Big Brother

Doug recently put together our Pack and Play. It was a hand-me-down so we wanted to make sure it was ready to go. Turns out it had never been used, so we are set. Willie tested it out and found it very comfortable. Everyone has asked how our "first born" is going to react to the baby. It should be interesting, but Willie has always been extremely gentle around children and babies so we aren't anticipating any big issues. He does have one habit that must be broken. He loves stuffed animals. He carries them around the house in his mouth - looking really guilty. We're working on it!!

Halftime

I'm officially over halfway through my pregnancy. It's nice to hit that 20 week milestone. A funny thing happened to me recently - I started to look pregnant. See if you notice the developments :) A stranger asked me this weekend if I was pregnant, so I think the jig is up.

I also felt some movement for the first time this weekend. The doctor had told me because of placement of the baby and the placenta, I would not feel the baby as early as most moms. So when I finally felt something this weekend - I was so excited!!

I am still feeling great, so I know I am really lucky. Still able to workout on my regular schedule, so that has been nice mentally and physically. Doug & I are counting down the weeks (3 & 1/2) till our last kid-free vacation. Some call it a babymoon - I call it laying on the beach in Mexico. Can't wait!

17 Weeks, 4 Days
18 Weeks, 5 Days20 Weeks, 2 days

Happy New Year!

We had so much fun celebrating the New Year with friends in St. Louis - it was our friend James surprise 30th birthday. In addition, my mom came in from Kansas City to visit us for a few days - so it was great to see her and celebrate the New Year. Not to mention, I was sick. Let's face it - when you are sick - you just want your mom. Even if you are 30 years old.

Here are a few pictures from our New Year's Eve. I've got a feeling that 2010 is going to be a great year!

Happy 2010!

The guys - Jon, Doug, Pat & JamesDinner with the family - my mom and Doug's parents

Christmas in St. Louis

For the first time since we moved to North Carolina, Doug had the holidays off! We were so excited to have an extended time to travel back to St. Louis, spend time with his family over the holiday and see some friends.

We made the long drive in order to have our own car and bring Willie McGee. I lucked out and Doug drove every second to and from St. Louis. Willie and I slept most of the way.

We packed a lot into the nine days we were back. Lots of family time and get-togethers with friends. We also took a short side trip to the lake house and Columbia for a basketball game. On the way down and back, we got to see April & Sara - along with their families.

Our plans got a little sidelined thanks to the stomach bug that I got toward the end of vacation - but we were grateful for what we were able to squeeze in! Thanks to everyone who fit us into their holiday schedules.

Willie hanging with his cousins Chubbs & Lucy.

The Burgess brothers with their pups.

The whole family on Christmas Day

Doug & Willie

Christmas dinner. One of our two Turkeys...

Smart dogs, hanging out in the kitchen

Opening my new HD Flip Cam & tripod from Doug :)

Willie is getting really good at opening his own presents.

He is also willing to help others unwrap theirs. At the Mizzou Game - so fun to be back in Columbia for a few hours.Fun day with the girls (and babies)! So great to see so many friends!

It's a...

Or as my brother Aaron said, "It is an Erin or an Aaron?"

Girl!!

We are so excited! The ultrasound was such an amazing experience! I was in a slight shock since I was convinced it was a boy from the beginning. So much for mother's intuition! The whole appointment was fun - seeing our baby girl move on the screen, waving at us, etc. Since I haven't felt any movement yet, seeing her move was even more special. We saw her arms, legs, feet, hands, heart, brain, spine, kidneys - I could go on and on. But is there anything as sweet as seeing your baby's first profile?

She proved to be slightly difficult (Oh, great! Already?) She kept throwing her arm over her face - as if to say - "No pictures, please!" So getting a good 3-D profile was tough. She also kept her legs crossed the entire time - she's a little modest - which made determining the gender a challenge for our technician. She was diligent and we finally got the right angle.

Here are a few more photos - the 3D photos are a little scary at this stage but I thought I would post a few!

Turn off the light! I'm sleeping! Living up to her nickname from my work friends, "Thumbelina". We saw a lot of hand waving and fingers during this visit.

Finally, no hands! I know that babies look a bit like skeletor at this stage, but it's so neat to see them so early! Can't wait to meet her in June.

Happy Holidays

We are back in North Carolina after a fun trip to St. Louis - I'll get some photos from our trip up in the next few days. Hope you and your families had a wonderful holiday season! May 2010 be a great year for everyone!!