Tomorrow, Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the big day! Will baby Dahl be SSD or MGD? Stay tuned for the big announcement...

Halfway There!

Tuesday marked 20 weeks, which means we're halfway there! We go back to the doctor on Tuesday for our 3D/4D anatomy scan and to find out if Baby Dahl is a HE or SHE! The first two weeks after my last appointment zoomed by, but these last two weeks have slowly crept by. Not that I am trying to wish away the pregnancy, because frankly I like having him/her safe in my belly, but I am dying to know the gender. I still have not made one purchase for the baby and I am getting a bit antsy to start getting stuff for the nursery ready. I know that these next few months will fly by with the holidays and I want to be prepared.

Before I move on to the official update, I want to congratulate our dear friends Andrew and Kayla on the birth of their son Jacob early yesterday morning. I stole this picture from her Facebook page, but I'm sure she will be posting more on her blog once they get home and settled. Isn't he a doll? I can't wait to get up to Little Rock to get me some sugars! It's so exciting to know that Jacob and Baby Dahl are going to be so close in age...I think we are going to have some trouble on our hands!

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And now for the update...

How far along? 20 weeks and 3 days

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm still sticking with 5 pounds since I haven't weighed since my last doctor's appointment. I'm sure this number will go up after Wednesday. From here on out, I should gain about a pound a week. Eek!

Maternity Clothes: Loving them!

Stretch marks? None so far

Sleep? Starting to get a bit more uncomfortable. Since I can only sleep on my sides, my stomach is starting to get heavy. I wake up several times and have to change sides because whichever side I was sleeping on will be aching. I think it may be time to invest in one of those pregnancy body pillows

Best moment last week? Getting to hear the heartbeat. My friend Ryan Claire is in school getting her Master's in Nursing and has an awesome stethescope that we were able to listen to the heartbeat with. Still the best sound...gets me everytime!

Movement? Definitely been feeling baby move. Sterling has been dying to feel too and everynight he puts his hand on my stomach and asks, is that it? Everytime the answer has been, "No, that's my pulse,"...until last night!! We were lying in the bed watching TV and my stomach got hard as a rock all of a sudden. I told him to feel how weird it was and as soon as he put is hand on my stomach, he got not one, but two strong kicks! His eyes got so wide and he was grinning from ear to ear. It was a priceless moment. Have I mentioned how much I love him?

Food cravings? Nothing really specific, just food in general. Sweets have been looking alot more appealing to me than usual, which isn't a good thing.

Gender? Find out Wednesday!

Labor signs? None

Belly button in/out? Still a deep cavern

What I miss? Nothing really

What I am looking forward to? Duh! I sound like a broken record, but finding out the sex. Luckily next week I will have something new to post here!

3 Years and Counting

Yesterday was our 3 year anniversary and I have to say that this one was pretty special. It's not that we went anywhere exotic or bought each other extravagant gifts, but there was something exciting about the fact that this will be our last year celebrating our marriage just the two of us. We had dinner at Cafe Ritz in West Point, which was so delish, then came home to watch the video my aunt made of our wedding. This was the first time we had gotten to watch it and I had forgotten how much I loved our wedding. To my surprise, she also taped some of the reception so we got to watch the first dance and there were some priceless moments of our grandmothers dancing. I am so glad to have all that on video so I will never forget those moments!

So in honor of our anniversary, here are 10 reasons why I love my sweet husband (in no particular order):

1. He does the dishes AND the laundry: 2 chores I hate! Who am I kidding? He probably cleans the house more than me!

2. He lets me hog the covers at night and warms my cold toes

3. He keeps me grounded. When I tend to get all dramatic and emotional, he keeps me in check

4. He makes me stop to appreciate the small things in life

5. He is very passionate. Even though the love for golf, all things football, and hunting tend to really get on my nerves sometimes, I know that those things make him really happy

6. He includes me in whatever he's doing. Whether he is going to the golf course or out to the land to piddle, he always asks me to come. He likes teaching me about his hobbies and how things work. This makes me feel special

7. He can build or fix anything. If he doesn't know how to do it, he will figure it out.

8. He is such a hard worker. I am so proud of the business that he has built. He is not afraid to go for what he wants and will work his butt off to make it happen

9. He always shares his food with me. Even if it is his last bite, he will let me have it

10. He is going to be the best daddy! He has become so protective of the belly. I catch him just staring at it and smiling. It's the cutest.

