New Pictures!

Due to everything going on at work these days, I'm going to limit this one to a picture post.  Besides, a picture is worth a thousand words... and about ten thousand of mine...

This is the 3D ultrasound picture we got last week.  Looks a little like an alien...

Let me see if I can help:

See it now?  Good, thought so.

And now, the newest Baby Bump picture!!

At Long Last...

It would appear that the Fates have been conspiring against me working to prevent this post.  Well, I have prevailed!  Through storm and wind and dark of night, victory at last!!  

Thank you, thank you.  No, please.  Hold the applause. 

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t through storm, wind, or dark of night, but it sure as heck seemed like it sometimes!

Anyway, here is what I have been hiding (or rather not hiding) all this time...

Ta da!!

Baby bump!!

Actually, this picture was taken a little over a week ago.

How about a freshly snapped, hot off the press Baby Bump picture??

Oy!  Early mornings are not kind to me...

Maternity clothes, here I come!!  I think it’s also about time I scheduled a fitting at Victoria’s Secret, if you know what I mean...  ;-)

In other news, I went to my 2^nd prenatal appointment on Monday.  This one wasn’t quite so <ahem> invasive... 

Everything was going quite smoothly (as expected) until the midwife tried to find the heartbeat with the little Doppler gizmo.  And not matter how much she moved around, pressed into my belly, or cajoled the little thing, she could not find it!  Another, more experienced midwife came in & tried, but still nothin’!  

No heartbeat at all.  

I got up, walked around, went to the bathroom, & spoke oh-so-persuadingly to the little kid.  Then they both tried again.  The only sounds coming through were the placenta (apparently that thing makes noise – huh!) and a couple little swishes as the baby moved away.  One time we thought we heard an echo of a heartbeat, but that just ain’t good enough, little Sea Monkey!

Finally, they said enough is enough & took me in to get an ultrasound.  Turns out, this little monkey was havin’ the pool party of its short life & kicking so much that the Doppler was unable to pick up the heartbeat.  It was so cool watching those little legs just kick, kick, kicking away.  They were quite unmistakably legs, I might add – I could even see the little toes!  And the cute, little knee!!  I also saw the heart beating!!  It was so cool!

Next month, I’ll have the 20 week ultrasound and (hopefully) find out the gender!  Since I have, as of today, completed my 17^th week it’s a lot closer than it seems, folks!

Gift Idea!!

I want a shirt like this:

So if you're trying to think of a different, funny shower gift, here ya go.  Just be sure to change the names... you know, something like "a stallsworth & stallsworth production" or "a rebekah & andrew production."  Something like that.



And stay posted for a much-requested baby bump pic...

When It's OK to be Fat

We women love being pregnant.  We may not admit it; we may not even consciously know it, but we do!  The reason women love being pregnant is we can wear stuff like this:

and nobody cares that our fat belly is clearly showing.  People just look at us & think, "Aw... she's pregnant!  How cute!!"

Name one other time in a woman's life that she can wear tight tops that accentuate her belly & nobody cares.  Nope, can't be done.  Everybody looks at her & thinks, "Gosh!  She needs to either lose lots of weight or not wear that shirt!"  You know it's true!  We've all done it.

So, I have every intention of enjoying my immunity to fat thoughts!  Let's go, clingy shirts!!

What a Sea Monkey Looks Like

So I was sitting on our couch one day & I observed to Myself, "Myself, we have a lot of friends & family that live in places other than Bryan/College Station.  In fact, those precious friends & family are scattered, quite literally, all over the globe.  How are we going to keep them posted on what's happening with our little Sea Monkey?"
And here's what Myself answered (she is very smart, by the way), "A blog!"  And so, here is the aforementioned blog.

You might be wondering, what does a Sea Monkey look like?  A very good question!  Let me clarify here that we are not talking about an animal Sea Monkey.  They look like this:

This is not at all what we are referring to.  That doesn't even look like me!!  Or Andrew, for that matter (though some might be inclined to debate that fact...)

The term "Sea Monkey" was hijacked from that hilariously inappropriate movie, Juno.  Mostly terrible acting, too much language to allow me to recommend it, but HILARIOUS one liners, mainly by the title character, Juno, who is a pregnant teenager.

This is what a human Sea Monkey looks like:

Isn't it cute?!

So our little Sea Monkey & I have had our first picture made.  Yes, I got one done too.  And no, you can't see it.  I don't have it.  So there.  Besides, Sea Monkey's picture is much, much cuter than mine.

We also had our first prenatal appointment today.  You know, the one where they poke, prod, & peer into every part of you?  Yeah, that one.  Everything checks out, is normal, & all are celebrating.  Whoopie!

Next appointment: in 1 month.  At which point I will be nearly 17 weeks.