MMM...Melons!!! A Small Cantalope! (Week 19)

Well this was a super fun week for Cody and I!  We had our official 20 week appointment on Tuesday and got to see our precious little Seiden again!  Even though it was technically a week early...we definitely weren't complaining!  It was also super fun because Cody came home for the first time since he went to Amarillo 10 days ago!  Can you tell that I'm totally not counting?!?!  He wasn't home for long...but we'll take all we can get!  Our appointment was on Tuesday at 1:00 in the afternoon.  So, he came home Monday late afternoon around 5:30 and then left on Tuesday about 3:00.  It was literally a quick trip!  But we took full advantage of the short time he was home!  We went to eat dinner at Outback on Monday night, hung out a little bit on Tuesday morning (he had to go to the office here to check up on things), then we cleared out a few things from the nursery to start getting it ready to paint, went to lunch at Chili's, then headed off to our appointment!  We were beyond thrilled and excited and absolutely could not wait to be called back into the room!

We got to Dr. Maberry's and didn't wait more than 10 minutes before they called us back into the room.  They do then normal check in procedures with me...weighed me and took my blood pressure.  All that was perfect and right on track!  Thank you running and CrossFit :-)  I think Seiden is going to come out ready to go for a 2 mile run and do some overhead squats, cleans, pull-ups, and kettlebell swings...just saying!!!  Then, I headed back to the room where Cody was waiting and shortly after that the sonogram technician came in to check out our precious little cupcake!!!  Seiden literally took our breath away.  She has grown so much and just looks so beautiful!  It is always so amazing to look up on that screen and see the precious little life that is growing inside of you wiggling around.  I still can't believe that God has given us this precious little girl who is absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way!

The 20 week appointment is definitely a big appointment!  Not only do you get to see the growth of the precious baby, but you find out the gender (if you haven't cheated and found out early!), and they also check the growth and development to make sure that everything is as it should be and there are no problems.  So, the sonogram technician started checking her heart, liver, kidneys, measured her brain, her feet (which are huge!), her legs, her arms, and her hands.  She also looked at the blood flow to make sure that her precious, tiny body is working properly.  The technician also looked at  how her brain was developing and she said that it was picture perfect!  Everything was just perfect!  Oh...and they did confirm that it's a girl!!!  Seiden was measuring a little further ahead than we thought...they have my due date as October 31 and we thought it was November 2.  Either way...she will be the most precious fall baby that anyone could ask for!  After the technician was finished checking everything, she left and said that Dr. Maberry would be right in to double check everything.  When he came in, he told us that the sonogram technician had given him the report that everything with her was looking perfect.  She weighed 10 ounces and was developing and growing absolutely perfect and right on track.  He did say that there was a little pocket of fluid build-up right under her chin that he wanted to take a look at again in a couple of weeks.  Of course, our hearts dropped when he first told us this.  But, then he explained that it was seriously no big deal and the check-up in two weeks was just to make sure that it hasn't gotten bigger.  It does need to go away, which we have absolute confidence that God has already made it dissolve and when we go back on June 24th, there will be no sign of that that little pocket of fluid!

Dr. Maberry absolutely reassured us that this was really nothing and he has seen this type of thing before in multiple babies.  He also told us that he's seen them be double and even triple the size of what hers is and they completely go away within 2 weeks.  He explained that these precious babies are growing so fast and something like this, while not 100% normal, isn't anything to stress or worry over.  We are so blessed to have 2 amazing doctors that are such strong men of God and believe in his miraculous healing powers!  Our OB/GYN, Dr. Tadvick, called me later that afternoon just to tell me that Dr. Maberry had called him and given him the full report on what was going on with Seiden.  He continued to tell me and explain that this was absolutely nothing to worry about.  That the check-up is more just to check it.  Dr. Tadvick also told me that if Dr. Maberry would have thought it was something serious, we would have probably been on our way to Ft. Worth right after our appointment to see a specialist.  If he would have thought it needed attention right away, he would have not hesitated to have us sent up there to run genetic testing by doing an amniocentesis test on her.  Hearing that reassurance from Dr. Tadvick was just a sign from God that as we spoke...that little fluid pocket was probably already gone!

Right after our appointment, Cody and I did something so fun for Seiden!  Well...first...we got a phone call from All God's Children.  Which is the daycare facility through Zion Lutheran Church.  We were about  halfway to Kid's Village from our appointment when Cody's phone rang.  The phone call was to tell us that they were going to have a spot for Seiden available in the middle of January!  Just another sign from God that she is going to be perfectly fine!  I love it when God speaks to you when you are feeling a bit uneasy about something.  It's amazing to watch Him work and to know that when you have faith in Him, that nothing will stand in His way and His will for you.  Anywho...I plan to go back to work at the first of February...so the timing is absolutely perfect for the opening!  This was one of the two places that we were praying would have a spot available either before she was born or before I had to go back to work.  So, it is an answer to our prayers!  But...what we were on our way to do after the appointment was to order the custom bedding we are having made for Seiden's nursery!  We ordered it from Kid's Village and are SO excited for it to come in...only 4-6 weeks!  But who's counting?!?!  It's good though...it give us plenty of time to get the nursery painted and the crib set up before the bedding comes in.  Not only did we get the bedding ordered...but we are registering there...so we got 10% off the bedding!  HOLLA!!!  Another sign from our amazing God...I think so!!!  We are having so much fun planning for our sweet baby girl and absolutely can't wait for her to grace us with her beautiful, perfect presence!  Seiden Grace...you are so loved and you have blessed us in more ways than you will ever know!!!

