It's Blog! It's Blog! Come on and get your blog!

What better way to begin a new family blog than to announce that the tiny, developing bantling inside my womb is without a doubt a BOY. How very exciting for us as we make the preparations for his arrival. I'd rather not post the ultrasound image that definitively establishes his gender. Something about publishing a picture of my unborn child's genitalia seems a bit wrong. But here's a lovely peek inside my uterus! You can kind of make out a face (although it looks kind of creepy skull-like) and a cute wittle belly!

The ultrasound technician said that he's right on target for weight and height and is perfectly healthy! Due date is still August 15th. We can't wait to meet him! I am currently 21 weeks along (more than half way done). Still sick everyday but not unbearably so. Maybe it'll end, maybe it won't. I'm pretty used to it by now. I can feel him moving around and kicking. THAT is both odd and exciting. Every week he gets a little stronger. At around 16 weeks I felt tiny, subtle flutters compared to what I feel now. You can't yet see or feel it from the outside, but I can tell there's little dance party going on.

Other than that, pregnancy is smooth sailing, though somewhat uncomfortable. I'm out of breath every time I climb stairs. I dream more often and more vividly than ever. I'm either hungry or sick or both. My olfactory senses are still in high gear. A distinct rotund protrusion has emerged. Consequently, I feel huge all the time, and I'll only get huge-er as the weeks pass. I've been watching birth videos to prepare myself but that's only making my anxiety and nausea worse. I don't recommend that.

Do we have names picked out you ask? We're still working on it, but we would LOVE suggestions. Owen is pretty high on the list of course. I'm sure we'll settle on something by the time he's born. This is it, y'all. It's happening, whether I like it or not. There's so much to think about and so much to BUY, for goodness' sake! I'm pretty terrified of the rest of my life. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Now is the right time to start our family. I remember feeling this way when Ryan and I were engaged. Am I really getting married? Is this really happening? My WHOLE LIFE is going to change! Who IS this guy I'm committing my life and eternity to? Am I going to be a good wife? Are we going to get really fat? Will we just end up divorced one day? But despite all my doubts and fears, Ryan and I took the plunge and I don't think I've ever made a better decision in my whole life. I could go on for pages and pages about how awesome it is being married to Ryan. But that's for another post. So, clearly that's how it'll work when we have kids, right? It's not an exact comparison I guess, but we will do the very best we can and I feel confident it'll all work out. Thankfully, I am surrounded by examples of great parents, from my own parents and older siblings to in-laws, friends, and fellow church families I've come to know over the years. When I think about it this way, I feel relief. I'm not alone, it's all going to be ok. In the mean time, I'll just focus on keeping dinner down.