Thankful Thursday

Thursdays are special days,

and that's because on Thursdays,

I like to take some time to be thankful.

I know I've fallen behind a bit

on my Thankful Thursday posts,

but now that I have SO much

to be thankful for,

I thought... how could I not write one today?!

Today, I am thankful

for the new little life

growing inside me,

for the precious little heartbeat

that I know is continuously

chugging along,

as my tiny babe grows and grows.

I am thankful

for the tiny little bubbles

I've been feeling,

that I believe to be

the beginnings of movement!

I am thankful

that tomorrow,

I will celebrate

5 years of marriage

with the most amazing husband ever.

I'm thankful that our marriage

has gotten stronger and sweeter over time,

and that we still love each other

just as much as we did

on the day we said "I do."

I am thankful

that I recently got to see my little sister,

and that I had the opportunity

to meet some great friends

(from Michigan!)

for dinner on Monday.

I am so blessed,

and so loved.

I am thankful.

What are you thankful for

on this Thankful Thursday?

13 Weeks

I can't believe I'm 13 weeks already.

Second trimester, baby!

There isn't a whole lot to report;

I still feel good, and still haven't been sick.

I'm still always hungry,

but I'm trying to stick to reasonable portions

so as not to be one of those people

who gains 100 lbs by the time it's all over. :)

How far along? 13 weeks
Due Date: February 3, 2011

Total weight gain/loss: Still +3.
Maternity clothes? Not yet, but probably soon!
Sleep: No trouble falling asleep, but I still have weird
wide-awake moments through the night.

Best moment this week: It's not baby related, but
this weekend we got to see a dear friend get married.

Movement: Not yet.. still having those "growing pains,"
(aka round ligament pain) but that's about it.

Food cravings: I've really been wanting some apple butter lately.
Haven't found any yet, though!
Food aversions: Nothing really!
Gender: We'll know in September.
Labor Signs: Way too early.
Belly Button in or out? In, of course.
What I miss: Big, fat Starbucks lattes!
What I am looking forward to: Being able to feel baby move.
Milestones: I'm in the second trimester now. Yay!

As I mentioned above,

Justin and I got to go to Charleston this weekend

to see a very good friend tie the knot.

It was a beautiful wedding,

followed by an amazing reception

held at a yacht club, with some good Southern food

(pulled pork, anyone?! Yum!) and lots of dancing.

We met some new people,

and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent there.

I must say, this weekend was a whirlwind!

A very good whirlwind, though. :)

12 Weeks

A friend of mine

has been filling out the following little survey

for each week of her pregnancy,

so I thought I'd do the same,

just for fun. :)

How far along? 12 weeks
Due Date: February 3, 2011

Total weight gain/loss: +3.
Maternity clothes? Not yet, but probably soon!
Sleep: Sometimes I have trouble falling asleep,
but once I'm out, I'm out... until I have to pee. :)

Best moment this week: Seeing our baby on ultrasound,
and hearing his/her heartbeat for the first time!
Also, telling people at work and sharing our news publicly.

Movement: Not yet. Just having some growing pain-like feelings.

Food cravings: Nothing specific, but I am always hungry!
Food aversions: Nothing new, but the foods I already didn't like
sound and smell even more gross to me now.
Gender: We'll know in September!
Labor Signs: Way too early.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, obviously.
What I miss: My daily cup of coffee. I've given up caffeine.
What I am looking forward to: Feeling movement,
finding out if baby is a boy or a girl... everything!
Milestones: The first ultrasound/hearing baby's heartbeat (164!).

Big News!

Some of you may have noticed

that I've been slacking on the ol' blog lately.

Well... it's not because I haven't had

anything to say,

but rather because

I was trying to keep a secret!

Finally, though, my secret is out,

and I can share it with the world!

It's big news...

and then, it's also very small...

I am so very proud to introduce...

my BABY!

That's right, ladies and gents.

My darling husband and I

are expecting our first little one!

Baby V is due to arrive

on February 3, 2011.

According to the ultrasound we had today,

I'm 12 weeks along.

We couldn't be happier!

More to come. :)

My crazy girls

When we go outside,

Daisy likes to eat grass.

She makes funny faces

as she nibbles her daily salad.

Ellie does the same thing sometimes,

but her favorite thing to do

is to walk around and sniff everything...

the grass, the air, the dirt... she's a sniffer.

My two crazy girls are as different as night and day...

Daisy is very curious, very silly, and sometimes

she is very full of attitude, in true chihuahua form.

Ellie, however, is much more timid,

but she is just so darn happy to be alive.

They might be extremely different...

but I love both my girls so much,

and I don't know what I'd do without them!

Things I'm loving right now

Netflix... for all those nights my love is on the road...

Bob's "Olde Timey" Peppermint Candy.. because it's delicious...

Cracker Barrel... because they make THE best

open-faced roast beef sandwich

I've ever had in my entire life...

...and last, but certainly not least,

my hubby's brother, his wife, and their little girl,

who just happens to be the cutest niece ever...

With my family so far away, I don't know what I'd do

without our fun girl dates - just us sisters-in-law

and a crazy adorable two year old. :)

By the way, that amazing photo there

is by Jessica.. you can visit her photo blog here!

What are YOU loving right now?

Stargazers

I'd like to introduce you...

...to my stargazer lilies...

...they took their sweet time to bloom...

...but once they finally did, it was so worth the wait...

...I wish these photos were scratch-n-sniff...

...they have the most beautiful fragrance! And just look at that color!

Thank you, God, for pretty flowers. :)