We’re having a BABY!! Our little family is growing and we can not wait to meet our little one in July! You’ve probably made your way here from one of our announcement posts and we are so excited to share more details with you!
In the Spring of 2016, David and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. We had experienced life and adventures in multiple different cities and were enjoying being back in Tampa again. The lease was ending on our apartment and we thought it was the right time to start house hunting. After searching online for months, we finally settled on a specific area, our budget, and style of home. Fortunately, our realtor found a house that met our criteria and suggested we take a look. We scheduled a tour on a Saturday morning and after walking through the front door, the first thing I saw was baby toys in the front room. I immediately teared up. I thought about how this could be the house that we make our own and where we might start our family. We toured the rest of the house and it was everything we wanted. We decided to put in an offer. It was accepted. And in July (two months later), we closed on our first home! (It was seriously the easiest house buying experience ever.) We really enjoyed moving from a one bedroom apartment to a 3/2 house where we have much more space and room to grow.
In August, David and I decided we were both ready to start trying for a baby. I turned 27 on the 27th and after that day, we both agreed and were excited to see what would come next. As we started the journey, we prayed for patience and trust in God’s timing.
At the end of October, I decided to take my first pregnancy test after a little encouragement from David -“We already have the tests. Let’s just see what happens! If it’s negative, you can have a glass of wine tonight!”. That was all I needed to hear. So, I went to the bathroom, strongly thinking that it would say no since it had only been one month of trying and I was feeling completely normal. I went back out into the living room where David was watching football and I set a timer on my phone. We anxiously looked over at each other with smiles and eyes that read “is this real life?” “what if it says yes?” “what if it says no?”. When the timer finally rang, we headed to the bathroom. We saw one pink line. “Is that only one line? Does that mean not pregnant?”. We kept looking at the test and then saw a faint second pink line appearing. “Wait… is that two lines??”. The more we looked at it, the stronger the two pink lines appeared. David said, “Uhh, let’s take a break and come back and do the different brand and see what it says.” So, we went back into the kitchen and I chugged a bottle of water. Then, went back in with a digital test in hand. Set the timer again, we made those anxious looks of “is this really happening??” and went to go check for a second time. Now, there was no denying it. It was clearly written – “PREGNANT” (Wait what?? Ahhhh!!!) The next day, on Halloween, we called our parents and siblings and best friends on Facetime and shared our news. “We’re having a baby!!” “You’re going to be Grandparents!” “You’re going to be an Aunt!” That was so so much fun!!
That night after we found out, we went to Publix to buy dinner supplies and sparkling cider! We decided to make a pizza and use Prego sauce! 😉
In November, we went to our first OB appointment. I was about 8 weeks pregnant and we got to see our baby for the first time. It was a tiny little peanut in a tiny sac that resembled nothing like a human. But when the nurse pushed a button and we got to hear the thump-thump of our baby’s heartbeat, it made everything feel so real. It was an unforgettable experience! We left that appointment on cloud nine with happy hearts. On Thanksgiving, we got to share our thanks for our little growing baby.
In December, we went to our second OB appointment. I was right around 12 weeks pregnant and feeling good. My body wasn’t changing yet and I still felt mostly normal (besides feeling queasy about certain foods). The craziest thing happened when we had our ultrasound and saw the huge amount of growth in just four weeks! Last time, we had a tiny bean but now we had a kicking, flipping, active tiny baby! It was so cool and strange to see so much movement in my body but not to feel a thing. We got to hear the heartbeat again and got a thumbs up that everything was looking good.
In January, we went to our third OB appointment for our 16 week visit (actually, it was today. Like four hours ago!!). So far, I’ve gained three pounds and I’m definitely starting to feel my belly grow! We met with the doctor and he said “Let’s check the baby’s heartbeat. It may take a few minutes to find it…” and once he put the doppler on my belly, there it was – thump, thump. “That was easy!” said the doc. Baby’s heartbeat is beating strong at 162 beats per minute. 
I still can’t believe it. I know women have had babies for so so many years and this has happened so so many times but when it’s your first, it’s a wonderfully new and scary experience. We are so thankful for all of the support and love we’ve received so far. Baby S is already so loved and we are so grateful.
I’ve listed a few Q&A’s that I’ve gotten from many people so far about our pregnancy. 🙂
How far along are you? I’m currently 15 weeks and 4 days. The developmental weeks change on Thursdays, so I especially love those days when I get all the notifications on my phone from What to Expect and Baby Center that tell us the baby’s current developments (coolest and strangest experience!).
When are you due? July 6, 2017! Summer baby 🙂
Do you know the gender? Not yet. We will find out at our next appointment when we do the anatomy ultrasound on VALENTINE’S DAY! We will be so excited for either a boy or a girl!
How have you been feeling? Praise the Lord, I have been feeling good! My first trimester, I had some food aversions and a bit of nausea (ugh, barbecue sauce and ew, chicken but give me all the carbs!) but I never got sick. I definitely felt the lethargy of pregnancy and took tons of afternoon naps. And I was constantly hungry, aaallll the time. Now that I’m in my second trimester, I have my energy back and I can eat almost anything again. My belly is starting to round out and definitely looks like a bump towards the end of the day. It’s so fun!!
Do you have a name picked out yet? We have a few girl names that we like but still thinking of a boy name. So many choices!
Are you still going to do photography? Yes! I plan to take a maternity leave from June – October and not take on any new jobs during those months. Spring, November and December 2017 and 2018 brides, we are available for you!
How have you grown closer to God through this? The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is that I can try my best to have a healthy and successful pregnancy (eat well, exercise, take prenatal vitamins, etc) but I truly have no control over what is currently happening inside my body. I could spend my days worrying that everything is developing perfectly but there is no benefit in that. I’m so thankful for the gift of peace and trust. Whatever journey this experience takes us on, I know He is in control and will take care of all of us, however that looks in His plan. I’m feeling so grateful that He heard our prayers and listened to our hearts. We were prepared to wait for many months to get a positive test but He was ready to say yes quickly. Also, it makes me appreciate His intricate design for human life! It’s amazing to read about the constant changes that are going on inside my body and that He created life in such a perfect way. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)
Thank you for reading and for sharing in our excitement! I will share more updates in the coming months. In the meantime, we’d love to hear your favorite pregnancy and newborn tips for me and/or David! 🙂
I’m gonna be an aunt!