Hello 2nd trimester, goodbye forever fatigued!

Not the best belly pic but this is the most I got dressed this week : )

How far along? 13 weeks
Totalweight gain/loss: 5 pounds
Maternityclothes? Still rocking my regular wardrobe
Stretchmarks? Nope
Sleep: Still sleeping great, minus the getting up at least once in the middle of the night for bathroom visit : )
Bestmoment this week: Going on a date night with the hubs to Cajun's and ordering the Boston Casserole (AKA decadent cheesy pasta seafood) with absolutely no guilt or regrets...I seriously made happy food noises with every.single.bite!!!  
Haveyou told family and friends: YES!
MissAnything? Once again, wine on date night....this may be a constant. Going hard core on  workouts and running my tail off, a light jog is taking the place as well as low impact at my workout class
Movement: None that I feel but I see it move like crazy when I ultrasound it. Shocked me the first time I saw a major movement, I couldn't help but smile and stare in awe
Foodcravings: Sweets, fruit, and chicken. And craving salads a lot more which I generally don't care for that much! Also pretty consistent on wanting my morning bowl of cheerios for breakfast.
Anythingmaking you queasy or sick: Ground beef in Mexican
Haveyou started to show yet: Just a little, looks like I could use some toning at the gym and a few less sweets ; )
Genderprediction: Seem to think boy most of the time but no hard core prediction 
LaborSigns: No
BellyButton in or out? In
Weddingrings on or off? On
Happyor Moody most of the time:  Feeling a lot happier, 2nd tri is sooo much better, even with no sickness I can tell a change in the relief of moodiness and fatigue
Lookingforward to: Finding out the baby's gender...I'm having trouble resisting imaging at work since I know I could start playing detective on this babe at any point now!


So this week starts our 2nd trimester, if you didn't already guess by the title ; ) I can't wait to see what this chapter has in store. I have always heard that the 2nd tri is the best and I am really looking forward to seeing for myself. Don't get me wrong, the first could have been way worse, but I am so relieved to get back to feeling like myself. Getting projects and things done at night and not constantly spending my time on the couch or in the bed feeling worthless. This house needs a little TLC in a few areas I've had in mind for a long time. Obviously, I want to get all of this done before the baby gets here so the time is now! Of course, once I know the gender my focus will shift to nursery planning and the like so I figure it's now or never for this ol' house! Since Jason has been done with school and many of his evenings are free again and not dedicated to nightly school work or watching class videos, I'm excited for us to get back into doing things together that we enjoy such as projects for the house and exercise.  As soon as we get past college football recruiting season, maybe I'll have his undivided attention.....on nights that the Razorbacks don't play basketball...and when the new TV show "The River" isn't on....and when "Swamp people isn't on......errrrr....you get my drift! Clearly he has a lot of relaxation time to make up for! No worries, crunch time is a comin' my dear : )


Cheers,
Kelly

12 Weeks

How far along? 12 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 5 pounds
Maternity clothes?  Not Yet
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Better than ever, likely due to my progesterone supplement which I get to stop taking soon, we will see how it goes after that!
Best moment this week: Realizing that we are 3 months into this gig already! 1/3 of the way there, Woo Hoo
Have you told family and friends: Definitely
Miss Anything? Wine at dinner on a date night out for sure!
Movement: Not quite
Food cravings: Lots of fruit and sweets. And chicken for every meal
Anything making you queasy or sick: Ground beef in Mexican dishes, strange I know!
Have you started to show yet: Just a little
Gender prediction: No strong feeling yet but tend to lean towards boy. Either a true indication or else I'm just fully accustomed to baby boys!
Labor Signs: No way, is that even possible this early??
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Extremely moody, rough first trimester in that division
Looking forward to: Getting into the 2nd trimester and finding out if this baby is a he or a she!


I thought I'd add in to this week a few of the items little O has already accumulated! Not much but so super sweet gestures from people kind enough to think of all three of us and commemorate this special time that it's just about enough to make me bawl like a baby!

The darling lil onesie from the Matthews'

First gift ever from dear old dad : )

My first toy from Aunt Mandy, Uncle Justin, and cousin Mason

Since Little O was technically present for Christmas celebrations and did not have a present, Nettie felt bad and bought  a belated Christmas present for O for next years Christmas...How sweet of Nettie huh?!

No gifts yet from your shopaholic mama O, I've taken a vow to not spend until we know if you are destined for pink or blue! At any rate, I've got a feeling this baby will be more than loved! We are already in awe of this little growing miracle!
Till next time!

