Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad!

Well-we are two days out from Christmas Day and in our 21st week of Baby G, aka- Hudson's development. I was reading on Babycenter.com this morning and it said that some expected things at this stage are for it to feel like baby is performing martial arts...oh how true! Hudson is a little wiggle worm, especially at night. At least I am very aware of his nocturnal movements, may be that he moves as much in the daytime but I guess I don't notice because I am busy. It feels like he is doing flips in my stomach when I do feel him. I look forward to feeling his movements as he gets bigger too (well- and then not so much too because he'll be squishing some other stuff as he moves).

Last night we went to some friends'- John & Kelly's (Will's parents)- for a cookie decorating party. It was a lot of fun. We had all shapes of cookies and all colors of frosting and sprinkles and whatnot. We had a gingerbread decorating contest & Jay had to decorate one to look like Payton Manning (football player)- he did great, and ironically I had to decorate one to look like a cheerleader. Jay also freelanced a razorback cookie- it turned out great. My best works were probably my yellow rubber ducky and my Christmas tree. We had fun- next year Hudson will be part of the fun!

We will be going to Camden- to Jay's Dad's for the next couple days. It will be good to visit and be with family. It is hard not having all my family around me for these special times. It makes me treasure the time I have with them even more. Next year will be great because there will be so many firsts and new things- I am really looking forward to it and I know it will be here before we know it! For example- having Hudson touch snow for the first time...I can't wait!

I want to wish everyone, (family, friends- new & old), reading this- a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year! If you are traveling please be careful. May everything dear to your hearts surround you and fill you with joy and peace. We need to get "charged up" on family/friend time to give us enough love & support to get through the year. I love my job, my boss, my coworkers and wouldn't change a thing- but I do work so that I can do those really important things like being with family & friends. That's what life is about to me, which I guess is why I am so looking forward to when Hudson hatches!

I love you all and wish you all things good! May God bless you- all and to all a goodnight!

Almost Christmas

I added some pictures that Jay did a great job of scanning- from the last ultrasound. I was going to add the incriminating "boy" photo but I wanted to put it at the end of the blog and I couldn't figure it out. Seems to me that if you go to the area of the text where you want to insert the picture it should be just that easy...but apparently not! Anyway- precious Baby G (that's just for you Jules)- probably wouldn't appreciate me putting a picture of his "stuff" out there for people to look at anyway.

My sister, Jules (Julie), loved that I called the baby "Baby G" so I am having a hard time letting go and calling him "Hudson" on the blog. I read on Babycenter that he can probably hear me now (week 20) and so I have started talking to him- using his name and touching my stomach as I do so. I think it will just be amazing when he gets a little bigger and maybe even responds to my voice.

I thank the Lord- really- I thank Him daily- that I have had a wonderful pregnancy to date. If the last of it is as good as the first then I will be that much more eager to have a second baby (in a year or more from Hudson's birth). That's my plan. Well- that's my plan now- remember I have not "fully developed" or had to squeeze his bowling ball sized head (have ya'll paid attention to the size of Jay's head)- so I may feel differently after he is born- but I just feel so blessed for not having felt sick for these last 5 months! So many of my friends and co-workers have told me that they were sick their entire pregnancies- and some of them have more than child!

Next week will be Christmas! It sure has come upon us quickly. It seems like it was just summer- barely fall and here people were putting up lights & trees & now next week we will be gathering in families to exchange gifts and eat (a favorite north american pastime). I may get a chance to blog again next week before the actual day- depending on how busy things are at work- but in case I don't...I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas on behalf of myself, Jay & Hudson.

IS IT WEEK 18 OR WEEK 19?

We went to see Dr. Fuller on Wednesday. We had an ultrasound and Baby G is doing terrific- all parts are in place and proportionate and there are no extra parts. It is really amazing to see this little person moving around inside me. Baby G is developing as should be! In fact if everyone will line up together we can all take a step forward because Dr. Fuller said that Baby G is actually 19 weeks instead of 18 so somehow the two weeks merged into 1. Sunday will be 20 weeks which means we are 5 months along and only 4 months to go till we get to meet Baby G!

