Week 21: Thanksgiving

Happy Holidays! Xmas Tree Hunting!

This year was Ryan's first Griswald family experience of cutting down a Xmas tree with my family. Every year growing up this was always quite the event that could last hours on end depending on how long it took my mom to find the perfect tree! I remember many years trudging through the snow, mud, rain, and freezing cold weather to find a tree. It was often my mom running around, and us kids following complaining, "Are we done yet?" But despite the craziness, looking back it was great memories and I was excited that Ryan and I could have our first experience together of cutting down our own tree (with little one along too!). As you can see we found a tree and actually in record time. Maybe we should always head out when the sun is about to set, I always do better working under pressure at the last minute. We put the tree up on Sunday and I love the smell of a fresh Xmas Tree! As we were out there looking for trees I was thinking about how fun it will be next year to bring our little one along and have our first experience with the 3 of us getting our first tree together.

So Nick wanted to find out who had a bigger bump, him or me? The black part is my stomach, of course I was the winner! That was Nick's post-Thanksgiving bump!

Thanksgiving morning we did a 5-mile Turkey Trot run. Luckily the weather was great and the best part was that we each got mini Pumpkin pies. Ryan took a 21 week Running Bump picture of our little one before the race!
Week 21 Bump! I am officially past the half way point. Still feeling great (knock on wood). Definitely within the last week all of a sudden the little one has just popped out, not literally!

Week 20 Bump and Ultrasound

We had our 20 week ultrasound today. Guess what we are having, it's a ...! It's a secret and we did not find out! I guess you all will have to wait with us until April. It was so amazing and I am still in awe that there really is a human life inside of me. Ryan was a trooper through the ultrasound, no dizziness or being on the verge of passing out this time (for those of you who didn't hear, he almost passed out in our first ultrasound-major improvement). I think he will do great in the labor and delivery of our baby! Everything came out looking great and normal from the ultrasound, so we are very thankful for that and pray everything will continue to be normal and healthy. In Ryan's words, the baby has both feet and both hands!

I am also posting an updated "Bump" picture at the beginning of week 20 last Friday. The bump is definitely visible now and people at work and strangers in public are now commenting. Still not feeling any movement, but I think it is just a matter of time. The baby sure was moving around during the ultrasound today, so I guess it is something I can look forward to soon.

Week 18 Bump

Ryan and I ran the Hot Chocolate Run in Chicago yesterday. It was a frigid cold November morning. I ran the wimpy 5K by myself. While Ryan and our friends Chris and Marianne ran the 15K. It was the Hot Chocolate Run because supposedly there was supposed to be a ton of chocolate given out. There were squares of Girardelli chocolate at the finish line, but then the lines were insane for the chocolate fondue and the hot chocolate was cold! Oh well, it was fun to get out and go for a run with baby on board. I am sure that this baby is going to be born a runner after all the miles it is putting on with me! Afterward, Ryan and I had our first baby registry experience at the Land of Nod and purchased our baby bedding. Surprisingly, Ryan wanted to buy it on the spot, so I took him up on that!

This picture was taken a week ago at Week 18. Now I am in week 19 already and I am about ready to succumb to wearing Maternity Pants because I am scared I am going to suffocate the baby if I wear my normal pants much longer. I waited as long as I could but I would rather be comfortable at this point. So I am testing out the weird pants with the material that goes over the stomach and we will see how it goes.