It happened!! It finally happened!!!

Ok, ok, I know that I'm impatient -- BUT, it finally happened and it was well worth the wait! What am I talking about you might ask?? James finally felt our baby boy kick last night! I was soooo excited! AND, not only that, but before he felt him, I saw him kick for the first time! It totally caught me off guard! He had just started kicking and I decided I would put my jello down and tell James to come see if he could feel, when I turned to put my empty jello cup on the end table he kicked and I saw it! James was on the couch next to me and I said "Oh my gosh! I just actually saw him kick!" He said "Really?" After that though he stopped kicking, imagine that! LOL! So, I decided to move into the bedroom and lay in there because normally when I get comfy in bed he starts doing somersaults, LOL! Indeed he did, too. I waited for awhile to see if he would keep it up. When he did, I called out to James to come here, but he didn't come, I think he figured it would just be another time that he couldn't feel him or that he would stop. So, I let it be. But, then I started to see our baby kick all over the place for a couple of minutes! I hurried and called out to James, and he came that time! He laid his hand on my tummy, but he didn't feel the next kick, so he took his hand away from my belly, and then all of a sudden, he saw it too! That made him want to stick around a while longer, LOL, so he put his hand back on my belly and what do you know...........Braden kicked daddy's hand! Yaaaayyyy!!!!!!!!!!!! James was amazed he took his hand off again, and we just sat there staring at my tummy for another couple of minutes at the little kicks we continued to see! That moment was everything I had ever hoped for! It made both of our days! And, I just couldn't stop thanking our sweet and precious Lord for giving us this awesome gift and experience!

Was it all just a dream?

Well, I've been feeling Braden kick for almost a month now and I absolutely love it! BUT, I am getting very anxious for someone other than me to feel him as well and how amazing it truly is! I literally think about it day in and day out....."when will he be big enough for others to feel?!?!?" I swear sometimes its hard enough to feel from the outside, so I call out to James to "come 'er!! hurry!" but then the little stinker either doesn't do it again as hard or completely STOPS!! Ugh, how aggravating!

So, anyway, about last nights dream.....seeing that this topic has been on my mind a lot lately, I dreamt about it during the night. All I can remember is I feeling him kick hard and actually feeling a hard spot on my stomach, like from the heel of his foot or an elbow. I hurried and called out to James like I normally do....I told him "feel here!" He felt the hard spot too! and curious as my husband is, he decides to push on the hard spot, I yelled out, "No! Don't push on it, just feel nice and easy and he'll move" Just as I said that in my dream that hard spot kicked back angerly because of course my husband pushed on it anyway, and hard! At that very instant I swear I felt that jolt of a kick for real, it was sooo hard that it hurt, and I woke up holding the very spot on my side as it was in the dream. So, I'm wondering if he was really moving around, therefore, I started dreaming about it and then he kicked hard enough for me to wake me up and I subconsciously had it happen at the exact point in my dream! Is that weird or what?!?!?

Does anyone know the answer to my pestering question......when will everyone else begin to feel my sweet little one???????

P.S. - Your about 7 1/2 inches in length now, and about 10 1/2 ounces in weight!

Baby Report

Today, I am 20 weeks 6 days pregnant! I love being pregnant. I love feeling him kick. I love watching my belly grow. I love going to the doctor for checkups. I love that my feet are slowly disappearing when I look down. I love shopping for him. I love that this little person has brought my husband and I even closer together.

Last Friday was my 20 week checkup and I promised you all a report. Everything is going just wonderfully! First, I invited my mom to tag along with me this time. We heard Mr. Braden's heartbeat at 165 and Dr. Lin measured the growth of my belly, which is now 20 centimeters, thats about 8 inches! That means my uterus is about the size of a large canalope now, and our baby boy is between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 inches long and is now approximately the size of a large banana. Crazy, I know! I can feel him kicking everyday now, but its still not hard enough for James or anyone else to feel just yet, I just know it will be anyday now when they'll be able to though. My blood pressure and weight are great, also!

I have decided to have a natural childbirth if everything goes smoothly! I have begun telling family and friends so that they will understand my decision and either support me or keep their opinions to themselves whether they feel I can do it or not. I have decided to instruct all staff on duty and my doctor to not ask me if I want an epideral. My plan at this point is to not have one and if I change my mind I dont want it to be because someone planted the idea in my brain by repeatedly asking. Out of sight, out of mind is the idea! I came to this decision because of what happened to my mom while having me twenty-seven years ago. During delivery my mom was given an epideral incorrectly, which paralyzed her for weeks. She had to take physical therapy to regain her strength and mobility. She has had many struggles throughout her lifetime because of the effects of her paralysis in '82, and currently has permanant damage to her kidneys. Although technology is amazing these days, I would just rather try it on my own first. God gave us these bodies to bare children naturally and I plan on doing my best to do just that. Therefore, James and I are going to take some natural childbirth classes. They focus on teaching the Bradley Method of delivering, ways to help cope through the pain, rather than fight against it. I have heard this class has worked wonders for many people including my friend Shana, which had a home birth delivery. I won't be going that far, she is by far a much stronger woman in that sense, but I will be trying my best for a natural delivery as our first choice of birth plans.

Anyway, my next appointment is May 8th. I will be 24 weeks! Time is just coasting by! I leave you with a belly picture from 20 weeks 3 days and my first splurge buy for Mr. Braden! Not much change from 18 weeks, just more round ;)

Sun Kissed

The first day, Friday, of our 3-day Easter weekend was absolutely beautiful, therefore, I decided to lay out in the backyard for awhile and see if I could catch some color! Well, after only laying there for 30 to 45 minutes I come to find out that I am a lobster! I got out of the shower and was a bit pinker than I was before getting in, then a few hours later at a friends house discovered the lobsterness of my skin! I felt like a horrible mother, my thoughts, "I FRIED MY CHILD!" Anywho, its feeling better as of today, its not the worst burn I've had, but I was not expecting after only 45 minutes of blissful relaxtion that I would turn into a large pregnant tomato!

Friday was also my 20 week checkup with the doctor, but I'll post a different blog for that tomorrow.

Saturday, I cleaned. I am sooooo proud of myself. I actually cleaned, like thoroughly! I'm not 100% done, but it feels sooo good to have what I did do completed. Maybe I can keep up with it for awhile, LOL! We also decided to try out Spring Creek for the first time. The hot, fresh bread there is delicious!!!

Easter Sunday, we spent at James' families house eating, hunting eggs, and the men played horseshoes. James and I took a walk to the park and I got to swing on the swingset! Soooo much fun to be a kid!

Anyway, it's 5 o'clock and my car is calling my name to get it home! ;) I hope everyone had a great weekend and had tons of fun with their loved ones!

'Til next time!

Lovin' My Growing Belly

18 weeks 6 days

Sneak Peak

Well, we finished painting and I am now 50% finished with the border! I figured I would give y'all a quick sneak peak of baby Braden's room! The lighting isn't so great in there in the evening, so that's why it looks extremely dark, but I can say I am VERY proud of myself AND of his room so far!