If the last half of the pregnancy goes as well as the first half then I will have had a very smooth pregnancy. Dr. Fuller was very proud of my amount of weight gain (only 5 lbs in 19 weeks) however he told me "not to worry because there will be much more to come."- I told him that I hoped not too much because I started out heavier than what I wanted to be when I got pregnant- To which he replied "Most ladies are heavier than they want to be"- point taken :)

Baby G is quite the squirmer- constantly moving while "Rita"(HI MOM)- the ultrasound tech- was trying to get some measurements and pictures. She gave us some great shots to keep- and show off. Next visit I will be having the blood glucose test and will have to avoid consuming any sugar before going. Dr. Fuller's nurse- Gretchen- said that if I am a breakfast eater- which I am- to eat eggs & bacon and drink water and that will be fine. This will test for gestational diabetes, which if I am positive for then I will have to watch my sugar intake for the rest of my pregnancy. Let's hope I am not- though on a positive note-my next appointment is AFTER Christmas!

I'm still not really showing though Jay thought he could see a little belly when I laid down on the ultrasound table. I promptly told him it was because I had to pee and once Rita got the wand on my tummy she said "Oh you do have to pee!"- very full bladder. I've probably said this before- but I could have an ultrasound most every day and I would not get tired of seeing the baby up on the screen.

For probably the last 3 weeks I have had difficulty going back to sleep after I get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. It might be 3am or 4am but tired as I am I just lay in bed for a couple hours unable to go to sleep. Usually by about 5:30am I am able to go back to sleep and then the alarm goes off at 6:30am. Not sure what is up with that but I will glad when it passes. Of course everyone warns me that after Baby G arrives I will never get another "full night's rest" but I still cling to the hope!

Well- Christmas season is in full swing. Parties here, there, and everywhere. I will be attending most of them- and enjoying them but I have to say that it isn't quite as fun to watch everyone drink. Not that I have ever been a big drinker- but as the night wears on it seems everyone else is having more fun than I am and all I want to do is go home and go to bed. Tonight I will be the designated driver and I am really looking forward to this party. It is Janet's all-girl Christmas party. Janet is a friend from work. She gets "all into" Christmas and puts up 12 - yes- twelve- Christmas trees up every year!

Well- I guess that's about it for now- except for one thing- ya'll might have been wondering about this- and in case you were- Baby G will also hereafter be referred to as "Hudson Jack"- that's right boys and girls- we are having a baby boy!

Holiday Season

Here we are in December already. I say already because it seems like the July page of the calendar was just turned. Anyway- Christmas spirit, food and parties are all about to be in full swing.

Thanksgiving was nice. Quiet but nice. Jay & I got home about 2:30 ish on Saturday and put up our Christmas tree. It was a pre-lit tree that we bought at the end of the season last year- for a nice discount (a $300.00 tree we paid $80.00 for). The tree looked great we just needed some ornaments. We'd looked through all of Jay's "Christmas" boxes from the attic and found that there wasn't much to work with in them. We bought stockings (even a small one for Baby G) and some ornaments on Sunday after church. Tree is set to go.

One kinda cool surprise that we found in the boxes of "Christmas" stuff was a little Christmas village. There were four pieces- all which light up- they looked as though they had never even been taken out of the box. I had to engineer some creative snow because I didn't have any batting (I used white tissue paper- some of which had sparkles on it). Looks pretty good I think.

Next Christmas will be totally different- totally better I am sure! Everyone that has children says that you wonder what you did with your time before you had a child/children- and next year Jay & I will be in that boat with them! I can't wait! We will also be in Winnipeg with my family and that means a lot to me because I only get to see them about twice a year. It may be the first time that the cousins (Baby G & little "L.J") get to meet.

Baby G is still doing great- just growing. We get to "see" Baby G next week at our doctor's appointment because we are having an ultrasound. It will be wonderful. I think I could have an ultrasound every day and never get tired of it! I was talking to my Mom about a week ago and told her that except for it being kinda gross- it would be kinda cool to have a clear abdomen so you could see the baby growing. Kinda like the old phones that were made of clear plastic and had all the colored wires in them (not that I had one or anything :) My uncle Jules had the "hook-up" on that because he worked at Radio Shack and I got to buy one at his discount!

Today my mouth is sore because I had to go see my Orthodontist and he upgraded my wire (put a thicker one in) & tightened it. I took some tylenol but it seems to be getting more sore as day goes on- I couldn't even bite through a pickle at lunch- how sad is that! Oh well- this too shall pass.

The rest of this week is going to be relatively quiet. I have to round this weekend and then both the Heart Hospital and SAIC (Jay's employer) are having their Christmas parties this Saturday. Jay has to work on Saturday too so we'll see how we feel. We may "make an appearance" if we feel up to it! These days I am perfectly content to come home, enjoy the Christmas tree, light the fireplace and lay on the couch in my jammies with a fleece blanket. Not that I feel bad- I am just comfortable at home.

Well- I hope everyone has a great week and the next time I write I should have more to say about our precious Baby G!