8 Weeks

How far along? 8 weeks
Total weight gain? forgot to weigh this morning...but I feel about the same. However, I can tell that my belly is expanding little by little

Maternity clothes? no- one advantage to losing weight before I got pregnant, most of my clothes are actually starting to fit in the waist!
Movement? no
Cravings?  anything strawberry, but most others just seem to hit me and my mouth starts watering for it. This weekend it was a butterfinger blizzard- YUM.
Anything make you queasy or sick? not since the mushroom sighting!

Sleep? Great, just can't seem to get enough of it!
Best moment this week: Being able to go to dinner with my family and talk about the baby!
Gender prediction: still don't have one...although, I have thought about the fact that all of my cousins who have children, their first has been a boy every.single.time. So, I'm wondering if we will carry this on or break the tradition??
Labor signs? Nope
Symptoms? TIRED, nausea (luckily not daily), getting a little hungrier. Oh and I sneezed while I was laying down the other night and felt like someone stabbed my pelvic bones! Good ole ligament pain...

Belly button in or out? way in
What I miss: not stressing over my blood sugars as much (even though my blood sugars will probably be the best they have ever been, which is great for me and the baby), but every high value gets me worried. There's so much to think about when pregnant, and even more when you're a diabetic!

What I am looking forward to: our doctor appointments this week and hopefully getting to hear the heartbeat again!

Weekly Wisdom: Even if I don't feel symptoms (like nausea) every single day, it's ok! (and I should be grateful!!)

Milestones: We told my best friends we're expecting last week! Whew, that was a relief :)

I love how Cash is totally rolling his eyes at me in this one. Ooh, Cashie...it's only just begun!

Let go and let God.

Just a good thing to remember :)

7 Weeks

How far along? 7 weeks

Total weight gain? None

Maternity clothes? Nope! I would be freaking out if so!
Movement? No
Cravings?  Certain things at certain times make my mouth absolutely water (Saturday it was pad thai- don't worry, not spicy :), but I'm not constantly craving something in particular
Anything make you queasy or sick? Only if I go too long without eating or if I eat too much. A good rule of thumb I've learned is to not get empty, but don't get full

Sleep? Great
Best moment this week: finally told my parents!
Gender prediction: I still don't have a guess...my mom had a dream I was pregnant with a boy (before we told her)...I also checked the Chinese Gender chart and it says girl (but we all know that's not accurate)
Labor signs? No
Symptoms? no nausea since Friday, have my moments of being SUPER sleepy, cry easily/no idea why, mild cramping, and I feel like my belly is a little more swollen, but maybe it's just in my mind!

Belly button in or out? In
What I miss: my daily diet coke (WITH caffeine), but skipping it is definitely worth it!
What I am looking forward to: telling a few friends this week!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't get empty, don't get full
Milestones: got to tell immediate family we are pregnant!

6 Weeks

How far along? 6 weeks (and 2 days :)

Total weight gain? 0 (actually lost a pound since last week, so -1?..it will be back soon enough I'm sure!)

Maternity clothes/Movement? No
Cravings? Not yet- I'm actually either not hungry at all or STARVING! When I am hungry, I'm really not picky about what it is
Anything make you queasy or sick? I saw some mushrooms yesterday that almost made me have to sprint for the bathroom

Sleep? it's ok...been having some trouble (already?!)
Best moment this week: going to the doctor today. Confirmed the pregnancy and got to see our little bean for the first time and hear its heartbeat! Be still my heart- totally emotional moment (tears in my eyes just thinking about it). I had tears rolling down my face the rest of the time. Such an incredible thing to see and sound to hear. This is real!! :)
Gender prediction?  None yet (J thinks girl)
Labor signs? No  
Symptoms? Nausea comes and goes, and when it comes, whew. It's a doozy. Sometimes exhausted, while other times I have more energy than ever. I'm normally a pretty emotional chick (pretty much anything sweet or the slightest bit sad brings tears to my eyes)- however, I did watch the Sex & the City movie last night, and cried a LOT more than I remember crying the first time I saw it...I even cried during Tia & Tamera's show!

Belly button in or out? way in and normal :)

What I miss: I miss not having to keep the biggest and best secret EVER! We haven't told anyone yet (wanted to wait until our appointment today- for example, we thought we were a little over 7 weeks, but found out we are 6 weeks- just wanted to get more information...I am about to BURST with joy and excitement!!! We will be telling family and friendsthatmightaswellbefamily very soon!) However, if I ever had to keep a secret, this is the best one to have.
What I am looking forward to: Everything! But in the next week, telling family and my best friends!
Weekly wisdom: I don't have much wisdom to share yet...I have no idea what's going on or what I'm doing?!
Milestones: hearing sweet baby's heartbeat <3 WOW

Thrilled is an understatement.

