My BIG Announcement...

....yep, I'm PREGNANT!  And incredibly relieved that I'm at the stage I can tell people!  Now I'll be able to document all of the different stages through this blog.  I'm going to back up and review everything that's happened since we found out.

We found out on March 21.  I had been at church and a baby shower all day and decided to stop and get some home pregnancy tests since I was late.  Not that I thought I was pregnant at all.  I didn't "feel" pregnant, as if I knew what that "felt" like.  I was just taking the test to rule it out.  And then it took about 4 seconds before a bright blue plus sign showed up...Huh?  I was shocked.  We weren't preventing, but I still had no idea that was coming.  I ran downstairs just holding it out to show Jimmy, who shrugged and said, "like I know what that means".  Really?! Think I'd run down here to show you a negative test?  I had to take a second test to convince myself.  Then we called our parents and my sister, who were all understandably excited!  I think they had all started wondering if our only kids would be 4-legged and furry.

We got confirmation the end of that week when I had my doctor's appointment.  Due date = November 20.  I had already decided I didn't want to tell many people until I was late in my 1st trimester.  So then came the hardest part.  My life had completely changed, and I couldn't even talk about it!  I spent a lot of time reading up on what I could do/not do.

As far as symptoms, I have been very lucky.  I have been exhausted.  A level of tired that I never knew existed.  I felt like I couldn't sleep enough.  I had nausea, but usually minor and at night, so that was convenient.  Once I felt nauseous, I just laid down and usually felt better...and usually fell asleep:)  I have only thrown up 4 times and that was all during my 7th week

I'm now 12 weeks.  I started telling people after my 10 week appointment when my US looked great and my doctor said everything with Baby J looked healthy.  I had to change doctors due to my insurance changing, and had an appointment with my new doctor on Friday.  That was the day that Jimmy and I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time!  I wasn't prepared for that emotion, but hearing that sound was just the sweetest thing I have ever heard!!  Oh, it was precious.  And we did another US and our baby has developed little arm and leg stubs, and it was squirming all around while we watched.  Again, precious!

So now I am just dealing with getting fat :)  I KNOW it's going to happen, and I'm ready for it.  I'm just at that uncomfortable in-between stage where it's not obvious that I'm pregnant at all, but I'm definitely bigger.  And my clothes fit, but not well.  I've even had to do the rubber band trick with a few pairs of my jeans.

And yes, we plan to find out the sex of the baby.  I have to plan things!  It's hard to do these things without knowing the sex.  I'm SOOO ready for this.  We will be thrilled with either sex, and I really have had feelings both ways, so I have no clue at this point.

But we are super excited!  I think I have gone through every emotion possible, which is apparently normal.  I'm ecstatic, I'm scared, I'm nervous, and I'm in love.  But I know that we will be awesome parents.  We have been blessed in many ways, but I know that this beautiful addition to our family is the greatest blessing that God can give us.