post solely dedicated to that entire subject matter in the pipeline.  That is all I am going to say about that right now.  Yep, I'm just going to leave you hanging like that.

In July:
Katie Bell invited me to go on a once-in-a-liftime trip (for me) to Austria.  We left June 30th and arrived back in the states on July 7th.  We had a full week in Austria and it seriously was an amazing trip.  Again, I am working on an Austria post because, let's be honest, a trip to Europe definitely deserves it's own post accompanied by pictures.  And if you are putting two and two together, I did travel to Europe in my first trimester.  So again, that's all I'm going to say about that right now.  Aren't you loving the cliff hangers?

After my trip to Austria, my mom and grandmother came out to visit the following week.  I wasn't able to take off from work, seeing how I had just returned from Austria so it felt like a very quick trip but we had a blast!  I LOVED having Nana here and I felt so blessed that she made the long journey out here.  Because of her trip out here, I officially gained and still hold the title of "favorite grandchild."  And yes, this was acknowledged by the other cousins!  Not only did she make the long trek just to see ME but this was the first time she had flown since my grandfather passed away three years ago.  Seriously, who can argue with that cold, hard evidence!

At the end of July I took a quick, two day trip to Holland, Michigan for work.  It definitely was a work trip with a little fun thrown in but I was VERY glad to get home. 

Phew!!  July was a busy month!

So that pretty much brings us up to date.  Things in August have slowed down a bit and we are back to our daily grind....well...as "daily" as it can be with the whole pregnancy thing thrown into the mix.

Ok, I have officially wasted enough time at work.  Time to go home and eat some cornbread!