Boy Names

We're getting nowhere. Vote on these suggestions. Ultimately, what you like won't matter anyways. But do it just for fun. Why not?

The Finer Things In Life

Pregnancy humbles you. It takes you from a mundane lifestyle and hurls you towards a gigantic hole full of fear, anxiety, and happiness. Pregnancy is bittersweet. You prepare yourself to welcome a new life into the world, while saying goodbye to your childhood. Pregnancy is rainbows and puppy dogs, and thunderstorms and bitter cold.

Over the past few days, I've had some time to think. Some time to think about how my life is going to drastically change. About how I was raised, and how I want to raise my child. Motherhood doesn't scare me. I can handle just about anything. Staying up late nights does not bother me, and waking up every hour on the hour is already a part of my routine. Motherhood calms me. It brings me a great sense of peace. It's something I wish everyone around me could feel.

I don't want to wish my life away, and I know that I will enjoy each and every day that I'm pregnant. I will also enjoy each and every moment that I have with my little one and my wonderful husband. No one can say anything that will make me nervous or anxious about any aspect of motherhood. I don't think it's possible. Because raising a child is only scary and difficult if you make it that way. Life is what you make it. If you make it about rainbows and puppy dogs then it will be. If you prefer thunderstorms and bitter cold, then you might have some issues, but it will turn out that way.

I love my little world, and the family that we're creating. This is only something that will make us stronger and happier as a family.

We don't need an extravagantly house to make us happy. We don't need new cars, or expensive anythings to make us a happy family. My son will know the finer things in life. He'll know that grilling hamburgers and hot dogs on a summer day in the back yard makes memories. He'll know that the clothes he wears do not define him. He'll learn that his imagination can be the best toy he can possess. He will learn that music is the key that unlocks your soul. That music creates memories that will last a lifetime. He will always know that his mother and father love him more than anything in the world, and that buying him the world is not the way to show love.

The two words that will frequent his vocabulary are family and love. Because without those you've got nothing.

He will be my little magic man. He'll create it in my life every day, and I won't take any of it for granted. And more importantly, he will be the luckiest kid on the planet. Because he will be born into a family with more love than he will ever know.

17 weeks

I woke up this morning to the feeling of non-stop constant baby movement in my belly. Yeah, very cute and all. But when it's 5am, and you hadn't planned on waking up for another two and a half hours, it can be quite annoying.
I am 17 weeks today, and I need to fix my ticker over there since it is a day off. I really can't believe I'm 17 weeks today. Only three short weeks away from being at my halfway point.
It seems like it was just a few days ago that I woke up on New Years Day, took a test, and hyperventilated. And it's been 17 weeks of my little man growing stronger and bigger every day. Every little movement makes me feel like I know him better. I can't wait until Mr. H can feel him squirming around. It's an awesome feeling.
Once he is here, I know I'll miss those moments where its just me and him, and no one else knows the connection we had already established long before he ever arrived.
How far along? 12 weeks!!!

Total weight gain/loss: 5 pounds
Maternity clothes? Yep.
Stretch marks? Nopers
Sleep: My ribs hurt, my back hurts, and baby is starting to move like a jumping bean.
Best moment this week: Finding out we're having a boy.
Movement: There's a dance happening inside my uterus.
Food cravings:
Gender: Big boy
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Beer
What I am looking forward to: Getting a bigger belly and being able to feel the little guy wiggle around from the outside.
Weekly Wisdom: If you get sick, take care of yourself -- remember that you're pregnant & work can wait if your body needs time to heal & rest.
Milestones: Being able to feel baby move!

16 week appointment

Today I am 16 weeks and 5 days, and I had an OB appointment this morning. Checked the heartbeat, everything sounded good, and I've only gained 5 pounds the entire pregnancy so far. I was definitely excited about that.
They didn't do much else, but they did schedule my Level 1 Ultrasound for my 20 week appointment. Even though we have already found out the sex of the baby, it is still exciting to be able to have an appointment that is just an ultrasound of how big the baby is, what everything is measuring, etc.
Also, it's exciting too because this is the one time that they can change my due date. At my last appointment I was measuring 3 days ahead, and if that still holds true, they'll change my due date with however the baby is measuring.
After all of the talk of baby being bigger, I am hoping that my due date will be sooner rather than later. I mean who looks foward to pregnancy anyways? I just want this to be done and have the kid already!

You mean to tell me that I am pregnant?

This morning progressed no differently than any other. Well, with the exception that I did have time to stop by Starbucks and grab a cup of joe this morning on the way to work. Why is that so different? Because I haven't had a cup of coffee in over 4 months. Any coffee addicted person knows that 4 months without the warm good stuff is enough to make you jump into traffic instead of going into work. Now that I've enjoyed that cup, I'm trying to figure out a way to start an IV in my arm that delivers coffee straight into my veins. The quicker the better.
Other than bedding (vote on your favorite in last post), I haven't had the chance to really look at any other baby related items. So this morning, I start perusing around at different places, and stumbled across this shirt.

