18 Weeks & Loving Every Minute!

This past Saturday, I entered into my 18th week of pregnancy! 

I have to admit, when we first got pregnant, I was so grouchy. Poor Dan! My stomach was constantly upset. Nothing sounded good to eat & took two naps on my days off from work. I was SO tired. I didn't feel like doing anything except for reading books & watching movies, while laying on the couch. As a result, Dan was able to get a lot of quality study time in. Dan was so good to me. He made me breakfast in bed, gave me the best massages, and made me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. In a way, I miss those days already.

Once I started taking prilosec and my endocrinologist put me on the right dose of levothyroxin, our lives went back to normal! In fact, once I hit my second trimester, life has gotten so much better than it has ever been. It's so exciting to daydream with Dan about our sweet new bundle of joy, which will be arriving in June! Awe, June will be an exciting time :) 

I often wish time would slow down a bit, so Dan and I could enjoy this spot in our lives just a little longer. I see my friends in their third trimester, and I do not envy them one bit. They just look so uncomfortable carrying a watermelon on their little tiny frames. In the same sense, I'm looking forward to enjoying every minute of that uncomfortable third trimester.

But for now, I'm absolutely loving every minute of my 18th week of pregnancy. 

This past week, Dan and I put together the baby's crib and changing table. The crib was a piece of cake, but that changing table was a beast. Too bad those things don't come already set up. But where would the frustration be in that? Ha! 

This week, our little baby:

-Weighs somewhere between 5.5 and 7 ounces (my 3 pregnancy books are conflicting)! Either way, it's growing!

-Is developing the whirls & swirls of fingerprints!

-Is developing alveoli (air pockets in the lungs)!

-Is also forming meconium in the bowel (a babies' first bowel movement)

17 Weeks!

This week I went to my OB appointment with one of my best friends from nursing school, Maggie! Dan was unable to make it to the appointment due to a residency interview at the Nebraska Medical Center here in Omaha. I am such a lucky girl to have such amazing friends who are willing to take the time to support me and my growing family! Thank you Maggie for being there for me! You are going to be such an amazing "aunt" to our sweet baby!

At the appointment, we got to listen to the heart beat, which was high 140s, low 150s beats per minute. According to my OB, this is a perfect heart rate!! Unfortunately, we weren't able to see an ultrasound of the baby, despite our hopes, but our big ultrasound appointment will be February 6th! At that same appointment, we will find out what we're having! It's probably a good thing that we didn't have an ultrasound of the baby this week. I'm afraid if we had had one, I would have been too tempted to ask what the sex of the baby was, which would have been exciting to find out, but without Dan present, wouldn't have made it as special. Otherwise, the appointment was rather straight forward. I asked my questions and the OB eased all the worries I had. A girl I work with, who is due about 5 days after me, felt she was having back labor this past week and ended up going to the ER. I was rather worried for her and her baby and that worry started to make me worried for my own baby. Like I said, all my fears were set at ease!

Today marks the beginning of my 17th week of pregnancy! 

Every once in a while, I think that perhaps I can feel our sweet baby nudge me, but only time will tell if what I'm feeling is actually the baby or something else! ;) My OB mentioned that since I'm such a tiny girl and my baby is growing like it should, I could potentially feel the baby move this week!!! 

At this point our baby:

--Now has finger & toe nails

--Can smile and frown (although it doesn't do so on purpose)

--Is storing lots of fat to keep it warm at birth

--Can hear sounds outside of my body

--Is practicing breathing (it's chest rises & falls)

--Exhales amniotic fluid

I LOVE reading my pregnancy books! Just thinking about our baby brightens my day!

June 2013

We are proud to announce that Dan is expecting a puppy to be born June 28th, 2013!!!

As you can tell, Dan is SO excited!

Just kidding!

We are both excited to announce that we will be having a baby June 28th, 2013!!!!!

Whenever people ask whether we would like a boy or a girl, Dan jokingly tells them I'm having a puppy so it really doesn't matter!

Dan and I have been planning our family for a while now, we just didn't know when the Lord wanted us to start. With residency coming up, me just starting into my career, and a possible move around the corner, there just doesn't seem to be a "right" time. At the beginning of 2012, we started going to the temple with starting our family in mind. Once we received our answer, Dan bought me prenatal vitamins, the sweetest gift I think he'll ever be able to buy me! Three months later, we started trying. Then in September, we got pregnant! Of course, I didn't realize I was pregnant until October when I missed my period. 

6 weeks pregnant!

A few days before I made my first OB appointment, we figured I better take a pregnancy test to be sure I really was pregnant. 

Two blue lines=pregnant! 