 SURPRISE! 

 I'm preggo :)

Yep, we're having a baby.

Baby E is due September 10, 2012!! 

Here's a quick recap :) On Wednesday, January 11th, I took 2 (and a third the morning of the 12th...and a fourth on the 14th JUST to be sure!) pregnancy tests...positive, positive, positive (and yes, still positive on the 14th :).  I don't know if I have ever felt so many emotions all at one time! I always imagined I'd tell J in a fun and creative way. Yeah well, I didn't know how I would feel when I saw that second line pop up either! When J got home from work, I asked him to come look at something and showed him the test. I asked "do you see a second line? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Do you see TWO lines?!". He sure did! (it was faint- now we know I was only 5 weeks at that point which is fairly early to show on an at home test, I think). Somehow I managed to sleep that night, but woke up bright and early full of excitement the next day (when I took test #3). I got to work early due to my ecstatic enthusiasm and counted down the minutes until my doctor's office opened. Loooong story short (I'll get more into the details another time), I got an appointment scheduled for today (1/18) and it has been a week full of nerves (is this really happening?! Is everything ok??), excitement (we are having a BABY!), anxiety (I can't tell ANYONE! AH!), and joy (we are SO blessed!!). I feel sooo much better after seeing our sweet baby today and hearing its precious heartbeat. I am hoping to do a good job of keeping up with weekly posts- I want to remember as much as I can about this experience.

...for this child, I have prayed... 

Showering Finley

I really enjoy throwing showers for my friends. This past weekend a few of us threw a shower for Emily and Finley. Our "theme" was winter wonderland and our colors were light blue, white, and gray/silver. Perfect for a baby boy shower in January :) Mr. Finley received lots of great gifts. Can't wait to meet him next month!!

(a few pictures of the decor from my phone)

"Wishes" all the guests filled out for Finley

Finley Hutton Day's monogram :)

Nursery Rhyme guest book

12 Things

I just ran across an article titled "12 Things Happy People Do Differently". After reading through them, I think they would be great "resolutions" for any and everyone. Twelve things that are certainly important to remember and strive for everyday. 

Plus, there's 12 of them...and it's 2012...how appropriate :)

