Special Times in the Second Trimester!

It's official... I'm in the second trimester! We are 14 weeks and one third of the way into this amazing journey. Another milestone for today is that we are exactly 6 months from our due date! I have to say, I am loving life these days. The baby bump is starting to show and I am falling in love with my pregnant body. It's surreal the first time you get dressed and see that little pooch! I love being able to see and feel the physical evidence of our growing baby, and I am so proud to show it off. Words can't really describe how incredible it feels.

Little Felix is now 3 1/2 inches or the size of a lemon. Last night Shawn joked around by rocking a lemon in his arms like a baby - he's so silly :) Felix is estimated to grow an inch a week for the next 6 weeks! I'm likely to gain at least half a pound a week for the next few weeks as well. So far I've gained 7 pounds. At least for now they are all around the mid-section!

We are very blessed to have so many special things going on right now. I have an appointment next week with our midwife. My mom has the day off work and she's going to join me for the appointment! Next weekend Shawn's parents are visiting from Kentucky. This is the first time we've seen them since the big news so it's sure to be an exciting weekend!

Thank you all for your love and support. You are truly blessings in our lives.

~Stefanie

Felix is Feisty!

Today we got to check up on Felix with our 12 week ultrasound! Shawn was able to join me for this appointment as well. I am so thankful his work is supportive of him taking time off to experience these special moments.

I have been anxiously awaiting this appointment for weeks. I have had no morning sickness and many of the other symptoms that I had have been subsiding. I know this is normal as you approach the end of your first trimester, but I still need the reassurance of a healthy ultrasound to calm my nerves. Today, I got just that.

As soon as the tech placed the ultrasound wand on my belly, it was clear - there is a baby growing in there!

And not just growing... waving, kicking and flipping. That's why I say he is feisty. It was so cute to see him moving around and having a ball. He was so active and full of life. We got to hear the heartbeat too - beating away at 152 bpm.

They measured him at about 7cm or 2.75 inches. So right now he's about the size of a peach. I've read that over the next 3 weeks he will grow to 5 inches! Watch out because my waistband is going to be growing right along with him! No real baby bump to report right now, but stay tuned.

By the way, I know I am referring our little fetus as a "He" but that's really just to avoid saying "It". Since we have chosen the name "Felix the Fetus" I am going to refer to Felix as a him for convenience. We are still planning to keep the gender a surprise. The doctor today asked if we wanted his prediction on the gender which was shocking at 12 weeks! He said that at 12 wks they are 80% accurate. We politely declined his offer, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious to know what he was thinking.

All in all, it was a fantastic morning. My next appointment is in two weeks to meet the midwife who will hopefully be the one to deliver our baby. Thanks for being part of our journey to parenthood.

Love,

Stefanie

Felix the Fetus

Hi friends and family,

Thank you all so much for your love and support during the last few weeks. Getting random calls and messages asking how I'm feeling or how we are getting ready for the baby means so much. You brighten my day and make me feel so blessed to have such an incredible support system.

Thursday I had my second appointment. The doctor stated that my weight gain is right on track and answered many of our questions. We didn't get to hear the heartbeat like I thought - the doctor said it was too early. We do have another appt on the 13th to get our second ultrasound! I can't wait to see our little fetus. :)

That brings me to the title of this post "Felix the Fetus". Shawn and I have been tossing around baby names lately and have a few good contenders... Felix was one name that didn't quite stick as a baby name, but we have decided that it works perfectly as a fetus name! Until our little baby enters this world and reveals its gender, he or she will be affectionately referred to as Felix the Fetus.

Along with choosing names, we are getting the house ready and making plans for the nursery. Shawn and I took a trip to the fabric store to see if we could find some inspiration for the nursery. When we came across the fabric in the photo we fell in love with the idea of a bird theme. I'll be making curtains for the nursery using this fabric. We also found mini-birdhouses that we are going to paint to go along with the theme. The color scheme is neutral with accents of yellow. We have a good bit to do around the rest of the house, so it will be a while before we get started in the nursery.

I think that's all for now... time for this mami to go to bed.

Yours truly,

Feliz por Felix (Happy for Felix)