Seiden Grace at 19 Weeks:

• You are the size of a small cantaloupe!
• You are 6.5 inches long and weigh 10 ounces!!!
• Your sensory development is growing at a super rapid pace and your brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.
• You are starting to grow hair on your precious little scalp!  I wonder what color it will be?!?!?
• Your reproductive organs are fully developed, but will continue to grow as you grow.
• There is a waxy protective coating called vernix caseosa that is forming on your skin to prevent it from pickling from being in the amniotic fluid.
• You are absolutely perfect in every way and the most beautiful and precious thing that we have ever laid eyes on!!!

Only 21 More Weeks To Go!!!

Seiden Grace...you are SO beautiful!!!  Look at that precious little nose, lips, and chin!!!  And we can't wait to tickle that sweet little tummy of yours!



A Juicy Mango!!! (Week 18)

Well week 18 has proven to be one crazy week!  It's officially summer and I am absolutely LOVING being off so far!  I completely love my job...but it is just so nice to be able to run errands, do chores, spend time with the dogs, and enjoy summer nights without having to worry about getting enough sleep for the next day.  I am actually still working a couple days a week.  I did the same thing last summer.  Before I got my teaching job, I worked at an adorable boutique gift shop in Abilene called Surprises.  And I have been blessed that the owner wanted me to come back and work a couple days a week this summer just like I did last summer!  It is a really fun place to work and you get to see and talk to so many amazing people all throughout the day.  She also carries some adorable baby stuff...I have a feeling that Seiden's closet will definitely be filled with some of the amazing things she carries!  Not only is it nice to get out of the house, get ready for the day, and be around great people all day.  But, the extra money that I'll be making will be going to help decorate and furnish Seiden's nursery!  I couldn't think of a better way to use the extra money...and it helps us get a couple of things that we might not otherwise have gotten.

So...not only is it the first week of summer and I've been running around like crazy and working a couple days a week.  But, Cody is officially working out of town.  The last week of school, Amarillo got hit with a hail storm and it was big enough that the sister company that is located there needed him to come up and help sell roofs.  It's a complete bummer that he's not home...especially at nights...but it's perfect timing before Seiden comes.  This hail storm is a complete blessing from God and we are so thankful that He has provided for us...even though it's out of town.  Four years ago, Cody was working in Midland when they got hit with a big hail storm.  So, we've been through this before.  This time is a bit different though.  Amarillo is further away, so he's not getting to come home every single weekend like he did when he was in Midland.  But...I'll be able to go down there a few times...so I'm super thankful for that!  It's also amazing to look back on that Midland hail storm and see how much stronger we are.  Our marriage is better than it's ever been, we have never been closer, and our relationship with God...both together and individually...is so much stronger.  He is absolutely the center of our marriage and we rely on Him for everything we do.  Before, we made decisions and did things without putting  Him first...that's not so anymore.  There are still times when we fall short...but His grace and mercy provides us with more than we could ever need.  We are missing each other like crazy, and we count down the seconds when we get to see each other next, but we know this is temporary and we just keep thinking God for always providing for us and for giving us each other and a wonderful marriage.  I really do fall more and more in love with Cody each and everyday and my heart is just so full when I think about all the blessings in our life!

Miss Seiden Grace has also been making some big changes.  She has grown another half inch long and weighs two and a half more ounces this week than she did last week.  This precious little girl is definitely making her appearance known!  And it is just the sweetest little presence that I could ever imagine!  I have been feeling her wiggling around...and this time I am 100% absolutely positive!  It feels like little popping right around the middle of my tummy...kinda around my belly button.  It's almost like someone is thumping me from the inside!  Every time I feel it, I put my hand on my tummy and wait for the next time...but it's still too faint to feel it from the outside.  She is getting so much love from everyone too!  My family and friends and lots of other sweet people have been rubbing on my belly and talking to her...she's one loved little girl!  I know that she missed her daddy this week...but he will be giving her constant love when he gets to come home next week!  Every time we talk, he asks me to tell her he loves her and give her some sweet love from him.  We are SO in love and just absolutely loving every second that we get to spend with this precious gift from God.  She is an absolute miracle and such a blessing and we can't imagine how much our lives are going to change when this precious baby girl makes her debut in the fall.  It is going to be absolutely amazing (challenging and hard at times...but so worth it) and we are loving looking forward to her arrival!  We love you SO much Seiden Grace...you have already blessed us more than you will ever know!

