Assorted Thoughts and Updates...

Happy Halloween!  We were all stocked up on candy and ready to go, and we had all of about 5 trick-or-treaters.  I think there must have been a carnival or gathering we didn't know about, since we are just about the only couple in the neighborhood that doesn't have kids yet.  If we were to have dressed up, this pregnant skeleton was first on my list!  Especially with the coordinating husband's costume!

I feel more and more pregnant by the day!  Every weekend or every few days I talk to my mother, I think I've told her, "now I really feel/look pregnant!"  I'm surprised how many ways my body feels different...

I'm getting much bigger - I'm even outgrowing my t-shirts. I guess I was really in denial about how much/quickly I would grow.  I laugh at myself that a month ago, I bought a few pairs of maternity pants and thought that those, combined with tops I already had, would get me thru the next 6 months.  My wardrobe options are quickly shrinking!  Scott still just laughs and laughs.

I eat like a pregnant person.  My hunger patterns rival Scott's now.  I crave french fries every day at lunch, followed by something sweet, followed by fruit/veggies at dinner.  I love huge glasses of apple juice, lemon in my water, pickles and olives.  I have not been able to stomach even the thought of fish and have not eaten it since the day I found out I was pregnant.  I also can just barely handle BBQ.

I am pretty sure I've felt a few movements.  I only feel her at night when I lay down to go to sleep.  The first time, I was sure Deacon (who curls up closer to my stomach with every bit it grows...I thought he'd hate it, but I think he feels it's his responsibility to help incubate her) had a strange heartbeat/flutter going on, as he was laying nearly on top of me.  I made him move, and continued to feel "butterflies" for a while.  I said to Scott, "either my stomach is really upset, or I feel the baby!"  I'm pretty sure she's brushing up on a high-kick routine in there!

I have joined Pinterest, for those of you that are into that sort of thing...and I have a pinboard for my current thoughts on baby's nursery.  I'm sure it will be ever-changing, but it's lots of fun looking at all of the girly stuff!

Slight homesickness has started to set in, as I knew it would around this time.  The excitement of the move has died down, hunting season will be in full force as of this weekend, and the Rangers' World Series run may have had something to do with it too.   I miss you Dallas folk!

So on that note, we have lots of room, y'all come visit!  :)

Bittersweet

This weekend, we travelled to Kansas City to see the Struby clan.  Grandpa Struby passed away a few weeks ago, so we went for his funeral service.  I just love family.  I love that I love the Strubys as my own already.  It's so strange to me that a good time can be had and so many wonderful memories can be made, even when you're brought together by a sad reason.  It was the same when Poppy died a few years ago - for some odd reason, those are some of my favorite memories with my family are from that trying time.  Grandpa died on his wife Irene's birthday.  They were married 65 years, and I just don't believe that can be a coincidence.  There was surely a party in heaven when he got home.  Here is a picture of me and Scott and my belly in front of his grandparents' house, where they lived for almost 40 years.  (I have obviously not mastered the "I'm pregnant" photo poses yet...)

It was wonderful to see the Struby side and share some of this exciting time in our lives with them.  Shannon, Scott's sister, even brought us a TON of Teigan's clothes....we came home with a whole suitcase of 0-6 month clothes.  I had a blast going through all of them and giggling at how tiny and pink everything is!  Deacon is not so sure...

Baby has also received her very first gifts, which is so exciting.  Her room is starting to look like a baby room already!  We got some adorable, girly burp-cloths from Taylor and John in the mail last week, and Scott's parents couldn't resist buying baby's first book the very day we told them we were expecting!

I'm getting bigger every day, and Scott just looks at my belly and laughs constantly.

Go Rangers!!!!

Scott's Thoughts:  I don't think I can eat any more Oreos and milk in an effort to make my belly look like Lauren's.  I don't feel good about myself right now.  What's that, Lauren?  You just bought me another pack of Double Stuffs? ....ok....

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

All of a sudden, this pregnancy seems so REAL!  There's no longer an "it" or a "he or she" or a "they" in my belly, there's a little girl!  This has, for me, been the happiest day of pregnancy by far.  I'm over the initial shock and the Is This Really Happening Phase and can actually enjoy the excitement of this new development.  

As I mentioned, I did not have a "feeling" about the gender...however, I do think I just kind of expected it to be a boy.  There are a LOT of (wonderful!) boys on my side of the family, so somehow that just seems like the default gender.  Scott said though (conveniently after the sonogram) that he thought it was a girl all along.  The doctor said several times during the sonogram that it is unquestionably, without a doubt a "guaranteed girl!"  We also got our first trimester screening results back and the doctor said everything looks absolutely perfect.  

My dear friend Jaime gave birth to her twin boys tonight.  All are happy and healthy from what I have heard.  I am in awe of her strength and endurance of carrying those sweet boys all the way to 38 weeks in her little body!  Her response to the gender announcement was maybe my favorite:  "Congratulations!!! You're going to be in endless trouble with Scott for your fun and frilly purchases, but I think it's perfect!!!"  Coincidentally, the second the doctor left the room and I asked Scott what he thought, he kissed me and said, "Things just got expensive around here."  Don't worry, though - he'll be in on it too.  He and his hunting buddies are already discussing what type of bow they should start her out with when they take her hunting.  She will be a well-rounded little girl!

I promise pictures very soon!  Off I go to work on names and nursery - let the games begin!!!

Scott's thoughts:  Yay, baby girl!!!