Belly Shot- 34 Weeks!

Fa la la la la laa la la la. Tis the Season to be fat and jolly! Thanks to this baby bump, I've got that covered. Now, come over here and tell Santa what you want for Christmas.

Belly Shot- 33 Weeks!

The Little Sherman is gaining about a half a pound a week. What does that mean for me? Probably double. Speaking of double, I'm happy that my good friend double chin has stayed away. Not that anyone is looking at my chin these days....

Countdown Cutdown.

The fact that I am planning on having a C-section means it needs to be scheduled. It also means that it gets scheduled a week before the due date. Which means, that it chops one whole week off of that 40 week countdown. I'm technically "due" on Feb 3, but my doc only does her craft on Wednesdays. So, while we thought we had all of January to hang-out before the Little Sherman arrives, turns out Jan 26th at 7:30 am will be the big debut.

Yes, I'm choosing C-section. The chief reason being I'm not very interested in child birth. I'm fine with being preg, fine with raising a little human. But, the thought of birthing said little human sort of makes me physically ill. I also have some back issues that, in my mind, can count as some sort of medical contingency factor in the decision. Mostly though, it's the birth thing.

I'm not going to lie, it is kind of weird scheduling it, like you take away the whole natural/surprise/waiting aspect of "going into labor" so it sort of is like an item on a list. When I think about it, I start to waiver... and then I think about giving birth and start to get nauseous....so idk. For now, it's scheduled :P

Belly Shot- 8 Months!

Oh, the next-to-last month. How you've snuck up on me so. One would think that I was due any moment...but, apparently we aren't done growing yet. So, bigger yet we shall get. Goody.

Belly Shot- 32 Weeks!

The countdown continues to go down, the belly continues to go out. The Lil Sherman is about 4 lbs now...still, that's about 10 lbs less than what is in my bra. Too bad the bigger belly doesn't give them a little bit of a lift while its at it.

"Preg" Moment

I haven't had any "pregnancy brain" related incidents so far, so I got a big kick out of what happened last night. I was helping my husband fix our sectional-it kept coming apart and needed a little securing. And... I totally forgot I was pregnant, went to lie down on my stomach so I could see the back legs of the sofa and was like "oof, um, cant do that" when I realized I wasn't lying flat on the ground! Whoops :P

Belly Shot- 31 Weeks!

So, Thanksgiving has come and gone. In case you were wondering, no...I am not hoarding a leftover turkey under my shirt. That's the lil Sherman, all 3+ lbs of him.

Belly Shot- 30 Weeks!

I cannot believe there's only 10 weeks left until the "due date." In those 10 weeks, we will celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years....so basically, 10 weeks is going to fly by and it is really going to feel like no weeks. Here's hoping the lil Sherman stays put until after the Holidays so we can mentally prepare for a few more days!

Nursery- Sneak Peak!

The conversion of the guest room/office still has a ways to go...but, at the shower this weekend, my sister gave us the bedding! So, of course, we had to set it up immediately! Little monkeys for the little Sherman :)

Belly Shot- 29 Weeks!

What is going on at 29 weeks? Just a 3 pound baby boy taking over my body!

Baby Showerette!!!

This weekend, my sister threw me a kick-ass "kids only" baby showerette party. The theme was blue, obviously. But the sub-theme was apparently "just because you can't drink doesn't mean WE can't!" Being the first of my friends to become pregnant, I am a bit outnumbered. 11 bottles of champagne (for Blue-Mosas!) and a case of Goodnight Blue Moon Beer later, the girls headed out and the presents made their way up to the nursery.

I have the most beautiful hostesses :)

Blue-Mosas!

Daddy-to-be Makes an Appearance!

Belly Shot- 7 Months!

Last and final trimester, start! Holy heck, where did the time go? I almost can't comprehend the fact that all this stuff is leading up to the birth of actual little human for whom I'll be responsible. It is still feels like simply a weird looking belly and some funny unexpected poking. But, we're starting to do some real prepping like organizing, getting supplies, and preregistering at the hospital. At this point, you never know what things will start happening.

Belly Shot- 28 Weeks!

Hello viability! If born early at 28 weeks, babies have very excellent chances of surviving... from this point on we're just fine tuning things over here. I've clearly fine-tuned the plate-to-mouth maneuvers ;)

Belly Shot- 27 Weeks!

