Lotsa Baby in This Belly!

We recently shot the eight month preggie belly pictures. It's been a lot of fun to chronicle Sarah's incredible expanding waistline, and we are excited to see what next month's shoot holds. We're posting the single pictures this month, since the line o' bellies is getting pretty long. We'll reveal the full progression (3 months to 9 months) next time.



In other exciting news, our friend Christin will be arriving for a visit on Friday! We missed seeing her in the Spring, since we had to cancel our Texas vacation plans due to the previa. We can't wait for her to get here and are looking forward to five fun-filled days!

We have another doctor's appointment today and will be sure to post any important news that we receive. Things are pretty routine now, which is great, though it makes for somewhat uneventful blog entries! We're pretty sure that the baby is in the head down position, getting ready for his big day. He's kicking Sarah's ribs each and every night and, though he is running out of room, still attempts to flip and flop. It's not the most comfortable experience, but it reminds us that he is feisty and strong. We can't help but wonder if this is indicative of what his activity level and sleep schedule will be once he's born...

Congratulations to our friends Jessica and David are in order - their beautiful daughter, Julia, was born on Friday! Yay!

Mommy Update:
- LOVES packing for the move... it's a great way to fulfill her crazy nesting needs!
- Can't wait to unpack (for the same reason) and do her first load of baby laundry.
- Having trouble sleeping through the night, but thankfully is able to sleep in to compensate!
- Has a new third trimester dairy craving and is trying not to satisfy it solely through frozen yogurt.

Boy or Girl?

No, we don't know yet... but March 5th is just around the corner! Our next post will probably be the big gender reveal! Until then, we are happily taking predictions, but refusing to speculate ourselves. We had another fantastic report from our doctor today - the heartbeat sounds great, weight gain is right on track, and belly measurements look good. We took round two of the belly portraits last night - it was kind of shocking to see the amount of growth that has taken place in just a few short weeks!







Sarah at four months - and she thought she was big last month!
















Yeah, we're probably going to have to buy new jeans for next month's photo shoot...







Mommy Update:
- Getting used to being told, "You're big for four months!" right after she hears, "You're small for four months!" from someone else... everyone's an expert!
- Feeling GREAT! No more morning sickness, and all of the current symptoms are sooooo minor compared to that!
- Can't wait to feel the little one kick and stretch - also super excited about finding out the gender in a few weeks!
- Has picked up a new habit in preparation for her upcoming role as a mother: she cooks real, microwave-free meals on a regular basis now!

Vegas, Baby!

Only one week left in our first trimester, an occasion which has been marked by a significant decrease in morning sickness! We're ready for all of the excitement of the second trimester - finding out the gender, feeling the baby move, and getting a REALLY big belly! After a quiet Christmas at home, Ryan surprised Sarah with a New Year's Eve getaway to Las Vegas. It was so much fun, especially considering that it is definitely a trip we won't be taking again for a long time after the baby arrives! Call us crazy (and many of the parents we observed there would), but we feel strongly that little kids and Vegas don't mix!

Mommy Update:
- Favorite new thing: Bella Bands - avoiding those scary maternity jeans for as long as possible!
- Least favorite new thing: The "is she pregnant, or just gaining weight?" phase (For the record: pregnant).
- Still all about the Mexican food, also loving anything with peanut butter or avocado (but not combined)!
- Shocked by how much the little one zaps her energy - walking around Vegas was tiring!



The hottest new show in Vegas? Cheesy 3D movie at M&M's World! :)

Here's Looking at You, Kid!

We are overjoyed to announce that a new member of our family will arrive in July 2008! We will be documenting the experience through postings and pictures, and invite you to share in our journey! Let the countdown begin!

We had our first ultrasound on December 12th. It was the most amazing thing! Our little one has a strong heartbeat, and though it doesn't look like much yet, everything looks great so far! In case you can't make heads or tails of what you're seeing, the little legs are at the top, and the baby is in (surprise, surprise) the fetal position!

Mommy Update:

-Not really showing yet, but developing a nice layer of cushioning that makes fitting into certain pants a bit tricky!

-Has developed a super sense of smell and consequently a strict anti-air freshener policy - also avoiding certain aisles in the supermarket!

-Nauseous, tired, and hungry all the time (a wonderful sign, according to Grandpa Pete!)

-Currently craving Mexican food, yogurt, and bananas