12 Weeks and Counting....

I must say, this whole first trimester has been a pretty easy road so far! Outside of the extreme exhaustion, heightened gag reflex which caused a couple throw up events (usually after I brush my teeth or if I hold food in my mouth too long....weird I know), and the constant forgetfulness of things I was just thinking about (yes it is happening already)...it has been smooth sailing! Often times I will catch myself with the intent of saying one word, and another word that is similar or has similar meaning pops out (like saying "are we going to go to the garage sale?" instead of "are we going to go to the gas station?"...weirdest thing ever, but it happens at least once a day, if not more! 

On the subject of food...no cravings whatsoever, EVERYTHING sounds the same. It really is funny because I am pretty much eating what I ate before with really no aversions or dire need to eat something in particular. I have never really been a person who is crazy for sweets, but even now if I have some, it's like I have a little and then don't want much more (unless it is a Nothing Bundt Cakes Bundtini). So, I can't really handle a ton of sweets, which I guess is a good thing and better than craving them like crazy....I have done well so far with the weight gain, really only about 1 pound or less so far! So, that should set me up nicely for these 2nd and 3rd trimesters...I am hoping! 

However, I must say the weirdest thing of all that has been happening over the last couple of weeks is my sleep schedule. I CANNOT for the life of me, sleep in on my weekends, and I literally wake up at 2:00am, 5:00am, and 8:00am (on the weekends) ON THE DOT EVERY MORNING! It is truly a nightly occurrence and that's like every three hours...maybe Baby Kiss is trying to get me used to that crazy mid- morning feeding schedule already!  

This past week, at 12 weeks, Baby Kiss was the size of a plum!
That little plum is still staying hidden!

 Here's a laugh for all of my pregnant friends out there!

Here's to Pregnancy Hunger! Lol this one made me laugh! 

A Heartbeat...It's a Love Beat...

Haha MOST of you probably don't know this song but it happens to be an old favorite of mine, a corny song from the 70's sung by the DeFranco Family...led by the high pitched vocals of Tony DeFranco himself (listen to it...I'm sure you'll love it too lol)! Regardless, this is the song that has been going through my head since I heard Baby Kiss' heartbeat for the 2nd time today! So exciting to hear our little Baby Kiss' LOVE beat! This special song characterizes my thoughts today so well!

When I'm alone with you
I get a feelin' through and through
Tellin' me that love is comin' on
My head starts spinnin' round and round
And I don't care what's up or down
Cause deep in my soul, I'm out of control
When I start to hear the sound of
A heartbeat, it's a lovebeat
And a lovebeat is a good vibration
Oh, a heartbeat is a lovebeat
And when we meet , it's a good sensation
Listen to my heart pound
Listen to my love sound
Feel it gettin' stronger
Can't hold back any longer
Heartbeat, it's a lovebeat
And a lovebeat is a good vibration
Oh a heartbeat it's a lovebeat
And when we meet, it's a good sensation...Listen
Pictures pass before my eyes
Like a vision in disguise
Tryin' to explain the way I feel
And there's a movement in my mind
Like a rhythm counting time
Breakin' down all my defenses
Overcomin' all of my senses

For your veiwing pleasure...click the link below and check out the DeFranco Family in action! It's a real treat with a true 70's vibe complete with a jive, psychedelic lights,  and bellbottomed costumes...guaranteed it will be your new favorite song...if nothing else you can get a GREAT laugh and hear the craziness of the song I have had in my head ALL afternoon! I'm not going to lie...it makes me wanna get up and start dancing! 

