Drumroll please.....

I have been waiting for the right time to write about this and I figured that it is finally time to let you all know (whoever "you all" may be) that I am in fact PREGNANT. Yes it is true!!! This coming Wednesday I will officially be 3 months preggie. Everything has been going well so far. I had a little bit of nausea a couple of weeks ago, but nothing too significant. Early on in the pregnancy I really had no desire to eat. Its not that I wasn't hungry, I just didn't ever feel like eating. But now is a different story. It was like one day someone flipped a switch and now I am hungry constantly and all I want to do is eat. I was tempted to get out of bed last night at 11:30 or so to get something to eat. My other "symptom" which isn't really a typical thing...according to most women I have spoken to, is sciatic pain. BOOOO!!!!! This marvelous nerve in the back of my leg that runs up into my tailbone area is getting pinched. Every time I need to bend over/stand up, get out of bed, lean this way or that way I get a sharp pain in my left, um...cheek. It stinks, it is kind of bothersome. I can't be on my feet for too long, so walking for exercise is pretty much out of the question. I have been thinking about taking up yoga to see if that would help. Any other suggestions? Has anyone else had this problem?

This is such a wonderful time in my life. I have a lot of joy and happiness around me, and it is such a blessing to be where I am. It is such a fantastic feeling to be finished with school, but nothing compares to the honor and excitement I feel of becoming a mother...wow, that sounded weird, and it was kind of strange to write it too. I guess I am still trying to convince myself that it is real and that I haven't been dreaming. In that case I just have to bend over and feel that nerve twinge and ah, yes...I am pregnant. Not to mention the beautiful moment of my very first ultrasound at week 7. My little "buggette" (my family's nickname for me is "Bug" so therefore my dad has called the baby buggette) didn't look like much at the time, but I saw that little heart beating and it was the most amazing thing in the world! I couldn't laugh, I couldn't cry, (mostly because if I moved the ultrasound picture would disappear), but I look at those pictures now and I am just so amazed at the life that my Heavenly Father has entrusted to me. Besides seeing the heartbeat, nothing beats hearing the heartbeat. Last week I was able to go in to the doctor and after looking for about a minute, he found that swishing throb that is my baby's heart. I definitely cried that day!!! It was such a relief to hear the evidence that all was well. I know so many women have gone before me. I am lucky to have a mother, a sister, a sister-in-law, and so many friends that I can talk to about my experience. But I am a sentimental person (I still have the bottle cap to the sparkling cider that we drank the night Matt proposed to me) and so I am soaking up every memory and experience that I have.

I am not the only one that is excited!!! In the time that Matt and I have been married I have seen him grow so much. I think the most influential part of preparing him for fatherhood was the birth of our niece and nephews. It has been wonderful seeing Matt play with the children and show sincere love and care for them. It is also very clear to me the love and care that he has for his own baby. He has come to every doctor's appointment so far, and he checks up on me: did I take my vitamins, did I eat lunch, did I drink enough water, go take a nap, etc. He even made me a fruit smoothie for breakfast one morning to ensure that I got all my fruit servings for the day! He also doesn't like it if I poke my belly...he is very protective of the baby. All the gifts that I have received from him are things ultimately for the baby too. I love his enthusiasm and excitement. I realize that his behavior is not the universal norm for all men in this world, so again, I count my blessings!

Well, there it is. The beginning of another countdown!! My due date is December 10, 2008 (my grandma's birthday). I am very grateful for this special blessing our lives, and I do welcome any advice, tidbits that worked for you, and recommendations. (And if I think the ideas sound crazy, then I just will ignore them! HA!) Take care!