Week 20 - Halfway!!!

We're on the downhill side now... It's so crazy to think that I'm over halfway done. This baby will be here before we know it and we can't wait. I'm already ready to be done with pregnancy and for this baby to be here. Not that I'm not enjoying being pregnant, I just really want this baby to get here already!!

We've been working on our registry list and will be registering in the next few weeks. There is so much stuff to think about, but I have some really helpful books that are making it seem much more manageable. We picked out our nursery theme and colors this weekend and we'll probably start painting in the next few weeks too.

All the "stuff" aside, we've also begun to prepare for the actual birth. We're reading a book called "Husband-Coached Childbirth" which is the Bradley Method of natural childbirth. I am so glad we have this book because it makes doing this naturally seem so much more doable. We've started watching "A Baby Story" on TLC during lunch and I'm not sure that is the best idea. Most of the stories they show are women who get epidurals or C-sections, and the only natural births they show are women screaming like crazy and out of control. Griff just keeps reminding me about what our book says - that childbirth can be a very calm and non-traumatic experience with some preparation and training. Maybe we're naive, but we really think that if we are prepared and we work together, we can really have a good experience.

Here are some pics from the past week:

Definite Bump!

Our first baby gift! A super cute basket full of baby laundry and cleaning supplies - super thoughtful and much needed! Thanks Kristi!!

This week is a cantaloupe... size, not weight!!

Week 19

And I'm growing more and more each week now...


We had such a fun weekend of baby shopping with both Grandmas. On Saturday my Mom and Griff's mom and me hit several baby stores and I have to say, I don't think our boy will ever want for clothes! We found some really great deals and better than that, the cutest clothes you've ever seen!

Our next task is to tackle the nursery. We think we've picked out a theme and colors so in the next few weeks we'll be going through paint samples trying to pick the perfect colors. My sweet husband has given up his office/rehearsal space for the baby's nursery and agreed to move his stuff into the guest room. Because of our limited space we'll be doing some very creative organizing and arranging so I'll be sure to post pictures of our progress.

I can't believe it's almost been 5 months (next week!). I'm halfway done and in one sense it feels like I've been pregnant forever, but in another I can't believe how fast time is going by. It seems like we have so much to do in the next 4 months that I'm sure time will fly by even quicker. I am definitely making sure I enjoy this time of being pregnant and preparing for our boy, but I'm already getting a little anxious to meet our son! We can't wait... !!

It's a...

BOY!!!!!!

As you can see from the ultrasound pic, there is no mistaking that that's our boy! We couldn't be more thrilled! The ultrasound went GREAT! The tech was able to tell right off the bat that the baby is a boy and from there she was able to see all the major organs and measure them to make sure they are developing on target. We saw his stomach, bladder, kidneys, femur bone, heart (that had divided into 4 chambers already and was beating at 153 bpm), spine, brain, eyes, nose, lips, face, and head. It was unreal - by far the coolest thing I have ever seen. After she took all of the measurements, which were all normal and on target, we were able to get some really good shots of him just hanging out. He was so active, moving around, doing flips and we even saw him yawn and stretch at one point. Again, it was unreal! Here are a few more pics - the first is of him looking directly at us so you can see his facial bones and the second is his profile!

We are so blessed to have a healthy baby boy and thank God daily for watching over and protecting our boy!

My first day...

in maternity jeans! It's finally time... :)

Predictions

Since we will hopefully find out if Baby Stroope is a boy or girl tomorrow, I though it'd be fun to post some of the predictions that I've seen. There are lots of gender predictors online, and here are what some of them say...

Madame Zaritska is a virtual clairvoyant (according to the website) and after answering her questions, here is what she predicts...

The day you deliver, outside will be rainy. Your baby will arrive in the early evening. After a labor lasting approximately 4 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 9 pounds, 6 ounces, and will be 21 inches long. This child will have medium hazel eyes and some red hair.

That is a rather detailed prediction and I can only hope my labor lasts just 4 hours!!

The Chinese Gender Chart is one of the more popular ones and according to legend, it predicts with 90% accuracy.

So it looks like everything is telling us we're having a boy, including our poll! We were both convinced at first it was a boy, but now we've shifted and both feel like it's a girl. I've been having vivid dreams that the ultrasound says girl, but then the next day I'll feel like it's a boy... so who knows! We can't wait to share the news with you all, so check back tomorrow for an update!

Week 18

So fun! Finally a bump that actually looks like baby bump! I obviously grew over the weekend and when I got to work on Monday it was way more noticeable than the previous week. We've had such nice weather here lately that I wore my first maternity item this weekend - a pair of shorts. It's such a small thing, but it was a big milestone for me to be wearing actual maternity clothes. I also discovered how much I think I'll enjoy wearing skirts. I cleaned out my closets this weekend and found 2 very comforable skirts that work perfect as maternity skirts. I haven't had to wear the bella band at all the past 5 days and it has been wonderful! Don't get me wrong, I love the bella band, but it's been getting tighter and more uncomfortable the past few weeks and it makes me feel like it's squashing my belly. So I think that means it's almost time for maternity jeans... and thanks to my mom I already have a few pairs waiting for me!
So enough about my clothing choices as of late... Friday is the big day and we are beyond excited!! Even if the baby doesn't cooperate for us to find out the sex, this is the ultrasound where they will do all the measurements and check and make sure the baby is growing as it should be. We haven't seen the baby since week 8 so I know we're in for a shock at how different it looks. We'll be sure to post pics and of course, let you know if it's a boy or girl!!

FYI... These were taken at the end of a long day where I was not feeling all that great... hence the dark, droopy eyes and messy hair!

This is a sweet potato by the way!

Week 17

I feel like I keep saying this, but there's still not much going on. We've been listening to the heartbeat everyday, which is still so fun and amazing. We've picked out a few of the big items for the nursery and started to get a preliminary list together for our registry. And I think I may have felt a small kick (or punch) yesterday - but I'm really not sure. I've been reading that anyday now I could start to feel the baby move, but most first-time moms aren't aware of it because it's easy to confuse with other things going on in my belly area. So who knows... but it definitely felt different than anything I've felt in my belly before... so we'll see if it happens again soon!
Since there's not much going on this week I'll just post some pictures...

A little more distinctive this week!

Griff saying Good Morning to baby!

this is the size of the baby this week!