6 months pregnant!! : )

FIRST of all.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY to sweet baby girl, Kenley Victoria Fountain and CONGRATS to new parents, Sally & Keith! : ) My good friend Sally had her baby today--what a huge blessing! I'm so happy for her and her new little family. It makes me so very anxious for December!

Just a quick update on Baby girl Becker...... : ) She is moving all around, all the time! Its the most amazing, weird feeling and I am loving it! Corey and Mackenzie finally got to feel her too. She moves mostly at night when I'm relaxing and it seems she's getting bigger and bigger every day because I feel it more and more. I am truly enjoying this part of pregnancy. I can't wait to feel and recognize a little foot or elbow... its amazing to me to watch my belly grow and know that she's constantly getting bigger. (SEE below)

It hit me today that I am 6 months pregnant--time is truly flying by! I have so much to do to get ready for our addition. We are narrowing down the name choices and I'm pretty close on picking colors and bedding for her rooms. Pictures to come! : )

July 17, 2009 -- 20 weeks

Today was my 20-week OB appointment and the greatly anticipated ULTRASOUND!!! : ) I was SO very excited and hopeful that baby would cooperate, so that we could finally learn the sex... and that we did! We are having a little GIRL!!!!! : ) I am thrilled! This was 1 of the best days of my life, learning that I was getting a daughter! Corey and my mom, who were with me, were very excited and we were very anxious to tell big sister Mackenzie! I do believe Corey is in trouble... 2 daddy's girls and Mackenzie was a little disappointed that she wasn't getting a brother, but she is now enjoying playing the name game!! Now I can plan, paint, decorate, shop, register and pick a name, which is proving to be both challenging and fun!

We got to see our baby girl "gymnist" moving all around during the ultrasound! Everything looked great. She measured normally for 20 weeks, with the exception of "longer femur bones than average at 20 wks"....already growing tall like her Daddy! It was amazing to see a little person growing and moving in there... who can now hear us and will begin recognizing familiar voices, and plays with the umbilical cord between her fingers.

(YES, the ability to say "she" and "her" is refreshing after referring to her as "baby" and "it" for the past 4 months.)

The appt went great! I've lost a pound, which was unexpected, seeing as though I'm able to eat anything and everything now and don't crave the most healthy of foods! (i.e. butterfinger blizzards) and all my past bloodwork came back normal, ruling out several genetic disorders, Thank you Lord!

I am feeling our baby girl move now... it was VERY faint at first, the "flutters" everyone refers to, but as of this week it is very apparent that shes making herself quite at home! I feel her some during the afternoon, but it seems most consistent at night, when I'm laying down. Corey can't feel her yet, which drives him crazy, but I'm sure it won't be long! It is a truly weird and amazing feeling. I am very anxious for her to get bigger and move more and more! I am enjoying this part of my pregnancy sooo much!!

Baby girl Becker

7/17/07 - 20 weeks

Her little face!

She has her hand up at her mouth! Probably sucking her thumb like mommy did! : )

20 weeks

My baby belly at 20 weeks!

18 weeks

The ever-growing baby belly...

June 18, 2009 -- 16 weeks

I went for my 16 week check-up and saw my wonderful mid-wife again, whom I have come to absolutely love! It was a pretty routine and quick visit and all is good! I've gained 4 lbs, which I assumed average... and good since I was consuming all carbs being sick for the past 9 weeks! They agreed and said 10 lbs total for 16 weeks was normal! :) Let's just not get carried away now that not getting sick as much, but still eating constantly!! They took blood for more testing, all of which so far has come back negative, Thank the Lord! And finally I heard the sweetest sound EVER again, this time much more clear!! The heartbeat amazes me... its so neat to hear and it was very reassuring and calming. Since I've been getting sick much less, but not showing as much--I've had a few 'am I even pregnant' moments?! Silly probably... but hearing that sound makes is SO very, very real! I cant wait to see that face that goes with the heartbeat in 5 months!

AND....at our next visit, we get to find out what we're having!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! I am hopeful for a girl and have leaned more towards a girl the whole time. Corey and Mackenzie both call it 'him' and want a boy badly! I am just ready to know what it is so I can start planning, registering, picking a name, painting, etc. AND, the one dream I've had about finding out the sex, it was a boy! So we shall see.... in July!! :)

Baby belly at 17 weeks!!

Everyone wants to see the 'bump'... so here it is! It looks bigger than I feel! :)

May 18, 2009 -- 12 weeks

Went to the DR yesterday for my 12 week check-up. I will actually be 12 weeks on May 20th, but close enough! :) It was an easy, routine visit where I saw one of the four DR's in the practice that could deliver. I got to hear the heart beat again, briefly... and asked the DR how could I have possibly kept a baby alive with the little amount of food I've managed to keep down these past 6 weeks. Baby gets first dibs though, so Baby Becker is doing just fine...regardless of how malnourished I feel! : ) I was neat to hear the little heart beat again, and it was wonderful to realize what I'm going through all this for!

I have gained 6 lbs which the DR's were happy about, since at my first appt I'd lost 4 lbs. Although thats only a total weight gain of 2 lbs since I concieved, its a good sign and I was unusually happy to see the scale go up! LOL!

Then finally I began to beg and pled with the DR to help me, give me anything she possibly could for the nausea and vomitting, which at almost 12 weeks had not let up at all. Then to my surprise, she did something I will forever be grateful to her for. She took me off the very harsh pre-natals and put me on a strict, twice a day Flintstones vitamin regimen! : ) Yep, Flintstones chewables...twice a day! I made her repeat it a few times to make sure I was hearing her right, since Flintstones were like candy and we took them my whole childhood. YESSSS!!!! Finally, this HAD to allow for some relief, since I knew and its very commonly known that the pre-natal vitamins often make the nausea worse. I was excited and thought maybe this was the light at the end of the tunnel!! Yay!! It was a good visit and I was happy to start my new vitamins last night! I'm one day in and I'll wait and see, but I haven't been that sick yet today so hopefully this will be the answer!!

I was also excited to make the appointment for the next ultrasound at 20 weeks--which is where, if Baby Becker cooperates, we will be able to find out the sex! I can't wait!!