Here's to another year! Can't wait to see what God has in store for us this next year as we become Dahl:Party of 3!

What's Going on and 18 weeks

Before I get to this week's update, a few random thoughts:

1. My friend Michael I posted about is now home and recovering. Thanks for all your prayers

2. I made these Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers last night and they were delish! I didn't have any adobo on hand, so I just added some salsa. We had baked sweet potatoes and mexican cornbread with it. I highly recommend checking out the Gina's Skinny Recipes if you are in a recipe rut.

3. How great has this weather been?! I feel like we are actually having a true fall this year instead of jumping straight from hot to cold. It has really put me in a festive mood! I've already made a new wreath for the front door and decorated the buffet with a cute fallscape of burlap and mini pumpkins! Hopefully we can get to Lowe's this weekend for some mums and I plan on making pumpkin bread. Yum!

4. How cute is this face?! We went for a visit to Austin last week and took Presley to this pumpkin patch festival. She got her face painted like a cat since she is going to be "Marie, darling" from the Aristocats for Halloween. I could just eat her up!

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And now for the 18 week update...

How far along? 18 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss? Gained 5 pounds so far

Maternity clothes? Still able to wear many of my tops and all of my dresses. Thanks to Dirt Cheap for the Bella Band I bought for $1, I can wear many of my pants. I also lucked up on a pair on maternity leggings and footed tights, both for $1 each, and 3 maternity shirts from Target for $2 each! Man, I love a bargain!!

Stretch marks? Nope, although we are definitely growing

Sleep? Still getting plenty

Best moment last week? It's all amazing

Movement? Maybe? I pretty sure I have been feeling flutters but I'm not quite sure.

Food cravings? Chocolate milk (which is weird because I HATE milk, but I need the calcium, so I'm going with it), apples, sour gummy candy. I was trying to get my mid-term grades finished yesterday at work and was dying for some sour candy, but I refused to leave my office to go to the gas station. I thought that might have been a bit ridiculous.

Gender? Find out Nov 3!

Labor signs? No

Belly button in/out? Definitely in. In fact, it's getting really deep. If I wear a tight shirt you can see this big round "O" where my belly button is. Is this normal?!

What I miss? Wearing my David Yurman ring, which gives me a rash, and being able to breathe. The doctor says this both of these symptoms are common during pregnancy, but will go away after the baby is here.

What I am looking forward to? Our 3 year anniversary next week and Nov 3 when we find out the gender!

16 & 17 Weeks Update

Not much new going on since I posted an update at 15 weeks. We went to the doctor yesterday morning and everything looked great! I have now gained a total of 5 pounds and blood pressure and blood glucose both checked out. I did have to drink a 20 ounce Coke yesterday morning before my appointment. I started drinking it at 7:15 and had to finish it in 15 minutes! NOT the way I would have liked to start my day. I never drink real sodas and rarely drink diet sodas, so this was no easy task for me. After guzzling the entire coke, I felt nauseous for the first time in my pregnancy, and it had nothing to do with the baby. Sterling was jealous that I got to drink coke for breakfast...living with a dietitian he never gets to do this! We heard the heartbeat again, and it was 146 bmp. It is beginning to slow down a bit and become less sporadic as the brain is now regulating his/her heartbeat. I pleaded my case to be able to find out the gender, but he said that we would really get a better view of everything, not just the goods, at my next appointment. So, November 3rd it is!

We're headed to Austin this weekend to see my parents, newly engaged sister!, and of course Miss Presley! I promise to take a picture of the belly this weekend to you can see how we're growing.

One last thing, can you all please say a prayer for my friend Michael? He is from Jackson and is in ICU with what started as pneumonia in all four quadrants of his lungs and has now developed ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome). He is on a ventilator now, but they are hoping he will start breathing on his own soon. Thanks so much!