Cheers,
Kelly

10 weeks

Not much I can say for this week except can I just sleep through the rest of this trimester? This weeks picture should be a great indication of how I'm feeling....too tired to even get dressed for a picture.

And yes I am in my pajamas...I honestly don't even care. I needed to document this week and since I spent the entire week in scrubs or pajamas, I pick the lesser of the two evils!
Not too mug going on this week to speak about. We are just so happy to have the news out in the open and be able to share it with all of our friends and family. I felt like I was keeping a giant secret for the longest time and it was definitely starting to wear on me! Luckily I have had zero morning sickness and other than feeling super tired, I've really been feeling great! Currently going through a little loss of appetite and craving chicken like crazy! So weird, I usually prefer red meat over chicken any day, healthy huh?! But lately I think I've wanted chicken for about every meal. I always wondered how this pregnancy craving thing worked, pretty cool to see it all play out! Till next time!

8 weeks and The Cotton Bowl!

My first week to week pregnancy post! Yahoo!! We are 8 weeks pregnant this week. According to my books and such our little O is doing all kinds of developing this week. Fingers and toes should no longer be webbed, the breathing tubes are extending over the developing lungs, and the best part, the baby's "tail" is almost gone! YAY!!! How freaky would a baby with a tail be, I chose to refer to that as it's rump for lack of a better term. So here I am at 8 weeks along, BTW, no bare belly pics for this mama...I'm not that proud ; )

8 weeks along and getting ready to make the trip to Dallas to watch our Hogs play in The Cotton Bowl!!! YAYYYY!!!!! We had made ourselves a promise to try and make it to the bowl game this year if it was close and within reason expense-wise. Lucky for us, the Hogs got an invitation to play in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas! First of all, I LOVE Dallas! It's not that far from us and has so much to offer for entertainment. It has been a while since we have made the trip but the last time we went we had so much fun. Secondly, our good friends Luke and Millie (Jason's friends from college which I adopted), live in Dallas and making the trip there is just a great excuse to get to spend some time with them. Luke and Millie got married one week after us and we all took our first Anniversary trip together to Playa Del Carmen in August 2010. We always have the best time with them and they are also huge Hog fans having graduated from U of A so they were certainly down to join us for the game!

We made it to Dallas on Thursday Jan.5 and got freshened up for dinner with Luke and Millie. They took us to a local restaurant called The Porch! DELICIOUS!!!! Everyone enjoyed their dinner along with a good glass of wine or a house beer...and I enjoyed my virgin strawberry spritzer sans alcohol. : ( Definitely an adjustment for me but what I didnt miss out on was DESSERT!! After dinner we went to another little restaurant and had a fantastic chocolate cake and creme brulee! YUMMY! Exhausted, we headed back to the hotel shortly after and got some sleep to get pumped up for Game Day the next day. Luke and Millie had to work for a little while on Friday but they were able to get off early and we headed down to Cowboy Stadium to check out some tailgates and what all the stadium had to offer. The stadium was truly AMAZING! Nothing like anything I had ever seen in my life! I was so happy we took the opportunity for an experience like this. Of course, the game was intense and I was literally losing my voice from screaming my head off. I actually got a little worried about the baby the way I was jumping around and getting all ruffled up! We won the game 29-16 over Kansas State and it was definitely SWEET victory!! The crowd was wild!

So after we sat in traffic for about an hour and a half we headed back to drop Luke and Millie off at the their apartment and back to our hotel to crash. Kinda funny but as we drove through Uptown Dallas we were noticing all the people out just for a typical Friday night. Never mind the influence of the big game that just ended. Jason and I talked about what we would've normally done pre-pregnancy in that situation.....the answer is DUH, park the car, get out and walk around and check it all out. I'm sure we would've stopped at one of the little outdoor patio bars and had a few drinks and talked and people watched just the two of us. Usually even if no one was up for going and doing something, we never minded going alone, making the most of any fun opportunities. BUUTTTTT.....fast forward to present day...and pregnancy...and we rolled on past all the nightlife en route to the hotel. The old me would be dying to get out there and see what all was going on, the pregnant me was having visions of laying my head on a pillow and deep sleep since about 9 pm that evening, and by this time, the clock was pushing 2 am...ugh OUT!