Seiden Grace at 18 Weeks:

• You are 6 inches long and weigh 8 ounces!
• You are the size of a large mango!!!
• Your sweet little arms and legs are in proportion with the rest of your adorable little body.
• The neurons in your brain are now connected to your muscles...which is probably why I can feel your sweet little self moving all around in my belly!
• The cartilage in your body is now turning into bone.
• The blood vessels in your precious body are now visible through your skin...and I bet we'll be able to see them at our next sonogram appointment!
• You are getting stronger and stronger and becoming quite the little acrobat!
• You are our precious little cupcake and we think you are just as sweet as you can be!

Only 22 More Weeks To Go!!!



A Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Potato!!! (Week 17)

THIS IS THE BEST WEEK EVER!!!  We finally know what our sweet baby is and can call it by name!!!  Before I let the cat out of the bag.  I'm going to tell you what our names for either a boy or a girl are.  If it's a boy, his name will be Cam Seiden Kelley.  And if it's a girl, her name will be Seiden Grace Kelley.  For those of you that are wondering where Seiden comes from...my maiden name is Seidensticker...so Seiden is part of my maiden name!  It's pronounced Siden...not the proper way you would write a pronunciation in grammar.  But, you get the idea!

Going in for the sonogram was absolutely amazing.  Whenever they first rubbed that jelly on my belly, we were so ready to see our little one.  It had been exactly 8 weeks since we had seen our baby last...so we were chomping at the bit to see him/her up there on that monitor!  The first thing we saw was an absolutely perfect little baby.  We had prayed for that more than we had prayed for anything else.  We saw the baby's brain, spine, ribs, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes.  We also saw the little eyes, nose, and mouth.  At one point, the baby had the hiccups and was bouncing around in there like crazy!  So cute!  Then, it was time for us to close our eyes and wait for them to see if they could determine the sex of this baby.  This little stinker was not wanting to cooperate though.  Up until the last 10 minutes of the sonogram, this baby was being very modest!  It's little legs were crossed and when it would uncross it's legs, they would just be sticking straight out and not spread out far enough to see in between them.  But...there was one perfect moment when the nurse practitioner found exactly what she was looking for and the other nurse that was in there absolutely confirmed that they were able to determine the sex of the baby!  The baby only cooperated for less than a minute.  But, it was long enough to get 2 really good pictures.  Of course...we just heard them saying all this because our eyes were closed!  We did get lots of really good pictures of the baby that we were able to take home with us and look at and oodle over until the party that night.  But, they put those 2 pictures in a card, sealed them in an envelope, and we took them right to the bakery for them to make the cake!  And then...it was time!!!

Drum roll please..........  IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!  Seiden Grace Kelley will be gracing us with her sweet, perfect little presence this fall!  I can't even explain to you the excitement, amazement, emotions, and overwhelming love we had as soon as we cut into that cake.  We have dearly loved this baby since we found out we were pregnant, but knowing that we have a little girl on the way and her name is Seiden Grace gives us both an even deeper love for this little girl.  It was amazing to celebrate such a joyous and memorable moment with our amazing family and precious friends.  (Side note...I will be posting all about our gender reveal party.  There will be pictures and video...so stay tuned to see that post!)  Both sets of parents were there, my Mimi came in from Hamilton, my brother and his sweet girlfriend were there, and then we had tons of our very best friends and their sweet babies there to celebrate with us.  We also had the amazing Stephanie Ellison come and take pictures of the entire night so that we would always remember this moment.  This is my parents first grandbaby and my Mimi's first great-granddaughter.  She has 3 great-grandsons who are absolutely precious.  It's also the first great-grandchild for my Grandma...my dad's mom.  So, this is going to be one special little girl!!!  She wasn't at the party...so we are going down there this weekend to surprise her.  I'm going to bake a cake, dye the inside pink, frost it in white, and decorate it with pink and blue sprinkles.  So she'll be getting to cut into a cake to find out just like we did!  The doggies were excited too...we told them they were going to have a baby sister and they just had the wiggliest of butts!  They also got to celebrate by having a few bites of a pink cookie! 

We have never been so excited or so in love with anything in our entire lives!!!  My heart is literally overwhelmed with the love that I have for this precious little girl.  Every time I think about her, talk to her, pray over her, and talk to other people about her, I feel this amazing love that I could never even put into words.  I can feel God's presence all over her and this pregnancy.  He created this perfect, amazing baby girl just for Cody and I and I want to just cherish every second.  Cody is absolutely enamored with her and already completely smitten.  He loves his baby girl and I have no doubt that she will be a daddy's girl and that he will move mountains for her.  He is going to be the most amazing daddy and I know that she already loves him so, so much.  She hears his voice all the time and she gets so many hugs, rubs, and kisses from her precious daddy on a daily basis.  We are so completely in love and we are absolutely loving planning for her and her arrival.  Just writing about her makes me shed the happiest of tears.  Seiden Grace has already blessed us in more ways than we can imagine and we can't wait for our little family of five to be a family of six!  We love you so, so much precious baby girl!!!

