Time for a margarita, virgin of course

12 weeks: Baby is the size of a lime

Your baby is, by this time, the size of a lime and weighs 1/2 ounce. (Length: just over 2 inches, head to bottom.)

We have made it to 12 weeks! Woo-hoo! I had a routine appointment and everything is moving along very smoothly! We also did some routine screening tests. Baby Banks looks healthy and is already taking after Josh as he/she thought it would be funny to moon the ultrasound machine. Lovely! The nurse was able to coax Baby Banks to into the right position for a better picture. He/she is starting to look like a real baby!

Birthday Girl!

Today, I turned 31! When I turned 25, I thought no other year would have more changes than that one. I finished graduate school, bought my first house, got married, and started my career. Well, I think 31 is going to give 25 a run for the money!

I had the day off for fall break (yay!) and Josh was able to take the day off as well. So we hit the open road for a magical place called western Ohio. It is there that two of my favorite places are located, the Kate Spade outlet (the mother ship) and IKEA. When we arrived at the KS outlet, Josh uttered some potentially dangerous words... "I want to buy you a Kate Spade diaper bag for your birthday. Pick out whatever you want." Such choices! As Josh settled in for what he anticipated to be a very lengthy process, I saw it. My. Diaper. Bag. If you are a purse lover like me, you know how the right hand bag can make your heart sing and put a spring in your step. So, if I must carry a diaper bag, it should at least be cute, right?

And now for a glimpse into the future...let me preface this by saying that the picture you see below is NOT how look on a daily basis...yet. While shopping, we wandered into a maternity store. I figured while we were there I might as well try on some clothes. As I was heading into the fitting room, the sales person said, "Oh there is also a pillow in there you can try on with the clothes so you can get an idea of how they will fit later. The pillow adds about 3 months." I'm all for playing dressing up, so why not? What you see below is apparently what I will look like by the end of January. Needless to say there were a lot of nervous giggles and a moment of "O.M.G. Seriously?"

Go FIGure

11 weeks: Baby is the size of a fig

Your baby is now about as big as a fig. (Length: just over 1 1/2 inches, head
to bottom.)

Ah, memories...

Today was the annual Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association. It had been a few years since I had participated, but when one of my co-worker's organized a team I eagerly joined in.

As I got dressed that morning and sat down to tie my sneakers, I was hit with a very profound memory. The person I was walking in memory of, my Nanny, was the person who taught me how to tie my shoes (along with a million other little and big things). As I began the walk, I was stuck with sadness that as I now

have a million new things to learn, my Nanny is no longer here to teach me those new lessons. While Baby Banks will certainly hear lots of stories about Nanny as he/she get older, he/she will never get to meet her.

Nanny has been gone for nearly 10 years, but her memory lives on. It would be amazing to still have her here with us, but clearly God needed some extra help in heaven! I think it is no small coincidence that within a few weeks of her passing, I met Josh. So, it's my hope that as we embark on this next life changing event, she'll be watching over us and throw some more good luck our way.

A kumquat?

Your baby, now barely the size of a kumquat, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. (Length: a little over 1 inch, head to bottom.)

I don't know that I've ever had a kumquat. But then again, I've never been pregnant so here's to trying new things!

1st Pregnancy Craving

So far, I haven't had any real cravings while pregnant. If anything, my desire for junk food (a previous favorite!) has subsided substantially. Well, today as I was shopping on the southside of Indy with my mom I saw Long's bakery ahead on the right. Instantly, I knew I had to pull in! If you have ever had the pleasure of a glazed donut from Long's you can understand the need to enjoy one even if it is 3 o'clock in the afternoon. If you have not...well, you simply must the next time you are in Indy! Although, it's probably a good thing they do not have any locations in Fishers or I would already weigh 300 lbs!

1st Appointment with Pinky

Today we got to meet with my new OBGYN, Dr. Stuhldreher. She completely lived up to the recommendation! She was very warm, welcoming, and energetic. Although, she did make us both a little nervous when she said she wanted to do another ultrasound. Since I have already had two, I immediately assumed something was wrong. When I asked her about it, she said "Oh no, everything is fine! We just have an unofficial policy in this office that you get to hear the heartbeat at each appointment. B/c you are only 9 weeks along, my Doppler probably won't be able to pick-up the heartbeat and I didn't want THAT to make you nervous." Ah, someone who gets me. :-)
No new pics this time, but that's okay! Be got to see Baby Banks again and were again assured everything is fine.

I'll take this grape over sangria any day!

Your baby has grown to the size of a grape, weighs a fraction of an ounce, and is almost 1 inch long.

According to the weekly e-mails from Baby Center, "Mood swings are common now". Um, yes, yes they are. This may explain why I nearly burst into tears during the cool down at Zumba tonight. Don't get me wrong, Darius Rucker's "Alright" is a great song but it's never had that effect on me before!
http://www.cmt.com/videos/darius-rucker/400342/alright.jhtml#fbid=IAQV5SDlcev