We got up the next morning and went and joined Luke and Millie for brunch at Breadwinner's. Another fabulous little Dallas eatery. We had actually eaten there the last time we were in town so I knew I liked it a lot. The brunch was out of this world. I wish I could clone that place and have it built right down the road from my house. Brunch would definitely become my favorite meal of the day! After a yummy meal we said goodbye to Luke and Millie, possibly for an extended period of time as they are getting prepared to move to Spain for 18 months. Luke got accepted in a program through his job at Ernst and Young where he will be working for the company in Spain for awhile. Crossing my fingers this works out for them and is a smooth, safe transition. And I'm so happy that we got to spend some time with them before they left, they always show us a good time up in the big D!! So back to good ol' Arkansas and Saline County we headed. We rushed back to get ready to meet up with all of our friends to go to dinner for Amy's 25th birthday! All in all, a GREAT weekend! Lots of good times and laughs with lots of friends and the Hogs made us PROUD!! Way to go guys, you deserve that big win! Here are some pics from our trip!

Before dinner on Thursday night

In front of Cowboy stadium before the game

I love this picture!

After we won the game! Go HOGS!!!

Luke, Jason, Millie and I

At Breadwinner's for brunch on Saturday

The SWEETEST lil Hog onesie for Little O from the Matthews'

Back home for Amy's birthday dinner at Benihana

All the gang!

Well, that about sums up week 8! Until next time!

Cheers from a virgin spritzer,

Kelly

New Year, New Job

As if 2012, didn't start out with a big enough bang, in typical Otwell fashion we added more mayhem to the mix this year. Yep, you read that post right, on top of wrapping our minds around the idea of having a baby this year, I also decided it was a GREAT time to switch jobs! HA! Actually, I didn't decide, it sorta decided for me. So here's the scoop...

So, every since I graduated Sonography school I have been employed with Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton. I was hired on as PRN which basically means on a "as needed" basis. When I first started it was pretty much strictly call with minimal daytime hours filling in as needed. I was 100% fine with this as that particular summer I was dealing with graduation, planning a wedding, and getting ready to move out of my apartment and into my sister's house, then out of her house and into Jason's house once we were married. I had a ton going on to say the least and to be honest the stress of a full time job was the last thing I was looking for. After the summer of crazyness, things started to shift and I was offered regular daytime hours! Perfect timing! I was certainly ready and we for sure needed the money. Making money taking as much call as I could possibly get my hands on was growing old but you do what ya gotta do! A few more months down the line I was offered even more daytime hours to put me to a total of 50 hours/pay period plus 2 nights a week of call and a varying one to two weekends a month of call. I was super pumped that my little "as needed-call only" job had evolved to a fairly steady, dependable work week. My schedule was every Monday, Friday, alternating Thursdays and extra fill in days as needed for vacations in such. In other words, I was working a decent amount, more or less on a part time basis but still a PRN status on paper. What this basically meant is that I wasn't receiving benefits. Once again, fine by me as I was covered in insurance in such under Jason's plans at Entergy. I hated to miss out on PTO but it was never that big of an issue to make a difference to me. Totally loved my job, loved living 10 minutes from work for the first time in I can't even tell you! Everything was super convenient and even though I didn't love working every single Monday and Friday I LOVED having 2-3 days off a week and a really flexible schedule. In addition to my regular schedule I was also filling in as needed on some of my off days at my OB/GYN clinic as a backup for when the regular sonographer was sick or took vacation here and there. All in all it all really fit in a strange way.

