January 22nd
This was the day that I found out I was pregnant. For the week before, I had a feeling that I was; however, I was somewhat in denial about the whole thing. That entire week, I kept on having (TMI) "period" like feelings: the cramping, the stomach aches....and that wasn't normal for me. When I had missed my period by one day, I had to take the test because waiting the recommended four days would have killed me. Troy was at school that night, and so I decided to take it. Within seconds, I had a confirmation of what I was feeling.
I was completely in shock! It took me a second to really take in what was going on! When Troy came home from school, I had dinner ready. Right before we started eating, he asked me if anything exciting had happened at work that day. I said, "Yeah...something happened today". That was when I showed him the pregnancy test....and he was so excited!
March 12th: 11 Weeks!
March 12th! This was a day that seemed to take forever to come! We were dying to share the news with more than just our family members and a few close friends. We wanted to wait until we saw our healthy peanut and make sure everything was ok with the baby before making it official to the world. At this point, I was nearing the end of the dreaded 1st trimester. I was blessed to not have severe morning sickness; however, many things did make me nauseous. I was very picky about what I would eat because nothing sounded good. I was also pretty much a zombie because I was SO extremely tired. I would come home from work every day, sleep for a few hours, then go back to bed a few hours after that.
We finally made it to our first doctor's appointment. After what seemed an eternity, our doctor finally pulled out the ultrasound machine. I was so nervous because it took her what felt like an eternity to find out little peanut. After about a minute, she finally found our little one...who was about the size of a little fig (about 1 1/2 inches long). It is the coolest thing to watch your little baby for the first time. We could see already at this point that there was the head, legs, arms, and hands. We were able to watch her move and dance all around. It was the cutest thing to be able to watch her stretch with all the room she had (Little did she know that in a few more months, she would have barely any room to get herself comfortable)!
April 1st
Thank goodness this was no April Fool's joke! We had finally made it to day one of the second trimester. I had come to a point that I would honestly forget I was pregnant half the time. I wasn't showing yet (although I did have to buy maternity pants around this point). Besides the fact that I felt like I needed to start doing situps, I felt like my normal self again!
May 14th
20 Weeks! We had finally made it half way! This was the big day! What were we having? A Boy or a Girl? At this point, our baby weighed around 10 1/2 ounces, and measured to be about 6/12 inches long (About the size of a banana). We had very strong feelings that it was going to be a girl; however, we would have been just as happy if she was a boy. At our ultrasound appointment, we were able to see our healthy girl still moving around all over the place. She was bound and determined to keep herself covered. Toward the end, the ultrasound technician even had me get up to go to the bathroom to see if that would get her to move enough so we could see the gender. Just as we were wrapping up, she opened her legs up just enough to get a clear picture to confirm that, yes, she was a girl! Not only was she a girl, but she was healthy from what we could see. She was measuring and developing just as she should be. Those are some of the most reassuring words I had ever heard in my life.
During the last month, we had gone through a lot of change in our household! Troy and I finally finished our long search, and built a town-home in Herriman, Utah. We moved in on April 13th. It was a long day, but we were so glad to get it over with! The next day, April 14th, we went back to our Apartment in Midvale to finish cleaning out the place. I didn't realize it at the time, but when we were done with cleaning, we were sitting on the floor in our old living room, and I felt our baby move for the first time. It felt just like someone was tapping their fingers on my lower stomach, but from the inside. I thought to myself, "That is a new feeling!". Little did I know that over the next few weeks, I would realize that this was our little girl dancing around in my belly!
