Oh Baby!

Yes that's right, there is a baby on the way to the Chambers house! And we couldn't be more excited! Shall I tell you about our last few months?

We found out I was expecting on Labor Day - ironic, right? Cracks me up. I had my suspicions, and so did Tom, but I didn't want to get my hopes up and then not really be pregnant. So, I kept my suspicions to myself and denied it when Tom mentioned something about the signs of pregnancy.

I didn't do anything special to tell Tom that I was pregnant. I was too excited to wait to tell him. And really, we both already knew. So why wait? Our joy was full, but very soon we had to start thinking about the grown-up thing that comes with being parents. Money. That was a little daunting. But we know the Lord has played a hand in this process as everything financially so far has worked out perfectly.

Both sets of parents were incredibly excited, especially mine since it will be their first grandbaby! Hooray! My mother can hardly carry on a conversation with me without bringing up something baby related. But I love it.

Our first doctors appointment went well and our due date was set for April 3, 2013. Over the next few appointments, the doctor decided that he wasn't 100% positive that we were that far along, so he sent us for our first ultrasound! Yay! The only purpose was to "size and date" the baby. It was such a neat experience and one I'll never forget.

The first time we saw our little "peanut." Looks just like one, eh?
 

Shortly after this ultrasound, the doctor called and told me that my Quad-screen had come back positive and asked that I go for another ultrasound to specifically look for signs of things like Down-syndrome or neural tube defects. I was slightly worried, but he assured me that just because the test comes back positive doesn't mean that the baby will have any problems, it was only precautionary. The ultrasound went beautifully and our baby showed no signs of any complications. Right after, my doctor realized that my test had come back positive because I was not as far along in the pregnancy as we originally thought. He moved my due date back to April 29, which is where it has stayed.



A week later... No profile shot. Baby refused. So we got a nice shot of the back of the head and back (laying on its side).

Look at that little foot!
 

During my first trimester I was lucky enough to not experience too much sickness, though I did have some.. I generally felt fine in the morning, but by about 4 o'clock I was down on the couch. Ginger ale and soda crackers were my best friends. I never actually threw-up though, which was wonderful.

Just like clockwork, as soon as I hit my second trimester, no more sickness! I felt tired often, but I had an appetite again. I have been so eager to eat fruit so far in this pregnancy. Tom was kind enough to treat me to Jamba Juice quite a few times. Something else wonderful, I generally crave foods that are more on the healthy side. Let's hope it stays that way! Right now, grapefruit is my main staple. It is oh so divine.

I first felt the baby move at 18 weeks. I think the little stink waited until I voiced my worries about not feeling the baby to start moving. It was the day after that I discussed my thoughts with Tom that I felt the baby. It was so precious. It often tickled! It started with a popcorn like feeling, then over the next few weeks maturing to a butterfly, flutter feeling. Now, they are pretty discernible kicks. We have an active little one!

Right at 20 weeks we had our 3rd ultrasound where we found out the gender of our precious baby.

And........ IT'S A BOY!!

His foot is getting bigger!

His arm... positioned funny. The tech kept laughing at him. And so did we.

He wasn't afraid to let us know either. We got the perfect shot right off the bat. But, getting a shot of his profile was a different story entirely. He had his face and head hidden pretty well, though we were able to get this picture - which I think is even better than a perfect profile.

Use your imagination... His head is upside down.

Here, I flipped it so you can see it better. :)

See his muscles? He is already a strong boy!

We determined that he is a show-off and a tease, just like daddy.

Names, you ask? That is going to be our greatest challenge. Tom and I have different ideas... but as of late we have been drifting towards the same page. Tom thought he wanted a name that would stand out and be daringly different. I wanted something more traditional or old fashioned, but uncommon. I don't think the hard part will be agreeing, but just choosing one. We're both pretty indecisive. We are hoping to rely on what we feel when we hold him for the first time.

Tom's favorites include:

• Sidon (like the River Sidon, or like Poseidon, you choose)
• Xachary (yes, like Zachary. I think he just likes the X)
• Jackson (Jack, for short)
• Calvin
• ...other names that you shorten. Tom loves the idea of nicknames.

My favorites:

• Declan Thomas (I came up with this name while Tom was still on his mission... whoops.)
• Liam
• ...and others that I can't really think of right now. I'll blame it on the pregnancy. 

And... that brings you up to speed! 23 weeks and feeling fine! Tom and I are so happy to have a little boy on the way. We can't wait to be parents! I, personally, am scared out of my mind. Not just about the labor and delivery -which honestly terrifies me!- but also being a good mom... I find myself talking to him often and I find him comforting me as well. In fact, the other night after I woke up with a scream from a nightmare, he started moving around as if to let me know he was there for me. What a sweetheart. I just hope my little boy will always be able to feel the love that I have for him.