So fast forward two years later to December 2011. One Tuesday morning when I was sitting around waiting on a call from my OB/GYN clinic to hear back about my lab value. The lab work I previously blogged about for Little O. My phone rang and it was my clinic. Not only did I work at the clinic PRN but have also been a patient there since I was about 17. The phone call I received that day was not was I was expecting it all. It actually had nothing to do with my lab work at all. The phone call was to inform me that the regular sonographer was going to retire (a big surprise to me might I add) and that they wanted to offer me a job.....wow....was NOT prepared for this one at all! Might I add that I am a creature of habit and my job was really working for me for the most part and I wasn't really looking for another opportunity. With that being said, I always knew that if the right opportunity found me, I definitely would not have my door closed. As I discussed this opportunity over the phone and gathered all the details, I really didn't know what to say other than I would have to talk with my husband and return with an answer of whether or not I would be interested. The initial offer was to join on with them as Part time with benefits. There are many more personal details to this but that's the basics. I have to admit, the more I thought about it, the better it was sounding. It really didn't take me too long to realize that I was pretty interested, I just needed that extra push of reassurance from my loved ones and I also had some pretty big concerns. This move was not going to come without some big sacrifices and changes. And if you haven't met me......I don't do change well, like I said, creature of habit! After a long talk with Jason and my mom and my sister, I not only realized that this was a good opportunity, it was a great opportunity! And they thought I would be crazy not to accept it! So here I am, totally pumped and ready. Long story short, I expressed my interest in the position and later found out that instead of a part time they were now interested in hiring a full time person. I had, for the most part, initially stated that I wasn't interested in full time. Knowing I more than likely had a baby on the way or if not, would be looking in that direction, in addition to the fact that I was quite comfortable with my part time gig. I started to see this opportunity slipping away and wondered if I let it pass would something like this ever come my way again. I found myself asking if I could still be considered for the position as a full time. In other words, changing my original statement that I was not interested in full time work. The answer was yes that I could be considered. So, back to the drawing board of, "let me talk with my husband and I'll give ya a call" So, I go back to my support group with the news. I might add to the equation that the days/week difference in full time and part time was only 1 day. Initially, I was offered to work 3 ten hour days a week. The full time position would be 4 ten hour days a week as our clinic is closed on Friday and everyone works 10 hour shifts. I must admit, I struggled. I had gotten pretty excited about the idea of working 3 ten hour shifts, same day each week, having every Thursday and Friday off to start off a long weekend every weekend. In addition to the fact of gaining benefits and PTO. Now the game had changed. What to do?

It doesn't take a genious to figure out that this decision I was struggling with was an obvious choice in the long run. Basically just talking about working one extra day than I had originally thought and the benefits and PTO would actually be better as a full time employee rather than a part time.  I guess you could say my biggest concern was is this really the right timing for this? I felt like it was because Jason and I had already been super concerned about insurance coverage for maternity care for quite some time. Through his work we were covered under a high deductible health plan and there really weren't any other affordable options. The horror stories I had heard about having children on high deductible health plans already had me scared to death. This opportunity would surely fulfill our insurance coverage worries for the new baby. The reason I felt like it wasn't the right timing was basically that I had maintained a part time job for a lot of reasons but one of them being that we thought it would work out great for when we had children because I would be able to still work yet be at home with them a decent amount as well. And now that we were about to have a child and now when I needed to be home more than before, I was considering going to work 40 hours a week. Not to mention the drive to Little Rock : ) no more ten minute drives down the road to work. Be prepared for commuting and spending extra money on gas. Ahhhhhh! What's a girl to do???

Well, after several talks with my peeps, I came to the decision that this was the right thing to do. And it was the right time. Even though my schedule was flexible it was also very erratic, probably not very family conducive. I was also looking at an opportunity to let go of taking call, something that was starting to grate on my nerves more than I liked. NO ONE in the medical field likes to take call and I think it would be fair to say that everyone would take an out if it was feasible. Every since I graduated school I always said that I would love to work at a clinic where you could free yourself from call, nights, holidays, and weekends! That was this situation in a nut shell. I also knew if I took this I would be looking at a different "type" of work. While I had been completely happy at the hospital and loved the variety of work I did, I knew that as the months went on it was only going to get harder on my body trying to physically man handle my patients. Pushing wheelchairs, stretchers, and lifting patients had always fallen on my "no problem" list but who knew what was going to be in store later down the road. I knew my body was going to put limits on me that I would definitely have problems dealing with...I'm not one that likes to be told no or that "I can't". So I had officially decided that God had brought this to me for a reason, that he knew better than I did, and that I needed to trust and take a leap of faith! I already knew everyone at the clinic, I was already an employee and familiar with mostly everything, what easier transition could you possibly ask for?!

Still being a little nervous about change I decided this was an opportunity I couldn't afford to miss and happily accepted. Spreading the news to my co workers and current boss was super scary but they could not have been more gracious about it. They assured me that they understood I had to do what was best for me and they totally supported me. It felt great to know that they understood where I was coming from and while I never expected them to be mad at me, you just never know what to expect when you leave a job.

So on January 3, 2012, I started my first big girl job! Finally at the age of 28 years old, just one month shy of 29 might I add, here I go for my first full time career. I'd say it was definitely time. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED working part time. I still miss it. But sometimes, you've got to make changes for a better quality of life. A happier life. Add in to the equation that I also had to think about this new addition on the way and I quickly realized that it would be extremely unfair to expect to continue a life of unpredictability. Leaving my baby in the middle of the night to go to work would not ever be high on my priority list, this I knew. I also would now know that I wouldn't have to worry with spending holidays away from my family because, once again, a hospital never stops and no matter what day it is, someone must always be available at an arms reach on call for anything emergent.....orrrr not emergent, but don't get me started on that!