27 weeks down...and the belly is huge! I still feel great, but it is tough moving around with this thing! Socks, shoes, and rolling over present new challenges but downward dog and pigeon pose I still got ;)

Surprise Baby Shower

The college girls all got together for a wedding in NYC...and apparently, a surprise baby shower for me! As I might have mentioned in this blog before, being the first-born, I like to "know" things. As such, I have never ever been surprised about something before...until now! It was so much fun to be totally thrown off (we were supposed to be going to brunch before a football Sunday). It is crazy to think about how much changes between "reunions" with the college girls...and how much stays the same. What an amazing day :)

With the lovely hostess!

The Girls...and a lil Sherman :)

Belly Shot- 26 Weeks!

So I was told that, at 26 weeks, if I was to pick up a 2 pound chuck roast I would get a sense of how big the lil sherman is this week. Visual, deleted. But from the picture, you could say they probably have a point....

Belly Shot- 25 Weeks!

Hi Belly! Only 15 more weeks of you...

Belly Shot- 24 weeks!

The little sherman is a whole pound this week. Looks like his mommy is a little bit more than a whole pound bigger ;)

Belly Shot- 6 months!

6 months down...which means, last month of the "honeymoon" 2nd trimester. Still can see my feet!

Belly Shot-23 Weeks!

Getting ready to start the month where the little guy will double in size. See, it is already starting. Hello, maternity jeans!

Belly Shot-22 Weeks!

So there it is. Finally it looks a bouncing baby boy is in there! In fact, today was the first time someone asked me if I was pregnant instead of me having to try and convince them!! The entrance that I usually use at work has been closed for most of the summer, so the security guards have been stationed elsewhere. But today, one of the guys says "I know I haven't seen much of you this summer....but, is umm anything happening with you?" A subtle glance at my stomach confirmed he was inquiring about the lil bump. I asked if he thought I was getting fat, and he laughed and said "Well, you know I've been burnt on that before but with you, I figured that was the case!" After 5.5 years working there, I hope the guys think I'm with child instead of with pizza.

It's a.....

sonogram says......BOY!!!! in fact, couldn't miss it even if we wanted to- something that makes the papa-to-be quite proud. While this news was indeed most welcome (hello little sweater vests and boat shoes!), we were extremely siked to hear that his heart had 4 chambers and was pumping up a storm, the skin on the back of his neck was the correct thickness, the palate in his mouth had closed, and the little guy was 13oz. Happy and healthy is always what you want to hear. And, we got a little glimpse of his personality! During the sonogram he was sleepy and stubborn-survey says, just like his mother ;) ;)

money shot!!!

fist pumping already:

lil foot:

Belly Shot-21 Weeks!

Patiently waiting for the big pop... I just know it's coming!!! I'll consider this a sneak peak :)

Belly Shot- 20 Weeks!

Halfway there!!! Where has the time gone? I think the second half will seem much longer than the first, once I stop being able to see my toes.

Belly Shot-5 Months!

Hello there, little baby belly! No hiding it now...I'm starting to seriously show. I did get a nice little boost today when I mentioned to a work colleague from another office that I should join his coworker on her maternity walks and he had no idea I was even pregnant! However, I'm ready to start rocking the bump...do I dare contemplate "maternity jeans" yet?

First Flutterings!

The fact that I have had basically no "pregnancy symptoms" has certainly made me feel eerily not-pregnant. So, we were ecstatic when we felt the baby's first flutterings! Actually, there was nothing fluttery about them...they were straight up pokes! In fact, one evening, we were looking at my belly and all of a sudden we saw a serious lil pop! It is a strange feeling, like someone is literally poking you from inside, being like "hello! hello! i'm here! hello!" I try to focus on the "beautiful miracle of life" portion of being pregnant....and I seriously get a giddy every time I feel a little movement in there....but, sometimes I can't help but think how creepy it is that a little person is just chilling out in my tummy. An alien invader of the cutest kind :)

Belly Shot- Week 18

To date, I think this photo was taken on the day that I've looked the largest. It could be the angle, or the light. It's not my best side. It was after dinner and I was tired so my posture is a bit off. Or, it could be the fact that I'm 18 weeks pregnant ;) Whatever it may be, someone is starting to pop!

Week 18:

Weekly Countdown Begins:

The weekly "progress" is now noticeable. It is amazing to see the subtle changes become not so subtle. Of course, I noticed "change" the second the pregnancy test came back positive. But now, when prompted, other people are also able to notice the difference in my belly. Pretty soon there will be a legit baby bump!