Seiden Grace at 17 Weeks:

• You are the size of a sweet potato!  You are 5.5 inches long and you weigh 5.5 ounces.
• You have started yawning this week...and I'm sure they are the most precious yawns we could ever imagine.
• You are twisting, rolling, kicking, and punching around in mommy's tummy!  Are you going to be a little gymnast?!?
• Your nervous system is also beginning to mature at a rapid pace.  And your brain is developing the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing.
• You can hear us talking and singing to you.  We are telling you so many times a day how in love with you we are!!!

Only 23 More Weeks To Go!!!

Our precious little Seiden!!!  She is absolutley beautiful and simply perfect!!!

We've Moved Into Veggies...A Little Turnip!!! (Week 16)

This is it!  This is the week that we find out what our precious little baby is!!!  We are both just praying that whenever we go in for this sonogram that the first thing we see is a perfectly healthy baby.  Aside from that...both of us would be ecstatic for either a boy or a girl!  It's going to be so hard though.  Our appointment is at 10:00 am and our party isn't until 7:00 pm.  Why is that hard you ask???  Well...we won't be really finding out what we're having until our big gender reveal party that night!  We wanted to be as surprised as everyone else when we found out.  It will be an amazing and emotional and overwhelming experience to find out with our precious families and our very best friends.  Just thinking about how close this moment is bring joyous tears to my eyes.  And if you know me well at all...you know that it takes a lot to get any kind of tears from me!  Our amazing God has been calling this precious little miracle by name ever since he/she was knitted together in my womb and now, we will finally get to join in on calling our baby by name through what God has created.  When I really look at the true miracle of pregnancy, it is absolutely mind blowing how God created all this to happen.  This sweet little one is part of me and part of Cody and everything had to be just perfect so that he/she could be created.  I mean...who else could have thought of such a miracle but our one true God?!?!

After all the crazy hormones and ridiculous self image issues I had earlier, this is what being pregnant and becoming a parent is all about.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to remember that God is taking care of me and of this sweet baby, but I let some really tough worldly issues cloud my vision.  I'm not saying that those feelings weren't valid in some way...cause I sure did feel them.  I think that I just tried to handle them all by myself instead of letting God take control.  After I posted one of the last posts...my bestie gave me just that advice.  She texted me as soon as she read it and told me that feeling like I was feeling was so normal, but that I just needed to give it to God...and also remember that this is such a temporary time and to stop fretting and worrying about my body and focus on the beautiful miracle of pregnancy.  She was so right.  It is such a temporary time in your life and if I continued to focus all my thoughts and feelings on myself and my body, then I would never truly enjoy being pregnant and all the amazing things that do come along with pregnancy.  Sure, it's hard and there are a lot of things that are totally unexpected.  But, all that really does get pushed aside when you focus on growing this little tiny baby and making sure that every single one of it's needs are nurtured.  I'm so glad that I have friends and family in my life that are there for me, keep me sane, remind me what life's all about, and keep me accountable and focused.

So...I am officially on cloud 9...and Cody is too!!!  This week has gone by surprisingly fast...but we are counting down the days, hours, and minutes until we go in for our sonogram!  And...I can't be 100% positive.  But, we are both pretty sure that we felt the baby moving around last week.  I still can't be completely sure because I've read and heard that sometimes it feels like digestion.  But this time it felt different.  It was about 2 hours after I had eaten dinner and I was stretched completely out in one of our couch recliners.  I had one of my hands resting on my stomach and all of a sudden, I felt this little popping going on.  It stopped for a second and then started again...so I reached for Cody's hand to see if he could feel it too.  He was on the phone, but as soon as I felt it again, he felt it too and his eyes got as big as saucers.  I've felt that feeling a few more times...but I haven't been still long enough the past few days to notice it again like I did last week.  I'm just going to give this one to the baby...cause it was way to amazing to be food digestion!