So here's the update, I have officially gotten into the swing of things! Working full time has proven to be pretty much what I expected. It's busy and I'm really tired. I'm not so sure if it is more the new job or the first trimester pregnancy, but by the end of the day I am literally dragging. It's usually all I can do to make it home, eat dinner, and most nights I'd be just happy to get in bed by 7:30 and stay there for the rest of the night. I miss getting projects done at night and working on things such as blogging. Currently I have a ton of pictures I've taken that seriously need some attention. I am hoping this exhaustion will pass soon. I've also learned that if I don't get as much done as night as I can, my morning will be a total wreck. Coffee has to be prepared and set on auto program the night before. This means that when I'm putting on my makeup at 6 am, coffee is brewing away and waiting on me to fix it up in my travel mug for the drive to work. Speaking of 6 am, I've learned that it is a MUST to be up and out of bed at 5:45...no wakey, no makey to work on time. And honestly, I'd prob do much better to get up at 5:30, but I'm resisting for the time being. Fixing as much of my lunch as possible the night before is also a must. Hard to believe how much of a time saver that is but it can seriously make or break me on time in the mornings. And lastly, must be in the car and out of the driveway by 7 am if not a little earlier. The traffic into Little Rock is BRUTAL and leaving 5 minutes late easily makes you 15-20 minutes late arriving to your destination...ugh! Not fun! But what's a little adjustment, no big deal, it's good for everyone! And I am quickly learning to adapt and learning to love my routine. I never knew how much I was lacking consistency in my life. It has certainly been a good thing. And last  but certainly not least, let me just tell you how much I LOVE having Fridays off work!!!! Oh glorious Fridays! By the time Thursday rolls around, I am one super happy person who can't be brought down because, hey, it's Thursday, my weekend starts at 5:30 this evening! LOVE IT! Currently, I am still PRN with the hospital and leaving myself available to fill in with them on Fridays when they need help. It isn't my favorite but it is an opportunity to make extra money and that makes me happy! Not a bad deal all in all. I'm already formulating lots of plans of how I'm going to put that money to work in the upcoming nursery, as soon as we find out what gender our little sweetie is! Taking a full time job has also showed me that with a few less days off during the week, and little opportunities to sniff out local sales, I have less time to participate in my favorite pastime....you guessed it, shopping! AHHHHHHH.........could this be the end of the shopaholic??? PSSSHHHHH....I say NEVER! It only forces me to be more creative in my searches...no worries my sweet grounded husband, I will always find my outlet for peace ; )

Entering 2012 proved it was going to be offering lots of change for the Otwells but so far, it's been pretty great. The baby seems to be growing just as it should and everyone at my new job have been nothing short of wonderful. So welcoming and caring every single day. It has been a great feeling and I am also loving my patients. Most of them have been patients forever and knew I must be the new kid, they have been so warm and welcoming as well. Let's just say I think the whole equation is just what the doctor ordered for us. An answer to so many unspoken prayers and a solution that we never even knew we were looking for. Funny how God works in our lives. He knows what we need even before we do. To say I feel blessed would be an understatement! Thanks for listening to my forever long rant, stay tuned for weekly baby posts and updates.....if I can ever get my head off the pillow long enough ; )

Cheers,
Kelly

Merry Christmas and Happy Baby!!

Well, I think it's safe to say that we swept the award for best Christmas surprise this year! Yep, you read that title right....The Otwell's are expecting a little baby "O" August 5, 2012! To say that we are thrilled would be an understatement! We decided to share the news with our family on Christmas and make it a memorable Christmas for all of us! The reactions we got in pictures and on video are absolutely priceless and we are so happy we captured those special moments. I hope that someday I will be able to share all of this with the little "O" and it will be able to see how excited everyone was about the news that we were going to become a family of three! Because my brain only works in chronological fashion, I have to share the start of this journey from the very beginning. WARNING: Some people may feel that it is unnecessary to share every minute detail but I intend on using this blog as a journal of every small detail that we will someday share with our children. Someday when we are older and sleep deprived by 14 million hours, I am sure that I will want to reflect on some of the things I'm sure I will forget. So from minor to major, here at all goes. Proceed with caution!