And then it hit me like a sack of bricks. "Holy Crap. I'm having a kid. Not just a baby, but like a real, living, breathing child." You think this would have hit me, well, about 17 weeks ago when I saw that extra line on the pee stick. Being pregnant without any symptoms is the equivalent of not feeling pregnant at all. So it takes other things, like a Mac Truck with a giant sign on it that says "You are pregnant!" to hit you and make you realize that you are carrying a miniature version of you and your hubby in your belly.
It's a tad bit shocking when this happens. It's probably the first real time that it's hit me like that. Like a big SHOCKWAVE. I am pretty sure I'll continue to feel not-so-pregnant for the next couple of weeks, but once the kicking and beating of my bladder starts, there will be no denying it at that point.
Could've been the coffee. Who knows. Maybe that's why they tell pregnant ladies to stay away from an abundance of caffeine. If one can make you go mental, a few a day are sure to make you and your growing bean grow a few extra heads.

Nursery Bedding

I've been looking around lately for some boy bedding that isn't ridiculously expensive. Of course with mine and Mr. H's income, we can't really afford to buy those $300-$400 bedding sets. And who really would? We paid that for the crib!
So I've found my 4 favorite bedding sets. I think they are all adorable, and would look really good with the pale green walls and white furniture.
I've created a poll so that you guys can vote on which one you like the best. This is so much easier than having to show each one of you individually and getting your opinion. If you click on the picture, it will englarge it on a seperate site so you can see it better.
So go ahead! Pick out your favorite!

Introducing the New Mr. Hall

So yesterday we found out that we are having a little boy! He was definitely not shy in showing us his goods. The first ultrasound picture is his profile shot, with his arm over his head. I was surprised to see how big he had gotten!

At my last ultrasound at 12 weeks, we discovered that he was measuring 3 days ahead of scheduling. The tech at yesterday's ultrasound informed us that it was normally hard to see the rise and fall of the chest at just 16 weeks, so that was a good indicator that he is still measuring ahead!

We were thrilled to get the news, and my Mom and Step-Dad threw us a little shin dig to announce to sex of the baby. Hopefully it's not a disappointment that there will continue to be no granddaugther in the family yet. But you can certainly say that we are on our way to having a little family football team.

I think the little guy is going to be the spitting image of his Dad, and that would thrill me. Mr. H is a good looking guy, and if he has some of those Hawaiin traits, I'm pretty sure we're going to have the cutest kid on the planet.

So hello to the new Mr. Hall. I am positive that the next 23 weeks will go by incredibly fast, and I can't wait to meet my little man.

Today is the Day!

Boy or girl? It's what I've been anxiously waiting to find out for the last 16 weeks. Everyone has been guessing girl, with the exception of a few people. Either way, I'm going to be a happy camper. Within a few hours we'll be finding out if we've got a little football player or ballerina in there.
And afterwards we're having a little shin-dig at my mom's house to announce it to the family/friends.
So, I've been told to drink something sugary 30 minutes before so baby is moving around and it'll be easier to find out.
Keep your fingers crossed that baby doesn't have his/her legs crossed the whole time!
I'll update later with the news!

The Big Ultrasound is Coming Up!

Before I start that, I'll explain the picture. It's a picture that I took today. Today is the first day I actually feel like I look pregnant and not just huge. So that's the baby bump! At 15 and a half weeks.
Sooooo....5 days away! I am super excited about it, as well as most everyone we know! This Saturday we are taking a trip to Alpharetta to find out the sex of the baby. So, I think that if anyone even reads this stuff, they should definitely post a comment with what their prediction the baby's sex is. Everyone seems to be rooting for girl, and I'm getting the maternal "intuition" that tells me it is a girl. Let's see if me, along with the majority of my friends and family, are right!
So after Saturday, we'll know if we are having a sweet little daughter, or a rambunctious little boy.
Then I can finally start buying baby stuff! :)
So every keep your fingers crossed that the baby DOESN'T have it's legs crossed. We are definitely wanting that money shot. I've heard a little caffeine will do the trick and get baby moving around, so I'm sure I'll down a big fat cup of joe on the way down.
Also, we're going to announce is at my Mom's house Saturday evening around 6! Be there or be square.

