The Latest Pic and Our Little Lemon

15 Weeks, 1 Day

Our little one is continuing to grow and thrive! We are at 16 weeks and he/she is growing (which is incidently, causing me to grow….see picture). My growth means maternity clothes, which are a whole new world for me. But I have to say that having clothes that allow me to breathe are a wonderful thing!

We also got some great news this past week! Our dear friends Culleen and Dan welcomed their first baby, a girl, Sophia. Culleen and Sophia are home, healthy and happy which is the most wonderful news! We can’t wait to meet Miss Sophia!

Mike has had a big week too, overseeing his first research trial outside of Atlanta. I’ll brag about him a bit since this is his first trial and he’s worked so hard to get here. All is going well and he’ll be heading back to finish the trial in a couple of weeks.

Tomorrow is Halloween which means dressing up in costume for work, Mike gets home and we get to see if we have more than 2 trick-or-treaters this year. More pictures to come after Halloween tomorrow!!

Love to all,
Ash

The Last 13 Weeks

12 Weeks, 1 Day

Thirteen. For some, it’s a lucky number. For me, it’s been a number that I’ve been yearning for since August 6th. August 6th – the day we found out that we’re going to be blessed with a beautiful baby. The day that everything changed.

Today, we’re 13 weeks pregnant and I am a happy, happy girl. We’re a happy, happy family. With each passing day and week, the reality that we’re having a baby is becoming more and more real. And when you have the symptoms I’ve had, the reality of having a baby sets in pretty quickly.

For a quick recap of the last 9 weeks, here goes (since there are always lots of questions and I’ve started to see just how much valuable advice there is out there from moms who have come before me):

- Morning sickness? Yes or no? Yes. Yes. And Yes. I had morning sickness. For about 5 weeks, which I am blessed. Each morning that I was dealing with it, I just kept saying the same mantra: “This is the best worst feeling I have ever had.” And, then one day, I woke up and was great.

- Total Lack Of Energy? Yes. It took just about everything I had in me to get through the work day and make the drive home from work. Falling asleep at 7:45 on the couch became a pretty regular occurrence. Poor Mike.

- Cravings? Not so much in those first weeks. Now, kinda.

- Food Aversions? Bring ‘em on. No milk or dairy. Couldn’t stand the sight of it. All I wanted was ice, Sprite, popsicles, fruit and sherbet. Oh yeah, and for those of you that really know me, anything breaded or fried has never been up for grabs. Not so now. Grilled chicken – no way. Breaded/fried chicken – bring it on. One of Mike’s favorite stories so far was one of my grocery trips. I actually came home with kids chicken nuggets in the shape of dinosaurs.

So, as of today, I feel pretty good. I’m still tired. Really tired. But, again, this is the best tired feeling I’ve ever had. And, the great news is that with each doctor’s visit we’ve had, the news has been wonderful. At 8 weeks, we got to see our little one and heard its heartbeat. We were even amazed to see that our little one was kicking its legs and moving its arms around. 12 weeks continued to give us great news as we saw the little one moving again and seeing how big it is becoming. It’s truly, truly an amazing gift.

My plan is to keep this updated now. Especially since there will be lots to report on! And, for those of who wondering, we are going to find out if we’re having a boy or a girl – just wait until Thanksgiving!!

Love to all,
Ash

It’s Been Way Too Long….

Since we’ve last posted any news on us. Seriously. I do have an excuse though. A happy one. What’s been going on in our lives since our last post? We’ll give you the rundown:

- The patio is still a work in progress. We’re about 60% of the way through all of the bricks and Mike is working his little heart out each weekend to get it finished before it snows. Yes, before it snows.

- My sister is gainfully employed and officially living near us! After her summer-long internship at a PR firm in downtown Chicago, they offered her a job, which we are all unbelievably happy about! She’s loving the city, enjoying being in the real world and we love having her so close!

- We got to enjoy a wonderful week in Hawaii in July for Mike’s sis’ wedding. It was such a beautiful week! Perfect weather, and a perfect ceremony with just family.

- At the beginning of September, I got to go back to Indy to celebrate the upcoming arrival of my dear friend Culleen’s baby girl and along with it, got to see so many of my wonderful friends. We had a great day and got to shower Culleen with wonderful baby gifts!

- My dad and Ashley came in and visited from Florida last month – to celebrate my dad’s birthday. It was wonderful to have them here and see how the house is coming along. We even dragged my dad to his new favorite store – IKEA.

- Oh, and one other thing – at the beginning of August, Mike and I received one of the most precious gifts ever. We found out we’re expecting our first baby in April! We are so very, very blessed and excited for this new stage in our lives. I’ll post a separate baby post after this one, complete with pictures!

We’ve had such a busy, busy summer and are relieved that with Fall is coming some calm and weekends at home. We hope all is well with you and your families and wish you a happy Fall!

Love, Mike, Ash, E! and Baby Murcia