I'll admit it: Tim was right.
As of this weekend, I have carried this precious baby for a full 39 weeks. I have loved literally every minute of pregnancy and have been blessed with good health and relative comfort the entire time. Although I am ecstatic to meet our little girl, there is a part of me that will miss this. The beauty of expectancy; the connection between a mother and the child she is carrying within her; feeling change and growth over 9 months; experiencing the love and anxiousness a father feels before meeting his daughter for the first time. It has been a journey of hope and each step has brought us closer to the Lord, each other, and the beginning of our lives as parents to a beautiful baby. I am overwhelmed with gratitude, to say the least. 
We can't wait for you to arrive, little girl!
As you can see by this picture, not only does my body look ready to have this baby, but the nursery is also getting ready! This weekend Tim assembled both the crib and the changing table/dresser all by himself (I did help, but it consisted only of holding pieces and parts when necessary and it was all done from the comfort of a rocking chair)! Once we have a few more things on the walls and a little more organization, I will make sure to post pictures of the nursery. With all of the stuff I have to put away, it is evident that she is one lucky, little girl!
Hard to believe that we only have 5 weeks until our baby bird is due. With that said, it may be somewhat obvious as I seem to look more and more tired with each week! This pregnancy stuff is pretty exhausting; and combined with the recent jump in temperature here, I am worn out! Fortunately, though, I am carrying a healthy baby girl and it won't be long until I'm snuggling her in my arms. Speaking of snuggling, our bird is now starting to pack on the pounds to fill out her little frame. At 35 weeks she weighs over 5 1/4 pounds and is more that 18 inches long. Tim and I are working on our "bets" about how big she will be (in pounds and inches), so if you want to join in, leave a comment or email me your best guess and we'll see who is the closest when she arrives.
Here I am posting a week late again - either I have a busy social life or I am 8 months pregnant and choosing to do nothing as much as possible! In order to get to the more current events, I will make this post short and sweet. At 34 weeks baby bird is now about 4 3/4 pounds and almost 18 inches long. She is still moving and hiccuping like crazy and she remains in a head-down position which will be perfect for her big debut! Only 3 weeks until full term (37 weeks) and there's still plenty to be done before then. Wish me luck!
Ok; I feel better now that I am caught up! Baby girl is now 33 weeks along - only 7 weeks to go! Unreal, isn't it? Although she's a bit bigger than average, I've read that she should now be over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark in length. I can tell her bones are forming well, too, because her movements are very pronounced and her kicks to the ribs are not so forgiving! She has also had the hiccups quite a bit lately and I just love to stop what I'm doing to concentrate on her little vibrations. I can just picture her in there wondering what in the world her body is doing! It must be a little weird at first. I have also figured out what I like least about being pregnant - swollen ankles and feet. It seems like such a minor complaint, but I just can't stand it. Oh well, it will be over soon enough and it will be more than worth it! That's what I get for wanting a summer baby, too!
This weekend, baby bird and I hit the 31 week mark which means only 9 weeks to go! Everything seems a little more real when the week countdown is in the single digits! Now that we know she's measuring big for her gestation, I hope it's ok that I still use the generic size and weights that I find on Babycenter. You don't mind do you? In that case, our girl is now measuring over 16 inches long and weighs about 3 1/2 pounds. Amazing, isn't it? I can definitely feel every move our 
As far as results go, we will learn more when I meet with my doctor next Thursday, but it looks like she is a little bigger than average and my amniotic fluid levels are somewhat higher than normal. We're not sure what this all means as far as next steps and such, but we'll be sure to ask plenty of questions next week. The technologist was trying to get a clear shot of her profile, but she had her hands in front of her face the entire time (even after some prodding to encourage her to put them down)! And aren't those just the cutest, little toes you've ever seen?! We are in love, to say the least!
Only 10 weeks to go! Time is absolutely flying by and as much as I want to meet our little girl, I also want to enjoy every last minute of my first pregnancy. This has been such a precious time for Tim and I and I think I'll be a little sad when it comes to an end - not for long though because I'll have a beautiful baby to hold instead.
First of all, I have to tell you that right now the baby has the hiccups and it is so strange to feel that constant rhythm as well as her moving around! This is the first time I've noticed hiccups, so I'm pretty excited! Speaking of our precious baby, she is now (or was as of Saturday, since I'm a little late posting this) just over 15 inches long and weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (similar to a butternut squash). I can tell that she is filling out in there because I'm starting to feel some pain in my ribs which is most likely from her strong, little legs. Tim and I are trying to tell her to take it easy on her mama, but I would get antsy too if I was her!