Let's see...what else???  I have been feeling wonderful...like so amazingly wonderful I can't believe that being pregnant could be so great!  I've heard so many horror stories...so I was so scared and worried that I would be in that category of miserable pregnancies the whole way through.  I have to say, even though I've had some body image issues, I've had a pretty easy pregnancy.  I never got sick, had crazy cravings, insane mood swings, or had complete exhaustion consume my body.  Yes...I did get very sleepy very early at night.  But, I was also waking up at 4:45 to go workout...so that had some correlation to being exhausted at 8:00 at night.  I did have some aversions...but those have pretty much gone away now.  All that to say...that I am no longer as tired as I used to be and I am eating more fruit, veggies, and meat than I did in the first trimester.  I'm also cooking a lot more...which is wonderful!  I'm definitely still eating carbs...and I love them...so does the baby!  Do I see a runner in our future?!?!?  As for my workouts...my energy level is back so much that my workouts are a little more high energy than they were a few weeks ago.  I'm still running a mile to a mile and a half everyday and doing a WOD.  But I don't feel so sluggish so my workouts have been higher intensity because I've and more energetic...which is much more like myself!  I'm also still wearing all my pre-pregnancy clothes...yay!  My tummy is just very much making an appearance these days.  Most of my bottoms I'm having to use a hair tie to close the top...and then my "dress" bottoms...I'm having to wear the belly band over the tops of them.  But they are fitting normal everywhere else!  I have bought a few pieces of maternity bottoms and tops...but probably won't have to start wearing them until the middle of the summer or even until school starts back in the fall.  I know I'll be much bigger as the summer goes on...but I'll be able to wear workout clothes most of the time...so I can just wear the shorts under my belly.  But the clothes that I have bought will go for summer or school...except for one pair of shorts...they're too short for school...but will be perfect for the summer.  I've bought, 2 pairs of knee length shorts (black and denim), a pair of short denim shorts for the summer, 4 tops (sleeveless and short sleeve), and a few dresses that are not maternity but are empire waist and will grow with me.  My mom has also bought me an outfit and a dress to wear too.  And...one of my dear friends up here at school bought me a pair of boot cut jeans, a basic black top, a pencil skirt, a pair of capris, and two belly bands.  So sweet!  I think I may be close to being set with the exception of a few more tops and a pair of skinny jeans...I live in skinny jeans!  I don't really want to buy a lot of maternity stuff because I think I can make do wearing most of my normal stuff as long as possible since I can use the belly bands over the tops of my bottoms that no longer button up!  Especially if I don't get bigger anywhere but my tummy until nearing the end.  Guess we'll soon see if my "plans" work out or not!

I really am loving that this baby is finally making an appearance.  One of the sweet girls at the gym this morning said, "Aw...you finally look pregnant!"  I thought it was so cute and sweet of her!  One of the best things about really starting to show is all the loving the baby is getting.  Everyone up at the gym has been rubbing on my belly and so have a couple of my dear teacher friends up at school.  Our friends have also been giving some serious love...but that's been going on since we told them we were pregnant...it's just a lot more now!  And of course...my family has been doing the same thing!  Every time we see them my belly gets the first greeting with sweet love and precious words.  And I love it when Cody bends down and talks to the baby.  We read that they can start hearing at about 15 weeks...so he's been talking to the baby a lot at night since last week!  I really need to get on the ball and buy some baby books so we can start reading to the baby.  I've just been so crazy busy and consumed with all the end of the year stuff with school...and then of course all the party planning...I haven't even taken the time to buy some baby books.  I'm sorry sweet love...we'll get on the ball soon!  Sweet Baby Kelley...you are the size of darling little turnip.  You are 5 inches long and weigh about 5 ounces.  And by the end of this week...you will have a name!!!  We love, love, love you so much!!!

Week 16 Symptoms:

• Mommy is back to her normal self with your sweet little self popping out of my tummy!
• Lots more energy
• Much better workouts
• Aversions: none really!  Well...I still haven't attempted a sweet potato or spaghetti squash...I'm kinda scared to!
• Cravings: no specific food cravings.  Still just really loving Mexican, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese foods...but I don't have to have them.  But if we are going out to eat...you better believe we'll be going to a restaurant that serves one of those four cuisines!  And I guess I have been cooking a lot of these types of foods at home too.
• My boobs are still huge...but not hurting very much at all.

Only 24 More Weeks To Go!!!



Guacamole!!! (Week 15)

Oh my gosh...we are 5 weeks away from being halfway through this pregnancy!  How can that already be?!?!?  I have to say after last week's debacle...I am LOVING being pregnant!  I don't know how things can change so quickly...but it is literally like night and day from last week to this week.  Well really...my little breakdown started at the end of week 13 and I was pretty much over it by the Monday of week 14.  So...I guess it's been about a week and a half now!  I am feeling so much more comfortable in my own skin...and it helps that I can still fit into all my normal clothes!  I really do feel so great and am loving that my belly is getting bigger.  I rub on our sweet baby all the time!  It's so fun to touch my tummy and feel it really popping out.  I'm hoping that it won't be too much longer that I'll start to feel him/her move.  If I haven't already.  I've had these little bubbles that go through my stomach...but it's usually after I've eaten.  So, I've been associating that with food digestion.  My stomach did that before I got pregnant...so it's really hard to know the difference at this point!