July 8th
28 Weeks! We had finally made it to the home stretch! We had reached the 3rd trimester. It was around this time that I finally started to look in the mirror and think, "Wow, I am starting to actually look pregnant". All throughout my pregnancy, people have made comments about how small I am. I shouldn't complain about that....but after being pregnant for seven months, I was excited to be at a point that people could finally look at me and realize that I was pregnant! I was still feeling really good at this point. The best part of this part of your pregnancy is being able to not only feel your baby move, but see them move. There were so many times I would just laugh because my belly would look like it was just dancing around. She was still spinning in circles at this point and moved all the time. As the weeks continued, that movement started to come higher and higher up my stomach. The first few times I felt it, it was around my belly button. At this point it was about halfway between my sternum and my belly button. It is the strangest and coolest thing to sit and watch your belly contort into different shapes because your little baby just can't hold still. The good news is, she was kind enough to quiet down at night and let Mommy get her sleep! A week before this, we had gone down to St. George for a family reunion and had a wonderful time. We enjoyed having our last mini vacation before the two of us became the three of us. :)
August 7th
32 Weeks! Up until this point, I felt as if pregnancy had been a breeze! I was going for walks/runs every day, and was enjoying my summer vacation. A friend of mine had just stopped by and mentioned how you really aren't half-way through with your pregnancy until you have about 6 weeks left. I just laughed and thought to myself, "Hmm...it has gone by pretty fast so far, I'm sure the last few weeks will be just as blissful!".....haha...boy was she right! Now that I had hit 32 weeks....the dreaded swelling had begun! I could no longer wear my wedding ring, nor the fake ring I had purchased in a bigger size. One night, I even noticed that my ankles were slowly disappearing behind this bulging joy we refer to as "water retention". Not only was I facing this, but my back was in severe pain, and our baby was working her way up into my diaphragm. Any time I have sat down since then, she will just stick her foot right into my rib cage and remind me that she is running out of space. At 32 weeks, our baby was about 16.7 inches long and weighed around 3.75 pounds. At this point, I also began to realize what being pregnant feels like. Suddenly, it became more difficult to reach things that had fallen on the ground. I don't know if I have always been clumsy, or just suddenly started dropping things constantly. Either way....bending over had become quite the task! 8 weeks to go!
September 28th: The Due Date!
It is still so crazy to me that we have reached this point. The past nine months have been extremely long! At this point, I am really ready to be done and to meet our girl. At this point, she seems to be taking her time to arrive; however, we also know that she will be here some day. As I think about the ups and downs that come with becoming a mother, I am honestly terrified! I am nervous because this will be a whole new experience; however, I also know that my Heavenly Father will be there to guide Troy and I as we start this new adventure together.
To our little girl:
We promise we will do everything we can to be the best parents we know how to be. I know that it will be a learning curve for all of us, but I also know we will become a stronger family every single day. Our goal as parents is to raise you in righteousness. We want you to know that we will love you with an unconditional love forever. No matter where life takes you, no matter what choices you have made....know that we will always be there and will always love you. There are going to be times in your life when you will be faced with some decisions that you feel will make or break you. We want you to know that you will always be able to turn to your Father in Heaven in prayer for guidance. He loves you with an unconditional love. He wants, more than anything, for you to return to live with Him and be a part of an Eternal Family which will never end. We will do all we can as your parents to make you happy. Your family will always be a place for you to turn to. Always depend on these relationships as people come in and out of your life. Your family will always be there, no matter what.
Throughout your whole life, do what you can to dream big. Find what makes you happy and go out there and get it. Stand up for the weak, and be a good friend to all. Be happy. Life is too short and goes too fast to waist it on the miserable times. Life is meant to be enjoyed, even during your trials. As you discover your talents in life, pursue them. They are what God has blessed you with and what will make you unique from everyone else. Find your passion and pursue it. We will always support you in the endeavors you choose to follow.
Most importantly, know that we will forever LOVE you. We were sealed as a forever family in the Salt Lake City Temple before you even came to this earth. We may drive you crazy at times, and you may think we are the meanest parents for some of the rules we set...but know that they are for your own good. Know that we want you to grow up to be the greatest person you could ever be. Know that we want to guide you and help you make good choices in your life. Don't ever be afraid to come and talk with us about your worries and concerns. We will always be here for you and want you to have the greatest life possible. We love you.
Love,
Your Mom and Dad
PS...we can't wait to meet you!
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