Click for the Heartbeat Music Video

The 12 week check up went well and the most exciting part was I got my FIRST Doppler Heartbeat Check! You know...the one they do on the BELLY with the JELLY! So fun! At first, there was virtually no sound, now given, Baby Kiss is the size of a PLUM deep in my uterus, so I understand that it can be tricky to find that little tiny heartbeat...so I put my worries aside and opted for patience :). Then all of the sudden you heard....BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...on the mike...I was thinking yikes...I am not so sure if everything is alright in there! Haha...Dr. Snead said, "Well that baby is moving around like crazy in there, so that is why you are hearing the sound and why I am having trouble finding the heartbeat". Soon enough he located Baby Kiss' heartbeat at a STRONG 165 bpm, yay for a healthy heartbeat Baby Kiss! With a smile he said, "Well there it is just as perfect as it can be!" Oh I was so happy to experience yet another "meeting" with our little Baby Kiss, just to know that little one is still in there and growing! My excitement and happiness is truly so very well expressed by my little song above! My little 12 week old Baby Kiss is just a movin' and a groovin'... I have been listening to this Heartbeat music video over and over through this post...lol I'm silly I know....but it just makes me so happy...so even though Baby Kiss can't quite hear yet...I know Baby Kiss is movin' and groovin' to
"A heartbeat is a lovebeat..." :)

As I snuck away and I escaped to the Doctor's office right after school for my 12 week check up...Jeff was working hard to install our beautiful, new hardwood floors with his sweet as can be little brother (Uncle Josh) and dad (Grandpa/ Papa), and even help from my sweet little brother (Uncle Chet) (yes, to replace the once amazing carpet, a necessity, not a luxury, that has now been turned into lily pads of urine from our puppies), they worked hard ALL morning, afternoon, and evening to take our floors from STINKitary to SANitary in preparation for Baby Kiss...and I swear we cleaned up after every accident, but somehow once the dirt is tracked over it...they magically reappear)... terrible, terrible things that can happen with puppies!

He is so proud of the progress in 1 DAY....
and I couldn't be MORE thankful... These handy men are incredible!

Lily Pads of Pee Stains! 

No More Carpet! 

The Moisture Barrier and Foam Underlay laid down!

The Boys hard at work...And the nearly the FINISHED product with the 3 hard workers...

well until tomorrow when they tackle the Master Bedroom! But I tell you...gosh those men are talented! They can do ANYTHING! I always knew I had to marry a man who was a Mr. Fix It...Just like my daddy! ;)

And the ACTUAL finished product for today... our NEW dance floor! I told Jeff our kids are going to say on a regular daily basis "Mama can we move the furniture out of the way so we can use our dance floor"! Of course, we are going to have some dancing fools! So, I broke it in well tonight...Jeff and I danced to our Texas Country, one of which was my FAV artists of all time, Mr. Wade Bowen's song "From Bad to Good" were such perfect lyrics ('so dance a little closer, laugh about this crazy day, or lay your head down on my shoulder and we'll cry the world away')...and I danced to whatever was on cause I just wanted to dance...this new found energy is AMAZING! I feel like my old self again! 

Here I am striking a pose while I broke in our new dance floor (Jeff wanted to take a video but I thought you would get the jist with a mere picture lol)....I think I might opt out of living room furniture and keep the dance floor! 

All of the dancing and new floor has been exciting buuuttt here is our MESS of a house, it looked so beautiful yesterday after my cleaning spree...our living room is now in the casual dining room! What I wouldn't give to lay on the couch and watch TV... haha lol...I am just fine...no need for TV tonight! 

And just to add a picture of my sweetness...look at sweet, little Daddy Kiss after a hard day's work...isn't he going to be the most INCREDIBLE DADDY? Look at him with our little Bronx and Berkley...Daddy felt bad that they had to be put away all day in the garage and outside...so his soft, little heart let them in and look where they went to sit! By the way does BRONX (puppy on the right) not CRACK you up...he looks like he is totally posing like a little man for senior pictures!!! 

Update: Here is the FINAL FINISHED product the next day! We have added our lovely furniture back in the mix! It looks more like a living room now and not so much like a dance floor...excuse the curtains which are still pulled up! Yay for such quick progress! 

A Baby Shower for Baby Bradshaw

Just got back from my sweet friend Sara's baby shower! So, so much fun! She will be having sweet little girl, Baby Bradshaw in late December! We couldn't be more excited for them! They are truly the neatest couple and will make such incredible parents as they bring their new little one into the world! She is officially 29 weeks....third trimester yay for her! Her house is literally FILLED with baby stuff now, and prior to the shower she had NOT an hint of baby in the house besides her adorable little bump! Now, they are ALL set thanks to their many loving friends and family!

