FIRST...we found out the sex of the baby! I WAS going to keep this part a secret so that everyone was surprised when we had the baby. But they second I found out, I wanted to shout it off the rooftops! I couldn't help myself! Tanya was the first to know....within 30 seconds of me finding out of course! Mark just laughed and knew that the whole "keeping it a secret thing" wasn't going to work! My nurse wrote down the sex on a card and I took it to Macy's and had a clerk pick out a blue or pink outfit. Mark and I then went out on a date and opened it together! It was one of the most exciting things I have ever done! I was SO nervous! Mark opened it and sure enough, it was PINK! We couldn't believe it! We both thought we were having a boy! My mind was set! But nope! A girl it is! And we are very excited! Now we just have to come up with some names! We have a few...but we'd like a few more. I think we will know what to name her when we see her!
THEN I actually felt her for the first time! On June 4th, Mark and I were laying in bed the night before I left for MN. And sure enough, I could feel some slight flutters! I could have been mistaking the same feeling for gas earlier, but who knows! So, my worries went away! She really was in there! Kicking around and growing as healthy as can be! It was amazing! She was probably saying goodbye to daddy!
THEN on Monday, June 18th, I was laying in bed in the morning. I had my hand on my stomach and all of a sudden I felt a little kick on my hand! At first I thought it had to be a pulse or something. It was such a tiny movement! But then I felt it again! And I couldn't believe this was all happening so fast! She was letting me know she's a happy girl! And that she missed her daddy I am sure! That evening, I was laying on Brooke's couch and my Mom, Brooke, and Audrey all got to feel her move! Audrey was so excited! She's most active at night now. I was so anxious for Mark to feel her when I got home! He had his hand on my stomach for a while, but couldn't feel anything. I said his hands are too calloused to feel it! But then later on in bed, he felt her kick! She was kicking more than she ever has! Big movements! It was amazing to have Mark feel her too!
THEN Brooke and Heather threw me an amazing shower! It was so fun! I had been so anxious to get together with friends to talk "baby". I hadn't really gotten the chance to really gush about me being pregnant yet, so having a party to celebrate it meant the world to me. I am so grateful for all they did for me!
Mark couldn't believe how much I have grown since he saw me last! I really popped in 3 weeks! I missed him so much! I couldn't help but cry when he picked me up! Mark keeps taking pictures of my belly, and saying "Wow babe!! You've got a belly!" He told me he was surfing the web and came across a picture of a little girl sitting on a dock with her toes in the water. He said he just stared and stared at it for a long time, imaging his own daughter one day! He's getting very excited. He has even agreed to taking some classes at the hospital to get ready for our big arrival in 4 short months!
Now that I am home and actually know the sex of the baby, I'm excited to start to get the nursery together! Hang up her little clothes, organize all the fun stuff I got at the shower! These 4 months are going to fly by! We have so much to do! But it is all going to be so fun!