This week also started with Mother's Day!  What a special time to get to spend with both our moms who are soon to be grandmommies!  This will be my mom's first grandbaby and Cody's mom's 4th!  They've had grandpuppies for several years now...but no grandbabies from us yet!  My mom calls the baby, "little peanut"...until we find out the gender of course!  Then she'll call it by name...hopefully!  I was just browsing on Baby Gap one day at their adorable baby clothes and found a navy onesie that said Little Peanut with a peanut in between the words.  It was adorable and as soon as I saw it, I knew that's what we HAD to get her for Mother's Day!  We got Cody's mom a beautiful bouquet of flowers and dropped them by her house on the way to Life Group that night.  She's been feeling under the weather lately...so hopefully they brightened her day...and hopefully she'll feel better soon.  For Mother's Day, we went to church that morning with my mom, brother, and his girlfriend, Shayla.  Dad was out of town meeting someone to discuss leasing a portion of our land for cattle.  So, he missed out on all the festivities...but got to spend Mother's Day with his momma.  When my family was getting in our car, my mom handed me a very pretty present.  It had the sweetest card in it along with a Boyd's Bear figurine that was a pregnant momma holding a little book.  It's now sitting in our entertainment center!  So sweet!  And listen to what my precious, amazing, thoughtful hubby did.  I actually got this on Saturday...but saved it to tell last!  I had been out running some errands with mom...getting a few things for the gender reveal party.  And when I got home there was a surprise sitting on the bar for me!  It was a beautiful...and delicious...double chocolate ice cream cake and he had made the sweet little sign on the computer at home for me, sweet, precious card signed by him and both names we've chosen for a boy and girl, and an arrangement with one single rose for my first Mother's Day.  It was absolutely the most thoughtful and sweet present!  Needless to say...it was a great first Mother's Day and Mother's Day/Grandmother's Day for our precious and amazing mommas!

And...only one more week until we find out if this sweet baby is a he or a she!!!  It's all I can talk and think about!  Every time I bring it up to Cody, he says he's trying not to think about it and it's all I'm talking about!  Oopsie!!!  But I know he's thinking about it constantly too...how could either one of us not?!?!?  I'm trying to occupy my mind and time with the last few weeks of school and the party planning for the big gender reveal.  It's going to be so hard to know that we could know the sex of the baby at 10:00 in the morning and not actually find out until 7:00 at night!  Good thing I'll be doing some cleaning, getting ready for the party, and other chores and errands like that!  Otherwise...I may go nutty!  Now I'm just nervous and praying that the sonographer will be able to get a clear picture of what the gender is.  I'll be almost 17 weeks...so it's not too early to find out...but it's also 3 weeks earlier than our regular doctor will confirm it.  I've read a lot of blogs and "frequently asked questions" on Baby Center and What to Expect where women have said they've found out as early as 12 weeks and then it was confirmed later on when they were further along.  I think I only read 1 instance where the first sonographer's reading was wrong and the gender was different than what the couple was told the first time.  So...I would say our chances of finding out and being right are pretty good!!!  We're still nervous though...but more than anything we just want to hear that the baby is growing, healthy, normal, and absolutely perfect.  This baby is already so loved.  It's going to be one lucky little girl or boy to come into this world with so many loving people ready to surround it, love on it, and be there for it for anything.  Our little one is the size of an avocado this week...4 to 5 inches long and weighs 3 to 5 ounces!!!  Oh sweet Baby Kelley...we can't wait to call you by name!!!

Week 15 Symptoms:

• Still have so much energy!  I still go to bed early...but I still get up at 4:45 to go workout.  But...instead of going to bed between 8:00 and 8:30...it's now between 9:00 and 9:30.
• I'm back to cooking!  Usually just once a week...and once on the weekends.
• I feel back to my normal self with a sweet baby bump!!!
• Not really any cravings or aversions!!!
• And the boobs...they're ginormous!

Only 25 more weeks to go!

A Juicy Navel Orange (Week 14)

Another week has come and gone...and I seriously can't believe it!  How can I already be 14 weeks into this pregnancy?!?!?  I'm definitely not complaining that the weeks are flying by...right now anyways.  The first reason is because summer is almost here and I can seriously taste it!  Only 4 more weeks of school left...and 3 out of those four weeks are 4 day weeks!!!  And the second reason...because we are finding out what the sex of the baby is a few weeks early!!!  I can't keep it a secret anymore!  I'll be almost 17 weeks when we go in for a sonogram to find out what this sweet little one is.  We are both just praying that the baby doesn't play shy that day!  And both of us are also so very ready to start calling this sweet baby by name.  It's starting to feel very impersonal calling it, "the baby."  The longer I've been pregnant...the more I've been dying to just call it by name!  And I know Cody is too.  And I also know that these next two weeks are going to creep by because it's all we think and talk about!  We actually aren't going to find out at our sonogram appointment.  We are having a gender reveal party the same night as the sonogram appointment...so will be finding out along with all our family and friends!!!  Oh the anticipation :-)  Boy or girl...what do you think?!?!?

