It's a baby!

I was thrilled to post this picture on Facebook today:

That, my friends, is a baby! And it just happens to be growing in my tummy! I'm still in shock, even though I've known for quite a while now. I'm pregnant! I'm going to have a baby! Wow!

So here are the details I know you're dying to know:

• Yes, we were trying. After the miscarriage and the diagnosis of PCOS we were very anxiously waiting for that little pink plus sign. However, we didn't think we would get pregnant for several more months. We were both shocked when it showed up.
• I am currently 9 wks and 2 days along. We are due July 30, 2012. We are hoping the baby decides to come earlier rather than later. DJ starts tennis camp the second week of August and if this baby is too late we'll have a serious problem on our hands!
• We told both sets of parents at Thanksgiving. They are thrilled more than words can say! Our grandparents found out at Christmas.
• I have been good and sick and have honestly loved it! After wanting a baby for so long, having a daily reminder that the baby is still in there is a wonderful blessing. I do not enjoy eating when I'm not hungry, but I am so thrilled to be pregnant I don't mind it that much. :) I don't mind the fact that I've lost 5 pounds, either!
• We will have a Winnie the Pooh nursery. Any contributions (Winnie the Pooh or otherwise) are welcomed!
• I don't have a gut instinct about whether it's a boy or a girl. It depends on the day. Today I truly can't decide. DJ is torn about what the baby will be, but he usually leans towards boy.
• My head is still swimming with questions and dreams and ideas. I am amazed that God has chosen me to be a part of His beautiful miracle. Where once there was nothing, now there's life!
• Seeing the baby and seeing that little heart beat was one of the more memorable moments in my life. I cried, DJ cried, the doctor cried. It was a heck of a moment.

I can't wait to see all the Lord has in store for us in this beautiful new chapter. I'm excited about all of the changes and I'm beyond thrilled to start life as a MOMMY!

Day 21

Today I'm thankful for friends and family that support and love my little family no matter what. My heart is full with the blessings of these friendships!

Day 20

Today I'm thankful for social media and cell phones! It's amazing to me that Facebook didn't even exist when I was in high school yet I now use it on a daily basis to connect with friends - old and new. I can tell you that the past few years would have not looked the same without this mode of communication! I'm also thankful for cell phones. I still remember when our family got our first "car phone" (that was the size of your face!) and we could only use it for emergencies. But now everyone has a phone and everyone can talk easily! I love that we can communicate with our families any time we want! I'm so thankful for the blessings of the modern age...

Days 18 and 19

Yesterday I was thankful for wonderful time with my sister! She has had a string of no good, very bad days over the course of the last month and it did both of us some good to just be together. Plus, I got a start on my Christmas shopping! Woo hoo!

Today, I'm thankful for little things. The little things that I almost always forget to be thankful for. Things like dirty dishes and a ton of laundry. Or stinky puppies, dusty furniture, or a broken vacuum cleaner that's still under waranty. My heart is full of things I forget to be thankful for. Today I want to focus on those things I need to thank God for. :)

Day 17

Today I'm thankful for cheese. (Except for when it dries onto a dish and becomes cheese glue!) I love this versatile food and eat it pretty much every day. I do not, however, love blue cheese. I can't get past the smell and it looks gross. Blue, if you will. But back to my point. I love cheese. (I also love Andrew Peterson.) Bonus points for you if you own that shirt. :)

Day 16

Today I'm thankful for people who speak English! Don't get me wrong, French is a fine language and I'm happy that French people can converse with each other easily. However, when I'm calling customer service for an American company, it's really hard to sort through two hours of someone who doesn't speak English. My vacuum cleaner broke this afternoon and I talked to three different women who had a very difficult time understanding what I needed. I could almost see them flipping through their translation dictionaries and the on-screen script to figure out how to help me. When they finally referred me to a local repair shop I nearly cried when the man who answered was a native English speaker. If it was possible I would have jumped through the phone and hugged him!

I also have several students this year who don't speak English. It is a daily challenge to help them understand what's going on in our classroom. It's even harder for those students who don't speak at all.

So, I'm very thankful for English. Having the same language makes communication so much easier!

Days 14 and 15

Yesterday, I literally never looked at my computer! It was just one of those go-go-go days! However, towards the end of the day I got to spend time with a friend due to deliver any day now and another that has a 7 week old infant. I was kind of expecting the time to put an ache in my heart, but it didn't! I left feeling re-charged and so excited for the new chapters in the lives of these two families. My heart was so refreshed and the whole evening felt like a two hour vacation from life...

WARNING: I'm about to discuss "women things" like periods and ovulation. If you're not into that sort of thing, please stop reading now.
Today, I'm thankful for PMS. Yes, I hate PMS (as does the Hubsters!) but right now, it's a beautiful reminder that I'm finally ovulating again. For several months after our miscarriage, I didn't ovulate at all. In August, the doctor decided the reason was Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Basically, I create all of the hormones I need and then have trouble processing and absorbing it. So we started new medicine in August that will help. So far, it seems to be doing it's job. I am ovulating on schedule and this month I am "thrilled" to add a raging case of PMS to the list of signs that my meds are working!