The Plan: If I had even a quarter for the many times Jason and  I were asked when we were gonna have children.....well, I wouldn't be a rich woman but maybe the start of a little seed money to get me a full day of shopping fun! I never cared when people asked, it actually made me happy. Made me happy that people thought that we would be strong enough to handle that if we so chose, that people thought we would be good parents and would deserve the blessing of a child, that maybe we were ready to cross into the next chapter of our book. Most of all, it made me smile, because while everyone was asking, I probably already knew. Don't get me wrong, I'm no sorcerer with a glass ball pinpointing to the actual day. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't have a plan! I feel like that is the norm for most all couples. Dating, marriage...when ya gonna have kids?? When Jason and I got married we spent quite awhile getting adjusted to living together, having fun, and just being married. It wasn't too much longer, maybe 3-6 months we started talking of when we would start thinking about "it". The answer was, it's not even up for discussion until we've been married for a year. Case closed! Sooo, with the one year mark quickly approaching, one afternoon we were walking Auggie around the neighborhood and the subject came up..It went sorta like this. Me: So what do you think, you think you're ready (after we were already on topic of course) Jason: I'm not ready...are you? Me: Nope not at all. So the new plan was, we would get to the two year mark and re-evaluate at that point. We knew we still had a lot of living to do and still had a lot of plans we wanted to see followed through. We were both  very comfortable with the two year mark. Of course, I had my worries and questions, what if it takes a long time, what if it's not possible, are we wasting too much time? STOP with the overanalyzing, take it as it comes and just roll with it! So that's what we did. Strapped in for another year of fun and freedom.

As the two year mark approached I knew this time I was ready. It felt different. Jason and I had done a lot of traveling which was on our checklist. We worked on several areas of our house and were really starting to get happy with some of the projects we completed. We invested in a new little water toy for ourselves, our very first boat. And last but not least, we were OFFICIALLY the last couple in our circle of friends who had yet to procreate. Each of our siblings have long since passed us in that department. It was really important to us for our children to be somewhat close in age to other children in our lives so it seemed like everything had lined up the way it should. We talked about it and realized we were both very much on the same page. And so the journey begins...

I don't think it would be much of a surprise to most people that patience is certainly not my strong suit. So when this process took just a little longer than what I was anticipating, I started to freak out about the plan. Oh no, the plan! What about the plan? It's all messed up now. Now I'm gonna have to re-work this, and that will surely be different, and don't even get me started on the now! Geesh, totally wore myself out for a few days, weeks, maybe even a month. But one thing I can tell you that this journey taught us, It's not about us and our plan. It can't be penciled in on a neat little time line and followed accordingly step by step. It's about God's plan. Only he knew when it was truly right for us and I think he was simply showing us that it was time to calm down and take a back seat. Let God do the driving and take this journey where it was supposed to go. I must admit I struggled with this daily because I have a tendency to want to have control of my situations in addition to the fact that once I get something in my head that I want, making it mine is about all I can think about! This has an uncanny relation to shopping...It may take me a long time to make a decision and I may go through 27 scenarios for one birthday outfit, but once I find the right fit...GOTTA HAVE IT!

That Sweet Little Positive Test: So I spent the month of November feeling a little pessimistic and wondering why we hadn't gotten the positive test we had been hoping for. After all, I had already missed my opportunity at a Jamaican Anniversary baby, which I planned to name Kingston by the way, after the capital of Jamaica of course! Well into November, the weekend after Thanksgiving to be exact, I got what I had been looking for. I took the test while Jason was gone to Baton Rouge for work. I remember I just let the test sit there on the countertop and instead of waiting and staring, I decided to empty the bathroom waste basket. Walked through the house, emptied into the big trash, and by the time I made it back to the bathrooom I could tell it was already done processing (or whatever that thing does). Moment of truth, I looked down and what do I see.... A BIG 'OL...PREGNANT!! I must say, even though it was what I was looking for, I still couldn't believe it, it was still a big shock and an awful lot to process...and right at that moment when I read PREGNANT, my phone rang. It was Jessica on the line, wow, what timing Jess!

This was a Sunday night so on Monday morning the first thing I did was call my doctor's office to get an appointment to come in and get my blood drawn to check my hCG levels. They let me come in that day at lunch and told me they would call me the next day, on Tuesday with my results. On Tuesday, they called and said my level was 233. Decent, but still a little low in my opinion. I would go back on Wednesday to have it re-drawn and to see if the levels rose and doubled, which would indicate that the pregnancy was doing as it should. In the meantime Jason was going to be coming home Tuesday night and I had to think of something clever to tell him the big news. I purposefully kept it from him so that I could see his reaction in person. When he got home Tuesday night I had a present wrapped for him under the Christmas tree. I came home from errands that night and he commented to me that the Christmas tree looked good, I had been working on it when he left that Sunday. I said, thank you, did you notice there's a present underneath it? He replied, yeah I did. I said "well, it's for you. Just a little something I ordered for your birthday that didn't come in in time : )" He was like, "Seriously? So I can open it now?" "Yep, it's for you." Needless to say, what was in inside was FAR beyond what he was expecting

HA! The contents of the box was of course my hCG level of 233, a positive pregnancy test, and a little gender neutral baby onesie.