It is so exciting that part of our pregnancies are overlapping...She entered the third trimester and I am finally finishing the first! Woo Hoo! It will be so exciting to have little ones only 4 months apart because we live so close to one another! 

So fun! Sara at 29 weeks and me at 12 weeks! My dress makes me look a little more pregnant than I actually look lol! You actually still can't tell at all that I am pregnant....but I am sure that won't last long!

Sara, Nikita, Crystal, and Me

We took this super fun pregnant picture with all of the pregnant Mamas at the baby shower! Here we are in order of due date thanks to Sara's big sis with the brilliant idea! 

Sara is 29 weeks due December 30. Nikita is 22 weeks due February 21. Crystal is 16 weeks and due on April 7. Little 12 week me is there on the end due May 7! 

Sara's sister suggested that once I have my little newborn we should all get together and take an updated one! How fun would that be? 

And finally, I thought you would like to see a sneak peek of the super adorable Baby Shower favors Sara's mom put together! Are they not the cutest thing you've ever seen? In addition to their cupcake favor....they also had Nothing Bundt Cakes bundtinis.....YUM, YUM, YUM...my absolute favorite! I had a pumpkin spice one to get in the holiday spirit and season of fall.... 

It. Was. To. Die. For.

The First Official Gift for Baby Kiss

Last weekend, my best friend from college, little MRS. Ashley, was ready to whisk her husband of 6 months away for a big 3-0 birthday bash in Memphis, Tennessee, to visit to home of the King himself, Elvis! However, at the last minute her baby...I mean DOG sitter fell through and she was in dire need of someone to watch her 2 loves! So, to us she called, and so Traper and Sox joined us for a 4 day weekend of fun with our 2 crazy puppies! Of course their dogs didn't want to miss out on Daddy's birthday celebration...so we sent him a picture of our own celebration for him! 

Traper and Sox sending their Daddy 30th birthday wishes while he was away in Memphis! 

Of course, before Ashley headed to Graceland what did she have for us? Well, none other than our first OFFICIAL GIFT for Baby Kiss. Leave it to her to get the ball rolling! As I opened it up, the first thing I pulled out was the onesie set for the girl! I said "So, I suppose you are hopeful and thinking it will be a girl?" and she went on to explain that there were others included and of course we could exchange whichever ones we didn't need, in other words she had all bases covered! Haha I found it so funny! So, as you can see we have a set for whichever way it works out...boy or girl! She also got us the little set of gowns that her sister-in-law swears by! I suppose I will add it to our slowly but surely growing collection of baby fun! 

However, I will say that if Baby Kiss takes after Mama at all, they might not be fitting into the newborn size, which is what size these tiny little things are! I was a solid 9 pounds 5 ounces, and if that is the case with Baby Kiss, we will have to skip right over that tiny little newborn size because the poor little person won't fit inside! haha 

Grocery Store Silliness!

So, yesterday, Jeff and I were off to the grocery store to stock up on my weekly fruits, veggies, orange juice, milk, cheese, CHEDDAR JACK Cheez-its (not a pregnancy thing, I  have been obsessed with them for 2 years...so good), and other weekly staple items, etc. Coming from school, I am always pretty exhausted, and I was not looking forward to the trip. As I was waiting for Jeff to finish checking out our Red Box movies, I sat in the motorized scooter and thought "Man would this be a great way to shop". After all, I had been on my feet ALL day and I was quite tired! 

So, I asked Jeff "Is it too soon for me to ride in one of these just because I am pregnant?" Haha...I am sure I will not be needing it, even near the end of the pregnancy...but it was a FUN thought! 

It's Week 11... and that Little Baby Kiss keeps on growing (or so the website says, I sure can't tell except for the fact that little one is stealing all of my energy so it can grow)! We had some fun at the grocery store while stocking up in the produce department on our fruits and veggies...and I couldn't resist taking a LIME picture! 