Whew! I look extremely pregnant in this picture! Since we don't have a full-size mirror, I don't get this view very often and each week I am surprised at my expanding profile. At 28 weeks, baby bird weighs about 2 1/4 pounds and is about 14.8 inches long. At my doctor's appointment last week I was measuring at 30 weeks, so I asked if that meant I should plan on an earlier delivery date. As of right now, we are just going to keep an eye on my measurements and then I'll be given another ultrasound if necessary to do some more precise measurements of the baby. The increase in size that we're seeing could be a result of excess fluid or just how the baby is positioned in there. It's somewhat exciting to think that we could have a baby a little earlier than planned, though! Obviously I'll keep everyone posted as we find out more. Otherwise, the baby and I are completely healthy and moving along just fine. Well, I'm moving a little slower these days, but still mobile! This whole experience seems to be going by too quickly, but I am excited to meet my baby girl!
This weekend baby bird weighs as much as a head of cauliflower (2 lbs) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. When I held this head of cauliflower I realized just how big she is getting and I even rocked it in my arms to see what it would feel like to hold her right now! I think I talked about her amazing activity level last week, but I am still so enthralled by how much she moves and grooves in there! Last night we sat a half empty water bottle on my belly and just watched how much it moved with her kicks and punches. We're pretty sure she holds a private dance party in there every night!
I obviously didn't dress up for you all today since I had a lazy Sunday planned with copious amounts of baking to do. I also didn't take the time to purchase the 'baby' veggie this week because...well, I just didn't, so you'll have to get out your rulers for this one! Our little bird is closer to 2 pounds now in weight and measures about 14 inches long (the length of an English hothouse cucumber). She is super active, too, so I'm curious to see how wiggly she'll be when we can hold her in our arms. 
We've hit the 25 week mark and I'm already feeling quite large! This belly of mine is holding the most precious package ever, but it sure gets in my way these days. As you can see, our baby bird is definitely growing - she is now about 13 1/2 inches long and a weighs a pound and a half. We still have 15 weeks to go so she needs to keep growing. We've come to the conclusion that she just likes to show off and steal attention so of course she is making herself known! Also, many people have asked me what we plan to name her and we don't have anything nailed down for sure, but our favorite name is Maria. We plan to keep our options open until she arrives because there are just so many choices. There is so much pressure when it comes to naming a human being. Usually my naming habits for animals and cars and things is pretty unoriginal, but it's much more difficult naming this baby girl!
Well, these last 24 weeks have definitely flown by! Baby girl now weighs over a pound and is over a foot long (about the length of an ear of corn, which Tim says are not in season yet!) At least a few times a day it feels like she's having a dance party in there and I love to just watch her pokes and prods. On Wednesday this last week I did take a trip to the hospital birthing center because I hadn't felt any significant movements for about 24 hours. I called my doctor's office that evening and they suggested I just go and get checked out so I did. Of course she started showing off the moment I was hooked up to the fetal doppler, but I was thankful and relieved that I went. Tim has been the most wonderful husband throughout this entire pregnancy, which has not surprised me! He goes to the store whenever a craving hits (lately it has been grapes, cinnamon roles, and pie) and he even painted my toenails for me last night since they are a little difficult to reach :) Seriously, he is amazing! I can't wait to see how he treasures our baby girl.
Happy Easter! How even more thankful I am for God's mercy and forgiveness in this season of life. I know I won't be the perfect wife or mother, but I am loved and forgiven! In this 23rd week of pregnancy, I can't even put into words how much I enjoy carrying this little girl inside of me. This is the ultimate experience of living in expectancy and each moment is filled with anticipation - for another round of kicks from inside my belly; for my family's future; for holidays shared with Tim and our child(ren).
Baby girl has officially been growing inside of me for 22 weeks now. She's 11 inches long (the length of a spaghetti squash) and weighs nearly a pound! (The squash I'm holding here weighs 2 pounds, so she's not quite that big yet!) Things have still been going really well as far as how I'm feeling, thankfully. I realize, though, that my little complaints about my belly getting in the way some times will be magnified as time goes on because I'm not getting any smaller over the next 4 months! We've gotten some special gifts from generous family members, so we already have her crib, changing table/dresser, pack-n-play (for bassinet use right away), and her infant carseat is ordered as well. These are all amazing blessings and we are having so much fun preparing for our little girl. We picked up the pack-n-play on Saturday and the minute we got it out of the car, Tim was setting it up! We are both extremely excited, obviously :) Thanks to everyone for sharing in our excitement. 
My belly isn't quite as exciting as the little girl who is inside it, but I might as well share it anyway. Baby girl and I are at 21 weeks now and she is as long as a carrot (about 10 1/2 inches) and according to the ultrasound, weighs 14 ounces. All of her measurements are right on track, so even though I look pretty big already, she is not a huge baby (thank goodness). Since we found out the sex, I've already purchased this adorable outfit I've had my eye on for a few months as well as most of the crib bedding that I fell in love with when I first became pregnant. It all feels so real now! We love you so much already baby bird!