Week 14:
Week 15:

Week 16:

Week 17:

Sonogram Scheduled

The 20 week sonogram has been scheduled! September 20th, here we come. Not to belittle the routine heartbeat check....I nearly had a heart attack when it took my Dr. a couple of seconds to locate the womp-womp-womp....but, we are so excited to actually see our Lil Sherman on that black-and-white screen! I'm not sure if I'm ready for the newest "3-D" technology...my friend said her baby literally looked exactly like that picture when he was born. I find it only slightly creepy to have that much of a visual in utero. However, I still feel like the pregnancy will be validated by a picture. It simply will prove there is a little human in there. Not lunch. Not gas. Not alien. To my mother's horror, we plan on finding out the sex. It's not that I don't think the element of surprise is a beautiful thing to couple with childbirth...but, we're both first-borns. We like knowing things. I always know things (He sometimes knows things). Why then, would we not find out what is growing inside of me if we can? So, in approximately 4 weeks, we'll know if a lil Sherman or lil Shermaine will walk amongst us. Scary thought! On second thought, perhaps ignorance is bliss...

Belly Shot-4 Months

One of my favorite quotations is Ecclesiastes 3:1-- “To everything there is a season." And, while I'm quite confident God did not mean for his Divine word to be interpreted as such....despite the fact it is still summer, the sun has set on the days of a flat belly. The "feminine rounding" of my midsection continues as I enter the 4th month of pregnancy. I'm actually still "hardly showing," which I hope means I'm on track to maintain a healthy weight throughout the rest of my pregnancy. Still, I know I'll eat these words along with everything else in sight 4 months from now when I say I can't wait to have a belly! As you can see below, it looks like I might have eaten a large lunch....not that I'm actually carrying a child.

Post Lunch: "4" Courses?

Extra, Extra!

3 months down, 6 to go! Which means, the first trimester is over! I must say, it has been delightful and I haven't "felt" pregnant, with the exception of some sleepiness, really at all :) And, since we successfully cleared that milestone, we were thrilled to be able to share the news with our friends!!! If we were excited before, then we are REALLY excited now! All of the positive reactions have been fantastic and this whole "going-to-become-parents" thing is starting to sink in. We had a busy couple of days telling all of our friends the news before posting an update on facebook. To my delight, after making the announcement, I found out that 2 of my friends from growing up are also pregnant....and due in February too!! Must have been something in that May water down the shore ;) I'm very excited to have someone to chat with about anything and everything pregnancy who is also very excited about anything and everything pregnancy too...not that the hubby isn't, but I have a feeling some of those conversations will be tough once fantasy football season begins. At least this year, I'll have my own fantasy season in the newly formed "mommy-to-be" league. I'll trade you sushi cravings, prenatal yoga, and a belly-band for a glass of wine, a backrub, and skinny jeans ;) :)

Womp Womp Womp

If you are wondering, that is the sound of our baby's HEARTBEAT!!! Today we went for our 12-week appointment, even though we are 13 weeks along. Since our insurance only covers 1 sonogram per pregnancy (at 20 weeks), we haven't been able to see a picture of our little friend just yet....Fortunately, it isn't medically necessary and I'm not a high-risk for us to have it done more than once right now. But, it has made me seriously question if I am, in fact, pregnant or just getting fat ;) However, at our check-up today, our Dr. busted out a wand, put some jelly-like stuff on my belly, and suddenly it sounded like we were underwater listening to some serious "womping." Pretty much confirms that there IS something in there, and that lil something comes with a strong beating heart!

Belly Shot- 3 Months

As you can see, the abdominal region is not quite as defined as before. Looks like I had a pretty big lunch today. I've heard that the "monthly shots" from this point on don't tell the whole story, so starting next month, once I begin to pop, we'll give you a weekly visual. But for now, still able to keep the belly/pregnancy under wraps at work!

Belly Shot- 2 months

Is there a baby in there? Nope, just a medium-sized green olive. I suspect one of these days I'll start feeling, and looking, a little bit more pregnant. But, for now, it can still be our little secret. Secret Shermans! ;)

Some "Reactions"

A few pictures of our family members captured. What is going through their minds? Allow me to provide the photo analysis:



Great Aunt B: I SAID, do I LOOK like a "graunt" to you?!



Grandma S: Concentrating for the next 9 months is going to be so easy...



Grandpa S: If I can pop this bottle without it exploding, changing diapers will be a piece of cake.



Auntie S: Bret is going to be a dad??! BARF ;)



Auntie B: YES! I'm great with kids (as long as they aren't mine)



Auntie B: You were supposed to attend my 21st birthday party.



Uncle B: I smell dirty diapers already.



Lil T: What's going to happen to me?!



Grandpa B: But I am too young, too sexy, too strapping to be a grandpa-pah! (I envision this being spoken with a French Accent)




Grandma B: I TOLD YOU TO WAAAIT! We just got rid of a dog...



I said you could MARRY her...nothing about this funny business.