8 weeks along!

10 weeks

13 weeks: Dan's been such a good sport at taking this pictures! 

Humor me!

Merry Christmas!

It was Dan's idea to announce our babies' birth with this adorable picture!

We had both printed out. 

But loved this one the best! We put them in our Christmas cards to our parents and grandparents.

Since my parents do not have any other grand kids, we had my mom open a frame which said Grandchildren on it with a picture of our babies' 12 week ultrasound. It was such a tearful, unforgettable moment!

16 weeks along!

Omaha Christmas Symphony

For Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, I was lucky enough to work both holidays. I don't know how my manager pulled that one off, but she did and I had no choice but to do as she wished. 

Dan had boards the Monday following Thanksgiving, so Dan studied the entire day and took a short break to enjoy some turkey with our neighbors and their two small children. When I came home, I ate their leftovers, which were delicious leftovers :) On the following Sunday, Dan and I ate steak and mashed potatoes and prayed Dan would do well on his boards the following day. Our prayers were answered :)

The first year Dan and I were married, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to start our own traditions. I love watching ballet. In fact, many of my friends growing up were dancers, and I had grown up watching them dance at their recitals. So naturally, when my neighbor asked if I would buy tickets to watch her girls dance in the Nutcracker, I had no choice but to buy two tickets for Dan and myself. I enjoyed the entire experience, while Dan dreaded it from the first plie to the last pirouette. Dan had me promise that I would NEVER drag him to another ballet for as long as I lived, unless, of course, it was to watch our own daughters dance. 

I promised. 

I have to say, from this experience, I was rather surprised when Dan came home with two tickets to the Omaha Christmas Symphony. I was pleasantly surprised at how much Dan enjoyed the concert and dressing up for the show. It was a night I will surely never forget. 

Dan is already making going to the Symphony somewhat a tradition. He has purchased another two tickets to attend James Bond at the Symphony for Valentines Day.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm sure Dan is glad I didn't forget to add this little gem from our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party this year:

Delicious Apple Pie

Omaha is such a great place to enjoy fall, with all of its' pumpkin patches and apple orchards!

As a way to enjoy fall this year, Dan and I had plans of going to an apple orchard to pick our own apples and make a homemade pie, but as usual life got pretty busy. Instead, we opened up a can of homemade apple pie filling my mom gave us and made this delicious "homemade" apple pie!

Dan and Chealse, Fall 2012

This October was absolutely gorgeous. In fact, I can not recall a single fall in Omaha that has not be completely breathtaking. As a result, Dan and I decided we wanted some new family portraits taken. 

Enjoy!

Vala's Pumpkin Patch 2012

This year, we decided to go to Vala's Pumpkin Patch with a few of my nursing school friends to help bring in the holiday season. 

The Famous Vala's Pumpkin Patch Rocking Chair!

(Too bad it doesn't actually rock!)

Our little princess! Isn't he so glamorous!

I love the attention to detail at Valas'.

It was SO cold! We should have been in winter coats, but forgot them at home.

Maggie and Seth, enjoying the hay ride!

Top Row: Peter, Amber, Emily, Dan, Seth, Maggie

Bottom Row: Chealse & Dan :)

So excited to pick out a pumpkin!

We found our very own "muffin top" pumpkin! 

Dan has been practically dying to drive a tractor and he finally got half his wish! Sitting in one is almost just as good!

Using my pumpkins in a practical sort of way: As dumb bells!

Actually, with our admission, we received a free 8lb pumpkin, so I was trying to gauge what 8lbs might feel like.

See, it's the details that make Vala's so magical!

The petting zoo! This year, we couldn't find the two headed goat, but we sure tried!

Howdy!

Graceful #1

Graceful #2

Not so graceful #3

We finally met up with Jessica & Mike. They got caught up eating turkey legs and caramel apples!

Speaking of caramel apples, Dan and I shared a fresh one, but since it was so cold, it really didn't matter, the caramel almost broke our jaws.

On to the races!

Dan and I also raced against each other (not pictured). This year, I ended up crashing, and lucky for me, Dan stopped and came back to help dust me off. Needless to say, Dan won. BUT if my rick/short cut would have worked, I would have won, but instead I crashed :( Moral: Cheaters NEVER prosper. 

Just stopping at the John.

Vala's 2012 

The Pig Races fell a little short on comedy this year, but it is always cute to see the little piglets race for an oreo!!

Last, but definitely not least, Dan and I stayed a little longer than everyone else to play a little mini golf.

Yet again, Dan was victorious. I blame it on the "glow in the dark" balls that just went flying every which way! Better luck next year, if we stay in Omaha that is!