On Saturday we hit the 20-week mark which means we're already HALF WAY there! Wow! Baby bird is now 10 1/2 ounces and 10 inches long (from heat to heel), about the length of a banana. The little "kicks" are getting stronger and more consistent, but we're still waiting for more muscle power so Tim can join in the fun. I am finally starting to notice that this belly of mine is going to get in the way sometimes. My arms are losing comfortable positions when I lay down to sleep each night and every single crumb and food particle that misses my mouth finds a new home somewhere on my protruding middle. Although I may have a few more complaints as this pregnancy progresses, I am loving every minute of it! Friday is our big day when we will be able to rejoice specifically over our son or daughter to come. We...cannot... wait! We will share our news with all of you as soon as possible so you can share the excitement. I also had to share a picture of the cutest little gift that baby bird's Aunt Nellie bought her:
A tiny Starbucks onesie! How perfect! Thanks, Nellie! See you all Friday :)
After being out of town for an abbreviated spring break, baby and I are back with a 19 week update just before the 20-week mark. Our little bird is now the size of a large heirloom tomato weighing 8 1/2 ounces and measuring 6 inches from head to bottom. I added the inset picture for comparison since, in all our visiting fun, I did not think to pick up an heirloom tomato. This last week was especially exciting not only because we were able to spend time with family and friends, but also because I'm sure now that the occasional twitch I have been feeling is actually the baby! It is still weak and inconsistent, but what an incredible sensation! It will only get stronger from here and I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with Tim.
Time is flying by! Baby and I are already 18 weeks along which means she/he (we think it's a she, by the way) is 5 1/2 inches long (about the size of a sweet potato) and weighs 6 ounces. This little one is definitely going through a growth spurt because I am constantly hungry. I'm also taking way more trips to the restroom than usual, so I think she's starting to crowd my bladder. I've slowly been working on a list of baby necessities and a registry, but there are so many choices! Tim and I are taking a trip to the west side this weekend, so I'm excited to do some product browsing in person. Luckily, though, with the research I've done online, I shouldn't be too overwhelmed. Fun times ahead! I hope everyone had a great weekend!
Wow! It seems like I grew a few inches wider just over this past week! It may be because baby is going through a growth spurt right now and will double in size the next couple of weeks. Currently she is 5 inches long (about the size of a large onion) and weighs 5 ounces. This shirt has a lot to do with how pronounced I look as well because it conforms to my every-growing belly (thanks, Mom!) I am enjoying everything about pregnancy including the extreme body changes. This week I've had my first few inquiries about my pregnancy from complete strangers, so I must obviously look like I'm expecting :) I know I may get tired of talking to people about my belly and the baby inside, but right now it is so exciting! Some people have asked how I've been feeling throughout this whole process and so far I literally have no complaints. I am counting my blessings, too, because not everyone has it this easy. I am aware, though, that I will be my biggest at the hottest time of the year, so I may not paint such a rosy picture then! For now I will enjoy every moment and try to remember how amazing it feels to be carrying our first child.
On Saturday, we hit the 16 week mark. Baby is now the size of an avocado or approximately 4 1/2 inches long. My apple last week was quite large, so the comparison might not look right, but I know you get the idea! I've read a few places that the baby's ears are beginning to function so we will start playing some good music for baby to hear and reading to him/her now. I wanted to keep track of some of the cravings I've had recently, so I'm going to make a list:
Can you believe that it's already been 15 weeks? Our little baby is now a total of 4 inches long (about the size of an apple). Since I eat apples on a regular basis, it's fun to just look at one and try to imagine what he/she looks like. Last week Tim's parents were able to come and visit us for a few days, which was so much fun! We took a trip to the little maternity store in the next town over and they bought me a few cute things including the shirt I'm wearing in the picture. I love that I'm showing more and more each week! We also got a goodie bag FULL of surprises for baby bird from Tim's grandma and grandpa. It was pretty surreal to look through all of the baby clothes, diapers, and books that will soon be used on an actual baby...that I will give birth to! Wow!
Baby bird is 13 weeks old today and we've officially entered the second trimester! For me the second trimester doesn't necessarily mean an end to morning sickness like it does for many people since I have been blessed to have had hardly any nausea at all. Instead, it means the beginning of growing a "real" baby belly, feeling my little one move and kick for the first time and sharing the excitement with Tim, and finding out if my baby bird is a boy or a girl! Lots to look forward to in the coming weeks and I can't wait to share every bit of it with all of you! As you can see, baby is the size of a peach this week at almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. Tim and I sure do love our little peach!
I am 12 weeks today and I have the belly to prove it! The baby is currently the size of a lime and since I forgot to purchase a lime, this is my homemade version of one. So, technically baby is approximately 2 and 1/8 inches long from head to rump. He/she is growing fast! Tim and I took a trip to Spokane today to visit the Nordstrom Rack (for him) and the Motherhood Maternity store. We both had good luck shopping and I came home with 3 pairs of maternity pants and 2 shirts. I can tell already that I am going to LOVE elastic during this pregnancy! I have on my new jeans in the picture above and you can't even tell that they are maternity. While in Lewiston the other day for Tim's racquetball tournament, I found a little something for baby that I could not pass up.