On a pregnancy note...I'm still feeling great!  I did have another bit of a "body issue" breakdown.  Which...looking back...I feel so silly.  And even worse...so selfish.  But really, I think that I actually needed to get emotional and talk it out with Cody instead of holding it in and trying to deal with it myself...which is how I pretty much deal with things when they get hard.  I've got that "superwoman" mentality.  I like to think I can take on anything, do anything, suck it up, and move on to the next thing without a hitch in my get-up.  But...that's just not so when you're pregnant.  This was really the first time I got emotional about something and shed some tears through this pregnancy so far.  But I also think it was good for me.  I kinda went through some body changes earlier in this pregnancy...but nothing really like this.  I think that time it was just more dealing with the fact that things were starting to slow down in my workouts and my eating habits had changed slightly...so a lot of that was just getting used to a few changes that were happening with everything.  Not that it still wasn't a challenge and hard to go through.  But, it certainly didn't compare to this time.  It actually started about the end of last week.  I went to try on a pair of my skinny jeans and they just "seemed" to be tighter than they were just a few days ago.  I literally just folded up on the floor and said, "this can't already be happening!"  Thankfully, at that time, I was the only one home so the only people to see me act like a goober were the dogs.  Which, they were so sweet and came running to me and licked all over my face...I'm sure they were wondering what was going on with their momma!  They've not seen me cry very many times!  I tried to just brush it under the rug and deal with it myself without really saying anything to anyone.  But, the more I kept it in, the more I was saying things like, "my hips, butt, and legs are just fat" and "I'm already expanding at 13-14 weeks, how much bigger am I going to get" and "all I'm getting is fat."  Oh wow...writing that just really sounds terrible.  And I said it to Cody so many times, I know he was getting frustrated.  He kept saying, "you're so beautiful" and "I'm so attracted to you" and "you are more and more beautiful and I am more attracted to you now than I've ever been."  How sweet is that?!?!  And, I knew he meant it...but I just didn't feel beautiful or attractive.

On Sunday morning, before church, I finally was just really telling him how I was feeling inside and not just saying, "I'm fat."  I really broke down in front of him...which made me feel really silly and kind of weak.  You see...I'm really not much of a crier.  So, when I do cry, I just feel super exposed and like I can't handle it on my own.  So stupid!  I knew that my body changing would be the hardest part for me during pregnancy.  But, you really just never know how it's going to affect you or feel until you go through it yourself.  You see, I have always been athletic, in shape, kept the same weight, worked out super, super hard, and eaten so clean and healthy.  All those things are still true, except that I've gained about three pounds...which is a very good thing!  I've had a few pregnancy splurges with food.  But, nothing insane or extremely unhealthy.  I'm also a control freak, and I can't control what's happening to my body right now...so that was hard to accept.  No matter how many miles I run during the week or how many CrossFit WODs I do during the week or how healthy I eat, my body is just changing.  And why shouldn't it?!?!?  I'm growing a sweet, precious, miracle inside of me.  I would never want to do anything to harm the baby.  Or, not eat enough or push too hard in my workouts that would do something that is unhealthy for our little one.  All that said...I am SO much better now.  I think I just needed to actually verbalize how I was feeling inside instead of just making untrue comments that just sounded like I was vain and had a bad self image.  Because, you see, I'm still wearing ALL my normal clothes.  They are still buttoning up...for the most part.  Usually after lunch, if I'm wearing my skinny jeans, I have to use the hair tie trick to keep them "buttoned."  And really...they are not tighter anywhere else other than my tummy.  I just way overreacted.  Call it hormones, call it control freak issues, call it vanity, call it whatever you like.  But, it was something that was hard for me to go through during those few days.  My precious husband, family, and friends have been my support system for any crazy emotion I'm going through...no matter what it is.  Having two other pregnant friends right now, and several others that have had babies is so super helpful right now.  I've talked, texted, and vented to them about this same thing.  And, they've all said that at some point in time during their pregnancy, they've all gone through similar stuff.

Don't get me wrong for a second.  I am SO excited, thankful, grateful, and blessed to get to experience the joy of pregnancy and being a mom.  But, it doesn't come without challenges.  I do know that those challenges are far outweighed by the joy, excitement, and overwhelming love that comes with pregnancy and being a mom.  I am already so in love with this baby and I can't imagine how much more that love will grow the second I get to see it's sweet face.  I just really want to be honest with every step and phase of this pregnancy because I know that there are others out there who have been, are, or are soon to become pregnant.  It's ok and normal to feel however you feel no matter what it is you're going through.  Your body is literally growing a miracle and it all changes so fast to grow and nurture the baby that's living inside of you.  Now that I'm 14 weeks, we are seeing changes in my tummy almost daily.  From one day to the next it looks just a smidge bigger than it did the day before.  And all that means is that our sweet, precious little one is growing, healthy, and thriving.  So, no matter what other changes may come, good or bad, I am so excited and ready for the new phases that are to come through this pregnancy.  All it means is that we are one step closer to getting to meet this little miracle.  As of now...I am feeling SO much better about everything.  I really don't give it a second thought and when I do think about my little breakdown...I feel like it was all a dream.  Our little baby is the size of a navel orange...about 4.5 inches long and weighs about 2 ounces!  This sweet little baby is worth anything I go through for the next 26 weeks and beyond!  I love you so much Baby Kelley!!!

Week 14 Symptoms:

• Thankfully...I have SO much energy back!  The 2nd trimester is seriously awesome when it comes to regaining as much normalcy as possible!
• HUGE boobs!  I swear they grow more everyday.
• Cravings: still none really.  But...when I think about certain restaurants...I want to go there!  Like...Abuelo's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bonzai...yummy!!!
• Aversions: surprisingly...I think they are almost all gone.  I've been eating chicken and veggies like a champ!!!  But I still adore sandwiches...I guess that should go in the cravings list!