After we got the chance to discuss it all he said he couldn't believe I was able to keep it from him till he got back, what can I say? I have an incredible poker face! Jason was thrilled about the news and seeing his face made it all worth it! I returned to the clinic the next day on Wednesday and had my levels re-drawn and on Thursday I found out the return which was like 560. Dr. B said that was a great rise and to make my first OB appointment. I chose to maintain my plan to take my progesterone supplement because initially my progesterone registered a little low and I wanted to play it as safe as possible. Jason and I were even happpier about this news and agreed that the secret was ours until our first OB appointment which was set up for December 15!

Good gravy what a long 15 days that was. Of course in the meantime, I was scanning myself at work periodically just to see if I could see anything positive that would ease my mind some. I don't think I ever got what I was looking for but I also knew enough about ultrasound to know that it is only good after a certain point in pregnancy. Ultrasound does very little for very early pregnancies. December 15 approached quicker than I thought it would and rightfully so since, like everyone else, we are ALWAYS super busy in the month of December. We celebrated Brady's 5th birthday, I threw a shower for Jessica and Cam, Christmas parties, extra work days, Christmas shopping, etc etc. At our first appointment I saw our nurse practitioner and she eased my mind about so many questions and worries, I really felt so much better after talking to her and even though I had been doing some reading it always helps to hear it in person as it relates to your individual needs. Ok, so actually, I felt much better after this...

 Here I am, on the other side of the machine, quite literally! Generally Im working this machine and I never realized how much I would act like every other patient I've ever scanned once I was on this end of it. I found myself asking the same thing I answer every day, "There is just one right?" "Does everything look ok?" Gosh, so funny how you react to things once you're in the moment. Saundra assured me there was just one and the heart was beating steady at 120, a little slow for my liking but our little seahorse was also a tiny little 1/2  a centimeter and measuring 6 weeks and 4 days. Giving us a due date of August 5, 2012! We left with official info as well as a visual, happy campers!

Now the plans began to start revealing! I shared with my co workers as soon as I got back to work. First of all, I couldn't wait to show someone my picture, and secondly, working in the radiology department, as well as at a hospital, it was important to announce my pregnancy ASAP so I could be more aware of my exposure to radiation as well as any major diseases or bacteria my patients were carrying. My girls at work were thrilled! It was so fun to share with them. I think I totally caught them off guard and in a way, they had sorta watched me grow up to this point as when I started there as a student I had just gotten engaged. It was special to share that with them even though just the night before I had shared some disappointing news with them (another post on that later once I get through the chronological processes.)

Our next reveal was with our closest friends. We were having our annual Framily (that's friends like family) Christmas party at our house that weekend. This one had to be special. If you read this blog, you know me, so you already know how close this group is to my heart. We spend a ton of time together and each of them are like brothers and sisters to me. I would be lost without them. I might add that out of the group, I am the oldest girl, and we are the ONLY couple without children. My girls had been busy on the baby train for the past year or so and we were in the midst of celebrating two first birthdays for a couple of them. So it should be no surprise that the pressure had been on for quite some time. Lots of questions, lots of guesses, and lots of me evading all of that mess! I couldn't wait to tell them that for Christmas I got them something they had been asking for for quite some time. Before the party, Robby, Jason's best friend, came over for one of our weekly dinners at our house with the three of us and we clued him in. I always knew Robby wouldn't want to be shocked with new info like that in a group setting and we also needed him in on our plan to help us figure out how to deliver the news to the others. Robby was shocked but super excited for us, we spent that night discussing how on January 1, 2011, the three of us challenged this year to be the year of change. We would make every effort to make major strides in the direction of change. From as little as having fun spontaneously to changing our lives majorly. Doing things we wouldn't normally do. Stepping out of our comfort zone. Saying yes when we would normally say no. No matter what you do, do it differently. This news along with some special news of Robby's made it all come full circle. We realized we had done it. Change was achieved. Wow what a year! What an awesome year! We discussed how things would never be the same again but we were growing up, it was time to move to the next chapter. I must admit, self reflection and teary eyes were at a high for me that night. So after getting all "deep" and stuff we formulated a plan that the night of the Christmas party we would gather for a group shot and Robby would take the picture in which he would go "ok, one, two, three...KELLY'S PREGNANT" And then we would capture every reaction right on camera, sounds awesome, great plan! Well, just like things tend to not go as planned, it was no exception here. Robby did so good practicing and playing with my camera all night so that he would be familiar and ready. To sum it up, we all gather for a group photo right before opening dirty santa gifts and what first happens is Robby goes "1,2,3..." and just starts clicking. I realized he thought Jason and I were gonna shout it out. So I mouth to him "YOU....YOU DO IT." So here we go again and this time it goes "1, 2, 3...KELLY'S PREGNANT" Literally, everyone chuckled and just kept right on cheesing....never batted an eye. Robby kept clicking and when I finally realized that they weren't getting it I looked at the girls and said seriously yall, I really am....the progression went sorta like this.



