26 week appointment

Can I just say that I can't believe that I am almost 27 weeks already!! How crazy! It is just getting more and more real everyday! It has been a stressful few months, but I think that I am finally starting to relax. I feel great, and the baby is kicking more than ever. It is pretty funny. I will just sit there with the remote on my stomach and just watch it move. Neal thinks I am crazy, but I don't care. I will continue to put objects on my stomach! I haven't had anything major like heartburn or anything like that. I am pretty comfortable still. Check back with me like in two months. I am sure that will change! So we went for our little check-up and glucose screening. I have officially gained 19 pounds. That is so crazy to me because I don't feel like I have gained that much, but I definitely feel heavier! My stomach was measured and the size is great. I took my little orange filled sugar drink yesterday to check my sugar tolerance, and I will find out tomorrow how that worked out. At first, it tasted pretty good. It tasted like a Gatorade with more sugar in it. You have five minutes to drink it, so that last 2 gulps were nasty. Too much, too fast. Not too bad though. All is going great though! I can't ask for anything more. Although, I would like to ask that my thighs quit growing. No one warned be about that one. What on earth? Today, I was also supposed to go in for my 3d ultrasound. I have been waiting for this forever! Well, I had to cancel because it was supposed to ice today. I rescheduled for next Tuesday. I was really upset about cancelling. I was really pumped for this appointment! Oh well, one more week won't kill us. Aside from that, everything is going great, and now if I can just come up with a name...

Belly Bonanza...

Paige (due 5-14), Khiandra(5-10), Me(5-1), and Christy (2-9)

Paige, Me, Amanda, Christy, Khiandra

So Christy Mixon's shower was this past weekend. In addition to being a good friend, Christy and I used to be on the same first grade team. She was pregnant with Sophie, her first baby, during my second year teaching. She is now due in about two weeks with her second girl! She is naming her Olivia, which was actually a name that I really wanted last year. It is such a pretty name. I tend to change my mind on names alot for some reason, but I remember that being the name I wanted. I go through phases. Well, also on that first grade team were Paige, and Khiandra. Somehow, we have all ended up pregnant at the exact same time! That would have been crazy had we all still worked together! Christy is due first, then me, then Khiandra is due May 10, and Paige is due May 14th. It is so fun to be pregnant with all of them! What a special thing! I am so happy that we have all stayed in touch, and have made sure to get together from time to time. I love these girls! Amanda, who also worked at the same school was there. It was kind of like a mini-reunion. It was really great to see her. I love hearing about all the happenings at the old workplace. The shower was at La Madeleine, which I love! I got thirds! Oink! It was funny because I haven't eaten deli meat throughout my entire pregnancy(paranoid), and that was mainly all there was. I saw that 4 other pregnant people were eating it so I decided to not be so weird about it. I ate it! I proceeded to think about it all day. I am crazy I think. I was hoping it was fine that I ate it, and questioning whether it was okay. Well everything was okay. I didn't get sick or anything. I may be warming up to the deli meat again. Christy's shower may have broken me of my fear of deli meat! Awesome! I have missed it!

Jessica's 30th Birthday!

Me, Jess, and Christian

Happy 30th Jess!

Ah, turning 30. It is such a confusing birthday for some. I was reflecting on that while going to one of dearest friend's Jessica's 30th birthday party. I remember hating it, but at the same time there was this different sense of myself that I never really had. In retrospect, I really enjoyed turning 30. Although my 20's were alot of fun, and pretty carefree, I feel that I really fell into myself after 30. It feels great, and I feel better that I did in my 20's, even pregnant! It is almost like a coming out party! Her birthday was alot of fun! We ate at Cremona's, which is in uptown. I had never been there, but it was really good. I will definitely go back. Christian, Jessica's sister, and another close friend of mine, came in town from El Paso. It was really great to get together. Jess has such great friends here that she has met in the past few years. After the restaurant everyone headed to a bar. It was early enough that I actually tried to check it out. I went in there while Neal stayed in the car. I thought I would scope it out first. I walked in, and hit this wall of cigar smoke. I literally hugged Christian, turned around and left within 5 seconds. I tried! Dallas is supposed to be smoke-free! Whatever! I had a great time though, and Jessica entered her 30's in great form!

More baby fun!

The Family

Me and my Grandmother

Betty, me, and my Mom

Me and my Mom

Me and my cousin Claudia

I went back home to El Paso for the last time without my baby! That was kind of a funny feeling. My Mom through a family shower for me, and my mother-in-law Betty went with me. It was so much fun! We basically shopped and ate for most of the weekend. It felt like Spring. The weather was great! On Sunday was my shower. My Mom had it at a restaurant that was so yummy! Mexican food is the best! Most of the women in my family came to it, and that was really special. Because I don't live at home, I don't get to see many of them. The baby has so many outfits to choose from! She is pretty excited there in my belly thinking of all of her new clothes. This has been such a great experience so far! I can't wait to see her though! I am ready for her to make her appearance! I am dying to use all of her new baby stuff! The plane flight there and back was funny. She like kicked the entire time. I hope she wasn't uncomfortable or something. It isn't like her to kick me for long periods of time. I am happy that I don't have to fly anymore. Between the bladder issues, and the legs falling asleep issues, I am more than happy to just stay local!

Ahh...Christmas

The family

Me and Kim at PF Changs

Me and Preeti

Neal with John and Preeti's baby Shyla

Me and Jess

Kate eating one of my chocolate covered strawberries

21 weeks pregnant

I absolutely love the holidays! From Christmas parties to going home, I love it all. I am a little backwards in my posts, but I am going to add some pics on this post from Ty and Natalie's annual Christmas party. I look forward to it every year. I love the running around before it begins to hanging out after it's over. It is a great start to the holidays. This year was just a little more special for me though! We had a great time! Soon after the party I was counting the days to go home for Christmas. I look forward to staying home for a full week. Leaving the dogs is the only drawback. It is sad leaving them. Neal and I got to see some friends that we never really get to see. My 90 year grandmother got to see her first granchild pregnant with her first great-granchild. I bet she was giving up on ever seeing that! I am glad that she is able to experience this with us! We ate a whole lot and basically just enjoyed hanging with my family. It always goes so fast though. I get to go back in two weeks so I am really happy about that! Next Christmas is going to be a totally different story...

My First Baby Shower!

Yummy cakes!

Me and Preeti

Me and Jen

Christian, Jess, Me, and Gloria

Leslie, Liz, Christian, Michele, Me, Jess, Jen, and Val

Well I have had my first baby shower ever! I loved it! The only drawback was that my belly was still trying to emerge. I was only 21 weeks at that point. My dear friends Jessica, Liz, Christian, and Yaisa threw a shower for me in El Paso. Some of my friends I hadn't seen in two years. I had to talk myself into not tearing up. I have known these girls for many years, and they have been just a great support to me over the years. I love that we all got to get together, and just visit. That is my favorite thing to do during the holidays, or anytime for that matter. Then you throw in some yummy snacks and some pink clothes, and all is right with the world! I got some of the cutest things. It still really hasn't hit me yet. It is so weird. I love all the gifts for the baby, but at the same time, it seems like they are for someone else's baby. I hear that is totally normal. I am sure it will hit me like a pound of bricks in May! Thank you so much my friends for making it such a special day for me!