Only 26 more weeks to go!!!

Five Years Have Flown By!

On March 1, 2013, we celebrated 5 amazing years of marriage!!!  I cannot believe how fast the years have flown...but each and every one of them have been the best years of my life so far.  I've learned so much about love, life, and myself.  Cody has taught me so much and helped me grow in ways I never thought possible.  He has made me a better person and I could never repay him for that.  I am so thankful and blessed that I get to spend the rest of my life with such an amazing man and also call him the sweet daddy of our precious babies...no matter if they two legs or four!

Surprisingly...for 5 years...we didn't really have huge plans.  We took two big, amazing, awesome, and fun vacations last year...so we decided to just go out to a fabulous dinner and spend the day together.  I took that day off from work so that we could spend some time together during the day.  Our anniversary was on a Friday this year...so it was a perfect way to start the weekend!  Cody still had to go to work, but I slept in until he got up, ran a couple of errands, then met him at the gym for a mid-morning WOD.  After we worked out together, I headed home to clean up and eat some lunch and Cody got home about mid afternoon.  We just hung out and watched a movie together before we headed out to dinner.  Cody made reservations at a wonderful place called, Rancho Loma in Talpa, TX a few weeks before our anniversary.  It's a tiny town right outside of Coleman.  The restaurant is actually a ranch house that's been converted into a restaurant...but the owner still lives upstairs.  There's also a couple of rooms you can rent for a bed and breakfast stay...it's amazing out there!  Rancho Loma is only opened Friday and Saturday nights and the menu is set at the beginning of the week.  Our reservations were for 7:00...but we left the house around 5:30 so we could get there a little early.  I'm gonna list the courses as best I can remember and hopefully get it pretty spot on...but it was heavenly!  All 6 courses of it!!!  1st course: crostini with a soft cheese spread drizzled with a balsamic reduction and topped with pine nuts; 2nd course: white bean soup drizzled with truffle oil; 3rd course: quail legs with a spicy chili glaze; 4th course: leek and avocado salad drizzled with a balsamic reduction; 5th course: duck breast drizzled with a spicy chili glaze and sweet potato tamale; 6th course: Mexican chocolate torte.  Are you drooling reading that?!?!?  I am...I remember exactly how everything tasted and how absolutely amazing each and every bite was.  We also bought a bottle of alcohol free wine so that we could have a toast to celebrate our 5 year anniversary...it was pretty delicious!  And seriously...I can't even describe how absolutely amazing dinner was.  I want to recreate every bite of it just writing about it!  It was all so fresh and flavorful.  The portions are small...so you can enjoy every bite and not be stuffed when you leave.  Because they set the menu the week of that Friday and Saturday when they serve it, they buy the food just a day or two before.  So, everything truly is as fresh as it can be.  We would both eat there every weekend if we could!  What's also so wonderful about this place is that when you make a reservation, the table is yours for the entire night.  If it takes you until 10:00 to finish dessert...then fine!  I do think they close at 10:00 or 10:30 though...but there are no hours on their website.  There are 24 tables in the restaurant and an outdoor patio with an amazing fireplace that looks off into the ranch...which is a total of 300 acres.  In between courses, if you want to get up and walk around to let your food settle...then that's perfect!  They'll bring your next course when you come back, if you're ready for it, and then you can do the same if you so choose after that course.  It was a little chilly when we were there and the fireplace wasn't going outside, so we stayed inside throughout our entire meal.  But, all the courses were spaced out with plenty of time for the previous course to settle so you were more than ready to taste the delicious food that was the next course!

I really can't say enough about how amazing this place is.  When we got there, we were greeted by the owner's two precious pups.  He was coming out with them to greet us as we got there.  When he walked us into the house, he introduced us to the chef and the waitress who were all so very sweet.  We had a couple of glasses of our "wine" before the first course came out and it was nice to just walk around and look at everything and then sit at our table and relax and talk before the meal started.  From start to finish, we were out there for about 2.5 hours and every bit of it was absolutely wonderful.  It was so laid back, with the most amazing food, and the best company I could ask for.  We've been through a lot in 5 years: buying our first house, getting my teaching job, 2 hail storms, Cody becoming an owner of ClearFork, 3 precious puppies, me getting my Master's degree, paying off some debt, watching Michael through his high school sports career, some amazing vacations, precious time with family and friends, Cody's surgery, and now a sweet baby on the way.  We've had lots of ups and downs, but every single moment brought us to where we are today and I am so thankful for every single moment and for the past 5 amazing years we've had together.  I'm so excited to see what our future holds and we are both ecstatic about becoming parents.  God has been so good to us and we could never thank Him enough for all He has done in our lives.  We are truly blessed.  I love you Cody Michael Kelley!!!

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Our precious family of 5...with one more on the way!!!  Happy 5 Years My Love!!!