Gathering for the pic





Robby delivered, and crickets could've been heard





No, seriously, I really am!





I like to call this Crystal and Mandy's face...




And Amy's face!




Me and my girls! So excited!

Even though they didn't get it at first, it was still just the surprise I was looking for! And to say the girls were thrilled would be an understatement.


The next reveals were set for Christmas weekend. We would be celebrating with Jason's family first so we would tell them first and my family second. This wound up to be the perfect scenario for this that this time fell around Christmas time and we would have the opportunity to have each family all together in one place to share the news. In addition, what a great Christmas surprise! So, these two had to be the MOST special. I was feeling fresh out of ideas of how to creatively spill the beans so I finally came up with what would work perfect for each side. I decided it would be best to wrap up a little gift that each mom could open as the VERY LAST present on Christmas. To make it the most simple, I went with the same gift for each.

This sweet little surprise would be wrapped up in a box and I thought I may add my trademark, a couple of ultrasound photos. We got together with Jason's family the night before Christmas Eve and after dinner and lots of gift opening we left this little surprise for the very last thing, after everyone was completely finished.

I took a video of the whole event but for some reason can not figure out how to connect them to this blog. If you are friends with me on Facebook I'm sure you have seen them posted there. Of course, Jason's mom and whole family were thrilled as well. We had a great time sharing the news and all of the details and just getting to share our excitement with those we love. Here is Jason's parents with the big reveal surprise.

The next night was Christmas Eve and it was finally time to share with my family. For all of you women out there, you can probably imagine how difficult a secret this was to keep from your mother. And not just my mother but my sister as well. They are the first ones I want to run to when ANYTHING at all is going on in my life, much less something as important as this! We had a great Christmas as usual and did the normal dinner, crazy kids running rampant in the house, presents, etc. And then just as the night before, after every single last present was opened, we had one more for my mom. Wrapped up identical to Lorraine's from the night before with the exact same contents. Once again, got a great video that I can't seem to attach here. But here are a few pics.

Me and my mama hugging

Me and my mom and my siblings, I love this!

Looking at the ultrasound pics



Ahhhhhhh, deep sigh of relief that the news is ALL on the table! Well, minus Facebook of course but that was for a different day! Everyone was completely over the top excited as were we! Some said, finally, some said, I didn't even expect it. But it was all delivered just perfectly and tailored to each individual party. The next morning, Christmas morning, Jason and I did our normal tradition together and had another blessed Christmas. He also did the sweetest thing ever and surprised me and the baby with a little Christmas present for each of us.



Little O's first Hog shirt! Perfect!





Something for me and something for baby, from Auggie and Daddy : )

So that about wraps up our Christmas 2011 surprise! I know this was a ridiculously long post but I felt compelled to include every single detail. Step by step. Also, this is the start of Little O's journey. I hope one day he or she will look back on this and appreciate my documentation. I'm taking a vow to keep this updated and try to record each step as I know how my memory works sometime and I don't want to try to be recalling this in 25 years and stating improper facts or falling upon blurry moments. I am highly inspired by my grandmother, my mom. My dad's mom can you tell you just about every detail of her life including how she met and married my grandpa, my pops. Each story she tells detail for detail leaves me in awe! If I can't remember those stories for my kids and grands, I hope to have them written down to read to them! Hey, it is the 21st century right?! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy following our pregnancy journey as well as all of the extra tidbits I might add in every now and again. Welcome to the race Little O, we can't wait to count down to your arrival and anticipate the day we finally get to meet you!