Better late than never?

Well, we are a teensy bit behind on this blog, but I promised my friend Stephanie that I would get on it!  And the truth is, with sweet little Grady on the way, I better document some of this pregnancy because it'll be nice to remember.  Plus, once he arrives I"m pretty sure I'll want to document every second of his little life for everyone to see.  So...

Let's start at the beginning!  Jeff and I are expecting our sweet bundle of joy in November!  November 28th to be exact.  Talk about something to be "thankful" for!  We found out we were pregnant on March 16th.  I took a pregnancy test that morning, truly expecting nothing, and when it showed up pregnant I was thrilled.  I happened to have a physical appointment that morning with my doctor, and we were able to confirm it pretty quickly.  I was just barely pregnant (4 weeks) and we were so happily surprised!  I'll never forget Jeff's face.  The same day Jeff got a great job at SWA - what a double blessing and a big day!

Two weeks later we had a beautiful picture of....well, a gray blob.  But nonetheless, we had our baby.

In the meantime, we've celebrated our year anniversary with a great stay-cation in Dallas.  We ate at Abacus, where we had our dinner on our wedding night, and stayed at the Joule which was super fancy.

Overall, it's been a great summer.  My first trimester I was kinda sick, although I know friends who have certainly had it much worse.  The second trimester, which started this summer (and is almost OVER!) has been much better and therefore more productive.  I've been busy nesting and preparing the nursery.  I spent a week with my sis in Houston, a week in San Antonio for a convention, and a week in Galveston with my family.  I had a really sweet shower while I was in Houston, too.  I'm pretty amazed at how loved my son is already and no one has even met him.  God is so very good.

We had our anatomy appointment at 19 weeks with a specialist.  Technically, I'm a high-risk pregnancy because of a soft palate disorder that runs in Jeff's family, so we got to see a great view and lots of extra pictures!

Look at that nose!

His first Sic 'em??

We were so overjoyed to see a healthy, wiggly, active baby BOY!  I felt it was a boy the entire time I was pregnant, so I wasn't surprised.  It was a feeling that I've known you all this time, and I'm so happy to see you again!  His soft palate looked fine, but we are getting a second confirmation of that this Thursday.  I'll keep you updated!

His name will be Grady Paul.  We just love his name.  Jeff came up with Grady from a book he had read, and Paul was my dad's name.  I had such a sweet relationship with my dad, and I'm so glad Grady gets to carry a piece of him in his name.  I think dad would have liked that.

I'm 25 weeks (tomorrow) and still feeling great.  I've had some swelling when I'm outside in the hot weather for awhile, or when I've taken my super long driving trips.  Other than that, as long as I'm hydrated all is well and my doctor doesn't seem concerned.

Grady's nursery is almost complete - here's a sneak preview!

We are using a teeny tiny room for his nursery since our house is already small enough without taking away bedroom space.  Our house is incredibly well-designed, and we had a loft/landing/mini-room at the top of our stairs that was un-used empty space.  It's about the size of half of a room - perfect for an office, or in this case, a nursery!  My sister's best friend, Denise, came last night and brought life into the room with art including giraffes, a tree, monkeys, a lion, etc.  It's so perfect!

Where we are at 25 weeks:

Heartbeat: in the 130's - strong and healthy!

Movement: All the time!  This morning he kicked hard enough that my dog felt it and was quite alarmed!  I started feeling him outside right at 23 weeks.  I feel him much better when he's higher up, near my belly button.

Cravings: None really.  My first trimester I craved starches like potatoes, pasta, macaroni and cheese, etc.  Generally speaking, I prefer beef over pork or chicken, but I don't crave much.  Sometimes I feel like a salad from Fireside Pies, I've had cravings for an Icee or a hamburger, but that's rare.

Symptoms: Not sleeping well this week, and feeling the need for a daily nap again like in my first trimester.  Going to the bathroom constantly, and thirsty for water all the time!

Things I miss: Caffeine.  That's it.  I miss it every.single.day.

How's daddy?:  I couldn't have asked for a better husband and daddy than Jeff.  He has been incredibly supportive and very involved.  I'm hopeful that he'll feel Grady move this week because as of yet our son has been a bit difficult when daddy has his hand on my stomach.  Little stinker!  Jeff has put together the crib already and is working very hard to provide for our family.

Looking forward to this week: Seeing some sweet pictures on Thursday!

I've never prayed so much as since I've been pregnant.  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to carry this little one, and I am amazed that we were given this gift.  I pray that he and I will remain healthy, that Grady will have everything he needs, and most importantly that he will have a relationship with our Lord and Savior.  I know that I am completely unworthy of this miracle and I have done nothing to deserve this life.  But, that's what makes our God so amazing!  Jeff and I have never been happier or closer and I'm so excited to see where God takes our family.


I think I'll try to keep this blog updated now...we will see!