Mud, Trucks, and Lots of Football

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

We have been blessed with the news of a baby BOY! 

Michael and I had an ultrasound appointment this week. We were initially going because I was having some issues and the doctors wanted to measure growth and placement to ensure everything is still in tact. Everything was reported back perfectly. Then the tech asked if we wanted to know the sex. I was surprised because I had heard so many times that you usually can't tell the sex so early. Of course, we said yes and she showed us the goods! 

It was a surreal experience. Michael was grinning ear to ear all morning. I don't know what it is about males and feeling like they've really made a huge accomplishment when they hear "It's a boy!". I'm sure he would have been excited if it was a girl, but as soon as he heard boy, Michael instantly became a proud papa. He even took all the ultrasound pictures to show the guys in his language course!! It was wonderful getting to see the baby move around during the appointment. He was squirming all around and then all the sudden he just stopped, stretched out his legs, crossed and put his arms behind his head. Just hanging out after the show! It was awesome.

We have not decided on a name yet, we'll get to that soon.

Here's a fun questionnaire I found floating along the internet: 

How far along? 16 weeks 5 days

Baby Size: Avocado

Total weight gain/loss: 3 lbs

Maternity clothes?  Not yet, I cannot button any of my pants but I'm still wearing them!  

 
Sleep:  I've been sleeping terribly. I usually have to use the bathroom around 4:30-5 AM and cannot go back to sleep after that. My dreams have been really odd and vivid.

Best moment this week:  Our ultrasound appointment, of course!

Miss Anything?  Sushi. I wouldn't be surprised if I had that right after we leave the hospital!

Movement: Nothing yet. He's definitely moving in there though.

Food cravings:  I can't get enough carrots. With dressing, dry, raw, or cooked. Carrots all day long.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No foods. If I get hot while at the salon, I start to feel light headed.

Have you started to show yet:  Slightly. To me, it looks like a nice beer gut.  

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Symptoms:  Dull pain in my lower/middle back. Doctors say it's a muscle, so I've been getting guilt-free massages from Michael in the evenings :)

Happy or Moody most of the time:  It's really a toss up...my poor husband has been catching all my moodiness.

Looking forward to: This is not baby related, but my sisters wedding is coming up in a few weeks. I'm really excited about all the festivities!

Weekend in the Queen City

This past week was my best friends birthday. She turned the big 2-7. I decided to take some time off work and visit her this weekend in Charlotte. Charlotte is such a beautiful city. If you have never been, I would highly recommend it. There are many great restaurants and shoppes all within walking distance of the uptown area. 

I got in on Friday. If any of you know Mandy, you know she is habitually late. So naturally, she was not home when I arrived. I just sat...creepily...in the driveway while the neighbors all gawked and ate their chicken wings. 

We decided to grill that evening. We took a walk to a local Starbucks before heading to the grocery store. The line was long and it was moving pretty slow. But when I finally got to the register to pay, the cashier said I was good to go. Free and clear coffee is always a plus! We gathered all our grilling needs from the grocer and headed back to the house. 

Now, I'm not much of a griller. I normally let my husband take care of that. For some reason, grilling has always seemed like a man's job. But as women, we were bound to grill this dinner ourselves without any help. With a few kinks, by 10pm we were finally eating our chicken and the house wasn't burned down! 

Saturday was perfect weather. It was a high of 75 and sunny. Mandy is a big lover of frisbee. Yep, not frisbee golf, just plain ole frisbee. We met her family at Independence Park. Our frisbee locale had a great skyline view of the city.

After our rigorous game sesh, everyone was hungry. We walked a few more blocks to Jackalope Jack's. This place was delicious. But better than the food was the company. Mandy's family has always felt like a second family to me. They are always warm and welcoming. After many laughs and lots of catching up, our lunch ended and everyone went their separate ways.

Sunday was my last day in town and unfortunately it was cold and rainy. Even though it was poor weather, it seemed like a good day to check out some shopping. I told Mandy I wanted to take a peek at IKEA. I had never been to one before and have always heard good things about it. Honestly people, I don't get the appeal. There were so many options, I could see the store getting overwhelming. We were there to check on some particular furniture pieces, but it all seemed very simple. Perhaps simplicity is the idea and I'm just not hip enough to get it. Plus, having to put the furniture together yourself seems like a huge headache. Needless to say, I didn't purchase anything. But, I can now mark IKEA off my "places to see" list!

It was a perfect weekend that I didn't want to end. Living hours apart from your best friend can be hard at times, but the time we spend together is always so much fun. Happy Birthday, Mandz!