Halfway there!!

Tomorrow I will be 20 weeks along and that is a huge benchmark....Lyla and I are halfway there and that much closer to meeting each other face-to-face! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by, and how big my belly has gotten in the past few weeks! Strangers are starting to notice and the people who already knew I was pregnant tell me "you're getting big fast"! Uhhh, thanks, I think. Anywho, I'm feeling her more and more each day...even as I type right now. I always seem to feel her when I'm playing on the computer, but it's probably due to the fact that I'm sitting up straight. Just recently while lying in bed I had my hand of my stomach while watching TV and I felt her from the outside of my belly! That was definitely a first! I yelled for Rhett, but of course those kinds of kicks, pokes, jabs or whatever they are are so random and Rhett did not get to experience it and has yet to. I'm hoping that he will be able to soon though. I know he has been waiting and waiting to feel his little girl kick! Sooo, let's see...I've started to feel some soreness in my lower back and thighs, especially when I just wake up in the mornings. I'm hungry all the time, but I have yet to experience any weird cravings. That is unless you consider my unbelievable desire to devour sweets like candy, doughnuts, and yummy desserts, but I've always loved that kind of stuff so I don't really think that's a craving. Rhett and I registered for baby stuff a couple weeks ago and it was so much fun! However, it was a little overwhelming how much stuff we will actually need. I would love suggestions from all the moms out there as to what is needed and what we can live without! Because Lord knows, I have no idea!! =) Also, we've begun the process of painting her nursery again! We painted one coat of red and one coat of pink, but we have to go over it again so it's not quite finished, but I can already tell that I'm going to love the theme and colors! I really can't wait to put stuff in there and see it all come together. I'm not a very patient person and I always love to see results NOW, but I know that her nursery is going to be a very slow process and that I should just accept that. Anywho, Here's a pic of me at 20 weeks!!

"The One and Only Ever You"

I got this book to read to Lyla before and after she's born...I think it is just such a cute book.

On the Night You Were Born

by: Nancy Tillman

On the night you were born,

The moon smiled with such wonder

that the stars peeked in to see you

and the night wind whispered,

"Life will never be the same."

Because there had never been anyone like you...

ever in the world.

So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain

that they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.

It sailed through the farmland

high on the breeze...

Over the ocean...

And through the trees...

Until everyone heard it

and everyone knew

of the one and only ever you.

Not once had there been such eyes,

such a nose,

such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.

When the polar bears heard,

they danced until dawn.

From faraway places,

the geese flew home.

The moon stayed up until

morning the next day.

And none of the ladybugs flew away.

So whenever you doubt just how special you are

and you wonder who loves you, how much and how far,

listen for geese honking in the sky.

(They're singing a song to remember you by.)

Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.

(It's because they've been dancing all night for you!)

Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.

(Listen closely...it's whispering your name again!)

If the moon stays up until morning one day,

or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,

or a little bird sits at your window awhile,

it's because they're all hoping to see you smile...

For never before in story or rhyme

(not even once upon a time)

has the world ever known a you, my friend,

and it never will, not ever again...

Heaven blew every trumpet

and played every horn

on the wonderful, marvelous

night you were born.

And also, we've decided the theme of her nursery shall be Ladybugs! =) When we first found out we were pregnant, we were going to go with a more neutral theme and we painted her room yellow, but I just can't help myself...so we're going to paint her room again, this time pink and red!! This is her first piece of wall art painted by her mommy!

Yep, she sure is in there!

Whoa! I have definitely started to feel little Lyla alot lately! It's so weird! I don't know how to describe it, its kind of feel like light little finger pokes. I love it. It lets me know she's in there and doing just fine. When we went to the doctor, they said right now she weighs approximately 7 ounces (unbelievably small!) and is about the size of a Coca Cola can! How cute! Seeing pictures of Jill with little Kennedy puts my mind at ease about labor. Yes, I'm no idiot...I know it will hurt, but just being able to see the finished product seems like it is absolutely amazing! Anywho, here's another pic of my every growing belly. This is 18 weeks and 1 day and I put that little caption on there for my mom to print out and take to school with her! =) She's going to be a cute little granddmother!

It's a GIRL!!!!!!

YAYYYY! I can't even tell you happy I am! I would have been happy with either a boy or girl, of course, but I just really really wanted a girl! And that's what we got! She's precious! We saw her wiggle and move around in the ultrasound, and let me tell you that girl is crazy! She did not like the ultrasound but she was very cooperative, thank goodness, and we were able to tell she was "an apple without a stem"! Everything looks good and she's growing right on schedule! It's just unbelievable, so many people told me it would be a girl and I was getting my hopes up so much. Rhett is so excited too, he really didn't care whether it was a boy or girl but I can so see him treating her like a little princess. Anywho, we do have her named already! We came up with her name before she was even conceived...so here are some pictures of our little Lyla Grace!

It's a girl!















Our precious little angel! She's the size of a coke bottle!















One of her cute little feet!















Our little skeleton! =) She's facing us saying "Hi Mom and Dad"!

30 more minutes!!

AHHHH! My stomach is all in knots! I can't believe in just a little over 30 minutes I'll know whether we're going to have a son or daughter! I already told whatever it is that it better cooperate today so we'll be able to tell! =) Anywho, after the appointment I'm taking the rest of the day off to shop for baby clothes!!!! YAYYYYY! I'll post again later this afternoon or tonight!

"You're gettin' a belly!"

I wasn't going to post again until next Monday when we find out the sex, but what happened to me this morning was just hilarious! I went to go visit/observe one of my clients this morning who works at a retirement home. She is such a sweet heart and usually doesn't say too much, but today I was standing there talking to her and she goes "you're gettin' a belly"!! I just kind of paused for a minute and realized I had forgotten to tell her I was pregnant! Soooo, I told her the news and she was so excited, but it was just so funny because ummm, what if I wasn't pregnant?! I guess that's what people are thinking when they look at me now, but she's probably one of the few to just say what's on their mind without really thinking about it. It was cute. Anywho, I just thought it was funny.

Boy or girl, one more week until we know!

Just one more week until we find out what we're having!! I can hardly stand the wait! Oh, and I have also really felt some movement in my belly! It feels like twitches on the inside! Weird, but oh so cool!! I can't wait to feel more!
My mom told me the other day that she's been printing out my prego belly pics and putting them up in her classroom like a timeline! She's so cute! So here ya go mom! Print this one on out!

16 weeks and 4 days!