1. Express gratitude. – When you appreciate what you have, what you have appreciates in value.  Kinda cool right?  So basically, being grateful for the goodness that is already evident in your life will bring you a deeper sense of happiness.  And that’s without having to go out and buy anything.  It makes sense.  We’re gonna have a hard time ever being happy if we aren’t thankful for what we already have.
2. Cultivate optimism. – Winners have the ability to manufacture their own optimism.  No matter what the situation, the successful diva is the chick who will always find a way to put an optimistic spin on it.  She knows failure only as an opportunity to grow and learn a new lesson from life.  People who think optimistically see the world as a place packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times.
3. Avoid over-thinking and social comparison. – Comparing yourself to someone else can be poisonous.  If we’re somehow ‘better’ than the person that we’re comparing ourselves to, it gives us an unhealthy sense of superiority.  Our ego inflates – KABOOM – our inner Kanye West comes out!  If we’re ‘worse’ than the person that we’re comparing ourselves to, we usually discredit the hard work that we’ve done and dismiss all the progress that we’ve made.  What I’ve found is that the majority of the time this type of social comparison doesn’t stem from a healthy place.  If you feel called to compare yourself to something, compare yourself to an earlier version of yourself.
4. Practice acts of kindness. – Performing an act of kindness releases serotonin in your brain.  (Serotonin is a substance that has TREMENDOUS health benefits, including making us feel more blissful.)  Selflessly helping someone is a super powerful way to feel good inside.  What’s even cooler about this kindness kick is that not only will you feel better, but so will people watching the act of kindness.  How extraordinary is that?  Bystanders will be blessed with a release of serotonin just by watching what’s going on.  A side note is that the job of most anti-depressants is to release more serotonin.  Move over Pfizer, kindness is kicking ass and taking names.
5. Nurture social relationships. – The happiest people on the planet are the ones who have deep, meaningful relationships.  Did you know studies show that people’s mortality rates are DOUBLED when they’re lonely?  WHOA!  There’s a warm fuzzy feeling that comes from having an active circle of good friends who you can share your experiences with.  We feel connected and a part of something more meaningful than our lonesome existence.
6. Develop strategies for coping. – How you respond to the ‘craptastic’ moments is what shapes your character.  Sometimes crap happens – it’s inevitable.  Forrest Gump knows the deal.  It can be hard to come up with creative solutions in the moment when manure is making its way up toward the fan.  It helps to have healthy strategies for coping pre-rehearsed, on-call, and in your arsenal at your disposal.
7. Learn to forgive. – Harboring feelings of hatred is horrible for your well-being.  You see, your mind doesn’t know the difference between past and present emotion.  When you ‘hate’ someone, and you’re continuously thinking about it, those negative emotions are eating away at your immune system.  You put yourself in a state of suckerism (technical term) and it stays with you throughout your day.
8. Increase flow experiences. – Flow is a state in which it feels like time stands still.  It’s when you’re so focused on what you’re doing that you become one with the task.  Action and awareness are merged.  You’re not hungry, sleepy, or emotional.  You’re just completely engaged in the activity that you’re doing.  Nothing is distracting you or competing for your focus.
9. Savor life’s joys. – Deep happiness cannot exist without slowing down to enjoy the joy.  It’s easy in a world of wild stimuli and omnipresent movement to forget to embrace life’s enjoyable experiences.  When we neglect to appreciate, we rob the moment of its magic.  It’s the simple things in life that can be the most rewarding if we remember to fully experience them.
10. Commit to your goals. – Being wholeheartedly dedicated to doing something comes fully-equipped with an ineffable force.  Magical things start happening when we commit ourselves to doing whatever it takes to get somewhere.  When you’re fully committed to doing something, you have no choice but to do that thing.  Counter-intuitively, having no option – where you can’t change your mind – subconsciously makes humans happier because they know part of their purpose.
11. Practice spirituality. – When we practice spirituality or religion, we recognize that life is bigger than us.  We surrender the silly idea that we are the mightiest thing ever.  It enables us to connect to the source of all creation and embrace a connectedness with everything that exists.  Some of the most accomplished people I know feel that they’re here doing work they’re “called to do.”
12. Take care of your body. – Taking care of your body is crucial to being the happiest person you can be.  If you don’t have your physical energy in good shape, then your mental energy (your focus), your emotional energy (your feelings), and your spiritual energy (your purpose) will all be negatively affected.  Did you know that studies conducted on people who were clinically depressed showed that consistent exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft?  Not only that, but here’s the double whammy… Six months later, the people who participated in exercise were less likely to relapse because they had a higher sense of self-accomplishment and self-worth.

by Jacob Sokol. Found here:

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/08/30/12-things-happy-people-do-differently/

Just in case you didn't notice, I have now blogged 2 days in a ROW. I know, bananas.

New Year

So, I was thinking...maybe one of my resolutions should be to do better about blogging. I have totally neglected this blog! And to think I had such high hopes and "SO" many things to blog about...oops... But it's a new year, so why not a new start for the blog? :) I wanted to share my resolutions for this year, in hopes that writing them down will help me stick to them!
*Create a budget and stick to it!
*Try to be more of a morning person (and get to work by 8!)
*Blog more (maybe I'll start with once a week...)
*Eat more fruits and veggies!

Then there are some goals/things I'd like to see happen this year, but aren't totally in my control/possible all in one year :)
*Complete our to-do list for the house (painting, painting, PAINTING)
*Sell our house and move into a new one (new one preferably in Murfreesboro)
*See a light rail/train system in Middle TN (might be waiting several years for this one, but I would still LIKE to see it happen this year :)
*Europe or Hawaii: travel to one of these in 2012! Need to decide where....

2011 was a great year, but I am definitely looking forward to 2012. Every year has it's hard times and we did have our share. But this year was full of happy, joyful times, and the good definitely outweighs the bad. We celebrated a dear friend's wedding, shared in the joy and anticipation of our friends Chris and Emily's baby, Finley, coming this year (!), welcomed our friends Kelly and Josh's new baby boy Sawyer, celebrated our 2nd anniversary in Europe with an amazing trip to London, Paris, and a good chunk of Italy- just to mention a few. 2011 was another year of health, love, and happiness! So much to be grateful for! We are definitely blessed, and can't wait to see what 2012 brings us and where the year will take us. So 2012, bring it :)