It's a ....

Last night we were joined by a houseful of friends and family members to reveal the sex of our baby. Super1 made a beautiful cake for us and did an excellent job of keeping the secret, despite our friends' best efforts to get the info early!


Greg wasn't able to get the night off work, but was able to come home for an extended lunch break. First, we had to get the Grandma's in California on the phone so they could hear the news with everyone else.


Then, we cut open the cake and it was PINK! (I knew it all along!)


Our pastor was on hand and scolded us for not praying before serving the cake.


So we invited him to offer a blessing. He led us in a beautiful and heartfelt prayer for our family that brought tears to my eyes. We are so truly blessed to have been led by God to our church. The genuine fellowship is like none other I have ever experienced before and thought not possible outside of the gates of Heaven.


The cake was delicious and we have more than enough leftover! If you'd like a slice of baby girl cake come on over!


For those of you wondering - her name is Abigail (or Abigayle, we haven't decided on a spelling yet) Mae after two courageous and faithful Christian women - Abigail (1 Samuel 25) and my great-grandmother, Ethel Mae. I pray that our Abby will have even a sliver of the greatness that was in each of these inspiring women.

Thank you to all of you that were able to join us in celebrating! We look forward to sharing many more happy moments with you in the months and years to come!

18 Weeks

We had our ultrasound today. I have attached a few of the better pictures. The baby was being a wiggle worm and wouldn't hold still, making the ultrasound tech's job a lot harder. Every time the baby would move I'd start laughing, which would make the baby move more. It was very cool and I'm so glad that Greg was able to be there to share in such a wonderful experience.

3d shot of the baby's face
Baby's Profile
The baby was sucking his/her thumb.
Let's hope this doesn't become a habit! :)

The doctor said that the baby looks great! He/she is in the 56th percentile right now, weighing in at a whopping 8 ounces and a heart rate of 167 beats per minute. He said he/she is right on target for our April 6th due date. He said that I am in excellent health - all of my labs and blood work came back perfect (duh) and he seemed pleased with my weight gain. I lost quite a bit of weight in the first few months, but I've gained all that back plus four pounds.

The ultrasound tech was able to tell the gender of the baby, but we still don't know what it is! She sealed the photos in one envelope and wrote the sex on a slip of paper and sealed it in an another envelope. After the appointment, Greg and I took the envelope with the note in it to a bakery. They are baking us a cake with either pink or blue filling in it. On Saturday our friends and family will all come over and we'll cut the cake open to reveal the sex of the baby! It will be a short and sweet party, but it's a fun way for us to share the joy with the people will love.

I am feeling better every day! I was able to go back to my normal 3-day/week work schedule. I'm back at the gym three times a week, just not pushing myself quite as hard as I was before. I have been keeping my heart rate between 145-155. I usually have to use the bathroom one or two times during my 30-minute workout, which is kind of a pain but I'm grateful to be there at all! I have been cooking again! I didn't realize how much I missed it. In the last week I've made spaghetti squash from our garden, chicken fried steak, turkey burgers and sweet potato fries, and veggie fritata to name a few. It seems as though I am finally able to eat what I like without getting sick. I have a nearly insatiable appetite, to the extent that I wake up in the middle of the night and need to eat a bowl of cereal. I've been taking Flintstone vitamins and successfully keeping them down for several days now, so tonight I took one of my prenatal vitamins. So far, so good!

Let's hope these blessings and positive progress continue!