Our Sweet Little Kiss is the size of a LIME this week! 

 Or a TINY BABY Pineapple! How cute is this?!? I love, love, love, pineapple! It is my favorite fruit, so it was so fun to find a BABY pineapple! I had never seen one! 

A BABY pineapple the size of BABY KISS! I love it! It makes me so happy! :) 

Growing By the Fruit

So I am officially a sucker for the week by week pregnancy sites that tell you how the baby is developing, the weight, and the most FUN part...the size comparison! I love, love, love to know what fruit or vegetable Baby Kiss has grown to the size of each week! 

 Last week was week 10, and we were the size of a prune! Much bigger than a tiny blueberry!

Sorry for the blurry picture...Mr. Kiss' hand isn't always so steady! ;)

Last week was week 10, and we were the size of a prune! Much bigger than a tiny blueberry! 

Baby Kiss is definitely growing by the FRUIT because I eat a whole lot of it! Since 2 days after I found out I was pregnant Jeff and I rekindled our addiction to JAMBA JUICE and we have kept it going ever since! Not really a pregnancy craving, just a Mr. and Mrs. Kiss kinda craving! I love, love, love my Jamba! I know it's packed with sugar...but hey it's packed with FRUIT and helps with my hydration! Double win! This week I even purchased the insulated cup, which helps regulars like me receive 10% off every time they come in! However, I must admit I really bought it to assist in my water intake at school, since taking sips from a straw throughout the day seems to be more time efficient to drink from during my busy day than a wide mouth water bottle! So far, it's been a success...I am now getting my reccomended water intake each day thanks to my colorful whirly cup! 

Garage Sale Goodness

So last Saturday, my friend Holly told me there would be some neighborhood Garage Sales going on this weekend and I should try and pop around to see if I can find any hidden baby treasures! Her mom in particular discovers the best finds....so I thought what the heck...let's see what we can discover. So, my mom came and picked me up at 7:15am (yes, I really needed my Saturday sleep in but I gave it up), and then we were off! Mind you, I have NEVER been Garage Sale shopping as an adult and really only frequented a couple growing up...not really my cup of tea, but I tried to have an open mind...but I will say I was a little grumpy going in to it! Not sure if it was the early morning, or the overall experience of it all to begin with.

I soon found out that garage sale shopping is an ART, one that I could NEVER make a habit of! It takes endurance, stamina, lots of driving, and seeing a whole lot of JUNK! Did I mention super time consuming and a stealer of every last ounce of energy you have? However, in our endeavor, we did happen upon some sweet, little baby treasures (we only stopped at ones with baby stuff that caught our eye).

Our first find was a car seat that was in GREAT condition regularly $180 we got it for $20...we will obviously get a NEW carseat too, but it will be nice to have a second one that we can use and not have to transfer it from car to car when Baby Kiss gets bigger. The infant one we will have only goes to 33 pounds but has various bases to put into the various cars and snaps into the stroller. So, once the little one gets bigger we figure we will need another couple of carseats, and this will be one of them!

 We also found some fun outdoor active lifestyle equipment....like a regularly priced $300 Quinny Jogging Stroller for $50 and an amazing Bike Trailer for $50 as well! Sadly, Jeff didn't love my bike trailer... he said "Wow, that will look GREAT behind your bike...oh and did it come with the helmet and biker spandex too?" :( Oh how sweet is he? But hey, I will tell you, if I am going to be home with this little one, I figure I need options, and when they are too little to ride a bike...is this not the perfect solution, for a ride through the neighborhood or park? I would think so, though it will probably be a year after Baby Kiss is born before I can utilize my Bike Trailer...it will be great to have when the time comes! 

Some other finds included: 

a Tummy Time Mat for $15

a Glider Rocker and Gliding Footstool for only $35 (which I can't wait to darken the wood and recover it based on a blog tutorial I found...I just have to decide if I am going to put it in the bedroom or nursery because that will obviously determine the fabric I choose!)

