You're invading my space!!!

This morning I went to the doctor's for our 4th check-up appointment. I was very excited for this appointment because Chris is out of school and his Mom was coming into town. I thought we would all go to my appointment together. I guess hearing the sound of a babies heartbeat is more precious and calming to the mom. Needless to say, they slept right through it. Actually, I almost missed out also. I got to my appointment a little late to hear the receptionist tell me, "Doctor Henderson doesn't do late." Luckily she was able to squeeze us in.

I was extremely excited to hear that my weight gain is right on schedule ... Phew!! I was a little worried. I thought for sure I was way over with all I ate over Thanksgiving. The best part of the appointment came right before the doctor put the Doppler on my belly. The doctor was able to feel were Toph's head and feet were. He put my fingers right on Toph's head. As I pushed a little and moved my fingers around I was able to feel a little pressure or hard spot as the doc described it. As I was about to lift my fingers Toph hit right were my fingers were. I think he had enough of us pushing him around. You could see my hand jump off my belly. I kind of jumped and the Doc just chuckled. I absolutely love starting my days with Toph reassuring me he is there.

The day we knew we had a Toph (the real version)

Ok so I'm not as elloquient as my wife when it comes to writing. Today was a great day perhaps because we got what we wanted but also to know that we have a healthy boy. Had it been a girl the excitement may have been the same, but it would have been hard to look at the ultrasound and not see long hair (a typical trait of older girls).

I had to get up just a half hour earlier than normal, but was so tired, perhaps because of the tossing and turning of my pregnant wife. As always I drove, and were it not for cruise control I probably would have sped to get there faster. As we arrived to the doctors office my heart beat as though this would be the last day of normalcy. The wait was short and we quickly entered the "dark room" where the doctor shortly entered to begin the ultrasound. Allison laid on the bed and I watched as the doctor turned on the ultrasound and instantly found the baby. My chair was across the room so I had to stand up to see what was going on. I asked a question every few secs, until I thought that perhaps I might be getting on her nerves. It was fun to see the detail of his little spine. The doctor was a great entertainer, she waited till the last moment possible to find out the sex of the baby. The climax would have seemed less climatic had she told us any earlier. I thought I constantly heard her refer to the baby as "him". I dont think she knew what it was until we got the baby to the right angle to see his stuff. I would have to say he is well endowed, but its hard to say... Ha Ha Ha.

Boy or Girl ....

"Are you going to find out?" and "Do you have a preference, boy or girl?" are the two questions we have heard the most since we announced we were pregnant. We never thought twice about not finding out the gender. We anticipated the day when we could further connect with our baby and finally put a name to him/her.

I have to admit I was a little more than anxious prior to our

appointment, I was kind of worried and stressed. We were going

in for an ultrasound to find out the gender, you never know what else you might find out. I found myself just wanting to see a fluttering heart beat, five fingers, and five toes more than any gender specific parts. I tossed and turned the entire night before our appointment, dreaming about being late, the nursery, shopping, holding our baby. I was even more restless at work once we found out. All I wanted to do was go shopping now that I knew what colors to buy.

So the news we have all been waiting for ... WE ARE HAVING A LITTLE BOY!!!

Now that the good news is out of the bag I want to write a little bit about our day. I was extremely lucky that Chris was able to come to the ultrasound appointment with me. We were able to get up together, which doesn't happen often during the week, and get ready together which was a special treat in itself. I hadn't taken my prenatal vitamin for a couple of days and thought I better take it before I missed another day. Anyone that has been pregnant knows it isn't good to take a prenatal on an empty stomach and I am hear to tell you it is even worse when you then drink a bunch of water and are anxious about something. The ride to our appointment was a little eventful when I got sick and couldn't keep all that water down.

Luckily it was just water and Chris was very understanding. Well we reached our appointment in all one piece. It felt so comforting and calming to sit in the waiting area holding Chris's hand just anticipating the opportunity to see our baby. Finally, we were in the exam room just relaxing and waiting while the doctor poured gel all over my belly. I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest when the doctor placed the instrument on my belly and we could clearly see his little body all curled up and his little heart fluttering. Chris's excitement compelled him to jump up out of his chair, I think he would have started moving the instrument himself if the doctor would have let him. He was like a little child in a toy shop, his eyes were wide open as he stood right behind the doctor asking question after question.

We watched as she examined every inch of him, She took photos and documented dimensions and all sorts of information. Information I could only begin to understand. When she was finally done poking a prodding and was ready to unveil if it was a boy our a girl he had curled up into a tight ball flipped on his side and seamed to have fallen to sleep. Like mother like son.