A little inspiration

Girl's Nursery - by MrsHall on Polyvore.com

I stumbled upon a website called Polyvore that is just pretty freaking awesome. Here you can create inspiration boards for fashion, interior design, photography, or whatever your little heart desires. So, I thought I'd give it a little spin myself. And 10 minutes later, I have an inspiration board for a little girls bedroom.
Best of all, you can click on the picture, and it will redirect you to the website, with links of each item that is in the board.
Picking out things for a girls room was easy. I really like this whole bird theme, and the room is currently a pale green. Also, the crib pictured is actually the one we've already purchased, and the glider is on my wish list.
One of these days, since I have no idea where to begin with a boy, I will have an inspiration board posted for a little boys nursery. Let me know what ya think!

Why Not? It's Friday.

Well, I've reached 15 weeks, and not much has changed really. Now I've got heartburn so bad I swear I'm breathing fire, and I'm actually starting to pooch out a little in the midsection.
It's been awhile since I posted, and I'm going to spend the entire weekend at home while it's rainy and cold outside. Fun. So I'm sure that'll I'll take some pictures of my pregnant belly, post them on here, and probably post some ideas for the nursery.
But today is Friday! The weekend, whether sunny or not, is here. No work for two days. Thank goodness. Now, I'm going to spend the next few hours trying to will my house to clean itself, and will the day to go by super fast.

How far along? 15 weeks 1 day.
Total weight gain/loss: 1-2 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Have a few, ordering some more.
Stretch marks? Nopers.
No Sleep?: God no, and it completely sucks.
Best moment this week: Hanging out with my girls and watching Grey's.
Movement: None, of course
Food cravings: Grilled cheese.
Gender: Leaning more torwards girl. Finding out in 8 days!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: The taste of a dirty martini.
What I am looking forward to: March 21st. Making it past 16 weeks and discovering if our little bean is a boy or a girl.
Weekly Wisdom: Stay away from Orange Juice when you have heartburn. Youch.
Milestones: Getting my energy back!! No more fatigue! Wahhooo!

Oh, and for the men who don't want to think of their baby as a fruit...

The baby is the size of a baseball this week!

They Say It's Your Birthday!

Mamasita. Where do I begin?
I believe it started, when you gave birth to an abnormally large child, weighing in like a boxer, at 9 pounds and 9 ounces. As you know, that boxer baby was me. And from as far back as I can remember, you've been so much more than just the woman who gave me life.

You didn't do what most mothers do. You did that and so much more. You taught me to be curious, to make mistakes, to learn, to live, and most importantly, to love. As a kid, you let me do the things a kid should do, and guided me into adulthood. Whenever I have a picnic, I think of you. Whenever I hear the Beatles playing, it makes me think of helping you cook dinner and clean up the house. Whenever I smell any scent from Pier 1, it makes me think of how much money we've blown there.

And now you are guiding me along the path of becoming a wonderful individual, woman, and mother, like yourself.
You are a beautiful, young, and overall kickass Mom. I've learned from the best! Happy 29th Birthday Youngster!

2nd Tri, Try To Be Nice

It's official! I've made it through my entire first trimester. And to my surprise, I actually was able to go the entire 13 weeks without any morning sickness! I did have one mishap involving a toothbrush and the newly acquired disgust I had towards toothpaste. But hey, all of us pregnant ladies have at least our one moment.

Let's just do a recap of my "pregnancy symptoms and or cravings".
Things that I love (and didn't really need that much pre-pregnancy)
1). Apples
2). Oranges (So far so good!)
3). It's such a stereotype, but it's so true. There is just something about pickles that a pregnant woman will kill for.
4). Chocolate. I'm normally a fruity Starburst/Skittles type person when it comes to my candy preference. Not lately. Can I have a tub of chocolate and pickles please?
5). Sweet tea. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I've been an avid Diet Coke drinker for years! I stopped drinking Sweet Tea maybe ten years ago, and have had one glass of it maybe one every two-three years. I made some the other night, and I got hooked.
Pretty much, you name it, I'll eat it.

And just a few things that just don't sit well with Baby H.
1). Anything sour. This is happening recently. The thought/taste of anything sour just makes my stomach sour.
2). Apparently, the chicken fried rice I ate earlier, because now I have heartburn like a mofo.
3). Any fast food/greasy food. That's probably the one thing that will make me nauseated. I enjoy eating it, but I know it'll make me feel like roadkill when it's all said and done.

I'm lucky to have no morning sickness as of yet. I hope that the second trimester will be just as good to me as the first! Coming soon....a week by week photo op of how big (like it isn't already) my belly is going to get! I know, exciting right?

I think I'll take a week to week photo of Mr. H's belly to chart its sympathy growth along with mine.

New Blog Site!

So I've changed the place were I blog, since the last one I was using wasn't very user friendly.

This is the new spot! And since today is a big milestone of my pregnancy, I'm going to post this evening.

Catch up with everyone in a bit.