A $2 gate that was wide enough to block our SUPER WIDE staircase! 

We will be painting it darker soon! :) It's not super sturdy but it will do the job! Even for the puppies!

Kind of a funny thing but we bought a TON of GIRL clothes because this lady had twin girls....they were just too cute and cheap to resist! I figure if we don't have a girl, I know a couple people having a girl that I can hand them over to! It was only like $12 for all of it...even the stuff in the bag!  

The greatest find that my mom found was a bedding set she fell in love with! She plans to have a crib set up for our sweet little Baby Kiss at her house, so this neutral little bedding set was perfect for her for only $60! Needless to say she was very excited! 

So, all in all, I think I must say it was a successful trip....but oh SO exhausting! 

Quotes from the Peanut Gallery

At first I told Jeff, we really need to wait until closer to the end of the first trimester before we go and tell everyone....but he was soooooo excited he talked me into telling our closest friends, in addition to our family of course! Here are some of the notable responses from some of those closest to us!

Tessa Stevens (my mom): "I never doubted for one second it would happen right away! Now I need to go and buy a LAY Z BOY rocker to rock my baby in!" (And she already bought it)

Chet Stevens (my dad): "So... are you sure? Really?"

Chet Stevens (my brother): "No way, really, no way, I'm going to be a real uncle...can I put it on Facebook?"

Debby Stillabower (Jeff's Mom): "NO F***ing WAY! (followed by tears) Are you serious? I'm going to have 2 grandbabies?"

(It was pure and utter shock...Jeff's brother's wife is pregnant too!)  

Rachelle Kiss: "Yay! We can go through pregnancy together!"

Gram: "Oh my goodness, I just knew it, I knew it when you were here in Louisiana!"

Papa Kiss: "I'm so happy! That makes my day. Do you have a good shotgun? Would you prefer a 12 gauge or a 20 gauge? (That means he is really, really happy)

Maw: "I'm smiling inside....or should I say bursting?"

Uncle Chris: "Were they busy when they were here in Louisiana or what?" 

(and NO, lol it happened before we went to Louisiana)

Aunt Debbie: "I knew when I saw you, you had a glow, and when I touched your hand when you were here in Louisiana, I felt it tingle. It will be a girl! You two just had this aura about you, it's so special and I couldn't be more happy for you! I love your deep conversations and how you've matured together as a couple over the years you have been married, so proud of you guys!"

Shannon Kidd: "So exciting, you should name him Baby Jensen! When I think of you're baby, I call him Baby Jensen"

Jonathan Stickland: "Oh my gosh, I am so excited, you guys are going to be great parents. I will be sure to tell you if you have the ugly baby!"

Holly Cochran: "Matt and I decided you should have a girl, so she can marry Emerson and we can be in laws!"

Annie Santiago: "Oh my gosh, I had tears in my eyes, we are so incredibly happy for you! Y'all found out on my golden birthday...if y'all have the baby early on Tim's birthday, then it will be a sign from God and we will have to move to TEXAS"

Tim Santiago: "What?!?!? So glad it happened at Uncle Tim's Wedding! Congratulations! I'm all smiles for you guys! Who would have thought, from taking a picture under the tree when we were young, to you telling you're about to have one almost that young to take a picture under the tree! What was Jeff's face like when he got the news? "

Shelli Green: "I knew it would happen fast...I am so excited for you guys! I so see you with boys!"

Tiffany Hayes: "Oh I am so happy for you guys...I cannot believe how well you have thought through all of this...you guys are so ready to be parents, you will make the greatest parents! I think it will be a boy, since every one told me I was going to have a boy each time, and I had a girl every time, so since everyone has said it will be a girl, I think you guys will have a boy!"

Lynn McWhirter (the person who introduced us in 1999): "I should get to name the baby since I put you two love birds together!"

It's Alive...8 Week Ultra Sound!!!