I had to lay on my side to get him to rotate enough for the doctor to get a clear view of his bumb and little boy parts. It was at that moment that I say such happiness and joy in Chris's eyes, not to mention a few tears. When the appointment was over and I was able to stand up Chris and I embraced, I said "We are getting our little Toph." We are so excited. I can't wait to have a little guy that brings me such joy and laughter just like his father.

As Chris's Grandpa says "The Nelson's are good at making boys." Job well done!!

Preparing - step one

We currently live in a 3-bedroom condo and up to this day only one room actually functioned as a bedroom. Lately we have been spending most of our time cleaning out the middle room in preparation for an office/mans room. In other words, a room which Chris can go to when I want to watch chick flicks, what not to wear, or Christmas movies (I already have 3 today that I am planning on watching). We finally got the room mostly de-cluttered and painted, thanks to Craigslist and Wal-Mart plastic totes. It is starting to look great, thanks to Chris. He did most of the work ..... O.K he did all of the work; other than sorting through all the totes of my junk.

Now it was my turn. THE BABIES ROOM. The third bedroom has kind of become my room/storage room. We haven't been able to see the floor pretty much since we moved in. There are usually baskets, shoes, lots of clothes, and anything else that we don't want out in the living room scattered all over the room. Since this room is going to become the nursery, and the crib is coming this week, we thought it might be good to start cleaning it. Step one was sorting through my clothes, it was kind of tough packing up all my skirts, pants, and shirts that I won't be able to wear until next summer when I get a figure back and then stuffing a few bags full to give away. I don't like giving away clothes, especially now when I don't know the next time I will be going shopping for anything other than maternity clothes and baby stuff.

After a few hours of cleaning I am still only half way done. But, the important thing is I am getting there. We have a small white dresser that is going to become the changing table and the first baby outfit we bought is hanging on the front of the drawers. It makes me smile everytime I see it. I can already picture the nursery. It's going to be great!!!!

"Thats not fair"

"That's not fair" was Chris's response tonight when I told him I could feel our baby move. I failed to attempt to show him how it felt as I poked his stomach over and over trying to mimic what I was feeling. It was about 8 weeks ago when I started feeling a slight tug every once in a while. Almost as though the baby got to the end of his/her rope and couldn't go any further. I often tried to mimic this for Chris by tugging on his belly button. Not sure I was ever sucessful in my attempts.

It wasn't to long after that when I started feeling small flutters or spasms, I had to stop everything and focus to really absord and enjoy the moment. It was just Tuesday of this week that I felt the baby kick or run into me, not quite sure what he/she is doing but I love feeling it. Tonight it felt like little kicks over and over in the same spot. A little harder than a spasm or anything I had felt before. Chris hopes this is a sign that our baby is a soccer player. I told him I hope he/she doesn't continue to kick hard or I will snuggle up to him at night and hope he/she kicks hard enough to wake him up. Well ...... as close as I can with a large belly sticking out.

I am really excited and extremely anxious for chris to also share the joy of feeling our baby kick and move. I never thought I could need, miss, or love someone so much until I met Chris and got married and now knowing we shared in creating such a miracle makes me honor and cherish him even more. We are really excited for the opportunity to be pregnant and become parents. We can't wait to meet our little one; boy or girl.

Movement

This has been quite an eventful week. Who knew just thinking about something and searching the internet could be so tiring. I also never thought I would be out of breath just having a conversation with someone. Welcome to pregnancy. 4 1/2 months and I am just starting to get use to it.

So .... from the beginning Chris and I thought it would be tons of fun to have a little boy. A little Toph as we would say. I immediately started planning a little boy nursery, orange and greens, monkeys, little boy things. Then one day Chris looked at me and said, "I think we might be having a girl." Neither of us said much about that subject and just kept talking and planning as though we are having a boy until last weekend. I was up early last Saturday just thinking about all the changes that have taken place in the last couple of years and how blessed we are to be pregnant. This thought process of course lead to the nursery; the colors, furniture, decor, layout, and over all feel of the space (since interior design and decorating is what I do and love) and I got this over whelming feeling that we are going to have a girl.

I started choosing colors and a whole new decor, it went from green and orange and monkeys to dark purple, light yellow, and butterflies. We even went and picked up paint chips while we were at home depot Saturday night. I started getting excited to buy furniture and get the nursery set-up. So most of my thoughts this week have been focused on searching and shopping for baby stuff. Craigslist here I come.