Viva Mexico (22/2)

[22 weeks, 2 days]

On Sunday, we got back from a week-long vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, all courtesy of Grandma Maxine. Other than a bit of tummy trouble after we got back to Madison, we had a great time! We stayed at a nice resort, took a fabulous family charter to a small fishing village, and even saw a few humpback whales! Bump even got to have a little fun!

There's something alive in here... (20/3)

[20 weeks, 3 days]

Hello Everyone!

Well, a lot of new, fun stuff going on. I'm most definitely showing now, though picture I've posted here doesn't really show it as much (and despite how it looks, I do change shirts every day). I'm feeling little kicks, punches, and even the occasional wiggle. It's still very tough to tell what's what, though.

The neatest thing is that we had our 20 week exam and ultrasound this morning. It's.... a baby! We did not find out the gender, nor did we want to. It's all proper and all parts accounted for, so that's all good. By the look of these pictures, it will be a dancer, a singer, and a lean mean little arm-wrestling machine. :o)

Latest Doctor Appointment (17/4)

[17 weeks, 4 days]

We had another regular doctor appointment yesterday, but this time, we took a little video of hearing the heartbeat for posterity. It sounds like Nick eating, if you ask me. :o)

Nearly Four Months Down (16/6)

[16 weeks, 6 days]

I'm starting to get a bit bigger lately. I've borrowed some maternity clothes (not actually wearing any yet, but I should be within a few weeks), and I bought a Snoogle pillow to help me sleep at night. I'm not thrilled about no longer being able to sleep and stretch out on my back, but that's a minor sacrifice. :o)

Nick and I are enjoying a quiet weekend. We went over to friends' house for dinner and the Badger game last night. No Valentine's Day shenanigans (or any sort of acknowledgment of the "holiday" of any kind). But we were very happy for the victory. Hope your weekend was nice as well!

Making Progress (14/5)

[14 weeks, 5 days]

Nick and I got a few baby-related things out of the way on this quiet Saturday. I found a nice nursery furniture set on Craigslist for only $150, so we picked that up today along with a pack 'n play they were getting rid of. Awesome! Now we'll actually have something in what shall now be called the nursery.

We also had some painting fun today. We repainted the room from an annoying purple to a sunny yellow (or Delightful Daffodil, as the paint chip said) that complements the jungle babies-themed bedding I made. Hopefully, we didn't miss any spots (and our masking job held up to the two coats of paint).

It felt really good to get these things out of the way, and feel like we're actually doing something to get ready, even though it's still going to be about six months from now. And having heard that little one's heartbeat a week and a half ago, we're looking forward to meeting the little guy or gal.

As for me, I'm definitely starting to get a bit bigger. I've been reduced to using office supplies (rubber bands and clips) to hold my pants on. I'm not nearly big enough for the maternity pants I bought, but I know that day will be coming soon enough. I haven't felt any movement yet... Hopefully in the next few weeks. :o)

Baby on Board (12/6)

Hear ye, hear ye! The news you've all been waiting for...

Nick and I would like to proudly announce to the world that we're expecting a little Abts!

I'll be 13 weeks tomorrow, making me due around July 24/27 (depending on who you ask), so it'll probably happen in August. And so everyone knows, we're not going to find out the sex and we're not going to tell anyone the names we pick out. You're just going to have to wait until the baby comes to find out. Nothing like a good surprise, right? Anyway, here are two pictures from a month ago to tide you over until my next ultrasound or when I start showing (which hasn't quite happened yet):

Happy New Year!

First of all, Happy New Year, everyone! I also hope you had happy holidays! Nick and I spent Christmas Eve in Rapids with my parents and Christmas Day in Waupaca with my dad's side. Unfortunately, the weather prevented us from making our planned trip up to Green Bay on the 26th, but we'll be doing Christmas with Nick's family in a few weeks. Cassie made us awesome stockings, which are now hung by our chimney with care. We have also (hopefully) started a new family tradition of taking an awkward photo wearing gaudy Christmas sweaters (see below).

2009 promises to bring lots of changes for us and many more blog posts. We hope you have a great one yourself!