The big day finally came! On September 24th, we went in for our first Ultra Sound at 8 weeks to hear the heartbeat! We were so excited all weekend, and that was all I could think about all day at school that day! Jeff went with me of course, and what a neat experience it was to share together! We had thought the due date would be May 4th, but based on measurements the doctor told us our Estimated Due Date was May 7th, 2013, Jeff and I were in awww because this is the day we started dating back in 1999!

I haven't really had any major pregnancy symptoms besides extreme and utter exhaustion (like go to bed at 7:00 exhaustion) and awesome face breakouts, which I love oh so much! But hey, I guess I will take that over throwing up every day! :) 

Here is our little raspberry sized Baby Kiss when we met for the first time! 

Baby Kiss' heartbeat was beating at a solid and consistent 176 BPM! 

First Date With Baby Kiss

So, who knows what this crazy pregnancy would do to me...we decided to skip out for a First Date with Baby Kiss! We went to celebrate our excitement and have a little fun together! We went to see The Bourne Legacy (Our Favorite Set of Sequels) at the new Cinemark Movie theater, literally 3 minutes from our house. Then we had dinner at BJ's brewery on the patio (of course no fancy Brew for me and Baby Kiss)....what a beautiful night it was we enjoyed before those summer nights we love came soon to an end! 

             

Soon to be Momma of Baby Kiss...totally still can't believe it's real, judging by how tired I have been, I know that it's true! No baby bump yet...but Baby Kiss is inside! 

What a sweet thing to share...our First Date with Baby Kiss! Baby Kiss loved the Spinach and Artichoke Dip at BJ's might I add! ;) 

The Confirmation Appointment...

So, naturally a week later it still hadn't sunk in yet that THIS was happening. I made an appointment with an OBGYN for a confirmation and all of the fun, initial testing protocol. I went in as soon as I could! Jeff was working that day, so my mom insisted she go with me! Anyone who knows me, knows I have a slight problem with shots/piercings/getting blood drawn. I am not afraid and I don't pass out, but seconds after, I get weak, flush faced white and have to lay down. Naturally, after 5-6 viles of blood having been syringed out of my body....this common occurrence came over me and I felt like I was in a crazy, drunken daze. However, I laid down and within a few minutes was back to normal....just a strange body response I have. Not looking forward to the future blood sample encounters I will have to withstand for Baby Kiss. Good news is, they confirmed that I actually was pregnant, and said that all is well!

A couple weeks later, it had finally sunk in that there was a baby in there...our Baby Kiss at 7 weeks was the size of a Blueberry! (Notice the tiny blueberry in my fingers)

Mrs. and Mr. Kiss with our TINY Blueberry! 

Sharing the News

So, we had to spread the word to our families ASAP! So, we went to my parent's house on Tuesday night , the soonest that we could. My plan was just to use the same card I gave Jeff to reveal it to them too...but Jeff wanted to do it up bigger! He wanted to go and find Grandma and Grandpa t-shirts for them. I told him we would have to order them online....but maybe we can find something at Sam Moon! So, to Sam Moon we went, we found nothing but a picture frame and I thought well this might work but I bet they would have better ones at Hobby Lobby....and then when we walked out we found the most perfect coffee cups! They said "I'm a Grandma/ Grandpa....Let the Spoiling Begin". It was perfect and totally made for all of our coffee drinking parents! 

We went over to bring them to my parents. Of course, my mom had suspected something was up and naturally they were so excited but definitely in shock! They weren't sure it was real! 

Later that night they proceed to text me and tell me "We are so happy, You're dad is in awe! It feels like tomorrow morning is going to be Christmas. We can't wait to have coffee in our Grandma and Grandpa cups. You're dad already washed them and set them out. And I set up the coffee pot! We are talking about Grandparent names now!" 

(Which for the record they have now chosen Grammie and Gramps)

Oh man....what a big laugh this gave us and such huge smiles on our faces as we went to bed that night! 

 

We were also able to share it with Jeff's dad and his wife Fonda, as well as his Mom and her husband Jack soon after! They have a coffee cup collection so we thought this would be a perfect addition! They were very excited as well! Take at their coffee cups...look familiar?